Chapter 365: Early Flowers

Inside Nanjing's Sanshan Gate, on a small street south of Lower Floating Bridge, a youth carrying a bamboo basket knocked the side-door knocker of a high-walled courtyard residence.

A voice came from within the gate leaf. "Who's outside?"

The youth said evenly, "From the young master's household, delivering fragrance powder."

A creaking sound came from inside the door. The youth leaned forward slightly, but the door panel did not open. A gateman's face appeared at the small window in the gate leaf.

The gateman glared at the youth. "Aren't you supposed to deliver two days from now?"

The youth quickly bowed. "The Shopkeeper said this batch is made from newly arrived Ocean spices. Left too long, the fragrance fades — he feared the young lady wouldn't like it."

The gateman's face showed some displeasure. "Pass it through the door cave."

The youth paused a moment, then hurriedly raised his hands. "There's also a basket of jasmine — proper early flowers, wonderful for brewing tea. The Shopkeeper specially sent it for the young lady."

The green-white silk cloth covering the bamboo basket was lifted aside. Inside was indeed a full basket of jasmine, and the doorway was suddenly suffused with fragrance. The gateman glanced at the jasmine, a look of impatience flickering across his face, and muttered a curse under his breath.

But he did not open the door. Instead, he tilted his head, preparing to poke it out through the door cave. The youth's expression shifted slightly. Ordinary households, even if they had a door cave, would not make it this large. This door cave was considerably bigger than a head — for observing the situation left and right before opening the door.

The gateman's head squeezed through the door cave. He turned his head left to look and froze. Against the wall outside the door was a group of men in short jackets. Before he could react, the youth before him had already stepped forward, his right hand dropping the flower basket, his left hand shooting out and hooking his arm firmly around the gateman's head.

Before the gateman's startled cry could escape, the youth sank his body downward, jamming the gateman's throat against the lower edge. The gateman's throat seized with pain, his cry cut abruptly short, and then an icy blade tip pressed against his throat.

The flower basket hit the ground with a thud. The entire basket of jasmine burst out and scattered across the ground, its fragrance permeating the side door in this small alley.

Their two heads were very close. The youth's voice sounded in the gateman's ear. "Open the door."

With only his head outside the door, the gateman's neck was locked in the crook of the youth's arm, his head forced toward the ground. Several pairs of legs and feet appeared in his field of vision — naturally, those men who had been hiding outside the door moments before.

"Thousand Years, spare my life! This humble one, this humble one has no silver..."

The blade tip pressed in a little further. The gateman could no longer speak. Bloody water trickled down his neck.

"Open the door."

The gateman's mouth hung slightly open. The blade tip brought searing pain and discomfort to his throat; even breathing was extremely difficult. He dared not speak again, dared not let his mouth or tongue make any movement. His slightly open mouth dared not close, and saliva dripped continuously from his lips.

Clanking sounds came from inside the door — the sound of the door bar being struck. Clearly the gateman was frantically removing the bar. His head trembled faintly, the bloody water from his neck dripping without pause, splashing onto the white jasmine early flowers and bursting into tiny red beads.

Finally, a dull thud — the sound of the door bar hitting the ground. Still holding the gateman's head, the youth slowly pushed the gate leaf open and stepped across the threshold. Once the gate leaf was fully open, he exerted sudden force. The blade tip stabbed into the gateman's throat. The youth pushed the head away, and only when the head retreated into the door cave did he withdraw the blade. The spraying blood all splattered behind the door panel.

The short-jacketed men behind him slipped past the youth. Two startled cries rang out in the courtyard, then silence fell again.

The gateman's eyes were wide. He struggled painfully at the doorway, his legs and feet occasionally kicking against the door panel. The youth did not go to finish him off. Instead, he picked up the white silk from the ground and wiped the bloodstains off the door panel.

A pair of feet stepped directly onto the bloodied jasmine early flowers. A figure appeared before him from outside the door. The youth quickly stopped what he was doing and stood respectfully to the side. "Greetings, Gang Leader."

Hearing the sounds behind the door, Jiang Fan tilted his head to look. The gateman, clutching his throat, was still struggling but could make no sound. Jiang Fan's expression remained impassive as he looked at the youth. "You haven't been in the gang long, but you've handled matters well in both Wuhu and Nanjing. Once we go to Anqing, you'll work in the covert sentry ying. From then on, you'll be part of the Garrison ying."

The youth was somewhat stirred. "Thank you, my lord, for your promotion."

"Tidy up the doorway." Jiang Fan finished speaking and slowly walked into this two-courtyard residence, surveying it all around. It could not compare to the elegant yet luxurious Mei Lou. Apart from the enclosure walls being unusually high, it was more akin to a middle-class Nanjing dwelling. Inside were only two or three servants, already subdued by the men who had entered earlier.

Jiang Fan nodded to the men. The courtyard was instantly awash with blood. Jiang Fan continued slowly forward, passing through a door into the rear courtyard and directly into the main hall of the second courtyard. Li Lihua sat pale-faced in a chair on the right side. Li Ping'er lay collapsed on the floor, her face streaked with tears, still sobbing quietly.

Jiang Fan swaggered over and sat in the seat of honor. A Canal Gang Killer beside him brewed a cup of tea and placed it at his hand. Jiang Fan did not speak in haste. He picked it up and slowly took a sip.

Li Lihua's chest heaved. She looked at the people around her, then fixed her gaze on Jiang Fan. "This humble woman has words for Lord Pang. Might Master Jiang spare this humble woman's life today?"

Jiang Fan set down his teacup. "Today, I ask and you answer. There is no room for you to bargain. As for whether your life is spared — that depends on how you answer."

"General Pang's name shakes the Great River, yet he sends a band of underlings against a weak woman like me. Does he not fear damaging General Pang's mighty reputation if word gets out?"

"Grandma Li is naturally no weak woman. I hear you are as bold as any man, staking a thousand gold at the gambling table without a frown. Jiang here originally did not believe it. Later, I heard that you not only schemed for Bai Shun Tang but also wanted the Great River Silver Bank — only then did Jiang here believe it." Jiang Fan now turned his head to look at Li Lihua. "But having nerve is one thing; having the ability is another. Three years ago, General Pang entered Yunji Temple alone to quell a rebellion, carrying only a single sword. He cut off thirty heads and hauled them back to the county office. Three years later, Lord Pang led three thousand troops into two hundred thousand Roving Bandits, smashing thirteen bandit ying in succession, taking nearly ten thousand heads and capturing tens of thousands. That is called ability. How did you imagine you could seize wealth and property from such a man — relying on that Junior Supervisor?"

Li Lihua bit her lip. "The one who wanted to seize the wealth was Guo Zuoshan. This humble woman merely ran a few minor errands for him. The Old Court is a place of wind and dust to begin with. Within this White Gate, I have dealings with all those of power and influence. There are always unavoidable matters. It was never specifically to oppose Lord Pang. If Gang Leader Jiang can spare this humble woman, I can offer up Guo Zuoshan's hiding place."

Jiang Fan said evenly, "One hour ago, Guo Zuoshan said the same thing."

Li Lihua trembled slightly. Her left hand gripped the armrest tightly. Her pale face was already covered in beads of sweat.

"This humble woman is very clear on the private details and entanglements of the wealthy and powerful in the Southern Capital. If my life is spared, I will henceforth serve Lord Pang with all my heart." Li Lihua glanced sidelong at Jiang Fan and added, "Though this humble woman is not among the wealthy and powerful, I do have some modest savings. Everyone here is Gang Leader Jiang's man. If you can grant me this convenience, ensuring each man a small fortune should not be beyond reach."

The faint smell of blood already drifted from the outer courtyard. The ordinarily bold Grandma Li panted heavily, her right hand now also gripping the armrest. On the floor, Li Ping'er slowly raised her head, staring fixedly at Jiang Fan seated high above.

After a stretch of silence, Jiang Fan finally spoke. "Grandma Li putting it that way does put me in a somewhat difficult position. You originally held shares in Bai Shun Tang, yet you colluded with Guo Zuoshan in an attempt to embezzle the assets. Lord Pang detests those who bite the hand that feeds them most of all. He originally said to take your life. But Lord Pang is also a practical man. He gave additional instructions: if Grandma Li can produce something worth her life, there is room for reconsideration. But it absolutely is not silver."

Li Lihua's eyes shifted, and she said, "This humble woman holds a register. The officials and gentry of the Southern Capital who are worthy of note — their family wealth, their preferences, their secret affairs — are all in this register. The connections of each official's relatives and friends are also in this register."

"I'll take this register. But it's not enough." Jiang Fan leaned back against the chair and looked at Li Lihua leisurely. "Tell me the recent news from the Southern Capital. If you can tell me something that this official does not already know, only then can you prove your usefulness."

Sweat streamed down Li Lihua's cheeks. She steadied her breathing slightly, sat up straight, and dabbed lightly with her sleeve. "Then let us speak of the person most familiar with your Lord Pang. Old Ruan. Does Gang Leader Jiang know where your lord's fellow provincial, his most effective official connection, lies?"

Jiang Fan sat up a little. "Canal Transport Governor Zhu Dadian?"

"Then what this humble woman says is different, and should count as something you do not know."

Jiang Fan said politely, "If it is more useful than Zhu Dadian, naturally it must count."

Li Lihua twisted her waist slightly, casting a coquettish glance toward Jiang Fan. "Old Ruan's strongest connection is neither his peers from the same examination year nor his old acquaintances, nor any high official of the current court. It is merely a man of Commoner Status. He has been living in Zhuozhou. His name is..."

Jiang Fan listened attentively, his eyes devoid of any killing intent. Li Lihua paused a moment, then said slowly, "Feng Quan!"

"Has Gang Leader Jiang ever heard of this man?"

Jiang Fan came from a county office. Before following Pang Yu, he had been utterly in the dark about court affairs. Feng Quan had been listed in the Reverse Case in the early years of the Chongzhen reign. Even if Jiang Fan had occasionally heard the name, he had no recollection of it whatsoever.

He asked Li Lihua politely, "Since this man is of Commoner Status, he is the same as Ruan Dacheng. Why then is he considered the most effective connection within official circles?"

Li Lihua said confidently, "If we speak of the Eunuch Faction, Ruan Dacheng is merely a fake Eunuch Faction member. This Feng Quan is the real one. Although he is listed in the Reverse Case, every Eunuch in every yamen of the Capital's palace is on good terms with this Feng Quan. In this, no one can compare to him."

"When people in Capital official circles handle their own affairs, they seek out Dong Xinkui. But the various eunuchs of the Twenty-Four Yamen seek out Feng Quan." Li Lihua slowly rose, approaching Jiang Fan with sultry glances and a seductive gait. "What does Eunuch Faction mean? The Twenty-Four Yamen are the Eunuch Faction. Feng Quan is the Twenty-Four Yamen. Tell me, is that not more effective than one Zhu Dadian?"

Jiang Fan's eyes watched the swaying waist. "Naturally, it compares."

Li Lihua leaned gently against the side of the chair, brushing against Jiang Fan as if by chance. "What this humble woman is about to tell you also concerns your Lord Pang. That Guo Zuoshan wanted to implicate Lord Pang in the matter of Qian Qianyi. This Donglin literary leader is also entreating Ruan Dacheng to use Feng Quan's channels to exert influence from within the palace. And then there is Wu Changshi of the Restoration Society. His collusion with Ruan Dacheng is also for the sake of this Feng Quan — for the sake of the Twenty-Four Yamen behind Feng Quan."

"So that's how it is."

"On Ruan Dacheng alone, this humble woman can tell you so much. Should Gang Leader Jiang not admit that this humble woman indeed has her uses?"

Although there were still two Canal Gang Killers and Li Ping'er in the main hall, Li Lihua paid them no mind. She gently stroked Jiang Fan's arm resting on the armrest, gazing at him with eyes like silk. Jiang Fan smiled and met her gaze.

"Now I know everything about Ruan Dacheng's affairs. You are of no further use."

Li Lihua froze. Jiang Fan slowly rose to his feet and leaned close to the now drastically pale-faced Li Lihua. "A person who cannot be trusted, though useful, cannot be used."

Jiang Fan put away his smile. "In this city of Nanjing, anyone with well-informed sources knows that someone has designs on seizing the gambling houses and the silver bank. These two are assets Lord Pang cares about deeply. He happens to want everyone to know — from now on, no one may touch them. Grandma Li's usefulness lies here."

Li Ping'er began panting heavily. Li Lihua retreated a step, her hands gripping each other tightly as she said, "Since you break your word, you will never get your hands on my register."

"No need for you to give it. Someone will give it to me," Jiang Fan said with a faint smile.

Li Lihua cut him off furiously. "Who would give it to you! If you kill me, no one will give it to you!"

Li Ping'er, on the floor, suddenly seized her own hair, yanking it upward with all her strength as she let out a piercing scream.

Li Lihua looked back and forth between Jiang Fan and Li Ping'er in alarmed bewilderment. Amid the ear-piercing screams, the several Killers in the hall all tensed up, afraid of alerting the neighbors, but Jiang Fan's face showed Satisfaction.

He looked at Li Lihua and said, "Guo Zuoshan hired seven Da Hang guards, which is how he showed his trail. You not only distrust Da Hang, but use no outsiders at all — truly harder to find than Guo Zuoshan. Yet there is always a way. This official has already spent far too many days on Grandma Li. Today is the day it ends. But it is not this official who kills — it is Grandma Li, weary of the world, taking her own life."

Li Lihua let out a shriek, Turned Around, and dashed for the door. One Killer easily seized her, while another produced a long rope and looped it directly around her neck, tossing the other end over a roof beam.

Li Ping'er lay sprawled on the floor, sobbing aloud. Jiang Fan took the rope's tail end and crouched down beside Li Ping'er. "I must ask Miss Li to help her on her way."

Li Ping'er shrank back, retreating, her eyes blurred with tears as she wept, "You said you would not kill her…"

"This official means to show you precisely this: once you enter this trade, you can trust no one." Jiang Fan grabbed Li Ping'er's Sleeve in one grip, preventing her from retreating further. "Look at this Li Lihua — how she mistreats you and the others every day, and after a few more years she would sell you off again. In her eyes, you are nothing but a sum of silver."

Li Ping'er's breathing came in violent gasps. Jiang Fan glanced back — over there, Li Lihua had already collapsed limp on the ground. He turned his head and fixed his gaze on Li Ping'er's eyes, gently pressing the rope's tail end into her hand. Li Ping'er's face was a mess of tears and mucus; dazed, she took the rope.

A smile appeared on Jiang Fan's face. "His Excellency Pang said that the Dark Sentinel Division needs both men and women. Countless people are waiting to enter the Garrison Battalion. Once you pass this trial, you are a member of my Anqing Garrison Battalion's Dark Sentinel Division. From then on, wherever you are, the Garrison Battalion will stand behind you. You will no longer be a Maid with no one to rely on. Your entire family can find a secure foothold in this chaotic age. But if you cannot pass this trial, you will end up adrift in the Pearl Market, living those bitter, helpless days. Two Paths — choose for yourself."