Looking out of the window, one can see the rolling river flowing eastward, boats passing by, and the bustling scene on the pier, where pedestrians and business travelers are bustling with the endless flow. Various vehicles loading and unloading bulk goods from the dock have special passages that bypass the main street and go directly to the market and warehouse next to the dock. This not only facilitates inspection by the tax inspection department personnel, but also facilitates the passage of guests and goods. The design is quite reasonable.
The food street is close to the market and warehouse area. Perhaps its main target is to attract these generous merchants who travel from various places. Chefs from all over the empire who are proficient in various dishes have set up camp here and built restaurants to cater to the tastes of merchants from all over the world. The restaurants and hotels not only satisfy the different tastes of visiting merchants, but also further prosper the local food culture.
"Master, it seems to be very lively here. I didn't expect Jiujiang to be so prosperous. It seems to be different from what you said last night." When he went out, Wu Feng had already told the four girls to be careful when speaking and not to reveal their identities. Therefore, the neutral word "ye" is always used when addressing Wu Feng.
Seeing Yun Yi's somewhat puzzled look, Wu Feng snorted coldly and lowered his voice: "This is nothing more than gold and jade. This is the area where the wealth of Jiujiang Prefecture is most concentrated. Jiujiang Prefecture is originally mainly about commerce, and water transport is the main business. It is the main channel of transportation here. Most of the people who can operate here are wealthy businessmen, so the business here is so prosperous. If you have time to see the countryside outside Jiujiang Prefecture, the situation may be different."
Although he lowered his voice, Wu Feng still didn't want to discuss sensitive topics in such a place. He used his eyes to signal the girls not to mention such issues again. Instead, tasting the delicious dishes in front of him was the top priority.
While Wu Feng and his party were concentrating on enjoying the food, bursts of noise came from the streets downstairs and soon came from far to near. Looking out the window, one could see a group of soldiers in Taiping Army uniforms chasing two two men. A man with a sword who walks as fast as flying.
"Catch them! Master Cheng has an order. If you catch the rebels of the Huangshan Sect, there will be a heavy reward!" The panting leader waved his heavy sword and tried to catch up with the opponent, but the two figures were obviously not worried. In the crowd It seemed that he was able to dodge and escape with ease, and although there were many people on the street with weapons, they were all bodyguards following the big merchants. They were obviously not interested in meddling in these nosy matters, and they all hid with their hands folded. Two strong figures He quickly disappeared into the depths of the alley adjacent to the main street, leaving behind a group of soldiers who were still there, shouting and searching.
When the guests dining upstairs saw that the excitement was over, they all returned to their seats and continued their unfinished meals, but the topic naturally changed to the scene just now.
"Brother Liu, the Huangshan sect is really stubborn. Now General Cheng has managed Jiujiang Prefecture in a stable manner, but the Huangshan sect cannot be subdued. I didn't expect them to dare to come to this city to run wild. Isn't this looking for death? ?" Even though they were separated by a screen, the voices from the other side still came through without any obstruction.
"Looking for death? I don't think so. Brother Li, you are a foreigner, and you may not be aware of some situations. Why don't you think about it, why does the Huangshan faction oppose General Cheng? Is there no one to support and instigate you? Think more. Think about it, it turns out that the Huangshan Sect is the largest martial arts sect in Jiujiang Prefecture, and many of their disciples have joined the Imperial Army. Although the Imperial Army was expelled from Jiujiang at this time, a camel is much thinner than a horse. Big, the Huangshan Sect is not a vegetarian, of course they will not give up so easily, and looking at the Huangshan Sect is still so active now, you can also imagine that they also have support in the local area." The voice called Brother Liu obviously meant something. Show off how well-informed and well-informed you are.
"But Brother Liu, I see that my colleagues in your area have great respect for General Cheng. General Cheng's current policy towards businessmen here is also quite good. It is much better than when the empire ruled. Could it be that Isn't this enough to win everyone's support?" the businessman surnamed Li asked in surprise.
"This is hard to explain in one sentence. Although General Cheng's policies are good, but you also know who is behind General Cheng. How long can these policies last? And General Cheng alone occupies this isolated place in Jiujiang Prefecture. , how effective it can be. Although the imperial army has not yet taken action, once it does, who can tell what will happen in the future? It’s difficult, brother. To make a living in our Jiujiang Prefecture, you have to be sharp and have a long-term view. Some, I haven’t heard that the businessmen and gentry in Kansai who used to have a fierce fight with the Taiping Cult were immediately purged after the Northwest King took over. The good ones could end up being exiled to the army and sent to Tengger, and the bad ones could also end up with them. All we have to do is say goodbye to this world. We must learn from the past and be careful." The voice of the businessman surnamed Liu suddenly dropped an octave, so low that even the non-Feng Gongju ears could not hear clearly. It was obvious that the two of them were whispering. .
"Oh, no wonder it's like this. I wonder why everyone maintains a lukewarm relationship with this place. It's just that the county magistrate is not as good as the current one. If you are acting in secret, aren't you worried that General Cheng will kill you?" Businessman surnamed Li He pondered for a moment and then asked again.
"Who says we are acting against the law? We will not pay any of the taxes we should pay. As for other things, we just need to maintain a suitable level. Most of the subordinate officials under General Cheng are still the same people under our Jiujiang Prefecture. They Although I have not become a general and work hard, I still have to consider my own funeral. If I push everyone too hard, aren't I afraid that if the situation changes, I will have no way out? Brother, many things are not as simple as you think. , although General Cheng is brave in fighting, he is a warrior and an outsider. Many things still have to rely on the locals of Jiujiang Prefecture. I dare not say that strong dragons will not defeat the local snakes, but some thin noodles still have to be sold to the people of our Chamber of Commerce. Ah. Brother, you can do business with me. Don’t worry. If you have any problems, I will take care of everything for you." The content of the words gradually returned to business, and their voices gradually returned to their original state.
It seems that although Cheng Dayou's rule in Jiujiang appears to be relatively stable on the surface, it is not as beautiful as outsiders see it. The conservative gentry is still hostile to his status as a Taiping cultivator. Wu Feng's unintentional act could have such a great deterrent effect on those ordinary businessmen, so that the businessmen did not dare to completely turn to each other. This was unexpected by Wu Feng. In addition, the sound heard on the ship What the boat boss said is that ordinary farmers cannot benefit from changing owners, but the North has made a fuss about dividing wealth and occupying land to equalize the rich and the poor. This will only arouse the jealousy, jealousy and dissatisfaction of these people. Among the three If the power is really going to burst out all at once, can Cheng Dayou be able to withstand it
Wu Feng couldn't understand what Cheng Dayou was thinking now. The situation in Jiujiang was not optimistic. With his bad relationship with the Taiping Religion headquarters, if something really happened, it would be difficult for him to get support from the north.
Cheng Dayou is indeed very troubled now. Behind the surface calmness of Jiujiang Mansion there are turbulent waves. He knows this better than anyone else. He needs time and conditions to suppress all this, but no one will give him time and chance. The time has come. It's time for a showdown. Situ Mingyue would die sooner or later, but he died at this time. This also forced several forces that were still negotiating with him to suddenly change their attitude and asked him to make his position clear immediately, otherwise•;•;•;•;•;• ;
I only regretted that I had thrown myself into the arms of the Taiping Army at the first thought, and ended up not being accepted by the powerful traditional forces. Those gentry have been working against each other all day long, but he has been unable to make up his mind to kill them all. Is it because his butcher knife is dull or his leisure life has sapped his ambition? After reflection countless times, the result is not the same. He has to think twice before taking action. , once the butcher's knife is waved, I am afraid that I will no longer be able to compromise with any of the Situ family, which represents the traditional forces, and will immediately face the siege from these conservative forces. The Machihan people will not work hard for outsiders. By then, he would have to face it alone. This was the main reason why he did not dare to act rashly.
But if I didn't choose the Taiping Army, how could I easily have such a large military power and territory? Cheng Dayou had to admire and envy his idol in the northwest. He was so lucky and had such good opportunities that almost all good things happened to him. However, he wanted to imitate him, but he really got there. At this step, you realize that the originally bright road turns out to be dark and thorny when you see it clearly.
It's time to make a choice. Although Cheng Dayou also knows that he is not a consistent gentleman, he also doesn't like this kind of surrender that he knows is not accompanied by urgent power. After all, if he carries someone who has abandoned his master, Reputation is hard to swallow. Li Wufeng, Li Wufeng, if you can control Jincheng, I can capture Huanggang in one fell swoop as a meeting gift, but now, I can only give up on you. People without strength will never be taken seriously. Cheng Dayou has always believed in this. Although Li Wufeng has sent people to contact him, water from afar cannot quench his thirst. Cheng Dayou has never thought about giving up his army and joining someone alone. After leaving the army, he knew he was nothing.
Situ Lang, Situ Jun, and Situ Biao, three names were chewed in the mouth of Cheng Dayou who stood up. The situation in the imperial capital was unclear, and the lack of reliable intelligence left Cheng Dayou with no choice. Although this choice was not fatal, it was Once you make the wrong choice, it will take a lot of effort to escape, and Cheng Dayou knows this.