bullyxtreme Chapter 248 Zhenhuai Bridge
Chapter 248 Zhenhuai Bridge
Chapter 248 Zhenhuai Bridge
On the tenth day, Shao Shuyi, along with only five men—Tie Niu, Liang Tai, Gao Daqiang, Fu Jian, and Fu Yong—hired a small boat and leisurely arrived at a residence near Zhenhuai Bridge. After handing a letter to the gatekeeper, he casually left and wandered around.
To be honest, he was very relaxed at this moment, even more relaxed than in Jiangyin. The reason was not complicated: no one here knew him.
When walking on the streets of Taicang, at least in the Zhangjing and Banjing areas, many people know him. While most of them are grateful to him, if a few people with bad intentions sneak in, it is difficult to distinguish them in a short time, and you might suffer a loss.
Jiangyin goes without saying. If Shao could assassinate Zhu Ding, why couldn't others find a way to ambush him? There are countless heroes in the world, especially at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, when those with ulterior motives were as numerous as carp crossing a river.
He had only just nominally unified the entire Jiangyin underworld and had initially gained the tacit approval of the government. His position was not yet completely stable and the people's hearts were not yet fully won over. What if another cunning old fox came from across the river and followed his example of ambush and killing? Wouldn't he be dumbfounded?
Therefore, he tried his best not to show his face in Taicang and Jiangyin. When he had no choice but to show his face, he would stay in Huangtian Trading Company or even Matuosha, otherwise he would always feel anxious.
Today, walking the streets of Jiangning, I felt completely relaxed.
It's great that nobody here knows him! He can wander around freely, observing the scenery, without worrying about some unknown person suddenly appearing and attacking him—if someone were to follow him all the way from Taicang and Jiangyin to Jiangning and accurately track his movements, he might as well just admit defeat.
Today, they were all dressed in very ordinary clothes, and they looked like small businessmen who didn't have much capital and were running around trying to make a quick buck.
As for the faint hint of ferocity on their faces, that's actually quite normal. People who travel far away for business either hire bodyguards or are capable of fighting themselves and handling unexpected situations; fewer and fewer people are completely incapable of doing so.
At noon, the group bought some food at a roadside eatery and ate as they walked. Soon they reached Zhenhuai Bridge and looked around.
"Brother Shao, it's the same Qinhuai River, but this place is much better than the area around Liu Jinbao's house." Gao Daqiang pointed to the buildings in the distance and said, "There are far fewer shacks and far more mansions. It must be much wealthier."
Shao Shuyi glanced at him.
"I misspoke." Gao Daqiang smiled somewhat awkwardly.
Shao Shuyi looked at the Fu brothers, Fu Jian and Fu Yong, and asked, "How does this place compare to Ganpu?"
"How about it?" the two said almost in unison.
Shao Shuyi understood.
It turns out that the ancient capital of six dynasties was not as prosperous as Ganpu, a newly emerging maritime trading town. Its only advantage was that Jinling was larger, had more residents, and had a stronger cultural and historical atmosphere.
But the changes of the times are also very real. The whole world is developing towards the ocean. From now on, coastal trading hubs will become increasingly wealthy, and it will be difficult to surpass them.
"This place can't really be considered a wealthy spot," Liang Tai commented. "Wang Hao probably doesn't have much money."
Shao Shuyi nodded.
Wang Hao came from a poor scholar family and probably didn't have much money when he was young, otherwise he wouldn't have accepted the Shen family's help. Later, when he became an official, he had a reputation for being "corrupt and unscrupulous" in official circles. He rarely accepted bribes, so much so that his whole family had to rent a house in Jiangning to live, which was ridiculed by others.
Now that people are middle-aged, pressured by reality, they are more worldly-wise than when they were younger, and begin to accept invitations to meals with some hesitation.
Having accepted bribes, he must have gradually accumulated some wealth, which enabled him to purchase a house in Jiangning, though it wasn't in a particularly good location.
Magistrate Wang, have you fallen into depravity too? Where has your youthful passion and fervor gone?
Shao Shuyi's感慨 (feelings of deep emotion) were fleeting, quickly dissipating into nothingness. In truth, this is the life of most people.
"Do you like Nanjing?" Shao Shuyi asked, scanning everyone one by one.
Liang Tai pondered for a moment and said, "I think it's better than Taicang and Liujiagang. Those places are too rich, there are too many wealthy people, the atmosphere isn't good, and people easily become complacent and lazy."
Gao Daqiang chimed in, "Indeed, I always felt that everything there was about profit. Even if you were to make friends through martial arts, you could easily encounter fake skills, and upon further inquiry, it turned out to be mostly scams to swindle money."
Shao Shuyi looked at the Fu brothers.
Fu Jian said, "People in Taicang are just as comfortable as those in Jiaxing, except that Taicang is all about business, while Jiaxing is all about literature."
, 7
"We can't fight either of them," Fu Yong said.
Shao Shuyi looked at Tie Niu one last time.
"Wherever my elder brother is, that's where I'll be," Tie Niu mumbled. "Actually, Ma Tuo Sha is quite nice. The houses don't leak, we have enough to eat and wear, and there's wine and meat every few days. It's already a good place."
Shao Shuyi chuckled and said, "I was asking about Jinling."
"That's good," Tie Niu said. "We've seen quite a few scholars along the way, so finding a tutor for the child shouldn't be difficult."
Shao Shuyi laughed again and said, "Actually, Tie Niu is right. Ordinary people don't need so many luxurious things; all they ask for is enough food and clothing."
After a pause, he continued, "But you should know that Jiangnan is just one corner of the world. The customs elsewhere are not as peaceful as those in Jiangnan. In some places, people are practically cannibalizing each other. For the local people, death is not such a terrible thing. If someone recruits them and trains them well, their weapons may not be as sophisticated as yours, and their fighting skills may not be as good, but they are willing to fight to the death and can endure greater casualties. They are not easy to deal with. When two armies clash, many times it is just a matter of gritting your teeth and holding on. People die in droves, and the remaining people continue to die until one side can no longer endure it and is defeated and flees."
Everyone's expression tightened upon hearing this, and they secretly wondered what the people in those places were like, wondering if they had all been driven mad by the world's ways.
"Let's not talk about that anymore." Shao Shuyi led the group forward, pointing and saying, "Jinling has another advantage: it has many craftsmen. That's where the leatherworkers gather, right? The smell is too strong. Over there are cloth dyers, and over there are carpenters, um, and papermakers and blacksmiths too—"
Everyone looked over and found that after crossing the Zhenhuai Bridge, there were indeed chessboard-shaped neighborhoods, each with a large number of craftsmen gathered according to its function.
Without a doubt, these are all "various households" under the control of the government, living together in a centralized manner for management purposes.
From an organizational perspective, they were likely also part of various "bureaus," such as the knife bureau, arrow bureau, and string bureau, continuously producing all kinds of weapons.
If any rebel were to capture these artisans, it would truly be like adding wings to a tiger, greatly increasing their strength.
Therefore, the first thing the rebel leaders who started the uprising in Huainan did after consolidating their territory was to cross the Yangtze River southward and seize a stable logistical base. Otherwise, if they were surrounded on all sides, without food or weapons, failure would be highly probable.
"Brother, when we leave, should we kidnap a few people to take back with us?" Gao Daqiang suggested. "There aren't even any soldiers standing guard at the entrances of those neighborhoods. People can come and go as they please. If we suddenly make our move after nightfall, they might not be able to react in time. By the time the authorities are notified, we'll have already made our escape."
Liang Tai lowered his head and did not object.
The Fu brothers, Fu Jian and Fu Yong, looked completely unconcerned, clearly not seeing anything wrong with the matter.
Shao Shuyi did not answer directly, but said only: "Let's observe first. It would be best if we could recruit them with money. I reckon they're not having an easy time, and there are more than one or two who want to escape."
Gao Daqiang gave an "oh" and didn't say anything more.
After wandering around the area for a while, the group went to a teahouse next to the craftsmen's alley and sat for an hour or two, eating, drinking, and chatting in hushed tones.
It wasn't until evening that Shao Shuyi and his group returned to the Wang residence on the north side of Zhenhuai Bridge and knocked on the door again.
Before long, a man who looked like a butler came out and looked Shao Shuyi and his group up and down.
"Who is Shao Shuyi?" he asked.
"It is I, elder, you are very kind." Shao Shuyi stepped forward and bowed.
The butler looked him over carefully again and asked, "Not from the Shen family?"
"I was ordered by Rongfu to deliver the goods to Jiangning and pay a visit on the way," Shao Shuyi said.
"Why did Shen Rongfu send a ship sailor to visit him instead of coming himself?" The butler frowned.
Shao Shuyi's heart skipped a beat.
It's over, Wang Hao has changed! The Shen family's investment is likely to be significantly reduced.
However, the steward seemed to know that these words were unpleasant to hear and would be criticized as ungrateful if they were spread, so he softened his tone and said, "My master is busy with official duties and is still working at the yamen. He hasn't been able to come home yet. Hmm, he will be very busy these next few days."
"Then I'll come again in a few days," Shao Shuyi said. "Would the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month be alright?"
"The fifteenth is the busiest time," the steward said. "From the fifteenth to the twentieth, although the government offices are closed, they still need to inspect the areas and comfort the elders. How could they have time to receive you?"
"And what about after twenty?" Shao Shuyi persisted.
The butler, somewhat exasperated, said, "Why are you so inconsiderate?"
Shao Shuyi quietly took out a coin, stuffed it into the steward's hand, and smiled without saying a word.
The steward's expression softened slightly. He said, "There's still social interaction after twenty. Being an official isn't easy; if you don't cultivate relationships with your colleagues..."
What good is it if one cultivates connections with superiors, no matter how well one handles affairs?
"Where is the prince going to socialize?" Shao Shuyi asked in a low voice.
"What? You're still going to chase after him to curry favor?" The steward was both annoyed and amused. "On the 21st of the twelfth lunar month, my master is going to a banquet at the Grand Steward's mansion. Will you be allowed in? On the 22nd, the Assistant Magistrate is holding a birthday banquet. Are you invited? On the 23rd, Zhu Chen invites my master to a pleasure boat to admire the flowers. If you go, you'll probably get your legs broken. Enough of this. Why am I telling you all this? Go away, and don't come back."
Shao Shuyi slipped another ingot of paper over and bowed in thanks.
The butler smiled and said, "Quite clever, and quite sensible."
Shao Shuyi bowed again and said, "I will visit you again after the New Year. I'll be going now."
After saying that, he quietly left with everyone.
>