Chapter 86

The five cities and twelve districts of Guangfu still bustled with the glow of lights and the sounds of revelry. Even the common folk, such as street vendors and laborers, could indulge in peanuts and dried fish with a cup of rough wine every few days, maintaining their orderly and routine lives. The mutiny in Qingyuan Town seemed like a distant event.

After all, as the political center of the Southern Dynasty and the hub of overseas territories, Guangfu had not experienced military conflict since the bloodless entry of the South Sea Governor's Office over a hundred years ago, which was met with enthusiastic welcome from the people.

The area around Guangfu, known as the capital region, was heavily fortified with the Imperial Guard, the sixteen armies of the Shogunate, the garrison troops of Guangfu, the naval units of the two maritime routes, and the direct armed forces and security units of the Secretariat, the Grand Council, the Ministry of War, and the Temple of the Guard.

Not to mention the varying numbers of local militia, village troops, and volunteer corps, which together were said to number two hundred thousand. Thus, the daily lives and attitudes of the people of Guangfu were not significantly affected. In most official and private records, this was just a routine pay dispute.

However, this day was destined to be etched into the memory of the people of Guangfu. Early in the misty morning, the boatmen, who usually provided the first batch of fresh seafood for the early markets at the major docks, found their first net full of mud and rags. The small river flowing into the city suddenly changed color, first turning white and murky, then a yellowish-brown with large amounts of unidentified debris and garbage, gradually darkening as it flowed.

Then, the water turned a vivid red, staining the entire surface of the small river. Floating corpses, like fish with their bellies up, dotted the water.

This sight made any official explanation or self-comfort seem like self-deception. With the crowds and the boats jostling to reach the shore, panic spread for the first time in this peaceful city, along the banks of the small river.

Chen Zihé stood on the wall of Niudou Town, the only strategic stronghold on the outskirts of Guangfu, which had been so easily captured that it felt unreal.

The so-called two thousand town troops had almost immediately collapsed, leaving behind an almost untouched treasury and arsenal. However, the supplies were not in good condition; the piles of canned food, rations, uniforms, and leather armor were infested with insects and mold. The armory had become a breeding ground for rats, and the cannons on the wall had not been properly secured or destroyed, left intact for the rebels.

The accumulated dust and grime in the firing mechanisms and barrels suggested that they had not been used or maintained for years. The garrison on the outskirts of Guangfu had deteriorated to such an extent.

His army had grown to over ten thousand, with at least six thousand of them being trained and armed, mostly from the local militia or other units, many of whom had joined after killing their superiors. They were eager to vent their long-suppressed grievances and anger in the prosperous and bustling Guangfu.

Of course, the growth of the army was not all positive. Command efficiency and control had declined with the increasing numbers. He lacked experience in leading a large force, so he could only directly control the core of about eight hundred elite troops, and indirectly manage the movements of the thousands of others with some military training.

As for the opportunists and troublemakers who had joined the cause, he had given up on them. They were only tolerated because they could divert some of the attention and pressure from Guangfu.

According to the prior agreement, after receiving the goodwill and cooperation, his next step was to divide his forces.

He did not expect to capture the Little Chang'an where the Imperial Palace was located, or the old city's three districts where the Shogunate and key officials were concentrated, or the lower city's Panyu district where the navy was based. However, there were other areas where he could make a significant impact.

Whether in the Left City or the Upper City, there were numerous wealthy merchants, nobles, and officials, with countless shops, warehouses, and markets. The accumulated wealth of hundreds of years of peace and prosperity was unimaginable.

Moreover, this was the largest land-based distribution center for the region, as well as the Western Sea Route from South India to Annam, and from Japan to the Ryukyu Islands. It was a hub for all kinds of goods and treasures.

Just the property exchanges on Baoquan Street and the financial institutions under the South Sea Society handled transactions in the millions.

He could negotiate a good price with the big players, or, if negotiations failed, make them remember this day for a long time.

A few steps away from Chen Zihé, another veteran watched him with mixed feelings.

He was a low-level spy, almost forgotten about his original mission and background. After seeing so many people and events, he sometimes thought that living out his life in obscurity would be fine.

According to custom, in the military towns and garrisons, the Military Affairs Hall of the Secretariat and the Military Affairs Department of the Five Inspection Rooms would arrange a certain number of spies.

Their missions and durations varied, sometimes lasting a few months to a few years, or even a lifetime without ever being activated, blending into the world.

For someone with a complex past, Qingyuan Town, though not ideal, was the best place to live out his days anonymously, far from the power center but with convenient transportation and a relatively mobile population.

At least he could die in his armchair, surrounded by his grandchildren, or in his bed surrounded by his children. However, the events in Qingyuan had shattered his last hope of a peaceful life.

He would have preferred not to be found, avoiding the difficult choice. He doubted that the corrupt officials in the hall could have found his records in the dusty archives.

They had rushed to him, offering a series of conditions, threatening and bribing him to make a sacrifice at a critical moment, promising to erase his past, grant him honor and status, and even a place in history.

Once in Guangfu, who knew what other conditions they would come up with in their desperation.

But did any of this matter to him anymore?

The remnants of his mission and duty, intertwined with the familiar people and things in his daily life, left him particularly conflicted and confused.

...

Amidst the gentle breeze and light waves, our ship arrived at the old port of Panyu.

This time, we were fortunate thanks to Yuwen Luoluo's influence. The Silver Clan not only had trading posts and agents at major ports along the Eastern Sea Route and a fleet of ships, but also had an advantage in gathering information.

We were able to join Yuwen's fleet, which was waiting for the monsoon in Lufeng Jieshi Bay, and after a brief negotiation, they agreed to transport us and the naval unit we had encountered to Guangfu, hundreds of miles away.

This is Guangzhou, my former second home. I felt a surge of emotion as I breathed in the warm, humid air and felt the scorching sun, even in spring.

The first thing we saw as we approached the land was the lighthouses and watchtowers on the hills and in the port.

Even a massive mechanical clock tower, with its golden edges and gray-white face, and black hands and markings, reflected the shining sunlight. As the mist and sea fog cleared, it emitted a deep, resonant sound, similar to the tolling of a temple bell.

When the ship docked, we could sense the signs of the mutiny in Qingyuan.

Although the port was still a bustling international hub, one of the largest in the south, it was filled with a sense of unease.

The port was under lockdown and martial law, with occasional civilian boats trying to escape to Hainan Island but being stopped. The military and civilians, wary and nervous, were peering out to see what was happening.

Amidst the stares, we disembarked with our captives and spoils onto the outskirts of Guangfu.

"Please bear with us, Miss, and your people..."

I said to the figure behind me.

"Let them serve as my retinue for now..."

"Of course,"

Madam Chen replied, gently shaking her veil.

"I need to use your identity as a cover."

In fact, from the outer port of Panyu to the inner port in the lower city of Guangfu, there was still a distance of over ten miles, filled with a variety of buildings and facilities.

Open-air shipyards and semi-enclosed dry docks, cramped workshops emitting pungent odors and loud noises, iron-clad wooden tracks with animal-drawn wagons running along the middle of the road, sewage-filled ditches and uneven ground, and people huddled in the shadows waiting for work, all under a haze of smoke and dust.

It felt like a disorienting glimpse of early industrial London during the transition from sail to steam.

However, based on my initial observations, the basic order of the area was still maintained, indicating that Guangfu's control had not been significantly affected, or at least not yet.