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Only two days had passed since the flower viewing banquet, but Ye Dan was already restless. The news he received today made his face turn pale. Without caring about his dignity, he demanded in a stern voice, "Is there really someone in the clan who wants to deal with the Lu family?"
Ye Huaiyan said carefully, "Both the Second and Fifth Houses are interested. I'm afraid this is true. They previously fought for land with the Lu family, which created a grudge. Now that they see the Lu family is unstable, they have started to make moves..."
Ye Dan felt his heart swell with anger, but when he glanced at the white-robed scholar sitting idly beside him, he could only suppress his anger and bow his head to ask, "Mr. Ning's predictions were indeed correct. What should I do now?"
That day at Furong Garden, they made a special trip to meet up with Lu and had a secret talk, but the answer they received was not satisfactory.
Although the Lu family was quite interested in the invitation from the Changjing Gang, they were quite hostile to the Ye family and their attitude was very ambiguous.
Originally, Ye Dan did not take it seriously. After all, the Qingfeng Gang was the enemy of their Ye family. Inviting people to help was not something that could be easily negotiated. Moreover, the Lu family had just lost a large number of ships, and they would definitely be more wary of the Ye family, which started out as a maritime trade company. It would take some time to persuade them.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he left the house, Ning Fu bluntly said that Lu's reaction was wrong, and that the two families might have had a private conflict, and asked him to investigate it thoroughly.
Ye Dan simply refused to believe it. Even if it was the Tingzhou branch, it was still the Jiangdong Lu Clan. Who would easily provoke them? It would have been fine if he hadn't investigated, but once he did, he was shocked to discover that the other branches were already stirring. Was this targeting the Lu Clan? It was clearly targeting him, the head of the clan! If things really got out of hand, not only would he not be able to defeat the Qingfeng Gang, but his position would be in jeopardy.
It was precisely for this reason that, even though he knew Ning Fu had no good intentions, he still came to ask for advice in a humble manner. At least the other party had noticed something was wrong after only meeting him once, and must have already thought of a way to deal with it.
Ning Fu chuckled, "Don't panic, Boss Ye. Since I've come here, I must be trying to facilitate this matter. The most important thing now is to find out if someone is behind this and trying to sow discord or use some trickery."
Ye Dan's heart trembled. "How can we tell? Who did this?"
The Ye and Lu families were two of the most prestigious families in Tingzhou. Who would dare to stir up trouble between them? Even the powerful Changjing Gang had sent their trusted military advisors to negotiate properly. Could it be that the ghost scholar was just exaggerating, trying to force him to surrender?
"This is not difficult to investigate. As long as the葑衣 Gang comes to attack Tingzhou and is at the gates of the city, there must be someone who is obstructing it." Ning Fu closed the paper fan and said decisively.
Ye Dan frowned. "Mr. Ning, you're probably worrying too much. Tingzhou is an important city, after all, with countless aristocratic families. How could it be conquered by bandits? Besides, we have no grudges against the Suoyi Gang, so how could we be targeted by them?"
Ning Fu raised the corner of his lips and said, "Boss Ye only knows one side of the story. Don't you think about what happened when Panyu City was in chaos and the straw raincoat bandit chief escaped from prison?"
What happened? Of course, the Lu brothers were at loggerheads, shouting and fighting, a scene known to everyone, and nearly causing Lord Lu to be accused of collaborating with bandits.
etc.
Ye Dan's expression changed. "Could it be that the Lu family is really colluding with the Suoyi Gang?"
"It's not the Lu family. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the plan of the second young master Lu who was expelled from his family early. He must have some connection with the Suoyi Gang. And the Red Flag Gang attacked Luoling Island and ambushed the Lu family's ocean-going fleet. If they say there is no one instructing them, do you believe it?" Ning Fu asked with a smile.
Of course, Ye Dan had also heard of the Red Flag Gang, and he also learned from Ning Fu that the Lu fleet had been hijacked.
These are actually related to the Second Young Master Lu?
"First, I'll trigger a prison break to keep Lord Lu busy, then I'll eliminate the Lu family's most profitable fleet, severely damaging their vitality. Next, I'll deal with the Lu family's food supply. If the food supply is lost, Lord Lu's position as head of the family will be in jeopardy. And now the Suoyi Gang has reached Tingzhou. How can there be no connection between the two?" Ning Fu smiled. "If I were Lu Jian, I'd instigate the Ye family to attack the Lu family, leaving the Lu family busy. Once the army is involved, everything will be over."
Ye Dan opened his mouth, but was speechless for a moment.
How on earth did Lord Lu raise his son? This is almost like confiscating the family property and wiping them out. It's a fight to the death.
However, he quickly reacted with a start: "Wait, wouldn't we be in trouble if we get involved?"
The Straw Clothes Gang is not someone to be trifled with. It has swept across several states and caused havoc thousands of miles away. If they really set their sights on the Lu family, wouldn't the Ye family be implicated if they formed an alliance with the Lu family?
Ning Fu leaned forward slightly, tapping his paper fan against his palm. "What's the matter, Boss Ye, you still want to stay out of this? Shen Fengke also sent troops when we attacked Luoling Island. Even if you cut ties with the Lu family, when the Red Flag Gang sees an opportunity and goes to join forces with the Green Phoenix Gang, will the Ye family still have a chance to survive?"
Ye Dan's face turned pale in an instant, and he finally understood the key point.
Although joining forces with the Lu family might get him into trouble and make him the target of the Suoyi Gang, he would ultimately have a very powerful ally.
But if he doesn't join forces with the Lu family, he will risk being provoked into a war with the Lu family, and at the same time being targeted by the two powerful people on the sea. If he really falls into this situation, everything will be over.
After a long silence, Ye Dan finally said, "But the Lu family is unwilling to join forces with me now. Do I have to humble myself and beg them?"
Ning Fu leaned back in his chair again, "That's not necessary. I can just tell them my conclusion today. After all, the Tingzhou Lu family isn't a big family, so they might not be willing to take the blame for others."
Ye Dan was stunned for a moment. "You mean, if the Suoyi Gang attacks Tingzhou, they will believe it?"
"Of course." Ning Fu said frankly.
"What if the rebels don't come?" Ye Dan couldn't help but ask.
"If you don't come, I won't stay here any longer. You can kill me or cut me into pieces as you wish." Ning Fu laughed and answered straightforwardly.
He came to Tingzhou without bringing any people with him.
Ye Dan believed it almost instantly. After all, the man was a renowned figure in the martial arts world, the "Ghost Scholar" who single-handedly built up the Long Whale Gang. Would such a tycoon gamble his life?
After thinking it through, Ye Dan took a deep breath and said, "In that case, I'll have to trouble Mr. Ning to mediate. And what about those two houses? How should we deal with them?"
Ning Fu laughed again, and this time, there was something more chilling in his smile: "Of course, I'm going to play the long game and catch the big fish. Wouldn't it be great if we could catch the person behind this all in one fell swoop?"
Ye Dan shuddered all over and held his breath involuntarily.
Fortunately, this time the Changjing Gang is also targeting the Qingfeng Gang, so they are still in the same boat.
In that case, just believe it for now.
…
"Ning betrayed this villain, he's really cunning." Fang Tianxi had been busy these past few days. Since he was going to attack the ghost scholar, he naturally had to find out his movements, find a way to ambush him, and make sure he could escape unscathed.
However, after the flower viewing banquet, Mr. Ning actually stayed indoors and refused to leave.
On the contrary, the Lu and Ye families began to contact each other frequently, as if they wanted to form an alliance.
All signs don't look auspicious.
Sighing, Fang Tianxi said, "I'm afraid our plan has been discovered. Fortunately, Xiao Sun hasn't entered the city yet. If he had entered the city earlier, he might have been dug out by now."
Cheng Xi had no objection to Fang Tianxi's inference.
Before, Ning Fu even dared to show up openly at the flower viewing banquet, but now he has started to hide his tracks. It is probably because he has noticed that something is wrong between the two families.
For a strategist of this caliber, it would be easy to follow the clues and deduce the whole story. Moreover, with the help of the head of the Ye family, finding the hidden player would be a piece of cake.
The reason for not taking action is probably because he has other intentions.
"Since he has guessed it and hasn't touched the Ye family yet, he probably wants to plot against us and catch a bigger fish." Cheng Xi said, "In that case, it's safer to go with the flow."
"Take advantage of his own strategy and lure him into the trap?" Fang Tianxi stroked his beard. "It's not impossible, but Tingzhou is their territory, so it's difficult for us to take action."
To deal with smart people, it is always a good idea to use their own tactics against them. Moreover, they accidentally found out who was holding the chess pieces behind the scenes, but Ning Fu did not know the identity of his opponent.
This information gap is worth exploiting, but it also has disadvantages. The other party has brought in local tyrants, so they will definitely be restricted in their actions.
When you are in the enemy camp, you have to be on guard.
Cheng Xi smiled slightly: "It seems we have to find a helper."
Fang Tianxi was startled: "Why, are you really going to confront the Xiao family?"
The Xiao family obviously doesn't get along with the Lu family, and their relationship with the Ye family is a bit delicate, but it may not be impossible for them to dig into their corner.
After all, the Ye family has ships, and they do too, so the advantage is still considerable.
The only thing to worry about is the "death". If you are sold by someone, there will be no way up to heaven and no way down to earth.
"I've put on two layers of skin, but it's not in vain. It all depends on whether Xiao Lin can see through it. If he really finds out, I can try to win him over." The Qian family's flag was not prepared in vain. It would only be of value if the other party could "see through" it personally.
Fang Tianxi snorted: "Then let's wait a little longer. If Ning wants to reap the benefits, he has to cause some trouble for him."
…
Xiao Lin has been very busy these days. He had asked his wife to entertain Mrs. Jiang before, and he wanted to find out the truth. However, the news he got was not satisfactory.
Yan only found out some of the other party's family affairs, such as that she was an only daughter who was looking for a son-in-law and had no children yet. She did not find out anything else. Instead, she praised Mrs. Jiang for being kind and considerate.
If Xiao Lin didn't know that Yan was a smart woman, he would have suspected that she had been drugged by that young woman.
However, such a situation is not too surprising.
After all, she was a woman who dared to do business alone. If she didn't have some skills, how could she accomplish anything? However, the part about the lost purse made Xiao Lin a little worried.
What on earth could be causing her such nervousness? Could there be something else going on?
Xiao Lin could not find out much about the Jiang family in Miancheng. Some people who had dealt with the Jiang family had heard rumors about the Jiang family's daughter looking for a husband, but after all, they were too far away and the family was just a small salt merchant, so there was not much useful information.
Instead, the people who were sent to the port to inquire brought back some interesting news.
Xiao Lin did not hesitate and immediately sent someone to invite Mrs. Jiang. If this information was used well, it could be of great use.
When they met for the second time, Madam Jiang still looked clean and capable. Xiao Lin smiled and said, "I have been busy these past two days, so I apologize for being slow to treat you."
Cheng Xi responded with the same fake business smile: "Mr. Xiao, you are joking. Tingzhou City is so big, and this is my first time here. I can broaden my horizons by wandering around."
This had been reported by her personal attendants long ago. Mrs. Jiang had been strolling around the city in recent days, and had been to quite a few places, not just visiting shops.
But there was one thing that made Xiao Lin extremely concerned. The young woman had no intention of looking for other buyers. It seemed that she had only set her eyes on the Xiao family and was determined to hold on to it.
How can this not arouse suspicion?
Xiao Lin smiled and suddenly asked, "There's one thing I still can't figure out: why did Madam come to the Xiao family?"
I've asked this question before, why am I asking it again?
The young woman frowned slightly, obviously a little surprised and confused.
Xiao Lin didn't wait for her to make up an excuse and asked directly, "May I ask, Madam, are you friends with the Qian family of Wencheng?"
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