A dense crowd of people were crowded at the bottom of the hill. They were all wearing plain clothes with scars on them. They looked around and when they saw the heavy things on the carts behind the group of people, they immediately rushed up.

It was like a sudden accumulation of huge waves on the river bank.

In Qianzhou, not only the city was gradually becoming chaotic, but also in the city, small movements gradually accumulated, and the undercurrents rolled under the calm surface.

Liu Jingtong had just gone out with his brothers when they were stopped at the door. They were not powerful figures, but a group of young and old beggars who had drunk some evil spirit. They were usually afraid of the Youtian Gang and dared not approach the door. At this time, they rushed up and blocked the door to beg.

Liu Jingtong killed those people from other factions with a swift and ruthless knife, but it was difficult to do it to these people.

After being entangled for a long time, when they walked to the street, they found that on the street of Qianzhou, people were running in one direction one after another, with excited expressions, as if they had found some treasure that fell from the sky.

Liu Jingtong grabbed a person: "What happened?"

The man was suddenly caught by someone and wanted to turn around and curse. But he found out that it was the leader of the newly emerged Youtian Gang in Qianzhou. He immediately became less arrogant and said, "I heard that there is cheap salt for sale near the city, so I went to take a look."

Liu Jingtong frowned.

If it was really private salt, such a big scene, so many people ran there, if the government knew about it...

Which salt seller would be desperate?

He laughed, loosened the man's collar, and waved to the people behind him: "Let's go and pick him up."

Liu Jingtong led a team of people to the agreed direction at the edge of the city. Just after leaving the city gate, he heard a deep voice from behind: "Make way!!"

Liu Jingtong turned around and saw the county magistrate personally leading a large team, wearing neat red and black riding clothes, sitting on a tall and majestic horse.

What happened? Liu Jingtong waved his hand, and his men stepped aside to make way.

The governor of Qianzhou was Xie Yunzheng, the father of the current imperial concubine and the grandfather of the third prince. He was a well-known tiger. He was fierce and resourceful.

The Youtian Gang was out of the control of the government, but it rose very quickly and now it has taken over a lot of business. Recently, Xie Yunzheng has been looking for opportunities to suppress the Youtian Gang. He hopes that the Youtian Gang will be under his control like the Qingyun Gang.

Liu Jingtong acted in a high-profile manner. What he did in Qianzhou must have been known to the emperor's ears all over the world, but he did nothing to him.

Maybe the emperor knew in his heart that no matter how he made trouble, he could not turn the world upside down, so it was better to let him stay in Qianzhou.

Something to do, so as not to think about things that you shouldn't think about all day.

Xie Yunzheng recognized him and suppressed him even more severely.

Liu Jingtong was unhappy with him and wanted to stare at his back.

When he walked through the city gate, people around him started talking.

"What's the point of such a big fuss?!"

"What else could it be?..."

"No way, you know the news so soon?"

"Fortunately we haven't been there yet, don't join in the fun, come back quickly!"

Making such a big fuss, isn't it just waiting to be caught? Liu Jingtong sneered, and instantly felt something was wrong.

Which salt merchant would sell like this, wishing that everyone in the city knew his location.

Liu Jingtong waved away his subordinates and rode out of the city himself.

————

Having just gotten rid of a group of people with a bag of salt, Ma Cheng saw a huge crowd that was still pouring in.

His eyes went dark in an instant.

I’m in big trouble... He had only one thought in his mind.

Veins popped up on Ma Cheng’s forehead, his lips trembled, and he shouted: "Retreat! No more!"

All his subordinates looked at Ma Cheng in shock: "Brother! This is..."

Ma Cheng grabbed his collar: "Can't you see? You've already fallen into a trap set by others. If you don't leave, you'll die!"

"Brother, if these five carts of salt are gone... we'll die if we go back..."

Ma Cheng picked up the sword: "They are targeting the people behind us, we must leave."

"Retreat quickly!"

Ma Cheng shouted, and the others looked at each other awkwardly, squeezed out of the crowd and ran out.

People were like crazy, scrambling for the "gold" that came for free. Ma Cheng squeezed out of the crowd with difficulty, and saw that the road from the city gate had already raised yellow sand.

"Quick! Quick!"

Several people were shocked, and hurriedly pulled the horses out and jumped on them.

The sound of horses' hooves rang out, and the people who were scrambling stopped one after another, rushed to the sacks and dug out a handful of gold, and then hurriedly fled to the side.

Xie Yunzheng ordered in a deep voice: "Catch them!"

He pointed over there: "Chase! Make sure to catch them back!"

"Yes!"

The people behind him split into two teams, one team surrounded the civilians who bought smuggled salt, and the other team chased Ma Cheng and his group forward.

Liu Jingtong stood on a high point in the distance, looking at the chaotic group of people below.

The place where they were staying was the place agreed upon by Liu Jingtong and the guest he was going to meet today. In other words, the guest he was going to meet today was not a cloth seller, but a private salt dealer who was not tolerated by the Ning'an Kingdom...

If he went to meet him today and was caught by Xie Yunzheng and handed over to the emperor, then he would finally be sentenced to death by the emperor.

The whole world would think that the emperor was kind. The emperor allowed them and their son to live well in the capital for more than 20 years, and he, a good-for-nothing and conscienceless man, actually became a salt dealer. Even if the emperor killed him, it would be justified.

Liu Jingtong narrowed his eyes and thought of the beggars who inexplicably appeared at the gate of the mansion this morning. It was them who delayed for about half an hour. Otherwise, he would have been regarded as an accomplice and should have been arrested together.

Who wants to save him?

...

Sand was lifted high and spread along the ground.

Ma Cheng shouted: "If you are caught, commit suicide immediately!"

The brothers behind him all looked suspicious. Although they had a life on the edge of a knife, they had been doing this for so many years. They were recruited by others and followed different bosses to do business, but they were not professionally trained assassins.

If you are caught selling illegal salt, the accomplice will be exiled, and the serious offender will be sentenced to death.

Commit suicide as soon as they are caught...

Hearing the silence behind them, with only the sound of horse hooves, knowing that they are hesitant, Ma Cheng took a deep breath and said angrily: "If you don't commit suicide, there are a hundred kinds of torture waiting for you in that prison, and we will get the truth out of you!"

In fact, they couldn't get anything out of them if they were caught. At most, they knew the local routes of the long-distance running in the past year and which local officials were partners. But they had no contact with the people above. But everything is to be prepared for the worst.

"Stop immediately!"

"Those who surrender will make up for their crimes!"

Dozens of arrows whizzed from behind, and Ma Cheng was hit in the arm by an arrow, but he rode forward without slowing down.

On the hillside not far away, Xiao Tuo frowned: "This is too slow, why haven't we caught up yet..."

Jiang Yuanyi smiled and handed over the arrow in her hand: "Help me."

Xiao Tuo smiled, took the arrow from her hand, pulled the bow, squinted one eye, the arrow moved with Ma Cheng, and then suddenly released the arrow.

The horse's leg was suddenly shot, Ma Cheng rushed forward and fell straight to the ground. Ma Cheng's elbows and knees were hit hard, and he couldn't stand up in pain.

The man was less than a hundred steps away from him. Ma Cheng's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. He pulled out his sword and raised his hand to wipe his neck.

"So loyal..."

Xiao Tuo sighed and quickly pulled the bow and arrow.

"Swish!"

The sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. Ma Cheng raised his head and looked in the direction of the arrow. He saw a vast green shadow and no one at all.

The guards dismounted and arrested the men. Ma Cheng's back hand was suddenly grabbed by someone. Then he was pressed on the ground full of stones.

The police chiefs of the yamen were afraid that they had needles and poisons hidden in their mouths for suicide, so they opened their mouths and checked them. After confirming that there were no needles and poisons, they tied them up with thick and tough hemp ropes.

There was already an uproar in Qianzhou City. The news that some daring salt dealers were openly selling contraband salt at a price more than half of the official price spread like wildfire. In less than three days, the whole Ning'an Kingdom was discussing this matter.

There were only two focuses of the discussion: Who was so fearless and courageous? Another thing is that the official salt is too expensive, and it is difficult for the common people. It is not that the common people want to buy private salt, but they cannot afford the official salt...

In the Qianzhou Inn.

Xiao Tuo asked for a pot of strong liquor and a pot of clear wine, and poured two cups in front of Jiang Yuanyi: "Choose a cup to taste."

Jiang Yuanyi smiled and said, "I can smell it, you can't embarrass me."

Xiao Tuo said, "These two wines smell the same, if you don't believe me, try it."

Jiang Yuanyi moved closer to smell, both wines have a mellow and spicy aroma, she stretched out her hand and nodded, and chose the cup on the left hand. When she drank it, the spicy taste rushed straight into her throat, and Jiang Yuanyi was so spicy that she pinched Xiao Tuo's hand.

Xiao Tuo smiled, poured clear water and handed it to Jiang Yuanyi.

"If you ask me, this world is unfair. The official salt is so expensive. How can poor people like us afford it..."

"Yeah..."

A stone stirs up a thousand waves. As soon as these words came out, the inn became lively.

People started talking about it upstairs and downstairs.

Official salt and private salt have always been a sensitive topic. People usually don't dare to talk about it in public. Salt is as necessary as food, but salt is controlled by the government and is expensive. People can't afford it, and private salt can't be prevented.

But salt dealers are not charitable organizations after all. Once they monopolize a place, they will still raise prices.

So, people still can't afford it.

Xiao Tuo wiped the water stains from Jiang Yuanyi's mouth and said, "I hope His Majesty can hear it this time."

Jiang Yuanyi looked up at the excited people around him and said softly, "I'm sure he can."

They spent so much effort to design this set, not only to get Chu Huan, but also for another important reason, that is, they hope that the emperor can hear the boiling reputation and make some reforms to the salt policy.

The atmosphere in the solemn hall was stagnant and tense. They were afraid that if they said something wrong, they would anger the emperor who had been in a very bad mood in recent days.

"This salt merchant is already an old hand. The dozens of bags of salt on the cart are all of good quality. They are only covered with a layer of cloth, and they traveled all the way from Luzhou to Qianzhou without any obstruction. Your Majesty, how much support must have been behind this!" Xie Yun was kneeling in the hall, and every word was painful.

On the dragon throne, the emperor was the emperor.

The emperor scanned the people kneeling below and said, "Investigate. Find all the local officials involved along the way. If you can't find out who the mastermind is within three days, you don't have to come to see me again!"

The emperor stood up and left, and the ministers knelt down one after another: "Long live our emperor!"

In the solemn and magnificent hall, everyone knew that the dark tide had rolled into the light, and the waves had risen.

The author has something to say: Because I spent a long time reviewing during the exam, I slept for a long time after the exam. When I was typing at night, something urgent suddenly happened, so I was late. Sorry. Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated the nutrient solution~

Thank you to the little angels who irrigated [nutrient solution]:

20 bottles of flower clock knife;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!