“Jiaya can arrange it, with bribes, of course, so that you do not have this, er, problem.”
“How do you propose to bypass the customs, and how will we deal with it?” Talon asked. A distant ray of hope had started in his head.
Hsü took a sip of his rice wine and then said something to one of the servants. Within a few minutes Jiaya arrived, bowed to the assembly and seated himself at the end of the table. Fuling provided him with a cup of wine.
Hsü continued. “It is time to tell you more about my holdings and what that could mean for you as traders,” he said. “I own two silk factories, and land outside of the city where we have mulberry trees, millet, and rice. My fields alone can feed half this city. I also possess, in the mountains to the west of here, a tin mine, and a silver mine that my Grandfather discovered and developed. My wife's family owns two iron foundries and water mills for grinding the rice to flour. Jiaya here is now the chief administrator for these operations and has a small army of clerks and workers who see to it that they operate well.” Hsü leaned back against the back of his beautifully worked chair and adjusted his voluminous robes.
Talon was stunned. If Hsü was telling the truth, this represented enormous wealth.
“If you are so well off here in Guangzhou, why did you take the huge risk of going to India? You must have known about the dangers,” Reza asked before he could go on.
“Ah, yes, well, I did know, but I was appointed by the Emperor for the purpose of reopening the trade routes. You and I have already discussed the main reason for this, Talon. The old silk route is all but closed to the merchants of the Sung Empire. In other words, I had to do what I was told.” He smiled at them disarmingly.
Talon smiled back. He glanced at Rav’an, who had remained silent. She caught his look and lifted her shoulder just a little to indicate that she would listen but not say anything. It was up to him to discuss the cargo and find a solution.
“On the subject of the Emperor, I have received a message from his Chamberlain telling me that I have to report on my voyage within the month, and that means that I must leave quite soon,” Hsü told them. “I shall be gone for several weeks.”
In response to their dismayed looks, he added, “Do not worry; I have arranged everything, including a visit to my factories that might interest you gentlemen, and there is much for the ladies to see while I am gone. Lihua will be escorting your wives about the town. She can help them with the language and will make sure they do not get lost. It is a big city.
“Fuling will be your guide in all else, including a visit to a special place that I think you will find very interesting. While I am away, Jiaya will be working with you to ensure that the captain and crew are properly housed and the ship is safe.”
“What were you proposing regarding the cargo?” Talon asked, his impatience overcoming his good manners.
Hsü glanced at him with mild disapproval, then said, “The way that would ensure you get the best prices for your particular cargo is to allow Jiaya to place all of it in my godowns under my protection.”
Reza and Talon looked sharply at one another. “This means that our entire cargo is in trust to you?” Reza asked, with a dangerous look.
Hsü looked him in the eye. “Yes, that is right, Reza. But I will give you a written guarantee that I will pay you for that cargo, either in kind or cash. I cannot think of a better way to protect your cargo. To leave it in the care of the customs would be a serious mistake, I promise you. I can also assure you that the price I will give you will far exceed that of the unpleasant gentleman in Kalah Bar was offering.” They all laughed ruefully at this. Sing and his offer were still fresh in their minds. “You will not be disappointed,” he paused to allow this to sink in.
Even as Reza's face had darkened with distrust Talon had brightened considerably while listening to Hsü. He began to see some daylight at the end of what had seemed a long, dark tunnel; and if the truth be told, he had not known where to begin with the process of selling his cargo. To his chagrin, he realized that he still had much to learn about the world of trade. Then there was the added imponderable about what he should buy, and where from, to take away with him from China. He didn't want to go home with an empty ship.
Hsü had anticipated him. “I want you to see my factories because I am sure we can come to an arrangement as to what you, in turn, can buy while here in China. You must not forget you have two tasks while here: to sell your cargo, yes, but also to buy what will be well received in your own country. I will also have Jiaya negotiate with some of the other factories that make porcelain, the precious pottery that I hear is so valued in your lands.” He tugged lightly on the corner of his mustache with the tips of his fingers.
He turned to Lihua and said, “We have all had good meal, but it would be nice for our guests if you could play some music to relax us for the evening, my dear.”
Lihua bowed and went to the side of the room to pick up a stringed instrument that resembled a rounded Tar. She came back to sit on a low bench in front of a silk-patterned wall covering and began to play. Soon the room was filled with the rippling notes from her instrument as her fingers danced over the strings.
*****
Later, Talon, Ra’van, Reza and Jannat gathered in the guest room; they wanted to talk before going to bed. It had started to rain, preventing them from enjoying the evening outside. On the other hand, because of the cool breeze the mosquitoes were not yet a nuisance. They sat on a thick pile of carpet in a semi-circle. All four preferred to sit cross-legged on the floor rather than on the chairs that the Chinese seemed to like.
“We are finding ourselves more and more beholden to Hsü,” Rav’an observed.
“That worries me too, Rav’an,” Talon agreed. “I don’t know what else we can do, other than to trust him at this time. What he and Jiaya have told us, if true, could make a huge difference between us leaving with no profit and leaving with a large one.”
“I have seen Jiaya with the customs officials, and he does seem to have them in the palm of his hand,” Reza admitted reluctantly.
Talon raised his eyebrows. He knew how effective Reza could be as either a spy or an assassin, but in this city even he might have trouble remaining invisible.
“Is there any protection for us to be had from the Arab community?” Jannat asked the group at large.
“It's a good question, Jannat,” Talon replied. “Fuling told me that the foreign community is allowed to run themselves more or less, as long as they stay in the area designated, on the West side of the city docks. They need papers to come and go, like the ones Jiaya obtained for us. There is a court there, called the Quädi, where disputes are resolved. But we have gone around the normal processes, and it is far too late to change that now,” Talon informed them. “We have to remember, too, that it is highly unusual for foreigners to be the guest of a Chinese host. There is not much in the way of interaction, other than the business of trade.”
There was a long silence after this. “Then we have to trust him,” Reza said in Farsi with a look at the door and window. “However, if he does double cross us, I shall personally take care of the problem.”
Talon nodded once in agreement. “Meanwhile, we should all be very happy at what Hsü is telling us. Let’s wait and see, but if things do not go the way they should, then Reza is right, there will be a reckoning. We must see this through.”
Both the women looked at their men, knowing what they were capable of.
*****
That very night Hsü left the compound, accompanied by Fang. They made their way on foot by a dimmed lantern to the wharf side and were taken across the Pearl River in a small sampan. Between the river and the main city were two walls of some size. Once ashore, they made haste to walk up the gentle slope to the Petition Gate. It was opened when Hsü produced a piece of paper that carried the Governor’s chop.
The two men hurried up the hill to another gate, which allowed them to gain passage to the main city. It was
late, but the darkened city still hummed with activity. They were just another couple of anonymous pedestrians in wide hats and cloaks walking briskly along the same road that would eventually bring them to the Governor's palace.
However, tonight this was not their destination. They turned right well before the palace and its extensive park, then strode into the dark back streets of the town where torches and lanterns were few and far between. The glow of lamps inside the better off houses did little to illuminate the street as the two men, alert to danger and the possibility of being accosted by robbers, hurried towards the meeting arranged for Hsü.
They came to a doorway with an elaborate lintel composed of a square stone beam with two snake heads on either side. Two lions made of carved limestone posed as guardians on either side of the entrance. Hsü blinked when he entered the room, squinting at the light from lanterns placed all around the room. Several people were eating at tables, and the smells of cooking and alcohol were thick in the air. The unmistakable sweet smell of an opium parlor in the back room drifted into the main room; the fumes permeated the air with an unpleasant mix of odors. In one darkened corner sat the man he had come to see. Hsü placed a hand on Fang's arm.
“Please wait near the entrance, Fang. Be alert for trouble. If there is any disturbance we need to leave in a hurry.” Fang nodded and took a station just inside the door, where he could watch the room and keep an eye on people who came and went.
Hsü made his way towards the corner, where he had spotted Li Shou-cheh. Shou-cheh greeted him with a short bow from the waist as he remained seated. Hsü sat down on a stool with his back to the rest of the room and nodded; he didn't take off his hat. A waiter appeared, but Hsü shook his head, and Shou-cheh waved him away, then turned back to Hsü, who had an expectant expression on his face.
“Now this is very secretive,” Hsü observed with a wry smile. “I would have preferred to go to the Golden Dragon to drink their good wine,” he added.
“I have to be careful, Hsü,” Shou-cheh said. He sounded nervous. “Even by sending a messenger to you I may have jeopardized myself.”
“All right, I understand, but tell me, what is this all about?”
“The Governor is getting worse by the day. The doctor, who is a quack and a charlatan, gives him about three months. I give him about six weeks. The two doctors I had recommended were disallowed by Wu po-ku. The news has reached the Emperor’s palace in the capital, and there has been some correspondence.”
“Wu can actually decide these things?” Hsü demanded, his tone incredulous.
“He's the Senior Prefect, so yes, he can. The Governor is too ill to do anything about it,” Li Shou-cheh said, shaking his head.
“What is the news?”
Li Shou-cheh scanned the room again before answering. “There are factions in Hangzhou who are interested in you and Yen Wei, and perhaps a couple of others who really don’t count. But there are those who are more interested in finding someone more, shall we say, more amenable than you or Prefect Yen.”
“That doesn’t come as any surprise,” Hsü told him. “Is Prefect Yen a serious contender?”
Shou-cheh shrugged. “No, I don’t think so; he hasn’t much clout with the palace. But your name has come up in a conversation recently between Hua Rong and Lu Buwei.”
“Ah, and how do you know that? Do you have spies everywhere?” Hsü asked with some surprise.
Shou-cheh shrugged. “I have spies and others have spies. However, others are beginning to suspect that you might be going for the position, and they consider you to be a real threat. Hence they will do anything to stop you.”
“Anything?”
“The person who overheard them had that impression.”
Hsü felt a cold trickle down his neck. “Then I had better not run for the governorship and make sure that everyone knows my decision,” he said with a wry smile. “That should solve that particular problem. Let Prefect Yen run for it.”
He noticed the look of utter dismay on Shou’s face.
“What did I say to upset you?” Hsü inquired, knowing full well.
Shou-cheh took a deep breath and then said, “Lord Meng, I do not wish to be disrespectful, but you must think carefully about this. Prefect Yen is a good man, on the whole, but....” Shou-cheh looked scornful. “He is not up to the needs of this city. He is weak and will be easily corrupted. The city of Guangzhou needs a strong man to run things. Again with respect, Governor Murong is a nice man, but he was not firm and did not keep the Tongs in check. Consider the corruption and crime that has flared since he became governor. He is an honest man, and that kind of person is very hard to find, but what has been going on under his nose stinks of intrigue.”
Hsü sat back. “Are you saying that I should do as Murong asks and try for the position? Surely these other factions would dispute my claim.”
“Oh yes, you can be sure of that. There are many who would like nothing better than to have a chance at the job, but there are only a few people who would have the funds and influence to compete for it, and one is not even qualified to begin with,” Shou-cheh told him with a sniff.
“I know who they are,” Hsü said tiredly. “Hua Rong and Wu po-ku, with Lu Buwei lurking around in the background.”
“Correct, but Rong is pretending he would rather have Wu po-ku than himself. It doesn't really matter to him whether he gets in or not, as long as there is someone like Wu he can control who will do as he is told.”
“Do I have any friends in this sorry business?” Hsü asked.
“Oh yes. As I mentioned, there are people at the palace who seem to be on your side. You will have to bribe them to ensure their votes, of course. The fact that the Emperor is known to be pleased with you helps. A few well-placed bribes might bring others around, and then you can focus on taking care of your enemies here,” Shou-cheh said in all seriousness.
Hsü gave a low bark of laughter. “‘When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves,” he quoted.
Shou-cheh blinked. “I could make sure that General Hayan Zhuo was on our side, but I would need some financial help with that.”
Hsü sighed. His ally Shou-cheh simply had did not grasp the irony of it at all. Of course he would provide whatever funds were necessary. What Shou-cheh didn’t know was that the General was a close friend of Hsü.
The role of governor had some appeal, he mused. It did represent enormous power and prestige. His ancestors would be pleased. More to the point, the challenge of taking the prize away from those two villains, Hua Rong and Lu Buwei, and that pompous Prefect Wu, made the prospect all the more enticing. It began to look increasingly like a game he liked to play called Go.
In his mind's eye, he had just placed one of his white stones on the board, where were already placed several black stones. He would have to take great care, and he was already somewhat behind. The stakes in this game were very high indeed.
When the Emperor sought guidance from wise men, from exiles,
He found no calmer wisdom than that of young Jia
And assigned him the foremost council-seat at midnight,
Yet asked him about gods, instead of about people.
—Li Shu
Chapter Twenty
Of Cargo and Goods
Hsü’s pending departure for the capital city initiated a flurry of activity in the villa that involved almost everyone.
Talon was informed that a visit to a silk factory was immanent, to which he replied that all of them would like to go. The farm was located to the west of the city, so it involved a boat trip.
They arrived outside a nondescript entrance to a small walled compound with a decorated lintel of writhing dragons with ferocious faces and glaring eyes. The color red was used extensively on wood, Talon noticed. He could not make out what the symbols meant that were painted in gold leaf vertically up the length of the pillars.
They were ushered into the work building by an obsequious m
an dressed in a dark over robe with long sleeves into which he had tucked his hands. He bowed deeply to Hsü and the others, and then Hsü held a small conference with him. The sing-song tones went back and forth, and then Hsü turned to Talon. “I shall have Fuling go with you and the head man, who will show you everything and explain the process to you. I must go over his reports, so I will see you later, and we shall share a meal.” He waved them off.
There followed a fascinating walk through a place that neither Talon nor any of his companions could ever have imagined before. Fuling translated for them while the manager of the factory took them from one end of the extensive building to the other. He was clearly proud to show these foreigners the workshop and rattled off much information in a high voice.
They were first shown the trays full of tiny white grubs. Women were lifting large flat trays lined with green leaves and moving the creatures, placing them in racks. Fuling smiled at their surprise. “Yes, the silk begins with a worm,” he told the astonished group. Not even Talon had fully understood this.
“Here they sort them out, the smallest to the largest, and take only those which are the largest. They are placed on the trays with the green leaves. You will have seen the mulberry trees outside, but most of these are brought in from the countryside, where we have many trees. The healthier the tree, the better the silk.”
“They like mulberry leaves?” Rav’an asked him.
“They eat only mulberry leaves.”
They walked to another side of the large room.
“When the worms are ready, they are placed on twigs where they can make their cocoons. Here again, there is a space of time before we go the next stage. The cocoons are weighed and the largest and heaviest are selected. Then over there,” he pointed to a steaming vat, “they are soaked in very hot water, which will kill the larvae; after which the process of threading and reeling the silk begins.”
The Dragon's Breath Page 30