Chapter 573: Operation Falcon (II)

To the east of Youzhou City, there was a famous tavern called Beiyan Tavern. Rumors suggested it was owned by Gao Shang, a strategist for An Lushan. Once, a dozen Khitan barbarians got drunk and caused trouble there, but they were quickly captured by the arriving troops, proving the rumors about its powerful backers to be true.

Beiyan Tavern was enormous, covering ten acres in size, with a front building and rear tents. The dining hall was magnificent yet exquisitely designed, while the back yard housed tents of the barbarians, offering large pieces of roasted beef and mutton, as well as authentic mare’s milk wine. As a result, both Han people and barbarians loved this tavern, making it the most famous one in Youzhou City, earning it the reputation of “live in Youzhou, dine at Beiyan.”

Having a meal at Beiyan Tavern had become a desire for many people in Youzhou and even Hebei. That noon, the tavern was bustling with noise and customers. In a cozy room by the window on the second floor, two men sat, each accompanied by a beautiful woman.

One of them seemed a bit drunk, speaking unevenly. He lowered his head and waved his hand to refuse, saying, “I appreciate Brother Zhao’s kindness, but I really can’t drink any more. If I go back late, my master will scold me to death.”

Although this drunk man wore a fine silk robe, the hem revealed a piece of his Taoist robe. His name was Chendi Zi, originally a Taoist priest at Chongyuan Temple in Zhaozhou. Half a month ago, he followed his master to Youzhou to present a gunpowder formula. Thanks to their contribution, these Taoists became wealthy overnight, able to afford luxurious clothes and even developing worldly desires. Many of them secretly visited brothels.

Chendi Zi used to be in charge of ringing bells at the temple and was the least useful among his fellow priests. He had no involvement in gunpowder production, only doing menial tasks like mopping floors, doing laundry, and building wooden structures for experiments. He held the lowest status in his master’s eyes. However, after his master Shi Chongming received a large reward, he also gave Chendi Zi several hundred strings of coins. For Chendi Zi, who had saved less than 500 wen in years, this was unimaginable. This money quickly led him down the path of degeneration—eating, drinking, gambling, and indulging in all kinds of vices. Once a blank slate, he was now ruined by his dissolute lifestyle. He loved this tavern the most and came here to eat every noon.

The man sitting across from him was the gambler he met on his first gambling trip, named Zhao Jiaju. He claimed to be a spoiled son from a wealthy family in Youzhou City and had been interested in Taoism since childhood. The two of them got along very well and quickly became close friends, going gambling together and visiting prostitutes together. Zhao Jiaju was also very generous, often paying for expenses, otherwise, Chen Zhenzi would have run out of his few hundred strings of coins long ago.

Chen Zhenzi, because he did menial tasks and knew nothing about gunpowder and never went to the gunpowder workshop, was much freer than his fellow disciples. Aside from having to return to work in the afternoons and evenings, his master basically left him alone. The guards stationed at theTaoist practitioners’ residence also allowed him in and out, though bringing others in was strictly forbidden, as were women.

In fact, once these Taoists handed over their formulas, their value in An Lushan’s eyes dropped significantly. They were no different from other gunpowder makers—going to work at the gunpowder workshop every morning and staying busy until late at night before going back to bed. Only their master and a few key disciples were still tasked with researching gunpowder and were under strict supervision. Even with tens of thousands of strings of coins, they couldn’t step outside.

“Chen Zhenzi, so your master and fellow disciples can only have dinner at the hour of Hai? Won’t they starve?”

“There’s nothing we can do. They say they’re extremely busy these days. Sigh! They could just stay at the workshop, but An Lushan refuses, saying no one is allowed to stay there at night. So they have to keep traveling back and forth.”

“Then do they go to work before dawn every day? Aren’t they tired?”

“There’s no choice. An Lushan demands that thirty thousand paper thunder bombs be made within a month, so everyone is working overtime. The eldest disciple said the warehouse is filled with various raw materials. All the sulfur and saltpeter from Hebei Province have been bought out, and people have been sent to Qingzhou to buy more sulfur, but it seems there isn’t enough.”

“Why buy sulfur? Isn’t it better to mine it themselves?”

“It’s not that simple. I heard from my master before that there are no sulfur mines in Hebei Province at all. Now that they’re in such a hurry, they have to buy it from other places.”

Zhao Jiaju nodded, remembering everything he said. He raised his wine cup and said with a smile, “Come! Let’s drink more!”

Chen Zhenzi was already drunk. He had to go back in the afternoon to cook for his fellow disciples, so he couldn’t drink any more. He pleaded, “Brother Zhao, please spare me! I really have to go back. Otherwise, if I anger my master, I won’t be able to leave next time.”

Zhao Jiaju nodded and smiled, “Alright! I’ll have a carriage send you back.”

He had the waiter settle the bill, then helped the drunken Chen Zhi down the stairs. His carriage was parked downstairs. He helped Chen Zhi onto the carriage and ordered, “Go to Chongyang Temple!”
The carriage set off, rolling toward Chongyang Temple outside the city…
Zhao Jiaju watched the carriage disappear. The smile on his face slowly faded, and he turned to leave the Beiyan Tavern quickly.
…
Half an hour later, Zhao Jiaju arrived at Miaoshou Huichun Hall. The hall was still crowded with people seeking medical treatment. He went into a side alley beside it, came to a side door, knocked on it, and the door opened slightly.
“It’s me, Jiaju!”
The door opened, and Zhao Jiaju quickly entered through it, which then closed with a bang.
In the quiet room inside, Zhao Jiaju was sitting drinking tea when footsteps were heard outside. The head manager, Zhang Yue, walked in quickly.
Zhao Jiaju immediately stood up and bowed, saying, “Saluting the hall master!”
“Hmm! Sit down!”
Zhang Yue sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and smiled, “So, what have you accomplished today?”
Zhao Jiaju took out two pages of organized intelligence and handed them to Zhang Yue, saying with a smile, “Today’s results were good. That guy drank too much and told us everything.”
Zhang Yue glanced at the intelligence and his eyes lit up—lack of sulfur! This was extremely important information!
Zhao Jiaju added, “I’ve fully figured out the daily routines of those Taoists. And according to Chen Zhi, it wasn’t his master who truly mastered gunpowder technology, but his senior brother, Wang Chenzi. He’s an expert in alchemy. He’s been responsible for preparing and researching gunpowder for the past few months. An Lushan seems to be unaware of this either; they thought Shi Chongming had the technology.”
“Hmm! That’s indeed crucial.”
At that moment, Zhang Yue took out a small notebook and recorded today’s intelligence in detail. He put down his pen, glanced at the hourglass in the corner—it was almost time to leave. He closed the notebook, stood up, and said, “Continue as usual. Go back to that Taoist tomorrow and try to get more information. I’m leaving now. Stay here and review all the intelligence from these days to ensure nothing is missed.”
Zhao Jiaju quickly stood up and said, “I shall obey!”
Zhang Yue nodded and left Miaoshou Huichun Hall. He took a trusted apprentice pharmacist with him, got on the carriage designated for medical visits, and headed outside Youzhou City.

The carriage of Miaoshou Huichun Tang had a special emblem: a white lotus. This emblem enjoyed great prestige in Youzhou. Despite the strict inspections in the city, the soldiers guarding the gates would show utmost respect upon seeing the carriage adorned with the white lotus and would never approach it for inspection. The carriage passed through the city gates and headed east.

An hour later, the carriage arrived at Guangping Town, a small town nestled by the Sanggan River, with about two to three hundred households. It was a necessary route to Xishan, and many merchants passed through here. Since it wasn’t a strategically important location, An Lushan’s army did not exercise strict control over it, with only a small group of soldiers stationed in the town.

Zhang Yue’s carriage entered the town and stopped in front of an inn called Xishan Inn. It was actually a small inn that could accommodate only twenty to thirty guests, run by an elderly couple. At that moment, a “Full” sign hung at the inn’s entrance—a rare sight, as the inn had already been reserved by a dozen merchants.

As soon as Zhang Yue got off the carriage, two burly men dressed like merchants stepped out of the inn. One of them stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Sir, are you Master Zhang from Miaoshou Huichun Tang?”

“I am indeed. I’ve come here to treat Lord Qin in Chang’an.”

Their eyes met, and they understood each other without words. The burly man waved his hand and said, “Please, Master Zhang!”

Zhang Yue turned around and gave a few instructions to the boy, telling him to wait in the carriage. He then carried his medicine box and entered the inn. Every five steps inside, there was a tall, burly man with a cold gaze, enough to instill fear in anyone.

Yet Zhang Yue remained calm and composed, following the men unhurriedly to the innermost courtyard. At the entrance of the courtyard stood two even more massive men, their fierce appearances reminiscent of the gatekeepers in a grand temple.

The burly men entered the room first to report, then came out and said to Zhang Yue, “Mr. Zhang, please come in! Lord Qin is waiting for you inside.”

Zhang Yue pushed the door open and stepped in. He saw two people in the room: one was a scholar in green robes, while the other was a tall, thin man in his thirties with sharp eyes and extremely long arms with prominent joints. He clearly seemed to be a shrewd and capable man—General Qin Haiyang, who commanded ten thousand imperial guards and had once been the leader of the Anxi Army’s scouts.

The year before last, when Zhang Yue returned to Suiye, he had met Qin Haiyang once and still had a vague memory of him. Although Zhang Yue’s direct superior was Hu Peiyun, not Qin Haiyang, Qin Haiyang was still one rank higher in the Inner Guard. Who knew—if Qin Haiyang became the commander of the Inner Guard, he might become his superior. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, “Your subordinate, Zhang Yue, pays his respects to General Qin.”

Qin Haiyang knew that Zhang Yue was also a member of the Hidden Dragon Society and had a special status. Moreover, this mission could only be completed with the full assistance of the Hebei Intelligence Bureau. He also quickly stood up and replied, “President Zhang, please don’t be formal. Please sit!”

Zhang Yue sat down, but his gaze kept drifting toward the middle-aged scholar beside him. The more he looked, the more familiar he found him. Suddenly, he remembered and pointed at him in surprise, “You… you’re Yan Zhuang!”

The middle-aged man was indeed Yan Zhuang, Li Qingan’s military advisor. He had visited Miaoshou Huichun Hall many times during his time in Youzhou. Now that Zhang Yue had recognized him, he bowed slightly and smiled, saying, “Where in life can we not meet again? Manager Zhang, it’s been years. I hope you’re well!”

Zhang Yue had also heard that Yan Zhuang was now Li Qingan’s trusted advisor. Not daring to neglect him, he also bowed and smiled, saying, “Indeed. It’s been eight years since we last met! I remember Mr. Yan had a poor stomach. How is it now?”

“Thank you for caring, Manager Zhang. It’s an old condition. I pay attention to my diet, so it’s generally fine.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they gradually shifted to the main topic. Zhang Yue asked first, “I received news from Chang’an that General Qin is leading five hundred elite soldiers. I wonder if everyone has arrived.”

As a seasoned scout, Qin Haiyang understood that honesty with allied forces was crucial when carrying out major missions to ensure seamless coordination. He nodded and told Zhang Yue without any reservation, “This time, I’ve brought five hundred soldiers from the First Falcon Camp. We came separately. Last night’s count showed that all soldiers have arrived, not a single one missing. They are currently hidden in Xishan and can all arrive within half an hour.”

Zhang Yue was deeply impressed. He only knew that five hundred elite soldiers would be sent, but he never expected it to be the First Falcon Camp. The First Falcon Camp was originally known as the First Scout Camp of the Anxi Army—the very scout camp where Li Qingan originated from. That scout camp was considered the most elite force in the Anxi Army. All its scouts were carefully selected from hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Anxi Army, each capable of fighting like ten men. Five hundred of them had the combat strength of five thousand soldiers. They rarely fought as a group. The fact that Li Qingan had sent this force showed just how much he valued An Lushan’s firearms.

Zhang Yue also felt a weight in his heart; he was aware of the heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He nodded silently, took out a booklet, and handed it to Qin Haiyang, saying, “This contains all the intelligence we’ve gathered over the past half month. Please have General Qin and Mr. Yan take a look.”

Qin Haiyang took the thick booklet and flipped through it. Even before reading the content, he couldn’t help but admire it—its organization was excellent, and the details were thorough. Information such as the status of those dozen or so Taoists, their living arrangements, routines, names, abilities, appearances, and their proficiency with gunpowder was all recorded. There were also details on the locations of gunpowder factories, the number of warehouses, the number of craftsmen, and the number of troops stationed there—all meticulously documented. He marked the highly valuable information in red ink for easy reference.

Qin Haiyang handed the booklet to Yan Zhuang and gave Zhang Yue a thumbs up, praising, “Very good, excellent, and extremely detailed. After this operation is successful, we’ll share the credit equally.”

Zhang Yue felt somewhat proud. It was said that Qin Haiyang rarely praised others and tended to find faults. His praise meant that his efforts hadn’t been in vain. He quickly said modestly, “General Qin, you’re too kind. It’s just my duty, and of course I must do it well.”

At that moment, Yan Zhuang beside him suddenly asked, “Does An Lushan currently lack sulfur?”

“That’s right. Hebei doesn’t produce sulfur, and he’s already seized all the sulfur in various prefectures and counties. It seems it’s still not enough, so they’ve sent people to purchase more from areas outside Hebei Province.”

Yan Zhuang exchanged a glance with Qin Haiyang. This was indeed very important intelligence that needed to be reported to Li Qing’an so that he could take action to block it nationwide.