Chapter 967 - The Intelligence Bureau's Temp Worker

Huang Ande's clothes hung on him like a punishment. The topknot coiled atop his head sat heavy and hateful, and under the merciless summer sun, sweat beaded continuously along his hairline, trickling down in relentless rivulets.

How much better the army's buzz cut had been. He found himself missing his soldiering days in the Fubo Army with an ache. In summer, not only was the hair cropped satisfyingly short, but the uniforms were spun from a cotton-linen blend—breathable, absorbent, quick to dry. So much more agreeable than this coarse, suffocating jacket.

Both he and Huang Xiong hailed from the Shandong garrison troops, and the two shared a distant kinship—cousins beyond the fifth degree of relation. Huang Xiong, however, had later transferred to Qizhen and risen to become a minor officer, while Huang Ande had remained adrift in the Shandong garrison until the day he fled, implicated in a plot to steal from the official granary.

The theft being a shameful affair, Huang Ande had never spoken of it. The truth emerged only during the Political Security Bureau's deep investigation when he was up for promotion to officer. That same inquiry revealed his former service in Dengzhou.

This particular background had not only earned him a transfer to the Northern Expedition Support Team but, like Huang Xiong, had placed him among the first to join the advance party. His current cover was that of a personal attendant to Lu Wenyuan.

After Zhao and Lu had established their channels with Sun Yuanhua, they had also thrown themselves into Shandong church activities through the Jesuits, swiftly becoming familiar with the local congregation. They gained considerable freedom of movement and support, and wasted no time getting to work.

As a native of the region, Huang Ande had received special training from Navy Intelligence Officer Xu Ke of the Foreign Intelligence Bureau before departure. Now a temp worker for the Bureau, he had been tasked with operating in Dengzhou city and gathering intelligence on local conditions—particularly the garrison situation. This was the information Operation Engine Command most desired.

In his briefing, Xu Ke had specifically expressed hope that Huang Ande could obtain details on troop deployments in Penglai Water City: the precise locations of yamen, military camps, and artillery batteries within its walls. Though the Grand Library had supplied Xu Ke with every available document, the actual layout of the Ming-era water city still required firsthand observation.

At present, he was wandering outside Penglai Water City. This fortress lay on the eastern flank of Danya Mountain, northwest of Dengzhou proper. During the Song dynasty, a Knife-Fish Patrol Station had been established here, with blade-thin war boats stationed to defend against the Khitan—the place was called Knife-Fish Fort. In the ninth year of Hongwu under the Ming, the water city was first constructed; a water gate rose to the north, Zhenyang Gate to the south, and an earthen rampart enclosed the whole. Seawater was channeled into the city, and it was renamed Beiwo City. In the twenty-fourth year of Wanli, the earthen walls were faced with brick and stone. During the Tianqi reign, Dengzhou-Laizhou Governor Yuan Keli had trained the navy here, commanding forces from both Dengzhou and the Dongjiang garrison. He had marshaled over fifty thousand soldiers—army and navy combined—equipped with advanced artillery and numerous warships. In a memorial, Yuan Keli had written: "Warships connected prow to stern; the barbarian chieftain's courage froze." The Dongjiang garrison's ability to persist so long on the Later Jin's flank owed much to the powerful logistical support that Penglai Water City provided.

The Liaodong wars had prompted successive Dengzhou-Laizhou Governors to develop this place with great care. Combined with the vast quantities of supplies bound for Liaodong that were transshipped here, and the official and mercantile exchanges between Korea and the Great Ming all passing through, merchants gathered in droves, creating a scene of bustling prosperity. A Korean visitor crossing the sea in those days had recorded this place as having "beacon towers set on every peak with a lookout view; military farming camps visible everywhere; merchant ships and warships anchored near shore beyond counting"—a vision of order and abundance.

Within Penglai Water City, the navy alone stationed over eight thousand men. Add to that the civilian laborers and craftsmen repairing the fortifications, the shipwrights building and maintaining vessels, and the blacksmiths conscripted from various places to cast cannons—tens of thousands of people gathering here, each with at least some stable monthly income—and the area outside Zhenyang Gate had developed into a considerable market district. Shops and vendors crowded together; all manner of businesses thrived. The cries of hawkers never ceased.

He sat at a roadside tea stall, ordered a pot of tea, crossed his legs, and drank slowly, occasionally glancing up at Penglai Pavilion atop Danya Mountain with an expression of great interest. He knew he was currently playing the role of "spy," but he wasn't particularly afraid. Unlike the Elders, who risked exposure the moment they opened their mouths, he was a native born and bred. The Huang family had been military households here for generations. Though his immediate kin were gone, he still had many clan relatives locally, most serving as soldiers. Getting one of them to help him enter the water city wouldn't pose any difficulty.

Yet though many soldiers in military vests passed back and forth along the market street, he recognized none. Some faces looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't recall their names and dared not approach carelessly. He had fled as a criminal, after all. He needed a reliable contact to make inquiries first. Otherwise, if he really got trussed up and hauled before the navy yamen, by the time Master Zhao produced Sun Yuanhua's calling card to free him, he'd have suffered plenty.

While staring absently into the crowd, Huang Ande suddenly felt a light tap on his back. Turning, he saw a young man studying him.

The stranger had appeared hesitant at first, but upon seeing his face clearly, his expression transformed into delighted surprise.

"It really is you!"

"You are... Ah! Little Brother!" After a moment's hesitation, Huang Ande recognized him. The man's name was Sun Yuan. By the reckoning of distant relations, he could be considered a cousin. A former comrade-in-arms who had served locally.

After several years, Sun Yuan had filled out considerably. Though still wearing a military vest, the quality was good, and his complexion was healthy.

Huang Ande clasped Sun Yuan's hand, looking him up and down for a long moment before asking: "Cousin, after so many years apart, you've changed quite a bit. Still at the battery?"

Sun Yuan smiled. "I'm a personal retainer for Governor Sun now. The higher-ups said once I get a recommendation, they'll promote me to a supernumerary officer position."

Huang Ande knew that in the army, becoming a personal guard for a general or civil official was an excellent path for ordinary garrison soldiers. Promotions aside, at least your pay arrived on time and the food was far better than what regular soldiers received. Particularly serving as retainer to a governor like Sun Yuanhua—few opportunities to fight and die, less chance of losing one's life. A truly enviable position.

He laughed. "After all, there's only one way to write the character 'Sun'—your surname gave you the advantage!"

Sun Yuan looked somewhat embarrassed. "Not at all. I earned this retainer position through my artillery skills. You know, Governor Sun brought quite a few Franks from Guangzhou to train artillery casting and gunnery. The Portuguese artillery instructor, Master Pedro, praised me several times, and I was taken on as a retainer."

"Impressive! But you really were dedicated to learning artillery!" Huang Ande knew that soldiers generally avoided being gunners. Though cannons weren't rare in the Ming, their quality was poor and their usage poorly standardized. Operating them often caused accidents with frequent casualties. In peacetime, you also had to keep the cannon clean, yet the extra pay was only a few coins. Most soldiers merely went through the motions when drilling with cannons—few were genuinely dedicated.

"Not at all!" Sun Yuan demurred modestly, then asked: "Brother De, you've been gone for years now—where have you settled? Not a single word!"

Huang Ande asked quietly: "Let me ask you first—is that old business settled?"

Sun Yuan started, then realized he was asking about the granary theft. "Settled long ago. Among those caught, Zhu San took all the blame—he was beheaded. The others got arrow parades and a few dozen military strokes."

Hearing this, Huang Ande couldn't help but sigh. "Zhu San was a real man—loyal and true!" He thought about reaching into his pocket for some silver to send to Zhu San's family, then remembered Xu Ke's training: don't flash money around until you know the situation.

Sun Yuan said: "Who would disagree! Don't worry, everyone's been looking after them!" He studied Huang Ande. "Brother De! Want to come back to duty? Using your real name would be risky, but with a new name you'd be fine! My family's fifth uncle handles paperwork—change your name and get enlisted first."

"No need for that." Huang Ande waved him off. "I'm working as a personal attendant for someone now—food and clothing provided. Nothing to complain about." He then recited the cover story the Foreign Intelligence Bureau had fabricated: after fleeing to Guangdong, he had sold himself to a gentry family as a retainer, earned his master's trust, and was now a personal attendant. This time he had accompanied his master to the Penglai area on business.

"Doing business here without some skill won't work—your master must be quite a person of importance!" Having spent many years here and seen much, Sun Yuan was happy for Huang Ande. Being a personal attendant to gentry, though a servile position, had good prospects—just as being a retainer was better than being a regular soldier. And serving gentry meant no fighting and risking one's life—even better.

"Of course. Though my master is only a xiucai, he's a great landowner from Guangzhou with connections to the big officials in the capital." Huang Ande boasted. "Just a few days ago he visited Governor Sun himself." He clapped Sun Yuan on the shoulder. "Come—let's share a drink, just us brothers!" Having finally found a contact, Huang Ande naturally wanted to solidify the relationship quickly. Besides, this Sun Yuan really wasn't an outsider—they had often spent time together in their soldiering days.

Since Sun Yuan was off duty with no drills, and this was a reunion of old friends, he was quite happy and readily agreed. He even insisted on treating.

"Let me treat instead," Huang Ande said. "I know you—though you're a retainer now, your pay is only two taels, and you probably don't even receive the full amount each month. You've got your old mother and brothers at home. I'm a bachelor—I eat my master's food, drink his drink, and my monthly allowance is never short. No problem!"

They found a small tavern and secured a private room, ordering wine and dishes. The two talked of old times and old friends. Huang Ande inquired about many former comrades, relatives, and acquaintances. Gradually the conversation turned to news of generals and officers. Sun Yuan harbored no wariness and possessed no sense of secrecy. After a few cups of wine, he told everything he knew: who had been promoted, who had died in battle, who had been transferred. Before long, Huang Ande had learned fifty or sixty percent of the general situation at Penglai Water City.

(End of Chapter)