Knife splashing

Chapter 283 Firearms Quota
The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce is rich and its meeting hall is built grandly.

The hall is tall and spacious, with towering pillars and the floor is paved with huge bluestone bricks, as smooth as a mirror and bright enough to reflect a person.

There is a plaque hanging high in the hall, with the four characters "商通四海" inscribed on it, written in powerful strokes and shining with golden light.

There is a giant screen on the main wall of the hall. It depicts magnificent mountains and rivers. There are both towering mountains and surging rivers, implying that the Chamber of Commerce is as stable as mountains and rivers, and as endless as rivers.

Not only that, the Chamber of Commerce also spent a lot of money to hire skilled craftsmen, and the brick carvings on the ground and the wood carvings on the beams all show wealth.

If it were an ordinary day, Li Yan would not be able to help but admire it.

And now, everyone is attracted by the people in the hall.

It was originally a chamber of commerce, but it was now filled with wanderers.

There is a Taoist priest who is seven feet tall, with his hair tied up high and wearing a crown. He sits with a sword in his arms, his eyes slightly closed, as if he is resting his mind...

There was a man wearing a felt hat, with a strong build and a full beard. He was dressed in brown clothes, with a sharp gaze and a powerful presence…

There were also women with graceful figures and pretty faces. They had their hair tied up high, wore lavender silk skirts, held round fans in their hands, had charming eyes, and looked bright and beautiful...

Each of these people had an extraordinary aura and at first glance they were the leaders of the nearby underworld, with elite disciples standing behind them.

But what really frightened Li Yan were those three people.

In addition to Zhang Xiaoshan, there was another old man with white hair, a gaunt face, a square scarf on his head, a peach wood cane in his hand, and a very weathered look in his eyes.

The other man was short and sturdy, with a shiny bald head, wearing a black shorts and a red belt around his waist, and was holding a pipe and puffing out smoke.

These three people have no smell, they are Dan Jin masters!

In the ordinary world of martial arts, Hua Jin is the backbone, and he can serve as the leader no matter which sect or force he belongs to.

When one reaches the Dan Jin level, he seldom gets involved in the affairs of the martial world.

Those who are still young will travel around looking for opportunities for breakthroughs, while the old ones will live in seclusion in one place and become the foundation of their sect's power.

Now that three of them appear together, something big must be happening!

Not to mention him, even Mr. Tian was stunned.

In the main hall, sat a middle-aged man.

He had an upright figure, dignified facial features, three long strands of beard hanging down to his chest, and was wearing a dark purple brocade robe with round flowers, a black silk sash tied around his waist, and an embroidered jade pendant bag hanging from his waist.

Although he was dressed like a merchant, he inexplicably exuded an official aura.

It was the president of Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, Wu Honglin.

Seeing Mr. Tian coming in, he was surprised, but smiled. He stood up and said, "Brother Tian, ​​didn't you go back to your hometown to worship your ancestors?"

Seeing so many eyes on him in the hall, Tian Yuanwai hurriedly bowed and said, "I have something to do so I have to come back early. Since the president is busy, I will talk to him later."

"It doesn't matter."

Wu Honglin smiled and said, "Brother Tian, ​​what's the urgent matter?"

Just as Mr. Tian said, although the Wu family has the greatest influence in the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, there are also people who are jealous of their position.

The president will be re-elected this year. At this critical moment, Wu Honglin needs to try to win over these centrists and speak more gently.

Mr. Tian had other things to do, so he naturally didn't want to waste time, so he talked about helping Li Yan sign up for the competition.

After hearing this, Wu Honglin said meaningfully, "So Brother Tian is here for this matter as well. He is well-informed."

Mr. Tian was slightly stunned. "Isn't it just a competition?"

"A fight?"

One of them sneered and said, "If it were just a competition, I'm afraid no one here would come here."

The person who was speaking was as tall as a bamboo pole, with a pale face, wearing a black robe, his hands folded in his sleeves, and his tone was neither positive nor negative.

Mr. Tian recognized this man.

This skinny fellow is called Shi Chen, from Changsha. He is highly skilled in Kung Fu and knows some magic. He is a leader of a sect and is famous for his bravery and ferocity.

Faced with such a person, Mr. Tian didn't want to provoke him.

Zhang Xiaoshan on the other side rolled his eyes and cursed directly: "If you don't want to come, get out. You keep whining and it makes me upset."

Shi Chen's face suddenly turned ugly, but he didn't dare to talk back.

The difference in status in the underworld is obvious at a glance.

Seeing this, Wu Honglin, president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, quickly took over the conversation and said with a smile: "It seems that Brother Tian really doesn't know that things have changed. Why don't you sit down and listen, and then decide whether to enter the arena."

Mr. Tian also became curious and wanted to know what had happened.

Wu Honglin nodded, and someone from the Chamber of Commerce immediately brought a chair. Upon seeing this, Tian Yuanwai hurriedly whispered, "Bring another one."

There are also rules for this seat. His son Tian Wei is a junior and can stand behind him, but Li Yan is a nobleman and cannot suffer any injustice.

Mr. Tian was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce, so the servants naturally did not dare to disobey him.

But there were a few people in the hall who immediately looked unhappy when they saw a young man like Li Yan sitting down so carelessly.

It was still Shi Chen, the leader of the group, who asked coldly, "Which family are you from? Do you know the rules of the martial arts world?"

Li Yan was also a little annoyed with this person. He glanced at him and said bluntly, "I have no sect or faction, I'm just a random person. No one else said anything, why are you talking so much?"

Shi Chen's eyes darkened and he stood up suddenly.

"Hahaha…"

Before he could say anything, Zhang Xiaoshan on the opposite side laughed, "You kid, you really have a bad temper, but the skinny guy on the opposite side is the leader of the Paijiao. If you twist his head, the Paijiao will be in trouble."

Hearing what he said, Shi Chen was stunned at first, then looked at Li Yan in doubt. Others also looked at him sideways.

Zhang Xiaoshan is not someone you can easily mess with in the Ezhou underworld.

But from what he said, he actually had some respect for this young man...

"Everyone, everyone."

Upon seeing this, the president Wu Honglin quickly tried to smooth things over, "We are all fellow warriors, so please don't ruin the relationship."

"Let's talk business first."

Shi Chen couldn't figure out where Li Yan came from, and when he came to the stairs, he snorted coldly and sat down without saying anything else.

This is just his personality. He is usually arrogant, but since something important happened today, he just endured it.

Wu Honglin took a sip of tea and said, "I know why you are here. Since the imperial court has issued an order, the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce will not stop us..."

After listening to his story, Li Yan finally understood what was going on.

This matter is still related to the imperial court.

Since the Daxuan Dynasty ordered the opening of the sea, maritime trade has become increasingly prosperous.

All over China, there are more and more newly established chambers of commerce and fleets, and the ports and docks are also bustling with activity.

But maritime trade also carries great risks.

One is the unpredictable weather, and the other is pirates.

Working hard in business is not as fast as being robbed.
Pirates are increasing in number both near and far seas.

In such circumstances, the fleet would usually add additional armed forces. Although the court laws were strict, more and more people were adding cannons to ships without permission.

After all, without this thing, we really can’t defeat the pirates.

The imperial court also turned a blind eye.

The ban on gunpowder was now equivalent to nothing.

Now that the war has broken out in the southwest, the imperial court has to draw forces to quell the rebellion, and it is impossible for it to take the sea into consideration. Moreover, the mountain people of Jingchu have already used gunpowder as a conventional weapon.

Because of the current situation, and the push from the open-minded people and businessmen, the court finally gave in.

Of course, given Emperor Daxuan's temper, he would take back what he had given.

The imperial court would relax some restrictions appropriately, but merchant groups engaged in maritime trade would from now on have commercial bills, otherwise they would be breaking the law.

This thing is similar to a salt permit. The port inspection is very strict, and the court will send tax officials on board the ship. Once those who evade taxes are found, not only will their commercial bills be cancelled, but their property will also be confiscated and they will be exiled.

In addition, merchant groups can also form ship protection teams, similar to bodyguards.

The escort team has quotas and can use firearms.

However, the verification is also strict and they are also subject to the supervision of the court.

For example, in the current rebellion in the southwest, if the imperial court issues a temporary order, they must cooperate with the army to suppress the rebellion...

finally come!

When Li Yan heard this, he felt excited.

He had known for a long time that this day would not be long in coming, and he had even asked Yuan Qianhu for help, but he did not expect to have the opportunity here.

This matter is equally important to people in the underworld.

The power of the court's new muskets and cannons, after being used by the Duwei Division and the navy, had already spread secretly.

Not only that, the strength of the Shenjiying in various places is also increasing.

And this is also a major event that changes the landscape of the world.

The reason is simple. If others have what I don’t, I will get into trouble sooner or later.

Everyone can see that Emperor Daxuan wants to take advantage of this incident to enhance the strength of the Kaihai faction and at the same time gather the power of the underworld.

But even though we know this, we can only grab it with reluctance.

This is also a good thing for the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, which can take advantage of this trend to strengthen its own strength.

Of course, we must also release appropriate quotas, otherwise it will cause public outrage, and the people in the Ezhou underworld will have plenty of ways to take drastic measures.

This time, all parties gathered to discuss how to divide the quota. According to the court rules, commercial bills are divided into three levels according to the size of the chamber of commerce and the tax paid in recent years, and the number of guns is also divided.

The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce is a top-notch business entity with 500 quotas.

This thing is actually a bit useless to the Chamber of Commerce. After all, once you are at sea, guns and cannons can still be used even if there are no quotas.

But for people in the underworld, it is different.

Everyone knows that firearms will surely proliferate in the future, but with this quota, a lot of trouble can be saved.

At least it can be used openly.

Therefore, everyone in the hall was arguing fiercely.

Wu Honglin, president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, also showed his ability at this time. He was cheerful and talkative, and was able to get along with everyone. He was always in control of the situation and finally decided on a plan.

The caravans will naturally take the lion’s share.

Two hundred of the places are given to the ship escort team.

With these quotas, not only would it be possible to use artillery at sea without having to be sneaky, it also meant that there would be two hundred musketeers inland.

The remaining one hundred and fifty will be handed over to the Xuanmen Orthodox Sect.

Zhenwu Palace, Buddhism, and Confucianism are all indispensable.

To be honest, even if Zhang Xiaoshan didn't come, Wu Honglin would personally offer the spot, and no one else would have any objection.

As for the remaining 150, they are the key to the fight.

Finally, everyone discussed and came to a conclusion.

One hundred places are allocated to all parties, and everyone can get something, more or less.

The remaining fifty will be distributed through a competition.

After all, in the underworld, whoever has the bigger fist has the final say.

The discussion lasted until noon.

After leaving the hall, Tian immediately apologized, "I'm sorry, young man Li. You heard what the president said just now. The Chamber of Commerce quota cannot be used for personal purposes. You must obey the orders of the Chamber of Commerce."

"If you want to get it, you can only get it through fighting."

By now, he still didn't know Li Yan's real purpose.

The purpose of looking for Xuanmen craftsmen is to make firearms.

"It doesn't matter."

Li Yan's eyes were full of smiles, "I am very grateful that Mr. Tian helped me get this opportunity."

He didn't expect there would be such an unexpected surprise.

As for going on stage to fight, I already had a plan, so I was naturally not afraid.

At the same time, people in the hall came out one after another.

After all, they were all leaders of various forces. A disciple had just left, and by the time the meeting was over, they had already known Li Yan's information.

The rise of Guanzhong and the killing of people in the street on Lantern Festival can only be regarded as a rising star in the underworld. They have seen many such people.

But in Yichang, the Ghost Cult and the Heavenly Saint Cult...

This is pure madness!

The key is that it is also connected with Zhenwu Palace and Duwei Division.

The strength cannot be underestimated.

From the intelligence, everyone only saw two words:
trouble!

Therefore, after going out, these gang leaders ignored Li Yan, neither wanting to get close to him nor to provoke him.

Even Shi Chen, who was at the head of the group, just snorted and led his men away quickly.

Looking at the other person's leaving figure, Tian Yuanwai shook his head slightly and whispered: "Young Master Li, this Shi Chen is brave and aggressive, he is not a good person, you have to be careful in the future."

"Ah."

Li Yan smiled slightly and said nothing.

To be honest, the enemies he faced along the way were existences that were unimaginable to these martial artists.

What they did was extremely brutal.

Having experienced a storm, why would I be afraid of this little rain?

"Brother Tian, ​​please stay!"

Just as they were about to leave, a voice suddenly sounded from behind. It was Wu Honglin, the president of Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, who came over with his men.

"Hello, President." Mr. Tian bowed quickly.

Wu Honglin shook his head and smiled, "Brother Tian, ​​there is no need to be polite. I have prepared some wine, and I hope you two will honor me."

His words were polite, but the two of them did not dare to be careless.

The power that the head of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce can mobilize, as well as the various forces involved behind the scenes, are extremely terrifying.

Just now in the lobby, although everyone was arguing, even a few Dan Jin masters were respectful to him.

The other party's invitation to a banquet is definitely not that simple.

Sure enough, after Wu Honglin and a few others sat down to eat, he poured himself two glasses of wine.

He first picked up a cup and stood up, then bowed to Mr. Tian and said, "Brother Tian, ​​I already know what that unfilial son did. I will punish him according to the family rules and punish him to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors."

"I don't discipline you strictly. I hope Brother Tian will be magnanimous."

"No, you are too polite, President."

Mr. Tian quickly stood up and compensated with a cup.

There was some resentment before, but it has now disappeared.

Wu Honglin was still standing, holding up another cup, and smiled at Li Yan, "Young Master Li, my cousin got into trouble, and it was thanks to you that you discovered it in time, otherwise my Wu family would be in big trouble too."

"This cup is for you."

"Senior, you're welcome."

Li Yan also stood up, picked up a cup and drank it.

He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, this old man is really good at tricks.

Two glasses of wine solved two problems.

Originally, after seeing the performance of Zigui County Magistrate Wu Dehai and Wu Jiucheng, he thought that the Wu family was nothing special.

But now it seems that I was overthinking.

With Wu Honglin around, the Wu family is as stable as Mount Tai.

"Hahaha…"

Wu Honglin also laughed, "Okay! I have always believed that whether in the officialdom, business or the underworld, it all depends on the right time, right place and right people. Turning hostility into friendship is the right way."

"That's what senior said."

Li Yan smiled, but he was more alert in his heart.

This is a real old fox!
After a round of drinking, Mr. Tian also relaxed a lot, and said with a smile: "I came to the Chamber of Commerce for another matter. Since the president is here, I will ask you first."

"Oh, Brother Tian, ​​please speak."

"A while ago, an ancient mine pit from the Western Zhou Dynasty was discovered, and many Xuanmen craftsmen gathered here. Young Master Li came here to find a reliable Xuanmen craftsman."

"Young Master Li has done me a favor, but I don't know much about it, so I would like to ask the president for some advice..."

Wu Honglin immediately smiled and said, "That's easy to say. I happen to know a few of them. They all have their own unique skills. They are now invited by the Chamber of Commerce and are staying in Wuchang City."

"Wait for a letter from me, Brother Tian, ​​you can go with it."

"Thank you, President."

"Haha, it's just a small matter, not worth mentioning."

Things were beginning to look promising, and the atmosphere at the banquet was even more harmonious.

Wu Honglin was obviously very busy. His subordinates came in from time to time and reported in a low voice. Seeing this, Li Yan and others hurriedly drank a few glasses and then said goodbye and left.

After they left, the smile on Wu Honglin's face quickly disappeared. He casually picked up a piece of information next to him, looked at it for a few seconds, and his expression became serious.

"Did the Law Enforcement Hall find out anything?"

The subordinate beside him quickly replied, "We only found out that it was Jiang Xiaman, but there is someone behind them. The Law Enforcement Hall is holding back and hoping that he will show up."

"Humph!"

Wu Honglin's eyes were gloomy. "The Buddha statue in the Mahavira Hall was weeping blood, and the muddy water in the Overlord Well was surging overnight. These are all ominous signs. I'm afraid something big is going to happen in Wuchang."

"He came without a trace, and left without a trace. How is it possible without the help of a traitor?!"

"You should pay attention. The prince strongly supports opening the sea, and has long been a thorn in the eyes of those localists."

"Maybe someone is just making things up to frame the prince."

"Yes, President..."

On the other side, Li Yan and Tian Yuan went out of the Chamber of Commerce, but found that night had fallen. The shops along the street were all lit up with lanterns, and there were crowds of people, making it very lively.

Both of them were in a good mood. After walking a few steps, they saw that the shop selling Western watches was still open, so they walked in directly...

(End of this chapter)