Chapter 1385 - Canal Gang

The personnel Zhao Yingong dispatched spent several days investigating the prefectures and counties where Rice Riots had erupted. The intelligence they brought back left him deeply unsettled.

Though Hangzhou Station's operatives had limited capabilities and couldn't obtain sufficiently detailed intelligence, one thing was clear from studying what they had gathered: this Rice Riot was obviously premeditated and organized. The opposition was experienced, their actions skilled—clearly old hands at this. Furthermore, the placards they had collected made the spearhead unmistakable: it was aimed directly at him.

During a famine year, being branded as someone "hoarding for speculation and seeking exorbitant profits"—even a child knew what fate awaited such a person.

Setting aside the terrifying destructive power that common people suffering from hunger and poverty could unleash once provoked, the gentry of wolf-and-tiger nature could easily seize on this as well, making much hay from his predicament.

And more troubling still: any force capable of organizing disturbances on this scale was no ordinary enemy.

Zhao Yingong shut himself in his inner study, pot after pot of strong tea, cigar after cigar. He had always assumed the greatest threat came from local Jiangnan gentry. He hadn't expected someone to approach silently with underhanded moves.

Most terrifying of all: he still hadn't identified the opposition's background. Who were they? What did they hope to gain by targeting him with such heavy-handed tactics?

None of Hangzhou Station's various news channels could collect anything particularly useful. The enemy remained shrouded in fog.

After much deliberation, he sent a telegram to the External Intelligence Bureau reporting the situation, while ordering heightened security at both Phoenix Mountain Villa and Wanbi Bookshop.

"The most urgent priority is to dig out the hidden mastermind." Zhao Yingong reasoned that if they remained in darkness while the enemy operated in light—one-way transparency—the disadvantage would be crippling.

At this moment, Zhao Yingong realized that although the intelligence network he and the External Intelligence Bureau had constructed enjoyed considerable breadth, the information it collected was essentially all open-source intelligence. Indeed, no one in all Jiangnan was likely better informed than he was. He could receive news from major cities across Jiangnan within three days, and same-day intelligence from Beijing, Guangzhou, Wuhan, and Dengzhou-Laizhou. But when it came to secret intelligence—covert operations—his capabilities remained limited.

Security awareness in ancient society was remarkably weak. Setting aside ordinary gentry and wealthy households, even news from government yamens could be bought with money. Many so-called military secrets were already flying as gossip across small-path news networks in the capital before any official announcement.

Yet his painstakingly built intelligence network knew absolutely nothing about the hidden hand behind this Rice Riot. This told him the opponent was no ordinary enemy—they had to be an organization with considerable experience in clandestine operations. He recalled lectures from a group of bookworms at the Great Library during his training at the External Intelligence Bureau: Ming Dynasty secret religious sects were remarkably flourishing, boasting not only numerous members but strict organizational structures.

"Could this be cult elements?" Zhao Yingong muttered. Yet the placards he had collected showed no trace of folk religious doctrine.

If this were happening in Lingao or somewhere similar, the Council of Elders' coercive apparatus would respond with high efficiency. But he was in Ming-ruled territory now. The instruments of violence were not in his hands.

The first step was to investigate clearly: who was the enemy? Only by knowing that could he devise countermeasures.

One point was beyond doubt: the enemy had their spearhead pointed at him and was preparing to further incite larger civil disturbances by continuously stoking popular emotions.

Once a large-scale uprising erupted, not only would the foundations he had laid in Jiangnan suffer severe damage, but his own reputation would be ruined. Continuing activities in Jiangnan would become nearly impossible.

Countermeasures must be taken immediately. With this in mind, he summoned Zhao Tong to discuss the situation.

Though Zhao Tong was a naturalized citizen who had come from Qiwei Escort Agency, he was in truth an authentic man of the rivers and lakes. He had been born into the trade of "walking dark escorts"—essentially an "individual operator" in the escort business, specializing in transporting priceless treasures under conditions of maximum secrecy. Men who walked dark escorts traveled alone, their whereabouts uncertain. They possessed not only exquisite martial arts but the bold-yet-cautious temperament of those intimately familiar with underworld tricks.

"As I see it, this has the fingerprints of secret society people." Zhao Tong said after glancing through the materials.

"How do you figure?" Zhao Yingong was secretly startled. Though Zhao Tong had handled most of the material collection, much had arrived through other channels, and the compilation and summary had been done by others. Yet with only a cursory look, he had reached a conclusion similar to Zhao Yingong's own.

"This kind of technique—their religious sects are masters of it." Zhao Tong was concise. "Also, Master, don't forget: this is Hangzhou."

"What about Hangzhou?"

"Have you forgotten those temples by Gongchen Bridge?"

"Ah!" Zhao Yingong suddenly understood. How had he overlooked this? "The Luo Sect."

Gongchen Bridge, outside the Beixin Gate of Hangzhou Prefecture, was the starting point of the Grand Canal—the traditional anchoring ground for grain boats of canal transport. According to tradition, during the Ming Dynasty three men—Qian from Miyun, Weng from somewhere unknown, and Pan from Songjiang—lived in Hangzhou and jointly propagated the Luo Sect. They built three nunneries at that location—Qian Nunnery, Weng Nunnery, Pan Nunnery—worshipping Buddha statues and practicing vegetarianism and sutra chanting.

Because the location was near where grain boats anchored, canal boat sailors often sought lodging there. Over time, many converted to the sect. The nunneries gradually became the sailors' own property. As more sailors stayed, the number of Luo Sect temples multiplied. According to a memorial from Zhejiang Governor Li Wei to the Yongzheng Emperor during the Qing Dynasty, Zhejiang Gang canal transport sailors mostly believed in the Luo Sect. Even in that period of decline, over thirty temples still existed—and at its peak earlier, rumor claimed the number reached seventy-two. Sailors saved silver monthly for temple maintenance and support. During the winter months when boats returned empty, they rested at these temples without paying room fees. For lawsuit expenses along the route, specialized personnel handled matters at Huai'an, Tianjin, Tongzhou, and the capital. Thus a gang of canal transport sailors had rapidly formed.

Given that he and Shen Tingyang—along with Fushe—were now planning to "abolish canal transport in favor of sea transport," and given that the Merchants Bureau had just undertaken the northbound shipment of Guan-Ning grain and pay, it was no wonder people from the Canal Gang might view him as a thorn in their eye. Zhao Tong's speculation was quite reasonable.

With potential suspects identified, the situation became more manageable. At least now he knew what means to deploy against them.

"This is good," he found himself saying.

Zhao Tong looked at him in surprise. If they were truly targeted by the Luo Sect and Master Zhao's response was "This is good"—had the Chief gone mad? Though Zhao Tong appreciated the Council of Elders' capabilities, this was Hangzhou under Ming rule, not Guangzhou where Australian gunboats patrolled the Pearl River and could appear at White Goose Pool at any moment.

Since the second-generation Luo Sect leader Duan Jinan had led disciples up Tiantai Mountain in the fourth year of the Wanli era, preaching doctrine and gathering three thousand followers before being suppressed by local officials, the various Luo Sect branches had always maintained a low profile. Unlike the White Lotus Sect, which repeatedly fomented uprisings against the dynasty, the Luo Sect remained a folk religious organization that couldn't be ignored in the rivers-and-lakes world. Especially the branch followed by canal transport sailors—though its religious character was faintest, its power along both banks of the canal was immense.

"Can you investigate their background thoroughly?"

"I'll start immediately." Zhao Tong agreed readily. He was intimately familiar with rivers-and-lakes people; with the right connections, much news could be uncovered.

After Zhao Tong withdrew, Zhao Yingong considered briefly and decided to notify both Shen Tingyang and Fushe: someone was secretly acting against the Merchants Bureau.

If the Canal Gang was truly behind this, he had no intention of shouldering the burden alone. Somehow, he had to drag these two parties into the water. However powerful the Canal Gang might be, it was merely a "vigorous social organization"—they definitely wouldn't openly "confront established power." Hangzhou Station's safety could be temporarily preserved. He would slowly marshal forces to deal with them.

And taking a step back—if matters truly spiraled out of control and the Canal Gang rose in rebellion—even the complete destruction of Hangzhou Station would be no great loss. Such an outcome would provide exactly the opportunity for the Council of Elders to intervene directly in Jiangnan and further extend control over the north-south shipping routes.

However, the news Zhao Tong brought back several days later surprised him yet again: there was absolutely no talk within the Canal Gang about dealing with Zhao Yingong.

The Canal Gang was merely a sailors' association. Though its organization was large, its internal structure wasn't particularly strict. There was no role like "General Gang Leader," nor did it establish incense halls everywhere as folk religious sects did. Even its religious character was faint. The Canal Gang was roughly distributed along the canal line, one gang per locality. Though disciples with high seniority in the organization commanded respect, that was merely a matter of status—there was no governing hierarchy between gangs, only cooperation.

Canal Gang chapters too distant from Hangzhou, even if they recognized the Merchants Bureau's grain transport as a grave threat to the Gang's future, could hardly intervene directly. Any action would have to be led by gangs in Southern Zhili and Zhejiang.

If the Canal Gang truly intended to move against Zhao Yingong, given such a loose organizational structure, middle-level personnel in Hangzhou's Canal Gang should have received word by now.

Yet Zhao Tong's days of running around had turned up nothing. Up and down the ranks, Canal Gang members were busy repairing ships. In a few months, autumn grain would come to market. Prefecture and county yamens would open their granaries to receive grain from tax-paying households, while canal boats arrived at the piers for acceptance and loading—a process called "Receiving Exchange." This was the most important event of the year for the Canal Gang. Not only could official business not be delayed, but during "Receiving Exchange" and "grain color inspection" and "customs clearance," there were countless opportunities to extort prefectures and counties. The gang's core members leading these activities could make fortunes, and the entire organization from top to bottom reaped significant income.

Under these circumstances, it was hard to imagine the Canal Gang—consumed with generating income—would spare energy to pursue Zhao Yingong. Even reactions to grain and pay being shipped north by sea were muted: first, this wasn't a regular practice; second, a mere fifty thousand shi of rice was one hair from nine oxen compared to the over two million shi of tribute grain transported annually.

Zhao Tong himself was baffled. He had been quite confident in his deduction—he hadn't expected the facts to prove otherwise.

(End of this chapter)