Chapter 272: Governing Guangzhou (For Dual Alliance Leader

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!"

The gate of a wealthy household in the city was pounded open, and a household slave came forward cautiously to ask, "What important business brings you gentlemen of the yamen?"

The official runner said, "Great Unity under Heaven, all men are equal. The garrison commandant has decreed that keeping slaves is forbidden. Let us in at once — all household slaves must come and register. All deeds of sale are null and void; household slaves may stay or leave as they please. For any household slave willing to remain and work, clearly state the term of hire and clearly state the monthly wage!"

"Sir, our household has already registered," the household slave said.

"That was when households voluntarily reported to the yamen. Today, the yamen comes to inspect each household. Stand aside!" the runner barked.

Five or six runners entered the courtyard, and the master of the house hurried over to receive them.

An old man produced some silver and said with an ingratiating smile, "Sirs, all the bondservants in the household have already been reported and have already been converted to hire contracts."

"Bring out all the contracts!"

"One moment, sirs."

Before long, several contracts, along with the hired servants, had been brought before the runners.

The lead runner said, "Record it — this household attempted bribery... how much?"

Another runner holding a scale said, "Attempted bribery of eight mace of silver."

"This household attempted bribery of eight mace — a tenfold fine, eight taels of silver. Hand it over at once!" the runner pressed.

"Th-this, this, this..." The old man began to panic.

That runner cursed, "Have you no brains at all? Within this month alone, at the docks they've already executed one civil official, two military officers, and seven yamen runners and bailiffs, and caned over forty men. And you still dare offer bribes — do you want me dead?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. This old man accepts the fine." The old man hastily sent someone to fetch the silver.

In private, there were certainly still officials and clerks taking bribes, just as in the army there were certainly still men whose corruption had not been uncovered.

But openly, no one dared be corrupt anymore.

This business of mutual denunciation could earn merit, and as long as one earned merit, promotion came quickly — after all, there was a shortage of hands everywhere now.

After recording the fine, they verified the contracts and the hired servants.

Several runners rushed into the inner compound and began shouting, "Are there any more household slaves? If you don't register and settle your household, from now on you'll be vagrant black-household drifters — if someone beats you to death, the yamen won't even bother. Once you register and settle, your sons and grandsons can hold office. Listen well: once you register and settle, even the sons and grandsons of household slaves can hold office! If you won't think of yourselves, at least think of your children and grandchildren!"

No one answered.

One runner came to a secluded courtyard, piled high with firewood.

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"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Just as the runner was about to leave, a small storeroom crammed with odds and ends suddenly gave out a series of noises.

The runner went to open the door, but it was locked.

"Wheep! Wheep! Wheep!"

The runner immediately blew his bamboo whistle, and the other runners swiftly converged.

"What's going on?"

"The door's locked, and there's movement inside."

The head runner turned to look and saw the members of the household, every one of them, their faces full of terror.

"Pry it open!"

The door was quickly pried open, and inside, starkly revealed, were more than ten household slaves locked away. Their limbs were all bound, and their mouths were gagged.

The runners were startled. They pulled the rag from one household slave's mouth and asked, "Why were you locked up?"

That household slave answered, "A few days ago, the master beat a bondservant to death with the heavy rod. We are all household slaves of the master's inner compound. When we heard the runners were coming, the master tied us up and hid us away."

"Excellent! Seize them and take them back to the county yamen — not one of you is getting away."

The runners were both shocked and delighted. This was a major case — they had all earned merit, and might even be sent to western Guangdong to serve as officials.

The filthy secrets of the great houses were truly endless. What had begun as an inspection to clear out household slaves had instead uncovered a pile of criminal cases, keeping the County Magistrate of Nanhai and the County Magistrate of Panyu frantically busy from dawn till dark.

These runners were escorting the criminals back to the county yamen when, halfway there, they saw gongs and drums being beaten.

A powerful household slave sat upon a sedan chair, with gongs and drums clearing the way ahead, and suona horns providing accompaniment.

"Dong!"

Someone struck the brass gong and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Congratulations to Manager Lin, felicitations to Manager Lin — in one morning he has gained his freedom, and for all eternity he shall be no man's slave. Long live the Heavenly King Zhao!"

"Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!"

Attendants also lit firecrackers, which crackled and popped all along the road, the scene just like a wedding procession.

"Scatter the coins!"

This powerful household slave, whom they called Manager Lin, sat on his sedan chair utterly at ease, and ordered his attendants to scatter coins along the street.

A crowd of passersby swarmed over, crouching on the ground to pick up the coins.

One idler who could not squeeze in shouted, "Congratulations to Manager Lin — may your sons and grandsons attain wealth and rank, may your sons and grandsons become great officials!"

"Reward him! Quickly reward that fellow!"

Manager Lin called out at once, and an attendant grabbed a handful of copper cash, ran over, and stuffed it into the idler's arms.

"May Manager Lin have many sons and much fortune, may Manager Lin's line be dukes and marquises for generations!"

Instantly, more people began shouting.

Manager Lin roared with laughter. "Scatter coins, quickly scatter coins!"

Manager Lin's procession passed through this street, then ran straight into another powerful household slave's procession.

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

"Joy to you as well, joy to you as well!"

The two powerful household slaves, seated on their sedan chairs, cupped their hands and bowed to each other from a distance.

The second powerful household slave was even more interesting — not only did he scatter coins along the way, but he also held aloft the Great Unity Anthology and read aloud in a ringing voice: "The sage's honor lies in his virtue, which is called character. The Son of Heaven's honor lies in his authority and position, which is called status... The noble are esteemed and the base are despised — this lies in status; the noble and the base are equal — this lies in character. Fellow countrymen and elders, Mr. Zhao has written this essay well. Now, not only are the noble and the base equal, but Mr. Zhao will also abolish the very distinction between noble and base. Great Unity under Heaven — long live Mr. Zhao! Great Unity under Heaven — long live Mr. Zhao!"

These powerful household slaves had simply gone mad.

Compared to ordinary household slaves, the powerful slaves not only gained their freedom, but their personal property was also guaranteed.

To them, Zhao Han was practically a second father and mother.

On another street, several pimps and more than twenty prostitutes appeared, having tied up the madam and the brothel's hired thugs.

One pimp shouted, "Report to the authorities, report to the authorities! Old Master Chen's brothel refused to let the lowly households redeem themselves, openly defying Mr. Zhao's order. Neighbors on this street, all bear witness — I, Yuan Da, am no longer a lowly person from this day forward. I'm going to join the army under Mr. Zhao! Brothers and sisters, shout it together: Great Unity under Heaven!"

"Great Unity under Heaven!" the pimps and prostitutes roared in unison.

"Equality between the decent and the lowly!"

"Equality between the decent and the lowly!"

Just as they rounded the street corner, they ran into another group of people.

These people were all household slaves. They had bound their masters and were heading to the county yamen to report them, because the masters refused to return their indenture contracts.

Hearing the shouts of the pimps and prostitutes, these household slaves also began shouting, "Great Unity under Heaven! Equality between the decent and the lowly!"

In a wineshop facing the street, several scholars watched from the window, their faces all showing expressions of shock.

"Morals are degenerating with each passing day, virtue is collapsing! Morals are degenerating with each passing day, virtue is collapsing!"

"This man surnamed Zhao — what exactly is he trying to do?"

"..."

Many busybodies followed these processions as they ran along.

The artisans, for instance — they too had been liberated, finally no longer forced to render labor service to the government.

Nanhai County yamen.

County Magistrate Tu Tingying was utterly exhausted in body and mind. The county jail was already overflowing with prisoners, and he was now trying cases without a moment's rest.

"Next!"

Though he said "next," over ten people were instantly escorted in — all of them had been bound by their household slaves and brought to report to the authorities.

Zheng Sen walked slowly through the streets, silently watching all of this, his heart already churning with towering, stormy waves.

His birth mother was Tagawa Matsu, the daughter of the lord of Hirado Island in Japan. Zheng Sen lived in Japan until he was seven. As soon as he learned to walk, his mother had him practice swordsmanship, and he was also instilled with the then newly emerging spirit of Bushido.

After arriving in Fujian, he was taught by renowned teachers and great Confucian scholars, studying the Four Books and Five Classics for seven years, learning loyalty to the sovereign and love of country, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and trustworthiness.

It was only in the last half-month that Zheng Sen began to encounter Datong thought.

The Datong Collection was a very thin booklet, and Zheng Sen finished reading it in a single day. He spent several more days carefully savoring and pondering it. Although it had a great impact on him, it still remained only at the level of ideas.

Now, witnessing so many strange scenes in Guangzhou and recalling the contents of The Datong Collection, Zheng Sen finally gained a deeper understanding.

Who was right?

Judging solely by the principles of the classics, Zhao Han had done nothing wrong — every policy aligned with the words of the sages.

If The Datong Collection was entirely correct, then should his own family's servants be released? Should their freedom be returned to them?

A boy of fourteen or fifteen is easily influenced by progressive theories, and Zheng Sen was already beginning to lean toward that little pamphlet, The Datong Collection.

Foshan.

The wealthy merchant Xie Shijun was beginning to regret his actions. He should never have handed over his family's firearms.

At this very moment, a group of government runners, carrying water-and-fire staves, dared to swagger into the Xie residence and throw their weight around. It was the same for all the wealthy merchants in town — they obediently registered their household slaves as free commoners, with no room whatsoever to resist.

Suddenly, another group of government runners arrived, dressed in black clothes trimmed with blue.

The runners who were in the middle of their work trembled all over at the sight of the newcomers. Though they did not recognize the men, they recognized those clothes — the Anti-Corruption Bureau!

"Suspend your work for now," an Anti-Corruption Bureau official ordered.

"Yes," the ordinary runners hastily responded.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau official produced an official document: "Xie Shijun and his son Xie Yunwen of Foshan bribed an officer of the Great Unity Army with five hundred taels. With such a vile record and showing no sign of repentance, they then bribed the Assistant Magistrate of Nanhai County with three hundred taels. The Nanhai Assistant Magistrate has already been imprisoned and has confessed fully; both witness testimony and material evidence are complete. Xie Shijun and his son Xie Yunwen are to be arrested and imprisoned immediately, to be tried and sentenced on a chosen date!"

Xie Shijun, dragged out by the arms, cried out in terror, "I did not bribe anyone! I did not bribe anyone!"

The Anti-Corruption Bureau official continued reading: "The household slave Xie Chong, who acted on the orders of the Xie father and son to deliver the bribe, is to be arrested and imprisoned along with them."

Xie Shijun hastily said, "That was the slave betraying his master and acting on his own — this old man knew nothing of it!"

"Whether you knew or not, we'll discuss it at the Anti-Corruption Bureau yamen," the Anti-Corruption Bureau official said with a cold laugh.

Watching the Anti-Corruption Bureau take the three men away, the ordinary runners were so terrified they trembled uncontrollably.

The officials and clerks here in Guangzhou now called the Anti-Corruption Bureau the "Black-Clad Guard," equating it with the Great Ming's "Embroidered Uniform Guard." These fellows seemed to be everywhere, arresting corrupt officials left and right, and now they had even taken away the head of the Xie family.

The many wealthy merchants of Foshan all hid in their homes, not daring to go out.

Their original plan had been to cooperate with Zhao Han in everything, and then, once Zhao Han left Guangzhou, to use silver to knock the local officials senseless.

But now the Anti-Corruption Bureau had suddenly appeared, and a formal Guangzhou Anti-Corruption Bureau yamen had even been established. In recent days, they had also recruited a batch of household slaves as informants, making every wealthy merchant feel endangered, constantly suspecting that all the servants in their households were eyes and ears for the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Once a bribe was given, the penalty was at least ten times the bribe amount.

If the bribe exceeded one hundred taels, both the corrupt official and the briber were sentenced to death. Several had already been publicly executed in recent days.

The merchants were all terrified out of their wits. They had never seen anything like this, and some even regretted having seized the city and surrendered it to him.

Even up to this point, Zhao Han still had not made clear exactly what the rules for doing business would be going forward.

Did governing a bunch of merchants really require a battle of wits?

First confiscate their firearms, then make them release their household slaves — whatever was left could be dealt with as it came. If they truly angered Zhao Han, he would not mind killing a few more, and from then on he would simply have the Anti-Corruption Bureau keep a death grip on them.

Come to think of it, the Guangzhou merchants were far too corrosive. In the future, men would have to be sent regularly from Jiangxi to secretly investigate the Guangzhou Anti-Corruption Bureau, to prevent the merchants from corroding the Anti-Corruption Bureau as well.

(End of chapter)