The people from various quarters staggered out of the cabins, drunk and unsteady, and caught sight of the five towering ships berthed in the center of the wharf, all ablaze with light...
Upon a closer look, heavens, weren’t those the flagship vessels of the five hundred Eastern Factory troops?
Five towering ships for the five hundred Eastern Factory troops, all surrounded by other major yamen’s boats, all caught in flames at once?
Heavens, did someone really dare to provoke the mighty?
The Jiang wind was biting, carrying a long-missed barbaric and cruel aura, coldly lashing at the faces of the officials, sobering them up from their drunkenness!
The Eastern Factory director, encircled by various chief officials like stars around the moon, looked over at his own fiercely burning flagship, his chubby face turning shades of green and white.
"A rebellion, a full rebellion!"
With one slap, he shattered the flower boat’s railing, roaring hoarsely, "Someone come, dig out these scoundrels for me, to be slowly executed, slowly executed!"
The officials from Suzhou Prefecture huddled together, incessantly wiping off their cold sweat... In Suzhou, the only ones who could and would dare pull off such an act were from Lianhuan Fort.
They all knew this.
But none dared to speak out.
Because they couldn’t afford to offend any of them.
Shen Fa and Wei Heng, each holding a bottle of wine, stood on the edge of the crowd, looking towards the fierce blaze.
Shen Fa sighed, "It’s begun, we ought to steer clear of that dead eunuch, lest we get splattered with blood."
Wei Heng looked at him silently, replying thoughtfully, "Last year in Hangzhou, I chanced upon having a brief encounter with the Li family father and son, who’d have thought..."
After a brief pause, Shen Fa laughed, "It’s normal, those who associate with red become red, and those who associate with black become black; a rabbit has no business making friends with lions and tigers!"
Wei Heng shook his head, "I’m speaking of Li Changjiang, that old water ghost."
Shen Fa took a swig from the wine jug, "Has the Western Factory not received any news from Lianhuan Fort? That old water ghost has not much life left!"
Wei Heng replied, "It’s precisely because that old water ghost has not long to live, I cannot make sense of it. Why would he still allow his little water ghost to provoke the Eastern Factory? Does he no longer care about his holdings at Lianhuan Fort?"
Shen Fa laughed, "You’re thinking wrong here. As reckless as Jin Cheng is in his youth, could that crafty old fox be so impulsive?"
Wei Heng asked, "How so?"
Shen Fa answered, "If the old water ghost is about to die, would keeping Jin Cheng tied to his apron strings ensure Lianhuan Fort’s safety? With all the enemies he has made over the years, once he dies, not to mention safeguarding Lianhuan Fort’s foundation, whether Jin Cheng himself can survive is debatable. Shouldn’t he make use of whatever breath he has left to support Jin Cheng making a push, that if not binding himself to Yang Ge’s leg, what, they should confine him indoors to await death?"
While speaking, he nodded towards the raging fire, "Look how well-measured their actions are, clearly aimed to vent anger on behalf of Yang Ge. If he survives, who would dare touch Lianhuan Fort afterward? The last one who crossed Lianhuan Fort, the Xiang Family, their blood isn’t even dry yet!"
Wei Heng scratched his temple, falling silent.
After a long while, he finally spoke, "Are we just going to watch? The Eastern Factory suffers, but it’s the court that loses face!"
"What else can be done?"
Shen Fa took another swig of wine, his breath reeking of alcohol, "That old water ghost clings to his lingering life, thinking daily about whose life to trade for his own. Care to swap your life with his? Should this debt fall onto Yang Ge’s shoulders, won’t it force him into an irreconcilable fight with the court?"
Wei Heng scratched his head again, pondering hard for a while before finally conceding, flatly remarking, "Your mind is sharper; can’t you think of a better solution?"
Shen Fa continued drinking.
Wei Heng grasped his wine jug, "Speak up, would you!"
Shen Fa bitterly smiled, "A perfect solution, I did have one. I had even planned it out that upon reaching Jiangzhe, I’d shamelessly cling to Yang Ge to stage a play for the court, then casually bring out a corpse of some criminal, and the matter would be considered settled. Yang Ge would still be Yang Ge, able to return to his role as the innkeeper at Luting Yuelai Inn, except he couldn’t use the name ’Yang Erlang’ anymore. Given the relationship I have with him, I expected he would grant me this favor."
Wei Heng asked, "And now?"
Shen Fa nodded towards Huang Jin, still frothing with rage, "That cursed eunuch has dug up Yang Ge’s ancestral grave. You still think he can bow his head? Do I have that much influence?"
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.
Wei Heng pleaded, "Stick to the matter, no need for swears... it’s just an empty tomb, right? Since you were prepared to lose face anyway, might as well go and take a beating from him. Yang Ge greatly values loyalty; he will surely grant you this favor."
"You still don’t understand him..."
Shen Fa shook his head feebly, saying, "If there had been even a single garment in that tomb, this wouldn’t be so complicated. But because the tomb was bare, that’s the crux of the issue."
Wei Heng truly couldn’t grasp it, "Why is an empty tomb now a problem?"
Shen Fa pressed his lips together, deeply sighing, "All you see is his fearlessness, but you don’t know he actually doesn’t have much will to live... His family isn’t here anymore. He doesn’t even have a garment for burial. By erecting that tombstone, he intended to find some motivation to keep going, to look forward. But that dead eunuch crushed his little hope, even ensuring he knew it by spreading the epitaph everywhere. Given his temperament, the fact that he stopped at killing up to Huang Jin already shows he had been dieting lately."