Feng Zhongshu listened to the conversation between Meiyuanren and Mr. Lao and thought to himself, "This bloke couldn't care less about his country. Even if the whole of Jiangnan went to the foreigners, he wouldn't bat an eyelid. Easy enough to keep the peasants in line, but what about your own career, eh? Everyone knows these officials are selling out the country bit by bit! He's still saying that? Bloody ridiculous!" Just then, he heard Meiyuanren say, "Mr. Lao, it's not all bad that foreigners have occupied Jiangnan." Mr. Lao asked, a bit worried, "Why do you say that?" Meiyuanren replied, "That new boss of ours is a nightmare! I just started and I'm already at odds with him. After a few months, I finally figured out his ways, but he’s still not happy. Don't you think it's a bit much?" Before Mr. Lao could respond, Feng Zhongshu interjected, "Don't worry, Mr. Mei. He's the boss, you're the underling. If the foreigners take over, it'll be all equal; no more 'sir' and 'yes sir.' You'll both be equal under the foreign emperor; he can't touch you, and you can't touch him. So what's to worry about?" Meiyuanren wasn't sure, but he didn't say anything. Mr. Lao hurriedly added, "My grandson says the same thing, actually – all about equality, you see." Feng Zhongshu was livid, but being an old and respected man, he had to bite his tongue. They finished the banquet in a hurry and went home.
From then on, Mei Yunren took this opportunity to build a good relationship with the merchants, donated a lot of money, and established some schools and other "reform" projects to polish his image. He also liked to write long memorials, often sending them to the governor. Over time, his superiors appreciated him and felt that he was capable. A compliment from a superior was practically a guarantee of promotion. Sure enough, in less than three months, he was promoted to magistrate of Haizhou. Mei Yunren was over the moon to get the appointment and immediately went to the provincial capital to express his gratitude. Just after returning from the provincial capital, he received his appointment for Liuhe County. Mei Yunren was busy with the handover, taking his family, staff, and servants, and heading straight to Haizhou for his new position.
Haizhou is located by the sea, and although it was an important position, there hadn't been much going on before. In recent years, some countries have been trying to occupy Chinese territory, often sending warships to patrol the Chinese coast. Once they arrive, they don't leave, sometimes even sending people ashore, with varying numbers, claiming to be surveying the terrain, but actually training soldiers. Local officials were powerless, let alone the higher-ups.
A month after Mei Yunren took office, three foreign warships suddenly appeared on the sea, moored in a row without moving. The next day, around a dozen foreign sailors came ashore from the large ship, accompanied by a translator. After coming ashore, they bought a lot of food such as chickens, ducks, rice, and wheat in the shops, paid for them, and then returned to the ship without causing any trouble. Some shopkeepers, seeing an opportunity, hiked their prices, making a killing and hoping for a repeat performance.
At this time, someone quickly sent a letter to the county magistrate's office, saying that three foreign warships had arrived on the sea, and it was unclear what they were up to. Mei Yunren was shocked when he heard this and quickly called the legal advisor to discuss countermeasures. "If they want to go to war with us and we are completely unprepared, what should we do?" He was anxious and sent people to notify the barracks. If a real fight broke out, they could only make a stand. Mei Yunren was sweating bullets with anxiety, while the legal advisor was both angry and amused, quickly advising him, "The most important thing now is to send someone to ask about their intentions. If they are just passing through without any aggressive actions, we should treat them with courtesy, but also ask them to leave as soon as possible to prevent panic among the people. If they have other intentions, their warships are very powerful, and the old and weak soldiers in our camp cannot stop them at all. We must immediately telegram the governor for instructions." Mei Yunren was at a loss, but when he heard the legal advisor's words, he felt they made sense and immediately followed through. However, he was faced with a dilemma. "Who dares to go to their ship?" The legal advisor said, "It's an established custom not to harm envoys during wartime. Sending someone will be fine." Mei Yunren asked, "Who should we send?" The legal advisor thought for a moment and said, "As you are the county magistrate, it is not convenient for you to go, and there are only foreigners on the ship with no translators in the office. We can only ask the state judge and the teacher from the English school to go together, inquire about their intentions, and then telegram to Nanjing." Mei Yunren said, "Yes, yes, yes!" He immediately sent for the state judge, explained the situation, and asked him to make the trip. The state judge was afraid of being killed by the foreigners and hesitated, first saying, "I don't understand foreign languages." Mei Yunren said, "There will be a translator." The state judge still wanted to decline, but at that moment, the English teacher arrived. After understanding the situation, since he had read foreign books for a few years and was more open-minded, knowing that this would not lead to any losses and that the magistrate would show his appreciation in the future, he readily agreed, "I am willing to help!" With the teacher's encouragement, the judge finally agreed to go.
The magistrate followed the instructor out to ride in a palanquin. As they walked, he asked, "What are these foreigners like? I've only seen 'em twice in foreign flicks when I was a kid. Are they like us or what? What's the proper way to greet 'em? And what papers do I need for the boat, or how do I even say it?" The instructor replied, "Well, foreigners, they have higher noses and deeper-set eyes, speak with a different accent, but otherwise they’re pretty similar to us Chinese. Just give 'em a handshake—no bowing or kowtowing needed. But remember, always use your right hand; never use your left hand, that'll offend 'em."
The magistrate says, "What if we offend them? Will they go to war with us?" The instructor says, "Maybe not, but it ain't exactly polite, is it? Think about it—if you don't respect them, will they be happy?" The magistrate says, "I heard tell that those foreign warships are just packed with cannons. One tap of a finger on the table, *bang*, and you're done for! That year, Li Zhongtang sent an envoy to a foreign country—I don't remember which one—and they invited him to dinner on their warship. He was completely unprepared, went on their ship, and started talking to the officer. One word led to another, and the officer picked up a teacup and slammed it on the table, and a cannonball the size of a small barrel came out! Talk about a close call! First, Li Zhongtang was lucky; second, he was experienced, having fought against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Nian Army. He was used to the sound of cannons, so when he saw the situation, he just smiled slightly and said nothing. The officers on the ship, seeing that the cannon didn't hit him, felt guilty and sent him ashore properly. The next day, they sent a lot of gold, silver, and jewels to make amends. He agreed and allowed them to trade, which is why there are so many foreigners now. Am I right? I ain't scared of nothin' except cannons. I was scared of firecrackers since I was little; I cover my ears when I hear firecrackers." The instructor just chuckled to himself and said, "Li Zhongtang is a high official, that's why the cannons were fired to welcome him on the ship. When we go, they won't fire cannons. You don't need any documents to see them, just bring a business card. Once on the ship, I'll help you translate." Then they hopped in their sedan chair and were carried down to the shore, where their little boat was waiting.
Although the magistrate was given courage by his instructor, he was still so scared when he got off the sedan chair and walked to the beach that he was trembling like he was facing a firing squad. He was helped onto a small boat. The boat was small, crowded, and swaying, which terrified him even more. He kept shouting, "Oh my God!" clinging to others, too scared to move. Finally, they reached the large ship and helped him up the ladder. When he looked up, he saw several foreign soldiers with high noses and deep-set eyes standing at the bow of the ship, which made him tremble all over and his legs go weak. Several people had to support him to get him on board. At this point, he was so scared that he was frozen stiff, his face was pale, and he didn’t even hand out his calling card or shake hands. Fortunately, his instructor was in front, and as soon as he got on board, he shook hands with the others, asking them in English where they were from and what they were doing here. The people on the ship answered, and he found out that it was not a British warship. Thankfully, a bit of English went a long way, and everyone understood a few sentences. The commander on the ship was an admiral, and when he heard that Chinese officials had sent someone to inquire, he said in English, "We're just passing through, wanted to go ashore for a bit of hunting and some fun. We'll be gone in a couple of days. No worries." Once everything was clear, the instructor shook hands and helped the magistrate back to shore.
After the magistrate boarded the ship, he didn't say a word. When he returned to the small boat, he finally felt like himself again. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said, "I've lived for so long, but today, for the first time, I was really scared! This job's too much!" The instructor ignored him, finding him quite amusing. Seeing that he was being ignored, he said, "I heard foreigners were scary, but they are actually quite easy to talk to." The instructor replied, "In that case, why don't you chat with them?" The magistrate blushed and said, "I couldn't understand a word they said! What can I say to them?" The instructor said, "No problem, I'll help you translate." The magistrate replied, "I'm already putting you out, I don't want to be a bother. I'm really nervous." As they reached the shore, the two of them took a sedan back to the city to report to the governor. When he saw the governor, the magistrate became bolder and chatted a whole lot about everything and nothing with the instructor. Mei Yiren finally understood the purpose of the warship's arrival and felt relieved. He thought to himself that even though there was no issue with the foreigners, it was still necessary to quickly send a telegram to the higher-ups to show that our relationship with the foreigners was good, in order to ensure peace. With his plan set, he found the steward. The steward agreed and quickly sent a telegram. The magistrate also requested to include in the telegram that he personally went to negotiate with the foreigners on the ship. Mei Yiren agreed. After the magistrate thanked him, they left together. Mei Yiren personally saw them off and said to the instructor, "I'll trouble you in the future." The instructor replied, "No problem," and then left.
The telegram from Nanjing arrived, and the governor nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw that three warships were on their way. But after reading further and realizing that there was no problem, he breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly summoned the head of the Provincial Bureau of Foreign Affairs to figure out what to do. The governor had always admired foreigners, and the head of the Foreign Affairs Bureau followed his lead, saying, "No matter what they are here for, since they have come all the way from a foreign country to China, they are guests after all, and we are the hosts. We should show them proper hospitality." The governor said, "You're only seeing half the picture. Do you know who is coming?" The head of the Foreign Affairs Bureau replied, "Mei Mu's telegram said it's an admiral." The governor said, "Yes, what is an admiral? In our country, that is a top-ranking admiral, a big shot who could run several provinces, and even you have to listen to him. When such a high-ranking official comes, local civil and military officials must go out to greet him. Mei Mu's telegram said that it was not until a translator was sent on board that they found out, indicating that there was no preparation at all in the local area. Those local officials really dropped the ball! My suggestion is to tell Mei Mu to get a mansion ready tonight, put them up, and we'll cover the costs. We will also send a warship over, saying it is specifically to pick them up to stay in Nanjing for a few days. That'll smooth things over. What do you think?" The head of the Foreign Affairs Bureau naturally agreed with him, saying, "Right away, sir!" The governor immediately drafted a telegram with the head of the Foreign Affairs Bureau, informing Mei Mu in Haizhou, and at the same time ordered a warship to steam full speed ahead to Haizhou overnight.
The magistrate of Haizhou was discussing countermeasures with several old-timers in the yamen when he suddenly received a message from the governor. Seeing the situation, he didn't waste any time and quickly sent someone to the school to invite the teacher to relay the message to the ship, saying, "The governor has sent a message asking you to come ashore and stay. Magistrate Mei has already prepared a spacious house." The commander on the ship said, "We've already explained why we're here. Although I appreciate the governor's generosity, I really don't want to disturb you. Moreover, our ship will be leaving here in a day or two, and we will definitely not trouble Magistrate Mei." The teacher saw that they did not want to come ashore, so he didn't say anything more and went back to tell Magistrate Mei the situation. Magistrate Mei was stuck between a rock and a hard place upon receiving this news. If he agreed to let them stay on the ship, he was afraid the governor would say he was unable to receive guests; if he sent a translator to the ship to speak, he was afraid they would be offended. He was at his wit's end and couldn't figure it out.
At this time, the gunboat sent by the province arrived. The officer on board was a commander with the rank of general named Xiao. After mooring the ship in Haizhou, he first went ashore to visit the magistrate. Mei received him, and Xiao explained his purpose, saying, "The general ordered me to come here and join you in meeting the foreign officer. This is a task given to me by the general after he took office. It has been less than two years, and there are many things I do not understand, so I have to ask for your guidance." Mei said, "No way!" Xiao replied, "The general has instructed, 'That foreign military officer is an admiral; we must all follow the etiquette of subordinates to meet him.' That's fine for you, but I'm in a bit of a pickle. He outranks us, so we're supposed to kneel to greet him." Mei said, "You are not required to greet him; just go on board to see him." Xiao said, "I was specifically sent by the general to meet him; isn't that considered a greeting? Not only do we have to kneel to greet him, but we also have to announce our names, and when he says 'rise,' then we can stand up. I learned this back when I was a sentry." Mei said, "If that's the case, I cannot accompany you. Our local officials have never knelt to receive envoys or governors. If we go together, I stand and you kneel, that wouldn't look right!" Xiao said, "I don't mind doing what's expected of me." Mei said, "That's your problem, not mine. But foreigners do not understand Chinese etiquette, and they cannot speak Chinese. If you kneel there and he does not say 'rise,' will you still stand up?" Xiao scratched his head and said helplessly, "What am I going to do?" Mei said, "To tell you the truth, I was a bit nervous about going aboard. I sent a translator twice and heard that the military officer is very easy to talk to, so I'm keen to meet him. Besides, I had to obey orders. I cannot let you be embarrassed alone; I have a solution." Xiao hurriedly asked, "What solution?" Mei said, "Since you insist on kneeling to greet him, just kneel on the beach. I and the translator will go on board first to meet their officials; I will point them out to you. When he sees it, I will send someone down to bring you on board. What do you think?" Xiao immediately stood up and thanked him, saying, "Thanks! I'll do that." Mei said, "One more thing, foreigners don't bow, so don't bother. After we board the ship, no matter how high-ranking the official is, you just need to shake hands with him." Xiao said, "That doesn't seem right either. Although foreigners don't bow, compared to our officials and theirs, they don't need to return the gesture. I think we should still bow, then do a full prostration."
Not provided.
Mei Yiren saw Xiao Changgui was dead set on kneeling, so he just let him. He immediately told someone to get Xiao Changgui and the translator on the boat. Before the ship had even reached halfway, Xiao Changgui knelt down. Mei Yiren boarded the ship, shook hands with the foreign official, made small talk, and then heard the sound of gongs from the shore. Xiao Changgui was kneeling on the ground, holding up his credentials with both hands, belting out his rank and name, every single word, as he prostrated himself before the foreign dignitary. Mei Yiren watched from the ship, feeling both ticked off and amused. After Xiao Changgui finished, Mei Yiren quickly had the translator inform the foreign official: "That guy on the shore is Mr. Xiao, sent by the Liangjiang Governor to pay his respects!"
Upon hearing this, the foreign official picked up his telescope to look at the shore and saw a group of people, with the person in front being only half the height of the others. The foreign official was gobsmacked and asked, "Who is Mr. Xiao sent by your governor?" The translator pointed and said, "That's him." The foreign official asked, "Why's he so much shorter than everyone else?" The translator explained, "He's kneeling, that's why." He added, "He's showing you the utmost respect – it's the highest form of Chinese etiquette." The foreign official then understood, and quickly said some polite words, meaning "No way, get him up and on board." Once the translator was done, Mei Yiren had them bring Xiao Changgui aboard.
Xiao Changgui quickly boarded the large ship. The translator introduced him, pointing out the admiral, vice admiral, and vice general. Xiao Changgui immediately knocked his head three times against the ground before the admiral and then stood up to bow. He fumbled in his sleeve for a while and pulled out something. The translator understood that it was actually a hybrid Chinese-Western resume, admiring his thoughtfulness. He dropped to one knee before the admiral, presenting the resume with a flourish. The admiral did not know what he was holding, so he quickly asked the translator next to him. After the translator explained, he personally stood up and took the resume. Xiao Changgui then straightened up. He then paid his respects to the vice admiral and vice general, even though they did not respond. He didn't bat an eye at all.
After the greetings were completed, Xiao Changgui took a step forward and began to speak with the admiral. The admiral asked him to sit down, but he replied, "I should be serving you, sir. There's no place for me to sit." After repeated invitations from the admiral, he finally sat down on the edge of a chair. He could not understand what the admiral was saying, so everything was communicated through the translator. When the translator relayed the admiral's words, Xiao Changgui responded, "Yes," and sat there, replying loudly, "Yes." Everyone thought he was a hoot, but he did not mind at all. He then said to the admiral, "In response to your words, I was ordered by the governor to welcome you to stay in Nanjing for a few days. As soon as the governor learned of your arrival, he had the director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau decked out a large mansion for you—new paint, calligraphy, lanterns, the works—they worked on it for three days straight. I hope you'll do me the honor, and I'll take you there today." After speaking, the translator repeated the translation. The admiral replied, "Thanks for the thought, but I'll be leaving next week and have other matters to attend to."
Xiao Changgui saw the Admiral refuse to enter Nanjing and quickly said, "If you don't go to Nanjing, the Governor General will definitely say that I'm not doing my job well. Then you'll be angry and refuse to enter the province. Please, help me out and cut me some slack. Once the Governor General's happy, he'll fix me up with a good job, and my whole family will owe you one." After speaking, he bowed again. The translator relayed the words again. The Admiral smiled after hearing it and told the translator, "No need to keep me, I'm definitely not going to Nanjing." Xiao Changgui felt very annoyed at this and said, "If you're not willing to help out, then I guess there's nothing I can do. I'm here to serve you; I've been ordered by the Governor General. Whatever you command, I'll take care of it." The Admiral humbly replied to him. Mei Yunren then invited him to stay ashore and said, "Everything's ready at the residence." However, the Admiral still refused to disembark. Since there was nothing more to say, everyone said goodbye and disembarked together. Mei Yunren returned to the yamen to handle affairs. Xiao Changgui did not dare to return directly to Nanjing but went to the Admiral's ship in formal attire twice a day to pay his respects. Even after the Admiral refused him repeatedly, Xiao Changgui kept at it, until the Admiral just gave in.
Xiao Changgui originally thought that the commodore would leave in seven days. However, on the fifth night, while he was sleeping, he suddenly heard a lot of yelling outside, as well as gunshots, which scared him awake. He was so frightened that he shivered all over, a mess under his covers, and tried to ask someone what was happening, but he was gasping for air and couldn't get a word out. Just as he was getting anxious, a sailor rushed in to report, "Boss, trouble! Bandits!" Upon hearing the word "bandits," Xiao Changgui was even more frightened and hurried to put on his pants to make a run for it. In his panic, he put his pants on backwards and struggled for a long time to get them on correctly. He didn't bother buttoning his shirt, so he hastily wrapped himself up and ran off in slippers. The soldiers thought he was going after the bandits, so they quickly handed him a handgun. Xiao Changgui quietly told the people next to him, "The bandits are here, there's nowhere to run, let's hide in the lower coal bunker!" After saying this, he ran off. Luckily, after running a few steps, the sailor came back to report, "It's okay! The commodore's ship took care of the bandits, and over a dozen have been captured. Sir, rest assured!" Xiao Changgui finally calmed down and asked the people around him, "Did I just dream that?" Everyone laughed. Xiao Changgui was stunned for a while and said, "So, they really *did* catch those bandits?" A sailor said, "Of course it's true, I saw it with my own eyes, over a dozen were caught!" Xiao Changgui said, "Did you see clearly? What if some are still hiding? We could get ambushed! I think it's better not to go out; that's the local cops' problem. We're just visitors; let them handle it. Lights out, everyone! Lock the door, and let's stay alert!" After speaking, he took off his clothes and went to sleep, and the soldiers were also happy to relax, so everyone slept peacefully for the night. The next morning, Xiao Changgui usually reported to the commodore at 7 a.m. He waited an hour, scared of running into any stragglers.
When Xiao Changgui arrived on the foreign admiral's ship, the magistrate of Haizhou, Mei Yanren, had already arrived. It turned out that the foreign admiral's ship had caught some robbers the night before and sent someone to report to the city the next morning. When Magistrate Mei heard that robbers had been caught, he knew this was a chance to claim the credit, so as soon as he received the report, he hot-footed it to the ship, wanting to bring the robbers back to the city for interrogation. The foreign admiral was very obliging and immediately handed over the thirteen robbers to Mei Yanren, also sending eight foreign soldiers to escort them into the city. When Xiao Changgui saw that the robbers had really been caught, he became more courageous, immediately returned to the ship, and sent some soldiers to help escort them, thinking about gaining credit in the future. Magistrate Mei took the robbers to the yamen, dismissed the foreign soldiers and Xiao Changgui's soldiers, and immediately began the interrogation. At first, the robbers denied everything, but later, a few cracked under pressure and confessed. It turned out they were all repeat offenders. Seeing their accomplices confess, the rest quickly followed suit.
Mei Yanzhen was tickled pink: "I've scored big time today! Although it was that foreign warship showing up, it happened within my jurisdiction after all. It'll boost my reputation!" He immediately had the clerk draft a report and send it to the court. He also asked an old scholar to write a telegram specifically for the high officials in the province. The telegram first mentioned that foreign warship turning up, how he’d gone out of his way to help them, and how the foreign admiral was grateful to him and wanted to repay him. Then he said, "Since I took office, I’ve offered rewards for the capture of bandits, and thieves have disappeared. Everyone's living the good life. I heard a load of bandits were heading this way. I contacted the foreign warship in advance and asked for their help, and they agreed. In the middle of the night, according to informants, the bandits were hiding in a certain location. I immediately led people to capture them, but there were too many bandits. I was worried we were outnumbered, so I lured them to the beach while getting the warship to help. They really helped out, and we nabbed thirteen hardened criminals. I've got them all back at the station, questioned them, and they've confessed to everything. In addition to reporting the details in writing and requesting approval for disposal, I dare not decide on how to thank the foreign warship for assisting in the capture of the bandits, so I thought I'd better check with you." After sending out the telegram, Mei Yanzhen personally went to the foreign ship to thank the foreign admiral for his assistance, saying, "We've already wired the province, and we'll hear back soon enough. The bigwigs in the province will be chuffed." He wanted the foreign admiral to stay a few more days to be a good host. The foreign admiral politely declined, and Mei Yanzhen had to take his leave and return.
The Governor of Nanjing received a telegram from the Prefect of Haizhou, Mei Yanren, and his face was a rollercoaster of emotions after reading it. His face turned red, then white, and finally broke into a smile. He quickly called in Shi Qixiang, who was in charge of foreign affairs, to discuss in his office. The Governor attached great importance to foreign affairs, and his office was in Western style, with a large dining table in the middle and three chairs, his seat being in the middle. After Shi Qixiang sat down, the Governor showed him the telegram from Haizhou. Shi Qixiang nodded as he read it and then asked, "What's your take on this?"
The Governor said, "I think this matter, where foreign soldiers caught the bandits for us and are willing to let us handle the trial ourselves, is showing us a lot of respect. Since they are giving us credit, we gotta return the favor. These people are habitual offenders, and according to reason, they should be executed. But let's not rush to reply. Notify Prefect Mei to write down the details of the case and charges clearly, translate them into English, and send it over to ask them how to proceed. If they agree to release the bandits, we can also build some good karma. What do you think?" Shi Qixiang thought for a moment and said, "This is our business. After interrogating the bandits, we have the right to handle this ourselves; foreigners shouldn't butt in. In my opinion, you should directly approve taking care of them, without consulting the foreign soldiers. As for their help, we can express our gratitude, such as having Prefect Mei visit to say thanks or sending some local specialties like sheep, wine, chicken, and eggs to reward the soldiers. That's my two cents, what do you think?"
The Governor paused for a moment and said, "What you said makes sense. But since they have given us face and we haven't shown any gratitude, it bugs me. I think we should still send the local specialties. As for how to deal with those bandits, I think we should let them be for now, and when they stop caring, we can handle it ourselves; it'll kill two birds with one stone. I think this is the best approach." Shi Qixiang said, "This is our turf; we don't need to run it by the foreigners."
The governor saw Shi Qixiang still using his usual routine and was somewhat unhappy: "I've been handling diplomatic affairs for so many years, and haven't you learned anything? You are always so stubborn, unwilling to compromise at all. But what you said also makes sense; we must find a solution that works for everyone." Shi Qixiang smiled and said, "Let us handle the bandits ourselves; this is about upholding sovereignty. And then send some gifts as a token of appreciation—it's a compromise, there's no other way." The governor frowned, "You are really confused! What did I just tell you? This is different! Although we should handle the bandits, this time it was foreigners who caught them! They have made an effort and do not want to take advantage of us. If we don't give them some face, will it be acceptable? I have been handling diplomacy for so many years; if I give them something to criticize me for, I'd be in deep trouble!" With that, he was so angry that his beard bristled, and he did not say a word.
Seeing the governor angry, Shi Qixiang panicked, afraid of affecting his job, and thought to himself: "Sovereignty? What's that got to do with me? Why should I care? Offending my boss will do me no good." But he couldn't think of any other way for a while, hesitated for a long time, and had to go along with the governor's wishes, saying, "My words are unwise, unhelpful. You want a solution that works for everyone, which shows that you value diplomacy and want to uphold sovereignty; I admire that! I have come up with a solution that does not give up sovereignty and preserves our diplomatic standing—what do you think?" The governor said, "Go on!" Shi Qixiang said, "Immediately telegram Meizhizhou; have the ringleaders executed immediately—enforcing national law is upholding sovereignty. The rest should also be killed, but for now, do not convict them. According to your orders, hand them over to the foreign military officials. If they want to kill, these people should have died anyway; if they want to release them, we also gain some goodwill, honoring your kindness." The governor nodded repeatedly as he listened. Before Shi Qixiang finished speaking, he rushed to say, "Yes! Yes! It's Shi who has the idea, that's why I consult you on everything. Let's do it this way! Draft a telegram immediately, send it to the telegraph office, and let Meizhizhou handle it."
The provincial capital's affairs are put aside for now. After receiving the governor's reply, Mei Yangren from Haizhou immediately carried out the order. He invited the battalion commander to bring the five ringleaders already condemned from the prison to the court, verified their identities, and escorted them to the execution ground. During the execution, he and the others in the camp wore red cloaks together. Afterward, they first went to the City God Temple to offer incense, then returned to the yamen for the trial, and finally back to the office. The officials were a superstitious bunch, terrified of ghosts, believing that the red cloaks would keep the ghosts away. After circling the City God Temple, even if there were ghosts and goblins, they figured the City God would drive them off. When they returned to the yamen for the trial, the constables shouted and chased away ghosts with sticks, scaring off any lingering spirits. It was an old wives' tale, of course—nobody'd ever actually seen a vengeful spirit, but it helped them sleep at night.
Mei Yanren returned to the office. The foreign admiral was leaving the day after tomorrow, so he quickly sent for the teachers from the school to translate official documents overnight to report the situation to the foreign admiral. At first, the teachers complained they were too busy teaching all day and needed their evenings to rest; translating documents was a real headache, and they'd rather take it home to work on it at their leisure. Seeing that things weren't going smoothly, Mei Yanren brought in the steward to help persuade them, saying, "Look, the admiral leaves the day after tomorrow; we *have* to get this done by tomorrow morning. We'll make it worth your while!" Hearing the promise of a reward, the teachers had no choice but to agree. So, they began translating in Mei Yanren's office. He fussed over them, offering tea, water, snacks—anything they needed. He even had the steward bring a proprietary brain tonic from the Shanghai Airo Company for the teachers to drink, fearing they would strain their brains from fatigue. Seeing how much he was bending over backwards for them, they felt bad and got down to work. However, the content of the documents was too complex, and their Spanish was not top-notch, so they struggled to translate many parts. Fortunately, no one else in Tonghai Province understood English, so they got away with it. After eight hours of effort, they managed to get the gist translated and read it to Mei Yanren, who just mumbled "good," and that was that.
Mei Yangren immediately got someone to take the English letter to the ship. The teacher knew his English wasn't great, so he volunteered to go himself and make sure the admiral understood. But when the teacher got to the ship and gave the letter to the admiral, the admiral couldn't make heads or tails of it, even after reading it twice, and asked what it said. The teacher blushed and explained the whole thing. The admiral said, "Good thing you came! We've got plenty of guys who speak different languages here, but nobody understands *your* English!" The teacher realized he'd misspelled words and his face burned with shame. The admiral continued, "Since your laws say these guys should die, Mr. Mei, you handle it according to your own laws, okay?" The teacher then asked the admiral to supervise the execution, and the admiral readily agreed and set a time. The teacher returned to report the news. Mei Yangren immediately notified the camp and prepared a team to escort the prisoners to the execution ground. When they arrived at the execution ground, the admiral came with dozens of foreign soldiers. Those foreign soldiers – all the same height, marching in perfect step, with their shiny rifles – looked like something out of a movie. The Chinese soldiers were a sorry sight – a ragtag bunch of old men and young lads, some coughing, some nodding off from opium, all dressed in tatters, barefoot or in worn-out shoes. They looked more like beggars than soldiers. At the execution ground, some were joking, some were cursing, consumptives were spitting everywhere, opium addicts were wiping tears with their sleeves, and the knives and guns were rusty. Compared to the foreign soldiers, they looked like a bunch of hobos. After meeting the Chinese officials, the admiral snapped a picture of the prisoners, then another after they were dead, and everyone went their separate ways.
At this time, Mei Yunren had already prepared the gifts for the foreigners—such as wine, meat, and eggs. These were sent to the ship by an officer from the provincial capital. When Xiao Canjiang heard that gifts were being sent, he was thrilled because it was prestigious to give gifts to the Governor. He immediately dressed neatly, packed the gifts, and sent a hundred pigs and a hundred sheep with soldiers to drive them. He followed in a sedan chair, saying, "I'm used to being comfortable on the ship; I've forgotten how to ride a horse." They soon arrived at the ship. The gift list had already been translated, and everyone on the ship could understand it. Xiao Canjiang had been there many times before and was familiar with the people on the ship. Whether they were officers, soldiers, or sailors, they all saluted the foreigners. When they saw the foreign governor, they even kowtowed twice—once for themselves and once on behalf of the Governor. The people on the foreign ship were used to his fawning. The foreign governor accepted the gifts, rewarded the visitors, and asked a young officer to accompany Xiao Canjiang for a meal. This meal made Xiao Canjiang a nervous wreck. Some soldiers, seeing that he was familiar, tugged at his queue, jeering in a foreign tongue, "Where's your tail?" Although Xiao Canjiang didn't understand, he knew they were making fun of him. His face turned red, and he clammed up. After the meal, Xiao Canjiang thanked the foreign governor again and took his leave back to the prefectural office. They planned the send-off ceremony for the next day. Xiao Canjiang said he wanted to kneel on the shore to bid them farewell and invited the local military commander to join him. The local military commander agreed. Mei Yunren also arranged for the civil officials from the city to gather at the office the next morning to send them off together. Everyone agreed. Mei Yunren said, "Although the capture of the bandits this time was done by foreigners, the Governor's delighted, and there'll be plenty of chances for promotion." When Xiao Canjiang heard this, he quickly bowed and asked Mei Yunren to recommend him. Mei Yunren immediately agreed because he was sent by the Governor. The translator also asked for a recommendation, and Mei Yunren agreed, saying, "You've worked hard this time; you deserve it!" The translator was overjoyed.
The state official who went to the ship to inquire about the news was chatting with someone just now. Suddenly, he heard that something was going to be recommended here, so he immediately left the other person and ran over to Mei saying, "Count me in!" Mei was stunned for a while before slowly asking, "What else?" The state official said, "I'm not kidding, but I did the heavy lifting on this! Mei, what else do you not know? None of them dared to board the ship; wasn't it you who sent me and this translator to go?" Mei said, "Yes, even if you went, it can't be considered a first accomplishment." The state official became anxious, "If I didn't go on that trip, how would those foreigners be friendly with us and help us? I'm not asking you for anything else, just hoping that in the future, when recommendations are made, my contribution will be noted, and the governor will definitely not reject it. I can get promoted in the future thanks to this, and it won't be in vain for your support." After speaking, he bowed to Mei. Mei just said lightly, "Let's discuss this later." The state official felt that this wasn't going to work, paused for a moment, suddenly got an idea, quietly pulled the translator, and the two of them bid farewell and left together.
The state official took the translator to his yamen and said, "You did most of the work on this matter; I come second. In short, no one is more important than the two of us. I see that Mei seems a bit hesitant and unreliable. How about we take advantage of the fact that the foreign ship hasn't left tonight, and we both go on board, ask them to write a letter of recommendation to the governor, bypassing Mei? What do you think?" The translator thought about it and felt, "What he said makes sense. It's probably safer to go through the foreigners." He eagerly said, "Great! If you need to speak, I'll translate for you." The state official was very happy, immediately opened the drawer and took out two red papers, then invited the translator to help write two notes, one for himself and one for the translator, both praising themselves extravagantly.
After finishing writing, he immediately took a sedan chair to the beach and boarded a boat. This time, the magistrate felt bolder, knowing the foreigners meant no harm, unlike his previous encounter. The sailors asked him, "What brings you here?" The translator replied, "To see your admiral." The sailors took him to the admiral. This time, the magistrate had to ask for a favor, so he was especially humble. When he met the foreign admiral, he kowtowed and prostrated himself, just as he had done before with Xiao Changgui. Fortunately, the foreign admiral didn't mind, and only after the magistrate stood did he gesture for him to sit. The magistrate sat down, somewhat awkwardly. The translator then explained the purpose. The foreign admiral listened, laughing and shaking his head. Although the magistrate didn't understand, he got the message and knew they were somewhat unwilling. He was itching to speak, but what was the point? They wouldn't understand a word. Just as he was at a loss, after a lengthy explanation from the translator, the admiral smiled. The translator took the two letters from the magistrate's hand and handed them to the foreign admiral. The foreign admiral couldn't understand and asked the translator, "What does it say on here?" The translator then repeatedly explained the one from the magistrate to him. The magistrate watched, a hopeful glint in his eye, feeling that things were looking up. After the translator spoke for a while, he left with the magistrate. The magistrate urgently asked, "So, how'd it go? Think we're in the clear?" The translator replied, "We'll talk later." The magistrate had no choice but to bid farewell to the foreign admiral, then left with the translator. Once they were out of the cabin, he asked the translator again, "So, what happened?" The translator said, "We'll discuss it in detail later." Sweat beaded on his brow; he was a nervous wreck. He didn't know if things would work out or not, and his heart was pounding. To be continued...
