Chapter 2711: The Capital (Part 67)

Zhangjiawan lay scarcely twenty li from the capital, yet it stood as one of the most important destinations beyond the city walls. Five great waterways converged here: the North Canal, the Tonghui River, the Xiao Taihou River, the Liangshui River, and the Ganggou River. These excellent water transport conditions made it a vital hub where water and land routes intersected—the principal logistics center at the Grand Canal's northern terminus. Small wonder it was known as the "First Wharf of the Grand Canal."

Most goods transported along the canal were distributed through this town. Merchants traveling north and south by boat boarded and disembarked here, which meant the warehousing and lodging industries flourished. Even with the realm in turmoil, the capital's presence in the north ensured that the flow of goods and travelers along the canal never slackened. The market remained vibrant. At this hour of evening, when travelers sought lodging, inn and restaurant attendants carried lanterns through the streets, hawking for customers.

The party pushed through the crowded thoroughfare, ignoring the touts who called after them, and walked until they neared the town's north gate. Only then did they stop before a large inn.

The attendant welcoming guests at the door hurried forward, his face bright with practiced smiles. "Do the honored guests need a meal and lodging?"

The steward nodded. "My master dislikes noise and travels with womenfolk. Do you have a private courtyard available?"

"Yes, yes," the inn attendant replied eagerly. "We have a spacious courtyard available right now—guaranteed to be quiet. Only, it's somewhat pricey: two taels of silver per day."

A whole courtyard was naturally far larger than a single room, but two taels of silver was still an eye-watering sum. The attendant hastened to add, "Ours is a grand establishment. We offer ten dishes, five fruits, singing performers, and courtesans—whatever the guest desires, he need only ask..."

The steward cut him off. "None of that will be necessary. Silver isn't the concern; we require only quiet and cleanliness. First, my master absolutely abhors being disturbed by idle people. Second, the mule cart must be parked inside the courtyard. Can you accommodate that?"

"Certainly, certainly," the inn attendant said quickly.

"Show me the rooms first."

The steward inspected the accommodations. The courtyard proved to be a small three-sided compound—not large, but pleasantly secluded. With the gate closed, it became a world unto itself. Satisfied, the steward followed the attendant to the front hall to register in the guest book, then stepped outside to give the signal. Before long, the wealthy young master entered the guest rooms, surrounded by his entourage.

When the mule cart arrived in the courtyard, the mule was led off to the inn's stable to be fed—that went without saying. The inn attendant brought two large buckets of hot water and was about to enter the room to serve when one of the attendants stepped sideways to block his path. The man was tall, arms tucked close, fists clenched, his glare and frown startling the inn worker.

The steward stepped forward with an easy smile. "My master isn't accustomed to strangers attending him. We'll see to his needs ourselves; no need for Second Brother to trouble himself. Just leave things at the courtyard gate, and someone will collect them."

"Yes, yes," the inn attendant murmured repeatedly, thinking to himself that these wealthy families certainly had their peculiar rules.

The wealthy young master removed his felt hat and shed his cloak, revealing himself to be none other than Min Zhanlian, the "Soul-Seeking Sword"—the same man Daoist Fu had subdued in Shandong years ago.

After their subjugation, Min Zhanlian and his junior sister had followed Daoist Fu as guardians and propagators of the faith. Not until 1635 was their loyalty deemed proven, and they were transferred to Lingao for comprehensive, systematic education. Afterward, they were formally assigned to the Special Operations Team under the Foreign Intelligence Bureau.

Though this Special Operations Team fell administratively and in personnel matters under the Foreign Intelligence Bureau, its training was conducted by the Special Reconnaissance Team of the Reconnaissance General Bureau. Its purpose was to replace the Special Reconnaissance Team in certain operational scenarios.

The Special Reconnaissance Team possessed outstanding combat capabilities, but because its personnel and training model had become "Old Time Space-ified," the operatives themselves had taken on that same quality. This made them—especially when infiltrating enemy-occupied territories—seem conspicuously out of place in demeanor and speech, even with wigs and changed attire. Disguise required enormous effort.

Thus the powerful agencies conceived the idea of training a covert action force capable of rapid deployment into enemy-occupied areas. The Hangzhou Station incident accelerated these plans, and the Foreign Intelligence Bureau's Special Operations Team was established.

The team was modeled after the National Police's Tenth Section. Most personnel were former Jianghu figures—among them "great robbers" like Min Zhanlian, as well as members of orthodox martial sects and escort masters from various escort bureaus and households. They already possessed rich Jianghu experience, which made the work come more naturally to them than to the Special Reconnaissance Team, and rendered them far harder to expose.

This time, with a Senator kidnapped, the first group dispatched was the cream of the Special Operations Team: Min Zhanlian's squad.

Back in Shandong, he had lost his entire crew, leaving only his junior sister Zhou Ruolan. But over the intervening years, he had rebuilt his crew using his original methods—only this time, the crew was stronger.

Now, in the main hall, he silently washed his face with the hot water an attendant had brought. Years of "serving the Senate and the people" had tempered his character, making him steadier and more seasoned.

The attendants returned from patrolling the entire compound and reported: no problems with the inn; it was indeed an established, reputable business.

"Old Six, Old Nine—you two take the high watch," Min Zhanlian ordered. "If we encounter any 'road-seekers' tonight, just send them on their way. No need to conceal yourselves."

The two departed. The others gathered beneath the lamp.

"This is Zhangjiawan, the major wharf where the canal meets the capital. Dragons and fish mingle here; no matter whose payroll you're on, everyone has eyes and ears in this place. News of our arrival will reach many by tomorrow night. There may even be visitors tonight. Sleep lightly."

The attendants nodded in unison.

"We'll stay in Zhangjiawan for a few days and decide our next move based on what unfolds." Min Zhanlian continued assigning tasks. "The capital is vast, with dragons and fish mixed together, and even more people connected to the official side. Once we enter the city, we'll face many constraints. Here, although officials are present, there are no yamens or circuit officials stationed permanently, so we have more freedom to act."

Upon receiving this mission, Min Zhanlian had immediately felt its weight. First, a Senator being captured was unprecedented—the pressure was immense. When he had followed Daoquanzi—the Daoist of the Stolen Spring—he had faced danger several times and emerged safely each time. But on this occasion, not only had a Senator been taken, there wasn't a single lead to follow. With hundreds of thousands of people inside and outside the capital, how could they possibly search through such a sea of humanity? Second, this mission was desperately urgent, making it difficult to move without leaving traces. Even if the Intelligence Bureau's ships delivered them to Tianjin, over a hundred li still separated Tianjin from the capital. A dozen capable men with varied accents, traveling light, would draw notice the moment they set foot on the official road. And since the enemy had dared to kidnap a Senator, they likely knew the Senate's workings intimately and had probably stationed observers along the route.

How to reach the capital quickly and covertly became his first problem. After much deliberation, he proposed that rather than trying to "hide," it was better to "show." The entire squad would present themselves as Jianghu personages—which was, after all, their true nature. Without excessive disguise, there would be fewer flaws to exploit.

The capital was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Whether high officials, great merchants, or local magnates, all had secret matters they couldn't or wouldn't handle themselves. The Emperor had his Brocade Guard, his Eastern and Western Depots; the nobility employed Jianghu personages. Though the Son of Heaven's domain was governed by strict laws, it was also a place where those of the Jianghu thrived like fish in water.

Min Zhanlian planned to use this image to swagger into the capital and act when opportunity arose.

"Little Qian, tomorrow morning go to the Juchun Garden Teahouse outside Chongwen Gate and meet with the Escort Bureau people." He began assigning specific tasks. "Ruolan, investigate what news you can find around town tomorrow. See how many informants are stationed here, and whether the inn's owner has connections to sea routes or mountain backers. Little Li, head to the South City. Scout around the Altar of Agriculture, the Sun and Moon Altars, and the other sacrificial temples—look for anything suspicious..."

In short order, he had assigned tasks to everyone. Logically, they should receive detailed information after meeting with the Escort Bureau people tomorrow. But Min Zhanlian harbored another concern. Given Delong's financial power and Heliansheng's connections in the capital, they had surely spread word far and wide about finding the missing person. The entire capital had probably been turned upside down by every manner of urban fox and social rat. Unfortunately, this had two unwelcome consequences: first, the kidnappers, fearing their power and reach, might move the hostage; second, taking advantage of the widespread inquiries, they might deliberately release smokescreens to cloud the Escort Bureau's vision.

The two escort masters in charge at Heliansheng were either coming up empty-handed or drowning in a sea of false leads. Min Zhanlian had no intention of repeating their mistakes.

After assigning tasks, he told everyone to rest and conserve their strength. From the moment they had stepped into Zhangjiawan, the mission had officially begun.

The intelligence he had received before departing Lingao was roughly a week out of date compared to the current situation, so the specifics of how to proceed would have to wait until Little Qian returned from his meeting tomorrow. But of one thing he felt fairly certain: Senator Leng was still in the capital—or at least somewhere in the surrounding counties. He hadn't been transferred elsewhere.

The kidnappers hadn't struck at random; this was premeditated. Such a heavyweight figure would never be casually moved to some distant location beyond their control.

So his focus was simple: first, find an opportunity to locate Leng Ningyun's hiding place.

Once they found the person, the stalemate would break. As for who the mastermind behind the scenes might be—that didn't concern him.

Speaking of the capital, he was no stranger to it. When Min Zhanlian had first emerged in the Jianghu, he had sold his sword here for several years to officials and nobles alike. He had killed for the Eunuch Faction and rescued remnants of the Donglin Faction. Right or wrong meant nothing to him—so long as they paid.

Now he served the Australians for the same simple reason: they were stronger and wealthier. One day, when dynasties changed, he would be a founding meritorious official rather than a Jianghu assassin who secretly claimed lives in the shadows.

What better path to advancement than rescuing a Senator?

This heaven-sent opportunity had fallen into his hands, and he intended to seize it. All along the journey, he had been recalling his past experiences in the capital, dredging up old connections bit by bit. From the Brocade Guard and the Eastern Depot to the yamens of Shuntian Prefecture, Daxing and Wanping counties, and the various urban foxes and social rats scattered throughout the city—he had a few "friends" in every corner. Though he had been out of touch for years, as long as the money was right, they should still recognize him.

"I wonder what news the Escort Bureau will have tomorrow."

(End of Chapter)