Volume One, Chapter 36: Sealed Off-Grande Ming: Um tael de prata por minuto, uma velocidade de colonização inimaginável(Aquele que vende pernas de cordeiro no norte)

Zhu Youjian focused his attention on the status of several undercover agents:

[Undercover List]
Zhang San: Infiltrated a shop, loyalty 2%
Li Si: Mixed into rebel parties, loyalty 2%
Wang Wu: Disguised as a merchant, loyalty 1%
Zhao Liu: Pretending to be a bodyguard, loyalty 2%
Qian Qi: Acting as a shop manager, loyalty 3%

The intelligence they regularly transmitted back had been documented:

[Intelligence Summary]
Shop movements:
- Secretly hoarding ordnance
- Secretly contacting accomplices
- Preparing for large-scale action
Rebel activities:
- Frequent secret meetings in various locations
- Mobilizing large amounts of funds
- Contacting maritime forces
Trade route conditions:
- Increase in suspicious vessels
- Frequent movement of goods
- Smuggling supplies at night
...
...

Li Fu, a henchman of Wen Tiren, sat in his brightly lit study, a stack of ledgers before him. He looked up at the moonlight outside the window from time to time, his expression anxious.

"My lord," a man who appeared to be a steward walked in, "that shipment..."

"Hush!" Li Fu stood up abruptly, "Keep your voice down."

The steward lowered his voice: "The shipment has already been delivered to Qingyun Temple."

Li Fu nodded: "How are the arrangements?"

"Everything is prepared according to the plan. However..." the steward hesitated.

"However what?"

"The men from the Eastern Depot have been..." The steward stopped mid-sentence.

Li Fu sneered: "What is there to fear? My lord is backing us from above."

He walked to the window and looked at the courtyard under the moonlight: "What about those muskets?"

"They are all hidden in the cellar."

"Very good." Li Fu nodded with satisfaction, "Go call Manager Huang."

The steward was about to turn away when he suddenly remembered something: "By the way, my lord. Over at the docks..."

"What about it?" Li Fu frowned.

"I heard that Zheng Zhilong’s ships have been spotted nearby."

Li Fu’s face changed: "When did this happen?"

"Just today. And..." the steward swallowed hard, "they seem to be searching merchant ships."

Li Fu was silent for a moment: "Go and burn all the ledgers."

"This..." the steward hesitated.

"Burn them!" Li Fu commanded sternly, "Not a single trace can remain!"

The steward hurriedly agreed, picked up the ledgers on the table, and prepared to leave.

"Wait." Li Fu added, "Tell the men below to be careful these next few days."

The steward nodded and quickly retreated from the study.

Li Fu sat back down and pulled a letter from his robe. It was a letter Wen Tiren had sent a few days ago.

He unfolded the letter and read it carefully by candlelight. After reading it, his expression grew even darker.

"Someone come!" he suddenly shouted.

A man who looked like a servant walked in: "My lord."

"Go and prepare the horses. If..." Li Fu paused, "if there is any sign of trouble, notify me immediately."

The servant acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Li Fu paced back and forth in the study, glancing out the window from time to time. The night grew deeper; the moonlight spilled onto the stone slabs in the courtyard, casting a silvery white glow.

"My lord." Manager Huang walked in quickly.

"Sit." Li Fu pointed to a chair.

Manager Huang sat down and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "My lord, you wanted me..."

"What do the Jiannu say?" Li Fu interrupted him.

"They..." Manager Huang looked around, "they said the goods are ready. They are just waiting for..."

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting for our signal."

Li Fu nodded: "Tell them to wait a few more days."

"But my lord," Manager Huang said anxiously, "they say they cannot wait any longer. If..."

"If what?"

"If we don't act now, they will..."

"Will what?" Li Fu sneered, "Do they dare to..."

Before he could finish, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded from outside.

The steward ran in, panicked: "My lord! It’s bad!"

"What are you panicking about?" Li Fu frowned, "What happened?"

"Manager Wen... Manager Wen has been arrested! And... and that Steward Zhang as well..."

Li Fu slammed his hand on the table: "When did this happen?"

"Just tonight. They... they were at the docks..."

"The men from the Eastern Depot?" Li Fu asked sharply.

The steward nodded: "And... and they also found..."

"Found what?"

"Ordnance and gunpowder." The steward's voice trembled, "That shipment..."

Li Fu’s face turned deathly pale: "The ledgers!"

"They have... they have been burned." The steward said hurriedly.

"Prepare the horses!" Li Fu shouted, "Quick!"

Manager Huang also stood up: "My lord, what about the Jiannu..."

"Go inform them," Li Fu walked out quickly, "tell them the plan has changed. Tell them to..."

Before he could finish, another commotion came from outside.

"My lord!" a servant ran over, "It’s bad! The city gates..."

"What about the city gates?"

"They’ve all been sealed! And..." the servant gasped for breath, "there are men from the Eastern Depot everywhere!"

Li Fu’s face turned livid: "Prepare the horses!"

"But my lord..." the steward hesitated.

"What is there to fear!" Li Fu roared, "Do you think they can actually capture me?"

He walked quickly out of the study and arrived at the backyard. Under the moonlight, a black horse had already been saddled.

Li Fu swung onto the horse and said to the steward: "Clean up everything."

"Yes." The steward nodded, "And you, my lord..."

"I am leaving first. You guys..." Li Fu was about to say something when he suddenly saw firelight flickering in the distance.

"Damn it!" He suddenly pulled on the reins, "Someone is coming!"

"My lord, flee!" the steward shouted, "We..."

Before he could finish, the sound of shouting and killing came from afar.

Li Fu did not dare to linger and whipped the horse. The black horse let out a long neigh and galloped toward the back gate. Behind him, chaotic shouting erupted.

"Catch them!"

"Don't let him get away!"

Li Fu did not dare to look back, only spurred his horse on desperately. In the darkness, the sound of hooves clattered rhythmically.

He rode north, calculating in his heart where he could escape to. Qingyun Temple? No, it might already be surrounded. The estate outside the city? Also not good; someone is surely watching it.

Just then, the sound of hooves suddenly came from ahead.

Li Fu was shocked and quickly reined in his horse. By the moonlight, he saw a dark mass of men and horses in front of him.

"It's over..." he murmured.

He turned to flee, but the sound of hooves came from behind him as well. The light of torches appeared from all directions. Li Fu was trapped in the middle, unable to advance or retreat.

He looked at the letter in his robe, gritted his teeth, and pulled a small paper packet from his boot.

"My lord!" someone shouted, "Don't do anything foolish!"

Li Fu sneered and shoved the paper packet into his mouth.

With a thud, he fell from the horse. The torches gradually closed in, illuminating his twisted face. The black horse was startled and neighed frantically.

Several agents stepped forward to check Li Fu's corpse.

"Search!" the lead agent ordered.

Soon, they found a letter in Li Fu's robe.

"My lord," one agent said, "we found it."

The lead agent took the letter, unfolded it, and sneered: "As expected..."

He tucked the letter away, turned around, and said to those behind him: "Return to report the mission!"

Several agents carried Li Fu's corpse away, disappearing into the night, leaving behind a black horse, restlessly snorting in the moonlight.

At the same time, raids were taking place all over the city. The agents of the Eastern Depot searched house by house, leaving no corner unturned.

Inside Qingyun Temple, several monks were trembling with fear.

"Don't be afraid." The lead agent sneered, "We are just here to find something."

Soon, they discovered a large quantity of ordnance in the cellar. The monks were rounded up, shivering.

"Take them away!" the agents ordered.

Several shops in the south of the city were also sealed. The merchants were pale with fright as they were escorted to the Eastern Depot.

At the docks, Zheng Zhilong’s naval forces were searching every merchant ship.

"My lord!" a sailor ran over, "We found it!"

Zheng Zhilong stepped onto the deck, looked at the ordnance in the hold, and sneered.

"Seal everything!" he waved his hand.