"Tomorrow is the Hongmen Banquet. Wang Heng is afraid that the fish will die and the net will be broken, and the murderous intention will leak out. Will Zhang Jinglue go?"
"Go, why not? Fifty years ago, my father was outnumbered and not afraid of Wang Xijue at all. Fifty years later, why should I be afraid of Wang Xijue's son! He is still a good-for-nothing son!"
Kang Guangxu was stunned and speechless for a long time.
"The Japanese official can go alone tomorrow. You will stay at the Jinglue Mansion and wait for the court's assistance. Kang Xunzong, do you have that kind of medicine?"
Kang Guangxu looked confused.
"Oh, I only have Vajra Powder, no poison."
Zhang Yunxiu looked a little disappointed and asked again: "Don't you, the Kang family, have the kind of potion that Yuan Shaobao took in Japan?"
"No."
Although the Kang family is a medical family, Kang Guangxu himself is the 18th inheritor of Vajra San (the 17th generation is his father Kang Yingqian). However, poisons such as arsenic and crane crown red are not within the scope of business.
Kang Guangxu asked anxiously: "Zhang Jinglue also wants to die together with Wang Heng?"
Zhang Yunxiu remained silent, acquiescing to this question.
"The Wang family in Taicang is well-defended, and the entire Taicang Prefecture city is working for the Wang family. By the time reinforcements arrive, he may have escaped long ago. The Hongmen Banquet is an opportunity."
Kang Guangxu murmured to himself: "Advanced hunters often appear as prey."
Everyone was not as free and easy as these two, and they all tried to persuade Zhang Jinglue not to put himself in danger.
Li Zicheng said loudly: "Zhang Jinglue, Emperor Guangde entrusted you to the last general. If there are any shortcomings, how should you explain it? If you insist on going to the Wang family, I will bring the guards with you tomorrow."
"I will go to the meeting alone tomorrow. You don't need to persuade me. I have my own plan. The grudge between me and Wang Heng should be settled."
How could Li Zicheng agree? He refused to compromise and insisted on following Zhang Jinglue at the risk of death.
If I want to die, I will die with Zhang Yunxiu.
"Forget it, just ask General Li and Kang Xun to go with me. The rest will stay here. I have my own arrangements."
Kang Guangxu was shocked. He didn't expect Zhang Jinglue to drag him along... If he had known it, he wouldn't have persuaded him just now.
~~~~~~
Taicang Palace.
Surrounded by pink walls, green willows hang down all around, the vermilion animal-faced gate is opened, and the corridors in the courtyard are connected, decorated with rocks, and the gardens are luxuriant and magnificent.
Walk along the corridor through several courtyards, past the ancestral hall, through the patio, and arrive at the living room.
There were bright incense candles and brocade curtains all around, and a huge Eight Immortals table was filled with various dishes.
Wang Heng sat in the top position with a faint smile on his face.
Zhang Yunxiu sat next to the master, followed by Kang Guangxu and Li Zicheng.
Three servants of the palace stood behind the Eight Immortals table.
There were more than a dozen servants standing densely at the door of the living room, all of them were wearing armor and had evil faces.
There were hundreds of thugs scattered inside and outside the courtyard, all of them fierce and ferocious. Just waiting for Wang Heng to throw a cup as a signal, they rushed in to avenge their companions.
Prince Wang did not expect Zhang Yunxiu to come to the banquet and was shocked. However, he remained calm on the surface and raised his glass and said:
"I have heard of Zhang Jinglue's name. You have been here in Taicang Prefecture for so long. Recently, you have been busy with other things in your humble position. You have not been able to help Zhang Jinglue. I am really ashamed, ashamed."
Zhang Yunxiu looked at a couplet on the wall behind him: the sun and the moon are two eyes of heaven and earth, and poems and books are powerful in the hearts of sages. He didn't even listen to what Wang Heng was saying.
"Zhang Jinglue, please."
Zhang Yunxiu stared at the silk robe Wang Heng was wearing and raised his eyebrows:
"The law of Daqi stipulates that people without rank are not allowed to wear silk and satin at will. As far as I know, the prince has not even been elected..."
Wang Heng raised his wine glass and winked. The servants around him pressed their fingers to the scabbard.
Li Zicheng held his breath and concentrated, as if the old monk had entered meditation, sitting there motionless, with only his unibrow twitching slightly.
"Well, I forgot to tell Zhang Jinglue,"
Wang Heng caught a glimpse of the simple Yan Fei Dao on Li Zicheng's waist, and a murderous aura approached him. He gently put down the wine glass he raised high.
He stretched out three fingers and said to Zhang Yunxiu:
"Zhang Jinglue, a humble official currently serving as magistrate of Jiading, Wuxian and Kunshan counties..."
Seeing that Zhang Yunxiu didn't speak, Wang Heng continued:
"Since my father and the manager's father are both old friends, you and I are also destined to be together, and I won't say it's false."
"My humble position is the magistrate of these three counties. In this land of Taicang, I can be regarded as an official. Apart from dragon robes, I can wear whatever I want. I wonder if Zhang Jinglue is satisfied?"
Zhang Yunxiu nodded, stared at Wang Heng and said:
"So, your magistrates are all bought? Do we in Daqi have a rule about selling officials and titles?"
Wang Heng laughed loudly and said calmly:
"There is no such thing in Da Qi, but there is in Ming Dynasty. They were all bought with money by his subordinates when Emperor Hongguang was in power. Qi inherited the Ming system. The Supreme Emperor said three years ago that officials in all prefectures and counties in the south of the Yangtze River, except those who are treasonous and disrespectful, will The rest can be reinstated..."
Zhang Yunxiu said coldly: "Why did you buy so many officials?"
Wang Heng blurted out: "Buying an official position is just to make money. There is money everywhere in Taicang Prefecture. I don't like to earn poor people's money when I am in a humble position."
Kang Guangxu was amused by his words, and regardless of being in a tiger's den, he looked sharply at the magistrate of the three counties:
"Then whose money do you want to make?"
"Whoever has money will make money."
Kang Guangxu smiled and said: "The Emperor of Da Qi is the richest, so do you want to rebel?"
Wang Heng waved his hands and said with a smile: "I didn't say this in my humble position."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
"But, recently, you guys have come and don't let me make money. Not only do you not let me make money, there are rumors that you also want to kill me."
Just when Zhang Yunxiu was about to speak, Kang Guangxu smiled again and said, "Wang Zhixian should be more clear. I wonder how we blocked your way of making money?"
Wang Heng raised his wine glass: "Everyone, please."
As soon as Zhang Yunxiu picked up the wine glass, Kang Guangxu winked at him, and Wang Heng said with a smile:
"Don't worry, there is no poison in the wine. I am just a small county magistrate. How dare I try to murder all the superior officials?"
Kang Guangxu raised his glass again and laughed:
"Come on, come on, Wang Zhixian is being polite. Who doesn't know in the whole Jiangnan that your Wang family in Taicang is the most powerful. You are a prominent figure in Taicang, and the local gentry and officials at all levels will give you some face.
Wang Heng spread his hands and smiled: "Why don't you have a good reputation? Thousands of people, dozens of staff, and a large family all rely on my meager contribution every day to make ends meet."
Zhang Yunxiu asked: "The world is difficult, how can Wangzhi County survive with such a small salary?"
Wang Heng smiled and said: "Zhang Jinglue, do you know what kind of business the humble job does?"
"not understand."
Kang Guangxu explained from the side: "Most of the silk, tea, porcelain, and thin horses in Jiangnan are sold by princes."
Zhang Yunxiu said coldly: "So, the prince is so rich that he can rival the country?"
Wang Heng waved his hand and interrupted: "It's too much of a reputation. It's a humble position. I'm just helping Zheng Sen carry the goods."
"Bringing goods?"
Zhang Yunxiu was thoughtful.
"It's smuggling."
Zhang Kang and Zhang Kang looked at each other. They didn't expect that Wang Xijue's son would be so wild and would do all his business in Java.
"It's a pity that it can't be sold now."
"Why?"
Wang Heng said angrily:
"Zheng Sen was beaten so hard that he didn't dare to return to Fujian. After a month, a boat finally broke out of the siege, but you intercepted it.
Suzhou style, Guangzhou craftsmanship.
The rhinoceros, elephant, mirage, tortoise shell, bamboo, wood, rattan, and tin utensils are all the best in the world.
These rare commodities were sold overseas in previous years, making the Wang family a lot of money.
Now, the maritime trade business is almost entirely monopolized by the chamber of commerce, and all the money is made by the chamber of commerce.
"The Wang family has been standing in Taicang for hundreds of years. You came, raided our fields, suppressed our business, and killed my people. Aren't you trying to force the Wang family to rebel?"
