Chapter 148: Harvest

After communicating with Chen Qiyu, Liang Qi sent people to gather intelligence on the Huai'an Salt Distribution Office while awaiting the arrival of the Fengyang Guard and the Xuzhou Battalion.

As for the two customs houses at Huai'an and Linqing, Liang Qi had no plans to touch them for the time being.

This was not because he had figured out that he shouldn't be used as a pawn by Chen Qiyu, but because it was the busiest season for canal transport — countless grain barges and merchant ships plied the canal without cease. If those two customs houses were wiped out in one stroke, even if the court sent new personnel and they rushed to Huai'an and Linqing, who would collect the commercial taxes from passing merchant ships in the meantime?

Though everyone in the Northern Brocade Guard was eager to distinguish themselves, Liang Qi was not a reckless man. Without adequate preparation, he would not act rashly. After all, the customs house staff had no idea they were being watched by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so he could just leave them be for now. One must not sacrifice public duty for private grudges — that was the iron rule of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After several days of waiting, the Fengyang Guard, being closer, arrived at Huai'an first. The two thousand men, after reorganization, had lost over three hundred in the Battle of Shouzhou. Chen Qiyu had memorialized the court and received approval, then replenished their numbers after returning to Fengyang. Upon receiving the Governor-General's orders, the new Guard Commander Tao Dayong led them here to await Chen Qiyu's deployment.

Li Shuchun, who had led the mob besieging the tomb-guarding eunuchs in Fengyang, had been pardoned to redeem himself through merit because Chen Qiyu, after learning of him, pitied his talent and praised his righteousness. He had performed excellently in the Battle of Shouzhou and been promoted through accumulated merit to Company Commander. He had also come to Huai'an this time.

Though the original Huai'an Guard had long been defunct in name, its barracks within the city still stood. Though in a state of disrepair from years of neglect, after some tidying up they could accommodate two thousand men with room to spare — after all, at its peak the Huai'an Guard had a full complement of thirty-five hundred, and the barracks had been built to match that number.

Liang Qi, who had arrived earlier with his hundred riders, changed into the cotton armor of ordinary government troops before entering the city, and quartered in the Left Camp barracks under the guise of being the Governor-General's personal battalion that Chen Qiyu had summoned. The Left Camp, originally a thousand men strong, still had over two hundred elderly and weak soldiers, whom Chen Qiyu had chased over to the Right Camp grounds to share quarters with the hundred-odd survivors there.

The city's common folk cared nothing for such matters, and besides, they understood nothing of the various designations of government troops. Two bodies of troops entering the city in succession drew no attention from anyone. Only when the Fengyang Guard entered did many city folk come to gawk, and that was merely out of curiosity. To the people of Jiangnan, who had known peace for so long, war was far too distant. Though they had heard of the roving bandits ravaging the Central Plains, in many hearts those were merely bandits in somewhat greater numbers who could never amount to anything. As for the Jianzhou barbarians in Liaodong, aside from merchants who traveled north and south, the vast majority of common folk said they had never heard of them.

After receiving word by fast horse that the Xuzhou Battalion would arrive in three days, Liang Qi led fifty riders and two hundred Fengyang Guard soldiers out of Huai'an, heading straight for Yangzhou. Yang Rui, the Salt Commissioner of the Huai'an Salt Distribution Office, and his Deputy Commissioner Huang Can had both set up their homes in Yangzhou. The rest of the office's directors and clerks were all natives of Huai'an, and a Platoon Leader of the Northern Brocade Guard led the remaining riders, with the Fengyang Guard's cooperation, to arrest and seize them separately.

"Merchants by the river live most lavishly, window screens all pasted with fine Guangdong gauze. Salt merchants, wealthy and rich beyond measure, revel night after night until dawn."

In Xiaguan, the most prosperous district of Yangzhou city, dwelt a great many wealthy salt merchants from Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Huizhou. Brothels and wine shops dotted the surroundings. By day all was silent; each night, when ordinary households had retired, this place blazed with light, officials and merchants coming and going, the scents of various powders and perfumes wafting through the air — a splendid scene of dissipation and luxury.

Because this place sat very close to both the Lianghuai Salt Transport Office and the Yangzhou customs house, and was not far from the canal either, the salt merchants who profited from those two yamen competed to buy land and build homes here, and over more than a century it had grown into a vast district of the wealthy.

The homes of Yang Rui and Huang Can of the Huai'an Salt Distribution Office were also situated in this area.

After both passed the metropolitan examination, Yang Rui remained in the Ministry of Revenue for a year of observation, then curried favor with Wang Yongguang, the Minister of Personnel, and was sent to Huai'an to snatch a lucrative post. Huang Can had been appointed County Magistrate of Hong County in Fengyang Prefecture, and after his term ended, he worked the connections of Zhang Zhifa, then Minister of Rites, to enter the Distribution Office.

Yang Rui had held his post for many years. Because he wielded real power, he was the object of salt merchants' eager flattery. Two years after becoming Salt Commissioner, he spent fifty thousand taels of silver to acquire a grand five-courtyard mansion in Yangzhou. Huang Can, though only in office for a little over two years, had also spent twenty thousand taels to buy a three-courtyard residence. The two homes stood only a few hundred paces apart.

The faint morning mist had not yet dispersed. Xiaguan, having just passed another sleepless night, was tranquil and peaceful. In the narrow streets, only the figures of night-soil men hired by the authorities appeared. Every day around the hour of mao they went door to door, clearing away each household's filth while also sweeping the lanes clean.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound shattered the morning calm. Dozens of horsemen appeared on the street, their horses' hooves trotting over the flagstone-paved alleys with crisp clattering sounds.

Then hundreds of soldiers in crimson cotton armor appeared, bearing spears and firelocks, led by Company Commander Li Shuchun, following behind the riders ahead, marching in neat steps and advancing swiftly.

Under the stunned gazes of the night-soil men who had hastily scrambled aside, the large force halted before Yang Rui's gate.

Liang Qi flicked open his cloak, dismounted with a flourish, and waved his hand. Several riders who had scouted the surrounding terrain led the way, while the two hundred soldiers split into two groups — one surrounded Yang Rui's home, the other followed a dozen-odd riders toward Huang Can's residence not far away.

Liang Qi stood with hands clasped behind his back at the foot of the steps before the gate. Two riders hurried up the steps and began pounding on the door.

After a long moment, a side door opened from within, and a servant in a loosely draped robe stepped out yawning, muttering discontentedly in the Yangzhou dialect.

The two riders, not waiting for him to come to his senses, rushed forward, threw him down, bound him, and tossed him aside. One rider had already slipped through the side door and opened the main gate, and dozens of riders crowded in around Liang Qi as they entered the residence.

Yang Rui's residence was exquisitely built. Through the main gate lay a spacious courtyard. Behind a pond of about half a mu stood a rockery built of Taihu stones several zhang high. Half the pond was planted with lotus, and all around stood vigorous green bamboo. But mid-autumn had passed, leaving only withered lotus and decaying leaves. A single lotus seed pod still hanging had naturally folded over into the water. Amid the sparse shadows slanting across, a faint fragrance seemed to drift.

Liang Qi sighed in admiration inwardly. These Jiangnan civil officials truly knew how to enjoy life. The courtyard was tranquil and elegant, a new view at every few steps, displaying all the beauty of Jiangnan — far surpassing the mansions of the capital's nobility. If only he could have such a residence someday.

Passing around the pond, he entered the second courtyard, which housed the servants' quarters.

Several servants who had risen early suddenly saw so many armed strangers entering and stood frozen in terror on the spot.

One rider shouted loudly: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is conducting official business! Do not move! Turn your backs to the wall! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"

Leaving a few men to watch the servants in the second courtyard, Liang Qi led the way through the hall separating the rear courtyards and entered the third courtyard of the Yang residence.

Upon entering the third courtyard, Liang Qi stopped before the main hall — the place where Yang Rui normally received guests. The courtyard was likewise very spacious, with all manner of precious potted plants and flowers arranged about, a pleasing sight to the eye.

The fourth courtyard was the inner residence. A dozen-odd riders passed through the screen behind the main hall and entered, and before long, the shrieks of women came echoing out.

One rider carried out a rosewood chair from the main hall. Liang Qi flicked open his cloak and sat down, crossing his legs as he began to admire the scenery of the courtyard.

The Yang household had over thirty servants, most of whom were still asleep at this hour. Before long, the household steward was brought before Liang Qi from the second courtyard.

The steward, around forty years of age, trembled all over with fear, his face pale and ashen, cowering before Liang Qi like a quail.

Liang Qi bared his teeth in a grin and said: "No need to be afraid. As long as you tell me everything you know, I guarantee you'll be fine. But if you dare hold anything back, I'll cut off your balls and send you into the palace! Speak — where does your master hide his silver?"

Several days later, Liang Qi led his force back from Yangzhou to Huai'an by boat. The long convoy carried not only the riders and government troops, but also more than ten boats laden with the property of the Yang and Huang households. Every boat was covered with tarpaulin and sat deep in the water, making it obvious at a glance that they carried very heavy cargo.

Though Chen Qiyu was honored as Governor-General, he had no authority to know just how much this confiscation had yielded. But when he saw the riders all beaming with delight, he knew this lot had gotten rich again.

The Xuzhou Battalion, three thousand men led by Vice Regional Commander Guo Tai of Xuzhou, had arrived at Huai'an a few days earlier and been quartered in the Left and Right Grand Camps respectively. The Huai'an Guard soldiers in the Right Camp had again been chased by Chen Qiyu to the Dahe Guard's station several dozen li away, since there were plenty of vacant barracks there as well.

Yang Rui and Huang Ze both maintained villas in Huai'an Prefecture city, each living there with their concubines, only returning to Yangzhou by boat during the New Year holidays — first to comfort their wives and children at home, and second to await the salt merchants coming to deliver gifts.

Though the salt merchants sent festival gifts continuously, the year-end offerings were the most lavish. Carts laden with antiques, paintings, calligraphy, and silver came in an endless stream to the two men's homes. After presenting name cards and gift lists, the household stewards would inspect and receive the goods, then have them carried off to be stored in the warehouses and cellars.

The two men, along with the entire staff of the Huai'an Salt Distribution Office, had all gone to the yamen at the hour of chen to report for duty when the Fengyang Guard surrounded the office and the riders seized them. When they heard the name of the Northern Brocade Guard and saw the judicial warrant, both collapsed limp to the ground.

The entire office staff of over thirty, along with the directors and deputy directors of more than ten salt fields, were wiped out in one stroke — nearly fifty people captured in all.

Aside from Yang Rui and Huang Can, who had set up homes in Yangzhou, all the rest lived within Huai'an Prefecture city.

Liang Qi had taken fifty riders with him, and the remaining fifty were far too busy — for the confiscation work could never be delegated to outsiders, and the Fengyang Guard could only assist with guarding. By the time Liang Qi returned from Yangzhou, there were still over a dozen households in Huai'an that had not been searched. With the full complement of men assembled, it took two more days to finish the remaining confiscations.

After each household's property was seized, detailed inventories were drawn up following the count, and the goods were transported to the vacated Huai'an salt warehouses, with the riders leading and the Xuzhou Battalion and Fengyang Guard providing guards.

The offending officials were held in the Huai'an Prefecture prison, guarded separately by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with all outsiders forbidden from visiting. Interrogation experts of the Northern Brocade Guard took turns questioning the prisoners in order to extract as much evidence as possible against the officials and merchants involved.

After the thorough investigation was complete, a thick stack of inventories along with the prisoners' confessions was carried by boat back to the capital by a Platoon Leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Returning with him were ten grain transport barges loaded with part of the confiscated silver and goods.

Ninety riders were responsible for escorting this silver along the way, and they would not be returning to Jiangnan. This confiscation had allowed every one of them to pocket enough silver. Such lucrative assignments, known to all in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, rotated by turns — the next riders to leave the capital for Huai'an would be others.

Liang Qi and ten riders remained in Huai'an, awaiting the Emperor's orders. The confiscated silver they had privately set aside was packed into wooden boxes and given to the returning riders to deliver to their respective families.

Of course, there were also tributes for Guard Commander Luo Yangxing and other superiors at every level — each received a hefty share.

Such matters were an open secret within the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Everyone up and down the Guard knew it well — everyone did it, so long as it was not openly proclaimed.