The torrential summer rain poured down. In the market on the outskirts of the valley, the muddy water was already up to her calves. Lou Shuwan sat in a tavern on the second floor of the market, looking at the chaotic scene below.
The sound of thunder, rain, cursing, and commotion gathered in this shocking curtain of rain. The rainwater washed all kinds of filthy things down from above. In the shops on the lowest floor, people were busy blocking the water flow while trying to move the things in their rooms up to the second floor of the market. Many beggars had no place to hide from the rain and ran on the dirty streets. Some people tried to enter other people's shops, but were kicked out by the shop owners with knives and sticks. The man who was covered in black cursed loudly on the street. If it was a woman with a child, she could only hide in a nearby place and cry.
The market was crowded. Most of the horses that came with the Jianghu people were led up to the second and third floor of the market. The owners of these horses were probably rich or had some status. But there were still some who had nowhere to go. In the heavy rain, there was a horse that probably had nowhere to hide from the rain. It ran down the dirty water from above, and a man chased it in the dirty water.
Not far away, at the end of the market, a large number of people were organized to dig a drainage ditch. The person in charge of the organization was one of the leaders of the Green Wood Stronghold. Earlier, he brought a group of people and knocked on the doors of these merchants one by one, asking them to send people to help, whether they were willing to pay, or to do it themselves. If they were unwilling, they would be directly driven out of the market. A large group of people were working like crazy in the rain. They had already dug a long section.
Although they were already sitting in the most expensive private room in the market, the surroundings were still extremely noisy. Pedestrians walked up and down the central corridor, and from time to time, the sound of horse hooves and the stench of urine could be heard. The sound of cursing and shouting did not stop either. Lou Shuwan sat on the side facing the street for a while. Then she heard someone say from behind, "Hey, girl, you look pretty good. Where did you come from? How much money do you need?"
It was from the other side, separated by only a layer of wood. Someone also poked his head out to look down and saw her profile. Lou Shuwan had tried her best to match the Jianghu people here, but her appearance and temperament still stood out. The man only thought that she was a girl from a nearby brothel. He smiled and stretched out his hand. Lou Shuwan dodged and said, "Don't reach out. There are some people you can't afford to offend."
"Hey, who can't I provoke?"
The man smiled and stretched his upper body out from the railing to look at Lou Shuwan's cubicle. Qiu Guyan, who had been sitting silently in the corner, had already stood up. He extended his head to look at the man, then opened the door and walked out.
"Who is it …" The man waved his hand and heard a chaotic sound from next door. Then, with a bang, the man was thrown down from the building by Qiu Guyan and fell into the dirty water on the street below.
“****！ What the f * ck are you doing … "Standing up from the dirty water, the man shouted in the rain. He seemed to have given a name, and then shouted for a group of people to charge at him from the side. Next door, Qiu Guyan led a group of people to block the stairs. Then, a chaotic fight ensued. Amid the chaos and shouting, people were beaten into the muddy water one after another. When Lou Shuwan leaned on the railing and watched this scene, Qiu Guyan had already returned. He walked closer and said, "Miss Lou, be careful that they throw hidden weapons." Lou Shuwan nodded and sat a little closer.
After a while, there was another commotion. Someone came in from outside the door. It was Yu Yulin and a man in black. The two of them came in, chatting happily. When the man in black saw Lou Shuwan, his eyes lit up. However, Yu Yulin followed up with the introductions. "Boss Chen, this is our Tiger King's Military Advisor Lou. Don't be fooled by Lady Lou's gender. She's not inferior to men and is highly regarded by the Tiger King. Many of the Tiger King's businesses are managed by Military Advisor Lou. "Military Advisor, this is the second-in-command of the Chen Family Canal, Chen Jiu. Chen Yulin has a straightforward personality and is a good friend."
"Nice to meet you." Chen Jiu saluted Lou Shuwan with some hesitation. He glanced at Yu Yulin and said, "If it wasn't for General Yu's introduction, I wouldn't have known that such a heroine came to Mount Lu Liang. However … is this a place where we can talk?"
"It's fine." Yu Yulin waved his hand, and a group of subordinates began to chase people away in this wooden market. Immediately, there was another commotion.
Lou Shuwan also smiled and saluted. "Chen Yulin, nice to meet you. Have a seat, General Yu. "
Chen Jiu walked to the opposite side and spread his hands. He waited for Yu Yulin to come over before sitting down. When he looked at Lou Shuwan earlier, he only thought that she was a prostitute accompanying him. His gaze was a little unruly, but now, he had reined it in. His words sounded bold but also shrewd.
"You're Military Advisor Lou, right? Mount Lu Liang is a dead land. We mountain people don't have much contact with the outside world, but I, Chen Jiu, still know of the Tiger King's reputation and have always admired him. In the past, I, Chen Jiu, was very happy to have people like General Yu and Miss Lou come over to make friends. But today, Miss Lou invited me here. It doesn't seem to be as simple as making friends, right? "
He had already talked a lot with Yu Yulin earlier, so he didn't want to beat around the bush now. Lou Shuwan, however, stood up and poured him a cup of tea. "What are you saying, Chen Yulin? Before we left, the Tiger King once said that the heroes of Lu Liang are all heroic and magnanimous. They can forgo other things, but they can't not make friends. Therefore, meeting Big Brother Chen today is mainly to make friends. Unless Big Brother Chen looks down on me … "
She raised her teacup and saluted him. Chen Jiu smiled and raised his teacup. He said to Yu Yulin, "Your Military Advisor Lou really knows how to talk." Then, he drank the tea in one gulp. "I'll be friends with you."
Lou Shuwan poured tea for him. Her words were gentle but not sloppy. "Originally, when meeting Big Brother Chen, wine should be prepared. It's a pity that I can't drink, so I can only prepare some tea."
"Sigh, although we're from the mountains, we don't drink all day." Chen Jiu waved his hand. "Since we're friends, let's be frank. This time, General Yu and Military Advisor Lou must have the same purpose as the people gathered at Green Wood Fort, right? However, I don't understand why General Yu has been visiting the people in the surrounding mountains these days. Frankly speaking, if the Tiger King really wants to take over Lu Liang, the Chen Jiaqu is willing. However, the Chen Jiaqu and the Little Rattlesnake have fought more than once or twice … "
Green Wood Fort was currently the leader of the few big forces in Mount Lu Liang. Outside of Green Wood Fort, there were the Little Rattlesnake Qiu Mengtang, the "Black Skeleton King" Luan Sanlang, the Fang Family's Fang Yiyang brothers, and the Chen Jiaqu's group led by the "King of Chaotic Mountains" Chen Zhenhai. The rest were scattered and unaffiliated forces. Tian Hu was quite famous in the Tiger King. In the early years, when he wanted to extend his hand to Mount Lu Liang, many people were willing to pledge allegiance to him. However, because the economic pressure of taking over these people was too great, the harvest was not much. Therefore, the Tiger King could only choose a part of them to support.
This time, many forces gathered at Green Wood Fort. Some of the nearby mountains also sent people over to watch the show and inquire about the situation. People like the Qi Clan, Wu Sheng Jun, and Dong Pang'er had been negotiating with the Green Wood Stronghold ever since they arrived. Only the Tiger King's men had been contacting the bandits in the nearby mountains for the past two days after they arrived at the Green Wood Stronghold. As the second-in-command of the Chen Jiaqu, Chen Jiu was somewhat puzzled about this. In the past, Tian Hu had always supported Qiu Mengtang, but that was because the gains did not make up for the losses if he took over too much. Now, even if it was to have a bargaining chip to threaten Green Wood Fort, did the Tiger King really want to shoulder the burden of the entire Lu Liang?
Everyone was a hungry wolf. If it wasn't for the fact that they had to starve, no one would be willing to occupy a mountain and fight to the death. However, if the Tiger King wanted to lie and deceive everyone, they were all people who wouldn't act unless they saw the rabbit. It wasn't that simple. While he was puzzled, Yu Yulin came to look for him today. However, he didn't expect that the person in charge would be a beautiful woman. After he voiced his doubts, he saw the other party shaking her head as she poured tea.
"Big Brother Chen, you may not know this, but Little Snapping Horse is already dead. His fort is now under our temporary management."
"Oh? Then, the Tiger King wants to … "
"I know what Big Brother Chen is thinking, but we don't want it."
Little Snapping Horse Qiu Mengtang was dead. The Tiger King contacting everyone might be to support the next representative. This was a logical deduction. If that was the case, Chen Jiaqu could fight for it. However, before he could finish, Lou Shuwan had already smiled and shook her head. Chen Jiu sat up straight.
"Then, you want to …"
"I want to tell Big Brother Chen how Qiu Mengtang died."
"… How did he die?"
"The Blood Bodhisattva killed him," said Lou Shuwan. "On the day of the battle, General Yu was also there and had a conversation with the Blood Bodhisattva. In front of hundreds of people, the Blood Bodhisattva killed Qiu Mengtang and swaggered away. No one dared to stop her. I don't know martial arts and can't explain clearly. Big Brother Chen, you can ask General Yu. "
The heavy rain mixed with the sound of thunder outside. Chen Jiu frowned and looked at Yu Yulin. Yu Yulin nodded and told him what happened that night. After he finished, Chen Jiu looked at Lou Shuwan and asked, "So what?" He said, "The Blood Bodhisattva is highly skilled in martial arts. No one in Lv Liangliang is her match. Everyone already knew this when she killed the Old Wolf Lord. "Her master is even more skilled in martial arts, but he still died in the Liao people's military formation. "What is Miss Lou trying to say?"
"I just want to tell everyone about the future of Lv Liangshan."
"Hmm … I understand." Chen Jiu thought for a while and looked at her with a smile. After laughing for a while, he said, "Miss Lou wants to say that the Blood Bodhisattva is so powerful. In addition to the Green Wood Stronghold's influence, she will sweep through Lv Liangshan and we will have no hope. Miss Lou, you are not being honest. When others come to Lv Liangshan and ask us for help, they will get something in return. You are trying to gain something without risking anything … "
After saying this, he pointed at Lou Shuwan and said, "Miss Lou, you really don't treat me as a friend …" Then, his face turned cold and he stood up to leave.
Lou Shuwan listened to him with a smile. She put her fingers in front of her body and waited until he was about to leave. She smiled coldly and looked out of the window and said, "A foolish man's opinion …"
Seeing that they were about to part on bad terms, Yu Yulin quickly stood up and stopped Chen Jiu.
*****
"Boss Chen, let's talk this out …"
"What else is there to talk about!"
"At least let Counselor Lou finish …"
"There's nothing to talk about, General Yu. I think you believe too much in a woman's strategy …"
Lou Shuwan sat at the side with a cold smile amidst the tugging and pulling at the door. Only then did she stand up and smiled at Chen Jiu. "Brother Chen, at least let me finish my words. Then, you can say that I'm wrong so that you won't wrongly accuse a good person. Don't you agree?" She didn't hide the words "foolish man's opinion" from Chen Jiu at all. Now that she was smiling and talking, she changed her face and appeared rather hypocritical. Chen Jiu was so angry that he laughed. He turned around and glanced at Lou Shuwan.
After a while, he said, "Alright, what difference is there between what you said and what I said?"
He gritted his teeth and walked back to his seat. He stared at Lou Shuwan. Yu Yulin walked back with a helpless expression.
"What I want to say is that the Green Wood Stronghold will sweep through Lv Liangshan and you will have no hope."
Chen Jiu spread his hands and the expression on his face clearly said, "So what? I don't care. "
"But it's a little different from what Brother Chen thinks … completely different." She smiled, "I know what Big Brother Chen is thinking. A stronghold that suddenly became so big, and a stronghold master who is highly skilled in martial arts. It looks like a great momentum, but Lv Liangshan has always been a place where people take turns to be the banker. Anyone can only gain a temporary advantage … This was what Qiu Mengtang said before he died. I remember it very clearly. Before coming to the Green Wood Stronghold, I also thought so. But after coming here, I found that this time is completely different. "
Under Chen Jiu's sneering expression, Lou Shuwan said, "Because of the enlistment edict."
"Because of the enlistment edict issued by the Bureau Envoy Tan Zhen, the situation in many places in the Northern Lands has changed. And you guys are still watching the show … After I came here, I found that all of you are watching the show. "The woman spoke with fervor and assurance, her gaze calm." The Green Wood Stronghold has developed to this point, but there are only six thousand people in total. This time, the number of outsiders gathered at the Green Wood Stronghold — including us — is already more than a thousand. Moreover, everyone can fight, so now, the inside and outside of the stronghold are overcrowded. It seems that the Green Wood Stronghold may not be able to control the situation at any time. You guys are also very happy to send people over, waiting for trouble to happen. Then let me ask you, if there is no trouble, what will happen? "
"Everyone favors the Green Wood Stronghold in the enlistment edict. Why? "Lou Shuwan said," Because they have the channels to cross the mountain, because they are the biggest, and because they can make money. Do you know how big the Qi Clan's business is in the Southern Lands? How much money can they make with one more way to cross the mountain? The Green Wood Stronghold can help to make money, but what can you guys do? Other than me, other than the Tiger King, no one cares about you guys. "
Lightning flashed outside the window, followed by thunder. Lou Shuwan's expression was as calm as water, and she looked at Chen Jiu.
"Next, if nothing unexpected happens, they will accept the enlistment edict. After that, they will be officials, and you will be thieves. "Perhaps you guys don't seem to be any different now, but let me tell you, when everyone in Lu Liangshan is a thief, it's one thing. The highest position in Lu Liangshan is the officials, but when you guys are thieves, it's another thing …"
The woman's speech slowed down, and she stretched out her finger. "For military merits, they will beat you up; for financial gains, they will beat you up; for appearances, they will beat you up; because they are in a bad mood today, they can also beat you up. "This is the difference between officials and thieves. Once there is this difference, what everyone is talking about is no longer the morality of the pugilistic world. "When that time comes, everyone will fight, and everyone will follow the rules. When that time comes, there will only be fighting, and there won't be any rules …"
As she spoke, Lou Shuwan's tone became slower and slower, and more and more sarcastic. Chen Jiu frowned. "So what if you say so?"
"Lu Liangshan hasn't changed for so many years. Do you think it will change just because I say so?" Lou Shuwan also laughed, and then looked at him. "But this time, it will change … Brother Chen, I met a few people this time, and you are the first one to leave halfway through. You are a smart person. So as long as you calm down, you will know what will happen if the Green Wood Stronghold becomes an official, and you guys are still bandits. There is no need for me to say more. You will understand. "
"… The enlistment edict." Chen Jiu thought for a moment, and then said with a smile, "Then we can also become officials."
Lou Shuwan also smiled. "Then Brother Chen, you should think about what will happen if Lu Liangshan gives up a bunch of officials … You are a bandit, and he may beat you up when he is in a bad mood. If you become an official, he will definitely beat you to death … Don't you think so?"
The conflicts between bandits were for interests, and most of the time, they could coexist. If one really imagined the power struggle between officials in the outside world, and in a place like Lu Liangshan, it would really be a fight to the death. As Lou Shuwan said, although Chen Jiu didn't know much about these things, he could imagine it. His expression changed a few times, and Lou Shuwan's fingertips touched him lightly, and then she spoke again.
"You can either continue to be mountain bandits, or find a way to enlist. The Green Wood Stronghold will still be big officials, and you guys can only be small officials … These things are already laid out in front of you, but you guys are still very happy watching the show. That's right, little sister came to Lu Liangshan this time with the mission of the Tiger King, and she wants to take advantage of this place and go back. But looking at your situation now, I can't help but feel a chill in my heart. Do you think it is too much to say that you are stupid and ignorant? "
Chen Jiu's mouth opened slightly, and after a moment, he said, "Then what can we do? Miss Lou, your so-called taking advantage of this place is nothing more than to make us create trouble for Lu Liangshan, and then use this to threaten and force them. If you accept our help, then we will be the ones who do the work, and you won't get much advantage. Your calculations are like ordering people around with empty words. Do you think I can agree to it? "
"Firstly, I don't want to cause trouble." Lou Shuwan took a breath. "Secondly, it is not the time to cause trouble."
"What do you want to do? I'll listen." Amidst the sound of the rain, Chen Jiu was already expressionless. Although his tone was not good, at this moment, he had already been moved. However, as a smart person, most things naturally had to be considered before coming to a conclusion. After he said this, Lou Shuwan nodded.
"When the fish dies, the net splits, and the fish dies, the net splits. I'm in charge of business under the Tiger King. I'm a businesswoman. Since it's business, it's nothing more than laying out the chips and then negotiating. To be able to develop the Green Wood Stronghold to such a large scale, the Blood Bodhisattva should be a worthy opponent. This time, those who came to Lu Liang Mountain like the Qi Clan will look down on you. At any time, they will do business with the strongest forces. However, in Lu Liang Mountain, the forces that can truly threaten the Green Wood Stronghold are Brother Chen and the 'Black Skeleton King' Third Master Luan and the others. If everyone can join forces, the Green Wood Stronghold will be afraid. Once they are afraid, they will have to negotiate. "
Chen Jiu thought for a moment. "What do you want to talk about?"
Lou Shuwan smiled, knowing that the promotion was almost done.
"The way to do things is actually very simple. The imperial court is very big, and they only do business with a group of people. "Lu Liang Mountain is so big, and it can only accommodate a group of people in the end. "In my opinion, the Green Wood Stronghold will also not be willing to completely submit to others. If they join forces with the Qi Clan and Wu Shengjun, they will be eaten until not even their skin is left. "If they want peace, the Green Wood Stronghold can only join forces with you, Third Master Luan, and the Fang Clan brothers. "In my opinion, why not let the Blood Bodhisattva be the boss, and everyone else will be the leaders. Go south and work together with the Tiger King. That way, it will be easier for me to do my job …
"In order to make this happen, I will need everyone's support, and everyone will also need the help of the Tiger King. "Secondly, the alliance must be made public and announced to Lu Liang Mountain. After that, everyone will be part of the imperial court. Thirdly, working together with the Tiger King is far better than working with others. The Tiger King is from the Green Wood Stronghold. He does business through this path, but the control of this path is still in everyone's hands. We won't interfere much, but we can guarantee that there will be no internal strife. I believe the Blood Bodhisattva will also not want to go against the Tiger King after becoming enemies with everyone …"
Amidst the thunder, the rain continued to pour. After leaving the market center, the sky was gloomy and dark. Lou Shuwan and the others were arranged to stay in the Green Wood Stronghold's inner stronghold. On the way back, Yu Yulin was quite impressed by Lou Shuwan's performance over the past two days. Although the two of them worked under the Tiger King, Yu Yulin was in charge of the army and did not know much about Lou Shuwan's actions.
The purpose of Lou Shuwan and the others coming this time was to push for the Tiger King to form an alliance with the Green Wood Stronghold. However, the Green Wood Stronghold was expanding rapidly, and the Tiger King's deterrence was obviously not enough. Even if the Green Wood Stronghold was willing to do business, they might not be able to gain much. Before coming, the Tiger King was even willing to let Tian Shi marry into the Green Wood Stronghold to ensure the cooperation. However, after arriving at the Green Wood Stronghold, Lou Shuwan obviously found a better way.
Within two days, she had consecutively convinced several envoys from the mountains — these people might not be able to represent their Stronghold Masters, but at least in Yu Yulin's opinion, Lou Shuwan's words were very convincing. Once the majority of Lu Liang's forces were united to force the Green Wood Stronghold to abdicate, coupled with the Tiger King's background, this trip to Lu Liang would achieve very good results.
Just like Ning Yi's previous plan for the Green Wood Stronghold, although it was to be a smuggling hub, he still attached great importance to the Red Ti's control over the stronghold. Once the stronghold became a cooperation between several forces for the sake of benefits, it might develop very quickly, but at the same time, the stronghold would also lose its combat power. After that, as long as the other party had benefits, they could participate. And Lou Shuwan's goal was to turn the Green Wood Stronghold from a single faction into a multi-faction one. Then, if the Tiger King wanted to enter, no one would be able to refuse.
Theoretically, the current Green Wood Stronghold also did not dare to make an enemy of others who had united. As long as they could unite the majority, they could negotiate with the Blood Bodhisattva and force her to compromise … As she thought of this, she looked at the courtyard halfway up the mountain. Takeshi's people were currently staying there. The distance between the two residences was actually not far.
Since they had already come to the Green Wood Stronghold, it was very likely that the other party was also active. Speaking of which, if they had the intention, the other party might have already seen her.
And for the past two days, the people she had arranged to keep watch over there did not see any signs of the other party's movements, nor did they receive much news about their activities. Ning Yi … didn't even appear.
Where did you go, what are you doing … In the heavy rain, Lou Shuwan thought of this, blinked her eyes, and exhaled with difficulty.
I've already made my move. You saw it, right? Since you saw it, don't pretend not to see it! What inner demon … I really want to see how you're going to solve this game!
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