Huanhua Building
The singers are dancing, the flutes and drums are playing in unison, the lights are bright, the sound and light are chaotic, and the laughter of women and the sounds of singing, dancing and orchestral sounds can be heard from time to time in the surrounding area.
In a single square courtyard, on a balcony with red beams and curtains, groups of girls in bright dresses danced to the music of the piano.
Jia Heng was chatting with the salt merchant Wang Shouqi. Although several salt merchants around him were holding wine cups and enjoying the singing and dancing, half of their eyes were on the face of the young man in a straight blue shirt, observing his words and expressions and trying to figure out what he was thinking.
Chen Xiao, along with Li Shu from Jinyi Hundred Households and other experts from Jinyi Mansion, five or six people dressed as retinues stood not far away, holding swords on their waists, to alert the surrounding area.
And this scene fell into the eyes of a young boy who was observing secretly. He hurriedly left the railing and disappeared without knowing where he was.
Wang Shouqi smiled and said: "Since Taizu's time, Yangzhou's salt industry has been going on for hundreds of years. Now the imperial court believes that the salt industry has serious drawbacks and plans to rectify the salt industry. I wonder what Uncle Yongning thinks?"
It is said that receiving money does not mean doing things, but simple testing is still indispensable.
Jia Heng raised his eyes to look at Wang Shouqi, who was smiling, and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Wang, Mr. Qi Ge is in charge of the salt affairs. I shouldn't have interfered."
When everyone heard this, their hearts moved slightly, and they believed Jia Heng's repeated words that the salt affairs had nothing to do with him.
Huang Cheng complimented and said: "Uncle Yongning is a rare hero in the world. He can be said to be both civilized and military. When he was the governor of Henan, he did not pick up any debris on the road of governing Henan and did not close his house at night. All the people in Henan admired Uncle Yongning's virtues."
Everyone agreed.
Wang Shouqi smiled at this time and said: "Uncle Yong Ning, I am in a hurry, but the Yangzhou salt industry has gone through hundreds of years and donated money and services to the Han Dynasty. I dare not say that I have made great contributions, but I dare to say that I have made great achievements. I really can't bear that the good situation will not be restored." Existence, Qi Ge Lao advocated the restoration of the method of opening the middle in the Ming Dynasty, but today, times have changed, and the method of opening the middle is no longer appropriate. If grain and rice are transported from south to north, it is a long distance, and merchants have no profit, and there is no one. Actively participate in this and recruit refugees on the border to purchase food. The harvest in the North has also been sluggish in recent years."
Jia Heng pondered and said: "If this is a border matter, I can briefly explain it. The border army transfers grain to the south and north every year, which costs a lot of money. Mr. Qi Ge wants to follow the wisdom of his predecessors and use salt to help border affairs. , The idea is blameless, but as Mr. Wang said, the northern land has suffered from severe droughts for many years, and the bare land is thousands of miles away. No matter how difficult it is to sell villages, if we use salt to distribute and transport grain, it may not be much better than it is now."
Wang Shouqi's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he quickly asked: "Uncle Yong Ning doesn't agree with the opening method?"
Among the salt merchants, Huang Rishan and Huang Cheng exchanged glances with joy in their hearts.
As for whether Jia Heng said this deliberately to deceive them? Based on Jia Heng's clear-cut style in Henan and Beijing in the past, this seems unnecessary.
Jia Heng pondered and said: "It is true that the initial effect of the Kaizhong Law is difficult to achieve, but the salt affairs are divided between the cabinet and the Ministry of Household Affairs. It is taboo for me to intervene. As long as their food and salary supplies are intact, the salt affairs will No matter how we change the matter, we should still follow Mr. Qi Ge."
Wang Shouqi said quickly: "But now the Jiangbei camp is short of food and pay. If the Yangzhou Salt Service can not change its methods as before, there will be no worries about the troops and horses being paid."
Jia Heng said: "This matter depends on the Nanjing Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of War. To be honest, Mr. Wang, I want to go there."
When everyone heard the words, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Even Ma Xianjun was dubious when he heard the words.
Maybe it's a misunderstanding? Are they too wary of Uncle Yongning?
Xiao Hongsheng sat aside, his eyes fixed, and he vaguely felt that something was wrong.
With a broad smile on his face, Wang Shouqi said, "Wouldn't it be a letdown if there is music and dancing but no good wine? I wonder if Uncle Yongning can still drink?"
Jia Heng refused: "I still can't drink today, please forgive me some wise men."
At this time, as a burst of fragrant fragrance hit his nostrils, a beautiful and mature woman came over with a smile, looked at Wang Shouqi and said, "Master Wang, Nan Ling and the other girls are here."
Wang Shouqi nodded and said, "Bring everyone here."
While he was talking, he saw seven or eight girls with pink peaches and green willows, golden hairpins and jade rings, all coming over to accompany several salt merchants, one for each of them.
If there were some doubts before, seeing Jia Heng accept the money, this wariness was undoubtedly reduced a lot.
Nan Ling was wearing a flaming red dress. She was young, with a fragrant bun and bangs. Her palm-sized face was smeared with rouge and blush. Madam Liniang held her arm and walked up to Wang Shouqi and Jia Heng.
Wang Shouqi smiled and said, "Uncle Yongning, what do you think of this girl?"
Jia Heng raised his eyes, looked at the two of them, and asked, "Master Wang, what do you mean?"
Wang Shouqi smiled and said: "That's not true. When Yongning Bo first arrived in Yangzhou, there may not be anyone who can take care of his daily life. This girl is clever and handy. She is good at playing, playing and singing. She is good at playing, playing, playing, playing, and painting. She knows everything, and she can also sing Wu Yue's songs. A minor tune, used to accompany Uncle Yong Ning to relieve his boredom."
Use, in the eyes of these people, is just a tool.
Wang Shouqi glanced at Nan Ling and thought to himself, if it weren't for the oiran of Huanhua House who was attracted by Mr. Liu, it would be good to give Gu Ruoqing to the young man in front of him.
Others such as Cheng Peili, Huang Rishan, Huang Cheng, Ma Xianjun and others all looked at the young man, and were somewhat curious about whether Jia Heng would accept it or not.
If he accepted it, it would have been a false alarm.
Jia Heng turned to look at Nan Ling. She was a young girl with a pretty face and elegant cheeks. Under her beautiful eyebrows, her big eyes were bright. She was looking at him unwaveringly, her eyes filled with expectation and a bit of curiosity.
"Nan Ling has met the young master." Nan Ling bowed happily, looking at the young man in green shirt with bright eyes, her voice was like an oriole coming out of the valley, soft and smooth.
As a Yangzhou thin horse who has been trained since childhood, he has known his destiny for a long time, and he has no objection to it, and he is even a little lucky.
She originally thought that Uncle Yong Ning was an old man with wrinkles on his face, or a military commander with beards, but he turned out to be such a young man. Committing himself to such a man would not be considered an insult to her.
Jia Heng turned his eyes and glanced at the girl with picturesque features and frowned. She was actually older than Qingwen, but she was thin and had no figure to speak of. Bai Xiaoshou was the deformed aesthetic of Jiangnan merchants and celebrities.
"I appreciate Mr. Wang's kindness, but there is no shortage of maids around me to take care of daily life." Jia Heng said with a somewhat indifferent expression.
Leaving aside the bad intentions of these people, when has there ever been a lack of women around him?
When Wang Shouqi saw Jia Heng's expression turned cold, his heart couldn't help but he thought to himself, could it be that this young powerful man didn't like him?
Yes, not everyone likes these little girls who haven’t grown up yet. For example, Mr. Liu Shengzao’s son likes other people’s wives. Maybe powerful people like him also have similar habits?
When Nan Ling heard this, her pretty face was as pale as paper, her delicate body trembled a bit, and the Madam Liniang beside her also looked unnatural, indicating that she had been politely rejected.
Wang Shouqi laughed along with him, picked up a cup of tea, and said: "Uncle Yongning, I am too old and abrupt. I would like to give you a cup of tea."
With that said, he quickly winked at Liniang and asked her to take Nan Ling away. If she doesn't accept the gift after giving it to her, it will definitely not work if she keeps pestering her.
Moreover, compared with the previous receipt of the banknote readily, it can be seen that it is not that people do not accept gifts, but that they do not give them correctly!
Nan Ling's palm-sized face was as pale as paper, her eyes were soft and clear, and she prayed in a voice: "Master, please accept me. I can make the bed and fold the quilt, serve tea and water, I can do it."
Instead of selling it back to some random person, it would be better to deal with this young gentleman, who seems to be a good person.
Wang Shouqi frowned and said, "You're such a shame, why don't you take her down!"
Jia Heng frowned and was about to speak.
At this moment, I heard a burst of soft singing coming from the balcony. It was obviously very different from the previous music. It immediately attracted everyone's attention. They followed the sound and their eyes lit up.
I saw several women on the stage among the stars. The woman was wearing a lotus-colored dress, holding a pipa, playing and singing at the same time.
The singing voice is soft and soft, with a Wu accent.
Gu Ruoqing wore a blue dress, raised her clear and smart eyes, and looked at the people gathered around the table for the night banquet below through the window not far away.
His cold gaze first fell on the boy in the python suit, and then his eyes shifted and fell behind the boy in the python suit, on the face of Chen Xiao, who was wearing a warrior uniform.
Looking through the red lantern hanging on the eaves of the corridor, he saw the facial features clearly, his gaze was focused deeply, and he quickly retracted it.
Why is she here?
Chen Xiao's eyes under Liu Ye's slender eyebrows were also condensed, and her heart was slightly shaken. Why is Senior Sister here?
Although the two of them were older in terms of age, Chen Xiao was slightly older, but they belonged to the White Lotus Sect, which they joined by fate, while Gu Ruoqing first became a disciple of Wu Sheng Lao Mu, who later handed over the affairs of the sect in the northern capital. Gave it to Chen Xiao.
Gu Ruoqing glanced at Chen Xiao, but didn't look much further and continued singing.
The two sisters just looked at each other quickly without making eye contact.
Jia Heng glanced at Nan Ling and whispered: "Mr. Wang, there's no need to make things difficult for her. I just don't like her being too thin, as if she hasn't eaten well in a year and a half."
Wang Shouqi: "???"
Damn it, I really gave you the wrong gift.
Several other salt merchants also had strange expressions.
Jiang Tong smiled and smoothed things over and said: "This is the custom of Yangzhou scholars. In fact, I don't like it. It's like a stone when hugged on the bed. It's so shaky. I don't know what the meaning is."
As soon as this was said, everyone laughed.
And Na Liniang also took advantage of the situation and pulled Na Nanling aside.
However, at this moment, there were only bursts of noise, groans and shouts coming from outside.
Not long after, several servants surrounded a middle-aged man wearing a royal coat and a brocade robe. Regardless of the obstruction of several servants in gray cloth, he strode into the hall and saw Gu Ruoqing who was singing on the stage. , his face was as gloomy as water.
"I thought I was really asleep, but I didn't expect that I was singing to some gentlemen." Liu Shengzao said angrily, his face green and gloomy.
The salt merchants all looked up to him. Gu Ruoqing was deliberately disgusting him!
At this moment, Wang Shouqi, who was having a banquet in the box, saw this scene, his old face changed slightly, and he felt a chill in his heart, secretly thinking that something was wrong.
"Master Liu, Master Liu, why are you here?" Jiang Tong frowned and said to the salt merchant Cheng Peili who looked solemn at the side.
Because although Gu Ruoqing was chasing after Liu Shengzao, Liu Shengzao behaved gracefully and did not forcefully occupy her. Several salt merchants only took Gu Ruoqing on stage to sing, but they didn't take it seriously.
Just a famous prostitute on the left and right.
Wang Shouqi's face turned ugly. He cupped his hands towards Jia Heng and said, "Uncle Yongning, I'm sorry for being with you."
When Gu Ruoqing saw this scene, his fingers kept playing the pipa, but he felt a little relieved.
This Liu Shengzao had pestered her many times. He originally wanted to use Uncle Yongning's power to get rid of this trouble.
Jia Heng put down the wine cup and said to several salt merchants: "It seems that some of you have something to do, so I'll excuse you."
After waiting for a while, Duduo didn't show up yet, so he took advantage of this and left.
But at this time, he saw Liu Shengzao accompanied by a group of retinues. His face was drunk, as if he was drunk. When he saw Wang Shouqi, he squinted his eyes and said, "Old Wang, are you here too? You were the one who cut it." Hu?"
Wang Shouqi laughed and said: "Where did Mr. Liu start from talking about this? Who doesn't know how we should mess around with Miss Gu and Mr. Liu? This is not inviting Uncle Yongning to have wine. Who would have thought that Miss Gu herself We didn't know her clearly when we got on stage, Liniang, come over and talk."
In his sixties, he was calm and composed in front of Xiao Hongsheng before, but now whether he is facing Jia Heng or Liu Shengzao, he is greeted with a smile and without any temper.
Liniang quickly pinched her handkerchief, shook her plump waist, smiled, the shallow wrinkles at the corners of her eyes spread, shook the pot, and said: "Master Liu, I really didn't invite Miss Gu just now, who would have thought that Miss Gu If you take the initiative to perform a song on stage, you may be feeling a bit hungry, but not necessarily."
Gu Ruoqing was originally a famous prostitute from Jinling who Huanhua House spent a lot of money to temporarily invite in order to compete for the oiran for Huanhua House, and her status was not in Huanhua House.
Liu Shengzao saw the young man in green shirt talking who was surrounded by a group of salt merchants not far away. He laughed and said, "Uncle Yong Ning is a rare hero in the world. Maybe even a beautiful woman wants to see a hero in his full glory."
Jia Heng looked at Liu Shengzao with indifferent eyes, watching this scene with a cold eye.
Duduo's assassination was still not seen, but something like this suddenly ran out.
At this time, Gu Ruoqing, accompanied by the two singers, came down from the balcony, stood in the courtyard, and saluted, "Master Liu."
Liu Shengzao narrowed his eyes slightly and asked: "Miss Gu, what do you mean?"
It's like saying you're going to take a shower, only to see her giving likes to other men in your WeChat Moments.
Gu Ruoqing's beautiful face was faint, and she said softly: "I can't sleep for a while, so I came here to help my mother take care of things."
Liu Shengzao sneered, smelling of alcohol and feeling extremely annoyed, he stepped forward and grabbed Gu Ruoqing's hand.
Gu Ruoqing dodged, moved away, and said softly: "Master Liu is drunk."
Liu Shengzao felt even more humiliated and said angrily: "You bitch! How dare you show off your face?"
It was obvious that Gu Ruoqing had let him go several times, especially today when he entertained distinguished guests from Jinling in the painting boat. He felt that he had been humiliated. In his eyes, he was just a lowly oiran, not even as good as an ordinary citizen, so naturally he had no scruples. Word.
After saying that, he grabbed Gu Ruoqing's arm forcefully, but Gu Ruoqing was obviously not easy to mess with. He sneered and stepped aside. Liu Shengzao staggered due to drinking, and looked quite embarrassed.
Then he turned to his entourage and shouted: "Catch her!"
As soon as these words came out, the salt merchants' expressions changed slightly and they looked at each other in confusion.
Wang Shouqi quickly whispered to the stewards and staff accompanying Liu Shengzao: "Master Liu has drunk too much. Help Master Liu back quickly."
At this time, several servants also grabbed Liu Shengzao.
Jia Heng just watched with cold eyes, picked up the tea cup and took a leisurely sip, showing no interest in saving the beauty.
He felt that Liu Shengzao was pretending to be crazy and wanted to test him, and the oiran of Huanhualou might have other plans.
At this time, Liu Shengzao's staff did not listen to the drunken words, but tried hard to persuade Liu Shengzao.
Liu Shengzao was angry for a moment, then turned to stare at the young man who had nothing to do with him. Feeling a little fearful in his heart, he cupped his hands and said, "Uncle Yong Ning, you are fine."
Jia Heng put down the tea cup and said calmly: "Master Liu, don't worry about Jia. As long as no one is killed, you can do what you want."
But Liu Shengzao's expression had returned to calm now. Accompanied by Wang Shouqi, he went up to the second floor and entered the pavilion. His face showed no signs of anger and embarrassment. He said with a smile: "I have met Uncle Yongning and admired his name for a long time. It's just Uncle Yongning." Why are you here?"
This guy named Wang is in a hurry to find a new home and wants to jump ship?
As time passed, Liu Shengzao had already learned about some of the trends in the palace. His father-in-law from Chonghua Palace came over not long ago and said that there were changes in the palace and asked him to restrain himself. It could be seen that there were changes in Shenjing City that he did not know about.
Jia Heng looked at Liu Shengzao, held his deep gaze for a moment, and said, "Master Liu, I was invited by Mr. Wang, so I am here. Is Master Liu drunk and causing a scene in Huanhua Tower?"
Liu Shengzao smiled and said, "Uncle Yong Ning misunderstood. It's not that that wretched maid didn't give face to me and told me lies. Why, is this wretched maid singing to Uncle Yong Ning?"
At this time, Gu Ruoqing also went up the stairs and entered the pavilion. With a cold face, he said in a quiet voice: "Master Liu, Uncle Yongning and I are strangers. Please respect yourself."
Jia Heng narrowed his eyes, glanced at Gu Ruoqing, frowned and said nothing. This woman really wanted to use his power to get rid of Liu Shengzao's entanglement.
"I'm just trying to sell it for a price, why are you pretending to be a noble man!" Liu Shengzao said coldly, glancing at the brocade box held by the guard next to the young man in green shirt and Nan Ling, who was wearing a fiery red dress, and then turned to look at Wang Shouqi sneered in his heart.
Others are afraid of Uncle Yong Ning, but he is not.
Gu Ruoqing's eyebrows were full of heroic spirit. He held the pipa in one hand and glanced at Jia Heng with bright eyes. His eyes stayed for a moment on Chen Xiao's face next to Jia Heng.
Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "Master Liu, I have no intention of listening to the rights and wrongs of you crazy men and women."
With that said, he looked at Wang Shouqi and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Wang, you might as well come here today. I have something else to do, so I'll take my leave first."
Seeing this, Wang Shouqi quickly said: "Uncle Yongning, why don't you sit down for a while and drink a few glasses of wine?"
Liu Shengzao got in the way, and Wang Shouqi thought that the banquet, which had a harmonious atmosphere and a pleasant conversation, seemed to end on bad terms.
Jia Heng waved his hand and said, "No need."
From the very beginning, Liu Shengzao had the intention of stirring up trouble through drinking, and maybe there was some incidental temptation.
Just as he stood up, he felt his sleeve being pulled behind him. It was Chen Xiao.
At this moment, Liu Shengzao also smiled with a nonchalant look on his face and said, "Uncle Yong Ning, why are you leaving in such a hurry? Haven't you finished listening to this song?"
Gu Ruoqing frowned, and looked at the young man who was lifting his weight with a pair of clear eyes. Is this the uncle Yong Ning mentioned in the master's letter last month?
Just when a few people were arguing, they suddenly heard a loud noise, "It's gone, it's gone!"
A moment later, in the front yard of Huanhua Building, thick smoke was billowing, fire was everywhere, and women's shouts and the sound of tables, chairs and benches falling to the ground were heard from all around.
Huanhua Tower suddenly became a mess.
While everyone was standing there stunned, they saw a flash of cold light, and more than ten people "bang bang" jumped from the wall of the courtyard not far away. They were all tall and burly, with black scarves covering their faces, and rushed into the pavilion room. , killing Jia Heng and his party.
Jia Heng's eyes flashed coldly and he asked: "Mr. Wang, what's going on?"
Wang Shouqi and others were shocked when they saw this and exclaimed again and again.
"Uncle Yong Ning, this is the assassin!" Wang Shouqi's expression changed slightly and he said urgently: "Stop the assassin!"
The servants under the eaves of the corridor were all holding sticks and benches, trying to stop him.
In the pavilion, the woman who was drinking with the salt merchant had already turned pale with fright and fled in all directions. Suddenly the screen of the pavilion was knocked down.
But just as he came down the stairs, he saw the leaders rushing up, their eyes fierce and murderous.
The two servants had just shouted to block the way. The swordsmen wearing black turbans were divided into two. They saw flashes of blood and screams. Seeing this scene, the eight salt merchants were even more frightened. When the window was opened, several salt merchants wanted to jump from the second floor, but they were worried that they would be crippled by the fall, and they were anxious for a while.
As for Liu Shengzaojiu, he was half awake from the fright. He led his staff and subordinates and wanted to go downstairs to escape, but they were afraid of bumping into the bad guys.
And all of this, said extremely slowly, happened almost in the blink of an eye.
The madam named Liniang, seeing Gu Ruoqing and Nan Ling standing there stunned, quickly called out: "Miss Gu, Nan Ling, what are you doing standing still? Come here quickly!"
Nan Ling's face turned pale with fright, and she walked towards the bed in the inner room, huddled together with several other women, shivering.
Thumb thump...
The criminals who killed the family members climbed up the wooden ladder outside and rushed into the brightly lit pavilion in darkness.
The leader, with a pair of cold pupils under his forehead covered by a black scarf, almost like a tiger or wolf, stared at the young man in a straight green shirt, snorted coldly, and slashed at Jia Heng with his long knife. There is no one else but Jia Heng!
This man must die!
Jia Heng was still sitting behind the wine table at this moment. He snorted coldly and hit the tall and mountain-like masked man in the face with a bang with the tea cup in his hand. One person didn't escape, he hit his chest and let out a muffled groan.
"Boom!"
Along with the sound of bottles, cups and dishes, the round wine table was overturned by Jia Heng, just in time to stop the masked man in black who was slashing with a knife.
Immediately, he pulled out a tiger-headed sword from Li Shu's waist. The bright light of the sword flowed into the room like a piece of steel, shocking the salt merchants who were trembling and huddled under the west wall.
Jia Heng shouted: "Hand crossbow, release!"
He didn't bring many guards in Jinyi into Huanhua Tower, but it wouldn't take long for the guards in Jinyi outside the building to hear the news and respond immediately.
The person who came to assassinate was creating chaos, obviously hoping to escape later.
The five or six Jinyi Mansion guards behind Jia Heng drew out the Xiuchun Dao in one hand. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they took out a crossbow from the wide sleeves of the waist and fired it at the attacking young man in black and others.
"Pfft!"
The tall young man at the head was stunned, snorted, and dodged to the side, but among the ten masked baturus behind him, two of them, one on the left and one on the right, were not so lucky.
One was shot in the chest, and the other was shot in the leg. He groaned and fell to the ground. Suddenly, a large pool of bright red blood soaked the floor, and he was unable to move.
Duduo: "???"
This time, in order to ensure the stability of the assassination, in addition to the warriors outside, he brought a total of ten batulus to infiltrate, and even brought the sword himself. The weak people of the south should not have suffered such casualties!
No, this hand is prepared in advance! ?
Duduo was very scheming, and he understood the key in almost a moment, but when he looked at the young man in a straight green shirt, he felt a little unwilling.
But in the end, he made a decisive decision and shouted: "Let's go!"
However, several of the retinues brought by Jia Heng threw away all their crossbows, drew out their Xiuchun knives, and were already fighting against the masked Batulu brought by Duduo.
Because the distance was so close, it was difficult to have time to load the second wave of hand crossbows.
In fact, Jia Heng himself is a two-pronged man.
At this moment, Jia Heng himself was holding the sword in his hand and slashing at the young man who was obviously the leader.
Duduo couldn't think about it and had no choice but to fight with his sword.
Suddenly, the sound of weapons clashing like "ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping, ping with a sword.
As soon as Jia Heng met the big man at the head, he only heard——
"clang!!!"
As the two knives collided, sparks flew everywhere. The tall figure staggered, and the booted feet left a mark on the wooden floor. His arms felt sore, and his eyes were inexplicably horrified.
Jia Heng's eyes narrowed and he caught the shock in the other person's eyes. He snorted coldly and without answering, he turned his wrist sharply and slashed towards Duduo's ribs.
Duduo's heart skipped a beat and he retreated backwards again. He really didn't expect that the young man in front of him was so brave. Unexpectedly, the murderous intention in his heart became more and more intense. He slashed at Jia Heng's neck with his knife and shouted: "Come together." , kill him first!"
The reason why he personally came to assassinate him was to ensure safety. Now it seems that Yong Ning Bo Yongwu is still above him, so he must not stay!
Tushan's heart tightened, and he came over with a knife in hand. However, at this moment, he saw a guard with cold eyes, fairer skin than a woman under the light, and a bit more handsome, blocking the way with a knife.
"Get away!"
Tushan's pupils were bloodshot and he roared angrily. One of the two scimitars in his hand swung out a stream of moonlight and slashed towards Chen Xiao's neck.
Jia Heng frowned and couldn't help but call out, "Xiaoxiao, be careful."
Chen Xiao snorted coldly, with an expressionless face, and drew his knife to block with a subtle move. However, when the blades struck each other, the wind suddenly blew up. The girl squinted her eyes slightly to avoid the sparks, while her hair swayed in the wind.
It's just that his strength is obviously not as good as Tu Shan's. Every time they hit each other, they took a few steps back. For some reason, Xiaoxiao sounded in their hearts, and the knife in their hands couldn't help but tighten a little.
Gu Ruoqing, who was pulling Nan Ling to hide on the bed aside, saw this scene, his eyes were dark and incomprehensible, and the dagger he was holding in his hand was also clenched a little tighter.
Why is Junior Sister by Uncle Yongning’s side?
"Sister Gu..." Nan Ling's face turned pale with fright, and she whispered.
Gu Ruoqing looked calm, gently stroked Nan Ling's shoulder, and whispered: "Don't be afraid, it's okay."
As for Liu Shengzao, who had already been pulled down from the second floor window by several servants, he jumped down suddenly without caring about the second floor, limped and fled outside, shouting: "Assassins, there are assassins!"
Several other salt merchants were quite old. At this moment, a group of people were huddled under the east wall, guarded by two or three servants, looking at the fighting men with fear.
The several Baturus didn't care about the salt merchants. They had a clear goal, which was to go after Jia Heng.
Jiang Tong said with a bitter face: "Old Wang, what's going on? What's going on with these bad guys?"
Ma Xianjun's eyes were a bit gloomy. This Uncle Yong Ning was really lucky. He even escaped with his life and beat the Jurchens to pieces.
Although Jia Heng went to Huanhua House for a banquet, although he did not hide it deliberately, the news did not fall into Duduo's hands randomly, but went through some other channels.
Jia Heng fought with Duduo, his face was gloomy, and his moves were fierce, like a violent storm. Duduo retreated step by step, and each time they struck, they groaned repeatedly.
As for the Jinyi guards fighting around, there were no major casualties, because they were all good players carefully selected from the Jinyi Mansion before Jia Heng left. Officers at the level of one hundred households, among Jinyi, one was worth ten. , such as "Zhang Huan Li Lang" and other brocade masters.
Facing the seven or eight baturus brought by Duduo, although they were at a slight disadvantage, they remained contented.
At this moment, with the sound of gongs and drums and the noise of people outside, it seemed that the officers and soldiers had got the news, and the Jin Yiti cavalry came out in all directions and gradually surrounded them.
Duduo became more and more anxious. This kind of assassination was meant to be a surprise, a thunderous strike. Although there were people outside to respond, the longer it was delayed, the more dangerous it would be.
It’s not a good place to stay for a long time!
While Duduo was distracted like this, he suddenly felt that the evil wind below was not good. Duduo was frightened, and he hurriedly drew out a knife and jumped back. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his leg and the root of his leg, which almost hurt his heart. Perseverance let out a scream: "Ah..."
It was clear that Jia Heng's upper leg was swept with a knife from above, and the clothes on the thigh were pierced, flesh and blood gushed out, and blood was dripping. If the injury was like this, it was obviously not enough to make Duduo scream.
What's especially serious is that the tip of the knife hit an unspeakable place, which turned out to be the man's vital point, and he almost fainted from the pain.
Seeing that Dodo was injured, Tushan was frightened. He drew his sword fiercely and fought off one of the Jinyi palace guards with a muffled grunt. He didn't care that Chen Xiao was stabbed on the arm, and he and Deng Biao hurried to save Dodo.
Tushan used his sword to cover, while Deng Biao and another Batulu carried Duduo and fled outside. Several other Batulu covered them and fought and retreated.
"You guys go away quickly, I'll cut off the rear!" Tu Shan roared urgently, then raised his knife to kill Jia Heng.
Jia Heng glanced at a few people, frowned, and Chen Xiao, who was on the side, strangled towards Tushan.
Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "Xiaoxiao, stop him, I will go after the leader."
He always felt that the one who escaped could not be Duduo. With his level of cunning, there must be someone to take care of him, and the Tiqi led by Liu Jixian might not be able to stop him.
Normally, such figures would not personally assassinate people, but they could not stand up to Aixian's character. I remember that in the history books, Duduo was quite pushy. He personally paid homage to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum and went to Nanjing Baoen Temple to offer incense, which attracted thousands of people. .
"Don't chase the poor bandit!" Chen Xiao shouted urgently as he strangled Tushan with his knife.
Jia Heng raised his sword and slashed at a masked man in black. He heard the creaking sound of the wooden floor. The man's knees softened and he knelt half on the ground. The arm holding the saber hung down weakly. A trace of blood appeared on his forehead. Fall to the ground.
"It's okay!" Jia Heng said lightly and quickly chased after him.
Just now I almost thought that my natural power had disappeared.
It seems that this Duduo warrior is not inferior to him!
As for Chen Xiao, I don’t know who escaped, so it’s not surprising that he is worried.
Gu Ruoqing had already pulled Nan Ling towards the corner, looking at the scene in amazement without making any move.
Tushan was stopped by Chen Xiao and another Jinyi retinue, and then several people surrounded him.
Jia Heng chased him along the bloody stairs. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he was stopped by a masked man in black.
There is clearly a broken back, blocking the pursuers.
Jia Heng frowned, and raised his knife to kill the masked man in black. The blade was powerful and heavy, and when he slashed, it almost made a sound of breaking through the air.
The man in black clothes and masked face shrank his pupils, and faced the attack. His wrists felt sore, and he hurriedly stepped back. Immediately, he saw the light of the knife flashing, and he felt a pain coming from his neck, and he suddenly fell into endless darkness.
At this time, the gongs sounded loudly in the direction of the front building of Huanhua Building. It was clearly the Jinyi Tiqi preparing in the distant streets and the officers and soldiers from Yangzhou Prefecture who came to put out the fire after hearing the news. They had already surrounded Huanhua Building, and Ti There were also many people putting out fires with buckets of water.
The flames did not reach here for a while, and this was exactly the purpose of the gangsters. If officers and soldiers came to help, they would first be stopped by the fire outside.
Jia Heng looked at the traces of climbing on the flower wall with a gloomy look.
"Captain! That scoundrel was captured alive by his brothers. At this moment, Li Shu came out of the room and said with a cup of his hands.
Jia Heng frowned and said: "Don't let him die. Once the Donglu's identity is confirmed, Fei Ge will immediately send a letter to Qu Guang, asking him to speed up his march, rush to Yangzhou, and settle in the Jiangbei camp."
"In addition, the bandits escaped by jumping over the wall, and Jin Yiti was asked to ride along the bloodstains and search the whole city overnight. They sent people to the Jiangbei camp in Yangzhou, blocked the Yangzhou water gates and streets, and strictly inspected the ships and carriages to prevent the bandits from hiding and escaping! "
Yangzhou has a well-developed water system and numerous streets and lanes, so it is impossible to completely block it.
For example, the person who planned the assassination was Duduo. With his intelligence, he had probably thought of a way to escape and a hiding place, but whether he could withstand the blow was still a matter of uncertainty.
To say the least, it was just an excuse to create tension.
Eight Yangzhou salt merchants and Liu Shengzao, the transshipment envoy of the Salt Transportation Department, all witnessed. Then he was assassinated, and he was assassinated by Donglu. This was no longer a salt policy issue, but a national security issue.
This time Yangzhou will be turned upside down.
Li Shu looked solemn, cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Governor."
With that said, he turned around and hurried away.
Jia Heng looked at the wall and began to think about the knife attack just now. In fact, he didn't mean it.
However, if it was Duduo, the knife should have been a stabbing blow, and then he bled to death, which is not necessarily the case.
At this moment, from the pavilion, the frightened Yangzhou salt merchant came down to the wooden staircase accompanied by his servants, and looked at the young man standing in the courtyard with a knife in surprise.
The Madam of Huanhua House also led Gu Ruoqing, Nan Ling and several other Yingying Yanyan to stand under the eaves of the corridor and look at the man.
"Uncle Yongning, this..." Wang Shouqi said anxiously with an ugly face.
Jia Heng glanced coldly at the salt merchants and said in a deep voice: "Everyone here, someone is colluding with Donglu, leaking information, and wants to assassinate me!"
After saying that, he ignored the salt merchants and walked outside.
Chen Xiao and several retinues in brocade robes tied up Tu Shan, who pulled off his black turban, revealing the Jurchen's braids, and followed Jia Heng away.
Wang Shouqi was frightened when he saw the young man leaving without looking back. He looked at a few people and exclaimed: "Something big is going to happen."
Jiang Tong frowned, with a worried look on his face, vaguely feeling that something was wrong, and said, "Brother Wang, what should we do?"
Wang Shouqi said urgently: "Hurry up and find Mr. Liu to discuss countermeasures."
(End of chapter)
