Chapter 193: Don't Enter the Tiger's Den
Soon Ding Daqian found ten soldiers from the army who were agile and careful in their speech.
Because Zhao Xiao didn't want to reveal his identity, Ding Daqian didn't dare tell them what to do, and only told them to follow Mr. Xiao's arrangements. (Xiao Zhao was a fake name he had temporarily created.)
Zhao Xiao divided the ten people into two groups, sending four to the Hangzhou Steel Plant to protect the Deng family. Five stayed in the inn to protect Song Yuzhu, and the remaining one followed him disguised as a servant. He wanted to go to the East Island of West Lake to find out the forces behind the Chamber of Commerce.
After finding her husband, Mrs. Deng did not plan to leave. She took her son and rented a small yard near the steel plant so that the family of three could be reunited every day.
Deng Fangyuan took the time to write a letter home, informing the elderly at home of the arrival of the mother and son so as not to worry them.
The next morning, he took a leave of absence and went to the Hangzhou Post Office to deliver a letter.
As soon as Deng Fangyuan entered the city, he was targeted by a group of criminals.
"Come and see this person?" said a fat man, taking out a portrait from his arms.
"He's in his thirties, of medium build, with half of his face disfigured. That's right, it's him!" Another thin man's eyes sparkled, and he rubbed his hands and said, "President Jin has said that if you catch him, you'll get a reward of 500 taels of silver. We'll be rich!"
The two men were thugs hired by the Chamber of Commerce. They usually roamed the streets, and recently received orders from their superiors to kidnap this man named Deng.
However, there are too many people in the city and it is difficult to take action. We have to wait until Deng Fangyuan leaves the city before we can take action.
The thin man is in charge of keeping watch, while the fat man goes to find people for help. They can't find too many people, otherwise the five hundred taels of silver will not be enough to divide.
At this time, Deng Fangyuan didn't know that he was being followed. After sending the letter, he went to the cloth shop in the city to buy two pieces of cloth for his wife, and went to the bookstore to buy some books for his son. He left the city at almost noon, and the gang of criminals hurriedly followed him.
Five criminals disguised as merchants drove a horse-drawn carriage behind Deng Fangyuan, preparing to attack after they had gone a little further away.
As a result, just as they were about to leave the city, four or five strong men appeared out of nowhere, stopped the carriage and beat them up indiscriminately!
These people not only robbed people of their money, but also stripped off all their clothes. They were left standing naked in the suburbs, covered in mosquito bites, and couldn't even get through the city gate!
*
On the other side, Zhao Xiao disguised himself as a fur merchant from Xiguan. He had learned some skills of disguise in a drama troupe when he was young. Although he could not fool experts, it was still easy to fool ordinary people.
He used rose leaves soaked in water to paint his skin black, put on a fake beard and eyebrows, and spoke with an authentic Xiguan accent. No one would suspect that he was fake.
The soldier sent from the military camp was called Xu Mao, a taciturn boy who was taller than Zhao Xiao and had a very sturdy build. Zhao Xiao also changed his clothes for him and followed him around pretending to be a guard.
After everything was arranged, Zhao Xiao took him to Ruyi Tower, the largest gambling house in Hangzhou.
As soon as he entered the door, Zhao Xiao's attire attracted the attention of the people in the gambling house. He was wearing an expensive brocade robe and was covered with ornaments. He looked like a nouveau riche from outside the city.
This kind of people are the most popular in gambling houses. They can feed themselves for several months after being slaughtered once.
Zhao Xiao walked to the gambling table with square steps and sat down. In an instant, several old gamblers surrounded him.
"This gentleman looks unfamiliar. What's your name?"
Zhao Xiao didn't even raise his eyelids, took out the silver from his pocket and started to place the bet, "The surname is Xiao."
"Where are you from?"
"Xiguan."
"My name is Qian San, and I'm good at playing dice. If you need me, I can play a few rounds with you."
These people have a nickname in the city called "ban", which can be called playmates or companions. They are proficient in eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, and will take you to play all over Hangzhou, and of course they will ask for a little kickback from you.
"Okay, I'm happy today, so I'll follow your bet and give you half of the winnings!"
"Great!" Qian San was very happy to meet a generous boss. He worked very hard and in a short while, the two of them won more than two hundred taels of silver!
Zhao Xiao kept his word and divided the winnings into three halves.
After gambling for a while, Zhao Xiao yawned and said in boredom, "It's boring just to gamble. I won't play anymore."
When Qian San saw that the money tree was about to leave, he immediately stood up and followed him: "Master Xiao, wait a minute, I know a place where there are other things to do besides gambling. Do you want to go and have some fun?"
Zhao Xiao knew the fish had been hooked, "Where?"
"Please follow me." Qian San brought the two to West Lake.
The West Lake is still bustling at night, with many pleasure boats floating on the lake and lights illuminating the water surface.
Qian San called a small boat and took Zhao Xiao to the island on the east side of West Lake.
When he came here again, Zhao Xiao found that the entrance was much stricter than before. There were several guards standing there checking the guests coming in and out, and no one was allowed to bring weapons ashore.
Qian San was obviously an old customer. As soon as he got ashore, he started chatting with the guard. He pointed at Zhao Xiao and his entourage behind him and whispered a few words to the guard. After a while, he was allowed to pass.
This is also the reason why Zhao Xiao brought him here. If there was no acquaintance to lead the way, he would be too conspicuous and would easily make them alert.
Zhao Xiao pretended to be here for the first time and looked around: "What's different here?"
Qian San smiled flatteringly and said, "This is the den of money-making in our Hangzhou City. There is nothing that cannot be done here, except what you can't imagine."
"I want to eat some delicacies from land and sea. Are there any here?"
"Of course there are. Lychees are abundant in the south this season. Fresh lychees are shipped in from the south every day and can only be eaten in Changsheng Building."
Zhao Xiao asked, "With such hot weather and such a long journey, won't the lychees rot when they are transported to Hangzhou?"
Qian San thought to himself that this country bumpkin had no experience. "Mr. Xiao, you don't know that these lychees are all kept in ice. We need dozens of truckloads of ice along the way, which is much more expensive than lychees."
Zhao Xiao nodded. It seemed that the luxury of the Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce was far greater than he had imagined.
To enter Changsheng Building, you have to pay an entrance fee of fifty taels of silver. These fifty taels of silver are equivalent to buying a ticket, and you can eat, drink and have fun on the first and second floors.
On the first floor, there is a big stage on the east side, where several troupes perform non-stop all day long, and on the west side are places for pitching pots, cockfighting, and cricket playing. Some young men from ordinary families often gather here.
The second floor is a place for eating and drinking, where you can eat all kinds of food from all over the world.
There are many kinds of wine, including ordinary Shaodaozi and expensive snake gall wine. Any wine that can be named can be found here.
To go to the third floor, you have to pay an extra one hundred taels of silver. The third floor is different. In addition to the gambling house, there is also a brothel. The beauties there are all Yangzhou skinny horses, proficient in everything from playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.
The fourth floor is a private room for rest, where you can take the girl you choose up there for a romantic encounter.
As for the fifth floor, I heard that it only receives distinguished guests and ordinary people cannot go up there.
Qian San followed Zhao Xiao and introduced everyone one by one. The few of them did not stay downstairs for long and went straight to the third floor. Zhao Xiao spent three hundred taels to buy three tickets.
Because the tickets to the third floor were too expensive, Qian San was reluctant to spend the money and only came a few times.
As soon as I went upstairs, I heard the sound of crisp stringed instruments. A woman in a Hu skirt was dancing. The girl had fair skin, beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and the most amazing thing was that she had a pair of emerald green pupils.
Zhao Xiao pretended to be a fangirl and was stunned. Qian San said, "Master Xiao, if you like this Hu dancer, you can bring her upstairs directly~"
Zhao Xiao waved his hand: "Let's talk about it later. Let's go to the gambling house and play a few rounds first."
The casino on the third floor is completely different from the gambling houses outside. It is very quiet inside, not many people are talking, and the lighting is very dim, so you can hardly see the faces of the people around you.
They have many types of gambling, including Pai Gow, Leaf Cards, Dice Size, etc.
Zhao Xiao found a gambling table with few people and sat down. Those who could go to the third floor were either rich or noble. He only brought 50,000 taels of silver notes with him, which were borrowed from the army by Ding Daqian. He didn't know if it was enough.
Qian San sat beside him and whispered, "There are a lot of rules for gambling in Changsheng Building. The first is that once you buy, you can't regret it, and winning or losing doesn't matter. Do you see the thugs next to you?"
Zhao Xiao looked in the direction he pointed.
"They are equipped with muskets. Anyone who dares to cause trouble here will not be able to leave this building."
Zhao Xiao's heart sank: "Fire gun? Isn't that a weapon used by the army? How did they get it?"
Qian San said, "Oh, I don't know about that." He whispered in Zhao Xiao's ear, "But I heard that Changsheng Tower has the support of the imperial court, so they naturally have some tricks."
Zhao Xiao nodded silently, took out the silver bills and asked his servant to buy chips.
Three thousand taels of silver were exchanged for thirty silver chips. It seems that this chip is worth one hundred taels of silver.
Zhao Xiao casually threw a few to Qian San and said, "Take it and play. If you lose, it's mine. If you win, we'll split the profit in half."
"Thank you, Master Xiao!"
As time passed, the chips in front of Zhao Xiao became fewer and fewer. He was not good at gambling, and after losing three thousand taels, he asked Xu Mao to change for another five thousand taels.
His generosity naturally attracted the attention of the casino.
Someone quietly inquired about his background and learned that he was a fur trader from Xiguan. Not long after, a man came over and said, "Boss Xiao, Master Li wants to invite you upstairs to play a few rounds."
Zhao Xiao pretended to be impatient and asked, "Who is Mr. Li?"
Qian San whispered in his ear: "Mr. Li is the second son of the prefect of Hangzhou."
"Then go play a couple of rounds."
The man led the way in front, Zhao Xiao and Xu Mao followed behind. Qian San also wanted to follow to broaden his horizons, but was stopped at the door.
"Don't go up there."
Qian San retracted his head, took the chips that Zhao Xiao had given him and went back to continue gambling.
The fourth floor of Changsheng Building is full of private rooms, each with a different name. The one where Mr. Li is staying is called Tianshui Pavilion.
When Zhao Xiao walked in, there was a scantily clad woman shaking dice. There were four or five people sitting next to her. Judging from their clothes, they must be the children of wealthy families in Hangzhou.
"Come on, come on, sit at the end of the table and play a few rounds with us!" Master Li ordered without further ado.
Zhao Xiao pulled out a stool and sat down, and Xu Mao behind him placed the chips next to him.
It is still a simple bet on size, but the amount of money bet is different from the following. The victory or defeat of each round is worth ten thousand taels of silver.
Zhao Xiao had good luck and won two rounds at the beginning, but he only won those two rounds. He kept losing later, and seeing that the 50,000 taels of silver were almost gone, Zhao Xiao pretended to be restless and wiped the sweat off his head.
Mr. Li showed a smug expression: "Hey, place your bets quickly!"
"I...I don't have any money on me."
"Send someone back to get it."
Zhao Xiao shook his head: "I don't want to play anymore." He stood up and was about to leave when someone outside the door immediately stopped him.
Master Li's face changed, and he threw away the chips in his hand and said, "This is really a fucking bummer. Every time you're playing, you have to run away. This Changsheng Building is not a place where you can come and go as you please."
"Unless... you leave your hands behind." Master Li showed a cruel smile on his face.
Zhao Xiao showed a panicked expression, "I have already lost the money to you. Since you haven't defaulted on the debt, why don't you let me go? If you stop me again, I will report to the police!"
The people around seemed to have heard a huge joke and burst into laughter.
"Changshenglou is owned by my family. Report to the authorities? My father is the prefect of Hangzhou! Go ahead and report it~"
Zhao Xiao raised his eyebrows in understanding. This was what he was waiting for: "Xu Mao, go back and get the silver!"
Xu Mao nodded and turned to leave.
Zhao Xiao returned to the poker table: "Mr. Li said that Changsheng Building was opened by your family. Are you bragging? Isn't this the territory of the Chamber of Commerce?"
"The Chamber of Commerce is nothing. Without my father lending them ten thousand guts, they wouldn't dare to give this place this name."
"Since Master Li still wants to gamble, I will risk my life to accompany you."
*
In the military camp, Ding Daqian was waiting anxiously. He had assembled thousands of soldiers in advance, just waiting for the general's order to rush directly to the East Island of West Lake.
When it was almost the second watch, Xu Mao finally came back. He hurried into the camp and said, "Greetings, garrison commander. Lord Xiao asked me to come back to get the silver."
This was a secret signal agreed upon in advance by Zhao Xiao and Ding Daqian. Once the time was right, Zhao Xiao would use the excuse of taking the silver to inform him that he could take action.
"Send the order to the General Fuguo, order the Military Affairs Battalion and the Firearms Battalion to follow me to West Lake and capture Changsheng Tower!"
(End of this chapter)
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