Chapter 214: 212: A Secret Pact Between Officials and Bandits

Xiong Wencan traveled with enormous pomp — he was, after all, a Governor.

Jiangxi Regional Commander Zhu Guoxun even personally piloted a warship to escort Xiong Wencan to Ji'an Prefecture.

Back when Zhu Guoxun was promoted to Company Commander for his merits, it was Xiong Wencan who had submitted the commendation — one can well imagine the relationship between the two men.

Runners led the way beating gongs and drums, holding placards reading "Make Way" and the like. Regional Commander Zhu Guoxun guarded Xiong Wencan as he disembarked, a long train of attendants both fore and aft — two or three hundred people in all.

Seeing Zhu Guoxun visibly on edge, his hand never leaving his sword hilt, Xiong Wencan laughed. "No need for such alarm. The rebel Zhao is no common bandit. This man acts with a certain method; he would never lure you and me here just to kill us."

"Better to be cautious. No rebel under heaven can be trusted," Zhu Guoxun warned.

Stepping across the gangplank to the shore, a maroon sedan chair was already waiting steady. Xiong Wencan climbed in at his leisure and settled himself.

Zhu Guoxun played the utterly loyal retainer, staying right beside the sedan chair the whole way. Whether he would turn and flee or fight to the death to protect his old superior if the rebels actually struck — that remained to be seen.

"Dong!"

"Clang!"

The official runners cleared the way with brass gongs. The common folk along the route were thoroughly irritated, deliberately slowing their pace as they moved aside.

Even Mr. Zhao doesn't ride in a grand official sedan like that — what's a rotten official doing showing off in Ji'an?

"Make way, make way — cousins, please make way..." The runners clearing the path could only keep pleading. They truly dared not throw their weight around on rebel turf.

Xiong Wencan lifted the sedan curtain, saw the scene outside, and was inwardly rather speechless.

Zhu Guoxun leaned in and said, "It is indeed a rebel nest — the land is crawling with obstinate folk. We must guard against these people attempting an assassination."

"No matter."

Xiong Wencan remained inwardly calm. This little scene truly counted for nothing.

He had seen rebels who knew how to win the people's hearts before — Zheng Zhilong, whom he had brought over to surrender, was well practiced in exactly such methods.

Before Zheng Zhilong accepted amnesty, he raided the coasts of Fujian and Guangdong, often running government troops ragged. But Zheng Zhilong only struck at wealthy households; he even distributed relief to the common people. The poor of Quanzhou, in particular, had mostly received Zheng Zhilong's charity — so much so that every time government forces made a move, the locals would proactively tip him off.

At the same time, large numbers of coastal fishermen threw in their lot with Zheng Zhilong as pirates. Those who did not become pirates helped Zheng Zhilong move goods on shore — his partisans were practically everywhere.

In Xiong Wencan's view, the rebel Zhao of Luling was merely a land-based Zheng Zhilong — at most, he had read a few more years of books and dispensed his favors to the common folk a bit more thoroughly.

"Halt!"

Arriving at the gates of the Regional Commander's residence, the guards immediately shouted the whole party to a stop.

Pang Chunlai, Li Banghua, Xiao Huan, and other officials stood at the gate to welcome the Governor's arrival. Wang Tingshi and Xu Ying stood there as well.

Xiong Wencan stepped out of the official sedan and recognized Li Banghua at a glance. He clasped his hands and smiled. "Master Meng'an — parted for years, and now we meet again in such a place."

"Fate, it seems." Li Banghua offered no more idle words, still less any desire to trade on old acquaintance with Xiong Wencan.

Chen Maosheng was still away in southern Jiangxi and had not returned. Li Ke, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department, stepped forward and addressed Xiong Wencan. "Regional Commander Zhao has decreed: only five may enter for the negotiations. The rest shall find lodgings at inns on their own, all board and lodging expenses to be borne by themselves. Any who harass merchants or commoners will be dealt with according to law!"

Zhu Guoxun gave a cold laugh. "Is this how Zhao... your esteemed master treats his guests?"

Li Ke replied, "The common people's lives are hard. Our master cannot bear to burden them and practices strict frugality. What is more, whether you gentlemen are guests or foes — that has yet to be determined!"

"Guests follow the host's convenience — ha ha, the host's convenience." Xiong Wencan, like a laughing Buddha, kept five men with him and sent all the rest straight back to the ship.

Li Banghua then introduced the officials to Xiong Wencan. Xiong Wencan had, in truth, long since received intelligence reports; this was merely putting names to faces.

Entering the Regional Commander's residence, Xiong Wencan observed as he walked. He found that all the clerks and officials were at their desks working — none had come out to gawk out of curiosity.

A civil clerk passed by carrying documents and merely clasped his fist in greeting upon seeing Pang Chunlai, Li Banghua, and the others. Those whose hands were full even substituted a nod, and the senior officials like Pang and Li would nod in return.

Xiong Wencan marveled inwardly: under this rebel Zhao's rule, not only was the common folk more vigorous, even the administrative ethos surpassed that of the imperial court.

This rebel can only be pacified by amnesty — he absolutely cannot be crushed by force!

Zhao Han's inner residence had many empty rooms. This time they simply vacated an entire courtyard for Xiong Wencan.

All the luggage was moved into the rooms, and the party sat down in the courtyard, making idle conversation while waiting for the midday meal.

Xiong Wencan sat down, drank two sips of tea, and asked, "When will your esteemed master see me?"

"Tomorrow," Li Ke explained. "The Regional Commander has gone to the countryside to inspect the water-powered mills. He cannot return to the prefectural seat until tomorrow."

"I see." Xiong Wencan asked no further, assuming that Zhao Han was deliberately leaving him to cool his heels.

Pang Chunlai savored his tea and said, "The Regional Commander's intent is that we dispense with roundabout talk. In a word: amnesty is acceptable — for two hundred thousand taels in troop demobilization pay. Our army now numbers eighty thousand. If we accept amnesty and submit to the court, then naturally there will be no more fighting. To discharge the soldiers and send them home, at least two hundred thousand taels of silver will be required."

"Where did you get eighty thousand troops? Pure nonsense!" Zhu Guoxun immediately erupted — this was precisely the role he was playing.

Pang Chunlai smiled faintly. "You don't believe it? Then wait until spring, when eighty thousand troops mass before Nanchang City. Governor Xiong can take his time counting them then."

Zhu Guoxun slammed the table. "Do not threaten us! Let us fight a battle first, then talk!"

"Fine — fight a battle first, then talk." The smile vanished from Pang Chunlai's face, his expression darkening. "Rebellion is rebellion. Since ancient times, has accepting amnesty ever ended well? Do you think I haven't read Water Margin?"

The atmosphere instantly froze into awkward tension. They could only change the subject to other topics.

After a while, Xiong Wencan excused himself to change clothes. Wang Tingshi promptly followed, and the two exchanged information in the latrine.

Wang Tingshi said, "This Pang Chunlai — his entire family was hounded to death by the authorities. He is single-mindedly set on overthrowing the Great Ming. The rebel Zhao was taught by this man; in name they are teacher and student, in truth they are father and son. Li Banghua agrees to amnesty; Pang Chunlai is firmly opposed."

Xiong Wencan asked, "What about the other high rebel officials?"

"Some agree, some oppose — roughly half and half," Wang Tingshi said with a smile. "There are inevitably those who covet high office and rich emoluments. If one can become an imperially appointed official, why keep rebelling?"

Xiong Wencan nodded. "That is only natural."

Wang Tingshi added, "From what I observe, the rebel Zhao is inclined to accept amnesty. That performance just now was most likely an opening demand — asking for the sky."

The two discussed many further details before returning together to the courtyard.

Near noon, the meal was brought out — wine and meat both. But to Xiong Wencan, it was not particularly lavish; it even seemed distinctly shabby.

Pang Chunlai, Li Banghua, and the others ate with relish, however. Their usual workday meals had meat too, but certainly nothing like this spread.

The afternoon was free for looking around as they pleased; they could even leaf through official documents.

Xiong Wencan actually did go and leaf through the tax registers — and what he saw left him deeply alarmed.

The land tax under Zhao Han's rule was, in fact, levied at a higher rate than the court's. But there was no head tax, nor any other extortionate levies. The total acreage of farmland was astonishingly high — clearly all the concealed fields had been ferreted out!

What is called "merging the head tax into the land tax" is simply rolling the head tax directly into the land tax.

Zhao Han's policy could be considered merging the head tax into the land tax, since the total tax burden was not vastly different; yet it was also not quite merging the head tax into the land tax, because the "poll silver" had been abolished outright.

Moreover, because of the land surveys to uncover hidden fields and the abolition of gentry privileges, even if the total tax quota remained unchanged, the taxes peasants actually had to pay were far lower than under Zhang Juzheng's Single Whip Tax.

Not just lower than the current Single Whip Tax, but far lower than during the period when Zhang Juzheng was implementing his reforms!

Continuing to leaf through the tax registers, Xiong Wencan discovered that the land tax in the mountain regions was very low. If no miscellaneous levies were imposed on top of it, even the impoverished folk deep in the hills could eat their fill.

That evening, back in his bedchamber, Xiong Wencan remained silent for a long time.

"Why does the Governor not speak?" Zhu Guoxun asked.

Xiong Wencan swallowed hard, his mouth dry and tongue parched, and said, "The realm of the Great Ming is about to change color."

Zhu Guoxun said in alarm, "The rebel Zhao?"

Whatever Xiong Wencan's abilities might be, if one were to use a company as a metaphor, he counted as a senior executive in the Great Ming corporate group.

And as a senior executive, he could read a financial statement.

The Great Ming group was already on the verge of bankruptcy, while Zhao Han's little company was in extremely sound financial health — so sound it was almost frightening. It was not only the rural land tax; the commercial taxes in the prefectural and county seats were frightening too, because those great merchants could no longer evade taxes!

Strangely enough, although they could no longer evade taxes, the great majority of merchants fervently supported Zhao Han's policies.

Because the officials under Zhao Han's rule did not find endless pretexts to run amok, the silver the merchants actually had to pay was decreasing instead. Especially those small and mid-sized merchants without powerful backing — they had already become diehard supporters of Zhao Han.

So where had the Great Ming's tax revenue gone?

Corrupt officials, and the powerful gentry!

That night, Xiong Wencan tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and sighed to himself, "Li Meng'an has boarded a fine ship indeed. It is a pity my own clansmen are in Sichuan."

Greedy and fond of luxury though Xiong Wencan was, if he could become a meritorious follower of a dragon, he would be perfectly willing to divide up and give away his own family estates.

Compared with ascending to the cabinet, becoming a chancellor, and leaving a name in the histories, those few thousand mu of family land were worth nothing!

After much pondering, Xiong Wencan decided to cultivate some good karma. While keeping his official hat in the Great Ming, he could privately express goodwill toward Zhao Han. Who knew if it might prove useful someday?

The next afternoon, Xiong Wencan finally met Zhao Han, and this notion grew even stronger.

Because Zhao Han was so young — he had ample time to contend for the realm. Even if he did not think of himself, Xiong Wencan had to leave a path of retreat for his clan. Who could say that one of his sons or grandsons might not serve as an official in a new dynasty?

"Commander Zhao, I have long admired your great name!" Xiong Wencan said with a smile, clasping his fists in salute.

Zhao Han smiled and replied, "The feeling is mutual!"

Xiong Wencan asked, "Might you and I speak alone?"

"Of course. Governor Xiong, please." Zhao Han's face was wreathed in a brilliant smile.

Inside a private chamber.

Xiong Wencan opened bluntly: "So long as I am in Jiangxi, I ask that Mr. Zhao refrain from attacking the cities. In return, there are many things I can pretend not to see."

Zhao Han immediately laughed with even greater delight, for this Governor was simply too amusing. He answered at once, "Please set your mind at ease. Not only will I refrain from seizing cities and territory, I will even assist the government forces in exterminating other bandit rebels."

Xiong Wencan grasped the implication instantly.

That is to say, if other rebels appeared in Jiangxi, Zhao Han would take advantage of the situation to seize that territory, and the county seats would naturally fall into his pocket as well — after all, the commercial taxes in the county seats were substantial.

However, the court could still dispatch a County Magistrate; it was just that this County Magistrate would certainly be a figurehead.

The cities and lands would nominally belong to the court, but in substance belong to Zhao Han.

Two scoundrels, with a tacit mutual understanding, thus concluded a secret pact.

As for silver, that would certainly be provided. Xiong Wencan agreed to give ten thousand taels, and furthermore had to be permitted to pay in installments.

(End of Chapter)