Chapter 624: Nanjing

But there were a few places in the city you couldn't just wander into. The imperial palace grounds had been in ruins for ages — gloomy and eerie, not to mention the eunuch guards and soldiers there were sticklers for rules. Another was the Baochao Hutong area. Three streets beyond it lay the Eighteen Pavilions of Nanjing, the most bustling part of the greatest city under heaven, yet Baochao Hutong and its two neighboring streets had always been eerily quiet and clean.

The reason was simple: this was where the Nanjing Embroidered Uniform Guard's office was located. Everyone coming and going was a "Sir Runner." Truth be told, these men didn't spend all day throwing their weight around, and they didn't necessarily refuse to pay silver when buying things. But if they were in a foul mood one day, spotted a stall by the roadside, and walked up and kicked it over, or absent-mindedly grabbed a few things — how could you argue your case? How would Yingtian Prefecture dare to intervene? Forget having nowhere to file a lawsuit — you wouldn't even have a place to weep.

The Runners were used to this themselves. If they really wanted to buy things, drink, or have fun, they'd change into different clothes first. Otherwise, they couldn't enjoy themselves properly. Sometimes, if you walked past in a flying-fish robe, before you could even ask the price, the peddler would have already grabbed his goods and fled. Or else he'd be on his knees kowtowing, with the whole street watching, too angry to speak out — that feeling wasn't pleasant either.

Of course, after a bout of fighting over a woman or a mass brawl, they'd always pull out their waist badges. But to be honest, in a place like Nanjing, even that didn't always work. A Vice Commander of some thousand-man office in the Embroidered Uniform Guard got drunk and fought a young man over a woman by the Qinhuai River. He rounded up several dozen Runners and charged over with blades, only to be surrounded in the middle of the street by the other party with a hundred riders and given a thorough beating.

The very next day, that Commander still had to bring his Vice Commander to the man's door, kowtow, and offer apologies. There was no helping it — as arrogant as the Embroidered Uniform Guard was, picking a fight with the Duke of Wei's seventh young master was far out of their league.

That's all idle gossip. In the tenth month, a wine shop opened on a street just outside Baochao Hutong. It sold some seasonal side dishes and could also make flatbread and noodles, but its main business was selling wine. By the bowl or by the catty for retail, by the jar for wholesale. They had fine yellow wine brought over from Shaoxing, and Hanjing liquor brought from Xuzhou.

Opening a shop right at the Embroidered Uniform Guard's doorstep, you couldn't avoid giving them a heads-up. A judge from Yingtian Prefecture came by once, and everyone knew then that this shop had backing — it wasn't run by some blind, reckless fool. Digging a little further, they found that the shop's proprietor was no commoner. The older brother was a Presented Scholar from a certain year, serving as an official in Jiangxi. The younger brother was a Provincial Graduate from a few years back, running a sand-ship business at home — a vast family fortune. This was to be expected; otherwise, they wouldn't have had the face to get the judge in charge of Nanjing's criminal cases to step in.

So young and already a Provincial Graduate, with an older brother who was a Presented Scholar and an official, plus business on the open sea — once these facts were laid out, the Runners knew this family was best left alone. Others opening a shop nearby might have thought the land was cheap? It was indeed over half cheaper than outside. In a place no one rented or bought, it couldn't afford not to be cheap.

That's what they thought at first, but after some days, they figured this wine shop's location was just good business sense. Never mind the yellow wine — that strong, fiery Xuzhou liquor was something else. There wasn't much of it in Nanjing to begin with, but here, they never ran out. A few sips invigorated the body and washed away fatigue. And though they were all long accustomed to wealth and comfort, they were still martial men who played with blades and spears — drinking this strong, fiery liquor just hit the spot.

After coming off duty, they'd come to this wine shop for a few bowls, chat idly in a pleasant haze — pure contentment. It got so that men from several other thousand-man offices would drop by for a round whenever they had a moment.

"How'd you get your hands on this wine?" A Squad Leader, slumped in his seat, asked in a dazed drawl. This Squad Leader looked to be in his fifties, down on his luck.

A short young waiter was about to explain with an apologetic smile when the Squad Leader answered his own question: "Our Chief Censor's got his eye on Xuzhou right now, and here you are selling Xuzhou liquor. You must be spies. Gotta take you in for questioning."

A burst of laughter filled the room. The Runners at the other tables watched the fun as they drank. The Squad Leader raised his bowl, clinked it against the man across from him, took a sip, and went on: "One check and it's clear. Your boss went to Xuzhou to sell cloth, made a profit, then shipped wine back here, made another profit. And in this city of Nanjing, the ones who can afford this wine, and who actually want to drink it — that's just us here, isn't it?"

"Old Zhang, you get drunk and that's all you talk about — how many times have you said this now?" Someone heckled from the side, and everyone laughed again.

"Would you dare sell to the Duke of Xu's household or the camps of those powerful eunuch commanders? Would those dirt-poor garrison troops have the money to buy it? Would those spineless cowards in Yingtian Prefecture and the Warden's Office be able to stomach it? It's still us, the men of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who like it. That boss of yours — not old, but his eyes are sharp. He's bound to rise high someday." Squad Leader Zhang slurred, thoroughly drunk.

The waiter hurriedly brought over another pot. Squad Leader Zhang accepted it, beaming. Quite a few Embroidered Uniform Guards nearby curled their lips in disdain, leaning in to whisper among themselves: "Just to mooch this free pot of wine, he spouts the same flattery every single day."

"Did you hear? Lame Ma hasn't been in Nanjing these past few days."

"Keep your voice down. Call him that here, and if word gets out, you're dead for sure."

"... They say he went north of the river to meet someone... Don't look at me — the attendants heard it. He was talking to Ma Six..."

The waiters, all smiles, threaded between the tables carrying wine and dishes, ready to satisfy any request from any seat instantly. This attentiveness was another reason the Embroidered Uniform Guard Runners liked it here.

No one really noticed that the smiling waiters were listening very carefully the whole time. From time to time, someone would hurry back to the counter or the kitchen, then return.

"... Some say that Ma Chonghao may have gone north of the river. Not sure if he's headed for Xuzhou. Before the city gates close today, this urgent letter must be sent out..." In the waiters' quarters, a large man and a short young man sat on opposite sides of a small table, with several young men standing by, awaiting orders.

The short man at the table had terrible handwriting — barely legible. After finishing, he read it over carefully, placed the letter in an envelope, sealed it with wax, and handed it to one of the young men nearby.

Once everyone standing in the room had left, the large man shook his head and sighed in a muffled voice: "Thank goodness Master Jin has these loyal and daring men at his disposal. To actually come and spy on the Runners — a year ago, I wouldn't have dared even imagine it!"

"Brother Li, we younger ones only know how to follow rules and do our jobs. If something really happens, we'll still need you, old brother, to make the call."

"Master Lei, aren't those words just shaming me? When the fellows in Xuzhou and Pizhou hear your name, few keep a straight face. What am I, a surrendered man, worth?"

"No one's afraid of me — they just hold Big Brother in awe. Brother Li, I know you once had your own standing, and you might feel unwilling now, following along on assignments. But you have to look to the future. Back then, I, Little Lei, was worse than a pig or a dog — utter trash. After following Big Brother, I at least look like a proper man now. With all your skills, if you work hard for Big Brother, you won't end up worse off than the Feng family..."

"Master Lei, when Old Li here was your age, I wasn't nearly as steady as you. But you don't need to say the rest. Old Li knows his own situation, and I'm not thinking about the future anymore. No, no — don't let murder rise in your heart, Master Lei. Old Li here has no thoughts for himself, but I'm still thinking about my two sons making something of themselves. And I plan to let them make something of themselves under Master Jin's hand."

Lei Cai and Li Dajin had been talking, and the cold, grim expressions from moments ago now turned to wry, helpless smiles. Li Dajin wore a look of pure, roguish indifference, grinning as he watched Lei Cai. The two stared at each other for a moment, then Li Dajin dropped his expression, sighed, and said: "Master Lei, it'd be a lie to say I have no thoughts on the matter. But the rules of our Internal Guard — only you fellows count as the Old Camp, right? Old Li's whole path here is just running errands for the Outer Estate. The difference is heaven and earth. Say what you will, but if you didn't have the luck to follow Master Jin early and become a household retainer, this life is just what it is. I can only plan for my children now!"

Although the Internal Guard of Zhao's Camp had a solid batch of capable men from the underworld, plus the network Liu Yong and Lei Cai had built, they were very effective within the territory Zhao's Camp controlled and along its fringes. They would first use thunderous methods to subdue the local underworld and outlaws, then absorb those worth recruiting, and use benefits to win over those worth winning over. A network would quickly take shape. Any stirrings in the area could be transmitted back through this network, and tasks that didn't require a large force could also be easily handled by the Internal Guard.

It looked difficult, but it was actually simple. With a massive entity like Zhao's Camp backing them, and large sums of silver to spend, everything was naturally convenient.

However, these things could only be done within the territory Zhao's Camp controlled and nearby. A completely unfamiliar place like Nanjing was difficult. Trying to transplant the methods used north of the river to Jiangnan — especially to a huge city like Nanjing, crawling with officials, soldiers, and the bully servants of powerful households — the slightest carelessness would land you in the yamen for punishment. Even the local underworld might stab you in the back.

The difficulties were many, yet Liu Yong and Lei Cai were extremely anxious to establish a foothold and plant men in Nanjing. Although Zhao Jin said to prioritize caution, they were in charge of reconnaissance and internal security — they couldn't afford to be cautious. The Embroidered Uniform Guard Runners, overtly and covertly, had already arrived. How could they not be anxious?

They talked about opening trading firms and wine shops everywhere, but a shop from Xuzhou appearing out of nowhere in Nanjing — if it just did honest business, fine. But the moment anything slightly off drew attention, disaster would strike instantly.

However, after wiping out the Niu family, things took a turn. The Nius, young and old, were slaughtered, and Qingjiangpu erupted in cheers — everyone knew of it. The Yu Family Cloth Shop, which had a branch in Qingjiangpu, came knocking. This cloth shop had been opened by the Yu family specifically to get close to Zhao's Camp, and they were very sensitive to the movements of Xuzhou men in Qingjiangpu.

Clam Port, where the Niu family was based, wasn't large, but it was still a port that could anchor seagoing ships. After Zhao's Camp wiped out the Niu gang, they had no designs on the place, but the Yu family valued it highly. For a sand-ship fleet sailing north and south, having a port like this to dock and rest was like a landlord having a country estate.

Moreover, not far from Clam Port was the mouth of the Yellow River. The Yu family's sand-ship fleet could enter the Yellow River and then reach Qingjiangpu. Or they could unload at Clam Port, then travel by land and switch to the Yellow River waterway, or just transport everything overland. Whichever route they took, it was far more convenient than sailing against the current up the Yangtze and then heading north along the Grand Canal to Qingjiangpu.

Thanks to "Book Friend 29202512, Mu Ming, Yuan Heng Li Zhen" and several other old and new friends for the tips. Thank you all for your monthly tickets and subscriptions. During this double monthly ticket period, please support me generously. I'm away from home and busy.