RPAGF Chapter 121 Shen Qing Offers Advice
Chapter 121 Shen Qing Offers Advice
night.
Qingzhou Prefecture, within the territory of Yidu County.
The campfire flickered in the mountain valley.
Lu Yan sat in the tent, using an oil lamp as his light, and looked through the documents that Shen Qing had presented to him.
These documents were written in tiny, neat characters, but their contents were shocking—the sphere of influence, connections, and industrial distribution of the Li family of Dengzhou, as well as the private weaknesses of several key figures, were all listed in great detail.
The curtain was lifted, and Shen Qing walked in.
His face was still damp from the night dew, clearly indicating that he had just returned from patrolling outside.
"Master."
"Sit down." Lu Yan put down the document and pointed to the stool opposite him.
Shen Qing sat down as instructed, her back straight and her gaze calm.
Lu Yan looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke:
"How long did it take you to gather this intelligence?"
"Four years," Shen Qing said. "It started the day I began following our master."
"Four years..." Lu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. "I remember finding you in a refugee camp outside Jinan. You had just fled from Liaodong, penniless and unable to even get a hot meal."
"yes."
"Back then, I was just a poor scholar who had just passed the imperial examination, and I didn't even know what my future held. How did you know that I would come to Dengzhou someday?"
Shen Qing was silent for a moment, then said:
"Your subordinate was unaware that you, sir, would come to Dengzhou. But your subordinate knows that you are no ordinary person."
"oh?"
"I witnessed firsthand the methods you employed in the Fan family case," Shen Qing said. "An eighteen-year-old scholar, trapped in a desperate situation, managed to turn the tables within three days, not only escaping but also turning the tables and uprooting the Fan family. Such intellect and such methods are unparalleled in my life."
"So you've decided to come with me?"
"Yes." Shen Qing nodded. "I come from the Embroidered Uniform Guard and have seen too many people. Some are just born to do great things. Our master is one of those people."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan's lips curled up slightly.
"You certainly know how to talk."
"What I said is the truth."
Lu Yan remained noncommittal, then looked down at the documents again.
"How did you gather this intelligence? Dengzhou is hundreds of miles from Jinan, and you can't go there yourself."
"I have my own methods," Shen Qing said. "The rules of the Embroidered Uniform Guard dictate that intelligence cannot be gathered solely by ourselves. We need to build a network, maintain our intelligence network, and utilize the necessary personnel."
"Building a network?"
"Yes," Shen Qing replied. "Over the past few years, I've placed over a dozen people in Dengzhou. Some are merchants, some are porters, some are pimps in brothels, and some are odd jobs in the government offices. These people are of lowly status and inconspicuous, but they have sharp ears and tight lips."
"They each went about their own business on weekdays, secretly gathering information for their subordinates. Every so often, someone would bring the information back to Jinan."
Upon hearing this, a hint of admiration flashed in Lu Yan's eyes.
"A dozen or so people, in four years, were able to gather such detailed intelligence?"
"It's more than a dozen people," Shen Qing said. "These dozen or so are the core group, and each of them has three to five informants under them. In total, there are about fifty or sixty people."
"Fifty or sixty people..." Lu Yan pondered, "Where will you pay for their expenses?"
"I haven't spent a single penny of my monthly allowance; it's all gone on this," Shen Qing said. "Besides, I occasionally do some small business to earn some extra money."
"What kind of business?"
"Selling information," Shen Qing said. "Some information is useless to the master, but useful to others. I sell it to them and get some money in return."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan did not get angry but instead laughed.
"You certainly know how to do business."
"Your subordinate wouldn't dare," Shen Qing said. "I just feel that intelligence is just sitting around doing nothing; it's better to convert it into silver and use it to support more people."
"Over the past few years, I've saved up about three hundred taels of silver, all of which I've spent on my spies in Dengzhou."
Lu Yan nodded. Three hundred taels of silver to support fifty or sixty informants averaged less than two taels of silver per person per year. These people already had legitimate livelihoods; they just collected information on the side, so a small fee for running errands was enough.
Lu Yan nodded and said nothing more.
He looked down at the document, his gaze falling on the words "Li Family".
"Tell me about the Li family."
"Yes," Shen Qing said solemnly. "The Li family of Dengzhou is the largest maritime merchant family in the area. Their ancestors were pirates during the Jiajing era, but later went ashore and transformed themselves into 'legitimate merchants.'"
"Over the decades, the Li family has become deeply entrenched and powerful in Dengzhou. They not only monopolize maritime trade but also maintain intricate connections with the government, military garrisons, and navy."
"The Li family has two brothers. The elder brother, Li Dacheng, is fifty-three years old this year and is the Vice Commander of the Dengzhou Garrison, wielding actual military power. He is a cunning and ruthless man, and his word is law in Dengzhou."
"His younger brother, Li Shouyi, is forty-eight years old this year. He is the richest man in Dengzhou and monopolizes half of the maritime trade. This man is the Li family's 'front man,' specifically responsible for bribing officials and smoothing things over. Almost all the officials in Dengzhou Prefecture, from the prefect to the county magistrate, have received money from him."
Lu Yan listened, nodding from time to time.
What about the Li family's businesses?
"There are mainly three parts," Shen Qing said. "First, maritime trade. The Li family owns more than thirty ships of various sizes, which travel between Japan and Korea every year, transporting silk, porcelain, and tea in exchange for silver, copper, and sulfur. This is the Li family's lifeline, generating at least 100,000 taels of profit annually."
"Secondly, the salt industry. The Li family has several illegal salt depots in Dengzhou, producing tens of thousands of catties of salt annually, with profits of twenty to thirty thousand taels."
"Third, lending money. The Li family owns several pawnshops and money houses in Dengzhou, specializing in usury. Half of the merchants in Dengzhou owe the Li family money."
"Besides these three areas, the Li family also has some shady businesses—arms smuggling, human trafficking, running casinos and brothels… but these are all clandestine operations, not something that can be openly discussed."
After listening, Lu Yan remained silent for a long time.
"What are the weaknesses of the Li family?"
"There are several," Shen Qing said. "First, part of the Li family's maritime trade involves smuggling. Saltpeter, sulfur, and ironware are all contraband; the imperial court has explicitly prohibited their private sale. Anyone who leaks this information will be beheaded."
"Secondly, the Li family maintains a 'pirate' force. Ostensibly, they are bandits in the Dengzhou waters, but in reality, they are the Li family's private army, specializing in robbing their rivals. The government turns a blind eye to this, but if there is evidence, it's a capital offense."
"Third, although the Li brothers cooperate well, they occasionally disagree on the distribution of profits. Li Dafu manages the money, and Li Dacheng manages the troops; neither can do without the other, but each wants a larger share."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yan's lips curled into a cold smile.
"Internal discord and external vulnerabilities. This Li family, though seemingly powerful, is actually quite fragile."
"Master is wise," Shen Qing said. "I've been gathering this intelligence for this day. Master's plan to deal with the Li family has been underway for some time."
Lu Yan looked at Shen Qing with deep eyes.
"Shen Qing, you've been with me for four years, and I've never asked you—what do you really want?"
Shen Qing was silent for a moment, then said:
"Your subordinate demands justice."
"justice?"
"Yes." A cold glint flashed in Shen Qing's eyes. "Before the Battle of Sarhu, I risked my life to bring back intelligence from Liaodong, saying that the Jurchens were planning a major offensive and urging the court to prepare. But my superiors suppressed the intelligence and accused me of exaggerating."
"Later, the four armies were annihilated, and 40,000 soldiers were buried in Liaodong. To shirk responsibility, the subordinate's superior falsely accused him of treason and threatened to imprison and execute him."
"I killed that corrupt official and escaped. Since then, I've been a dead man."
He looked up at Lu Yan.
"I do not seek wealth or glory, but only that one day I may personally kill those who deserve to die and avenge my fallen brothers."
Lu Yan listened and remained silent for a long time.
Who is your enemy?
"The commander of the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, surnamed Zhou, named Dechang," Shen Qing said. "He is currently still in the capital, enjoying a successful career, and is said to have already been promoted to Vice Commander."
"A junior commander..." Lu Yan nodded. "His rank is quite high."
"Yes," Shen Qing said. "I know that with my current status, I have no power to touch him. But I believe that by following my master, I will one day get my chance."
Lu Yan looked at Shen Qing and suddenly smiled.
"Shen Qing, you're a smart person."
"You flatter me, sir."
"I'm not praising you," Lu Yan said, "I'm saying that you know exactly what you want, and you know exactly how to get it. That kind of person is the rarest."
He stood up and walked to Shen Qing.
"From this day forward, you are no longer my guard, but my 'shadow.'"
Shen Qing was taken aback.
"shadow?"
"Yes," Lu Yan said, "A shadow doesn't speak, but it's everywhere. A shadow doesn't act, but it sees everything. You are my shadow, watching over this world for me."
Shen Qing remained silent for a moment, then suddenly knelt on one knee.
"Your subordinate, Shen Qing, is willing to die for your master."
Lu Yan reached out and helped him up.
"No need to kneel. From now on, when you see me, you don't need to bow. The shadow and its master are one."
Shen Qing stood up, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
"Understood."