Chapter four hundred and thirtieth treachery and evil
However, Xiong Bailing's expression remained unchanged and he stood there without saying a word, as if such changes had been expected by him.
It wasn't until the crowd's noise subsided that he said in a deep voice: "The news Elder Yao received is true. City Lord Sima was indeed assassinated by gangsters in Guangdong a few months ago and died unfortunately, and Quanzi's marriage to the eldest lady of the City Lord
, City Lord Sima didn’t even have time to agree!”
As soon as these words came out, not only did Gu Zhengyuan and other businessmen change their colors, but Sima Rulan, Hua Bushi and Yao Yuanxiao were also surprised. They all thought that Xiong Bailing's lies had been exposed, and he would definitely find a way to quibble, but they didn't expect this
The deputy hall master Xiong actually admitted it without any intention of denying it.
Xiong Bailing paused and then said: "Although the engagement is not true, Mr. Xiong's move is all for the sake of the merchants and people in Okura City and the thousands of brothers in Wanjin Hall. Just like Sima
My eldest brother has a spirit in heaven, and he will definitely agree with Xiong Bailing’s approach!”
Yao Yuanxiao said: "Xiong Bailing, stop talking nonsense here! It's obvious that you want to plot against Okura City, and you still resort to such despicable and shameless conspiracies. If City Lord Sima has a spirit in the sky, he will definitely not tolerate you!"
Xiong Bailing snorted coldly and said: "Yao Yuanxiao, you don't distinguish between right and wrong, and you associate with traitors. You really deserve to be the elder of our sect!"
Before Yao Yuanxiao was about to scold him, Sima Rulan stood up and said, "Elder Yao, please be patient for a moment."
She walked up to Xiong Bailing and said: "Uncle Xiong, you are the deputy hall master of our sect and an elder that Lan'er has always respected. If what you are doing today is really for the people of Okura City,
For the sake of our brothers, Lan'er should obey Uncle Xiong's arrangement, otherwise, today will be the last time Lan'er calls you Uncle Xiong!"
After Sima Rulan said this, her beautiful eyes were like stars, staring straight at Xiong Bailing, as if she wanted to see through his face at a glance.
However, Xiong Bailing remained calm-faced. His face was thicker than a bear's skin, so it was not easy for Sima Rulan to see through him.
He suddenly sighed and said: "Niece Lan'er is the only descendant of Brother Sima. She was originally the future lord of Okura City. It's a pity that she is too young and has no experience in the world. She was deceived by the appearance of the evil people.
The person was ignorant and did not warn him, so he committed a mistake. But it is not too late to fix the problem. Now that niece Laner has identified the traitor, it is not too late to change her mind!"
When he said these words, he shook his head and stamped his feet, looking very old-fashioned, as if he really felt that the younger generation had committed some mistake, and that he, the elder, felt extremely sorry for it.
Before Sima Rulan could answer, Hai Hongzhu could no longer bear it anymore and said first: "Xiong, what kind of mistake did you say Sister Lan'er made, and which traitor did she be deceived by? You can explain it clearly.
Hey, don’t pretend to play riddles here!”
Xiong Bailing said: "The traitor I'm talking about is none other than your husband Hua Bushi! 'Evil Dog Master' is notorious in the world. Everyone knows that he is ruthless, greedy and lustful. How can I still wrong him?"
Can’t do it?”
Hua Bushi had been sitting quietly aside without saying a word, but now he was suddenly pushed to the forefront. Everyone's eyes at the table were all turned to this young master. It was really a misfortune.
There is no way to hide.
Deng Ran, who was beside him, spoke up and said, "Deputy Hall Master Xiong is right. A lecherous person like Mr. Dog is the best at deceiving young women. The eldest lady of the city lord is not experienced in the world and will be deceived if she is seduced by his sweet words. I also lived in the Waitian Tower for several months, and it was spread among everyone in Okura City. It really had a very bad impact."
Hai Hongzhu flushed with anger and shouted: "You are not allowed to talk nonsense! Why did Hua Bushi use any sweet words to confuse Sister Lan'er? They are just friends, what can others do if they want to spread rumors!"
Normally, Sulihai Hongzhu often described Hua Bushi as an extremely evil person, but now when she heard others speak ill of this "husband", she seemed to be even more angry than Hua Bushi himself.
Xiong Bailing ignored Hai Hongzhu and said: "Now that the Lord of Sima City has been killed, neither Okura City nor Wanjin Hall can be left without an owner. Recently, news came from the mainland that the Ming Dynasty court has discovered our Okura Because of the existence of the island, a large fleet of navy ships will be sent to conquer it. The situation is very critical. I have no choice but to come up with this strategy. I pretend that I have asked Brother Sima to agree to the marriage, so that Lan'er's niece and the dog Xiong Tiannan can get married as soon as possible. My niece can get rid of the temptation of treacherous people and eliminate the rumors spread outside. Secondly, it can also stabilize the hearts and minds of Okura City's army and people, so as to prevent the news of Brother Sima's assassination from spreading and causing chaos in the city."
He said in a deep voice: "Xiong did this for the sake of our 'Wanjintang' and 'Okura City'. I think you all should be able to understand that!"
Previously, when Yao Yuanxiao revealed that the city lord was dead and Xiong Bailing forged a marriage contract, Gu Zhengyuan, Zhu Zi and other businessmen were dissatisfied, but now after hearing the words of Deputy Hall Master Xiong, the expressions on their faces became uncertain. stand up.
The Ming Dynasty's "Sea Ban" has been in force for a hundred years. The ocean free trade on Okura Island is actually illegal smuggling in the eyes of the government. If the court discovers it, it is reasonable to send troops to suppress it. Now that Sima Zhufeng is dead and the city is leaderless, it will be difficult to fight against the attacking Ming Dynasty Navy. Although Xiong Bailing's move seems to be taking advantage of the opportunity to seize power, it can indeed stabilize the people's hearts in the city and avoid chaos, which is in line with the wishes of many businessmen. Benefit.
After all, as long as Okura City can remain stable and the rules of free trade at the port remain unchanged, allowing all firms to continue doing business and making money, they can accept it no matter whether the city owner's surname is Sima or Xiong.
Sima Rulan said: "Uncle Xiong, the fact that the imperial court is going to send troops to conquer Okura Island is just a rumor. Whether it is true or not is still unconfirmed. It is too far-fetched to fabricate a marriage contract on this basis! Mr. Hua and Lan'er is a friend, so Lan'er understands his personality. He came to our Okura City to open the Barking Tower, and what he did was a legitimate dog training business. Many business houses in the city even hired him to train fighting dogs on their behalf. He is not the evil person you said he was."
Hai Hongzhu shouted: "Sister Lan'er is so right! The Xiong family and his son are the traitors, and they still want to slander good people. How shameless!"
Xiong Bailing looked at Sima Rulan and said: "You must know that any treacherous and evil person will always hide his true nature and pretend to be upright. The virtuous niece was deceived by him and regarded him as a friend. Do you know that, Your father was assassinated in Guangdong, by whose hands?"
When Xiong Bailing and Deng Ran accused Hua Bushi of being a traitor, the young master remained silent and had no intention of defending himself. However, it was not until he heard the last words spoken by Xiong Bailing that his expression changed.
Sima Rulan said: "Dad was assassinated. It is said that the Black Dragon Palace ordered assassins to do it. One of the 'Nine Dragon Sons' of the Dragon Palace tribe has directly admitted the matter."
However, Xiong Bailing shook his head and said: "The news about niece Xian's arrival is untrue. Xiong has verified that the assassin who killed Brother Sima was named Cao Muyun. He was a member of the Ming Dynasty government. He is currently in Dacang City under the pseudonym Cao Yu.
Hua Bushi is his accomplice and the murderer who killed your father!"
As soon as these words came out, the shock caused among everyone was no less than the previous news of Sima Zhufeng's assassination.
Many people in Okura City know that Hua Bushi and Cao Yu are the owners of Weitian Tower, and among the business owners present, many people know the handsome Cao Yu. But who
Nor did he expect that he was the famous "Mr. Muyun" in the capital, and he was actually the assassin who killed Sima City Lord.
Only to hear Xiong Bailing say again: "The 'Evil Dog Master' has colluded with the government. It has long been heard in the world that the officers and soldiers of the imperial court are coming to conquer Okura Island. Hua Bushi and Cao Muyun are the ones who came to inquire about the information.
Guest. The boy surnamed Hua is very attentive to the virtuous niece and deceives your favor. His intentions are extremely sinister! If not, how could Uncle Xiong take such a big risk and pretend that Brother Sima agrees to the marriage so that the virtuous niece can leave this place?
What about human temptations!”
After several months of getting along, Sima Rulan already knew Hua Bushi's personality quite well. If it were about other things, Sima Rulan would definitely not believe Xiong Bailing's words, but this matter was related to the death of her father, so she couldn't help but feel a little bit
He hesitated and turned to look at the vicious dog master.
Hua Bushi was also very surprised. He did not expect that Xiong Bailing would know about Cao Muyun's assassination of Sima Zhufeng. However, at this time, he could only force himself to be calm and did not show any panic on the outside. He said: "I'm with you.
Brother Cao encountered a hurricane and thunderstorm at sea within a few months, and the ship sank before he drifted to Okura Island. When he arrived in the city, he just wanted to open a dog training studio and earn some money from ocean trade. It was definitely not a government conquest.
The guest sent here. Deputy Hall Master Xiong, you identified us as the murderers, do you have any evidence?"
Xiong Bailing said with a sneer: "I already knew you would deny it, but given the facts, how can I allow you to quibble and deny it! I learned about this from a sworn brother of Lord Sima, who had already
When he arrived at Okura Island, I specially invited him to Mingxiangzhai today to confront you."
He turned around and ordered: "Someone, go and bring Mr. Lu out!"
Hearing Xiong Bailing say "Mr. Lu", Hua Bushi's heart was shocked again. He turned around and saw the man from the Xiong family opened a side door on the side of the hall.
A middle-aged scholar with a long flowing beard walked in. Who else could it be if he wasn't Lu Qiuhong?
The owner of Wanyi Island and Hua Bushi have not seen each other for a long time. During the storm that day, Lu Qiuhong was hit by the iron cannon of the giant shark ship and fell into the vast sea without a trace. Unexpectedly, he did not drown.