Chapter 2725: The Capital (Part 81)
Wu Cheng considered for a moment before speaking. "Hiding someone isn't a matter of one or two days, so they certainly wouldn't keep him in meadows or forests. Most likely, he's being held in a building somewhere."
There were countless structures throughout Nanyuan. The offices, guardhouses, and villages alone accounted for over a thousand buildings. Scattered within the grounds were also several hundred empty or abandoned official buildings and temples.
"If it were me, I'd hide the person in a temple."
Most of the villages had been abandoned and were now inhabited by lawless castrated men. Concealing someone there posed two problems: first, it compromised secrecy; second, it invited trouble.
The offices and guardhouses had too many people and too many watchful eyes. The auxiliary workers and soldiers were mostly local riffraff who could easily let information slip. Those locations were equally unsuitable.
"...The most likely places are the temples inside Nanyuan."
"Yuanling Palace?" Li Rufeng shook his head. "That's an imperially commissioned temple, not far from the Great Red Gate. Palace eunuchs come and go constantly. If a cat caught a mouse in there, the capital would hear about it. How could anyone hide a person there?"
"You don't realize, Chief Escort—besides Yuanling Palace, there are more than ten other temples and palaces inside! You only know the most famous one."
Li Rufeng was hearing this for the first time. He said with surprise, "No one but imperial relatives and sea households can enter. What do the monks and Daoists in those temples eat?"
"Originally, they received imperial provisions," Wu Cheng explained. "But since the Emperor no longer visits the garden, life inside has grown quite hard. Many temples have fallen into ruin. Hiding someone there would be the safest option."
He enumerated the temples within the garden one by one: Guandi Temple, Seven Sages Temple, Earth God Temple, Zhenwu Temple, Dragon Spirit Temple, Medicine King Temple, Dragon King Temple, Horse Spirit Temple, Dizang Nunnery, Bodhisattva Temple, and others. By careful count, there were probably more than twenty—all constructed by the authorities over the years.
"That's far too many." Li Rufeng frowned. Setting aside whether the person was even there, even if he was, these temples lay scattered throughout Nanyuan. Searching them all would require considerable effort. Taking too long would inevitably alert whoever was guarding the hostage.
"...Most of these temples no longer have abbots, or even monks or Daoists. If they wanted to hide someone, wouldn't it be inconvenient without a caretaker?"
Li Rufeng studied Wu Cheng for a moment. "Old Wu, I don't believe you've been an honest Daoist."
"The tricks of the jianghu are much the same. Even without practicing the trade, one learns from watching." Wu Cheng smiled. "Looking at it this way, there are only five temples where they could feasibly hide someone. The most likely is Ningyou Temple."
Ningyou Temple was actually the Earth God Temple, imperially commissioned to "worship the earth god of the lake enclosure." In ordinary villages, earth god temples were usually nothing more than brick and stone shrines by the roadside; the finer ones might be single-room buildings. But the earth god temple in Nanyuan was vastly different: a three-bay mountain gate, a three-bay main hall, a five-bay rear hall, and three-bay east and west side halls. Quite impressive.
Because it was an earth god temple and the presiding Daoist had originally been a palace eunuch, they could still receive some money and rice from the palace each month. Its location was not far from the Eagle-Airing Platform—remote with few visitors, yet conveniently accessible.
"There are several other temples that might serve, but Ningyou Temple occupies the best position."
"Very well. We'll begin the search with Ningyou Temple!"
"How many days has it been since we invited Senator Leng here?" Zhou Lezhi suddenly asked.
Liu Zhao started slightly and answered vaguely, "Nearly half a month, I suppose."
"It's been twenty days." Zhou Lezhi tapped his palm lightly with his fan, frowning. "Has the follow-up letter been sent?"
"It has."
"Then why have we heard nothing? Don't tell me they don't want this Senator Leng back?" A hint of anxiety showed in Zhou Lezhi's eyes.
"Mountains and passes separate us. Travel back and forth takes time and effort. This man surnamed Wu wouldn't dare make decisions on his own—he has to consult with Lingao before acting. Moreover, this is a major matter. The Kun might even send someone to take charge. A round trip takes at least half a month. Getting a result within two months would already be fast." Liu Zhao offered reassurance.
Zhou Lezhi nodded reluctantly. Geographic distance was always a significant obstacle, not to mention the Australians' inefficient system. Major policies couldn't be "dictated by one man"—they required discussion and voting by the group. For a topic like peace negotiations, it probably wouldn't yield results without ten days or half a month of debate.
Though his master had often extolled the benefits of group decision-making, in Zhou Lezhi's view, the Kun suffered from severe internal friction. If not for this peculiar group-deliberation system—if they had an "Emperor" or a "Prime Minister with true power"—they probably would have conquered Jiangnan long ago. In a way, this was also the Great Ming's blessing.
"Sir, do you think the Kun will agree to peace talks?" Liu Zhao seemed quite worried.
"About a sixty percent chance," Zhou Lezhi said. "Senators hold extremely high status—not comparable to powerful relatives or eunuchs. As long as we have Leng Ningyun in hand, they must remain wary. Even if they only play along, they have to put on a show."
"But..."
"Correct. For the court, this is merely prolonging the inevitable. But as long as we can hold out for now, circumstances may shift. The factional struggles among the Kun are fierce. Any matter can be wielded to attack one's rivals. No matter how the Leng Ningyun affair concludes, the Senate won't settle it without arguing for seven days and seven nights." Zhou Lezhi smiled with disdain. "As far as I know, quite a few among the Kun have no desire to fight the court. They would rather sail to the Southern or Eastern Seas to plunder people and treasure. Now that Leng Ningyun has been captured, this gives them the perfect excuse. It's not impossible they'll change direction entirely."
"Is that really true?" Liu Zhao asked in surprise.
Zhou Lezhi nodded. "It is absolutely true. Moreover, though the Kun have taken Liangguang, they've expended incalculable material and financial resources. Their military and civilian strength is stretched to its limit. That's why the proposal to go south is gaining momentum."
"The court's situation today could be called 'besieged on all sides.' But as long as the court's orders can still reach everywhere, if there's breathing room, and if capable people enter the cabinet, there may yet be a chance."
"Are you referring to the Mr. Zhang who visited the lord a few days ago?"
"Naturally." Zhou Lezhi said. "Don't be deceived by Mr. Zhang having no official position. His power is no less than a cabinet minister's. Even our Chief Grand Secretary Wen treats him with courtesy."
"Chief Grand Secretary Wen's position is also one favoring appeasement."
"Yes, but he doesn't dare say so openly," Zhou Lezhi replied. "The one who wants appeasement most is probably the Emperor himself, yet he absolutely cannot admit it."
"Then why not have Chief Grand Secretary Wen gather several ministers to submit a joint memorial?"
"Chief Grand Secretary Wen doesn't dare." Zhou Lezhi shook his head. "Such a proposal would be too humiliating for the court. Wen has made many enemies at court over the years. If he memorializes for peace, he would probably drown in the spittle of criticism! And unfortunately, the Emperor again..."
He didn't continue, but Liu Zhao understood his meaning. After a moment's thought, Liu Zhao said, "That may not be the case. Chief Grand Secretary Wen has been in the cabinet for seven years, and the Emperor has staunchly supported him despite court criticism. Everyone says the Emperor is 'plague-struck.'"
"Times have changed. Chief Grand Secretary Wen's position isn't so secure now," Zhou Lezhi said. "If he isn't more careful, he probably won't last until next year as Chief Grand Secretary."
Though Liu Zhao was accustomed to his predictions, this casual remark still filled him with awe—because over the years, Mr. Zhou had never been wrong about major court affairs.
"If that's so, who else can propose appeasing the Kun?"
"It doesn't matter who proposes it. The key is having enough people at court support it to overpower the war faction. And someone in the palace must shield the ministers who support peace talks before the Emperor—tell me, is that difficult?"
"This... doesn't that mean we must also curry favor with the powerful eunuchs in the palace?"
"Exactly so." Zhou Lezhi smiled.
"Sir, you accomplish what others cannot," Liu Zhao said flatteringly.
Zhou Lezhi smiled faintly. He knew that over the years, his position within Wang Yehao's circle had been rising—simply because he could interpret the "heavenly book" left by his master. Come to think of it, Lord Wang's current actions were somewhat connected to the predictions in that "heavenly book."
The Great Ming's edifice was on the verge of collapse. Once it fell, this wouldn't merely be a change of dynasty—it would mean the eternal doom of Chinese civilization.
But such things couldn't be explained to people like Liu Zhao. They were merely tools. Explaining too clearly would only frighten them.
Liu Zhao said, "If the Kun proactively propose peace talks, the court's dignity would be preserved. Even if the conditions are demanding, the Emperor might be able to accept."
"Exactly so."
As they conversed, a young man suddenly hurried in and whispered a few words in Liu Zhao's ear. Liu Zhao started. "Really?"
Zhou Lezhi knew this youth was Xu Yong, a disciple Liu Sha had taken in—an orphan by origin. Usually, he stayed at his master's side; only when Liu Sha traveled elsewhere did he remain in the capital.
Xu Yong nodded, then bowed and withdrew.
"What is it?" Zhou Lezhi asked with concern. Liu Sha now served as the operational commander. His every move affected success or failure.
"Liu Sha hasn't sent anyone with a letter," Liu Zhao said, his voice laced with worry.
After Liu Sha went to Tongzhou, he would dispatch someone to the capital every three days with a letter, exchanging intelligence with Liu Zhao and coordinating their actions.
Today was the appointed day for sending a letter. Tongzhou lay only forty li from the capital. A fast walker could make the round trip in a day. The messenger had set out on horseback in the morning and should have reached the contact point in the capital before noon.
Now the sun had already passed its zenith, but the messenger had not arrived.
"Perhaps the messenger was delayed on the road..." Zhou Lezhi offered.
"These past few days, the messenger has always arrived before noon," Liu Zhao said anxiously. "The road from the capital to Tongzhou is a major thoroughfare under the Son of Heaven's eyes. Traveling in broad daylight, nothing should happen."
Hearing this, Zhou Lezhi grew suspicious as well. Liu Sha was an extremely cautious person. He would never lightly change agreed-upon arrangements.
"I know Brother Liu. He's most meticulous in handling matters," Zhou Lezhi said. "But there have been some flaws in recent operations. I'm worried..."
"I'll immediately send someone from the capital toward Tongzhou to investigate along the way."
"Will there be time?"
"By horse, they can definitely reach Tongzhou before nightfall!" Liu Zhao said. "I'll also dispatch two more on foot to see if the first ones missed anything. They won't make it to Tongzhou tonight, so they'll stay halfway and continue tomorrow."
(End of Chapter)