Chapter 11: A Gossamer Thread

  Shaoguan, the northern gate of Guangzhou, has a reputation for being as strong as a single man holding a pass against ten thousand men. The importance and danger of Shaoguan are not to be mentioned, but its long history can also be traced back to over two thousand years ago. This place has a simple and elegant ancient style, beautiful mountains and rivers, and many ancient relics that are magnificent. A north-south river, the Bei River, runs through the ancient city of Shaoguan, forming a unique Lingnan landscape.

  In the cold winter, it is still warm here, with an average annual temperature of around 19 degrees. At this time, a horse-drawn carriage appeared on the official road surrounded by green trees. "Just ahead is Shaoguan, we'll be there soon!" An old man driving the carriage cracked his whip, and the crisp sound echoed through the valley. "Old brother, stop the carriage! Let's get off here!" The carriage stopped, and the driver asked in surprise: "Sir, just ahead is Shaoguan, why are you getting off here?"

  One of the four burly men said, "We have some business to attend to outside the city, so we won't need you to take us all the way in. Here's your fare!" As soon as he finished speaking, the four men jumped out of the car and strode away. The driver looked at their receding backs, shaking his head in confusion. The four men were none other than Chen Jintang, Bai Sheng, Wu Bao, and Leng Yifei. "Big brother, why did we get off here?" Wu Bao asked in puzzlement.

  Leng Yifei chimed in, "Big Brother means that the four of us are not locals, nor do we look like merchants. We're carrying gear on our bodies, and entering the city gate will definitely be strictly checked." "Brother Leng is right, we must be careful," Bai Sheng agreed. Chen Jintang said, "We'll wait outside the city until nightfall before entering, to avoid raising suspicion." "Big Brother! Deng Gongzi only said that the treasure is in Shaoguan, but didn't give a specific location. How are we supposed to find it?" "Exactly! Without a target, it's like searching for a needle in the ocean!" Wu Bao and Leng Yifei whispered to each other. "Big Brother, let's enter the city first and talk later!" Bai Sheng said.

  "If it's easy to find, is it still a treasure? I'm afraid this place would have been bloody and stormy long ago! Alright, don't make any noise, let's find a place to rest for a while!" Chen Jintang saw a big tree by the road with a large bluestone under it, so he walked over first. After dark, the four of them sneaked into the city. They ate at a restaurant and then found an unassuming inn to stay in, a quiet night."

  The next morning, Chen Jintang told the four brothers: "During the day, we will split up and search for the Zeng Mansion in the city. At night, we will meet back here. Remember, our goal is to gather information without arousing suspicion." The four brothers responded in unison and then went their separate ways. That night, the four brothers met at the inn and exchanged information, but they had nothing to show for it. The key point was that there was no Zeng Mansion in the city to begin with.

  "Big brother! Isn't this a mistake? The Zeng family's power should be in Hunan Changsha!" Leng Yifei was puzzled. "Exactly, how could the Zeng family put their treasure here? I think it's 80% likely to be a rumor! Moreover, Master Deng didn't clarify the source of the information!" Wu Bao echoed. Bai Sheng thought for a moment: "Big brother, shouldn't we use another method to investigate?" Chen Jintang was inspired: "No wind blows without cause, if the news is accurate, Master Deng wouldn't have let us come to probe. I think tomorrow, we should investigate whether the Zeng family has any relatives in this place, maybe we'll gain something."

  The four of them started acting again, and after more than 20 days of investigation, a mansion caught their attention. After inquiring from various sources, they confirmed that the father-in-law of Zeng Guofan's younger brother lived there, which was the famous Hu Mansion in Shaoguan City. This relationship was somewhat complicated, so the investigation was time-consuming and costly. Zeng Guofan's younger brother's father-in-law had passed away, and the current head of the Hu Mansion was his elder brother-in-law. The Hu Mansion was not a merchant family, but it was very wealthy, with horse-drawn carriages frequently entering and exiting with goods. They snuck into the Hu Mansion at midnight, but did not find anything unusual.

  More than a month had passed, and Chen Jintang and the other three returned to Guangzhou empty-handed. "Hu Fu, the father-in-law of Zeng Guoquan's younger brother?" Deng Zixuan muttered to himself after hearing Chen Jintang's report. "Master Deng, we've investigated clearly that in Shaoguan City, the only one with connections to the Zeng family is Hu Fu, but we've infiltrated the Hu residence multiple times and haven't found any clues." Leng Yifei said. "Master Deng, we discovered a situation. Although Hu Fu isn't a merchant, horse-drawn carriages often enter the Hu residence carrying goods!" Chen Jintang pointed out the suspicious point. "I also feel that the Hu family is suspicious, but there's no evidence!" Bai Sheng added.

  Deng Zixuan was deep in thought, his judgment came from rumors of later generations, to be precise, he had no grasp on it. It seemed that the blood and sweat invested were indeed not well-considered, but since things had developed to this point, they had to see it through. "The place where the treasure is hidden is itself a suspense, better to believe it exists than not, with a one percent chance of hope, we'll put in a hundred percent effort. Next step, we'll lock onto Hu Fu and get him involved, let's come up with a complete plan..." Deng Zixuan said with finality.

  A few days later, Deng Zixuan led the brothers on the road. Before leaving, he lied to Qin Fan that he was going out to do business and told him not to worry. In early January, the temperature dropped a bit, and the chill could be felt at night. Deng Zixuan, Pei Gejin, and Wang Xia'er disguised themselves as merchants and entered Shaoguan City through the city gate during the day, while Chen Jintang led the other brothers in by climbing over the city wall. Climbing over the city wall was a trivial matter for experts.

  During the day, Pei Gejin and Wang Xiao'er bought a small boat with a canopy and moored it at a secluded spot along the north riverbank, with Wang Xiao'er in charge of keeping watch. This was part of the plan, to retreat by water after the operation was completed. During the day, Deng Zixuan came alone to the front of the Hu manor to scout ahead, gazing at the magnificent and luxurious Hu manor, Deng Zixuan had a faint feeling that it was unlikely that there were treasures hidden within the Hu manor, even if there really were treasures they wouldn't be hidden in such an eye-catching mansion. Usually, treasures would be buried in secret places, not drawing attention to themselves, which is reasonable. However, having come this far, he had to give his brothers an explanation, and once the bow was drawn, there was no turning back.

  Deng Zixuan once again brewed the plan, because the plan was made very carefully. If the treasure is really found, Deng Zixuan judged that it would not be silver. It must be gold or jewels. Even if the total amount of silver is three million taels, the number of gold and jewels will not be too many. Therefore, when retreating, use the horse carriage from Hu's mansion to rush to the riverbank, unload the jewels and load them onto the ship, then have two brothers drive the horse carriage northward, and abandon the horse carriage in the big mountain, creating a fake image of thieves escaping northward, so that the government can only determine that the thieves escaped into the inland.

  Deng Zixuan carried the jewels and took a boat downstream to the Pearl River, then arrived at Dongguan where Pei Gejin bought land and disembarked. The treasure was temporarily buried on the shore. After the big ship was built, he would take the treasure and escape. The plan was meticulous and complete, but could it really go smoothly? Deng Zixuan stood near the Hu mansion, pondering again, and looked at the Hu mansion once more, feeling a sense of regret in his heart.

  After dark, Chen Jintang led the other brothers into the city and then met at a secret location. The inn was not an option as it would leave traces. Once they were all gathered, Deng Zixuan said: "We can't delay, we'll head to the Hu manor immediately. Big Brother Chen had previously investigated and found that there are only over 20 people in the Hu manor, excluding the guards. Therefore, I warn you all not to kill anyone, after the operation is successful, everyone inside the manor will be rounded up and detained."

  "After the people in the mansion are subdued, Quick-witted Ghost Wan Chuan and Cold One Fei will be responsible for gathering valuables. Even if we can't find any treasures, we can't return empty-handed. Big-headed Zhang Man Cang is in charge of guarding the people in the mansion, while I and others are responsible for searching for treasures. Remember to wear your headgear properly, don't call out each other's names, and absolutely cannot let the people in the mansion see our true faces! Alright, let's start!" Chen Jintang led 6 brothers who quickly ran off into the distance, while Deng Zixuan and Pei Gejin fell behind. They had to wait for the brothers to take control of the Hu Mansion before entering."

  Deng Zixuan and Pei Gejin arrived at the gate of Hu's mansion, anxiously waiting. Before long, a faint noise came from inside the mansion, and about half an hour later, the vermilion gate of Hu's mansion creaked open slightly, revealing only the shadow of Wan Chuan. Deng Zixuan understood, exchanging a glance with Pei Gejin in the darkness, their hearts understanding each other without needing to say anything. As they entered the dimly lit hall, Chen Jintang stood wearing a headscarf: "Boss! The people inside the mansion have been rounded up and locked away, several house slaves resisted and were injured, but no one died. The brothers have gone off to search." Deng Zixuan looked at Pei Gejin, implying that it was now her turn to take charge.

  Pei Gejin nodded in agreement: "This search is like a blind man feeling an elephant, I think we should focus on the master." "Go and bring the elder brother of Zeng Guofan's younger brother," Deng Zixuan ordered decisively. Before long, a stout, short fellow was brought in. The fellow had a fleshy face, with small eyes narrowed into slits, and looked to be over 40 years old. "Speak! Where have you hidden the treasure?" Chen Jintang asked directly and to the point.

  The guy was stunned, suddenly knelt on the ground and begged: "Good guys, heroes, you've got it wrong, there's no treasure here at all." "Take off his pants!" Deng Zixuan ordered. Two brothers came forward and quickly pulled down his pants. "I don't have endurance, I won't say! Castrate him!" Bai Biao took out a dagger and stepped forward. "I'll say it! I'll say it! Spare my life, good guys!" Deng Zixuan said coldly: "Speak up! I won't harm you!"

  Before long, under the guidance of this guy, a hidden passage mechanism was opened. Everyone entered the underground room and found that it was filled with one-foot-square wooden boxes. Deng Zixuan saw so many wooden boxes and thought to himself: "It can't be that easy, right?" Bai Sheng's hands moved quickly, and he swiftly pried open a wooden box, immediately letting out a shout of surprise: "It's opium!" He then pried open several more boxes, all of which were also filled with opium. Deng Zixuan closed his eyes in disappointment, muttering a single word: "Withdraw!"

  Back on the ground, Pei Gejin asked in confusion: "Boss! Is opium also silver?" "I won't touch this harmful thing, nor will I hope to get rich from it!" Deng Zixuan said decisively. "Let's just burn it with fire and be done with it!" Chen Jintang said. "No, setting a fire is undoubtedly a signal, we must retreat immediately." At this moment, Wan Chuan and Leng Yifei appeared in front of them, each carrying a cloth bag on their backs. "Boss! We've taken everything that should be taken, haha! The harvest is quite rich!" Wan Chuan reported excitedly. "Boss, there's... inside..." "Enough, this isn't the time to report numbers, let's retreat immediately."

  A group of people arrived at the riverbank under the cover of night, and with a whistle, Wang Xiao'er appeared. The crowd then boarded a small boat. The boat drifted downstream amidst the sound of oars, and it was still before midnight. "Damn, what bad luck! It's actually opium!" "What a pity, even if there's less opium, it's worth tens of thousands of taels of silver!" The crowd chattered. "However, we didn't return empty-handed either. Wan Chuan and Leng Yifei poured out the goods to let us take a look." Chen Jintang said with a smile.

  The contents of the two cloth bags were poured onto the deck, and everyone examined them by candlelight, categorizing them with a flurry of hands. There were five gold ingots, twenty gold bars, and some gold and silver jewelry that was ignored. "It's clear that the Hu family is very wealthy," sighed Pei Gejin. "These ill-gotten gains are worth about 20,000 taels of white silver, not a small haul!" "Exactly! With Master Deng's clever plans, why shouldn't we live it up?"

  At this time, Deng Zixuan was somewhat depressed and didn't have a large sum of money. It seemed that his plan would be delayed. At this moment, he saw everyone murmuring in discontent: "Robbing and looting is certainly exhilarating, but we are not thieves. Remember, we are going to do great things, and those who do great things must not be tempted by small gains." With that, everyone rested. In an instant, Deng Zixuan had established absolute authority.

  The boat arrived at Yingde before dawn, and Deng Zixuan took a short nap before taking out the map to review. The so-called map was actually a rough sketch drawn by Pei Gejin. He pondered for a while, then woke everyone up and announced that they would abandon the boat and go ashore at Yingde. After landing, Chen Jintang asked, "Master Deng, wasn't our original plan to return by boat?"