Only then did Qi Ning realize that the Black Tiger Shark had repeatedly been in trouble with the navy, but the navy was helpless against him. Facing such a cunning opponent, it was reasonable for Tantai Zhilin to feel depressed.
But there was something strange in his heart. As the saying goes, there is a way for shrimps and crabs. If the pirates in the East China Sea want to survive, they must abide by the rules of the game. The navy must respect the pirates. This is a great opportunity for the pirates in the East China Sea to survive. , after all, facing each other head-on, it is impossible for the bandits of the East China Sea to compete with the navy of the East China Sea.
The navy has a steady stream of logistical supplies, but the biggest drawback of the East China Sea bandits at sea is that they cannot get sufficient logistical support. As long as the navy blocks the coast with all its strength, the bandits at sea can be consumed and destroyed.
This is certainly not a situation that the East China Sea bandits want to see. Over the years, the two sides have formed a tacit understanding.
But the Black Tiger Shark broke this rule. His purpose was no longer just to plunder the coast, but to directly target the East China Sea Navy. From a certain perspective, this was undoubtedly a path of self-destruction. .
It was hard for Qining to imagine that a far-sighted pirate leader would choose this path.
But the Black Tiger Shark chose this path.
Although they were able to temporarily evade the navy's encirclement and suppression by virtue of their familiarity with the sea area, over time, the difference in logistical supplies between the two sides, and once the navy made up its mind to wipe out this group of pirates, the final outcome of the black tiger shark would almost be Imagine that as long as Tantai Zhilin has enough patience and does not even have to do it himself, internal strife will occur among the pirates due to the harsh environment.
Qi Ning could not figure out why the Black Tiger Shark would blatantly become an enemy of the Donghai Navy.
"Master Jing, what actions does the Donghai Navy take against the pirates at the moment?" Qining pondered for a moment before asking softly.
Jing Shou immediately said: "According to the information I received, the navy has already begun to blockade the coast. The navy's warships are patrolling along the coast, and they have sent the strongest warships to search for black tigers at sea. There are traces of sharks." He smiled slightly and said in a low voice: "Furthermore, the Navy has also spread the word. As long as someone can send the head of the black tiger shark to the East China Sea, the Navy will agree. Not only will they be rewarded with gold, but they will also be recommended to the imperial court as officials. , No matter what you did in the past, let it be bygones."
"oh?"
"Actually, this is for the pirates at sea to know." Jing Shou chuckled: "When the news spreads, Black Tiger Shark and his men will definitely be wary of each other. Black Tiger Shark is naturally worried that someone under his men will really They took his head because of his golden official position, but as of now, Black Tiger Shark is probably still alive and well."
Qi Ning nodded slightly, held his chin, and asked thoughtfully: "Black Tiger Shark can replace Miao Bazi, and can even gather scattered forces at sea in a short period of time. This person's courage and talent are indeed extraordinary." Ordinary, such a person should have been famous for a long time, right?"
Jing Shou shook his head and said: "Before Miao Bazi was killed, no one really knew about the reputation of the Black Tiger Shark. Even our Beggar Clan didn't know that such a famous person existed in the sea. As long as there are some famous people in the sea, we Beggar Clan The gang still knows a little bit about it, but we know nothing about this black tiger shark. It wasn’t until this black tiger shark became the gang leader that we knew a little bit about him.”
"I see." Qining asked softly: "How old is this person? Does Master Jing know?"
"To be honest, we still don't know whether this person is a man or a woman, old or young." Jing Shou said with some embarrassment: "When Miao Bazi was alive, pirates would often come ashore in disguise. Come on, let's... We are also somewhat familiar with their tracks, and we can still know some things about the sea. But after the black tiger shark came up, it immediately targeted the navy, breaking the rules, and fewer pirates came ashore. After finally getting ashore, I was caught by the Navy. After that, I only knew that the Black Tiger Shark and his men were in trouble with the Navy, and very little other news was known." There was a slight doubt between his eyebrows, and he hesitated. , or asked: "Excuse me, why are you so interested in the black tiger shark?"
Qi Ning smiled and said: "I just heard that the Black Tiger Shark dared to make an enemy of the Donghai Navy. I was very curious and wanted to know who this person is."
"It's not easy to get information about the Black Tiger Shark nowadays." Jing Shou said: "And since the Black Tiger Shark became an enemy of the navy, we, the Beggar Gang, will not come into contact with that group of people to avoid being involved."
Qi Ning knew what Jing Shou meant by saying this, and said with a smile: "Master Jing, don't worry, I won't let you do anything that makes things difficult for the Beggar Clan." He knew that the Beggar Clan was well-informed, so he thought for a moment, Then he asked: "There is one more thing I would like to ask Captain Jing for advice."
Jing Shou immediately raised his hand and said: "Your Excellency, you don't have to be polite. You have the Vermillion Bird Order in your hand, and you are a good friend of our Beggar Clan. As long as there is any place where we can help, it is our duty and we will never refuse."
"Master Jing, I don't know...!" Qining paused, collected his thoughts, and then asked: "Does the Beggar Gang know of any strange disappearance cases in the East China Sea?"
"A strange disappearance case?" Jing Shou was startled, slightly surprised.
Qi Ning said: "To be honest, I encountered some strange things before. I heard that some young and strong men disappeared inexplicably. It was like they disappeared from the world and suddenly disappeared without any news."
Jing Shou's expression suddenly became solemn, he turned slightly and asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, do you know about this?" He asked, Qining immediately knew that Jing Shou obviously knew about this, and immediately said: "Master Jing Shou" It seems that I have heard of it.”
Jing Shou thought for a moment and then said: "I have indeed heard some such rumors, most of which happened in remote villages. As your Excellency said, similar incidents occurred in those villages, and the missing people were all young and strong men, and they have not been seen since. There is no news." He frowned and said, "The villagers said that there was a ghost at work, and those villagers were taken away by the ghost."
When Qi Ning heard that what Jing Shou said was almost the same as what he heard in Dongyang County, his heart trembled and he asked with a stern expression: "Does Master Jing know where these things happened? How many people are missing so far? "
Jing Shou shook his head and said: "It's really unclear how many people are missing. There are more than a dozen counties under Donghai County, and each county has dozens of villages. After some people disappeared, some people reported the case to the government, but many people After the disappearance, the local villagers thought that there was something ghostly at work and did not report it to the government. The Beggar Clan also went to investigate the matter, but could not find any clues at all. The disappearance of those people was strange and there was no clue in advance. He didn't leave any clues after his disappearance...!" He shook his head and sighed: "No one reports this kind of thing, and the government doesn't take care of it. Even if someone reports the case, the government sends someone to investigate. If we can’t find any clues, we’ll leave it alone.”
"The government will just let it go?" Qining frowned.
Jing Shou said: "Actually, some things can't be blamed on the government. A few dozen miles west of Gulin City, there is a Chenjia Village. Last year, five young men mysteriously disappeared in Chenjia Village overnight. We, the Beggar Clan, know about this. After the incident, some brothers went over to inquire about the news, but the people in the village were silent about it, and no one said a word. Moreover, after the incident, the village even invited Taoist priests to perform exorcisms... Everyone in the village felt that it was the ghosts who had kidnapped the young man. , the old people in the village are not even allowed to report the case to the government. What happened in Chenjia Village is probably the same in many other villages, so the Beggar Gang can’t tell how many people are missing.”
Qi Ning smiled bitterly in his heart. There was obviously something fishy about the missing people, but the villagers mistook it for ghosts. As long as the theory of ghosts and gods was involved, who would really investigate carefully.
After leaving the Beggar Clan Branch, Qining quietly returned to the post house and rested for a long time. Early the next morning, he got up, packed up and went out. Wei Yujiang and others were already waiting.
When the officials knew that Tantai Zhilin had died, they thought it was a shocking case at first. However, after an autopsy and investigation of the scene environment, they have concluded that Tantai Zhilin did commit suicide. Although they were full of surprise and regret, But since it was not a homicide, everyone knew that this case actually did not require much effort.
Qi Ning did not ask other officials to accompany him. After breakfast, he only asked Wei Yujiang to go with him and Wu Dalin to bring two people with him.
The sun is shining brightly, the sky is high and the air is crisp, and people are coming and going on the streets. It is like two different worlds from the silence of the night.
The post house is not far from the Dudu's Mansion. Crossing two streets, you will arrive at the Dudu's Mansion. Qining had agreed yesterday that he would meet Tantai Zhilin's widow today. After entering the Dudu's Mansion, Shen Liang Qiu had already received the report and rushed over. When he saw Qi Ning, he immediately said: "Master Hou, I told Madam last night that Mr. Hou will see Madam today. Madam didn't say much and nodded in agreement. Mr. Hou will wait a moment." In a moment, the humble general has sent someone to tell Madam that the Marquis has arrived."
After Qi Ning sat down, he asked: "How is Madam's health?"
"Madam and the Governor and his wife had a deep love. Now that the Governor has passed away, Madam...!" Shen Liangqiu smiled bitterly and shook his head. His face was haggard and his eyes had dark bags. He had obviously been working very hard these days.
Qi Ning nodded slightly and said: "General Shen, the Governor has passed away and the imperial court has not yet issued an order to select someone else to take over. Before that, you have to take care of the Navy. You should also take care of your health. That’s it.”
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Marquis." Shen Liangqiu said: "Master Hou came here this time and also inspected the body of the Governor. After the death of the Governor, it is really inappropriate for the body to be left like this for many days, so I am prepared to go with you today." Madam discussed it and put the governor’s body in the coffin.”
"It should be so." Qining said: "Is the coffin of the Grand Governor ready?"
Shen Liangqiu explained: "After the death of the Governor, the lower official had sent people to secretly find a good coffin. He only waited for the imperial court to send people over before placing it in the coffin. In the middle of the night yesterday, the general had people put the coffin into the coffin. The coffin was quietly delivered, and it is now parked in the courtyard where the Governor's body is located. I will just wait until I discuss it with my wife...!"
Before he finished speaking, an exclamation suddenly came from outside: "It's not good, it's not good...!"