The meeting ended without a result, but that was itself a result. Before darkness fell, mounted messengers bearing dispatches from the Brocade-clad Patrol Cavalry and the various military officials galloped off in every direction. Meanwhile, the enormous fleet dared not stop at all. Taking advantage of the warm afternoon sunshine and the absence of obstructing ice, it tried to turn slowly into the Huanshui Estuary.
In fact, by this point, the problem had already become serious. The local Longwhale Gang, which controlled the towmen and specialized in servicing government boats, had also heard of the unrest ahead-or rather, they had been among the first to obtain and spread the news. This time, they actually refused to provide towmen and icebreakers to help.
Their reason was that they feared casualties among the towmen and icebreakers, for which they could not answer to those above or below them.
Clearly, they did not want to wade into muddy waters.
"Is this something they can simply refuse to do?"
The commanderies' accounting officials, who had been wearing long faces a moment earlier, flew into a rage. Unexpectedly, however, their words made some sense.
"We've let their Longwhale Gang monopolize all this business at the Huanshui Estuary for five or six years. Wasn't the whole point that they would step up at a time like this? Otherwise, what entitled the Zuo Brothers to rise from local down-and-outs to men of immense wealth in just five or six years, and the Longwhale Gang to become one of the foremost gangs in the realm?"
"Why is that bastard Zuo Caihou pretending to be a great philanthropist now? If he really wants to do good, he should distribute his fortune among his gang!"
"No need for him to distribute his fortune. Just replace him with a gang leader