Chapter 2485: Stripping the Cocoon (Part 4)

It was the bright springtime of March. Liang Yuanfu walked down the street, sweat dripping constantly from his forehead, making his plump face look shiny and oily. He had timed his outing precisely—staying even one minute longer posed a risk. He had to move quickly, breaking into a trot whenever he passed through quiet areas. He wove rapidly through the streets and alleys, stopping occasionally to observe his surroundings like a frightened rabbit—panicked, tense, sensitive, suspicious.

After passing a few alley entrances, Liang Yuanfu turned into a narrow lane. In front of a house stood a tall, thin man in his thirties with a wretched appearance. Seeing him approach, the man bowed with an obsequious smile and hurried to meet him. First he bowed deeply, then came forward to pat the dust from Liang Yuanfu's robe, saying: "Steward Liang, you arrived a bit later than usual. Tired, aren't you? Come, come—freshly made herbal tea. Come inside quickly to drink a couple of mouthfuls and cool down."

Liang Yuanfu didn't answer, going straight into the main room. He took a teacup from the table and gulped down three cups of herbal tea before feeling somewhat refreshed. He collapsed into a chair to catch his breath, saying to the tall, thin man who followed him inside: "Yu Laosan, it's not like you don't know. The Liang household is strict. Since the Australians entered the city, control has been even tighter. The outer and inner courtyards are locked day and night. Without the residence's wake-up pass, servants of any rank are forbidden to leave without permission. As an inner courtyard steward, I cannot leave even for a moment. How many errands inside and outside are waiting for me to attend to?"

He sighed and continued: "Alas, my old mother is seriously ill at home. Searching everywhere for good doctors has yielded nothing. My younger siblings were helpless—they could only beg you for some Australian miracle medicine. Hmph, yet you keep making excuses instead of helping. My younger brother had no choice but to plead at the residence for me to come out and visit the sick. The master is kind-hearted; moved by my brother's sincerity and filial piety, he allowed me a period of one month. You know, since Young Master Liang's relationship with the Australians cooled, if anyone in the residence is found privately communicating with Australians, the light punishment is a beating with bamboo planks. The heavy punishment is expulsion from the family registry, with all silver, houses, and land bestowed by the Liang residence stripped away—leaving with nothing but one's body. This is truly desperation; otherwise, who would come looking for you?"

Then he asked urgently: "Yu the Third, do you have the goods?"

Seeing his impatience, Yu Laosan switched to a pained expression, saying with difficulty: "Steward Liang, you know this Australian miracle medicine is the hardest to get. Even Runshi Hall and the Provincial-Port General Hospital are always out of stock. Other families can't even get a hair of it. This malaria medicine you seek is rarer still. The quota for all of Guangzhou is insufficient. I'm just an idler messing around in the lower trades—where would I have such connections?"

Hearing this, Liang Yuanfu couldn't help but grow angry inside. He raged: "All this bullshit to put me off! If you don't have the goods, why did you agree to meet me? To amuse yourself at my expense? Besides, who doesn't know that you, Sky-Drilling Monkey Yu Laosan, can connect to the nine heavens above and the nine hells below? Under the Great Ming, various government departments couldn't catch you. Now you've hooked up with the Australians. All Guangzhou knows that only you have connections to get this Australian miracle medicine. I won't waste words with you—just name your price, and I definitely won't treat you unfairly. If you make excuses again, a big slap is coming your way."

Yu Laosan's eyes rolled, and he giggled: "Steward Liang, calm your anger. You're a figure from a great household after all—this generosity is indeed different, very proper. But I'm truly powerless in this matter. Besides, the Old Madam's fever and chills might not be treated correctly anyway. Ordinary quack doctors can hardly understand these Australian medical principles and pharmacology. Using medicine recklessly might cause problems. By coincidence, I know someone with real ability—addressed as Mr. Wang in Guangzhou city. He truly has hands and eyes reaching heaven. Not only can he get miracle medicine, but even inviting Australian medical officers or gaining admission to the Australian Imperial Hospital might be possible."

Hearing this, Liang Yuanfu's eyes widened: "Really? Can you introduce..." He hesitated mid-sentence and asked: "This person wouldn't happen to have any entanglements with the Australians, would he?"

Yu Laosan couldn't help but sneer: "Steward Liang, you want to eat fish but don't want to smell fishy—where in the world is there such a bargain? Besides, this Guangzhou Prefecture is now the world of the Australian Song. What matter doesn't touch the Australians? You're in luck—today it happens that Mr. Wang came to see me on business. Please sit comfortably; wait a moment, and all will become clear."

Hearing this, Liang Yuanfu felt uneasy. He hesitated, standing up as if to leave, yet reluctant to walk away, holding onto a shred of hope. Just as he paced into the courtyard, torn between advancing and retreating, he heard a knock on the door. Yu Laosan laughed and said: "Guangzhou's ground is wicked—speak of the devil and he arrives." He walked quickly out and opened the courtyard door.

A small two-person sedan chair was carried in, swaying tremulously. Two attendants followed closely beside it—one look and you could tell they were capable men. When the chair landed, the front poles touched the ground, and the bearers shifted to the left. An attendant beside the sedan lifted the curtain, and a man of about thirty walked out. He wore a square scarf on his head and a blue scholar's robe. Under his jaw were three strands of long beard. With a square face and a magnificent build, he truly had a fine appearance—seeing him seemed to take one's breath away.

Yu Laosan hurried forward to bow, then stood on tiptoe to whisper a few words in the man's ear. The man nodded slightly without speaking and strode straight into the main hall.

A sedan bearer casually closed and bolted the courtyard door. The accompanying men scattered and stood around, seemingly casual, yet completely sealing off all exits of the small courtyard.

Liang Yuanfu gradually sensed something was wrong. He looked at the person in the room with undisguised suspicion, then turned his face toward Yu Laosan.

Yu Laosan welcomed him with a smile, making a vague gesture: "Steward Liang, please. This is Mr. Wang. Your matter rests entirely with him."

Liang Yuanfu walked into the room hesitantly and sat apprehensively to the right of the man, stealing glances at him from time to time.

After taking his seat, Xu Tong—alias Mr. Wang—was in no hurry to speak to Liang Yuanfu. Instead, he nodded to Yu Laosan and said: "Second Brother, bring a pot of hot tea. Use the leaves I gave you last time."

Yu Laosan went to fetch the pot himself without a word. Before long, he brewed a pot of hot tea, poured for both men, retreated to stand outside the door, and gently closed it.

Xu Tong smiled faintly: "Steward Liang, this is famous Australian Song tea—Cloudy Mica Mountain Oolong. The aftertaste is most lingering. Please."

Liang Yuanfu carefully picked up the teacup and took a sip. His mouth felt bitter; drinking it tasted like chewing wax, and he tasted absolutely nothing.

Looking at the inner courtyard steward of the Liang residence—completely unnerved before him—Xu Tong knew he was taking a desperate gamble today. Yang Cao had given a death order to find a way to "pull someone out" and develop an insider. He had to take this risk.

If he failed today, losing a potential development target would be one thing, but the consequences of alerting the enemy were harder to predict. He could imagine what that chain-smoking woman would say to him if he failed, and how she would write the report.

But the risk still had to be taken.

Xu Tong took a sip of tea and said slowly: "Second Brother told me everything. The matter isn't too difficult, yet not easy either. Success or failure depends entirely on Steward Liang's intent."

Hearing this, Liang Yuanfu immediately put down his teacup, stood, bowed, and said: "My mother is seriously ill, shivering with cold and burning with fever every night. As a son, watching this is like a knife twisting in my heart. My brothers have invited all the famous doctors in Guangzhou—all helpless. If Mr. Wang truly has such connections and can obtain the Australian Song Imperial Hospital's miracle malaria medicine, I will definitely repay the kindness. Wealth, goods, fields, and land—nothing will be refused. I hope Mr. Wang understands the pure filial heart of my brothers."

Xu Tong said: "Money is a small matter; Steward Liang need not worry about it. As long as Steward Liang is willing to do me a small favor, I will naturally do my best regarding the Old Madam's treatment."

Liang Yuanfu's heart immediately hung in suspense, seized by an ominous premonition. He asked: "What matter might that be?"

Xu Tong said: "You need only tell me the important internal information of the Liang family."

Hearing this, Liang Yuanfu's heart pounded violently. He took a vigilant step backward and said: "Does Mr. Wang want me to be a spy? Though I come from a servant background and practice a lowly trade, I recognize the words 'Loyalty' and 'Righteousness.' The Liang residence's grace to my family is as deep as the sea. My family absolutely cannot do such a thing as selling out the master for glory. If my mother knew of this, she would definitely not agree to betray the master to seek treatment—she would surely forgive me. Mr. Wang, act as if I never mentioned those words just now. Farewell."

With that, he turned to walk out the door. Just as he pushed it open, Yu Laosan stepped sideways, blocking his path: "Where is Steward Liang going?" Liang Yuanfu, fierce in appearance but faint of heart, said: "Yu Laosan, you dare stop me? What do you want? How can the bright world of Guangzhou Prefecture allow you lot to act wildly!"

Yu Laosan smiled without humor: "Steward Liang, since you haven't concluded your talk with Mr. Wang, how can you just shake your hands and leave? You should at least talk it through to a conclusion—it won't be too late to leave then."

Liang Yuanfu intended to force his way out, but saw the four attendants and sedan bearers slowly gathering around, encircling him. One of them slowly lifted the corner of his robe, revealing a curved handle at his waist. Liang Yuanfu, having walked the streets for a long time, immediately recognized it as an Australian six-shot revolver.

Liang Yuanfu's heart turned to ice. He immediately knew these people were likely the Australians' Jinyiwei. He stood stiffly for a long moment, helpless. Finally, he returned to the main room and sat back down to Xu Tong's right.

Xu Tong seemed not to have witnessed the scene that just played out. He simply sat steadily, holding the covered tea bowl, gently skimming the floating leaves with the lid. He took a sip along the rim and said slowly: "The Liang residence has multiplied in Guangzhou for more than ten generations. Steward Liang's family has succeeded father to son as inner courtyard stewards for four generations, right? By your generation, it should be the fifth. Steward Liang must be what's known as a household-born lad. Back then, your great-great-grandfather was originally surnamed Liu—he only changed his name to Liang after selling himself into the Liang residence, correct?"

Liang Yuanfu just lowered his head silently, showing no reaction.

Xu Tong didn't mind and continued: "The Liang residence—a scholarly family—has repeatedly produced talents, with many serving as officials. Steward Liang's family, attached like a fly to the tail of a steed, bullied the weak to grab benefits for yourselves—these things happened, did they not? Although your family are servants in the Liang residence, once outside, you count as local tyrants. Leaning on the Liang residence and relying on official power, accumulating the prestige of four generations, you set up a residence and bought land in the countryside, using slaves and maids, acting unscrupulously. You should count as bullies of the neighborhood."

(End of Chapter)