Zheng Yu finally made his move. Although the power of the aristocratic families was formless like water, once it was used, it was mighty and majestic. It was like a river that gurgled silently, and it was also when it roared and destroyed everything.
In today's Chang 'an, only the aristocratic families had the ability to bring together the millennium-old aristocratic families, century-old rich and powerful families, the noble families that had taken root in Chang' an since the founding of the Tang dynasty, and the various important officials in the officialdom of Peidu.
On this day, the Qu Chi riverside Hibiscus Tower was bustling with activity. Many important people who were rarely seen in ordinary times and could shake the nine cities with a stomp of their feet had arrived here. Those who were qualified to appear in the Hibiscus Tower were all important and influential people.
The Furong Restaurant had received many dignitaries before, but it was the first time that so many dignitaries had come to the restaurant at the same time. The manager of the Furong Restaurant had come in person to play the role of a waiter, for fear that his staff would make any mistakes and be seen by others. It was no exaggeration to say that today's scene was the scene of the entire Chang 'an. The important people who controlled the city and ensured its operation were all present today.
It was not time yet, but most people had arrived. These important people were used to having a table of people or a group of people wait for their late arrival before the banquet. But today, no one dared to be careless. They were not giving face to Chen Dong and Hu Yuanli, but because among the people who came today, there would always be an old guy who was above them in terms of seniority and status.
Chen Dong and Hu Yuanli had not arrived yet. With their current status, if they were from Chang 'an, if they had already retired and returned to their hometown, then based on their birth and status, they could completely become a member of the gentry and call most of the people at the banquet brothers. But today, they might not be qualified to participate in such an occasion.
But now, it was different. Now, they held great power. As imperial envoys, the judicial power of Chang 'an was now in their hands. The power in their hands was not as stable as that of these aristocratic families, but at this moment, they held great power bestowed by the Emperor. Once they held great power in their hands, it was like holding an unsheathed sword that could destroy everything. Who would dare to touch its edge lightly?
Therefore, even though they hadn't arrived yet, the various dignitaries were still waiting patiently. They weren't inexperienced and inexperienced kids, and they wouldn't flick their sleeves and leave just because they were slighted. Of course, Chen Dong and Hu Yuanli would have to pay for their disrespect sooner or later, but now wasn't the time.
Now, these two shit-stirrers were quite lethal. They had stirred up the whole of Chang 'an. What were they trying to do? Did they want to imitate Zhou Xinglai and a group of cruel officials in order to advance? This was no longer the time before the Empress had ascended the throne, and it was no longer the time when the Empress had just ascended the throne. It was practically a colossal joke to want to be an isolated official!
At the same time, Ba also held a new round of peace talks.
There was no middleman like Zheng Yu who mediated between them. Instead, after the leaders of both gangs were arrested by the government, the leaders and managers of both sides tried to get in touch with each other and gradually reached a consensus.
The main reason why they were fighting openly and covertly was that they wanted to control more resources and interests in the transportation industry, and they did not want to perish together. Now that the leaders of both sides had been caught in the net and were entangled in a lawsuit, Ba was like a group of dragons without a leader. The river was thawing, and the ice on the Wei River was thinning day by day. Every time the sun shone warmly, the icicles hanging under the eaves began to drip water.
The water droplets fell to the ground, but they were like drumsticks beating on their hearts. They were very anxious. The water transport needed to use the river network, but the river network was not always suitable for boats. Some sections of the river could only be used by boats during the flood season, and some sections of the river could only be used after the flood season because the current was too fast.
The complexity of the water was closely related to the climate. Once the journey was delayed, the entire water transport would be greatly affected. If the water transport was affected, they would not be able to make money. Then what would the hundreds of thousands of people on Ba eat in the coming years? Because of this, the disciples of the two alliances were pressuring the stewards. They really could not afford to delay any longer.
After noon, Hu Yuanli of the censor and Chen Dong of the Ministry of Justice were still nowhere to be seen. The nobles of Furong Restaurant began to whisper and discuss with each other, their anger evident in their words. These two dared to be so arrogant. Seeing that the time for the banquet was approaching, did they really dare to let the nobles of Chang 'an wait here?
Downstairs, Zheng Yu was like an ant on a hot pan. The weather was especially cold, but he was sweating profusely. Along the way, people were sent out to inquire about the news, but there was no sign of the two imperial envoys.
The magistrate of the Chang 'an Local Government, Liu Guitian, found a break and came down from Furong Restaurant. He found Zheng Yu and said with an unfriendly expression, "Nephew, why are they not here yet? Did you make an appointment with them?"
Zheng Yu wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and said to Liu Guitian, "I sent invitations to Chen Qianxian and Chen Xuanlang the day before yesterday. At first, they naturally declined. The day before yesterday, I sent another invitation. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief. They said that if they have time, they will definitely come to the banquet."
Hearing this, Liu Guitian's expression softened. Since Hu Yuanli and Chen Dong had said so, it meant that they had agreed. The people of the country were very particular about being reserved, tactful, and measured in their interactions. They rarely made any promises and were straightforward like the westerners. "If they have time, they will definitely come to the banquet" actually meant that they had agreed. The so-called "if" was just pretending to be reserved and manipulating their status.
Liu Guitian nodded and said, "If that's the case, I will go upstairs first. The guests upstairs are a little unhappy. I will go and comfort them. You don't have to wait here. If you really can't do it, send someone to urge them again."
Zheng Yu hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you, Uncle. Thank you for your trouble."
Liu Guitian nodded. He lifted the hem of his robe and slowly walked up the stairs. He had only taken three steps when he heard someone calling out anxiously from behind, "Young master, young master, the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Censorate have sent a message. They said that they are busy with work and have no time to attend the banquet. They will personally apologize to you another day."
Liu Guitian's foot missed a step and he almost fell. He hurriedly held onto the railing and suddenly turned his head. He saw Zheng Yu's face was as white as a sheet. He stood there in a daze and said, "How is this possible? How could they not come? How dare they not come! "
Liu Guitian stood there silently for a moment and walked up two more steps. He stopped and thought for a while. He suddenly shook his head and sighed. He turned around and walked down the stairs.
"Uncle …"
Zheng Yu's eyes stared straight at Liu Guitian. Liu Guitian didn't look at him and calmly walked past him. He quickly ordered a family member who came to greet him, "Prepare the carriage, let's go back!"
Very quickly, the news spread upstairs. It was silent upstairs. No one made a ruckus. All the nobles who had been waiting for a long time just stood up silently and walked out one by one. They walked past the dumbfounded Zheng Yu as if he didn't exist.
Those present were either extremely shrewd officials or elders of high status. Even if they were extremely angry, they wouldn't explode like firecrackers. They would curse and roar to vent their humiliation and anger. However, their silence was more terrifying than their roar.
Zheng Yu's face was as white as paper. His body swayed and he only muttered to himself, "How is this possible? How dare they not come? "
He really couldn't understand why Hu Yuanli and Chen Dong dared not to come. They either didn't agree at all, or since they had agreed, they made a fool out of everyone. Did they really think that they could succeed just because they had the Emperor's decree?
They didn't understand that they had offended all the powerful groups in Chang 'an. They didn't understand that even if no one could do anything to them now, with so many powerful groups in Chang 'an counterattack, they would die a tragic death sooner or later.
How … how dare they not come?
However, no matter how he couldn't understand, he knew that Hu Yuanli and Chen Dong were not finished. He was finished. From now on, he had become a joke in Chang 'an. These humiliated people would not hesitate to ridicule and humiliate him. He would be abandoned by everyone, including his family.
Zheng Yu suddenly began to regret. "Why did I take this task? Why should I rush to do such a thing when everyone else is staying away? Lu Binmi, Lu Binzhi, Cui Lin … all of them have fallen. Even Shen Mu is badly battered by the matter of the three prefectures. Now he's hiding in Luoyang and refusing to fight with him. Why should I … "
Once I saw Yang Fan, I ruined my whole life!
At Ba Shang Pier, the Caokou Masters, Caoquan Masters, and other Western Alliance gangs, as well as the main stewards with great power, sat on the left. The main figures of the Shun Faction, the Life League, the Three Rivers Society, and other ASEAN gangs sat on the right. The two sides were clearly separated, and there was no space between them. Uncle Xiang was not there, and the sword was between their lips and teeth.
Although both sides wanted to keep the peace, they were not willing to make big concessions to each other. For the ASEAN gangs, their leaders were only witnesses in the Ministry of Penalty, while the leaders of the Western Alliance gangs were detained. They had the upper hand.
The Western Alliance gangs thought that all the forces in Chang 'an were on their side. If the two sides continued to be in a stalemate, they might not lose. Both sides had their own backings, so they were not willing to make too many concessions.
But the leaders of both sides were detained, and it was up to the government to release them. What they needed to discuss now was to give up the fight and let the boat go south. If they could not reach an agreement, everyone's jobs would be affected. The necessary compromises and concessions were necessary, so both sides were very patient.
Gu Zhuting, as the helmsman of the Cao Quan of the Shun School, was also sitting at the table. Her attention did not seem to be on the negotiation between the two sides. Her eyes seemed to be secretly glancing to the side. The tip of her eyebrows and the corner of her eyes seemed … to have a touch of indescribable joy. That's right, it was joy. It was like the shy joy of a new wife.
Behind her stood a row of high-spirited men, all of them wearing short clothes. Among them, there was a bearded man who was very handsome and mighty. Like the other strong men, he intentionally rolled up his sleeves and trouser legs, revealing his calves and forearms. The muscles on his calves and forearms were strong and powerful.
That was the man she would accompany for the rest of her life. He was there. Gu Zhuting's heart was as sweet as if she had drunk honey.
At this time, a few people in the distance quietly approached the two parties who were negotiating under the cover of the ships being repaired and the goods waiting to be shipped. The sunlight shone on them, and as they moved stealthily, there were cold flashes of light.
Ba Shang used to be the place where Liu Bang, the Duke of Pei, stationed his troops. It was here that he confronted Xiang Yu's army, and finally put on a Hongmen Banquet. Would there be a Ba Shang banquet here today?
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