Undercurrent surges in Jiangnan
After finalizing our strategy of exchanging the glass mirror for funds, we immediately took action. Yiqing personally wrote two letters. One was to Lu Renjia, the registered disciple living in seclusion in Jiangnan. The letter didn't specify the specific origin of the glass mirror, simply stating that it was a rare treasure crafted by the master. He instructed him to find a reliable maritime merchant channel to sell it overseas, and to use the proceeds to purchase property in Jiangnan for emergencies. He also included detailed contact information and a codeword for identification. The other was to an old merchant in Quanzhou who had a long-standing friendship with Master Luo, as a letter of introduction.
At the same time, we carefully selected three small handheld mirrors with the most exquisite workmanship, clear and flawless mirror surface, and rosewood inlaid frames from the glass mirrors that have been made. We wrapped them in soft silk, put them in an inconspicuous camphor wood box, and sealed it together with the letter.
Regarding candidates, Qingsong was still young and needed to stay at the temple to manage affairs and serve as a liaison point, making him unsuitable for long-distance travel. Ultimately, Yiqing decided to dispatch the elder of the two mute servants, a man named "Shi Jian," to Jiangnan. Although mute, Shi Jian was sharp-eyed, agile, and loyal to Yiqing. More importantly, his ordinary appearance made him unremarkable, making him perfectly suited for this kind of covert mission.
Yiqing handed the sealed wooden box to Shi Jian and detailed instructions on what to watch out for along the way, including the location and signal for meeting Lu Renjia. He also provided him with sufficient funds and a carefully drawn map. To ensure his safety, Yiqing also placed a weak protective spiritual seal and tracking mark on him, just in case.
The night before my departure, I watched Shi Jian's silent yet resolute back, and a wave of worry washed over me. This journey to Jiangnan was a long one, with checkpoints aplenty and bandits rife along the way. And I was responsible for the transaction of such a vast fortune...
"Don't worry," Yiqing seemed to see my uneasiness and said soothingly, "Shi Jian is a very alert person. I have already made it clear in the letter that Lu Renjia will be responsible for the subsequent contact with the sea merchants. He only needs to deliver the token safely. Besides, this matter concerns the master's instructions, so they dare not neglect their efforts."
I nodded, suppressing my worry. All we can do now is wait and trust.
Shi Jian, carrying our hopes, quietly descended Erxian Mountain and joined the vast sea of people heading south.
His departure was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no news for months. The days of waiting were particularly agonizing. On the one hand, I worried about Shi Jian's safety and the success of the mission. On the other hand, from the fragmentary news Yiqing occasionally brought back, I could sense the increasingly tense atmosphere outside.
Friction between the imperial court and Liangshan seemed to escalate, with several large-scale clashes erupting on the border, with both sides winning and losing. Meanwhile, rumors of a "recruitment" campaign quietly spread throughout the martial arts world. Some said Song Jiang had sent secret envoys to Tokyo to contact officials such as the Grand Marshal Su. Others reported that the imperial court was engaged in a heated debate over whether to recruit Liangshan, with those advocating suppression and those advocating appeasement deadlocked.
The news that Juyi Hall was renamed "Zhongyi Hall" was also confirmed, which was undoubtedly a strong signal. Yiqing's evaluation of this was just four words: "The more you try to cover up, the more obvious it becomes."
During this time, we weren't idle. While awaiting news from Jiangnan, we continued to refine the craftsmanship of our glass mirrors in the alchemy room, improving both the yield and quality, and accumulating more "capital." Meanwhile, Yiqing began using his divination skills, combining the fragments of the "plot" I knew with his knowledge, to attempt to deduce the approximate times and locations of several key battles that might occur in the future.
"If the amnesty is successful, the first battle will probably be in the north." Yiqing pointed to the Liao border on the map. "The court will definitely borrow the power of Liangshan, fight poison with poison, and conquer Liao."
"The Liao campaign..." I recalled, "It seems Liangshan suffered little loss in this battle?"
"That's the surface," Yiqing said, his eyes deep. "However, after this battle, Liangshan's strength has been completely exposed to the imperial court. The danger of hiding the bow after the birds are gone has already been laid. Moreover, this battle is also the beginning of the internal division and disintegration of Liangshan. Song Jiang is using the name of the imperial court to mobilize troops and generals. The boundaries between Chao Gai's old subordinates and Jiangzhou's direct line will become increasingly clear."
His analysis was spot-on. The Liao campaign was more of a show of strength than a means of consolidating power and purging the inner circle.
"And then?"
"Then came the suppression of domestic rebellions, those of Tian Hu and Wang Qing." Yiqing's fingertips traced across Hebei and Huaixi. "Though these two bandits were a motley crowd, the frequent battles sapped Liangshan's strength and spirit. By the time we reached the battle against Fang La..." His finger finally landed heavily on Jiangnan, "it was already a spent force, a spent force, a spent lamp."
Jiangnan! Fang La! This is the true Shura Field, the burial place of the heroes of Liangshan!
"We must gain a firm foothold in Jiangnan before that and set up enough 'escape routes'!" I said anxiously.
Yiqing nodded. "Once we get word from Lu Renjia and the funds are in place, we can choose the most suitable location to establish a base and arrange a retreat based on the specific conditions in Jiangnan that Shi Jian brought back. Taihu Lake is vast, connected to the Grand Canal, and is home to many powerful people. The government's control is relatively weak, making it a good place to hide and relocate."
Just when we were racking our brains over the layout of Jiangnan, a turning point finally came.
One day, Qingsong ran into the alchemy room excitedly, holding a wrinkled but perfectly sealed letter in his hand: "Master! Sister Bu! Shi Jian is back! He brought a letter with him!"
We were overjoyed to hear this and immediately took the letter. When we opened it, we saw it was Lu Renjia's handwritten reply!
In the letter, Lu Renjia first confirmed the safe receipt of Yiqing's token (he used a code word to refer to the glass mirror), and expressed his astonishment and admiration at his master's ability to create such a rare and "miraculous" artifact. He then detailed his subsequent actions: with Yiqing's letter of introduction, he successfully contacted the old sea merchant in Quanzhou. Upon seeing the glass mirror, the merchant was also astounded and immediately expressed his full cooperation. He used his connections to ship the three small mirrors, along with other goods, to various Southeast Asian countries.
The results were unexpectedly positive! The glass mirror caused a huge sensation overseas, hailed as a "magic mirror from the East" by foreign nobles. They competed fiercely for it, ultimately fetching a whopping five thousand taels of gold, along with a treasure trove of priceless South Sea pearls and spices. Lu Renjia excitedly expressed in a letter that this was the biggest profit he had ever seen in his entire business career!
Funding problems are easily solved!
Lu Renjia also included a preliminary list of Jiangnan properties he had investigated, along with several rough sketches. Using some of the funds, he had purchased a seemingly dilapidated but sturdy old teahouse with a small dock on Xishan Island in Taihu Lake. He also acquired a sparsely populated silk shop outside Suzhou, boasting a deep, spacious backyard and a waterfront gate. He also bought a seemingly ordinary warehouse on the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, featuring a basement with direct access to the reed marshes. All three locations were strategically located yet relatively secluded, making them ideal basements for secret basements.
At the end of the letter, Lu Renjia stated that he had kept the remaining funds in safekeeping and was ready to receive further instructions from his master at any time. He would also continue to use his business network to secretly monitor the movements of the imperial court and Liangshan.
"Great!" I put the letter down, unable to conceal my excitement. Lu Renjia's efficiency and ability far exceeded my expectations. Not only had he successfully cashed out, he had even chosen a base!
Yiqing read the letter carefully, and a look of relief that hadn't been seen in a long time appeared on his face. "Junior Brother Lu is indeed doing things reliably. With this, we have established a preliminary foundation in Jiangnan."
He then spread out the map of Jiangnan and marked the locations of the three properties one by one based on the information provided by Lu Renjia.
"The Xishan Island teahouse can be used as a transit point for hiding personnel and storing supplies. The Suzhou silk shop, located in a prosperous area with good information, can serve as an informant. The Qiantang River warehouse, located by the river, is convenient for emergency evacuation." He analyzed the function of each stronghold. "The layout is beginning to take shape."
"What do we do next?" I asked.
"First, we need to enhance the concealment and security of these strongholds," Yiqing pondered. "I can draw some simple 'Tracing Talismans' and 'Water-Repelling Talismans' and have Shi Jian bring them to Junior Brother Lu next time he travels south. We'll then place them around the strongholds. Secondly, we need to identify and dispatch some absolutely reliable core personnel to Jiangnan to oversee daily management and intelligence gathering. Qingsong needs to stay at the temple, and the Shi Jian brothers need to rotate out for rest. It seems we need to find new, trustworthy individuals."
This is indeed a difficult problem. It is difficult to find someone who is both capable and loyal, and who is willing to remain anonymous.
"Perhaps... we can look for them among those who have a history with Liangshan but are skeptical about being recruited or have already considered leaving?" I put forward a bold idea.
Yiqing's eyes flashed when he heard this: "Oh? You have a candidate?"
"We don't have a specific candidate yet," I shook my head. "But this is an idea. For example, are there already people like Li Jun on Liangshan who are secretly considering leaving? We might be able to use Li Jun as a clue, or through other covert channels, to keep an eye on such people. If we can recruit them before or after they leave Liangshan, they'll be familiar with Liangshan's internal affairs and have experience in the martial arts world. They're exactly the talent we desperately need."
Yiqing pondered for a long time, then nodded slowly. "Although this plan is risky, it's not impossible. Once our Jiangnan base is further consolidated and our intelligence network is initially established, we might try to make contact. But for now, we should prioritize safety."
He paused, looked at me, and said firmly, "Luanyin, the first move in the Jiangnan situation has been made. From now on, we must be more cautious, accumulate strength, and bide our time. At the same time, we must begin preparing for the next phase—pay attention to the war in the north, and deduce the details of the Liao campaign to see if we can find a way for Lin Chong and the others to mitigate the risks."
I nodded solemnly. Undercurrents surged across the Jiangnan region, and our little boat, quietly setting sail, had finally found its first harbor amidst these turbulent undercurrents. The game of chess, a game of defying fate and changing destiny, became clearer and more real with this crucial move.
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