Chapter 630: A Figure Lurks Behind the Shrine
The Puppet Heavenly Lord stealthily made his way towards the front courtyard, traversing pavilions, towers, winding corridors, and serene gardens.
Having entered earlier with Tie Niaofei, he had already memorized the path, and now navigating it felt second nature.
Moreover, the puppet could take shortcuts, for example, crawling through a small hole in the wall or gliding across small ponds. Wood, after all, floated on water, and floating on water to swim was incredibly refreshing, wasn't it?
In a matter of moments, he arrived at the front hall.
Slipping in discreetly through the edge of the main door, he wove through a maze of table and chair legs, eventually ducking behind a large screen. From his hidden vantage, he peeked out.
There, he observed, Sun Chuanting had already composed himself with impeccable formality and was now receiving a visitor. Seated across from him was a civil official clad in armor, none other than the Xuan-Da Supreme Commander, Zhang Zongheng.
"Master Sun," Zhang Zongheng declared, "one might eat whatever one pleases, but words, once written, cannot be taken back. You mustn't, with mere empty words, tarnish a man's reputation."
This was the first utterance the Puppet Heavenly Lord caught upon his arrival.
It seemed the two had already discussed matters concerning "evidence," and Sun Chuanting evidently couldn't produce any, now receiving a scathing critique from Zhang Zongheng.
Zhang Zongheng: "If you didn't fully believe him, how dared you include Tian Shenglan's name in a document and present it for my review, then?"
Sun Chuanting, unfazed, replied, "While one should not harbor ill will, it is foolish to be unguarded. My informant claimed that while outsiders might not grasp the full picture, those *within* the trade are well aware of Tian Shenglan's collusion with foreign enemies. Does that not pique your interest, Governor?"
Zhang Zongheng: "Explain."
Sun Chuanting gave a cold, knowing chuckle. "For instance... the common folk might view a certain official as upright, unaware of his corruption. Yet, within our own circles, merely speaking his name elicits universal head-shaking."
At this, Zhang Zongheng's expression grew stern.
Indeed!
No one understands internal affairs better than those on the inside.
If the merchants themselves whisper of Tian Shenglan's misconduct, then the likelihood of his guilt is considerable.
"However, without ironclad evidence, I cannot act," Zhang Zongheng declared. "Tian Shenglan is a powerful merchant. Many of our officials and soldiers in the Datong border garrisons depend on Tian Shenglan for their sustenance. To move against Tian Shenglan based solely on hearsay would only delight our enemies, grieve our allies, and profoundly discourage all our troops."
"Indeed," Sun Chuanting said, "That is understandable. I merely wish to advise your Excellency to keep a discreet eye on Tian Shenglan. When he conducts business along the frontier, assign men to watch him closely; who knows what vital information they might uncover."
Zhang Zongheng: "Why not summon the informant who brought this matter to your attention? I would like to question him myself."
Sun Chuanting: "Certainly. He has not yet departed the city and is resting at an inn. I shall dispatch someone to fetch him."
Li Daoxuan, with a mental flick, switched his consciousness back to Tie Niaofei. "Zhang Zongheng has arrived and wishes to see you. He seeks evidence."
Tie Niaofei: "But I possess no actual proof! What am I to do?"
Li Daoxuan: "We don't have any concrete evidence to present at this moment. Tell him all the names of the eight great Imperial Merchants, including Huang Yunfa, whom we have already killed. Emphasize the gravity of the situation, and let Zhang Zongheng determine his own course of action."
Tie Niaofei: "Understood!"
Li Daoxuan promptly shifted his perception back to the Puppet Heavenly Lord.
By this time, Sun Chuanting had already sent a servant to the inn to invite Tie Niaofei. While awaiting Tie Niaofei's arrival, he and Zhang Zongheng chatted about border affairs. Their conversation drifted to observations from beyond the Great Wall, military campaigns, and similar matters.
Li Daoxuan merely listened out of idle curiosity. Many of the people and place names they mentioned, Li Daoxuan had never heard of, and was too disinclined to consult his computer for details.
Just as he began to drift into a sleepy haze...
Li Daoxuan suddenly heard a familiar name in his ear: "Kong Youde." The three syllables jolted him wide awake, and his ears immediately perked up.
He heard Sun Chuanting let out a long sigh and lament, "That scoundrel Kong Youde has betrayed the imperial court and besieged Laizhou... The city has been under siege for over a month now, and I can only wonder how its people fare."
Upon hearing this, Li Daoxuan immediately recalled this piece of history. In the second month of the fifth year of Chongzhen, Ming rebel general Kong Youde had besieged Laizhou. This siege, he remembered, had dragged on for over four months.
It wasn't until July that the siege of Laizhou was finally broken. After Kong Youde's forces were routed by the Ming army, with nowhere else to turn, he defected to the Manchus.
His defection, Li Daoxuan knew, had profound consequences, providing the Manchus with crucial warships, advanced firearms, valuable technology, and skilled personnel.
It was still early June of the fifth Chongzhen year; the event was barely a month away. Yet, Li Daoxuan feared he was powerless to prevent it.
A sudden thought struck him. He chuckled to himself. He'd been fretting over the lack of evidence to convince Zhang Zongheng of the Jin merchants' treasonous dealings. But if he skillfully leveraged the affair of Kong Youde, he might just find a way to persuade the Governor.
His gaze immediately swept through Sun Chuanting's residence, seeking anything he could utilize.
And indeed, he found something.
In a corner of the main hall, a small shrine stood. Within it rested a statue of Guanyin.
Li Daoxuan chuckled to himself. With careful, silent movements, he slipped before the shrine, then delicately scaled its front, turning to cling to the statue's back. The Guanyin statue was at least thirty to forty centimeters tall, while the Puppet Heavenly Lord was smaller than a palm, making him utterly invisible to anyone viewing from the outside.
The shrine was further draped with a piece of red cloth, preventing anyone glancing from the front-diagonal from seeing behind the statue. The Puppet Heavenly Lord's hiding spot here was, truly, perfect.
Ensuring his concealment was absolute,
he then spoke, his voice echoing softly: "Sun Chuanting... Zhang Zongheng... Sun Chuanting... Zhang Zongheng..."
He deliberately slowed his speech, drawing out the final syllables of each name, alternating between a reedy whisper and a gravelly rasp. The resulting sound was profoundly eerie, its source—male or female, aged or youthful—impossible to discern. It echoed hauntingly through Sun Chuanting's main hall.
The spectral sound instantly startled both Sun Chuanting and Zhang Zongheng.
They whipped their heads around in unison. "Who's there? Who speaks?"
Their gazes simultaneously fixated on the shrine.
"Sun Chuanting... Zhang Zongheng..."
The voice continued to resonate. The two exchanged glances and simultaneously confirmed that the sound emanated from the Guanyin statue itself.
However, both were men of considerable experience and worldly knowledge, not easily swayed by superstitions like the uneducated populace.
A single thought sprang to their minds almost in unison: *Someone is speaking from behind the shrine.*
They could only conceive of someone *behind* the shrine, never *within* it.
In a coordinated surge, they both lunged forward, drawing their sabers, flanking the shrine from left and right.
But when they swept around to investigate, they found nothing behind it.
Their second instinct led them to believe the speaker was concealed within the lower cabinet of the shrine. In a flash, their synchronized movements brought them to the front once more, and they yanked open the shrine's cabinet doors with a sharp tug.
Yet...
The interior remained utterly empty.
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