At the Hour of the Rat, all was silent.
Yang Ge, neatly dressed, sat in the upper room of the inn, slowly perusing a Confucian classic "Great Learning" by the flickering light of a dim lamp.
People with Chinese heritage often awoke to a unique gift as they reached a certain age, a gift that allowed them to understand classical Chinese and ancient poetry without the need for formal instruction.
And this understanding was quite miraculous.
It meant you could grasp their meanings, yet to translate it into plain language required you to pause and contemplate carefully, organize your words thoroughly, and still, it always seemed like the words fell short of conveying your true feelings.
This awkwardness made it seem as if decades of speaking vernacular were less precise and succinct than the obscure classical texts.
It was similar to phrases like "The way of great learning lies in illuminating virtuous qualities, in loving people, in stopping at perfect goodness. Only when one knows to stop can one be tranquil; only then can one be serene, contemplate, and achieve understanding. Everything has its basis and its progression; affairs have their endings and their beginnings. Knowing what comes first and what follows, one approaches the Dao."
Any true person of Chinese descent could nod and recite a few lines.
But it wasn’t until the age to truly comprehend these lines was reached that their meanings were fully understood.
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Yang Ge hadn’t understood these lines before either.
Or rather, he had never been calm enough to revisit these musty, antiquated texts.
With free time at hand, he would have preferred to follow trends and read some "literary masterpieces" popular online.
But now without choice, picking up these long-forgotten classics, tranquility was found.
As if they, like aging relatives...
were quietly waiting in his hometown for each lost child of China.
When you picked them up again, you were home.
"Knock, knock, knock."
A deep knocking sound echoed.
Without turning his head, Yang Ge whispered, "Enter."
The door opened and Fang Ke, Gu Tong, and a group of Colonels entered quietly, all bowing to Yang Ge as they greeted, "Master."
Their people occupied the rooms around, safe from eavesdroppers.
Yang Ge set down his book and picked up the teapot on the table, "Come, sit down."
The men bowed again and moved lightly to take their seats.
Fang Ke naturally took the teapot from him, "Master, allow me."
Yang Ge nodded and picked up his book again, "Now speak, what intelligence did you all gather today? One by one."
Gu Tong took the tea cup from Fang Ke, thanked him, and then spoke softly, "Master, I found out that the guest’s house permanently employs over eighty skilled guards, with numerous other servants and lackeys scattered in various marketplaces and docks. Though numerous and formidable, they are merely bullies who are timid yet fierce, who work only for money, hardly worth mentioning!"
This meant that if they were to move against the Changfeng Gang, they only needed to consider how to take down those eighty skilled guards at the gang’s main stronghold.
Yang Ge’s eyes did not leave his book, "Are there any experts among them?"
Gu Tong replied, "Based on current intelligence, there are presumably eight Qi Sea experts, but no substantial information on any true masters so far."
Yang Ge furrowed his brow but did not rush to respond.
Gu Tong’s heart hung in suspense.
Only after a while did Yang Ge speak, "Continue digging deeper, perfect the information about those eight, and when Shopkeeper Qin and the others arrive, pass this information to him. Have him plan their capture, prioritizing to eliminate them one by one to minimize casualties!"
Although he had brought many with him to the south, including himself, there were only four individuals above the level of Qi Sea experts.
And he had to stay alert for any possible true masters from the rival gang, unable to make an early appearance.
Therefore, if they could not strategically eliminate them one by one, there would likely be significant casualties.
That was not Yang Ge’s intention.
Gu Tong quickly replied, "Yes!"
As soon as his words ended, a junior officer spoke up, "Master, I’ve learned that since last September, the guest openly started collecting money and land for major traders. By the first half of this year, they moved from overt to covert operations, colluding with local landlords, gambling houses, pawnshops, and underground banks. The good lands acquired were distributed under the names of relatives of these merchants. Recently, the poor families whose eviction from the city we’ve seen are mostly those who were driven to desperation by the Changfeng Gang..."
Yang Ge finally looked up from his book at the junior officer and asked deliberately, "Are you saying that even after the downfall of the three major grain traders in May, the Changfeng Gang continued to collect money and seize land?"
Perhaps intimidated by his stern gaze, the junior officer involuntarily swallowed before speaking softly, "On the surface, it seems various local landlords, wealthy families, and thugs are seizing the opportunity to loot, but behind them, the Changfeng Gang is indeed providing money and support. In the northern suburbs, in Shao Bo Town lives a wealthy man named Xie Fuwen, who has been making lacquer for generations with some family assets. Last December, due to famine, he pledged eight acres of paddy fields to Gold Treasure Money Shop owned by Dong Dacheng in the northern city. In July, when Xie Fuwen gathered enough money to redeem his land, Dong Dacheng had his thugs kill him in broad daylight."
"Xie Fuwen has a younger brother, Xie Fuwu, trained in the ’Five Tigers Soul-Breaker Sabre’ school in Jiujiang. On hearing the news, he rushed back to Yangzhou to seek revenge for his brother, killing thirteen people at Gold Treasure Money Shop, his ferocity daunting, no constables or government officials daring to approach!"
"Unexpectedly, when Xie Fuwu was breaking through the city gate, a master appeared to block him, killed Xie Fuwu with three strikes, and dragged his body around Jiangdu on horseback, declaring publicly ’This is the end for those who oppose our Changfeng Gang,’ leaving the onlookers terrified and speechless."