Chapter 2696: The Capital (Part 52)

"Is the money still holding out?"

Jin Wenchi served as the General Steward in the Stone Old Man clique—all income and expenditure passed through his hands.

"For now, yes. But lately we've been spending silver like water. Every slip the Master sends demands hundreds or thousands of taels. I hear we'll soon need to grease the palms of high officials—tens of thousands of taels for that alone. And with year-end approaching, the New Year expenses will be another considerable sum..." Daoist Jinshi smiled bitterly. "I fear we can't sustain this much longer."

"There's a sum of silver coming from Guangdong, somewhere between thirty and fifty thousand taels," Zhou Lezhi said. "Originally it should have arrived within these few days. It's just that..."

The problem was that the money transfer bank handling it was Delong—and ever since Leng Ningyun had been kidnapped, the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen had placed the establishment under seal.

Zhou Lezhi had to admit the move was clever. Otherwise, the Shanxi banking houses circling like sharks in the capital would have long since driven Delong into bankruptcy. Even so, they had stopped accepting Delong notes, declaring them "worthless paper."

Yet for all their talk of "worthless paper," Zhou Lezhi knew that the managers and clerks of those very same Shanxi houses were secretly buying back Delong notes at thirty to forty percent of face value. Clearly, they didn't believe their own claims. Even the Daoist Jinshi before him had purchased some.

"We calculated everything down to the last detail, except for this," Jin Wenchi laughed.

"No matter—a few days' delay won't harm us. The dividends from Shanghai Merchants Bureau should arrive soon, another twenty thousand or more. We just need to weather the current situation." Zhou Lezhi spoke as though he had everything well in hand, though in truth he felt deeply uncertain. He recalled his Teacher's words: "Whether waging war, conducting business, or handling affairs, everything comes down to one thing: money."

"Money is a fine thing," he muttered to himself, "just terribly hard to earn..."

The Stone Old Man clique operated on a grand scale, as if drawing from an inexhaustible treasury. In reality, the many operations they had planned over the past few years had all been money-losing ventures. The greatest loss was the Multi-Heroes Assault on Lingao—a complete disaster that cost them dearly in both resources and lives. More than a hundred righteous men from various wulin sects and schools had perished. The condolence payments alone exceeded fifteen thousand taels, and combined with earlier expenses, the total surpassed twenty thousand taels of silver.

The silver was a small matter compared to the debts of gratitude they now owed to those various sects. Fortunately, with war and chaos spreading everywhere in recent years, many sects had been forced to seek refuge under officials just to survive, and thus dared not press their claims too firmly.

After Jin Wenchi departed, Zhou Lezhi reviewed the current situation once more. The capital was shrouded in strange currents and treacherous clouds. Ever since the Emperor had proposed the Southern Expedition, various political forces had launched a fresh round of maneuvering around that very topic. The court officials who had previously enriched themselves quietly—those who had obtained considerable benefits from dealings with the Kun—were now especially active. Most notable was the Dengzhou-Laizhou Governor Sun Yuanhua. Once thought to be politically finished, he had unexpectedly risen from the ashes. In recent years, relying on the weapons the Kun had sold him, he had trained a "New Army" that won several small victories on the Liaodong battlefield. Not only had his office been restored, but he had also received repeated commendations from the Court, solemnly becoming a major regional minister. His mentor, Xu Guangqi, had fallen gravely ill while supervising field reclamation and troop training in Tianjin, hovering on the brink of death. Word had it that he obtained "immortal pills and miraculous medicine" that extended his life. Though he had since retired to his hometown, he continued to gather Catholic gentry for clandestine activities, colluding with the Kun...

While Zhou Lezhi was deep in thought, Liu Zhao arrived.

"What's happened?" Zhou Lezhi asked, startled.

It was already late at night. Liu Zhao's sudden visit could only mean urgent news.

"I've heard from brothers in the Northern Town-Soothing Division that the Emperor has learned of you and sent people to inquire about your whereabouts," Liu Zhao whispered.

Of the Liu brothers, the one who had assumed the identity of Daoist Mushi—Liu Sha—was responsible for external contacts with various troops and forces. He continuously monitored the Kun's movements and occasionally created obstacles for them. Liu Zhao, meanwhile, remained at Zhou Lezhi's side, handling various contacts and intelligence. In the capital, whatever the Jinyiwei's Northern Town-Soothing Division could discover, Liu Zhao could learn as well.

"Oh? Is there anything unusual?"

"They reported back that you are residing at Zaohua Temple to see doctors—no irregularities detected. For the time being, there's no cause for concern. Still, Your Honor should exercise greater caution."

"I understand. Any other urgent news?"

"The Emperor has also ordered inquiries into Qian Taichong's affairs..."

"Interesting, most interesting. It seems this Mr. Qian's money wasn't spent in vain."

"There is one more matter. The Emperor has taken notice of Delong Money Shop and ordered the Town-Soothing Division to investigate whether Delong has any collusion with palace eunuchs..." As he spoke these words, his voice dropped to barely a whisper.

Late night, at the Heliancheng compound.

Little Eight's figure flashed through the doorway as he entered the hall. "Chief Escort, the merchant Qin Erlang requests an audience."

Li Rufeng rubbed his temples, frowning with impatience. "At this hour..."

Mrs. Liao spoke from beside him: "A visit this deep into the night must mean something urgent."

Li Rufeng paused. After a moment, he said in a low voice: "Show him in."

Qin Erlang appeared to be around thirty years old—medium build, rough features, wearing blue traveling clothes and black leather boots, covered head to toe in road dust. One glance told you he was a man long accustomed to the hardships of travel.

Qin Erlang took the lower seat. He first looked toward Li Rufeng in the seat of honor, then glanced at Mrs. Liao, somewhat awkwardly pinching the corner of his clothes.

Mrs. Liao sat across from Qin Erlang, produced a pencil, opened a notebook, and waited quietly for him to speak.

Li Rufeng spoke first: "Please, sir—have some tea."

Qin Erlang lifted the teacup and brought it to his lips, but immediately set it down again. "This humble one first went to the Leng Residence, and only then learned that the Leng establishment has encountered serious trouble. Mr. Wu is currently staying at the Delong shop, so I wasn't able to see him. Master Leng's concubine, Hexiang, came out to meet with me briefly. When she heard what I had to say, she told me this matter wasn't suitable to bring before Mr. Wu—only fitting to report directly to the Bureau Chief. She sent someone to guide me here. I apologize for disturbing you so late at night; please forgive the intrusion."

Li Rufeng waved his large hand. "For matters this urgent, report them the moment you arrive—day or night makes no difference. Mr. Qin, your willingness to come and share this information marks you as a true friend. Please, tell us everything in detail."

Qin Erlang shifted his chair slightly toward Li Rufeng and began: "That day, I was escorting goods on my return journey and had just reached the outskirts of the capital..."

As Li Rufeng listened to Qin Erlang's account, he scraped his chin whiskers with his fingers. Based on the clothing description, he was certain the report was genuine.

The clothing Qin Erlang described matched exactly what Leng Ningyun had been wearing when he departed. That the kidnappers hadn't changed Master Leng's clothes wasn't truly an oversight—they simply wouldn't have expected anyone to risk opening the cart door to check.

Ink-tinted glasses, eye patches, a pressed-on false mustache, ear caps—all of these were meant to isolate Leng Ningyun's senses and confuse his judgment of time, distance, and road conditions, preventing him from reconstructing route information later. The kidnappers had taken precautions for after the hostage's eventual return. Analyzing this detail, it suggested the kidnappers had no intention of silencing their captive. From this, Li Rufeng could deduce that Leng Ningyun was safe for the time being—a conclusion that brought him some measure of relief.

Master Leng possessed an extremely rare pair of oval-framed ink-crystal glasses that made him look rather like a blind toad when worn. They were said to be originally crafted in Great Song and brought by Master Leng when he fled Song territory. These glasses bore the nickname "Ray-Ban"—though who this craftsman named Ray-Ban might have been, no one knew.

These glasses were unique in all of Beijing. Master Leng treasured them dearly and rarely wore them; they had become something of a personal anti-counterfeiting mark for Senator Leng. That he happened to be wearing them that day confirmed beyond doubt that the person in the cart was Leng Ningyun himself.

When Li Rufeng saw that Qin Erlang had finished speaking with nothing more to add, he turned his eyes toward Mrs. Liao. She lightly patted her notebook and nodded to indicate the record was complete.

Li Rufeng rose and walked slowly toward Qin Erlang, his massive shadow falling across the merchant's face.

Qin Erlang hurried to stand. Li Rufeng extended both hands, grasped Qin Erlang's hands, and shook them gently, his face full of sincerity. "True feelings are revealed in times of hardship. Delong and Heliancheng will remember this kindness. When the dust settles, we shall drink together until we're thoroughly drunk."

Qin Erlang's figure disappeared from view. Li Rufeng stood at the empty hall doorway, facing the heavy darkness, lingering there for a moment before calling out: "Bring two more lamps."

Before long, several large candles were lit in the hall, illuminating one corner brightly.

Li Rufeng and Mrs. Liao stood before a table upon which lay a simple map of Beijing.

Mrs. Liao lifted a candlestick with her left hand while her right index finger traced lightly across the map. After a moment, she frowned. "This route leads toward Zhangjiakou. Zhangjiakou lies close to the three passes of Zijing, Feihu, and Juyong. To the west, it borders the Yanbei region of northern Shanxi; to the north, it connects with the Mongol Tatars; and it also has access to the Northwest Border Markets. If the kidnappers take Master Leng far away to the frontier, the grasslands are vast beyond measure. Searching for someone there would be like sifting sand in the wilderness—utterly hopeless."

Li Rufeng bent down to study the map, shaking his head. "Not necessarily. If they're heading to the grasslands, the journey is long, the passes and barriers numerous, and communication extremely difficult. Since their aim is to extract silver, they naturally won't complicate matters. Routes can change, and a person who walked one direction can turn back. Baoding, Tianjin, Jizhen—all are possible destinations."

"Tianjin probably isn't likely anymore..."

Tianjin Station was the Senate's most important outpost in the North. The relationships and properties that Xu Guangqi had established while supervising field reclamation and troop training in Tianjin had all been taken over by Tianjin Station. Since the kidnappers knew Senator Leng's background, they probably wouldn't walk into that particular trap.

"Even that isn't certain. As the saying goes, 'It's darkest beneath the lamp.'" Li Rufeng shook his head. "The kidnappers can likely guess that we think this way. Perhaps they'll do precisely what we least expect."

Mrs. Liao said: "Regarding the possible routes, we should call the Senior Brothers in to discuss together. Just the two of us will inevitably have blind spots."

Li Rufeng raised his head, his voice low. "The Senior Brothers can share in fortune and disaster. They can be entrusted with life and death. But they cannot be told everything that's closest to the heart. After all, they are not within the System—they cannot be part of our innermost circle. Only after you and I have found a thread to follow should we call them in to discuss the finer details."

The kidnappers' rush to transfer Leng Ningyun was obviously a response to the large-scale search they had recently mounted. The kidnappers sensed that the capital had become unsafe and wanted to hide their captive elsewhere.

Once the person was transferred out, the variables would multiply enormously. With war and chaos raging beyond the city, they might encounter ticket-robbers along the way, or bandits attacking merchant convoys. Those hiding the captive might have conflicts with the kidnappers themselves. Any of these scenarios could endanger Senator Leng's safety.

"The way I see it, the kidnappers are desperate—like a cornered dog ready to leap over the wall. We had better move quickly to ransom him. As long as he returns safely, everything else can be discussed!"

(End of Chapter)