On the night of the second day, Jiang Tian had already appeared on a high building in Hefei City, Luzhou, the capital of Huainan West Road. I saw the city full of lights, thousands of lights shining brightly, surrounding the many night markets in the city. Cars, horses and people flowed in and out, and it still looked as prosperous and peaceful as before;
It seems that the Wuhou and the soldiers patrolling the streets have appeared a little more frequently, and they have not been affected much by the gradual changes in the current environment. In other words, it is just like other famous cities and cities; blocked by tall city walls and protected by sufficient defenders, the city can maintain a sufficient sense of security.
However, Jiang Tian knew very well that under this flourishing flower scene, in addition to external threats, there was also an undercurrent of filth that continued to spread and spread in the darkness. As for the Jingjiang Liu family who was serving as an official in their hometown, it was not just a section of tentacles and branches that was cut off.
Although the "induction" of most of the memory fragments in Liu Shugu's mind is not enough to form strong enough realistic evidence; but based on the physical evidence and oral confessions obtained in the local area, Wude Si's informant, who is among the local three religions and nine streams, provided news; a vague clue leads here.
Just pacifying the Yunmeng rebellion in a short period of time, and uncovering and investigating the Jingjiang Liu family's crimes, etc., inevitably brought about another hidden effect. Let Jiang Tian lead the "Censorship Patrol" along the Yangtze River. Under the promotion and publicity of the government in many aspects, he became more and more famous and prestigious;
Of course, this can undoubtedly deter those potential unstable factors at the local level; it can even obtain more resource support from the local area and official cooperation; and achieve twice the result with half the effort in various actions. But it will also make those monsters and monsters hide and dormant deeper.
Therefore, in order to achieve a sudden effect this time, Jiang Tian once again played the strategy of attacking from the east to the west. Under the cover of the Jinghu Navy and most of the Youxiao Guard officers openly escorting the Yushi flag, they set off from Panyang Lake again, claiming to go south to Xinzhou to deal with the abnormal events reported in Shangrao County.
However, Jiang Tian himself, his expert team members, and some lay officers and soldiers disguised themselves on the spot in the water fortress inspected by Poyang, and then boarded a secretly requisitioned local canoe to go directly north. They secretly entered Luzhou on Huainan West Road and arrived in Hefei before nightfall.
Because, according to the few remaining memory fragments of Yang Shugu, he is the leader of a secretly specific human trafficking industry chain; he is also the source of being entrusted with using a certain blood-contaminated secret medicine to conduct underground human experiments, and the bird hidden in the return home. The giant exotic beasts in Yun Dazhuang all originate from Luzhou.
As the capital of Huainan West Road, Luzhou was not selected among the two capitals and sixteen prefectures under direct jurisdiction; but because of its unique geographical location, it has been a battleground for convenient water and land transportation, developed business travel, and dynastic campaigns since ancient times; For example, Sun Shiwan, the great emperor of Wu who made Zhang Liao famous.
At the same time, because it is located on the Inner Caoxi line of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River waterway, and at the intersection of the Huaihe River and Huaihe River areas, which are rich in products and food, it has long been ranked as one of the four major rice markets in the southeast; it is also relatively close to Xu, Yang, and Hangzhou. Coastal states, home to the only rice market/grain distribution center located inland.
However, after the Taixing Reform and a century of great conquests, the Tang Dynasty had a massive import of cheap rice from Annan, Tianzhu and the South China Sea, and even from Xinzhou, Xiaoao princes and vassals thousands of miles away, which greatly affected the Tang Dynasty. At the same time, grain prices in China and Turkey also led to the decline of the four major rice markets.
Despite this, Luzhou, as an important commercial port on the Yangtze River waterway, has not been as affected as the coastal areas; it still retains many traditions of rice markets in past dynasties; for example, in the spring and autumn, the official hosted grand gatherings to provide grain merchants from various prefectures. Serves many ancillary industries and entertainment industries.
The high-rise building where Jiang Tian is now located is located in one of the prosperous entertainment industry areas in the city. Among the memory fragments of Liu Shugu, the major suspect involved is Wang Boxian, a well-known local royal supplier who owns several boat companies traveling up and down the river and one of the wealthy rice merchants.
Of course, today's so-called imperial supplier status is no longer as valuable and valuable as it was during the Taixing and Yongzhen years. As long as a merchant is capable and well-connected enough, he can try to obtain it through Gongtai Province, one of the three inner provinces, or by assigning palace envoys from various places.
Therefore, as compensation for Liang Gong's ban on privileges outside the palace, with the efforts of all the officials in the palace to generate income, there are now not more than a thousand imperial suppliers in the world, but at least seven or eight hundred; it can be said that It is said that it has taken over all the needs of the city, including food, clothing, housing and transportation.
Just like Wang Boxian, the great rice market merchant, his responsibility is to provide Ouchi with various types of tribute rice; although this is undoubtedly a long-term money-losing business, and even extra money is required to manage it, the palace and market envoys who allocate places and It is the internal government bureau of Gongtai Province, but it also has a special brand effect.
As the saying goes, it is a title exclusively for the emperor's palace, even if it is just the most common daily use among the emperor's suppliers; it is still attractive enough to wealthy private households and wealthy families who have lived for a hundred years, and even those under the lords of foreign vassals. force. It can be said to be a natural exclusive share of the high-end market.
If this was the case, Jiang Tian wouldn't have to go to too much trouble and just send a formal document/zhazi to the local government to take action. However, in addition to his origins as the palace envoy of his own country, Wang Boxian, the great businessman, also had another special identity, as the escort officer of the Wude Department.
Strictly speaking, the Wude Division only has a certain number of personnel and expediency in the two capitals and sixteen prefectures. Only when invited by the nearby local government can we participate in the investigation and pursuit of some local cases on the basis of co-organizing/ serving as an official. But of course it is not limited to this.
In the prefectures and counties outside the capital, there will also be peripheral personnel of the Wude Division, as well as the spies and secret agents they have developed, but they act secretly under the cover of the three religions and nine streams; and they are usually only responsible to the top and do not report to each other. Understand each other's identities, the specific number of people varies.
Among them, the local leaders, called wardens, deputy wardens, associate chiefs, etc., are the only ones who are named on the deputy list of the Wude Division and receive salaries and funds. As for more subordinates, as well as part-time secret agents and informants, they are all self-sufficient in proportion based on the income from the specific business.
Therefore, the peripheral organizations of the Wude Department in various states and counties, according to the fat, thin, rich and few in different areas, even have to spend extra money to pay filial piety to the superiors in the city in order to keep the corresponding positions from being replaced; The amount of non-staff personnel is also variable.
In a famous city like Luzhou, the capital of Huainan West Road, Wude Division usually has several detainees in the same city; although Wang Boxian is only an external detainee named on the deputy list and does not receive salary or funds; but in his case, With the financial blessing and interpersonal penetration, the local Wu Desi is no longer trustworthy.
What's more, there may be something deeper hidden behind him, one of the twelve zodiac signs, or even someone secretly active in the upper echelons of the Southern Beast Worship Cult. Therefore, taking advantage of the situation in Raozhou that had not yet spread completely, Jiang Tian adopted the strategy of secretly infiltrating Chencang and came to find out in person.
This time, it was another local force in Luzhou that provided him with assistance and temporary cover; it was also the local branch and peripheral members of the famous Qixiufang in Pingkangli, the capital, an association called Changge. Because Jiang Tian sent someone to present the guest token from Aunt Gongsun.
Then, Jiang Tian got the first-hand news in the city, as well as this place where it was convenient for observation and surveillance. In the Luantai Garden directly opposite the high-rise building, Wang Boxian, a big grain merchant, was hosting a banquet to entertain guests; therefore, looking from a distance, it was as if the lights and shadows were interlacing and the banquet was in full swing.
"Your Majesty is aware that the Wang family is also a long-term benefactor of the court. The place in front of us is most often used to entertain guests." As the leader of the Changge Society, the well-known Lady Douzhi; who calls herself "Qiu Ming Lou" "Ji" The woman with her face covered with gauze and there were burn scars at the corners of her eyes also introduced the current situation in a low voice:
"The door on the side of the rooftop terrace is his private and exclusive quiet room. It is guarded by personal bodyguards every day and has been modified to an unknown extent. He is never served by anyone and does not call concubines in. If there is, Some secret collection is probably located here."
"Although there are some less than legal activities in the Wang family's property, it is still a well-known family in the local area. It is especially known for its generosity and charity, so there is a group of knights and knights gathered in the house every day. There are good players who come and go in the world; some are desperate to kill themselves."
"In addition, there are also thousands of boat gangs, rural gangs, traders, and footwork societies who make a living from Wang's businesses, which are enough for the eyes, ears, and rumors. All government officials, officials, and bad people have all been punished by him. The benefits; it’s not like there were no Shangguan to investigate and interrogate, but it was all silenced.”
"Suppose... Your Excellency, you want to seize the Wang family, or bring the crime to court." At this point, Qiu Ji hesitated and said: "It is far from enough to rely on these rumors and deeds in front of you; before, Even if there are some obstacles to implementation, someone will naturally take the blame."
"Are you testing my attitude? Or do you have any grudge against Wang Boxian?" Jiang Tian smiled slightly and said, "But don't worry, since I have set my sights on him, I won't let him go easily; what's more, I don't want to let him go at the moment. Don’t worry so much about the official procedures and certificates required…”
While he was talking, Jiang Tian was distracted and manipulated the re-condensed armored person, which flashed past in the dim moonlight; in a blink of an eye, he arrived at the Luantai Garden on the opposite side. It bounces and presses against the eaves and railings like a breeze; it quietly passes through the blind spots outside the layers of windows.
Finally arriving at the terrace on the top floor, leaning sideways like a shadow against the outer wall of a fully enclosed quiet room with no external windows.
(End of chapter)
