Xinfeng County is adjacent to Daxing City. It not only has land transportation in all directions, but also has convenient waterways such as Guangtong Canal and Bashui. Therefore, there are many docks and warehouses.
Guangtong Canal and Bashui River meet in Bashang Town, Xinfeng County. There are huge docks here, and behind the docks are warehouses.
Although Bashang is close to Daxing City, it is a dark place where the sun never shines.
The law in Bashang is lawless, and the law of survival in Bashang is law of the jungle. In this town with a population of tens of thousands, the court only sent some tax officials and tax collectors, but did not set up a single soldier to manage public security.
The reason why the court was so indifferent was because the interests involved here were too complex. Behind almost every gang there was one or several giant Buddhas. No matter how the government dealt with it, it was inappropriate and would cause more people to be dissatisfied; so in the end, it was decided that Bashang The best law for the town is the law of the jungle and survival of the fittest. Only when gangs of all sizes work out a balanced situation can Bashang Town form strong and efficient water transport gangs that restrict each other. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Daxing City Only then can the problem of eating be solved.
In order to achieve this goal, the imperial court allowed everything here to be solved by the people here.
However, there was once a Dajiang Society that captured most of the town of Bashang by force and controlled more than 70% of the water transport ships. Just when it was preparing to unify Bashang and establish a large water transport kingdom, it was killed by the army overnight. All the gang leaders were killed, and thousands of gang members were all taken by Wei Chong to build the Great Wall in the north.
The published list said that the Dajiang Society is full of crimes and they are all heinous people. Although this is true, other gangs are not much better than the Dajiang Society? Why did the imperial court specifically target Dajianghui in this way?
The fundamental reason is the excessive expansion and ambition of Dajiang Hui, which has seriously exceeded the tolerance of the imperial court. Once Dajiang Hui completely controls water transportation, the hundreds of thousands of Daxing people who rely on water grain for food will become the hostage of Dajiang Hui and the negotiation of the imperial court. chips. The Dajiang Society may not have such big ambitions, but the imperial court considers it a threat. How can it have any reason to continue to exist?
After that, several gangs similar to the Dajiang Society appeared one after another, but without exception, they were all uprooted by the army.
After doing this several times, the older generation all understood a truth: Bashang is not an abandoned place, but a "Colosseum" specially designated by the court. The beasts can fight in it however they want, but they cannot cross the line. Once the court feels that When a beast is out of control, kill it immediately.
In view of this, the older generation is particularly sensitive to soldiers entering Bashang Town; they are especially wary of people with military temperament, because their arrival often means that a major purge is about to begin here.
Wang Nian's ancestors were among the most outstanding soldiers for several generations. He also got along with many outstanding generals when he was a child. In addition, there were many iron-blooded soldiers in the Sui Dynasty. Therefore, he could tell who was a soldier or had been a soldier at a glance. come out.
When he arrived at the front square of the Xuanwu Clan with Wang Tao, He Lie and other key members, his expression suddenly froze.
I saw a stunning girl with a handsome appearance and flying sword eyebrows standing on the square. It's no wonder that the young gangsters couldn't help teasing her. This is why the girl is not only beautiful, but also has an excellent figure, loose black warrior The clothes can't cover up the beautiful figure with the rolling hills and mountains.
However, Wang Nianzu's eyes only glanced at her, and then he was attracted by the dozen or so big men around her.
These people all have the unique tough temperament of soldiers. They naturally put into attack formations, and their cold eyes were absolutely unpretentious. Wang Nianzu knew at a glance that these people were all battle-hardened warriors.
Such a discovery made him so frightened that he couldn't even care about the gangsters in the underground who were beaten with bloody heads, noses and faces. He strode forward and bowed respectfully with his fists in his hands: "I am not strict in discipline, which has led to The ignorant gang offended the young lady, and I hope that the young lady will forgive me."
The girl glanced coldly at Wang Tao and other young gangsters who were preparing a pincer attack, and said scornfully: "I told you, I'm here to save you. If I want to care about anything, these little thieves on the ground, now It’s already a cold corpse.”
At this point, she cupped her hands in a man's manner and asked, "You are the leader of Gang Wang, right?"
"Exactly," Wang Zunian breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, and asked, "But not as good as the little lady with a good surname?"
The girl replied: "My name is Liu Xu, I'm just a little person. Of course Gang Leader Wang won't know about it."
"But I don't know how Mrs. Liu wants to save us?" Wang Nianzu is an old man. He believes that there are righteous people in this world, and he also believes that such people will rescue some unrelated weak people without asking for anything in return. But if he saves a person The numerous gangs definitely have their own agenda. And apart from people like them, who else in the Xuanwu Gang deserves to have so many soldiers and guards?
"My master said that the enemy of the enemy is the best ally." Liu Xu said: "And our common enemy is the Jiangnan League, so I came to the door. I guess Gang Leader Wang will not shut us out, right? "
Wang Nianzu looked at the guards beside Liu Xu, and then said to Liu Xu: "Ms. Liu, our Xuanwu Gang is a group of people who make a living under the eyes of the government. They are completely different from those bandits and thieves who gather in the mountains and forests. We only have one petty official and three or five government servants. It can make us unable to move. In addition to its strong strength, the Jiangnan League also has powerful official forces as its backing. Otherwise, the Jiangnan League would not have developed so fast. Does your lord know this?"
Liu Xu asked back: "Do you know who the leader of the Jiangnan Alliance is? Who is his backstage?"
Wang Nianzu was stunned for a long time, then shook his head bitterly and said: "The leader of the Jiangnan League is hidden so deeply that even the elders who are not senior enough know about it. How can I, an outsider, know about it? I don't even know who he is, so what?" Do you know his background?"
This time, it was Liuxu's turn to be stunned.
It was understandable that Wang Nianzu didn't know who was behind the Jiangnan League, but it was really incredible that they didn't even know who the leader of the other side was after they had been suppressed by the Jiangnan League for several years.
Liu Xu looked at the Xuanwu Gang members around him and said, "I know! I can tell you too. But this doesn't seem like a place to talk, right?"
"I'm sorry!" Wang Nianzu cupped his hands and said to the people who followed him and the gangsters who were beaten with bruises and bruises on their faces: "Okay, everyone is leaving. Wang Tao and He Lie, follow me to receive the guests."
After giving the instructions, Wang Nianzu gestured to Liu Xu: "Ms. Liu, please!"
"Please!" Liu Xu also confessed to his subordinates, and then followed Wang Nianzu to the guest hall with a man and a woman.
After sitting down, a maid who looked like a helper came in and served tea. Wang Nianzu immediately asked her to retreat to the courtyard gate and no one was allowed to approach.
Liu Xu took a sip of tea and said crisply: "Behind Li Shentong in Daxing City is Li Yuan, behind Shi Wanbao is Shi Wansui, and behind Chai Shao is Chai Shen. Gang leader Wang should know these, right?"
"Of course!" Wang Nianzu nodded.
"The backstage behind the Jiangnan League is a powerful family. The families of Li Yuan, Shi Wansui, and Chai Shen may be slightly larger and poorer families in front of it." Liu Xu said, "The leader of the Jiangnan League is the bearded guest Zhongjian. His backstage It used to be He Ruobi, but now it is the Yuan clan among the Guanlong nobles, the Yuan clan headed by Yuan Zhou."
For a moment, Wang Nianzu, Wang Tao, and He Lie felt a sense of despair and powerlessness in their hearts. In their hearts, the families of Li Yuan, Shi Wansui, and Chai Shen were already high-ranking and difficult-to-reach families. And the family headed by Zhang Zhongjian The powerful Jiangnan League actually used the Yuan clan as its backing, so how could they deal with it?
Originally, they wanted to use official power to compete with the Jiangnan League. If the game failed, they would then fight to the death, and fighting to the death was the last and most helpless option. But according to what Liu Xu said, it seemed like this was the only way for them, but what could they do to compete with others?
Liu Xu seemed to think that the news was not shocking enough, and then said: "In addition to the Yuan family, Zhang Zhongjian seems to have hooked up with Yu Wenshu. It is currently unknown to what extent they have developed, but many of the Yuwen family's irons have been carried by the Jiangnan Alliance .”
boom!
Wang Nianzu felt as if his head had been hit hard by a hammer, there was a roar in his head, stars were dancing in front of his eyes, and he was briefly dizzy for a moment.
The Jiangnan League headed by Zhang Zhongjian is no longer able to be defeated by the Xuanwu Gang, and the opponent's backers include not only the Yuan family, but also Yu Wenshu, who is seeking a comeback. How can he fight against this?
They are just coolies running boats, so how can they be their opponents?
At this moment, Wang Nianzu was completely desperate.
He tried to calm down and asked: "Mrs. Liu, you just said that the Jiangnan League transported the Yuwen family's iron. Could this be the reason why the Jiangnan League is so hard against us?"
"It should be so!" Liu Xu said: "Although Yu Wenshu has collapsed, he is still a minister of the dynasty, and at this level, his comeback will be a matter of time. In this regard, those who are good at maneuvering Zhang Zhongjian can’t help but know that the effect of him doing all he can to help the Yuwen family at this time is even better than Yuwenshu working hard after his comeback.”
Wang Nianzu nodded silently. No wonder Zhang Zhongjian dared to detain their ship transporting military supplies. It turned out that he was in a hurry to transport the Yuwen family's iron into Guanzhong!
If the Jiangnan League had unloaded the goods in the east of Sanmenxia, walked a land route, and then boarded a ship in the west, as it had done before, the time would naturally be delayed. If the Yuwen family's iron ingots arrived in Guanzhong too late, how could Zhang Zhongjian show his loyalty to Yuwen Shu? His efficiency? How to show his value in front of Yu Wenshu?
Therefore, he urgently needs a large number of boatmen who can sail boats through Sanmenxia. As long as these boatmen can let the boats pass through Sanmenxia without any worries, time will be saved and Zhang Zhongjian's purpose of showing his loyalty will be achieved.
But in this way, the Xuanwu Gang, which was weak but had a large number of outstanding old shipwrights, was unlucky.
Although he knew that the law of the jungle was the law of the jungle, as a victim of forceful eating, Wang Nianzu was so filled with hatred that he just wanted to scold his mother.
After thinking about this, Wang Nianzu cupped his hands and asked: "Ms. Liu, since Zhang Zhongjian is backed by the Yuan family and the Yuwen family, you must also know that they are not easy to mess with..."
The implication is, can you or your master afford it? Can you handle it?
"Although Yuanshi and Yuwenshi are strong, we are not bad either." Liu Xu smiled sweetly and said proudly: "Although Yuanzhou and Yuwenshu are powerful, what are they compared to my lord?"
After listening to Liu Xu's words, Wang Nianzu's dim eyes finally brightened up, and he asked excitedly and nervously: "But I don't know which dignitary your lord is?"
Liu Xu smiled slightly and avoided the question, but said meaningfully: "I know what trouble you have encountered. It is actually illegal for the Jiangnan League to detain your crew without authorization. We only need to inform Luoyang Min Cao Su Dan that It can be solved. No matter how arrogant Zhang Zhongjian is, he would not dare to be an enemy of the government. If Su Dan still can't make the Jiangnan League release your ships, you can ask the Duke of Yue to send out troops to suppress it. If this matter gets serious, it will be unfortunate in the end. It must be the gangster-like Jiangnan Alliance, not you."
After listening to Liu Xuyun's gentle words, Wang Nianzu opened his mouth like a hippopotamus and cried out, "You...your master is actually Su Xiangguo?"
The Xuanwu Gang is a weakling who was bullied by the Jiangnan League, and the Jiangnan League is undoubtedly the most typical road bully and bully. In order to force the Xuanwu Gang, it even used military rations to hold the opponent hostage. From the perspective of national justice, the Jiangnan League intercepted military rations. His behavior is like a traitor who has no regard for the country's justice and is supporting the enemy.
From a legal perspective, the Jiangnan League must not only release the fleet, but also compensate the Xuanwu Gang and then accept severe legal punishment. But no matter how good or strict the law is, it still needs people to enforce it. If the person who enforces the law breaks the law, everything will be different.
Wang Nianzu naturally knows this truth, but the key is that he has no one in the official government to uphold justice! Therefore, when the official side favors the bully and justice cannot be served, he can only fight with the Jiangnan Alliance.
But if the owner of the catkins is Su Wei and is willing to help, it is just a matter of words. And when the Jiangnan League broke the law and Su Wei intervened, the Yuan family and the Yuwen family did not dare to refute Su Wei. Otherwise, if they caused trouble to the emperor, they would be the unlucky ones.
"I didn't say anything!" Liuxu frowned and said meaningfully: "Some things are better left rotten in the stomach."
"Understood, understood!" Wang Nianzu, Wang Tao, and He Lie nodded suddenly. Liuxu did not say anything, but his words and tone had already said it.
Su Wei asked Liu Xu to come here, which was obviously due to a fierce intrigue among the upper echelons of the imperial court, and a battle of this level was not something that little people like them should know about.
After being excited for a while, Wang Nianzu raised his hands and asked, "Ms. Liu, I don't know what we are going to do?"
Although it was an honor for them to be the chess pieces of the Prime Minister, if Liu Xu wanted to do something beyond their capabilities, they would have no choice but to refuse.
What's more, it still needs to be verified whether Liu Xu is from Su Wei.
"I wonder what the Jiangnan League wants? What are the conditions offered?" Although Liu Xu knew about the conflict between the two, he was not sure what it was about.
"They are interested in us boatmen who can sail across Sanmenxia. This interception of the ship is to use military rations to force us to submit. If we don't agree, they will burn our ship." Wang Nianzu was like a drowning man, He was obviously exhausted, but as long as he still had some strength to struggle, he wanted to float on the water to take a breath. So facing Liu Xu, who was very likely to be the savior, he told everything about the situation without any secret.
"I see." After listening to Wang Nianzu's explanation, Liu Xu asked again: "If I remember correctly, your big ship is a Wanshi ship, right?"
"It's the Wanshi grain ship!" Wang Nianzu nodded and said bitterly: "It's just that it's very dilapidated and can only be used in the next year at most."
"Then let them burn it!" Liuxu smiled and said, "If they don't burn it, you can burn it yourself."
"Burn?" Wang Nianzu, Wang Tao, and He Lie were shocked when they heard this. They had just said that they would let Su Quan or Yang Su, who was in Luoyang, put pressure on the Jiangnan League and force them to let it go. How come it changed in the blink of an eye?
"That's right! It was burned down!" Liu Xu said with sparkling eyes: "What the Jiangnan League did is completely shady. Once things get serious, it will definitely be them, not you, who will be unlucky."
"That's the truth, but..." Wang Nianzu looked at Liu Xu's face and sighed bitterly: "But Madam Liu also said that the other party's background is the Yuan family and the Yuwen family."
"What are you afraid of? I'm here, aren't I?" Liu Xu smiled: "You are not very capable, but you are very clever. All you say is that you doubt my identity and worry that I am a liar, right? "
Wang Nianzu remained silent, acquiescing.
"Your family has a big business, and there are so many people who rely on boats for a living. It's understandable for you to think so. If it were me, I would be the same way." Liuxu gave him a step up.
"Thank you Madam Liu for your understanding!" Wang Nianzu said with a bitter smile.
"That's good!" Liuxu pondered for a long time and said to Wang Zunian: "You calculate the price of the boats and grain, and I will buy them from you at double the price, and then burn the boats in the Yellow River."
"Madam, are you planning to frame her?" Wang Nianzu said suddenly.
Liu Xu smiled slightly: "There are so many gangs in Bashang, why should I look for your little Xuanwu Gang? It's because your Xuanwu Gang has the opportunity to frame me."
The Jiangnan League's dark methods to deal with the Xuanwu Gang cannot be seen at all. As long as it is made public, the palace can officially kill the Jiangnan League. Liuxu's decision to buy ships and food and burn it is nothing more than framing the blame. Increase the Jiangnan League's sins and create a solid foundation for cleaning it up.
After the Taozhou Army cannot obtain military rations, if they instigate another incident such as mutiny, they will have greater room for maneuver.
At that time, the Jiangnan League and Zhang Zhongjian, who are guilty of burning military supplies, will face the Taozhou Army's "mutiny", Yang Ji's riot, the military's anger, and other subsequent incidents.
Taken together, the four of them cannot be saved by gods.
No matter how much money is spent now, it is an investment. The money spent now can be obtained back a hundred times from the Jiangnan League in the future. Of course, it is nominally for the Xuanwu Gang.
"After you burn the ship, report it to the official in time, and then act like you are going to lose all your property to buy food. As for other things, you don't have to do anything else." Liuxu warned again.
"I understand!" Wang Nianzu nodded. They had been bullied miserably by the Jiangnan League over the years, and they wished that the Jiangnan League would be uprooted. If Liuxu gave the money first, he would naturally be willing to cooperate fully; as for Liuxu's plan to deal with it He was too lazy to care about the Yuan clan, the Yuwen clan, or the Jiangnan League.
Liuxu added: "There is no need to buy ships or anything like that. After we win the Jiangnan League, all the ships we get will be left to you to take care of."
As soon as these words came out, Wang Nianzu, Wang Tao, and He Lie were all stunned.
After this incident, if "Su Wei" was willing to be their backer, that would certainly be a dream. However, the Xuanwu Gang had been coveted for a long time. Wang Nianzu still couldn't believe that a big pie would fall from the world. He said warily: "Listen to you You mean, are you planning to annex us?"
"The Xuanwu Gang is still the Xuanwu Gang, and the leader of the gang is still you." Liu Xu said with a smile: "As for the ships, you regard them as the money we invested in the Xuanwu Gang. We will only make profits in the future. How we operate daily is up to you. That’s the last word.”
Hearing what Liu Xu said, Wang Nianzu felt relieved. He forced himself to control his emotions and said, "I don't have any reason to refuse!"
"You calculate the price of the ship and food as soon as possible, and we will take the first step first." Liuxu said, "Tomorrow, I will come to you with money."
Wang Nianzu wanted to say loudly, "No, I believe you," but considering that hundreds of households rely on boats to make ends meet, he finally nodded: "Okay! I'll do the calculations today."
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