Many years later, when Pan Zhang recalled it, he still couldn't understand why he followed Cao Peng in such a confused manner at that time!
And once he left, he never got off the pirate ship again.
However, at this moment, Pan Zhang heard someone calling his name and followed him subconsciously.
It’s not that he doesn’t know the situation in Haixi County, he also knows what Chen Sheng represents in Haixi County. He is the No. 1 tyrant in Haixi County!
If he hadn't lost all his money, he wouldn't have wanted to default on his debt.
To be honest, although the price the guy asked was a bit high, overall it was still within the appropriate price range. Since Haixi County is not subject to the constraints of the imperial court, the value of goods fluctuates greatly and is very free. It is even said that,
The price of the entire Haixi County is controlled by a few people. Among these people, Chen Sheng is included. Pan Zhang has even planned to go to Jiangdong to make a living if he can't survive. Anyway, the three walnuts he earns now
Zao, if you don’t even have enough money for wine, how can you satisfy Pan Zhang’s desire?
At this moment, Dianman Xu Yi and others appeared!
"who are you?"
"It doesn't matter who I am, if you don't want to die, just come with me!"
Feng Chao led the way, and Cao Peng led Pan Zhang, quickly turning into a small road and heading towards the county government office.
Wang Mai saw a figure moving in the distance and quickly shouted: "Second brother, third brother, stop fighting, hurry up and leave!"
Dianman Xu Yi and his men smashed the hotel into a mess. Hearing Wang Mai's shouts, he evacuated immediately without hesitation.
The group of people ran away, and when Chen Sheng's minions arrived, there was no trace of Dianman and others.
A group of idle men were furious in front of the hotel, shouting and roaring. But the Sanhei guy was lying on the ground rolling around, crying.
"Who on earth are you!"
Pan Zhang followed Cao Peng and ran out of the North Market, then stopped suddenly with a look of caution on his face.
Cao Peng also stopped and looked back at Pan Zhang, "Why, are you scared?"
"What else am I afraid of?"
"That's it, come with me."
"where to?"
"It doesn't matter where you go, the important thing is that you don't get caught."
Feng Chao also spoke from the side: "Hero, you causing trouble in Chen Sheng's store is not a trivial matter. This man is quite powerful in Haixi County. It is estimated that four doors have been sealed by now! His men
, they are all desperadoes, you'd better come with us."
Pan Zhang hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and followed Cao Peng.
Pass through the double arches, walk south along a path, then turn east, and you will see the backyard wall of the county government office.
"You are……"
Cao Peng stopped and said with a smile: "I haven't introduced myself yet, my name is Cao Peng.
My brother-in-law is the new Haixi Ling, and he just arrived in Haixi yesterday. We need help to bring peace to the people of Haixi, so we want to ask you to help."
Pan Zhang looked at Cao Peng with some confusion and blurted out: "It's just you..."
He didn't finish what he said, but his meaning was clearly expressed.
Cao Peng's face turned pale, "It's not just us!
We are indeed weak now, but behind us are those 30,000 Haixi people who long for peace, as well as the imperial court.
Although the strength of people like Chen Sheng is not small, it is not something to worry about.
To put it bluntly, dealing with Chen Sheng is just a matter of swordsmanship, and it is not a difficulty. Now, there are three thousand soldiers and horses of the imperial court stationed in Houqiu, Donghai County. Lu Wenhou, the general of Zhendong, also has to obey the imperial court's dispatch, and only looks at the imperial court.
After being summoned, the two of them immediately sent troops to fight against the rebellion. Pan Zhuangshi, what we hope is to bring long-term peace and stability to the governor of Haixi County, not to repeat it. This requires a long process and cannot be solved with swords. We need helpers, and we need a lot of help.
Helpers, we need a lot of helpers like Pan Zhuangshi."
"you know me?"
Pan Zhang was a little moved, but still very vigilant.
"Haha, all those who are enemies of Chen Sheng are our friends."
Pan Zhang scratched his head, feeling both excited and hesitant.
My heart beats because since Cao Peng can say this, it means that he represents the new magistrate of Haixi County. He is a down and out man. He finally got a business and came to Haixi to sell goods. He does not want the goods to be lost.
He had to be clean, and he didn't even have the money to settle accounts, let alone go back to pay for business. He was able to get this business only with the help of his old friends. What would he look like now, going back to see his old friends? If Cao Peng hadn't appeared, Pan Zhang would have
At this moment, he might have fought his way out and fled to Jiangdong to join the army...
He hesitated because he also knew something about Haixi's situation.
It's quite chaotic here. Can Cao Peng and the others control the situation? Furthermore, Cao Peng's brother-in-law is only a county magistrate, so what kind of future can he have?
Pan Zhang really couldn't make up his mind for a while.
"Pan Zhuangshi, if you don't want to, I won't force you.
However, it may be difficult for you to escape now. It is better to settle down in the county government for the time being... If you want to come, Chen Sheng will not dare to make trouble here. Even if there is really something, we have enough manpower... Wait until the limelight passes, if you want to leave
, I will never stop you when the time comes."
Cao Peng's words were very sincere.
Pan Zhang thought about it and felt that it made sense.
"Then, Pan Zhang is causing trouble!"
"Feng Chao, take him in through the back wall and wait for me in the courtyard."
"Here!"
At this time, Feng Chao could be considered to have corrected his position.
He is not the son of the county magistrate now, nor is he a soldier, but a captured thief. Life and death are in Cao Peng's hands, what tricks can he do? And look at the new Haixi Ling family,
The origin does not seem to be that simple.
Just imagine, if Hai Xiling were an ordinary person, would he have so many followers?
Just look at the forty retinues, each of them is filled with murderous intent. They are obviously warriors who have experienced hundreds of battles. How can an idle person have these retinues?
Also, Cao Peng’s Zhao Yebai and Xu Yi’s black dragon!
They are all one-in-a-thousand BMW horses. It would be difficult for other people to raise two such horses, even an ordinary war horse. But beside Deng Ji, there are two BMWs worth thousands of gold, and each of his followers
The crotch mount is not that simple.
Who dares to look down upon such a person?
Feng Chao had hope again. Maybe the newly appointed Haixi Ling family could really bring peace to Haixi and avenge his father...
"Pan Zhuangshi, follow me."
After saying this, Feng Chao led Pan Zhang and jumped in through a gap in the backyard wall.
He saw Zhou Cang sitting on the corridor not far away. He quickly stepped forward and saluted Zhou Cang.
When Pan Zhang saw Zhou Cang, he couldn't help but be surprised: This black guy has such strong murderous intent... Could a small county magistrate have such a person accompanying him?
"Uncle Zhou, this is the guest invited by the young master. I will take him in."
Zhou Cang glanced at Pan Zhang and felt his heart skip a beat.
He could see that Pan Zhang was not bad at martial arts.
I just don’t understand: Young Master is too magical. I went out for a trip and brought back such a master?
He nodded and waved his hand to signal Feng Chao to take Pan Zhang over.
Feng Chao saluted again and then walked away with Pan Zhang.
"Who is that?"
"Young master calls his uncle, I think he is the general of your family."
"Then what is the master's background?"
Feng Chao scratched his head, "Speaking of this, I really don't know much about it. But judging from the magnanimity of the young master, I'm afraid they are not ordinary people."
Pan Zhang's heart moved again, and he couldn't help but make a small calculation.
Cao Peng walked around the backyard wall and came to the county government gate.
Hu Banzheng directed a few people to erect horse posts at the gate of the county government. The original horse posts were no longer usable and had to be replaced with new ones.
Two men in dark gray clothes were repairing the door.
Cao Peng stepped forward and asked, "Where did the craftsman come from?"
Hu Ban quickly replied: "Young master, this is the craftsman brought by Mr. Wang Chengwang of Xili."
"Mr. Wang?"
"Oh, I heard that he lives in Xili and seems to be quite prestigious in Haixi. He heard that the master had taken office, so he came to visit early in the morning and brought two craftsmen with him, saying they would help us repair the gate of the county government. He is currently in the flower hall
Talk to the master...Look, he is here!"
Cao Peng looked in the direction of Hu Ban's finger and saw a middle-aged man walking out laughing with Deng Ji.
"Youxue, come and see Mr. Wang!"
Seeing Cao Peng, Deng Ji waved.
"This is my brother-in-law, who is coming with me this time." After saying that, he introduced to Cao Peng: "Youxue, this is Mr. Wang Chengwang from Xili, and he is also a famous local gentry. Haha, you
If you have any questions in the future, you may wish to ask Mr.
Cao Peng stepped forward and cupped his hands, "Mr. Wang!"
Wang Cheng is a middle-aged scholar in his forties.
With a white face and a black beard, he is a man of extraordinary talent.
He is not too tall, about 170-173. He is dressed in black, which is in line with Zhou etiquette and customs. However, this Wang Cheng is not like an ordinary scholar. He is very stocky and strong. He saw
Cao Peng's eyes flashed, and he quickly returned the gift with a smile on his face.
"Magistrate Deng is staying here. If you have any instructions from now on, just call me."
Wang Cheng said goodbye to Deng Ji.
At this time, Dianman, Xu Yi and others were seen running over from a distance.
"Afu, Afu!"
Noriman shouted loudly, came to the gate, grinned and said: "Hey, are you okay? I...ah, Brother Deng."
"Aman, what are you..."
Before Dianman could speak, Cao Peng said: "Oh, we just had a race, it's nothing."
"race?"
Deng Ji glanced at Dianman and others in confusion, then at Cao Peng, and did not ask any more questions. Wang Cheng was also about to get into the carriage. When he saw this scene, he was stunned for a moment, and then got into the carriage.
Cao Peng narrowed his eyes and looked thoughtful.
"Afu, what did you do just now?"
"Brother-in-law, let's go in and talk."
Cao Peng waved his hand and pushed Deng Ji toward the county government office. Dianman Xu Yi hurriedly led the people, followed closely behind Cao Peng, and filed in.
Everyone came to the flower hall, and Puyang Kai was about to leave.
"Mr. Puyang, please stay."
Cao Peng quickly called Puyang Kai, then winked at Xu Yi and Dianman, and the two of them immediately ran away to the backyard.
"Brother-in-law, Wang Cheng...what are you doing here?"
"Oh, he heard that I was coming, so he came to visit me."
Deng Ji sat down on the main seat, while Cao Peng and Puyang Kai knelt down on the mat.
Wang Mai, Deng Fan and others stayed outside the flower hall very consciously and did not let anyone disturb the conversation of Cao Peng and others.
"call?"
Cao Peng thought for a while and asked, "Do you know anything about Wang Cheng's situation?"
"Oh, I understand a little bit."
As Deng Ji spoke, he picked up a volume of slips from the desk, spread it out and said, "This king is from Dong'an, Langya, and his courtesy name is Mingwei. According to the household registration, he is from the Wang clan of Dong'an. He was affected by the war."
Because of the suffering, he moved to Haixi to settle down. This man still has some reputation in Haixi, he is responsible for teaching children, and he is generous in giving away money...Successive county magistrates have spoken highly of this man."
With that said, he stood up and handed the document to Cao Peng.
Cao Peng did not take it, but asked directly: "I have also heard of this person. He came to Haixi ten years ago and has a good reputation."
"so?"
Puyang Kai heard that there was something in Cao Peng's words.
Cao Peng said: "I have never heard of the Dong'an Wang family. However, the Langya clan has almost disappeared in the past few years, so it is probably difficult to find out. This person's reputation is indeed not bad, but it is only these ten
It’s only a few years. Where did this person come from ten years ago?”
Deng Ji frowned, "Afu, what do you mean?"
"I made an observation just now. I'm afraid Wang Cheng is not as simple as what is recorded in this document."
"What's the meaning?"
"When he stood, his legs couldn't come together. That was the result of riding horses frequently.
When walking, the distance between his steps is very large, and it is not the behavior of a smart person. In addition, the palms of his palms are rough, and there is a layer of calluses in the tiger's mouth, which is clearly the result of using weapons for a long time. Although he tried hard to control,
But the palms always have a closed-hand shape, which is not caused by the use of a pen. Most people will have a step stool when they get in the car, but he just jumped on it...
Brother-in-law, I know you want to open the situation as soon as possible, but I think you should be more careful.
Over the years, the turmoil in Haixi has led to the loss of many documents. What we have seen is not particularly complete... Wang Cheng is just an ordinary person. Haixi has experienced so many accidents, but he has always been safe and sound. This in itself is already
It explains the problem.”
Cao Peng's heart as a detective began to stir.
Deng Ji fell into deep thought, while Pu Yangkai looked solemn.
"All the truths we see with our eyes are not necessarily true.
Brother-in-law, when you practice your punishment name, you should have the habit of inquiring deeply. First of all, what did Wang Cheng do ten years ago? He said he was from Dong'an, but did he ever send anyone to Dong'an to inquire? Secondly, in the past ten years, Wang Cheng
What does Cheng Zaixi do for a living? As far as I know, he has hundreds of acres of fertile land in his hands. How did he get these fields? Also, Haixi has experienced so many things in the past ten years.
Why can he be safe and sound? When you come to Haixi, everyone is watching, why would he come to visit? You know, the people of Haixi have no sense of belonging to the court, and most of them are still waiting to see you and me. He
What's the purpose of coming here so quickly? He's not afraid of those people in Haixi trying to deal with him... This may be a bit suspicious, but there's nothing wrong with being careful."
Pu Yangkai nodded repeatedly, "Uncle-Sun, it seems that we all think too simply!"
"Brother-in-law, Feng Chao said yesterday that Haixi has three evils.
But I feel that the name of the Three Pests is somewhat general... To gain a foothold in Haixi, we must understand the situation here. For example, have you ever visited Maijiazhuang outside the city? Mr. Maixiongmai, back then
He was once a doctor in Taizhong, and he was considered a wealthy gentleman. As Mr. Mai became unwell, he no longer saw visitors. But I think you should still pay a visit. This is a courtesy.
Secondly, the merchants in Beiji Market are mainly Chen Sheng and Chen Ziqi.
What is the origin of this Chen Ziqi? Have you ever inquired carefully?
This man almost monopolizes half of the Northern Market, and the people's livelihood in Haixi is in his hands. If you can't get rid of him, how can you gain a foothold?"
"Chen Sheng?"
Deng Ji was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Puyang Kai.
Pu Yangkai shook his head and said he didn't know this person clearly.
"Brother-in-law, I feel that now is not the time for us to win over people's hearts."
"how do I say this?"
"Haixi has been experiencing constant turmoil in the past few years. The people have long lost confidence in the county government... Look, since we arrived in Haixi, the people in Haixi don't seem to have any reaction. This shows that before we arrived, Haixi
Xi County has formed its own unique set of rules. Before we make achievements, I dare say that these Haixi people will never stand on our side.
If no one has confidence in us, how can we win over people's hearts?
Therefore, my brother-in-law's top priority is to make some achievements so that the people in Haixi can trust us and regain their confidence in the court.
Otherwise, everything we do will be like a castle in the air, all illusory."
"Achievements?" Deng Ji looked at Pu Yangkai, "Sir, what do you think?"
Puyang Kai pondered for a long time and nodded vigorously, "Youxue grew up from a young boy to a big boy, and what he said is quite serious, and there is indeed some truth to it.
It seems that we are all a little too impatient. We just stared at the pirates and the salt owl as soon as we started. We have all forgotten the importance of the word 'faith'. Youxue is right. Haixi County is experiencing so much turmoil now.
The prestige of the imperial court has long since disappeared.
If we want to gain a foothold, we must put ‘faith’ first.
Otherwise, the people's support will not be used, and no matter how much we do, it will be of no use... I looked at the previous county magistrates, and they all swore to them after they took office. However, ten years have passed, and no one has died or left.
Being able to stay in Haixi County for a long time...
‘Faith’, ‘faith’… When Shang Jun built the wooden gate at the city gate, wasn’t it just for ‘faith’?
Youxue, please tell me about Haixi’s ‘Three Pests’, where should we start in order to re-establish the word ‘faith’ in Haixi?”
Puyang Kai looked at Cao Peng with interest.
Deng Ji was lost in thought...
"Yes!"
He suddenly clapped his hands and immediately burst into laughter.
"Afu, you speak first."
In front of Deng Ji and Pu Yangkai, Cao Peng would not feel any restrictions or worries.
"I think that if you want to establish your 'trust' in Haixi, you must first capture the Northern Market."
"oh?"
"Are you talking about eradicating Chen Sheng?"
Deng Ji's eyes narrowed, as if he was talking to himself, "Beiji Market controls the people's livelihood in Haixi. Taking Beiji Market means controlling the key points of people's livelihood in Haixi... Well, compared to the erratic whereabouts of pirates, compared to
Although Yan Xiao is very powerful, Shang Zhizi seems to be nothing to worry about.
However, these business beetles are the most harmful."
Cao Peng said with a smile: "There is an old saying in Zhongyang Mountain, pick the soft persimmon! Among the three persimmons, Chen Sheng is especially the soft one."
Deng Ji was shocked when he heard this!
He really didn't know that there was such an old saying in Zhongyang Mountain.
But when I think about it carefully, it seems that there is a very profound truth...