In terms of common sense, if you violate the rules of the gang and accept punishment, you should go directly to the city lord's mansion, just because this is where the main altar of the "Wanjin Hall" is located, and it is also the place where the sect executes the punishment. If Xiong Bailing really had the heart to ask for guilt, he could have escorted his son who had made a mistake here and asked Sima Rulan to deal with it according to the door rules, but he should not choose another place outside and set up a banquet to do the so-called "guilt".

Moreover, the banquet venue he chose was located in the west of the city, closer to Xiongjiazhuang, and far away from the city lord's mansion, which was even more unreasonable. This kind of practice is not like an ordinary confession of guilt at all, but like an appointment between the two rivers and lakes to negotiate, and this so-called letter of reparation is more like a war letter.

Hua Bushi carefully read the words on the paper and asked, "Do you know what Mingxiangzhai is in the west of the city?"

Yao Yuanxiao said: "Mingxiangzhai is a tea garden on Gangwei Street, which is an industry under the name of 'Xinglongzhuang'. The tea plantation is not far from the port, in the middle of the city, surrounded by buying and selling shops, the easiest to set up an ambush, as long as the other party's manpower blends into the street shop is difficult to find. ”

Hua Bushi frowned and said: "How come it is the industry of 'Xinglongzhuang' again, isn't the 'RT-Mart' restaurant we went to today also opened by 'Xinglongzhuang'." ”

Chai Lin said: "Chai Mou has already mentioned to Young Master Hua last time, there are dozens of big businesses in Okura City that have secretly formed an alliance, and the leader is Gu Zhengyuan, the owner of 'Xinglong Village', and now it seems that the real leader behind the scenes is Xiong Bailing." ”

Yao Yuanxiao said: "Mingxiangzhai is not far from Xiongjiazhuang, and it is the other party's industry, Xiong Bailing must be uneasy and kind to set up a banquet there, I think the eldest lady must not go!"

Chai Lin said: "Things are not so simple, the other party has already written that he will make amends for his sins in Mingxiangzhai, if we don't go, we will not only show weakness and others, but also fall behind in the truth, I am afraid that it will be more difficult to investigate Xiong Tiannan's crime today, then Xiong Bailing must have beaten this idea." ”

Yao Yuanxiao said: "Then we can't let the eldest lady go on an adventure, it's better to gather people now, go to Xiongjiazhuang to ask for guilt, and don't have to wait until tomorrow to go to Mingxiangzhai!"

Chai Lin shook his head and said, "This move is even more inappropriate. Xiongjiazhuang's strength is not unknown to you, Xiong Bailing trained in the village of the three hundred 'Great Rebellion Department', is the strongest war department in Okura City, he is the deputy hall master of the main hall, and he also controls most of the 'Wanjin Hall' in the city, and the guards of the City Lord's Mansion are only about 100 people, and he will definitely not be able to win haode if he encounters him. ”

Yao Yuanxiao said: "I think that although Xiong Bailing can mobilize the people of the hall, except for the manpower of Xiongjiazhuang and the 'Great Rebellion Department' trained by himself, the other brothers in the hall will definitely not follow him and become enemies of the City Lord's Mansion!"

Chai Lin said: "Yes, if the other people in the city of 'Wanjintang' can help us, there is no need to be afraid of Xiong Bailing, but now that they don't know the truth, how can they obey our orders? ”

If the city lord Sima Zhufeng was still alive, his prestige in the city alone would be enough to suppress everyone, and none of this would have happened. But now that the lord of the city is dead, whether it is the master in the "Wanjintang" or the major merchants in Okura Castle, they are all ready to move, and the civil strife in the city is imminent.

Yao Yuanxiao knew that what Chai Lin said was true, but he couldn't think of a way, so he had to stomp his feet heavily and bow his head silently.

Chai Lin looked at Hua Bushi who was standing on the side, and said, "How to deal with the current situation, does Young Master Hua have a good plan?"

Hua Bushi thought for a while and said, "How many people do we have now, and how much is the difference between our strength and Xiongjiazhuang's, I wonder if the two elders can tell the truth?"

Chai Lin said: "There are about 100 guards in the City Lord's Mansion, and Chai Lin only brought more than ten entourages to the island this trip, plus the manpower of the Chai family business on the island, there are about 30 people who can fight." ”

Yao Yuanxiao said: "I can mobilize about a hundred people on the dock, but they are all ordinary disciples, and there are no masters among them. ”

Hua Bushi said: "In this way, now our manpower is about two hundred and thirty, but I don't know how many people Xiong Bailing has?"

Chai Lin said: "Xiong Bailing was originally responsible for the defense of the city, and the men and horses in the city were all dispatched by him, a total of more than 2,000 people. However, these brothers in the 'Wanjin Hall' should not help him to be the enemy of the City Lord's Mansion, and the people and horses he can really use are the three hundred people he personally trained in the 'Great Rebellion Department', as well as more than 100 Zhuang Ding in Xiongjiazhuang. ”

He paused for a moment and said, "There are also dozens of shili merchants in the city who have formed an alliance, and they are likely to be used by Xiong Bailing, and the sum of these shili people is probably as many as five or six hundred." ”

Hua Bushi frowned and said: "From this point of view, the people of Xiong Bailing's headquarters are stronger than the City Lord's Mansion, and if you add the help of other shili in the city, there will be nearly a thousand people, three times more than the manpower we can use." ”

Chai Lin said: "This is indeed the case. Moreover, Xiong Bailing's three hundred 'Great Clans' were all elite warriors who had undergone strict training, which were much stronger than ordinary gang disciples, and even if they were the same number, the guards of the City Lord's Mansion would not be their opponents. ”

The two sides are fighting, the difference in numbers is more than three times is difficult to resist, and there are three hundred elite masters in the opponent's array, the difference in strength is even greater, even if Hua Bushi is clever and clever, no matter how good he is at commanding the war, this huge gap in strength is difficult to change, if you really want to fight, it can be said that you will be defeated.

After hearing what Chai Lin said, the eldest young master could only bow his head and ponder silently.

For a moment, there was silence in the chamber, and no one spoke.

Hai Hongzhu saw that everyone was silent, but she couldn't bear it, and said loudly: "Why are you all so cowardly, Xiong Bailing dares to come and invite, we dare to go, it's a big deal that everyone will fight for their lives and kill the father and son of the Xiong family!"

This sea woman has long been indignant at Xiong Tiannan's intention to kidnap Lan'er's sister, and he only hates that he can't kill Xiong Tiannan's villain with one sword, this sentence rushes straight out of his mouth, but he is more heroic than the reckless heroes on the rivers and lakes.

Chai Lin shook his hand again and again and said: "Madame Hongzhu's words are wrong! The current situation in the city is strong and I am weak, if we can't make up our minds and then act, we will only take our lives in vain, but let that Xiong Bailing's treacherous plan succeed." Whether we want to go to Mingxiangzhai tomorrow to make an appointment, we still have to consider it carefully. ”

At this time, I suddenly heard someone say: "Sister Hongzhu is right, since Xiong Bailing invited, we have no reason to be afraid, we must go to the appointment!"

The voice came from behind the screen in front of the back door, but it was Sima Rulan's voice.

Everyone turned their heads to look, only to see a slender figure in a plain dress who had walked out from behind the mahogany screen, and it was the city lord and the eldest lady herself. Her face was still pale, and there were still tears on her cheeks, but her expression had returned to normal, and there was a look of determination in her beautiful eyes.

Hai Hongzhu was overjoyed and said: "Sister Lan'er, it's really good that you came out! Hua Bushi, that guy likes to talk nonsense, but I already know that Sister Lan'er has a lot of them, and I won't be angry with him!"

According to what this sea woman said, it seems that Sima Rulan was sad and sad and refused to come out in the backyard because Hua Bushi said the wrong thing.

Sima Rulan moved the lotus step lightly, came to Hua Bushi's face, and said: "Mr. Hua's enlightenment just now is actually very right, Lan'er has decided that in the future, she will inherit her father's wishes, protect the ordinary people in Okura City, and do her best to build this place into an ideal city where they can live and work in troubled times." ”

Hua Bushi stared at the plain-clothed girl in front of him, his most haode friend in Okura City, his eyes were already full of admiration.

Sima Rulan's beautiful cheeks still had deep sadness, but she had come out of the shadow of her father's death, no longer complaining about the injustice of the world, but willing to bravely take responsibility to fulfill her father and her own ideals.

At this moment, Hua Bushi had secretly made up his mind that he must do his best to help this strong girl, calm the current crisis, and protect this Okura Castle!

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ in Okura City, "Xinglongzhuang" is one of the largest businesses, and Mingxiangzhai is the largest industry under the name of "Xinglongzhuang". The huge garden covers an area of more than 50 acres, the pavilions in the garden, the plants and mountains and stones, are all built on the model of the famous garden in the south of the Yangtze River, which can be described as picturesque.

In addition to dozens of tea garden houses, there is also a small lake of more than ten acres, named "Xiaoxizi Lake".

Mingxiangzhai is built on Gangwei Street, which is very rare. Just because this is the most prosperous street in Okura City, the monthly rent of the shops along the street has reached hundreds of taels, and only the wealthy boss can build a garden of this scale here.

Although Mingxiangzhai is called a teahouse, it is not just about drinking tea. When guests come here, they can also eat, watch plays, gamble, and even find a girl to spend the night with. As long as the guests have money in their pockets, they have a way to spend it here, and they will definitely spend it to great satisfaction.

Xiong Bailing is very satisfied now.

He stood in the middle of the door of Mingxiangzhai, on his left was Deng Ran, the elder of the outer hall of the "Wanjin Hall", and on the right hand was his son Xiong Tiannan, the man known as the "Seventh Master" was standing seven feet behind him.

Behind Xiong Bailing, there are more than 20 people with different clothes and hats, different heights, all of them are the shopkeepers of various businesses in Okura City, and Gu Zhengyuan, the owner of this garden, is also a middle-aged man wearing a royal blue robe and a long beard. Humpty Dumpty next to Gu Zhengyuan was Zhu Zi, the owner of another business in the city, "Qibaoju", and the two of them were the principals of the alliance formed by these merchants.