Chapter 934 – Zhao Yingong's Visit

Xiao Zishan had agreed to his request, instructing Xiong Buyou, Director of the Lingao County Liaison Office, to assign personnel to maintain close surveillance around Run Shi Tang and at each city gate, protecting Xuanchun's safety. He had also spoken with Ai Beibei; her prenatal checkups would be handled by personnel from the General Hospital making house calls.

With the General Office's care, Xuanchun should be fine. Liu San was at ease about that. His only pain was that it would be a long time before he saw her again—as with all relationships that begin with the physical, feelings grow over time. Besides, Xuanchun was warm and gentle, and now she was carrying his child. And he had left Lingao so hastily, visiting her only once for less than half an hour before departing...

Liu San stood on the quarterdeck, smoking a cigar. He hadn't been a smoker before; now he was using it to soothe his troubles. Cigars didn't inhale into the lungs, so the harm was less. He gazed at the scenery along both banks of the Qiantang River.

While Liu San gloomily puffed his cigar and brooded, the crew kept close watch on conditions on the river. Two days before, Qian Shuixie's small team had routed a mixed force of several hundred government soldiers and militia at Biezi Gate. This victory had greatly shocked the Haimen Guard's troops. They had passed through Zhapu Gorge and penetrated deep into the Qiantang River without encountering significant resistance.

During this time, government naval ships had scouted them. Clearly, the enemy felt they had little chance of winning. But this didn't mean the Haitian was completely safe on the river. Though the Qiantang's surface was very wide, and though the Haitian's firepower was formidable and her sailors well-trained, on the river she still couldn't effectively deal with numerically superior enemies.

Li Ziping didn't plan to stay long. His goal was to survey the navigation of the Qiantang River and the defensive situation at its mouth. Now his objective was basically accomplished. From Haimen to Hangzhou, the Navy's conceived plan of ships sailing directly from the sea to the city was entirely feasible—provided the captain had a complete navigational chart. And that was exactly what Liu Zheng and the others had been busy compiling these past few days. The steam launch carried survey team members and instruments, constantly cruising the river. Its thick black smoke and the "chug-chug" of the steam engine attracted crowds of curious onlookers.

Liu San was thinking that after returning, he would have to apply for a new apartment set. Xuanchun couldn't live at the Yang household forever, and he couldn't keep hiding in the medicine garden at the farm—though he did have a room there.

But thinking about how Wuyun Hua lived in Bai Ren New Town just as he did made him uneasy. He knew her temperament too well—perhaps most of the time she was perfectly normal, but when she suddenly exploded without warning, it was terrifying. Liu San had no doubt that if the General Office hadn't arranged for young Ye to be waiting ahead of time, his odds of eating a sword from Wuyun Hua were quite high.

Just as he was troubled, he suddenly saw a small boat rowing from the direction of Fengshan Gate. This immediately caught the lookout's attention. Since the Haitian had arrived on the Qiantang, nearly all civilian boats in the area had vanished.

A nearby patrolling rowboat immediately went over to intercept and inspect. After a while, the small boat rowed toward the Haitian and drew alongside the hull, where rope netting hung for climbing.

Liu San noticed the people on the small boat were all dressed in Ming attire. He figured they were probably envoys from the local government. He wasn't particularly interested. Just as he was about to direct his attention elsewhere, he suddenly realized that the face of the man climbing onto the deck was very familiar. A few seconds later, it struck him—wasn't this Zhao Yingong! Before Zhao Yingong had set out, he had purchased a large batch of medicines from Run Shi Tang, and the specific types and quantities had all been handled by Liu San personally.

He knew Zhao Yingong was in Hangzhou, but he hadn't expected the intelligence station chief to swagger aboard the ship like this. With his air of distinguished bearing, he truly did look the part of a local gentry tyrant.

He and his small delegation were immediately separated. Zhao Yingong was escorted alone into the stern cabin, where Li Ziping was waiting.

"How did you become a Ming negotiating representative?" Li Ziping laughed, standing up to shake his hand. "You seem to be doing well lately?"

"I run an Australian-style bookshop, sell Australian books, and play the Australian game. Of course they think I'm an Australia expert." Zhao Yingong laughed, then explained how the Hangzhou Prefect had dispatched the Qiantang County Magistrate and his secretary to Wanbi Bookshop specifically, requesting him to negotiate on the Haitian and ask about the ship's purpose.

"Ming officials are all shrewd." Zhao Yingong didn't forget to praise them. "I think they somewhat suspect my identity and feel I might be collaborating with the 'Hair-bandits.' But Guangdong is too far from here. I've got the title of a Sanshui County xiucai, and a bunch of bigwigs in the Church backing me. The officials don't want to stir up trouble. This time, they're simply making use of me—so to speak, a traitor has his uses..."

"They know we're Australians?" Li Ziping found this a bit strange—up to now, they hadn't officially contacted the locals.

Zhao Yingong nodded. "Of course! Because your ship puffs black smoke all day—right now, only Australian ships burn furnaces. Ming officials and commoners can't read the Morning Star flag, and they can't identify ship types either. But that smoking all day is just too distinctive."

Liu San, who had slipped in, was now worried. "You've got too strong an Australian label on you. Won't this cause you trouble?"

"It's fine." Zhao Yingong shook his head. "I've come to understand traditional society a bit now. It doesn't actually matter whether you're a villain or a good man locally. To move about freely, to do things without interference, to have officials turn a blind eye—the precondition is that you have to be a 'capable person.'"

A so-called "capable person" was nothing more than someone with backers, connections, and who could put in a word with powerful people. The reason gentry could do as they pleased locally was largely because they possessed a network of relationships reaching to the provincial and even central court levels. On a smaller scale, if a commoner could get a word in with some powerful local gentleman, then within that sphere, they too were a "capable person."

More broadly speaking, those connected to shadier forces that weren't on the books but still wielded certain clout were likewise "capable people." Throughout the provinces, those who had ties to pirates and bandits similarly enjoyed a degree of local power and prestige. Throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, Guangzhou city had semi-openly operating agencies for pirates to collect toll fees for sea passage. Sometimes when government forces were at their wits' end against bandits and needed to arrange amnesty or reach some agreement, it was often this type of local figure who served as intermediary.

"The fact that I might be collaborating with the 'Hair-bandits' isn't necessarily bad for my activities in Hangzhou." Zhao Yingong said. "Besides, Wanbi Bookshop's Australian style means I can't distance myself too cleanly anyway."

Through the Haitian incident, he could build himself a certain reputation in Hangzhou. Moving about the city would be much easier in the future.

"Although you coming to Hangzhou had nothing to do with the Foreign Intelligence Bureau, objectively it's done me a small favor." Zhao Yingong smiled. "Giving them a taste of reality—in the future, the officials won't be so rash. The stronger the country, the safer our overseas personnel and expatriates."

"Let them know the Senate's power." Li Ziping nodded. "Want me to fire a few blank shots before I leave?"

"That won't be necessary. These past few days, just the steam launch with no sails, no oars, puffing black smoke—that's been eye-catching enough. Everyone's buzzing with discussion. Lots of people have come to Wanbi Bookshop looking for 'Australian books' to find out what's going on. Ming intellectuals are actually quite curious. There's even someone like that in the delegation, heh heh."

He was just getting going when Li Ziping's female orderly brought tea.

Zhao Yingong laughed and waved his hand. "Have you forgotten I'm in Hangzhou, homeland of Longjing tea? What good tea don't I have? Don't bring out your Limu Mountain Oolong to fool people."

"What airs, Master Zhao!" Li Ziping said. "I won't stand on ceremony then. What did the Hangzhou officials send you aboard to do? Anything we need to cooperate on?"

Zhao Yingong said, "They've dispatched me to see off the god of plague." He pulled a list from his sleeve. "Here's the offerings for seeing off the god. Have a look."

Li Ziping took it. It was a list with no heading, enumerating eggs, Shaoxing wine, rice, loquats, bayberries, tea leaves, chickens and ducks... A long list, mostly supplies very useful for seafarers.

"I was just thinking of resupplying. How thoughtful of the Hangzhou government." Li Ziping said. "We were planning to leave anyway. Can't stay here long."

"These items aren't worth much money. As long as you're willing to leave, getting them to cough up more shouldn't be hard."

"Then what else should I ask for?" Li Ziping had no experience with this kind of thing.

"Let me handle it." Zhao Yingong said. "When are you planning to leave?"

"Depending on Liu Zheng's progress, probably another twenty-four hours or so and we'll be done."

"Then I'll come again early tomorrow morning, make it look like I'm putting in effort. Let the officials worry a bit longer." Zhao Yingong then asked, "Where are you going next—Shandong?"

"Yes. Next step is reconnaissance and survey of the Shandong coast," Li Ziping said. "The Executive Committee's plan is to launch Operation Engine as soon as the 1631 typhoon season passes."

"Xu Ke is with me right now. He was supposed to go on the Shandong mission too. Just take him along this time."

"No problem." Li Ziping said. He asked curiously, "How are you planning to operate in Shandong? The Foreign Intelligence Bureau hasn't sent us any targeted guidance documents."

Zhao Yingong said, "You can't blame headquarters for that. The decision-making power is with us here. Let me tell you now: the next step is to use the Hangzhou Catholic Church's relationship with Old Sun to first set up an agricultural reclamation base in Shandong as cover for the refugee camp."