Chapter 399: The Mole

"... If we soldiers do not sacrifice ourselves for this, who will? Wrapped in horsehide upon the battlefield, we die a worthy death. Success brings honor, sacrifice brings virtue; the Spring and Autumn Annals record righteousness. So long as our soldiers' noble spirit endures, the fate of China shall not be severed..."

Liu Minyou finished reading in a low voice and looked at Wu Youdao before him. "Was this written by Lord Chen?"

"Yes. Huang Side demanded the printing house produce it as quickly as possible, to be distributed free of charge throughout Dengzhou and Laizhou. He also required the trading company to ship it with their goods to other regions."

"Could it have been written by a hired gunman?"

"Your Lordship is perceptive, but Huang Side never asks soldiers to write for him."

Liu Minyou waved his hand dismissively. "That's not the kind of gunman I meant."

Wu Youdao looked at him curiously, not understanding what kind of gunman he was referring to.

Liu Minyou could not be bothered to explain and muttered to himself, "This fellow really seems intent on fighting Huang Taiji to the death."

Wu Youdao could not hear him clearly and continued addressing Liu Minyou: "Lord Chen also wants to transfer more troops. Dong Yu has come to request an increase in the base grain and fodder allowance according to the new troop numbers."

"Transferring the Guard Battalion? That tiny patch of land he has at Lushun—can it even hold that many men and horses?"

"That's exactly the problem. But at least there are two walled towns, and with no civilian households inside, troops and horses can still be garrisoned within the earthen walls. It can still hold them—far better than Ningyuan back then, where a five-li perimeter held thirty to forty thousand men. Besides moving the Guard Second Division, they're also transferring the Jimo Company Commander's unit to Dengzhou to await orders."

Liu Minyou picked up his brush and did some calculations. He used Arabic numerals, which left Wu Youdao utterly baffled. After a moment, Liu Minyou looked up and said, "Tell the Industry and Commerce Department to think of a solution—see if they can borrow some temporarily from those merchants. We also need to requisition a few more of the trading company's ships. The company's fleet has been nearly stripped bare lately. Has Zhou Laifu come to complain?"

"He has complained. He seems to want to lower this year's performance evaluation. With all the ships requisitioned now, the transport we previously promised clients now has to be arranged by the clients finding their own ships. Deliveries are heavily delayed, and the shipping costs have to come out of the original payment for goods."

Liu Minyou sighed helplessly. This year's financial plan was once again going to be affected by the war. They had purchased over a dozen ships from Fujian this year, but it still could not fill the gap in transporting the Dongjiang garrison's grain payments. Chen Xin had tried various methods, even resorting to leasing vessels from the Dengzhou naval camp.

Their own shipyard at Weihai had already been relocated to Jinghai Guard. It could now manufacture bird boats, but the timber for shipbuilding still needed to be purchased from the south. Their main external purchasing channels were the Fujian and Qingjiang shipyards. Qingjiang's vessels were primarily canal barges and flat-bottomed sand ships, while Fujian produced Fujian-junk designs. Zuo Changhao had even helped recruit a few shipwrights from Guangdong. Guangdong ships were also quite excellent for use as warships, but their timber requirements were even higher.

Liu Minyou furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. With the current transport capacity, it was barely adequate when they only shipped tobacco. If they needed to ship cotton cloth, they would fall far short. He looked up and said to Wu Youdao, "Add an advertisement to the military dispatch."

"Advertisement?"

"It means to broadcast widely. Say that the Four Seas Trading Company lacks sufficient transport capacity and welcomes outside ship merchants to undertake shipping contracts. Also, issue a notice to the Garrison Affairs Department and the Industry and Commerce Department: any merchant or coastal garrison willing to establish a shipyard should submit an application. We will select three locations to build shipyards and send our people to provide guidance. As long as the ship quality meets standards, we will purchase every vessel. We will be responsible for the shipyards' security."

Wu Youdao quickly noted this down. He hesitated and said, "Building a shipyard is neither too difficult nor too simple. For a crude operation, you can just dig a pit on the beach and build a ship. Is it really necessary to get those merchants involved?"

"Let them try this. If we rely solely on ourselves, our avenues may be limited. As long as we promise to purchase, those merchants will find their own ways. The main thing is that it stays within Dengzhou and Laizhou territory. When our enterprise expands in the future, don't think we can earn every single coin ourselves. Especially once textiles take off—the subsequent dyeing, cutting, garment-making, and transport—we must let civilian merchants handle all of that. Garrison forts with suitable conditions can pool capital to organize small trading companies, specializing in just one of these areas. We ourselves only need to control the two major sectors of spinning and weaving, and machinery manufacturing."

Wu Youdao could not quite grasp this at the moment; his thinking was that they should handle anything profitable themselves. Liu Minyou did not elaborate further. He asked a few more questions and then dismissed him. A moment later, an assistant came to announce that Xu Yuanhua had arrived to pay a visit.

Xu Yuanhua had brought with him a tall man with graying hair. Liu Minyou had met him before but could not recall his name. After Xu Yuanhua sat down, he introduced the man to Liu Minyou: "My lord, the previous Xiao Heling has gone to the textile factory. This is the newly arrived Deputy Director of the Commerce Division, Chen Jingdan. He is a native of Pingdu who later did some business in Dengzhou. After being ruined by Kong Youde's mutinous troops, he joined our Dengzhou garrison. He has always been steady in his work and was promoted to fill this vacancy."

Chen Jingdan cupped his hands in the Dengzhou salute. He appeared quite composed. The personnel responsible for commerce were all deliberately chosen for their prior business experience, and they tended to be more poised in their dealings than those from other departments. The Industry and Commerce Department also saw frequent personnel changes. Those who came out of the Wendeng literacy classes rarely had experience in this area. To get things done properly, Xu Yuanhua often recruited shop apprentices or small-time merchants.

Liu Minyou recalled having approved this personnel appointment. He nodded politely at the man and offered a few words of encouragement. Xu Yuanhua then had Chen Jingdan begin his report. Chen Jingdan opened his ledger and addressed Liu Minyou: "My lord, regarding your previous instruction for the Industry and Commerce Department to investigate dyeing workshops, Director Xu specifically dispatched me to take a ship to South Zhili. Among the trading company's contacts, there are three major merchant houses engaged in the dye business. I have made a preliminary investigation, and the costs can be broken down into the following categories..."

Half an hour later, Xu Yuanhua emerged with Chen Jingdan. As he walked, he said to Chen Jingdan, "Old Chen, you presented your case very clearly just now. Lord Liu finally told me he was satisfied with your report. You must redouble your efforts. The trading company is currently maneuvering everywhere to get the cotton spinning transferred under their control. It is entirely thanks to Lord Liu holding the line. Only if we perform well can we keep cotton spinning within the Industry and Commerce Department. You have past experience in shipping and running shops—you are highly proficient in commerce. Put your mind to it, get this matter off the ground, and your future prospects will be all the brighter."

Chen Jingdan's hair was graying, but his skin was not bad, and his complexion was quite ruddy. It was evident he had lived well before. Now that he had entered the Industry and Commerce Department, where veteran merchants were few, he had risen quickly thanks to his years of experience, and his salary was also very high.

"I understand. Many thanks for your guidance, Director Xu," Chen Jingdan replied respectfully.

The two men talked as they walked. Their residences were both outside the city walls. As it was nearing lunchtime, they did not return to their office but headed straight home.

After parting ways at the intersection, Chen Jingdan buried his head and walked home. His house was outside the East Gate, a three-courtyard grand residence without a garden, also vacated during the Dengzhou mutiny. He slowed his pace at the gate, as if returning home was not entirely relaxing either. When the gatekeeper saw him return, he hurried to greet him. Chen Jingdan waved him off and entered the third courtyard himself. However, he did not go to the main hall to eat; instead, he went to a side room. A bamboo blind hung over the window of that side room.

He hesitated for a moment at the door, then knocked with a distinct rhythm.

"Enter!" A man's voice came from inside.

Chen Jingdan pushed open the unlatched door. The light inside was dim. The bright light from outside cast his own shadow onto the floor, forming a silhouette.

Chen Jingdan walked in slowly and then closed the door behind him.

From the shadows inside, a figure wearing a hat emerged. He walked up to Chen Jingdan and raised his head. It was unmistakably the Fushun Son-in-Law, Li Yongfang.

"What important matters occurred in the Dengzhou garrison today?"

"That Militia Regional Commander, Liu Minyou, wants to purchase some dyes..."

"Chen Yijing, do not play these tricks in front of me. The things you did with Wu Changchun back then are enough to have you executed by slow slicing several times over. If you still intend to hedge your bets, have you thought through the consequences?"

Chen Jingdan raised his eyes coldly and sized up the Li Yongfang before him. He was indeed Chen Yijing, the Pingdu merchant who had passed intelligence to Liaodong alongside Wu Changchun back then. However, sensing danger early, he had fled quickly and escaped the agony of slow slicing. He had hidden in Dengzhou for many years, conducting small business under an assumed name. After the storm had passed, he thought he could live out the rest of his days in peace.

Who could have known that Li Yongfang would come to Dengzhou in person? Li Yongfang had personally received intelligence many times in Niuzhuang and Haizhou and was very familiar with Chen Yijing. He had actually recognized Chen Yijing in Dengzhou. Upon learning his current identity, he had come to his door personally to blackmail him. He had already extracted quite a bit of intelligence from him, and his appetite was growing larger and larger, even demanding that he go to the Military Orders Department to steal documents.

Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Jingdan's mind. The Li Yongfang before him was already aged, afflicted with ailments, and physically very frail. Yet this frail old man had now placed him in a position of extreme danger. If his true identity were ever exposed, the imperial court would execute him by slow slicing, the Dengzhou garrison would deal with him, and perhaps even the Jianzhou Bandits would deal with him. These were all among the most powerful forces in the world, especially the Intelligence Bureau of the Dengzhou garrison. Working in the Industry and Commerce Department, Chen Yijing held a position of no low rank and had heard things, more or less, about the Intelligence Bureau and the trading company. Those people's methods would only be more ruthless than the imperial court's.

Chen Yijing felt the handle of the dagger in his sleeve. When he had dared to do those things back then, he had possessed some martial skill. Killing Li Yongfang would not be a major problem, but a man of Li Yongfang's status would certainly not have come to Dengzhou alone.

Li Yongfang's senses were also very sharp. He stared coldly at the tall Chen Yijing. "Since I dare to come to your home alone, I naturally have other contingencies in place to deal with you. Do not think you can flee. I have already planted eyes and ears near your residence. Unless you are willing to abandon your entire family, old and young, in which case this old man would truly have to toast you as a hero."

Chen Yijing released the dagger handle within his sleeve, cupped his hands toward Li Yongfang, and said, "Lord Li, your words are too severe. This lowly one's life was sold to you, my lord, back in those years. Having lived these extra years is already a gain. There is just one thing this lowly one cannot understand. Lord Li, having been in Dengzhou for so long, can you not see that in a few years, no one under heaven will be a match for the Dengzhou garrison? Has Lord Li never considered switching to a different stage to sing your opera? Why tie yourself to one tree until death?"

Li Yongfang smiled faintly. "Whether this Dengzhou garrison is strong or not has nothing to do with this old man. When I surrendered to the Old Khan back then, I had already severed my path of retreat. I am old, with at most a few years left. I might as well fight for some future prospects for my children and grandchildren. Otherwise, why would I need to come to this den of tigers and wolves that is Dengzhou?"

Chen Yijing shook his head. "So Lord Li has also thought this through clearly."

Li Yongfang knew that Chen Yijing was still afraid of him. He turned, found a chair, and sat down. He said to Chen Yijing, "Good that you understand. Now tell this old man what I want to know."

"The Civil Affairs Department sent a letter today, requesting the Industry and Commerce Department to assist in requisitioning merchant ships to transport an additional batch of grain and fodder to Lushun. The Third Company Commander's unit of the Main Army Battalion has already been transferred to the parade ground, meaning the remaining one division of the First Company will be transferred immediately. Additionally, there is a batch of grain shipped from Jiangnan, stored in the warehouses at Weihai Guard, intended for buying off the Dongjiang garrison..." (To be continued...)