Chapter 53: The Great Pearl Dive
Five days ago.
Spaniards got off the ship and headed straight for the Maritime Trade Office yamen.
The envoy group was highly valued by the Great Ming Imperial Court and was invited to a banquet right upon arrival, but the dishes were somewhat monotonous, with only one main dish—Closed Door Soup.
The envoy group sat from dawn until noon.
They didn’t know how many cups of that bitter and astringent leaf-infused water they drank.
Every time they asked the attendant in charge, the attendant would smile and say: “The Director is busy with official matters. Please wait a moment, everyone.”
After saying that, he would have someone pour leaf water into the envoy group’s cups.
Summer days are hot to begin with. Drinking hot tea made them sweat even when sitting still, and drinking too much meant running back and forth to the toilet, but not drinking left them with nothing to do.
It really tormented the several Spaniards until they could neither sit nor stand still.
The envoy group’s chief envoy Juan had come to Guangzhou under orders from the Governor of Manila to discuss issuing a warrant for the pirate Lin Qian.
This Great Ming pirate had shamelessly robbed the Santa Ana, causing massive losses to Manila.
If Lin Qian could not be captured and the galleon recovered,
the Governor himself would probably face trial by the royal family.
As the Governor’s confidant, Juan could not sit idly by while this happened.
Dozens of years ago, the Great Ming Imperial Court had joined with the Spaniards to capture the pirate Lin Feng, establishing a good start to cooperation.
Today he only hoped the two countries would cooperate again like last time to arrest Lin Qian.
But right now, they could not even enter the inner gate of the Maritime Trade Office.
This made him as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle.
Finally, Juan could endure it no longer.
He shouted toward the inner gate: “I am the envoy of the Spanish Governor! I demand to see the Director of the Maritime Trade Office! I demand our two countries jointly capture the pirate Lin Qian!”
“How can you make such a racket in this important yamen! Shut your mouth!” the attendant said urgently.
Juan shouted: “I am the envoy of the Spanish Governor! I demand to see the Director of the Maritime Trade Office! I demand our two countries jointly capture the pirate Lin Qian!”
After he finished, he grabbed the interpreter and said to him: “Translate my words aloud for the officials in the room!”
The interpreter’s legs had gone soft from fear. He struggled to say: “This is Great Ming. We follow rules. Your foreigners’ ways won’t work here.”
Juan ignored him and kept shouting, his voice getting louder and louder.
The attendant called others to gag Juan, but Juan bit one and they failed. The scene grew more and more chaotic.
At that moment, a man emerged from the inner gate: beardless face, fair skin, dressed in a plain blue robe.
All the attendants respectfully bowed low upon seeing him, stepped aside, and said: “Eunuch Li.”
Eunuch Li walked slowly up to the envoy group, looked them over, and said in a shrill voice: “Eunuch Yang, Minister Xu, and Zheng Fantai are discussing matters inside the hall but were interrupted by shouting. They sent me to check. Is this how you do your jobs?”
All the attendants knelt, foreheads to the ground, not daring to breathe.
Juan seized the chance to drag the interpreter forward and repeated his demands.
A smile bloomed on Eunuch Li’s face. He said warmly: “I understand. I’ll report to Eunuch Yang right away. But today Minister Xu and Zheng Fantai are here, and there are important matters to discuss in the office. We probably can’t give a reply today. How about coming back in a few days?”
Juan hesitated somewhat.
The interpreter advised: “Eunuch Li is from the inner palace. Since he’s taken this on, he won’t deceive you. Just go back and wait patiently. Don’t be ungrateful.”
This interpreter had been temporarily hired by the Spaniards in Guangzhou and had no reservations in speaking to them.
Hearing this, Juan could only thank him and led the envoy group away.
The smile faded from Eunuch Li’s face, replaced by a cold edge. He said to the attendants around: “Go close the main gate. No more seeing foreigners today.”
“Yes.” The attendants responded and went to close the gate.
Eunuch Li turned and returned to the backyard, passing through several gates to the main hall.
Several officials were seated in the hall.
At the head sat the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, also serving as Guangdong Governor and Vice Minister of War: Minister Xu.
Beside him sat the eunuch Director-General of the Maritime Trade Office, Eunuch Yang.
The official head of the Maritime Trade Office, Director He, could only sit in the lower position.
In the lower seat as well was the Guangdong Provincial Administration Commissioner, Zheng Fantai.
Seeing Eunuch Li return.
Eunuch Yang set down his tea cup and said slowly: “What happened outside?”
Eunuch Li bent at the waist with an obsequious smile: “A few foreigners had their ship robbed by sea bandits and came to make trouble. This servant has sent them off.”
“Mm.” Eunuch Yang responded once and ignored it.
Eunuch Li tactfully withdrew to attend Eunuch Yang at his side.
Eunuch Yang said to the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi: “Minister, year’s end is the Imperial Consort’s birthday. In past years the pearl diving corvée was issued close to the date, when it was cold with chilly water and poor pearls resulted. This year this servant proposes issuing it early.”
He didn’t say which Imperial Consort, but everyone knew it referred to Consort Zheng.
Only Consort Zheng, favored exclusively by the Emperor, prompted Guangdong to issue the major pearl diving duty. Other consorts received no such treatment.
Minister Xu replied impassively: “Eunuch Yang directs the Maritime Trade Office. Pearl matters needn’t be discussed with me. But since I handle military and government affairs for two provinces and shoulder Guangdong’s civil administration, I must ask:
In recent years the weather grows colder. Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan provinces see yearly grain reductions, while Liaodong tribute taxes mount ever higher. The people already grumble. At a time of restless public sentiment, is issuing a major corvée appropriate?”
As Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, he could disregard Eunuch Yang’s face, but Guangdong’s officials could not.
Especially Director He of the Maritime Trade Office, directly under Eunuch Yang, who stood forth to pledge loyalty: “Minister, summer water is warm. Pearl commoners diving will suffer fewer deaths and injuries. Isn’t this precisely Eunuch Yang cherishing the people’s labor?”
Minister Xu’s tone hardened: “Everyone knows once the pearl diving corvée issues, it doesn’t stop until before the Imperial Consort’s birthday. Early or late, the drowned drown and the frozen freeze.”
Eunuch Yang then hardened his face too: “Drowning, freezing—that’s your local affair. This servant hails from the palace and obeys only the Emperor. Whatever pearls Guangdong must offer, it offers—not one tael less.”
Such direct confrontation was rare in Great Ming officialdom.
For a moment, everyone felt the atmosphere exceptionally tense.
Guangdong Provincial Administration Commissioner Zheng Fantai stepped in to smooth things: “Pearl commoners are lowly households: cruel, treacherous, ignorant, and benighted. They hardly count as people. Why ruin harmony over lowly households’ lives?”
Minister Xu shot back at once: “Excess deaths and injuries among pearl households require good-family compensation. In Great Ming’s two centuries, how few cases of forcing good folk into pearl households?”
Eunuch Yang promised: “This pearl diving corvée starts early. Perhaps before autumn we gather seventy to eighty percent. Pearl households will dive less in winter and suffer no past-level casualties.”
Minister Xu did not believe this in his heart.
The palace quota was fixed, but the lords’ greed boundless.
Pearl households always dove until nearly extinct; no one had heard of meeting quota.
But he did not want to antagonize Eunuch Yang too far.
As long as no rebellion stirred among the people, he could account to the Grand Secretariat and let this eunuch have his way.
Having thought it through, Minister Xu fell silent, tacitly assenting.
Eunuch Yang then told Eunuch Li at his side: “Go notify the Pearl Ponds eunuchs to issue the corvée soon, while summer water is warm, and gather the quota.”
“Yes, this servant understands,” Eunuch Li responded softly.
……
Two days later, Juan, who had waited bitterly in the post station, could wait no longer and went again to the Maritime Trade Office to demand answers.
The attendants followed the prior procedure: ushered them to the outer hall, served tea and water, and repeated the “please wait” routine.
Juan could endure no more and invoked Eunuch Li’s name.
The attendant said: “Oh, you’re seeking Eunuch Li? He is a Pearl Ponds eunuch, not under Maritime Trade Office authority. He’s probably in Leizhou now.”
Juan grew so angry his chest tightened and head throbbed; he nearly fainted and shouted loudly once more.
Soon another man emerged—this time an official, not a eunuch.
Juan furiously repeated his demands.
The official took it very seriously but said words alone proved nothing; he needed a document to submit upward and told Juan to prepare one and return.
Juan was prepared and produced a Chinese-Spanish bilingual document from his bosom.
The official received it solemnly and promised: “Rest assured, I’ll submit it at once. But foreign affairs require layered approvals—likely several days. Return to the post station and wait quietly. This official will send notice when there is news.”
Juan saw the official’s sincere demeanor—not feigned—and the document accepted with fuller procedures than before; it seemed proper process.
Thus he agreed, half-believing, and led his group back to the post station to wait.
