Obviously, using the Tulip to damage the pier and create chaos was a predetermined plan.
Everyone has Divine Skills and quickly discovered a multitude of clues.
In a cabin deliberately hidden away, there were entire crates of opium...
In a secret room at the stern, people from the pugilistic world, kidnapped and tortured, seed to be experinted on with opium; all had lost their lives...
In a hidden compartnt of the captain's room, there were letters not yet burned...
At the sa ti, Eagle Falcon Lidong soared into the night sky.
As seen from the pier, chaos reigned at the mont.
On the shattered bluestone road of the pier, muddy water flowed with oil blooms. The bamboo sieve of a fried cake stall flipped in the mire, and dumplings wrapped in fernted tofu were trampled into black mud. The Cao Gang's "Flying Tiger Flag" floated in the river, the corner tangled with half of a fried river shrimp...
"Ah~ my silk!"
A rchant hurriedly rushed over, lanting over a pile of goods, the lake-blue Su silk soaked through with blood and sludge...
A porter carrying a package was crushed under a camphor box, his exposed calf was twitching...
The large cedar door to the salt warehouse already splintered into strips, bags of official salt torn apart by the blast wave, and a salt worker in a patched jacket lay flat on his back, his chest ripped open to reveal white flesh, while his right hand clutched a blue cloth salt pouch tightly. Even the mule transporting salt had its belly torn open, embedding half its body into the mud house...
Luckily, not far away there was a series of workshops and factories.
They remained unaffected by the attack, and amidst the cacophony, countless people raised torches to co to the rescue.
Naturally, Eagle Falcon Lidong didn't care about this.
It flapped its wings and circled in the night sky, searching Jinn Pier, Abacus City, and surrounding waterways.
Sadly, even the river was chaotic at this mont, making it impossible to find any fleeing enemies...
......…
The next day, nearing noon.
Two hundred miles away from Jinn is Tongzhou City.
This is the endpoint for Cao Yun along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
The city hosts several Cao Yun offices, including the depot inspector of second rank and the doctor of the Standard fifth-rank grain office, responsible for the inspection, transportation, and warehouse managent of Cao Yun grain. These offices belong to the Ministry of Revenue, specializing in the allocation of the Capital's military grain rations, dubbed the "Mini Ministry of Revenue."
Southern Cao Yun grain, transported via the canal to Tongzhou, would be stored in the West, South, and Central warehouses.
The earthen pier outside the East Gate and the stone pier outside the North Gate are the main unloading points for grain.
And, via the Tonghui River, the Cao Yun grain can be transported to the Capital.
In essence, this was the Capital's granary.
The noon sun was fierce, making the surface of the Tonghui River shimr with golden scales.
Cao boats ford a line passing through Tongyun Bridge, with the shouts of boatn interweaving with the ringing of cal bells along the shore.
On the Stone Dam Pier, the Cao workers, bare-chested, hollered as the wheels of wheelbarrows crunched over the reed fluff between the bluestone slabs.
From outside the New City Gate, the jingling of cal bells moved in, as a cal caravan from Zhangjiawan carried Jingdezhen blue and white porcelain. The shops lining the streets stocked goods from both north and south, and even Western and overseas foreign rchants were present, demonstrating a bustling level comparable to Jinn.
In an inn in East City, the street-facing elegant room had its half-closed sliding window.
A middle-aged Scholar reclined against the window fra, fondling a jade thumb ring on his thumb.
His features were ordinary and his deanor unremarkable, resembling a down-and-out Scholar.
Yet, only when his eyes glanced sideways did a red gleam flash in his pupils.
Opposite him sat another middle-aged gentleman, his features sinister, frowning tightly.
It was indeed Yu Wenhai, the third boss of the Jinghai Gang.
Compared to the Scholar across him, Yu Wenhai was dressed lavishly and was quite the imposing figure, yet he sat half-perched on his chair, his posture upright, head slightly bowed, not daring to move his chopsticks, visibly sowhat nervous.
"Master."
Looking at the Scholar across, Yu Wenhai cautiously asked, "Such a pity about those things... If we had acted swiftly, perhaps we could have slaughtered the Twelve Primordial Spirits. With such a big commotion, I'm afraid the foundation in Jinn is ruined."
The Scholar across gave him a faint glance, "What, you couldn't bear to part with it?"
Yu Wenhai flinched, hurriedly lowering his head, "Disciple admits his mistake."
In truth, how could he bear it?
From the mont he joined the Jinghai Gang, his intentions were anything but honest; yet over the years, he diligently orchestrated plans, mollified nurous nobles, and relied on the Jinghai Gang's power to seize complete control of Jinn.
Years of dedicated work were utterly destroyed overnight.
Initially, he had plans to gather masters and even utilize military firearms against Li Yan and the others.
Yet, his master's play of the Tulip card directly caught him off guard.
```
The Confucian scholar opposite is naturally "Mr. Lan Du," Kong Hui, who has now changed his na to Kong Zizai.
"There's no chance for the Jizhou Tripod."
Kong Zizai raised his hand to pick up a morsel of White River vinegar fish, put it in his mouth, and remarked casually while savoring it, "The Jizhou Tripod will pass through the Dragon Vein the day after tomorrow. Those people have already beco suspicious, and the Captain Bureau and Xuan Sacrificial Officer will inevitably send reinforcents, killing them would be futile."
"The chess ga in Jinn is already a deadlock; rather than losing it, why not make it serve a greater purpose."
Yu Wenhai was a bit confused and respectfully clasped his hands, "Please enlighten , Master."
Kong Zizai looked out the window at Tongzhou City, "News from the Capital has co that the matter of 'Jianmu' has been discovered by the Xuan Sacrificial Officer, and all the major Mystic Sect orthodox churches are investigating. Previous strategic plans are all facing problems."
"Reversing the montum, if used correctly, a deadlock can also beco a first move."
"If you target the Jinn workshops, at most so people may die, but it will also attract trouble from those Chambers of Comrce."
"Redirecting the disaster towards the Red-haired Barbarians will certainly make the court wary."
"Those Sea Opening Sect major Chambers of Comrce from Min Nan and Yue Province collude with the Red-haired Barbarians for smuggling to pursue private interests and conceal the situation in the South Seas Countries. Find an opportunity to leak this intelligence to the Local Faction, as they have been suppressed lately and won't miss the chance."
"Master, brilliant!"
Yu Wenhai suddenly understood and quickly flattered, "The Capital still needs you to preside over it, Master."
Kong Zizai's eyes suddenly turned cold. Only when Yu Wenhai was drenched with sweat did he speak, "Do not sow discord. Zhao Qingxu is in the Capital, doing things that I cannot. Provoking conflicts in the court is also to assist him."
Speaking, his gaze turned complicated, "This ti heading to the Capital, Zhao Qingxu must lead, do not stir trouble."
"News ca from Qiankun Academy that they discovered sothing remarkable..."
Suddenly, the noise outside the tavern fell silent.
At Tongyun Bridge, dust rolled as a large group of cavalry rapidly galloped along the official road.
They were all dressed in dark clothes, mbers of the Captain Bureau, and the people along the way scrambled to avoid them in fear.
Not only that, the soldiers from Tongzhou Camp also swiftly entered the city, sealing off streets.
The leading official from the Captain Bureau strode out, eyes full of murderous intent:
"By the Emperor's order, thoroughly investigate all foreign rchants. Those who resist, kill without rcy!"
As soon as the words fell, mbers of the Captain Bureau and garrison soldiers coordinated to storm into various shops to arrest people.
"It's starting now..."
In the elegant room, Kong Zizai smiled faintly, "The struggle on the court, even the Emperor can't control it, let's go, the Capital is still waiting."
After speaking, he got up to settle the bill and left the inn with Yu Wenhai.
Sothing peculiar happened. Despite the streets being full of soldiers and key roads having checkpoints, the two walked boldly past, everyone seemingly turned a blind eye to them, like ghosts in daylight, quickly leaving Tongzhou...
......
"To the Lord, the mbers of the Jinghai Gang have all been imprisoned."
"Zhou Kang from the Navy Camp hanged himself in fear of cri..."
"Many in the workshop have beco addicted, and those caught said the ones who gave them opium made them believe in the Maitreya Sect..."
"Those related to ndes in the Chamber of Comrce have been arrested..."
In the Jinn Captain's Office hall, Tian Qianhu listened to the reports from his subordinates, feeling a pounding throb in his forehead.
He hadn't expected that despite rushing urgently, things still went wrong.
The bombardnt at Three Forks River Pier had already created a trendous uproar in the court.
Along with the recent anti-tax riot at Linqing Currency Pass, conflict in the court was inevitable.
"These dog thieves, what exactly are they up to?!"
Tian Qianhu felt infuriated, forcefully slamd the table, and ordered his subordinates to continue cleaning up the aftermath.
As for himself, he hurriedly got up and went to the rear courtyard of the Captain Bureau.
Li Yan and others were all gathered there.
The table inside the room was piled with docunts found on the Tulip.
Kong Shangzhao was holding a docunt, watching while transcribing.
Li Yan truly hadn't expected that this unconventional scholar from Luzhou had even learned the foreign language.
He picked up a page already translated, his expression turning serious.
On it, a docunt detailing ndes communicating spells.
Barbatos, Solomon's 72 Demon Gods...
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