Chapter 2264: Reunion on the River
Beneath the bamboo hat, the dull-faced boatman could only be Jiang Suo.
Yi Haoran was stunned. He had never expected to encounter Jiang Suo here.
He hadn't seen the man since a few days before Wuzhou fell. He had assumed that if Jiang Suo hadn't deserted like so many common soldiers, he must have died in battle. He never imagined Jiang Suo would still be in Wuzhou.
Looking at him now, it was impossible to tell whether he was genuinely making a living as a ferryman or had deliberately disguised himself to wait here.
Either way, Yi Haoran had already committed himself to fighting the Australians to the end. Jiang Suo was a renegade from the Australians—he would never side with them again. Speaking with him couldn't hurt.
He steadied himself. "Very well, I'll take your boat."
Jiang Suo led him to the pier, where many small boats were moored, all doing ferry business. Jiang Suo untied the rope, steadied the craft, and helped Yi Haoran aboard before jumping in himself and rowing away from shore.
At first, neither spoke. Only when the boat reached the middle of the river did Jiang Suo slow his oars and whisper: "Advisor Yi, it's good to see you."
"Just scraping by with my life." Yi Haoran sighed heavily. "And you, Brother Jiang?"
"Reborn into a second life. I picked my life back up from the edge of death."
Jiang Suo explained what had happened. When Xiong Wencan fled, he had originally brought Jiang Suo along. But shortly after slipping through the encirclement, the Australians discovered them. Jiang Suo led the house guards in a rearguard action. After a chaotic battle in the darkness, though the main group escaped, the guards around him were nearly all killed or wounded. During the flight, Jiang Suo fell off a cliff and lost consciousness.
The fall knocked him out cold and split his head, but it saved him from the Fubo Army's search. He hid in the mountains for a day. When he saw the Fubo Army had withdrawn, he fled on foot toward Teng County.
Along the way, he was caught by bandits who had set up an ambush specifically to intercept stragglers. These were none other than Gou Er—that is, Hu Lanyan's gang.
Normally, routed soldiers like Jiang Suo who fell into bandit hands had their armor, weapons, and valuables stripped before being stabbed and dumped by the roadside. But this time, Gou Er discovered he carried an Australian musket and mistook him for a "Taiping spy." Sensing a prize worth keeping, he spared his life.
Upon interrogation, Gou Er learned he was Xiong Wencan's personal officer, commanding the "New Army"—a unit Gou Xunli knew of. On the spot, he broke into smiles, personally untied the ropes with apologies for the "offense," and invited him to join the gang in resisting the Taipings.
Thus Jiang Suo joined Gou Er's bandits. He had no idea that this middle-aged man calling himself Xunli was the same "heinous reactionary Gou Er" he had heard mentioned during his time with the Fubo Army.
But knowing or not knowing made little difference to Jiang Suo now. He didn't care about living—as long as he could kill a true Australian, that was enough. He agreed to join without hesitation.
"...How did you know I was here?" Yi Haoran asked.
"To be honest, I've been here for several days." Jiang Suo explained. "Big Brother Xun knows we have history together. He specifically asked me to make contact and discuss our plans."
At the words "discuss our plans," Yi Haoran couldn't help but sigh deeply.
"Alas! I have the heart to slay these rebels but lack the power to reverse the heavens! These past days I've been surveying Wuzhou inside and out, looking for weaknesses in the Taiping defenses—but they're watertight! Today I came hoping to find someone like-minded, but he's nowhere to be found..."
Jiang Suo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he said: "Advisor Yi, didn't you once teach me? 'Knowing it cannot be done, yet doing it anyway'—that is the true mark of a hero. We lost the battle, but we're still alive. As long as we're alive, there's always a chance."
Yi Haoran was moved by his stubborn spirit. He nodded. "Well said. We shall do this 'knowing it cannot be done, yet doing it anyway'!"
He told Jiang Suo about his search for Chang Qingyun.
"I know the person you mean." Jiang Suo nodded and roughly described Chang Qingyun's appearance and habitual gestures.
"Exactly him! You've seen him?"
"I've been ferrying here for several days now. I've seen everyone who works in the Dayun Gate area—quite a few familiar faces, actually." Jiang Suo smiled. "Fortunately, most of them don't recognize me."
He had found the ferry boat abandoned in a deserted river cove—its boatman either dead or fled. Though he was from Henan, years of wandering had taught him water skills; he knew his way around boats and oars. So he used the ferry business outside Dayun Gate as cover while watching for a chance to contact Yi Haoran.
He hadn't managed to find Yi Haoran these past days, but he had spotted plenty of familiar faces.
He kept a low profile, and his time in Wuzhou had been brief—very few civil or military officials would recognize him. But in his days leading patrol and sentry duty, he had observed many people.
"They've all surrendered to the Taipings now—crossed over to the winning side. It doesn't matter if we recognize them; what's dangerous is if they recognize us."
"But there are also quite a few who haven't crossed over," Jiang Suo added. "Scattered throughout the city."
Yi Haoran perked up, momentarily forgetting about Chang Qingyun. "Do you know who they are? When you have time, try to make discreet inquiries."
"Don't be too hasty, Advisor. I don't know many characters—I couldn't write their names legibly for you. In a moment, I'll tell you one by one. As for Advisor Chang you asked about—he's now working as a paperwork clerk at the Sanheui Parade Ground."
"Is that true?!"
"I asked him myself yesterday." Jiang Suo smiled. "When he first came over from Sanheui, he was escorted by soldiers along with the labor crews. When work ended, he was marched back in formation. But a few days ago, I saw him crossing the river alone, so I struck up a conversation. Turns out he's now a clerk in the captive camp. Though still technically semi-captive, he's no longer under escort. He can come and go freely as long as he returns to the camp for roll call each evening."
"Then why doesn't he run?"
"He has neither travel money nor anywhere to go. Where would he run?" Jiang Suo said. "Besides, he has no Australian travel pass. He can't take boats or use the main roads—only remote trails. With bandits and Yao disturbances everywhere, traveling alone like that would be suicide."
Yi Haoran considered this and agreed.
That Chang Qingyun worked as a clerk in the captive camp and could move freely was excellent news. Since he could move about, many things became much easier. He might not even need to risk infiltrating the camp himself. "With his help, our great undertaking is half accomplished!"
"True enough, Advisor. But will Master Chang be willing to join us?" Jiang Suo looked worried. "When he took my ferry, I sounded him out. He doesn't seem to hate the Australians. And this man values his own skin above all else."
"Leave the matter of persuading Chang Qingyun to me." Yi Haoran seemed quite confident. "I'd say there's a sixty or seventy percent chance of success. But since he works in the parade ground, how do we get in to see him?"
Jiang Suo couldn't think of a way either. He could only suggest playing it by ear.
"He has to come out every few days for camp business. I'll find an excuse to arrange a meeting then."
"Good." Yi Haoran nodded. "But whatever you do, don't mention that I arranged it. Though he didn't expose me last time, he may not want to get involved in this. If you tip him off and he gets suspicious, it could ruin everything."
Jiang Suo nodded. He rowed the boat to an isolated spot on the shore and recounted the names of officials and generals he had seen who weren't imprisoned in the captive camp. About a dozen in all. Some Jiang Suo didn't know by name, but he could describe their former positions or surnames. Combined with specific characteristics, Yi Haoran could roughly identify them.
"There are also some who just look familiar, but I don't know their situations." Jiang Suo said. "Some are dressed as common folk; some wear the armbands issued by the Taipings—probably working for them. By the way, a few days ago I also spotted Zhang Yong, one of Song Ming's personal soldiers. I don't know what he's doing now."
"General Song is still alive?!" Yi Haoran was shocked. He had met retreating soldiers who claimed Song Ming had drowned when the Taipings shelled the floating bridge while he was crossing.
"He fell in the water after crossing the river but was rescued by his personal soldiers. Life or death unknown." Jiang Suo carefully omitted that he himself had fished Song Ming from the water.
"General Song is a good man. If he's alive, he'd be a tremendous asset!" Yi Haoran grew excited. Song Ming was different from himself and Jiang Suo—he was a commander who had led troops. That meant, assuming he was alive and hadn't been captured, he would have at least seven or eight house guards with him, all combat-capable elite soldiers.
Initially, Yi Haoran had been full of ambition to accomplish something extraordinary in Wuzhou, yet found himself groping in the dark with nowhere to start. But meeting Jiang Suo today changed everything. This half-disciple, half-subordinate had not only survived but brought news he never knew: throughout Wuzhou, many of their kind remained in hiding. Suddenly he felt a surge of confidence. Regardless of Governor Xiong's fate, he, Yi Haoran, would make his mark in Wuzhou!
At dusk, Yi Haoran returned to Luo Yangming's "Yuxin" Rice Shop. The storefront was deserted, the shop boards not even fully taken down. Ah Chun dozed at the counter. Apart from him, not a soul was visible. With the war in the Two Guangs still raging, grain supplies from Guangxi had been effectively cut off. "Yuxin" and other shops that transshipped grain from upstream to Guangdong had no business to conduct. Their only work now was distributing grain shipped from Sanshui to the Senate's occupied territories, maintaining the normal grain supply.
This business operated according to the Planning Court's grain quotas, merely using existing distribution channels. Monthly business volume and profit were roughly fixed, requiring little thought. So Luo Yangming spent most of his time not at the rice shop but handling affairs at the Rehabilitation Bureau.
The noise of Yi Haoran entering woke Ah Chun, who hurried to greet him: "Sir! You're back." He took the bundle and umbrella from his shoulder.
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 468 (End of Chapter)