Chapter 194 It's you, you shameless scoundrel!?
Three hundred thousand taels of silver!
Three hundred thousand taels?!
Even Xiao Dongchen, who had spent more than ten years in the Provincial Administration Commission and considered himself to have mastered the art of self-control, was shaken to his core by this number.
However, such a large sum of money would be difficult for even two provincial governors to control, let alone him.
However, this is not the end.
While Xiao Dongchen was distracted, Chen Yi calmly took out a tinderbox and lit a flame.
Then he took out the thick stack of silver notes from his pocket and took them outside the carriage.
Using the faint light of the tinderbox, it was so brightly lit for Xiao Dongchen to see.
"As long as Lord Xiao agrees to join forces with my young master, these silver notes will all be yours."
As Chen Yi spoke slowly and deliberately, he gently unfolded the stack of silver notes.
One after another, the seal of Dawei Money Shop and the words "one thousand taels" were revealed in the upper right corner.
Under the light of the tinderbox, the seal revealed a dark red color.
Upon seeing the stack of silver notes, Xiao Dongchen's eyes instantly reddened, and his breathing became heavy and rapid.
As a councilor of the provincial administration, he was often responsible for collecting taxes from merchants and common people in Shu Prefecture. He handled more than a million taels of silver notes.
Naturally, one can distinguish the authenticity of banknotes.
Just one glance.
With just that one glance, Xiao Dongchen murmured, "It's really true..."
In an instant, a series of thoughts raced through his mind.
He had plans to work with the Liu family of Jingzhou, wanted to join forces with them, but more than anything, he was driven by greed to take that stack of silver notes for himself.
But one thing he was certain of was that the people in the carriage were undoubtedly from the Liu family of Jingzhou.
a long time.
Xiao Dongchen managed to calm himself down and asked in a deep voice, "What does your young master want to do by joining forces with me?"
Chen Yi did not answer immediately.
Instead, he first put away the stack of silver notes, blew out the tinder, and plunged the carriage into darkness again.
He chuckled softly and said, "Lord Xiao should know my young master's intentions."
"From beginning to end, all he wanted was to marry Miss Xiao Wan'er."
"If Lord Xiao can help my young master achieve his wish, not only will these silver notes be yours, but my young master will also help you become the head of the Xiao family."
Xiao Dongchen frowned slightly and hesitated before saying, "I cannot agree to this."
"Does Lord Xiao have reservations? Or is he simply unable to do it?"
"Yes, we have both."
“Xiao Wan’er is the eldest daughter of the main branch of the family and is highly regarded by the old Marquis. In addition, she is seriously ill. If she is unwilling, the old Marquis will definitely not agree to your young master’s marriage proposal.”
Xiao Dongchen knew that if he got involved in this matter, whether directly or indirectly, it would attract the attention of the old Marquis.
This will inevitably affect all his subsequent plans and arrangements.
Chen Yi was aware of this, so he wasn't surprised.
After a brief pause, he continued, "I think there must be a way, don't you think?"
Xiao Dongchen's heart stirred slightly, and he began to carefully consider the matter.
After a moment, he suddenly spoke up: "If my Xiao family suffers a major upheaval and urgently needs money, then perhaps there is a possibility."
He wasn't thinking about anything else.
It was precisely after the summer grain in the three towns was burned that chaos was bound to break out within the Xiao family.
At that time, whether the Xiao family could find the murderer was another matter; their top priority was to find a way to solve the problem of food supplies for the three towns.
If the Liu family could provide some money or provisions, perhaps the old Marquis would agree to the marriage in order to appease the Dingyuan Army.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi's lips curled into a cold smile.
He had been waiting for Xiao Dongchen to say those words.
"I knew Lord Xiao was a man of great talent, and he would certainly not disappoint my young master."
As Chen Yi spoke, he stepped down from the carriage, waved to Xiao Dongchen, and said with a smile, "Come, please, Lord Xiao, come a little further."
Seeing this, Xiao Dongchen felt a little relieved, took a deep breath, and walked over.
Upon getting closer, he saw Chen Yi's face clearly and, recognizing him as a handsome young man, couldn't help but praise him:
"I can tell at a glance that you are a young prodigy. Your son will be greatly enhanced with your help."
Chen Yi bowed slightly and said with a smile, "Lord Xiao, you flatter me."
"To avoid any unforeseen complications, please accompany me to another place to explain in detail."
"Once we've finished discussing this, I, Liu, will be able to rush back and tell you the good news, young master."
Xiao Dongchen sized him up, glanced at Liu Lang out of the corner of his eye, and then stepped onto the carriage first.
After the curtain closed, Chen Yi looked around, then sat down next to Liu Lang and gestured:
"Dongshi Residence".
Liu Lang nodded, baring his teeth, then whipped the horse's rump and drove the carriage toward the house in the East Market.
As he hurried along, he glanced at the calm-looking Chen Yi, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Ask yourself honestly.
If he were Xiao Dongchen, even if he knew Chen Yi had ulterior motives, he would probably still agree to the offer of 300,000 taels of silver.
Moreover, Xiao Dongchen had always coveted the position of head of the Xiao family.
However, this also made Liu Lang understand why Chen Yi was targeting Xiao Dongchen.
If the timing weren't so inappropriate, he would have loved to ask Chen Yi what his true identity was and why he was helping the Xiao family so diligently.
Chen Yi didn't care what Liu Lang thought.
During their journey, he would occasionally exchange a few words with Xiao Dongchen.
Firstly, it's to keep him calm and prevent him from overthinking or changing his mind.
Secondly, it was also an excuse to say some good things about Liu Wen—basically, to say that Liu Wen fell in love with Xiao Wan'er at first sight.
If you're going to put on a show, go all the way.
Not long after.
The carriage bypassed the East Market and arrived at a house near the brothel alley in the south of the city.
Chen Yi gestured for Liu Lang to light the lamps and prepare paper and pen, while inviting Xiao Dongchen into the main room.
Just as I was about to speak, a few lines of text floated past my eyes.
[Daily Intelligence - Low-Grade Mystic: At 5:45 AM, west of Shuzhou City, the secret guards of the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence are being pursued by demonic forces. A small amount of opportunity may be obtained.]
Chen Yi glanced at it, slightly surprised.
The Xiao family's secret guards were being hunted down by evil spirits in the west of the city.
bodyguards...
His first thought was of the man in black wielding a large gun that he had encountered in the West Market.
That person was being chased by evil spirits at that moment...
Is it related to the black teeth of Mingyue Tower?
He has discovered the matter of "burning the summer grain in three towns"?
Chen Yi frowned inwardly, calculating the time as he spoke calmly:
"Lord Xiao, time is of the essence, please keep this brief."
Xiao Dongchen readily agreed, but he was equally worried that delay might lead to unforeseen circumstances, so he spoke according to the prepared script he had prepared beforehand:
"The Xiao family has two most important things to do right now."
"First, the Dingyuan Army, with monthly pay and provisions."
"Secondly, the trade market jointly built with the mountain people..."
Chen Yi listened quietly while taking notes on his words with a pen and paper.
Xiao Dongchen had some doubts about this, but he didn't think much of it, assuming that he was afraid of making mistakes and having trouble explaining to Liu Wen.
Even after he said the words "burning the summer grain of three towns," he saw Chen Yi's eyes light up but didn't think much of it.
"If everything goes smoothly, your young master can take advantage of the chaos in the Xiao family to come here. I think the old Marquis is likely to agree to this marriage."
After listening and taking notes, Chen Yi put down his brush, clapped his hands, and laughed:
"As expected of Lord Xiao, with such shrewdness and skill, even without my young master's help, you will still become the head of the Xiao family in the future."
Xiao Dongchen said noncommittally, "Young Master Liu, you flatter me. I was merely stating a possibility."
"After all, it is no easy task to 'burn the summer grain of three towns,' and it is not impossible for me, Xiao, to do so."
He knew very well that joining forces with the Liu family of Jingzhou was tantamount to seeking help from a tiger.
However, there are two sides to every story.
If he wants to succeed, he will eventually have to take some risks.
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Lord Xiao, please speak frankly."
“I have some spies in the Dingyuan army. If your young master is willing to do this, I can lend a hand. However…”
Xiao Dongchen feigned difficulty and said, "It will cost more money."
Chen Yi paused, then asked with a half-smile, "Is 300,000 taels not enough?"
Xiao Dongchen: "To be honest, Young Master Liu, those scoundrels in the Dingyuan Army haven't seen silver in a long time, and they have a huge appetite."
"Three hundred thousand taels of silver may seem like a lot, but when divided among the people in the three towns, it's not much."
"Besides, I myself need some money to bribe my superiors and other necessary people."
Chen Yi: "Lord Xiao, please just tell me how much silver you need."
"An additional 300,000 taels are needed."
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Chen Yi and Xiao Dongchen looked at each other for a moment, smiled and nodded, and then wrote down what Xiao Dongchen said on the paper.
He added at the end: "This plan requires a total of 600,000 taels of silver, with a deposit of 300,000 taels. After the plan is completed, the Liu family of Jingzhou will need to give Xiao Dongchen another 300,000 taels of silver."
After writing.
Chen Yi put down his brush, picked up the paper, blew the ink off it, and handed it to Xiao Dongchen.
"Lord Xiao, please take a look."
Xiao Dongchen took a look, and his relaxed expression immediately changed.
He hesitated and looked at Chen Yi: "What, what do you mean by this?"
Chen Yi raised his hand to signal him to finish reading, then smiled and said, "Lord Xiao, you know perfectly well why you're asking this."
“My young master has put up real money, so there should be some guarantee. Consider it a pledge of loyalty. Sign and seal the document at the end, and you can take those banknotes away tonight.”
As he spoke, he took out the 300,000 taels of silver notes from his pocket and placed them on the table.
In the flickering candlelight.
The stack of silver notes gleamed slightly, as if they were sparkling silver.
Not to mention Xiao Dongchen's attention was drawn to it, Liu Lang was also staring intently at the stack of silver notes.
The two could even smell the faint scent of paper and grass, and the faint smell of cinnabar left by the seal.
Chen Yi paid no attention to the stack of silver notes; his eyes were only on Xiao Dongchen.
It seemed as if they didn't care about those silver notes at all.
A long silence followed.
Xiao Dongchen then withdrew his gaze and pondered, "In that case, I, Xiao, will accept your offer without hesitation."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded: "That's right."
Then he handed the brush to Xiao Dongchen and took out the inkpad he had prepared beforehand and pushed it over.
Everything was pending Xiao Dongchen's signature and seal.
After confirming that everything was correct, Chen Yi put away the paper and pushed the silver note over, saying, "Lord Xiao, please keep this safe."
Although Xiao Dongchen's expression was somewhat somber, he couldn't help but force a smile when he saw the stack of silver notes in front of him:
"I thank your young master on behalf of Xiao."
"Once the matter is settled, if it is convenient for your young master, I, Xiao, will certainly pay him a visit."
Despite his eloquent words, Xiao Dongchen's hand involuntarily pressed against the silver note.
As he felt the smooth texture of the paper, his smile became more genuine.
With this money, he could do many things.
They could raise private soldiers or bribe some of the collateral branches of the Xiao family.
If he could leverage the power of the Liu family in Jingzhou and establish a relationship with Liu Hong, the provincial governor, his official career would be smooth sailing, and it wouldn't be impossible for him to succeed Yang Ye.
In short, he believes this risk is worth taking.
Chen Yi didn't bother to guess Xiao Dongchen's thoughts. Seeing that it was getting late, he stood up and said:
"Lord Xiao, I need to inform the young master. Would you like to return by yourself, or would you like us to escort you back?"
"After all, it's 300,000 taels of silver. If it gets robbed halfway through, it might make you think that my young master is ungrateful."
Xiao Dongchen put away the silver notes, smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No need to trouble you two, I have my own way."
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow and said no more.
After seeing Xiao Dongchen off at the house, he and Liu Lang took a carriage heading north.
Not long after.
Outside the empty, secluded house, Xiao Dongchen emerged from the shadows.
He glanced at the house, then at the direction the carriage had gone, and subconsciously touched his chest.
Even now, he still feels a bit unreal.
I always felt that the 300,000 taels of silver came too easily.
After waiting for a while and not seeing anyone suspicious, Xiao Dongchen finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems to be true."
"However, the Liu family of Jingzhou is truly extravagant."
Just then, a cold voice came from the side:
"Grey Wolf, this is the second time I've helped you. Don't forget what you promised me."
Xiao Dongchen paused slightly, then quickly cupped his hands and smiled, "Don't worry."
"Since I have already promised you, I will naturally not go back on my word."
"Tomorrow morning, after I arrive at the Provincial Administration Commission, I will hand over that record of merit to Councilor Chen."
"That's for the best, let's go."
Thank you.
After the footsteps faded into the distance, Xiao Dongchen looked around and then followed them back to the Xiao family.
A few more moments passed.
Two figures dressed in black arrived at the spot where Xiao Dongchen had been standing.
Two pairs of clear, bright eyes surveyed the surroundings, finally settling on the house.
One of them pondered for a moment and then instructed, "Tomorrow, have someone investigate the details of this house."
"Also, those two from before are quite strong. Send someone to contact Liu Wen and see if he has anyone suitable around him."
The other person realized what was happening and asked in surprise, "Is Miss worried that those two people have something to do with you?"
"Yes, although I didn't hear their conversation, I know they reached some kind of deal."
She paused for a moment and then said, "I always felt that it was too suspicious that Xiao Dongchen trusted what those two people said and even their identities after only one meeting."
"In short, caution is the best policy."
"Yes, Miss."
...
Chen Yi, on the other hand, had no time to think about Xiao Dongchen anymore.
From the moment he received Xiao Dongchen's signature and fingerprint, in his mind, Xiao Dongchen and his second wife were already dead.
That sum of 300,000 taels of silver was considered a generous gift he gave to the old master and the Xiao family.
Or he could become the son-in-law of the Xiao family and give them a dowry.
As for whether Xiao Jinghong or others will acknowledge him in the future, that's not something he's considering right now.
However, it is obvious.
Having witnessed the entire process, Liu Lang found it difficult to understand his actions and couldn't comprehend them.
"Boss, did you really give him that money?"
"That's three hundred thousand taels!"
Even though he knew that Chen Yi was setting a trap for Xiao Dongchen, wouldn't it be a pity if something went wrong and the 300,000 taels of silver were lost?
Chen Yi did not answer his question. He looked at the sky outside the window and knew that the Xiao family's secret guards had been hunted down by evil spirits in the West Market.
He thought for a moment and then instructed, "When we get back to Chuanxi Street, come with me to the West Market."
"..."
Liu Lang was finally convinced by him, and knew he couldn't get an answer, so he couldn't help but mutter a few complaints to himself.
Perhaps it's because this boss is too mysterious.
Fortunately, he had already considered himself to be on Chen Yi's side and had no intention of being Chen Yi's enemy, so he didn't need to worry about his safety.
Despite his doubts, he still completed the task meticulously.
After parking the carriage on Chuanxi Street.
Chen Yi then headed to the West Market with Liu Lang.
Before he even reached the outside of the West Market, he saw another flash of light before his eyes.
[Chance +2]
[Comment: To not seize an opportunity presented itself before the person even arrives, before the voice is heard, and before the scene is witnessed, is the mark of an inherently lazy person.]
Chen Yi paused. Was it over?
Just then, he saw several figures walking quickly past the alleyway entrance in the distance.
He could also faintly hear some sounds coming from there:
"Do you think this guy might be that bastard who embarrassed us before?"
Then a woman's voice came: "It's not him."
"That person was clearly younger and more skilled in boxing than gun fighting."
The other person sighed: "It seems so..."
"Alright, forget about that bastard, I'll catch him sooner or later."
"First, send this man to the yamen's inner prison, then find a doctor to treat him. We absolutely cannot let him die."
"Commander Fang, he is seriously injured, I'm afraid..."
"Do as I say!"
"yes!"
Fang Hongxiu?
People from the Criminal Investigation Department?
Chen Yi was taken aback for a moment, then gestured for Liu Lang to put on a mask and quietly followed the criminal investigators.
Although Liu Lang was unaware of his plans, he overheard the conversation between several of the chief judges, and a hint of eagerness flashed in his eyes.
Throughout history, people in the martial arts world have generally despised the lackeys and cronies of the imperial court.
This is especially true for government offices like the Criminal Investigation Department, which recruits many江湖人 (jianghu people, people from all walks of life).
They would try to trip each other up whenever they had the chance, and kill as many as they could, because they simply couldn't stand each other.
Liu Lang was no exception.
"I wonder if the boss is going to cause some trouble for these judicial officers. If so... I'd love to hear that."
soon.
Chen Yi led Liu Lang to Fang Hongxiu and the others, and immediately spotted the man in black being supported by them.
By observing the long spear held by one of the forensic officers, he confirmed that the man in black was likely one of the Xiao family's secret guards.
Although he didn't know how this person ended up in the hands of the Criminal Investigation Department, now was clearly not the time to worry about such things.
Thinking of this, Chen Yi leaped up and instantly blocked Fang Hongxiu and the others.
Liu Lang followed.
Fang Hongxiu's expression changed slightly. She gestured for the forensic officer behind her to stop, then stared at Chen Yi and Liu Lang and said in a low voice:
Who goes there?
Chen Yi, with his back to them, glanced around and chuckled:
"Commander Fang was just talking about me, how come he doesn't recognize me now?"
As he spoke, he imitated Fang Hongxiu's voice in a high-pitched tone: "Alright, don't worry about that bastard, I'll catch him sooner or later."
"Haha, Commander Fang, who are you going to arrest?"
Fang Hongxiu's eyes narrowed instantly, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "It's you, you shameless scoundrel!?"
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There will be another bonus chapter for monthly pass users later. Remember to unlock it on the bonus chapter page.
There will be another bonus chapter for monthly pass users later. Remember to unlock it on the bonus chapter page.
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