After not sleeping all night, Cao Peng was a little tired.
However, he did not sleep. Instead, he sat on the porch and repeatedly played with the carp bronze Ruyi that he had brought from Chen Sheng's study.
There must be something wrong with this copper town!
Out of an instinct, Cao Peng firmly believed that he had not made a mistake.
This should not be an ordinary copper pendant. There seemed to be an unknown secret hidden inside. He held the copper pendant in the palm of his hand, facing the morning light, and squinted his eyes. The early winter sun seemed a bit cool, shining on the green
In the secluded copper town, strange cold light danced out. The sunlight traveled along the lines of the fish scales, and the halo shimmered, creating a colorful illusion, just like the mirage.
But, what is the secret behind this copper town?
Cao Peng took a deep breath, put his hands down, and stared directly at Tongzhen.
After looking at it for a long time, I still couldn't figure out where the mechanism in Copper Town was... Or maybe I was just a little paranoid?
"Afu!"
While he was deep in thought, a rough shout woke up Cao Peng.
He looked up and saw Dianman and Xu Yizheng coming in from the arch across the courtyard with great dignity. Behind them were Pan Zhang and Feng Chao.
Originally, Pan Zhang did not want to stay.
The reason is very simple...
Deng Ji had just arrived in Haixi, and his future was uncertain.
Moreover, what development prospects can a small Haisiling have?
It is not wrong to say that Pan Zhang has great ambitions; but it is also not wrong to say that he is a philistine and realistic.
In short, he is a very practical person. He is ambitious and hopes to do something great; at the same time, he is very practical and his moral character is not too high.
Historically, he was impeached several times in Soochow because of his greed for money.
If it weren't for Sun Quan's love and trust in him, he would have lost his head long ago. After Pan Zhang's death, his son was immediately unlucky and implicated.
Cao Peng didn't know how Pan Zhang died!
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the scene where the county magistrate Guan Erge scared Pan Zhang to death is so cunning and nonsense...
However, Cao Peng had his own ideas.
He pulled Dianman and Xu Yi to Pan Zhang and said very solemnly: "Do you know who they are?"
"have no idea!"
"Then let me tell you, this is my second brother, Xu Yi. His father is Xu Chu, Xu Zhongkang, the military commander under Cao Sikong's command; this is my third brother, Dianman, and his father is Wei Dianjun, the general of Hu Ben Zhonglang.
Ming. If you stay and help me, I can't say that it will definitely make you prosperous, but it can give you many opportunities. Don't think that my brother-in-law is just a Haixi Ling, he is also a fellow student of Guo Jia, the commander of the Air Force. I still
There is an elder brother who seized the opportunity and is now serving as the Commander-in-Chief of Qinqiu and the Sima of Runan County...
Pan Zhang, do you want to get ahead?
Do you want to be promoted and make a fortune...even if you cannot be inferior to one person or superior to ten thousand people, you are still an upright official of the court?
Stay! As long as you have the ability, you can get many opportunities if you stay. Cao Sikong is today's hero, and he is thirsty for talents... After practicing for a period of time and making a few achievements, I can justifiably recommend you, my
The road is very broad."
Under Cao Peng's persuasion, Pan Zhang was moved!
It's not that he didn't want to defect to Cao Cao. Pan Zhang was not one of those Yanzhou scholars. Although he was born in Dongjun, he didn't have much ill feelings towards Cao Cao.
To put it bluntly, Pan Zhang was a man of ordinary origin, with good abilities, but no recommendation.
if……
After thinking about it, Pan Zhang finally agreed to stay.
However, he still had a condition. If Deng Ji could not stand in Haixi, he would leave. He hoped that Cao Peng would not stop him then.
If Deng Ji could not gain a foothold in Haixi, Cao Peng would not stop him without Pan Zhang's advice.
In my heart, I am really not very optimistic about Pan Zhang's character. However, under the current circumstances, it seems to be the best choice to have such a powerful person to help me. At least, such a person is a real villain. So,
Fame and fortune are all you need, and they are much easier to fool than those scholars.
Cao Peng put Tongzhen down and stood up.
"Second brother, third brother... thank you for your hard work!"
"Ha, it's very hard."
Dian Manhun waved his hands carelessly and said with a smile: "Last night, the killing was quite enjoyable."
"Have you ever captured Chen Sheng's villa?"
Xu Yi nodded, sat down on the porch, picked up a bowl of warm water, and drank it all.
"We took it down... Those bastards tried to resist, but after Lao Pan went up and hacked a dozen people to death, they all became honest. Chen Sheng's wife and children were also killed by Lao Pan.
It’s just that Chen Sheng’s eldest son, Chen Kui, is now missing.”
"oh?"
"According to people at Zhuangzi, Chen Kui did not come back last night.
That kid usually idles around and doesn’t know where he goes. He often stays away from home for two or three days, and when he comes back, he just sleeps with his head covered..."
Cao Peng couldn't help but frown.
Is there such a thing that has slipped through the net?
But then I thought about it, what kind of threat could a playboy pose?
He smiled and said: "Brothers, you have worked hard... Lao Pan, Feng Chao, you have worked hard too!"
At this time, Pan Zhang did not have the arrogance he had before, and he quickly bowed his hands and said politely: "Young master, strategizing is the real hard work!"
He was involved in last night's action from beginning to end.
I can't help but feel a little afraid of Cao Peng and Deng Ji. Cao Peng's strategy and Deng Ji's plan all seem ridiculous at first glance, but they are connected and intricate. At least, Chen Sheng's every move is calculated by these two people.
Among them, the thunderous method shocked Pan Zhang even more. And the people under Deng Ji and Cao Peng were not ordinary people. Dianman Xu Yi was not considered a subordinate of the two, but he was called a brother to Cao Peng; and Xiahou of Zhou Cang
Although Lan's martial arts skills are not as good as those of Pan Zhang, the gap is not that big.
One-on-one, Pan Zhang was sure to kill either of the two men.
But one against two...Zhou and Cang could kill Pan Zhang within twenty moves.
Feng Chao's archery skills are amazing, and he can pierce Yang Yang with a hundred steps; although Wang Mao and Deng Fan are not considered masters, they are not comparable to ordinary people.
The feeling Cao Peng gave Pan Zhang was even more difficult to understand.
So many people are willing to stay with these two people, maybe staying here would be a good choice!
Cao Peng waved his hand, said a few polite words to Pan Zhang, and then asked everyone to sit down. After a night of killing, there will always be a trace of mental fatigue. While several people were talking, they suddenly heard Feng Chao shout softly.
"Sir, where did you get this Fish Kiss Copper Town?"
Cao Peng was stunned and looked in the direction of Feng Chao's finger. It turned out to be the bronze Ruyi.
"Oh, I got this from Chen Sheng's study...what, do you recognize it?"
Feng Chao looked a little excited and nodded repeatedly.
"This is called Fish Kiss Copper Town. But it has another name, Qian Youyu Ruyi. Look at the scales on the back of this copper fish, do they look like stacks of copper coins?"
Cao Peng heard this, picked it up and observed it carefully for a while, "Don't mention it yet! If you hadn't brought it up, I really wouldn't have paid attention to this. When you said it... hey, it really looks like a copper coin. Wonderful, wonderful, really wonderful!
It’s really not easy to be a person in this copper town.”
"Let me see it too!"
Dianman said quickly and snatched Copper Town from Cao Peng.
"Well, it does look very similar."
"When a fish loses money, he has more money... Ha, that's a really good word."
Xu Yi also took it and took a look at it, then handed it to Pan Zhang.
"Old Feng, does this thing have any meaning?"
Feng Chao nodded and said seriously: "This fish-kissed copper town is said to have been specially built by Li Guangli, Marquis of Haixi during the reign of Emperor Wu, who hired skilled craftsmen."
"Li Guangli?"
For Dianman Xu Yi and even Pan Zhang, they really didn't know much about Li Guangli's life.
Feng Chao smiled bitterly and said: "Li Guangli is the brother of Mrs. Li, the favorite concubine of Emperor Wu... You have heard that 'there is a beautiful woman in the north, peerless and independent. Look at the charming city, then look at the charming country. The beautiful city and the beautiful country.
Is it rare to find another poem? This is Mrs. Li."
"Oh, it turns out to be my beautiful brother."
Pan Zhang suddenly realized that the expression on his face was a bit vulgar.
As for Dianman Xu Yi, she looked regretful...
Feng Chao was so angry that he was speechless by these three people.
"Okay, let's continue."
"In fact, there has always been a legend in Haixi: Li Guangli was the Marquis of Haixi back then, and was favored by Emperor Wu. He could be said to be as rich as anyone in the country. It is said that he gathered all the wealth in the world and built an underground labyrinth in the Haixi Marquis Mansion.
All his wealth was hidden in the maze... Li Guangli later surrendered to the Huns and his family was confiscated. But no one has found the underground treasure house, and it remains a mystery to this day."
"What does that have to do with Yuki Copper Town?"
"It doesn't matter. I just heard that Yuki Copper Town was an item from Li Guangli's house. It was later acquired by the Haixi County magistrate and has been passed down to this day. My father loved this Yuki Copper Town very much during his lifetime and did not want to die.
After that, it disappeared."
Feng Chao said, suddenly gritting his teeth.
"I can't kill the old thief Chen Sheng with my own hands... Since this Yuki Copper Town is in his hands, my father must have died by his hands back then."
Cao Peng fell into silence!
After a long while, he suddenly raised his head and said softly: "Feng Chao, I think you may have misunderstood Chen Sheng. He should not be your father-killing enemy."
"ah?"
Feng Chao looked at Cao Peng in astonishment, somewhat confused.
Taking the copper town from Pan Zhang, Cao Peng held it in his palm and remained silent for a long time.
After a while, he said: "When I found this copper coin, Chen Sheng placed it in his study and used it to press paper. If he was really your father-killing enemy, he would never have done it so openly... I asked
Passing through the Chen Mansion, Chen Sheng often met with wealthy businessmen in his study during his lifetime. Even though he was a powerful tyrant in Haixi, he would not be so arrogant. Doesn't this mean that he is the murderer of your father?"
"But……"
"Listen to me, I think the second reason why Chen Sheng is not the murderer is because he did it himself.
According to the records reported to the court, when your father was killed, a group of strong men broke into Haixi... If it was really Chen Sheng who did it, he could use the same method this time instead of hastily gathering people. I also thought that your father was killed.
His death was related to Chen Sheng. But later it was discovered that although Chen Sheng was domineering, he was not that arrogant... He took action last night, which means that he did not collude with the bandits. "
Feng Chao couldn't help but shuddered.
"Young Master means..."
"The murderer is still in Haixi County."
Cao Peng raised his head, his eyes burning.
"Although I haven't figured out the reason yet, I believe that Chen Sheng was not the person who killed Magistrate Feng. I have a feeling that Magistrate Feng's death should have nothing to do with Chen Sheng. It's possible that he offended some people.
,or……"
Cao Peng stopped speaking and bit his nails gently.
"Or, the problem lies in this fish-kissed copper town?"
"I'm sorry for being so humble and foolish, but I'm just saying this..."
Cao Peng waved his hand, "Don't ask me yet, let me think about it."
Yuki Copper Town—Chen Sheng—Feng Yuan—
No, there should be an important link missing here!
"Feng Chao, since your father passed away, has anyone asked about the affairs of Yuki Copper Town?"
"Well, I didn't pay much attention to this. After my father passed away, I wanted to take revenge. But the two subsequent county magistrates didn't seem to be interested in it. I left Haixi in a rage and gathered a group of people.
I’ve become a strong man, so I didn’t pay too much attention.”
"What if, if someone is interested in this Fish Kiss Copper Town, but can't find you... what will you do?"
"This... I don't understand how humble I am."
"Stay in the county office!"
Cao Peng stood up and wandered across the courtyard.
Dianman and Xu Yi were said to be dizzy and a little unable to react.
On the contrary, Pan Zhang seemed to realize something, "Young Master means that if someone is interested in Yuki Copper Town and doesn't know where to look, the best way is to send someone to stay at the county government office."
Search slowly in there? That means that the subsequent mysterious deaths of the two county magistrates... are also related to this Yuki Copper Town? This person must make the county government vacant before he can inquire at will."
"When you said it, I remembered it."
Feng Chao stroked his palm and said: "The two county magistrates after my father didn't do much after they took office. But they all died in very strange ways..."
"Mai Cheng!"
Cao Peng suddenly shouted softly.
"Mai Cheng?"
Dianman remembered it. Wasn't that the prison head prisoner whom Dianman taught a lesson on the night when Deng Ji arrived in Haixi County?
He is from the Mai family...
Cao Peng's heart skipped a beat, and his hair suddenly felt thick.
I thought that getting rid of Chen Sheng would make the situation a little clearer.
But now it seems that the situation in Haixi is still confusing!
Cao Peng suddenly felt anxious and wandered in the yard.
Feng Chao's face became particularly ugly. All along, he thought that the person who killed his father was Chen Sheng; but he didn't expect...
"This matter must not be made public."
Cao Peng stopped and looked at Dian Man and the other four with solemn expressions on his face.
"In addition, we must recruit people as soon as possible. I don't know who the murderer is, but if his goal is Yuki Copper Town, then once he finds out, he will definitely take action against us. The reason why he hasn't taken action yet is because he hasn't done it yet.
He knew that we had obtained Yuki Copper Town. In other words, he thought that Yuki Copper Town had been lost, so he didn’t care about us...Mai Xiong, Mai Ren, Mai Cheng!"
Cao Peng asked: "Feng Chao, if I recruit troops now, is there any hope?"
Feng Chao thought for a while, shook his head and said: "It is indeed a good thing that the young master has eradicated Chen Sheng. But for Haixi people, pirates and bandits have little to do with them. As long as they don't provoke them, those pirates will not
The meeting came to cause trouble... Because to a certain extent, Haixi County provided pirates with a way to destroy their stolen goods, and Haixi people also gained a lot of benefits from the pirates...
If Chen Sheng is killed, Magistrate Deng may be able to gain a foothold in Haixi and win the favor of Haixi people.
But if Magistrate Deng recruits troops now... Moreover, once the pirates learn of our actions, they will take action immediately. I don't think that a group of Haixi people who have just been recruited can defeat those pirates and bandits.
Therefore, if you want to recruit troops, you must be cautious."
"Hold!"
Cao Peng couldn't help it and uttered a curse word.
"Okay, that's it for now!"
"The murderer..."
"Let's investigate this matter slowly. The top priority is to maintain stability in Haixi... Feng Chao, you try to recall the patrols, don't recruit too many, one hundred is enough. I believe these one hundred patrols,
It won’t arouse the ferocity of those pirates. I’ll let you and Wen Gui lead them.”
Feng Chao and Pan Zhang looked at each other, bowed and said: "I humbly obey!"
Food prices in Haixi have finally come down.
Although most Jia people held a wait-and-see attitude, the investment of five thousand stones of grain and rice into the Haixi market still had a huge impact.
Chen Sheng's family property is still being liquidated, and all shops and businesses have been closed.
On the third day after Chen Sheng's death, the county government once again issued an announcement.
In Guangling, Chen Gui dismissed Chen Sheng as a descendant of the Chen family. He also solemnly stated that he supported Deng Ji's actions in Haixi County and that the children of the Chen family were not allowed to violate the rules.
This announcement immediately caused an uproar in Haixi County.
"I just said, I just said that we should visit Magistrate Deng."
A group of Jia people got together and had a fierce quarrel.
"I have known for a long time that Magistrate Deng is not waiting for idlers. Look, look, now even Old Mrs. Chen has come forward to speak... This, this, what should we do?"
"You fucking bastard!"
A Jia man stood up and cursed: "You were the one who told me not to pay attention to Magistrate Deng.
As a result, we were all bewitched by you... Now, you come to blame us again? Why is this truth all on your side, and you are right no matter what."
"I……"
"Okay, okay, everyone, stop arguing!"
An old Jia man said, "The matter has reached this point, and it is useless to say anything. The most urgent task is to try to repair the relationship with County Magistrate Deng. First, we must bring the market price back down so that Magistrate Deng can feel our goodwill.
.If you continue to disobey Magistrate Deng’s orders, I’m afraid that the next Chen Sheng will be between you and me... Also, we must try to get in touch with Magistrate Deng. Magistrate Deng previously held a banquet at the county government office to invite us.
, but none of us went. Now, I’m afraid it will not be easy for us to ask Magistrate Deng again... We must find a suitable person to go to Magistrate Deng on our behalf.”
"Wang Cheng!" a Jia man blurted out.
"Yes, it's Mr. Wang!"
"Mr. Wang still has vision. He is far-sighted compared to the rest of us... On the day that Magistrate Deng held a banquet, only Mr. Wang and Mr. Mai went. I guess Mr. Mai is unlikely to make an offer for us, so why don't we go find one?
Mr. Wang? He is a good man and will never sit back and watch us get implicated by that thief Chen Sheng."
"Yes, we are duty-bound people, and it was Chen Sheng's thief who caused the trouble."
People often say that this businessman is ruthless.
A few days ago, Deng Ji was just a "dog official" in their mouths, and now, Chen Sheng has become a "dog thief" in their mouths.
It’s amazing how things change!
The old man sighed, "In that case, let me visit Mr. Wang and ask him to put in a good word for us..."