Chapter 305: Cutting Off the Arm

The situation that Young Master Zhao and his group encountered could be seen everywhere in Suzhou. The Embroidered Uniform Guard, organized into squads of several dozen men, effectively intercepted citizens heading toward the prefectural office throughout the city. Unarmed citizens were no match for the trained officers' strikes—every gathered crowd was dispersed without exception, and the people fled home. The injured could only count themselves unlucky, enduring their pain as they slowly made their way back. The scene that Jiao Yunfeng and his associates had planned—tens of thousands gathering in the plaza before the Suzhou prefectural office—never materialized.

Suzhou's unique geography led Li Ruolian to decide on a strategy of striking each group separately. Crisscrossing waterways and narrow streets were Suzhou's hallmark—such terrain was unsuited for large formations of officers to charge forward, because when dense crowds packed the narrow lanes, no number of officers could push too deep, unless they resorted to indiscriminate killing with firearms, great blades, and crossbows. But Li Ruolian knew well Zhu Youjian's bottom line: weapons must never be used against ordinary citizens. Otherwise, even the greatest merit would incur the Emperor's wrath, and one would be permanently marginalized from then on.

With a loud "Bang!" a thug who had just forced his way out of a resident's door along the street collapsed on the spot. The other thugs who had emerged saw the trouble and dropped their stolen goods, fleeing at once.

"Chase them down and cut them apart!"

At the leading officer's command, the blade-wielding and firearm-carrying officers gave chase. But before the two sides could close the distance, these thugs taking advantage of the chaos relied on their familiarity with the terrain, and after a few twists and turns they vanished from sight. Seeing the thieves disappear, the pursuing officers could only return in frustration.

"The monk may run, but the temple stays! The city gates are all shut now—this gang can only hide within the city! Once I report back to the Provost, we'll conduct a full-city search and sweep up these rats and foxes in one net!"

Inside the second hall of the Suzhou prefectural office.

Just as Jiao Yunfeng and the others were anticipating tens of thousands of citizens gathering in the city, ready for them to step forward, heed the people's will, denounce the court's treacherous villains, and call on everyone to press their bloody fingerprints on the petition that had already been drafted—a constable captain hurried into the hall.

The captain clasped his fists in salute and reported: "I report to you, my lords—Embroidered Uniform Guard officers have suddenly appeared throughout the city and driven the citizens who had taken to the streets back into their homes! No crowds now remain on the streets near the yamen. How this matter should be handled, I beg your lordships' instruction!"

"What? The Embroidered Uniform Guard?! There's only one centurion station in the city—how could fewer than a hundred men disperse tens of thousands of citizens? Li San, did you see this with your own eyes? How many guards are there?"

Everyone in the hall was greatly startled by the news. Jiao Yunfeng, disregarding rank and propriety, stood up first and shouted at the messenger.

"In reply to Master Jiao, this humble one only learned of this from my subordinates' report—I did not see it myself! According to my men's report, at the Mao hour this morning, just as the city gates opened, countless Embroidered Uniform Guard officers suddenly entered through all four gates, ordered the constables of the guard and patrol shifts to close the gates, and then scattered throughout the city! All yamen personnel manning the gates were placed under watch, and it was only half an hour ago that most of the guards were redeployed into the city, allowing my trusted man to slip away and send word back! How many there are, this humble one does not know!"

The captain named Li San reported with clasped hands.

"Entering the city just past the Mao hour! That means two hours ago! You damned worthless wretch! I raised you to the rank of captain for nothing! Why don't you just die! Get out of here at once and investigate thoroughly!"

Jiao Yunfeng had completely lost his usual composure, pointing at Li San's nose and cursing him savagely.

The sudden appearance of a large force of Embroidered Uniform Guard meant that all their schemes had very likely failed completely. The Embroidered Uniform Guard, loyal only to the Son of Heaven, treated everyone outside the imperial house with cold-blooded ruthlessness—the disturbance in the city would without question be met with forceful suppression. This market-closing action would not only bring them no benefit; if their plot were exposed, it could even bring utter ruin to some among them.

Thinking of the legendary methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and further thinking of what might have befallen Huang Zhi, Wang Zuohai, and the others, Jiao Yunfeng could not help but shiver. His mind suddenly became a chaotic mess, and the smug expression he had worn moments before had turned utterly dejected.

Li San, cursed within an inch of his life, turned with a face mottled purple and strode quickly away. Everyone in the hall exchanged helpless glances, all stunned by this sudden news.

"Zhi Feng, don't lose your composure! The only course now is a warrior cutting off his own arm—sever ties with certain people and seek escape first! Assistant Jing, order everyone in the justice section to spread out across the city at once and arrest all those still gathered, throwing them in prison! The charge will be assembling crowds to disturb public order and coercing the gentry into closing their shops against the court! Remember—arrest as many as you can! The rest of you, return to your posts and attend to your duties—I estimate the Embroidered Uniform Guard will arrive at the yamen very soon! Go! Go!"

Ren Yuanshan, an official of many years with rich experience and quick reflexes, saw that the market-closing assembly was about to be ended and immediately made his corresponding countermeasures.

Since most of those in the hall had been fully aware of the market-closing affair from start to finish, Ren Yuanshan saw no need for circumspection. Now they were all grasshoppers tied to the same rope—none could extricate himself from this matter alone.

"Too late! Too late! Once the depots and guards make their move, it's a thunderbolt strike! Escaping is a thousand times difficult! What is to be done! What is to be done!"

The section heads of the six offices left the second hall with uneasy hearts. Jiao Yunfeng, who had now fully understood the situation, collapsed into his armchair, muttering to himself.

"A petty man is not worth consulting with! At the critical moment he's at a complete loss! With such self-cultivation and composure, how could he accomplish any great matter! If not for Xu Wenyuan's sake, why would I have plotted such a great affair with a piece of trash like you!"

Ren Yuanshan was utterly contemptuous of Jiao Yunfeng's behavior. He stood up and said: "Assistant Wu, do discuss matters with Zhi Feng. I shall go to the rear courtyard to change."

With that, he clasped his hands behind his back, walked around the screen, and headed toward the rear courtyard.

Wu Zhiqun, lost in thought, was also secretly considering countermeasures. Jiao Yunfeng's official cap sat askew as he leaned back in his armchair, all color drained from his face. Neither of the two noticed Ren Yuanshan's departure.

Once out of the second hall, Ren Yuanshan dropped his air of calm composure. He paused to get his bearings, then hurried swiftly toward the rear courtyard where Fang Wen resided.

The rear courtyard of the Suzhou prefectural office was not very spacious. In a moment, Ren Yuanshan arrived at Fang Wen's private quarters, crossing through the moon gate into the courtyard.

This was his first time in the rear residence. He looked around the courtyard and saw several slender bamboo stalks standing by the corner wall, beside which was a small pond of clear, shallow green water where a few koi fish drifted in and out of view. Beneath the latticed window on the south side, several elegant potted bonsai sat on stands, and a servant boy was clumsily trimming excess branches from one of them.

"Greetings, young man. Might I ask where the prefect is? This official has urgent matters to report to the prefect—please point the way!"

Ren Yuanshan wore a warm smile, hands clasped behind his back, addressing the servant boy's back.

The servant boy, absorbed in trimming the bonsai, evidently had not heard anyone enter the courtyard. The sudden voice startled him, and with a crack of his pruning shears, he snipped off a thick branch from the ancient-looking banyan bonsai.

"Ruined! Ruined! Now the master will scold me! Bad luck! Bad luck! What am I to do!"

The servant boy muttered as he turned around. He was about to lose his temper, but catching sight of Ren Yuanshan in his official robes, he immediately changed his tone: "Honored official sir, my master is reading in the study. Pass through this hall and you'll reach the rear courtyard!"

The servant boy, pruning shears in hand, clasped his hands and bowed to Ren Yuanshan.

Ren Yuanshan smiled and nodded to him, then strode toward the hall at the side.