Chapter 2727: The Capital (Part 83)

That night, just past the second watch, Li Rufeng summoned the bureau manager without warning. "Old Zheng, tell the kitchen to start cooking—one portion per head. Half a jin of stewed meat each, two jin of wheat flour cakes. And prepare fifty wine gourds, all filled with strong liquor."

"Cooking? Now?" Old Zheng started in surprise. The escort bureau never conducted business at night, much less ventured out—doing so only invited trouble.

"That's right. Cooking." Li Rufeng's eyes gleamed, bright and razor-sharp. "Wake every escort master resting in their rooms. Full equipment, weapons ready. No one wears clothing with our insignia, carries personal effects, or brings weapons bearing identifying marks. No noise, no lights. Fifteen minutes—everyone assembles in the main hall."

Old Zheng understood immediately: the bureau had a major operation tonight. He roused himself and first woke the servants under his command, then dispatched men room by room to rouse the others.

Not counting the servants, the bureau had fifty-five combat-capable men—escort masters and hired fighters alike. Three were absent, either on leave visiting home or stranded outside the city, unable to return in time.

In exactly fifteen minutes, the main hall was packed with a sea of heads.

The lamps had not been turned up, leaving the hall dim, faces indistinct. An eerie tension hung in the air.

Li Rufeng clasped his fists and bowed to the assembly. "Greetings, brothers."

Everyone present knew that a summons at this hour meant secret business. No one spoke. They merely returned his salute with clasped fists, producing a collective swish that rippled through the hall.

"Calling you up in the dead of night is for an urgent matter." Li Rufeng's gaze swept across the gathered men. "I don't need to spell it out—you all know. For the past month, our entire bureau has been consumed with one task."

Though they had been ordered to keep silent, a low murmur still rose among them.

"Now we have the information we need. It's time for us brothers to show our skills. Shortly, I will lead a team to rescue the hostage. I need forty men to fight." He paused, letting that sink in. "I know you're all brave souls who want this honor. But the bureau cannot be left unguarded. So everyone will draw lots—those who draw 'go' come with me; those who draw 'stay' remain here to guard the bureau."

As he spoke, someone brought forward a jar. Everyone drew in turn, and soon they had divided into two groups: forty to depart, twelve to remain.

Regardless of whether they drew "go" or "stay," every man's expression was complicated.

Those who drew "go" understood that tonight would bring a fight with no guarantee of survival—but afterward, the employer would bestow generous rewards. Everything depended on whether you had the fortune to live and enjoy that wealth. Those who drew "stay" would not have to risk their lives in the bitter cold, true enough—but come tomorrow, when their brothers returned victorious, they could only stand by and watch others count their silver.

Li Rufeng studied their faces, then suddenly smiled. "What's this? Are those going afraid of dying? Are those staying afraid of missing the reward?"

Laughter rippled through the hall. Someone immediately called out, "What can we do about our rotten luck? The good fortune of getting paid without risking our necks isn't meant for the likes of us!"

Li Rufeng's voice grew measured and deliberate. "That brother speaks well. We venture out fighting through frost and snow just for a few taels of silver. These years, the escorting business has grown harder by the day. It's only thanks to Delong backing us that we brothers have a bowl of rice to eat, that our families don't suffer cold and hunger, that we can walk respectably down the street where common folk call us 'Constable, sir.' Now Delong's Manager Leng is in peril. Rescuing him—by sentiment, it's 'accepting money and solving problems'; by principle, it protects our brothers' livelihoods."

He paused briefly before continuing. "This rescue mission is extremely dangerous. If any brother doesn't want to go, I will absolutely not force you. Staying to guard the bureau is also a contribution."

He scanned the room once more. Seeing that no one spoke, he pressed on. "Every person in this hall—whether a full escort master or a good man who has joined us recently—you all know Heliansheng's rules. I won't repeat them. But regarding this operation: Delong's Mister Wu has announced that if the hostage rescue succeeds, the person with the greatest merit receives one thousand taels."

At this, the entire hall stirred violently. Every face now displayed undisguised, greedy joy.

Li Rufeng was satisfied with the reaction. Once men's desires were kindled, they would fight for victory of their own accord. He continued, "Everyone who contributes in battle receives one hundred taels. Additional bounty for kills or captures: fifty taels each, with no limit."

The hall stirred again. The escort masters, somewhat listless from being roused in the middle of the night, now had blood surging through their veins. Had the ban on noise not been in effect, they would likely have been howling loud enough to raise the roof.

"Those staying behind shouldn't be discouraged either. Tonight's guard duty pays fifty taels for escort masters, twenty taels for servants."

The atmosphere in the room grew even more fervent. The escort masters rubbed their fists and palms together, eager to rush out and fight that very instant.

Seeing the mood was right, Li Rufeng ordered everyone to rest and eat first, ready to depart at a moment's notice.

"Everyone eat your fill. Tonight there'll be no sleep, and for the next few days, everyone will have to work hard."

In the kitchen, the cooks roused themselves and prepared a hearty meal. Each man received a large bowl of stewed meat and two jin of wheat flour cakes. Fortunately, it was deep winter, and the cold storeroom behind the building could preserve the meat.

Heliansheng's bureau wasn't located inside the city but rather in the suburbs outside Chaoyang Gate Street. Chaoyang Gate lay on the eastern side of the capital, its name meaning "welcoming the rising sun." Grain from the south traveled along the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal via the Tonghui River to Tongxian, where it was loaded onto carts and brought into the capital through Chaoyang Gate. Besides grain, most bulk goods transported on the Grand Canal entered through this gate as well. So situating the escort bureau here was not only convenient for transportation but also avoided the tight security inside the city walls—after all, escort bureaus dealt primarily with "bandits."

Li Rufeng ordered all horses and mules in the bureau brought out. With over forty men mobilizing, complete silence was impossible. If the enemy had eyes nearby and word reached them by fast horse, they would be prepared, and the entire operation would fail. Speed was essential.

Over forty riders departed the bureau. At first, they led their horses slowly. Only when all men and mounts had reached the main road did they swing into their saddles and gallop south.

Visibility was poor at night, but fortunately, the roads around the capital were well-maintained. No pedestrians or carts traveled the roads at midnight. They needed only to follow the gray traces of the road ahead. For easy identification, each escort master wore luminous strips on chest and back. Thus, after galloping several dozen li, not a single man was lost.

When they reached Nanyuan, it was already past the third watch. Wu Cheng had been waiting by the roadside under the escort masters' protection. He had spent half the night exposed to the wilderness and was already pale from the cold. Seeing them finally arrive, he was overjoyed. "At last! This suffering—even for a thousand taels I wouldn't do it a second time..."

Li Rufeng had no time for pleasantries. He turned to the escort master. "What's the situation at Ningyou Temple?"

"All the same."

Li Rufeng immediately ordered everyone to pass through a collapsed section of the earthen wall and enter Nanyuan.

"Everyone dismount! Bring only six fast horses—hooves wrapped, bits in mouth. Leave the rest of the horses and mules here." Galloping at night made far too much noise and would alert those inside. It might even draw the garrison troops from the four gates.

"Everyone mask your faces." His voice carried murderous intent. "On the road, kill anyone you see."

The group pressed through forests and tall grass, moving rapidly. Even Wu Cheng was swept along in the rush. As a Daoist, how could he endure such exertion? But the thought of the hundred taels awaiting him upon success drove him forward. Supported by two escort masters, he managed to keep pace with the team.

Fortunately, they had this guide. During the day, the escort masters had placed luminous markers along the route according to his directions. The team's progress went unhindered. They reached the outskirts of Ningyou Temple just past four o'clock.

"What's the situation inside the temple?" Li Rufeng asked again.

"Same as before."

Li Rufeng gathered several "leaders" from the group and made brief arrangements.

The assault was scheduled for the fifth watch. By then, the sky would carry the first pale light of dawn—good for visibility. The night watchmen inside would be weary, waiting for their shift change—a time when alertness scattered.

"The situation inside the temple is unclear, and time is pressing—we cannot probe their defenses." He waved his hand, and men spread black cloth curtains around him to block any light. He switched on a hand lantern and spread out a map—a rough sketch of Ningyou Temple drawn from Wu Cheng's descriptions.

"This temple is quite large. From the mountain gate, there are three courtyards. But according to Old Daoist Wu, the only livable rooms are the main hall and the rear hall. In this cold, there won't be more than twenty guards. I estimate most of the guards—and the hostage—are in the rear courtyard."

He used a twig to point at the map. "From what we've observed, they have one hidden sentry at the front courtyard's mountain gate and two lookouts on the main hall roof. The rear courtyard situation is unknown, but there's at least one sentry posted there."

Chen Cui spoke up. "The place isn't large; breaking in won't be difficult. But from this forest to the temple gate is a full half li. As soon as dawn breaks, the moment our brothers leave the tree line, the sentries will spot them. Also, there's no cover around. We can't pre-position ambush forces. If we don't act fast enough to surround the whole temple, they might break through."

"And they have horses," Sun Changtou added, frowning. "If they break out on horseback—though we have horses too—chasing on horseback would make far too much noise. Best to take them inside the temple in one decisive stroke."

"We use the darkness to hide near the temple first. At first light, we move together," Chen Cui said. "Signal with a whistling arrow. I volunteer for the vanguard. I'll take down the sentries on the hall roof first."

He was from the "Mao Hulu"—the climbing specialists. No one was more agile at scaling walls and roofs. Since he had volunteered, Li Rufeng would not go against his wishes. He nodded immediately.

"Old Liu, you take the archers and watch the perimeter around the temple. Shoot anyone who emerges. Don't let a single one escape."

Liu Chang laughed. "Do I need to lead that personally? Let the lads handle it. I'll follow Master Chen up to the roof and provide covering fire. I guarantee no one runs out."

With the plan set, Li Rufeng divided his men into six teams. Four archers would watch the east and west sides of the temple. Six escort masters would wait on horseback as a reserve force. The remaining men split into two assault teams, prepared to storm the front and rear gates simultaneously.

(End of Chapter)