“No, sir,” Lei replied. “I've heard talk that some of our men spoke of the treasure to fishermen while we were off paying respects to your father, but to the best of my knowledge, no one mentioned the swords or armor. They probably didn't think anyone would believe them.”
“Very well,” Tonglong said. “Take these men aboard and add them to our crew. Make sure no one leaves this ship. You and I will take their boat ashore, along with ShaoShu.”
“Yes, sir!” Lei said.
ShaoShu stood at the edge of the cliff, overlooking the sea. From up here, he could understand why someone had built a fortress in this location. The stone stairs they'd climbed were on the northernmost edge of an enormous complex that stretched so far to the south it bordered the mouth of the Qiantang River. Someone could easily defend that busy opening from above—that is, if there was anyone posted to defend it.
“This is absurd!” Tonglong said as he turned away from the cliff's edge. “Where is everyone?”
“Likely napping or gambling,” Lei replied. “Those are their two favorite pastimes.”
“Everyone?”
“The men here can bribe their way out of their duties and even their training. Most take advantage of it.”
“Who gets the money?”
“Their immediate officers take half. The other half goes to the commander.”
Tonglong scowled. “So they only post four men at a time to guard the stairs?”
“Yes, sir. For sentry work, the men prefer to operate in groups of four. That is the ideal number for playing mahjong.”
Tonglong spat and gazed back over the sea. “This was once the strongest naval base in all China. Where are all the boats?”
“Sold, sir. Or pressed into service as merchant vessels.”
“What happened to the docks?”
“A typhoon came through several years ago and destroyed them. At low tide, you can still see a few pilings out there. HaiZhe was going to rebuild but then decided to simply move his operations to Hangzhou. He spent most of his time there, anyway. The river docks are much more convenient than hauling everything up and down these stone stairs.”
Tonglong stormed over to one of the cannon turrets. Lei and ShaoShu followed.
“Are these of any use?”
Lei inspected a cannon that had rusted into a fixed position. Beside it sat a pile of lumpy brown metal that appeared to be iron balls fused into a solid mass by years of neglect and decay
“I might be able to recondition the cannon,” Lei said. “But it would take weeks. The shot is of no use to anyone.”
“We don't have that kind of time,” Tonglong said. “Let's hope their portable equipment has been better maintained. Take us to the encampment.”
ShaoShu followed Lei and Tonglong for quite a while before they encountered their first soldier. He was sleeping in a hammock beneath a tree. Tonglong swung his straight sword as they walked past, slicing through the hammock's ropes as though they were nothing more than blades of grass. The man crashed to the ground and jumped to his feet with his hands up, ready for a fight. When he saw Tonglong, he dropped to his knees like a frightened child.
“General Tonglong,” the man said. “I recognize you from the fight clubs—”
“Round up the officers,” Tonglong ordered, interrupting the man. “Immediately.”
The man took off like a shot toward the distant inner compound.
By the time Tonglong, Lei, and ShaoShu arrived at the encampment's series of low buildings, an impressive crowd had gathered. Men were squeezed between the buildings and sitting on the rooftops, elbowing each other for the best viewing spots. They didn't appear to be very disciplined.
Tonglong stopped short of the buildings, and ShaoShu and Lei stayed back several paces. The crowd parted for a fat middle-aged man who strode forward with a confident air, adjusting a ridiculously large hat on his balding head. His robes were brilliant green silk, a stark contrast to the shabby gray cotton uniforms of the men.
“General Tonglong!” the man in green said, offering Tonglong a slight bow. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Commander Sow.”
Tonglong glared at the man, and ShaoShu could almost feel anger flowing from his rigid body. The mouse in his pouch began to squirm.
“You have been neglecting your duty, Com mander,” Tonglong said tersely. “Your camp is a disgrace.”
The commander smiled. “Come now, General. Don't you think you're overreacting?”
“From what I see, you're not prepared for a raid by a handful of schoolchildren, let alone a superior force.”
Commander Sow laughed. “Are you alluding to war, sir? We haven't had a war in more than two hundred years! We have no time for war. War is bad for business.”