Chapter 352: Border Inspection

Group after group of refugees from Henan were struggling forward through the wind and snow. This band of refugees numbered over two hundred people. They came from several neighboring villages and had banded together during their wandering to resist the locals, sometimes even forcibly seizing things.

Over ten riders came from the direction of Changyi. The refugees all hurriedly moved to the roadside, clearing the main road for the riders to pass. In desperate straits, they could be utterly vicious, but when faced with strength, they often also showed cowardice.

This squad of riders carried no banners. Apart from two or three men dressed in scholar's robes, the rest all wore sturdy traveling attire, escorting two horse-drawn carriages that rumbled past. Seated in the carriage was Yang Yunnong, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Department, making a special trip to Jinan to visit Xu Congzhi.

Xu Congzhi was a man of considerable courage. He was a Metropolitan Graduate of the thirty-fifth year of the Wanli reign. That examination cohort was brimming with talent: the first rank included Shi Fenglai and Zhang Ruitu; the second rank included Qian Longxi and Cheng Jiming; the third rank included Zuo Guangdou, Yang Lian, Xiong Wencan, and Liu Yulie. Xu Congzhi was also in the third rank. Although he could not compare to someone like Qian Longxi, his official career had been smoother than that of most of his peers.

He first served as County Magistrate of Tongcheng, then held successive posts up to Prefect of Jinan Prefecture, and later served as Right Assistant Administration Commissioner of the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission, Grain Transport Intendant, Vice Administration Commissioner of the Branch Defense Circuit, and Military Defense Circuit. Now he had finally risen to Provincial Governor. He had essentially held every common civil post at the local level. During this time, he participated in suppressing the Wenxiang Sect rebellion, and in the first year of the Chongzhen reign, he traveled alone to Jizhou and quelled a mutiny incident there. In the original timeline, he and Xie Lian defended Laizhou and ultimately died on the city wall from a bombardment by a red-barbarian cannon.

Chen Xin did not know of Xu Congzhi's deeds in defending Laizhou, but judging from Xu Congzhi's prior career, he took this man quite seriously. Naturally, he himself was not suited to pay a direct visit. After all, he had no real friendship with Xu Congzhi to speak of; going there only to be denied entry would be a great loss of face. Moreover, a military officer leaving his designated post without authorization to visit a high-ranking local official—should Xu Congzhi impeach him, it would indeed appear to be harboring ulterior motives, which would be a huge problem.

Fortunately, there was the Foreign Affairs Department. Deputy Director Yang Yunnong had a distant nephew serving as an attendant in the Shandong Provincial Governor's government office, who could speak before Xu Congzhi. They first sent a tentative probe, and Xu Congzhi showed a willingness to engage. Yang Yunnong set out before the New Year celebrations were even over, hurrying to meet with the Shandong Provincial Governor.

The carriage creaked and rattled into the distance. The refugees returned to the filthy official road. At the tail end of the refugees, four monks in tattered robes appeared. The square robes they wore were old and dirty, styled with wide sleeves and a square cut—hence the name "square robe." Monastic attire since the Song dynasty had roughly followed this style.

They all wore monk caps on their heads. At their temples, one could see some short stubble of hair roots. One of them had graying temples, clearly advanced in years.

A monk around thirty spoke in a low voice to the old monk, his accent fully Henan, but what he spoke of was Liaodong. "Son-in-law, this slave has been here before. A few more li ahead is the boundary of Changyi County. Beyond that belongs to Denglai."

"Call me son-in-law one more time, and I'll cut out your tongue." The old monk slowly raised his head, revealing an aged face. It was none other than the illustrious Later Jin Fushun Son-in-law, Li Yongfang.

For this has-been old Han traitor, Huang Taiji's renewed reliance on him this time was an opportunity. Li Yongfang was advanced in years and personally had little pursuit left for power or position, but he hoped to secure better conditions for his sons, especially his fifth son, Bayan.

Huang Taiji was also well aware of Bayan's place in Li Yongfang's heart. Having Bayan serve on duty in the palace was both a favor and a form of holding a hostage in disguise. Li Yongfang was the pioneer of Han traitors; under no circumstances would he ever be accepted back by the Great Ming. Huang Taiji did not worry about Li Yongfang surrendering, only that Li Yongfang might not endure harsh torture. Had it not been for the need to restore the intelligence network in Dengzhou, Huang Taiji would not have directly dispatched Li Yongfang.

The four men followed behind the refugees. Those Henan refugees paid them no mind, because the several monks looked even poorer than they were. After walking several li, they arrived at a road checkpoint.

This was the border with Changyi. The surrounding area was a stretch of wasteland covered in shacks. Beside the checkpoint stood several large cauldrons cooking thin porridge. Some refugees who had arrived earlier were lining up. As soon as the aroma wafted out, this group of Henan refugees could not hold back. Over a dozen sturdy ones rushed forward, pushing aside the people in front without any explanation, intent on grabbing the porridge bowls.

The first one to grab a bowl had not yet had time to blow it cool when a group of soldiers in red short jackets charged out from the side, brandishing two-chi-long sticks and wildly beating those refugees who had cut in line at the front. The dozen or so men immediately clutched their heads and scurried away. The one at the very front still clutched his porridge bowl as he fled, dodging into the crowd behind him. As he ran, he drank from it, most of the porridge in the bowl spilling onto his clothes.

Several soldiers chased the bowl-holding man as he ducked into the crowd, swinging their clubs all the way. The refugees, who had originally been about to surge forward, were now thrown into chaos and fled into the fields on both sides. Some women and children sat on the ground wailing loudly.

The bowl-holding man soon reached the tail end and slipped behind Li Yongfang in a flash. Seeing several soldiers charging over, Li Yongfang hurriedly dodged aside. The soldiers pushed aside the several monks. The refugee crouched on the ground, gulping down several mouthfuls in rapid succession, so scalded that he opened his mouth and panted repeatedly. The soldiers swung their clubs, beating him wildly on his back and legs. He shielded his head with one hand while still holding the bowl and drinking porridge with the other.

One soldier tried to snatch his bowl, but the refugee clung to it desperately, refusing to let go no matter how the soldiers beat him. In the end, he was dragged along the ground by the soldiers back to the porridge shed. Two women ran over crying, pulling at the soldiers and pleading for mercy for the refugee on the ground. The soldiers paid them no heed and dragged him directly to an open space behind.

Only after they had walked back did Li Yongfang breathe a sigh of relief; he had nearly capsized in a gutter. He carefully observed those Ming soldiers—they must be troops from Dengzhou Garrison. This was also his first time seeing Denglai soldiers. They wore short military jackets with large lapels and front openings, fastened not with cloth buttons but with what seemed to be copper buttons. Leather belts were bound around their waists, from which hung waist tags. There was a dagger sheath, and their sabers also hung from hooks on the belt. On their heads they wore a type of soft military cap, and an arm patch was sewn onto their left upper arm.

"Fellow villagers, all come over. Don't be afraid, gather around." A calm male voice rang out from over there. Li Yongfang saw a man dressed in black clothing of the same style, standing high on a wooden platform, beckoning the refugees to gather around.

Li Yongfang and his men slowly approached along with the others. The man on the platform said to the crowd below, "Did you all come together? Is there a leader who can step forward and speak?"

A few people in the front row cautiously answered. The man immediately switched to a Henan accent and smiled, "So you're fellow villagers from Henan. I'm from Henan myself, and I've only been in Denglai for a year and a half."

A buzz of noise arose among the refugees. This Henan accent instantly eased their tension. A woman in the front row even loudly asked, "Say, big brother, what kind of official are you anyway?"

"Me here, I'm just a Propaganda Officer of Dengzhou Garrison, not really any official. I just help the common folk with some things."

The woman beamed with joy. "Hey, since you put it that way, we're all from Henan. Why were those soldier lords so fierce then? Hurry and let our Brother Wang go. We're all Henan folk; we came here specifically to seek refuge. We'll look out for each other in the future, right?"

"Of course he'll be released." The Propaganda Officer smiled genially. "But fellow villagers, I must also tell you, our Denglai region is not like the outside. Everything must be done by the rules. This place here is for distributing porridge; everyone gets a share. It's not that only those who rush to the front get to eat. That Brother Wang cut in line as soon as he arrived; taking a beating for it is not unjust."

An old man among the refugees stepped forward and said, "This official lord, that Brother Wang was simply starving. Please, official lord, be magnanimous. We all heard in Dezhou that the Regional Commander of Dengzhou is a lord as clear as the blue sky, saying that entering the fortified villages can give the poor a way to live. We came specially to seek refuge. Please, official lord, settle all of us in one fort."

Over there, that refugee had already been pressed to the ground by several soldiers and was being beaten with military rods—much longer sticks that cracked loudly with each strike. The Propaganda Officer said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Those who break the rules must be punished. This is something I cannot decide either. Everyone must also remember: if you fear the military rod, you must firmly remember the rules. As for the fortified villages, we will naturally arrange for everyone to enter. But there are so many people here, no single fortified village can hold them all. You can only be divided among four or five different fortified villages."

The old man said with difficulty, "But we are all neighbors, and strangers in a foreign land. Once separated, won't we just be bullied by others?"

The Propaganda Officer shook his head helplessly. "Then we can't take you in. Those forts are already filled with people; we can't just drive them out. If you truly cannot bear to be separated, then eat a full meal here and turn back."

The group of refugees looked at each other. They had walked nearly a thousand li to get here; how could they turn back? Several old men muttered among themselves, looking like clan elders. The younger ones all waited for their decision.

That Propaganda Officer silently observed from the side. Another man in civil affairs clothing was also discussing in a low voice with him. After a good while, the several old men finished their discussion and told the Propaganda Officer that they agreed to go to different fortified villages.

The Propaganda Officer immediately had them go eat. Several soldiers, holding sticks, made them line up and receive thin porridge in order. That refugee who had been beaten with the military rod rubbed his backside and walked over again, lining up at the very end, still wanting to eat more. The soldiers paid him no further attention.

Li Yongfang and his men actually had gold beans hidden in their shoes and flatbread in the bundles on their backs, but they dared not act differently from the rest. They also lined up behind. It was a long while before they received a bowl of porridge. After a bowl of steaming hot porridge went down, it still made them feel very comfortable.

As Li Yongfang ate, he stole glances at that Propaganda Officer, seeing him muttering continuously with a few others. His heart grew secretly alert.

After everyone had finished eating, someone directed them to put away their bowls and chopsticks and go to the open space from earlier to begin the allocation. The refugees naturally divided into many small circles, all standing with those they were most familiar with. As Li Yongfang had expected, those people from Dengzhou Garrison insisted on splitting up the most familiar groups. Moreover, the several old men from earlier were assigned to one fort, but only five or six families of able-bodied young men went with them; the rest were weaker households. Others were also pulled out from their respective circles and finally mixed and assigned to five fortified villages. Under the intimidation of the surrounding Dengzhou soldiers, the refugees only protested slightly before ultimately accepting the arrangement. They were then led by several civil affairs officers to register. Those who finished registering first were settled in separate sections of the outer shacks, waiting for more people to gather before heading together to their fortified villages.

This method of Dengzhou Garrison for incorporating refugees was essentially to break up the original clan relationships, so as not to affect the control of the grassroots fort chiefs and community heads. In each fortified village, there would be no hometown faction holding absolute dominance. Li Yongfang understood after a moment's thought. He was merely surprised at the proficiency of those Dengzhou Garrison clerks; it was almost seamless, and one could hardly feel any sense of coercion.

The Later Jin used high-pressure terror tactics to subdue captured Han people. Li Yongfang felt that was also very effective. For a moment, he found it hard to compare which was superior.

A clerk walked over to where these several monks were. The subordinate with the Henan accent stepped forward and said to the clerk, "This my lord, we are wandering monks. We have long heard of the fame of Penglai, the immortal realm, and wish to travel there to contemplate Chan. We do not wish to enter a fortified village."

After hearing this, that clerk scrutinized them one by one. "Bring out your ordination certificates."

The several men simultaneously produced ordination certificates from their bosoms and respectfully handed them over with both hands. The clerk slowly walked up to Li Yongfang, looked him up and down, and took his ordination certificate. It was written on a piece of leather paper. On the left side was written: "The Ministry of Rites, concerning the matter of ordination certificates, having examined the Great Ming Code: monks and Daoists who do not receive ordination certificates and privately shave their heads shall be punished by eighty strokes of the heavy bamboo; if there is a family head, the family head shall bear the guilt; abbots of temples and monasteries and initiating masters who privately ordain shall share the same crime and be returned to lay life. Now filled, Xin character number three hundred sixty-seven, ordination certificate issued to the monk Wei Fangde. To be kept as proof. Must be produced when required."

In the middle, in small characters, was written: "One person, Wei Fangde, aged twenty-nine, registered under the civilian household of Wei Physician of Lehuai Bao, Wuqing County, Yingtian Prefecture. In the fifth month of the forty-sixth year of the Wanli reign, of his own free will, he entered the Guangji Temple of this Bao to become a monk, taking the abbot Fuzheng as his master. He is now registered in this temple... Eighteenth day of the seventh month of the forty-sixth year of the Wanli reign. Minister of Rites Xiao, Left Vice Minister Wang..."

That clerk read it carefully. Li Yongfang and his men all maintained calm expressions, showing no trace of nervousness. Only when the clerk finished reading and returned it did Li Yongfang carefully take it back and put it away.

"Let me see your bundle." The clerk pointed behind Li Yongfang.

Li Yongfang hurriedly handed it over. The clerk placed the bundle on the ground and rifled through it. There were three flatbreads, two volumes of scriptures, one monk's robe, a bit of loose silver, and several small bottles. The clerk picked up one small bottle and held it to his nose to smell.

Li Yongfang and his men appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, their hearts were already in their throats. They were all completely focused on this clerk. Two of them were also observing the horse pen nearby; if anything unexpected happened, they would have to seize horses and flee.

The clerk smelled all the bottles, then poured them all out and crushed them underfoot. "These are Astringent Essence Powder and Hundred Battles Ointment. Selling these aphrodisiacs is forbidden in Denglai."

How could Li Yongfang have known that these bottles contained such things? He could only nod repeatedly in agreement. The clerk pointed at the men and said, "Since you do not wish to enter a fortified village, you may proceed on your own. The porridge sheds further on will not receive you either. If you want to eat, you must pay in silver. After entering Denglai, do not wander around the various fortified villages and military camps. If caught, a beating with the military rod will be the least of it."

That clerk had no mind to spend on a few monks. After speaking, he went off to receive several dozen newly arrived refugees.

Li Yongfang and his men felt a weight lift from their hearts. Fortunately, their preparations had been very thorough. He had brought seven subordinates, first going to Kalaqin, then entering the pass through Zhangjiakou. He had actually most wished to disguise himself as a merchant, which would have allowed a smoother journey to Dengzhou. But because of his shaved pate, he could only shave off his queue entirely and disguise himself as a monk, which could explain away both the lack of a topknot and the lack of hair. On the road, short stubble grew out, making him look exactly like many wandering monks of the time, which could cover the color of his scalp. The weather was still cold, and wearing a cap provided even better concealment.

After arriving in Jingshi, they left four men behind and made contact with the resident spy in the capital. They had one of the resident spies take northern goods and head for Dengzhou first. Li Yongfang himself proceeded disguised as a monk. This ordination certificate had been seized after killing several monks at Yangcun, and those Hundred Battles Ointments had also been taken during that same robbery.

The ordination certificate system was enforced better in the late Ming than other household registration systems. The annual revenue from monk and Daoist ordination certificate silver reached as much as two hundred thousand taels, accounting for twenty percent of the national administrative revenue, while the real estate deed tax was only one hundred thousand taels, and the foreign ship market tax was a mere seventy thousand taels.

Relying on this item, Li Yongfang passed through smoothly. He immediately put away the ordination certificate properly and led the several monks onward. As they walked past the refugees, it happened to be that bowl-snatching refugee registering. He could not write, and the clerk was asking his name.

They only heard him reply, "My name is Wang Zhanqing. I was once a Licentiate candidate. I am twenty-eight this year..."

Li Yongfang and his men did not stay to listen to the excitement. They continued forward. After passing this checkpoint area, the road immediately improved, as if it became a good road right after crossing the border. Not far away stood a fortified village with a fort wall, above which fluttered a tiger-head banner.

Now gradually distant from the checkpoint, Li Yongfang let out a long breath. "We've finally reached Denglai."