Chapter 36: The Prophet

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xiao Zishan took his leave and returned to the outpost. Master Sun of the Qiwei Escort Agency had been waiting for some time. Before Xiao Zishan could offer his thanks, Master Sun was already bowing and offering his congratulations. Xiao Zishan disbursed one hundred taels of silver as a reward.

“You masters are truly talented in both literary and martial arts!” Master Sun beamed like a flower as he accepted the silver. “Such skill, and such sharp firearms! My apprentices and nephews all said when they returned that they’ve seen hostage rescues before, but never one so clean and decisive.”

“If it weren’t for the help of all the masters from Qiwei, we strangers would likely still be fumbling in the dark.”

“Not at all, not at all. Qiwei only did what little we could.” Master Sun casually handed the silver to a young apprentice behind him. “I have a word of advice, for Shopkeeper Xiao to consider.”

“Please, speak freely.”

“Although the rescue was successful, the bandits have been here before and know the layout. You must guard against their retaliation. As the saying goes: a man can be a thief for a day, but you can’t guard against a thief for a thousand days. You masters have many valuable goods here; you cannot be too careful.”

Xiao Zishan couldn’t quite grasp his meaning. Having just been tricked by the old fox Gao Ju, he now saw Master Sun’s smile as equally foxy. He grew wary and remained silent.

Seeing that he wasn’t taking the bait, Master Sun had to be direct. He explained that the Qiwei Escort Agency was willing to provide night watch for the residence, essentially acting as night-shift security guards. Besides guarding shops, this was the agency’s main business within the city.

Night watch was not the same as being a full-time bodyguard. The agency was not responsible for daytime affairs. Only after the night watch began, when all the rooms and courtyards were bolted and lit, would the escort masters enter the compound to patrol.

“If you masters find that inconvenient, you could buy a few servants, and we can train some skilled men for you as personal bodyguards.”

So, he was selling security services. Xiao Zishan thought that night security was probably not a good idea. The residence held too many secrets, and the escort masters were sharp, capable men. Over time, they would inevitably notice something was amiss. As for training a few guards, that was useful, but he couldn’t make that decision on his own.

However, the Executive Committee had decided to make full use of their connection with the Qiwei Escort Agency. Currently, they only had Gao Ju as an agent, which made their social contact too narrow. In contrast, an escort agency was a profession that interacted with all levels of society, from high officials and nobles down to bandits and thugs. They were familiar with them all and could deal with them, which would be very convenient for the transmigrators’ future work.

Compared to other professions and social classes, the people in the escort business were the most imbued with traditional martial virtues, valuing trust and righteousness. Once they could be won over, they would be reliable allies.

To make people work for you, you had to show them favor. But the masters of the escort agency were different from ordinary people. Although they negotiated and “made friends” with bandits for the sake of their livelihood, that was just part of the job. In reality, they were very cautious about whom they befriended. Trying to win their favor with generosity wouldn’t work; it might even earn them the reputation of being a foolish spendthrift and cause them to be looked down upon.

A better approach was through personal connections, as China had always been a society of relationships, clans, and apprenticeships. The bonds between relatives, clan members, and masters and apprentices were the strongest.

Following the plan discussed with the Executive Committee, Xiao Zishan said, “Sun Chang contributed a great deal this time. We have discussed it and decided to grant him his freedom.”

“That is a tremendous act of grace!” Master Sun stood up and bowed deeply. Although freedom wasn’t always a good thing for a servant—especially if they had nowhere to go and their former master wouldn’t take them back, it could be a death sentence—Sun Chang was both his clan nephew and his martial nephew. His servitude was a disgrace to an elder like himself.

“He earned this grace himself,” he said, deliberately glancing at Gao Xian, who was serving tea nearby. “When the master is in trouble, those who are not afraid and are willing to step up and help should naturally not be treated poorly.”

He continued, “Although Sun Chang is now free from servitude, he is loyal and trustworthy. If he is willing, we would like to keep him in our service.”

“Please, continue to look after this boy, Sun Chang.” Master Sun’s face flushed with excitement. Even if the escort agency’s business improved and they could take him on as an escort, he would just spend his life traveling the country guarding goods. If he could remain in the service of the Australian masters, his future prospects would be far greater than that of a mere escort.

“In the future, when he is running errands for us, we will still need you, his elder, to look after him.”

“Naturally,” Master Sun said, eagerly patting his chest. “Any matter entrusted by you masters is a matter for Qiwei. We will certainly do our utmost.”

Good, this is getting interesting, Xiao Zishan thought. As expected, people are much more dedicated when it comes to family matters.

He gestured for Gao Xian to leave. Then he continued, “There is also the matter of Gao Di. You have met him, one of the servants here. We have him inquire about various news in the market. He is extremely clever and smart. But I worry that he is too young; spending too much time in the streets could lead him astray. Furthermore, without any martial skills, he could easily be taken advantage of. So, I would like to ask Qiwei to train him properly. Although the escort agency has wide connections in both the legitimate world and the underworld, it is rare to find those who can remain upright and not fall into evil. We feel at ease entrusting him to you.”

“You praise us too highly, Shopkeeper.” Master Sun was beaming. The Australian masters truly held them in high regard.

Seeing that the time was right, Xiao Zishan said no more. They exchanged a few more pleasantries and parted ways.

That evening, Xiao Zishan traveled back through the wormhole to report the situation to the Executive Committee. The question of whether to grant Gao Ju credit sparked a debate. Both the proponents and opponents had very strong reasons, and for a time, neither side could persuade the other.

But Yu E’shui’s speech offered a new line of thought.

“What is the date over there now?”

“April 30th.”

“The 30th of April, in the seventh year of the Tianqi reign,” Yu E’shui nodded. “In another eighteen days, Emperor Xizong will go boating in the West Garden after a ritual sacrifice. His boat will be overturned by the wind, and he will fall into the water. Although he will be rescued, his health will decline from that point on.”

“He doesn’t die until August. Are you suggesting we tell Gao Ju to drag out the construction of the living shrine until then? I doubt even your hocus-pocus could make him bold enough to wait for the emperor to die,” someone with a quick mind said, having already grasped his idea.

“Hehe, you underestimate the sensitivity of bureaucrats to political winds,” Yu E’shui said. “How did Wei Zhongxian become the ‘Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Year Old’? Wasn’t it through the emperor’s favor and trust? His entire honor and disgrace depend on the life and death of Emperor Xizong. Tianqi himself was not in good health, and he never recovered after falling into the water. Once the emperor dies, the Prince of Xin will inevitably ascend the throne. Even if Wei Zhongxian doesn’t fall, he won’t be able to wield power as he did during the Tianqi reign. Given this, bureaucrats will not be eager to take a stand in such an uncertain situation.

“Since this Eunuch Yang was not originally part of Wei Zhongxian’s faction and was just trying to curry favor, if the situation suddenly becomes unclear, he will probably be the first to postpone this matter. Not building the living shrine maintains the status quo. Building it, only for the emperor to die and the new ruler to reverse everything, would just be asking for trouble, wouldn’t it?”

“Would Wei Zhongxian just watch as the Prince of Xin ascends the throne? We know that Chongzhen comes after Tianqi, but those officials don’t.”

“Tianqi has no surviving sons, so of course, the throne can only pass to his brother,” someone explained.

“Actually, Tianqi had three sons, but none survived to adulthood. According to historical records and modern research, it is believed the princes were likely harmed by Wei Zhongxian and his nanny, Madam Ke. By the seventh year of Tianqi, his youngest son had been dead for two years. If the emperor falls ill and cannot recover, the only one who can inherit the throne is his brother, Zhu Youjian, the Prince of Xin.

“Although Tianqi was muddle-headed, he cared deeply for his empress, Zhang, and his fifth brother, Youjian. Wei Zhongxian once tried to frame the empress’s father, Zhang Guoji, for ‘plotting to install the Prince of Xin’ to attack his enemies. The eunuch Wang Tiqian, knowing the emperor’s temperament, strongly advised against it, saying, ‘His Majesty is muddled in all things, but he is not unkind to his brother and wife. If something were to happen, we would all lose our lives.’ Wei Zhongxian was terrified and quickly canceled the plan. It is clear that the emperor’s trust in the empress and the Prince of Xin was well known. Unless Tianqi has another son, it is a foregone conclusion that the Prince of Xin will ascend the throne upon the emperor’s death. The officials are all very clear on this.”

“Once the emperor falls ill, Wei Zhongxian, the blue-chip stock of the Great Ming stock market, will become precarious. The Prince of Xin, the potential growth stock, will naturally be favored by everyone. At that time, will anyone still be buying large quantities of a stock that might fall below its issue price or even be delisted tomorrow?”

“So, I should just tell Gao Ju to delay past May 18th?”

“The news won’t travel that fast, will it? It would take at least ten days for news from Beijing to reach Guangzhou. It would be better to tell him to delay until the end of May, and the situation will resolve itself.”

“Hehe, although I don’t approve of playing god, I think in this matter, we can show a little predictive ability—clearly state that on May 18th, there will be a change in the court situation. Predicting the future is a powerful temptation for anyone, especially predicting such a major political shift. Once it is verified, the impact will be enormous. While it won’t make people bow down and become our followers, it will greatly enhance the atmosphere that we are acting in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven,” Yu E’shui said with a smile.

This solution was not only unique but also greatly satisfied the transmigrators’ desire to act as “prophets.” For a moment, some even suggested that Yu E’shui should act as the “prophet” and meet with Gao Ju and the young Eunuch Yang. Others went so far as to suggest that Yu E’shui go to Beijing to find Cao Huachun, hoping to gain favor with the future Chongzhen Emperor. Then, the transmigrators could use modern technology and ideas to directly reform the emperor and lead China into a democratic, harmonious, and prosperous Ming era…

Yu E’shui was instantly disgusted. Did these people think the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were deaf? Such “malicious rumors” about the emperor’s life and death would get them immediately arrested and thrown into the imperial prison to taste the eunuchs’ tortures. Even if Cao Huachun were willing to listen to such madness, the Prince of Xin was currently lying low and barely seeing his own attendants, let alone some “prophet”! If this resolution were to pass, whoever wanted to be the prophet could go; he wasn’t joining that circus.

Fortunately, there weren’t many hotheads, and this fanciful resolution did not pass. Yu E’shui then offered some detailed advice: for example, not to be too explicit, so as not to frighten Gao Ju. Fear could lead to many unexpected things. Just saying that there would be a great change on May 18th would be enough. And they couldn’t say they knew it themselves; they had to attribute it to someone observing the celestial phenomena or something equally vague and mysterious.

“There is one thing you must remember: do not say that Wei Zhongxian will fall or when the emperor will die. For words of such great importance, Gao Ju will definitely tell the young Eunuch Yang. Given their nature, they would immediately report and arrest you, if not to gain merit, then to avoid disaster!” Yu E’shui emphasized to them in the end.