Knife splashing

Chapter 204: Yunyang Prefecture in the Vortex

This old fox really has something wrong with him.

When Li Yan heard about the new type of gunpowder, he became alert.

Seeing his expression, Han Kun shook his head slightly:
"It seems that there are some things that Brother Li is still unclear about."

As he spoke, he took a sip of tea, a hint of sarcasm on his face, "The news about the new gunpowder has actually been spread a long time ago."

"Just before the New Year, someone in the Ministry of Industry was bewitched, and the recipes for the magic gun and the new gunpowder were all leaked."

"The commander of the capital's Duwei Division, Situ Bo, was beaten to death in court. The commander-in-chief Wei Yuan knelt outside the palace wall in the wind and snow all night."

"Although the court tried its best to conceal this matter and the officials dared not say much, there is no such thing as a wall that is impenetrable."

To be honest, Li Yan was also a little shocked after hearing this.

Although I had guessed that this kind of thing could not be kept secret for long, after all, there are too many processes involved, and if someone deliberately wanted to steal it, they would always find a loophole.

I just didn't expect it to leak so quickly.

Before he could show his power in front of the world, he was already being targeted.

"Who did it?" Li Yan couldn't help but ask.

Han Kun shook his head and said, "The court has pinned the blame on the Maitreya sect's evildoer, but the real mastermind is still unknown."

As he spoke, he lightly skimmed the foam on the teacup and said, "In my opinion, there are too many people in the world who would do this, including local gentry, large chambers of commerce, royal families, and even the Taixuan Orthodox Church."

"Why?" Lu San couldn't help but ask.

"balance!"

"The imperial court, the mysterious sect, the aristocratic families, the martial arts world... Often, they seem to have nothing to do with each other, but in fact, they are deeply involved."

"Just like our Cao Gang, we may seem like just a gang, but we are responsible for the transportation of grain. If we are in chaos, the price of grain in the north will go up!"

"Some officials cannot keep their official hats on their heads."

"Behind us, there are also large and small chambers of commerce involved, and the chambers of commerce are connected to officials of various factions in the court. They can make us suffer with just one order."

"It's the same with other gangs, even Xuanmen."

"The various forces in Shenzhou are in each other, and this balance has been formed over the years."

"It's just that our Majesty is too strong."

"He wants to take action against the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect, because the Xuanmen Sect firmly controls the Dongtian Paradise and has many believers, which is a hidden danger..."

"He wanted to take action against the local gentry because they held a large amount of land and concealed it, which led to the depletion of the national treasury in the past few years..."

"He wanted to take action against the officials of the imperial court, because these officials were the protectors of the local gentry and those big chambers of commerce..."

"He also wants to take action against the Jianghu because it is out of control..."

Li Yan said calmly: "These are all ways to fight against the long-standing problems of the court. An emperor who has some ability will find a way to solve them."

"Yes, but very few can succeed."

Han Kun smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, "The balance that has been formed over the years is so complex that even our Majesty can only work slowly."

"Opening up the sea and supporting merchants is to suppress the gentry, and in recent years supporting Buddhism is to suppress the Taixuan Orthodox Church."

"In short, he wants to control the whole world, and he also wants to prepare his troops, compete with the four seas, and leave his name in the history books in the future."

“But now, with this new firearm, he can intimidate the Xuanmen and the Jianghu, and even dare to take direct action to eliminate the power of the court.”

"Who is the mastermind in this situation?"

Li Yan was speechless, pondered for a moment, and shook his head slightly.

If this is really the case, it’s hard to say.

In order to maintain their power, some people are bolder than the sky.

Thinking of this, Li Yan slowly drank a sip of tea, "We rough people don't understand the important affairs of the court."

"Senior, are you also interested in this thing?"

Han Kun sighed and shook his head, "We are not rebelling. We are hoping for peace and prosperity so that we can have food to eat."

"I even hope that this thing will never appear. I have worked hard to practice martial arts for my entire life, but was shot dead by a fledgling wolf cub. Do you think I would be happy?"

"But there's nothing we can do about it. This is how the world is."

"If something has already appeared and you don't have it but someone else does, you will be unlucky. You may even get your head blown off one day."

"To tell you the truth, on the day of the Dragon Raising its Head on February 2, someone was secretly selling gunpowder formulas and firearms blueprints."

"When the commander arrived, the man had already run away."

"No one knows which force in the underworld has bought it."

"Originally, it had nothing to do with me, but after the Duwei Si returned to Yunyang Prefecture, he arrested all those who were related to Mr. Hu and put them in prison, causing chaos."

"There have been a lot of unfamiliar faces in the city recently. I have a feeling that something big is going to happen, so there are some things that must be clarified!"

When Li Yan heard this, he immediately understood.

Han Kun is just an elder of the Cao Gang. If he can figure out these things and make targeted arrangements, maybe he can make secret plans.

Having said that, Li Yan couldn't continue to play dumb. He glanced at Han Kun and whispered, "Tiansheng Religion!"

"It's indeed them!"

Han Kun stood up suddenly and said through gritted teeth: "To be honest, the people of Tiansheng Sect are secretly contacting several elders of Cao Gang."

"The Pai Cult is making unusual moves and is causing trouble for us for no reason. Maybe it's related to the Tiansheng Cult."

"These guys might be planning to start a rebellion again!"

"Brother Li's information is extremely important to me. It may save the lives of many brothers in my Cao Gang. The matter is urgent. I will go back and discuss it with the gang leader."

Li Yan nodded and said, "Senior, please be busy first, don't worry about us."

The Tiansheng Sect is different from the Maitreya Sect. Their original purpose of gathering mountain people was just to resist expulsion by the government.

There are many people in the underworld who have a good impression of him and will even help him hide. It is not surprising that he has connections with the Cao Gang.

But it also depends on the time.

If they really get involved in this kind of thing, the Cao Gang will probably be in trouble.

"That won't work!"

Han Kun stood up and shook his head, saying, "Even if this is not the case, we should still entertain you well."

"I have already booked a room in the largest brothel in Yunyang Prefecture, Yanyu Tower, to welcome you. You can go and have fun, my friend. It will all be on my account."

Li Yan was stunned. "Go to a brothel to welcome him?"

"Don't you like this?"

"Who told you I like it?"

"Hahaha, the whole Shanzhou underworld knows about it."

"I…"

…………

In the end, the few of them did not go to Yanyu Tower.

Firstly, the situation in the city is complicated. The brothel is a place where all kinds of people gather and it is a place of right and wrong. Going there will inevitably cause trouble...

As soon as they entered Yunyang, they rushed to the brothel. Li Yan dared to do this, and he would never be able to get rid of the title of the brothel champion...

A few of them had a simple meal at the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Guild Hall.

The dishes are simple, they are authentic Kuaiji cuisine, such as Shaoxing three fresh delicacies, braised meat with pickled mustard greens, Xishi tofu, Shaoxing drunken chicken, etc.

Li Yan and his companions had a meal of wine and meat at noon, so their appetites were naturally not that good. After eating a little, they went back to their rooms to rest.

They didn't notice that after they turned off the lights, the window of a room opposite opened silently.

It was the room of the scholar who had recited the poem before. Behind the window was a short and fat figure with sparkling eyes, muttering: "What a strong aura, who are these people..."

…………

The next morning, Li Yan woke up early.

He packed up and went out with Wang Daoxuan, planning to go to the City God Temple, while Sha Lifei and Lu San would stay in the room.

There's no way, their luggage is really valuable.

Yunyang Prefecture has a special status, so there are two City God Temples, one is the county City God Temple and the other is the prefecture City God Temple.

Naturally, the place the two of them wanted to go was the City God Temple.

After registering here, you can travel throughout Ezhou, and Lu San’s pass also needs to be processed here.

The City God Temple is in the west of the city, one mile away from Xiaoxi Gate, which is the city gate they passed through yesterday.

Yunyang Prefecture has another unique feature during the day.

This is an important transportation center between the north and the south, so commerce is developed and even the people on the streets are in a hurry.

Ox carts, horse carts, camels... often blocked the streets.

People in Ezhou have hot tempers. Once there is a traffic jam, they will start shouting and cursing at each other, and when they get angry, they will start fighting.

There were even more people coming to watch the fun.

The only thing that can make them stop is to watch and eat melons.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan both didn't like to join in the fun, but they still discovered many strange things along the way.

There are too many gangs in Yunyang Prefecture!

They hide in the crowd and ordinary people cannot distinguish them, but those who have some experience in the world can see them.

Especially the traditional five elements, cars, ships, shops, and feet.

The carriages and horses here include not only horse caravans from the north, mule caravans from the southwest, but also caravans from the coast...

Needless to say, when it comes to shipping, the Paijiao and the Caobang are already incompatible.

Different from the Cao Gang which has branch gang leaders in each city, the Pai Sect is in the form of a platoon leader, and each platoon leader has a large team under him.

These people at the forefront are not simple either, they are all from the Xuanmen.

In the north, Taixuan Zhengjiao is the orthodox one, and its lineage is actually relatively weak. However, it is much better in the south, with countless lineages of various sizes.

Therefore, the leaders of each Pai sect also come from different lineages.

Just as Han Kun said yesterday, among the big and small forces in China, there is a situation where you are in me and I am in you.

Li Yan had already vaguely noticed it.

The situation of confrontation between Paijiao and Caobang in the north and south fits the current situation of Xuanmen. It is hard to say whether there is support from orthodox religion and Dharma behind it.

Needless to say, the shops are obviously dependent on the forces of the north and south. If you don't know who lives in which shop, you will definitely be ripped off...

The same is true for walking, as they had seen at the dock yesterday.

As for dental clinics, they are even more dependent on various parties...

It stands to reason that such a situation would occur in a ferry city like this that connects the north and the south.

But the saying “All people in this world are brothers, and we are one family” is not just talk.

The underworld itself is a kind of rule. No matter where you come from, everyone has to make a living, compromise with each other, and form rules to avoid mutual loss.

Therefore, some people say that the world is all about human relationships and worldly wisdom.

But now this balance has been broken.

The source was the fight between the Pai Sect and the Cao Gang. After all, this was a ferry city, the two parties were the most powerful, and other gangs were also more or less dependent on them.

"Yunyang has become a place of controversy..."

Wang Daoxuan sighed in his heart when he saw this, and whispered: "This kind of fighting in the martial arts world will sooner or later lead to something big, so we shouldn't stay here for long."

Li Yan also nodded in agreement, and he and Wang Daoxuan quickened their pace. Soon they arrived at the City God Temple of Yunyang Prefecture.

The scale of the City God Temple in Yunyang Prefecture is no less than that of Chang'an.

Moreover, the momentum here is even greater.

There are Dharma flags at the gates of the five directions of east, west, south and north, which are stabilized by stone platforms and are three meters high. Together with the black and yellow flags standing in the City God Temple, there are a total of five colors, which are the five cloud flags.

Ordinary people cannot sense it, but Li Yan can smell it. There are gods on the flags. The five divine powers make the evil energy flow, forming a huge situation, covering the entire City God Temple.

Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan looked at each other with serious expressions.

This method is to activate the formation protection.

If it were in Chang'an, it would only be used when evil spirits invaded, but in Yunyang Prefecture, it has become a habit?
No wonder, when they surrounded the Tiansheng Sect’s stronghold that night, the Taixuan Orthodox Sect immediately dispatched its troops without any hesitation.

The seemingly prosperous Yunyang Prefecture was actually full of crises.

Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something. He came to the side door and bowed to the Taoist guarding the door, saying, "Master, we are sorcerers from other states. We need to go in and register."

"Bring me the certificate!"

The Taoist guarding the gate had a look of vigilance in his eyes.

There were also two Taoists behind him who remained calm and put their hands on the hilts of their swords.

Li Yan's expression was calm, and he and Wang Daoxuan took out their Taoist certificates respectively.

Seeing that he was holding a black Taoist certificate, the Taoist guarding the gate was obviously a little surprised. After flipping it open, a smile immediately appeared on his face, and he bowed and said, "So it's Fellow Daoist Li from Chang'an."

"Senior Brother Gu Hanzi has already told me that Fellow Daoist Li will come to Yunyang Prefecture in the near future. I am Feng Yuanzi, so please come in."

As he spoke, he raised his hand.

Li Yan was slightly stunned, alert in his heart, but a smile appeared on his face, "Master, you are too polite. I am just a nobody."

"Friend Li is too modest."

The Taoist Feng Yuanzi replied, then smiled and personally led the two of them into the City God Temple.

The other little Taoist boy left in a hurry, apparently to inform Gu Hanzi.

When they arrived at Xuan Priest, Feng Yuanzi personally arranged everything and helped the two of them to complete the registration.

Li Yan hesitated for a moment and asked: "Master, I have a companion who wants to apply for a Taoist certificate in Yunyang Prefecture. I wonder..."

"Don't worry, Brother Li. Senior Brother Gu will be here soon."

Feng Yuanzi smiled slightly, interrupted him, raised his hand and said: "Why don't we go to the quiet room and have a cup of tea first."

Damn it, being too attentive for no reason will definitely lead to trouble...

Li Yan had a bad feeling in his heart, but since things had come to this point, he had no choice but to act according to circumstances and followed Feng Yuanzi into the quiet room.

Feng Yuanzi was very polite and personally poured tea for the two of them. He smiled and said, "Tuanhuang, Qimen, and Huangya are collectively known as the three major teas of Huai'an. The best ones are sent to Yunyang Prefecture every year. Fellow Daoist Li, please taste them..."

"Good tea."

Li Yan took a sip casually, not knowing what kind of tea it was. Although the aroma was strong and the aftertaste was long, he felt more and more uneasy.

Just as I was about to ask, I saw a Taoist priest walking in from outside the door. He was tall with long flowing beard. It was Gu Hanzi, who was the leader that night.

"Brother, I'm going to guard the gate now. Brother Li, please take your time."

Upon seeing this, Feng Yuanzi bowed, stood up and left.

Obviously, it was Gu Hanzi's intention to keep the two of them here...

　There will be two updates today and three updates tomorrow.

　　Recommend another book.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)