Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Xu Yanmiao had never dealt with disaster relief before, but it was clear that most of the Fujian officials had meticulously compiled the draft registers beforehand. The records handed to him were exceptionally complete and detailed, requiring only that he disburse the relief funds step by step.

Though he was alone, the accompanying Jinyiwei numbered quite a few. Two of them were assigned to each office to distribute the funds. History’s countless bloody lessons had taught every dynasty in Huaxia this one principle: if relief personnel could be sent from the capital, use them. Never rely on local clerks. Being natives, they could easily deceive both the people and the authorities.

Xu Yanmiao instructed the Jinyiwei to carry out their duties properly, then changed into plain clothes and ventured alone into the countryside.

He didn’t have much knowledge of disaster relief, but as a modern person, he understood one simple truth: “You have to go among the people.”

To find out if the people were faring well, if the relief funds and rations were reaching them, and what they needed, he had to see for himself to avoid being misled.

Going door to door, he knocked and, under the pretense of asking for water, struck up conversations with the villagers.

To his relief, many households had rice in their kitchens—not a lot, but enough to show that the government’s disaster relief supplies had indeed been distributed.

The only downside was…

Xu Yanmiao rubbed his round belly and went to relieve himself in the wild for the third time.

“I’ll have to come up with a better excuse next time. If I get water poisoning, it’ll be over…”

Muttering to himself, Xu Yanmiao stepped out from behind a large tree. After walking about fifty paces, he suddenly heard crying. His right hand instinctively gripped the flintlock pistol he’d painstakingly pulled from his waist as he cautiously approached the sound.

“Thank goodness… His Majesty arranged for me to learn how to use this pistol.”

It was a woman.

Xu Yanmiao tensed, gripping the pistol tighter.

Having grown up in an era of information overload, he knew better than to judge someone’s strength by their gender.

Stopping twenty paces away, he called out loudly, “Madam! Why are you crying?”

Startled, the woman tried to stand but stumbled and fell backward. Xu Yanmiao instinctively took half a step forward but held back from rushing over—mainly because she managed to support herself on the edge of the field and, after a few breaths, slowly stood up, revealing a tear-streaked face.

From twenty paces away, Xu Yanmiao began talking to her. His pleasant appearance worked to his advantage, and the woman quickly let down her guard. In a thick, tearful voice, she explained, “The village wants to pray to the River God for rain. They’re offering me as the River God’s bride.”

Xu Yanmiao’s expression turned solemn. “This matter—is the local official not addressing it?”

The woman lowered her gaze. “The prefect approved it.”

Xu Yanmiao quickly searched the system but found no record of the Tingzhou Prefect approving such a thing. Puzzled, he wondered if the woman was lying to him. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and he checked the Xinghua Prefect instead. Sure enough, he found the culprit.

To gain promotion, the Xinghua Prefect had come up with a twisted idea: conduct a ritual to appease the River God. If it rained, he would claim the credit. If it didn’t, he would pretend it had never happened.

Xu Yanmiao furrowed his brows deeply. “What about your family? Did they also… agree to this?”

The woman’s face showed a bitter expression. “I am a qing ji.”

Xu Yanmiao froze for a moment before realizing what she meant—qing ji was a refined term for a young or apprentice courtesan. Taking a closer look, he noticed that beneath her heavy makeup, her youthful and delicate features were faintly discernible.

—She was indeed a minor.

And courtesans had no family to rely on.

Xu Yanmiao grew anxious. “I’m an official of the court, a civil officer from the Ministry of Personnel. Come with me—I will take responsibility for you!”

The woman’s face lit up with joy, and she instinctively took two steps forward but abruptly stopped. She looked at Xu Yanmiao with alarm. “No! I cannot leave!”

“Huh? Why not—”

“The villagers come to check on me every stick of incense. If they don’t find me, the whole village will search, and, sir, you’ll be beaten to death!”

A stick of incense burned in about five minutes.

Xu Yanmiao pressed on. “I’ll go get help to save you!”

The woman shook her head again. “The ceremony starts in two quarter-hours.”@@novelbin@@

Two quarter-hours—thirty minutes. That wasn’t nearly enough time for him to go and return.

Xu Yanmiao pinched his fingers in frustration, at a loss.

The woman’s expression became a mix of complexity and gratitude. “Thank you, sir. You are kind and a good official. But I am just a filthy person from the world of courtesans. I’m not worth risking your life for. Please, leave quickly. The villagers will be here soon.”

Then, she saw the young man lowering his head and starting to take off his clothes.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “…Sir?”

The young man swiftly shrugged off his outer robe and tossed it to her. Then, he flashed her a radiant smile. “I have delicate features. If I dress as a woman, no one will notice the difference.”

“You must also remove your outer skirt, drape this robe over yourself, and head to the nearest yamen. Look for the people distributing relief grain—they are from the Jinyiwei. Show them this robe as proof, and they will believe you. As for me, don’t worry—I can hold them off until you return.”

If not, well, he wasn’t afraid to die anyway.

Author’s Note:

The matter about the toads is inspired by:

“In the words of our ancestors, the scholar Tang Yiren once discussed government affairs with Geishi Hu Sishan (Ruyin): ‘Aside from presenting reports on Rao Shen, he is no more than a “toad official.”’ Rao, styled Yuzhang, was a ranking official who had previously submitted a memorial condemning the Imperial Granary, which Hu had contested. During a severe drought, sacrifices were offered to pray for rain, with restrictions on slaughtering livestock. Hu submitted a petition suggesting that catching frogs and toads should also be prohibited to invoke Heaven’s favor, thus earning him the nickname “Toad Official.”

Source: Wanli Yehuo Bian

Translation: During a Ming dynasty drought, the court sought to address the disaster. Alongside prayer and sacrifices, restrictions on slaughtering animals were imposed. At the time, a certain official named Hu Sishan suggested that prohibiting the capture of toads would help summon rain, earning him the moniker “Toad Official.”

Relief Efforts:

Relief measures reference the Qing dynasty:

Initially, local leaders were instructed to register households affected by the disaster, recording details such as property ownership, household members, and economic status. These were compiled into draft rosters. Officials from the city, accompanied by local leaders, conducted inspections village by village. Specific days were announced beforehand to ensure villagers were present. Inspections determined who was severely impoverished or moderately poor, and adjustments were made directly in the rosters to prevent errors. Once verified, names and household information were publicly displayed, often on doorways or walls, to prevent fraud or omissions.

Finally, all data was compiled into concise registers and submitted for review.

Source: Huangzheng Suoyan

Disaster Relief Methods:

The structured disaster relief model generally followed two approaches:

1. Government Relief:

   Relief efforts varied based on timing—pre-disaster preparedness, concurrent aid during the disaster, or post-disaster assistance. For ongoing disasters like droughts or locust plagues, relief might continue as the disaster persisted. Sudden events like floods were typically addressed post-disaster.

   Immediate relief measures, such as food distribution (zhenzhou), were categorized into:

   • Pre-disaster: Emergency aid before full assessment.
   • Concurrent relief: During the disaster.
   • Post-disaster relief: Sustained assistance afterward.
2. Zhenzhou encompassed universal relief measures, with “urgent relief” being expedited aid during the initial outbreak of disaster.

Source: Ming-Qing Disaster Narratives, Mitigation Strategies, and Folk Beliefs

2. Aid Distribution:

   Initial relief provided one month’s worth of grain for the severely impoverished, categorized by the disaster’s severity:

   • 6/10 severity: 1 month of grain for the impoverished.
   • 7–8/10 severity: 2 months for the severely impoverished, 1 month for the moderately poor.
   • 9/10 severity: 3 months for the severely impoverished, 2 months for the moderately poor.
   • 10/10 severity: 4 months for the severely impoverished, 3 months for the moderately poor.
3. Each household was allocated grain based on family size, with adults receiving five he (approximately 0.5 liters) per day, and children half that. If grain was insufficient, monetary aid was provided based on market prices.

Source: Imperially Commissioned Qing Dynasty Regulations

Relief Tickets:

After verifying disaster victims through a process called “household review,” the findings served as the basis for issuing relief tickets. Victims used these tickets to collect supplies. Regulations required public announcements of allocated materials, household details, and distribution dates to prevent embezzlement.Source: Ming-Qing Disaster Narratives, Mitigation Strategies, and Folk Beliefs