Chapter 196: Not to Be Underestimated

By the end of the first month, all systems in the Wendeng camp had returned to normal. Large numbers of refugees were organized to build roads in Weihai, Wendeng, Jinghai, and Chengshan. Liu Minyou remained busy traveling between these places. He reorganized the civil administration system, splitting the functions of fort personnel, land reclamation, commerce, and finances, and established an Inspection Office under his command to conduct open and covert investigations at every fort, so as to prevent incidents like that of Xu Yuanhua. Based on the information fed back by the Inspection Office, Xu Yuanhua and some of the workshop managers all had problems to varying degrees, mainly in the areas of land distribution, shops, and procurement. The person in charge of workshop procurement had even acquired an outer residence and a concubine in Dengzhou, both gifts from merchants supplying iron materials and saltpeter-sulfur. Chen Xin had once told him that the military needed no second-in-command, and he now felt that civil administration also could not have a second-in-command; the only solution was to split the functions. He was desperately short of personnel. Liu Minyou merely summoned these people individually to reprimand them, then left them all in their original posts.

Liu Minyou went to Jinghai to inspect the first batch of cigarettes produced. A pack of twenty was priced at six wen, and a pack of fifty at fifteen wen. He had considered the purchasing power along the Grand Canal when setting this price. The areas around the canal were relatively prosperous, with consumption capacity generally higher than other regions. Tobacco was widely planted in the north, and even at the current price, there was a fifty percent profit. The first batch contained no cloves. Liu Minyou planned to add cloves only when others began to imitate them, using that to defeat the first wave of competitors. Once they had secured a foothold in the mid-range consumer market, they would then produce cheaper cigarettes priced at two or three wen.

After the inspection, Liu Minyou returned to Wendeng. They had cleared over twenty thousand mu of new civilian fields and wasteland, and he needed to ask Song Wenxian, who handled external affairs, to go to the county government office to process some paperwork and confirm whether any gentry land was included. The previous year, people like Huang Gongcheng had caused him endless trouble. Although Huang Gongcheng was eventually thrown into jail, no conviction could be secured. The county magistrate simply dragged the case out, unwilling to offend either side. Others did not know Chen Xin's strength, but he did, and the more he inquired, the more he discovered the power behind Chen Xin was formidable, even having the shadow of a Grand Secretary behind it. In comparison, Huang Gongcheng's brother in the Provincial Administration Commission was nothing. Moreover, he had evidence in hand and was not afraid of any impeachment, so the county magistrate just stalled the case, taking bribes from both the plaintiff and the defendant.

Liu Minyou hurried non-stop toward the Wendeng camp. Along the way, he saw countless tracts of wasteland, which pained him greatly. As he crossed a stone bridge over the Baolong River, he again saw the tax post set up by Prince Heng's Palace. Prince Heng's Palace currently had no prince at all; it was said the previous one had been dead for over a year and a new one had yet to be installed. The eldest son was merely managing the palace affairs, yet he could set up posts everywhere in Wendeng. After all, there was still some movement of goods in these several areas, and they had already been charged several hundred taels of silver by this prince's palace. Other merchants paid even more.

Liu Minyou grew angry at the sight of them. The household servant manning the post saw they had no goods and did not trouble them, letting them pass. When Liu Minyou reached the office at the Garrison Commander's headquarters, Song Wenxian was discussing matters with Zhang Dahui. Zhang Dahui had not left since returning the previous year. Chen Xin planned to have him establish an intelligence station in Jingshi, using a food shop or teahouse as cover, and he had recently been studying intelligence matters with Zhou Shifa and the others.

Liu Minyou did not avoid Zhang Dahui and directly told Song Wenxian about the wasteland. Song Wenxian readily agreed. Zhang Dahui laughed from the side and said, "Occupying land again, huh? Last time it was Huang Gongcheng; let's see who shows up this time."

Song Wenxian shot Zhang Dahui a look. The matter of the Intelligence Bureau killing the clerk was kept from Liu Minyou. He knew Liu Minyou was somewhat pedantic, and the fewer complications the better. Liu Minyou did not notice their little exchange and went on to instruct Zhang Dahui, "When you return to Jingshi, besides the intelligence station, you must also put more thought into the commercial shops. The shops belong to the civil administration and must earn silver, after all. Naturally, shopkeepers will come from here, but you have many connections in Jingshi and should help introduce more business. If profits are high, the trading company will also show its appreciation each year..."

Zhang Dahui agreed repeatedly. Liu Minyou was now supporting tens of thousands of people and was constantly thinking of ways to earn more silver. Jingshi was one of the places with the strongest consumption power in the realm, so he attached great importance to it.

When Liu Minyou had finished his long-winded instructions, Zhang Dahui lit a cigarette and then asked, "Brother Liu, these cigarettes are certainly convenient. I reckon they'll sell well in Jingshi and can earn quite a bit of silver in a year, perhaps enough to support ten or twenty thousand people."

Liu Minyou sighed, "There will be more and more people. Every day now, people come from Dengzhou and other places seeking refuge. We must open up more sources of revenue." He looked at the two of them and suddenly asked, "If we sold illicit salt, could we make silver?"

Zhang Dahui did not know much about it either and looked at Song Wenxian. Song Wenxian shook his head and said, "I fear it would be difficult. Shandong is awash with illicit salt. There are nineteen Salt Tax Bureaus in Shandong, and each local bureau sells illicit salt themselves. Although Wendeng has no Salt Tax Bureau, we have no connections, so sales volume would not be large."

Liu Minyou was full of confidence. In Weihai and other places, he had seen people use the boiling method to make salt, which was time-consuming and labor-intensive. He said to Song Wenxian, "If Mr. Song knows any salt merchants, just introduce them. I have a new method that requires no boiling, and the selling price will be much cheaper than even illicit salt."

Song Wenxian's eyes first lit up, then he asked doubtfully, "Is Mr. Liu speaking of the solar evaporation method?"

Liu Minyou asked in surprise, "Did Lord Chen tell you about it?"

Song Wenxian shook his head, baffled. "Lord Chen long ago sent me to inquire. I specifically sought out people from the Salt Tax Bureau in Dengzhou and asked. The salt works in Shandong and Northern Zhili have long customarily used the solar evaporation method. Seawater is channeled into salt ponds, sometimes divided into seven to nine levels, each level becoming more concentrated before flowing into the next pond. With suitable weather, salt can be produced in three to five days. The fastest solar evaporation method involves adding lime to the salt pond, yielding salt in just two or three shichen, and the salt quality is excellent." (Note 1)

Liu Minyou swallowed hard. So others had long known how to do this. No matter how he tinkered, his costs would not be much lower, and what was more, he might not even match the professionalism of those salt works. At best, he could only solve the Wendeng camp's own salt needs. The idea he had pondered for so long was thus dead in the water, and he felt a bit dejected. Song Wenxian observed Liu Minyou's expression and probed, "Mr. Liu need not worry. In these times, as long as there is food, you can support people. What does silver matter? Lord Chen always says that when you have more people, you profit; nothing is more valuable than people."

Liu Minyou could only nod. For now, he could only pin his hopes on the agricultural research office to soon produce high-yield crop varieties. Crops that entered China in the late Ming included corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and so on. Among them, corn was widely planted in the north. Sweet potatoes and potatoes were relatively less common, all because their yields were too low. But Liu Minyou could not worry about that now. At least these crops did not require fertile fields; some previously uncultivated mountain land could also be planted. Those were true wastelands, land they had opened up themselves, which also avoided disputes with the locals.

Inside Chen Xin's office, Zhou Shifa and Zhang Dong sat opposite his desk, reporting to him on the recent situation of the Intelligence Bureau. With these two men sitting in the room, the space itself seemed to carry a chill, gloomy air.

Chen Xin slowly read a brief report in his hand, examining it very meticulously. After reading for a long time, he looked up and asked Zhang Dong, "The earlier section on the Jianzhou bandits' espionage habits is well written. In the future, our intelligence department must further study the habits of our operational targets."

Zhang Dong slightly bowed his head and said, "Yes, my lord."

Chen Xin continued, "Judging by the Jianzhou bandits' methods during the Liaodong period, the spies they have sent to Dengzhou are likely not few. Our people must pay closer attention to suspicious individuals around the workshops, military camps, and forts."

Zhou Shifa replied, "The Jianzhou bandits' method is generally to buy off local gentry or military officers, and also to send people who have not shaved their heads, disguised as craftsmen or refugees, to move in and out of the area, scout the situation, and spread rumors. Whenever the Jianzhou Chieftain intends to act, he invariably first lays down his schemes, secretly plotting coordination and response. The true and false circumstances, the urgent and unhurried momentum, are all clearly understood by him. Li Yongfang, who was the earliest to surrender to the Jianzhou bandits, has always been in charge of espionage for the Jianzhou Chieftain."

Zhang Dong added, "In the time of the old chieftain, the bandit soldiers were not skilled at attacking cities. Every time they took a major city, they always used spies first. They would hide spies inside beforehand, then attack from without and respond from within. The battles at Fushun, Qinghe, Kaiyuan, Tieling, Shenyang, Liaoyang, and Guangning were all like this. Their emphasis on spies far exceeded that of any high official in our Great Ming. Just one day after capturing Shenyang, they dispatched meritorious spies to Liaoyang. Some Liaoyang gentry already had ties with the Jianzhou bandits and brought bandit spies into the city under the guise of household servants. Combined with the traitors already inside, even the common people knew that 'bandit spies fill Liaoyang.' As a result, when the Jianzhou bandits attacked the city, bandit spies detonated the gunpowder storehouse at Little West Gate. Fires broke out everywhere, the city fell into chaos, and thus the city was lost. As soon as the old chieftain took Liaoyang, he again sent spies disguised as defeated troops to enter the passes. This group numbered over a hundred and entered Jingshi within ten-odd days, scouting for information everywhere and spreading rumors to stir up trouble. The common people inside the passes all believed the Jianzhou bandits had three heads and six arms, largely due to the verbal skill of these people. Later, as rumors spread unchecked, the common people paled at the mention of the Jianzhou bandits, and soldiers trembled in fear at the sight of Shanhai Pass. Once the rumors arrived, the entire nation was alarmed."

Chen Xin nodded and said, "The fearsome reputation of the Jianzhou bandits owes something to these people's efforts. Zhang Dong, how did you come to know this information?"

"When I was in Guangning, I was a street fighter. This information was not originally hard to find out; it was just that the various high officials disdained it. They always regarded the Jianzhou Chieftain as a mere barbarian and underestimated his cunning. Little did they know how shrewd the old chieftain was. Take the Mongols in Liaoyang, for example. Everyone thought they should not be allowed into the city, but only the high officials said they could. As a result, most of those who set fires in the city were these people. But speaking of which, there is also something laughable. After the Jianzhou bandits took Liaoyang, they captured a Han licentiate from Guangning and sent him back to Guangning to spy. This licentiate was perhaps scared witless. He found a boy to lead a donkey, and he rode on the donkey's back along the streets, shouting for the common people to surrender and to capture Ming troops alive to claim rewards. Among them, the Sichuan troops were the most valuable, worth ten taels dead or alive."

Chen Xin and Zhou Shifa both laughed. Zhang Dong joined in the laughter for a moment, then said, "There were so many bandit spies in Guangning that even the common people knew. In the later Battle of Guangning, they still thought of buying off Li Yongfang, but instead Li Yongfang bought off Sun Degong. Otherwise, with Guangning's strong walls, high ramparts, and ample grain, how could the Jianzhou bandits have taken it?"

Chen Xin's assessment of the Jianzhou bandits rose another notch. They not only surpassed the Ming army on the battlefield but also achieved total victory on the secret front. Although their methods were not particularly sophisticated, the energy and resources they invested exceeded those of their opponents.

Zhou Shifa continued, "They even bought off a clerk of the Ministry of War's Communications Office. This man was called Liu Bao, originally from Liaoyang, and was responsible for collecting military dispatches for the Ministry of War in Jingshi. The Jianzhou bandits gave him one hundred taels of silver a month, and he passed various military intelligence to the Jianzhou spy chief, which was then transmitted back to Liaodong via the border walls or the Liaodong Sea. Which garrison troops our Great Ming transferred, how many, and when they would arrive where—all lay on the Jianzhou Chieftain's desk."

Zhang Dong added, "The Jianzhou bandits are not only formidable in espionage but also adept at counter-intelligence. Every garrison commander has the duty to capture spies. Any negligence is severely punished. All captured Great Ming spies are sent to Liaoyang for interrogation."

Chen Xin revealed a slight smile. He had originally thought the spy warfare he saw in movies only happened in modern times; he never imagined the secret front in ancient times was equally intense. His advantage was knowing the general trend, and his current main task was counter-intelligence.

"Have the Jianzhou bandit spies in Wendeng been found?"

Zhou Shifa respectfully said, "I was just about to request your instructions, my lord. The interrogation chamber has once again interrogated the several spies captured last time. We have clarified the accents and physical characteristics of the other few. We have successively sent people to the various forts and work sites to verify and have already found traces of two of them. One is working as a helper in a lacquerware shop in the old camp, and the other is building roads on the way to Chengshan. The one in the old camp may have seen the militia training; the one building roads likely has not. Should we kill these two directly, or keep them?"

"Aren't they required to return to Liaodong by the third month? The Jianzhou bandits are not using them as long-term assets. Capture them directly for interrogation, parade them together with the previously captured spies at every fort, and after the public display, behead them as a warning to the public. Hang their corpses by the roadsides in Weihai, Jinghai, and Wendeng to warn the people."

Zhou Shifa hastily agreed. He said to Chen Xin, "My lord, relying solely on the Intelligence Bureau for this matter may not be enough. Too many refugees are arriving now, and it is difficult to distinguish those mixed among them. I suggest that the fort chiefs and instructors at each fort also be responsible for routine screening. Even the shops that employ them should be held collectively responsible..."

Chen Xin looked at the two of them and shook his head. "The fort chiefs' duties can include this. But the shops that employ workers must not be held collectively responsible. As long as the shop owner is not a bandit spy, do not implicate them. Otherwise, who would dare hire refugees? We must not give up eating for fear of choking. However, the refugee issue is indeed a loophole. I will speak with Mr. Liu. In the future, all arriving refugees must first be organized into mutual responsibility groups; we cannot slowly organize them as before."

After speaking, Chen Xin turned to the next page, which listed the personnel of the Intelligence Bureau, already over fifty people. Their skill sets included everything: theft, lock-picking, poisons, deception, trade, assassination, martial arts, and so on. Someone who didn't know better would think it was a criminal syndicate. He smiled and asked Zhou Shifa, "Are there any difficulties regarding personnel and organizational structure?"

"Suitable personnel are not many. For now, we have barely set up the framework. Last time, when we killed that clerk, Zhang Dong had to do it personally. The personnel at the external intelligence stations use trade as cover and are chosen for their ordinary looks; most have done business before. The action teams have no such restrictions and are the most fully staffed. My next plan is to complete the Dengzhou intelligence station, reaching at least thirty people, with three safe houses inside the city. For other places, we will follow the Four Seas Trading Company's shops and insert one or two people. This year's focus is Dengzhou."

Chen Xin thought for a moment and said, "Don't rush into the Four Seas Trading Company yet. Besides Dengzhou, establish a post in Guanning this year. I want to understand their movements."

Zhang Dong and Zhou Shifa exchanged glances. Finally, Zhang Dong asked, "My lord, is our focus monitoring the movements of the Guanning army, or investigating bandit spies? If we discover Jianzhou bandits in Dengzhou or Guanning, should we take action?"

Chen Xin paused. "The focus is the movements of the Guanning army. Do not take action against the bandit spies for now. The Jianzhou bandits have operated in these two places for a long time; these are places where we can play a long game. Once we have thoroughly investigated, we can later use them to transmit some false information to deceive the Jianzhou bandits."

He looked at the two men and said, "The Intelligence Bureau has not been established long, but you handled the clerk matter well. Now that Huang Gongcheng has been arrested, those licentiates, fearing implication, have scattered like birds and beasts. Their collusion and agitation thus came to nothing, saving me the trouble. Continue to do good work in the future. The bonus for operations will be twenty percent higher than the combat soldiers' reward."

Zhou Shifa asked in a low voice, "My lord, we sent a man to deceive a maidservant of the Huang family. It is said that the Huang family has already sent someone to Jinan. Huang Gongcheng's cousin sent a household servant back, who has just arrived in Wendeng. After inquiring about the situation, it is said he is preparing to impeach you, my lord. He has not yet left. Should we kill him?"

Chen Xin waved his hand and said, "Let him impeach. If Wendeng were perfectly quiet, His Majesty might start to worry. Last time, after Lord Sun and the Army Supervisor inspected, the memorials they sent to the Emperor were all favorable. Being impeached occasionally is not a bad thing."

Chen Xin did not take Huang Gongcheng to heart and was unwilling to speak more of this man. He simply continued, "This year, besides the intelligence stations, you have one more task. Go to Laiyang and find a suitable group of bandits, the kind whose leader is easy to control. Once you've found them, I will send troops to take them down. You must control them well and use them as an aid in handling certain matters."

The two agreed in unison. Using the name of bandits naturally made things easier. Chen Xin smiled slightly and said, "Of course, the overall focus remains on the Jianzhou bandits. Since the Jianzhou bandits have some skill, we must also sharpen our wits and see if his Li Yongfang can gain any advantage in Wendeng."

Zhang Dong stood up and said, "My lord, I have met this Li Yongfang."

"Oh? When did you meet him?"

"When I was at Thirteen Mountains, Li Yongfang was sent by the Jianzhou Chieftain to demand our surrender. I went with Bi Mazi to see him."

Chen Xin laughed heartily. "So he's an old acquaintance. Then you must properly entertain this Fushun Imperial Son-in-Law."

Note 1: The "Tiangong Kaiwu, Chapter on Salt" records: "In Haifeng, there is a method of channeling seawater directly into ponds to evaporate into salt. When it crystallizes, it is swept up and consumed without adding human labor, the same as Jie salt. But the time needed to form salt, and whether it relies on a south wind, makes a great difference." The solar evaporation method originated in Haifeng County. From the early sixteenth century onward, the solar evaporation method gradually replaced the boiling method. Jie salt was the tribute salt from the Jie salt pond in Shanxi, originally of the best quality, but after the solar evaporation method emerged, the quality was basically the same as the original tribute salt. By the late Ming, the main salt works in Shandong and Northern Zhili had mostly adopted the solar evaporation method.