Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 706 Wang Yingjiao and Zhang Sixiu

The earthen walls of the post station cast long shadows in the last rays of the molten gold of the setting sun. On the northern horizon, the outline of the capital's gate towers had already blurred, and the dull drumbeats of the city gates being locked could be faintly heard, announcing the end of the day. Several weary mules snorted by their mangers, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of dust, sweat, and cheap fodder.

A slightly worn blue sedan chair came to a stop in front of the post station entrance. The curtain was lifted, and Wang Yingjiao stepped out of the sedan chair, his body slightly bent. He was dressed in an ordinary indigo robe and wore a square scarf on his head. The fatigue of the long journey was etched between his brows, but his eyes remained calm and sharp as he scanned his surroundings.

Wang Yingjiao stretched lazily towards the sunset, while a middle-aged servant accompanying the sedan chair quickly stepped forward to negotiate with the postmaster who had come out to greet him.

“We are from Nanjing, and this is our official document.” The servant, Wang Fu, handed over the document. His voice was not loud, and his manner was fairly polite. “Please arrange a quiet courtyard for us to rest, prepare some food, and boil two buckets of hot water.”

"From Nanjing? Which government office?" The postmaster was old and his eyesight was poor. He squinted and studied it for a while before he could make out the words "Minister of Revenue".

"Oh my! It's a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Revenue! Please forgive my rudeness!" The postmaster's squinting eyes suddenly opened, and his lazy, perfunctory attitude quickly turned into one of eager respect: "Please wait a moment, sir. I'll bring some men to tidy up the courtyard for you all right away! Hot water and food will be prepared immediately!"

Wang Yingjiao nodded slightly, his gaze passing over the busy servants and the postmaster, and landing on the open space in front of the post station.

A thin, gaunt man, dressed in a coarse cloth robe, stood in the open space. His back was to Wang Yingjiao, and he gazed alone at the last embers of the setting sun on the western horizon. The evening breeze ruffled his slightly frosted temples, and his shadow, cast by the setting sun, seemed to exude a melancholy loneliness, blending seamlessly with the dim twilight.

Seeing the man's composed demeanor and regal bearing, Wang Yingjiao felt a slight stirring in his heart. Just as he was about to inquire about the man's identity, the postmaster, with quick, light steps, slipped into the post station from the side. As he ran, he called out, "Hurry, hurry! Quickly clean up the top-class room!"

Wang Yingjiao didn't disturb the postmaster's work. He only whispered a few instructions to Wang Fu before slowly walking forward and stopping a few steps away. "Brother, you seem to be enjoying the view at dusk. Are you gazing at the sunset?"

"The setting sun is like blood, worldly affairs are like smoke, I only have a fleeting moment to pause." Hearing this, the man slowly turned around. A weathered, slightly gaunt face was revealed against the sunlight. His eyes were deep, carrying a weariness born of experience and a hint of barely perceptible caution. "Judging from your accent, you are not only from Nanjing, but also from Southern Zhili?"

“Indeed.” Wang Yingjiao nodded. “My surname is Wang, and my given name is Qianfu. I am from Wuyuan County, Huizhou Prefecture, Southern Zhili.”

"Wang Qianfu?" A glint flashed in the man's eyes. "May I ask if you are the Minister Wang of the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue?"

"It is indeed I who am unworthy," Wang Yingjiao said frankly. "May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"

"My apologies." The man's expression was complex, his tone carrying an indescribable heaviness. "My name is Zhang Sixiu. I am from Jiangling County, Jingzhou Prefecture, Huguang Province."

“Zhang Sixiu? A native of Jiangling County!” Wang Yingjiao’s pupils contracted, and his voice instantly rose two octaves. “Could it be Zhang Wenzhong Gong’s?”

“Wen Zhonggong is my ancestor.” Zhang Sixiu took a deep breath, a faint bitter smile playing on his lips.

"I never expected to meet Brother Zhang here!" Wang Yingjiao bowed respectfully. "My apologies, my apologies!"

"Minister Wang, you're too kind!" Zhang Sixiu quickly returned the greeting. "Although I have been pardoned by the Emperor and my official rank has been restored, I am still just a commoner. If you don't mind, Minister Wang, please call me Siyong."

“Then please, Brother Siyong, stop addressing me as Minister,” Wang Yingjiao said with a smile. “Just call me Qianfu.”

"Brother Qianfu," Zhang Sixiu immediately bowed and changed his form of address.

"Brother Siyong," Wang Yingjiao returned the greeting and asked, "...did you also arrive today?"

“I’m only about half an hour ahead of you,” Zhang Sixiu calculated silently. “I was planning to go to the capital today, but even though I rushed, I’m still a step too late.” The post station they were at was the closest one outside Yongdingmen Pass, a post station about 30 li away. It would take half an hour to ride to the capital from here, but Zhang Sixiu was riding a donkey cart, so he couldn’t make it.

Wang Yingjiao nodded, then asked, "Brother Siyong, you have once again received the Emperor's grace, and your journey by boat and carriage must have been filled with many sights and sounds. Recently, the sea air in the southern border region has been turbulent. I wonder if you encountered any storms when you set off? And whether your journey was smooth?"

"The imperial decree ordered me to arrive in Xuwen on the sixth day of the fourth month. I dared not delay, so I simply packed my belongings and set off north." Zhang Sixiu truthfully stated, "I first traveled by sea to Fuzhou, and after landing in Fuzhou, I switched to land travel north. I passed through Jianning and Quzhou, and after reaching Hangzhou, I continued north along the Grand Canal. I made a brief stop in Huai'an for supplies, and then passed through Xuzhou, Jining, and Dezhou, arriving in Tianjin around the end of May. I lingered in Tianjin for two days before continuing north to this point. Come to think of it, thirty years ago, when I was demoted to Xuwen, I probably took this same route, only in reverse."

A look of melancholy and reminiscence gradually appeared in Zhang Sixiu's eyes, but he did not dwell on it for long. Before Wang Yingjiao could even offer words of comfort, he changed the subject: "Speaking of which, when I was in Tianjin, I saw laborers swarming along both banks of the river, widening and dredging it. The project was enormous. I wonder what the purpose of such expenditure was? It must have been more than just ordinary dredging, right?"

"Brother Zhang, have you heard that Portuguese and foreigners frequently trade along the southeastern coast, making a considerable profit?" Wang Yingjiao countered. "I've heard a little," Zhang Sixiu nodded and asked, "but what does that have to do with them?"

“I don’t know the specifics yet. But judging from the news that’s been circulating, the Emperor’s intention is to open a new port in Tianjin, following the precedent of trade between Fujian and Guangdong.” Wang Yingjiao stroked his beard. “Things like widening the waterways and dredging the Haihe River are all to accommodate large ships.”

Before arriving in Tianjin, Wang Yingjiao had originally planned to have a chat with the current Tianjin governor, Sun Chengzong, to gain a more detailed understanding of the situation. However, when he arrived in Zhongwei, Tianjin, he happened to encounter Governor Sun inspecting coastal defense projects in Tanggu. Wang Yingjiao did not want to take the round trip of two hundred li, nor did he intend to trouble Sun Chengzong to come and see him, so he reluctantly gave up and continued north.

Upon hearing the words "open Tianjin as a treaty port for trade with foreign merchants," Zhang Sixiu's eyes narrowed slightly. "That might not be easy to handle."

"What do you mean by that?" Wang Yingjiao asked, following up on the conversation.

"The profits from maritime trade mostly lie in the southern coastal areas. The Longqing Emperor opened the port nearly sixty years ago, and this pattern has already been established. Now that Tianjin is being opened as a treaty port, how can the officials in the court, especially those in Fujian and Guangdong, sit idly by and watch commercial profits flow out?" Zhang Sixiu said slowly. "Moreover, Tianjin is different from Zhangzhou; it is a vital and crucial location, connected to the very foundations of the nation. Foreign merchants coming from afar have unpredictable intentions. If a repeat of the Japanese pirates' rampage in the southeast occurs, I fear the capital region will be uneasy, and the surrounding areas will be unstable."

"Truly worthy of being a descendant of Lord Wenzhong." Wang Yingjiao frowned and nodded, his opinion of Zhang Sixiu rising even higher. "His Majesty has bestowed upon you the great favor of summoning you back to the capital. I wonder if he has given you any instructions regarding your future duties?"

Zhang Sixiu paused slightly, his thoughtful expression quickly turning bitter: "Brother Qianfu, you jest. I am but a lowly exile, summoned back by His Majesty's grace, a true rebirth. The Zhang family is nothing more than an old, abandoned archway; His Majesty has cleaned it up and re-erected it, merely to show the world a show of 'rehabilitation' and 'reform.' As for any assignments..." Zhang Sixiu gently shook his head, his voice carrying a calm and self-deprecating tone, as if he had seen through the ways of the world.
“What need is there for any assignment? Just give him a sinecure, like setting up the Zhang family’s memorial archway. But you, Brother Qianfu,” he paused slightly, a hint of understanding in his voice, “are the kind of person the Emperor wants to appoint to take charge of the nation’s finances and bear the heavy responsibility of the country’s money and grain.

Wang Yingjiao was momentarily speechless after hearing such a frank and desolate self-analysis, a barely perceptible hint of unease flashing across his face. He coughed lightly, unsure how to respond, when Zhang Sixiu took the initiative to change the subject.

"Brother Qianfu, what have you seen along the way on your journey north? What is the state of people's lives?" Zhang Sixiu's gaze swept over the tired mules and horses in the courtyard, and his tone turned calm.

"The situation is not very optimistic. From Huaiyang to Shandong, the wheat seedlings are sparse, and there is much barren land. When we reach Beizhili, the situation is slightly better, but the cities are still desolate," Wang Yingjiao said. "Fortunately, His Majesty is wise. As soon as he ascended the throne, he abolished all mining supervision and recalled the eunuchs. The situation should gradually improve."

"Wasn't the mining tax abolished almost a year ago?" Zhang Sixiu said. "And it's still the same?"

“Mining supervisors and tax collectors have been rampant across the country for decades,” Wang Yingjiao sighed. “The accumulated poison has caused profound harm, and it cannot be eradicated in a single day.”

“Although the mining tax has caused great harm, it is not entirely without benefits, is it?” Zhang Sixiu said.

“Benefits?” Wang Yingjiao looked at Zhang Sixiu in surprise. “What benefits could there be in this? In the past, mining supervisors and tax commissioners were like tigers and wolves, setting up checkpoints everywhere and creating all sorts of pretexts. Merchants regarded it as a dangerous path, preferring to back down rather than go bankrupt to feed these tigers and wolves. Although Brother Siyong has been away from the court for a long time, you should have heard about it, right?”

Zhang Sixiu said, "Even though much of the money collected by mining officials goes into the imperial treasury and fills their own pockets, some of it still flows into the royal family. It's better than all of it remaining in the hands of local gentry. On my way to the capital, I heard that after His Majesty ascended the throne, he greatly increased the imperial treasury, severely punished illegal mining supervisors, and recovered embezzled silver to support the Liaodong army. Isn't this also a way to increase revenue?"

“Draining the pond to catch all the fish is just living beyond one’s means,” Wang Yingjiao mused. “Leaving aside the peasant uprisings in various places over the past few decades, just look at the chaos in Liaodong. Isn’t it the lingering poison of the mining tax? Although the Emperor sent Gao Huai to Liaodong to be executed by slow slicing, has the chaos stirred up by the Jurchen Tartars truly been quelled?”

“Brother Qianfu is right,” Zhang Sixiu raised his eyes and looked directly at Wang Yingjiao. “But now that the mining tax has been abolished, the imperial treasury’s revenue will eventually run out. Brother Qianfu is about to take charge of the Ministry of Revenue and wants to increase the revenue of the imperial granary. I wonder what good strategies you have? We can’t just rely on His Majesty to take money from the imperial treasury again, can we?”

"The foundation of revenue generation lies first and foremost in rectifying the root causes." Wang Yingjiao's expression turned solemn, his tone deep and resolute: "Land tax is the foundation of the nation, yet many conceal land ownership and engage in fraudulent practices. Powerful officials collude with petty bureaucrats, and the court receives less than half of the tax revenue! This is the first problem. Secondly, customs duties are increasingly scarce, and it's not just that merchants are becoming rare. Transport ships smuggle contraband, and local officials set up private tax checkpoints along the way, pocketing all the profits. Commercial taxes are lost, so how can the national tax revenue not be depleted? Without eradicating these deep-seated problems, revenue generation is just empty talk!" He paused, his voice resolute, "Since I have been entrusted with this mission, I must thoroughly investigate these long-standing problems and fight these parasites to the very end."

“Brother Qianfu’s determination is commendable. The land survey and customs reform are all things my father did back then.” Zhang Sixiu’s eyes held both approval and deep concern. “But I just said that opening Tianjin to foreign trade would harm Fujian and Guangdong for the benefit of the world, and this land survey and customs reform would harm the powerful and wealthy for the benefit of the nation. The impact is far-reaching, and the resistance is immense. Without unwavering resolve, such drastic measures cannot be implemented. And such drastic measures will inevitably backfire. My Zhang family is a cautionary tale; Brother Qianfu, you must be careful.”

Meeting his worried gaze, Wang Yingjiao said resolutely, "Brother Siyong's heartfelt words are etched in my memory. However, it is my duty, and I cannot shirk it! Moreover, His Majesty is wise and decisive, determined to start anew. With such an enlightened ruler above me, what do I have to fear?"

"With a wise ruler above, is there any intention to start anew?" Zhang Sixiu repeated softly, his face showing an even deeper weariness born of hardship. He gazed at the deep night sky in the direction of the capital, his voice carrying a desolate quality that seemed to transcend time: "Back then, my elder brother Jingxiu, myself, and my younger brother Maoxiu all passed the imperial examinations because of the late emperor's temporary trust in our father. Maoxiu even topped the list, becoming the champion. At that time, how could we not feel grateful for the emperor's boundless grace, believing that the emperor's heart was forever steadfast? But the wrath of heaven is unpredictable; in a single day, it was overthrown. Our family property was confiscated, and my elder brother hanged himself. My father even narrowly escaped the calamity of having his corpse desecrated." He withdrew his gaze, looking at Wang Yingjiao with a complex and unfathomable expression, and lowered his voice, saying, "Brother Qianfu, do you dare to gamble on the emperor's heart being forever steadfast?"

These words were like a heavy stone thrown into a still pool. Wang Yingjiao opened his mouth, but ultimately could not utter a single word. Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; this ancient admonition resounded like thunder. He had not yet met the emperor; how resolute could the emperor's will be in the deep palace? And for how long? A chill crept up his spine. Dusk enveloped their silent figures, with only the faint sound of the watchman's clapper and the restless snorting of mules echoing in the stagnant air.

Just then, the postmaster came running over with a lantern he had just lit. The dim light barely dispelled the heavy darkness as he respectfully interrupted, "Minister Wang, Master Zhang, hot water and food are ready and are being kept warm in the small hall. You two gentlemen must be tired from your journey. Please have some hot food to refresh yourselves."

Wang Yingjiao took a deep breath of the cool night air, as if to suppress the turmoil in his heart, and made a brief "please" gesture to Zhang Sixiu. Zhang Sixiu nodded silently and, following the postmaster's guidance, turned and walked towards the lights of the post station hall. In the courtyard, only the deepening night and the heavy, unresolved questions remained.

(End of this chapter)