Chapter 2260: Catching a Turtle in a Jar
Xie Wendong bowed his head as he received the instructions. With each point explained, he felt a growing sense of alarm—this Advisor Zhan was truly insidious.
"...Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand completely. I'll make the arrangements immediately."
Feng Haijiao led his main force through the winding paths of Huangdan Gully, stumbling forward with difficulty. Food supplies ran short, forcing them to halt for a day while porters returned to Hu Bay to fetch additional provisions. By the time they reached the Great West Gate, they arrived a full day later than Zhan Zhekun had predicted. Men and horses alike were utterly exhausted.
At the foot of the mountain, more than a dozen water vats stood waiting, properly filled with herbal tea.
"Greetings, Master." Huang Daqiao, who had been sent to welcome them, wore a broad smile. "Manager Xin dispatched me to receive you. Please rest here a moment with your brothers before ascending—there's no rush." He waved his hand, and servants brought forth a table laden with cold dishes: eight bowls and eight plates of meat.
"A small token from Manager Xin. Please enjoy some refreshments, Master, you and your distinguished company."
Feng Haijiao had spent several days in his sedan chair, eating and sleeping rough. His body ached and his mouth was tasteless. Seeing such attentiveness from Xin Laonan, he felt no suspicion—only satisfaction. The old fellow clearly knew his place.
The servants returned with several more trays, these bearing two hundred taels of gleaming silver.
"A greeting gift from Master Zhan for the brothers."
Witnessing such deference from both Xin and Zhan, Feng Haijiao concluded they must fear him, hence their desperate fawning. He smiled with smug satisfaction. "Too kind! Go tell them I'm resting here briefly and will come up to pay my respects shortly."
"Yes, Master." Huang Daqiao was about to withdraw when Feng Haijiao suddenly stopped him.
"How has Manager Xin been lately?"
Huang Daqiao paused. "Thanks to your blessing, Master Feng, Manager Xin remains hale, though his legs give him some trouble."
This was Xin Laonan's old injury—the very reason he had retired from the trade years ago.
"No headaches or fevers?"
Huang Daqiao smiled apologetically. "Master Feng loves his jokes. The weather's been fine—neither cold nor hot. Why would there suddenly be headaches or fevers?"
Feng Haijiao didn't smile. His yellow eyes fixed on Huang Daqiao with an unblinking stare. Only after a long moment did he suddenly break into a grin. "Just concerned about my old partner, that's all."
"Your kindness is appreciated." Huang Daqiao bowed again and slowly withdrew.
The probe had revealed nothing suspicious. Soon the main force arrived in waves. Parched soldiers cheered at the sight of clear water and surged forward to drink, but his personal guards drove them back with whips.
"Damn you all, rushing to be reborn!" he cursed, then summoned his physician to test each vat for poison with silver needles.
The tests came back clean. Only then did he allow his men to drink. Still not entirely at ease, he had the physician examine each dish and cup of wine at the banquet table. Finding no obstruction, he finally sat down to eat and drink.
After the meal, he turned his attention to the ascent.
Though he had concluded that Xin and Zhan harbored no plots, years as a bandit had made him cautious. Even a one-in-ten-thousand chance demanded preparation. He gathered his trusted subordinates.
"We're going up now," Feng Haijiao told his leaders. "Keep your eyes sharp. Old Man Xin may be aged, but he's no fool. With so many of us ascending, he'll naturally be wary. Frankly, all this mutual suspicion is tiresome—better to simply merge into one family and be done with it."
The leaders cheered. Feng Haijiao signaled them to quiet down.
"Xin Laonan ran his operation for decades, targeting only wealthy officials and major merchants. The manor must hold considerable treasures—"
At this, greed flickered in his leaders' eyes. Feng Haijiao continued: "But Old Man Xin is no mediocrity. That he's willing to let us up the mountain suggests he has preparations of his own. You saw the terrain—Thunder Struck Slope is treacherous. We cannot act rashly. Follow my instructions precisely."
He then issued orders to each subordinate. Having walked this mountain road before, he knew the key terrain depended on three gates starting from the Great West Gate. He dispatched three capable men, each leading twenty soldiers, to hold position after passing each stockade gate.
"Men from Xin Family Manor guard each gate—not many. Simply stay put and watch them. If asked, say you're looking after the rear teams transporting wealth. As long as they don't drive you out, don't fight them. We must not alert the mountain."
These were his most loyal troops. Controlling the gates meant controlling the road up and down. He could advance or retreat at will—an invincible position. If Xin Laonan proved cooperative, excellent. If treachery emerged, he could withdraw his men and escape.
This left him with fewer than fifty of his core troops. But Xin Laonan had at most twenty or thirty able-bodied men, and though Zhan Zhekun commanded thirty-odd, he was an outsider with no reason to risk himself for a powerless old man. After all, with Sun Dabiao finished, Feng Haijiao was now the dominant force in the three Yangshan counties. Advisor Zhan still needed him to fight the Taipings.
If they refused a toast, they would drink the forfeit instead. Defeating them would be simple enough—he held absolute military superiority.
He calculated again and again. This was a certain victory.
After dispatching his subordinates, Feng Haijiao ate and drank some more. Near noon, he spotted Bi Xuansheng riding a nag, lazily catching up from behind.
Though his suspicions had faded, he still considered Bi Xuansheng an "outsider" and had assigned him to escort property at the rear. It was exhausting, responsible work. If the young man performed well, perhaps he was worth promoting.
He didn't greet Bi Xuansheng directly, instead summoning a soldier.
"Tell Advisor Bi that his work escorting the luggage is appreciated. The moving brothers and everyone's families are tired as well. Have them rest at the foot of the mountain for two hours before ascending."
Next, he called Mo Chong.
"Take one hundred of the new recruits and follow behind the main group. If anything goes wrong ahead, bring them up immediately as reinforcements."
"Yes, Master!"
"Move out!"
In the temple hall, reports of Feng Haijiao's movements arrived continuously. Zhan Zhekun felt slightly nervous. Yet Yang Juren chatted and laughed as though nothing were amiss. He couldn't help but admire the man—truly worthy of being someone who could command influence in Guangning.
Steeling himself, Zhan Zhekun forced composure onto his features, unwilling to appear lesser.
"Master, Master Feng has passed the second stockade gate."
"Did he leave men behind?"
"He did. The distance was too great to count precisely—perhaps twenty or thirty."
"How many remain with him now?"
"I counted fifty or sixty."
"Those are likely all his core troops," Yang Jinghui observed.
"Are there follow-up forces?"
"About a hundred, still climbing but not yet past the second gate."
"This Feng Haijiao is a cunning old fox indeed." Yang Jinghui chuckled. "One must give him credit—his arrangements are quite tight."
"If he weren't cunning, would he have swallowed my fragrant bait?" Zhan Zhekun felt his confidence growing.
Feng Haijiao led his men up the mountain, full of ambition. They passed each checkpoint without obstruction. The first stockade gate had twenty guards; the second had only two old watchmen. No one objected when he left his men behind.
The main gate lay just ahead. Once through, Thunder Struck Slope would have no defensible positions. Xin Family Manor would be his.
His pride swelled. Several tenants approached respectfully to welcome him.
"Where is Manager Xin?"
"The Manager awaits before the temple, ready to wash the dust from your journey." The tenant smiled ingratiatingly.
Feng Haijiao nodded. Reaching the summit, he surveyed the open terrain. Seven or eight tenants guarded the main gate while a dozen worked in the paddy fields. Birds in the mountain forest remained undisturbed—clearly no large forces lay hidden. His heart settled further.
Arriving at the temple, he found Zhan Zhekun waiting at the entrance with a welcoming smile, attended by only three or four servants. Suspicion flickered within him, but he returned the greeting. "Where is Manager Xin?"
"An old injury has flared up. He's having difficulty moving, so he awaits you in the hall." Zhan Zhekun smiled.
Feng Haijiao felt a vague unease, but with thirty or forty of his most trusted men surrounding him, even an ambush inside could be fought through. He spoke carelessly: "Then let us go inside." He signaled his subordinates and followed Zhan Zhekun in.
His men crowded after him. The temple was not large, and dozens of people packed the courtyard immediately. The main hall's doors stood open. Xin Laonan sat before the Buddha statue—though difficult to see clearly, his complexion appeared healthy. Only a few attendants occupied the hall. Feng Haijiao's heart settled completely. Smiling, he strode forward, calling out: "Manager Xin! It's been too long—"
Before he could finish, a gust of wind erupted behind him, followed by a thunderous crash. Dust flew. Feng Haijiao whirled around, then felt heat splash across his face—like hot water, but with a distinctive stickiness that told him instantly: this was human blood.
He went pale with terror. Looking back, he saw that the four attendants who had followed him into the hall lay dead on the ground. The main gate had slammed shut, and several soldiers were ramming the crossbar into place.
Outside came the wild shouts of his men and the desperate pounding of fists against doors. Feng Haijiao reached for his sword, but several spears leveled at him froze his hand.
He forced himself to remain calm. "Surname Xin! What is the meaning of this?!"
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 464 (End of Chapter)