For several days, the sun is like fire, the whole Wuchang City is like a steamer, there are few people in the market during the day, the common people take advantage of the slightly cooler time in the early morning to buy daily necessities, to the afternoon, the large and small shops, the major yamen, all the doors are cold and do not hear people's words. After sunset www.biquge.info the heat is still stagnant, and even if you sit down, it is sweltering. After returning from Daye, Qiu Yinming originally wanted to immediately discuss with the political envoys and senators to return the operation of all mines in Huguang to the jurisdiction of the government, and start to collect the displaced people. However, he was told that the heat wave hit people for several days, and several officials of the main hall of the political envoy took turns to take refuge in the suburbs, and now only Liao Jiefu, who participated in politics, worked in the yamen, and all affairs were simple. Qiu Yinming and Liao participated in politics several times, although they failed to implement the specific plan, but found that Liao participated in politics quite diligently, and also cared about people's livelihood, and was quite in favor of his suggestions.

After that, Qiu Yinming began to work on various matters before going to Jingzhou. First, he drafted a proclamation, summoned the governors of nearby prefectures and counties to announce it in the countryside, and sent an official letter to his other provinces in Huguang on the same day. The proclamation said that all stateless people who have no land, or who have cultivated land in the mountains by themselves, should be naturalized nearby. For those who are voluntarily naturalized, the states and counties will supplement the corresponding land according to the capitation, and the tax will be reduced by 50% in the coming year. If you insist on not entering the household registration and wandering to the mountains and wilderness to evade taxes, you will be strictly dealt with by the government. In a fight in Longjiao Mountain, although the bullies were eliminated, the Flying Tiger Village could not get rid of it. The remaining people in Longquanzhuang sued the official immediately after the incident that day. In this matter, although Qiu Yinming had the intention of favoring Feihu Village, he couldn't interfere. On this day, the government issued a notice offering a reward for the capture of Chen Baisheng, the leader of the bandits in Feihu Village. Qiu Yinming knew in his heart that Chen Baisheng's skills were good, where was it so easy to arrest, but Qiao San, who was in prison, didn't know what to do now, and he couldn't take care of the affairs of Wuchang Mansion as soon as he went to Jingzhou. So in the past few days, he has been thinking about whether to take a risk before going to Jingzhou and rob Qiao San from prison.

After dinner that day, Qiu Yinming was writing in front of the case, recording in detail all what he had seen and heard in Daye County during these days. At this time, I suddenly heard the sound of knocking on the door, and I didn't look up, but said casually: "Come in." ”

But he suddenly realized that it was hot, the doors and windows were open, and if Chai Ban came to deliver tea, he didn't have to knock on the door. At this hour, the deputy envoy and his retinue will not come. He looked up, only to see a stranger step through the door.

Qiu Yinming didn't come back to his senses for a while.

The person who came was very young, of medium stature, clothed with a scarf, a leather belt and a waist, dressed as a Jianghu person, and respectfully waved him, saying, "Lord Qiu, forgive me for taking the liberty of it." The messenger at the door refused to come and report, so I had to come in by myself. ”

Qiu Yinming recalled that when he came just now, there was no footsteps at all, listening to his voice, his inner breath was pure, not an ordinary master, and he suddenly said vigilantly: "Who are you?" ”

The young man said, "It's a high night." I'm ......" He paused and said, "I'm Miss Evergrande's junior brother." It was Mr. Qi who asked me to tell you something. ”

Qiu Yinming immediately remembered that Hengyu had also mentioned to him that he had a little junior brother who grew up together and was like a brother. Surprised, he hurriedly stood up and saluted back: "Master Gao, fortunately." He said: "I'm really sorry, for the sake of purity, I don't even have anyone to serve tea, Gao Gongzi will sit down first, and the housekeeper will come later." ”

Gao Ye smiled a little shyly and said, "Your Excellency, you're welcome. ”

Qiu Yinming looked at him again. Gao Ye is about the age of his early twenties, and his appearance is not outstanding, but if he looks closely, his bones are well-proportioned, his eyebrows are stretched and clear, and he feels quite amiable when he looks at it a few more times.

"How is Mr. Qi?"

Although he was thinking about Hengyu with all his heart, the matter between himself and her was well known in the Xihai Alliance, and now that he met her junior brother for the first time, he couldn't ask, so he had to avoid saying nothing, and only asked about Qi Mutian.

Gao Ye said: "Mr. Qi was supposed to come in person, but he was seriously injured a few days ago, so he asked me to convey it on his behalf." ”

As soon as he said this, the butler Chai came in from outside with a tea tray, and saw that there was a stranger in the house, he was speechless, and looked back and forth at Qiu Yinming twice, and said: "My lord has a friend to visit, why don't you order it early." I just bought melons and fruits today, I'm going to get them, I'm going to get them. With that, he quickly turned around and went out.

So, Gao Ye told Qiu Yinming in detail about the recent encounters of the Xihai Alliance.

It is said that at the beginning of May, the Xihai League went south, passing through Henan, and then entered Huguang from Xiangyang Mansion, and encountered many Jianghu characters and gangs along the way, most of whom avoided the people of the Xihai League, but there were also those who came to challenge without fear of rumors. That day, he went out of Xiangyang City and wanted to cross the Han River before dark, but he was blocked by a large group of martial arts figures at the ferry.

There are more than 100 of these people, some monks and laymen, and they have different dresses and behaviors, and there is obviously more than one gang, and somehow they will gather together to make trouble. The leader is quite a bit of a fairy wind bone, calling himself Zixia Jushi, and all of them are fellow martial artists in Hubei, because they don't want the Xihai League to come to Hubei to do something, so they come to the ferry to block and not let the river cross. The two sides immediately got into action. The Xihai Alliance was fully staffed that day, and although there were many first-class masters among these people, they were still no match for the Xuandu disciples, and they were defeated and scattered. But afterwards, the leader of the alliance, Heng Jingzhao, felt strange that the Xihai League had never had any holiday with various figures in the martial arts in Hubei, so he temporarily settled in Xiangyang, secretly sent people to follow a few martial arts people, and scattered his eyes to listen in the market towns of nearby states and counties. A few days later, it turned out that these Jianghu people were all customers of Chunlin Villa. This Chunlin Villa is located in Guizhou under the jurisdiction of Jingzhou Mansion, the owner of the village is named Zhu Zhengyu, sitting on the family wealth, when he was a teenager, he voted for a senior master to learn high-strength martial arts, and he likes to make friends with all kinds of martial arts heroes on weekdays, and he is widely gracious, and he has a reputation in Jingchu for several years, and is known as "Xiaochun Shenjun". Not only did many small gangs abandon their doors to take refuge, but even some of the most famous first-class masters were proud to be guests in Chunlin Villa.

Such a momentum is not only because of this Koharu Shin-kun. If you want to talk about how Chunlin Villa became a martial arts master in the Jingchu area, you have to talk about Xiaochun Shenjun's master, a senior master known as the "old sect master". I heard that this old sect master has lived in Wushan for a long time, and he will come to the mountain villa every one or two months to live for a few days, and many martial arts figures will go to seek advice. It is said that the old sect master's martial arts are unfathomable, and if he is in a good mood, he is willing to come out and instruct others to make a few moves. Anyone who has been instructed by him has benefited a lot. There are many people who have joined the mountain villa to serve, just to get his guidance one day. Due to the defeat of several famous martial arts families in the Central Plains in Miyun County a month ago, the news spread extremely quickly. This time, these people came to challenge, most of them because they heard rumors and came to test, if they can defeat the Xihai Alliance, they will naturally be able to become famous and impress the famous families in the Central Plains. If you can't win, at least you can know yourself and your opponent. Now there are only a few months left before next year's Hangzhou Martial Arts Conference, and it is the time when martial arts figures from all walks of life have explored each other's reality and formed gangs, in order to become famous and get ahead at the conference.

Since the Xihai Alliance will inevitably become the target of public criticism, it is better to strike preemptively and let Chunlin Villa understand that the Xihai Alliance is powerful and cannot be provoked. Therefore, Heng Jingzhao immediately decided that the soldiers would be divided into two routes, with Qi Mutian going to talk to Qingliu about business, and the rest of the people following him to visit Chunlin Villa.

The two groups parted ways in Jingmen County.

Due to an unexpected encounter with these martial arts people a few days ago, Qi Mutian decided to temporarily hide his identity as the leader of the Xihai Alliance, saying that he was a merchant who smuggled ordnance on the Northwest Road and wanted to negotiate with Qingliu about the purchase of pig iron. You don't need to bring extra manpower, just get close to the guards. But just in case, he borrowed Heng Yu from Heng Jingzhao and went with Gao Ye.

Speaking of this, Gao Ye said: "Since leaving the capital, senior sister has been depressed. So Mr. Qi also wanted to take her to take her to relax by the way. ”

Qiu Yinming saw that he deliberately said the word "depressed" with a dissatisfied face, and was very embarrassed, so he lowered his head and drank a few sips of tea in a row.

Let's say that after separating from the alliance leader and his party that day, Qi Mutian and his senior sisters and brothers took Xiao Wu, Zhao Ying and his wife, and more than a dozen other entourages, and drove slowly to Jingzhou Mansion City. At that time, the drizzle outside the car window was dark, and the tall and straight city walls seemed taller and stronger. Qi Mutian is telling Hengyu and Gao Ye the story of Guan Yunchang, a famous general of the Three Kingdoms, who lost Jingzhou by negligence for a while. Speaking of Guan Yu's final defeat of Maicheng, Heng Yu also sighed: "It's a pity that a person like this who was once shocked was captured and beheaded in the end, instead of being killed on the battlefield." Presumably, death is not blind. Gao Ye also said: "It's a pity, if he wasn't so arrogant, maybe it wouldn't be such a miserable end." Qi Mutian shook his head and sighed slowly: "Hero twilight." There is always a day when people get old. ”

Between chatting, the carriage slowly drove into Jingzhou City. Looking out of the curtain, in the twilight, the lights are gradually on, there is a downtown for several miles, there are many buildings, people talk endlessly, and there are more sheng song orchestral sounds everywhere, so it is not prosperous. Looking at the place from a distance, the ancient trees are luxuriant, the eaves are heavy, the rain and fog are blurred, and the scenery is picturesque.

Hengyu also said: "What a good place." Uncle Qi, I heard you say that you passed by here a few years ago and met the two masters of the Qingliu Society. Shall we inquire about the place and visit tomorrow? ”

Qi Mutian said: "I just happened to see it when I was eating in a restaurant last time, and I didn't get acquainted. It seems that Qingliu will develop greatly in the past two years, which is very different from that year. It's not necessarily good to go rashly. It's better to settle down first and inquire clearly before making plans. ”

At this time, Xiao Wulai, who entered the city first, reported that he had already chartered a courtyard in Lantingju, the best inn in the city. So the group went to the inn first, changed clothes and freshened up, and then went to the middle hall for dinner. At this time, the store had already prepared the dishes as instructed, and after Xiao Er respectfully put the meals on one after another, seeing that this group of people had outstanding appearance, extraordinary style, and generous shots, he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Dare to ask where the distinguished guests are from?" ”

Qi Mutian said: "We are businessmen from the northwest. When I first arrived in your land, I was unfamiliar with the place. I just have a question I want to ask the second brother. As he spoke, he took out a small piece of silver and stuffed it into his hand, and said, "These dishes are very much to our taste." ”

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Master, please say, please say, I must know everything." ”

Qi Mutian said: "I heard that there is a chamber of commerce in your place called Qingliu Society, I want to get to know their masters." I wonder if there is a gate hall of the Clear Stream Society in this city? ”

Xiao Er said: "There is no doorway." This Qingliu Society is not an ordinary chamber of commerce, and ordinary businessmen can't enter their door at all. However, I think characters like you, sir, can still try. ”

Qi Mutian said curiously: "You said come and listen." What kind of threshold is it? ”

"Let's take our Jingzhou Mansion as an example, all the people who can enter the meeting are celebrities. Among them, there are not only big businessmen, big rich people, but also officials. "Seeing that Qi Mutian is very interested, Xiao Er is talking more and more energetically." I don't know, even if this businessman is capable, if he wants to be rich and superior, of course he must have an unusual way, and this official, although he has the right, but the Qing Shui Yamen does not have much profit to gain. So it's called reciprocity. Although there is no store in this clear stream society, it will hold an elegant gathering every month in the Tonghua Pavilion on the lake in the northwest of the city, and when the time comes, celebrities from all walks of life will gather, and the business will be negotiated. ”

Qi Mutian smiled: "Interesting, interesting." According to you, isn't this collection for everyone? ”

Xiao Er nodded and said, "Exactly." This collection needs to be introduced. We often have foreign businessmen here who want to participate, but very few can be introduced. Master, if you are interested, our shopkeeper has a booklet of celebrities in Jingzhou Mansion, you can borrow it and take a look. ”

"Oh? Then tell the shopkeeper, and ask him to show me this booklet after dinner. Unexpectedly, your inn still has these. ”

Xiao Er smiled: "Just because there are guests like the master, the small shop tries to provide comprehensive service." ”

Soon after the meal, the innkeeper came attentively and presented the Jingzhou celebrity register. Qi Mutian looked through it and asked the shopkeeper for advice: "Tell me, if I want to go to the Tonghua Pavilion Yaji, who is the best person to recommend?" The shopkeeper thought for a while and said: "I think the master is also a person who is used to seeing the market, to put it bluntly, if the master has an extraordinary meeting gift, then it is better to visit Grandpa Liu directly." Gonggong Liu is a celebrity under the eunuch Wang Gonggong in Huguang Town, and he can be regarded as the most talkative person in Jingzhou, and he is a frequent visitor to the elegant gathering of Tonghua Pavilion. Listening to the shopkeeper's words, Qi Mutian already had a plan in his heart, so he thanked the shopkeeper for some money and didn't mention it.