Moma Liangshan

Chapter 53 The Beauty of Jiangnan, A First Exploration of Mingzhou

Wang Hao fell into deep thought, and after a long while asked, "Who sells the goods that come to the Song Dynasty from overseas?" The postmaster replied, "The finest items are sold to the Hangzhou Bureau of Commerce; the upper-grade items to merchants in Dongjing (Kaifeng); the middle-grade items to merchants in the Central Plains and Jiangnan; and the lower-grade items to merchants in Jingxiang, Sichuan, and Shaanxi." After a brief pause, he added, "Nothing is absolute, but this applies to nine out of ten items." Wang Hao asked, "Does the Hangzhou Bureau of Commerce have an office in Mingzhou?" The postmaster replied, "It's located within Mingzhou city." Wang Hao nodded and said, "Thank you for your explanation, sir!" The postmaster took a wine pot and said, "Please let me know if you have any business, sir. I'll take my leave!" Wang Hao said, "No need to see me out!" After the postmaster left, Yang Zhi asked, "Does the sir intend to sell the remaining utensils and jewelry to the Hangzhou Bureau of Commerce?" Wang Hao said, "That's right." Yang Zhi, looking worried, said, "If we sell them to the Hangzhou Bureau of Imperial Purposes, those utensils and jewels will inevitably end up in Dongjing (Kaifeng), and it's hard to imagine that they won't be discovered by those involved!" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "The Hangzhou Bureau of Imperial Purposes belongs to the Inner Palace Secretariat, and the Three Departments and Six Ministries cannot interfere. The only purpose of establishing the Hangzhou Bureau of Imperial Purposes is to collect rare treasures for the Emperor. In other words, the remaining utensils and jewels sold to the Hangzhou Bureau of Imperial Purposes will ultimately only end up in the Imperial Palace. Once they're in the Imperial Palace, they belong to the Emperor, and even if someone discovers them, who would dare to make a fuss?" Yang Zhi agreed and said, "Your Excellency is wise!" He then asked, "When should we go to the Hangzhou Bureau of Imperial Purposes so that I can prepare?" Wang Hao said, "No rush! We've just arrived in Mingzhou and are unfamiliar with the place. It's not advisable to act rashly. Let's explore for a few days first before making a decision." Yang Zhi replied, "Your Excellency obeys!"

The next day, Wang Hao, Yang Zhi, and two martial arts instructors traveled to Mingzhou Port. They exited from the east gate and headed east along the official road. The road was wide enough for four large carts to travel side-by-side, lined with willows and the air filled with the fragrance of rice paddies. Wang Hao and his companions rode along the road, passing a constant stream of fully loaded oxcarts. The drivers and passengers were of various skin colors and clothing; people from Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, Persia, and Arabia were everywhere. Halfway through their journey, the rice paddies disappeared, and an endless lotus pond came into view. On the pond, young girls picked lotus flowers, and young boys harvested lotus roots. After another half-mile, the lotus pond and reeds alternated, and under the shade of willows, three old women sat cross-legged, weaving straw mats with reeds. Wang Hao spoke up, "In your opinion, what are the differences between the Central Plains and Jiangnan?" Yang Zhi pondered for a moment and said, "The Central Plains are majestic, where heroes go out with swords; Jiangnan is beautiful, where scholars go out with fans." Wang Hao laughed and said, "Insightful and incisive, worthy of being recorded!" Yang Zhi quickly replied, "Vulgar words, not worth mentioning!" As they chatted, the masts and sails of the ships were faintly visible. Upon reaching the port, the government set up a checkpoint, refusing Wang Hao and his companions entry.

Wang Hao alighted from the carriage and asked, "Who's in charge?" Seeing Wang Hao's brocade robes and distinguished bearing, the constable dared not underestimate him and replied, "Today, the Prefect and the eunuchs from the Bureau of Service have come to inspect. We are ordered to set up a checkpoint to prevent unauthorized personnel from entering!" Wang Hao handed the constable a folding fan from his waist, saying, "Present this fan to the Prefect; he will come to greet you then!" The constable was incredulous and stood frozen in place. Wang Hao smiled slightly and waved the fan. The constable recovered and said, "Please wait a moment, sir, I will go and inform him immediately." Inside the harbor, a eunuch, a minister, and two Persian merchants stood beside a large ship, while several fine horses neighed in the distance. A Persian merchant, speaking fluent Chinese, said, “My lord, I have been traveling to the Song Dynasty for over twenty years, and we have known each other for ten. Two years ago, at your request, I purchased twenty fine horses from the Black Khanate in the Persian Empire for you, and delivered them to your country as promised. Twenty horses cost twenty thousand taels of gold. Now that the horses have arrived, you have only paid twelve thousand taels of gold. Where is your integrity?” The governor replied, “I wanted twenty horses that could run, not twelve live horses and eight dead ones!” The Persian merchant said, “The vast seas are fraught with danger! The Black Khanate’s horses roam the northern grasslands, not the scorching ocean. The sea voyage from Persia to the Song Dynasty takes more than half a year; it is a miracle that more than half the horses survived!” At this moment, the constable held… The folding fan bestowed upon Wang Hao by Emperor Huizong arrived, and the official bowed, saying, "A young man in brocade robes has come to visit outside the checkpoint and has instructed me to present this folding fan to you two gentlemen!" The prefect, already in a bad mood, snapped, "This prefecture is busy with official duties; not just anyone can visit. Get rid of him immediately!" The constable, unsure what to do, looked at the eunuch beside him and whispered, "Judging from the young man's accent, he seems to be from the capital." The eunuch took the folding fan, casually opened it, and when Emperor Huizong's golden seal appeared before him, he hurriedly said, "This is an item from the palace; you and I must go and pay our respects immediately!" The prefect was astonished and said, "If it is an imperial envoy, I cannot be unaware!" The eunuch said, "Whether it is or not, we will know at a glance; do not delay!" The prefect agreed and went to the checkpoint with the eunuch.

Upon seeing the two arrive, Wang Hao cupped his hands and said, "The Imperial Attendant and the Magistrate of Laoshan County greet you both!" The prefect asked, "May I ask your name, young master?" Wang Hao replied, "My surname is Wang, my given name is Hao, and my courtesy name is Xianmeng!" The eunuch instantly recognized Wang Hao's identity and hurriedly said, "This old servant has long admired Young Master Wang's name. Today, I am astonished to see you, a true celestial being!" Wang Hao said, "You flatter me, Your Excellency. A celestial being is the Emperor. Be careful what you say!" The eunuch lightly slapped his lip and said, "What you say is absolutely right, young master. This old servant deserves the slap!" He then returned the folding fan to Wang Hao. Wang Hao took the folding fan and asked, "Is there something important happening today? Why have you two gentlemen come here at the same time?" The eunuch replied, "His Majesty loves horses. This old servant heard that there are exceptional horses west of the Tianshan Mountains, so I asked someone to buy them. They just happened to arrive at the port today." Wang Hao was intrigued and said, "Could you please let me see these exceptional horses?" The eunuch looked hesitant and said, "To be honest, young master, although the horses have arrived, there is a slight problem!" Wang Hao asked, "What problem?" The eunuch replied, "Of the twenty horses, eight have died, but the two Persian merchants are demanding payment for all twenty." Wang Hao nodded and said, "Harmony brings wealth, and we must not cut off someone's source of income; but merchants are cunning, and we cannot allow them to exploit us. Could you take me with you?" The eunuch said, "If you wish to go, young master, that's certainly possible!" Wang Hao said, "Please lead the way, sir!" Led by the eunuch and the prefect, they walked more than two hundred steps and arrived at a large ship.

Wang Hao began, "I have come to Mingzhou on the Emperor's orders. Perhaps I can help resolve your troubles, or perhaps offer compensation elsewhere!" The Persian merchant said, "Twenty thousand taels of gold, not a tael less!" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "Twelve thousand taels of gold, not a tael more!" After a brief pause, he added, "However, I can gift you a shipload of goods to demonstrate the Emperor's magnanimity!" The two were about to argue when Wang Hao stopped them and continued, "Twelve horses, reserved by the royal family, no one in the common people dares to take them on. You two..." "We've been traveling to and from the Song Dynasty for twenty years, not out of the mercy of our two guests, but because the Song Dynasty offers us substantial profits. Mingzhou harbor is bustling with activity. If we were to lose these two guests and this ship, someone else could easily fill the void, requiring no effort from us. But what if the Song Dynasty were to refuse us entry? Perhaps you understand this better than I do!" The two Persian merchants exchanged a glance, and one of them said, "We only need silk, porcelain, and tea." Wang Hao remained silent, looking at the prefect and the eunuch. The eunuch said, "Very well!" With that, the handover process began.

Wang Hao said, "May I be shown around Mingzhou Harbor, gentlemen?" Having accomplished his task, the prefect was in high spirits and said, "Please, young master!" The three strolled around, discussing as they went. The eunuch asked, "Young Master Wang, you've traveled a great distance to Mingzhou. What brings you here?" Wang Hao replied, "Is Your Excellency unaware that His Majesty has personally ordered the re-establishment of the Maritime Trade Office in Jiaozhou?" The eunuch looked at the prefect, who looked bewildered and said, "The Mingzhou government has indeed not received any official document from the court!" Wang Hao thought to himself, "It must be Cai Jing and Gao Qiu's doing, deliberately delaying things!" He said, "The imperial edict is at the post station. Tomorrow I will bring it to the government office to pay my respects to you." The prefect quickly replied, "No need to trouble you, young master. I presume..." "The imperial edict will arrive soon!" Wang Hao pondered for a moment and said, "The imperial court has newly established Laoshan County, whose jurisdiction encompasses Jiaozhou. I am appointed as the county magistrate, overseeing all matters related to the construction of the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office. However, Laoshan County is special compared to other counties; it is not under the jurisdiction of the Three Departments and Six Ministries, but reports directly to the Emperor. Therefore, this edict may not arrive in a short time. Please, Your Excellencies, take the imperial decree as the final authority!" The eunuch said, "Young Master, you have come to Mingzhou to rebuild the Jiaozhou Maritime Trade Office. Are you here to recruit manpower?" Wang Hao nodded and said... “Your Excellency is wise; what you say is very true.” The prefect looked troubled and said, “To be honest, young master, the main responsibility of the Ming Dynasty Maritime Trade Office is to set up checkpoints and collect taxes; other matters are mostly handled by the merchants themselves. All I can promise you is that I will do my utmost to assist you within my capabilities!” Wang Hao smiled and said, “Rest assured, Prefect, I will certainly not do anything to cause you trouble!” The prefect said, “Thank you for your understanding, young master!” Wang Hao asked, “The prefecture only supervises tax collection; I wonder who built this vast harbor?” The prefect said, “Young master…” "You may not know this, but these harbors were all built by wealthy local families, and the fees for merchant ships to dock also went into their pockets." Wang Hao asked, "Are there any craftsmen skilled in harbor construction?" The prefect replied, "Of course there are, but if you wish to bring them to Jiaozhou, the cost will be considerable!" Wang Hao asked, "Why?" The prefect said, "Mingzhou's maritime trade has flourished in recent years, and the harbors have been expanded repeatedly. Craftsmen building harbors are never short of work, and their wages are quite high. Jiaozhou is far away; if you don't promise double the wages, it will be very difficult to persuade those craftsmen."