Chapter 223: Bargaining Chips

Song Wenxian and Zuo Changhao entered the room together, and only then did Song say, "Brother Zuo now understands what kind of days we endure in the capital — even a minor eunuch, who may not even be fifteen, can give us such looks..."

Zuo Changhao shook his head with a bitter smile. He could well understand Song Wenxian; his own role was much the same as Song's — he was Xu Xinsu's Nanjing office director, dealing with all manner of officials, which naturally included eunuchs.

Zhang Dahui picked up, "That young eunuch is no simple character. Cao Huachun sends him to handle every important matter, and nothing has ever gone wrong. He may seem frivolous, but in practice he is extremely cautious."

Zuo Changhao and Song Wenxian had no good impression of the young eunuch and no interest in discussing him further. Zuo Changhao blinked and said to Song Wenxian, "I just recalled something — what if Zheng Yiguan really does come to Juehua Island? With his abilities, he might well make a name for himself."

Song Wenxian and Zhang Dahui laughed at the same time. "Brother Zuo doesn't know how murky the waters are in the Guanning Army. Even Lord Chen would not dare go there. In the first year of Chongzhen, the Ningyuan mutiny drove Bi Zisu to his death. Last year, a man named Mao Yuanyi, who was Vice General of the Juehua Island camp, had a blade pressed to his throat by mutinous soldiers and only got free after Zhou Wenyu went to plead on his behalf. And that was in peacetime — in wartime it's even worse. Zu Dashou dared to rout and flee out of the pass right at the capital's doorstep and nothing happened to him. Since then, Guanning has grown even more insolent. Think about it, Brother Zuo — what virtue or ability does Zheng Yiguan have to keep those ruffians in line? If he really dared leave his old nest in Fujian for Juehua Island, you wouldn't need to lift a finger — those soldiers would take his life. Even if he swallowed his pride, he'd just be marking time. Wouldn't that make him even easier to deal with? He wouldn't dare come."

Zuo Changhao rarely came north. Hearing the state of the Guanning Army, he opened his mouth slightly in astonishment. He had known the Guanning Army was arrogant, but that an army could be arrogant to such a degree was truly unheard of in the south.

Zhang Dahui chuckled, "Now you understand, Mr. Zuo, why Lord Chen is unwilling to go to Liaozhen."

Zuo Changhao sighed, "Lord Chen and Lord Xu are extraordinary men, always doing the unexpected. I could never guess their thoughts. Well, the big matter is settled, but we still have small matters to attend to. I have several old acquaintances from Fujian who have come to the capital as officials — I must go pay them a visit. I'll return this evening and drink heartily with you two."

Song Wenxian and Zhang Dahui quickly rose to see him off. Zhang Dahui assigned a man to serve as his guide, and Zuo Changhao led his three bodyguards out the door.

After sitting back down, Song Wenxian patted his forehead and reclined comfortably against the back of the chair. "This matter seems settled, but we still need to watch how things unfold. Fujian and the capital are far apart — news won't travel quickly. Dahui, you must keep this in mind."

Zhang Dahui agreed, picked up a piece of sugar cake from the table, and ate it. The two chatted idly about amusing happenings in the capital, until the sound of a clapper-board rang out beyond the gate.

Zhang Dahui listened carefully. Then came the street vendor's hawking cry, its trailing note rather peculiar. He stepped into the courtyard. An old serving woman went on her own to open the gate and loudly asked the vendor if he had any aloeswood. A moment later, she let a vendor inside.

Once the gate was shut, the vendor did not try to sell anything but instead removed his hat. Zhang Dahui went over to him, and after the two exchanged a few low words, the vendor departed.

Zhang Dahui returned and said, "Mr. Song, that Shui Jiayin who impeached Liang Tingdong — there was unusual activity today."

"What unusual activity?"

"It seems he has obtained solid evidence of Liang Tingdong taking bribes. Do we get involved in this?"

Song Wenxian straightened up from his chair, his expression shifting constantly. At such a critical juncture, if Shui Jiayin truly had solid evidence, the censors would surely drown Liang Tingdong in a flood of words. Even if the Emperor wished to keep him, he likely could not.

"Where did this news come from?"

"We've been keeping Shui Jiayin's residence under constant surveillance. Today, one of Zhou Yanru's stewards went inside. I just managed to place a magpie inside as a maidservant. After Shui Jiayin saw that man off, he was beside himself with glee, and she overheard scattered words — it seems to be a letter of correspondence between Liang Tingdong and An Guodong."...

Song Wenxian slowly stroked his beard. Within the cabinet, the two factions were evenly matched, and the covert and overt struggles grew fiercer by the day. Liang Tingdong had previously been somewhat wavering but had now drawn closer to Wen Tiren. That Zhou Yanru had moved against him meant the rift was now open. Qian Xiangkun of the cabinet had originally been Wen Tiren's protégé but was unwilling to get involved in this matter and had resigned on grounds of illness in the sixth month. Wen Tiren was now at a slight disadvantage. If they could preserve this powerful ally outside the cabinet, it would greatly benefit Wen Tiren. Following Chen Xin's firm principle of supporting Wen Tiren, they could lend a hand to this beleaguered Minister of War.

After careful thought for a long moment, he said resolutely, "We get involved. We send Liang Tingdong several thousand taels of silver every year. If he falls, who knows whose man will take his place? We'd have to start all over again greasing the wheels. And right now, with the Shenmi Island victory being reviewed for merit and promotion, it's better to keep him where he is. Go handle this personally — you must obtain that letter."

In the lotus pond southwest of Weihai Guard City, two pleasure boats gently parted the water in a wide-open stretch, surrounded on all sides by blooming lotus flowers, as if adrift in a sea of blossoms.

"Gathering lotus on South Pond in autumn, the lotus flowers rise above one's head. My lady, is your husband learned or not?"

"And the next line?"

"When the time comes to harvest the roots, heads will rise above the lotus."

"Whose head is that tall?"

"A pile of enemy heads!" Chen Xin slapped a mosquito dead on his arm and casually tossed it into the water beyond the gunwale.

Zhao Xiang, whose belly was slightly swelling, sat across from him and burst out laughing at this. "You little rascal, on a rare autumn outing, why must you speak of such mood-killing things?"

"Have you not heard, 'An autumn outing, apricot blossoms blow full upon the head'? Clearly, heads do not spoil the mood at all. Look at these lines of poetry — if it's not someone else's head, it's one's own."

Zhao Xiang shook her head, smiling as she looked at Chen Xin. "That's a spring outing. Why do you only remember a line or two, and get so many wrong?"

Chen Xin answered offhandedly, "Because they only test the most famous lines."

Zhao Xiang asked curiously, "The Licentiate exam tests these lines of poetry?"

Chen Xin's face filled with pride. "Of course it does. Otherwise, how would your husband remember so many?"

"Then let me test you on another: 'On the red apricot branch, spring's excitement stirs.' What is the next line?"

"In frantic haste, it comes out over the wall!"

The two maidservants nearby covered their mouths and laughed. Zhao Xiang picked up the sachet beside her and threw it at him. Chen Xin caught it and then smiled. "Today I specially invited you out to relax, my lady. You must not get upset — it would not be good if anger harmed the child in your belly."

Zhao Xiang's lips pursed slightly. "Mother said that once you're with child, you should stay home and safeguard the pregnancy. You insisted on bringing me out, and even made up a story about going to worship Guanyin."

"How can you not go out and move around? The air at home doesn't circulate. The air outside is good, full of negative oxygen ions — it benefits both body and mind."

Chen Xin's mouth would often inadvertently let slip incomprehensible words. Zhao Xiang had grown used to it; usually, even after asking, she still couldn't understand, because Chen Xin himself didn't quite understand them — he mostly had only a half-knowledge. So now Zhao Xiang had stopped bothering to ask and simply made do with understanding the parts she could.

The boat slowly drew alongside the bank. Yang Yunnong, whose body resembled a large ball topped with a small ball, stood waiting there with a thick, fawning smile. He was drenched in sweat from the heat, his face glistening as if a layer of oil had been baked out of him. But at this moment he could not spare a hand to wipe it. Seeing Chen Xin disembark, he hurriedly extended a plump hand to support him.

"Commander Yang, why are you waiting here? Didn't I say earlier that you should go rest in the Wangcui Pavilion? Why put yourself through such trouble?"

Yang Yunnong bobbed and bowed as he stayed by Chen Xin's side. "No trouble, no trouble. It is Lord Chen who has endured hardship. In the past two months, you traveled far to Shenmi Island and fought again to display our Great Ming's military might. When I learned of it, I could only hate that my own martial skills are poor and that I could not follow you, my lord, to slay the enemy — the regret of a lifetime, truly the regret of a lifetime!"

Chen Xin smiled faintly. He first turned and reached out to help Zhao Xiang disembark. Seeing Chen Xin behave in such a manner, Yang Yunnong was slightly surprised, but then he put his fawning smile back on and bowed to greet Zhao Xiang...

Zhao Xiang found Yang Yunnong's appearance rather amusing. She could only press her lips together and return a curtsy, managing at last to hold back her laughter.

The group entered the Wangcui Pavilion together. Once the sunlight was blocked, the fat man Yang Yunnong was at last not so miserable. Zhao Xiang went straight to a private room to rest. Yang Yunnong attended to Chen Xin as he sat down, then busied himself making tea with great attentiveness.

Chen Xin did not refuse. Once Yang Yunnong had finished bustling about, he beckoned him to sit and then said, "Commander Yang, there is no need for such formality. This year Weihai Guard's performance evaluation was quite good — all thanks to Commander Yang's efforts."

Yang Yunnong had unspeakable grievances. Most of Weihai's military households had gone to join the farms and forts of Wendeng Camp. With Chen Xin's military prestige so formidable, he dared not go after them to bring them back. As a result, most of the military fields had no one to farm them, forcing the various officers to reduce their exploitation and drastically lower land rents. Even so, there were barely any people left, and they had almost failed to muster enough men for the spring rotational troops.

Seizing this opportunity, he quickly said to Chen Xin, "My lord, this... I have something to say, but I fear you will be angered. But the military households of Weihai Guard are all, all..."

"All fled the famine, yes. That's how it is everywhere in the north. But the performance evaluations still cannot be discounted, because Dengzhou has not reduced my quotas either."

Yang Yunnong's face crumpled into a knot at these words. Chen Xin picked up his tea and took a sip, then pointed at the chair opposite, motioning for Yang Yunnong to sit. "However, Commander Yang looked after me quite a bit back in the day, and Weihai is under my jurisdiction. I cannot simply watch you struggle. Between us, there's no need for empty words. In the past, the guard officers all relied on private fields and hidden fields. Now that no one farms them, times are likely a bit hard. As it happens, I have some other business I can give you to do. But all the land must be handed over."

Yang Yunnong perched on a corner of the seat. Hearing this, he asked hesitantly, "The private fields, or the public military fields?"

Chen Xin waved his hand. "The private fields — according to regulations, what is yours you naturally keep. But the land you've secretly swallowed up won't do. The times are different now. Year after year of drought and little rain — you can't grow grain on them anyway. Why cling to the title?"

Yang Yunnong knew Chen Xin was determined to take their land. Now, with Wendeng Camp riding the momentum of the great victory at Shenmi Island, which of these military guards dared defy his orders? Originally, the performance evaluations of the several guards were all under his control. Moreover, Yang Yunnong knew Chen Xin fairly well — his heart was quite black, his skin quite thick, and he might well end up losing his life over this.

And now Wang Yuanzheng had long since defected to Chen Xin and had already handed over his land to Wendeng Camp, receiving in exchange a shop in Wendeng Camp's old camp. Not only had he earned a great deal of silver, he also had Chen Xin as his backer. Now he never even showed up for duty in Weihai, and Yang Yunnong had never dared to discipline him. He had heard that Wang Yuanzheng was even planning to compete with him for the Seal-Holding Commander position, so Yang Yunnong felt an immense sense of crisis.

He made a prompt decision. "My lord, taking this land off my hands is truly relieving a burden for this subordinate. I hereby agree to it, my lord. As for the other officers' land, I will have them all hand it over as well. It's just that if the military fields are transferred to Wendeng Camp, Weihai's annual grain tax, I'm afraid..."

"If I take your land, I will naturally help you pay this tax. Since the land is handed over, from now on Wendeng Camp and Weihai Guard will be one body. The same goes for Chengshan and Jinghai. Commander Yang, you need not manage the farms anymore, but to the outside world, this land will still be Weihai Guard's military fields." Chen Xin did not care about that small amount of grain tax. As long as there was no embezzlement in the middle, the Great Ming's taxes were actually not heavy at all. He needed the military fields of the three guards to settle the ever-growing number of refugees. He could not touch the civilian households and the gentry for now, but the three guards were under his jurisdiction, and he could no longer tolerate the waste of resources before his eyes.

Yang Yunnong flattered him, "With the three guards and one camp of Wendeng united under your lordship's command, they will surely work as one. Should you have any orders, my lord, this humble servant will spare no effort unto death."

Having taken what he wanted, Chen Xin immediately gave Yang Yunnong a benefit. "You may open a tobacco shop in the guard city to sell my Wendeng Camp's cigarettes. Weihai will have four shops in total — I'll give you two. But all prices must be set according to the trading company's rates."

Yang Yunnong was overjoyed. Cigarettes were now extremely popular in Weihai, yet Wendeng Camp refused to sell them there. Only a small quantity trickled into Weihai, and the price had been driven up to thirty wen per pack. Opening a cigarette shop was a guaranteed profit. But there were still some matters he needed to ask about. He probed cautiously, "This humble servant thanks you, my lord. But there are still the Assistant Regional Commander, the Assistant Regional Commander, the Battalion Commanders, and the Guard Judge in the guard. If they hand over their land, how should they be provided for?"

"What provision is needed? They keep the land they are entitled to keep. Each household's tenants may not exceed three people. Later, when the farms and forts open irrigation channels, they will be permitted to use the water along with everyone else. That will solve their livelihood."

"Their families are all large households, originally relying on a bit of farmland to get by."

"The military guard farmland was never plentiful to begin with — how could it support so many people? As for how to settle them, I must ask Lord Yang to put some thought into it." Chen Xin turned his head to look at Yang Yunnong. "This office still has the southern goods trade. If they are willing to do some work, they can open their own shops in the guard town. There is no one who cannot support themselves. You have also been to the old Wendeng Battalion camp — where was there any silver to be earned back then? Now look again: what business does not make money? Everyone stubbornly clings to a little farmland until the people all run off — whose silver are you going to earn? In the future, integrated with Wendeng Battalion, the population will grow and commerce will flourish. Would that not be better than the stagnant backwater it is now? Change their way of thinking, Commander Yang. Tell them exactly what I have said. This office does not wish to hear of anyone stirring up trouble — and those combat troops likewise do not wish to hear it."

Yang Yunnong knelt and said, "This subordinate understands everything. The times have changed, and those people ought to change their way of thinking as well. This subordinate will certainly persuade them."

"For those who cannot be persuaded, report their names to this office. If you work diligently, you will not be treated poorly. As for this year's autumn rotational troops, this office will petition the Ministry of War and His Majesty to have them exempted from deployment."