Counterattack

According to Wang Huadu, after Yu Yuan returned home, he had begged his elder brother Yu Chu to ask around at the yamen. At first, Yu Chu had refused, but in the end he agreed—whether out of affection for his younger brother or for the five guan of cash, no one could say. That hardly mattered, however. According to what Yu Chu found out, someone had already spent money ten days earlier to report Shao Shuyi, a boat household of Zhangjing East Second Du, for arrears in kechai levies. Perhaps because coin had changed hands, the authorities acted with remarkable efficiency. Within days, an official dispatch was sent to the Transport Office requesting their assistance in arresting him and sentencing him to forced labor in the summer transport fleet. Yet once that document reached the Transport Office, everything went quiet. It seemed someone had shelved it. That was the long and short of it—not complicated, but aimed straight at his throat. After hearing this, Shao Shuyi knew the Transport Office had refrained from actively pressing the matter out of deference to the Zheng family. Even so, he felt a surge of anger and said, "It really is them!" "Xiaohu..." Wang Huadu finished his meat flatbread and spoke with a touch of remorse. "Truth be told, I should have been more decisive and finished them off earlier." Shao Shuyi raised a hand to stop him. "Enough of that. If you had truly hurt someone, it would have been all the harder to clean up. The realm hasn't fallen into total collapse just yet. The authorities will still intervene, and it wouldn't be difficult to trace who did it. When that happened, neither of us would escape blame. It isn't worth it." Wang Huadu paid little mind to the rest, but Shao Shuyi's mention of order collapsing piqued his interest. He asked, "Xiaohu, are you saying the world is about to plunge into great turmoil?" Shao Shuyi gave an affirmative hum, hedging, "It's only my guess. It might not happen." "I think the signs are already here." Wang Huadu took a large gulp from his teabowl, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and spoke with an odd hint of excitement. "I've heard the elders say that thirty years ago, people scrambled to serve as lizheng, zhushou, yuzheng, or fangzheng, because they could fleece the countryside and rake in profit. Now, not a soul wants the job, because they have to make up shortfalls from their own pockets—even wealthy households can't bear it. Then take the postal courier households. They're just like your boat households: one man serves, and the whole family is exempt from miscellaneous corvée duties, while the household receives a monthly ration of salt and grain. Nowadays, the miscellaneous corvée duties aren't exempt, the grain isn't issued, and runaways grow more numerous by the day. And as for the Police Inspection Office, in past years someone could donate five hundred dan of grain to become an inspector, but now..." Shao Shuyi's opinion of Wang Huadu was once again refreshed. Granted, the man was uneducated, had no sources inside the government, and knew nothing of the arc of history. Yet he possessed sharp observation and a keen ability to synthesize what he saw, remarkably grasping the bigger picture from mundane details and speaking with sound, coherent logic. "You're right," Shao Shuyi praised. "The court is indeed worsening year after year, but the tiger's skin hasn't split yet, and the authorities still manage to keep the local populace under control. When a rebellion breaks out, they can still mobilize troops to suppress it, even if they're finding it harder and harder. Under such circumstances, you and I had better proceed with caution. However—" Here, his expression turned stern. "I do not attack unless attacked, but if someone attacks me, I will surely strike back. Since they no longer wish to live in peace, I have no intention of saving their face." Wang Huadu nodded excitedly. "Those who can't see what's good for them deserve a vicious beating. What do you plan to do?" Shao Shuyi pondered for a moment, then asked, "How much paper money would it cost to rent a small courtyard outside?" Wang Huadu was taken aback, then quickly replied, "Hardly any money at all. Those boat households, postal courier households, and commoner households who fled with their entire families left plenty of houses empty. Before leaving, they usually entrusted them to neighbors or kin to watch over. Handing over a few guan of paper money would suffice. It's just that they're a bit run-down and lack the warmth of living souls after sitting empty so long, so they aren't comfortable to stay in." With that, the realization seemed to dawn on him, and he shot to his feet. "Xiaohu, is someone trying to harm you?" Shao Shuyi shook his head. "Just preparing for a rainy day. Right now, there is another matter of greater urgency. Lean in close." Wang Huadu leaned in and listened intently. When he finished listening, he hesitated for a moment and said in confusion, "Xiaohu, this plan of yours is decisive enough, but you could actually be much harsher. For example, if you claimed those two were remnants of the White Lotus Sect, the authorities would certainly send soldiers to arrest them. Why not do that?" Shao Shuyi remained silent for a long time before finally sighing. "I cannot cross that hurdle in my heart. Let it be. Perhaps many years from now I might, but not yet." "You truly are a softhearted saint," Wang Huadu could not help grumbling. Shao Shuyi shook his head. He did not consider himself a good man, yet neither was he a villain. People were complicated, impossible to judge simply by good or evil. Most of the time they existed in shades of gray, possessing both good and bad sides. Framing the old man and the youth as White Lotus remnants had a low chance of success, yet it was not impossible. However, it would inevitably bring harm to the neighboring family. After all, the old man of that household truly was a White Lotus adherent. At a critical juncture like this, the authorities likely would not bother to sift through their grievances; they would simply round them all up and convict them on charges of harboring outlaws. Perhaps down the road Shao Shuyi might develop a heart of stone, but right now he genuinely could not bring himself to do it. He could not stomach it. "Go on, and be careful," Shao Shuyi said, patting Wang Huadu on the shoulder and lowering his voice. Wang Huadu did not hesitate. He stood up and left. As he walked out the door, he spotted Cao Tong in the distance carrying a large teapot over. Wang Huadu nodded at him and even offered a slight smile. Startled, Cao Tong instinctively lowered his head, wearing a thoroughly guilty expression. Once outside, Wang Huadu did not continue on foot. Instead, he waited half an hour, talked his way into a passage for twenty wen of paper money, and boarded a boat back to Zhangjing. After spending the night at the old Shao residence, he headed straight for the shipyard early on the morning of the fourth to see Li Zhuang. *** Ever since the end of the sixth month, the weather had been stiflingly hot. It was not only unbearable for people, but the crops in the fields were also pushed to the brink. The relatively arid north had suddenly been struck by continuous torrential downpours. In many places, it rained for an entire month without pause. The Yellow River breached its dikes at Bamaokou, leaving countless victims displaced. Meanwhile, the south, usually moister, grew parched and drought-ridden. While it had not yet reached the point of a severe drought, and the common folk could still barely manage by carrying water from the river to irrigate the fields, a decline in grain yields was certain. Boat households and artisan households mostly owned no land, yet they could hardly avoid the impact, for grain prices were bound to soar. Indeed, they had already begun a modest climb—the latest price stood at thirty-three guan and five hundred wen for a dan of coarse round-grain rice. When Wang Huadu found Li Zhuang, the man was full of gloom, discussing the soaring prices with his apprentices. As Wang Huadu identified himself and mentioned that Shao Shuyi had business with him, Li Zhuang's expression shifted. "Did Xiaohu offend someone over there?" Li Zhuang asked, his brow furrowing with concern. Unsure how to explain, Wang Huadu merely glanced around. Catching on, Li Zhuang instructed the others to keep working, then led Wang Huadu aboard a nearly finished vessel. Wang Huadu stroked the ship's hull in wonder; it must have been several times his own height. "Speak, what happened?" Li Zhuang asked as he inspected the mooring cables. Wang Huadu recounted the whole sequence of events. When he finished, Li Zhuang remained silent for a long while. "That's how things stand," Wang Huadu said. "Xiaohu sent me to find you, so he clearly trusts you. He wants to see Young Master Zheng now—can that be arranged?" "Master Zheng has gone to Gaoyou," Li Zhuang replied, the concern still lingering in his expression. "Gaoyou?" Wang Huadu was surprised. "When will he return?" "He only just left," Li Zhuang sighed. "He went to Suzhou first, returning just the day before yesterday. Yesterday he set off for Gaoyou again. He won't be back within half a month." "What do we do then?" Wang Huadu began to lose his patience. He had witnessed the whole dispute between Shao Shuyi and the celadon shop's men, and had even been deeply involved in it. He knew all too well what kind of delicate situation they were in. "What does Xiaohu intend to do?" Li Zhuang asked. Wang Huadu shook his head. "I don't know either. He only wants to meet with Young Master Zheng." Li Zhuang cast a suspicious glance at him. He was no fool; he naturally knew Wang Huadu was holding something back. But he did not press further, only saying, "If he wants to see Young Master Zheng, he'll have to wait until the end of the month." Unwilling to let it go, Wang Huadu asked, "Weren't these ships overseen by Master Zheng? Now that he's away, who has taken over?" "The Third Young Master," Li Zhuang replied. Wang Huadu was taken aback. "The Old Minister's third son, Transport Office Record Checker Zheng Guozhen. Master Zheng Song is his clan younger brother," Li Zhuang explained. "Then wouldn't his word carry even more weight than Master Zheng's?" Wang Huadu's eyes lit up. Li Zhuang chuckled. "Record Checker Zheng is addressed as the Young Minister, being the Old Minister's own son. What do you think?" Wang Huadu's eyes darted about, and he asked, "Since Young Master Zheng isn't here, could Xiaohu meet this Young Minister instead?" Li Zhuang hesitated. Seeing this, Wang Huadu stamped his foot. "Why hesitate, Master Shipwright? We're not asking you to do much. When the Young Minister comes to inspect the shipyard, you only need to point him out. You won't have to concern yourself with anything else." Li Zhuang let out a soft sigh. "Very well. Plenty of people here recognize the Young Minister anyway, so even if I don't say—ah, forget it, I'll lend Xiaohu a hand." "Now that's more like it!" Wang Huadu chuckled. Li Zhuang smiled as well, saying, "Xiaohu gets along well with people. Having your help is his good fortune too." Wang Huadu's smile vanished, and he said earnestly, "When it comes to my actions, I do whatever I please. For ordinary people, I wouldn't even bother lifting a finger. But Xiaohu is an honorable man who suits my taste, so what's the harm in helping him?" "True enough." Li Zhuang looked up at the rows of houses stretching into the distance and said, "He understands people, knows how the world works, and has learning. Naturally, there are those willing to help him."