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"Did the Second Young Master really not leave?" Even though his confidant was certain, the steward was still worried and asked again.
"He really didn't leave! He showed up at the Liang family shop today. It's definitely him. No one else can pretend to be him." The confidant said hurriedly.
No one else can imitate Lu Jian's demeanor and bearing.
The chief steward finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. When he heard that Lu Jian's fleet had left the port the day before yesterday, he was really scared. He thought the second young master was going to escape.
If he were to escape, I really wouldn't be able to explain to the mistress. I would at least have to deal with the survivors in the prison and teach that kid a lesson.
However, despite saying this, he was still uneasy. He paced around the room for a few steps and asked again, "Is his fleet still docked in the private port?"
"That's right!" the confidant said hurriedly.
This appears to be the purchase of goods, but the actual intention is hard to guess.
Perhaps Lu Jian really did intend to leave and was just waiting for news from Prefect Lin. Or perhaps he was already on guard, fearing they might attack the fleet... The steward stopped in his tracks and said coldly, "We can't wait any longer. If we delay, something bad will happen."
The second young master is a really cunning person. He often sets traps without people knowing, making it hard for people to guard against them.
Just like the Qingfeng Gang, they didn't know when Lu Jian contacted anyone, and they were able to let Shen Feng personally go out and help him seize Luoling Island when he was surrounded by enemies.
Now that people have arrived in Panyu, things are even more troublesome. For example, Mr. Liang, whom we met today, is Panyu's leading grain merchant. He also has industries in Jiangdong and is quite at odds with the Lu family.
If they manage to reach an agreement on this, wouldn't they be in trouble?
The plan now is either to kill him to silence him or to make him have no place to stand in Panyu. We have to act as soon as possible!
The confidant's heart trembled, and he hurriedly asked, "There have been many more guards at the Second Young Master's grain store in the past few days. I'm afraid the original staffing is not enough..."
"Then send them all out!" the chief steward shouted sternly, "We must set the shop on fire tonight, and we'll also ambush people outside the mansion. As soon as the Second Young Master sends people to put out the fire, we'll send our assassins in to charge in!"
They run a jewelry store in Panyu and will manage business in Southeast Asia in the future. They have brought with them some brave and daring people. Even so, the number of death warriors is still small. Now that all of them are pushed forward at once, how can it not be frightening?
However, the confidant also knew that the situation was critical and they had to fight. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "Don't worry, Boss. We will definitely do our best!"
The chief steward snorted coldly: "If it doesn't work, you don't have to come back!"
These words were so chilling that people couldn't help but shiver.
However, the arrow is on the string, and this is not the time to turn back!
Such a major event naturally needs to be carefully planned, and not even a hint of it can be leaked.
However, just after the steward decided on the time for action, a secret letter was quietly passed to Lu Jian.
Lu Jian quickly scanned the contents of the letter and smiled coldly: "Finally you're willing to take action. Pass the message on and make preparations early."
In today's battle, his secret line in ambush in the Lu family will definitely be destroyed.
Since it can no longer be used, we have to find a way to recover some of the cost. But I don’t know what arrangements the Suoyi Gang has made, and what will Cheng Xi do when he receives the news?
With a slight curl of his lips, he held the letter to the candle flame and burned it clean in an instant.
…
"Are we going to take action at midnight tonight? That's too fast!" Yan Yuan was really surprised when he heard the news. It's only been four days, and the Lu family has already made up their mind?
"I don't know how many people from the Suoyi Gang are ambushing in the city. Naturally, the sooner we act, the better, to avoid any more trouble." Cheng Xi didn't think this was strange, but just wanted to confirm the time: "Can you be sure of the time?"
The messenger hurriedly said, "It's not necessarily accurate to say it's around midnight."
Cheng Xi understood: "Okay, then we have to prepare in advance."
The hour of midnight is between 11pm and 1am, which is the third watch of the night.
Although it is not the time when people sleep the soundest, according to the living habits of the ancients, it is definitely the time when murders and arson occur in the dead of night.
However, with the ancient timekeeping methods, one could only choose an approximate time, so how could there be any such thing as an exact time? They also had to arrive in time.
Yan Yuan suddenly became nervous, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn't say anything.
In just four days, they were very busy. They almost knew everything about the government office and also made arrangements for the rescue plan.
If Yan Yuan had some doubts at first, after he tried it himself and broke the plan down bit by bit to confirm it, that doubt disappeared.
But despite his confidence, the tension in his heart could not be dispelled. This was not a charge into the enemy line, but a deep-seated invasion, a daring risk, no different from walking on a cliff.
Can they really accomplish this impossible task?
His eyes swept over everyone's faces, and Cheng Xi said, "Tonight is our only chance to save them. If we fail, we will have to evacuate tomorrow. The mission arrangements have been confirmed. Does anyone have any questions?"
"What if things change?" Yan Yuan finally couldn't help but ask.
"Then implement the backup plan." Cheng Xi said simply.
"What if Tian Yu has been rescued, or has been forced to die?" Yan Yuan asked again.
"Man proposes, God disposes. If you really can't rescue them, retreat according to the plan and save yourself first." Cheng Xi's voice was still steady. This is how rescue missions are. You may spend countless efforts, but in the end, there will still be frequent problems. You can never predict what will happen in the next second.
Therefore, before planning for victory, you must first plan for defeat. A safe retreat is equally important.
Yan Yuan was silent again. After a long moment, he suddenly said, "Boss, aren't you afraid?"
The unknown is always the most terrifying, not to mention that their plan will put them in danger from beginning to end. Who knows what will happen next?
This question was not only for himself but also for all participants.
Isn’t the gang leader afraid?
"If I'm scared, will the Red Flag Gang still exist?" Cheng Xi asked back.
Yan Yuan was silent. Yes, she had pulled up the entire boat gang by herself. Was there anything more thrilling than this?
Instead of struggling to survive while drifting at sea, they are now fully prepared, with several plans for different situations and several retreat plans.
Even a serious battle would not be planned so meticulously.
In that case, what are you afraid of?
Without further hesitation, everyone responded in unison and began making final preparations.
…
As night fell, the sky gradually darkened. The crescent moon rose, but was again obscured by clouds, making it dim and unable to emit any light.
"Dong, dong! Dong, dong!" A series of drum beats echoed from the street, followed by the night watchman's drawn-out cry: "Close the doors and windows, to prevent theft..."
It was the second watch, and the night was deep. Apart from the night watchmen holding lanterns, the only people on the street were the soldiers patrolling the city.
But who would have the energy to bother with that in the middle of the night? Even the night watchman's calls sounded listless and made one sleepy.
After a while, the night watchman walked away, and even the sound of the drum became faint and could not be heard clearly.
Deep in the street, several figures turned out from the corner and rushed forward quickly.
Although they were clearly wearing soldiers' uniforms, their movements were somewhat suspicious. They either walked close to the wall or under the eaves. No one made any sound, and their footsteps were light and broken, like thieves.
As they were walking, the person in front suddenly stopped and raised his fist.
Several people immediately stopped, leaned against the wall, and held their breath.
In the distance, a patrol team of about five or six soldiers slowly approached. Although no one was talking and their footsteps seemed heavy, the leader was obviously a dedicated person. He kept waving a lantern and checking the streets.
The light from the lantern flickered, illuminating a large area of the street, and even a little bit of light approached the corner where several people were hiding.
Fortunately, the other party did not notice anything unusual. He just glanced at it casually and continued to move forward. Soon, the lights disappeared into the night.
Yan Yuan breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. His heart was about to explode just now.
They had carefully surveyed the frequency, number of people, and location of patrols, but they could not prepare for accidents. Fortunately, they managed to escape safely this time.
Some sweat seeped out of his forehead, but the man in front remained calm and took another step forward.
Yan Yuan did not dare to hesitate and chased after him. The two gang members behind him did not make any sound and followed closely.
There were four people in total this time. The other two were elite members of the Lin family, and were also trained by Cheng Xi. They did not fall behind at the critical moment.
Staring at the person in front and paying attention to the one behind, Yan Yuan could be said to be listening carefully and watching in all directions. Fortunately, they had walked this road countless times, and they knew by heart how to hide, when to stop, and what they needed to pay attention to.
After walking and stopping for a while, it took them half an hour to finally reach the designated intersection.
Go straight here, cross the street, and you will be able to get to the guard post behind the yamen. As long as you enter the guard post, you will be safe.
It was the middle of the night, and I was disguised as a soldier walking through the street. There were people guarding the government office gate in the distance, and I didn't know when they would glance over.
Could he possibly get through without any problems? However, in the time it took to take a breath, the person in front of him had already walked out. Her steps were not fast, but very light, like a nimble civet cat.
Yan Yuan's pupils dilated for a moment, but he restrained himself and followed closely, not ruining the other party's choice of opportunity.
The group of four crossed the street silently and turned into the trail.
The road was dark and narrow, there were no lights, and the moon in the sky was blocked, so I couldn't see the road under my feet at all.
Yet Yan Yuan could clearly see the narrow shoulders in front of him. The men walked forward thirty or forty steps in silence, when the man in front suddenly stopped and clenched his fist again.
Yan Yuan immediately turned around and pressed himself against the wall. Only then did he vaguely see the scene next to him.
There are towering brick walls, a long row of eaves slanting down, and a higher gabled wall in front.
This should be the outer wall of the prison. Under this row of eaves are the jailer's rooms and the torture chamber, and the gable in front is the prison temple. They have arrived!
There was a rustling sound, and in the darkness, the person in front handed over a stack of things.
Yan Yuan took them immediately. They were three long robes made of blue-gray fabric, which was very similar to the color of the walls and roof. They also had hoods. As long as they were put on the body, they could cover the hands and face. From a distance, they looked no different from the wall.
He took one piece without hesitation and handed over the remaining two. The three of them were dressed in an instant and leaned back against the wall like clay or wooden sculptures.
Now, as long as no one enters the guardhouse, even if you stand on the street and look inside with a lantern, you may not be able to spot them.
The night, the narrow watchtower, and this long robe are the best cover.
The only thing to worry about is the night watchman. As long as he doesn't come, all will be well.
Yan Yuan pressed himself against the wall, breathing in and out gently, trying to suppress his pounding heart. "Never come, night watchman! Never let anything go wrong..."
Just across the wall from them, in the government jail, the night guard yawned.
"Today is going by so slowly! It's not even three o'clock yet?" He rubbed his eyes, stood up, and said to the person next to him, "Zhang Laosan, is there anything else to eat? My stomach is rumbling!"
As if awakened by his words, Zhang Laosan hurriedly said, "I remember there are some leftover taro from lunch. It's on the table over there..."
Upon hearing this, the jailer went over to search and actually found some cold taro.
Eating this stuff late at night will make you choke badly, but there is no way you can avoid it because it is not time to change shifts yet.
He peeled the taro and stuffed it into his mouth. As he chewed, he said, "Do you want me to save two for you? There aren't many left."
"No need." Zhang Laosan answered absentmindedly, his hands clenched tightly together, trying hard not to tremble.
The other party was not polite and finished the taro in a few bites. Then he burped and walked over and asked, "What's wrong with you? You look absent-minded."
Zhang Laosan forced a smile and said, "I just miss my wife at home."
"Ah, it's not easy for you either. The baby is so young..." The other party sighed knowingly, "We can hold on for a few more days and then we can withdraw. Then you can go home and spend time with your wife and children."
Because there were important prisoners in the prison, the jailers were divided into shifts. A group would guard the prison for half a month and not allow anyone to leave to prevent collusion between insiders and outsiders that might cause trouble.
This method is really unacceptable, but it has to be done. Their team is about to finish their shift and is waiting for the next shift.
After chatting for a while, the food he had eaten began to take effect. The jailer's eyelids began to droop again. Rubbing his face, he stood up, stamped his feet vigorously, and complained, "Today is really hard. When will it be time for the shift change..."
As he was speaking, a sharp gong sound suddenly came from outside. It was a little far away, but in the dead of night, it was still faintly audible.
The jailer perked up immediately and walked to the door to look out curiously: "What's going on? Oh, is there a fire?"
Holding on to the door, standing on tiptoe, and looking desperately into the distance, he did not notice that his partner had also stood up and quietly came up behind him.
"It must be on fire!" The jailer became excited and was about to turn around, but unexpectedly a dagger came in front of him and stabbed straight into his vest. His throat made two creaking sounds as if there was a leak in the air, and he fell to the ground with a bang.
Behind him, Zhang Laosan held the knife in both hands, his whole body was shaking, and he couldn't help but shed tears.
He murmured incoherently, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my wife is in their hands..."
His teeth chattered, but Zhang Laosan thought of the bloody earlobe in the box. The lilac pendant on it was bought when he got married, and his wife never took it off...
After taking a few deep breaths, he bent down, took off the key chain from the dead man's waist, and stumbled towards the big iron gate behind the Prison Temple.
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