Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 241 Done
Yin hour three quarters.

The lanterns at Sihaiju in the east of the city glowed with a dim yellow light.

Fan Jingnian opened his eyes, slowly got up, looked at the dark night outside, and pressed his temples.

He hadn't been sleeping well lately, and always felt a bit anxious.

Perhaps it's because this isn't Zhangjiakou, but the capital city; no matter how prosperous it is, it's still not as comfortable as one's own territory.

Perhaps because the group of White Lotus followers were inexplicably surrounded and killed, he passed by in a hurry afterward and saw soldiers washing away the blood-stained ground, which was truly shocking.

However, in order to fulfill the patriarch's instructions, Fan Jingnian dared not leave rashly.

Business has been difficult in the tribe lately, and the Mongols have fallen into chaos again, fighting each other. In particular, the two brothers of the Mert tribe have been fighting in the east and west, scattering many forces, including several tribes that have long had ties with the Fan family.

This is not surprising at all—tribes on the grasslands rise and fall, cavalry gather and disperse like clouds, and life and death, victory and defeat are commonplace for border trade merchants like the Fan family. The Fan family always stands on the side of the victor.

However, the general Anda was ambitious and looked down on the goods provided by the Fan family. He wanted to directly pay tribute to the Ming court and kept sending letters to the local government.

The Fan family immediately became alert.

The Fan family had been based on the border region since the Hongwu era. Initially, they did nothing more than ordinary tea and horse trade. Every autumn when the horses were fat and strong, the horse market outside Zhangjiakou was always dusty. The Fan family's employees led the fine horses from beyond the Great Wall across the border and then handed them over to caravans in the interior, making a profit from it.

However, during the Jingtai era, this business gradually changed. As the horse administration became increasingly lax and purchasing warhorses from the grasslands became the norm, the powerful and influential Shanxi merchants smelled blood in the air. With the approval documents from the Ministry of War and the official documents from the Ministry of Revenue, and by feeding the eunuchs in charge of the border trade, they quickly monopolized the exorbitant profits of the border trade.

Mid-sized businesses like the Fan family were quickly squeezed out of the central circle of the horse market. The old manager, looking at the shiny steeds in the Shanxi merchants' caravan, could only lead his employees to turn to peripheral businesses such as furs and medicinal herbs. Fortunately, as the trade routes became more stable, the reputation that the Fan family had accumulated in various Mongolian tribes allowed them to form a stable customer base.

Similarly, if the imperial court agreed to accept tribute and trade directly with most of the Mongol tribes, their businesses would inevitably be impacted, and the slightest misstep could lead to the downfall of their families.

Therefore, when the White Lotus followers migrated outwards and prepared to form settlements under the Mongol rule, the Fan family astutely seized this opportunity.

Firstly, this group of White Lotus followers also presents a business opportunity. In the harsh and cold borderlands, it's not something that can be accomplished by Mongolians alone; a large quantity of goods is required, and selling iron pots alone can generate substantial profits for them.

Once the White Lotus sect sided with the Mongols, it would be even less likely that tribute exchanges would be allowed, as that was the rebellious religion that the imperial court hated most.

Whether considering immediate business or long-term interests, the Fan family was happy to facilitate the White Lotus sect's defection to the Mongols.

Whether this would increase the Mongols' raids on the borders was not within their consideration.

In any case, over the years they had become quite adept at dealing with Mongol raids, always tipping them off and helping them avoid trouble. Even if the Mongols completely invaded, they would not target merchants with such excellent reputations.

The only problem now is how to make contact with the White Lotus Sect, gain their trust, and facilitate the formation of this new trade route.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Just then, a few light knocks came from outside the door, and Fan Jing'an's voice asked, "Is Seventh Brother awake?"

"woke up!"

A middle-aged scholar entered, bowed, and greeted him: "Seventh Brother!"

This man had high cheekbones, sunken cheeks, and a pale, ashen complexion. He was not yet forty, but his temples were already gray, and he had a sparse, curly, yellow beard. He was quite ugly.

"Sixteenth Brother is here!"

But Fan Jingnian dared not be negligent and quickly helped him up, saying, "Don't be so polite, please sit down!"

This cousin failed the imperial examination in his early years and disappeared without a trace. When he reappeared, he was valued by the head of the family, and the family business suddenly became prosperous. In particular, the acquisition of a batch of salt permits shocked everyone and led to much speculation.

Fan Jingnian also knew that this person was the one who communicated with the White Lotus Sect this time. If it weren't for the fact that this person's great abilities had been imprinted in the minds of the clansmen over the years, he really wouldn't have dared to come.

Now, please sit down, Fan Jingnian said with a pleased expression: "The guest has arrived?"

Not yet.

Fan Jing'an shook his head: "However, I have a personal matter to attend to and I am afraid I will have to leave for a few days, so I have come to ask for my leave, elder brother."

Fan Jingnian's expression changed: "How can this be? Those guests were all introduced by Sixteenth Brother. If I'm the only one left, how can I possibly accomplish something big with them?"

Fan Jing'an said, "I have left three men behind. They can all make contact with the other party. Brother, just remember the agreed code: 'Merchants and Buddhists are one family, wealth and honor are determined by fate.' The rest is up to them to handle."

"No! No, it won't work!"

Fan Jingnian continued to dissuade him, his voice full of earnestness: "Without you here, I can't rest easy!"

Fan Jing'an had no choice but to explain, "To be honest, brother, I left a woman in the capital years ago. Now she is in danger of being killed. This woman also has something that a customer needs, so I have no choice but to save her!"

Fan Jingnian was taken aback at first. When the other party mentioned his daughter's danger, his tone was cold and he showed no anxiety, clearly lacking any familial affection. Hearing the rest, he suddenly realized and said softly, "Is this Bai Lian's condition?" "That's right!"

Fan Jing'an revealed a look of disdain: "Some things are useless to our society, but they are treasures to the White Lotus! If they ask for them, we will give them to them!"

Fan Jingnian asked curiously, "Then why didn't you go and get it sooner?"

“My daughter is quite cunning; she even dared to blackmail her father. How can I expect her to obediently submit until the very last day before her execution, when she is filled with fear and anxiety?”

Fan Jing'an said coldly, "If we can save them, we will. If not, I will go to more trouble to get that item!"

Faced with this cold and ruthless tone, Fan Jingnian clicked his tongue in surprise and said no more: "In that case, I wish Sixteenth Brother all the best!"

Fan Jing'an rose again, cupped his hands in greeting, and was about to leave when his expression suddenly changed: "Who?"

"Wow--"

The words had barely left his lips when the roof tile shattered, the carved wooden window splintered, and five slender figures swooped down from the eaves, bursting through the window and leaping inside. Hidden weapons from their sleeves flew out first, while short blades in their hands wove together into a net, sealing off all escape routes inside the house.

The net of blades was so dense that it even cut the incoming morning mist into wisps of fluff.

In fact, a group of Taoist priests had been silently lurking on the rooftop even as the two were talking.

Leading the group was Tao Dianzhen, who was over fifty years old. He personally led the team, quietly lying on the roof ridge. His robes remained motionless in the north wind, and he held not a whisk or a long sword, but a short blade that was easier to wield.

Although his weapons were simple and unadorned, it didn't mean that he only had these methods. Tao Dianzhen's eyes swept around, and suddenly his gaze sharpened as a green coin slid out from his sleeve.

Before the sound of something breaking through the air could be heard, a man had already collapsed under the locust tree not far away. It was the innkeeper's waiter who had gone out early in the morning. This unlucky waiter was yawning and subconsciously looked up at the roof. He seemed to vaguely see a dark shadow. Before he could even scream, he collapsed.

The noise finally alerted the extremely perceptive Fan Jing'an inside the house. At the same time, the five Taoist priests from Chaotian Palace rushed into the house with lightning speed and attacked ruthlessly.

Fan Jing'an was clearly skilled, but caught off guard, he hastily leaned back and failed to dodge the hidden weapon, leaving a bloody gash on his body.

"what--"

Amidst screams, the man used the momentum of his backward roll to curl up like a cat and roll toward the door. Just as Tao Dianzhen's blade was about to strike him, he suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a beam of black light.

"Ding!"

Tao Dianzhen blocked with his short blade, and a bone-piercing nail fell to the ground with a thud. Fan Jing'an took the opportunity to smash through the door and tumble down the stairs.

Tao Dianzhen's gaze darkened, and he led three Taoist priests out to pursue them relentlessly. At the same time, the remaining Taoist priests from Chaotian Palace descended from the sky, smashing open the windows. The sound of their robes tearing through the air was like ripping silk. They went straight for the entire Fan family, turning the once peaceful inn into a scene of shouts and cries of battle.

Fan Jingnian reacted quickly. After all, he was trying to survive in the borderlands. He rushed towards the window, but just as he reached the window frame, he suddenly felt a chill on his back and was hit by a strong force, which made him fall heavily to the ground.

"Click——"

With several sharp cracks, all four of his limbs dislocated, and the Taoist's iron palm immediately locked his jaw, preventing him from even uttering a cry of pain.

However, in that fleeting glimpse, Fan Jingnian was horrified to discover that a dozen or so imperial guards suddenly appeared at the end of the long street, galloping towards them.

All the Imperial Guards held crossbows, aiming at the outside of the inn. Sun Weixian, the leader, twitched his ears and looked down to the second floor, seemingly locking onto Tao Dianzhen's movements as he pursued Fan Jing'an through the wall.

He spurred his horse and pulled it back abruptly. As the horse reared up, he touched the saddle with his toes and shot like an arrow straight for the window, rushing inside.

The sounds of fighting rose and fell like the tide, and occasionally, blood-soaked desperados would burst out of the door.

The Imperial Guards waiting outside were well prepared.

First, three rows of crossbow bolts flew out like locusts, forcing the fleeing people back. Then, long swords were drawn, and they surrounded the fleeing people, striking their joints with flashing blades.

Gradually, the shouts of battle turned into sporadic wails, and finally fell silent.

From the moment Tao Dianzhen fired the first green coin to the moment the last Fan family guard was pinned to the ground, only the time it takes to drink two cups of tea passed.

As dawn breaks, the world before us is a scene of utter devastation.

Wood chips mixed with blood droplets congealed into patterns on the bluestone slabs, and a few carved window frames above were still teetering on the eaves. At the street corner, an old watchman with graying hair and beard hurriedly stuffed half a naan bread into his mouth, staggering as he tried to avoid this place of trouble.

Suddenly, a pair of black-soled official boots came into view. Looking up, he met a handsome and imposing young official: "Don't be alarmed, sir. It's just cleaning up some insects. Just continue your watch as usual."

The morning light gilded the other's silhouette, making his official robes appear even more imposing and dazzling. The old watchman stared blankly as the man stepped forward, with the Imperial Guards standing at attention with their hands on their swords, and the Taoist priests from Chaotian Palace following him with respectful gestures. He was surrounded by people from all sides.

The task is complete – the plowing and sweeping are done!
(End of this chapter)