Chapter 2682: The Capital (Part 38)

Master Wang showed considerable concern for Zhou Juli's illness. This concern extended beyond merely summoning physicians and procuring medicines—he went further, suggesting to Immortal Zhou that having only one child, and a daughter at that, placed him in a precarious position regarding heirs. Since Jieyi had served him for over two years without becoming pregnant, perhaps he should consult a doctor and, while he was at it, take a few more concubines.

Immortal Zhou's face darkened at the suggestion of having his body examined, clearly displeased that anyone would question his virility. Yet he proved quite receptive to the idea of expanding his household. Thus, a few days later, Master Wang sent over a small sedan chair carrying a girl named Yourong—a name meaning "Has Capacity."

Although Yourong had been purchased from Yangzhou, she was through and through a Shandong lass. Knowing that Hearthstone Immortal preferred tall, sturdy women with unbound feet, Master Wang had specifically dispatched agents to Yangzhou to select from the lowest grade of "thin horses" among the various broker houses.

These so-called lowest-grade thin horses were maids specially cultivated for kitchen work, sewing, and washing. They too were trained from childhood, with considerable standards for appearance and conversation, but because they had to perform rough labor, their feet were left unbound and their bodies developed stronger.

Yourong was exceptional even among these. Upon learning that her parents were still alive, Master Wang immediately brought them to the capital as well, thus driving another nail into Hearthstone Immortal's bed without the slightest difficulty.

However, Yourong's arrival stirred up a small tempest in Hearthstone Immortal's household. Zhiling and Jieyi had sold themselves together years ago and later came to the Zhou family together. They shared not only the bond of entering service in the same batch but also hailed from similar modest families in the same hometown. They conversed easily, and their sisterly affection remained stable. This newcomer Yourong was different—not only was she beautiful, but she was also literate. Having learned since childhood the arts of navigating men and domestic politics in the pleasure quarters, she deployed various subtle stratagems and steadily claimed the master bedroom within a few months.

How could Jieyi swallow such an affront? Though she was also a concubine, adhering to the principle that seniority of entry conferred rank, and being Zhou Juli's foster mother besides, she inevitably made things difficult for Yourong.

Yourong, as the newcomer, could only bide her time. After several months, seeing that her favor showed no signs of diminishing while Hearthstone Immortal had grown obviously cold toward Jieyi, she turned and openly opposed her rival.

Jieyi had been born into an ordinary commoner's family—how could she match a woman trained in such a den of pleasure and intrigue? After a few rounds of sparring, she was clearly outmatched. So, relying on her status as Zhou Juli's foster mother and the household's de facto mistress, she began creating obstacles for Yourong at every turn. Yourong, however, refused to yield an inch.

The two went back and forth, staging a miniature palace intrigue drama in Master Zhou's home that left his head covered in bumps from all the trouble. To escape the irreconcilable conflicts within his inner quarters, he could only spend his days and nights with Zhou Lezhi in the study, even sleeping there. Thus, rumors that Master Zhou was fond of the "southern wind"—that is, of men—spread once again. Of course, this was not the first time such whispers had circulated.

Master Zhou, battered from all sides and utterly overwhelmed, no longer concerned himself with the matter of traveling south. One day he asked Liu Zhao for advice. Liu Zhao smiled: "Why should the Master trouble himself? Whether Yourong or Jieyi, both are your slaves. If you are willing to give each of them forty strokes of the rod, I guarantee the household will be peaceful and free of incident hereafter."

"How could I do such a thing? Setting aside the question of who is right or wrong, even if there were a genuine fault, one cannot simply beat people at will. Would that not make me guilty of domestic violence?"

Zhou Lezhi was filled with disdain at this moment. So the Teacher was henpecked after all—two servant girls could toss him about like this. It was fortunate there was no legitimate wife; otherwise, he would be the sort of man who knelt on a washboard!

Disdain aside, his studies flourished greatly during this period. Because Master Zhou was unwilling to set foot in the rear residence, staying in the study day and night, he used tutoring as a diversion.

Wang Yehao was equally overwhelmed on his end. His original scheme had seemed perfectly calculated: on one hand, use the Tian family to seize the Australians' properties in Guangzhou Prefecture, cutting off their money and grain; on the other, instigate Wang Zunde to deploy troops against Lingao and destroy their stronghold; then send his own people to retrieve the Qiankun Mirror and claim complete success.

However, what the Guangdong official gazette transmitted was news of a catastrophic government defeat. This unexpected development truly left Wang Yehao somewhat shaken. Although the dynasty's soldiers often found themselves at a disadvantage against the cavalry in the north, how could mere sea bandits from a remote border corner even be mentioned in the same breath? Since Junior Guardian Qi Jiguang had pacified the Japanese pirate plague, the court had either suppressed or appeased such threats—when had there ever been such a defeat? Mobilizing the strength of an entire province, gathering tens of thousands of elite soldiers, advancing by land and sea with infantry and cavalry moving in concert, with Western matchlock guns in the ranks and Red Barbarian cannons anchoring the formation—and still they could not defeat five hundred Shorn-hair Thieves? They even allowed them to capture over ten thousand prisoners alive and trap the Commander-in-Chief in Qiongzhou. It was truly beyond comprehension.

As the highest chief of the Office of Transmission, the clearinghouse for all the empire's memorials and gazettes, Wang Yehao knew the military strength of various provinces quite well. He understood that these tens of thousands of troops represented nearly the entire military capital of Guangdong. This disastrous defeat was not merely a matter of losing soldiers and generals while squandering military funds—it might also incite unrest among the Li people in Guangdong, given the vacuum of military force. The consequences were unthinkable.

Wang Zunde was in peril!

He closed the memorial and set it on the table. The sense of powerlessness from failed calculations intertwined with profound confusion, making him question whether he truly controlled the broader situation. Since the court troops had been defeated at Lingao, those Australian Shorn-hair Thieves would inevitably strengthen their defenses. Any hope of obtaining the Qiankun Mirror undetected had now become impossible.

"Could this Qiankun Mirror truly be so powerful?" Wang Yehao murmured with a sigh. Before, he had thought Hearthstone Immortal was spouting nonsense; now it seemed there might actually be some truth to his claims.

"This subordinate dares not speak rashly, but throughout the court and the countryside, everyone says that the Australian Shorn-hair Thieves' firearms are extraordinarily formidable." Jin Wenchi hesitated repeatedly before venturing, "Master, for such a momentous matter, I fear it cannot be hidden from Master Zhou's side, can it?"

By now, whether in the court halls or the marketplace, news about the Australian Shorn-hair Thieves was growing ever more abundant. Rather than letting him discover the truth on his own, it would be better to actively shape the news before presenting it to him.

Wang Yehao gathered his thoughts and instructed: "This matter requires foolproof preparation. Let me consider how to phrase it. As for Master Zhou—find a way to keep him occupied and unable to leave. Also, send word to Liu Sha: tell him if there are any who know the inner workings of the Shorn-hair Thieves, he should not be stingy with silver."

"Yes, Master." Jin Wenchi did not leave immediately but lowered his voice: "Master, there is one more matter that requires advance planning..."

"What matter?"

"Master Cunsi failed in his bandit suppression this time, losing both army and territory. I fear it will be difficult to explain to the court. He is advanced in years, and I hear his health is poor as well. Word came from Liu Sha a few days ago that he is already bedridden—I fear the day he fails to rise may be near..."

"What are you trying to say?" Wang Yehao grasped his meaning.

"Master Cunsi leaving his post is probably only a matter of time. There are rumors at court that the Master might be appointed to oversee Liangguang..."

Wang Yehao had heard this rumor as well. He was still deliberating; if he maneuvered skillfully, there was more than an eighty percent chance of success.

Although the Commissioner of Transmission was one of the Nine Ministers, becoming a regional viceroy or governor was among the highest aspirations of any official—probably second only to entering the Grand Secretariat and becoming a Chancellor.

"If the Imperial Will is truly so inclined, what does the Teacher think?"

"The Master advancing further from the top of a hundred-foot pole to take up a frontier post is naturally a cause for congratulation. It is only that Liangguang is largely not a favorable posting."

Wang Yehao nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

"In the land of Liangguang today, the Shorn-hair Thieves rise in the south, Yao and Dong tribes press from the west, and Red Barbarians patrol the east. With threats on three sides, it cannot remain peaceful for long. The Shorn-hair Thieves have already become a major scourge; if the government fails to suppress them, it will inevitably suffer their retaliation. I fear it will not be long before they launch an invasion. Confucius said: 'Enter not a dangerous state, dwell not in a chaotic state.' In this humble student's opinion, the position in Liangguang makes it easy to bear blame but difficult to earn merit—it is truly an unfortunate assignment. The Master rose through the regular Jinshi examination but did not enter the Hanlin Academy; according to convention, I fear it would be difficult to enter the Cabinet. If you could take up a post in a favorable region, accumulating prestige and seniority, eventually controlling a Ministry would not be a poor path forward. Although Liangguang cannot be accepted, Jiangnan and Zhejiang have potential. Possessing every advantage of geography and popular support, if properly managed, it should not be difficult to secure."

"The Teacher's analysis cuts to the heart of the matter and illuminates much for me. However, does the Teacher not know of the rule of avoidance?" Wang Yehao heard this and smiled helplessly. "I cannot go to Zhejiang. And as for Nanzhili, I fear my influence is insufficient."

Jin Wenchi was taken aback. He was only a Xiucai after all, and his knowledge of court regulations was limited: "So you are saying that Liangguang must be accepted."

"There are no fewer than thirty Viceroys and Governors throughout the realm. Nowadays, those who can govern effortlessly without lifting a finger—there is probably not a single one." Wang Yehao sighed. "Although Liangguang presents many concerns, on the whole it can still be considered relatively stable—so long as we can deal with the Shorn-hair Thieves."

Thinking it over carefully, was there a more suitable candidate to handle the Shorn-hair Thieves than himself? He held a genuine "Shorn-hair Thief" in his grasp. Going to Liangguang, though dangerous, was also an opportunity. Especially Guangzhou, which was a port for overseas trade with foreigners—no less prosperous than the wealthy lands of Jiangnan. If he obtained this appointment, he could greatly enrich his coffers and pave the way for his future prospects...

"We will deliberate on this matter at length." His mind was made up. "Master Jin, go out and gather news of Liangguang—collect everything, whether official or private, especially anything involving the Shorn-hair Thieves and Guangzhou."

"Yes, this student will see to the arrangements."

After Jin Wenchi departed, Wang Yehao reviewed the matters once more. Pondering his own countermeasures, he considered that such talk at court indicated that both the Emperor and the Cabinet harbored this intention. However, taking over at this moment was absolutely not advantageous. The current situation in Guangdong was chaotic—not only were tens of thousands of troops trapped in Qiongzhou unable to return, but the Shorn-hair Thieves might also come to raid. At that point, such a colossal mess would have to be cleaned up by himself. The slightest carelessness would mean losing everything.

He summoned Liu Zhao and asked: "Is there new intelligence from Liu Sha's end?"

"Liu Sha reported yesterday that Viceroy Wang has already gone to Zhaoqing to recuperate," Liu Zhao said. "I hear his health is very poor. In addition..." He lowered his voice to barely a whisper: "The Shorn-hair Thieves have already landed at the Pearl River Estuary and are pressing upon the outskirts of Guangzhou City—all four gates of Guangzhou have been sealed, and martial law is in effect..."

"What?!" This news startled him greatly. "What about the forts? The navy?"

"All destroyed by the Shorn-hair Thieves..." Liu Zhao said, handing over the report. "The firearms on the Shorn-hair Thieves' gunships are devastating. In less than half a day's time, they fought their way into the Pearl River Estuary."

(End of Chapter)