Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 122 The Methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard

The night was deeper.

The campfire outside the tent gradually dimmed, leaving only a few embers.

Inside the tent, the flame of the oil lamp flickered gently, casting the shadows of the two people on the tent wall, sometimes long and sometimes short.

Lu Yan sat down again and poured Shen Qing a cup of tea.

"Sit down and talk."

Shen Qing sat down as instructed, took the teacup with both hands, but did not drink it.

"Please feel free to ask anything you wish, sir."

Lu Yan looked at him, pondered for a moment, and then said:

"What exactly is the Northern Garrison Command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Shen Qing's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What does the employer want to know?"

"I want to know what you learned there," Lu Yan said. "I've witnessed your abilities over the past few years. Tracking, counter-tracking, interrogation, bribery, wiring... these things aren't things ordinary people can learn."

Shen Qing was silent for a moment, then said:

"The Northern Garrison Command is the core of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It is in charge of the imperial prisons and is responsible for investigation, arrest, and interrogation."

Outsiders only know that the Northern Garrison Command is a "cruel bureaucracy" specializing in arresting and killing people. But in reality, the Northern Garrison Command's greatest strength wasn't its instruments of torture, but its intelligence network.

"intelligence?"

"Yes," Shen Qing said. "The Northern Garrison Command has a complete intelligence system, covering everything from the capital to the provinces, from the imperial court to the common people. This system was personally established by the founding emperor and has been passed down for over two hundred years, long since infiltrating every corner of the Ming Dynasty."

"I spent five years in the Northern Garrison Command, learning these skills."

Lu Yan became interested.

Tell me about it.

Shen Qing nodded and began to explain in detail.

"The intelligence business, to put it simply, boils down to four words—know yourself and know your enemy. To know your enemy, you need informants; to know yourself, you need to guard against internal spies."

"The intelligence system of the Northern Garrison Command is divided into three layers."

"The first layer is called 'Open Squads.' These people are outwardly identified as captains and strongmen of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They wear flying fish robes and patrol the streets, ostensibly to maintain order, but secretly to gather intelligence."

"The second layer is called 'covert agents.' These people are secretive; they could be merchants, porters, servants, or even beggars. They mingle in all walks of life, living like ordinary people, while secretly gathering information for the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"The third layer is called 'Death Agents.' These are the most secretive; even the Embroidered Uniform Guard is unaware of their existence. They might be an official's advisor, a general's personal guard, or a wealthy merchant's steward... They lie in wait for years, only to be activated at crucial moments."

Lu Yan listened intently.

"How should these three layers be coordinated?"

"The visible agents handle the public affairs, gathering open information and deterring troublemakers," Shen Qing said. "The hidden agents handle the clandestine affairs, gathering confidential information and monitoring targets. The suicide agents handle the most crucial tasks, playing their role at critical moments."

"The three layers working together are like a vast net, encompassing the entire world."

Lu Yan nodded.

"Besides netting, what else?"

"There's much more," Shen Qing said, "like tracking."

"Tracking isn't simply following behind someone. You have to stay close but not too close, avoiding detection while also not losing them. You need to learn to change clothes, routes, and relay the trail. If one person is too obvious, use three or five people to take turns."

"For example, counter-tracking."

"How do you know someone is following you? You need to learn to observe—pedestrians on the street, street vendors, eyes behind windows…anything unusual could be a signal. If you discover someone is following you, how do you shake them off? You can go into alleys, change clothes, blend into crowds, or even deliberately walk into dead ends, waiting for the follower to come in before turning the tables."

"For example, interrogation."

Shen Qing's eyes turned gloomy.

"Interrogation is an art. It's not about beating people harder to get them to confess. Some people will never confess, no matter how hard you beat them; others, you can get them to talk with just one sentence."

"The key is to find his weaknesses. Some people are afraid of death, some are afraid of pain, some are afraid of their families being implicated, and some are afraid of losing their reputation... Finding his weaknesses and addressing them accordingly is far more effective than torture."

"Of course, some tough nuts to crack won't listen to gentle methods, so we have to resort to force. I've used all the torture instruments of the Northern Garrison Command—claws, finger-crushing devices, standing cages, waterboarding, branding irons..."

He paused, his voice becoming flat.

"I dislike using torture. But sometimes, there's no other way."

Lu Yan listened, secretly surprised.

He knew the Embroidered Uniform Guard was powerful, but he didn't expect them to be this powerful.

This is hardly a "cruel official's office"; it is clearly a complete intelligence system, encompassing everything from personnel training and network deployment to technical means and psychological tactics.

No wonder the emperors of the Ming Dynasty relied on the Embroidered Uniform Guard more and more than one.

With such a system in hand, what secrets in the world can be kept hidden?

"Anything else?" Lu Yan asked.

"And then there's the disguise," Shen Qing said. "How do you disguise yourself as a merchant, a farmer, a beggar, a monk... It's not just about changing clothes; you also have to learn their accents, mannerisms, and habits. One mistake in a detail could expose you."

"And there are secret letters. How to write them, how to transmit them, and how to destroy them. The Northern Garrison has a special code; to outsiders, it's just a bunch of gibberish, only their own people can understand it."

"And assassinations."

Shen Qing's voice became even lower.

"How to approach the target, how to strike, how to escape. Using a knife, poison, a bow and arrow, an accident... each method has its own intricacies."

"When I was in the Northern Garrison, I personally killed seven people."

Lu Yan looked at him, his gaze deep.

Seven people.

"Yes," Shen Qing said, "they are all enemies of the imperial court. There are Mongolian spies, Japanese pirates' inside agents, leaders of the White Lotus Sect..."

He paused, then added:

"There was another one, a witness sent by my superior to silence. That time, I didn't carry out the order."

Why?

"Because that witness is innocent," Shen Qing said. "He simply saw something he shouldn't have seen, and now he's being silenced. I can't bring myself to do it."

"And then?"

"Later, I released the witness and returned to report that 'the target is dead,'" Shen Qing said. "Then, the truth came out, and my superior tried to kill me to silence me. I killed two of his trusted men and escaped."

Lu Yan remained silent for a moment.

"That's why you were falsely accused of treason."

"Yes," Shen Qing said. "My superior was afraid I would expose his secrets, so he preemptively accused me of treason."

"Was the intelligence about Sarhu also suppressed by him?"

"Yes." A hint of hatred flashed in Shen Qing's eyes. "The intelligence I risked my life to bring back from Liaodong was ignored by him; he dismissed it as 'alarmist' and suppressed it. Later, when the four armies were annihilated, he pinned the blame on me to shirk responsibility."

Lu Yan sighed deeply upon hearing this.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

He shook his head and didn't say anything more.

After a moment of silence, Lu Yan spoke:

"Shen Qing, from today onwards, you are the commander of my 'Shadow Guard'."

"Shadow Guard?"

"Yes," Lu Yan said, "I'm going to establish my own intelligence system, called 'Shadow Guard.' You'll be in charge."

A glint flashed in Shen Qing's eyes.

"What does the master want his subordinates to do?"

"Use the methods you learned in the Embroidered Uniform Guard," Lu Yan said. "A three-tiered network: overt agents, covert agents, and assassins. Start with Dengzhou, gradually expand to the entire Shandong province, then to the capital, Liaodong, Jiangnan..."

"I'll give you five hundred taels of silver as start-up capital. You can recruit your own people and set your own rules. There's only one condition—the Shadow Guards are solely responsible to me, and no one else can interfere."

Shen Qing stood up and knelt on one knee.

"Your subordinate obeys."

Lu Yan helped him up.

"No need to kneel. From now on, none of the Shadow Guards will need to kneel before me. You are my shadows, not my servants."

Shen Qing stood up, her eyes filled with a complex emotion.

"Master..."

"Um?"

"I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

"explain."

Shen Qing was silent for a moment, then said:

"I have no objection to the establishment of the Shadow Guard, Master. However, I would like to remind you of something—intelligence is a double-edged sword. Used well, it allows you to know yourself and your enemy, ensuring victory in every battle; used poorly, it can backfire."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard was once so powerful, but in the end, they became rats that everyone wanted to kill. Why? Because they forgot their original mission and used intelligence as a tool for making money and harming people."

"I hope the Shadow Guards will not follow the same path as the Embroidered Uniform Guards."

Lu Yan smiled slightly upon hearing this.

"Don't worry. I built the Shadow Guard not to harm others, but to protect myself."

He walked to the tent entrance, lifted the tent flap, and looked out at the dark night sky.

"This world is too dark. If you don't open your eyes wide and see clearly, you could die at any moment."

"The shadow guards are my eyes."

He turned around and looked at Shen Qing.

"As for whether we'll follow the same path as the Embroidered Uniform Guard... that depends on you."

Shen Qing remained silent for a moment, then bowed respectfully.

"Understood."

……

Outside the tent, a night breeze began to rise.

The distant mountains appeared and disappeared in the night, like sleeping giants.

Lu Yan stood at the tent entrance, gazing at the eastern horizon.

That's the direction of Dengzhou.

In a few days, he will set foot on that land.

The Li family, the navy, officialdom...

A great show is about to begin.

And he was ready.