Chapter 2286: Settling the Plan
If the scale was large enough, the Hair thieves might even transfer troops from the city to reinforce. That would thin out the defenders and make it easier for them to break through in one stroke.
Yet despite days of calculation, the forces at his disposal still weren't enough. Thirty percent assurance was out of reach—he didn't even have ten percent.
Fortunately, the situation was developing in his favor. As the bandit suppression campaigns and Yao Pacification battles continued, Wuzhou's garrison was steadily diluted from its concentrated state. The Wuzhou Integrated Squadron—the most capable unit in the National Army Wuzhou Battalion—had been transferred to North Guangdong to participate in the war. Another squadron was constantly on West River patrol duty, leaving early and returning late. Due to combat losses and continuous personnel transfers for reinforcement, the Replacement Squadron originally garrisoning Yangming Gate had been quietly consumed to near exhaustion. Wuzhou's permanent defenders now consisted of only Qian Duo's company and one squadron at Sanheui.
Even so, Yi Haoran still couldn't bring himself to commit. During the day, the only defenders in the city were one infantry company—but that company had the best equipment and the strongest combat power. As long as Qian Duo's men remained in the city, Yi Haoran would always hesitate, reluctant to throw stones at the rat for fear of smashing the vase.
But this massive grain transfer offered him a chance. Without question, the transfer of ten thousand dan of grain was a major event for all the Hair thieves in Wuzhou, high and low. If they could attack the grain boats at the right moment, it would inevitably cause enormous shock—not only luring the tiger from its mountain but also dealing a severe blow to the Hair thieves' morale.
Yi Haoran often went to the docks to help Wen Iron Head with the accounts. The porter boss now handled loading and unloading for the Australians, and his crew had expanded to several hundred men. He was effectively Wuzhou's biggest dock boss now. The old method of distributing bamboo tally sticks was no longer adequate, and the Australians were particular about documentation—everything required proof. Wen Iron Head was illiterate and naturally couldn't manage all this, so he frequently sought Yi Haoran's help.
Yi Haoran never declined. First, it gave him legitimate reason to come and go freely. Second, working the accounts at the docks let him observe many details of Australian shipping operations.
He had a rough understanding: the Australians favored large-scale formation transport, organizing massive boat fleets to move great quantities of materials at once. Every shipment was escorted by numerous "steam launches" with formidable guns and cannons, and soldiers aboard each vessel. Whether ambushing from shore or intercepting on the water, it was extremely difficult to oppose them—at most, one could harass the fleet a bit.
Whenever a large boat fleet arrived to unload, Qian Duo would deploy troops near the docks to maintain alert, only withdrawing once all goods had been unloaded into the warehouses.
This time, the Australians would very likely be loading ten thousand dan of grain for Wuzhou in a single shipment—a scale exceeding any previous fleet. Naturally, they would dispatch even more men to guard it. That meant the city's defenses would inevitably be hollow.
Yi Haoran planned to have Gou Er's men feign an attack on the boat fleet outside the city, drawing the attention of the alert troops. Meanwhile, Song Ming's men would raid the Prefecture Yamen and attempt to capture or kill the True Hair.
"Is this workable?" Chang Qingyun was skeptical. "General Song has only fifty men under him. Entering the city to raid the Prefecture Yamen might have a thirty percent chance. But Gou Er, though he has over a hundred men, they're all petty thieves and pickpockets. How can they bear such a heavy responsibility?"
"There's always a way."
Seeing him equivocate, Chang Qingyun knew Yi Haoran didn't completely trust him. He couldn't help feeling somewhat discouraged.
"I suppose I shouldn't have asked."
Yi Haoran's expression turned serious. "Brother Chang, it's not that I can't trust you! Some things are better left unknown. In short, our hearts are united, our strength directed to one place—that's enough!"
"You speak reasonably," Chang Qingyun nodded. "What would you have me do?"
"Your task is still at Sanheui," Yi Haoran said. "There's a National Army squadron stationed there. You need to create some major disturbance to pin them down."
"That's easier said than done." Chang Qingyun frowned. "Though the camp is full of captives, they're well-fed and clothed with no threat to their lives. Getting them to revolt is impossible."
"Who said anything about revolt? As long as the camp descends into chaos, that's enough!" Yi Haoran said grimly.
To create chaos, the easiest method was arson. The summer weather was dry; the camp was mostly temporary structures of grass and wood. Once a fire started, it would inevitably spread on a large scale.
"The Australians guard against fire very strictly in the camp. This won't be easy."
"If it were easy, would we need Master Chang to take charge?" Yi Haoran said. "We have several brothers inside the camp. When the time comes, they can all lend you a hand."
Chang Qingyun knew that accepting this task meant nine chances of death and one of survival. Not only would capture by the Australians certainly mean death; even if he wasn't caught on the spot, once the fire started and the camp lost order, thousands of people would stampede like mad boars and wolves, trampling each other. Escaping with his life would be no easy feat.
He said resolutely, "Very well. I'll simply risk my life and do it!"
Yi Haoran praised him. "Master Chang is truly one who forgets self for country!" He turned to gaze at the broad river. "Rest assured, sir—I'm no one who clings to life either. When the time comes, if we walk the Yellow Springs Road together, at least we won't be lonely." With that, he laughed aloud.
Chang Qingyun smiled bitterly. "Such heroic spirit, sir!"
Yi Haoran shook his head. "It's not that I have heroic spirit. It's simply that I can no longer bear to see this beautiful land fall into barbarian hands! Heaven's mandate and the fortunes of our time have turned—the Great Ming has nothing left. But consider what lies before us: the Australians have already pushed deep into Guangxi. Before long, all of Bagui will bear the name of Hair. Even if we manage to behead this Xie Hair, it's just a cup of water against a burning cart, a mantis arm stopping a chariot, an ant trying to shake a tree. Even so—I will not let the Hair thieves look down on the scholars of Huaxia!"
After Chang Qingyun left, Yi Haoran plotted alone for a long time. No matter how he calculated, he could only see thirty or forty percent assurance—and the plan required quite a few people to sacrifice their lives. All of them loyal subjects of the Court...
What if he simply had Cai Lan assassinate the target directly? Whether by poison or blade, neither would be difficult for her. She was already marked for death anyway—there was nothing to pity.
But after pondering again and again, he decided not to take that risk. First, Cai Lan could serve as a final trump card. Second, through Qiuchan, he had learned that subtle feelings had developed between this woman and Xie Erren. If he forced her to act, she might bungle it and betray them all.
Cai Lan listened to Jiang Qiuchan's account and knew the matter wasn't so simple. Qiuchan didn't know what Yi Haoran was plotting; she understood perfectly well.
Secretly anxious but with no solution, she turned her thoughts to the official documents and letters that Xie Erren handled daily.
Originally, Xie Erren never brought work to her quarters. But as his favor for her grew day by day, this Senator—to avoid hurrying back and forth morning and evening—often worked here now. He had even cleared out the east wing as a dedicated office.
Cai Lan was always careful: she never showed the slightest interest in his office. When Xie Erren was working there, she would bring tea and medicinal tonics only as far as the door.
But Xie Erren wasn't as suspicious as she had imagined. He rarely locked the door when leaving, and he would bring documents to the bedroom to read, or simply review official papers in bed, jotting notes in his notebook. Sometimes these things were left behind in the bedroom.
During the day, Xie Erren often had to go out—usually for meetings or work at the Prefecture Yamen. Besides herself and Qiuchan, the only other people in the courtyard were two servant women who never entered the room without announcement. So for Cai Lan, peeking at official documents wasn't difficult.
The very night after Luo Yangming reported his suspicions about Hao Ran, she saw the External Verification Letter that Zhao Fengtian had drafted sitting in the office—simply placed in a document basket, waiting for Xie Erren's signature before being sent out.
The moment she saw the name "Hao Ran," Cai Lan pulled out the document and read it.
Though she didn't understand what External Verification meant, Australian documents were written in plain, simple language. Within a few sentences, she understood: Wuzhou was writing to the Australian yamen in Teng County to ask whether a person named Hao Ran actually existed there, and what his circumstances were.
Teng County would certainly have no such person as "Hao Ran." Even if Qiuchan immediately wrote home asking her in-laws to cover for the lie, putting aside whether they would even be willing to cover for a man of unknown origin—even if they agreed, a little Australian interrogation would expose the falsehood.
Once exposed, the consequences were obvious. Yi Haoran's identity would be revealed; he would be arrested and interrogated. What he was plotting in Wuzhou was enormous. Uncovering it would be a major case. Not only would she be implicated—the Jiang family couldn't escape either...
She pondered for a moment, then made a risky decision. She pulled the official letter from the document basket, took it directly to the main room, and quietly burned it over a candle.
Luo Yangming naturally had no idea the External Verification Letter had simply vanished without a trace. His work kept him extremely busy. Once he and Prefect Xie had agreed on the specific fundraising plan, he leaked word of the "fundraising" through the Aftermath Bureau. Sure enough, it immediately attracted the interest of quite a few major merchants. Many asked him for details, though those truly willing to invest weren't numerous. Luo Yangming wasn't surprised: in times of war and chaos, merchants preferred to keep their silver clutched tight rather than release it to make money. Moreover, the war situation had been tense lately; at one point, bandit forces had approached the outskirts of Wuzhou, and news of the Yao Rebellion kept coming. As conditions worsened, all manner of rumors appeared: "The Australians aren't the true Dragon Son of Heaven and can't sit the Dragon Throne," "The Yao people refuse to recognize the Australians as Emperor"... Such stories spread throughout the city. Zheng Ergen led the police to arrest some rumor-mongers but couldn't trace the source of anything—it was all hearsay, passed from person to person on the streets.
All this caused the previously high-flying "Australian Stock" to begin falling. Many who had been planning to place or double their bets changed their minds.
Fortunately, there were still merchants willing to take the risk. Jiang Qiuchan's brother, Jiang Rongxian, was the first to declare his willingness to invest, which drew several of his Silk Guild peers along. Shopkeeper Da Xinxuan of Chengyu Firm also contributed several hundred taels of silver. The thirteen thousand taels needed to purchase grain were gathered quite quickly.
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 490 (End of Chapter)