Chapter Eighty-One: The Zhao Family Manor

The shot stunned the British officer. An ambassador! In Europe, the Austro-Hungarian Empire could still be counted among the military powers, and yet Yang Xiaolin had actually shot their ambassador without the slightest hesitation. The Austro-Hungarian personnel erupted at once.

Yang Xiaolin tapped the muzzle of his gun against the British officer. "Two minutes. If you still haven’t cleared the way by then, I’ll drag Sadoy out myself. You can bet I wouldn’t dare if you like. The clock starts now."

With that, he turned and walked back to the center of his men. The British officer was utterly flustered. He no longer doubted that this Chinese man would dare kill Sadoy. If the British ambassador truly died at the hands of these bandits, the British Empire would never be able to swallow the disgrace, and he would never be able to bear the responsibility.

"Clear the way! Move aside and let them pass!"

The Austro-Hungarians naturally refused. Their ambassador was already dead; to let the hostages go at such a moment was emotionally impossible for them, and they would have no way to answer for it when they returned home. Dozens of Austro-Hungarian soldiers immediately prepared to fire.

The British officer hurried over. "What are you doing? Put those guns down!"

The Austro-Hungarian guard captain said, "They killed our ambassador. I cannot let them leave. If I do, I’ll be court-martialed!"

Enraged, the British officer waved his hand, and every British gun was instantly trained on the Austro-Hungarian soldiers. He grabbed the guard captain by the collar. "Listen to me! If you don’t obey, I’ll kill you right now!"

The Russian and Japanese troops were clearly on the British side as well. A Japanese military attaché came forward and said, "Let them go. If they want to take people away, they will surely make demands. At a time like this, the ambassadors’ safety must come first."

The Austro-Hungarian guard captain twisted the British officer’s arm behind his back. "Then why didn’t you make way just now?"

The British officer said, "I didn’t know they really dared to kill an ambassador!"

The Austro-Hungarian guard captain nodded. "So you only know once our ambassador is dead? Very good. Excellent. British man, I’ll remember you."

A rift had opened within the coalition, but the Austro-Hungarians, who had favored the use of force, were clearly isolated. Under the guns of the other nations, they had no choice but to step aside.

With only a minute and a half left, a path opened before them. The British officer stood alone in the middle of the road. "All right. Now you can go. But let me make one thing clear: for the ambassadors’ safety, we will follow you, unless you release the envoys of the various nations."

A smile spread across Yang Xiaolin’s face. "They will be released, but not now. If you want to follow, then follow. Nierel, move out."

The British officer stepped aside. After they passed, he led his men after them, neither too far nor too close, afraid of provoking the bandit into killing again.

After they left the Eastern Suburb Alley, the others who had been waiting to meet them nearby also gathered around. Erganzi was truly stunned. Hadn’t they said they were only taking a few people out quietly? How had it turned into such a commotion?

And there was also a black mass of foreign soldiers following them. Erganzi froze for a moment, but the situation left him no time to think. He led the brothers to Yang Xiaolin’s side. "Captain, all the brothers are here. Where to now?"

Yang Xiaolin looked at him. "We can’t get out of Beijing. Erganzi, lead the way up front. We’re going to the Zhao family compound!"

He was certain that before long, Qing troops would arrive as well. They would absolutely have no chance of leaving the city. Even if those men dared not open fire, could they really keep following him all the way to Gulu Mountain? That would be a joke.

So he decided not to return to Gulu Mountain. He would close the deal here in Beijing, get the ransom in hand, and then deal with the problem of escaping safely.

This would implicate the young madam of the Zhao family, but he had no choice. He truly could not think of any other place that could suddenly hold three or four hundred people and that he himself knew well enough.

When the young madam of the Zhao family opened the door, she was utterly shocked. She nearly toppled to the ground. Yang Xiaolin slipped inside and steadied her. "I’m sorry. I’ve botched the matter, and I have no choice but to borrow your home for now."

Only after a while did the young madam regain her senses. Looking at the foreigners who had poured in without her permission, she pointed and asked, "What is going on? What happened?"

Only then did Yang Xiaolin tell her the truth. "I’m a bandit. These white men are hostages I’ve taken. Those black men are my friends. I’ll explain everything slowly later. For now, let me settle them down, all right?"

She pointed again toward the street. "And those Qing soldiers?"

"They’re chasing me."

She stood there, stunned, but said nothing more, because by then those people had already begun moving in. Though Yang Xiaolin was still asking for her consent, the situation made it plain that whether she agreed or not, the outcome would not change.

The young madam drew a few breaths and finally said, "The side rooms in the back courtyard are where I live. Whatever your reason, no one is allowed near them, including you!"

After saying that, she turned and left. Yang Xiaolin felt an indescribable taste in his heart. On the one hand, he felt deeply guilty for dragging this innocent woman into the matter. No matter how this business turned out, she would never again be able to live as an ordinary person. On the other hand, he found himself faintly gratified by her situation, as though she had nowhere left to run. He knew he should not feel that way, yet some hidden expectation still stirred within him.

The Zhao residence was large, but with more than three hundred people inside, it was still packed to the brim. Yang Xiaolin and Nierel arranged the defenses around it, separating the foreigners into different groups. The ambassadors naturally became the top priority. Yang Xiaolin had them confined in the main hall, while more than thirty brothers were divided into three shifts: one group to guard the ambassadors, another to stand watch, and the third to rest.

The negotiations that followed would surely be a long tug-of-war, so Yang Xiaolin told Nierel to be fully prepared. Also, from this moment on, as long as the people inside did not resist and the people outside did not attack, no more killing was to be done. If the other side refused his conditions and he killed a hostage, it would make him seem guilty of fear; and if he gave them the impression that the hostages could not be rescued anyway, then they would all die.

Nierel agreed very much with this. In his view, every person killed now meant one less considerable ransom.

Soon a Qing prince came outside, saying he wanted to negotiate with Yang Xiaolin about releasing the foreigners. Yang Xiaolin refused. His reply was that night had already fallen and it was not the time to talk. If there was anything to say, they could speak again the next morning. He wanted the people outside to understand that he was in no hurry. Moreover, he was certain that throughout the night, the various nations would surely put pressure on the Qing government, which would make it even easier for him to obtain the ransom.

Yang Xiaolin sat in the main hall. "Nierel, keep your guard up tonight. They’ll try to rescue the hostages."

Nierel nodded. "Don’t worry. I’ve already made the arrangements. I won’t let them succeed. Yang, now you should be thinking about how to get us out of here. That’s the most important issue."

Yang Xiaolin took out a cigar from his breast pocket. He had taken it from Shearly’s room. It tasted far better than the cigars he had found at the Russian mine. He took a few slow draws while Nierel sat beside him, watching his expression, clearly afraid that Yang Xiaolin might betray him at the final moment.

Yang Xiaolin understood the look in his eyes, of course. "Nierel, do you know what the most important thing is when villains work together?"

Nierel looked a little puzzled and shook his head. Yang Xiaolin smiled. "Honesty."

Nierel thought about it and felt the words made considerable sense, so he asked no further questions.

Just then the young madam walked in. When she entered the room, her brows were faintly knit, as though she were displeased about something.

Nierel, ever perceptive, stood up. "I’ll go. From now on, the night watch is mine and the daytime watch is yours. Also, tonight I’ll bring a few white women for my brothers. They need that."

Yang Xiaolin nodded. When Nierel reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back. "Yang, remember: honesty."

After Nierel left, the young madam came to Yang Xiaolin’s side, reached out, took the cigarette from his hand, and threw it outside. "That smell is too awful. Don’t smoke that in the house again."

Yang Xiaolin rubbed his hands together, embarrassed. "All right. I’ve caused you trouble."

The young madam sat down on the chair Nierel had just occupied. "This courtyard hasn’t been this lively in a very long time. The last time it was full of guests was when my husband passed the imperial examinations and became a successful candidate. The whole courtyard was hung with colored lanterns, and he stood at the doorway in a bright red robe, so proud of himself."

Yang Xiaolin frowned. For some reason, he did not like hearing her speak of her husband. But he did not interrupt her, because he knew that during these days, what had sustained this woman and allowed her to endure until now were those fragments of beautiful memories. So long as she did not become like the weeping madwoman who repeats herself endlessly, he could still accept it.

Clearly, she was not that kind of woman. She was not one to go on and on. She only spoke a beginning before stopping herself. "Enough of that. The soldiers have already surrounded this place. I just looked around, and the rear courtyard is guarded just as heavily. You won’t escape."

As she said this, she actually smiled at Yang Xiaolin. He found it rather strange. "Aren’t you afraid? I’m a bandit. I might very well hurt you. And even if I don’t, after this is over, you won’t escape involvement. The authorities won’t let you go, and neither will they spare your child."

He knew that the only thing this woman truly cared about now was her child, so he spoke very seriously. He wanted to see what she was really thinking in the face of this sudden turn of events. From the moment she opened the door until now, aside from an initial moment of panic, she had remained remarkably composed, unlike an ordinary woman, unlike a young madam hidden in the deep chambers of a great household.