Chapter 2291: Top Favorite Chang Qingyun
"You make a fair point. Then invite him over to blow off some steam," Liu Youwang said, patting his belly with affected magnanimity. "There's a new girl I just selected for the opera troupe—truly a lovely little thing. I'm a man of generous heart; he can have her first."
"Getting him a woman won't help," Jiang Yougong complained. "He's already bedded plenty these past few months."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"We'll have to give him some actual benefits..." Jiang Yougong said.
Zhu Si had been dropping hints lately. He knew about the Sanhezu operation and wanted his cut. Jiang Yougong was reluctant, but had no choice but to show his respects.
"Fine," Liu Youwang said, his heart heavy with unwillingness, though he knew there was no other way. "How much silver are we talking?"
"At least fifty taels."
"One hundred taels—this Battalion Commander Zhu has quite the appetite." Liu Youwang ached at the thought. "It's not that I'm unwilling to pay, but silver is exactly what we're short of right now..."
These past months, wealth and goods had been rolling in, but the pair of life-risking brothers faced a problem. What the camp received was all supplies—grain, salt, cloth—heavy and inconvenient to carry. It all had to be converted to gold or silver to be useful. Neither Jiang Yougong nor Liu Youwang were locals; they had no connections. And handing it to the "corrupt elements" in the camp to fence? Frankly, they didn't have the nerve.
"...You know as well as I do, it's all piled in the warehouse. We've only got a few dozen taels of silver. You're asking for a hundred—give him everything and it still won't be enough. We can't very well hand him a few dozen dan of rice, can we?"
Jiang Yougong pondered. This was indeed a problem. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Do you have anyone you can trust?"
"Where would I find such people? I've got some retained yamen lackeys, but I wouldn't dare provoke them."
"What about that Chang Qingyun? He seems capable enough..."
"Old Chang?" Liu Youwang scratched his scalp. "He's a juren, after all. But he's an outsider too, not a local. Probably doesn't have many connections either."
"Hard to say. Chang Qingyun goes to Wuzhou often for errands—maybe he knows people. Besides, he's not retained personnel, just a captive. Going through him is safest. If there's ever any trouble, we simply..." Jiang Yougong made a beheading gesture.
"Then fine, I'll ask him."
"Make it quick," Jiang Yougong said. "Once the grain fleet arrives, he won't have any free time. Who knows what tricks that fellow is planning!"
"Come now—you two were comrades in the same army once..."
"What of it? Those are precisely the ones who stab you in the back most nimbly." Jiang Yougong spoke with bitter resentment—clearly, he had suffered enough at the hands of his former "comrades."
Liu Youwang sent someone to summon Chang Qingyun.
At that moment, Chang Qingyun was in the back, watching several actors explain plays and teach singing to the selected young girls. Most of these girls came from good families; some were daughters of officials. Now forced to learn opera and serve men with their bodies, they were all reluctant. But in this camp, Liu Youwang was lord and master. Those who refused could either seek death or be tortured to death—either way led to the grave. So most could only submit under his tyranny.
The few people teaching opera were mostly members of family troupes that officials had once kept, or itinerant performers from the jianghu. They too lived in fear. Liu Youwang was a capricious terror to serve. Forget disobedience—sometimes singing a single line wrong would earn a beating for no apparent reason.
Only Chang Qingyun seemed to thrive at Liu Youwang's side, like a fish in water. For this, everyone in camp cursed him behind his back, wishing him an ill death for dreaming up this opera troupe idea.
But openly, he was now Liu Youwang's number one favorite. Even the former retained personnel, seeing him, had to bow and scrape, calling out "Mister Chang."
Chang Qingyun appeared to sit idly aside, enjoying the opera, but his mind was calculating furiously. Through his machinations, the camp was already seething with suppressed rage. All it needed was someone willing to raise their arm and shout, and the waves would rise. With an attack from outside to coordinate, Sanhezu would erupt into chaos.
The only uncertainty was how to eliminate the Third Squadron's leadership at the critical moment.
He had devised a poison-in-the-food scheme, but he knew that poisoning wasn't the hard part—timing was. Poison them too early, and Xie Erren would send replacements and launch an investigation. Wait until the day of action, and the Australians would inevitably order a full lockdown around the grain fleet's arrival; he couldn't exactly gather them all in camp under the pretense of watching opera.
Just as he was lost in thought, someone came to summon him. Camp Manager Liu wanted to see him.
When Liu Youwang called, Chang Qingyun naturally dared not delay. He arrived promptly at the courtyard where Liu lived.
Liu Youwang exchanged a few pleasantries with him, then asked about preparations for the small kitchen.
This had originally been Chang Qingyun's suggestion. Hearing the question, he answered readily: "I've found all the cooks. Some are former chefs from the Governor-General's Yamen and the Administration Commissioner's Yamen; others were famous cooks from Wuzhou's local restaurants—all skilled hands. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"The ones we have in camp, naturally, are at the Master's disposal. But there are a couple in Wuzhou proper..."
"And?"
"Those in camp would count it their good fortune to serve the Master—they couldn't be happier. But if we want those from the city, we'll need to hire them properly, pay wages, and get them entry passes."
"That's no difficulty. Hire them. We've got one or two hundred retained personnel in this camp anyway; a few more hardly matters. As for wages, pay the going rate!"
"Yes, yes—and the entry-exit passes."
"Easy enough. When you've found your people, just tell me how many passes you need," Liu Youwang said. "But make sure the people you find actually know their craft; don't give me the same slop as the cooking squad in the troops."
Having said this, he brought up the matter of converting the supplies to cash.
"...Can you handle this?"
Chang Qingyun was secretly startled. He hadn't expected Liu Youwang to entrust this to him! But a moment's reflection made it clear—Liu Youwang was unfamiliar with Wuzhou, had no connections. And Chang Qingyun, as a captive, was completely in his power.
"I do know someone," Chang Qingyun said carefully. "Though he's quite cautious..."
"Enough, enough, stop dragging it out. I don't care which turtle's bastard you find, as long as he can turn this stuff into silver—or gold. No copper coins." Liu Youwang waved impatiently.
"Yes, yes, this student will do his utmost." Chang Qingyun immediately adopted an expression of reverent fear. "But might I ask how much material there is, and how much silver you're hoping for?"
"The goods are all in the back warehouse; I'll take you to see them when the time comes. Roughly three hundred-odd dan of unhusked rice, plus salt and cloth. Find a suitable place to dispose of it all." His bull-eyes bulged, revealing a fierce glint. "I know the market prices for these things, so don't think of cheating me!"
"This student wouldn't dare!" Chang Qingyun put on a terrified face. "I depend entirely on Your Excellency here in Sanhezu. How would I dare do something so suicidal?"
"Ha ha ha! Good that you know!" Liu Youwang laughed heartily. Having a juren so respectful and tame before him—that pleased him even more than bedding some magistrate's daughter the night before. After all, that girl had cried and wept the whole time; she didn't know how to be agreeable like this Mister Juren.
"Old Chang, you truly are a wonderful fellow." Liu Youwang clapped him on the shoulder. "Handle this errand well, and there'll be something in it for you! Any requests? Want a woman? I'll give you one! Sleeping alone must be lonely—you probably can't bear it? You don't look that old; don't tell me you're already past your prime..."
Chang Qingyun could barely stomach this sort of "intimacy," but he dared not refuse. He could only laugh dryly: "The Master's kindness, this student takes to heart. But since I'm now handling affairs for you, certain things are best kept quiet, lest people grow envious..."
"Mm, there's some sense in that." Liu Youwang sprawled carelessly in his seat. "I won't give you a separate entry pass; you already have one. Just go out more often these days and settle this matter for me as soon as possible!"
"This student obeys." Chang Qingyun's mind stirred. He remembered something and added, "There is one more thing I'd like to ask."
"Speak."
"I'd request the Master grant me another pass. Once I find a buyer, they'll need to inspect the goods. I can't just take their silver on my word alone..."
"Easy enough. Go to the document desk and tell them I said to give you another pass."
Chang Qingyun thanked him and was about to leave when Liu Youwang called him back:
"How's that other matter coming along—the costumes and headdresses for the opera? We can't keep doing a cappella singing forever."
The opera troupe needed costumes, headdresses, and instruments, none of which existed in the camp. Instruments were manageable—there were always a few qingyin troupes around Wuzhou with flutes, huqin, gongs, and drums that could be scraped together. But the costumes and headdresses were harder to find—only proper opera troupes had them.
At a major hub like Wuzhou, there had always been opera troupes performing; government offices and wealthy families had kept their own private troupes as well. But the chaos of war had scattered them all. Their equipment had been exhausted and dispersed. Chang Qingyun had made several trips without finding a complete set of opera chests—only scattered costumes, headdresses, and instruments. Nothing complete.
Without these, the troupe couldn't stage a full production—only a cappella singing, at most a few short excerpts. Liu Youwang had had his fill of women and now hoped to see some proper opera for entertainment—and to show off before others.
"Allow this student to keep searching. Keep searching!" Chang Qingyun said hurriedly.
"Well, make it quick."
"Yes, yes, this student understands." Chang Qingyun gave empty assurances, but his mind was racing—he needed to contact Yi Haoran as soon as possible!
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 495 (End of Chapter)