Guangping County is one of the three upper counties in Donglu Prefecture.
Linjiang County, where Wang Chen once worked, is also a Shang County, and Guangping County is no less prosperous than Linjiang County, with a population greater than that of Linjiang. It has convenient water and land transportation, and there are many business travelers traveling from north to south.
Some time ago, the clues found by Fucheng Xueyiwei's investigation into the disappearance case were finally consolidated in Guangping County.
However, the amount of taxes provided by Guangping County every year accounts for a very high proportion of Donglu Prefecture. Therefore, this county cannot afford to cause chaos lightly. In addition, it is afraid of the strength of the real culprit, so it has not taken action until now.
Guangping is three hundred and seventy miles away from the capital. Wang Chen set out in the morning and ran along the official road. By noon, he saw the city wall of the county town.
Like Linjiang County, the county seat is also built next to Chun'an River.
In fact, the two counties rely on the same river. Guangping is located upstream of Linjiang. There are many boats on the river, and the docks on the shore are bustling with people coming and going, making it very lively.
In addition to the Chun'an River, the other three sides of the county are surrounded by flat rivers, and a large amount of farmland has been reclaimed. Manors stand among them, and the scenery is unique.
While resting on the road, Wang Chen disguised himself as a lone traveler traveling north and south. After arriving in Guangping, he led the yellow gelding into this bustling county town.
"Sir, do you need a guide?"
As soon as Wang Chen entered the city, he was followed by several "little tails" who chased him all the way: "I am the most familiar with Guangping County. I can take you wherever you want to go. It only costs ten copper coins."
Bring travel expenses.”
However, there are still competitors: "Uncle, I only want eight copper coins!"
"Seven!"
"Six!"
Wang Chen saw a few brats about to start a fight, so he had to stop and said, "Stop arguing, take me to the best restaurant here, and I'll give you twenty coppers to divide among yourself."
In order to avoid alerting the enemy, he now plays the role of a newcomer to the world.
He has dark skin and a weathered face, and looks to be in his thirties or forties.
"Great!"
Several children immediately cheered and rushed to take Wang Chen to the best restaurant in Guangping County.
"The best restaurant here is the Peony Restaurant. The wine is the strongest, the people are the most beautiful, and the singing and dancing are the best..."
Wang Chen held the yellow gelding and listened to the children introducing the Peony Building with a faint smile on his face.
Of course he knew about the Peony House, because according to the investigation of the Xueyiwei, most of the missing persons had been to this restaurant, so it was a key target of suspicion.
The nature of the Peony Building is very similar to that of the Chunyue Building in Linjiang County. It integrates a restaurant, a Ji Pavilion and a gambling house into one, and then separates it into three buildings. There are all kinds of enjoyment and consumption inside, and only high-profile guests are entertained.
Ordinary people don’t even have the qualifications to step into the threshold!
When he arrived in front of the pavilion, Wang Chen looked up at the gold-lettered plaque hanging on the gate, took out a large handful of copper coins and threw them on the ground: "This is for you!"
There were thirty or forty copper coins in this handful, which made a tinkling sound when it fell to the ground, causing several children who were leading the way to scramble for it immediately.
When a waiter in front of the Peony Building saw this scene, he immediately came up to him with a smile: "Sir, please come inside!"
The waiters at restaurants like this are the most discerning, and you can basically tell at a glance whether you have money or not.
The way he looked at Wang Chen was like looking at a big fat sheep!
"Um."
Wang Chen threw the reins in his hand to him: "Take good care of my horse and feed it with more feed."
With that said, Wang Chen threw out another ingot of silver: "Ask me a private room again, this is your reward!"
"okay!"
The waiter immediately beamed and hurriedly took the reins and silver coins: "Don't worry, I guarantee that the arrangements are in order. If there is any problem, just feel free to slap me in the face!"
Money opens the way, and everything goes smoothly. Wang Chen was cordially welcomed into this luxurious restaurant.
Then arrange it in a private room on the third floor.
“Just serve good wine and good food!”
After Wang Chen sat down, he pretended to be hungry and thirsty, and slapped a banknote on the table: "Let your chef show off his craftsmanship, I can afford the money!"
As the saying goes, money can make the world go round, so reasonable requests like Wang Chen's were naturally met to the greatest extent.
Steaming hot delicacies flowed into the elegant room like flowing water and onto Wang Chen's table.
Wang Chen sat at the table and chewed, enjoying himself.
"Master, would you like to listen to some music to cheer me up?"
While the wine was in full swing, the restaurant waiter came into the room with several girls wearing heavy makeup, and nodded and bowed to Wang Chen: "These girls in the building are the best at playing, playing and singing. I guarantee you will not be disappointed."
The girls from behind gave Wang Chen flirtatious looks.
Wang Chen glanced at them, waved his hand and said, "Change a batch."
Restaurant waiter: "Uh..."
Had to change a batch.
Wang Chen sneered: "You have such a great reputation at Peony House, so you use these crooked melons and cracked dates to fool people. Are you afraid that I can't afford the money, or that I'm an ignorant fat sheep?"
"Please calm down."
The restaurant waiter replied with a grimace: "I'll go to the Jinxiu Pavilion right away and have a look, and I'll find some girls to come over and show you."
"never mind."
Wang Chen waved his hands carelessly: "Let's talk about it tonight. Prepare a room for me. I'm going to play here for two days!"
The waiter in the restaurant agreed repeatedly.
After Wang Chen had eaten and drank enough, he asked the waiter to take him to Baishengfang in the Peony Building.
The Peony Building is divided into three buildings. In addition to the main building with guest rooms, there are Jinxiu Pavilion and Baishengfang respectively.
The former is a Ji Pavilion and the latter is a gambling house.
This Yum Fong has five floors, and each floor is full of gamblers. According to the restaurant clerk, the rule here is that the winner is the biggest, and the higher you go up, the bigger the wins and losses. It all depends on financial resources and luck.
As for the games to play, they mainly include dice, Pai Gow, war games, etc.
What’s interesting is that here, it is the guests who gamble with each other. The casino does not act as the banker but only takes a commission to ensure fair gambling.
In the gambling room, you can play with chips.
Wang Chen did not leave immediately, but walked around the first floor. He felt confident, and then he took out his banknotes and exchanged them for a batch of chips in his hand.
It happened that a gambler at the table next to him lost all his money and left, so Wang Chen took the opportunity and sat down.
This table is about dice. The croupier of the casino is responsible for rolling the dice, and then the gamblers guess the size. The winner gets the chips from the loser in proportion. It is the simplest gambling game.
Accompanied by the clatter of dice, the dealer slammed the dice clock on the table: "Guess the big one, guess the small one, buy it and leave!"
The surrounding gamblers placed their bets one after another. Wang Chen waited until others finished their bets before throwing out a stack of chips.