Chapter 190: Secretly Crossing to Chencang

While the lantern boats crashed into the pier, desperadoes recruited from the “nine-surnamed fallen people” of the Fuchun River would also pilot small boats, taking advantage of the chaos to land on the riverbank for a pincer attack by land and water, aiming to break through the Phoenix Villa’s outer defenses in one fell swoop.

“Truly, his heart is venomous.” Zhao Yigong uttered a rather clumsy classical phrase. He nodded heavily at Xihua. “You have done very well. This time, you have rendered a great service!”

“It is all thanks to the Master’s great fortune…” Xihua lowered her head respectfully.

“Hehe, after this matter is over, I will send you to Lingao for further training. Haven’t you long wished to go?” Zhao Yigong was still immersed in the excitement of “everything being under control.”

“Thank you for the Master’s grace.” Xihua knelt and kowtowed, a cold smile playing on her lips.

“The next step is to capture Hao Yuan.” Zhao Yigong rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Xihua, you must try to maintain your relationship with Hao Yuan and see if you can draw out the big figures behind him!”

“Yes, this servant understands.”

“Zhao Tong, have the men of the ‘Sticky Pole Department’ continue to monitor the spies on the list and see what other moves they make.”

Zhao Yigong still hadn’t forgotten about catching the “mastermind,” so internally, he continued to “deploy defenses and internal controls,” not in a hurry to close the net.

“Yes.”

“You will immediately lead men out to investigate personally: see if what Xihua said is all true!”

That evening, Zhao Yigong brought the materials to the central command room of the villa to find Qian Shuixie.

“So the enemy will launch a general offensive on the Zhongyuan Festival.” Qian Shuixie listened to the latest intelligence, his eyes fixed on the sand table.

“I have some doubts. After all, for this Hao Yuan, there is a possibility that Xihua has been exposed and arrested. So the date of the fifteenth of the seventh month is not necessarily completely accurate. However, I have had people verify the other intelligence, and it is basically accurate, so this date is also very likely.”

“You have a point. Even if it’s not on the day of the Zhongyuan Festival, it shouldn’t be more than a few days off.” Qian Shuixie looked at the villa. The area of the villa was too large to be defended thoroughly, but fortunately, there were only a few important locations to protect. Considering the characteristics of armed feuds and mass riots during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Qian Shuixie believed that the intensity of the enemy’s attack would not be too great. The main purpose would be “smashing, looting, and burning,” with not many killings. Otherwise, it would be difficult to clean up the mess even if they had bought lives.

“I think their main target is the filature at the foot of the mountain. Besides the refugee camp, this and the pier facilities are the grandest, and their defenses are very limited. Given the level of organization of the mob, it’s hard to imagine they could launch a simultaneous attack on multiple fronts.”

Qian Shuixie decided to strengthen the defenses around the filature and the pier, including urgently setting up iron chains around the pier to intercept the river lanterns and the dharma boat. Snipers would be placed on the pier to pick off the sailors and “fallen people” on the boats. They would also be equipped with “chain boats,” which were two small boats connected by an iron chain. If the main chain failed, the two boats would move out simultaneously to catch the river lanterns and guide them to a wider area of water to be released.

…

Xihua went down to rest. Although she knew that all of Hao Yuan’s spies in the villa had been exposed, she now had the task of “finding the mastermind,” so she could feel at ease contacting Jia Le.

The days passed one by one. As the Zhongyuan Festival approached, Xihua’s heart grew more and more anxious. Jia Le no longer brought any specific news. She was worried about whether Hao Yuan’s planned operation would succeed, and she was also afraid that if the villa was broken, everything would be destroyed: the tens of thousands of refugees in the Cihuitang, the hundreds of refugee children in the charity school—they were all objects of her concern. But what worried her most was that Hao Yuan would disappear without a trace.

Her concern and attachment to Hao Yuan were like a fire constantly burning her heart, making it difficult for her to eat or sleep. Since her parents’ death, she had never been so worried about anyone. What had started as a hazy good impression had now turned into a burning flame of love.

In this torment, the fourteenth of the seventh lunar month finally arrived. That afternoon, she had just returned from the charity school when she saw that the ink, paper, and inkstone on the table in her room had been moved. This was an urgent signal for her to meet with Hao Yuan.

She immediately went to report this to Zhao Yigong. She knew she was under complete surveillance now, and it would be very difficult to leave secretly. Moreover, once she escaped, Zhao Yigong would know that the intelligence he had received was false, and all the painstaking arrangements he had made would be useless.

Zhao Yigong immediately agreed to her plan to meet Hao Yuan.

“I think this time they want you to act as an inside agent. No matter what they say, just agree to it. Just don’t agree too readily; make it seem like you’re reluctant. Also, try your best to find clues about the mastermind!”

After receiving Zhao Yigong’s “instructions,” Xihua went back to her room to prepare. She knew very well that this time, she might not return. Money and other possessions were just worldly things, and Hao Yuan had said he would “take care of her.” The most important thing was the “deed” to her family’s ancestral grave, which Zhao Yigong had helped her redeem, costing twenty-six taels of silver. She had insisted on paying it all back with her monthly salary and allowance. This was her family’s ancestral burial ground; she could not owe it to others.

There were also a few “mementos” from her parents. She tucked them all into her robes. Although there were other things she liked, she had to abandon them without a second thought now.

The thought that with this departure, she would be cutting ties with her life at the villa, and recalling the days and nights of the past two years, she felt a great sense of reluctance.

Finally, she also brought some loose silver, only seven or eight taels. The servants in the villa were all paid in circulation coupons, and she had saved up this silver over a long period.

After leaving the villa, she went to the designated contact point and was picked up by a small sedan chair. It twisted and turned through countless small alleys and streets for a full half shichen before it was quietly carried into an unfamiliar residence.

The residence was not large in scale, and its style was humble, not the home of a wealthy family. In the small courtyard was a towering tree, its dense foliage blocking out the sun. It was extremely quiet all around, with only the long, drawn-out chirping of cicadas.

Contrary to her expectations, there was no bustling scene of people coming and going before an attack. The entire residence was as quiet as if it were uninhabited.

“Sister.” Just as she got out of the sedan chair, feeling dizzy, a pair of hands supported her arms.

The voice was very familiar. Looking closely, she saw it was Jia Le.

“Why are you here too?” she asked in surprise.

Jia Le smiled. “If I don’t leave, am I supposed to wait for Master Zhao to arrest me and torture me?”

“That’s true.” Seeing Jia Le, her heart calmed down a lot.

“Where is this?”

“You’ll know when you get there,” Jia Le said with a smile. “Follow me.”

She led her through a corridor and into the main courtyard, where she saw Hao Yuan sitting in the main room, holding a teacup in one hand, sipping lightly, and a folding fan in the other. All the windows and doors were open, and a cool breeze blew, fluttering a corner of his blue robe, giving him an indescribably elegant and free-spirited air. Xihua was momentarily stunned.

Seeing Xihua, he put down his teacup and stood up to greet her with a smile.

“You’ve finally escaped!”

Xihua gave a coy smile. “Master Zhao is still hoping to find more clues and expose the mastermind.”

Hao Yuan laughed loudly, so loud that it startled the birds in the trees.

“Let him search slowly,” he said, stifling his laughter. “He’s absolutely right!”

“Who is he?” Xihua was a little confused.

“It’s nothing.” Realizing he had let something slip, Hao Yuan covered it up. “Jia Le, take Miss Xihua to her room to settle in first. Get some tea and snacks…”

“I’m not thirsty or tired. Just tell me now,” Xihua’s spirits were high. “What is this place, and what else do you need me to do?”

“This is one of my three burrows,” Hao Yuan smiled. “Don’t worry, this place is absolutely safe. Neither Master Zhao nor anyone else can find it.”

“Anyone else?!”

“Exactly.” Hao Yuan nodded. “The ‘others’ are precisely the ‘Master Shi’ who hired him. Hao Yuan knew very well that Master Shi was just a go-between, and the real mastermind was someone else. Hao Yuan knew very well that such people often regarded the lower classes as ants. After they had done this kind of thing, it was possible for them to burn the bridge after crossing it, turn their backs on their promises, and even silence them. He could “work hard” for them, but to “sell his life” would be to truly “sell” his life away.

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you slowly later,” Hao Yuan said sternly. “I have something important to ask you.”

“You’ve spent a lot of time in the Wanbi Bookstore. Tell me about the situation inside, the more detailed the better!”

“You’re going to attack the Wanbi Bookstore?!” Xihua was greatly surprised.

“Exactly.” Hao Yuan nodded.

“But, but…” Xihua was at a loss for words. Whether from Zhao Yigong or from Hao Yuan, the tune she had heard was that they would not touch the Wanbi Bookstore. To do so in the city would be open robbery with weapons, not just a simple popular uprising or armed feud. And for both reason and sentiment, the authorities would intervene at the first opportunity.

Hao Yuan was using Master Shi’s plan. He knew very well that Zhao Yigong, under increasing pressure, would make the same judgment and move all the most important items from the villa to the Wanbi Bookstore—Xihua had confirmed that he was right.

Because the city was safe, Zhao Yigong would not arrange too many guards at the Wanbi Bookstore, especially not the mysterious forces that could make them smile overnight. These forces would surely be left at the villa, the focus of all parties’ attention.

“Repairing the plank road in the open, secretly crossing to Chencang.” On the surface, Hao Yuan was diligently working, making various preparations for the attack on the Phoenix Villa—these preparations were not fake. In reality, he had already gathered the core members of the organization he had established in Nanxiawa. As soon as the fighting started at the Phoenix Villa, while all parties’ attention was focused there, he would decisively attack the Wanbi Bookstore, seize a portion of the gold, silver, and important archives stored there, and then burn the bookstore to the ground.

He was completely confident that this blow would be far more heartbreaking for Zhao Yigong than a chaotic brawl at the Phoenix Villa and the burning of a few filatures and rice mills.