Therefore, when they realized that Fengwu Army was likely to become Youyan's new master, and faced the Gu family's active lobbying for Fengwu Army, the Ma family immediately accepted the Gu family's invitation, hoping to please Fengwu Army with such behavior. Wu Jun, please Ye Mingsheng, so that Wu Jun can allow them to continue what they did before, obtain huge profits and exploit the poor people...
Although the Ma family's calculations were very shrewd, Ye Mingsheng did not implement the land redemption reform for the time being in order not to offend the family's core interests in the land issue, but in order to increase fiscal revenue, maintain price stability, and protect the people To improve living standards and alleviate class conflicts, Ye Mingsheng is very firm in his determination to reform business.
Ma Hongde had previously approached some important officials of the Fengwu Army, including Gu Sansi, in an attempt to break a hole in Ye Mingsheng's reform policy. However, unfortunately, although Ma Hongde was generous and generous, many of these Fengwu Army officials They were all promoted by Ye Mingsheng, and they all knew the importance. No one dared to accept these gifts from Ma Hongde.
This not only frustrated Ma Hongde, but also made him realize that unless Ye Mingsheng nodded, their business would inevitably be hit hard by the iron fist of the policy.
After understanding this, Ma Hongde began to think of ways to attack Ye Mingsheng. Because it was difficult for him to get close to Ye Mingsheng with his status, he wanted to use Gu Zhongshi, the current Deputy Youyan Chief Envoy, the Youyan Family The leading figure in the Fengwu military regime came to talk to Ye Mingsheng.
The Ma family has been entrenched in Youyan for hundreds of years, and has already operated a huge political and economic network in Youyan through marriage, partnership, stock ownership and other means. Through this network of relationships, they have attracted many wealthy families, including the Gu family, to their own. Chariot····················
This is also the key to their ability to collude with government and businessmen, engage in insider trading, and harvest the common people's leeks. Together, everyone prospers and loses. Now facing Ye Mingsheng, who is determined to reform and change everything, there is no doubt that it is this network that works. when!
Although he was prepared for Gu Zhongshi's failure, Ma Hongde still had great expectations for Gu Zhongshi to come forward to handle this matter. After all, in his eyes, the Fengwu Army had just entered the customs and occupied Yi Jing, and it was exactly what he needed to do like When local snakes like the Gu family help stabilize their rule, so when Gu Zhongshi, the leading figure among the local snakes, comes forward, Ye Mingsheng will give him some face.
However, he never expected that Ye Mingsheng would be so disrespectful to Gu Zhongshi and didn't even meet Gu Zhongshi. This undoubtedly made him feel more clearly Ye Mingsheng's determination to promote reform, and the low status of Gu Zhongshi, the so-called representative of local power, in Ye Mingsheng's heart.
In fact, Ma Hongde's guess was not wrong. It was precisely because the local forces were now helping to stabilize the rule and clear out the remnants of the Yan army led by Zhao Fuqu in the southern part of Youyan that Ye Mingsheng decided not to meet Gu Zhongshi. After all, he could not agree to Gu Zhongshi's request. Zhongshi's mediation, so instead of directly refusing to make Gu Zhongshi look bad, this can be regarded as Ye Mingsheng taking care of Gu Zhongshi and the Gu family's face.
Walking into Guang Taiheng's shop and looking at the wealthy businessmen who were still coming and going, Ma Hongde nodded slightly and then, accompanied by the shopkeeper, came to the backyard of the shop. As the largest ticket office in Youyan area, Guang Taiheng was in Yijing. The store area is also very huge, covering dozens of acres. The counter in the front yard handles business, and the back yard is where Guangtai Heng's employees stay, as well as the bank room and VIP reception room... ·············
Arriving at a secret room in the backyard, Ma Hongde first looked through Guang Taiheng's account books in Yijing and confirmed the amount of silver he could mobilize. After feeling that there was no problem, Ma Hongde pondered for a while and ordered to his subordinates:
"Go to Xunfang Tower and call Mei Niang!"
"yes!"
After a stick of incense, a graceful, mature woman walked into Ma Hongde's room. When she saw Ma Hongde, she cast a flirtatious look and said with a hint of resentment:
"Why did Fourth Master have the leisure and elegance to call me here today?"
Facing Mei Niang's temptation, Ma Hongde turned a blind eye and said calmly:
"Who in the Fengwu Army went to your Xunfang Tower for entertainment?"
Listening to Ma Hongde's words, Mei Niang's expression even showed a hint of disappointment, and she said in a low voice of self-pity:
"Fourth Master, how long has it been since you came to see me? How come you are talking about this kind of thing when you call me over?"
If he had acted coquettishly towards Mei Niang in the past, Ma Hongde might still be interested in playing with her, but now that he is facing a major crisis, he is full of irritation.
As Mei Niang, the biggest brothel madam in Yijing City, she only eats a bowl of rice based on people's faces. Seeing that her boss behind the scenes, Ma Hongde, was in a bad mood, she immediately restrained her flattery and took it out of her arms. A roster was handed to Ma Hongde respectfully and said:
"Fourth Master, this is the list of officials and generals who have come to Xunfang Tower since the Fengwu Army captured Yijing. I have written down their positions, backgrounds and other information I have learned. Please take a look at it. ················”
As soon as these words came out, a fleeting light flashed in Ma Hongde's eyes, and he immediately opened the list and looked through it with anticipation. However, as much as his hopes were, he was disappointed. After burning incense, he had already looked at the list over and over again. Ma Hongde looked at Mei Niang deeply and asked again:
"There are twenty-nine people on the list you gave me, including eighteen from the army and eleven from the civil service. The highest-ranking official in the army is a commander named Liu Sheng, and the highest-ranking civilian official is just a commander with no real power. It’s just the people who have just been appointed to participate in politics, where is the rest of the list! You’d better come up with it yourself and don’t let me do it!”
Feeling the threat in Ma Hongde's words, Mei Niang complained in her heart and quickly explained to Ma Hongde:
"Fourth Master, I was promoted by you single-handedly. Without Fourth Master's promotion, Mei Niang would still be a sister in the brothel who has no future today. I am loyal to you, Fourth Master. Heaven can see that you are... Give me the courage, I don’t dare to lie to you and tamper with this list!”
"The people from the Fengwu Army who came to Xunfang Tower are really the only ones on the list. Unlike the Yan Army, the Fengwu Army has strict military management. None of the generals and lieutenants came to Xunfang Tower to have fun. That's the one The commander named Liu Sheng also came quietly with his colleagues. Fourth Master, if you really don’t believe it, you can go to Xunfang Tower and ask anyone else. If Mei Niang tells a lie, I will give you five thunderbolts. It's not a good death..."
Looking at Mei Niang who was vowing to swear, Ma Hongde was a little hesitant in his heart. As Mei Niang said, he had indeed single-handedly cultivated Mei Niang from a kiln girl to the madam of Xunfang House. Therefore, regarding Mei Niang's character, he was indeed still I know you very well. If you want to say that this bitch is greedy for money behind his back and pretending to be a pretty boy, then he will believe it. But if you want to say that Mei Niang has the courage to do tricks on the list, Ma Hongde will not believe it easily.
What's more, this bitch also knows in her heart that she has sent several people to watch her in the Xunfang Building. If she is really doing something up there, she will definitely not be able to hide it!
So are these really the only people in the Fengwu Army who went to Xunfang Tower to look for flowers and willows?
If this is really the case, then things will be really tricky!
After thinking for a while, Ma Hongde said calmly to Mei Niang:
"I will check out the list. It's too late for you to bring it out now. If I find out, don't blame me, Ma, for being ruthless!"
Listening to Ma Hongde's threat, Mei Niang said with tears in her eyes:
'Fourth Master, I have been with you for so many years, and you still can't trust me? I already told you that I didn't do anything, what else do you want from me? If you find out in the end that it's my charming mother-in-law who is responsible for this, you'll chop me into pieces and feed me to the dogs...'
Seeing that Mei Niang had gone so far as to say something, Ma Hongde didn't dwell on this issue and continued to ask after changing his voice:
"How are you training those thin Yangzhou horses?"
After hearing this, Mei Niang wiped the tears on her face with her handkerchief and introduced to Ma Hongde:
"Originally there were eleven, but one of them disobeyed the discipline and contracted tuberculosis. I don't know if it can be cured. Each of the remaining ten people are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Not only that, they are good at C-couch. I teach it myself, and it will definitely make people die! Once you try it once, you will never forget it again!"
Hearing the words "teaching in person", Ma Hongde seemed to have thought of something and his expression changed slightly, then nodded and said:
"Bring these ten people out to me, I need them urgently!"
When these words came out, Mei Niang was a little surprised and asked:
"Sir! Bring all ten of them out? These are all cultivated with great difficulty. Last month, Mr. Liu from the Liu family in Zhuo County was willing to spend two thousand taels of silver to buy one back, but I was not willing to sell it to him... ··············”
Regarding Mei Niang's reluctance, Ma Hongde said coldly:
"What do you know?"
"Who is that man named Liu? If I satisfy that man this time, I dare not say that my Ma family will be able to sit back and relax in the next ten years."
After listening to Ma Hongde's words, Mei Niang's face with thick makeup immediately changed her expression, and she subconsciously asked:
"Fourth Master, if you give them to..."
Before Mei Niang finished speaking, Ma Hongde snorted and walked over, gave Mei Niang a loud slap in the face and said fiercely:
"Damn it, you bitch has been around for so many years and still hasn't learned any rules. Is this what you should ask?"
Ma Hongde's slap was indeed a bit harsh. It took Meiniang a while to come back to her senses. Looking at Ma Hongde who looked like he was about to eat her, Mei Niang, who was extremely frightened, nodded repeatedly and said:
"Fourth Master, I know I was wrong, please forgive me this time!"
Looking at the charming girl Ma Hongde who kept begging for mercy, she lowered her raised hand and asked:
"You should already understand the seriousness of this matter, so can you tell me that all ten of them are clean?"
Listening to Ma Hongde's question, Mei Niang answered without thinking:
"Fourth Master, please put this down. I just checked it a few days ago. Everyone is clean and there is no problem!"
After hearing this answer, Ma Hongde was satisfied and nodded and ordered;
"You can go now. Be smart and alert. If any senior officials from the Fengwu Army come to your place, report them to me immediately!"
"Yes, I know!"
"Let's go!"
"I bid farewell!" After receiving Ma Hongde's permission, Mei Niang hurriedly withdrew as if she was receiving an amnesty...
After Mei Niang left, Ma Hongde meditated in the room for a while, trying to perfect his plan. After a while, he shouted to his men outside the door:
"Call Cao Hao over here!"
"yes!"
After a while, a middle-aged man with a well-decorated figure and a reserved expression came to Ma Hongde. He cupped his fists and saluted Ma Hongde:
"Master, are you looking for me?"
Ma Hongde directly ordered without any hesitation:
"You arrange a manpower to go to Liucheng County, go to their Sun Family Gold Shop, and send the golden Buddha to Liaoyang. I will help you there through connections. When the time comes, you can present this golden Buddha to me. To Ye Cui, the wife of Governor Ye, this old man is also a Buddhist!"
After listening to Ma Hongde's words, Cao Hao said with hesitation:
"The fourth master's golden Buddha was prepared for the old master's sixty-sixth birthday. The birthday party is in one month. If the golden Buddha is gone, it will be too late to make one now... ············”
When Ma Hongde heard this, he sighed and waved his hands and said:
"Do as I say! I believe my father can understand that everything is for the family!"
After speaking, Ma Hongde added:
"Don't forget to arrange for someone to go to the jewelry store and pick out some of the best jewelry to give to Governor Ye's family and women. It doesn't matter what the money is, just get the best!"
"Yes!" Cao Hao nodded and said:
After saying this, Ma Hongde's eyes flickered for a few times, and he seemed to be hesitant. After a moment, he made up his mind and said in a deep voice:
"Go and find Qi Guangye yourself! Ask him to come up with a plan to unite the major families and overthrow the rule of Fengwu Army!"
Cao Hao frowned slightly when he heard this, as if he didn't understand the meaning of Ma Hongde's words. After a moment of silence, he said:
"The Coordination Office of the Fourth Master Fengwu Army is pursuing the investigation very closely. This kid Qi Guangye has become a frightened bird and is hiding in the Shanggu area just trying to escape. How can he still have the courage to make a plan to unite everyone to overthrow the Fengwu Army!"
Ma Hongde heard this and explained:
"Of course I know this, what I want you to do is..."
Listening to Ma Hongde's story, Cao Hao's eyes suddenly lit up, he gave Ma Hongde a thumbs up and praised:
"Fourth Master, your two-pronged move is really good! No matter how cunning and cunning Ye Mingsheng is, he will be fooled this time!"
