Chapter 785 – Disappearance
"I'll also need some local personnel to assist," Xue Ziliang said, "and some safe houses. I need transit routes to move the target out."
"I'll arrange it," Lin Baiguang said. "Are you taking Gao Shunqin back to Lingao?"
"Yes. Though Jiang Shan said if bringing him back isn't convenient, we can dispose of the body near the Pearl River estuary. The House of Elders has no intention of inviting him to be a 'Political Consultative Committee member,'" Xue Ziliang said. "Just have him appear and disappear along the way to make it seem he ran off on his own."
Lin Baiguang was privately skeptical. "Frankly, isn't this plan too complicated? You'd be carrying a living person—a big target. And heading toward the Pearl River estuary—remember, Hong Kong Island is in our hands. Suspicion will still fall on us. Safer to go north, have him surface around Nanxiong."
Nanxiong Prefecture was the overland gateway between Guangdong and Jiangxi—a necessary route in and out of the province.
"What's your opinion?" Xue Ziliang had considerable discretion in executing this mission. The Foreign Intelligence Bureau's only directive was to make Gao Shunqin "disappear." How he disappeared was up to him—provided he absolutely didn't use methods that obviously looked like murder.
"Best to make him vanish locally." Lin Baiguang, after months in Guangzhou, understood this era's society, customs, and official culture quite well. Though ancient investigative techniques were weak and administrative capacity poor, cities had walls. Once an important official like the Inspecting Censor was discovered missing, they would immediately "close the gates and search the city." To guarantee getting Gao out, they had to move him beyond the walls at the earliest possible moment.
"Mm…" Xue Ziliang was noncommittal.
Lin Baiguang pointed out a few more aspects of the plan he considered problematic. At the same time, he pledged that the Guangzhou Security Division would fully support the operation.
Xue Ziliang smiled. "Your Guangzhou Security Division executed that evil servant outright—ruthless work."
"That had nothing to do with us, actually." Lin Baiguang clarified immediately—he didn't want any misunderstandings. "A flea like that—dead or alive, it didn't matter. I had someone check. It was Gao Ju's people."
After more discussion, Lin Baiguang led him to the inner courtyard to rest while he went to arrange the operation. Xue Ziliang took a bath and lay in bed, pondering the next steps.
Yu Baocun gazed gloomily at the black sky. Heavy clouds layered on clouds; stars and moon hid their light. The entire Gao mansion was desolate and silent—not a human voice stirred. Only a single corner lamp burned in the hall. The dark silhouettes of tiered roofs pressed down overhead, making one feel suffocated.
The household's servants, high and low, had all been swept out. The slaves were held separately in Nanhai County, Panyu County, and the Guangzhou Prefecture yamen. The few remaining family members had moved with their valuables to nearby temples—Inspecting Censor Gao had brought few relatives when he took office. The entire mansion was now controlled by runners from the prefectural and county governments.
Yu Baocun sat in the hall, deeply worried. Inspecting Censor Gao had inexplicably vanished seven or eight days ago. During that time, they had closed the gates and searched the city once—not a single hair of his had turned up.
As Guangzhou Prefect, Yu Baocun had been tasked with finding the Inspecting Censor—a most troublesome assignment. Inspecting Censors held low rank but were important local officials; they couldn't just disappear without explanation. When Wang Zunde died of illness in Zhaoqing, the court had issued a special decree investigating the matter. And this Inspecting Censor Gao had been hale and hearty just days ago!
Everyone knew Gao detested barbarians. Rumors swirled that Australians or Folangji had secretly killed him. But so far: no body, no living person. Dead or abducted—no one dared draw a conclusion.
Runners from the prefectural and county governments had scoured the city, turning Guangzhou upside down, to no avail. Yu Baocun issued a directive to the flower-boats and fishing vessels on White Goose Pool and the West River: report any floating corpses. He organized several of Gao's old servants to inspect each newly recovered body daily; they even checked the charity graveyards for pauper corpses and the crematoriums outside the city. Still nothing.
Finally, Yu Baocun had no choice but to return to the Gao mansion and supervise workers, guided by household servants, in tearing up every inch of the estate. After all the commotion, they found nothing.
The most suspicious servants—the maid on night duty in the inner study, the boy-servants attending the master—were held in Nanhai County yamen and harshly interrogated. After hundreds of lashes and torture, some servants fainted several times, yet their confessions remained the same: Master Gao had returned home, had a late-night snack in the inner study, written memorials for a long time. Around the end of the Hai hour (around 11 PM), he undressed and retired with Concubine Su's help. The servants on night watch outside the study all confessed, under the lash, to having dozed off after midnight. But how the master vanished—that they truly couldn't explain.
Concubine Su—Su Ai—hadn't vanished, but she was the master's favorite. With Master Gao's fate uncertain, Yu Baocun didn't dare torture her and only summoned her to talk. Su Ai was sensible: she knew the matter was grave. If Gao Shunqin perished, she was doomed—even if the authorities didn't scapegoat her, the Gao family wouldn't spare her. So she made no pretenses and recounted that night clearly.
Her account differed little from the servants'. She had attended the master in the inner study until the end of the Hai hour, then helped him wash and retire. Afterward, she tidied the documents on the desk, locked the memorials and letters in the document chest, and only then went to bed. The master was already asleep. Why he later vanished, she couldn't say—she simply woke to find him gone. By then, dawn was breaking.
Yu Baocun was skeptical of Su Ai's testimony. A living person vanishing from the bed—and the concubine sharing his bed noticed nothing? That was the glaring loophole. He wanted to exploit it with harsh interrogation, but feared that if the Inspecting Censor returned safely, he'd have made a mortal enemy. He consulted Li Fengjie several times and even went through He Chengzong's connections; the responses were vague. Clearly, Governor Li didn't want to touch this mess.
But the Gao family was plainly dissatisfied with Yu Baocun's ambiguous stance. Days ago, they sent a steward, expressing incomprehension as to why the prime suspect was still being treated politely rather than rigorously examined. They also presented a gift of 300 taels of silver.
Yu Baocun, experienced in official affairs, understood the implications. Yet the matter was grave; he had to think ahead and secure his footing. Besides, Su Ai was no fool either—she had gifted 500 taels of silver the very day of her interrogation.
Fortunately, someone finally came to share this awkward burden. Seeing Yu Baocun's week of fruitless investigation, Li Fengjie grew anxious and pulled strings to summon Lin Ming, a Trial Centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard stationed in Foshan, to assist in the search. Yu Baocun was both alarmed and relieved: alarmed because the Embroidered Uniform Guard was hard to deal with; relieved because this Centurion Lin had a reputation for "skilled manhunting." If he handled the investigation, perhaps a breakthrough would come. At the very least, regarding Su Ai, the Embroidered Uniform Guard wouldn't be as hesitant as he was.
This Trial Centurion Lin gave Yu Baocun hope the moment he arrived. After briefly questioning the Gao servants, he sent the prefecture's veteran detectives out to investigate. A few days ago, he had picked up some lead and immediately left the city with his subordinates—gone for several days now.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard must have some tricks up their sleeves. Just as Yu Baocun was musing, hoofbeats suddenly clattered outside the gate, followed by a burst of commotion. Yu Baocun's spirits rose—only Lin Ming's party had that swagger. They had to be back. After dark, only they dared gallop through the streets so boldly.
He quickly stood and paced the hall, affecting a worried demeanor.
Sure enough, Lin Ming and seven or eight retainers strode in through the main gate. They wore civilian traveling clothes, dusty from the road. Lin Ming was under thirty, tall and handsome—striking even among Ming officials. Amidst a crowd, he stood out—quite matching the Embroidered Uniform Guard image. Yu Baocun knew this man was "fond of women"—not only did he keep several beautiful concubines at home, but among his entourage on this trip was a young woman in men's clothing, obviously female at a glance.
"Centurion Lin—" Yu Baocun hurried to the door and descended the steps to greet him respectfully. By rank, Prefect Yu outranked a mere Trial Centurion by several grades, but the Eastern Depot's reign of terror was not long past; officials still feared these men.
"Let's talk inside!" Lin Ming, dusty and tired, cupped his fists, swept past the prefect, and strode into the hall.
Yu Baocun quickly ordered, "Attendants! Serve tea! Prepare a late supper."
Lin Ming did have news. He had patrolled the city for days and quickly obtained a lead: on the morning of the day Master Gao vanished, a great household's sedan and horses had exited through Jinghai Gate. Because the gate had just opened and this party wanted out immediately, the gate-keeper found it very odd—hence, a vivid memory.
"Normally, no gentry household would be waiting at the gate at dawn unless there was some urgent emergency!" Lin Ming tossed his cloak onto a chair.
"Please have tea." Yu Baocun offered tea first, then said slowly, "In Centurion Lin's opinion: Master Gao was in that party?"
"Nine times out of ten." Lin Ming spoke with confidence. "This is very strange."
(End of Chapter)