Chapter 6: How Dare Lowly Commoners Raise Arms?
Speaking in Spanish, the surrounding Han People couldn’t understand.
But the anger in the tone was clear to everyone, who all lowered their heads even lower, almost parallel to the ground.
Lu Dongzhu stepped forward boldly at this time and said in broken Spanish: “Miss Catherine, I apologize on his behalf. He is a captain who just arrived in port and doesn’t know etiquette.”
Catherine seemed not to hear and looked toward the tax collector and priest standing at the business firm’s door, greeting: “Good morning.”
The two returned Catherine’s greeting: “Good morning, Miss Catherine.”
“Add 5% more tax to this merchant.”
“But, Miss.” The tax collector was somewhat troubled. “Your father…”
“Just treat it as my offering to the Lord. I believe you will be very satisfied with this donation, Priest.” Catherine showed a sweet smile.
The Spanish priest smiled and said: “Of course, Miss.”
After Catherine finished speaking, her gaze slid disgustedly over Lin Qian. She shook the reins and rode away.
Lu Dongzhu hurriedly retreated to the roadside. When a mounted guard passed by, he kicked Lu Dongzhu in the back, and Lu Dongzhu fell flat on his back.
The mounted guard burst into loud laughter and followed Catherine away.
The shop assistant hurriedly helped Lu Dongzhu up. His nose was already bleeding, the blood gathering at his chin and dripping onto the ground.
The Spanish priest shrugged toward Lin Qian and said: “Then, under the Lord’s witness, let’s sign the contract.”
Lin Qian suppressed his temper and said: “Didn’t you see that Lu Dongzhu was injured because of the guard’s reckless behavior? We can’t sign today.”
“No, you must sign today.” The priest shook his head, not even bothering to explain the reason.
Lu Dongzhu interjected in Spanish: “Sign, sign now.”
He covered his nose with one hand and made a welcoming gesture with the other, ushering everyone into the business firm.
Lin Qian stood still in place.
Lu Dongzhu walked to his side and said in a low voice: “One has to lower one’s head under someone else’s roof. You don’t live here and don’t know the hardships. This contract must be signed today. I’ll pay the extra tax; just consider it as helping me.”
Although Lin Qian couldn’t swallow this breath of anger, he wasn’t some hot-headed kid. He knew that forcing the issue would get him nowhere and would only put Lu Dongzhu in a tough spot in between.
With the words said to this point, Lin Qian had no choice but to follow inside.
The shop assistant brought out paper and pen. Both sides wrote up the agreement based on the price just negotiated, after which the two Spaniards also signed their names.
The agreement was made in triplicate; Lin Qian, Lu Dongzhu, and the Spaniards each took one copy.
Lu Dongzhu cupped his hands to the two Spaniards and said: “The tax payment will be delivered to the Governor’s Mansion and the Church today. Thank you both; please head back.”
The two Spaniards left satisfied.
Lin Qian said: “The tax to the church arose because of me and should be borne by me. Please deduct it from the silver coins.”
While taking the handkerchief handed over by the shop assistant to wipe the blood from his face, Lu Dongzhu waved his hand and said: “Brother Lin just risked offending the Franks to speak up righteously for me. For that alone, I want to befriend you. I’ll pay the tax; no more arguing.”
It was clear that Lu Dongzhu had a bold and straightforward demeanor. When dealing with such a person, being direct was best; excessive refusals would only hurt feelings.
Lin Qian then cupped his hands and said: “Since Elder Brother recognizes me as a friend, I won’t say more outsider words. When Little Brother returns to Great Ming, there will still be plenty of space in the cabin. At that time, I’ll procure more from Elder Brother.”
Lu Dongzhu appeared to be about forty years old, while Lin Qian was just barely twenty, so he naturally referred to himself as Little Brother.
Upon hearing this, Lu Dongzhu smiled even more broadly: “Easy to say. Luzon Island has abundant natural resources, and there are many fine goods brought by the Franks, especially cloves, cardamom, glassware, pearls, and hawksbill yielding the highest profits. Whatever Brother Lin wants, just give a shout, and I’ll reserve the best goods.”
The two continued chatting idly, enjoying the conversation immensely. Lu Dongzhu then had the shop assistant serve tea.
“Luzon has no tea fields, and ships trading with Great Ming rarely carry tea. This tea is quite rare in Luzon, Brother Lin; try it quickly.”
Lin Qian himself had little interest in tea, but in his previous life he had learned quite a bit for dealing with others. He picked up the tea bowl, took a sip, and said: “The aroma is light and clear, with a lingering aftertaste. Is it Longjing?”
Lu Dongzhu was quite pleased: “Exactly Longjing Tea. It’s a pity the Franks don’t know the virtues of tea leaves…”
Lin Qian had long been curious about the relationship between the Spaniards and the Han People, so he seized the chance to probe: “These foreigners have savage tempers. Women gallop horses through the market, officials exploit at will—truly barbarians from beyond the pale.”
Lu Dongzhu’s expression turned terrified, and he hurriedly signaled Lin Qian to speak softly.
“Be careful what you say, Brother Lin. That Frank woman is not to be trifled with.”
Lu Dongzhu lowered his voice: “She is the only daughter of the Frank governor, greatly doted upon. Forget galloping horses through the market—even killing is something she’d do. If Brother Lin sees her next time, remember to bow your head in greeting.”
“I’ve heard there are only a little over a thousand Franks on the island in total, while the Han People number in the tens of thousands. Why fear them so much?”
Lu Dongzhu hesitated a bit, thought it over, then sighed: “Very well. This is an ugly affair on the island. Even if I don’t say it, Brother Lin will hear about it from others sooner or later. That was the Thirty-first Year of Wanli…”
The Thirty-first Year of Wanli, that is, seventeen years ago, AD 1603.
According to Lu Dongzhu, at the time the Great Ming Emperor heard some rumor from who-knows-where saying there was gold on Luzon Island, so he rashly dispatched the Haicheng county assistant magistrate and a hundred-household officer to prospect on the island.
At that time, there were only a few hundred Spaniards on the island, while the Han People numbered tens of thousands. The Spaniards already guarded against the Han People a great deal.
This action further deeply provoked the Spanish governor, who believed the Great Ming Imperial Court was using “prospecting” as a pretext to survey the waters, terrain, and geography in preparation for a follow-up invasion, and he regarded all the Han People on the island as inside agents for Great Ming.
After the Great Ming prospecting team left the island, the Spaniards began military preparations and within months assembled an auxiliary army of Japanese and Luzon indigenous people, launching a completely unheralded offensive against the Han People.
The Han People were caught utterly unprepared, with no defense or resistance whatsoever.
The offensive quickly turned into a massacre, with nonstop killing for three days and three nights. Around Balien Market, corpses lay piled in heaps, blood flowing to float pestles.
Han People, men and women, elderly and young, all met miserable deaths. Over thirty thousand dead, the entire Balien Market left with nine in ten households emptied by slaughter.
If not for the island still needing Han People to sustain commerce and agriculture, likely all the Han People on the entire island would have been massacred to the last.
“Such a thing happened?” Lin Qian was quite shocked. He was fairly versed in history, yet had no recollection of this 1603 massacre.
“The matter was too humiliating; the Great Ming government didn’t dare spread word of it, so naturally Brother Lin doesn’t know.”
“What was the Imperial Court’s response?” Lin Qian pressed.
In his impression, Great Ming was extremely tough against all foreign powers except for its poor performance in wars against Later Jin.
Lu Dongzhu was utterly disdainful and snorted coldly: “Imperial Court? The Imperial Court only issued a single proclamation reading ‘Overseas quarrels, perpetrator unknown—how to mobilize troops for base folk?’ And the matter was lightly dropped.”
Even though he was long since utterly disillusioned with the Great Ming Imperial Court, he couldn’t help sighing deeply: “How to ‘for base folk’ mobilize troops? Alas! Lin Laodi, us Han People on Luzon Island… from then on we weren’t Great Ming subjects anymore, naturally left to be bullied by the Franks…”
