novelSusiti Chapter 129 Arrival in Tianjin
Chapter 129 Arrival in Tianjin
Chapter 129 Arrival in Tianjin
There were only thirty people.
Don't be fooled by their small number; each of them is an elite fighter summoned through the skill of the Angel of Death. They are all ruthless characters who are proficient in various types of combat and can take on a hundred opponents single-handedly.
They wore short knives and revolvers at their waists, carried rifles and short spears on their backs, wore short jackets and Burmese-style trousers, and wore melon-shaped hats with a fake braid pressed inside.
These dozens of outfits and braids were urgently purchased by Zeng Tai from immigrants in Chinatown, since the assassins were all short-haired and dressed in black when they were summoned.
It's manageable in San Francisco, but not when infiltrating Tianjin.
The leader glanced around and whispered, "Our lord ordered us to come first and await further orders. The rest of the troops will be sent after we have established ourselves."
Tang He nodded and said in a low voice, "It will be dawn soon. We'll split up later."
Leave two people here to guard the weapons, and the rest of the men will find out the layout of the entire city of Tianjin, such as the location of government offices, the garrisons of the Green Standard Army, and the checkpoints.
I went to investigate the situation of the Eight Banners and officials in Tianjin. After we return here tonight, we will immediately begin our operation.
"it is good."
The leader responded, and the assassins quickly put down their long spears and lances, which were not easy to carry, leaving only short knives and revolvers on their bodies. They then swiftly climbed over the wall and disappeared into the crowd.
Tang He began to take off his soaking wet clothes. The Haihe River water under the water gate was murky and smelly, and the stench became even more pungent after his clothes were soaked through.
He rolled up his wet clothes and stuffed them into the corner, changed into the dry clothes the assassins had brought him, put on a fake braid, and went out.
The courtyard returned to silence in a short time, and from the outside, it still looked like an abandoned house that had been abandoned for a long time.
The sky gradually brightened.
The entire city of Tianjin came alive at this time. Pedestrians and vendors on the streets came out one after another, shops opened their doors and removed the boards, and peddlers carrying loads hawked their wares along the streets. The streets and alleys were filled with the lively atmosphere of the city.
Tang walked briskly along the edge of the street, like an ordinary laborer. Before long, he arrived at his destination.
Tianjin County Government Office.
The reason for coming here is that the county magistrate's office is the place with the best information in the county.
In Tianjin, someone in the county magistrate's office must know who is in charge, where everyone lives, and how many soldiers each person commands.
Of course, you don't go directly to the county magistrate himself; you can just grab any clerk or secretary who is away from home and get the gist of it.
The county government office was quite large, appearing to have about three courtyards. A stone lion sat on each side of the main gate, and a wooden plaque hung above the lintel, inscribed with the five characters "Tianjin County Main Hall".
Tang He walked quickly past the county government gate and sat down in a breakfast shop near the county government.
He laid out nine copper coins on the table and said to the shopkeeper, "A bowl of sorghum rice and a serving of sesame flatbread, quick."
A short while later, the boss brought over the breakfast.
Tang He wasn't in a hurry. He ate a piece of sesame flatbread and a bite of sorghum rice, glancing up at the vicinity of the county government office every now and then. Soon, a group of three people appeared at the gate, catching his attention.
The leader wore a gold-topped hat with intricate carvings and a dark blue outer robe with a magpie embroidered on his chest. The two men beside him wore black uniforms and black square hats, with ox-tail knives hanging from their left waists and shackles on their right.
The three walked quickly eastward, and pedestrians on the street hurriedly made way for them as if they had seen a plague god.
"A ninth-rank official plus two bailiffs, that's you two."
Tang He quickly finished his meal and trailed far behind the three.
He was extremely patient, following them for an hour until they reached a sparsely populated area, at which point he quickly stepped forward, ready to take action.
Without a word, Tang drew his short sword from his waist and pounced on the three men with the force of a hawk swooping down on a palace.
"Huh? Who's running?"
The constable on the left heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind and turned around in confusion. Before he could react, he was stabbed in the chest and sent to meet the King of Hell.
"Third Brother!"
The constable on the right widened his eyes, cried out in despair, and drew his ox-tail knife from his waist with a clang, saying, "You scoundrel, I'll take your dog's life today!"
Tang He flicked the blood off his knife, took a quick step forward, and was within three steps of the constable.
"Die!"
The bailiff roared, his blade flashing like the moon, and relying on its length and width, he preemptively slashed at Tang He.
Tang He remained calm and unhurried, extending his short knife and easily catching the powerful slash.
He grabbed the back of the ox-tail knife with his left hand and gently pulled it towards him, thus sending the constable's neck to the tip of the short knife.
The ninth-rank official, seeing the two bailiffs die one after the other within a minute, was terrified and cried out, "Attacking an official of the imperial court is a capital offense!"
Tang He chuckled, and the dagger was already pressed against his throat.
"I'd dare kill someone in broad daylight, do you think I'm afraid?"
The ninth-rank official's mouth was agape, a very faint gurgling sound came from his throat, and his body trembled like a leaf: "Hero, hero, let's talk this out, I'll do whatever you say."
Tang He pushed the blade forward half an inch, leaving a bloody gash: "Answer my questions. If I'm satisfied, this knife won't take your life, understand?"
The ninth-rank official nodded slightly, afraid that any big movement might accidentally send him to his death: "Hero, please ask, hero, please ask."
Who were the highest-ranking officials in Tianjin?
"The most powerful one must be Governor-General Guarjia Guiliang," the ninth-rank official hurriedly said. "He is the Governor-General of Zhili, a man of great power and influence."
"Where are you staying?"
"Changlu Salt Commissioner's Office. The Governor-General is on an inspection tour in Tianjin and is temporarily staying at the Salt Commissioner's Office."
Tang He remembered this information and then asked, "Who else?"
"There's also General Da Nian, the Commander-in-Chief of Tianjin Garrison; Wen Qian, the Salt Commissioner of Changlu; and Shi Zanqing, the Prefect of Tianjin Prefecture, though he hasn't taken office yet. The remaining one is Magistrate Peng Zai'en of this county."
Tang He mentally reviewed the list of names, then continued to press for details, asking for each person's address clearly.
General Da Nian lived in the town garrison office, the Changlu Salt Commissioner lived in the salt office, and County Magistrate Peng Zai'en lived in the back office of the county garrison.
Where is the Changlu Salt Commissioner's Office?
"Gulou East Street, facing south, with the main gate directly facing the street."
How many soldiers are inside?
The ninth-rank official smiled wryly and said, "Good sir, this is beyond the knowledge of a nobody like me. I only know that when Lord Guiliang came to Tianjin, he was accompanied by at least a hundred guards."
Tang He asked a few more questions, and after confirming that the ninth-rank official had emptied his stomach, he put away his dagger.
Just as the ninth-rank official was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Tang He picked up the ox-tail knife from the ground and killed him with a single blow.
Looking at his lifeless body with his eyes wide open, Tang He shrugged: "I only promised not to kill you with a knife, but I didn't promise not to kill you with a cow-tail knife."
He dragged the three bodies into the alley, threw them into the shadows, and quickly left the area.
Instead of rushing back to his house, he traveled all the way to the northwest bank of the Sancha River Estuary, where the Salt Administration Office was located.
The riverbanks were piled high with countless mounds of salt, stretching as far as the eye could see. Salt-carrying boats shuttled back and forth on the river, creating a bustling scene.
Not far away is the Sanchahekou Fortress. Dozens of cannons are mounted on the fortress, and Green Standard Army soldiers stand guard and patrol nearby, making it heavily fortified.
Tang He mingled among the laborers and began to gather intelligence about the area.
sunset.
When Tang He returned to the house, Li Chengliang, the leader of the assassins, was squatting in the shadows under the courtyard wall, waiting for him.
Seeing Tang climb over the wall and come in, he stood up and asked in a low voice, "How was it?"
Tang He shared the location of the Changlu Salt Bureau with everyone and said in a deep voice, "The Governor-General of Zhili, Gui Liang, is currently residing in the Salt Bureau."
The commander's personal guard numbered over a hundred. Nearby, at the confluence of the three rivers, there was a fort with several hundred Green Standard Army soldiers.
Li Chengliang frowned: "Then we have to finish this quickly, otherwise if the nearby Green Standard Army comes to our aid, we'll be bogged down."
Tang He said, "Our goal is to find Gui Liang and try to turn him into one of our own. So we must not make a big fuss, but act secretly and strike decisively."
Li Chengliang thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "That makes sense. But when I was investigating the Salt Bureau today, I heard that it has over a hundred rooms. How are we supposed to find it?"
Tang He confidently said, "Let's lure the snake out of its hole!"
"The backyard of the Salt Bureau is next to a small alley. You can climb over the wall from there. Once inside, first set a fire in the woodshed."
"Once the fire starts, the guards will definitely rush to put it out, and they'll also send someone to check if Guiliang is safe. If we follow them, we'll surely find Guiliang's location!"
An hour later, it became completely dark.
After the thirty assassins had rested and confirmed that their weapons were in good condition, they split into five teams and climbed over the wall from the courtyard in batches, heading straight for Gulou East Street in the north of the city from different directions.
Thirty people met in the alley.
Tang He looked up at the back wall of the Salt Bureau, which was made of blue bricks and about two zhang high, enough to block all prying eyes.
The suicide squad formed a human ladder and sent Tang He up.
He gripped the wall with both hands, did a pull-up, and peered inside.
There was no movement inside, and no one was patrolling. Against the wall was a row of low houses, which looked like a woodshed and a storage room.
Tang scaled the wall and landed silently. The assassins followed closely behind, one after another vaulting over the top of the wall. Then they began to stealthily move in different directions.
Tang He led two men to the door of the woodshed. After the assassins successfully infiltrated various locations in the Salt Bureau, he took out a tinderbox from his pocket, blew on it, and stuffed it under the pile of dry firewood in the woodshed.
After setting the fire, the three quickly moved to nearby hiding places.
The dry firewood caught fire quickly, and the flames soon leaped up and licked at the wooden pillars of the woodshed.
The fire spread rapidly. In just a few moments, thick smoke and flames billowed from the roof of the woodshed, particularly glaring in the night.
"Fire! Fire!"
The fire was first discovered by a servant who got up in the backyard. His scream shattered the silence of the salt commissioner's office, and soon the entire courtyard was in an uproar.
Tang He hid in the shade of a tree, his eyes fixed on the nearby movements.
The patrolling guards began to surge towards them, their armor clattering.
A middle-aged man frowned as he glanced at the woodshed and asked warily, "Why would it suddenly catch fire?"
"One team will search the area and supervise the firefighting efforts. The rest of you, come with me to keep watch over the adults. We mustn't let them be disturbed!"
Tang He watched from afar as the middle-aged man led his men through the moon gate of the second courtyard and into the third courtyard.
After saying it in his mind, the assassins lurking nearby took over the reconnaissance and continued to watch their direction of travel.
After several reconnaissance agents were replaced, the middle-aged man finally arrived at a courtyard. He went straight to the front door of the main house and whispered, "Your Excellency, the backyard is on fire. I have already sent people to rescue it."
An aged yet steady voice came from inside the door: "Understood. How's the fire?"
"It's not a big fire; the woodshed is on fire, and it will be put out quickly."
"Yes. Be careful not to startle the women."
"Yes."
After confirming that Gui Liang was unharmed, the middle-aged man turned to leave. Just then, he caught a glimpse of a figure at the moon gate out of the corner of his eye.
"Who goes there?!"
Before he could finish speaking, a barrage of gunfire erupted.
Rifle bullets tore through the night, leaving streaks of light. Even though the guards were clad in armor, they were helpless against the bullets and fell to the ground screaming.
The guards who were fighting the fire in the front yard were all stunned when they heard the gunshot.
"There's an assassin!"
With a loud shout, the entire Salt Bureau office was thrown into chaos.
The governor's personal guards and yamen runners sprang into action, rushing towards the source of the gunfire. But before they even reached their destination, bullets flying from all directions subjected them to a torrent of suffering.
Li Chengliang kicked open the door to the main room.
Inside the room, an elderly man in his sixties was getting out of bed. He was naked, his white braid hanging down his back, and his face showed astonishment and anger.
Beside him, a young woman covered herself with a blanket and screamed in terror.
"Who are you people?!"
The Governor-General of Zhili, Guarjia Guiliang, said in a stern but weak voice, "If you dare to assassinate an official of the imperial court, your entire family will be executed!"
Without wasting words, Li Chengliang fired two shots, sending the two men on the bed to their deaths.
"withdraw!"
Sanchahekou Fort.
In the Green Standard Army's barracks, Manchu guerrilla leader Wu Ergun was lying on his bed, fully clothed, half asleep and half awake.
Having been stationed in Tianjin for many years, he had long since developed a habit of vigilance. When the faint sound of gunfire came from the direction of the Drum Tower, he suddenly opened his eyes and sat up abruptly.
"Where to shoot?"
Wu Ergun grabbed the waist knife hanging on the wall. After determining that the noise came from the Salt Bureau, he mounted his horse, ordered his men to organize the troops, and led a dozen personal guards toward the Drum Tower.
"May our ancestors protect us, please don't let anything happen to the Governor-General!"
Wu Ergun gritted his teeth and cracked his whip. He covered the distance from the confluence of the three rivers to the Changlu Salt Office in just ten minutes.
When Wu Ergun arrived at the Salt Bureau, the gates were already open, and the inside was in chaos.
Startled by the gunfire, the servants scrambled about like headless flies. Dozens of corpses lay scattered across the front yard, forming small pools of blood.
Wu Ergun dismounted, gripped his sword hilt, and strode into the courtyard, shouting angrily, "I am Guarjia Wu Ergun, the guerrilla commander of the Chahekou Fort! Where is the governor?"
Led by a panicked servant, a dozen or so people arrived at the courtyard.
There were even more corpses here, almost forming a continuous line. The guards had countless holes punched in their bodies, and their uniforms were soaked with blood.
Wu Ergun's heart skipped a beat. He stepped over the corpse and entered the main room. There was a woman's corpse on the bed, and no one else was there.
Gui Liang has disappeared.
Wu Ergun broke out in a cold sweat.
The Governor-General of Zhili was kidnapped right under his nose; he couldn't bear the responsibility, nor could any official in Tianjin.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from under the bed.
Wu Ergun suddenly drew his sword and shouted, "Who goes there!"
A corner of the bed curtain was lifted, and an old man crawled out from under the bed.
It was Gui Liang.