Knife splashing

Chapter 669: Bully Blocking the Door
"You are constantly greedy. What kind of path are you following?!"

Hearing Tian Qianhu introducing the leader of the Jinghai Gang, Li Yan sneered, "I don't believe that Lu Jinghai doesn't know about these messes in Tianjin. No matter what relationship he has, the Jinghai Gang must be eradicated, leaving no one alive!"

Tian Qianhu was obviously a little surprised when he heard this. "Young Master Li, these people can't be killed. We can just eliminate Jianmu. If you want to help Master Wu get revenge, just kill Yu Wenhai. If you really uproot the Jinghai Gang, I'm afraid it will offend the King of England, which will be bad for you..."

After hearing this, Li Yan's face immediately turned ugly.

"Young Master Li, please don't misunderstand."

Tian Qianhu quickly shook his head and said, "I didn't mean any harm in what I said."

"To be honest, I have been tracking down Zhao Changsheng. Although I have already put my life at risk, I am powerless. Only you, Young Master Li, have seen through his schemes time and again. This is related to the fate of China, so we must not be careless."

As he spoke, he sighed, "I work in the Yu Duwei Division, and I have seen a lot of these things in the court. There are conflicts of interest and entanglement. Many times even the emperor has to compromise. There are too many villains in the world. Don't let them ruin important things."

These words are truly heartfelt advice.

Li Yan's expression eased slightly, and he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but this matter cannot be compromised."

Tian Qianhu's expression became serious. "Young man, why are you so persistent? Is there another reason?"

Li Yan nodded and said in a deep voice: "Fushou Cream!"

"Longevity cream?"

Tian Qianhu was stunned and shook his head, saying, "I have heard of this thing before. It was used by doctors to treat diseases in the past, so it is not surprising. Although the Jinghai Gang sells this thing, most of the people who use it are evil, gamblers and lustful people. It is not a pity that they die."

"Master Tian, ​​what you said is wrong."

Li Yan pondered for a moment and described the harm caused by the widespread circulation of opium.

"The people do not work, and they cannot distinguish between humans and ghosts... The imperial court has no soldiers to use, and the treasury is empty... Foreign enemies are invading..."

Li Yan tried to explain in as much detail as possible, but when he saw Tian Qianhu's expression, he stopped talking.

People can never imagine what they have never seen.

Even if he said more, others would probably think it was too exaggerated.

At this moment, Li Yan suddenly felt powerless.

However, Captain Tian obviously noticed something else. He narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "In Li Shaoxia's opinion, those red-haired foreigners were behind the flow of the longevity cream into Shenzhou?"

Li Yan nodded and said, "It's very likely."

Captain Tian touched his chin and said thoughtfully, "I am willing to believe Young Master Li's worries, but now that the Xuan Dynasty is at its peak, both the officials in the court and the common people will probably think that these are alarmist."

"To be honest, this matter is very difficult to handle, but if we involve the red-haired foreigners, there may be a way to crack it."

"Oh, sir, please tell me."

Li Yan asked quickly.

At this point he could understand that many diseases can only be understood when one is in a terminal state.

Even if he eradicates the Jinghai Gang today, it will be difficult to completely eliminate the trouble in the future.

"Those red-haired barbarians are really ambitious!"

Tian Qianhu's face turned gloomy. "Although I went to Jiangnan this time to investigate a case, I also learned a lot of things."

"Those red-haired barbarians came from overseas. They had long since invaded the countries of Southeast Asia, pretending to be our vassal states of Daxuan and paying tribute, bribing officials in Jiangnan to smuggle, and even colluding with Japanese pirates to rob ships and burn, kill, and rob when they came ashore."

"They seem to be greedy for money, but their ambitions are definitely not like that. They have already controlled several shipping routes and islands, strangling the key to the South China Sea route. It's a pity that some scum in Jiangnan colluded with these foreign races in order to monopolize the benefits of the sea."

"When I came back this time, I was going to report this to the Emperor. His Majesty has the ambition to rule the world. If he knew that the Fu Shou Cream was a conspiracy of these foreign races, he would definitely be on guard and might even strictly prohibit it."

"That's fine!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan nodded in agreement.

This is also a tricky way.

After all, it is easy to kill but difficult to overcome greed.

"it is good!"

Tian Qianhu said in a deep voice: "Since this is the case, I will go to the capital immediately and report this matter to His Majesty."

"At most three days, at least two days, I will lead my men back."

As he said that, he turned his head and looked to the side, "Captain Wang."

"The humble position is here!"

Behind him, a capable middle-aged man immediately stepped forward and clasped his fists.

Captain Tian looked at Li Yan again and said, "Although I am leaving Jinmen Garrison, Captain Luo, the head of the Garrison, will give me face. This is Captain Wang of Jinmen Garrison. After I leave, if you have anything to say to him, young man Li, please feel free to ask him. This is a warrant from the imperial court. Jinmen Garrison can be mobilized when necessary."

As he spoke, he took out a heavy black iron token from his arms.

"Young Master Li, please be careful and wait for me to come back!"

After Li Yan took the token, Captain Tian clasped his fists, stood up and left.

Li Yan didn't find it strange. He had seen how decisive Tian Qianhu was when he was in Shu.

Soon, Li Yan and Captain Wang were the only ones left in the restaurant.

Seeing Captain Wang standing aside like a door god, Li Yan shook his head speechlessly, "Master Wang, please take a seat. There is no need to be restrained. I came down in a hurry and did not have time to collect some intelligence. Please tell me about the situation in Tianjin."

"Ah."

Captain Wang sat down, lowered his head and said in a deep voice: "Tianjin is not a big city, and the forces of various parties are complicated, but in the final analysis, they are all related to the capital, so my Duwei Division can only act as low-key as possible."

"During the Daxing period of the previous dynasty, Tianjin was the place where the Golden Horde Wolf Nation stationed its troops. It was not until the establishment of this dynasty that the Tianjin Guard was established. Fifty years ago, the Tianjin Left Guard and Tianjin Right Guard were added, collectively known as the 'Three Guards of Tianjin'. They are located in the north of the city and are directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War. They have a total of 9,000 soldiers and horses."

"So, Tianjin was actually controlled by the military. Later, it prospered because of the canal hub, and only then were there the Ministry of Revenue Customs Office, the Audit Office, the Salt Transport Commissioner Office and other government offices. His Majesty also specifically ordered that without the tiger talisman, the soldiers and horses of the garrison could not leave the camp..."

When Li Yan heard this, he immediately understood, "Civil officials control military generals?"

He pointed it out directly, but Captain Wang didn't dare to respond. He just nodded and continued, "The three guards of Tianjin are not allowed to leave the camp. They know what's going on and dare not act recklessly. However, the Navy Camp is responsible for the safety of the canal, so they can move freely at the dock."

Thinking of what he saw at the dock that day, Li Yan said in a deep voice: "I know that they are also closely involved with the Jinghai Gang."

Wang Baihu nodded and continued, "In addition, there are the Eight Great Families of Tianjin, all of whom are grain and salt merchants. They made their fortunes because of the canal and are closer to the civil officials of Tianjin. Many ministers in the court are also involved behind the scenes. Many escort agencies and martial arts companies in Tianjin rely on the Eight Great Families for their livelihood."

White gloves!
Li Yan immediately understood where these people came from.

At this point, Captain Wang looked towards the Sancha River estuary and shook his head, saying, "Their lives are not easy nowadays. Since the opening of the sea, Tianjin has the advantage of sea access and is close to the gate of the capital, so workshops have sprung up everywhere and chambers of commerce from various states have flocked here."

"They are all fierce dragons crossing the river, so it is inevitable that they will suppress the eight great families."

"In the past few years, the fighting in the underworld of Tianjin was all about the struggle between these two parties. Only the Jinghai Gang was the only one that dominated the city. It wiped out all the gangs in the city, big and small, and all the gangsters in the east, west, south and north cities were also included in its command."

"The two sides have kept to themselves."

"I see…"

Li Yan pondered for a moment, "Who is in charge of this Jinghai Gang?"

Wang Baihu replied: "Originally, Lu Jinghai had the final say, but now it is mostly the responsibility of the third in command, Yu Wenhai."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "What about the second in command, are you willing to be inferior to others?"

Wang Baihu's mouth curved, "Young Master Li is indeed amazing. The Second In Command is indeed at odds with Yu Wenhai." "The Second In Command is named Zhang Tiankui, nicknamed 'Iron Arm Dragon King'. He was originally the son of Lu Jinghai's comrade. Because his father died saving Lu Jinghai on the battlefield in the northern border, he was adopted since he was young and treated as his own son."

"This man is no ordinary person either. His ancestors were the leaders of Tianjin's 'foot trade'. He practiced martial arts since he was young, and spent all day in the wrestling arena at the dock. At the age of twelve, he could knock down an adult man. Because of his natural strength and unusual spine, he was accepted as a closed disciple by Cangzhou wrestling king Liu Tieshan. He learned the '72-Move Dragon Capturing Wrestling' and is very fierce."

"At the age of 18, he single-handedly defeated the three major wrestling arenas in Nanshi. He used the move 'Dragon King's Tail Swing' to nail his opponent, including his wrestling clothes, into the earth wall. He was also very good at swimming, so he was nicknamed 'Iron Arm Dragon King'."

"Moreover, this person is also a sorcerer. He was invited by Lu Jinghai to teach him the method of divine fighting. He created his own martial arts, 'Eighteen Tribulations of the Haihe River'. In Tianjin, whether in the Jianghu or the Xuanmen, he is a top-ranked ruthless character."

"But this person has a problem. He is addicted to alcohol and has a bad temper. It is difficult for him to take on big responsibilities."

"The Third Master, Yu Wenhai, was originally a scholar who landed in the capital. He later joined the Jinghai Gang and was given important positions because of his extraordinary wisdom. After Lu Jinghai retired to practice, he directly presided over all the affairs of the gang, so that the people in the gang only recognized him as the 'Third Master'."

"Zhang Tiankui originally thought he could become the leader of the gang, so he naturally harbored a grudge..."

Listening to the other party's explanation, Li Yan secretly took note, and then asked: "The red-haired foreign merchants in Tianjin seem to be very close to the Navy Camp. Do you know who is backing them?"

Wang Baihu thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "It was also our fault. After those foreign merchants came to the Tianjin dock, they were quite honest. They just made friends and did business everywhere, so we didn't pay much attention to them."

"As for the Navy Camp, there are the Marine Corps General and the Canal Corps General. One is called Zheng Guoxi and the other is called Zhou Kang. They are responsible for patrolling the Haihe River estuary and the canal respectively. The Marine Corps General has a close relationship with the Kaihai faction, while the Canal Corps General is deeply involved with the Jinghai Gang..."

As expected of a member of the Duwei Division, he easily analyzed the situation in Tianjin clearly.

Li Yan nodded and was about to speak, but then he frowned and looked outside the door.

But I saw the eagle Lidong roaring down from the sky, holding a bamboo tube in his hand.

Li Yan's face was solemn and he immediately took it down to check.

Yingshun Lidong was responsible for communicating with Lu San, and just now he had to check the target of Yu Wenhai's message.

Something must have happened if they came in such a hurry.

"Young Master Li, has anything happened?" Wang Baihu asked hurriedly upon seeing this.

"nothing."

Li Yan looked at the Jade Emperor Pavilion in the distance and sneered: "It seems that our whereabouts have been exposed, and they have come to our door..."

…………

The door of Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce in the north of the city was closed.

Jinzhou is located in the Loess Plateau with deep gullies, high mountains and long roads. Because there are many bandits, the rich people often build high gates and small houses. Once the gates are blocked, it is like a fortress.

At this moment, many people were looking out of the small windows of the "fortress".

But outside the gate below, there were more than a hundred big men surrounding it.

They were all tall and strong, fat and strong, with bare upper bodies, dragon and tiger tattoos, huge leather belts with copper tiger buckles tied around their waists, black pants and leather boots, blowing their noses and glaring, looking very fierce.

At first glance, these people are obviously wrestling warriors.

But the people of Tianjin all know that these strong men are subordinates of the second-in-command of the Jinghai Gang, nicknamed "Haihe King Kong".

Right now, these men were all carrying bags of transported salt, which were filled with yellow mud. They carried them again and again, and suddenly threw them on the ground. Soon, dust flew everywhere, turning the bluestone road in front of the Jinzhou Guild Hall into a yellow mud wrestling field.

Not only that, they also carried dock poles as thick as bowls.

"Jiuhe Xiashaoye is the greatest!"

Following the men's arrogant voices, they actually swung their bare hands, using their "thousand-pound weight" skill to pound the bars into the soil like hammers.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
With each loud tremor, the wall of the guild hall cracked into spider web patterns.

"Haihe Dragon Gate Formation?"

The old shopkeeper of Jinzhou Guild Hall had an ugly look on his face. He bowed and shouted to the people below: "Second Master Zhang, you and my Jinzhou Guild Hall have always kept to yourself. I don't know how I have offended you and caused such a big scene?"

On the street in the distance, a man was leaning on an armchair, with his legs spread out and his left foot on the chair.

He was wearing sunglasses and was also shirtless, with muscular body and bronze wrestling rings jingling around his neck. The pattern of a green dragon swallowing water on his chest rose and fell with his muscles, as if it was tumbling in the turbid waves. It was none other than Zhang Tiankui, the second in command of the Jinghai Gang.

Listening to the questions asked by the owner of the guild hall, he sneered and suddenly raised his hand.

Whoosh!
The iron ball in his hand whizzed out, and a corner of the stone lion's head in the guild hall was directly broken off.

After throwing the iron ball, Zhang Tiankui scratched his ears and glanced sideways:
"You Shanxi merchants are showing off in Taiyuan, I can't control you, but when you come to Sanchahekou..."

"If you are a dragon, you have to coil up; if you are a tiger, you have to stay in my den!"

This asshole...

The old shopkeeper of the guild hall was somewhat helpless, "Mr. Zhang, can you please make it clear?"

"There is a man named Li Yan..."

Zhang Tiankui said lazily, "I heard that it was the Twelve Yuanchen who destroyed my Jinghai Gang's place yesterday. I won't make things difficult for you. Hand him over, and then I will host a banquet to apologize to your Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce."

After hearing this, the old manager of the guild hall felt a pang in his heart.

Of course he knew about the fire last night, but he didn't think it was Li Yan who caused it.

But handing over the person is absolutely impossible.

Li Yan is a VIP listed in the secret book, and handing him over would destroy the reputation of the guild.

Thinking of this, the old shopkeeper hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "This must be a misunderstanding..."

"Who the hell misunderstood you?"

Zhang Tiankui took off his sunglasses and glared at him, "Old man, if you don't accept my toast, you'll have to drink a penalty."

The old shopkeeper's face darkened as well. "Second Master Zhang, does the Jinghai Gang really want to make things difficult for our Chamber of Commerce?"

Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce is also a giant, so it is naturally not afraid of a local gang in Tianjin.

"Oh my god..."

Zhang Tiankui raised his eyebrow, "Well, don't drink the penalty wine!"

After saying this, he ordered his men to bring ten baskets of moldy grain, set up a pot in the street, and cook "Zheluo Rice".

The so-called "Zheluo rice" is a mixture of leftover rice and vegetables, which are heated up and eaten again.

At weddings, funerals, or festive banquets, there are often leftovers because the dishes are plentiful. To avoid waste, the host often distributes the leftovers to relatives, friends, or poor families, which is also considered to be thrifty and conserving.

But this thing is not all good.

Beggars' sect disciples from all over the country wait outside restaurants and taverns to collect the zhe lan, which they cook like swill.

The "Zheluo Rice" made by the Jinghai Gang is of this kind.

Soon, a foul stench filled the air outside the guild hall, attracting green-headed flies buzzing around.

Zhang Tiankui scooped up half a spoonful of the stinky porridge and poured it directly towards the main door of the guild hall, laughing:
"I heard that Li Yan is a swordsman from Guanzhong?"

"Tell him that Jinghai Gang will provide you with enough pot stickers for lunch!"

"Hahaha…"

The big men around all laughed strangely, with a carefree expression on their faces.

(End of this chapter)