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Jiang Xiao is a complex and contradictory person, with both madness and caution.
In order to realize his own intentions, he always does everything possible at any cost, but at the same time he will carefully reserve an escape route for himself.
Therefore, if Jiang Xiao dared to secretly sneak back to Nanjing and continue to hunt Hu Xiao while the government was pursuing him, he naturally had his own support.
Three months ago, after Jiang Xiao led the "Chaofeng" dead soldiers to secretly arrive in Nanjing following the seventh prince Zhu Hejian, the first thing he did was to comprehensively investigate the situation of all the local snakes in Nanjing City, and then selected a grain gang leader and a group of gangsters. Hundreds of Nanjing defenders were named and managed to control them.
Among them, the leader of the grain gang was named Cai Tan, and the Nanjing garrison household was named Tang Kun.
The personalities and styles of these two people are completely different and completely opposite.
Although Tang Kun was a military attaché of the Nanjing garrison, he was addicted to gambling, greedy for life and afraid of death, but also cowardly, and he was a pure villain;
Cai Tan is the complete opposite. Although he is just a gang member, he is also an honest family man who is filial to his parents, respects his wife, and dotes on his children.
After Jiang Xiao selected these two people as his targets, he formulated different countermeasures based on their personalities and characteristics, and completely captured these two people.
In response to Tang Kun's lust for gambling, Jiang Xiao first set up a trap to make him owe huge gambling debts, then tricked him into embezzling military supplies to repay the debts, and finally caught Tang Kun having an affair with a widow, who was... The legacy of a garrison of thousands of households;
Regarding Cai Tan's filial piety to the Gu family, Jiang Xiao's method was even simpler. He directly sent people to kidnap and control his parents, wife and daughter, and forced Cai Tan to violate several important gang rules. Once the matter was exposed, he would be severely punished. hole punishment;
In this way, Tang Kun and Cai Tan could only take orders from Jiang Xiao and let Jiang Xiao dictate them.
Jiang Xiao chose to control Tang Kun and Cai Tan, not only because these two people had obvious weaknesses, but also because the entrance of the river where Qingxi merged into Nanjing City was located within their defense zone and sphere of influence.
Nanjing is located in the hinterland of the south of the Yangtze River, with dense and complex rivers. In addition to the most famous Yangtze River and Qinhuai River, there are more than 40 different rivers scattered throughout the city, and Qingxi is one of them, although its scale and reputation are not large. , but it also runs through the entire city of Nanjing.
Jiang Xiao saw this clearly, so he used all means to tame Tang Kun and Cai Tan.
With the secret assistance of these two people, Jiang Xiao and his "Chaofeng" soldiers could quickly enter and exit Nanjing through the Qingxi River in an emergency, treating Nanjing's city defense as if it were nothing.
In the evening of that day, Jiang Xiao and his hundreds of "Chaofeng" dead soldiers secretly returned to Nanjing using the Qingxi River.
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When Jiang Xiao quickly jumped out of the boat and set foot on the bank of Qingxi River in Nanjing City again, Tang Kun and Cai Tan, who had been waiting for a long time, also quickly came up to them, both with nervous expressions and uneasy hearts.
Compared with Tang Kun, who was timid and weak, and dared not speak out when he was angry. Although Cai Tan was also controlled by Jiang Xiao, his temperament was more upright. When he saw Jiang Xiao, he directly accused him angrily: "Why did you choose this time? Returning to Nanjing? Do you know that Nanjing is under martial law and raids are underway?
At noon today, I was called to the main hall of the Liang Gang and saw your portrait with my own eyes! Boss Leopard has issued a secret order, asking everyone in the Liang Gang to pay close attention to your whereabouts. Once discovered, they will be arrested at all costs. I was almost scared to death when I saw your portrait. It took a lot of effort to control my expression. There was no change of expression on the spot. It was obvious that Zhou Shoufu and the head of the Song family behind the Liang Gang were aware of your existence!
And you actually dare to sneak back into the city secretly at this time. Not only do you want to die, but you also want me and Tang Baihu to be buried with you. You are simply crazy and insane..."
Seeing that Cai Tan continued to accuse himself, Jiang Xiao suddenly turned cold and said in a cold voice: "I didn't expect Brother Cai to care about me so much. I'm really touched... Let's do this, in return, I can order someone to prepare a generous gift for Brother Cai right now to show my gratitude! Tell me, what gift do you want? Is it the ears of your youngest son? Or the fingers of your old mother? "
Jiang Xiao's threat was like a basin of cold water that directly extinguished the anger in Cai Tan's heart, causing Cai Tan's expression to change drastically and his face to turn pale.
Therefore, Cai Tan no longer dared to accuse Jiang Xiao, but gritted his teeth and asked: "Tell me, why did you choose to return to Nanjing at this time? How do you need me and Tang Baihu to cooperate with you? But let's talk Well, after this incident is over, you must return my old parents, wife and children in full and intact!"
While Jiang Xiao and Cai Tan were negotiating in low voices, more than a hundred "Chaofeng" dead soldiers under Jiang Xiao had also come ashore one after another.
These "Chaofeng" dead soldiers were undoubtedly well-trained. After landing ashore, they quickly controlled the surrounding situation. Some of them were responsible for peripheral security, while others quietly surrounded Cai Tan and Tang Kun, as well as those behind them. Several of his confidants seemed to kill them immediately as long as Jiang Xiao gave an order.
Tang Kun was originally full of awe of Jiang Xiao. After noticing this situation, he couldn't help but feel frightened. He secretly scolded Cai Tan for his recklessness and dared to offend Jiang Xiao, the god of death, in person.
So, after seeing Cai Tan finally relenting, Tang Kun hurriedly patted his chest and promised: "Brother Jiang, if you have any orders, just say so! As long as it's not a matter of death, brother, I will do my best! "
"Brother Jiang..." Jiang Xiao sneered softly and said slowly: "I have never revealed my surname and origin to you before, but Tang Baihu now calls me 'Brother Jiang'. In this way... ...The Liang Gang not only got my portrait, but also knew my true identity? How did they find this information?"
Under Jiang Xiao's cold gaze, Cai Tan did not dare to hide anything, and immediately reported the information he knew to Jiang Xiao in detail: "At around 9 o'clock this morning, a mysterious person suddenly contacted the Liang Gang privately and said that he He is being hunted by a group of desperadoes, and you are the leader of this group of desperadoes. He firmly believes that you will soon venture into Nanjing City to continue chasing him, so he wants to seek the protection of the Liang Gang. At the same time, your portrait and identity information were handed over to the Liang Gang...
You also know that the backing of our grain gang is the Caoyun Yamen, and the backstage of the Caoyun Yamen is Zhou Shoufu, so the news was soon known to Zhou Shoufu, so under Zhou Shoufu's order, all the forces in Nanjing city were We are paying close attention to your whereabouts, so once you show up in Nanjing City, you will immediately be surrounded and suppressed by the combined efforts of the black and white forces. By then, even if you have extraordinary abilities, you will definitely be unable to escape! "
After hearing that the situation in Nanjing was so dangerous for him, Jiang Xiao remained calm and unafraid. After thinking for a moment, he asked again: "Where is the mysterious person who has private contact with the Liang Gang? Are you? Do you know his physical appearance?"
Cai Tan shook his head and said: "We, the Liang Gang, originally wanted to control this person, but he was extremely alert. Before we could take action, he had already escaped in advance and completely lost his trace. I feel that he came into contact with the Liang Gang and asked for help. It is a lie that we are seeking asylum, and taking the opportunity to pass on your information to us is the real intention! As for this person's physical appearance, I also specifically inquired about it. I heard that he is short and lean, with a dark and shiny complexion, an extremely alert and smooth temperament, and a pair of The wolf’s eyes are extremely dazzling.”
After hearing this, Jiang Xiao's eyes suddenly burst out with a ray of light, and he sneered and said to himself: "It seems that Brother Hu has discovered my existence, and he also does not forget his old feelings and wants to treat me Kill them all! To do this, he does not hesitate to involve all the forces from the government and the food gang, it really seems like his style of doing things!"
Later, Jiang Xiao asked Cai Tan and Tang Kun in detail about the changes in the situation in Nanjing, especially the latest news about Huo Zhengyuan.
Jiang Xiao had witnessed with his own eyes that Hu Xiao and his men rescued several of Huo Zhengyuan's staff during the flood, and then rushed to Nanjing with several of Huo Zhengyuan's staff. Apparently, they had some relationship with Huo Zhengyuan.
Nowadays, the Nanjing government is conducting a manhunt throughout the city, so if nothing unexpected happens, Hu Xiao is very likely to be evading the Nanjing government's arrest under the protection of Huo Zhengyuan, so Jiang Xiao is paying special attention to Huo Zhengyuan's movements.
Faced with Jiang Xiao's inquiry, Cai Tan and Tang Kun naturally did not dare to hide anything. Tang Kun was the first to answer: "There is chaos in Nanjing now. The government wants to impose martial law and arrest, but the United Shipping Company ' led people from all walks of life to protest and cause trouble, believing that the government's martial law had seriously affected people's lives. The grain gangs and the servants of the gentry took advantage of the chaos to break in and search for bandits, while the Nanjing Guarding Eunuch Mansion sent all the factory guards to try their best to obstruct ...It is simply a mess, and no one can tell what the situation in Nanjing is now!
But I believe that the Nanjing government is no longer able to control the situation, and may soon give in and gradually lift the martial law in the city. Therefore, if you want to take action, Brother Jiang, it is best to wait for two days and wait until the Nanjing government completely lifts the martial law. It’s not too late to take action! "
After Cai Tan thought for a moment, he also replied: "As for the Academician Huo, our Liang Gang has been ordered to secretly monitor him. I heard that this Academician Huo is planning to hold a banquet, and the time is set at The day after tomorrow in the evening!
Moreover, this banquet was of great scale, and all the prominent figures in Nanjing were invited. In order to hold this banquet, he not only spent a lot of money to rent several other courtyards around his temporary residence, but also borrowed it from the Nanjing Rites Yamen. Many dancers and servants from lowly backgrounds are used to command...
Since this morning, the temporary residence of Academician Huo has been busy with people coming and going! Because of this situation, the Liang Gang's surveillance mission became even more difficult, and it was impossible to detect the specific actions of the great scholar Huo and his henchmen. "
After hearing this, Jiang Xiao became more and more certain that Hu Xiao was most likely hiding under the protection of Huo Zhengyuan, and the reason why Huo Zhengyuan went to great lengths to hold a banquet was probably to hide Hu Xiao's existence. .
If Huo Zhengyuan had not held this large-scale banquet, then Jiang Xiao could have directly led his "Chaofeng" dead soldiers to raid Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence, find out Hu Xiao's specific whereabouts with lightning speed, and then rush there. He left before the Nanjing officials could react.
But because Huo Zhengyuan suddenly decided to hold this banquet, all forces in Nanjing paid close attention to it, and a large number of people were added to Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence, so Jiang Xiao could not take action directly.
Thinking of this, Jiang Xiao's eyes kept flickering, sometimes sinister and sometimes cruel.
After thinking like this for a long time, Jiang Xiao sneered and said to himself: "The situation is in chaos? The situation is obviously great! We must take action before the Nanjing government lifts the martial law. If we wait until the Nanjing government lifts the martial law, that person will definitely take the opportunity to escape from Nanjing." ! Nowadays, the situation in Nanjing is chaotic, and various forces are restraining each other. Some things are more difficult to be obstructed! "
Hearing what Jiang Xiao said, Tang Kun and Cai Tan became even more panicked. Although they didn't know what Jiang Xiao wanted to do, they also knew that what Jiang Xiao did must be extraordinary, but they didn't Thinking that Jiang Xiao actually wanted to take action before the government lifted martial law, he completely ignored the various crises and chaos in Nanjing.
However, looking at Jiang Xiao's sinister expression, Tang Kun and Cai Tan still did not dare to object directly, but secretly prayed that Jiang Xiao's follow-up actions would not implicate them.
Jiang Xiao did not consider the thoughts of Tang Kun and Cai Tan at all, and made a decision quickly.
"Tang Kun, Cai Tan, you have two tasks now! The first is to choose a hidden place for us people to stay within your jurisdiction and sphere of influence, try to cover up our whereabouts, and try our best to Stop the raids by all forces, and I will arrange a few reliable people to assist you;
The second is to find dozens of sets of clothes and identity certificates of Nanjing defenders and grain gang members, and hand them over to my men as soon as possible so that they can operate secretly in Nanjing city... Don't worry, my brothers are all smart-tempered. Elite men, as long as you provide full cover, they will never reveal your role! "
Then, before Tang Kun and Cai Tan could respond, Jiang Xiao waved his hand and said, "Now, you two go and prepare!"
Seeing Jiang Xiao being so arbitrary, Tang Kun and Cai Tan became increasingly uneasy and still did not dare to object, so they had no choice but to obey the order and leave.
After watching Tang Kun and Cai Tan leave, Jiang Xiao's face became even colder. He turned to the "Chaofeng" dead soldiers and gave further instructions: "Li Si, Li Wu, you two will pretend to be Nanjing defenders next." , as soon as possible to find Guan Laosan and the others who had returned to the city early, and not only helped them hide their whereabouts, but also told Guan Laosan and the others that it was because they messed up the mission and leaked their whereabouts that the Nanjing government's search and martial law was called. The entire 'Chaofeng' organization is also in danger of being exposed because of them. If it were normal circumstances, they would have to die to apologize!
But this time, I am willing to give them a chance to make meritorious service. Within the next two days, they must be ready to take action at any time. After receiving my signal, they must take the initiative to show up and let the Nanjing government discover their whereabouts. I attract the attention of all forces... Of course, I will also make complete preparations and reserve an escape route for them, so that they will not die in vain! "
"Jiang Sisan, you secretly go to Zhanyuan, secretly contact Mr. Lu Delu, and ask him to find a way to persuade His Highness the Seventh Prince to extend the martial law in Nanjing to two days, and also find ways to further restrict Nanjing. The operational authority of the government and the Nanjing garrison!"
"Niu Qi, you led a few people to pretend to be members of the Grain Gang and went to Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence to investigate the situation. Huo Zhengyuan borrowed many low-ranking servants from the Nanjing Ministry of Rites. You took the opportunity to control several of these low-ranking servants and blackmailed them into becoming our spies. Try to find out the specific situation of the people around Huo Zhengyuan..."
In this way, with Jiang Xiao's continuous instructions, a fierce storm affecting all forces was about to descend on Nanjing.
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