Chapter 2268: Fishing by the River
"So it's you." Chang Qingyun said as soon as he saw Yi Haoran. "I should have guessed."
Yi Haoran set down the bundle containing his ledger and umbrella. "Because of Jiang Suo?"
"Exactly. That dull, simple-minded fellow—he only ever took orders from you. Who else would he be running errands for?"
Yi Haoran smiled, selected a stone by the river, and sat down. He picked up a fishing rod. "Here—I borrowed this from a fisherman over there. I hear there are good fish in this river."
Chang Qingyun had no desire to fish, but knowing Yi Haoran was doing this to maintain appearances, he reluctantly accepted the rod. "You certainly have refined tastes."
Yi Haoran picked up his own rod. Without even baiting the hook, he cast it into the river bend. "So what if he's simple? He has a pure heart. This city of Wuzhou is full of clever people—but how many of them climbed Bang Mountain to fight to the death? Our Dynasty lacks for nothing except clever, calculating people." He paused. "Aren't we both fools too, trapped here in Wuzhou?"
"Enough with the flattery," Chang Qingyun threaded an earthworm onto his hook and let the line drop into the water. "You went to all this trouble to find me. What do you want?"
"I hear you're in the Australian captive camp."
"That's right. 'Entering the palace a second time,' as they say—an Australian captive for the second time."
Yi Haoran studied his attire. "Captive life seems to suit you well enough."
"Can't compare to serving in Governor Xiong's staff, naturally. Just dragging out an ignoble existence." Chang Qingyun sighed and gazed at the river. "I've been tossed about enough. Followed the army into Qiongzhou—complete disaster. Captured alive by the Taipings, endured every humiliation, survived by sheer stubbornness, and finally made it back to the world of the living. Who would have expected to end up doing the same thing again?" He paused. "If I can ransom myself this time, I'm going home to live out my days in seclusion."
Yi Haoran watched the ripples on the water—this was a river bend where the current ran slow, and fish stirred the surface frequently—without looking at him. "A true man stands between heaven and earth seeking not merit or glory, but to carry no shame in his heart. You were selected from obscurity by Governor Xiong, a man who showed you great favor. Not to mention you're a dignified Juren of filial and honest character. The Lord's grace runs deep and heavy—don't you blush to speak such words?"
Chang Qingyun snorted. "Old Yi, don't try that goading trick on me. My heart died long ago. We both know the truth: whether the Australians can take all under heaven remains to be seen, but seizing the Two Guangs is as easy as turning their hand. Compared to the Jiannu, they're a hundred times better. When we served in Governor Xiong's staff, at least he still had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command and Guangxi at his back—fighting wasn't entirely hopeless. But now I hear more than half of Guangxi's prefectures and counties have fallen, and Governor Xiong's whereabouts are unknown. What can two poor scholars do to serve the Imperial Court?"
Yi Haoran smiled. "Master Chang, I won't preach grand principles. Do you really expect to earn your freedom by doing labor here, waiting for the Taipings to let you go?"
"If they don't release me, what's the point of keeping me?" Chang Qingyun retorted. "I'm nearly fifty—can't carry, can't lift, don't farm, don't know any trade. Useless except for knowing a few characters. And with my Juren background, they don't trust me enough to appoint me as an official. Do you think the Taipings have so much grain they want to feed a useless rice weevil like me?"
"What if they want to borrow your head?" Yi Haoran said softly. He suddenly jerked his fishing rod up and cursed: "Empty! Looks like I need bait after all."
Chang Qingyun understood Yi Haoran's meaning perfectly. Once the "Burning City Plan" became known to the Australians, his head might very well become a prop for winning popular support.
"What kind of figure am I, that the Australians would want my head?" He affected nonchalance. "Besides, whatever faults the Australians may have, they have one virtue: they don't frame innocent people. If they can't catch Chang Pu, they won't insist that I'm him."
"There you're wrong." Yi Haoran had tried righteousness first; seeing Chang Qingyun unmoved, he resorted to coercion. This bucket of dirty water had to be poured over him to ensure his commitment—even if he couldn't be of great use, at least he wouldn't cause harm.
"Master Chang, how can we call the burning of Wuzhou a 'frame-up'?" Yi Haoran still didn't look at him. "Setting aside that Chang Pu was recommended by you in the first place, when he proposed the plan, you were there offering detailed advice. You even wrote a memorial to Governor Xiong with your own hand—or have you forgotten?"
Sweat dripped from Chang Qingyun's forehead. Not only had he written a memorial supporting the "Burning Wuzhou" plan, he had also raised numerous suggestions. If that memorial fell into Australian hands, they wouldn't even need to hold a trial—throwing him on the street would get him beaten to death by local commoners.
Yet that memorial had been sent directly to Xiong Wencan's desk. Before fleeing, the Governor had burned many documents. Yi Haoran couldn't be counted among Xiong Wencan's closest confidants—he shouldn't have seen it, let alone obtained it.
"Utter nonsense!" Chang Qingyun said urgently. "I submitted many memorials to Governor Xiong—when was there ever one like that? You want to frame me, but I won't just sit and wait to die! If it comes to it, the fish dies and the net breaks!"
Yi Haoran suddenly smiled. "Brother Chang, if you want the fish to die and the net to break, so be it. Jiang Suo and I both crawled out of piles of corpses. His family was killed by the Taipings; my relatives died under Jiannu hooves. We're both alone in the world—no home, no property. Our lives can end whenever. If we cared about our skins, why would we stay in Wuzhou? Why would we go to such lengths to find you?"
Chang Qingyun's face went pale. Though Yi Haoran's expression was calm, there was something of the desperado about him.
Yi Haoran continued: "Don't assume your memorial was offered to the Fire God—I've read it most attentively. The literary style is truly impressive, makes one want to recite it aloud..." He began quoting the memorial from the beginning.
In truth, Chang Qingyun himself didn't remember the exact wording very well. But when Yi Haoran read the first few sentences, the entire document suddenly surfaced in his mind, clear as if he had just written it himself.
Inexplicable terror gripped him. Had my memorial actually fallen into Yi Haoran's hands? Neither Yi Haoran nor Jiang Suo had been captured. It was entirely possible they had obtained documents Xiong Wencan abandoned amid the chaos of Wuzhou's fall...
The thought made him tremble. "Stop! Don't read any more!"
Yi Haoran broke off. "Fish hooked!" He lifted his rod, hoisting up a large crucian carp.
Chang Qingyun watched him remove the fish and drop it into the creel, then bowed his head in defeat. "What do you want?"
In fact, Yi Haoran didn't have the memorial. But he had studied it carefully several times back then and could remember the opening portion. From a strategic standpoint, he had actually considered it a clever plan—merely too harmful to civilians, inevitably inhumane.
"Relax—I don't need you to take any risks. I want to move about in the Sanheui captive camp. I'll need you to arrange that."
Chang Qingyun couldn't refuse. He had no choice but to "join the gang." Yi Haoran made it clear: he and Jiang Suo had nothing to lose, unlike Master Juren Chang Qingyun with his home and property. The barefoot don't fear those who wear shoes. Moreover, he held evidence enough to end Chang Qingyun's life... All of this ensured Chang Qingyun dared not resist.
Watching Chang Qingyun's defeated figure retreat, Jiang Suo emerged from hiding. "Is Master Chang reliable?"
"Of course not." Yi Haoran said. "But he has property and family—he values his life dearly. Holding his weakness, he'll naturally do as I say. Just don't ask him to take serious risks. This man lacks backbone; if his life were threatened, he might very well betray us."
Jiang Suo nodded silently. "Sir, what do we do next?"
"How are things on Song Ming's end?"
"I've met with Zhang Yong. He says General Song, after being fished from the river, was taken by his personal soldiers to a ruined temple in the mountains outside the city. He survived. He still has several dozen brothers—some of his own soldiers, and also part of the 'New Army' house guards I once commanded."
"'Survived' means acting as bandits. Song Ming's subordinates are his own personal soldiers and house guards—their combat strength and cohesion far surpass ordinary bandits. Song Ming isn't a man who'd willingly sink into banditry either. They've been operating carefully, only approaching wealthy households far away, asking them to 'assist with provisions'—modest amounts. If refused, their combat power is enough to cut through a hundred village braves without trouble. So they've been fairly successful."
"What's his attitude toward us? Is he willing to meet?"
"He was cold at first—barely willing to accept your letter to General Song. But later he sought me out himself, saying General Song hasn't forgotten the grace of you and me saving his life. He's willing to meet."
"General Song is truly a man of loyalty and righteousness." Yi Haoran nodded approvingly. "With him, our great undertaking is half accomplished."
Though Second Master Gou also commanded about a hundred men, Yi Haoran held the combat capability of such bandits in low regard. When the critical moment came, he would need Imperial Court soldiers like Song Ming.
"Zhang Yong has arranged a meeting tomorrow at the Dragon Mother Temple outside Dayun Gate. He says General Song will be there himself."
No hesitation at all—that showed Song Ming wasn't depressed like Chang Qingyun, but still plotting something. With such loyal officials and righteous warriors present, no matter how rampant the Taipings were, they would surely meet their day of defeat.
The thought filled Yi Haoran with unconscious excitement. His plan had seemed somewhat "fanciful," but now it actually had the possibility of realization. Could this be the Will of Heaven?
He immediately reminded himself not to grow impatient. He was in enemy territory. The Taipings were known for their tight patrols and investigations. The slightest carelessness would not only cost him his life but implicate many loyal officials and righteous warriors.
Especially Jiang Suo, who had been running about these past days—the risks he was taking were obvious.
"Stay with the ferry business for now. Don't go running around to avoid attracting attention. If you meet acquaintances, don't acknowledge them for the time being. Wait until I've met with these old comrades one by one, then we'll make plans." Yi Haoran instructed. "If something urgent comes up, just hide. I'll go to the Dragon Mother Temple on every fifteenth—if you're free, meet me there. Don't act impulsively when things happen. Keep yourself alive and useful—only then can we accomplish great things."
"Sir, rest assured. I still intend to keep this life long enough to kill a few true Australians!"
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 472 (End of Chapter)