Chapter 480: Banquet at Piyun Tower

“It was, it was… Master Cao…” the wounded soldier stammered. “Our Bazong…”

“What’s his name?”

“Cao Bajiao…”

“How did he know about this Su Ai?”

“This… your humble servant… doesn’t know… I was just following his orders.”

“Besides this, what other arrangements were made?”

“I… heard that Master Cao has a few boats waiting downstream, with some brothers from the navy.”

“And upstream?”

“There are… also… men ready.”

“Where is Cao Bajiao now?”

“That, your humble servant doesn’t know…”

Suo Pu nodded. A team member swiftly and cleanly finished him off with a single stroke. The men then spread out, checking the surroundings to ensure no one else was still breathing, before throwing all the bodies into the river. Aside from the bloodstains, nothing was left on the wharf.

Despite the major commotion at the wharf, no one came to inquire for the entire night. It wasn’t until dawn, when the city gates opened, that a contingent of men emerged from the city, escorting the Gaoyao county magistrate himself to investigate. A legal secretary was immediately dispatched to the boat for questioning.

The county’s legal secretary was an experienced man. Before leaving the city, he had already gathered some information, hearing rumors of “a flash of fire from the official boat,” “endless cracking sounds like popping beans,” and “utter devastation…” He knew the incident involved passing Jinyiwei, was connected to the local garrison, and that the firearms which had instantly killed a dozen men seemed to be related to the legendary Australians. All this added up to “unfathomable.”

Neither the Gaoyao county magistrate, the Zhaoqing prefect, nor the Viceroy of Liangguang sitting in his yamen wanted to get involved in this mess. With this understanding, the legal secretary naturally knew what to do.

The procedural matters were meticulously followed. Since there were no bodies, there was no need for autopsies. The identity of the bandits who had attempted to rob the boat at the wharf was naturally “unknown.” The merchants and laborers at the wharf were not eager to be “witnesses” and suffer for days in the yamen, so they all claimed, “We were asleep, we saw nothing.” Lin Ming also insisted, “It was too dark to see clearly.” In short, it was just a common robbery case of “bandits attacking an official boat at night, repelled by valiant escorts,” involving neither the local garrison nor the Jinyiwei.

“With all these bloodstains, at least a dozen people must have died,” the Gaoyao county magistrate thought to himself, looking at the blood that had soaked into the dirt and seeped into the cracks between the stones. “I wonder if those soldier-thugs will let this go.”

The Gaoyao county magistrate had been suffering at the hands of these thugs for a long time. They ran rampant, killing and robbing, and he could only pretend to be deaf and dumb. Seeing them suffer a major loss now secretly pleased him.

With the official matters settled, the choice before Suo Pu was whether to continue upstream or head back downstream. If they continued upstream, they would have to pass through the treacherous Dading Gorge, where Captain Cao’s lair was located, possibly even in the barracks guarding the gorge entrance. The entire Dading Gorge was 55 kilometers long, with complex terrain. Upstream navigation was arduous and required trackers, making them vulnerable to attack. Even with machine guns, it would be difficult to guarantee their safety. Returning downstream was the safer and more prudent option.

But to go back just like that would mean abandoning the original plan of reaching Wuzhou. As they were discussing this, a bright red invitation was suddenly delivered, inviting Lin Ming and the two distinguished guests to a banquet.

“Who sent it?”

“The messenger said they are from the Viceroy’s yamen!”

The three of them couldn’t help but be startled. Given Lin Ming’s status, the Viceroy of Liangguang would not normally try to befriend him, let alone invite him to a banquet.

Could last night’s gunfire have attracted Xiong Wencan’s attention?

They opened the invitation. The host was not Xiong Wencan, but a man named Chang Qingyun, who was inviting the three of them to a banquet at Piyun Tower.

“I just asked the servant who delivered the letter: he is Governor Xiong’s secretary, a Xiaolian scholar,” Lin Ming said.

Suo Pu felt he had seen this name somewhere before. He rubbed his chin for a long time but couldn’t recall. It was probably mentioned in some intelligence briefing.

Cummins asked, “Are we going? Could it be a treacherous feast?”

Lin Ming said, “Whether to go or not is up to the chiefs to decide. But it certainly won’t be a treacherous feast. I think Governor Xiong probably wants to sound us out.”

Suo Pu laughed. “Go, of course we’ll go. This is a great opportunity to gather intelligence on the Viceroy’s yamen.”

If Xiong Wencan truly had ill intentions and wanted to “capture them in one fell swoop,” with his power as Viceroy, he wouldn’t need to go to such lengths.

Cummins said, “I won’t go. Someone has to stay on the boat. Let Little Xie accompany you. But Old Lin, your leg is injured…”

Lin Ming quickly said, “It’s nothing, just a flesh wound. I can have someone support me.” He then instructed, “Return the original invitation and say we will be sure to attend.”

Piyun Tower was on the city wall. The wharf was outside the city, and entry and exit were forbidden after dark, so Chang Qingyun’s banquet was scheduled for noon. Before ten o’clock, personal guards from the Viceroy’s yamen arrived with three sedan chairs to welcome them. Suo Pu and Xie Peng changed their clothes, both carrying pistols at their waists. Four Special Reconnaissance Team members accompanied them, each armed with a submachine gun and grenades. If Xiong Wencan had any ideas, they would wreak havoc in Piyun Tower and fight their way out.

The sedan chairs followed the city wall. Although they had already conducted close-range observations, this was the first time they had traveled so close to the wall. Suo Pu observed it carefully. The outer bricks of the wall showed signs of repair, and there were no weeds or wild grass, indicating it was well-maintained. It seemed the local officials were very attentive to defense.

The sedan chairs proceeded and entered the north gate of Zhaoqing—Chaotian Gate. As soon as they passed through the gate, the chairs were set down. A man who looked like a butler came to welcome them. Suo Pu got out and saw a three-story tower standing on the wall. It had a hip-and-gable roof with a cross-ridge, and its carved eaves soared into the sky, creating a magnificent sight. On a black plaque with gold lettering were written the four characters “Zhong Liu Di Zhu” (A Pillar in Midstream), written in a flamboyant, cursive style. Suo Pu couldn’t help but praise, “Good calligraphy!”

“The calligraphy isn’t bad!” Xie Peng examined it closely and said to Suo Pu with a smile, “But the brushwork is too delicate, lacking strength in the strokes. It can’t be considered top-tier.” Suo Pu nodded. “You’re right, the spirit of the characters is lacking.” As they spoke, the two followed the servant up the tower.

Although Piyun Tower was said to be a Song Dynasty structure, it had been rebuilt several times. Suo Pu knew just by looking at the roof style that it was not a Song original. Inside, the space was about five bays wide, with pine wood paneling on the floor. The partitions and carved pillars were made of cypress, intricately carved with fish, insects, flowers, birds, clouds, trees, and immortals, as well as various folk tales and characters. The carvings were exquisitely detailed. However, with age, the red lacquer was covered in dust, and the carvings were chipped. From being touched by countless visitors, they were smooth as if coated with a layer of amber.

There were personal guards from the Viceroy’s residence both inside and outside the tower. Seeing this arrangement, Suo Pu thought, could it be that Xiong Wencan himself is here?

Standing at the railing and looking out, he saw the West River winding past, with green mountains surrounding the city outside—a truly beautiful landscape. As he was sighing in admiration, the butler said with a deferential smile, “Masters, please ascend the tower.”

They went upstairs. The partitions on all four sides were open, not only offering an unobstructed view but also allowing a gentle breeze to blow through, which was very refreshing.

In the middle of the room were three large square tables, already laden with dishes. In the center was another table displaying decorative items like sugar lions and sugar figures—what was known as “Lion Immortal Sugar Candies.”

A dozen or so men who looked like merchants and scholars were already waiting. Suo Pu knew that with Lin Ming’s low rank, no one from the gentry would attend. A middle-aged man of about fifty, who was at the head of the group, immediately came forward with a broad smile as they came upstairs.

“Master Lin! I am Chang Qingyun, at your service.”

Lin Ming and Chang Qingyun did not know each other. Given his rank, he normally wouldn’t interact with high-ranking officials like viceroys, let alone their secretaries—strictly speaking, he wasn’t worthy of their company. However, the special status of the Jinyiwei gave them a great sense of superiority, so he didn’t feel flattered at all. He just smiled, cupped his hands in return, and said politely, “Forgive my rudeness. I was attacked by thieves last night and injured my leg.”

“I know, I know. That’s why we are hosting this banquet to welcome you and calm your nerves. Please, take your seats. And this is?”

Lin Ming nodded with a smile and said, “This gentleman is from Nanjing. Master Chang would not know him. He is Suo Pu, the grandson of the former Deputy Commander of the Nanjing Jinyiwei, Suo Ni—he also serves in our guard…”

“You flatter me. I am Suo Pu,” he said calmly, bowing to the crowd. “I look forward to your kind consideration.”

He then introduced Xie Peng. The identities Lin Ming had concocted for them were all Jinyiwei personnel. The Jinyiwei was a huge organization, with over sixty thousand members by the late Ming. Except for a few top figures who were well-known in official circles, no one really knew the inner workings.

The crowd carefully observed the group: Suo Pu was elegant and composed, refined and handsome. He wore a slightly worn blue silk scholar’s robe, washed clean and spotless. He had a Three-Mountains Cap on his head and a pair of slightly used, thick-soled cloth shoes on his feet. He was handsome, with a heroic air. His small, dark eyes seemed to always carry a smile, but with an occasional glance, they also seemed to look down on everything around him.

Chang Qingyun had been a secretary for many years and had a keen eye. He could tell at a glance that this young man was the leader. What made him uneasy, however, was that there was a sense of familiarity in the young man’s every move, as if he had seen him somewhere before. His heart skipped a beat, and a cold sweat broke out on his back. His eyes were fixed on Suo Pu.

Suo Pu, however, paid it no mind and took his seat after the customary greetings. Once everyone was seated, Suo Pu and Lin Ming took the seats of honor, with Chang Qingyun as the main host and the other merchants and scholars as accompanying guests. Suo Pu looked at the table. There were twenty-four small, inch-sized blue-and-white porcelain dishes from the imperial kilns, filled with various dried and fresh fruits, covering the entire table in a beautiful, colorful display. Many of the items were things he didn’t even recognize.

The landed gentry really know how to live.

“Let the banquet begin.”