Chapter 2760: The Capital (Part 116)
Yang Tianliang emerged from Yang Gonggong's residence with trembling legs, yet a weight had lifted from his shoulders. He touched the envelope nestled against his chest, confirming he was not dreaming.
Against all expectations, his adoptive father had not only failed to detect his conspiracy but had proven remarkably generous. But of course—the old man surely knew his days were numbered and had no choice but to rely on his adopted son.
Should have been like this from the start! Yang Tianliang thought bitterly. Why make me go through all this trouble?
Still, twenty thousand taels of silver in one payment—the old man was generous indeed. No matter. Once he secured his position at the Directorate of Imperial Horses, he would ingratiate himself with Wang Zhixin. After that, if the old man passed away peacefully, so be it. If he stubbornly clung to life, sending him to the Western Heaven could wait until then.
In the meantime, he might as well humor the old fellow a bit longer.
He did have several bottles of "Nanyang Aphrodisiac Wine" in his possession, all obtained from Liu Sha, reputedly quite potent. He had tried one himself and found it remarkably effective. Presenting it to Yang Gonggong outright made him somewhat reluctant.
However, the old man's request for the medicinal wine presented an opportunity. He could use it to finish him off in the future. After all, a bottle was just a bottle—what went inside was entirely his decision.
Thoughts of the medicinal wine brought Liu Sha to mind. The man's unknown whereabouts remained a lurking danger. Yang Tianliang felt a vague unease stirring in his chest, but he reassured himself that few people knew of his connection to Liu Sha. As long as he did not fall into Australian hands, nothing would come of it.
Lost in these ruminations inside his sedan chair, he suddenly felt the conveyance pause and stop. Startled, Yang Tianliang lifted the curtain and called out, "What happened?"
No one answered. The young eunuch who had accompanied him was nowhere to be seen.
Peering outside, he realized they were not on any street but in some unfamiliar "factory"—a chang. There were many such facilities inside and outside the capital, all places where various ministries stored materials: the Red Silk Factory, the War Chariot Factory, the Wood Factory, the Manure Factory, and more. These compounds sprawled across large areas, guarded by only a handful of men. Few people came on ordinary days. They were among the most desolate places within the city.
Yang Tianliang had lived in the capital since childhood and served in the palace for years. He had visited many such places. But this one was utterly unfamiliar.
Terror seized him as he realized he had been tricked. He made to bolt, but his body was caught fast. Two "sedan bearers" wrenched his arms to either side, twisting until the pain reached his bones. An anguished scream tore from his throat, and his whole body went rigid, unable to move.
Someone kicked him hard in the back of the knees. Yang Tianliang collapsed involuntarily, falling to his knees in the muddy snow. Panic gripped him. "Good fellows, good fellows, no need for violence..."
The four "sedan bearers" ignored his pleas, silently searching him from head to toe. When they found and confiscated the envelope from his chest, Yang Tianliang felt a secret pang of loss—but also relief. If they had come for wealth, his life might yet be spared.
Then the leader spoke: "Are you the Manager of the Sutra Factory, Yang Tianliang?"
"Yes, yes, that is precisely myself." There was no point denying it to men who had come so well prepared. Yang Tianliang remembered Liu Sha's advice: when caught in such situations, never look up at their faces—only bow your head and beg. "The silver—you have already taken it. I beg the good fellows to show mercy..."
"Keep the silver for yourself. You will need it for the journey." The leader's voice was unhurried. "We are plainspoken men. We bear you no grievance or grudge. Sending you on your way today is merely a commission. When you arrive at the Underworld, do not hold it against us."
Only then did Yang Tianliang understand that these were no common robbers—they had come to take his life. His legs gave way completely, and he collapsed to the ground, wailing. "Please, don't! I have silver! However much they paid, I will double it—add another ten thousand taels! No, twenty thousand! Is twenty thousand enough? I can scrape together even more... Have mercy, have mercy... Spare my life..."
Even as he begged, his body shook like a sieve. He wanted to fight back, but they had pinned his joints so expertly he could not move.
The four paid him no attention whatsoever. They dragged and hauled him into an empty room where a rope already hung from the beam, a long bench positioned beneath it. A clay fire basin sat nearby.
The leader drew out his words in a ceremonial shout: "Come! Let us attend Eunuch Yang on his journey! May he ascend to Ultimate Bliss!"
The other three answered in unison: "Yes!" With clumsy efficiency, they hoisted Yang Tianliang onto the long bench and fitted the noose around his neck. His face went ashen as he thrashed desperately, but escape was impossible. The rope cinched tight around his throat, and the bench was kicked away. Yang Tianliang's body dangled in mid-air, twitching and convulsing.
The four watched in silence until the body ceased to move. One of them checked for a pulse, then announced loudly: "Eunuch Yang has become an immortal!"
The others immediately lit a fire in the basin, burning a set of paper effigies—figures, a sedan chair, and horses—along with a string of tin ingots.
The leader tore open the envelope and extracted its contents. What he found was no Delong banknote. It was netherworld currency, printed with "Fengdu Currency" and "Treasure Note: Twenty Thousand Ingots."
He tossed the envelope and spirit money into the flames together. The dancing fire slowly consumed the paper.
News of Yang Tianliang's "suicide by hanging" caused little stir in the palace. Tens of thousands of eunuchs served within these walls. Many died each year, and suicides were not uncommon. The death of one person created less of a ripple than the passing of some master's cat or dog.
Nevertheless, Yang Tianliang had been the Manager of the Sutra Factory and the adopted son of the Seal-holding Eunuch of the Bell and Drum Division. His funeral was therefore conducted with considerable grandeur. Every eunuch in the Bell and Drum Division, from highest to lowest, was obligated to contribute funeral gifts. For those seeking to curry favor, it was an excellent opportunity. Other senior eunuchs, out of respect for Yang Gonggong, offered at least token contributions. After all expenses were deducted, the funeral netted approximately one thousand taels.
While the funeral arrangements proceeded, Yang Gonggong summoned a personal attendant to oversee the aftermath.
"...Go with some men and take over his lodgings, both inside and outside the palace. Do not rush to examine the contents. Seal everything for later inspection."
"Yes, Old Ancestor."
"Give the maid who was paired with him fifty taels of silver. If she wishes to return home, report her as a sudden death and let her leave the palace. If she prefers to stay, she may continue serving." Yang Gonggong lay reclined on a "Nanyang Rattan Couch," speaking in measured tones. "If you fancy any of the women in his mansion, keep them for yourself."
"Old Ancestor jests—how could this slave afford to maintain them..." The eunuch was full of trepidation.
"What, is your monthly stipend too meager?"
"I would never presume, never presume," the eunuch said hastily.
"I say you can afford it, so you can afford it." Yang Gonggong's lip curled in a sneer. "Why trouble yourself with such worries?"
"Yes, yes, all thanks to Old Ancestor's patronage!"
"How many years have you served under me?"
"Since the fifth year of Tianqi. Shortly after this small one entered the palace, I was assigned to Old Ancestor's household."
"So, quite a few years indeed." Yang Gonggong nodded and studied the kneeling figure with care, then chuckled. "A young monkey! How old are you?"
"This slave is twenty-eight years old."
"Truly young." Yang Gonggong let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. "You have followed me all these years. Though the tasks you performed were not significant, they were always handled properly."
"This slave thanks Old Ancestor for his praise! All is merely my duty."
"Heh, I do not praise without reason." Yang Gonggong laughed. "Listen well—I am promoting you."
"Thank you, Old Ancestor! Thank you, Old Ancestor!" The eunuch kowtowed repeatedly.
"Do not rush!" Yang Gonggong raised a hand. "Your Elder Brother Yang is gone. I have already arranged with Eunuch Cao of the Directorate of Ceremonial regarding his position. I give you ten days. Go to the Sutra Factory and obtain a copy of the Little Infinite Life Sutra for me. Once you succeed, you may take up this new post."
"Yes, thank you, Old Ancestor! This slave will absolutely not fail Old Ancestor's grace!" The eunuch was overjoyed and kowtowed several more times.
Going to the Sutra Factory to fetch scriptures might seem like a mere errand, but in truth it served as a test for eunuchs seeking promotion. Successfully obtaining the scripture demonstrated that one's skills and connections were sufficient to handle more demanding assignments.
Of course, such opportunities were not given lightly. Yang Gonggong had observed this particular attendant for a long time and considered him thoroughly reliable.
"From today forward, you shall be known as Yang Tianbian."
"Yes! This slave thanks Old Ancestor for bestowing the name!"
Though he granted the name, Yang Gonggong was in no hurry to formally adopt him. First, Yang Tianliang's bones were not yet cold; second, he was afraid—afraid of raising another "white-eyed wolf." Yang Tianliang had "shared tribulations" with him and still proven unreliable. How much less could he trust a newcomer who had served him for barely ten years?
He had secretly observed this backup candidate, Yang Tianbian, for many years and believed him capable and reasonably loyal. But he had deliberately withheld favor from the man. First, if his adopted son had discovered a potential rival, he might have seized an opportunity to eliminate him. Second, Yang Gonggong wanted to observe the man's temperament.
Now it seemed this person could endure obscurity. He had accomplished much and received little reward, yet never complained about Yang Gonggong or his adopted son. He was an exceedingly cautious man.
With Yang Tianliang dead, someone had to continue handling those important errands. Though Yang Tianbian's years of service were somewhat short, there was little room for choice now.
Yang Gonggong was a man past sixty, and his remaining years of service in the palace were few. Another few years of muddling through, and he would inevitably have to "retire." Yang Tianliang's death was a significant loss, but he truly could not fathom what that treacherous adopted son might have done had he lived.
Now that the man had "committed suicide," at least one troublesome matter had been lifted from his heart.
Seeing Yang Tianbian still kneeling before him, Yang Gonggong suddenly remembered something. "Tomorrow, go to Delong Bank and meet with Shopkeeper Leng."
Yang Tianbian's heart leapt with joy. This was the second piece of wonderful news today. He knew that Shopkeeper Leng of Delong was one of Yang Gonggong's primary financiers. The relationship between them was extremely close. Before Yang Tianliang's death—excepting the past half-year or so—he had always been responsible for liaising and passing messages between them.
Being summoned to meet the shopkeeper now could only mean that this duty had fallen to him as well!
"Yes." Yang Tianbian asked, "When this slave goes, should I convey any message to him?"
"Simply tell him that the past is past. Ask Shopkeeper Leng not to be too particular about old grievances. Whatever assistance he rendered me, I naturally remember."