The wind whistled, and the lights in the small county gradually died down. However, at midnight, bundles of torches were running along the roads, and it became lively. At the dock, the lights on several large ships were also lit, creating a commotion.
Spread on a small scale.
Zhou Pei opened the window a slit in the room and peeked out secretly. He saw that several generals on the ship had been alerted, and the soldiers also went down in groups. There were not many guests staying on the ship at this time.
, but the soldiers also tried their best to avoid the places where the distinguished guests lived. After Zhou Pei listened for a while, he realized that it was Lu Chun, the son of Wangyuan Hou Lu Peijiang, who had a quarrel with someone in the brothel and was later robbed by strongmen.
Although Jiangning is a big city, among the princes, Lu Peijiang, the Marquis of Wangyuan, is also a very powerful person. This time the fleet went north to protect the birthday plan for the Empress Dowager, and there were several generals on board.
He is a powerful person in Jiangning's army, but he is nothing compared to his status as a Marquis. I originally thought that the canal channel was stable and the children of the powerful were protected by family generals, so it would be no big deal to go out to play. Who knew that something like this would happen?
Surprisingly, as soon as the news came, everyone immediately took action and headed towards the county town.
With such a commotion, both inside and outside the pier, and on the ships, they were on high alert. In the county town, people from the government offices were probably cooperating. Zhou Pei naturally didn't like the jealousy among the brothels. After watching it for a moment, he listened again.
Ning Yi and Xiao Chan were startled by the sound of getting up next door. She tiptoed back to bed. Ning Yi knocked on the door outside and asked her if she had been woken up. After a while, Xiao Chan brought a pot of tea.
After putting it down, he whispered the news he heard before going out.
The age of the two is actually about a few years apart. Xiaochan also looks like a girl, with a green face. She just got up and hastily combed her hair like a woman. Zhou Pei lay on the bed and compared her with himself.
, I forgot about the little Marquis in the blink of an eye.
However, the noise outside came from far and near, and there was no sign of stopping after a long time. Naturally, she couldn't sleep. After a while, the back cabin became vaguely lively. Someone came to look for her.
Ning Yi. They were talking in the corridor, and the little princess listened carefully.
"That Mr. Lu Xiaohou...hasn't been found yet..."
"Dian is very skilled in martial arts. Xu Yi has searched everywhere but still hasn't found anyone. I'm afraid he stepped on someone before. If this continues, he won't be able to leave tomorrow."
"It's a good choice. If you had planned it in advance, could it be...for this birthday?"
"It's unlikely. On this line..."
The people talking to Ning Yi were naturally Wen Renfuer, Qi Xinyong and others. They are all veterans. Just by looking at the opponent's tactics and the difficulty of the pursuit, you can know whether it is an accident or a plan. But you have to judge whether the opponent is an accident or not.
Coming here for the birthday plan is a bit overly sensitive after all. This waterway has always been prosperous and the government's management is strong. They are docking at the Xuyi side. The other side of this large county is close to Hongze Lake.
There are some water bandits above, but it is still unlikely that they would dare to touch the birthday card, or to attack someone with the status of a marquis.
However, Ning Yi and others have no responsibility for the young prince. Discussing this matter at this time and making psychological preparations can be regarded as a precautionary measure.
That night, Xuyi County government soldiers and policemen, together with most of the officers and soldiers on the ship, were tossing in the county town until dawn. The next day, the fleet did not set off. The captain responsible for the safety of the fleet was named Chen Jingui, Xiao Hou
When he boarded the ship, his father Lu Peijiang also told him that if something happened to Lu Chun here, even if he sent the birthday card safely to Bianliang, he would probably be in trouble when he returned.
Most of the people who were returning from the city knew about Lu Chun's captivity. Since the fleet was not leaving, they were happy to rest in Xuyi for a day, but each of them strengthened their defenses. Some people said that Ruo Ruo had already arrived in Huai'an at this time.
, there are a lot more places to play.
Everyone was from a wealthy family. During the day, some people went out to play with friends. Some people did not dare to run around, so they stayed at the pier, called restaurants to hold banquets, or invited theater troupes and people from brothels to come over.
.The sanitary conditions above the pier are not good, but this side has always been used for docking officials. Such a commotion, with banquets and dramas below, made it very special.
In fact, Xuyi County has already begun martial law at this time. If you really want to go out, the danger is probably not great. Wenren Buer is worried that someone will take action against the birthday card. At this time, the situation in Wu Dynasty is sensitive, and Fang La's worries are suppressed.
After that, the gang members dispersed, bandits and chaos occurred in various places. After all, Wenren Fuer worked in the Secret Investigation Department, so he only knew a lot about the situation. However, this stretch of waterway was usually relatively safe, so there were people who would rob the birthday plan.
, it sounds like a frightened bird.
After all, the three brothers of the Qi family had revolted in the south before, and they were not clear about the situation in Huai'an. Ning Yi also believed in intelligence. After asking some people who were familiar with the environment here, he had some guesses about this matter.
But this morning, I heard news about the robbers coming from time to time. Vice General Chen sent out several soldiers, but they all came to nothing after they came back. Ning Yi also discussed with Wenren Buer and others
For a moment.
"Now, it is unlikely that someone is plotting the birthday plan. It is also impossible to ask Deputy Chen and others to be more vigilant. There is only a thousand days to be a thief, and there is no thousand days to guard against thieves. But fortunately, we only care about this.
I wonder if we should work together and come up with a way to avoid this possibility..."
He discussed with Wenren Fuer, Qi Xinyong and others, and then called Su Wenyu and Su Yanping to listen. Everyone expressed their opinions for a while. Someone outside sent a greeting note, seeming to invite Ning Yi to go out and meet.
Ning Yi had no acquaintances here and kept a low profile on the road. He opened the post and looked at the signature first. The post was written in messy cursive script. The person who invited him out had a surname of Li. He took a closer look and recognized the name. He was confused.
"Uh... why is this guy... running around..." While Ning Yi was discussing with Wen Renbuer and others, more than ten knights were walking among the mountains on the bank of Hongze Lake between Xuyi and Huai'an. At this time, the sky
There were many clouds, and cargo ships could occasionally be seen passing by not far from the lake shore. The knights pointed and then stopped by a bush. A middle-aged man among them pointed at the water and was talking.
"It seems that some of the imperial officers are cautious by nature. It is less than half a day's journey from Xuyi to Huai'an. If they had kept going all the way last night, they would have reached Huai'an before midnight, but the fleet happened to stop at
It is in the river and does not enter the lake mouth. But if this were not the case, we would not have found such a good opportunity. If the young marquis was caught by us, the brigade would not leave. After all, the Xuyi Yamen does not have enough manpower. But if it is related
People who care about the birthday card will not let the goods stay in Xuyi. Only when they arrive in Huai'an will everything be safe. Then these lakes will be our chance to take action..."
The man who spoke was tall and carried two swords on his back. He seemed to be dressed as a green forest warrior, but his eyes were quite bright and his tone was calm. The other ten people got off their horses and walked around casually. Someone said: "This is not the best place to start.
, there are two more places ahead, let’s see what the situation is like.” It seems that he is quite familiar with the surrounding environment.
Some people occasionally looked at the warrior carrying the two swords on his back. The leading man with a beard said: "Brother Zhu, it's not just that Qin can't trust you, but this matter is too big. We used to fight in Hongze Lake, and the imperial court
Although I have been robbed of red goods, I may not be able to eat something as tough as the birthday card. You came out of the blue and said you wanted to give us such a fortune. I really can't make up my mind about this matter.
If one person is not good, it will be a disaster for all my brothers on Hongze Lake."
The pair of swordsmen had already dismounted. After hearing what the bearded man said, he smiled and cupped his hands: "The outside world says that Brother Qin, the Water Tiger Qin Weihong, is reckless. I think this rumor is wrong... But Brother Qin doesn't have to be too modest.
, we brothers heard that Brother Qin had conquered twelve large and small water villages on Hongze Lake in the past six months and was about to do something big, so we came to join him. At this time, the Shenggong uprising shocked the whole world, and the court was busy with its affairs.
Going east, it is the time for heroes to compete. But this is what my younger brother said. We and other brothers also know that this red goods are intractable, and it is natural for Brother Qin to be cautious. Whether to take it or not is entirely up to Brother Qin. Qin
If the elder brother is worried that my brothers and I are dragging you into trouble for our personal grudges with the imperial court, then that is a legitimate concern."
The double-swordsman surnamed Zhu said this beautifully. He praised Qin Weihong a lot and said that it was all up to him. The beard thief, nicknamed the Water Tiger, touched his beard and smiled without saying a word. He stood aside as if he had a strong chest.
But someone asked: "What if he doesn't move at all and must wait until the young prince is rescued before setting off, or let the official ship from Huai'an come to meet him in advance?"
The swordsman shook his head: "If he doesn't move at all, we will naturally still deal with them in Xuyi, letting them exhaust their efforts to rescue the young lord. Some of them are even uneasy, and the general leading the ship
But if the ships are not allowed to go ahead, there will still be internal strife. As for the latter... This waterway has always been relatively peaceful. At this time, there was no sign of hijacking the ship, so he randomly called for people to pick it up, and there were a few troops willing to listen to his orders. The enemy
Secretly and clearly, the best strategy is for them to turn their backs on guests and let the birthday party arrive in Huai'an first."
He paused and said, "Even if this is the case, they will definitely still be prepared. But wealth has always been in danger. If it is really possible to win this batch of red goods, it is impossible not to take risks. Brother, don't exaggerate.
Being able to lead the action to Hongze Lake and allowing them to divide their troops is the best opportunity. If we can really win this batch of red goods, the heroes of the world will definitely look for the wind and invest. We and other brothers only hope to get a batch of dividends.
It’s also a good way to… make some preparations for the Holy Duke’s comeback…”
After the Dual Swordsman said this, his expression was a little gloomy. At this time, everyone thought that he was deployed by Fang La who was dispersed in the Battle of Hangzhou, but they didn't take it seriously. After a while, the Dual Swordsman left first on horseback, and everyone was still there.
I looked at the environment there and saw the outsiders leaving, so I said, "Can you trust this person named Zhu?"
"Now, their brothers are still doing this. They even robbed the young prince of the imperial court. They don't want to die. We haven't broken up with the imperial court like this. Village leader, you need to think about this matter clearly."
"Although we haven't broken our hearts, how can the imperial court tolerate us? Brother, I think the man named Zhu is right. Whether he has an idea or not, we have to see whether it is right or wrong. In this situation, our water village
If you really want to make it big, this is also the best opportunity..."
It turns out that this group of people were water bandits on Hongze Lake. The water tiger Qin Weihong had just recently unified the underworld in the Hongze Lake area, and several people came to visit him, saying that they had a fortune to give them, and they were talking about this birthday.
Gang's matter. Those people claimed to be generals under Fang La's command. After breaking the city, they wandered around the rivers and lakes. They were homeless. They were desperadoes and had no way out. Before Qin Weihong made a decision, those people had already taken action.
He robbed the young marquis and said that the opportunity had already arisen. It would be up to them to decide whether to rob the ship or not. Even if they did not intend to take action, they had deep hatred with the imperial court anyway, so it would be up to them to rob the young marquis.
Qianxian. These words were said in such a guise that everyone called him a hero and were very moved.
It's just that this matter is too big after all, so several people discussed it again. Some people said that Liang Shanbo, who is now famous in the green forest, also robbed the birthday card at the beginning of the uprising. It can be seen that if you want to do something big, you have to rob the birthday card.
.It’s just that Liangshan’s birth plan was very small at the beginning, which is different from what it is now. But Liangshan’s birth plan didn’t have many people at the beginning. Now they dominate Hongze Lake and have a scale of nearly a thousand people. Later, in
What everyone is gradually talking about is where to start.
There is a road near the shore of the lake. When a group of water bandits were looking for a suitable place to attack on the shore of the lake, the two-swordsman rode a horse all the way west, towards the direction of Xuyi, and met several people dressed as business travelers in a tea shop on the roadside.
The man met. He sat down, drank a cup of tea, and said, "It took me a lot of talking, but I think these people are interested. I just don't know what's going on at the dock."
A person in the tea shop said: "Brother Zhu is worthy of the name of the divine military advisor. Not long ago, I heard a steward at the dock in charge of the ship's cargo quarreling with the leading general. They said that the birth date was the most important thing.
, things are weird now, we have to go to Huai'an first. But the general is unwilling to leave. It seems that our suspicion formation in Xuyi has really attracted the attention of the people on the ship. Some people are afraid that something will happen to the cargo, and some are concerned about the safety of the young prince.
If this continues, there will either be internal strife or division of troops. I'm just thinking, if they divide their troops and the birthday plan really allows the water-bending tiger to succeed, what will they do next?"
The double-swordsman shook his head: "Let's not talk about whether they can succeed. Even if they succeed, the red goods are too eye-catching and they won't be able to eat them. This goods is extremely valuable, and the imperial court will definitely send troops to fight. Around the canal route, there are
The dozen or so villages on Hongze Lake did not have the same favorable location as ours, and they were swept away in a blink of an eye. On the contrary, it was easier for us to move the goods. Even if we couldn't take them away, we could sink them into the lake and tell the world that it was our Liangshan that allowed the imperial court to do so.
If we stumble into a fight here, the trip will be worthwhile. It happens that the water bandits on Hongze Lake are good at water fighting. We can also recruit one or two and take them back all the way. After a few battles on the way, the rest will be elite soldiers who are good at fighting.
.”
Everyone nodded: "It's a brilliant plan that can accomplish many things with one stone."
One of them laughed and said: "If Qin Weihong hadn't succeeded, they would have killed some of the officers and soldiers. Secondly, they would have been proud of themselves for breaking the conspiracy. It will be easier for us to do it later. The only thing to worry about is if Qin Weihong
If their leader is caught, it may let the officers and soldiers know that there is another group of people who are plotting against them..."
The double swordsman smiled and said: "Then they will only know that they are a few scattered Fang La remnants. Let them be a little wary. I will use my tricks better."
As they were talking, a tall, handsome and white-haired young man came over here. After a while, he also sat down here, cupped his hands towards the swordsman, and said: "Brother Zhu is back.
Okay, how's the situation?"
The double swordsman told Qin Weihong what happened: "Brother Shi just killed someone?"
The young man shook his head and lowered his voice: "I just broke the legs of two officers and soldiers. I left quickly and they didn't see my appearance." There was a look of disdain in his words.
"That's good. It's not a good time to kill people at this time. Just make them panic." After the double swordsman finished speaking, he added, "How is Xiao Yi doing?"
The young man surnamed Shi laughed heartily: "Xuyi is the only one who can handle Xiyuan. Ji Lianhong, the red card of Xiyuan, was fascinated by Xiao Yi yesterday. If not, so many princes and grandsons passed by yesterday, we
I really can’t tell who is best to catch. But today I heard that a well-known woman seems to have arrived here, also in the Xiyuan, but she didn’t show her face yesterday. I heard from people that this woman is probably the most
Easy to get on board.”
"Who?"
"Li Shishi, one of the four great courtesans in the capital." The young man said with a smile, "I heard from Xiao Yi that this woman is quite talented and learned, Lan Xin Huizhi, and he seemed to be a little attracted to her. That woman also liked Xiao Yi a little bit.
, when I left, the two of them had already been chatting for a while. I don’t know whether Xiao Yi was faking it or pretending to be real, haha..."
Speaking of this, everyone burst out laughing. The people here now are actually a group of people from Liangshan. The one carrying the two swords is Zhu Wu, the divine machine strategist, and the young man is Jiu Wen.
Long Shijin, Xiao Yi as they call him is Lu Junyi’s domestic servant “Prodigal Son” Yan Qing. Although he has always been a domestic servant, Yan Qing is highly skilled in martial arts, and his sumo wrestling skills are unparalleled in Liangshan. Even the rebellious
"Black Tornado" Li Kui was no match for him when facing off. Above Liangshan, if Black Tornado got angry, only Yan Qing, besides Song Jiang, could subdue him.
The "prodigal son" Yan Qing is a good martial artist and a cheerful and kind person. He has a good relationship with everyone in Liangshan. In addition to his martial arts skills, he is also good at everything like singing and singing. With his handsome appearance, he is very good at everything.
Going to brothels has always been the most popular target for women. After gathering information yesterday, it was Yan Qing who took the lead and secured the top spot in Xiyuan. Later, he got acquainted with several princes' children who came off the fleet. In Zhu Wu's
In the plan, if someone with strong martial arts skills like Yan Qing lurked on the ship, it would be better than any internal response.
Everyone also knows that he is quite reliable and will not mess up things. After joking for a while, he talked about other things: "Brother Lin and the others must have returned to Liangshan now..."
"The incident in Jiangning has shocked the whole world. Brother Lin and the others have greatly stolen the limelight. I'm afraid we have to hurry up."
"After I go back, I would like to visit Dulonggang. I heard that the people in Zhujiazhuang are very skilled in martial arts... Should we also think about how to defeat that place?"
"How did you know we were going to cause trouble in Dulonggang..."
"The military advisor's plan this time is very grand. We have conquered Zengtou City, so we can't leave Dulong Gang alone..."
"Brother Song used to...seem to want to recruit people..."
"One moment and another, Xi Junyu came forward that day and said that we should seize this opportunity. Brother Song was still a little unhappy, but in the end I am afraid he agreed. Brother Zhu, what do you think?"
"...It's true that it happened now and then." Zhu Wu whispered, and then said, "But...Brother Song still wants to recruit peace in his heart. But Brother Song also knows that the bigger the trouble is now, the more likely we will be in the future."
If I can recruit someone in the future, my life will be better."
"Don't talk about this stupid thing. I don't know if Brother Lin and the others were injured in Jiangning this time. What is the specific situation of the battle? I heard that Fang La had many people with strong martial arts skills. I don't know who they rescued..."
"I heard that the merchant named Su's family was massacred..."
"Of course we will kill them all. Although brother Xi Junyu is not very good at martial arts, he is still very powerful. He is determined to take revenge. Who can stop him..."
This time when everyone came out, their original target was not completely determined, and they only recently focused on the birthday card. After all, they have no fixed base here. Although they can send their own situation back via flying pigeons, if the other party has information,
When I came here, it was difficult to receive information. The news about Lin Chong and others was also obtained from the market, so it was naturally quite vague. However, in the battle between Jiangning and Liangshan, the heroes of Liangshan really shocked the world. There is no doubt about this.
As for the details of how Bao Xu and others were seriously injured, they don't know yet.
As for the involvement of everyone in Liangshan behind the scenes, Ning Yi, who had just left Jiangning after experiencing the family murder case, could not imagine it. Even the matter of "someone may have the idea of birthday plan", he was not sure about it, and he was not sure about it.
People don't wait for others to discuss it, but they just do some discussion and reasoning in advance, and consider what kind of solutions they would think of if they were the one who made the decision.
He only regarded such discussions as a means and way to train people like Su Wenyu and Su Yanping. However, the little princess next door paid some attention to it. She lay on the bulkhead and listened intermittently for a while. She used her brain and thought of many ways. Hate
Ning Yi couldn't be the one to tell the story quickly. But Ning Yi and others quickly finished talking about the matter. Soon after, news came out that the steward of the Prince Consort's Mansion was quarreling with the general Chen. At this time, Ning Yi was already continuing in the room.
He wrote something he wanted to give to Qin Siyuan.
In the evening, a young man named Zhuo Yunfeng came to see Ning Yi, putting on a serious face that he wanted to have serious negotiations...
Six thousand words. The number of words updated this month is more than 80,000, but it seems that I can’t keep up with the twenty-five chapters. It’s nerve-wracking... Let’s continue the challenge next month...