The afternoon sky darkened, and gray clouds drifted past with the wind.
In Jiangning City, the afternoon of the Martial Arts Tournament was in progress. People gathered in the restaurants and teahouses near the venue, and there were all kinds of people coming and going on the streets. After the attention-grabbing matches ended, the people in charge of delivering the news ran on the streets, bringing proof of winning or killing for the nearby gambling houses. Some people bet on the gambling house and were in high spirits, while others were thrown into the streets with sullen faces. They were chased, kicked, and beaten. All kinds of big and small forces and people discussing business met in such a lively atmosphere. It was a scene of joy and harmony.
In the east of the city, the people who left the Virtuous Gathering House in Zhongan Lane soon dispersed on the streets. Shi Weiyang was a little concerned about the lively competition taking place in the center of the city at this time, but then he calmed himself down and walked in the direction of the Five Lakes Inn with Wu Chennan in a low-key and natural manner.
The first time he came to the Five Lakes Inn to capture someone, he didn't expect that the inn was not easy to deal with. They actually put up a stubborn resistance and came with great fanfare, only to ruin his plan. This time, with Wu Chennan's reminder, he learned his lesson. He first made the necessary preparations, and then chose a pathfinder to quietly surround the inn.
After coming out, he was still a little nervous.
"My father … really won't he be angry because of this …"
Seeing his hesitation, Wu Chennan wasn't surprised. He smiled and said, "If the Lord of Shi really doesn't allow it, Young Master, you will never bring these people out."
"… That's true." Although Shi Weiyang didn't directly report to his father about the personnel transfer on Baofeng Ship this time, it was also approved by several shopkeepers of the Virtuous Gathering House. Thinking of this, he was a little relieved. But then he said, "But if … there is really something fishy in the inn, will it get out of hand again … I mean, what kind of result does my father want …"
"I think that Young Master doesn't need to worry too much." Wu Chennan said, "You are the son of the Lord of Shi. Your future achievements don't lie in one or two small things. You come out to do things to show everyone that you still have power in your hands and the means to control it. What the Lord of Shi wants to see is Young Master's progress, not the minor details of one or two things … "
The rise of the Equity Party was only two years old. Baofeng Ship took advantage of the situation, and later, Shi Weiyang came out to take charge. At first, he held great power and was flattered by everyone. Naturally, he couldn't help but become arrogant. Because of Yan Yunzhi's matter, he became uneasy again.
Wu Chen Nan is a scholar who has read many books and compared himself to Gong Jin and Wu Hou. Previously when the Shi family rose to power, he was neglected for a long time. Now that he finally had the chance to gain Shi Weiyang's trust, he thought about it and comforted this childhood friend of his.
"Of course, Lord Shi will naturally have his own thoughts on how to deal with the Five Lakes Inn. However, these thoughts are not something that Chen Nan can guess. Wei Yang, you and I, as men, are born in troubled times. Speaking of it, it is nothing more than dealing with soldiers with generals and water with earth. When we encounter a problem, we should forge ahead and deal with it. Although Lord Shi has reprimanded you for your previous actions, I think what he is most unwilling to see is that you are really grounded at home, dejected and sighing. Think about it, isn't that so? "
Shi Weiyang's body trembled. "Chen Nan is still the most thorough."
The two of them rode forward. After talking for a while, Shi Weiyang's will gradually became firmer, and he was even more clear about the purpose of this trip. As they walked through several streets, Wu Chennan casually waved his hand and said, "The arena over there is just a gimmick to attract the attention of outsiders. To my Party of Justice, the truly important things aren't there. Whether or not this meeting goes smoothly is the most important thing in the future. "
Afterwards, he gave a detailed account of the progress of the meeting over the past few days. He talked about the most acute conflict between Zhou Shang and the others, then mentioned Great Dragon Head and a few other minor powers. Afterwards, he couldn't help but mention the "Study Club" that had something to do with the Five Lakes Inn.
Shi Weiyang said, "I've heard in private that this Study Club might be connected to the Southwest Black Banners."
Wu Chennan shook his head and laughed. "It's just some people with ulterior motives, borrowing the name of the Southwest to secretly stir up trouble. If the current Party of Justice can be summed up as' going to extremes' from King Yama's side, then the Study Club can be summed up as' establishing rules'. They've borrowed the name of the Southwest to say that the Party of Justice's internal rules are too lax. The pamphlet they've recently sent out says that it will be difficult for the Five Lakes Inn to last long, including Wang Hewen of Justice. However, the contents of the pamphlet aren't the original version from the Southwest. They've been altered by someone with ulterior motives. "
"But who could the person behind this be …"
"Young master doesn't need to care." Wu Chennan laughed. "Young master, do you know who our Party of Justice is using as cover?"
This question was too simple. Shi Weiyang arched an eyebrow. "Of course it's the Southwest."
"That's right. We're using the name of the Southwest Huaxia army as cover. But at this point, we all know that the Party of Justice and the Huaxia army are two completely different things. We're using the name of the Southwest Black Banners as our banner. But if there's still someone trying to use the name of the Southwest Black Banners as cover, what is he trying to do? And whose taboo is he trying to offend? "
Wu Chennan shook his head and laughed. "Since ancient times, the Emperor has called himself the Son of Heaven. Since he's called himself the Son of Heaven, will he allow others to call themselves the Son of Heaven? He Wen used the name of the Huaxia army to obtain power. If there's still someone who dares to call themselves the Huaxia army, then his ambition is to seize power … Young master, since ancient times, there's always room for discussion when power is divided, but seizing power is a matter of life and death. "
"It's also because of this that after the Five Great Kings of the Party of Justice, there's still the Supreme Chief and the other powers that can slowly rise up and even sit together to discuss matters. But only the Study Club has been slaughtered in the past half a year … The person behind this is far too ambitious. He hasn't even grown his wings, but he already dares to proclaim himself to be the Huaxia Orthodox Church. It's laughable that there are still ignorant people in the world who say that the mastermind behind the Study Club is the Prince of Justice himself. What a joke … Haha, how could His Majesty rebel … "
Wu Chennan spoke with fervor and assurance, full of vigor. All of Shi Weiyang's doubts were cleared, and he had a whole new level of respect for his childhood friend. The two of them arrived at a street near the Five Lakes Inn and found a teahouse to sit down. While waiting for the various parties to make proper arrangements, Shi Weiyang asked Wu Chennan about his ambitions in depth. Only then did he understand that this companion of his, who used to like to stay at home and study, was well-learned and wanted to take advantage of this chaotic world to make a name for himself.
Shi Weiyang felt ashamed. Only now did he realize that his success and flattery over the past two years was more like a game. He immediately revealed his worries to Wu Chennan, saying, "… I was frivolous and impetuous in the past. In the future, when I encounter many things, I hope that Brother Wu will be by my side and give me some pointers. If I'm even more preposterous, Brother Wu should even scold me to wake me up. As expected, men of my generation must accomplish great things in this world to be happy … "
Wu Chennan also took his hand and bowed. "You and I are brothers, there's no need to be like this. It's what I should do …" He adopted the posture of Zhuge Liang who had met a wise master. The two of them were still young. Now that they had met a wise master and a backer, the entire teahouse seemed to be bursting with the light of courage.
With this "guest and host getting along well with each other," when they talked about other matters, their vision of problems became broader and more stable. At this time, the preparations to deal with the Five Lakes Inn had been completed, and the people who had set out earlier had also returned to report on the situation at the inn. With this kind of planning, Wu Chennan once again presented Shi Weiyang with a plan to prove his loyalty.
"… Actually, let's not talk about the Five Lakes Inn. These days, the matters around young master have all stemmed from Miss Yan's departure. But in Chennan's view, although Miss Yan's departure is resolute, it might not be that difficult to find her. "
"Oh?" Shi Weiyang's eyes widened. "Actually … a few days ago at Jin Lou, Shopkeeper Jin and the others almost caught Yan Yunzhi, but they still let her escape in the end. Shopkeeper Jin's wrist wasn't enough to capture her … Chennan, if you have a brilliant plan, please don't keep us in suspense. "
As Shi Weiyang spoke, he cupped his fists and bowed with a smile. Wu Chennan also smiled. "Young master's temperament is too kind. Perhaps I should say that Shopkeeper Jin's side is the darkest under the lamp. Weiyang, you've overlooked one thing. Although Miss Yan left Zhongan Market without a care in the world, she's not alone. Right now, she still has relatives in Jiangning City. I dare to bet with young master that although Yan Yunzhi has left, she must be secretly concerned about Second Hero Yan's movements. She'll also be concerned about … whether the business between the Yan Clan and your Shi Clan will be truly affected. "
"Chennan is saying …" Shi Weiyang blinked his eyes. "… But this Yan Clan is still considered a guest of my Shi Clan after all …"
"Young master has taken great care of the Yan Clan. In the beginning, you were rash and scared Miss Yan away. After that, you even made a grand apology and worked hard to promote an alliance between the Shi Clan and the Yan Clan … Under such circumstances, if Second Hero Yan met with a small accident in this Jiangning where crooks and honest people are mixed up, who would be able to find fault with young master?"
Wu Chennan slowly said these words and then immediately took a step back. "Of course, these plans may be too unconventional. Sigh, young master is kind-hearted …"
Before he could finish speaking, Shi Weiyang grabbed him with both hands and said in a low voice, "No! A real man should not be bothered by trifles. It was Brother Wu who gave me pointers. I didn't expect such a difficult matter to be pointed out by Brother Wu with just a few words. Brother Wu, if you have any ideas in the future, you must speak frankly. If I am soft-hearted, how can I accomplish great things? "
His tone was full of self-criticism. After he finished speaking, someone else came over to report that the preparations to encircle and annihilate the Five Lakes Inn were complete. Although it seemed that the group of troublemakers from the inn last time had already run away, this was something that they had originally expected. It was no longer a problem for them to put on a show here and restore his prestige as the Second Young Master Shi.
Shi Weiyang waved his hand. "Let's go. Let's first deal with the Five Lakes Inn today. Then, we'll slowly capture those guys from last time and deal with them one by one. Brother Wu, since you and I have decided to do something big, we don't need to care too much about trifles! Let's do it! "
In just a moment, Shi Weiyang and Wu Chennan walked out of the teahouse and walked along the street to the stone bridge in front of the Five Lakes Inn. The sky was already overcast. Groups of people and horses gathered towards the inn from all directions. In just a moment, the masters in the front had already broken the door and windows and entered.
The situation in Jiangning was not peaceful. Seeing that the crowd was approaching aggressively, the first reaction of the people in the inn was not to surrender. Instead, they drew their swords and fought. The first group of people were immediately cut down in a pool of blood. Then, there were shouts of "Arrest the 'Reading Club' murderers."
Groups of people were captured. Some of the "Reading Club" pamphlets were found from the corpses lying in a pool of blood. Then, a large amount of evidence was found in the walls of the inn. Shi Weiyang and Wu Chennan strode into the inn and lit the first fire. Then, they came out on the street at the head of the bridge and interrogated some of the people loudly. They asked them where the "Reading Club" murderers who were guarding here last time had gone.
Someone shouted, "We are 'Nong Xian' Zhao Jingci's people. How can you do this!"
Wu Chennan said, "The people last time were also 'Nong Xian' Zhao Jingci's people. They were still here a few days ago, but they left after something happened. They are obviously guilty! You guys are also in cahoots with them. "He and Shi Weiyang shouted and threw the" Reading Club "pamphlets at each other's faces.
The fire gradually rose, and the sound became louder and louder.
Shi Weiyang said, "The last time I came here, these people who were watching from their homes were obviously accomplices of the people in this inn. Drag them out and interrogate them one by one. See if they are related to the Reading Club!"
Baofeng's operation this time was well-prepared. As soon as Shi Weiyang gave the order, the surrounding thugs rushed in all directions and began to arrest people. Shi Weiyang remembered clearly that the reason why he was blocked in front of the inn last time was that these people had helped the other party a lot. On the spot, many people who had been watching from the sidelines and couldn't escape in time were caught. As they were interrogated, they were beaten to the ground.
The fire in the inn gradually grew stronger. Shi Weiyang shouted to the people around him.
"All of you, regardless of whether you are related to the Reading Club or not, after today, tell the bandits in this Five Lakes Inn that even if some of them were lucky enough to escape today, I will drag them out one by one. Not a single one is spared."
The wind fanned the fire. In the light of the fire, strange pamphlets danced on the street. The people of Baofeng searched the surroundings for a while and found some "evidence." Shi Weiyang ordered his men to arrest all the innkeepers and waiters in the inn and throw them into prison. The rest were interrogated and beaten up before they left one after another. A few small leaders who belonged to the "Prince of Justice" came over but were also chased away by Shi Weiyang. He pointed to the "evidence" on the ground and said, "If it was really just an ordinary quarrel, why did those innkeepers leave? There was clearly a big problem." The other party couldn't refute him for a while.
Second Young Master Shi's face was picked up.
…
The sky was a little cloudy.
Inside the Virtuous Gathering Residence, Shi Baofeng sat on the balcony of the attic where a cool breeze blew. He clasped his hands and closed his eyes to rest.
Footsteps sounded. Head innkeeper Jin Yongsheng came up from downstairs and greeted him.
"Elder Jin, please take a seat." Shi Baofeng spread his hands to the side. "How did it go?"
"The situation at the meeting is still the same," Jin Yongsheng said. "In this old man's opinion, if the boss doesn't go, the meeting won't produce any results."
The seventh day of the New Year was the fourth day of the Fairness Party's meeting. Shi Baofeng had participated in the morning, but after returning at noon, he couldn't be bothered to participate in the afternoon. At this time, the various parties in the meeting were still discussing their ideas and conditions in response to the questions raised by He Wen. Shi Baofeng's sudden absence made it impossible for the "Prince of Justice"'s faction to make a final decision. The progress on this side also came to a halt.
"If we can't produce results, then so be it." Shi Baofeng smiled, then his smile faded. "In a meeting and negotiation, it's always better to have a word from each side. In the first meeting, Mr. He threw out a question. In the second and third meeting, we discussed our ideas. Instead, it's our Mr. He who sits on the fishing platform calmly, as if he's waiting for others to finish playing their cards before expressing their stance … I feel that something's wrong."
At this point, he paused. "Also … I vaguely feel that it's a little strange."
"What does the boss think?"
"… It's too normal," Shi Baofeng said. "He Wen threw out a question, Zhou Shang argued with He Wen, everyone expressed their stance, and finally came to a conclusion. I just feel that it's too normal. He Wen … he doesn't seem like such a normal person … "
The cool autumn wind blew in from afar. The balcony was silent for a while. Jin Yongsheng didn't respond. Shi Baofeng thought for a moment, then turned his head and smiled. "Elder Jin, please sit … if it's just the progress of the meeting, there's no need for Elder Jin to come over and report. Is there any problem with the unfilial son? "
Only then did Jin Yongsheng take a step forward and sit to the side. "Second Young Master can still take responsibility. Everything has been arranged appropriately."
"Bullsh * t. If it weren't for you, Elder Jin, keeping an eye on things step by step, he wouldn't know how to make any arrangements."
"There's been a fight over there. There shouldn't be any major problems."
"If there's any major problems, I'll skin him alive!" Shi Baofeng said. "Then, that … what about Chen Nan?"
"Young man, he's driven and ambitious. I think he's not bad."
"Let him be for a while. Elder Jin also said that young people are driven and ambitious. In the future … I'll have to trouble Elder Jin to teach him a little more when the time is right."
"This …" Jin Yongsheng hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."
There was a moment of silence on the balcony. Seeing that Shi Baofeng seemed to be thinking about something, Jin Yongsheng got up and prepared to take his leave. However, he saw Shi Baofeng turn his head again, his expression gloomy and serious.
"Elder Jin," he said. "What do you think about the book club?"
"It's still the same views as before … in the end, we weren't able to capture anyone. It's too hard to say which side it was …"
"Outsiders say that it was He Wen's doing. What do they say?"
"… That's an earth-shattering matter." Jin Yongsheng deliberated, "But this possibility is still very small. Why did Mr. He bother? It would be more believable if he said that Ning Yi had personally done it in the southwest. The biggest possibility is that it was an opportunist or an ambitious schemer like the Supreme Chief who wants to rise to power … In fact, in my opinion, even someone like the Supreme Chief who has a chance to rise to power wouldn't take such an unconventional approach. Isn't this making enemies everywhere and courting death?"
"Zhou Shang is at the forefront. He's the most likely to fight with He Wen. Many people have forgotten about the book club … and He Wen's slow pace makes me feel that something's wrong. If he doesn't say something, I won't go to the meeting."
"Mm." Jin Yongsheng nodded.
"Also, with Second Brother making a ruckus at Five Lakes Inn, he's obviously slapping Nong Xian Zhao Jingci in the face. Although he has an excuse to frame someone else, it won't be easy to deal with both sides wrangling. Elder Jin, help keep an eye on him. Of course, on one hand, it's to train him and Chennan. On the other hand, don't really mess it up. This matter can be big or small … but compared to the bigger picture, it's nothing."
"Yes."
"I'll use the book club as an excuse to test He Wen … There probably won't be any results … It's best if there's no result … and then …"
Shi Baofeng sat on the chair, his thumbs twirling together. As he spoke, he was already in a state of talking to himself. Jin Yongsheng nodded and silently retreated. When he left the loft, the sky had darkened, and it seemed like it was about to rain. In the distance in the city, there seemed to be a commotion going on. The commotion wasn't a big deal. The real big things usually happened quietly under the water …
Shi Weiyang put on a good show at Five Lakes Inn. After arresting and beating people up, he ordered his subordinates to evacuate in an orderly manner. He even arranged for a fire hose to come over so that the fire at Five Lakes Inn would only burn down this inn and not affect other places so that he wouldn't be criticized even more.
After experiencing these things, and with Wu Chennan's assistance, he was determined to become a person who could take care of everything. As the crowd on this side retreated, he began to pay attention to the information of the people who had run away from the inn — these people must be caught and brought back. Then, he also had a preliminary idea of the plan Wu Chennan had set for him regarding the capture of Yan Yunzhi.
When Yan Yunzhi was captured, he would no longer be constrained by his personal feelings. On the scene, he would definitely put on a good show and take care of everything. But of course, some of the methods he used in the middle were just human nature.
The dark clouds rolled over, and the people who were doing big things were all paying attention to the bigger picture. Over at Five Lakes Inn, the fire was still burning. Some of the small fry who had been beaten up got up from the ground and went home crying. After a while, a doctor was also invited over. He looked at some of the injuries and used cheap medicine to bandage them.
When the doctor was about to leave, a figure ran over from the side of the road. This person had a slight limp, and his body was weak. The way he walked was a little strange. He ran in front of the doctor, knelt on the ground and kowtowed. The doctor listened to his stuttering, then followed him to the side of the stone bridge.
In the bridge, there was a weak woman with a broken head and bleeding. Her breathing was intermittent and was already quite weak. The doctor looked at the woman for a while and shook his head helplessly. The woman's injuries this time were actually not too serious. But with the exhaustion of her body in the past, coupled with this injury, there was nothing a doctor like him could do.
The limp and stuttering man hugged him and kowtowed, not allowing him to leave. His black face was stained with blood, and his mucus and saliva were almost mixed together. The doctor could not bear to pester him any longer. In the end, he gave him a bag of cheap medicine and left.
Unknowingly, it started to drizzle.
The man named Xue Jin was hugging his wife and hiding in the bridge. He could not start a fire, and the surroundings were very wet. His wife's head was wrapped in bandages, but no matter how he called out, she did not respond. He did not know whether he should let her rest or do something else. He hugged his unresponsive wife and cried in the rain. He was like a stray dog that had its legs broken and was dying by the roadside, sobbing and licking the wounds that could not heal.
"Ah ah ah ah ah …"
Under the continuous rain, the people who were doing big things would not pay attention to these small things that were about to be extinguished.
Late at night, someone came …
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