Chapter 389

Gusu, Rongxiang Inn.

The inn was located in a bustling street in Gusu, and it was not yet noon; the summer sun had not yet reached its scorching peak.

People were coming and going on the street, the shops along the road were doing a booming business, and the street vendors were shouting their wares—a scene of prosperity in a major Jiangnan port.

Suddenly, a squad of dozens of garrison soldiers came running along the street, their momentum fierce and imposing, causing people to look sideways.

Immediately, there was chaos on the street; pedestrians dodged one after another, and several street vendors along the way could not dodge in time and were knocked to the ground by the rushing garrison soldiers.

This squad of garrison soldiers rushed to the front of Rongxiang Inn, and some soldiers circled to the back door of the inn, while the others remained in front, vaguely forming a siege.

The innkeeper and guests were startled by the sudden scene, not knowing what had happened.

Fortunately, these soldiers seemed to have some reservations and all stayed outside the inn; only the platoon leader leading the squad entered the inn.

The platoon leader said to the innkeeper: "Innkeeper, is there a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl named Xiaofu staying in your inn?"

The innkeeper said tremblingly: "Military official, Young Master Jia, who stayed in the backyard yesterday, did bring a little girl back; she looks about twelve or thirteen, but whether her name is Xiaofu, I don't know."

The platoon leader's eyes lit up and he said: "That's the girl; she is a maid bought by our Commander, and she ran away yesterday. Hurry up and bring her out to me!"

This platoon leader had received instructions when he came that Young Master Jia in the inn had a significant background, so he was to handle it cautiously and not easily come into conflict.

It would be enough to get the girl back, but if he couldn't, he was to keep a close watch on the people and absolutely not let anyone escape, while the people above would think of other ways.

The innkeeper replied: "Military official, Young Master Jia took his female family members out early in the morning; they are not in the inn now."

The officer hurriedly asked: "Where did they go? Have they left Gusu?"

The innkeeper hurriedly replied: "They haven't settled their bill yet; it seems they went out to handle some business, so they shouldn't have left Gusu."

At this moment, two people were walking toward the inn at the street corner; the person in front was Jiang Liu, who immediately stopped in his tracks alertly upon seeing the large group of soldiers surrounding the inn entrance.

Early this morning, Jia Cong had taken Zou Min'er and Lingguan to find Zheng Xiaohai.

Jiang Liu had taken another personal guard named Liu Zhen to the Wuxian County Yamen to change the registration documents for the six newly bought young actors.

Just as they returned to the vicinity of the inn, they saw this scene; Jiang Liu took Liu Zhen and turned to the second floor of a nearby restaurant.

Jiang Liu had seen the attire of the garrison soldiers in Jinling; these soldiers who had suddenly surrounded the inn must be the local Su Zhou Guard soldiers.

Yesterday, when Jia Cong bought the young actors at Jin Bi Garden, Jiang Liu was by his side; he knew that the Lingguan who had just been bought had some entanglement with the Su Zhou Guard Commander.

The other party had also wanted to buy Xiaofu and had even paid half the deposit.

Now seeing this scene, Jiang Liu naturally guessed the general reason.

Jiang Liu felt that Jia Cong truly had great foresight; if he hadn't taken Lingguan with him, she would likely have been intercepted in the inn by the Su Zhou Guard soldiers.

If Lingguan had been abducted by the Su Zhou Guard people, it would have been difficult for Jia Cong to get her back.

The Su Zhou Guard people coming to Rongxiang Inn to find Lingguan must have been to Jin Bi Garden and learned of it from the troupe leader named Chen Youcai.

Jiang Liu let Liu Zhen go to Jin Bi Garden to scout for movement, while he himself followed the road to the Tieling Pass ferry, preparing to intercept Jia Cong and the others halfway.

Otherwise, if Jia Cong and the others returned to the inn and ran into the Su Zhou Guard soldiers without knowing the situation, there would be no room for maneuver.

Gusu, Jin Bi Garden.

The opera garden, which had been deserted for the past six months, had an unusual atmosphere today.

Both the front and back doors of Jin Bi Garden were actually guarded by garrison soldiers.

On the white wall to the left of Jin Bi Garden, a thin and agile figure poked her head over the wall, observing the movement in the alley outside.

It was a girl about eight or nine years old, with her hair in double buns, fine eyebrows and large eyes, looking quite clever and spirited.

The alley was quiet and empty; this alley was the passage between Jin Bi Garden and the restaurant next door, and very few people ever passed through it.

Although the little girl was young, she had been practicing opera and martial arts since she was small, so she was very agile; seeing no one in the alley, she nimbly climbed over the wall.

Her small hands gripped the cracks in the wall, and like a little gecko, she slid down the wall in a few movements.

Then, she stretched her small legs and ran toward the alley entrance in one breath, only to collide head-on with someone just as she reached the entrance.

The person rubbed his chest, which was aching from the collision, and wondered: "Aren't you the little actor from the opera house?"

Liu Zhen had followed Jia Cong to Jin Bi Garden that day and knew he had bought several young actors; this girl was one of them, but he didn't remember her name.

The girl was also dizzy from the collision; she pouted and rubbed her forehead, looked at the person, and discovered it was actually an acquaintance.

She hurriedly said: "I know you; you are Young Master Jia's personal guard. You came to Jin Bi Garden with him that day. Where is your young master? I need to go and report to him!"

Jia Cong's carriage was intercepted by Jiang Liu halfway; seeing Jiang Liu's expression, he hurriedly asked: "What happened?"

"Cong Sanye, the Su Zhou Guard soldiers have surrounded the inn; it seems they are looking for Lingguan. Cong Sanye, you had better not go back yet; let's see the situation first."

Jia Cong and Zou Min'er were both startled by Jiang Liu's words, and Lingguan, who was to the side, turned pale.

The group found another inn to stay at; Jiang Liu went out for a while and brought Liu Zhen back, along with the little girl with fine eyebrows and large eyes.

Jia Cong and Zou Min'er were astonished; the girl was actually Douguan.

As soon as Douguan saw Jia Cong, she said: "Young Master Jia, I specifically climbed over the wall to report to you. It's such a coincidence; early this morning, that Commander Luo sent people to pick up Lingguan.

They discovered she was gone, asked clearly about the reason, and then sent many soldiers to block both the front and back doors of Jin Bi Garden.

They didn't allow anyone from the troupe to leave and even forced the troupe leader to tell them Lingguan's whereabouts.

The troupe leader said that you, Young Master, are also an official, but those people from Commander Luo's side didn't seem willing to give up; they must have gone to the inn to look for you."

The troupe leader was worried that Lingguan had been captured by Commander Luo, so he let me slip out to report to you. Fortunately, you are all safe."

Jia Cong and Zou Min'er were very surprised to hear this, feeling that something was not right.

He asked Douguan to go to the inner room to accompany Lingguan, and then asked Jiang Liu and Liu Zhen to go out and scout for news.

Zou Min'er said to Jia Cong: "Don't you think this matter is very strange? Luo Xiong is a dignified garrison commander, a fourth-rank military official, and a man who has seen many scenes; how could he act as if he has never seen a woman before?

Although Lingguan is outstanding, he shouldn't have to go to such lengths, sending troops to surround the inn and Jin Bi Garden.

The troupe leader told him your identity; even out of official etiquette and reservations, a local official shouldn't challenge a Count of Weiyuan who is in the Emperor's favor just for a little opera girl.

If he were such a person who didn't know how to advance or retreat, he wouldn't have been able to become a fourth-rank commander; this matter is too contrary to reason."

Jia Cong looked at Lingguan and Douguan talking in the inner room; the two were whispering, not knowing what they were saying.

Lingguan looked seven or eight parts like Daiyu, and her elegance and delicacy were unique; she was only twelve, and one could only imagine how stunning she would be when she grew up.

However, Zou Min'er was right; a high-ranking military officer like Luo Xiong, holding the military power of a province, was no different from a local emperor in Gusu City.

Su Zhou and Hangzhou had produced beauties since ancient times; he had seen all kinds of beauties and would never go to such lengths just to covet Lingguan's beauty.

There must be another reason for this. He went in and asked Lingguan a few more questions; Lingguan said that the day Luo Xiong came to Jin Bi Garden to book the whole house for opera was the only time she had ever met him, and there had been no other contact.

Jia Cong asked about Lingguan's family; according to Lingguan, her father was just an ordinary farmer.

A few years ago, there were constant droughts and floods, and the fields had no harvest; to gather the travel expenses for the family to flee and seek refuge with relatives, they sold her to the opera troupe.

It sounded like there was nothing strange about it.

Jia Cong and Zou Min'er thought about it, but for a moment, they had no leads.

After a while, Jiang Liu and Liu Zhen returned one after another.

Speaking of the situation outside, the garrison soldiers were still guarding Jin Bi Garden and the inn, and the number of soldiers patrolling the city had also suddenly increased.

Hearing this, Jia Cong and Zou Min'er's expressions became solemn; they hadn't expected Luo Xiong to be so concerned about Lingguan, which was truly too strange.

Having learned of Zhou Zhengyang's movements from Zheng Xiaohai, the purpose of their trip had been achieved; they had originally decided to return to Jinling first and mobilize manpower to investigate further.

Now that Luo Xiong had caused such a stir, although Jia Cong and Zou Min'er had identities sufficient to protect themselves in Gusu, they had no other support, and taking Lingguan with them carried unpredictable risks.

Moreover, there was really no need to challenge this local emperor of Gusu head-on; not only was it meaningless, but it was not their purpose for coming here.

The two discussed for a moment and decided to leave Gusu immediately; fortunately, when they went out in the morning, important items such as official documents were carried with them, so it was very convenient to leave.

Jia Cong asked Jiang Liu to go to the ferry first to rent a boat from Zheng Xiaohai; this person was familiar with the waterways along the route and had the ability to avoid patrols by military boats.

Jia Cong did not know why Luo Xiong was so concerned about Lingguan.

This person was a garrison commander who controlled five thousand soldiers in Su Zhou; in the Su-Yang region, this person had significant influence.

Jia Cong could not predict how he would react to this matter, so it was better to be prepared.

The garrison soldiers waiting at Rongxiang Inn never saw Young Master Jia, who lived in the backyard, return.

And the soldiers guarding Jin Bi Garden also didn't notice that an eight or nine-year-old girl in the troupe had climbed over the wall and run away.

Jia Cong, taking Zou Min'er, Lingguan, and Douguan, rode in a carriage along the waterway for half a cup of tea's time.

Half a mile away from the Tieling Pass ferry, at a remote small river mouth, Jiang Liu was already waiting there on Zheng Xiaohai's boat.

After the group boarded the boat, Jiang Liu said that when the boat set sail from the Tieling Pass ferry, many garrison soldiers had already appeared at the ferry, setting up checkpoints for inspection.

This made the expressions on Jia Cong and Zou Min'er's faces become even more solemn; they almost simultaneously looked into the boat cabin.

In the cabin, Lingguan, who was excitedly talking to Douguan, had a look of joy and excitement on her face, as if she had escaped a disaster.

Shenjing, Great Zhou Palace, Qanyang Hall.

In the vast and gloomy hall, in front of the imperial desk, one person was kneeling with his head bowed; he was tall, with gray hair and beard, over fifty years old, and his momentum was old but firm—it was none other than Gu Yankui, the Minister of War.

The bronze cranes of fortune and longevity on both sides of the imperial desk flashed with a heavy, dim yellow light, and the sharp crane beaks spat out milky-white dragon saliva incense, which was refreshing and circled around.

It shrouded the face of Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao behind the throne in a bit more mystery and severity.

The atmosphere in the hall was unusually solemn, as if it were so oppressive that it made people unable to breathe.

Some time ago, the Dali Temple interrogated Zhou Suqing, reopening a gap for the major case of the Water Supervision Office, but the subsequent leak of the confession documents involved the entire Shenjing in a dangerous storm.

Important official offices such as the Dali Temple, the Five Military Governor's Offices, and the Ministry of Civil Personnel were all implicated, and many officials who had once been successful in their careers were defeated one after another in the cleansing by the Investigation Office.

When Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao secretly discussed this matter in the inner court, not only did Dali Temple Minister Wei Guanyao and Investigation Office official Zhou Junxing, who were involved, participate,

but Gu Yankui, the Minister of War, who was uninvolved in the confession document case, was also summoned by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao to the palace for consultation, which showed the unusual trust and reliance the Emperor, who was always deep in schemes and suspicion, had for this old minister.

At that time, Gu Yankui was in the position of a bystander, not involved in any critical relationship from beginning to end; at that time, his thinking was unusually clear, and he could often see the big picture and hit the nail on the head.

Compared to Wei Guanyao, who was deeply involved, Gu Yankui was lucky at that time.

But luck would not favor a person forever...

The letter report sent from the Liaodong Regional Commander's Office this morning made Gu Yankui's mood sink to the bottom.

He raised his head slightly, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao reading the letter report from the Ministry of War he had just presented, his face already turning livid.

Gu Yankui was not surprised by the Emperor's reaction.

Ever since Jia Cong first promoted the method of firearms, the immense military and national power contained in firearms, whether in actual combat or drills, had become something everyone could see.

Using the power of firearms to strengthen the army and protect the country had become one of the most important matters in the Emperor's heart.

As the initiator of the firearms industry, Jia Cong had ingenious ideas in firearms research and development that were hard for ordinary people to reach, and he had repeatedly emphasized to the Emperor the importance of keeping firearms technology secret.

In the selection of personnel for the Firearms Office and the management of the construction of firearms workshops, Jia Cong had made the matter of secrecy meticulous and flawless.

However, no matter how wise and brilliant Jia Cong was, he could only manage the Firearms Office and the firearms workshops; he could not block all the loopholes in firearms technology in the world.

Finally, a worrying mess occurred at the Yafu Official Armory in Liaodong.

According to the letter report from the Liaodong Regional Commander's Office, last month, the firearms battalion guarding Yafu Pass received an order from the Ministry of War in Shenjing to lead the army and conduct a rotation with the soldiers of the Five Military Firearms Battalion in Shenjing.

Someone took advantage of the gap during the rotation of the two armies to steal nine improved-type Lumlock muskets from the Yafu Pass armory.

These few Lumlock muskets had developed firing malfunctions during the equipping process due to wear and tear, and they were all registered and stored in the armory, waiting for disposal.

When Jia Cong was in Liaodong, he had formulated strict rules for the maintenance of firearm inventory.

These types of worn-out or faulty firearms, depending on the degree of damage, were either sent back to the Shenjing Firearms Office for refurbishment and repair, or thoroughly destroyed on the spot.

Regardless of the disposal method adopted, there must be strict document records to avoid leaks.

But even the strictest system requires people to execute it; as long as it is a matter executed by people, there must be various mistakes and loopholes.

Although these nine Lumlock muskets were faulty firearms and even unable to be fired normally, on the surface, they did not possess any danger or lethality.

However, they were all improved-type Lumlock muskets developed according to Jia Cong's concepts, representing the most advanced firearm technology of the Great Zhou at present.

Even a faulty improved-type Lumlock musket completely covered all the construction principles, concepts, and components of the improved type.

The loss of any such faulty new-style firearm signaled a leak of the technology of the improved-type Lumlock musket developed by Jia Cong.

And nine of them were stolen at once.

If it were just the work of petty thieves among the common people, there would be some relief.

But if someone had ulterior motives, perhaps in the near future, the imitated improved-type Lumlock muskets would appear in some dark corner of the Great Zhou. (End of chapter)