Should I go and meet with Na Lu Kuang?

Zhao Yu thought about this question for a long time.

Of course, he will not go as the 'second son of the Zhao family', but will go to negotiate with him as the 'leader of the Black Tiger Clan, Zhou Hu', after all, he does not want to reveal his true identity if he has no choice but to do so.

This can be seen only from the people who know his exact identity now, whether it is Guo Da, Chen Mo, Niu Heng, Wang Qing in the cottage, or Ding Lu in Qudongtun, Zhengxiang Township, Luyang, or Liu Wei, the commander of Luyang County, and Ding Wu, the county lieutenant, Zhao Yu has selectively revealed it in a matter of necessity, in addition, even Chen Zu, Chu Jiao and others do not know this secret.

And now Zhao Yu's trust in Lu Kuang is obviously not as good as that of Chen Zu, Chu Jiao and others.

But even if he went to negotiate as the 'leader of the Black Tiger Clan, Zhou Hu', Zhao Yu gave up temporarily after thinking about it for a long time, or rather, he felt that it was too early.

It's not that he has no way to do anything about Lu Kuang, or that he is afraid of anything, in fact, as early as March, when Lu Kuang learned that the Black Tigers had made a comeback in Kunyang, he negotiated with the Kunyang County Ya again, and asked the county order Liu Bi and the county lieutenant Ma Gai to eradicate it as soon as possible, Guo Da and Chu Jiao, who were in the main village, discussed with Zhao Yu specifically because of this matter.

At that time, Guo Da suggested to Zhao Yu: "Maybe we can control Lu Kuang like we can control Liu Bi and Ma Gai." ”

Zhao Yu thought about it for a long time, but in the end he still didn't agree.

Because Lu Kuang is different from Liu Bi and Ma Gai: Liu Bi and Ma Gai are people who have public offices in Kunyang, and there is a saying that monks can't run away from the temple, unless Liu and Ma are willing to give up their hard-earned official positions, otherwise he only needs to wait for the rabbit near the county office, and he can always catch these two people and force them to obey.

But what about Lu Kuang?

The Black Tiger can arrest him once, and even arrest his family, but if Lu Kuang has precautions, it will be difficult to catch him again, after all, Lu Kuang himself is a wealthy businessman, and besides, considering that he is not a person in public office, things like 'voting for names' are actually not very binding on him.

Could it be that the government and even the imperial court would kill Lu Kuang, a businessman, because he was forced to sign a letter of surrender for collusion with thieves?

That shouldn't be the case - the imperial court will kill Liu Bi and Ma Gai, at best, it is to maintain the credibility of the official family and prevent officials from following suit, but for a businessman, the imperial court may not be so harsh.

To sum up, if Lu Kuang was caught once and forced to sign a letter of surrender, Zhao Yu felt that he might not be able to force Lu Kuang to obey, but would provoke Lu Kuang's counterattack.

The counterattack of a wealthy businessman cannot be underestimated.

Therefore, for the sake of prudence, Zhao Yu decided to force Lu Kuang to a 'dead end' first, and this 'dead end' is the gradual encroachment of the Kunyang Brotherhood on the Lu Ye Freemasonry, and when the Lu Ye Freemason splits again and can no longer become a threat to the Brotherhood and the Black Tigers, then Zhao Yu will come forward to meet Lu Kuang in the name of Zhou Hu, and he feels that this is more feasible.

On April 18, Huang Fu, the eldest son of the Huang family in Yexian County and Huang Shao's brother, personally came to the Chengnan Workshop in Kunyang County and discussed with Chen Cai, the steward in charge there.

After some discussion, the two sides agreed on the way of cooperation: the Huang family sent people to buy mulberry hemp and transport it to the brotherhood workshop in Kunyang, and the brotherhood workshop sent people to weave the mulberry hemp into cloth, then dye it with color, and then carry out subsequent processing according to different conditions.

To put it bluntly, the Huang family outsourced weaving, dyeing, and subsequent processing to the Brotherhood.

For the Huang family, this matter actually has a lot of drawbacks.

Because the Huang family itself has a complete one-stop workshop for making cloth, from purchasing mulberry linen to weaving cloth, to dyeing cloth, and even making cloth into the banner needed by the Wancheng army, the Huang family itself can do it themselves.

Now, for some reason, they are forced to outsource the weaving, dyeing, and subsequent processing of the cloth to the Brotherhood, which is not really necessary.

What's more, the Kunyang Brotherhood Workshop is completely new in this regard, and the Huang family has to send special people to Kunyang to help the Brotherhood build a weaving workshop and a dyeing workshop, and even send skilled masters to teach the hired workers under the name of the Brotherhood hand in hand.

But the brothers Huang Fu and Huang Shao still decided to sacrifice some of their interests to cooperate with the Brotherhood, for a very simple reason, because the backer of the Brotherhood was the Yingshan Black Tiger Thief.

Sacrificing some of the profits from the cloth business in exchange for the Black Tiger Thief's release of the rest of his Huang family's business, the brothers agreed that it was worth it.

After the two sides negotiated, the brothers Huang Fu and Huang Shao walked out of the Chengnan Workshop under the personal send-off of Chen Cai.

After some politeness, Chen Cai led the people back to the workshop, looking at his departing back, Huang Fu whispered to his younger brother: "It's really an accident, I thought they would bite hard." ”

What he was referring to was the price set when the two of them negotiated with Chen Cai.

According to the agreement, in the future, the Huang family was responsible for transporting raw materials such as mulberry hemp to the workshops of the Brotherhood, and the Brotherhood would make them into finished products, and then transfer them to the Huang family, who would send people to sell them to various markets.

During the processing period, the Huang family will give the fraternity corresponding remuneration according to the quantity.

Huang Fu originally thought that the brotherhood would definitely knock them the remuneration for processing, and he himself was ready to be ripped off, as long as the other party was not too greedy and made too excessive requests, he would agree, but he did not expect that the other party's remuneration request was quite reasonable, and even showed that he could 'renegotiate'.

Of course, Huang Fu didn't dare to lower the price, just this price, he was already an unexpected surprise.

Hearing his brother's words, Huang Shao smiled and said: "This shows that Zhou Hu, the current leader of the Black Tiger Thief, has built this workshop not to collect money, but to buy people's hearts......"

Speaking of this, he looked left and right, lowered his voice and said: "According to the people I sent to inquire secretly, there are more and more people in the city who want to join the Brotherhood, even if there is gossip, behind the Brotherhood is the Black Tiger Thief......"

Huang Fu thought for a while, frowned and said, "Don't get involved." ”

"I know, I'm just curious." Huang Shao explained with a smile.

After that, he seemed to think of something, pointed to the main entrance of the Chengnan Workshop and said, "By the way, this is what I said yesterday, is it like?" ”

“……”

After being reminded by his younger brother, Huang Fu stared at the two signboards in front of the Chengnan Workshop again, stroked his beard and nodded slightly.

He thinks it's really similar.

Kunyang Brotherhood ......

Luye Freemasonry......

This similar way of naming Huang Fu couldn't help but think of a person, a person who once united their businessmen and became a huge force.

That person is the second son of the Luyang Zhao family...... Zhao Ergongzi.

Well, in fact, Huang Fu doesn't know very well what the second son of Zhao is called, after all, when they talked about this son, they all used 'second son' or 'second son of Zhao' to refer to it, until the Zhao family in Luyang suffered, no one could tell what the second son was called, even the local people in Luyang did not know, so that when someone wanted to worship the father and son of the Zhao family, they could only use 'second son Zhao' instead.

Of course, not all people don't know, Huang Fu thinks that Liu Wei, the county magistrate of Luyang County, should be clear, but unfortunately there are rumors that as long as the Zhao family is mentioned, that Liu Gong will lose his face, so no one is full to touch the mold.

And as far as Huang Fu himself knows, the second son seems to be called Zhao Yu - he once heard Wei Pu and Lu Kuang chatting at the beginning, saying that when the Marquis of Luyang was alive, he often called his second son Yu'er, but whether it was true, even Wei Pu and Lu Kuang did not dare to guarantee.

"Let's go back."

Thinking of Wei Pu and Lu Kuang, Huang Fu sighed in his heart.

He knew that his Huang family's secret contact with the Brotherhood and the Black Tiger Thief was, in a sense, actually betraying Lu Kuang and the Lu Ye Freemasonry, but ...... Huang Fu is really not optimistic about today's Luye Freemasonry.

Once upon a time, under the leadership of the second son of Zhao, he Luye Freemasonry was so majestic.

When he arrived in Runan, Runan County ordered Liu Yi to be forced to go to Ye County in person to find Mao Gong, the county commander of Ye County at that time, to beg for help, although these businessmen were scolded by Mao Gong at that time, and ordered them not to make trouble in other counties, but Huang Fu and some people felt that maybe Mao Gong was actually very happy in his heart at that time, after all, this is also their Ye County people.

After that, Runan County Ling Liu Yi has been polite to them Luye Freemasonry so far.

To Ruyang, the Zheng family in Ruyang was defeated and forced to move the family business out of the place where their ancestors originated, although now after the disaster of the Zhao family in Luyang, the Zheng family secretly transferred the family business back to Ruyang, and even cooperated with another Luye Freemason led by Wei Pu, but it was often secretly ridiculed because of this, after all, the Zheng family did not get recognition from the second son of Zhao, and according to their original promise, they were not allowed to return to Ruyang.

Wei Pu, who allowed Zheng to return to Ruyang, and the other half of the Lu Ye Freemasons were also attacked by Lu Kuang and other merchants.

However, the most memorable thing for Huang Fu is the Wancheng Military Market.

Because Zhao Ergongzi is not there or not, their treatment in Wancheng Military City is simply a world of difference.

Kong Jian, the chief secretary of Wancheng Military City, Huang Fu saw this person groveling in front of the second son of Zhao with his own eyes, and he didn't dare to breathe, and the second son of Zhao told him to go east, but Lu Kuang, who replaced the second son of Zhao, was completely unable to replace the former.

Lü Kuang would only exclude dissidents, and as a result, the Luye Freemasonry split up, and Wei Pu was forced to leave Yexian with a large group of losers, take root in Ruyang, and re-establish another Luye Freemasonry.

The two Luye Freemasons, who were obviously out of the same branch, are now in the same situation and hate each other.

Of course, Huang Fu didn't want to get involved in the fight between Lu and Wei, and he didn't want to replace the two, he was only committed to using the big tree of Luye Freemasonry to shade and bring more benefits to the family.

…… Until he received a message from his younger brother Huang Shao.

The momentum of the Yingshan Black Tiger Thief is too strong.

When Yang Tong, the leader of the Black Tiger Thieves, died last year, almost everyone was thinking: Ah, the Black Tiger Thieves are finished.

But who would have thought that the Black Tiger Thief changed to a leader named Zhou Hu, made a comeback to regain a foothold in Kunyang, and then quickly used a series of means to extend his power to the county seat of Kunyang County.

Using a righteous house as a cover, the black tiger thief recruited people under the nose of the Kunyang County Ya, and Huang Fu was dumbfounded by this trick.

He believed that the Kunyang County Ya was not unaware, but just a rat trap and did not dare to act rashly.

Compared with the Black Tiger House, the appearance of the Kunyang Brotherhood made Huang Fu feel a crisis.

What kind of existence is the Kunyang Brotherhood?

According to his younger brother Huang Shao, the Kunyang Brotherhood is recruiting members in an unscrupulous way, and it is said that anyone can join the Brotherhood as long as they are willing to abide by the rules of the Brotherhood, and the Brotherhood will be responsible for introducing errands, providing jobs, and even some other conveniences, such as when a person is in urgent need of money, he can apply to the Brotherhood for an emergency payment, and then slowly return it in the future.

Not to mention anything else, just introducing errands and providing jobs, Huang Fu had no doubt that those unwitting people would join the Brotherhood like moths to fires.

Of course, what shocked Huang Fu and Huang Shao brothers the most about the brotherhood was their slogan of 'sailing together'.

…… Sounds so much like the purpose of their Luye Freemasonry, 'Together'?

Hey, hey, hey, too much, bro.

After pondering for a moment with his beard, Huang Fu said slowly with a slight smile: "This brotherhood reminds me of one word...... Wow! ”

Huang Shao was stunned for a moment, but soon understood.

Since ancient times, there has been a saying in the world that a person who is bitten to death by a tiger will turn into a 'ghost' to work for the tiger and help the latter harm others.

Obviously, in the eyes of the elder brother, the Brotherhood is probably the 'ghost' of the Black Tiger Thief.

Although it is only a metaphor, if you think about it carefully, it is indeed very likely that the black tiger thief secretly supports the brotherhood, and indeed intends to use the guise of the 'brotherhood' to lure the unsuspecting people, so that the latter will become the coat of the black tiger thief, and make the county government jealous, and at the same time, the black tiger thief can also use the hypocritical cloak of the 'brotherhood' to do something that is inconvenient for them to do.

"This Zhou Hu ...... It's not easy. ”

Huang Fu said sincerely.

Hearing this, Huang Shao's heart moved slightly, and he guessed: "Brother, what you said about that Zhou Hu, will it have anything to do with Zhao Ergongzi?" Do you say that it is possible that Zhao Ergongzi or his henchmen escaped by luck back then, under the pseudonym Zhou Hu......"

Huang Fu shook his head with a smile, and said in his heart that you are too far-fetched.

After shaking his head, he said with emotion: "For my brother, I hope that the second son is still alive, if the second son is here, how can Lu and Wei ...... Forget it, let's not talk about it. ”

Seeing his brother sighing and sighing, Huang Shao changed the topic with interest: "In other words, I'm afraid this matter can't be hidden from Lu Kuang, and when I learn that we are cooperating with the Black Tiger Thief in private, he must hate my Huang family deeply, and my brother should be ......careful."

"I'm not afraid of him."

Huang Fu Zhengse said: "Whether it is Lu Kuang or Wei Pu, in order to compete for the position of president, he tied up everyone and tossed the Freemasonry that was originally united to the outside world into what it is now. …… If Lu Kuang had the ability, it would be fine, but it was a pity that he only dared to compete with Wei Pu and others, or use the power of the chairman to suppress his own people, and he didn't dare to say a word in the military market...... You don't need to worry about Lu Kuang targeting me, I have already contacted a few people with good relationships when I came, although they didn't promise anything, but I know that they want me to come to explore the wind first...... The power of the black tiger thief is getting bigger and bigger, since he can't destroy the other party, then find a way to reconcile with him...... Even if Lu Kuang stepped forward to stop him, he couldn't change it, he didn't have that prestige and ability yet. ”

After a pause, Huang Fu instructed Huang Shao again: "Second brother, for the time being, you will stay in Kunyang, and in addition to being responsible for building a cloth workshop and a dyeing workshop, you will walk around with the Brotherhood more, and it is best to find a way to catch up with the Black Tiger Village and meet the leader called Zhou Hu...... I look at the trend in Kunyang, the county government is afraid that it is difficult to eradicate the black tiger thief, the public opinion does not allow it, since this is the case, then take the lead in improving relations with the black tiger village. ”

"Okay." Huang Shao nodded.

Five days later, Huang's 'Brothers' Cloth Workshop and Huang's 'Brothers' Dyeing Workshop opened in Kunyang.

After learning of this, the county commander Liu Bi and the county lieutenant Ma Gai went to congratulate in person.

Liu Bi originally thought that the Huang family was going to send their craftsmen in Ye County here, but he didn't expect Huang Shao to tell him: "Regarding manpower, I am going to recruit them in a guild called the Brotherhood in Guixian." …… I admire their behavior in taking care of their neighbors. ”

As soon as they heard this, the expressions of Liu Bi and Ma Gai suddenly became very strange.

Of course, the two of them also knew that behind the Brotherhood was the Black Tiger Thief.

After a while, Liu Bi said strangely: "...... I'm afraid that Huang Gongzi will be difficult to find a familiar hand. ”

"It doesn't matter."

Huang Shao smiled and waved his hand and said, "I will send familiar hands from Ye County to teach them." ”

“……”

Liu Bi and Ma Gai looked at each other, and then couldn't help but look at the plaque of the cloth workshop not far away, only to see that the 'Huang Brothers Cloth Workshop' was hung on it.

At this time, Liu Bi and Ma Gai realized that the word 'brother' on this signboard probably did not refer to Huang Fu and Huang Shao brothers.

"Good, good ......"

"Heh......"

One side is the internal response of the Black Tigers, and the other side is the collaborators of the Black Tigers, because they don't know each other's details, no one dares to touch the topic behind the 'Brotherhood', and they are polite and polite.

A few days later, many Yexian businessmen under the name of Luye Freemasonry approached Huang Shao in Kunyang, hoping to introduce them to the Brotherhood on their behalf.

Under the recommendation of Huang Shao, these Ye County businessmen successively made appointments with Chen Cai, the steward of the brotherhood, to discuss cooperation.

Considering that there must be 'income' on the cottage side, and the brotherhood does not have so many people to eat so many merchants' OEM orders in one go for the time being, Zhao Yu carefully selected a few people as partners to work with.

As for those who were unsuccessful, Zhao Yu also asked Chen Cai to convey his 'goodwill' on his behalf, saying that the brotherhood is temporarily unable to undertake many orders, but there may not be opportunities for cooperation between the two sides in the future.

Under this promise, although the merchants who were not selected felt regretful and saddened that their families had to continue to be blackmailed by the Black Tiger Village, they did not dare to speak out for the sake of the future, and while opening a store in Kunyang, they were committed to improving relations with the Brotherhood.

By mid-May, there were twenty or thirty new workshops in Kunyang, and each of them was scrambling to find a brotherhood to hire people, and even Liu Bi, as the county magistrate, was stunned and at a loss.

Conscience told him that he should stop the Black Tiger Thief from growing, but reason told him that he couldn't.

Also, the Black Tiger Thief has expanded his power several times, and he doesn't rely on his 'internal response' at all, it is completely relying on his own ability, relying on the foresight and skill of his leader Zhou Hu, even if he has the heart to 'Yang Feng Yin Disobedience', he has no chance.

In fact, under the pressure of Lu Kuang, the county lieutenant Ma Gai was also recruiting village warriors during this time, preparing to organize officers and soldiers to encircle and suppress the Black Tiger Village - at least to make an appearance.

However, no one cared about the posters that were posted, and the whole city was talking about Yexian merchants opening workshops in the city, talking about how to join the brotherhood, and using the recommendation of the brotherhood to find a stable job in those workshops to support their families.

What the?

The county recruited a lot of money to encircle and suppress the black tiger thieves?

Oh...... Where is the Brotherhood going?

By the end of May, Ma Gai had spent a month recruiting only a few hundred people.

How can this shabby number of people be enough to encircle and suppress the black tiger thief? Even if you add the county guard, it's not enough.

『…… It seems that even the appearance can be saved.'"

When ordering the few hundred or so people to line up, Ma Gai shook his head slightly.