Chapter 427: Traitor to the Han

ps: Asking for monthly tickets.

Li Yongfang tilted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly — the black cloth had just been lifted from his head. After being captured, these people had bundled him into a horse-drawn cart, jolting all the way to some place. After daybreak they transported him out of the city, traveling for about a quarter of an hour before arriving at this current location.

He let his gaze roam around. This was a brick house with only one tiny window, set very high up — even jumping, one could not reach it. The room was extremely simple: just a table and a few chairs. Two torches were stuck into the walls on either side, burning with a crackling sound. And of course, there were a few people.

"You are Li Yongfang?" A young military officer sat across from him, wearing an amiable smile.

Li Yongfang looked at the officer. He had seen this man before — none other than Dengzhou Regional Commander Chen Xin, whom the Later Jin hated to the bone. But meeting him here was no good thing. He lowered his head and stared at the floor without speaking. Nor could he speak. When he was captured, his jaw had been dislocated; his mouth could not close, and drool dripped in strings from the corner of his lips.

"Tsk tsk, so it's Abatai's son-in-law. But this official has bad news for you — your father-in-law got a sound thrashing from my Dengzhou garrison at Lushun. Of his six personally-managed niru barbarian soldiers, fewer than two hundred remain. He won't have an easy time with Huang Taiji from now on."

Li Yongfang still said nothing, but Chen Xin did not mind at all. He looked at Li Yongfang with keen interest, and only after a moment said: "It seems the Fushun Son-in-Law does not get along well with his father-in-law, utterly indifferent to the old man. That's hardly surprising — I hear the Jianzhou Bandit women are exceedingly ugly, with silver rings pierced through their ears and noses. It stands to reason the Son-in-Law would look down on her. Abatai simply had to take Lord Li as his son-in-law; poor Lord Li is actually several years older than Abatai, yet must call him father-in-law. That relationship could hardly be good either. As the saying goes, every family has its difficult scripture to recite. Lord Li's days in the Later Jin are truly too embarrassing to speak of to others."

Chen Xin grew animated as he spoke, standing up and walking over beside Li Yongfang. "However, this official can speak on Lord Li's behalf. Lord Li found a new master in the forty-sixth year of Wanli. Lucky for you, you were a Mobile Corps Commander — you sold yourself for a decent price and even became some kind of son-in-law. A good sale, but still not as good as Tong Yangxing's. Look at him — a commoner with no rank who defected, and he became the old chieftain's son-in-law. You're called a son-in-law, but in reality you're the old chieftain's grandson-in-law. When you see Tong Yangxing, you ought to call him uncle by marriage — there's the difference right there." Chen Xin paused, pondering, then said: "Going by Abatai, that's how you should address him. But if you go by Yuetuo, it gets a bit off. Tong Yangxing is the old chieftain's son-in-law, and Yuetuo is the old chieftain's grandson — by rights, the same generation as you, which means calling Tong Yangxing uncle by marriage. But this official has heard that Tong Yangxing and Yuetuo are also in-laws through their children's marriage. This official is always pondering what Tong Yangxing ought to call Yuetuo. If the terms get mixed up, Lord Li, it's even harder for you to address them. This official often lies awake at night thinking about it. Might the Fushun Son-in-Law resolve this official's confusion?"

Li Yongfang raised his head and stared at Chen Xin, a mocking expression appearing on his face, as if laughing at Chen Xin. Chen Xin met his gaze with a beaming smile. "Tong Yangxing died a natural death — he's settled his accounts. Shi Tingzhu, Gao Hongzhong, Kong Youde, they all still have a chance to surrender. Only you, Li Yongfang, cannot surrender. You couldn't stay in Liaodong either — Huang Taiji tossed you over to Dengzhou in one go. With graying hair, you still have to fight for your life. To be a traitor to the Han and end up like this — you've really taken a loss."

Li Yongfang met Chen Xin's gaze with utter indifference, putting on the look of a dead pig that no longer fears boiling water. He had once imagined the outcome after being captured; he was mentally prepared.

Having mocked him enough, Chen Xin straightened up and circled Li Yongfang twice. "Lord Li doesn't care much about his father-in-law, and presumably looks down on all those cheap relatives in the Later Jin. This official had intended to tell you about them one by one, but let's drop it. In short, none of them have been doing well lately. Among them, one called Bayan even had his leg broken. No one knows where he's locked up now, but he's not far from Lord Li..."

Li Yongfang's expression changed, his eyes turning fierce as he glared at Chen Xin. Chen Xin chuckled. "If Lord Li can properly resolve this official's confusion and tell this official some things he is interested in, this Bayan might just get a way to live."

Li Yongfang made urgent muffled sounds. Bayan was his fifth son, and also his favorite. He was now serving as a goshiha for Huang Taiji. The battle at Lushun had been so fierce that Li Yongfang had been somewhat worried about Bayan's safety. Now that Chen Xin brought it up, he immediately grew flustered.

Chen Xin nodded to the few people beside him, and someone immediately stepped forward to set Li Yongfang's jaw back in place. Generally, when capturing someone, the jaw is dislocated — in case the target has poison hidden in their mouth or bites their own tongue. If the tongue is bitten off, the remaining root will block the throat, causing the person to suffocate and die. Once the target is captured, whether through deception or coercion, their will to die will weaken; only then can the jaw be set right.

Li Yongfang worked his mouth open and shut a few times, somewhat unnaturally. A team member beside him gave him a drink of water from a gourd. Li Yongfang had lost quite a lot of drool. After drinking, he did not rush to ask about Bayan. Instead, he looked at the few Intelligence Bureau men around him, and finally turned his gaze to Chen Xin's face. "Lord Chen truly lives up to the name of a famed general under heaven. Even men like these, akin to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you have trained to such elite sharpness. This humble one can roughly guess where the leak occurred. This humble one dares to say — the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot fall far short of them."

Chen Xin cupped his hands and smiled. "I dare not accept the Son-in-Law's excessive praise. Heroes abound under heaven; what they lack is only a suitable place. This one here..." Chen Xin pointed at the black-clad man beside him. "Does the Son-in-Law still recognize him?"

Li Yongfang narrowed his eyes and looked. The man's face was as if hewn by an axe, and his eyes looked at people as if looking at objects, utterly devoid of emotion — very distinctive. He searched his memory for a moment and finally nodded. "Liu Xingzuo's slave. No wonder he recognized this old man at a single glance."

Chen Xin smiled. "The Dengzhou garrison has no slaves, only people who do work. As long as people are used to the fullest of their abilities and placed in suitable positions, neither the Jianzhou Bandits nor the western Tatars are worth mentioning. Does the Son-in-Law agree?"

"Lord Chen's insight is profound." Li Yongfang nodded. "But to be honest, this humble one cannot quite grasp the ways of the Dengzhou garrison. In the past, that Yuan barbarian spoke of pacifying Liaodong in five years — I never believed it then. But now, I rather feel that Lord Chen can pacify Liaodong in five years."

Chen Xin looked at Li Yongfang with keen interest. "The Son-in-Law's words please this official's heart. Lord Li is sharp of mind and can surely guess — no matter how much what you say suits my taste, this official will not leave you alive. Your head will certainly be sent to Jingshi. The most this official can do... is give you a quick end."

"Naturally, Lord Chen would not send this old man alive to Jingshi, lest this old man say things at the Northern Prison Administration that ought not be said. This old man is also happy to ascend to heaven in Dengzhou. A quick end would be good too — that is also something this humble one admires about the Dengzhou garrison. No cruel punishments like death by a thousand cuts." Li Yongfang used these words to block Chen Xin; what he feared most was the fate that had befallen Wu Changchun back then.

Chen Xin smiled faintly. "Though we lack death by a thousand cuts, there are other methods. This official advises you to honestly confess whatever you have. Do not make trouble for each other. This official is a soldier and does not wish to torment people. But if the enemy forces me to resort to harsh torture, Dengzhou has that too."

Li Yongfang nodded. "Is the Bayan Lord Chen spoke of truly in Dengzhou? Could this old man be allowed to see him?"

"Once you have finished confessing, this official will decide based on the content of your confession. If there is nothing useful, then my apologies. This official also reminds the Son-in-Law — the Jianzhou Bandits' decline is already set. If you wish to leave a path for your descendants, then thoroughly confess all the spy dens you know of that the Jianzhou Bandits have within the Great Ming. In the future, this official may perhaps leave you a descendant. This official dislikes collective punishment the most, but against the stubborn, it may as well be used once."

Li Yongfang laughed heartily. "Regional Commander Chen is a hero under heaven. This old man trusts your word. If my lord will spare only one, then please let it be Bayan."

Li Yongfang did not ask again whether Bayan was truly in Dengzhou. He had very little to bargain with. Chen Xin stood up and walked to the door, then turned his head to look at the Son-in-Law. "Li Yongfang, have you ever regretted becoming a slave to the Tatars?"

Li Yongfang was silent for a moment, then said: "If I had not become a slave, I would have died in Fushun in the forty-sixth year of Wanli, and Lord Chen would not have the chance to ask this old man whether he regrets it or not." He touched his own head. "A fine head, carried for over ten extra years. Finally, someone has come to claim it."

Chen Xin shook his head with a smile and turned to leave. Behind him, Li Yongfang said loudly: "Respectfully seeing Lord Chen off."

Zhou Shifa and Liu Minyou were both waiting outside. Seeing Chen Xin emerge, they hurried over. Zhou Shifa said to Chen Xin: "All the spies at the various locations within Dengzhou city that Shopkeeper Jiang identified have been captured. For those in Changyi and Pingdu, several action teams have been dispatched to apprehend them. The Civil Affairs Department sent people to assist."

"After the arrests, your Intelligence Bureau will interrogate them first. Once the interrogation is complete, together with that Chen Yijing, send them to various places in Denglai for public trials. Do the same with Li Yongfang after he finishes confessing. Hang a sign on him labeling him the Number One Traitor to the Han."

"Understood, your subordinate will remember. How should Li Yongfang be sent to Jingshi afterward?"

"Casually pin some excuse on him — something like attempting to escape. Behead him right here in Dengzhou, and only send his head to Jingshi."

Zhou Shifa pressed further: "And what about Chen Yijing?"

"Decide after interrogating Li Yongfang and Shopkeeper Jiang. See to what extent Chen Yijing actually went. If his crimes are unforgivable, there's no need to honor that promise — behead him all the same."

Zhou Shifa noted it down himself. Chen Xin slowly walked outside, while giving Zhou Shifa low-voiced instructions: "After you finish interrogating Li Yongfang, sort out the interrogation records. Remove anything involving secrets, then give a copy to the Instruction Department. They need to arrange a new play over there — mainly about the bondservants in Liaodong. A traitor to the Han like Li Yongfang also needs a prototype."

After leaving the Intelligence Bureau, Chen Xin no longer concealed his movements. He openly mounted his horse and departed. Chen Xin had not slept all night. Liu Minyou had waited for news in the Intelligence Bureau's office and had managed to sleep for a while.

On the road, Liu Minyou asked about the previous night's arrests. He was fairly complimentary of the Intelligence Bureau's operational capability — one of the rare times he praised the Intelligence Bureau. Although he knew such an organization was indispensable, he was always unwilling to deal with them much.

The Intelligence Bureau's address was now also outside the East Gate. There was a branch office inside the city; the headquarters was outside the city, not far from Wolonggang. There was a separate road here, and at the road's end was the Intelligence Bureau headquarters. After exiting from the intersection, it was the main road heading west toward Chaotian Gate. Chen Xin turned his horse's head and headed west. Liu Minyou asked in surprise: "We're setting out on the road today?"

"Of course." Chen Xin rubbed his reddened eyes. "This Li Yongfang has already delayed us for two days. Today we must leave no matter what. In a few days, once the Qingzhou Regional Commander is decided, there will be a pile of matters again, and I won't have time to look at the cotton spinning."

"Even once the Qingzhou Regional Commander matter is settled, it won't keep you busy all winter. Our cotton spinning mill has to operate through the winter too. In just these short two months, it's already seized the markets of Denglai and Qingzhoufu. Continue production through winter, and by early spring we'll capture Jinanfu and Dongchangfu."

Chen Xin yawned. "Cotton spinning and tobacco are both bulk trades — cotton spinning especially. I hear the great merchants who buy cloth in places like Huzhou and Songjiang can transact up to hundreds of thousands of silver taels at a time. If these two trades are bundled with the money shop, the money shop will be easy to run in the future. If transactions use the money shop's silver notes, we can reduce the price a little. The Qingzhou matter is a major affair with many threads — it won't be finished in a short while. Getting it done this winter would be good enough. The Civil Affairs Department doesn't have much to do in winter. You make an inspection trip to the Grand Canal..."

Liu Minyou watched Chen Xin constantly narrowing his eyes, shook his head, and cut him off. "Enough, stop forcing yourself to discuss matters. Staying up late at your age is no good. The Civil Affairs Department has a bunch of young people making plans anyway. I'll arrange two horse-drawn carts at the Chaotian Gate brokerage. You can sleep on the road as we travel and recover your energy. It's a long way to Lingshan Guard." (To be continued...)