Chapter 170: Sudden Change

Zuo Changhao watched for a moment and said, "They seem to be from the Fushe."

Chen Xin finally saw this organization famed for its integrity and asked, "The Fushe?"

"Yes, they are young scholars. Originally there were various local literary societies — the Songjiang Jishe, the Zhejiang Wenshanshe, the Suzhou Yupengshe, the Hangzhou Dushushe. It is said a man named Zhang Fu united them into the Fushe. This autumn is precisely the provincial examination, so they have gathered in Jinling for what they call the Fushe Jinling Grand Assembly. In recent days they have paraded through the city, drawing crowds of thousands. That bearded man Ruan is perhaps Ruan Dacheng. In the treason case he was sentenced to return home and live in retirement, but it is said he was too ashamed to go back to his old home in southern Anhui and has been lingering in Nanjing. The man does not lack silver, and he even has a manor at Niushou Mountain."

Xu Xinsu smiled with a hint of contempt. "These scholars — their essays are on the stage, their exams are in the pleasure quarters, and they are even good at brawling. General Chen, you now command several guard battalions in Wendeng. Have you ever been harassed by the local gentry or literary societies?"

Chen Xin shook his head. He had always operated within the guard battalion system, where some gentry encroached on military farmland, but he had not yet encountered the literary societies. He had not even touched the interests of the guard battalion officers, and for the time being he had no intention of clashing head-on with these literati.

Zuo Changhao said, "The northern gentry may not differ much from those in Jiangnan, but the Jiangnan scholar-officials and scholars are far more arrogant than those in the north."

Song Wenxian also came to the window, watching the lively brawl over there, and said to Chen Xin, "The custom of forming societies existed as early as the Song dynasty. Now in Jiangnan it is probably even more prevalent. It is nothing more than siding with one's own faction and attacking outsiders. Those outside one's faction — even if they had the ability of Fang Xuanling, they would be deemed unworthy of any undertaking. Those not in our alliance — even if they were Qu Yuan, their writings would be deemed unworthy of mention."

Liu Minyou was hearing someone speak of Jiangnan scholars for the first time and listened attentively at the side. Xu Xinsu waved his hand and shooed Tang Yan and the maidservant to the stern. Tang Yan was so angry her face turned pale; she stamped her foot and left. Only then did Xu Xinsu chuckle and say, "Brother Chen and I are in the business of risking our lives. These people are in the business of wagging their tongues, and their tongues are sharper than our knives."

Chen Xin said curiously, "I would like to hear the details."

"Originally, scholars were also well-behaved. In their dealings with local officials, it was mostly about asking favors and giving gifts during seasonal festivals — nothing out of bounds. But in the fifteenth year of the Wanli reign, an incident occurred, and from then on the scholarly atmosphere changed drastically."

Xu Xinsu was very good at whetting people's appetites. Everyone around stopped watching the battle over there and turned their heads toward him.

"At that time, there was a Nanjing Minister of War named Ling Yunyi. In his hometown, he beat a licentiate. The scholars of the Three Wu regions were furious and went to the capital to submit petitions. Censors from Jiangnan filed impeachment after impeachment, and in the end Ling Yunyi was stripped of his post and titles." Xu Xinsu swept his gaze over the crowd, saw that everyone was listening attentively, and then continued with satisfaction, "From then on, scholars grew more arrogant by the day, casually threatening local officials, loudly proclaiming they would expel their superiors. Even the gentry began to steer clear of the licentiates. Coupled with the already prevalent custom of asking favors, officials, both fearing the scholars and coveting the tangible benefits, often granted them protection."

Xu Xinsu continued, "As soon as a scholar passes the licentiate exam, he gets two hundred mu of tax-exempt land. People flock to attach themselves to him. Some sell favors by taking over the tax obligations of relatives and old friends. In Jiangnan, the arrears of tax grain have gradually increased over the years, and this has much to do with the scholarly atmosphere. Although the scholar-officials are not as brazen, they are far more powerful than ordinary scholars, especially those who hold court positions. They defy the government with their status, privately own vast stretches of land, live in splendid halls and fine mansions, and keep large numbers of household slaves."

Chen Xin listened quietly. Among the Fushe and the Donglin faction, some displayed lofty national integrity when the nation faced calamity, while others, like Qian Qianyi, sold themselves out. It was not appropriate to judge them as good or bad simply by their membership in the Fushe or Donglin. But the vast majority of them indeed had the problems Xu Xinsu described. In fact, what they fought for was their own immediate interests. The environment of the late Ming gave them such soil, and allowed some to do as they pleased.

The custom of asking favors was still tolerable — it was just using connections. When Qi Biaojia was appointed Grand Coordinator of Suzhou and Songjiang, Zhang Fu went to pay his respects. Upon meeting, he immediately produced a roster and demanded that members of the Fushe be looked after. Dozens of other gentry also came to pay respects, including Wu Meicun, the one who wrote "Song of Yuanyuan." In Chen Xin's view, this was understandable. But when they were displeased, they interfered with government administration, which he greatly disliked.

It was only the third year of the Chongzhen reign now. The most arrogant period for these scholars had actually not yet arrived. It was this same Zhang Fu of the Fushe who, in the seventh year of Chongzhen, led the licentiates to expel the Suzhou Prefecture Judge Zhou Zhidian. Zhou Zhidian had originally also joined the Fushe but had some conflict with Zhang Fu. After Zhang Fu launched his campaign, he posted denunciations all over Suzhou while sending letters to the capital. First, he had Zhou Zhidian transferred to be County Magistrate of Wujiang, then followed him there to attack him, ultimately forcing Zhou Zhidian to resign.

That was still considered a civil struggle. There were even licentiates who openly banded together to smash up county offices, expelled the dignified county magistrate from the territory, and then smugly posted a public notice proclaiming, "One county magistrate expelled, forbidden to re-enter." The government's subsequent handling of them was also very perfunctory, offering no deterrent effect whatsoever.

And the scholar-officials were even more formidable. Most of them had extensive commercial and industrial interests, were renowned in their own right, and had students and old friends all over the empire. Local officials simply dared not offend them. At the time, someone denounced Qian Qianyi and Qu Shisi, these two Donglin heavyweights, saying: "They fear no public opinion, dread no righteous criticism, suck the blood and marrow of the people, devour the state's rightful revenue, dominate court politics, muddy official evaluations. The power of life and death rests not with the imperial court but with these two villains. The reins of taxation rest not with the imperial court but with these two villains." The power of the scholar-officials was evident from this.

It was not until after the Manchu Qing entered the pass that some scholars sacrificed themselves for the nation. Those with backbone died off in large numbers, but the surviving scholars in Jiangnan still maintained this atmosphere. The Manchu Qing deliberately struck at the Jiangnan scholars and gentry. As a result, in the three major cases — the Lamentation Temple Case, the Tax Memorial Case, and others — the Qing court had nothing nice to say to them. They directly and harshly suppressed them, executing them to settle the matter. After that, no one dared delay tax payments anymore, and the custom of forming societies and submitting petitions was never mentioned again.

Liu Minyou swallowed hard. When he came, he had thought of recruiting some scholars. Now it seemed these people would be hard to manage and had no worries about food and clothing. Except for an oddity like Chen Tingdong, probably few would be willing to go to Wendeng to endure hardship. Hearing about the power of these scholars and scholar-officials, Chen Xin also grew wary in his heart. His own foundation was still shallow; it was best not to clash with them head-on.

Over on that painted barge, the noise was boiling over. The scholars had finished smashing all the cups and bowls and were shouting for the boatmen to bring the boat closer, rolling up their sleeves as if ready to board and fight.

The professional pirates were still watching from this side. Xu Xinsu sighed and said, "Zhan Yi, from now on you don't need to go out to sea and risk your life. Just teach them how to board ships here on the Qinhuai River, and you can make a living."

That Zhan Yi said, "I can't get along with these people. My elder brother probably could, but then again, he doesn't know this stuff."

The boatmen, afraid of damaging the boats, refused to get close no matter what the scholars said. A few scholars grabbed the bamboo poles. After a few ineffective pushes, they simply used the bamboo poles to wildly smash at the painted barge opposite, extinguishing all the lanterns on that boat. Ruan Dacheng's painted barge had already been smashed into a complete mess. The cabin was full of broken dishes. Chen Xin could only see a few figures inside ducking in disarray. The courtesans were screaming loudly and had all fled to the bow. The madam on the bow was shouting in panic, trying to stop the scholars.

The painted barges around them all gathered to watch the excitement, and some people even cheered loudly, afraid the fight wouldn't be intense enough.

The group watched for a while. This kind of scene was child's play to them, so they all returned to the table. Xu Xinsu clapped his hands and turned to the main topic: "Some days ago, I heard that my lord won another great victory at Zunhua and Yongping, taking hundreds more heads. In this Jianzhou bandit invasion, over a thousand heads have been lost at my lord's hands alone, greatly boosting our Great Ming's military prestige. It truly fills me with admiration. When Zuo Changhao came back and told me that Brother Chen wanted to do some trade in southern goods, I agreed immediately. Except that the South Sea spices are not too plentiful, everything else is available. The matter of the southern goods is thus settled. The prices will all be half a percent lower than the lowest in the Southern Metropolitan Region. Other matters of quantity and price will be negotiated by the subordinates."

Chen Xin hurriedly expressed his thanks. This Xu Xinsu indeed had the air of a big boss and was extremely generous.

Xu Xinsu added, "As for those South Sea spices, it is not that I am unwilling to give them to Brother Chen. It is just that the seas off Fujian and the outer seas to the south are all in great turmoil. Recently, that Liu Xiang has run back to Guangdong. Several bands of pirates are fighting back and forth, and even the red-haired barbarians can't handle them. On top of that, Li Kuiqi and that household slave are locked in a stalemate in Fujian. The price of South Sea spices has risen sharply, and the quantity has decreased. For now, I can only give you a little less. Once your elder brother deals with that shameless traitor who betrayed his master, then it will be no problem if Brother Chen wants more."

Chen Xin also agreed. These spices had no shortage of buyers in the north and could also be used as cosmetics and additives. They were one of the most important commodities from the Southern Ocean to China. Chen Xin knew that the traitor who betrayed his master that Xu Xinsu spoke of was Zheng Yiguan. This man was also someone he was concerned about, so he took the opportunity to ask, "That shameless wretch still isn't dead? When I first met Young Master Li, I was already extremely indignant about him. I still say the same now: should Young Master Li and Lord Xu give the order, I will certainly contribute my share."

Xu Xinsu nodded. This Chen Xin's fame for military prowess had spread far and wide in the north. He was equally interested in befriending him. First, this man held territory and had strong backing at court. Second, the troops under his command had formidable fighting strength. Both of these would be useful in dealing with Zheng Yiguan. Moreover, having one more trade route was no disadvantage to him.

A cold look appeared on Xu Xinsu's face as he said, "That Zheng Yiguan also has some tricks. Although Li Kuiqi has beaten him so badly he dares not go out to sea now, he has been constantly active in Fujian official circles. It is hateful that Li Kuiqi is a hopeless case who can't be helped up the wall, single-mindedly set on being a pirate. At the beginning of the year, the Jianzhou bandits were still inside the pass, and no one at court paid him any attention. Now I hear His Majesty has some free time and is growing impatient with him, repeatedly urging the Provincial Governor to exterminate him. Zheng Yiguan has also acquired some more ships and recovered some of his strength."

Xu Xinsu grew angry just thinking about Li Kuiqi. He had helped Li Kuiqi organize his sources and fence his stolen goods, giving him financial support, hoping that this pirate, whose strength surpassed Zheng Zhilong's, could be granted amnesty. That way, Xu Xinsu could gain a great merit and rise another step, then use Li Kuiqi to completely crush Zheng Yiguan, thoroughly eliminating Zheng Yiguan's last advantage of official backing. In the end, Li Kuiqi utterly failed to appreciate the favor and only wanted to be an unrestrained pirate, making it impossible for Xu Xinsu to carry out his subsequent steps against Zheng Yiguan.

Chen Xin listened to his description. It seemed Zheng Yiguan's power was only mediocre at present, nothing to worry about for the time being. And he believed Xu Xinsu certainly still had backup plans to deal with him. A man who could serve as Li Dan's agent would never be inferior to Zheng Yiguan.

He said to Xu Xinsu, "Lord Xu, your brilliant schemes against Zheng Yiguan are naturally useful. But sometimes the simplest way is the best. Directly killing him is actually more efficient."

That Zhan Yi slapped the table and said, "Lord Chen's words match my own thinking. It's just that he never leaves Zhongzuosuo and is always cautious. We tried a few times but didn't succeed. Lord Xu didn't want the brothers to throw their lives away, so we stopped."

Chen Xin rubbed his nose, thought for a moment, and said to Xu Xinsu, "When I go back and make some preparations, I will certainly train a unit suited for this task. When the time comes, I will send them to Fuzhou to be at Brother Xu's disposal."

Xu Xinsu's eyebrows rose. Chen Xin had no problem killing Tatars; he believed one hundred percent in his ability to train troops. If he said they were suitable, then they definitely would be. He fixed his gaze on Chen Xin and smiled slightly. "In that case, your elder brother thanks Brother Chen in advance. If Zheng Yiguan can be eliminated, then on the seas off Fujian, your elder brother's word will carry weight. Brother can have as many southern goods as he wants, and the price is negotiable. Brother Chen has done maritime trade before. The South Sea trade route can also be used. Three or four ships a year would be more than enough, even if the Wendeng Battalion were twice its current size."

The two had reached their most important deal, one beneficial to both sides. The only one who lost out was Zheng Yiguan. Chen Xin also smiled slightly. "Big Brother Xu, I trust your word. This matter is also settled. I will select men and arrange this as soon as possible. There is just one last thing: the money shop."

Xu Xinsu saw that no one else was speaking, so he raised his cup for a toast. Chen Xin drained his cup in one gulp, ready to discuss the final matter of the money shop. Taking advantage of the drinking, he stole a glance at the battle outside. Ruan Dacheng's boat had reached the shore, and a few figures had fled off it. The scholars were jumping off their boat to chase them.

He shook his head and smiled, and had just turned back when he suddenly felt something was wrong. He turned his head again to look at the river. An unlit painted barge was quietly approaching, only twenty-some paces away. The boat was silent. He widened his eyes and stared at that cabin.

A few cold gleams flashed. Chen Xin shouted, "Get down!" and violently threw himself to the ground, knocking Xu Xinsu down with him. Twang, twang — the sound of powerful crossbows. Zuo Changhao, beside Xu Xinsu, let out a miserable cry as a crossbow bolt struck his shoulder, blood spraying into the air.

He shook his head with a smile, but just as he turned back, he suddenly felt something was wrong. He turned again to look at the river. An unlit painted barge was quietly drawing near, only twenty-some paces away. The boat was utterly silent. He stared wide-eyed at that cabin.

A few cold glints flashed. Chen Xin shouted, "Get down!" and fiercely threw Xu Xinsu to the ground. The twang of powerful crossbows sounded. Beside Xu Xinsu, Zuo Changhao let out a miserable cry as a crossbow bolt struck his shoulder, blood spraying into the air.