Chapter 206: Locking Onto The Target
Ma Liang walked into General Gan’s official residence, bowed in salute, and said, “Did the general send for me?”
Gan Ning smiled and said, “There’s something I need your help with!”
“Please speak, subordinate will do his utmost!”
“Here’s the thing: we want to get acquainted with a civil official from Jiangling County. It doesn’t have to be a high official; even a clerk who holds real power would do. We’d like your family to make the introduction.”
Ma Liang thought for a moment and said, “My second brother’s brother-in-law serves as magistrate in Jiangling. He’s called Zhou Ji. What does the general think of him?”
“A magistrate is certainly good, but would he be willing to help us?”
“There shouldn’t be a problem. The Zhou Family is also a major family in Yicheng County. They once went to court against the Cai Family over a piece of land, but the Cai Family used their influence to forcibly seize it. If it weren’t for our family supporting them, their family would have been annihilated by the Cai Family.”
“Your reasoning only proves that the Zhou Family was suppressed during Liu Biao’s rule. What about now? Has the Cao Army put their family to good use?”
“It’s the same now. Otherwise, how could Zhou Ji still be just a minor county magistrate? He’s the legitimate eldest son!”
“Still a magistrate?” Gan Ning’s train of thought was watertight.
“Yes, I received a family letter the day before yesterday. Father mentioned him in the letter; he’s still a magistrate.”
Gan Ning pondered for a moment and said, “This Zhou Ji might be very important to us. I want to pull him over to our side. See if we should first go talk to his father?”
Ma Liang bowed and said, “Let subordinate go to Nan Commandery! Subordinate is the most suitable to handle this matter.”
Gan Ning thought for a moment, then nodded gladly and instructed, “If Zhou Ji is willing to pledge loyalty to us, ask him to investigate the whereabouts of those one hundred fifty giant trebuchets.”
“I understand!”
“No time like the present—best to set off tomorrow!”
Immediately after, Gan Ning ordered someone to send a carrier pigeon message to Ding Feng, telling him to prepare for a sneak attack on Jiangling.
Ma Liang had his own methods for handling affairs. He didn’t go directly to see Zhou Ji, but first took a boat to Yicheng County. He wanted to see his own father, then have his father meet with the Zhou Family on his behalf—this would truly convince Zhou Ji.
Ma Liang’s father was called Ma Shen. He had once served as prefectural assistant in Nanyang Commandery, and it was his decision to send his fourth son Ma Liang to Yuzhang Commandery.
“Is it General Gan who wants to contact Zhou Ji?” Ma Shen asked.
“General Gan didn’t specify anyone. He just wanted to contact an official or clerk in Jiangling who holds real power. He specifically asked me, and I recommended Zhou Ji to him.”
Ma Shen nodded. “This is an opportunity for the Zhou Family!”
The Zhou Family and their family were family friends, but the Zhou Family had been very unsuccessful in their official careers, all because they had once offended Cai Mao. Thus, they had always been suppressed by the Cai Family—suppressed during Liu Biao’s era, and now in Cao Cao’s era, still not put to good use. The legitimate eldest son only served as Jiangling County’s magistrate. This was indeed an opportunity for the Zhou Family, and Ma Shen decided to help them out.
That night, Ma Shen brought his son Ma Liang to visit his relative Zhou Lian. Zhou Lian was Zhou Ji’s father, the patriarch of the Zhou Family. The Zhou Family had once produced high officials in the imperial court, but by Zhou Lian’s generation, they had somewhat declined. Zhou Lian had never entered officialdom, but he had married a daughter of the Ma Family—Ma Shen’s cousin—and his eldest son had married Ma Shen’s daughter, so the two families were on very close terms.
Zhou Lian invited the father and son into the inner hall. He knew Ma Liang worked under Gan Ning, so Ma Liang’s visit today must involve something important.
The three sat down as host and guests. A maidservant came in to serve tea, and Zhou Lian smiled and asked, “We’re all relatives. You can speak directly; no need to stand on ceremony!”
Ma Shen also gave his son a look, signaling him to speak directly.
Ma Liang smiled and said, “General Gan wants to learn about the situation in Jiangling and hopes to contact an official there. He asked me if I had anyone in mind, so I recommended Shao Cong.”
Shao Cong was Zhou Ji’s courtesy name. Zhou Lian hesitated and said, “Shao Cong is just a clerk; I’m afraid he doesn’t meet General Gan’s requirements.”
“I told General Gan about it. He doesn’t care if it’s a clerk, as long as they hold real power.”
Holding real power was indeed true; Zhou Lian had confidence in his son on that point.
He hesitated again and said, “What does he want Shao Cong to do? Be an inside man for capturing Jiangling County?”
Ma Liang hurriedly explained, “The Yuzhang Army won’t attack Jiangling County for the time being. Even if we attack the county town later, we won’t ask Shao Cong to take risks helping. General Gan just wants to inquire about some matters concerning Jiangling. If the patriarch finds it troublesome, forget it; I’ll find someone else.”
How could Zhou Lian pass up this opportunity delivered to his door? He hurriedly said, “I’ll write a letter right now. You go directly to Shao Cong and have him do whatever is needed.”
Ma Liang smiled and bowed. “Many thanks, Uncle!”
Leaving the Zhou Family, the father and son rode a carriage home. Ma Shen sighed and said, “Old Zhou is even more eager than I thought!”
“Uncle Zhou saw the opportunity!”
“Yes! The Zhou Family has had so few opportunities. You’ve secured this one for him this time; he should be very grateful to you.”
Ma Liang nodded. “The key is still how Shao Cong handles it.”
Three days later, Ma Liang arrived in Jiangling County and soon found Magistrate Zhou Ji.
Zhou Ji was about twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He had also obtained his position as Jiangling County’s magistrate through the introduction of his father-in-law Ma Shen.
Zhou Ji invited Ma Liang to have a few cups at a restaurant. Though it was the custom not to eat at noon, inviting a friend for a midday drink didn’t violate it.
The two sat by the window and had two cups of wine. Ma Liang then took out the letter from Zhou Ji’s father and handed it to him.
“A letter from my father?” Zhou Ji was a bit surprised and hurriedly opened it to read carefully.
After reading the letter, Zhou Ji was silent for a moment before asking, “How did General Gan come to find me?”
“I recommended you to General Gan, Brother Shao Cong. You must seize this opportunity.”
Zhou Ji nodded lightly. “I’m deeply grateful, Younger Brother. Tell me—what do you need me to do?”
“There’s a major matter at hand. Do you know about the Cao Army transporting one hundred fifty giant trebuchets?”
Zhou Ji nodded. “I know about that. It caused a stir in Jiangling County. No one had ever seen such massive trebuchets.”
Ma Liang continued, “According to our intelligence, after this batch of giant trebuchets annihilated Lingyi County, they were transported back to Jiangling. They’re currently in some warehouse by the Yangtze River in Jiangling County.”
“I didn’t know they’d been brought back, but there are over a hundred warehouses by the Yangtze River!”
“This is the first mission General Gan has given you: find and confirm their exact hiding place.”
Zhou Ji nodded. “If they’re really in a Jiangling warehouse, it shouldn’t be hard to find out. If I get definite news, where should I find you?”
“Go to Jiang’an Inn in East City, near the East City Gate. I’m staying there!”
That afternoon, Zhou Ji came to Jiang’an Inn and found Ma Liang. He looked around the inn and smiled. “This must be one of your intelligence points!”
Ma Liang smiled and asked, “Did you find out?”
Zhou Ji nodded. “This batch of giant trebuchets is indeed in Jiangling, currently stored in a warehouse at the Jiangling shipyard.”
“Is the information reliable?”
“Absolutely reliable. I originally served as grain officer, and I have several trusted subordinates among the grain officer’s minor officials. They investigated it for me.”
