"Yes, yes...Master Cao..." the wounded soldier said intermittently, "Our commander-in-chief..."
"what is it call?"
"Cao Bajiao..."
"How did he know about Su Ai?"
"This... little one... doesn't know... I'm just following his orders."
"Besides here, what other arrangements are there?"
"Listen...I heard that Mr. Cao still has several boats arranged downstream, and he invited brothers from the navy."
"What about upstream?"
"There are...there are...men and horses ready."
"Where is Cao Bajiao now?"
"Younger ones don't know about this..."
Thorpe nodded, and the team member raised the knife and killed him cleanly. Several people dispersed again, checked around to make sure no one was still alive, and then threw all the bodies into the river. Except for the blood stains on the ground, there was nothing left on the dock.
Although there was such a big commotion on the pier, no one came out to ask a question the whole night. It wasn't until the sky got brighter that the city gate opened and a team of people came out from the city to protect the Gaoyao County Magistrate from coming out to investigate in person. Immediately, a Master Xing Ming was sent to the ship to inquire.
Master Xing Ming in the county is an old man. He had already inquired about the news before leaving the city. He probably knew that "there was only a flash of fire on the official ship", "exploding like beans", "destroying everything"... He knew that this matter involved The Jin Yiwei who was passing by was related to the local officers and soldiers, and the firearm that killed more than a dozen people in an instant seemed to be related to the legendary Australians. Together, it was "unfathomable".
Whether it is the county magistrate of Gaoyao, the prefect of Zhaoqing, or the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi sitting in the governor's office. Obviously they don't want to go into troubled waters. With this tone, Master Xing Ming naturally knew what to do.
As usual, all procedural matters are done meticulously. Since there was no body, there was no need for an autopsy, and it was naturally "unknown" where the gangsters who attempted to commit robbery at the dock came from. The merchants and coolies on the wharf would not be happy to be "witnesses" and go to the Yamen for a few days to suffer in vain. They all said: "I fell asleep and didn't see it." Lin Ming also insisted: "It's dark and you can't see clearly." In short, this was an ordinary robbery case in which "thieves attacked an official ship at night, and the bodyguards fought hard to repel it." That means it does not involve local soldiers, nor does it involve Jin Yiwei.
"There are just bloodstains all over the ground. At least ten people died." The Gaoyao County Magistrate looked at the bloodstains that had seeped into the soil and cracks in the rocks, and thought to himself, "I don't know if these ruffians can let it go."
The magistrate of Gaoyao County suffered from the ruffians for more than a day. The Qiu Ba people were tyrannical, killing people and stealing goods, so he could only pretend to be deaf and dumb, and now he was secretly satisfied with making them suffer a big loss.
With the official affairs settled, the decision of whether to continue on the water or go into the water became a decision before Thorpe. If you continue on the water, you will have to pass through the steep Dading Gorge. That's where General Cao's lair is, maybe in the barracks guarding the mouth of the gorge! The entire Dading Gorge is 55 kilometers long and has complex terrain. Navigation on the water is difficult and requires trackers to carry their backs in case they are attacked by the enemy. Even if there is a machine gun, it is difficult to guarantee safety. It is safer and more appropriate to return to the water.
But if we just go back like this, the original inspection plan of going directly to Wuzhou will be ruined. While they were discussing, a red notice suddenly came from outside inviting Lin Ming and the two distinguished guests to a banquet.
"Who sent it?"
"The people who came said they were from the Governor's Yamen!"
The three people couldn't help but their eyelids twitched! Given Lin Ming's status, the dignified Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi would not come to make friends with him, let alone entertain him.
Could it be that the gunfire last night sparked Xiong Wencan's idea?
Open the post and take a look. The next person to treat is not Xiong Wencan, but a person named Chang Qingyun. Invite the three of them to a banquet at Piyun Tower.
"I just asked the servant who delivered the letter: he is Lord Xiong's secret friend, a filial and honest man." Lin Ming said.
Thorpe felt that he had seen this name somewhere before, and after rubbing his chin for a long time, he still couldn't remember it. It was probably mentioned in some intelligence document compilation.
Cummings asked: "Should we go, will it be a Hongmen Banquet?"
Lin Ming said: "We still need to ask the leaders to decide whether to go. But it will definitely not be for the Hongmen Banquet. I think Lord Xiong wants to know our details."
Thorpe said with a smile: "Go, of course. This is a great opportunity to inquire about the situation at the Governor's Yamen."
If Xiong Wencan really had any evil intentions and wanted to "capture them with one blow", with his majestic power as governor, he wouldn't need to go to such great lengths.
Cummings said: "I won't go. There can't be no one on the boat. Just ask Xiao Xie to accompany you. It's just that your leg, Lao Lin, is injured..."
Lin Ming hurriedly said: "It's okay, it's just a flesh wound. Just ask someone to hold me up." After saying that, he ordered: "Return the original sticker and say that we will definitely bother you when the time comes."
Piyun Tower is a city tower, and the dock is outside the city. You can't go in or out after nightfall, so Chang Qingyun's banquet is at noon. Before ten o'clock, soldiers from the governor's office came to greet him with three sedans. Thorpe and Xie Peng changed their clothes and carried pistols at their waists. They were accompanied by four special reconnaissance team members, each with a submachine gun and grenades. If Xiong Wencan had any idea, he would cause trouble in Piyun Tower and kill everyone. Let’s talk about the meat and vegetables.
The sedan patrolled along the city wall. Although they had already conducted a close observation, this was the first time they had patrolled along the city wall so close. Thorpe looked very carefully. There are traces of patchwork on the outer bricks of the city wall, and there are no trees or weeds, so it is obvious that it has been carefully maintained. It seems that the local officials here are very concerned about defense.
The sedan moved forward and entered the north gate of Zhaoqing Mansion - Chaotian Gate. As soon as he entered the city gate, the sedan was dropped off, and someone who looked like a butler had already come to greet him. Thorpe got off the sedan and took a look, only to see a three-story high building standing on the city. It has a mountain-shaped cross ridge and carved eaves that reach into the sky. It must be a dragon flying and a phoenix dancing. Thorpe couldn't help but praise: "Good calligraphy!"
"The writing is not bad!" Xie Peng looked at it carefully and said to Thorpe with a smile: "But the writing style is too charming and has no bones in the edge, so it cannot be considered a good work." Thorpe also nodded and said: "You said it. Yes, this word doesn't have enough charm." As he said that, the two followed the servant up the stairs.
Although Piyun Tower is said to be a Song Dynasty building, it has actually been rebuilt several times. Thorpe knew that just by looking at the roof style, it was no longer an old thing from the Song Dynasty. Entering the building, you can see a space about five couplets in size, all with pine paneling on the floor. The partitions and carved columns are made of cypress wood. They are carved with insects, fish, flowers, birds, clouds, trees, immortals, and various folklore characters and stories, which are exquisitely carved. It's just that over time, the red paint has become dusty and the carvings have peeled off. Because it was touched by countless tourists, it was as smooth as if it had been coated with a layer of amber.
There were guards from the Governor's Mansion inside and outside the building. When Thorpe saw the battle, he thought, could it be that Xiong Wencan came in person?
Standing on the railing and looking out, I saw the Xijiang River meandering through, surrounded by green mountains outside the city, and there were great mountains and rivers. Just as he was sighing, the butler smiled and said, "Please come upstairs, two gentlemen."
Climbing up the stairs, all the partitions on all sides are opened, not only the view is unobstructed, but also the breeze blows, which makes people feel relaxed.
There are three big Eight Immortals tables in the middle of the building, which are already full of dishes. There is another table in the middle, which is full of "dishes" such as sugar lions and sugar figures. I know that this is the so-called "lion." Fairy Candy”.
There were already about a dozen people who looked like businessmen and scholars waiting upstairs. Thorpe knew that Lin Ming's official position was too low for someone like a gentry to come. The leader, a middle-aged man in his fifties, saw them coming upstairs and immediately greeted them with a smile on his face.
"Mr. Lin! Student Chang Qingyun, you are so polite."
Lin Ming and Chang Qingyun didn't know each other. With his position, he didn't have access to senior governors, so naturally he wouldn't be familiar with their staff - strictly speaking, he was "unreachable". It's just that the special status of Jin Yiwei gave them a great sense of superiority, so they didn't feel flattered at all. They just returned the favor with a smile and politely said: "Excuse me for being rude. I was attacked by a thief last night and there are wounds on my legs." hurt."
"I know, I know. That's why I took this opportunity to help Mr. Lin calm down. Please take a seat. Who is this?"
Lin Ming nodded and said with a smile: "This person is from Nanjing. Master Chang naturally does not recognize him. Thorpe, the grandson of Sony, the former deputy commander of Nanjing Jinyi Guard, is also on duty in our guard..."
"I don't dare, Thorpe." Thorpe bowed to everyone and said calmly, "I rely on your friends to take care of me."
Then he introduced Xie Peng. Lin Ming thought that they were all members of the Jinyi Guards. Because the number of Jinyi Guards was huge, there were more than 60,000 people by the end of the Ming Dynasty. Except for a few top figures who were familiar with the officialdom, no one could do it. Not sure what's going on inside.
Everyone looked at the group carefully: Thorpe was noble and steady, elegant and suave; he was wearing a used blue poplin ruffled shirt, which was washed clean and spotless. He wears a three-mountain crown on his head and a pair of half-worn cloth shoes with thousand-layer soles. He was born with handsome appearance and heroic spirit. A pair of small eyes were dark, as if they were always smiling. Every once in a while, they seemed to look down upon everything around them.
Chang Qingyun has been behind the scenes for many years and has a sharp eye. It can be seen at a glance that this young man is the main one. However, what made him uneasy was that every gesture of this person gave him a familiar feeling, as if he had seen it somewhere before. His heart couldn't help but a cold sweat broke out on his back, and his eyes could not help but stare. Staring at Thorpe.
Thorpe, however, didn't take it seriously and just took his seat in his own way. After everyone was seated, Thorpe and Lin Ming took the seats at the head of the table, accompanied by Chief Chang Qingyun and other businessmen. Thorpe took a look and saw that there were 24-inch Xuguan kiln blue and white small dishes placed on the table. There were all kinds of dried and fresh fruits on the table. The table was filled with them. They were colorful and beautiful. I don't know what many of the objects are.
Sure enough, the landlords and old wealthy people will enjoy it.
"Let's have a dinner." (To be continued)
