A Chang Ah's heart sank. He thought hard but couldn't figure out where he had slipped up.
In terms of accent, his was undeniably authentic to Tai'an Prefecture; even someone who grew up there couldn't tell the difference. In terms of attire, he looked exactly like a young man fleeing disaster. In terms of demeanor, he was no different from these Han laborers.
So, where had the problem been?
Previously, A Gui and Ming Xing had also sent numerous scouts, but they had all vanished without a trace, like stones sinking into the sea.
Was Menglianggu truly impenetrable, like an iron barrel that neither needle nor water could penetrate?
Or was the Han man before him trying to trick him?
With this thought, A Chang Ah immediately put on an expression of immense grievance and cried out, "Heaven and earth as my witness, my entire family was killed by the Tartars. I have an irreconcilable, bloody hatred for the Tartars, so how could I possibly be one? Besides, if I were a Tartar, would I be calling them Tartars one after another?"
The Han man chuckled, glanced A Chang Ah up and down, and then asked, "Are you from the Tartar Tartar's Stick-Gathering Bureau? I heard you Tartars have a Stick-Gathering Bureau, that you've learned a bit of the锦衣卫's (Imperial Guard's) superficial skills and think you're all that?"
His identity exposed by the man before him, A Chang Ah could no longer maintain his pretense. His expression turned cold as he stared at the Han man and said in a deep voice, "Remnant of the锦衣卫?"
As A Chang Ah finished speaking, the young men holding knives and spears burst into laughter. The Han man even laughed until tears streamed down his face.
The Han man pointed at A Chang Ah and said, "I know you Tartars are stupid, but I never imagined you'd be this stupid."
He then shook his head and added, "Haven't you noticed on your journey that everyone else has their hair showing, but you, you dog Tartar, are wearing a hat? Damn it, wearing a hat in the middle of summer, how stupid can you be? Why don't you wear a green hat?"
"Also, is a hand that's always held a knife the same as a hand that's always held a hoe?"
"Most importantly, you actually came to Menglianggu to join the army? Fine, you coming to join the army is one thing, but why didn't you look for the Farmers' Association and instead asked people at the village entrance how to get to Menglianggu?"
With every sentence the Han man spoke, A Chang Ah's face grew darker. By the time the Han man finished, A Chang Ah's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
So many flaws?
If what the Han man said was true, then he had been targeted long ago? And that old man gripping his hands was just to feel the calluses on them?
Even so, A Chang Ah remained unfazed.
After all, they were just dirt-diggers. For the esteemed members of the Stick-Gathering Bureau, breaking free from their ropes would be as easy as turning over their palms.
As long as he wasn't beheaded immediately, Uncle A Chang Ah would have plenty of opportunities to escape. And the next time Uncle A Chang Ah returned, he would see if these dirt-diggers could still laugh!
A Chang Ah muttered vengeful thoughts to himself while subtly trying to move his hands tied behind his back. However, the more he moved, the tighter the ropes became. His hands, which had been able to move slightly, now lost all freedom of movement.
A Chang Ah's heart sank. He knew he was completely trapped by these dirt-diggers now. He immediately gave up struggling and allowed them to push him along.
By the time morning arrived the next day, A Chang Ah was delivered to a small coal mine subordinate to Menglianggu.
Here, A Chang Ah saw a large number of masters from the Upper Three Banners and many bondservants from the Lower Five Banners.
Here, the masters of the Upper Three Banners had to do heavier work than the bondservants of the Lower Five Banners, wore more tattered clothes, and lived in worse conditions.
As a scout from the Stick-Gathering Bureau, A Chang Ah naturally did not intend to escape. After all, it was just a small coal mine. From the perspective of the esteemed members of the Stick-Gathering Bureau, the security here was practically nonexistent.
However, A Chang Ah was clearly unread. At least, he hadn't read Mr. Lu Xun's famous works.
A Chang Ah did not know that Mr. Lu Xun had once said that the more idealistic one's dreams, the more harsh reality would be.
Since arriving at the small coal mine, A Chang Ah had gone down into the pitch-black mine shaft without even eating breakfast. Under the guidance of the masters from the Upper Three Banners, he had to crawl into the coal seam to dig out coal, and then use a plank to pull it out bit by bit. By the end of the day's work, A Chang Ah felt as if his entire body was about to fall apart.
Of course, if it were just this bit of manual labor, it wouldn't have been difficult for Uncle A Chang Ah, who came from the Stick-Gathering Bureau. After all, there were many masters from the Upper Three Banners and a large number of servants from the Lower Five Banners in the mine. A Chang Ah believed that as soon as he revealed his identity as a secret agent of the Stick-Gathering Bureau, these people would obey his commands and help him escape.
Once he figured out the situation at Menglianggu and returned to A Gui and Ming Xing, he would still have plenty of opportunities to get revenge on these dirt-diggers!
Otherwise, Uncle A Chang Ah was a dignified member of the Stick-Gathering Bureau and had some skills. Not long after entering the mine, A Chang Ah had figured out the situation underground.
Deep in the mine, A Chang Ah made a solemn promise to a group of laboring bannermen from the Upper Three Banners: "I swear by my identity as a member of the Stick-Gathering Bureau, if you all help me escape, His Majesty will surely learn of the situation here, and he will definitely send troops to rescue everyone."
"When our Great Qing's heavenly soldiers arrive, Menglianggu will be turned to dust, and then we can settle our grievances and avenge our hatred. Is it not better than being oppressed by these dirt-diggers?"
"As for today's events, only you know, I know, and even heaven doesn't know!"
Unfortunately, although Uncle A Chang Ah had proudly revealed his identity as a secret agent of the Stick-Gathering Bureau, the imagined scene of the bannermen collectively covering his escape did not happen. Instead, these esteemed bannermen reported him to the overseer.
A secret agent of the Stick-Gathering Bureau plotting to escape again? What more could be said?
After receiving a severe whipping, his skin torn and bleeding, and without even having dinner, Uncle A Chang Ah finally faced reality: the so-called bondservants of the "Money-Deaf Master," the secret agents of the Stick-Gathering Bureau, these two identities were worth less than the reward of a single steamed bun to the bannermen laborers at the coal mine.
However, A Chang Ah still did not give up.
After all, he was a member of the Stick-Gathering Bureau. A Chang Ah's belief was that no matter what kind of desperate situation he faced, he must not abandon his mission.
Since these bannermen laborers were unreliable, A Chang Ah decided to escape on his own, which would also save him from being dragged down by them.
However, before A Chang Ah could even plan his escape route, he was carried by two bannermen laborers to a small square in front of the mine entrance.
In the small square, a Han dirt-digger who looked like an overseer was flicking his whip, looking in A Chang Ah's direction and shouting, "Today, our Banner Mine welcomes new fellow workers!"
"However, it seems our new fellow worker doesn't like the environment of our Banner Mine and is still thinking of escaping to report to the old dog Money-Deaf. What do you say we do?"
As soon as the overseer finished speaking, the bannermen laborers raised their arms and shouted, "Beat him to death! Beat him to death!"
Hearing these shouts, A Chang Ah's heart sank to the bottom, and the overseer's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
The overseer flicked his whip. After the miners quieted down, he said loudly, "Nonsense! He, like you, is a poor soul who has been deceived and enslaved by the old dog Money-Deaf! From today onwards, he belongs to your Class A team. The members of your Class A team are responsible for helping him well, making him realize the true face of the old dog Money-Deaf as soon as possible, and striving to reform and become a new person!"
The miners with the embroidered "A" on their work clothes exchanged confused glances and, in the end, could only helplessly lead A Chang Ah back to their group.
The overseer then shouted again, "Someone! Prepare some food for the new fellow worker and get some medicinal liniment from my room for him. Our Banner Mine is a united and friendly mine, and we cannot stand by and watch our new fellow worker starve and suffer!"
A Chang Ah sneered inwardly, thinking that once he got back, he would have a good talk with them about what exactly "united and friendly" meant.
Soon, miners brought food and medicinal liniment. However, before A Chang Ah could even take the food, the overseer shouted again, "Which team is it today? Whose turn is it?"
As soon as the overseer finished speaking, a person from the group with the embroidered "D" on their work clothes stood up and declared loudly, "It's my turn! My name is Cha Lang Ah, originally from the Upper Three Banners."
"...If it weren't for the oppression of the old dog Money-Deaf, I would have my own land, and I would have married a wife early and had a bunch of children... The old dog Money-Deaf is truly a dog! Overthrow the Tartar Qing! Everyone's responsibility!"
After that miner finished speaking, another miner immediately stood up and declared loudly, "My name is Mu Zhang Ah, originally a bondservant from the Lower Five Banners... The old dog Money-Deaf is truly a dog! Overthrow the Tartar Qing! Everyone's responsibility!"
Hearing one esteemed banner lord after another from the Upper Three and Lower Five Banners stand up and shout about overthrowing the Tartar Qing, A Chang Ah, who had been constantly pondering how to escape, was finally completely bewildered.
The scene before him reminded A Chang Ah of his childhood when he first joined the Stick-Gathering Bureau.
At that time, he, too, had joined others in shouting about loyalty to His Majesty and shedding the last drop of blood for the Tartar Qing.
What he had shouted for others to shout was nothing, but these esteemed banner lords from the Upper Three and Lower Five Banners, before shouting slogans, would first explain how they were oppressed by the old dog Money-Deaf and the Tartar Qing court!
As a member of the Stick-Gathering Bureau, A Chang Ah could easily determine that these people were speaking the truth, not falsehoods!
A Chang Ah felt a sense of panic.