The Nanjing government's martial law order has still not been lifted, and people are strictly prohibited from moving around at will;
The "United Shipping Company" is still taking the lead in protests, convening people from all walks of life to demonstrate, and constantly confronting people from the government;
Various forces such as the grain gang, the servants of the gentry, the Nanjing garrison, the patrol officers, etc. are still breaking in and searching everywhere;
The people are still hiding in their homes in fear, and are frightened three times a day...
However, if you observe carefully, you will find that the situation in Nanjing may seem chaotic, but this chaos is extremely regular and stable, and even gives people a subtle sense of harmony.
Although the Nanjing government has not yet lifted the martial law order, the word "martial law" is in name only. Ordinary people are still keeping to themselves, hiding in their homes and not daring to go out. However, those prominent figures have not implemented the Nanjing government's martial law from the beginning.
Put it in your eyes.
Even a lowly person like Tang Zhen could just show Huo Zhengyuan's note and show that he was running errands for Huo Zhengyuan, and he could ignore the government's martial law order and walk around Nanjing at will, almost without hindrance.
As for the "United Boat Line" mass protest, it gradually gave people a sense of absurdity. It was like working from nine to five, starting at sunrise and ending at sunset.
Every morning at midnight, the "United Shipping Company" will gather people from all walks of life, shouting slogans such as "the people are in dire straits" and "the government's harsh government", and march along fixed routes to protest. At noon, they will rest on time.
"Boat Boat" not only provides a sumptuous lunch, but also provides a place for a lunch break. When it is late in the afternoon, when everyone is full and satisfied, they will gather again and continue the protest until it ends on time at midnight in the evening. They will also meet for the next time.
On the morning of the next day, they gathered again to protest, and the cycle repeated.
Faced with the protests by the "United Shipping Company" that ignored the martial law, the Nanjing government had no choice but to take a harsh attitude at first and frequently arrested protesters from all walks of life. However, because the "United Shipping Company" had too much influence, it summoned too many protesters.
, they could not be caught, and they quickly filled up all the government cells in Nanjing City.
At the same time, these protesters came from all walks of life in Nanjing, with different backgrounds and backings. Even if they were arrested, various big shots would soon send them names, demanding that the Nanjing government release them as soon as possible, allowing the Nanjing government to suppress them.
At this time, hands and feet were tied up.
Therefore, in the end, the Nanjing government had no choice but to turn a blind eye and no longer forcibly suppressed the protests of the "United Shipping Lines". As long as the "United Shipping Lines" did not cause further trouble, they only gave a few warnings and arranged for a few government officials to guard
He just watched from a short distance away, pretending to be in control of the situation, and barely maintaining the dignity of the government.
There are also grain gangs, Jin gentry servants, Nanjing defenders, patrol officers and other forces. Although they are still breaking in and searching everywhere, at first they were working hard because of the huge reward offered by the Song family, but as Zhou Shangjing changed
They no longer required them to conduct careful house-to-house searches, so all parties gradually began to be confused during the search.
All in all, the situation in Nanjing seems to be chaotic, but the forces that are disrupting the situation are all trying to deal with the situation. Everyone is busy, but after all, they are just puppets of the big figures behind the scenes.
, have no idea what they are busy with, so their busyness quickly becomes pretentious and superficial.
The Nanjing government is pretending to be under martial law, the "United Shipping Lines" are pretending to protest, and the garrison patrols are pretending to search. Everyone's tasks are contradictory and conflict with each other, but they do not interfere with each other, and everything is peaceful. On the surface, they all stand firm and never do anything.
To give in is actually to muddle along and fish with pay.
And this situation has wonderfully controlled the chaotic situation in Nanjing City, avoiding friction and disputes between various forces to the greatest extent. Although ordinary people are suffering from troubles, and some families are even facing the worry of running out of food, they
It will not affect the overall stability of the situation in Nanjing.
It can only be said that the reason why official forces at home and abroad in ancient and modern times are always keen on making superficial remarks is because although this approach cannot really solve the problem, it can at least avoid the intensification of conflicts in a short period of time, and in many cases it can indeed maintain the stability of the situation.
inevitable choice.
*
Under such a strange situation, neither Tang Cheng, who holds Huo Zhengyuan's warrant, nor the "Chaofeng" dead soldier posing as a member of the Liang Gang, will be subject to too many restrictions on their actions in Nanjing City.
Even if they frequently encounter patrols and defenders in the city, as long as their identities and movement orders are made clear, indicating that they are working for Huo Zhengyuan and the Lianggang respectively, they can pass quickly without being blocked.
In accordance with the request of the "Chaofeng" dead soldier, Tang Cheng kept a distance of more than ten steps from him and kept following him. He successively dealt with three waves of Nanjing patrols investigating their identities, and avoided a group of protesting marchers. Finally, he saw them.
An unknown river seems to be a tributary of Qingxi River in Nanjing.
In the river, a small boat with a black roof has been waiting for a long time.
At the signal of the dead soldier "Chaofeng", Tang Cheng boarded the boat and entered the canopy. The dead soldier "Chaofeng" blindfolded his eyes with a thick cloth and blocked his ears with cotton balls. Then he felt
The ship's hull began to shake and sailed in an unknown direction.
After about a quarter of an hour, the hull of the ship shook again, and it seemed that someone else had jumped on board. Tang Cheng was finally allowed to remove the blindfolds and ear-blocking cotton balls, and restored his vision and hearing.
The next moment, Tang Chengcheng saw Jiang Xiao wearing a mask again.
When he saw Jiang Xiao again, Tang Cheng felt extremely nervous. On the one hand, he was worried that Jiang Xiao would discover his flaws and see through Huo Zhengyuan's counterintuitive plan. In this case, he would definitely have no chance of survival. On the other hand, he was also worried about what Hu Xiao had arranged.
Those tracking masters were not as smart as Hu Xiao boasted. They could not closely follow his whereabouts, nor could they further find Jiang Xiao's hiding place, making his adventure meaningless.
"This Jiang Xiao... is worthy of making Academician Huo deeply fearful. He is more cautious and thoughtful than expected! When his dead soldiers led the way for me, he actually took the risk and deliberately bumped into several people.
The Bo government patrolled and accepted their obstruction and questioning.
This approach is bound to make it difficult for those who are following behind. If you want to continue following along the same route, you must also accept the obstruction and investigation of the government patrols. If you are not careful, you will lose the target and reveal your intentions.
Then he took me into this awning boat, which further avoided the danger of being tracked and monitored. Although the speed of this awning boat was not fast, the dead man who was responsible for leading the way only had to stand at the stern and watch.
It can make those who are following behind have no way to hide.
After I boarded the boat, my ears and eyes were immediately blocked, making it completely impossible to identify my current location. Jiang Xiao himself appeared on another awning boat, which almost eliminated all hidden dangers, and even more so.
Those following behind were helpless.
From this point of view, if you want to use this opportunity to find Jiang Xiao's hiding place, the chance is slim. There is a high probability that the wishful thinking of University Scholar Huo will not be realized, and you can only find another way!
But... the last time I met Jiang Xiao was in a awning boat on the Qingxi River, and this time I met Jiang Xiao, the boarding location was also a tributary of Qingxi. It is obvious that Jiang Xiao is using this river that runs through Nanjing these days.
Qingxi River is conducting secret activities...Does this mean that Jiang Xiao’s hiding place is somewhere along the Qingxi River?”
Thinking of this, Tang Cheng felt nervous and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
On the other side, after seeing the change in Tang Cheng's expression, Jiang Xiao suddenly asked: "What are you thinking about? What needs you to think about so seriously?"
Tang Cheng was shocked, but he had rehearsed all the situations after meeting Jiang Xiao in advance, and quickly replied: "I...I am thinking about how to report the news to the hero."
After Jiang Xiao took a serious look at Tang Cheng, he said coldly: "When reporting the news, you only need to describe it in detail without adding any of your own ideas. I will naturally make a judgment after listening to it! Tell me,
You suddenly want to see me, what kind of information did you discover?"
Tang Cheng nodded immediately and replied quickly: "Gentleman, I have found the person you asked me to look for! Your inference is absolutely correct. He is currently hiding under the protection of Huo Zhengyuan.
In a temporary residence! Just like your description, he is short and stocky, with dark skin, an obvious black mole on his face, and a pair of wolf eyes that make people feel chilly. It is very impressive, so I
I recognized him immediately when I saw him!"
After hearing this, Jiang Xiao's eyes flashed, and he nodded with a sneer: "He is indeed hiding under the protection of Huo Zhengyuan... Hey! Once his hiding place is determined, the follow-up matters will be easy to handle."
While speaking, Jiang Xiao looked at Tang Cheng again, his eyes full of danger.
Obviously, now that his suspicions have been confirmed and Hu Xiao's specific hiding place is known, Jiang Xiao no longer has any scruples and will lead his soldiers to take quick action.
And Tang Cheng's eyeliner has completely lost its effect.
Jiang Xiao was seriously considering whether to kill Tang Cheng and silence him.
Jiang Xiao once promised that as long as Tang Cheng was willing to be his spy and provide him with information about Huo Zhengyuan, he would help Tang Cheng escape his humble status and would also seek medical treatment for Tang Cheng's old mother.
Jiang Xiao is a man of his word and must keep his word.
However, these two promises do not conflict with murder and silence. After killing Tang Cheng and silencing him, Jiang Xiao will still fulfill his promise, but Tang Cheng himself will not be able to see it all with his own eyes.
Tang Cheng was extremely sensitive and immediately noticed the dangerous aura emanating from Jiang Xiao, and immediately added: "I hope the hero knows that the reason why I discovered the existence of that person is because I was reporting the progress of the mission to Huo Zhengyuan.
The man suddenly broke into the room and seemed to have something urgent to report, so Huo Zhengyuan immediately kicked me out of the room!
Before I left the room, I vaguely heard Huo Zhengyuan calling him 'Brother Hu', and I vaguely heard... This person seemed to want to leave Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence and contact some helper in Nanjing again, so I thought
Ask Huo Zhengyuan for a pass just in case..."
After hearing this, Huo Zhengyuan's eyes flickered, and he quickly put out his thoughts of murder and silence, and asked: "Are you saying that the target may have left Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence at this time? And the return time is unknown? Also, he is saying
He wants to leave 'again', which means... he has not been hiding under Huo Zhengyuan's protection, but often acts alone outside?"
Tang Cheng nodded hesitantly, then shook his head and said: "I didn't dare to stay longer at that time, so I left the room immediately. I didn't hear everything clearly, but that's probably what happened."
Speaking of this, Tang Cheng hesitated and put forward his own suggestion, saying: "The villain secretly speculates that the reason why you chose to recruit the villain as your spy is actually not to target Huo Zhengyuan, but to target the man named Hu."
The mysterious man, right?
According to the current intelligence, this man surnamed Hu seems to often leave Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence secretly. Even if you know that he is currently hiding under Huo Zhengyuan's protection, it is difficult to determine his specific whereabouts, and you might miss it...
…
But this situation is also a great opportunity for you. As long as we can determine the specific time when this man surnamed Hu will leave Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence alone next time, then you can arrange an ambush in advance. Whether you want to capture or kill him alive,
It's all about catching a turtle in a urn, and it's a sure thing, and it won't cause too much noise, which will attract the attention and intervention of all forces."
Jiang Xiao's eyes flickered, and after thinking for a long time, he raised his head and asked: "You mean, are you willing to find out more information for me, so that I can know in time the specific time of the target's next independent action?"
When asking, Jiang Xiao's tone was meaningful.
Tang Cheng nodded quickly. As long as he could change Jiang Xiao's idea of killing people and silencing them, he was willing to promise anything. Anyway, it was just empty talk.
Jiang Xiao immediately sneered and asked: "I'm very happy that you are so loyal... But I'm a little strange. You were forced to be an informant by me, so why are you so active in doing things? What's more, what I said just now
Well, you are just an eye liner, you should not have any ideas or think about anything! And your various behaviors now, not only are you extremely positive, but you are also willing to take the initiative to give me advice, but it makes me feel uneasy!
Tang Cheng couldn't help but change his expression, and quickly explained: "Villain, villain just thinks that he has no choice..."
But before Tang Cheng could finish his words, Jiang Xiao changed the topic again: "However, your suggestion also makes sense! I originally wanted to lead a team to attack his hiding place directly after confirming the specific location of the man.
I killed him on the spot with lightning speed, but if I can ambush and capture him alive while he is acting alone, it is indeed a better choice, not only reducing the subsequent costs, but also more in line with my wishes!"
Having said this, Jiang Xiao's attitude became much friendly and gentle. He seemed to appreciate Tang Cheng very much. He even raised his hand to pat Tang Cheng's shoulder and said slowly: "In that case, I will patiently wait for your update."
More news, if you find that the target plans to leave Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence and act alone, please notify me immediately so that I can arrange an ambush in advance! Once this plan is feasible, your benefits will definitely be indispensable. I will not only help you as promised
I will leave my lowly position, cure your old mother's illness, and even give you a large sum of money!"
Seeing that Jiang Xiao had not only given up on killing people and silencing them, but was also willing to accept his proposal, Tang Cheng was relieved and secretly excited.
In this way, Tang Cheng not only saved his own life, but he could also pass false information to Jiang Xiao and use Hu Xiao as bait to attract Jiang Xiao to appear at the predetermined location, while Huo Zhengyuan could take the opportunity to set up a bigger ambush.
They surrounded and ambushed Jiang Xiao, and killed Jiang Xiao and his dead men in one fell swoop.
Next, Jiang Xiao asked Tang Cheng for more information, and also taught Tang Cheng a new secret contact method so that Tang Cheng could get in touch with Jiang Xiao faster, and then ordered the awning boat to dock.
Indicates that Tang Cheng is ready to leave.
Tang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief again. He didn't expect that he could handle it so easily. Naturally, he didn't dare to delay and hurriedly landed and left.
But Tang Cheng didn't know that just when he turned to leave, Jiang Xiao stared at him with an especially cold and cold look.
After Tang Cheng gradually walked away, Jiang Xiao suddenly turned his head and gave an order in a cold voice: "Gather all the 'Chaofeng' dead soldiers and attack tonight at the ugly hour. Follow me to attack Huo Zhengyuan's temporary residence!"