Chapter 2629: Unexpected Complications
After Zhao Hening left, Mrs. Huang (Huang Shi) found herself unable to settle her churning emotions. The upheavals of recent days had surpassed anything in her life's experience, leaving her without appetite. She had never been one to make decisions on her own; arriving at this point felt almost inevitable, yet still she wavered. Though the young Officer Zhao had instructed her to file a formal complaint at Jiujiang Great Market Police Station in three days, she could not begin to imagine what might follow. The vast uncertainty ahead doubled her anxiety.
After finishing her farm work, she decided not to wait for Guan Zongbao to return home. Instead, she set out to speak with Guan Youde's Second Sister. In her world, family matters still required family counsel. Like most natives of this era, Guan Youde had several brothers and sisters, but among his sisters, Second Sister maintained the closest relationship with him.
When Second Sister heard what Huang Shi had to say, she was both shocked and furious—shocked that Huang Shi actually intended to divorce Guan Youde, and furious that she had sought the Australians' backing.
"Younger Sister-in-law, since you married through the Guan family's great doors, you should abide by a woman's proper path," Second Sister admonished. "You are his hair-tied wife, his first wife. Is caring for him not simply heaven's principle and earth's righteousness? How can you entertain such thoughts merely because life has grown difficult?"
"Second Sister, I came to you precisely because you are his sister," Huang Shi replied. "Having reached this point, I no longer know what to think. I am telling you now simply to give you advance notice. Before long, I will gather the clan elders to decide the matter together."
After Huang Shi departed, Second Sister felt as though disaster loomed in her heart. Though she had married into another family long ago, she still cared deeply about her maiden family's reputation. She rushed immediately to find Eldest Brother's household, suspecting Huang Shi would seek him out as well. Before long, news of the affair reached Guan Richang, the Branch Head of their ancestral line.
"Jiyi, this is where matters stand with the Australians." Shimei Hall Patriarch Guan Boyi closed the door to speak privately with his younger brother Guan Jiyi upon returning home from Jiujiang Great Market. As a rare Metropolitan Graduate (Jinshi) within the clan—one who had even served as a County Magistrate under the Ming Dynasty—Guan Jiyi was naturally consulted on important matters.
Guan Jiyi sighed. "For the sake of our clan's continuity, we must bow our heads. The other elders should understand."
"What of Mr. Qiutao and Mr. Zhongxian from the Zhu clan...?" Guan Boyi asked with evident concern.
"If representatives from their families come, leave them to me," Guan Jiyi said. "Qiutao carries himself with awe-inspiring righteousness and serves his country wholeheartedly. He and I passed our examinations in the same year; he won't make things difficult for me. But if anyone thinks to gamble with the lives of our thousand clansmen, young and old—that is absolutely out of the question."
With Guan Jiyi's assurance, Guan Boyi's heart steadied considerably. "Those who understand the times are the true heroes," he agreed. "The other five halls of the Guan Clan also intend to cooperate with the Senate this time. I hear Shude Hall is willing to gift their land in Shangxi Village, the tract bordering West Sea, to the Senate. Though it is mostly swamp and mudflat, with the Australians' rumored capabilities, it should transform into fertile fields before long."
"Indeed," Guan Jiyi nodded. "Looking back over the past decade, whoever befriends the Australians inevitably sees their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven alongside them. Gao Ju was nothing but a lowly merchant, yet in the blink of an eye he became a pillar of the state. Meanwhile, whoever crosses the Australians meets death and clan extinction. Even Zheng Zhilong, far away in Fujian, has turned to a pile of yellow earth—his clansmen dead or scattered to the winds. We watch him build his tower high, we watch him feast his guests, we watch his tower collapse. If our clan refuses to cooperate with the Australians, there are plenty of others lining up to board that boat. What standing would Shimei Hall have then?"
"When you put it that way, these True Australians are not nearly as coarse and vulgar as the rumors claim," Guan Boyi mused. "I hear Magistrate Zhang is a True Australian himself. Though he hardly looks the part of a ruler, he handles affairs with considerable skill—a man of broad learning and sharp memory. If the Senate's people are all of this caliber, they have the bearing of those who accomplish great things."
"May our Ancestors bless Shimei Hall to pass through this tribulation safely."
Just as the two brothers were conferring behind closed doors, a servant boy's voice came from outside: "Master! This is bad—something terrible has happened!"
Guan Jiyi opened the door and scolded, "What is all this panic? Where is your composure?"
The servant boy lowered his head and spoke anxiously: "The Branch Head from the Yanchang Ancestor Branch is waiting outside. He says something terrible has happened—the Australians are looking for an excuse to cause trouble."
"Where is he?" Guan Boyi emerged as well.
"Please follow me, Masters."
In the main hall, Guan Richang was pacing in tight circles. The moment he spotted Guan Boyi, he stopped and rushed forward. "Patriarch, this is a disaster!"
Though advanced in years, Guan Boyi had weathered many storms. He sat down unhurriedly, instructed the servant to serve tea, and motioned for Guan Richang to take a seat before speaking. "Calm yourself. Tell us everything, slowly."
As Guan Richang gave his report, Guan Jiyi found the situation peculiar. Unless a clansman had violated national law, the government never interfered in clan affairs. Could the Australians be seizing upon this incident for their own purposes—killing the chicken to warn the monkey?
Guan Boyi, despite his composure, felt his blood pressure surge as he listened. "This wretched creature!" he shouted. "Does he despise Shimei Hall so much that he would draw the Australians' scrutiny upon us? Where is he? Bring him at once—I will interrogate him personally."
It was two days later when several strong young men finally escorted Guan Youde from the gambling house and forced him to kneel before Guan Boyi. Guan Youde was still half-drunk.
A basin of cold water struck his face with a sharp splash. Only then did he startle awake, looking around in bleary panic.
"You wretch—do you know who I am?" Guan Boyi demanded.
"Branch Head! Patriarch! I know! I know!" Guan Youde answered fearfully.
"Look at the mess you've made! Your own wife wants to bring the Australians in to settle matters. If this spreads, where will Shimei Hall's face be? The situation is perilous—clouds treacherous, waves strange. Who knows if the Australians will use this as a pretext for interference? Would you drag a thousand of our clansmen down with you?"
"But I—" Guan Youde felt himself more wronged than the legendary Dou E. "Patriarch, I'm being wronged! I only beat my wife and son when I was drunk. I'm the head of my household! Surely that doesn't violate the King's Law?"
"Our clan rules are strict!" Guan Boyi thundered. "Clansmen are taught from childhood to respect their teachers, revere the Way, and maintain harmony between husband and wife. Matters concerning the whole clan are to be brought before the Clan Elders. Even the smallest grievance (Ya Zi) must be addressed through the Clan and the Branch Head's Ancestral Hall. No one may initiate official litigation without authorization. We recite the clan rules at the start of every season—did you swallow them all into a dog's belly?"
The great clan ancestral halls of South China had mostly been built during the Ming Jiajing era, and clan rules had proliferated in that same period, taking on characteristics of the Village Compact (Xiang Yue). Clan leaders, seeking greater control over their members, had petitioned the government to formally approve their clan rules. The government, in turn, regarded these rules as supplements to political authority—useful for monitoring clans and strengthening local administration. To maintain internal order, clan rules empowered the Patriarch with judicial authority over internal disputes while prohibiting clansmen from bringing suits before officials. All contradictions were to be resolved within the clan.
"Beating your wife? Hmph!" Guan Jiyi, a man who had risen and fallen in the sea of officialdom, spoke with knowing gravity. "Some matters weigh nothing off the scale—not even four taels. But once placed on the scale, even a thousand jin cannot balance them. Tell us about your family situation. We must determine how to handle this."
Guan Youde launched into a rambling account, pulling threads from every direction. He brimmed with resentment toward Huang Shi, claiming she had carried on an affair with a certain clansman. He had wanted to divorce her long ago, he said.
Guan Boyi shook his head as he listened, his expression that of a man who hates to see iron refuse to become steel. "You unfilial descendants!" he cursed through gritted teeth. "You've completely disgraced our ancestors! Our Shimei Hall Ancestor, Pingjiang Lord Guan Jun, was a descendant of Guan Yunchang himself. Four hundred years ago, he fled the chaos, carrying our clansmen here to this place, clearing thorns and cutting brambles to establish our family legacy. And you..."
"Hahaha!" Guan Youde laughed wildly, a stark departure from his earlier terror. His expression had turned to one of rotten resignation (Bai Lan). "I'm a man about to die! I don't even know if I'll see tomorrow's sun. I've never done anything to injure heaven or offend reason (Shang Tian Hai Li), yet here I am—everyone turning against me, relatives abandoning me, wife and son scattering to the winds. Why should I care about Ancestral Face?"
Crack! Guan Boyi's palm slammed against the table with thunderous force. "You! Do you want to be removed from the Clan Register? If so, I will grant your wish! From this day forward, you are no longer a child or grandchild of Shimei Hall. When you die, you will not be buried in the clan grave!"
At the words "removed from the Clan Register," Guan Youde's defiance shattered. He collapsed to the ground in panic. Without his name in the Register, he could not receive offerings or tributes from his descendants after death. His soul would never return to the Ancestral Land. He would become nothing more than a lonely, wild ghost wandering the world, reduced to snatching leftover tributes from other petty spirits.
"Patriarch, I was wrong!" he begged. "Please show great mercy—spare me this once! I swear I will never let the Australians find out about anything again!"
"You dare suggest there will be a next time?" Guan Boyi's voice carried unmistakable threat. Though he was Patriarch, removing a name from the Clan Register was no simple matter. Generally speaking, a clan could not expel a member casually. The person must have committed one of the Ten Unpardonable Evils or severely violated clan rules in a way that corrupted the family's moral standing. When expelling someone, the clan had to summon all members and announce the offender's crimes before the Spirit Tablets of the Listed Ancestors in the Ancestral Hall. Then the Clan Register would be solemnly retrieved, a writing brush taken up and dipped in vermilion ink ground with water, and with one bold stroke, the offender's name would be crossed out. Finally, the offender would be expelled from the Ancestral Hall and the family's boundaries.
"No next time! No next time!" Guan Youde answered meekly (Wei Wei Nuo Nuo).
Guan Boyi turned to Guan Richang. "Guan Richang, your Yanchang Ancestor Branch has managed its affairs poorly. Someone from your line entered the public court without first appealing to the Clan. You are fined five taels of silver, to be paid into the Ancestral Hall's public fund. Do you object?"
"No objection."
As a blood-relationship group, the clan held that a clansman's actions should, above all, bring glory to his ancestors and honor to the clan. Failing that, he should at least abide by the Ancestors' Instructions and not disgrace those who came before. Wrongdoing was unfilial to the ancestors. When the Patriarch adjudicated clan disputes, he acted as the ancestors' representative, responsible to them. As the saying went: "Children and grandchildren who intentionally violate family instructions shall be arrested by the assembled clan and brought to the Ancestral Hall. There, their crimes shall be told to the Ancestors, and heavy punishment administered, that they may reflect and change."
"According to clan rules, you should receive ten strokes of the whip," Guan Boyi pronounced. "Seeing that you have illness in your body, I commute your sentence to labor: you will repair the Ancestral Grave."
Guan Youde kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you for the Patriarch's gracious mercy!"
Guan Jiyi added a final instruction: "You must persuade Huang Shi to withdraw the lawsuit. Under no circumstances may the Australians be allowed to intervene in this matter."
(End of Chapter)