Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 745 Hidden Agents
Li Jiaqing escorted He Xiaokui to the gate and watched his joyful figure disappear into the alleyway.

The moment the latch was closed, the respectful expression on his face vanished, replaced by a sharp alertness.

He strode into the gatehouse, a small and simple space containing only a table, a chair, and a bed. Li Jiaqing closed the door behind him, quickly walked to the table, and skillfully retrieved a plain sheet of paper from the depths of a drawer. He spread the paper out, picked up a ceramic teacup, poured a few drops of cooled tea into the inkstone, then picked up a fine brush still containing ink and slowly began to dab and ripple it in the center of the inkstone.

The leftover tea had turned black, and Li Jiaqing's vigilance reached its peak. He listened intently to make sure no one was approaching in the courtyard before he began to write furiously at his desk.

The pen moved like a dragon and a snake, writing several lines of small characters on the paper:
Reporting to the authorities. Gao Shiming, head of the Zhengyangmen branch of the Sun Moon Bank, dispatched his clerk He Xiaokui to the trading post. He delivered a letter inviting the manager, Wudisi, to the bank for a meeting tomorrow morning. He Xiaokui stated that the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Wang Yingjiao, visited the bank this afternoon and had a very pleasant conversation with Gao Shiming; this might be the motive for the invitation.

June 5th.

After finishing writing, Li Jiaqing put down his pen, quickly examined the paper, and gently blew on it a few times. Once the ink was completely dry, he carefully rolled the paper into a small cylinder, stuffed it into an inconspicuous hidden pocket inside the cuff of his outer robe, and buttoned it up.

After finishing all this, Li Jiaqing let out a long sigh of relief, his tense shoulders and back relaxing. The sharp and wary look on his face slowly faded away.

Li Jiaqing casually picked up the sixth volume of "Newly Engraved Illustrated Official Edition of Journey to the West in Large Characters" from the table, sat down on a small stool by the door, and slowly began to read it in the twilight outside the window, as if nothing had happened.

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As the sun set, the melodious and far-reaching tolling of bells echoed from the north of the imperial city, announcing that it was late. Wang Zheng, accompanied by three merchants, walked out of the hanging flower gate.

"Your Excellency Philip, may I ask where you are staying?" Władysław Amato asked with a forced smile, but he had no interest in forcing himself to speak Chinese. "I will send someone to pick you up first thing tomorrow morning."

Wang Zheng smiled slightly: "Does Lord Wu know about the 'Paozi River' in the East City?"

“Paozhihuo?” Vadizław Amato repeated the place name blankly, a hint of embarrassment on his face.

“Master Wudong need not trouble himself. I will come at dawn tomorrow,” Wang Zheng said, waving his hand. “There’s no need for your esteemed guesthouse to send you a carriage.” With that, Wang Zheng reached out his hand to the Han servant who was leading the donkey.

“Your Excellency Philip,” Ryan Hobbs stepped in front of Wang Zheng, blocking his view, “the trading post still has many vacant rooms. Why don’t you stay here for the night? We can go to the bank together early tomorrow morning; that would be convenient.”

"Thank you for your kind offer, Master Huo," Wang Zheng politely declined, "but I am staying at a friend's house. If I do not return home at night, my friend will surely worry and may even send someone to look for me, which would be inappropriate."

“No problem,” Ryan Hobbs said. “We can send someone to inform your friend.”

“Yes! Please stay here.” Rogers Heydrich nodded in agreement, gesturing to the servant leading the donkey to take it back to the stable.

Władysław Amato also realized what was happening and stepped forward to grab Wang Zheng's sleeve, as if afraid he would run away: "Yes, Your Excellency Philip. Stay here! You've been teaching us for quite some time now, and we haven't really treated you properly yet."

The three men's eager gazes and unanimous insistence made Wang Zheng's heart waver. "Then..." he said with a wry smile, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect, "I'll trouble you all for one night."

"Great, wonderful!" Władysław Amato was overjoyed and immediately shouted to Li Jiaqing, who was standing by the door ready to open it, "Jiaqing, Jiaqing! Come here."

“Lord Amato,” Li Jiaqing trotted over and asked respectfully, “What are your orders?”

“Your Excellency Philip,” Władysław Amato said, looking at Wang Zheng, “please tell Jiaqing your friend’s address. He is a native of the capital and is sure that ‘Paozhihuo’ is there.”

Wang Zheng nodded, then turned to Li Jiaqing and said gently, "Manager Li, the three owners have invited me to stay overnight at the trading house. I would like to trouble you to go to the vicinity of the Mingshifang Armor Factory and find the Wen residence along the Paozi River. Tell the Wen family about this. The Wen residence is right on the riverbank; you can find it by walking along the river. It's not hard to find. If you really can't find it, you can ask passersby for 'the residence of the top scholar Wen.' The neighbors all know about it."

Li Jiaqing put on his usual, slightly wooden smile and nodded: "Alright, I've got it. Wen Zhai from Paozihe, the top scholar in the imperial examination." Before he finished speaking, Li Jiaqing looked up abruptly as if he had been burned by something: "The top scholar?! Mr. Wang, are you talking about that Mr. Wen who topped the list this year?!"

Li Jiaqing's excitement immediately stung Wang Zheng. A barely perceptible hint of sadness flashed across his eyes—both were old scholars who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations, yet Wen Zhenmeng had now achieved the highest honors, passed the imperial examination with flying colors, met the emperor, and become famous throughout the land, while he himself remained... Wang Zheng quickly composed himself, suppressing his soaring jealousy, and nodded as calmly as possible: "That's right, I'm talking about the new top scholar, Wen Zhenmeng. I've been staying at his house for some time now."

"So Mr. Wang is a distinguished guest of the top scholar! My apologies, my apologies!" Li Jiaqing continued to feign surprise, completely oblivious to the distress in Wang Zheng's eyes.

Li Jiaqing's exaggerated reaction caught the attention of Władysław Amato. He looked curiously at Li Jiaqing, then at Wang Zheng, and asked in broken Chinese, "Mr. Wang, what are you saying? What's wrong with him? And who is Weng Zhuangyuan?"

Before Wang Zheng could answer, Li Jiaqing immediately said to Amato in an excited and admiring tone, "Lord Amato, that's the top scholar, the best scholar in the country! He's the one selected by His Majesty himself this spring! An extraordinary figure!"

Władysław Amato knew that the imperial examination was a major event, and he had personally experienced the city-wide jubilation on the day of the imperial procession, but he did not know who the top scholar was, nor did he know that Wang Zheng had been living in Wen Zhenmeng's house. Moreover, Li Jiaqing spoke so fast that he understood almost nothing and remained completely confused, only able to cast his puzzled gaze at Wang Zheng.

Wang Zheng didn't want to say much at this moment. Even setting aside all emotions, explaining the imperial examination and his lodging at Wen Zhenmeng's place from beginning to end would be a very troublesome matter. He shook his head slightly at Amato and said quickly in Portuguese with a hint of fatigue, "Master Amato, this matter is a long story and not urgent. I will explain it to you in detail another day when I have time. For now, it's better to send the gatekeeper to deliver the message."

“That’s true.” Władysław Amato nodded and looked at Li Jiaqing: “Stop making a fuss and get on with your business.”

"Yes." Li Jiaqing awkwardly composed himself, turned and took a step, but immediately turned back to ask Wang Zheng, smiling as he said, "Mr. Wang, I am rather slow-witted. If Master Wen asks why the master stayed overnight, how should I respond?"

Wang Zheng pondered for a moment: "If Brother Wenqi asks, just tell him the truth. Tell him that I need to accompany Master Wu to the Zhengyangmen branch of the Sun and Moon Bank early tomorrow morning to discuss important matters with Eunuch Gao. To avoid being late, I will stay at the merchant's inn. Tell him not to worry."

"Understood!" Li Jiaqing bowed deeply to the three foreign merchants and Wang Zheng. "Rest assured, gentlemen, and Mr. Wang, I will take care of it right away!" "Thank you for your trouble," Wang Zheng smiled.

Li Jiaqing turned and strode to the door. Just as he pushed it open and hadn't even stepped over the threshold, Wadsław Amato called out from behind, "Jiaqing! Wait a moment."

Li Jiaqing immediately stopped and jogged back: "Master Amato, is there anything else you need?"

Władysław Amato untied a heavy leather money pouch from his waist and poured all the silver inside into his palm with a clatter. The loose silver glittered in the setting sun, amounting to about two or three ounces. He grabbed it and shoved it into Li Jiaqing's hand without a word: "Take this! On the way back, find the best restaurant and order the finest food and wine! Send it to the merchant guild. Tonight, we'll have dinner with Mr. Wang!"

Li Jiaqing hurriedly accepted the silver, which felt heavy in his hand. His face was beaming as he repeatedly replied, "Yes! Yes! Don't worry, sir! I'll find the best restaurant in the city and book a top-notch meal! I guarantee you gentlemen and Mr. Wang will be very satisfied!"

Wang Zheng could tell from Li Jiaqing's mercenary smile that he was definitely taking kickbacks, but ultimately it was someone else's family matter, and as an outsider, he shouldn't interfere.

"Hurry up. It's getting late." Władysław Amato waved his hand.

"Yes, I'll go right away!" Li Jiaqing bowed again, carefully tucking the silver into his pocket. Then, he walked briskly across the courtyard and opened the heavy vermilion gate.

Li Jiaqing leaped across the threshold, and the vermilion gate slowly closed behind him.

thump—

The dull thud of the door closing echoed as it struck Li Jiaqing's retreating figure, and the mercenary smile on his face vanished.

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Li Jiaqing carried the heavy two or three taels of "wine and food silver," but his steps were not light.

He walked out of the alley where the merchant house was located and joined the sparse crowd in Nanxunfang. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long shadow on the bluestone pavement. When he was about to reach the intersection of the alley and East Chang'an Street, he almost stopped completely, his sharp eyes scanning the sparse figures at the intersection ahead.

Just then, a weak yet extremely familiar shout drifted over on the wind:
"Coal for sale! Good coal from Xishan, reasonably priced and burns long! Coal for sale!"

Li Jiaqing looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man covered in soot, almost blending into his shouts, hunched over, struggling to pull a similarly black, dilapidated donkey cart piled high with chunks of coal. The cart creaked and groaned as it slowly moved toward the street corner.

Li Jiaqing's eyes flickered slightly, and without further hesitation, he took a step forward to meet her.

"Coal seller!" Li Jiaqing called out a few steps away from the donkey cart, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the other party to hear him. At the same time, his right hand, which was hanging down, was used as cover to quietly reach into the hidden pocket inside his left sleeve, his fingertips touching the small roll of paper.

The coal seller looked up at the sound, revealing a face so covered in coal dust that only his eyes shone. "Sir, want some coal? Freshly arrived coal from Xishan, dry and hard, burns with a strong flame and little smoke, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" He greeted the man with a smile and enthusiastic calls, but his feet showed no sign of stopping.

The donkey cart moved slowly forward and entered the alley where the trading post was located.

Li Jiaqing didn't stop. Instead, he naturally turned around and walked alongside the donkey cart. As he walked, he glanced at the coal on the cart and asked in a normal business tone, "How much is this coal?"

"Of course, of course!" the coal seller replied with a smile. "Top-quality lump coal, one penny a pound! Honest and fair!"

The coal seller quoted a normal price, and Li Jiaqing's lips moved as well: "There's a note to pass on. Send it to the contact point as soon as possible, preferably today." With a flick of his wrist, Li Jiaqing, under the guise of reaching for the coal, quietly and precisely slipped the small roll of paper into the bulging old gray cloth bag, also covered in coal dust, hanging around the donkey's neck.

The man's smile remained unchanged as he continued talking about the coal: "Good coal, right? I'll deliver it to your door right away." Then, his voice suddenly dropped to a very low hue: "Since you're already out here, why don't you go yourself? It'll save you the trouble of dealing with it secondhand."

Li Jiaqing seemed not to hear his low question, threw down the coal, and bargained, "What are you giving away? It's too expensive! Make it cheaper!" At the same time, his deep whisper rang out again, "I can't leave, I still have to go and do the errands my master assigned me."

The coal seller immediately put on a bitter face, his voice carrying the aggrieved tone of a street vendor: "Oh my god! This is genuine Xishan lump coal, of excellent quality! Selling it to you for one coin a pound, I'm practically losing money just to make a name for myself!" After shouting this, he took a moment to catch his breath, his eyes quickly sweeping over the gray cloth bag, his voice lowering again, tinged with seriousness: "...Is it urgent? Is it serious? Will we need to use a knife?"

Li Jiaqing didn't answer immediately. Instead, he first glanced back at the way they had come, then quickly scanned the street corner ahead to make sure no pedestrians were paying attention to them, before looking back at the coal seller. "Using knives is definitely unnecessary. As for whether it's urgent or not, and how serious it is, the higher-ups will make their own judgment. However, this note is for tomorrow, so it's best to deliver it today. If you want to know the details, I can tell you now."

After saying that, Li Jiaqing turned back to haggle again: "Stop talking nonsense with me! You sell others for two coins for three catties, but you sell to me for one coin for one catty? Do you think I'm a sucker?"

"Me!" The coal seller seemed to have been stung by Li Jiaqing; his dark face flushed red, and his lips trembled as if he wanted to defend himself but seemed to be at a loss for words. He gritted his teeth: "No need. You do your errand. I'll take the stuff over after I walk down this street."

Li Jiaqing nodded slightly, the movement so small it was almost imperceptible. He abruptly stopped, no longer walking alongside the donkey cart, his face showing impatience. He deliberately raised his voice at the coal seller's retreating figure, uttering a taunting remark: "Tch, if you don't want to sell, fine! There are plenty of sellers all over the street! Who cares about your high-priced coal!" With that, he turned without hesitation and strode towards Mingshifang.

The coal seller seemed genuinely taken aback, spitting resentfully in the direction Li Jiaqing had disappeared, before resuming his weak, feeble shouts:

"Coal for sale! Good coal from Xishan, reasonably priced and burns long! Coal for sale!"

(End of this chapter)