The sacrificial process in the afternoon was very long. It was not that the Qing Emperor appeared, but mainly because Zhang Baishou was so competitive with the sacrificial meat that he actually divided the pork very carefully with a knife.
The older ones will get fatter ones, the younger ones will get thinner ones, those with more family members and gangs will get more, and those with fewer people will get smaller ones.
There were no surprises. The six most powerful bosses were all given the best sacrificial meat, and they were all placed on porcelain plates with trays under them... As for Huaixing, who is said to have some friendship with Zhang Baishou Gang Du, the boss, and the clever Black Shark Gang Sha boss, among the seven or eight well-established gang leaders, although they don't have trays, they all have porcelain plates.
This is of course an excellent sign, indicating that Zhang Baishou is impartial to the end and recognizes the structure of the six largest families. As for the appearance of Boss Du and Boss Sha, there is nothing to say. Who is not close to each other? In fact, when the six largest gang bosses were eating meat with chopsticks, they were already making final preparations for the final competition, peace and alliance, and to completely win this huge business.
Traveling thousands of miles just for money, not to mention the gangs in this world are temporary systems that gather for economic benefits, rather than things with any self-worth.
Just like that, after struggling for a long time, even Zhang Xing thought it was over today.
But what he didn't expect was that the biggest climax would come after the sacrifice - as soon as the meat-eaters left with their accompanying warriors, thousands of people rushed in just to grab the dragon and pearls for the morning scene. The mound on which the dragon's head is erected is proud of digging a handful of soil.
The scene was truly spectacular. .
"Reporting to Zhang Baishou, this is robbing the dragon soil."
In the drizzle, when Zhang Xing stopped and turned around, before he asked, Lingli Gesha understood again. "According to custom, no matter how many they are, just grab them and put them in the fields or at home. It will ensure the safety of the family and the house for a year and a good harvest without disasters."
"Can't get it?" Zhang Xing was curious in the drizzle.
"If you can't grab it, you will naturally be in trouble." Boss Sha laughed dryly. "But how can you not grab something like dirt? You can always get some dregs back, more or less..."
"It's just something fools use to comfort themselves." Fan Shiyong, Gang Leader Fan, quickly twirled his beard and interjected. "It's like free incense."
"That's right." Zhang Xing looked at him expressionlessly for a moment, then nodded in response. "We have all eaten up the meat. What will the people get if they don't take some mud back?"
Among the bosses accompanying him, only two or three suddenly changed their expressions. They understood such a naked taunt immediately. The other bosses actually waited for a while before they seemed to wake up.
Then, Fan Shiyong responded with a dry smile: "Logically, everyone should share the meat together, but there is only so much meat. If there are so many people sharing it, how can we share it neatly? I won't be able to drink the soup evenly."
"I didn't say I wanted to divide the meat. Why are you so anxious?" Zhang Xing's face remained calm, but his tone was obviously impatient. "There are 10,000 households in this town. How much does it cost to steam 10,000 steamed buns, or 10,000 bowls of white rice? Put a red dot on the buns, put a few dates in the rice, take one bite, and we will be safe for a year. We eat meat. They eat steamed buns, which is better than us eating meat, and let them dig in the mud to look decent... The servants in the imperial court even get a piece of fried sugar cake during the Chinese New Year."
Fan Shiyong's face turned pale and he could only nod his head.
"Zhang Baishou... This custom is related to spring plowing. The grabbing of soil has been around since the beginning. It's not like there are no sacrifices for people to grab the soil, and it happens everywhere." Old gang leader Yue didn't know if he was really confused or just pretending. Confused, he actually gave an explanation at this time. "There is no need to change customs."
"Is what I said the same thing as what you said?" When Zhang Xing heard this, no matter how unbearable he was, he became angry, pointed at the other person's nose and started to yell and scold him in public. "Yue, are you an old fool? How much does ten thousand cornbread cost, once a year, and it's all in vain and hinders your fortune? You don't even have the courage to do so, and you still expect to be the overlord of Jianghuai. Are you just using Huanshui’s official business? When you’re so old, why don’t you go home and take care of your children!”
After saying that, he led everyone away directly.
By the way, Zhang Sanlang was just offering sacrifices and dividing meat, playing political tricks, and keeping everyone in harmony, but suddenly he turned against one of the six giants and humiliated him so much that no one from the top to the bottom reacted for a moment... But when they reacted, But he didn't know what to do, so he could only watch the other party walk away in stunned silence.
The more Gang Leader Yue thought about it, the more shameful and helpless he became. In the end, he could only stamp his feet, cover his face and leave in a hurry, but there was no one to comfort him.
In fact, after the two related people left, everyone started to make quick calculations. After thinking about it for a while, they generally didn't think that Saburo Zhang was going too far.
If you think about it, you will know that Zhang Baishou has a person like Inspector Bai behind him, but he has to act fair until now. It is really not easy. In three days, the Jianghuai Conference will be held, and these three days are naturally the most critical. Use any means you can... Eating cornbread, eating meat, and digging in the mud are nothing more than hints of personal interests, at most Add an obedience test to see which one is obedient.
Gang leader Yue Lao relied on his old age to sell his old age. His mind was confused. He fell down and couldn't blame others.
"There are tens of thousands of mansions in Guangzhou, and there are ten thousand steamed buns in it..." Zhang Xing certainly didn't know how many people were thinking about his sudden anger, but he just walked with his hands behind his back in the rain and sighed for a while.
There was no way, why didn't he know that this was some kind of custom related to spring plowing, and that sharing meat in sacrifices had nothing to do with it? However, the carnivores on the front legs divided the meat and ate the oily and smooth food, while the common people on the back legs rushed to grab a handful of dirt. The contrast was indeed too much, and then an explosion broke out.
But the surrounding patrolmen and soldiers did not dare to say a word.
"Third brother!"
As soon as they reached the gate of the Long Whale Gang, Qin Bao's voice sounded at the right time.
Zhang Xing turned around and immediately saw Zuo You standing next to Qin Bao, and then he immediately understood: "Brother Zuo You, please come with me. Erlang can go and do whatever he needs to do."
Qin Bao immediately raised his hands and saluted and replied: "I'm going to get things done right now."
Zhang Xing nodded, and only called Zuo You, who had no time to salute, and took the scattered others into the main helm of the Long Whale Gang, which was full of soldiers, and then climbed up to the attic in a hurry.
"Zhang Baishou."
The two of them sat down in the south pavilion on the third floor. Zuo You seemed a little impatient, and his first sentence was a bit shocking. "I'm here to summon you on behalf of Zuo Erlang."
Zhang Xing nodded without any surprise.
Zuo You, on the other hand, was stunned for a moment: "Your Excellency, you have already guessed it?"
"Counting the days, Zuo Erlang should have gotten the message and rushed here long ago, but he never showed up. It's just because he couldn't get here for some reason, or he didn't want to show up when he got here, and you are a fellow villager with the same surname as Zuo. , happened to go to the East China Sea again years ago, and had some friendship with me, but he was a very good messenger." Zhang Xing's words seemed a bit perfunctory and impatient. "So, what did Mr. Zuo say?"
"Second Master Zuo said...what his elder brother means is what he means." Zuo You suppressed some uneasiness to deal with it. "This is the bottom line that the three brothers discussed together before. The foundation of the Long Whale Gang cannot be destroyed. I hope Zhang Baishou will show his noble hand."
Zhang Xing frowned in response, his face full of confusion. He was really confused: "It's just that the foundation of the Long Whale Gang cannot be destroyed? How come this is different from what Uncle Zuo and the others said?"
Zuo You also seemed a little uneasy: "Do Uncle Zuo and Third Master Zuo have other conditions?"
"They still want to move their ancestral property." Zhang Xingyi said.
Zuo You was startled for a moment, then smiled bitterly: "I see, this is reasonable... But actually, according to my understanding, Zuo Erye may not care about this kind of thing. Their father has passed away, and Zuo Erye is a prodigal. He has a bad temper and never comes home all year round.”
"But this is wrong." Zhang Xing was speechless. "That day, Boss Zuo had a tough attitude. He had to do this. We couldn't talk about it at all. Everyone above and below could testify, so I took action... But now that Mr. Zuo has come back and agreed, I have already started to dismantle the Long Whale Gang. , do you want to blame me?"
"That's not the case." Zuo You laughed dryly.
"Brother Zuo You." Zhang Xing sighed even more. "If you have channels and can go see Second Master Zuo immediately, go and see him immediately and persuade him to come back in person. Together with Uncle Zuo and Third Master Zuo, we can sit at the same table and talk things through in person... What does this mean now? What's going on?"
Zuo You was silent for a moment and nodded: "It seems that it is necessary...but I can't go back immediately...otherwise, if I can't explain the whole matter to Mr. Zuo clearly when I get there, wouldn't he dislike me for passing it on again?" Inappropriate information? Moreover, the Jianghuai Conference is in full swing here. If we can't achieve a certain goal, it will be too late to stop, and as a middleman, I may be in trouble. "
"That's true." Zhang Xing responded sincerely. "Besides, I also want to ask Brother Zuo something."
Hearing this, Zuo You woke up and smiled: "Zhang Baishou, what do you want to ask?"
"Where is Mr. Zuo now?" Zhang Xing made no secret of his intentions.
Zuo You was not surprised at all, and just smiled again: "Zhang Baishou, why are you doing this? Second Master Zuo can still have some opinions in the dark, but if you reveal them directly, it's not that I can't trust Zhang Sanlang's character. It's terrible that you, Zhang Sanlang, can't do it either." I'm just afraid of what might happen...what if the Yitian Sword flies over and comes out after showing up, but fails to kill Mr. Zuo with one strike, and that's not the case for anyone else. You and I will only die."
Zhang Xing also smiled: "That's indeed the truth."
"Let's be honest about this." Zuo You suddenly became serious. "What are the conditions imposed by the imperial court?"
Zhang Xing responded equally seriously, but repeated the three conditions he had mentioned to Boss Zuo before.
Zuo You frowned slightly when he heard this, but he was obviously relieved: "It's still the same thing. Judging from the second master Zuo's intention, I don't think it's a big problem to move the clan to Kansai. It's okay to let the third master transfer him. It's just that Mr. Zuo has now reached the realm of alchemy and has begun to meditate, and he is still looking at the waves of the East China Sea... It would be better to wait a few years and then join the army."
"No." Zhang Xing did not hesitate. "We Ming people will not speak secretly. This is a condition set by Zhong Cheng himself. Therefore, it is also the loosest and most basic condition and must not be discounted... Besides, none of us know what Zuo Erye's relevant conditions mean? What we want is for him to show up immediately and become a pillar of the imperial court, so as not to stay outside and oppose the imperial court. It would be ridiculous to come back after becoming an elixir or delay for a few years."
Zuo You looked serious: "Is this the fundamental meaning of Jing'antai?"
"Not bad." Zhang Xing remained magnanimous. "The Long Whale Gang can give in, but Second Master Zuo must come forward...either be on the elite list or the black list, there is no other way. I don't believe that Second Master Zuo doesn't know this truth, and I don't believe that Brother Zuo You doesn't Understand this truth... I really don’t understand, are you still taking this matter by chance?”
Zuo You pondered for a long time and then spoke again: "To be honest with Zhang Baishou, there are some stakes. Master Zuo has actually thought about it. What he said before was indeed that he asked me to test..."
Zhang Xing also smiled: "I'll just say it."
"Cao Zhongcheng's three conditions are actually for allowing the Zuo family to keep the Long Whale Gang." Zuo You said sincerely. "Actually, what Second Master Zuo really means is that he is willing to give up the most critical thing, which is to give up most of the Long Whale Gang, and let Third Master Zuo leave and move the clan, in exchange for two years of reprieve. Go and serve the imperial court, because his vision has reached a critical moment."
"Is the visualization of the Chengdan realm so troublesome?" Zhang Baishou became slightly irritated.
"That's natural." Zuo You responded with emotion. "You have to watch and think about it..."
Zhang Xing fell silent.
Zuo You was not in a hurry, just lowered his head and waited.
After waiting for a long time, Zhang Xing suddenly asked: "Second Master Zuo said that he would give up most of the Long Whale Gang. What's going on?"
"It's very simple." Zuo You was overjoyed and hurried to explain. "For example, if the gang leaders don't let Uncle Zuo do it, you Zhang Sanlang will come along the Jianghuai Conference and push whoever you want, but you have to leave a place for Boss Zuo among the nine seats in the Jianghuai Conference as a deputy. Gang leader...isn’t this difficult?”
"This is not difficult at all." Zhang Xing responded sincerely. "But the question is why would I do this?"
"What does this mean?" Zuo You was puzzled.
"Am I going to go to such great lengths to deal with it just because of what your brother Zuo You said on behalf of Mr. Zuo?" Zhang Xing sneered. "There are only three days left in the Jianghuai Conference. The Long Whale Gang has already been dismantled...you want me to fight back again? Wouldn't it make the world think that I am afraid of his leftist general?"
"Aren't you afraid?" Zuo You was still confused.
Zhang Xing's heart moved slightly, and he raised his head to look at the other party. After looking at him for a long time, he slowly replied word for word: "I am more afraid of the Tower-Suppressing King and the Yitian Sword."
"That's true." Zuo You lowered his head and smiled.
"As for Mr. Zuo." Zhang Xing continued to respond seriously. "Back then, he knew how to take out the Ziwu Sword and kill four gang leaders, and then he could coordinate with his elder brother to get things done. Why is he so childish now?"
"Do you want Mr. Zuo to kill you, Li Twelve Lang and a few gang leaders?" Zuo You sneered in turn. "Isn't that a big deal? The Yitian Sword is probably going to chase Zuo Erye from Ruyin to the East China Sea... The entire Zuo family can't be saved, nor can the profits of the Long Whale Gang be saved."
"So, Second Master Zuo must show up. As long as he shows up, everyone will know that it is a Chengdan master who has come to talk in person. Naturally, I can change my ways, and no one will say anything about me." Zhang Xing felt dry. Dry, go directly to bring tea. "Otherwise, if the overall situation is like this, if you don't say anything else, you will really kill me. In fact, there are some things that cannot be stopped or done at all..."
"Zhang Baishou is joking..." Zuo You was also a little anxious. "As far as I know, aren't Uncle Zuo and Third Master Zuo still supporting Li Zida and his gang? Just ask Uncle Zuo to register for this conference. How can we not stop them?"
"It's late." Zhang Xing put down his tea cup and responded calmly. "Uncle Zuo and Third Master Zuo are already naked... Li Zida has rebelled against them and signed up by himself."
Zuo You was even more surprised: "Zhang Sanlang, don't try to bluff me. I even looked at the gang roster before I came in. Did Li Zida ever sign up?"
"It should be the name I just reported." Zhang Xing became calmer and calmer. "That's the name Brother Zuo You gave you when he came in... What do you think Qin Erlang did after he sent you to see me?"
Although Zuo You was well-informed, he couldn't help but be stunned on the spot.
"Brother Zuo, do you not believe in Qin Erlang's ability, or do you not believe in my prestige here? Or do you think Du Po Zhen doesn't have the temperament to win over people?" Zhang Xing said expressionlessly, staring at the other party Calmly. "If you don't believe it, go out and see now. Li Zida must have successfully registered in public after robbing Longyang. Everyone on Jianghuai Road already knows that the Long Whale Gang has completely fallen apart. Boss Zuo is helpless... Go back and tell Zuo Second child, he only has two options now."
"What two ways?" Zuo You came back to his senses and stared at the other party with the same expressionless expression, while speaking coldly.
"A black road is all about defeat. I just asked him to take out the Ziwu Sword, kill all the gang leaders here, and then behead me and Li Qingchen, and then bet that he can escape from the Yitian Sword and escape." Dongyi, but at the same time they are destined to abandon the ancestral land of the Zuo family, the foundation of Huankou, and the life of the entire clan." Zhang Xing mustered up his courage and continued to speak calmly. "A white road means that everyone keeps their duties and strives to coexist, but he is required to stand up openly and tell Jianghuai Heroes that his Zuo Erlang is here. Ask Jianghuai Heroes to give him a face. Naturally, he can use a Ziwu Sword. Name, and support the Long Whale Gang for half a day."
Zuo You paused for a while, and then sneered more and more: "If I spoke like this to a Chengdan master like you, I would probably lose my life."
"Brother Zuo." Zhang Xing hesitated and suddenly asked. "Do you remember the first time we met?"
Zuo You's eyes moved slightly and softened slightly: "Yes, of course I remember the friendship that day."
"Then do you still remember what I said that day?"
"It's vivid in my mind."
"Okay, Brother Zuo, are you a Dongyi spy?" Zhang Xing suddenly asked, and then spoke first without waiting for the other party's expression to change. "If you are really a Dongyi spy, I think you should persuade Mr. Zuo to take the blind road... Otherwise, your Dongyi people's line on Huaishang will be cut off, and won't you fail in your efforts?"
"What are you talking about?!" Zuo You waited for the other party to finish speaking before scolding him sternly. "Can you say this nonsense? Could it be that Zhang Sanlang dislikes his lack of merit and wants to falsely accuse someone of good deeds?"
"I am a little white-sanded boy who is about to be promoted to a black-sanded ribbon. No matter how many merits I have achieved, it will be of no use to me?" Zhang Xing responded calmly. "Furthermore, I think Mr. Zuo should have figured out the real purpose of my trip... It's nothing more than sending me to Du Po Zhen, a good place to go, to settle the grudges on Mangdang Mountain... Are you a Dongyi spy or not? Whether the Long Whale Gang had a strong collusion with Dongyi or not, what does it matter to me? I only care about Du Po Zhen becoming the new master of Huanshuikou."
At this point, Zhang Xing sighed for a moment in the complicated eyes of the other party:
"To put it bluntly, what I want is not what Jingantai wants, and what Jingantai wants may not be what Dawei wants. In the same way, what Dongyi spies want is not what Zuo Erye wants. What Mr. Zuo wants is not what Mr. Zuo wants... Who said that since I am from Jing'antai, I have to deal with Dongyi spies? If I had been thinking about Jing'antai, I would have noticed that Chang was aware of it when I checked the accounts. The Whale Gang’s accounts are wrong, and a large amount of income has been flowing out to Donghai County all year round, so we should just summon the Longgang warriors and Ruyin’s Heavenly Sword to cleanse the land, why bother with so many things?”
Zuo You was silent for a moment, then stood up suddenly: "Don't follow me, I'll go and send a message to Mr. Zuo for you."
Zhang Xing nodded in response and waved directly: "Brother Zuo, go on your own."
At this time, the sky was not yet dark, but the spring rain outside the attic had already become heavier.
PS: Good morning everyone.
