Fu Shifeng

Chapter 215 Unpredictable People
Before Cheng Sanwu returned to Suzhou City, Afu appeared unnoticed in a boat on a nearby river channel and waved to him.

Shema boarded the ship, and the small cabin was well-equipped with benches and tables, a small red clay stove, and wine-warming vessels.Hu Meier was seen changing into a plain white dress and pouring wine with bare hands. Afu sat aside and tasted it carefully.

"You must have heard the arrangements made by Zhang Jida and his gang, right?" Cheng Sanwu asked as he sat down.

During this trip south to Jianghuai, Afu tried his best to keep a low profile. Cheng Sanwu would basically show up to handle any matter that required the Ministry of Internal Affairs to intervene.

"I had expected that I would not be able to get the reward smoothly." Afu tasted the wine briefly, and then said: "As for taking the opportunity to invade other people's properties, I also thought about that, but I didn't expect so many people to participate."

"With a manor and more than 100 hectares of fields, the reward this time is not small." Cheng Sanwu couldn't help but marvel: "No wonder the Jianghuai Wulin was able to offer a reward of [-] guan back then. They were indeed not short of this little money. And The farm can still be profitable for a long time, now I finally understand why you want to run a business in Jiangnan."

Afu smiled faintly: "More than 100 hectares of fields? How can this be enough?"

As soon as Cheng Sanwu took the wine glass from Hu Meier's hand, he almost choked when he heard these words: "You... think I don't want enough?"

Afuyan said: "If I just want to be a rich man, that would be enough. But my goal is to control the Jiangnan martial arts world. Just having a long-term profit-making foundation is not enough."

"Are you planning to use Huzhou Guan's property to bribe Zhang Jida and his gang so that they can be used for your benefit?" Cheng Sanwu asked.

Afu showed disdain: "Are those low-level people worth buying? The Huzhou Guan family's industry fell into their hands, which is a real waste of natural resources!"

Cheng Sanwu took a sip of wine and looked confused, but Hu Meier explained: "Using the Guan family's property in Huzhou to bribe those gangsters will only make them greedy. If you really want to win over people's hearts and cultivate power, it's best to start from the weak side. Take action. Helping someone in times of need is always rarer than adding icing on the cake."

"The weak side?" Cheng Sanwu asked: "Could it be the Huzhou Guan clan? But they are clearly powerful, right? Where are they weak?"

"No matter how big a family fortune is, if there is no reliable heir, it will eventually be unable to survive." Hu Meier smiled brightly: "If Mrs. He were here, this family fortune would still have to face a pack of wolves. But the old lady is old. He is already high, and one day he will eventually die, and when that day comes, people who covet the Guan family's property will come from all directions and plunder it all."

"Is there no one else in the Guan family in Huzhou?" Cheng Sanwu looked confused: "Since the family business is huge, it's impossible to rely on Mrs. He to support the whole family, right?"

"The Guan family naturally has side relatives, but since all the male members of the main family died at the hands of Fan Zhongming, these side branches are all ready to take action." Hu Meier filled Cheng Sanwu with another glass of wine:

"Fortunately, Mrs. He's high prestige, coupled with the alliance that year, was able to stabilize the various branches, and the Guan family in Huzhou would not fall apart immediately. After the Taihu Xishan Alliance, Mrs. He also provided money and effort to lobby the various factions. It must be facilitated.

"Although no one in Jianghuai Wulin claims to be the leader of the alliance, Mrs. He is highly respected and recognized by everyone. And she is true to her word, and there is nothing she cannot do that she promised."

Cheng Sanwu said: "It seems you know Mrs. He very well."

Hu Meier smiled and said: "There are such wonderful women in the world, and I admire them very much."

Cheng Sanwu looked at Afu: "Then are you planning to help Mrs. He?"

"If she can hold on, it won't be my turn to help." Afu thought for a moment: "Zhang Jida and others are sure of what they said. It seems that they have been prepared for a long time. The arrival of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is just to make them bolder. Determined."

"When you say that, I feel that they took advantage." Cheng Sanwu was a little dissatisfied: "Zhang Jida came to assassinate him before. He originally wanted to take Fan Zhongming's head, ask for credit from Mrs. He and receive the reward, and then take the opportunity to invade Huzhou. Guan’s industry.”

"This person is greedy and stupid, so I don't intend to share the benefits with them." Afu sneered.

"The martial arts of those who just listened to Yulou, that is, Zhang Jida and Mr. Zhou, are barely acceptable, and the other three are simply vulnerable." Cheng Sanwu waved his hand: "When the time comes, if you really want to take action, kill the two of them first. "

Afu suddenly asked: "That Mr. Zhou, have you noticed anything strange?"

Cheng Sanwu thought for a while: "I'm not sure, I feel like his Qi is a bit familiar."

Afu smiled and said: "But you still remember that before practicing "Liuhe Yuanzhang", I mentioned to you that the Yixing Zhou family also studied this martial art intensively."

Only then did Cheng Sanwu remember this matter: "Could it be that Mr. Zhou is a member of the Zhou clan in Yixing? He also practiced the "Liuhe Yuanzhang"?"

"Plausible." Afu held the wine glass in her hand, but she didn't see any movement. The wine in the glass was driven by strong force, spinning into a vortex, and gradually condensed into a slender water column, which separated from the bottom of the glass, twisting up and down between her fingers, like a smart line. The little snake finally returns to the cup.

This kind of internal energy is so magical that it is much more advanced than Cheng Sanwu.

"It is very difficult to practice the "Liuhe Yuanzhang" alone. There is no reason for the Yixing Zhou family to be unclear." Afu said: "I guess they should greatly delete the "Liuhe Yuanzhang" to make it easier to get started."

Cheng Sanwu questioned: "Can martial arts secret books be modified at will? Aren't you afraid that the more you modify them, the worse they will become?"

"It's just that the correction was poor." Afu sneered: "Although Mr. Zhou has practiced Gang Qi, he is far from being as vast and profound as the "Liuhe Yuanzhang" and has the ability to penetrate Yin and Yang."

Hu Meier also said at the side: "The Yixing Zhou family has declined a long time ago. Although Linggu Villa now claims to be a descendant of the Yixing Zhou family, it may not be too closely related."

"Then shall I spare his life?" Cheng Sanwu asked.

"When it comes to a bloody fight, why should we keep him alive?" Afu didn't care at all.

When a group of people returned to Suzhou City by boat, a group of people came to report in a hurry, saying that Mr. Zhang, the supervisor of Jiangnan East Road, came to pay a visit.

Cheng Sanwu was about to leave, but he saw Afu stopped and said, "Go see him alone."

"You don't believe this Mr. Zhang?"

Afu asked back: "Do you believe it?"

Cheng Sanwu shook his head: "I don't believe it, I just can't explain the reason." "Since he is a veteran of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he must be used to intrigues, so he should take precautions." Afu said: "I always feel that Mr. Zhang has his own intentions. Impure, he sent someone to send a message before but never came. He didn't show up until we arrived in Suzhou, obviously he didn't want us to interfere in local affairs."

"I'm afraid I can't handle this kind of person." Cheng Sanwu said in a straightforward tone.

Afu rolled her eyes: "Why are you pretending in front of me? Just save your strength and show it to others."

The Ministry of Internal Affairs' residence in Suzhou City is a Buddhist temple. When Cheng Sanwu arrived, he saw an old man with a hunchback and thin hair listening to a monk's sermon in the pavilion.

Cheng Sanwu did not come forward to disturb him, but waited quietly in the distance. After waiting for half an hour, the monk closed his book, stood up, folded his hands and left.

In such a manner, Mr. Zhang clearly wanted to give someone a blow. He didn't care if he didn't do it, but he wanted to see what kind of tricks this person could do.

"This strong man must be Lord Zhaoyang of Gongchen Guard?" The hunchbacked old man came to greet him. He was dressed in a black brocade robe, his face was full of wrinkles, and there were brown spots on his temples.It was obvious that his muscles and bones were weakened, and even if he had martial arts skills when he was young, he would not be able to exert half of his strength with his current physique.

"Mr. Zhang, do you know me?" Cheng Sanwu stepped into the pavilion. There were no seats inside, only bamboo mats and soft cushions. He sat down by himself, neither sitting with his knees bent like those elegant Confucian scholars, nor sitting on his knees like those elegant Confucian scholars. The monk is sitting cross-legged and meditating, with one leg crossed horizontally and one leg upright, with his arms resting on his knees, giving him a rough atmosphere.

Mr. Zhang laughed like an amiable old man next door: "Jun Zhaoyang can tell at a glance that he is not an ordinary person. Little old man, I can't do anything else, but I still have a good eye for people."

Cheng Sanwu looked around. He saw the gurgling water outside the pavilion and the falling dead leaves, a scene in late autumn. The sound of chanting sutras echoed in the distance, adding to the Zen charm. He couldn't help but ask: "Is Mr. Zhang a Buddhist?"

"Well, as I get older, I can't help but think more about life and death." Mr. Zhang shook his head: "I hope Mr. Zhaoyang can forgive me."

"Since Mr. Zhang is old, why not enjoy your old age earlier?" Cheng Sanwu simply said: "I can say hello to Chang'an and let you resign safely, buy a villa at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain, and buy more than a dozen concubines. , and live a happy life from now on.”

Cheng Sanwu's words were full of aggression and coercion, as if he would immediately attack the other party if he didn't agree.

However, Mr. Zhang was unmoved and still smiled: "Jun Zhaoyang is joking. The current situation in Jiangnan East Road does not allow me, the little old man, to resign easily."

"Oh, heirs of the deposed emperor, right? I heard Mr. Li and Yan Fengjun talk about it." Cheng Sanwu did not hide his contempt: "These rebel traitors are like weeds, they can't be killed no matter how hard they are. Not even I know where they came from...but that's fine, just think of it as giving me the credit."

"Mr. Zhaoyang has great supernatural powers, and he must be able to capture those who rebel against the party." Mr. Zhang first complimented him, and then said: "It's just that these traitors are elusive and their movements are unknown. I personally led people to search before, but found nothing. I'm really ashamed of myself." Cultivation by the saint and Feng Dajue."

"Is it because Mr. Zhang is old and can't walk anymore?" Cheng Sanwu said with extreme arrogance: "I see that Jiangnan East Road is connected by mountains and rivers, and there are not many serious official roads. Once the thieves escape into the mountains and forests, I'm afraid they will It’s hard to find.”

Mr. Zhang looked calm on his face, but secretly cursed in his heart.The people he sent to Yangzhou Dudu's Mansion had already sent back the news that they knew about Cheng Sanwu's ruthless blackmail of Gao Changshi. It was expected that this person was extremely greedy and even better than Fan Zhongming.

Perhaps in the minds of these people, climbing to a high position in the Ministry of Internal Affairs means they can better seek personal gain. As for the life and death of other people in the world, they have no regard for it.

"Maybe." Mr. Zhang did not openly disobey the other party, but said euphemistically: "I think the manpower brought by Lord Zhaoyang is not many. If you want to find out the movements of the rebels in the Jiangnan area, it is better to It depends on the old people who have grown up here.”

"For example, Mr. Zhang, you are like this, right?" Cheng Sanwu grinned, like a wild beast, ready to bite people at any time.

"The little old man wants to transfer personnel from various states and counties." Zhang Laoyan said: "But this matter may require Zhaoyang Jun to come forward and issue orders to the state and county chiefs on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Cheng Sanwu thought for a moment, then asked: "If I send someone to you, can we find the traitors and catch them all?"

Mr. Zhang came closer and smiled: "As soon as I find the leader of the rebels or the heir of the deposed emperor, I will immediately report it to Lord Zhaoyang. This great credit can only fall on your shoulders."

Cheng Sanwu raised his head and laughed when he heard this: "Okay, okay, Mr. Zhang is really a reasonable person, and I was the one who offended him!"

"What the hell." Mr. Zhang sneered inwardly. Although people like Gong Chenwei were powerful and extraordinary, they were often confused by their own abilities and thus became blind and short-sighted.

In Mr. Zhang's opinion, the replacement of Zhaoyang Lord is just two wild beasts biting each other, and finally the winner will be found.Can you really expect this reckless man in front of you to accomplish anything?He is nothing more than a knife used by the superiors to eradicate dissidents.

Cheng Sanwu was about to leave when he suddenly asked: "By the way, I heard before that there seems to be a master in the rebel party named Gu... who is Gu?"

"Gu Lianshan." Mr. Zhang paid attention to the other person's expression: "Does Mr. Zhaoyang know about this person's past?"

"This is my first time coming back to Jiangnan. I heard that all the women here are tender and tender. I have never heard of any masters." Cheng Sanwu said bluntly.

Zhang Laoqian laughed a few times, cursing in his mind that it was Fan Zhongming again, and then explained: "Gu Lianshan had become famous as early as a century ago. He once swept across Jiangdong with a single sword, but later participated in the rebellion. At that time, he was in Runzhou He resisted the imperial army to suppress the rebellion, broke into the military formation alone, and killed more than [-] people by him, which shows the profoundness of his martial arts."

Cheng Sanwu was silent when he heard this. He himself had been in the army and knew very well how difficult it was for warriors to break into the army with only swords and short combat.

Moreover, the battlefield formation is not about fighting each other, and there is not much room for maneuver and maneuver. Even if you are lucky enough to rush into the formation, once your body skills are delayed, attacks from all directions will immediately surround you.

Not to mention ordinary warriors, this situation is extremely dangerous, even if it is a heavy cavalry with men and horses wearing iron armor, trapped in the enemy's formation and unable to gallop, it is still extremely dangerous.

"You killed more than [-] people, are you deliberately bragging?" Cheng Sanwu was really unbelievable this time.

Mr. Zhang pondered for a moment and couldn't help but laugh in his heart: "It turns out that you are also afraid sometimes."

But Zhang Laoxuan immediately said: "The chaos in the army may have caused chaos. Later, the military officials counted the person who was trampled to death as Gu Lianshan's death. But no matter what, this person is the most powerful person among those who rebel against the party today. Zhao Yang Jun must be extremely careful if he confronts him, and if he loses, he must still protect himself first."

Zhang Lao's words were intended to provoke the general, and Cheng Sanwu, as he expected, raised his eyebrows and rounded his eyes, and shouted angrily: "What a joke! How can such traitors be compared with me? What's more, decades have passed, and this person must have strong bones. It has declined, and no matter how high your martial arts is, it will be difficult to fight for a long time. You quickly find out where the traitor is, and see how I can behead him!"

(End of this chapter)