In the gloomy water prison, Shen Fa Wuhua was tied to a large turntable, the water had not passed the surface of his feet, and it continued to rise, and after a while, it did not pass his knees, and poured into his waist, unaware that he was still hanging his head and falling asleep, suddenly a burst of cold water poured down from his head, and the night wind blew, he couldn't help but shiver, and then slowly opened his eyelids, but saw that Wu Laoda, who was standing above, clenched the telegram fiercely with his right hand, and stared at him motionlessly. The eyes that eat its blood, knock its bones, suck its marrow, sleep its skin, and pluck its hair.

Seeing this, he couldn't help laughing, it was a pity in his heart, it was just a little bit, he could incite Wu Chuantou to innovate, but it was a pity that it fell short.

"You bastard, the boss was killed by you pigs and dogs, I'm going to chop you up and feed the fish!" Seeing him laugh, Boss Wu couldn't hold back any longer, roared angrily, picked up a fish bone and was about to stab Shen Fa. Unexpectedly, the fish bone was pulled into the air and said, "Boss Wu, if you kill him, Ling Lang won't come back alive, so it's better to give this place to me!" ”

Boss Wu's face was full of tears mixed with anger and he looked back to see who was so bold that he dared to obstruct himself from taking revenge, but found that the person who dissuaded him was Chang Zhenbang, only to see him smile slightly: "I have asked Ling Lang's head to be removed, properly kept, and brought over, and asked Elder Wu to arrange it for Ling Lang in the inner hall, and the whole body will be killed by death, as for here, leave it to me!" Boss Wu couldn't help it anymore when he heard it, and finally cried, the fish bone in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter, and then he arched his hand at Chang Zhenbang, didn't say anything, and didn't even wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, and hurried away.

Chang Zhenbang smiled faintly, squatted down, and said to Shen Fa below from the gap in the ground where the iron pipes made of wrist-thick fine iron under his feet were woven into a net-like ground: "Shen Fa, I've been waiting for you for a long time. ”

"And, it's just a matter of becoming a king and defeating a villain, what have you said for a long time, it seems that you are amazing! Tell you, Lao Tzu is a staunch reformer, and you can't scare Lao Tzu to death. Shen Fa said angrily.

Chang Zhenbang picked up the fish bone dropped by Boss Wu, slowly pointed at Shen Fa's chin along the gap under his feet, and said, "Is it scaring you, you should know better than me!" The telegram you arranged for the assassination of the official twice would not have reached the official without the help of those Westerners. ”

"Humph! It's just luck! Shen Fa said unconvinced: "Zhen Tianfu's unruly people provoked Westerners, which is why you are cheaper, what is there to be angry about!" If luck is on Lao Tzu's side, Miss Lu will do her best! Before he could finish speaking, the fish bone in Chang Zhenbang's hand was lightly stabbed, and a hole slowly appeared on Shen Fa's neck, the mouth slowly became larger, and the blood slowly flowed out.

Chang Zhenbang gently pulled out the fish bones and said lightly: "Actually, you wronged Zhen Tianfu and them, everything was planned by me, and I also sent people to kill those foreigners, if you don't kill them, how can you force you?" As a result of this battle, your Reformist Party will be beaten up like rats crossing the street in the concessions, and it will not be easy for your grandsons to sell the interests of the whole of China to the Westerners, and it will not be easy to appease the anger of the foreign powers. ”

"Bastard! It's all you, bastard! Shen Fa was furious, and when he opened his mouth, he bit it like Chang Zhenbang, but he couldn't get rid of the rope on his body, so he could only hate and hate, and said: "China has you scum, so it can't reach the rich country and strong army standing tall in the world!" ”

Chang Zhenbang smiled faintly and said: "The dignity of the country depends on its own strength, even if you give the country except for the thirteen provinces of Han to Dongying, on the surface you are rich and strong, but the Westerners can see it clearly, knowing that your wealth and strength are superficial efforts, looking for a loophole to beat you up, and you cut the land and give it away, and finally I don't know if you can leave Zhongzhou for your descendants." It's better to be honest and honest than to be so humiliated, and reason with him, although you can't take advantage of it, or you won't suffer too much, even if you suffer a loss, your strength is in vain. This remark of the saint Zeng is really an irrefutable truth of foreign affairs! ”

"Phew!" Shen said angrily: "What a saint, I think it's good to be a demon, why would my country be bullied so much without the Manchu Dynasty!" Hong Tianwang is a Chinese hero, but it is a pity that he failed! When it's true, it's fate. ”

Chang Zhenbang said: "I am not motivated, but also blame others, it is really mud that can't support the wall, rotten wood can't be carved, it's just that there are too many of you, so China is lagging behind people step by step, and is always beaten." As he spoke, he gently stuffed the fish bone into the water prison again, and gently pressed it on the wound just now, and the wound that had just dried up flowed bright red blood again, and the pain made Shen Fa suddenly go crazy.

Chang Zhenbang smiled faintly and said, "I need something, can you tell me?" ”

Shen Fa grinned and waited for Chang Zhenbang, and said: "I need you to be paralyzed, Lao Tzu is a reform party, the reform party is not afraid of death, in the future, if the innovation is successful, I will kill your whole family!" ”

Chang Zhenbang couldn't help but smile when he heard it, and said: "What a beautiful mythological story, but you should understand a truth, even if the innovation is successful, the scholar will also enter the council, you little reptiles who pour night incense are still pouring night incense, if you don't understand this truth, how can Sun Monkey be enough?" Saying that, he waved the fish bone again, and the frightened Shen Fa's face changed, and he screamed in his mouth, the pain just now has not completely dissipated, if he does it again, he really can't stand it. Chang Zhenbang said lightly: "What is it called, they are all brothers who studied abroad in Dongying, why don't you have the demeanor of a samurai who regards death as home, it's really a shame, okay, I won't stab you, I should do it!" As soon as he heard this, Shen Fa finally breathed a sigh of relief, but the wound on his neck was even more painful, this Beiyang demon didn't stab himself, could it be that he was impressed by his awe-inspiring arrogance, just like Brother Wang convinced the regent? Wouldn't it be possible for such a good thing to come to you? But with my performance just now, it's not convincing at all.

Just when he was hesitating in his heart, the fish bone that Chang Zhenbang stretched out in was slowly retracted from his eyes, Shen Fa couldn't help but be happy, who knew that Chang Zhenbang gently threw the fish bone back in his hand, stuck in the middle of Shen Fa and the turntable, and said, "You have shed so much blood, it's time to clean it!" Saying that, Chang Zhenbang gently pushed the fish bone in his hand, and Shen Fa made an 'ah' sound, and slowly rotated with the turntable behind him, but in five minutes, his head went in and out of the water more than a dozen times, and each time Shen Fa didn't have time to scream and was poured into the sewage in the water prison

After turning these more than a dozen times, Chang Zhenbang once again stuck the turntable with the fish bone in his hand, this fish bone is long and a little like a spear, but it is more simple than a spear, like a stick with a point, Chang Zhenbang received a Western education in Dongying, even if it is a bow and arrow spear in Dongying, he has never played this thing, and it is inevitable that some vegetables will be born when he first arrives, Shen Fa can't help but be stabbed a lot before he stabilizes his body, and panted and said: "My lord, I have something to confess to you, I hope we can make friends." ”

Chang Zhenbang smiled faintly and said: "The one who knows the times is Junjie, Brother Shen Fa, we are familiar at first sight, this heart-to-heart matter cannot be delayed." As he spoke, he took out the fish bone and threw it aside, clapped his hands, and let the water prison guard pull Shen Fa up.

This water prison is Wu Chuantou's death row, and the guards are also Wu Chuantou's people, and they all look like they love to answer Chang Zhenbang, and Chang Zhenbang doesn't mind, after all, this is people's chassis, people's rules, these people dare not let go, Chang Zhenbang has no way, so he has to squat on the ground and say to Shen Fa: "Brother Shen Fa will work hard, come here for my brother." After saying that, he turned around and put himself in the water prison, and after a while, Chang Zhenbang came over with two barefoot men and pulled Shen Fa out of the water prison, Shen Fa was like a fish thrown on the shore, breathing continuously, panting, and the night visit blew, which made him shiver from the cold.

Chang Zhenbang smiled slightly and said, "Come over with that set of clothes for Brother Shen, it's not good to catch a cold on such a cold night!" The two barefoot men hurriedly prepared a set of coarse cloth clothes, clean but with a fishy smell that can't be shaken off, Shen Fa couldn't help frowning, looking like he wanted to wear but didn't want to wear it, Chang Zhenbang smiled when he saw it, took off his clothes, and threw them in front of Shen Fa, and he picked up the set of coarse cloth clothes and put them on his body, and said to a few barefoot men behind him: "Brothers, look at my dress, you should be able to join our boat gang!" ”

These barefoot men smiled, their laughter was full of good feelings for Chang Zhenbang, and a person came over and squatted down to straighten Chang Zhenbang's clothes, especially the belt part was circled by the barefoot man, and he said after tying a special button: "Adults are like this, it's like too much when you take off your shoes." When Chang Zhenbang heard this, he actually took off his shoes and socks, and didn't mind playing barefoot, and these barefoot men immediately laughed and scolded. How could these barefoot men have ever seen such a big official family mingling with them barefoot, and the distance between their hearts suddenly became a lot closer.

After Shen Fa put on Chang Zhenbang's clothes, he immediately looked a lot more energetic, Chang Zhenbang kindly pulled Shen Fa's clothes, under the leadership of two barefoot men, turned left and right to a canteen-like place, four dishes and one soup were already placed on the table, and there was steaming fragrant rice, Shen Fa couldn't help but shed a sigh when he saw it, Chang Zhenbang turned around and said a few words to the barefoot man, the barefoot man looked at Shen Fa suspiciously, and retreated to the back of the door indifferently, Chang Zhenbang pressed Shen Fa on the chair with a smile, and handed over a pair of chopsticks, saying, "The night is cold and the water is cold, eat something hot to warm your stomach!" ”

Shen Fa glanced at Chang Zhenbang, smiled embarrassedly, grabbed the chopsticks and gobbled all the food in front of him into his mouth, Chang Zhenbang smiled and looked at him eating, stood up and served him a bowl of fish soup, and said: "Eat slowly, drink some soup, look at the way you eat, I think of when I was a child, my mother always asked me to drink more soup when I was gobbling, so that my body would be warmer, and I wouldn't hurt my stomach because of overeating." ”

Speaking of his mother, tears slowly flowed from Shen Fa's eyes, and a whimpering sound came out of his mouth, and he even couldn't cry for a while, forgetting to pick up rice in his mouth.

Chang Zhenbang said: "My mother has always been so gentle in her impression, she has protected us since she was a child, not letting us play with fire, not letting us go into the water, not letting us get involved in any dangerous activities, always so naughty and disobedient when I was a child, and now it sounds like it is really a good word." When I first became a father, I found out that my mother is the best person in the world for us, what Yuan Shikai, what Sun Monkey, is mostly nonsense, only my mother is wholeheartedly for us without asking for anything in return, only hoping that we will live well. ”

Shen Fa finally cried bitterly, he lay on the dinner table, howling, not to mention how sad and sad, Chang Zhenbang didn't say anything and slowly came to his side, and said: "Xiao Shen, you must go back alive, return to your mother's side, you can't let your mother worry about us anymore, sad, worried, there can be countless regrets in life, but the biggest regret for me is that it is difficult to repay my mother." We always think that my mother is tough and healthy, that her kind smile will not fade immediately, and that her busy figure will not fall so early. We still have a lot of time, and I can still go about my own business without having to take care of her all the time. In this way, I could have sent a letter, mailed some food, and made a few more trips home, but I didn't do it. And her old man didn't even leave me with the opportunity to feed her medicine and cook, how cruel God is, it can't forgive you for your carelessness, and if you can't catch the opportunity it has given you, you will regret it for life! Shen Fa raised his teary face and said empathetically.

Shen Fa couldn't suppress the collapse of his heart any longer, and with a bang, he lay on the ground, hugged Chang Zhenbang's thigh, and said pleadingly: "My lord, do I still have a chance to turn back?" ”

Chang Zhenbang sighed, gently stroked Shen Fa's hair and said: "Put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha, not to mention that you are a child of a good family, but you have just received the bewitchment of the demon, as long as you turn back, anyone can forgive you, as long as you tell what you know, make meritorious contributions to the court, and the court will reward you according to your merits, and you will have a happy start to your ancestors?" After speaking, he lowered his head and whispered in his ear: "Although it is not possible to seal the wife and shade, there is still a way to ask for a life for the old lady,"

When Shen Fa heard this, he fell on the ground like a pig and a dog, and said the list of reformers he knew like a bamboo tube pouring beans, it didn't matter, Chang Zhenbang was really surprised, he didn't expect so many three sects and nine streams to be confused by Sun Monkey's promise to worship the prime minister. Although these people are tied together, they can't afford to have any strong winds and waves, but if there is no evidence of nine out of ten, they don't dare to move these people easily, after all, these people are almost all famous and famous characters in Jiujiang's black and white, and they can't move easily, but if these people are not eradicated early, they will definitely have endless troubles, thinking of this, Chang Zhenbang's two brows couldn't help but rise.

Chang Zhenbang suddenly grabbed him from the ground and said: "Boy, there is something to trouble you now, if this matter is successful, if you want to go home, I will send someone to send you out of Jiujiang overnight, and then give you a big gift, if you want to be an official, I will guarantee you to walk sideways in Jiujiang City." ”

When Shen Fa heard this, he didn't care what Chang Zhenbang's matter was, so he nodded again and again, and said, "Adults, please command, and the little ones must do it." ”

Chang Zhenbang leaned into his ear and said, "Let's do this, like this, and then like this, it's fine." ”

Shen Fa's face changed suddenly, white for a while, green for a while, and dark for a while, and finally he gritted his teeth and nodded, "Just act according to the adult's instructions!" ”

This book was first published in Reading Books