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As the head of a large family, Ye Dan was naturally the first to learn about the invading rebels. However, he didn't know whether he should be happy or worried.

The word had been spread long ago, and the Lu family must have believed it by now. It was also natural for the two families to form an alliance, but the thieves were so ferocious that if they were not careful, they would be in big trouble.

When the time came, the only person he could ask for advice was the Ghost Scholar. Ye Dan lowered his posture again and asked, "Mr. Ning, the Straw Cloth Bandits have tens of thousands of soldiers. Will there be any changes to the alliance this time?"

Ning Fu glanced at him and said with a smile, "Boss Ye's wealth is all on the sea, so what's there to be afraid of those thieves on land?"

Ye Dan's eyes twitched, and he almost cursed out loud. "You're the one who tied the Ye and Lu families together. If they form an alliance, what will they do if they come asking for help? Will the Ye family help them or not?" Besides, the Ye family is from Tingzhou and has manors and fertile land!

Suppressing his anger, he hurriedly said, "Now is the time of year when there is a shortage of food and the enemy is strong. If the officers and soldiers are unable to resist, and the Lu family comes to ask for help again, what should we do?"

"It is precisely because of the famine that they cannot stay in a strategic place like Tingzhou for long. The people have no surplus food, and attacking the manor fort is not such a simple matter. There are pursuers behind them. If they stay in a stalemate for a few days, the troops will be dispersed if they do not withdraw. I don't think the people in the葑衣杠 are that stupid. As for the Lu family, I'm afraid they will be in trouble. The soldiers will throw them into the fields and the seedlings will be trampled to death. If they fight two more battles, they will be unable to take care of themselves. If he really comes to you, you just need to name a price." Ning Fu explained the matter in a few words.

Ye Dan felt relieved. What he was most worried about was being forced into a chaotic battle. Now it sounded like there was no chance of a tough battle at all.

He actually doesn't care whether Lu lives or dies, as long as no one stabs him in the back.

Thinking of this, Ye Dan smiled and said, "I think we can take this opportunity to make the Lu family bleed a little. Sir, you are truly talented..."

Before he could finish his words, Ning Fu snorted coldly, "Don't forget why you formed an alliance with the Lu family. Now is the time to force them to use their connections to recruit the navy."

This was beyond Ye Dan's expectations. He quickly said, "Now that General Qiu is dead, how can the navy still be able to fight? If we use the imperial army, what if they are dragged down again?"

When he was fighting with Shen Feng before, he asked the navy of the garrison for help, but it turned out that this group of people was a complete drag and could not defeat the pirates of the Qingfeng Gang at all.

Even if Lord Lu has great connections and can mobilize another group of navy, it may not be effective.

Moreover, the people were not hired by their own family. If the soldiers and officers turn around and extort money from Ye family, it would be a case of losing more than gaining something.

"Qiu Sheng is dead. Are all his former subordinates dead? Excluding those who were exiled, there must be some skilled fighters. Isn't it only natural to let them suppress the bandits?" Ning Fu smiled, but his eyes seemed to be filled with poison, cold and piercing. "I think Qiu Sheng's fate should teach those commanders a lesson. No one dares to attack the merchants. Wouldn't the Ye family benefit from this?"

Ye Dan knew very well why Qiu Sheng died. This great general was too nosy. Not only did he want to oppose the maritime ban, he also dared to burn the large ships of the aristocratic families. It was only natural that he should exterminate his entire family to vengeance for cutting off their financial resources.

The emperor even dared to kill Qiu Sheng, so how could the other commanders not know the pros and cons of this?

If they really encouraged the Lu family to bring in reinforcements, once their fertile farmland was destroyed and their food supply was blocked, they would definitely hate Lu Jian and the Red Flag Gang even more.

In order to win over the Ye family, the chances of helping to attack the Qingfeng Gang first will be greater.

If you calculate it step by step, it is really perfect!

Ye Dan was now convinced: "Mr. Ning is truly talented. We will wait for the Lu family to come!"

Before, they asked Lu for help, and now it was Lu's turn to ask them for help. This back and forth was really refreshing.

Ning Fu tapped his palm with a paper fan: "The fish hasn't taken the bait yet. If the person behind the Suoyi Gang has some brains, they will definitely cause chaos in the city. Isn't Boss Ye worried?"

This made Ye Dan's heart rise again. "I've been sending people to follow those two traitors these past few days. Can't they stop them?"

He had said before that one should play the long game to catch the big fish. He had not relaxed for a single moment, staring intently at the bait, hoping to catch the person behind the scenes. Why had this ghost scholar changed his words again?

"We've been watching so closely, but we haven't found any flaws. Most likely, the other party hasn't entered the city yet. Now that the貑衣宮 has arrived, it's a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the chaos to enter the city. At a time like this, we have to be careful and keep a close eye on them. We can't be careless." Although Ning Fu hasn't gone out recently, he has not been idle. He has been watching Ye's movements. He can't find any flaws, so it must be that the troublemakers haven't arrived yet.

If that was the case, he was afraid that the other party was not just trying to disrupt the Lu and Ye families. Perhaps Tingzhou City was also part of their plan. How could he let the thieves succeed?

Ye Dan immediately understood what Ning Fu meant and couldn't help but take it to heart: "Sir, you're right. I'll go to see the prefect in the next few days. Tingzhou is a big city after all. How can we let thieves take advantage of it and break in!"

Ning Fu raised an eyebrow and said, "I don't care whether they can come in or not, as long as they can't leave."

Ye Dan was stunned. What did this mean?

Ning Fu laughed: "What's the point of taking precautions? It's more fun to toy with the enemy in the palm of your hand. Besides, who knows who's the one coming from the Suoyi Gang. If we catch him, he'll definitely be useful."

Looking at the man whose smile was more poisonous than a snake, Ye Dan was speechless again. This man was really smart, but also really crazy.

I really don't know how the leader of the Changjing Gang managed to subdue this man.

Well, never mind. He is just an ally. Let’s not worry about it.

…

When Xiao Lin heard the news that the straw raincoat bandits attacked Tingzhou, he knew that his guess was right, and this time the Lu family might really be in trouble.

However, what is more worrying is the actions of the Ye family. They seem to really want to form an alliance with the Lu family.

Outsiders couldn't see this, so how could Xiao Lin not see it? Those secret meetings, the shops that compromised with each other, and the suppressed voices were all ominous signs.

Originally, Xiao had planned to discuss maritime trade with Ye, but now it seems that not only is it impossible, but there is also the possibility of backlash.

Worse still, the Xiao family also relies on the land for their livelihood. If they encounter a rebellion at this time, wouldn't their harvest be wiped out? With internal and external difficulties, it's hard to say whether the Xiao family can still hold on to their current territory.

It was for this reason that the clan, after several discussions, decided to interfere and destroy the alliance between the Ye and Lu families.

Of course, Xiao couldn't do this personally, so Mrs. Jiang was invited into the mansion again.

"Here is the document I drafted. The price of rice is 4.5 cents per dan. The Xiao family can provide the Jiang family with two seasons a year, with a minimum of 2,000 dan and a maximum of 4,000 dan. What do you think, madam?" Xiao Lin asked with a smile as he pushed a document in front of the woman.

Perhaps she was getting impatient, as she saw the young woman hurriedly take the page and began to read. After a moment, a smile appeared on her face. "Mr. Xiao is a sincere and trustworthy person. I have no objection. Those Western goods can be transferred to the Xiao family for sale. The price is negotiable."

Xiao Lin chuckled, "I can give you this deed, but with the bandits invading, it's uncertain whether the Xiao family's food supply can be maintained this year. How can I easily make such a big deal? If Madam can help the Xiao family with a small favor, I will naturally be willing to make friends with you."

Madam Jiang's expression changed immediately, and she said cautiously, "I am alone and weak, how can I help Lord Xiao?"

Xiao Lin sighed, "Madam, you've even figured out such a secret as the Lu and Ye clans' alliance. You must be quite resourceful and well-connected. As long as Madam is willing to send some men and follow Xiao's instructions, I will not only sign the contract but also offer you some compensation. I bet it won't be less than what Qian offered."

"This isn't about money!" The young woman shook her head repeatedly. "Now that the straw raincoat bandits are at the gates of the city, we have to leave quickly. If we're left here, no matter how much money we have, we won't be able to spend it all..."

"Look at what Madam said," Xiao Lin said immediately. "The Xiao family isn't the kind of villain who would harm their allies. They definitely won't put Madam in danger. They're just pulling out a dozen people to make the Lu and Ye families suffer a little."

Madam Jiang still refused to give in: "I only brought two boats this time. If more than a dozen people were killed, the boats would be unable to move. And if chaos really breaks out, it will be difficult for me to leave the city..."

Xiao Lin chuckled: "Now that the enemy troops have arrived, do you still think you can get away so easily, Madam?"

The young woman froze for a moment and looked over in disbelief.

Xiao Lin's expression remained unchanged. "I'm not kidding. If you don't have someone to rely on, with martial law both inside and outside the city, you won't be able to even leave the city gates, let alone board a ship! Besides, there are so many checkpoints on the river. If you're stopped again, it will be all over. I don't have any other connections, but I do have some connections. If Madam is willing to do me a small favor, even if the government closes the city, I can help you escape safely."

These words were so decisive that the young woman was slightly moved.

After a moment of silence, she asked, "Does Mr. Xiao really mean what he said?"

"That's absolutely true!" Xiao Lin said bluntly, and then added, "I'm also dealing with the Lu family. If Second Young Master Qian hears about this, I don't think he'll object."

With the heavy burden of Qian's family pressing down on her, the young woman finally gave in: "If that's the case, I'm willing to give it a try."

That's right. Xiao Lin stroked his beard with satisfaction: "With Madam's help, I feel at ease."

Looking at the complacent old man, Cheng Xi chuckled in his heart.

This layer of cover has been arranged in place, and an emergency passage has also been provided, which can be considered a complete success.

All that remains is to set traps and wait for people to fall into them.

At the same time, a group of people quietly sneaked into Tingzhou City before the situation deteriorated.

However, when they rushed to the designated camping point, they were stopped by a spy.

"Mr. Fang, have you changed your plans?" asked a seemingly inconspicuous man dressed as a traveling merchant with a frown.

"The situation has changed. It is said that the Lu family has invited a powerful figure." The spy whispered.

This is not good, Sun Yuanrang frowned.

He had invested all his manpower and material resources in this trip to Tingzhou. If it was in vain, his foundation would be shaken.

However, he didn't show it on his face, but nodded calmly: "In that case, please lead the way. I believe in Mr. Fang's ability."

Trust people you employ; don’t employ people you don’t trust.

At this point, instead of hiding and being doubtful, it is better to risk your life and fight.

Anyway, even if the plan fails, he is confident that he can escape.

The spy also breathed a sigh of relief: "Master Sun, please come this way..."

The group quietly blended into the crowd again.