Chapter 88: Drawing the Map

Xie Er looked up in surprise, only to see Lin Qian seated upright in the stern cabin, watching him with a faint, inscrutable smile.

Lei Sanxiang came over from the bow, entered the stern cabin, leaned his ghost-head broadsword against the wall, sat down on a chair, took off his stilts, and cursed under his breath: "That dull-witted oaf Li Kuiqi, he's so damned tall—with him around, the household could save on buying an ox."

On this trip, among all the sworn brothers, Lin Qian had brought only Lei Sanxiang and Bailangzai.

Chen Jiao hadn't come, so no one was there to trade quips with Lei Sanxiang and pass the time, which left him feeling somewhat out of sorts.

Lin Qian said: "Good thing Third Brother's footing on those stilts is steady."

Lei Sanxiang chuckled: "This thing isn't all that tall. Standing still like a door god, I can still manage that."

Lei Sanxiang's gaze fell on the mast of the twin-masted Fujian junk, where the great "Lin" banner still fluttered boldly in the wind.

"That banner's got real presence—it'd look just right hanging on the galleon."

Lin Qian smiled: "No need for a banner. The galleon itself is already conspicuous enough."

Lei Sanxiang scratched his head: "True enough. By the way, how come their ship's also flying the 'Lin' banner? A kinsman of yours?"

Lin Qian shook his head: "In Huangyan County, Lin is a common surname, but the Lin clan of Huangyan has only one main house. The word 'kinsman' isn't something you can claim just by sharing the surname Lin—right, Xie Er?"

Called out, Xie Er's body gave a start, and he forced a smile onto his face: "Helmsman, sir, your presence far outshines even the master of the Lin estate."

His lips flattered, but in his heart he racked his brains for a way to escape, his eyes constantly sizing up Lin Qian's face.

As the estate's shipping steward, Xie Er had met plenty of the Lin main house's people and other wealthy Lin families in the city, yet he had never seen this man before—he couldn't help but find it deeply strange.

He stole another glance out at the sea, seeing the ship heading steadily north, gradually drawing closer to Nan'ao Island—Xie Er's heart leaped with joy.

He thought to himself: these sea bandits truly were witless petty thieves, not knowing that Nan'ao Island had a naval garrison stationed there. Once they got close, the naval ships would likely stop and search them, and then he could seize the chance to escape.

Xie Er's expression fell into Lin Qian's view, and Lin Qian merely gave a light laugh.

The moon rose over the eastern hills as the fleet slowly pulled into port at Houjiang Bay.

The twin-masted Fujian junk cast off its hawsers; dockworkers on the gangway pulled it close, tied the ropes, laid out the boarding plank, then men climbed the spiral ladder onto the ship and descended into the hold, methodically counting the cargo.

The remaining Haicang ships and Cangshan ships also pulled into port nearby, and the sea bandits filed off the ships, laughing and talking loudly.

On the deck of the Haicang ship, Xie Er caught sight of this scene from the corner of his eye, so shocked he forgot to blink.

When had this Nan'ao Island become a bandits' nest?

Or was it that the Vice Regional Commander... when had he turned bandit?

Xie Er's hands were bound behind his back, and he had been kneeling on the deck all night—his legs were so numb he couldn't stand at all.

Lin Qian found two men to support him on either side as they escorted him off the ship.

On the gangway, Xie Er looked at the scene before him and could no longer even walk, letting the two men drag him along.

He saw the harbor densely packed with countless ships of all sizes, filling the entire bay, stretching on into the darkness.

A great city had abruptly appeared on the island, its streets wide and straight, its houses neatly arranged—some still lit with lamplight—stretching on and on as if without end.

Night had only just fallen, and there were still pedestrians on the roads. Many stalls lined the streets, and taverns, inns, and medical clinics had their doors open for business. From afar came the unceasing sounds of chickens and dogs—a scene of bustling vitality.

Among the pedestrians were both men and women. The women wore no veiled hats or head coverings, dressed in no high-collared garments, and did not lower their heads to hide their faces.

They walked along the roads just like men, even striding shoulder to shoulder with men, without the slightest shyness.

He had sailed for many years and passed by Nan'ao Island countless times.

Every time he passed, he saw only Shen'ao Harbor with some signs of life; everywhere else was desolate and wild. When had he ever seen such bustle?

Xie Er was suddenly plunged into confusion and deep self-doubt, thinking to himself: "Could it be that I'm already dead, and all this is a mirage? Yes—there's a legend that in the southern seas there's a city of ships, where the souls of those who die at sea are trapped forever... Could this be that place? Damn it! My newly wedded concubine!"

Xie Er was escorted off the ship, then led onto another gangway and up onto another vessel.

The height of this ship's bulwarks was beyond anything Xie Er had seen in his life—even the giant vessels of the Franks he'd seen in Macao were not as massive as this ship.

Because the bulwarks were so tall, the boarding ladder's angle was extremely steep. To prevent slipping, anti-slip wooden strips had been nailed across the ladder, and stepping on them felt truly like climbing stairs.

Xie Er boarded the Santa Ana and was led all the way into the captain's cabin, where he was seated at the round table by the door.

Bailangzai untied the ropes behind his back.

Xie Er's arms were so numb they had lost all feeling; after a moment, they began to prickle with needle-like pain.

Lin Qian brought over a candlestick, bamboo pens, and ink, setting them on the round table.

"Draw it," Lin Qian said.

"Draw what?"

"Stop playing dumb. You've lived this long—you know perfectly well what I want you to draw." Lin Qian said contemptuously, then turned to Bailangzai: "If he hasn't drawn it within an hour, drag him to the ship's rail and kill him."

Having said this, Lin Qian sat back down at the navigation table, pulled out the Spaniard's parchment book, and continued reading.

Xie Er picked up the pen and glanced at Bailangzai, who stood motionless at his side, right hand gripping the dagger at his waist, his gaze so cold it seemed he wouldn't even wait an hour.

He glanced at Lin Qian again, who was hunched over the white beeswax candle, flipping through pages without pause.

"May I ask, Helmsman, sir—is it the layout of the Lin estate you wish me to draw?"

"Draw it carefully. Any error or omission, and you die too." Lin Qian flipped a page, not raising his head.

Xie Er swallowed hard, dipped the bamboo pen in ink, and slowly began to draw on the paper.

He finished the drawing in less than an hour, glanced at Bailangzai, who picked up the drawing and carried it over to Lin Qian's desk.

Lin Qian took the drawing and saw that Xie Er's draftsmanship was crude, but the content was still barely discernible.

The Lin estate was shown enclosed by high walls, topped with crenellated parapets, watchtowers and bastions at the corners, and a gatehouse entrance like a city gate.

The drawing showed no indication of the courtyard's size, only that the estate overall had a six-courtyard-deep, three-lane-wide layout, with six large main halls, divided into eastern and western compounds, plus several side courtyards, along with countless wing rooms, ear rooms, side rooms, guest rooms, and inverted-seat rooms, as well as one garden and several waterside pavilions.

From the number of buildings, Lin Qian estimated the estate covered roughly twenty mu—about the size of two football fields.

By functional zoning, it had everything: ancestral hall, living quarters, studies, carriage and stable yard, granaries and storehouses, grain mill, weaving workshop, and more.

The outer wall defenses combined with the intricate internal layout of buildings and courtyards created a complex structure—merely looking at the drawing was enough to make one's head spin.

For someone unfamiliar with the place, even holding a map, one could easily get lost inside the estate. Not to mention the Lin estate had high walls without and guards within.

Trying to take it without preparation was nothing short of a fantasy.

During the Jiajing era, when wokou raided the southeast, they once broke into Huangyan county town, yet the Lin estate, located outside the city, stood firm throughout the wokou assaults—a testament to the solidity of its defenses.

If Lin Qian were merely a tenant farmer who had never seen the world, or any other ordinary person, receiving such a detailed map would have already won him over eighty percent.

Unfortunately, Lin Qian had been a designer in his previous life, and studying traditional Chinese architectural layouts had been part of the curriculum.

Xie Er's little tricks could not fool him.

"Drag him out and kill him."

Lin Qian set down the map and said calmly.

(End of chapter)

Yahei

Fenyuan

Pen