MLMD -Chapter 395 Inciting a Mob

At the mere thought that the merchants might go on strike, everyone’s hearts immediately leapt into their throats.

By the late Ming period, after more than two centuries of development, the industrial and commercial classes had amassed enormous power and had gradually grown arrogant. By this time, local economies were completely beyond the control of the central government, and the court itself was riddled with their spokesmen and agents of interest. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain how, in the late Ming, a vast imperial court could end up with annual tax revenues of only a paltry four million taels of silver—a joke no functioning state should ever become.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang, on his deathbed, could probably never have imagined that the merchants he despised most would become so powerful two hundred years after his death. The most典型 example was the situation during the Wanli reign, when the court attempted to send officials to the provinces to collect taxes.

By the Wanli era, the imperial treasury was already in dire straits. In the middle years of Wanli’s reign, the situation along the borders of the Ming had grown extremely severe: Nurhaci was gaining strength, the Japanese eyed China from the sidelines, rebels rose in Ningxia, and the western tusi regions were restless. The Wanli Emperor wanted to take military action against these threats, but the treasury’s reserves (as of the tenth year of Wanli) amounted to only a meager four million taels—insufficient even to sustain a single war like the campaign to aid Korea against Japan. Pressed by circumstances, the Wanli Emperor had no choice but to seek new sources of revenue to replenish state finances, and thus he reluctantly dispatched a group of eunuchs to the provinces to collect commercial taxes.

Some might ask: wasn’t there a Ministry of Revenue? Why not send its officials to collect taxes? The answer is absurd to the extreme. The tax clerks stationed locally by the Ministry of Revenue had long since been bought off by local merchants, so the amount of tax collected each year was pitiful. The most outrageous case occurred in the eleventh year of Wanli, when a minister memorialized the court, reporting that in a certain province, annual commercial tax revenue amounted to only a few dozen taels of silver, while the salaries paid to officials at all levels of the local tax offices exceeded one hundred thousand taels—thus requesting that the office be abolished. What kind of problem was this? People in modern society could hardly dream up something so absurd. A provincial-level tax bureau collecting only a few thousand yuan’ worth of commercial tax in an entire year—such a thing would be unprecedented even in the history of global development. And yet, during Wanli’s reign, the commercial tax rate was one tael out of sixty, with annual sales under forty taels exempt from tax. Even with such a lenient rate, court officials still failed to collect it honestly. No wonder later scholars, upon reading this period of history, all sighed that the Ming dynasty had effectively destroyed itself.

In order to collect commercial taxes, Wanli clenched his teeth and stamped his foot, dispatching large numbers of eunuchs to the provinces to collect taxes, hoping to gather silver and then wage war against foreign enemies. But he greatly underestimated the power of local merchants and the civil official class. In the twenty-seventh year of Wanli (1599), in April, more than ten thousand residents of Linqing attacked tax commissioner Ma Tang, burned down the tax office, and killed thirty-seven of his henchmen. In other words, the national tax bureau was burned down, and thirty-seven state tax officials died in the line of duty. In the thirtieth year of Wanli (1602), “Tax Supervisor Yang Rong, by his brutality, provoked the people beyond endurance; they burned his kitchen and killed the appointed official Zhang Anmin” (History of Ming). That is to say, the local head of the national tax bureau, Yang Rong, was burned to death, and his deputy was killed as well.

Afterward, under the encouragement of the idea that resisting taxes was no crime, incidents of organized, violent resistance to state taxation by the nascent bourgeoisie occurred successively in Huguang, Yunnan, Fujian, and Guangdong. What was infuriating was that killing court-appointed tax collectors not only led to protection by the civil official clique and acquittal, but was instead celebrated as heroic and idolized. Under the impact of this thinking, merchants going on strike and students boycotting classes also became actions worthy of praise. Thus, if anyone claimed that Wu Qing, Jiang He, Chu Di, and the others were not worried upon hearing of a student boycott, that would be a lie.

Looking at Wu Qing and the others, their faces heavy and anxious, it was the youngest among them, Wang Yue, who finally spoke. In a clear, crisp voice she said, “Lord Wu, Lord Chu, though we women are but of the weaker sex, I have often heard the Marquis say one thing: political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. Those people are nothing more than lowly merchants. They may incite some scholars and hoodlums to stage strikes or besiege government offices, but who are you? You command the strongest army of the Great Ming. This army has never known fear even when facing fierce Manchu barbarians. Just last year, it achieved a great victory beyond the passes, annihilating sixty thousand enemies. And yet, how long has it been? Now you feel afraid when facing a group of pot-bellied merchants—why is that? I do not know. Before leaving, the Marquis entrusted Jinan to you. What to do—you should know better than I.”

Wang Yue, true to her upbringing in an official family, spoke with such clarity that Wu Qing and Chu Di flushed with shame. They had been deceived by habitual thinking.

“Clap, clap, clap…”

Applause sounded from the doorway. Everyone turned around to see Yue Yang, who had been missing for several days, standing at the entrance, smiling as he lightly applauded.

“Well said!”

Yue Yang strode over, first casting an appreciative glance at Wang Yue, then turning solemnly to Wu Qing and Chu Di. “What did I tell you before I left? If anything happens, do not be polite. With our Tiger Guard army in hand, what waves can a few merchants possibly stir up? Remember this: some things we can compromise on and tolerate, but some things we absolutely cannot. Do you understand?”

Yue Yang’s piercing gaze swept over the three of them like a blade, forcing all of them to lower their heads, afraid to meet his eyes. Finally, Wu Qing muttered, “Marquis, it was my poor judgment. I’ve caused you trouble.”

Looking at the three who dared not argue, Yue Yang sighed softly. “It’s not that your judgment was poor—it’s that you were afraid of offending the Ming civil official clique. You are all educated men, and in your hearts you’ve already been frightened by the precedent of Wanli’s attempt to collect commercial taxes. You might say this is Shandong, not Shanxi, and that commercial taxation must proceed step by step. But have you considered why collecting commercial taxes in Shanxi went so smoothly? It wasn’t because we talked it out with the merchants—it was forced out of them by the muskets and bayonets in our hands. For those who refuse to pay taxes, there is only one method: force them out with blades and guns. You must understand one thing—rights and obligations go hand in hand. Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

Hearing Yue Yang’s words, how could Wu Qing and the others not understand his resolve? They all answered in unison…

The third day of the third lunar month, Chongzhen Year Eleven — Qingming Festival

Across Shandong, events began to surge like gathering storms. From the morning onward, merchants in Jinan began striking en masse. Shops throughout the city closed, and all commerce came to a halt. Very quickly, the common people of Jinan fell into a state of great panic. Soon, a wave of panic buying swept through the city, and by the You hour in the afternoon, the price of rice in Jinan had soared to eight taels of silver per dan. The entire city descended into turmoil.

Under this atmosphere of fear, it wasn’t just rice—prices of firewood, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea skyrocketed as if riding a rocket, eventually reaching a situation where goods had prices but no supply.

Thus, the markets of Jinan fell into complete desolation. The people were gripped by panic; many had no idea what was happening. At the same time, crowds of petitioners appeared throughout the city, forming great streams of people that marched toward various government offices. As they walked, they shouted slogans, demanding the court dismiss Yue Yang from his post as governor and abolish the new policies of land tax equalization and the unified obligation of officials and gentry to serve and pay taxes alike.

Inside the governor’s hall, Yue Yang sat upright on the dais. Dozens of officials below him also sat straight-backed, not one daring to utter a word. Among them, most wore expressions not of worry or fear, but of barely concealed schadenfreude, sneaking glances at Yue Yang as if watching a show. Only a small number exchanged worried looks with one another.

“Speak,” Yue Yang said, his voice drifting down like it came from the heavens. “How did this wave of strikes come about?”

Silence filled the hall. No one spoke. Many cast their eyes toward the two officials seated at the lowest end beneath Yue Yang—the Provincial Administration Commissioner Ke Zhennan and the Surveillance Commissioner Ma Ke. Yet these two were masters of meditation, sitting perfectly still, eyes lowered, as calm as monks in deep contemplation.

Seeing this, Yue Yang sneered inwardly, though his words remained mild. “Lord Ke, you are the Administration Commissioner. All civil affairs of Shandong fall under your jurisdiction. Do you really have nothing to say?”

Having been named directly, Ke Zhennan could no longer play dumb. He stood, bowed respectfully, and said, “Reporting to the Governor, this was spontaneous action by local merchants. We subordinates were unaware. In my humble opinion, no matter how much the merchants may stir things up, it is ultimately a private civil matter. As long as they do not violate the laws of the Great Ming, the government need only observe quietly.”

As he spoke these words, Ke Zhennan felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. He had long been displeased with Yue Yang. This man was far too domineering—on his very first day in Jinan, at the welcoming banquet, he had given all the officials a show of force and openly declared his intent to carry out new policies. Who did he think he was? Zhang Juzheng was formidable enough, instituting the Single Whip Reform—yet what happened to him? After his death, his corpse was still exhumed and whipped. Anyone who offended the masses was bound to meet a grim end.

“Oh… so that is Lord Ke’s view,” Yue Yang said. When Ke Zhennan addressed him as “Governor,” Yue Yang’s eyes briefly lit up, then quickly returned to calm. He turned to Ma Ke. “And Lord Ma—do you share the same view as Lord Ke?”

Ma Ke stood, bowed respectfully, and said, “Governor, please forgive me. I believe Lord Ke’s words do hold some merit. I understand that your original intention is for the good of the court. However, there are some matters under heaven that cannot be done simply as one wishes. Haste makes waste. Collecting commercial taxes, equalizing land taxes, and requiring officials and gentry alike to serve and pay taxes—these are truly shocking measures. Even if new policies are to be implemented, they must be done step by step. Otherwise, the Great Ming’s realm will be endangered.”

Ma Ke’s words sounded gentle, but in truth he was singing in harmony with Ke Zhennan. The meaning was the same: force Yue Yang to cancel the new policies and abandon commercial taxation.

At this point, a flash of cold light passed through Yue Yang’s previously calm eyes, yet an odd smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“So, Lords Ke and Ma do not support my implementation of new policies and the collection of commercial taxes?”

“Well…” Ke Zhennan hesitated. “Governor, collecting commercial taxes is a matter of great consequence. It should be deliberated carefully over time.”

“I see. I understand the intentions of Lords Ke and Ma,” Yue Yang nodded. “Lord Ke’s meaning is that it’s better to have one less problem than one more, to muddle through each day like a monk ringing his bell, as long as one keeps his official hat secure. Whether the court has silver, whether the Great Ming’s realm stands firm—those matters have nothing to do with you. Is that correct?”

Yue Yang’s words were extremely cutting—he had completely torn off the pretense and was openly cursing them.

“You—!” Ke Zhennan was furious. Since Yue Yang had started hurling insults, there was no need for him to maintain his hypocritical mask. He stood abruptly and shouted, “Governor Yue, I cannot agree with your words! The Great Ming has stood for over two hundred years thanks to the tireless, cautious efforts of we scholar-officials. Otherwise, how could there have been two centuries of stability? Yet the moment you arrive in Shandong, you shout about new policies. Do you think reforms are so easy? The gentry have always been the foundation of Ming governance. If you shake this foundation, the realm will be in danger of collapse at any time! Have you not considered this?”

As Ke Zhennan spoke at length, excitement appeared on the faces of many officials. Were it not for Yue Yang and the watchful personal guards around him, they might have leapt up and cheered.

“Hahaha… hahaha!”

Instead of flying into a rage, Yue Yang burst into laughter.

“I truly never imagined someone could be so shameless. ‘The gentry are the foundation of the state’—I truly cannot understand what these gentry have ever done for our Great Ming. When the court had no silver to relieve disaster victims, when the frontier soldiers of the Nine Garrisons went hungry and cold, what did the gentry do? When bandits invaded, what did the Shandong gentry do? In the eighth year of Chongzhen, when bandits invaded Shandong, what did those so-called ‘foundations of the Ming’ do? Other than shutting their doors, hiding at home while clutching concubines and maids and trembling in fear, what did they do? Is their only achievement growing fat and bloated? If this is what Ming gentry are like, then I would rather have no such foundations at all!”

Listening to Yue Yang’s laughter and his unrestrained words, Ke Zhennan, Ma Ke, and several other officials turned livid but remained silent. They wanted desperately to refute him, but when the words reached their lips, they found no grounds on which to do so. Finally, Ma Ke retorted with a flushed face, “Governor, your words are utterly absurd. Throughout history, the gentry have always been the foundation of the state. How can they suddenly become a burden in your mouth?”

Yue Yang sneered. “Perhaps they were the foundation at the founding of the dynasty. But now, those foundations have become nothing more than giant rats clinging to the people, sucking their flesh and blood.”

“You—!”

Faced with Yue Yang’s mockery, Ma Ke and Ke Zhennan could only glare at him in fury.

Just then, a faint clamor drifted in from outside the yamen.

“Illegally collecting commercial taxes defies Heaven’s justice!”

“Collecting commercial taxes is plundering the people’s wealth! This act angers Heaven and the people alike—the Great Ming has fallen into darkness, and the land of Qilu will be ruined and desolate!”

“Competing with the people for profit is an act that brings disaster to the state and the people!”

Though the governor’s yamen was deep and well-walled, it could not keep out the voices from outside.

Hearing the shouts, the officials in the hall displayed varied expressions—curiosity, disdain, secret delight—every shade of human reaction imaginable.

Yue Yang stood and walked outward, sighing as he went. “It seems quite lively outside. Very well—let us all go and see what these so-called pillars and foundations of the Great Ming, as Lords Ke and Ma describe them, are planning to do. What do you say, gentlemen? Are you willing to accompany me outside?”

Since all pretense had already been torn away, Ke Zhennan naturally refused to show weakness. He snorted. “Of course we’ll go.” With that, he stood and followed behind Yue Yang, soon joined by the other officials.

When Yue Yang and the others reached the front gate of the governor’s yamen, the sight before them even surprised him. The street outside was completely packed with dense crowds. At the front were several hundred scholars and merchants, and mixed among them Yue Yang saw many street toughs and hooligans, armed with clubs and other weapons. These people were hurling curses at the personal guards stationed before the yamen. Some even threw clods of dirt, small stones, and rotten vegetable leaves. The guards, however, having received strict orders not to act rashly, restrained themselves.

When the crowd saw Yue Yang and the officials emerge, their emotions flared even more. Many pointed at Yue Yang; a few even shouted curses. Seeing this, Ke Zhennan, Ma Ke, and others behind Yue Yang showed expressions of smug satisfaction. Some watched him with mocking eyes, eager to see how this hardline governor would handle the situation.

How could Yue Yang not understand their thoughts? He smiled faintly and gave Wu Qing a look.

Wu Qing nodded in understanding and shouted loudly to the crowd, “All of you, gathering here to block the governor’s yamen is a grave crime. Marquis Yue, considering this your first offense, will not pursue it. Disperse at once! If you continue in obstinacy and allow yourselves to be used by villains, do not blame the Marquis for using thunderous measures!”

“Pah—!”

As soon as Wu Qing finished speaking, an elderly man in a long robe spat at him and pointed as he cursed, “You scum! It was bad enough that you harmed the people in Shanxi, and now you come to Shandong to harm our people with this so-called land tax equalization. Utterly shameless! If you don’t pull back from the brink at once, the Great Ming will be destroyed by the likes of you!”

“That’s right—collecting commercial taxes is competing with the people for profit! Dismiss him!”

“Turn back while there’s still time!”

The crowd echoed him in shouts.

Suddenly, a hoarse voice rang out: “Yue Yang… get back to Shanxi!”

The moment those words were spoken, the surroundings fell silent…