When Zhang Xing followed Xiao Zhao to Water Street, the sky had darkened. On both sides of the Luohe River, almost everyone in the city was beating the copper bowls for cleaning the street. The sound was clanging, one after another, far and near, but it was quite charming.
Of course, no one could stop the uniformed Jingjie Tiger with the Jingjie Bronze Bowl. Zhang Xing followed Xiao Lieutenant Zhao and calmly walked against the flow of people to the wine shop. At this time, the wine flag outside the wine shop was gone and the wooden ladder was closed. Xiao Zhao shouted, and the wooden ladder was lowered from above.
As soon as he entered, the wooden ladder behind him was taken away by Xiao Zhao and a servant.
Zhang Xing turned his eyes and saw that the lower floor of the wine shop was empty, with only a few maids and servants sitting casually, but his heart moved slightly and he instinctively became cautious.
"Why are you so careful?" He was careful but did not delay Zhang Xing, holding the knife and asked Xiao Zhao behind him. "If what I expected is correct, after the street is cleared, it will be the time to talk about the real big business. Why did you close the door?"
"Didn't you bring the news?" Xiao Zhao, who had just pulled up the ladder, had a nonchalant look on his face. "Knowing that the frontline suffered a huge defeat at Dongyi's side, and that the saint had remained silent on Yang Ni's case, the court gradually became turbulent. The flag master started discussing with his sister-in-law privately at noon, and continued until the afternoon. As soon as they came out, they According to the instructions, not only will we not do big business at night, we will not even open the door on Water Street during the day. It is said to be a precaution, but I don’t know what to be prepared for?"
Zhang Xing nodded slowly, which is understandable.
As the capital city, let alone major political or military turmoil, as long as the atmosphere becomes tense, any extravagant person can take care of the general flag. Even if you don't have the luxury to pay attention to the person, it seems that Mr. Feng Qi, who is nicknamed the Sugar-wrapped Iron Hand, has always been in charge of four shops, and he is doing such an intermediary business, making a lot of money every day, and he has offended countless people from all walks of life.
It is not unusual for some of our colleagues to have selfish jealousy or secret grievances against the law.
It would be wise to retract in time.
While thinking about it, Xiao Zhao actually went to tease the maid named Xiaoyu again and left Zhang Xing aside. However, he didn't wait long before General Feng Qi came out from upstairs and shouted directly:
"Xiao Zhao, Xiao Zhang, you two come up, I have something to say."
The two of them did not dare to neglect, and went upstairs again. This time, they did not enter the big room, but went to a small corner room. After entering the room, the door was opened, and of course there was no glass of wine, a few knives and axes. His hand jumped out, but a few light drinks and dishes were put on the table, and there were two small silver ingots, a large bunch of copper coins, and an embroidered belt beside it.
When the two of them sat down with Mr. Feng Qi, the latter pointed directly and simply: "I don't have much money. I have been doing this for two months. I heard that you like to read books, so I will personally give you the money you usually spend on books. I asked your sister-in-law to exchange the silver, so that I have the correct amount for easy use."
Zhang Xing was carrying a generous gift from a female inspector. He was no longer just eating steamed buns on the road that day, but now he had no reason not to accept it. Not only did he want to accept it, but he also wanted to accept it happily.
In fact, he just stood up, cupped his hands, thanked him, put the money into the bag, tied it, and threw it on the empty space where the knife was placed.
Mr. Feng squinted his eyes, nodded, and pointed to the table again: "Let's have two drinks."
Although he had just drank at noon, Zhang Xing still did not refuse. When he came up, he held the cup in his hands and drank it all in one gulp, causing Xiao Zhao to follow suit in a hurry.
Just like that, the three of them sat together, drank three to five glasses of wine, and ate half a plate of food. General Feng Qi suddenly put down his glass and sighed.
Zhang Xing, who was well prepared, knew the meaty scene was coming and stopped drinking without saying a word.
But Xiao Zhao hurriedly asked, not knowing whether he was being stupid or asking for help: "Okay, brother, why did you sigh?"
"I'm still worried about the situation." Feng Zongqi shook his head repeatedly.
"What's there to worry about?" Xiao Zhao still disagreed. "My eldest brother and my sister-in-law have been together in the divine capital for more than ten years. They have become increasingly prosperous and are now official figures of the seventh rank. They have never seen any troubles, so what are they afraid of?"
"That's not the case." Mr. Feng, who seemed slightly tipsy, leaned on his chair, pinched his beard, and shook his head repeatedly. "My name is Feng Yong, but I am actually a mediocre person...
"I started out as a gangster in the market, and started a sugar selling business with the capital given by your sister-in-law. I will be grateful to her for this all my life. Later, I gained some influence in the market, and relied on the great opportunity of moving the capital that day to successfully donate an official position. Later, when I became the general banner, if I really say I have something, it means that I am somewhat self-aware...
"Xiao Zhao, you are still young. You don't even know what it means for the emperor to bury millions of corpses in anger. You also don't understand how big the storm is this time. One Yang Ni failed in his rebellion and ravaged most of the Central Plains; another two conquered Dongyi. A huge defeat, hundreds of thousands of troops fleeing, all like the sky falling apart... I can't understand the specific situation, but I experienced the last Dongyi defeat, and experienced another Shangzhu country's rebellion and being punished... This The second time was two plus one piece, how could it be less? I’m afraid it will double and then double again, I don’t know!”
"How big does the general think it will be?" Zhang Xing suddenly interrupted the other party's story.
"You are such a good person, you are having a banquet and singing at home, and suddenly you are dragged to the market and chopped up." Feng Zongqi, also known as Feng Yong, seemed to be relieved when he saw Zhang Xing speak. . "It's as unprovoked as the killing of the white goose in the Fusi Tianlao in Dongzhen. The key to this matter is that the Prime Minister and Shangzhu Kingdom will not be able to spare him from such a disaster. I and the people below will be even more It’s time to leave it to fate.”
Xiao Zhao was speechless for a moment.
Zhang Xing didn't say anything anymore. He just poured himself a glass of wine and started drinking it... Apart from him, he believed Feng Yong's words at this time more than anyone else, because at this moment, he thought of Kaishanjun to stop Dong Feng. Those deserters who were accidentally injured when the Yi troops were chasing them; I thought of the red earth hills in Du Meng's hometown.
Zhang Xing was rarely in a trance, and Xiao Zhao was also in a daze over there. General Feng Qi had no intention of blaming him. He just waited quietly for the two of them to come to their senses before continuing to speak:
"We are all brothers. I won't hide it from you. The situation is like this, but even if you want to withdraw, it is not that simple. Many things have to be dealt with from beginning to end."
Zhang Xing had expected it, but he just remained silent.
Xiao Zhao directly patted his chest and said, "Big brother, just say what you want and give instructions when you have anything to do."
Since Xiao Zhao said this, Zhang Xing could only say: "If the flag leader has something to do, we should naturally take care of it, but for some reason he is the two youngest of us? What can you say?"
"Yes, there is indeed a reason why I specifically called you two here." Feng Yong looked at Zhang Xing again, and then his eyes swept over Xiao Zhao's face again, his tone frank. "I just want to use your presence to do something to offend others... Do you know the Qingyu Gang in Shangshanfang?"
How could I possibly know? Zhang Xing was speechless.
"I know." Xiao Zhao, who had already drank and turned red, blurted out. "Boss Sun's gang... is following the path of a certain father-in-law in the palace. It is said that most of the business is in copper and wood, and they eat the leftover materials that are lost in the palace."
"Not bad." Feng Yong nodded. "But this is the foundation of the Qingyu Gang, and we can't control it. And a gang dominates such a large area. It is not just for these big businesses, but also for small river smuggling, secret prostitution, wine shops, martial arts halls, casinos, daily life, etc. The store's tax, loan sharking... can we avoid all these bad things? But they are under my rule."
"What the flag owner means is..." Zhang Xing came to his senses. "You want them to stop temporarily?"
"Not bad." Feng Yong nodded at the other party with his chopsticks. "Xiao Zhang likes to read after all, and that's the point... After all, what does the big business on the river have to do with me? What matters to me is my official status, and these four squares are my Directly under the jurisdiction, if the higher authorities become stricter in the future, it will inevitably be my flaw... So it is not only the Qingyu Gang, the Qingyu Gang is the largest one and the most critical one, because Shangshanfang is next to Tianjie and far away from the palace gate. It's troublesome, and the other three houses also have some bits and pieces... I just want them to collect it for the time being and not cause me any trouble."
This makes sense.
but……
"I don't understand something that I don't understand." Zhang Xing replied seriously. "It's natural for officers and soldiers to catch thieves... Since the flag owner wants them to stop, he puts on his horse and gives the order clearly. The two of us should follow the order. Why do you want to talk to us in private? He also said that he would use our presence. Do you want to do something good?"
"Because other familiar faces have been together with these gangs and hooligans for a long time. I am among you, and you are among me." Feng Yong put down his chopsticks, twirled his beard and smiled bitterly. "Believe it or not, if I tell my other brothers about my worries, they will only think that I am noisy and bother them to make a fortune. Things will never end. They don't have this insight..."
Hearing this, Lieutenant Xiao Zhao obviously touched his nose.
"It's hard to explain it clearly. If they go to tell those people again, I'm afraid they will start drinking while talking, then collect the money and go home to sleep, and no one will take it seriously." Feng Yong continued. "Anyway, I just want to get past them and clean things up directly."
"I understand." Xiao Zhao, the captain, finally woke up after hearing this. "What the eldest brother means is that he can use our acquaintance to make a bad appearance and establish a reputation...and these businesses are all involved in his brothers, so it is said to be an offending job?"
"Yes, my original intention is that Xiao Zhang climbed out of the dead and dared to attack. Although Xiao Zhao was angry, he knew that he was one of my friends when he inquired about it. The two of you came forward and led the other three people to kill him. The scattered businesses were wiped out. It was time to arrest, beat, and set up the stalls. After sweeping the three squares, I stood up and let Sun Wagua from the Qingyu Gang know my determination, so I could come forward solemnly. Tell him the truth about the matter." Feng Yong finally made his request. "But don't worry, I won't let you be evil people in vain... If you agree, I will give each of you twenty pieces of hard-earned money when you leave today. And if you do it properly, I will give it to each of you after the deed is completed." Twenty strings.”
Fortunately, he has experienced life and death several times, and Zhang Xing doesn't care if he offends others... In other words, Feng Yong thought that he crawled out of the dead and didn't care about this, so he came to him. ...But by the same token, Zhang Xing doesn't care much at this time whether it's money or not.
If you want to catch him, it would be more effective than asking Bai Inspector to say, "You can borrow my books to read in the future."
Therefore, this matter is reasonable and reasonable for Feng Zongqi, but dispensable for Zhang Xing.
But how to say it?
Precisely because it is a reasonable and dispensable thing, it may not be easy to refuse the boss's gesture.
Just when Zhang Xing was thinking wildly, Xiao Zhao couldn't bear to speak first, but he said something shocking: "Brother... I don't want these forty guan, I can give you another ten guan of wealth, so Xiaoyu just obeys me." ……how?"
Feng Yong was slightly startled: "I thought you were just teasing her out of boredom...but are you really attracted to her?"
"I'm really interested in her. I also want to ask my sister-in-law to release her from slavery." Xiao Zhao's face turned red and he lowered his voice.
"Xiao Zhao." Feng Zongqi, instead of nodding, shook his head slightly. "Let me ask you again, do you know how much money forty guanwen is? Although money here in Dongdu is becoming less and less valuable, it is still half the capital to live and settle down, but you can't afford it at the moment, and you can't buy a house. , shop, hang it with me, it is appropriate to find a shop and business to invest in, but you want to change a maid? Have you thought about it? "
"I have made up my mind." Xiao Zhao looked back at the closed door, his voice became deeper and his face became redder. "As long as the eldest brother promises Xiaoyu to me, I am willing to go through mountains and seas of fire on my behalf..."
"I'm not asking you to go through mountains of swords and seas of fire. I've given you all the manpower. I just want to offend my colleagues and some people in the scene." Feng Yong glanced at Zhang Xing, who had been silent, and scolded Xiao Zhao. "And if you talk so openly, what will Xiao Zhang do?"
Xiao Zhao quickly came to see Zhang Xing.
Zhang Xing was speechless, but he had no choice but to come to General Feng Banner to ask for permission on behalf of Captain Zhao: "So, has the flag owner already promised Captain Zhao?"
"That's natural." Feng Yong smiled while twirling his beard.
Xiao Zhao was overjoyed immediately, but Zhang Xing couldn't think of any reason to be a villain, so he nodded after thinking for a moment.
In this way, the matter was settled, the banquet was dispersed, and Xiao Zhao went to hang out with Xiao Yu again. As expected, Mr. Feng Qi’s wife came over and personally gave Zhang Xing a bag of silver... not much, thirteen taels... I couldn’t help it. Yes, the market price of silver exchanged for copper coins these days is much higher than the official price, but it is said that it has risen faster these days. Twenty taels at the beginning of the year can be exchanged for fifteen or six taels, but in the blink of an eye it is only worth thirteen taels.
Zhang Xing hung the gauze belt around his waist, stuffed the wallet into his arms and wrapped it tightly. After saying hello, he asked someone to help put down the ladder and headed back to Xiuye Square from Water Street.
By this time, it was already dusk outside, and even Water Street was a lot quieter. I think except for a few designated night markets, the streets had already been cleaned everywhere else, but it didn't matter. Zhang Xing was dressed as a street tiger, and no one could Not afraid, he just held a lantern, walked back to the gate of Xiuye Square, and then called out to Brother Liu, the official of the square.
Master Liu didn't dare to open the door, so he put down a ladder and let Zhang Xing climb over.
Zhang Xing held the lantern, climbed the ladder with one hand, reached the wall, hung the lantern, borrowed Master Liu's hand, and climbed up. Then he waited until the other party had collected the stairs and put them away, then he took a lantern and went to his small courtyard. Brother Liu was obviously very considerate. He probably saw Zhang Xing drinking, so he followed him a few steps further until he reached the courtyard. He stopped in front of the door.
But at this moment, Zhang Xing, who came to the courtyard gate, instead of opening the door, suddenly turned back and stared at Master Liu who was behind him.
Master Liu was so stared at that he was stunned for a moment. After a while, he finally smiled and said, "Is Captain Zhang drunk and staring? Do you want me to unlock the door for you?"
"no."
Zhang Xing waited until the other party spoke, half smiling but not smiling. "I suddenly woke up and remembered something...Does the boss recognize our Mr. Feng Qi?"
"That said, Mr. Feng Qi is in charge of these four workshops. Although one belongs to Jing'antai and the other belongs to Henan County, they are stacked on top of each other. How can you not recognize them?" Boss Liu was speechless immediately.
"No wonder." Zhang Xing laughed. "Let me just say, my two friends have never entered my yard, and I never mentioned it, but General Feng Qi came up and knew that I like to read..."
Brother Liu was a little embarrassed immediately, but he could bear it despite being in a dark mood: "Why did Captain Zhang have to break up something that everyone knows well? Your family's general banner has not wavered in this Fourth Square for more than ten years. He is a capable person, and in the eyes of the subordinates like us who are directly next to him, he is a first-class current management person. He arranged for me to be here, and asked Wang Xiaowei and others to ask him a question casually, "Can I still refuse to answer?" ?Besides, what does it mean to say that you love reading? You have established yourself upright! Besides, after I went to have a drink today, no one will ask me what you are doing at home again, so why not stop here! "
"I don't mean to blame my brother." Zhang Xing shook his head and smiled again. "I drank too much and my brain is spinning. Don't worry about it."
Master Liu quickly handed over his hand, then picked up the lantern and turned around.
Zhang Xing immediately took the key and opened the door unsteadily.
That is to say, when one of them had walked a few steps and the other had opened the door, Zhang Xing suddenly turned around on the threshold and asked again: "Speaking of which, how many years has I been the owner of the shop?"
"Twelve years." Fangzhu Liu, who was holding a lantern, turned back to look at each other.
Zhang Xing nodded, stumbled through the door, and closed the door directly without picking up the lantern outside. Then he leaned against the door and took a deep breath. But he soon came to his senses and hurriedly continued to stagger a few steps before falling down. Sitting on the chair in the courtyard, he squinted his eyes and held his head, looking at the stars in the sky thoughtfully.
It turned out that Zhang Xing stopped in front of the door just now. His original intention was to ask the other party about the distribution of gray business in the Xiuye Workshop. He was not only looking for information, but also wanted to remind the owner of the workshop to take care of him... but he just turned around. , suddenly I was excited, thinking that the two of them were shaking hands on the wall just now, and the distribution of calluses on the other's hand was very similar to my own, and then I was so frightened that I lost my temper after drinking, and exposed myself on the spot, and finally waited for a long time. , and then used something that was originally the meaning of the question, or something that both parties knew well, to cover up and fool the past.
Of course, Zhang Xing felt that he was making a fuss out of a molehill after humming half-truths and half-truths for a moment on a chair in the courtyard, listening to the footsteps walking away outside the wall.
After all, not to mention that Mr. Liu Fang probably only served as a soldier and practiced martial arts in his early years. Even if there are real stories and even some intentions, it has nothing to do with him.
I'm afraid of a ghost!
As soon as he thought of this, Zhang Xing became so drunk that he snored slightly in the courtyard and fell asleep without even doing the routine meditation.
After hearing the smooth snoring, Master Liu who should have left long ago outside the wall left silently.
PS: Thanks to the new leader for adding ten yuan of beef! Eat well and drink well!
