Chapter 65: Coming to the Door

After three rounds of dishes, the atmosphere at the Fan family banquet reached its climax. The guests were all merchants, most skilled at borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha, and many had already begun moving between tables, seizing the opportunity to make more friends for future business dealings. More friends meant more paths, and in this age of blocked information, a single piece of news could make a man rich overnight.

When Zuo Jinzhong led several Embroidered Uniform Guard officers to the Fan mansion's gate, the servants on duty were eating with great relish in the gatehouse. Zuo Jinzhong stepped through the main entrance first, and a man ran out from the gatehouse, his fingers stained with grease. Seeing the group of officers with sabers at their waists behind Zuo Jinzhong, he froze for a moment, then put on a fawning smile and stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute: "This officer looks unfamiliar—may I ask which yamen you serve? Our eldest young master is on good terms with Bureau Secretary Liu of the Governor's Criminal Section. Today Master Liu even sent over birthday gifts!"

Zuo Jinzhong smiled and continued forward. Two officers hurried ahead; one circled behind the man and struck with a blade-like palm at the base of his skull behind the ear. The servant's body went limp and collapsed to the ground. The other pulled rope from his bosom, quickly bound him, and dragged him into the gatehouse.

Zuo Jinzhong rounded the spirit wall, and a scene of raucous festivity met his eyes. Because so many guests had come today, the Fan servants responsible for serving dishes and wine were run off their feet. The guests at the tables were mostly already flushed with drink, so none of them noticed Zuo Jinzhong and his men entering.

Zuo Jinzhong smiled as he looked at the scene before him, sighing inwardly: No matter how wealthy you are, with guests like clouds of smoke, from today onward won't it all scatter before wind and rain?

He pulled a short musket from his bosom, unhurriedly fished out a small cloth pouch, and took out an oil-paper packet shaped like a cigarette—similar in length but thicker in diameter. He bit open one end with his teeth, poured a little of the gunpowder inside into the flash pan, then stuffed the entire oil-paper packet into the barrel. He drew a ramrod from his bosom, shoved the packet firmly down to the bottom of the barrel, put the ramrod away, then raised the musket, muzzle pointing skyward, and forcefully pulled the trigger. The spring connecting trigger and hammer struck down against the flint, a single spark leaped out and ignited the powder—"Bang!"—a great roar, and a thick cloud of smoke enveloped his upper body.

Zuo Jinzhong stepped back a pace and waved his other hand rapidly to fan away the smoke, muttering inwardly: Damn, this is way too much trouble. If it weren't for putting on a show of authority, I wouldn't have bothered bringing this thing at all. Chongzhen had issued the flintlock hand-muskets developed by Bi Maokang to Embroidered Uniform Guard officers of Chiliarch rank and above, telling them these were self-defense weapons of the finest quality, and they should practice diligently to be prepared for any need. After practicing several times, Zuo Jinzhong found it too cumbersome and had wanted to discard it, but after all, it was bestowed by the emperor, and the emperor had said there were only a few of these in the world. So when he left the capital this time, he carried it on his person, and today he finally had a chance to show off.

The Fan mansion's front courtyard, which had been utterly boisterous, was shocked into sudden silence by that great roar. The guests' movements of raising cups and picking up food seemed frozen in place, and countless pairs of eyes shot toward Zuo Jinzhong.

Zuo Jinzhong gave a dry cough and laughed: "Apologies for disturbing your festivities, gentlemen. Please continue, continue—be sure to enjoy yourselves to the fullest! Haha!"

A steward of the Fan household heard the noise and came running from another courtyard. Seeing Zuo Jinzhong and the many saber-bearing officers, he sensed something was wrong. He called over a servant and whispered a few instructions, and that servant sprinted off toward the inner residence.

This steward walked up to Zuo Jinzhong, cupped his hands in salute, and said: "May I ask which yamen this sir serves? What business brings you here? Today is my master's sixtieth birthday. You and these officers are welcome to take seats at the banquet and eat and drink your fill. Our eldest young master has close dealings with every yamen—when matters arise, everyone is happy to oblige. Sir, you would do best not to break the rules, or when your superiors come asking questions, you may not be able to bear the consequences!"

These words were delivered with propriety and measure, showing that the Fan household was indeed no ordinary family—even a steward's bearing and speech surpassed that of a local landlord in a small place. Unfortunately, his experience was still too limited. Though the steward found this group's clothing strange, he didn't think much of it. In his eyes, as long as one was in the Xuanfu region, with the connections the eldest young master had greased, any yamen would show some face.

Zuo Jinzhong chuckled and said: "It's precisely my superiors who sent me here. Where is Fan Yongdou? I'll find the man himself first!"

With that he waved his hand, and the large group of Embroidered Uniform Guard officers split into several teams, charging toward the various rooms and courtyards. The steward flew into a rage and shouted: "The Fan mansion is no place for you to barge into! Call the house guards! Beat these impostor officers out!" Some guests, emboldened by drink, rolled up their sleeves and made to step forward—if they could show their faces now and win the Fan family's goodwill, it would be greatly beneficial for future business.

Someone ran off in response to summon the house guards. Zuo Jinzhong's smile vanished. He raised his right hand—a bowstring twanged, "Whum!"—and an arrow shot down from a tree, piercing clean through the steward's neck. The impact carried his body several steps before he fell dead without a single sound.

The crowd was instantly stunned into place. A maidservant shrieked in terror, and only then did the others snap back to their senses. The guests who had been eager to step forward now shrank back in fear, lowering their sleeves and retreating. The rest, panicking, began scattering in every direction. Tables overturned, chairs toppled, wine and food spilled all over the ground—the scene dissolved into utter chaos.

One loud-voiced Embroidered Uniform Guard officer raised a trumpet rolled from iron sheeting and bellowed: "Everyone face the wall and stand still! Everyone face the wall and stand still! Important things must be said three times! Everyone face the wall and stand still! Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy!"

Though the crowd heard him, most assumed they were bandits and kept scattering in all directions. But officers with drawn sabers stood guard at every courtyard gate, so the people could only scurry and hide within this one courtyard. Several more arrows flew, and a few people took shafts in the thighs and collapsed screaming. Only then did the crowd stop running. Under the shouts of the saber-bearing officers, they gathered along the north wall. Some had already collapsed to the ground in terror; others had yellow liquid seeping through their trouser legs—they had pissed themselves in fear.

When Fan Yongdou heard from the steward that the mansion had been surrounded by government troops, rage surged in his heart. For so many years, whether useful or not, he had stuffed silver down the gullets of every power-holding officer great and small, every Bureau Secretary, clerk, and squad leader in the Governor's yamen—even the soldiers who inspected and released goods at the pass. His business had run unimpeded throughout Xuanfu town. Today, on his old father's birthday, with guests gathered like clouds, government troops had actually surrounded the Fan mansion—where would he put his face from now on? Could someone be trying to frame him, seizing the chance to extort a hefty sum? But he had greased every palm that needed greasing, and he hadn't offended anyone either. Could it be the Governor-General's office, with its new appointee from last year?

The others in the study filed out one after another. Wang Dengku spoke up: "Little Fan, don't be anxious. Let's first see whose men these are. As long as we're in Xuanfu town, there's nothing the lot of us can't settle! Yang Guozhu and I are on good terms—once we get to the front, I'll immediately send the steward to find him. Whose face wouldn't a Regional Commander's carry in Xuanfu!"

Wang Dayu also said: "Secretary Sun of the Governor's yamen and I have had considerable dealings. I'll send someone to find him. If these are government people, Secretary Sun can command some face!"

The rest all spoke up in turn, pledging to use their own connections to help Fan Yongdou. These eight men competed in business daily, but when trouble arose, they stood together as one, supporting each other. With the Ming court rotten to the core, silver paved the way and nothing could stop it. Over time, some of the eight had grown increasingly arrogant, looking down on everyone. Though today's events were sudden, none of them took it seriously—almost all assumed someone was simply trying to shake them down. Once this was settled today, no matter the cost, they would find the hand behind the curtain and make him disappear completely. Otherwise, others would inevitably follow suit in the future, and that would be an endless nuisance indeed.

Fan Yongdou clasped his hands and made a sweeping bow to all: "Fan thanks you, brothers both elder and younger, for your kindness! The Fan family is no piece of fat meat that anyone can come bite. What happened today shames me. Fan swears the one behind this will regret it bitterly! Come! Let's go see just whose nerve is this great!"