Chapter 225: Impersonation

On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth month, at Shangxin River Wharf in Nanjing, countless river boats were hoisting sail and leaving shore. Pedestrians on the wharf were sparse; the porters and boatmen who usually sought work were nowhere to be seen.

Zhou Yueru walked hurriedly across the wharf, stealing a glance northward. The opposite shore was Jiangpu County. A thin mist now spread across the river, shrouding the north bank in haze.

To the right, a passenger boat had just returned from Jiangbei. Passengers swarmed off and fled toward Nanjing city without pausing. Several women collapsed on the ground, wailing loudly, while men tugged and pulled at them, urging them to get up quickly.

She did not stop, skirting around those women until she arrived before a rice and bean shop. The shop assistant was just preparing to put up the door planks. Zhou Yueru pushed the assistant aside, went in, and found the Shopkeeper packing his luggage. "Shopkeeper Yang, when will the three hundred dan of rice ordered yesterday by the Great River Shipping Company be delivered?"

"I can deliver it today, but you'll have to transport it yourself."

Zhou Yueru said angrily, "It was clearly agreed that your establishment would hire the boat. The silver for hiring the boat was also given. Why must we transport it ourselves now?"

"I'll refund that transport silver to you. Search the whole wharf if you like — the boats have all fled downstream. The trackers and porters have all run off completely. Where do you expect me to hire anyone?"

"Where you hire is your affair. Why didn't you say this when you took the deposit?"

The Shopkeeper put on an innocent face. "Who knew the Roving Bandits were coming? Quanjiao has already fallen, and it's only separated by this one river. The porters fear death too, don't they? If there were any who didn't fear death, this old man would pay some silver to secure them for an honored guest like you. But every major household in Nanjing is hiring laborers now — even with silver, there's nowhere to find anyone."

Zhou Yueru's expression was grim, but she knew the Shopkeeper was speaking the truth. Liu Ruogu had arranged for her to handle matters in Nanjing. It had gone fairly smoothly at first, but today news had suddenly arrived that the Roving Bandits had reached Quanjiao. There were also rumors that Hanshan had bandits as well. Jiangpu was already under martial law, forbidding any boats from docking except military vessels. Nanjing had imposed martial law the same day, and the city gates had begun inspecting outsiders.

The boats at Shangxin River Wharf, upon hearing the news, had all fled downstream one after another. One could not even find a boat to load grain.

What she was procuring was the second batch of military provisions. The grain transport ship she had taken from Anqing had already loaded the first batch. Now, at Shangxin River Wharf, grain was not in short supply — she simply could not find a boat.

"Then you must deliver the goods before you can leave."

The Shopkeeper bowed with clasped hands. "My lady bodhisattva, the Roving Bandits are right across the river. Word is that more Government Troops will be crossing the river from here today. I have elders above and children below — I absolutely dare not remain in this place of trouble. This old man will tell you where the grain is stored. There are three hundred and thirty dan in total. I'll give you the key. Can you just find people to move it according to the tally? I'll only charge you six Mace per dan."

Zhou Yueru thought for a moment, then could only say, "Take me to see it."

The Shopkeeper hastily set down his luggage and led Zhou Yueru out the door. The two remaining assistants hurriedly put up the door planks.

Everyone on the road was walking quickly. Shopkeeper Yang greeted acquaintances along the way but never stopped walking. When they passed the inns, Zhou Yueru also called for someone from the Canal Gang to accompany them.

They went to the private warehouse behind the wharf to check the goods and settle the payment. Shopkeeper Yang moved with lightning speed. After collecting the silver, he handed over the key and fled as if flying.

Zhou Yueru left the Canal Gang man in the warehouse and returned to the inn, troubled all the way.

The inn was now also in chaos. The assistants had all scattered and fled, leaving only the owner, who was also packing up his valuables, preparing to flee to his ancestral home in Jurong. His nephew was urging the remaining guests to leave quickly.

In the Main Hall, by the window, stood three people. One of them was Triple Cudgel of the Canal Gang. When Zhou Yueru saw the person in the middle, she stopped and made a curtsey.

He County Yamen nodded politely, then turned his head back to the person before him.

"How goes the matter of the carts and horses?"

"Trackers truly cannot be hired anymore. I did find two familiar boats, but their asking price is ten taels of silver per day. Waiting will cost the same. Contact with Jiangpu has been cut off — hiring carriages there is truly beyond our power."

"Secure the grain properly. When the time comes and Lord Pang leads troops to the rescue, he will bring the Water Army with him — there will be no shortage of boats. We must leave our own people at the wharf. If Lord Pang arrives and cannot find anyone, that would be a serious matter."

That man had previously been an accountant at a gambling den and had followed He County Yamen to Nanjing for several months. Hearing this, he said with some fear, "This humble one dares not remain at the wharf."

He County Yamen shot him a glare and pointed in the direction Zhou Yueru had gone. "Isn't there still a river between us? Even the woman from the silver shop is still at the wharf. Are you less than a woman? Besides, this matter was originally assigned to the Canal Gang people. What are you worried about?"

The accountant finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling he had lost some face. After thinking for a moment, he changed the subject. "Mr. He, regarding Zhou Zhihuo's lawsuit against the Restoration Society — should we inform Lord Pang of this as well? And should the Jiangnan Times continue publication?"

He County Yamen waved his hand with some agitation. Thinking back on the past half year made him somewhat frustrated. The original plan had been to donate for a clerk position. Who knew that Pang Yu would, with a few words, send him to Nanjing? The place itself was fine, but he was not willing in the work he had to do.

Dealing with the Restoration Society was rather troublesome. At first, few were willing to submit articles. After the first two issues were published, they scrambled to submit. Only now did he understand that the Restoration Society was divided into several factions. The remaining tasks were typesetting, printing, and distribution — distribution being the most chaotic. In short, compared to the clerk's life he had hoped for, there was some gap.

"The Roving Bandits matter is urgent. If the bandits cross the river, Jiangnan itself will be gone — what newspaper would there be? Set side issues aside for now. Find a couple more horses here in Nanjing. We need to send someone from Jiangnan toward Anqing again today, and horses are already insufficient."

At that moment, a rider arrived outside the door. He County Yamen walked out the main entrance and handed over a sealed letter. "Be careful in every way on the road. Deliver this to Lord Pang as quickly as possible."

The man took the letter and sped off upstream.

……

In Hezhou city, upstream from Nanjing, Tan Laizi's city defense duty entered its third day.

With a snort, Tan Laizi forcefully sucked two streams of snot back into his nasal cavity. But the relief was short-lived; the snot promptly oozed out again.

Under the ravaging of the cold wind, Tan Laizi had caught a cold that was neither mild nor severe. Rest was poor in the Grass Depot, and his head remained groggy. Coupled with malnutrition, he had grown even more gaunt, and the scabies on his scalp itched worse and worse.

The peak of refugees fleeing Hanshan had passed. The city was now full of Hanshan refugees, who brought all sorts of bizarre news — all claiming that the Roving Bandits had entered the Hanshan county seat. This did not match Tan Laizi's hopes, so he dismissed it all as nonsense made up by these people.

"If they had actually seen the Roving Bandits, they wouldn't have been able to flee to Hezhou," Tan Laizi declared with certainty.

The traveling merchant opposite him nodded vigorously in agreement. He too could not accept those Hanshan people babbling nonsense and ruining their hope of returning home. After the Official Courier from Hanshan had come to deliver the message yesterday, Tan Laizi had believed the bandits had already gone north. According to his and the traveling merchant's understanding, fewer people coming from Hanshan meant the bandits had retreated, so the Hanshan people no longer needed to flee.

Most of the others on the city wall thought the same. If anyone said the Roving Bandits were coming, everyone would condemn them together.

"Those fellows over at the arrow crenel have found a spot below the wall where we can have a fire at night," the traveling merchant said mysteriously. "Only three wen."

"No wonder so many people were missing last night. Let's go have a fire too. It's only three wen. I, Tan Ya, am not short of silver. My master gave me five taels of silver — where else could you find such a good master? If not for that heaven-cursed bandit spawn, I, Tan Ye, would still be staying in the upper rooms at the Wang family food stall." Tan Laizi once again cursed that bandit spawn viciously, adding in his entire family, young and old, and his ancestors to the eighteenth generation.

Tan Laizi seemed to already see the bandit spawn's family ruined and dead. After a while, feeling he had gone somewhat too far, he waved his hand and said, "The little children can be spared."

He suddenly remembered something and asked the traveling merchant, "Last night, those Community Soldiers all went home to sleep. If we go down from the wall too, won't there be no one left defending the city?"

"What Roving Bandits are there still? The Community Soldiers surely know more than we do. Their entire livelihoods are in the city, and they still dare to go home. On a freezing night like this, even the Roving Bandits would freeze to death if they went out."

"Fair enough. Let's go have a fire." Tan Laizi made up his mind.

A voice came from nearby. "Laizi, it's your turn to guard the crenel."

"You're the laizi. Think you can mess with me?" Tan Laizi muttered, then walked out of the Grass Depot and edged over to the battlements. The surroundings were bone-chillingly cold. Tan Laizi shrank into a ball, constantly stamping his feet, occasionally glancing outside.

Outside the city, it was misty. The buildings of Guanxiang still stood, yet the scene still appeared desolate.

The Small West Gate, not far to the left, was still open. A scattering of common folk were heading that way, all waiting to enter the city.

"Running around for nothing. Clearly, the Roving Bandits have all retreated toward Shouzhou."

Just as he was thinking this, there was a slight disturbance atop the northern wall. Tan Laizi paid no mind at first, but the people there began emerging from the Grass Depot one after another, looking at something from the city wall.

"What rare spectacle." Tan Laizi craned his neck out. He saw a man dressed in black riding a horse, slowly advancing along the street of Guanxiang. His figure was intermittently obscured by buildings, then reappeared through the gaps between them.

He moved at a slow pace, watching the city wall the entire way. He advanced under the gaze of hundreds on the wall, yet remained silent, not uttering a single word. Only the scattered sound of horse hooves echoed outside the city.

"Another Official Courier. Most likely here to deliver a message."

Everyone else came out of the Grass Depot. They all watched this strange Constable curiously, hoping he would say the Roving Bandits had already retreated.

The rider reached an open area and finally stopped. He turned his horse around to face the city and remained silent for a moment.

"Li Hongye!" The man suddenly bellowed loudly, directly calling the Magistrate by name. "I am a Constable of the Fengdu Yamen, here to supervise Hezhou's arrears of the Liaodong Military Tax. Hezhou has suffered drought and famine for five years — the people cannot make a living. You officials collect two years' worth of Liaodong Military Tax in a single year, yet privately embezzle and hide it without handing it over, while continuing to press for collection year after year. The people of Hezhou pawn their clothing and belongings, sell their sons and daughters. What kind of life do you live? What city are you helping Li Hongye defend?" (Note 1)

An uproar broke out atop the city wall. Tan Laizi and the traveling merchant looked at each other in dismay. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined someone would come to press for the Liaodong Military Tax at this moment, and openly insult the Magistrate before the common people.

The surroundings were noisy and clamorous — surprisingly, quite a few people were actually chiming in, but they didn't dare curse the Magistrate, only those petty official.

"Something's off about this man…" Tan Laizi's eyes darted around, and he saw horses flickering in and out of view between the houses behind.

He suddenly sprinted toward the Little West Gate, shouting all the way, "It's the Roving Bandits! Close the city gates, quick!"

The Community Soldiers along the road watched as Tan Laizi ran with all his might. The Little West Gate City Tower was just ahead, but they had only just heard Tan Laizi's shouts and hadn't yet reacted.

Beneath the wall, hoofbeats thundered. A group of mounted yamen runners burst out from between the houses. The runner who had been shouting earlier spurred his horse along with the others — shua! — they drew their Waist Sabers and charged toward the Little West Gate.

Chaos erupted atop the wall. Community Soldiers and commoners ran about like headless flies, blocking the Road Passage. Tan Laizi could run no further. Seeing a Copper Gong placed nearby, he grabbed it and beat it with all his strength.

The Little West Gate ahead finally reacted. The Community Soldiers on the wall surged toward the gate arch and shut the main gate just before the Horse Soldiers arrived.

The raiding Horse Soldiers, having failed to seize the gate, halted outside the main gate. Several fake bailiffs tore off their yamen robes, revealing the red Arrow Coats underneath, and hurled curses up at the wall. Further away, the figures of a large force of Horse Soldiers appeared, swarming toward Hezhou City.

On the wall, the gongs thundered, and the shouts of the Community Soldiers merged into a single din.

Tan Laizi collapsed on the ground, covered his face, and wailed, "Jiang Fan, you dog! You sent me here to die! I'm done with the Canal Gang, I want to go back to Anqing!"

……

Note 1: Before attacking Hezhou, the Roving Bandits carried out multiple deception operations. First, they disguised themselves as Government Troop scouts and claimed the Roving Bandits were still in Henan. Second, they posed as Official Couriers from Hanshan and reported that the Roving Bandits had retreated north. Third, they sent men disguised as petty official pressing for the Liaodong Military Tax, who circled the city cursing Li Hongye to shake the defenders' confidence, then dispatched five riders to make a sudden Rush at the city gate — but the gate was closed in time and they failed.