(For Chapter 1-163, go to (https://chrysanthemumgarden.com/novel-tl/awbtv/))
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Such an invitation was something Gao Lan had not encountered since he had gone from being a bandit to becoming a grand marshal. He wanted to refuse, but he could not—unless he truly intended to start a street battle the moment he entered Haicheng.
If matters really developed that way, then the entire city of Haicheng—foreigners and local powers alike—would never tolerate his presence.
"Marshal!"
The adjutant looked over, his expression tense.
Gao Lan waved a hand, swept his gaze over the forest of gun barrels surrounding them, casually selected two guards, then turned and walked toward the Guanglai Teahouse.
Inside the teahouse hall, the patrons had just been enjoying the spectacle of the opium addict outside losing his mind. In the blink of an eye, the situation had shifted—gun barrels facing gun barrels, tension bristling in the air—and everyone was so shocked they froze, sitting blankly on their stools.
When they saw Gao Lan enter, the shopkeeper and several very seasoned customers immediately bent down and dove under the tables.
Gao Lan swept a glance over them but paid no attention, heading straight up to the second floor.
On the second floor, only one private room had guards standing at its door.
As soon as Gao Lan approached, one of them pushed the door open and made a gesture of invitation, while the other stretched out an arm to stop the two guards who were about to follow him inside.
"Mr. Gao, it would be best if you went in alone."
One of the guards glared, opened his mouth, and started to curse, "Damn it, you people are going too f—!"
"That's enough."
Gao Lan cut him off, his expression displeased. "Wait outside. I trust Mr. Yu's character—there won't be any danger here."
With that said, although the two guards were still seething with resentment, they said nothing more. Each kept one hand on his gun and halted, remaining outside the door.
Chu Yunsheng and Yu Jingzhi listened to the little two-man act being played out at the doorway inside the room, then exchanged a smile.
Immediately afterward, Yu Jingzhi blinked once. Taking the cue, Chu Yunsheng picked up his teacup, rose from his seat, and moved behind the folding screen in the private room.
Although, in the eyes of many, his identity was no longer an entirely unknown secret, in his own view it was best, if possible, not to step into the spotlight.
Just as Chu Yunsheng settled in behind the screen, Gao Lan entered.
"Mr. Yu really is in the mood for refined leisure, At a time like this, you still come out to drink tea and admire the scenery."
His expression was calm, showing not the slightest hint of anger or wariness at being coerced. Smiling as he spoke, he took a seat, looking exactly like an idle guest who had come at someone else's invitation to enjoy a cup of tea.
Yu Jingzhi smiled faintly and replied, "Just taking a walk in my spare time. Staying in one place all the time would be far too dull. I imagine Mr. Gao feels the same—otherwise you wouldn't have grown restless in your stillness and traveled all the way from Northern Jiang Province, covering thousands of li, to Haicheng."
Lu Yun came over to brew the tea.
As he watched the amber-gold tea pour into the snow-white porcelain cup, Gao Lan removed his hat and shook his head with a laugh. "I wouldn't dare compare myself to Mr. Yu's level of 'restless after long stillness.' Haicheng is a great metropolis—one I've admired since I was a child. Now that I've finally found the time, of course I had to come into the city and take a look. I can't very well stay forever in some poor, remote backwater, where even making a living is a problem."
"Mr. Gao worries about making a living?" Yu Jingzhi raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Naturally," Gao Lan replied.
"Mr. Yu is also the head of a household—you must know how truly difficult it is to support so many people under you. Just the grain and military pay alone cost who knows how much every month. It's simply unsustainable."
"Not to mention that Northern Jiang Province suffered a famine last year. The crops completely failed; ordinary folk might not even manage a full meal once every three to five days. Corpses lay everywhere from starvation. Since I took over Northern Jiang Province, I've been its parent-official. Seeing the people under my rule in such misery breaks my heart. That's why I thought of coming to Haicheng, this wealthy place, to try my luck."
Behind the folding screen, as Chu Yunsheng listened to Gao Lan's florid, carefully worded speech, his thoughts drifted to some of the rumors that had circulated after Gao Lan rose to power—and to several incidents from the original storyline.
Gao Lan was most averse to others bringing up his bandit origins. Deep down, he envied men of letters, and after taking control of Northern Jiang Province he set about studying the classics and learning to read, making his speech ever more fastidious.
But no matter how much his words and conduct leaned toward elegance and refinement, a bandit was still a bandit.
When famine struck Northern Jiang Province, Nanjing and many wealthy merchants from the Jiangsu–Zhejiang region sent over large quantities of grain. Yu Jingzhi had even secretly dispatched one of his own trusted aides to supervise the matter. Yet however one sliced it, Northern Jiang Province ultimately bore the surname Gao. The grain did arrive in great shipments, but the number of corpses that starved to death by the roadside was hardly any less than before.
By contrast, the soldiers under Gao Lan's command were each and every one of them tall, well-fed, and bloated with fat.
If Gao Lan truly were the "parent-official who loved the people like his own children" as he claimed, then after becoming a grand marshal he would hardly still be behaving like a bandit, bullying and oppressing the common folk.
In times like these, one should not fear bloodshed or sin; what ought to be feared is having no future to look toward, and failing to remain human.
Outside the screen, Yu Jingzhi's voice rose—cool and gentle, like a soft summer breeze.
He seemed unwilling to continue this round of mutual pretense with Gao Lan. A trace of barely perceptible perfunctoriness crept into his tone. "Then Mr. Gao has truly come to the right place. In Haicheng, even an inch of land is worth a fortune—precious indeed, and not something just anyone can lay hands on."
Gao Lan's expression paused. He lifted his eyes to Yu Jingzhi and replied pointedly, "It seems Mr. Yu really is a local tyrant who can blot out the sky with one hand here in Haicheng."
Yu Jingzhi smiled faintly, raised his teacup, and took a small sip.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, savoring the lingering sweetness on his tongue and in his throat, offering no comment in response.
Gao Lan cast another glance at the teacup before him, but did not reach for it. Instead, he adjusted his sitting posture slightly and spoke again. "Since Mr. Yu already more or less understands my purpose in coming here, perhaps it is time for Gao to ask about Mr. Yu's purpose."
Having just set foot in Haicheng, to be abruptly summoned—under threat—by Yu Jingzhi at this time and in this place, it was impossible for Gao Lan to feel no anger at all. Yet more than that, he felt puzzled. Or rather, in his view, Yu Jingzhi should not have appeared here at this moment, nor insisted on seeing him by name.
It was like a game of chess: with two armies locked in opposition, one side suddenly made an inexplicable sideways move that left the other unable to read its intent—utterly bizarre.
Yet even stranger was Yu Jingzhi's reply.
"Yu has no particular purpose, I simply happened to run into Mr. Gao and wished to invite you to share a cup of tea. Once this cup is finished, Mr. Gao may come and go as he pleases. No one will stop you."
Yu Jingzhi spoke with calm sincerity.
Gao Lan, however, was left momentarily stunned, his brow tightly furrowed—what on earth was this supposed to be?
While the two of them had been speaking just now, Gao Lan had been covertly sizing up Yu Jingzhi.
In his early years, when Gao Lan had only just established himself in Northern Jiang Province, he had crossed paths with Yu Jingzhi a few times. Back then, Yu Jingzhi had only just managed to gain a foothold in Haicheng. At a banquet in Nanjing, Gao Lan had seen him and felt considerable curiosity toward this young man who, surrounded by wolves and tigers, had still managed to carve out a sliver of territory for himself.
But alongside that curiosity was a deep wariness and a desire to compete.
After that brief exchange at the banquet, perhaps guided by some unspoken intuition, Gao Lan came to regard Yu Jingzhi as the great enemy of his life—believing that no matter how much importance he attached to him, it would still not be enough.
Sure enough, within less than two years after that, Yu Jingzhi became the famed "Mr. Yu," controlling more than half of Haicheng. Even Sun Decheng, a fellow warlord, did not dare offend him lightly and withdrew from Haicheng. Although Sun Decheng's retreat was partly due to his own inadequate strength, Yu Jingzhi's terrifying capability was evident enough.
Thus Gao Lan was certain that Yu Jingzhi had laid an ambush along this long street, stopped him, and summoned him up to the teahouse because there was something to discuss—some objective to be achieved.
And after he entered the room, Yu Jingzhi's expression and manner of speech also seemed to corroborate that belief.
But what was going on now?
After the initial probing exchange upon first meeting had ended, shouldn't they have moved on to the main point and started talking business? This absolutely should not have been nothing more than drinking tea and making idle conversation!
A trace of bewilderment appeared in Gao Lan's eyes.
He steadied himself, studied Yu Jingzhi's expression, and decided to cut straight to the point and seize the initiative. "I've heard that Mr. Yu has a new type of medicine in his possession, developed by a doctor—something even the foreign powers don't have. Is that true?"
Yu Jingzhi's expression did not change. Smiling, he said, "Mr. Gao, today we are not discussing official matters. We're drinking tea."
"Don't be so stingy, Mr. Yu. If such a medicine truly exists, my army is in urgent need of it. We might well have to do some business," Gao Lan said.
Yu Jingzhi still refused to engage. He merely raised a hand. "The tea has gone cold. Change Mr. Gao's tea."
Gao Lan's expression darkened slightly. "Mr. Yu, I'm a rough man—I don't understand all these twists and turns. If you have some purpose in mind, or some business for calling me here, let's speak plainly and lay it out in the open."
Yu Jingzhi sighed softly. "Mr. Gao, please don't misunderstand. Yu truly only wished to invite you to share a cup of tea and sit for a short while."
"You—!"
Gao Lan's stifled anger was on the verge of boiling over. He was starting to suspect that Yu Jingzhi was playing him for a fool.
They remained deadlocked for a little while longer. Even the second cup of tea set before Gao Lan was about to go cold. At last, he could no longer endure it. He sprang to his feet and said coldly, "Gao does not like drinking tea. Since Mr. Yu has no proper business to discuss, and I am pressed for time, I will take my leave."
"Safe travels, Mr. Gao. I won't see you out," Yu Jingzhi replied.
Only at this moment did Gao Lan finally realize that Yu Jingzhi truly was not posturing at all—he had genuinely invited him just to drink tea, with no other matters discussed. The sheer oddity of it was unsettling.
Wherever there is something abnormal, there must be something amiss. Gao Lan hesitated and cast Yu Jingzhi another look, only to find him lowering his head to glance at a pocket watch in his palm. In that instant, it was as though enlightenment struck—Gao Lan suddenly grasped the true meaning of Yu Jingzhi's actions today.
"A sinister plot!"
Gao Lan spun around abruptly, glaring at Yu Jingzhi in fury.
Lu Yun immediately went on guard and drew his gun.
Yu Jingzhi made a light, restraining gesture with his hand and smiled faintly. "The time of two cups of tea is enough to settle far too many matters and exchange far too many interests. Even if Mr. Gao were to walk out right this moment, you'd never be able to wash yourself clean—even if you jumped into the Yellow River."
"If you leave calmly, people will assume you have already cooperated with me and talked most amicably. If you leave with a blank expression, they will think you are concealing the outcome of our discussion. And if you storm out in anger, people will still speculate that this was a play we staged together, feigning discord."
"Of course, Mr. Gao may also try to explain a bit more to the outside world—whether anyone believes it is another matter entirely."
Yu Jingzhi watched the look on Gao Lan's face and curled his lips into a faint smile.
Gao Lan shot him a dark glance, said nothing, and strode out. His heavy military boots struck the wooden floor like peals of enraged thunder.
The private room quickly returned to silence.
Down on the long street below, the column moved off at once, as though lingering even a second longer would bring them bad luck.
Chu Yunsheng stepped out from behind the folding screen, swept a glance over the untouched tea before Gao Lan's seat, and said evenly, "This move can only be considered a delay. Gao Lan won't give up on Haicheng. Even without a pincer attack from north and south, he'll still take advantage of any chaos to strike."
Yu Jingzhi's smile faded. He said softly, "If we can delay things, even briefly, it's worth it. What we lack is time. In another two or three months, the arms factory will be able to supply enough weapons."
"Weapons alone are far from enough," Chu Yunsheng said.
Yu Jingzhi leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and did not respond.
A belated, heavy atmosphere slowly spread through the room.
Not enough—of course it wasn't enough.
There was not enough time, not enough weapons, not enough supplies, not enough strength—nothing was enough.
If it truly were not lacking, why would they, even knowing that a fragile peace could be maintained for a short while, take the risk of playing along with the scheme: wiping out the Dongyang intelligence outpost, killing Adams, and intercepting Gao Lan?
Chu Yunsheng knew that according to Yu Jingzhi's plans, even with his own involvement, it would still take at least three to five years to build up enough strength—amassing sufficient capital in every respect—before they could truly have the ability and confidence to drive out the invaders, support Zheng Yuansheng and the others in their cause, and change Haicheng.
But the beating of a butterfly's wings is also limited.
It may stir up a tsunami, stir up the plot itself, but it cannot budge the wheels of history that are already set in motion.
If Chu Yunsheng remembered correctly, in the original storyline, once that Ouhua conference concluded, Dongyang's troops would step onto the Qingzhou Peninsula. After fully occupying the peninsula, they would join forces with the Dongyang army advancing south from the Northeast, together breaching Nanjing and pointing their blades toward Haicheng, sweeping through as if entering an unguarded land.
The outcome of the Ouhua conference could not be changed; the battle situation in the Northeast was deadlocked. Everything seemed to have already become a foregone conclusion.
And the timing of the Dongyang army's southward advance could only be earlier than in the original storyline—it would never be later.
This was reality. This was history.
On the night when Yu Jingzhi had obliquely hinted at Chu Yunsheng's identity and origins, Chu Yunsheng had decided to tell him the truth.
What surprised Chu Yunsheng somewhat was that even without access to the original storyline as spoilers, Yu Jingzhi had still glimpsed this outcome from the shifting tides of the situation and affirmed Chu Yunsheng's assessment.
After that came covert investigations, cautious troop movements, and painstaking, all-out strategic planning.
Using Adams as a tool to purge the Dongyang intelligence network—so long as the Dongyang had one degree less understanding and control over Haicheng, their arrival could be delayed by that same degree.
Killing Adams and striking a deal with Louis and Faguo created a three-way check and balance: Dongyang locked onto Deyizhi, Deyizhi in turn locked onto Faguo. Once the waters were muddied, the Ouhua conference would be forced to drag on in further wrangling. Even if the outcome could not be changed, at least time could be bought.
Intercepting Gao Lan with great fanfare, only to drink tea and discuss nothing, had two purposes. First, both Chu Yunsheng and Yu Jingzhi knew that Gao Lan had come here for Haicheng and was never someone they could truly cooperate with. Second, it was to use Gao Lan to confuse the other powers.
As long as Gao Lan entered the Guanglai Teahouse and met with Yu Jingzhi, it would be difficult for the other factions to place genuine trust in him thereafter. At the very least, the Dongyang would never trust him—using him, perhaps, but trusting him, no. And Gao Lan was no simple character; he would not willingly allow himself to be used by the Dongyang.
Once Gao Lan could not gain Dongyang's trust, the north–south pincer attack formed by him and the Dongyang forces against Haicheng could not take shape for the time being, and the danger facing Haicheng would be greatly reduced.
Two days earlier, when Chu Yunsheng had accompanied Yu Jingzhi to see Fang Jiming, they had been criticized as reckless and lacking in method. Yet all these measures were, in fact, the most effective.
As for the many matters concerning the Qingzhou Peninsula and the Northeast, they could only do their utmost. Humans are not gods; one must accept that there are times when one is powerless.
So in the final analysis, everything they had done during this period was merely preparation for the day that was to come.
Chu Yunsheng also knew that many perceptive people must harbor the same worries or suspicions—only that they were far from ready.
Even Fang Jiming and Zheng Yuansheng, after receiving Yu Jingzhi's hints, found it hard to believe that a world which had only just regained peace was about to be set ablaze by war once again.
But that was the truth.
After sitting across from each other and drinking another half cup of tea, Chu Yunsheng and Yu Jingzhi did not linger any longer. They rose and headed back, stepping into an automobile outside.
When the car arrived at the residence in the concession and they had just gotten out, Chu Yunsheng saw Liu Er hurry over. Lowering his voice, he said, "Sir, something's gone wrong. Our people created a disturbance and helped Li Lingbi escape, but before we could catch him, he was taken away by the Tianming Society."
The Tianming Society.
When Chu Yunsheng heard those three words, the first person who came to mind was not Du Tianming, but Du Qi.
And the Du Qi he thought of had just executed the last subordinate who had helped him in the rescue with a single shot, then carried Li Lingbi straight toward a place to hide.
Amid the jolting and weaving through the streets, the white walls and gray tiles of the alleyways sped past, while layers of dark clouds spread across the sky.
Li Lingbi lay on Du Qi's back, breathing lightly, and asked in a low voice, "Se–Seven… Seventh Brother, why did you kill them all? They… weren't they your men?"
A flicker of impatience flashed through Du Qi's eyes, but his tone carried a gentle sigh. "Lingbi, you're just too kind. I was reluctant as well, but they had to be killed. You're being watched by the Gu family now; your situation is precarious. For every extra person who knows where you're going, that's one more measure of danger."
"Seventh Brother, you'll protect me, right?" Li Lingbi asked again.
Du Qi vaulted swiftly over the foul water running through the narrow alley and laughed softly. "Of course."
Li Lingbi nodded and said, "Then Seventh Brother, do you know that I've become addicted to opium? I told you before that I'd seen Xuan Qinghe use this method to control people and make them work for him, but I never expected he'd turn it on me as well."
"I don't even know when I got hooked on the stuff. Although Gu Qishu kidnapped me and interrogated me for my secrets, he really was helping me quit the addiction. Seventh Brother, once we're settled, you'll help me quit too, won't you?"
Du Qi's steps faltered for the briefest instant, then returned to normal in the next blink.
"This thing is very hard to quit. I've never seen anyone who truly had the ability to quit successfully. But since you're determined, I'll naturally help you. If you fail, don't lose heart either—it's just opium. Smoking a bit for pleasure is nothing to speak of. If you want it, you can have as much paste as you like."
"Lingbi, I will never let you suffer."
Du Qi's voice was still gentle and affectionate, yet Li Lingbi felt nothing but waves of chill.
He pressed his lips together and said nothing more.