Wang Ju, who thought of himself as a fishing expert, was completely dumbfounded when he saw the dazzling array of items in Zhang Xiaobao's box. He had never even heard of many of the items, let alone seen them.
"Is this … a part of it?" Wang Ju did not ask what each item was used for. He thought that his grandson would explain it to him and leave a few sets for him to use.
However, he really could not think of a reason why fishing required so many items. The simplest type of fishing only required a rod, a line, a hook, and a bait.
Zhang Xiaobao nodded and replied, "Grandpa, this is indeed a part of it. If we really want to talk about fishing items, even ten boxes of this size are not enough. Different environments, different seasons, different geographical climates, and different types of fish have a huge impact on fishing.
Of course, if we only use a fishing rod, it is not impossible to catch them. Perhaps some fish will come to join in the fun. But didn't we just say that you will be in charge of the Fishing Association?
Naturally, we have to prepare more items so that others can have a choice. Moreover, the more items there are, the more professional it will appear. This will indirectly raise the status of the association. Otherwise, if you use an ordinary wooden rod as a fishing rod, it will not reflect your identity, right? "
Zhang Xiaobao was very familiar with fishing. In the past, he often went fishing with others. While fishing, they would discuss business or scam others.
He knew all the so-called high-level entertainment activities and was very proficient in many other aspects. For example, he could be considered an expert in golf. One was good at coordination, and the other was naturally rich.
In fact, he was very clear that if everyone in the world played golf, then the people who were ranked high in the world would all be suppressed. They were not good enough. The reason why they could stand at such a high position was only because they could afford to play. Ordinary people, even if they had the talent, would not have a chance.
This was the game that the rich played. It was not that they were really good at it, but that they did not play the games that ordinary people played. If they really played, they would be nothing.
Wang Ju also understood the meaning behind Zhang Xiaobao's words. From the looks of it, it was not just for fishing, but to make money. However, the money was not just for the Fishing Association, but also for other places with various kinds of fish. At the same time, the people could also go and join in the fun.
Of course, the most important thing was that all the fishing tackle was designed and made by his grandson. Therefore, for a period of time, his grandson could make a lot of profit just by selling fishing tackle. He could use the reputation of the Angling Association to sell his fishing tackle to his grandson.
Good plan, it was really a good plan.
Thinking of her grandson's ability to make money, Wang Ju smiled and said, "Xiao Bao, according to what you said, if I become the president, won't my fishing ability be better than others? Stay a few more days and tell me how to use the things in the box. "
However, Zhang Xiaobao shook his head and said, "Grandpa, you don't need to be very good at fishing. What you need to do is to know the habits of each fish, know what kind of fish are in which place, and know how to use the rod, bait, and hook.
Your role is to organize fishing activities and manage the departments under you. You used to be the Minister of Revenue, so I don't think there will be any problems, right? "
Zhang Xiaobao knew the power of an organization too well. Whether an organization was good or not did not depend on the masters in a certain activity, but on the ability of the leader. It was easy to be a master. If one's own ability was not good enough, he could train them. If he could not train them, he could hire them.
Just like in football, no matter how valuable the players were, they could not earn as much as the people in the club. Otherwise, the club would lose money. It was the same for car racing.
In the end, the people who benefited from it were the people in the organization behind the scenes, not the people who risked all kinds of dangers on the field. This was the knowledge of using people.
Wang Ju also thought of this and said with a smile, "Organization? I know how to organize an organization, but why does the Fishing Association need departments? Is there someone who takes you out to play, and someone who sells fishing tackle? "
As he spoke, Wang Ju narrowed his eyes and looked at his grandson.
Zhang Xiaobao's eyebrows and Weiwei frowned. He felt that his grandpa was getting more and more stupid. What a simple question! How could he ask such a question?
Thinking but not showing it on the surface, Zhang Xiaobao explained, "Grandpa, the Fishing Association is not the inner court of our family. What we need is unity. In fact, it is no different from the court, except that the court is at a higher level and the association is at a lower level.
Fishing fans from all over the Tang Empire can't be so united, so what you need to do is the simplest and most difficult work of internal balance.
You don't allow them to be united and make them have conflicts. One is the temptation from power, and the other is the temptation from economics. Power is the right to speak, and economics is naturally money.
Only when there are conflicts can there be competition, and you can seize the opportunity. If they really unite, they may overthrow you at any time. So, you can, you need to do this … "
Zhang Xiaobao began to explain to Wang Ju. For example, the departments and power should be divided. After all, it was a Fishing Association, and there was no need to be afraid that there would be too many idlers. The departments were also divided into those with more profit and those with less profit, so that it would be easier for the leader to make decisions.
He talked about the managers who were responsible for fishing in the running water, the people who were responsible for fishing in the streams, the people who were responsible for organizing the staff, the logistics, and the auxiliary medical care, etc.
He could even guide the subordinates to explore new fields, such as not only fishing, but also catching shrimps and turtles. He even told them some of the fighting skills of the subordinates.
The more Zhang Xiaobao talked, the more he did not forget to pull the baited fish out of the water from the West Lake and put them in the net nearby. He let them live in the water until they were fresh when he ate them.
Wang Ju listened attentively and nodded from time to time. He stopped fishing and narrowed his eyes even more. The kind smile on his face also became more obvious.
"It has to be standardized and managed according to the administrative method. And … And, Grandpa, you can't do this. You know it, but you still want me to say it. I've been talking for a long time, and my throat is dry."
As Xiaobao spoke, he realized that it wasn't that his grandfather didn't know anything. He just liked to listen to him and listen to his opinions on political matters. The better he performed, the more satisfied he would be.
It was a kind of care and test from an elder to a younger generation. Grandpa had not become such an important official for nothing. Just like Old Man Pi and the others, they were all smart and had a good grasp of the situation. Perhaps there were many things that they knew clearly in their hearts, but they still pretended not to know.
For example, when Old Man Pi looked for him and Cuckoo to fish, it did not matter who won in the process. What was important was the result after they reached a compromise.
There was also that Li Longji. He was good to the two of them, but not from the beginning. In the beginning, there were all kinds of suppression and tests. If it were not for the existence of a very distant country that was very powerful, the two of them would not have survived until today and would have been controlled.
People who could become emperors were usually not given for nothing. However, they would also make mistakes. It was probably because Li Longji did not believe that he was the same as Cuckoo that he gradually changed.
There were many emperors who made mistakes in history. Even the emperors of so-called democratic countries would make mistakes, but the art of struggle was not lacking.
Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaobao could not accept it. He had said so many things to him, but in the end, it was just a test from an elder.
Wang Ju chuckled. "Xiao Bao, don't blame Grandpa. It's just that the other children in Grandpa's family are much worse than you and Cuckoo. The younger children are also far behind Xiaobei and the others.
Usually, I always want to teach them a lot of knowledge, including the political struggle you mentioned. They are afraid of me, so they want to learn, but they can't satisfy me. Now that you are here, shouldn't you make me happy? "
"Okay, okay, if you are happy, then what about the Fishing Association …?" Zhang Xiaobao said helplessly.
"Of course, I will be the president and help my grandson sell fishing equipment. I know that fishing is not like before. Before there was no fishing net, it was the ancient way of survival. Nowadays, very few people fish to fill their stomachs. It is okay to fish for prawns, but the big prawns are in special places. It is not easy to use a net underwater, so fishing for them is not easy.
Now that there are fishing nets, who would still fish for food? Come, take out the tools in your box and tell me which one is suitable for the lake in front of me. Once I learn it, I can help you benefit the country and the people.
To be honest, selling fishing equipment is not very important to me. You don't lack money. What I care about is that the people set up stalls around the fishing areas and are responsible for processing the fish that they catch.
Maybe the income is not the most, but the help to the people is the most direct. Today, there is the Fishing Association. Tomorrow, there will be the Snooker Association. The day after tomorrow, there will be other associations.
Every association brings some benefits to the people. When many associations are added together, not only does it enrich the Tang Empire's entertainment, but it also slowly changes the lives of the people.
Just like the Pear Garden that His Majesty built. Do you really think that His Majesty built it for him? His Majesty saw that the people were rich and was afraid that other things would happen, so he built it. Unfortunately, His Majesty thinks that he is rich, but in front of you and Cuckoo, he is still poor. Who asked for industrial and agricultural technology to not be able to keep up?
Also, there is the canal that has been in use and has been expanding. Back then, Yang Guang said that it was for him to play, but he is not that stupid. Playing is just an excuse. His Majesty is also playing, and he goes to every place with a purpose. It is not His Majesty's purpose, but it is also the purpose of you and Cuckoo, right? "
Wang Ju also said a lot of things.
Hearing this, Zhang Xiaobao became even more depressed. Since they all knew, why didn't the books say so? Wasn't it because of political needs? None of these people were good people.
Sighing, Zhang Xiaobao took out something from the box. "Alright, then let's try out the various tools."
*****
While Zhang Xiaobao accompanied Wang Ju to fish, Xiaobei's team was getting closer and closer to Jiangzhou. However, they deliberately slowed down their speed.
Now, the team was bigger than when they had just left Hangzhou. A portion of the gunboats had entered Poyang Lake, while the other portion had joined up with Xiaobei's team.
There were also more hot air balloons in the sky. When they first started, no one could guess what was going on. However, when the identities of Xiaobei and the others were revealed, and when they started to encircle and annihilate the religious organization, everything became clear.
Not only did the other party know, but the government also knew. Even the smarter people also knew. When a smart person said something, the other people would follow suit and spread the news.
In the end, the more the news spread, the more ridiculous it became. In the end, some people no longer said that they wanted to encircle and annihilate someone. Instead, they said that there was a monster in Poyang Lake and that it was disadvantageous to the Tang Empire. It would overthrow the Tang Empire and cause the people to live in an abyss of suffering.
The Zhang Family and the Wang Family gathered all their forces to find the monster and kill it. They wanted to protect the Tang Empire and allow the people to live a stable life.
At the same time, there was another saying. The Tang Empire had angered the heavens and there was a monster in the Tang Imperial Court. Therefore, the heavens sent immortals to kill the monster. However, the monster had already cultivated and was not easy to kill, so the immortals could only hide in the lake for the time being.
Many people spread the former, but the latter was so rare that it was less than one in a thousand people. Furthermore, it was very secretive. It was so secretive that no one dared to tell others. Instead, it was written on very small pieces of paper and pasted everywhere.
Children were the most literate. Ordinary people would only take time out of their free time to make up for their literacy lessons. There were not many of them now.
The effect of pasting paper strips was naturally not good. Ordinary people could not understand it, but children could. However, once they told their parents, their parents would immediately tell them to shut up. Some even followed their children on the streets. Early in the morning, they would see the paper strips that had been pasted everywhere last night. When the children read them, they would immediately tear them down.
Ordinary people were not stupid. They could tell who was good and who was bad just by looking at their lives. Some ordinary people even spoke bluntly in places like teahouses.
They said that the Tang Empire did not have monsters, but immortals helping the Tang Empire. Moreover, even if there were monsters, they were good ones. The immortals sent by the heavens were bad immortals. When the immortals in the mortal world saw that people in the mortal world lived better lives than immortals, they were jealous.
As a result, when Xiao Bei slowed down the speed of the team, there would always be many citizens on the shore during the day. They would bring local specialties and ask the ferries in the river to help deliver them to Xiao Bei's boat for Xiao Bei and the others to eat.
They used this to express their support for the Tang Empire. Ordinary people would not talk too much like the officials. They used the most practical actions to tell the rumormongers whose side they were on and who they supported.
"Rice noodles again? We can't finish them either. Did you pay? " When it was almost noon, Xiaobei helplessly said to the inner courtyard as he looked at the items delivered by the ordinary people on the shore.
"We did, but the ordinary people were not willing to accept them. Look, a basket of rice noodles, if sold normally, would cost at least 15 copper coins. But in the end, the ordinary people who delivered the rice noodles only took 7 copper coins when we said that we would not take any money. It's not even enough to cover the cost, let alone the labor costs.
Young lady, find someone else to be in charge of this matter. I think Sixth Steward Wang is a good choice. Let him do it. I really can't stand it. Arguing with the ordinary people over a few copper coins is like fighting a war. "
The inner courtyard complained. He wanted to divert the trouble and did not want to do this work himself.
Xiaobei chuckled and said, "It's the same no matter who does it. You work hard first. I'll discuss with them and see if they have any good ideas."
After saying this, Xiao Bei went to look for Xiao Yuan and the others. It wasn't until noon when they were eating rice noodles that they finally came up with a solution. That was to take out the things that were supposed to be sold at every bustling port on the road and exchange them with the people who sent them to the shore.
The fleet had bought and sold along the way. Now, not only had they earned back the money they had spent, they even had a slight surplus. Most importantly, they had enriched the dining tables of the ordinary people. This was because the ships usually carried a lot of food, all of which were local specialties.
Since the ordinary people wanted to give them things, it was better for everyone to take advantage of them. If they exchanged with the other party, they would earn a little in value, and the other party would not lose anything. If they did not exchange with the other party and instead bought the goods themselves, the price would be twice as high.
This gave them an excuse to stall for time, allowing Hu Liang and the others to infiltrate the enemy's ranks more easily.
Once the matter of the exchange started, the ordinary people were not willing at first. The person in charge explained that the fleet could earn money and even revealed a portion of the data. Only then did the ordinary people accept the proposal of the exchange.
As a result, there were even more ordinary people waiting on the shore to exchange. Every family had local specialties that were not worth much. They took them out and sent baskets of them to the shore, waiting for the fleet to send small boats to transport them back and forth. This turned the fleet into a mobile market.
Other than the local specialties, there were also handmade products. Xiaobei and the others did not stop them. As long as they came from the shore to exchange, no matter what the other party took out, they would exchange it with them. Even if it was a stone, it was fine. Of course, until now, no one had used a stone to exchange for it. They were afraid that they would be beaten up by other people who wanted to exchange.
*****
A few days later, the fleet finally slowly entered the territory of Jiang District. As soon as they arrived, all the guards became nervous. They did not know what the other party would do.
Xiaobei and the group of children also stayed in the cabin and did not come out. Although it was a bit depressing, it was still better than being hurt by danger. They did not want to put themselves in a dangerous situation.
This was also what Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan had always done. In the beginning, when their family only had Zhuangzi, they took out a portion of their money to protect themselves. They did not want to wait until they had earned money and status before accidentally dying.
At that time, not to mention their situation when they had just become rich, even more powerful people could be assassinated. For example, Zhang Xiaobao once bought the life of a small country's prime minister and succeeded. Of course, it was nothing. Didn't many presidents of large countries die?
Therefore, Xiaobei and the group of children also learned from their older brother and sister. When there was a possibility of danger, they would do their best to protect themselves. They all stayed in the cabin to play with Pan 'er and Wang Juan. At the same time, they settled down to study.
When the ship reached the border of Jiang District, it did not immediately stop. The capital of Jiang District was in Xunyang. They had to pass through the entrance of Poyang Lake and continue along the Yangtze River for a while.
The speed of the fleet began to change. Sometimes, they would speed up at night, and sometimes they would even stop during the day. The place that they could reach in a day actually took them three days.
On this day, there were even more ships coming and going on the river. The morning sun shone down diagonally. There were not only cargo ships on the river, but also ferries and slightly larger fishing boats.
On the river, there were no small boats like the ones in Sanshui County. Otherwise, with the Yangtze River's speed and volume of water, as many small boats as there were, they would capsize. Even the slightly larger boats were not something that ordinary people could control.
The ferries all moved diagonally. After leaving the shore, they moved in a diagonal direction. Furthermore, there were boaters.
"Xunyang is in front, right? It is very lively. I see a lot of people walking back and forth. I can't see if there are any officials coming to greet us. "
Xiao Bei held a telescope in his hand and ran to the uppermost cabin on the fourth floor. He opened a very small window that was not made of glass and carefully looked forward like a thief.
As the capital of Jiang District, which had Poyang Lake, Xunyang's dock could not be deserted. If the sound of the river water hitting the ship was a little quieter, the ship could even hear the noise of the dock.
Xiao Yuan also held a telescope and looked there. He said, "I hope that there are no officials coming to greet us. Who knows if there are any dangerous people among them? Brother and sister have already told us to be very, very careful. I'm scared to death.
It's possible that all the officials in Jiang District have been bribed by the other party, even the other party's core members. If the officials come, we can't not meet them. What if they put a grenade in their stomach? "
"Nonsense. How can a grenade be put in the stomach? Why don't you say put a large cannonball in it? I reckon that if they want to put explosives, they just need to buy a bunch of fireworks and wrap them around themselves. Then, they will be found after a search. If they want to see us, they have to go to another ship to take a shower and change clothes. "
Xiao Bei did not believe that anyone could put a grenade in their stomach. It was too big to fit in, and it was so heavy.
"Not necessarily. There are many capable people in the world. Either they bury explosives somewhere, such as the dock, and wait for us to go up. Then, they will light it up. With a boom, we will fly."
Xiao Yuan had nothing to do, so he and Xiao Bei were discussing how to assassinate.
At this moment, the inner courtyard member who was accompanying them said, "If they can really get explosives, it means that they have their own people in the army. This is troublesome. If they can get explosives, they can also get guns. It's too dangerous for us."
"That's really possible." Xiao Bei became nervous.
Then, he instructed, "Stop the ships and issue a warning. Get all the ships in the river to maintain a distance from our fleet. Don't let them come forward. No matter the reason, even if their oars are not properly oared. As long as they come close, sink them.
We can't go ashore at the dock. Let's go somewhere else. Oh, get someone to send the big doll made in Old Willow Village to the dock. I want to see if there's anyone who doesn't want the doll to appear. "
Just as Xiao Bei finished speaking, Xiao Yuan suddenly shouted, "Those ships! Quick, look at those ships. What are they doing? They are approaching us. There are even banners on them. Quick, see what's written. "
"No matter what's written, don't come close. If you do, sink them. Quick, send someone to shout. No, don't send anyone over. Use the loudspeaker. Even if it's to welcome us, don't do it."
When Xiao Bei heard Xiao Yuan, he looked over. Indeed, there were about twenty small boats with banners on them. They were approaching the fleet at a fast speed. They were upstream, so all they had to do was follow the water and go down.
When the people in the inner courtyard behind heard this, they became nervous. They immediately ran outside. Before he could run over, someone on the ship had already thought of this matter. The loudspeaker's voice was broadcast.
"All ships, listen up. Don't come close. If you do, sink them. All ships, listen up. Don't come close. If you do …"
Shouts rang out over and over again, but the boats that were flowing downstream didn't seem to have any intention of stopping. Instead, there were people behind them who were rowing the oars, and their speed increased. Soon, they were less than 500 meters away from the first big boat in front of them.
At this moment, on the ship Xiao Bei was on, he could already see the words on the banners through binoculars. There were words like "Xiao Bei," "Welcome," "Xiao Yuan," and so on.
In front of each ship, there was a person waving a bouquet of flowers. This was a tradition passed down by Zhang Xiaobao and Wang Juan. They welcomed others to use flowers.
Furthermore, the person waving the flowers had a happy look on his face. He opened his mouth and shouted something. It seemed like he was welcoming them.
The first large ship didn't care about that. At a distance of five hundred meters, the guns could already shoot. The light machine gun was set up on the deck in front and fired a few shots as a warning shot.
The expressions of the people standing at the bow of the small ship changed, but the ship still moved towards the large ship.
In the blink of an eye, it was three hundred meters away. The people at the bow of the ship waved even more enthusiastically.
Almost at the same time, there was a rumbling sound. The small cannon on the first large ship opened fire. It was aimed directly at the small ship at the front.
A few shells landed on the water, and a few more hit the small ship at the same time. Just as the people on the shore and the other ships were puzzled, the small ship that was hit suddenly exploded even more violently. With that loud sound, it seemed like the entire water surface trembled.
Seeing this situation, even if the people on the first large ship were stupid, they understood what was going on. This was definitely not the power of a shell. Because it was a small cannon, it couldn't cause such a big explosion.
At this moment, the people on the other small ships jumped into the water. Even the people at the back who were rowing disappeared from the water surface.
"They're so bold. Quick, destroy the small ship. Don't let them get close. Hurry up." Xiao Bei looked through her binoculars and shouted with all her might. Unfortunately, the ship in front couldn't hear her at all.
However, the reaction speed of the ship in front was not slow at all. More shells and bullets poured out like they were free. The small ships that rushed over also exploded one after another. In the process of the explosion, the ships that were washed over by the water also exploded.
In the end, only one small ship broke through the heavy barrage of shells and came to about ten meters away from the large ship. This time, the people on the large ship did not attack. They just lay on the deck, meaning to let the small ship explode. After all, the ship was big enough, and the outside was made of iron. The only thing they were worried about was the vibration.
They estimated that some people would be injured, but it wouldn't be enough to say that they would be killed. This was because the fleet had long been trained to move to a relatively safe place at critical moments. If they couldn't move in time, they had to stop all actions, cover their ears with their hands, and keep their mouths shut.
The people on the large ship felt that the small ship that came over could still withstand it. At most, it would blow up the isolation cabin below the ship. If they were unlucky, water would slowly enter the ship. The damage control team on the ship would drain the water and slow down the ship's sinking speed.
When the time came, the people on the ship would jump down and wait for the ships behind to rescue them.
Everything was ready, but the small ship that came over did not explode. Instead, it sank very quickly after touching the large ship.
From other angles, one could see that there was a hole at the back of the small ship. It was wet. When the other ships exploded, the gunpowder in that area was blown up. However, it did not ignite the gunpowder inside. Then, water flowed in and extinguished the line of fire.
When the gunpowder was loaded onto the large ship and the hole was enlarged, the small ship sank just like that.
The people on the large ship leaned on the edge of the deck and looked down. Then, they laughed and muttered, "Tsk, you want to blow us up? Don't you know that we have two little immortals in our family? God bless us. "
The people around were stunned. They were fine just a moment ago. Why did they suddenly start fighting? And why were the small cannons on the Zhang Family and Wang Family's gunboats so powerful? When they hit the ship, they could blow up the small ship to such an extent?
"Why are they fighting? Aren't they here to welcome the Zhang Family and Wang Family? Why are the Zhang Family and Wang Family opening fire? " On a ferry that was not too far away, but not very close either, there was a person dressed like a scholar. His eyes were full of confusion. He seemed to feel that the Zhang Family and Wang Family in his heart had changed.
However, someone beside him knew what was going on. He said to him, "What do you know? How can the cannonballs be so powerful? Look at the cannonballs that fell into the water. Why didn't they land on the ship? Welcome? The small ship must be carrying something that can explode. It's either the military's explosives or the gunpowder from the fireworks store.
Fortunately, the Zhang Family and Wang Family reacted quickly. Otherwise, Xiao Bei might have been killed by the explosion. There are other children too. Damn it, who did it? Who wants their lives? It must be someone who was instigated by the monster in the lake. Don't let me catch him. Otherwise, I'll kill him. "
The scholar was shocked. He turned his head and saw that it was a person dressed like a butcher. Only then did he understand why the other party was so ruthless.
The other people on the ferry also felt that it made sense. After carefully thinking about what happened earlier, they felt that it was indeed so. The other party had already shouted and told them not to approach, but they still moved forward. Then, when the other party fired two warning shots, they moved even faster.
"That's too bad. They are all bad people. They want to blow up people in the name of welcoming. If the ship's reaction was too slow, wouldn't it have been blown up?" A young man of 14 or 15 years old said angrily.
Another person said, "How can the ship's reaction be too slow? That's the most powerful team in Tang. Some rascals also want to mess with them. Humph, they don't know how powerful the Zhang Family and Wang Family are. Now that they have interfered, the people who are supposed to welcome them first don't dare to do so. "
For a moment, the people on the ferry started cursing one after another.
It was the same for the people in other places. There were always smart people who could see what had just happened. Therefore, the people on the river and on the pier started cursing.
At the pier, there were four people with gloomy expressions. They looked at each other and spread out to squeeze through the crowd. However, when they reached a place where there were fewer people, only two people appeared. The two of them looked at each other, turned around, and ran, squeezing into the cluster of houses next to them.
After running for less than 15 minutes, six people appeared at the place where they had just come from. One of them observed for a moment, shook his head, and said, "We didn't keep an eye on them. They escaped. Let's go back and continue the interrogation."
The people didn't know what they were doing, and Xiao Bei didn't know either. In the time before they took action, other than the pieces of wood that had been blown up, there were also corpses on the water.
Some of the corpses were in pieces, while others were in one piece. They floated along with the river as it flowed downstream.
Xiao Bei's face sank as she looked through her binoculars. When she saw the corpses, she didn't look uncomfortable at all. She had experienced a lot of things and had seen all kinds of people die. She only felt sad, but she didn't feel disgusted or anything.
After looking at the corpses, Xiao Bei curled her lips and said, "A bunch of fools. The person who sent them must have told them to ignite the gunpowder when they were close enough. Then, they would jump into the water to escape.
They really believed it. With the power of the explosion, how deep can you dive? Let's not talk about them. If I had jumped at that time on the boat, I would have either been killed by the shockwave or fainted and drowned.
They've really pissed me off. I haven't even made a move yet. Just you wait, just you wait. None of you can escape. I'll capture all of you. Then, those who deserve to be beheaded will be beheaded, and those who deserve to be skinned will be skinned. "
"Xiao Bei, can you not make it sound so bloody? Stop the boat. This is great. The other party really has guts. Thankfully, our family is powerful and reacted quickly. We were prepared in advance. We were also lucky. A boat came over and didn't explode. I'm already waiting to save them. "
Xiao Yuan was also looking through her binoculars. She was also shocked. She was in the Great Tang, but someone dared to attack them, and in such a way.
It was no wonder that her brother and sister had sent so many people to Jiangzhou. They really had foresight. If they had used the same protective measures as before, even if they didn't get injured, they would still be scared out of their wits.
Xiao Bei looked elsewhere and said, "I'm bloody? No matter how bloody I am, I can't compare to them. I really want to talk to them about benevolence, righteousness, and morality, but I don't think they'll listen. What do you think? "
"Even if you're right and we'll skin them after they're caught, I still feel that you shouldn't have said that. A girl should … should be like an elder sister." Xiao Yuan was just about to say a few more words when she sensed that Xiao Bei had turned his head. She hurriedly followed his words.
After being suddenly attacked, the fleet stopped and remained on the surface of the river. The surroundings were heavily guarded, and the people woven from willow branches were sent to the dock. However, Xiao Bei no longer felt as oppressive as when he had first arrived. On the contrary, he felt very oppressed. He should have been the one to strike first, but in the end, someone else had taken the initiative.
While Xiao Bei was uncomfortable, there was another person who was even more uncomfortable.
That was three people in a single room in a restaurant in Xunyang City. Two of the three were sitting at a table, next to the window, while the other was facing the window.
Several dishes were laid out on the table, as well as a bottle of white wine that weighed two jin.
But the three had no intention of touching their chopsticks. Their eyes were fixed on the street below, as if they were searching for something, but also as if they were casually looking at the pedestrians.
After a while, one of the three shouted, "Waiter, the dishes aren't ready yet?"
"Replying to Esteemed Guest, we'll probably have to wait a little longer. The dishes take a long time to prepare." The waiter poked his head out and then retracted his head.
The person who had just asked the question was clearly very anxious. He whispered to the other two, "The plan this time doesn't require us to get rid of all of those evil creatures from the Zhang Family and Wang Family. We only need to blow up a few of their large ships and let them see our strength, so that they can continue to provide us with support."
The other person picked up his chopsticks, looked at the dishes on the plate, then put them down again. "Based on the faint sounds of activity coming from that side, there shouldn't be any problems. Twenty-four ships equipped with dismantled fireworks and the medicine inside. As long as we stick to one of their ships, a single explosion will blow a hole in it. I know that although the outside of those ships is made of iron, the inside is still made of wood.
It's not easy to make a ship that's made entirely of iron. Only small ships can be made of iron. Hmph, I admit that their technology is formidable, and they're also smart. They can actually make iron ships float on the water, but so what? They can't hide even if they want to. "
The person who spoke earlier grinned, revealing a mouthful of big yellow teeth. He grabbed half of a cut chicken on the table with his hand and tore off a large piece. He casually chewed twice and swallowed, then said, "It's best to blow up those little bastards from the Zhang Family and Wang Family directly. I want to see what they can do then."
"That's right, that's right." The person who spoke earlier agreed.
The three people fell silent for a moment and looked down at the street below.
After a while, they asked the waiter again for the dishes. After getting the same answer, the person who hadn't spoken earlier said, "I'm afraid this matter is troublesome. There are two points. First, if we really blow up Xiaobei and the others, the entire docks and people on the river will be taken care of. Our people won't be able to send the news here.
Second, it's useless. Our people have been discovered and are now hiding. No matter which point it is, it's dangerous for us. Let's wait a little longer. If it really doesn't work, we'll leave here. "
"That can't be, right? Our people have been hiding in the crowd this entire time, and what's even more impossible is that the explosion didn't hit anyone. The people we sent out have all smoked cigarettes. For cigarettes, they're willing to do anything. "
The person who spoke at the very beginning spoke somewhat unconfidently. He was also afraid that if they encountered this sort of situation, then the three of them would be in danger.
Just as the three of them were talking, a disturbance suddenly appeared in the crowd below. The three of them focused their gazes, but before they could ask, the waiter had already poked his head over and said, "The three of you, Xunyang City has already been placed under martial law. We just received news that the number of soldiers at the gate to Xunyang City has increased ten-fold.
Everyone who enters will be searched, and there are also soldiers going door to door asking questions. In addition, the entire city is open to entry and not exit. Would the three of you like to eat somewhere else? I reckon that the dishes won't be served. "
The waiter's words made the three of them stare blankly. They looked at each other and realized that their clothes were instantly drenched in sweat.
"How could that be? For the sake of an explosion, they actually dared to offend the entire world? "the person who spoke at the very beginning exclaimed in shock.
This was Xunyang, not some ordinary small city. Didn't the Zhang Family and Wang Family say that they were always concerned about the common people? If they really did as they were told, just how great of an effect would the local area receive? Moreover, this had always been a struggle in the shadows. To be more precise, the intelligence agents of the Zhang Family and Wang Family had never openly appeared to arrest anyone.
After saying this, this person revealed a delighted expression. "Could it really be that Xiao Bei and the others were all killed by the explosion? Otherwise, why would the Zhang Family and Wang Family put on such a display? Fine, are we going to withdraw or not? "
The other two people prepared to stand up.
Just at this moment, another waiter ran up from below, leading a person with a dusty face. The moment he entered, he said, "The dishes are here, they've been directly delivered."
The three of them simultaneously turned their heads and asked in unison, "How was it?" The waiter shook his head and shook his head.
After taking a few deep breaths, he said, "It's over, we were all killed. Before we could even touch their ship, we were blown up by their cannons. One of them managed to get past with great difficulty, but in the end, it sank on its own and didn't explode. Of the four of us, I don't know where the other two went, while the other one split up with me. This place is dangerous."
"What? Didn't explode? Twenty-four ships, but not a single one was blown up? Did they open fire? Could it be that your ships didn't put up a welcoming banner? "one of them asked in shock.
"We did, but they used a loudspeaker to shout for us to stop. We didn't stop, so they attacked. They didn't give us the slightest chance. They all died. The people on the twenty-four ships should all be dead.
The four of us split up and left. When we arrived at the rendezvous point, only two of us were there. The other two were probably captured by them, so we're already in danger. "
The person who came back said in a trembling voice.
"Ah? How could this be? They were actually that smart? They even dared to attack the people welcoming them. Weren't they afraid … "
"It's already happened. What's the use of saying this? Let's go. Their people might come here soon. The restaurant has been exposed. Tell the people in the restaurant to retreat together. Quickly, those who can't escape should end their own lives. Don't drag us down. "
The person facing the window stood up and said, and immediately walked down. He turned around and said to the waiter, "Quickly retreat to all the hidden places we have. Tell the people there to retreat too, otherwise it's easy to be caught. Send out the secret signal."
The other two people followed and walked down. The waiter said, "We know. Take care."
Soon, the entire restaurant's shopkeeper, waiter, and cook were all gone. The people eating didn't know about this situation until someone called the waiter a few times, but no one answered. When they came out to check, they found that the entire restaurant was almost empty.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
