Chapter 757: Agreements and Considerations

First, each village was allowed to trade at the docks in Qiongshan and Chengmai counties on the 15th of each month.
Second, village schools were established, with teachers hired to provide education. Those who performed well would be sent to county, prefectural, or provincial schools, while the most outstanding would go to the Imperial Academy.
Third, official registers were created to record the number of Li people and the amount of land in each village, to be used as proof for taxes and corvée labor.
Fourth, taxes were set at three dou, three sheng, and five shao per mu, as determined by the authorities. Apart from local Li soldiers, villagers were required to take turns providing labor during the off-season; the government would fund the construction of roads connecting various counties and prefectures.

These four seemingly simple agreements actually required the Wang family father and son to exert considerable effort in brokering them before gaining the approval of the leader of the 36 villages. Naturally, their main motivation for agreeing to these terms was the prospect of doubling or even tripling annual harvests, along with continuous trade opportunities from Lingnan.

After the agreements were finalized, Zhang Yue sent Lu Haishan, the governor of Qiongzhou, back, while he and Yu Qian stayed behind. Over the following days, the two of them met with several Li village leaders who had come from the central and southern regions, personally promising them reassurance. Meanwhile, Liu Da taught the selected farmers the essentials and techniques of growing two-season and three-season rice.

On the day of departure, Wang Zheng, the hereditary leader of the 36 villages, selected more than a dozen strong young men to carry the bamboo sedan chair and assigned thirty elite Li soldiers as guards. He even personally accompanied the village leaders for dozens of miles. If not for Wang Zhi, who traveled with Zhang Yue, persuading these elders not to go further, this large group might have followed them all the way to Jianjiang.

Compared to the hardships of traveling under the open sky earlier, the escorts, being Li people raised in the mountains, moved effortlessly along the rugged paths. The bamboo sedan chair was carried steadily, and they were well-fed. With the creaking sound of the chair and the sounds of wind and birds around him, Zhang Yue closed his eyes, gazing at the patches of blue sky visible through the lush greenery above.

It was already the twelfth lunar month; in the north, it would be a harsh winter with snow and ice, but here the sun still shone brightly. Though the mountains were densely forested, a gentle breeze brought a slight chill. Towering trees covered the surroundings, and occasionally, wild rabbits or pheasants would run or fly by, prompting the Li soldiers to call out—yet none could escape their arrows or traps.

By evening, after setting up camp, the fresh game was quickly roasted over the campfire. Zhang Yue’s bodyguard, Niu Gan, carried plenty of spices and seasonings, which he sprinkled on the meat, filling the air with an enticing aroma that made one’s mouth water. Seeing Wang Zhi respectfully offer half a wild rabbit on a tin plate, Zhang Yue took it without hesitation. Taking a bite, he found it indeed plump, juicy, and exceptionally sweet. When Yu Qian approached with another tin plate, Wang Zhi quietly stepped back.

“Lord Zhang, during my time in Li Village these days, I heard many opinions. Upon returning, I intend to submit a petition to abolish the position of the Prefect of Fu Li.” Despite having half a fragrant, golden-brown pheasant in front of him, Yu Qian didn’t even glance at it before suddenly saying this. Seeing Zhang Yue put down his food and look at him, he spoke seriously, “Although the Prefect of Fu Li is in charge of local chieftains and seems separate from ordinary provincial or county officials, he often ignores imperial laws by monopolizing power over Fu Li. The Thirty-Six Clans have agreed to pay taxes, but the Prefect of Fu Li demands gifts from them every year and tries to enslave the Li people…”

Since they had been under constant observation in other people’s villages, and the path ahead was a narrow forest trail where their bamboo palanquins could only follow one after another, surrounded by Li soldiers, Zhang Yue naturally understood that Yu Qian must have been holding back his thoughts for a long time. Yet, he was extremely hungry at the moment, so he raised his hand to interrupt Yu Qian, who seemed determined to talk on.

“Brother Tingyi, these matters aren’t urgent. Have you thought about this: even if the Li people benefit from growing two or three crops a year, what if they refuse to pay taxes once they change their minds? Also, judging from the behavior of the previous prefect, Lu Haishan, it seems he was only visiting the Thirty-Six Clans for the first time, while that acting Prefect of Fu Li has long dealt with these people. If we suddenly abolish the Fu Li officials, how will the local civil officials know how to pacify the Li people? Acting too hastily will only make things worse. Implementing the Li Jia system throughout Qiongzhou Prefecture isn’t that easy. The powerful chieftains have ruled here for generations—how would they agree to let their people be governed by such laws?”

Seeing Zhang Yue smile and then resume eating, Yu Qian was stunned—he hadn’t mentioned the Li Jia system at all. How could Zhang Yue seem to understand his unspoken thoughts as if by foresight? Noticing a group of Li soldiers curiously looking their way around the fire, Wang Zhi stepped forward with locally brewed wine from Li Village. Zhang Yue accepted it with a smile and ate and drank freely, putting his thoughts aside for now and focusing solely on filling his stomach.

Almost all the counties and prefectures in Qiongzhou Prefecture were located along the coastline, with Liumu Mountain as the center in the interior. The further one went inward, the more Li people there were, and the less contact they had with the outside world. The Thirty-Six Clans were under the jurisdiction of Zengjia Dongdu, located south of Ding’an County, adjacent to Nanli Du and Nanzi Du. This time, more than a hundred or two hundred people came to see Zhang Yue upon hearing the news. Those who lacked sufficient status were often stopped by Wang Zheng, the chief leader of the Thirty-Six Clans.

Yet on Zhang Yue’s return journey, Li clan chiefs still appeared from time to time. Most of them came to inquire about previous agreements, but a few were outlaws in the dense forests who tried to extort money from these officials who seemed wealthy. However, the fifty men sent by the Thirty-Six Clans were skilled fighters who killed without hesitation as they cleared the path. In the end, two heads were even hung high on a flagpole at the front.

Yu Qian, as an imperial censor, was naturally extremely disgusted by such barbaric acts. But Wang Zhi explained that those living scattered in the forests were criminals driven out by their tribes. If not deterred, more people would come to rob, resulting in even more deaths. Seeing Zhang Yue remain silent, Yu Qian could only sigh deeply.

Since they were heading straight to Chengmai on their return, the group crossed the Jianjiang River and took a different route. When they entered a small town under the jurisdiction of Hainan Wei, although there were many Li people on the road, the number of tattooed men and women had greatly decreased, and people no longer wore revealing clothes. Wang Zhi, acting as the guide, explained things as they walked, while the locals cast curious glances at this large group.

In their eyes, someone who could bring so many guards must be a local chieftain. But the men in the bamboo palanquins in the middle clearly dressed like Han people, which seemed rather odd. It was not until Zhang Yue and his group entered Xifeng Horse Post that the townspeople realized they were government officials and thus became relieved. That night, after staying outdoors for three days, Zhang Yue lit incense to repel mosquitoes in his room and finally slept soundly. Xifeng Horse Post also sent a messenger to Chengmai overnight to deliver a message. This post was one of the two horse posts under Chengmai County, about forty li away, and it took just one day and night to make the round trip.

After a good night’s sleep, Zhang Yue woke up a bit groggy the next morning. After getting dressed, his servant Sanqin brought water for him to wash up. Only then did he lazily ask what time it was. Learning that it was already the first hour of the Si hour, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, “Why is it so late? Hasn’t anyone come to urge me?”

Sanqin, who was busy wringing out a towel, heard this and said with a smile, “We’ve been rushing all the way here, exhausted from going up and down. We only started getting up after noon, and even Yu Shiyu arrived just fifteen minutes ago. He’s just finished breakfast and is now meeting people. Just now, Niu Gan reported that both Magistrate Lu and the County Magistrate of Chengmai have arrived and are now with Yu Shiyu. By the way, Brother Zhang has also come and is talking with Brother Niu outside.”

Since Lingxi now had a physical body, Zhang Yue had left Peng Shisan at home to assist his father, Zhang Zhuo. Apart from Humble Jade, he only took three bodyguards and two reliable servants. When they first arrived in Qiongshan County, considering the long and dangerous journey to the Li tribe, he chose two people to escort Humble Jade to Chengmai first. Although Humble Jade wanted to follow, there were only men along the way, and if her male disguise were exposed, it would be even worse in the eyes of Censor Yu Qian, so she had to agree. Thus, upon hearing that Zhang Bu, who had been handling affairs in Chengmai, had also arrived, Zhang Yue quickly asked Sanqin to invite him in.

Unlike Niu Gan, who was straightforward, Zhang Bu was more thorough and astute in handling matters. That’s why Peng Shisan had said earlier that he would surely be the first of his disciples to complete his training. After entering and paying his respects, he didn’t beat around the bush and recounted in detail everything he had encountered since arriving here, especially the plans and battles he had with Cao Jixiang at the Charity Temple. Finally, he said in a low voice, “Following the message sent by my master, I placed my aunt in a small villa not far from the Qiu family, but since she refused to leave, she hasn’t stepped outside. After thinking it over, I realize I handled things improperly earlier. I shouldn’t have acted on Cao Jixiang’s advice and moved the Qiu family members without permission.”

Zhang Yue looked at this burly man who had once been a slave to the Tartars in the north with admiration and nodded gently. “You’ve done very well in this matter. Not only have you made no mistakes, but you’ve even contributed. Though you’re astute, there are still some things you can’t match Cao Jixiang—a veteran who’s been both a thug and in the palace for years. It was the right decision to leave planning and command to him. As for moving the Qiu family members, it was necessary at that time. If they hadn’t made those contributions, it would have been difficult for me to speak in their favor, and it would be even harder for them to turn things around in the future. Based on your past achievements from the northern inspection and this mission, it’s no problem to promote you to a hereditary hundredman or a local governor. I’ll speak up for you then.”

Hearing Zhang Yue say he had merits despite no faults, Zhang Bu felt relieved. But when he heard about seeking rewards and military positions, he was shocked. By the time he recovered, he saw Zhang Yue already seated at mealtime, so he hurried over and said, “My lord, the three of us—me and Da Niu—are as close as brothers, but we only wish to be together as a group and don’t desire any official positions. Moreover, please allow me to speak frankly—today’s military system…” He gritted his teeth before whispering, “I was imprisoned in Xuanfu and later fought alongside you, so I understand the lower-level realities better than you do. For example, the border troops in Xuanfu are said to number over a hundred thousand, but in reality, most are like tenant farmers. The lower-ranking soldiers are poor, and the lower officers are nothing but servants to the higher ones—far less sincere than how you treat us. Even among the imperial guards, as my master told us, aside from the three main camps, many hereditary officers are fundamentally corrupt. Even if your proposals were adopted by the court, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. It’s better to follow you, where life is more comfortable and one can hold their head high, rather than being an officer who just lives off others’ labor.”

Zhang Yue, who was drinking porridge, put down his bowl abruptly, his expression turning grave. He was well aware that the massive Ming army’s combat strength had declined significantly, which was why he wanted to reform the hereditary military system. He hadn’t expected the army to still be in such a poor state in the eyes of others. Without any appetite, he idly fiddled with the side dishes, before finally sighing after a long while.

“I understand. For now, stay with me. But one thing—if you discover anything similar in the future, feel free to tell me without hesitation. Remember, we’ve shared life and death together. Also, when you see your master again, tell him on my behalf that he shouldn’t send you around in circles to convey messages. A true disciple shouldn’t act like that!”

With this concern weighing on him, Zhang Yue’s mood was naturally poor as he went to meet Lu Haishan and the others after breakfast. He had previously received secret orders to investigate the Qiu family legitimately, so he didn’t want Yu Qian to accompany him. Thus, he made an excuse to visit Chengmai County again, allowing Yu Qian to follow Lu Haishan back to Qiongshan to meet the prefect who had been waiting there for a long time. Once they left, he sent the fifty Li soldiers escorting him back to Sanliu Dong to report, then set off with the county magistrate of Chengmai.

The Qiu family’s mansion in Chengmai County.

Although they had lost their hereditary titles and glory and wealth, after more than a decade of hard work by two generations of family heads in Chengmai County, coupled with intercession from many nobles who still cared for them and gifts of money and goods, the Qiu family could still get by, though far less comfortably than before. Now, Qiu Guoyong gathered all his two elder brothers who held decision-making power in the family and told them that Zhang Yue, the left governor of Guangdong, was about to arrive in Chengmai. Then, after a slight cough, he spoke the most important words.
“Chengmai County is not the seat of government for Qiongzhou Prefecture. So, his arrival this time might be carried out by imperial order.”
The words “imperial order” instantly stunned the two gray-haired second-generation Qiu men. After a long while, the one on the left knelt down with a thud, bowed deeply toward the north, and soon began to cry bitterly. At that moment, Qiu Guoyong and his other brother also knelt down. To this day, they could force themselves to forget external things like power and wealth, but the one thing they could never forget was their father, Qiu Fu, who had died in the grasslands with his body never even found.
After a long silence, a low voice came from the room: “Elder brother, if there really is an imperial order, could it grant us permission to return?”
Under the hopeful gazes of his brothers, Qiu Guoyong shook his head stiffly: “Don’t forget that when our father chose the crown prince, he strongly supported the King of Han. So, don’t hold too much hope. If the emperor were to allow us to leave Qiongzhou Prefecture openly due to our past merits, without having to act in secret, that would already be an immense grace.”