Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 532 A Mantis Trying to Stop a Chariot

Although the land reserved for the sellers by the Qionghai Army was enough to maintain a comfortable life, it was a stark contrast to their previous lives of exploiting tenants and indulging in debauchery—a fall from heaven to hell. Many landlords resisted openly and secretly, but they were no match for the powerful and influential Earl of Pingnan. One by one, they either met with unexpected deaths at home or were imprisoned on fabricated charges. Under this brutal and ruthless method of plunder, in just over a month, landlords in Lingao, Chengmai, Danzhou, and other places, already weakened by the burden of paying taxes on their behalf, went bankrupt. The gentry class was almost completely wiped out, and immigrants from Shandong and Shaanxi, escorted by the Qionghai Army's bayonets, seized most of the fertile land.

Having suffered greatly before, with his elder brother Gou Dafu dying at the hands of Liu Ye, Gou Ergui was acutely aware of Liu Ye's ruthlessness. Therefore, when the "buying and selling" scheme threatened him, he didn't suffer immediate losses but chose to yield, transferring most of his remaining land to the Qiongzhou Trading Company. In this way, he went from a wealthy gentry to a middle-class peasant.

Gou Ergui was a vengeful man. After such a dramatic change, he was unwilling to succumb to despair and decided to seek revenge. However, seeking revenge against the Marquis of Pingnan, who commanded tens of thousands of troops in Lingao, was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot or an ant trying to shake a tree. After hearing the news of the Marquis's wedding, he decided to take a different approach and seek revenge in a different way. So he sold his property and, with a dagger in hand and a determination to die trying, went to Guangzhou.

The bride hadn't arrived yet, and the onlookers waited and discussed among themselves.

"This wedding was truly a grand affair, unlike anything ever seen in Guangzhou before, and it's likely we'll never see anything like it again."

"Exactly, exactly. I'm afraid even the Governor-General and Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi don't have such a magnificent scene."

"How old are the governor and the provincial governor? How can they compare to the young and vigorous Earl of Pingnan? This Earl of Pingnan is truly remarkable. I heard that he was just a salt worker in Qiongzhou back then, but in just a few years, he became the commander-in-chief who guarded the area and was even granted a title. He is simply a legendary figure."

"Look at these soldiers. Their momentum is far superior to that of the local garrison troops and military households. No wonder they are an invincible army."

……

Listening to the surrounding people's discussions, all of whom were praising Qiong Haijun and Liu Ye, Gou Ergui felt agitated. He touched the dagger in his pocket, squeezed forward, and tried to get closer to the street so that there would be less obstruction when he pounced later.

The person he pushed aside was unhappy and yelled, "Damn it, why are you pushing?"

The soldiers who were forming a human wall on the street saw the commotion and the resulting chaos, raised their rifles with bayonets, and looked over with hostile eyes.

Before the soldiers could even make a move, several constables and yamen runners on patrol rushed forward, pulled out iron rulers, and began beating the soldiers indiscriminately, shouting, "What's all the noise about? Do you know what day it is today? You've delayed the auspicious time for the Marquis of Pingnan's ceremonies. You'll all be thrown in jail!"

The onlookers who had argued with Gou Ergui were beaten black and blue by the iron ruler, but they didn't dare utter a sound and immediately became obedient. In their eyes, the threat of going to jail was indeed terrifying, but the bayonets of the Qionghai Navy soldiers were even more chilling. If you angered these soldiers, one stab and they'd leave a hole in you, and you'd be dead on the spot without any recourse—what did it matter if the Qionghai Navy "accidentally" killed a few people?

After the constables and yamen runners beat these people into submission, they bowed and scraped to the soldiers and said, "Sir, these are just a few ignorant civilians. A lesson is all that's needed."

The soldiers' expressions softened, and they put down their rifles.

The men who had been beaten glared hatefully at Gou Ergui, but dared not make another move, fearing they would invite disaster. Gou Ergui stared at the two large bumps on his head, ignoring their gazes, his mind solely focused on the street, waiting for the wedding procession to arrive.

Inside the courtyard, Mu Tianyan's first wife, Lin Shiyue's aunt, Mu Huangshi, was personally performing a facial treatment on Lin Shiyue. She used two twisted double threads to remove the fine hairs from Lin Shiyue's face, trimmed her forehead hair and sideburns, and shaped her eyebrows.

Lin Shiyue stared blankly at her reflection in the bronze mirror, seemingly lost in thought. Seeing her expression in the mirror, Madam Mu teased, "Other brides either cry and wail or beam with joy before getting into the sedan chair. Why are you staring blankly at the mirror? Perhaps you don't want to get married?"

Lin Shiyue sighed softly, "Aunt, I just feel that from today onwards, I will be transforming from a carefree young girl into the head wife of the Liu family. I'm a little unsure if I can do this role well."

Madam Mu said solemnly, “As someone who has been through it all, I have some advice for you: First, after you marry into the family, remember that your husband is like heaven, high above you, and you must never disobey him on important matters; second, in the inner quarters, you are the most important, so use your best skills to keep all the concubines in line, making them pay their respects morning and night and follow the rules; third, you must not stop him from taking concubines, and if he does not have many children, you must take the initiative to arrange for him to take concubines.”

This self-created set of survival rules for the inner quarters shocked Lin Shiyue. She clicked her tongue and said, "How tiring it must be for a couple to get along like this? I see that you and your uncle are a harmonious and loving couple, and your uncle also dotes on you. I don't see him acting superior to you at all."

Madam Mu said smugly, "The way to manage a husband is to be both firm and relaxed. He makes the decisions on important matters, while I make the decisions on the small matters at home. If he takes a fancy to a young girl with a clean background, I will take the initiative to bring her into the family. If she is a shady vixen, even if she comes in, I will find a reason to kick her out. After doing this a few times, I will naturally keep him completely under my control."

Lin Shiyue laughed, "Auntie, you're using a combination of kindness and strictness. No wonder Uncle both respects and loves you."

Madam Mu also smiled and said, "You are a talented woman, very clever. You don't need your aunt to remind you, you already know what to do."

After chatting and laughing with her aunt, Lin Shiyue's initial nervousness and trepidation eased. Just then, the sound of gongs, drums, and firecrackers filled the air outside; the wedding procession had arrived.

Wearing a red veil, Lin Shi stepped out of the mansion gate under the guidance of the wedding attendant, preparing to get into the sedan chair. Before getting in, although she couldn't see, she still symbolically glanced around a few times, silently bidding farewell to this place—Guangzhou was the place where she had lived the longest besides her hometown and the capital, and she had grown attached to both—after today, she would live in a strange place, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, for the rest of her life.

Before stepping into the palanquin, Shimazu Chiyo reached out to shield Lin Shiyue from the roof, preventing her from hitting her head, and inadvertently lifted a corner of her veil. Through the gap, Lin Shiyue saw Shimazu Chiyo and felt a little strange. Who was this strangely dressed woman?

What she didn't know was that this Japanese woman was one of her husband's concubines and also the guardian deity of the Liu family. She had always been, was, and would always protect everyone in the Liu family from danger, and today was no exception.