choke element

Chapter 167

These influential and powerful families in Shandong are quite different in terms of their origins.

For example, Xu Ruxian, several generations of his ancestors lived together in villages and gathered people to protect themselves. In his generation, he got an official position, so he can take both black and white.The entire Xu clan occupies a large amount of land, tenants, and private soldiers between Ye County and Laiyang, no different from the Tu Emperor.

And this man surnamed Gao, called Brother Gao Yang, his father and ancestors became dilapidated and settled down because of the war.During Taihe's conquest of Song Dynasty, Brother Gao Yang was sent to the south by signing the army. When the soldiers surrounded Chuzhou, he plundered the place and got some money. Later, he returned to the hometown with dozens of subordinates and occupied some acres. I can't change my rascal temperament, I run around for others every day, and get some side jobs, and my status is far from Xu Ruxian's.

Naturally, Xu Ruxian didn't pay much attention to Brother Gao Yang, and didn't even bother to talk to him more. After a little gesture, some people close to him showed a strange ambiguity, which meant that even though Brother Gao Yang was used to being a dog, he could only eat shit. Characters cannot learn from him.

Brother Gaoyang was humiliated in front of everyone, how could he endure it?He immediately rolled up his sleeves, tore open the front of his shirt, exposed his fluffy chest, and moved forward fiercely, yelling that he wanted to fight the man who said he ate shit.

Immediately, the two fisted and kicked together.Some people in the hall sneered, some pretended to persuade, and there was chaos for a while.

In the chaotic crowd, someone could be heard shouting loudly: "Brother Gaoyang, you are a murderer. Brother Xu invited you here to save face. How dare you talk nonsense and shake people's hearts! We strongmen in Laizhou are connected with each other!" One body, if you want the wind to get the wind, and the rain to get the rain, why have you ever succumbed to outsiders! But you want to bow to outsiders! Is that dog food easy to eat!"

Someone else sternly said: "In the past few years, we have managed a great situation. Once we succumb to outsiders, it will be gone! At that time, will we all farm the land honestly! People are killed by knives, and I am fish and meat. Don't you Do you understand? Your nonsense is to harm people!"

If the tyrants were not rebellious, they would not be tyrants, not to mention that most of these tyrants were transformed from bandits in the mountains.

Many people thought it was very harsh for Brother Gao Yang to open his mouth and kneel and beg for mercy.Hearing the shouting and scolding now, he became even more furious.

Brother Gao Yang is also a rascal who has never been popular.So several people also went up to kick and beat, shouting and shouting for a long time.

Seeing that everyone's emotions were about to be mobilized, and there were those who raised their arms and shouted, saying that they would not give in easily, but in the corner of the hall, there were several people sitting still.

No matter how other people yelled to form a group, or yelled to be their own masters, these people ignored them.

Until Brother Gao Yang was kicked to the ground and yelled like a pig being killed, one of them threw the teacup in his hand on the table heavily: "Enough! Brother Xu, we didn't say anything, why do you arrange someone to act like this?" In the play, every word and every sentence is arranging us? It's almost enough!"

As soon as these words came out, at least half of the people in the hall turned to look at him.

When I came back in a blink of an eye, I felt that Brother Gao Yang and the other person who had been fighting with each other seemed to have punched to the flesh, but in fact there was not even a bruise on their faces, which was ridiculously fake.Some people were rushing forward with enthusiasm, but now their eyeballs are rolling around, and they suddenly turn around and sit down.

The hall fell silent for an instant.

Among the people watching the excitement in the outer circle, some people shouted with righteous indignation.After shouting a few times, he suddenly felt that something was wrong, so he shut up angrily.

Xu Ruxian frowned, then laughed.

He is also an old man, even though he was exposed bluntly, his face is not red at all, and he does not feel ashamed of his plot being exposed:
"I invite a few friends to have a fight. I just want to explain a little bit of truth and remind you that you can't give in to outsiders. It is there to encourage everyone. If you want to arrange Brother Zhou, there is absolutely no."

The man sitting in the corner shook his head repeatedly.

He stood up and stood in the center of the hall, looking around at everyone first, then at Xu Ruxian: "Brother Xu said, we are strong in Laizhou, united as one, and not insulted by outsiders, that's right. But when it comes to surrendering to outsiders ...When Wanyan Chenghui came forward to appease the bandits, didn't you all come out of the mountains after receiving various official positions? Isn't this a submission? Later Wanyan asked for money and food on Shandong East Road. Wait... isn't this surrender?"

He looked around the crowd, frowned and said, "Perhaps I, Zhou, have little knowledge. I really don't understand. Wouldn't it be better to come to a Jiedushi who was born in Han'er in northern Xinjiang than to come to a noble Jurchen? Why can't you all?" Submit?"

He turned to Xu Ruxian again: "Brother Xu, you have always thought carefully and used various means. I believe that you have countless ways to deal with a new Jiedushi. If it weren't for your hard work and care over the past few years, My private port on Fukuyama Island definitely doesn't have that many financial resources."

Having said that, he bowed to Xu Ruxian.

Xu Ruxian came up to support him, and said with a smile: "That's Brother Zhou's business. We all rely on Brother Zhou to make money. However, Brother Zhou, you rely on the sea to make your fortune. You don't understand the thinking of us local people... We are not like you, we can get away on a sea boat when we see something is wrong, hahahaha..."

Called Brother Zhou, he was about thirty years old, with a thin body, dark complexion, rough calluses on his hands, but very luxurious clothes, a jade belt around his waist, and a jade pendant.

This man's name is Zhou Keshan, and behind him is a local tycoon in Laizhou, but he is not a tycoon who came from a bandit in the mountains, but a maritime merchant group entrenched in the private port of Fushan Island at the foot of Laoshan on the east coast of Laizhou.

All the people around him were also sea merchants, some were smuggling salt, some were selling cloth and grain, and some were selling ironware.

Zhou Keshan held Xu Ruxian's forearm with his backhand: "What do the Tu people in the village think? I understood it at first, but after hearing what Brother Xu said, I really don't understand it."

"Don't understand what?"

"Shouldn't the Tu people in the village seek stability? How can anyone take the initiative to provoke troubles, lest the situation will not be chaotic? Brother Xu, you have means, money and food, and local influence. It is very difficult to deal with that Guo Jiedu." Is it difficult? If he wants money, food and supplies, we have plenty; if he wants us to bow our heads...as long as he doesn't overdo it, that's fine. Why does it have to be such a fuss?"

Xu Ruxian reluctantly said: "After all, it is for the benefit of everyone, so we have to fight..."

Zhou Keshan raised his voice and said loudly: "That Guo Ning is very ferocious and murderous at every turn. Everyone has seen that when he was in Zhongdu, he was ten times more ferocious than here! Why do we have to deal with such a person? He fights? Yesterday, Brother Xu, your subordinates visited Haicang Town and came back, didn’t they say that they must not fight against it? How come after one night, not only did they have to fight, but they seemed to be immortal?”

He stared at Xu Ruxian, laughed hoarsely, and then asked everyone: "This Guo Ning, who led an army of five thousand across the sea, is his strength strong enough?"

"Enough, enough, really strong." Someone replied.

"Did Guo Ning offend us when he first arrived in Laizhou? Did he rob us of our land? Killed our people? Kidnapped our wives and concubines? Or did he seize the manor fields without compensation?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Such a powerful Jiedu envoy has just arrived and hasn't done anything yet..." Zhou Keshan paused when he said this, "Oh, he killed someone, but he killed someone who was the court's envoy. What does it have to do with us?" relation?"

"Yes, yes."

"Then, why do we have to fight against it? The old man Lu Jun saw that something was wrong, and took the officials from Jiezhen Prefecture to Haicang Town; the officials from the five counties saw the old man Lu Jun. Let’s set off, bring the offerings that should be given to the Jiedu Envoy, and follow us day and night. We have been gathered in Qutai City for three or five days, and looking at this situation, we want to fight Guo Jiedu to the end?”

Zhou Keshan asked again in a deep voice: "What are we planning? Or, brother Xu, what are you planning?"

Xu Ruxian was silent for a while, and finally sighed: "Brother Zhou, you are still thinking wrong."

"What's wrong?"

"Over the years, we have been in Laizhou, and we have handled the officials of the court properly, and lived a comfortable life at home. Do you really think that we are good at flattering? Those Jurchen officials all have big mouths that can't be filled. , If we are a little careless, they will swallow us whole, not even bones and dregs are left! The reason why they dare not move us is because they are afraid of the resurgence of the bandits in Shandong!"

Zhou Keshan's expression changed: "Brother Xu means..."

Xu Ruxian said coldly: "Marshal Yang An'er fought in Juzhou and Yizhou, while Liu Erzu ruled the roost in the deep mountains of Zizhou and Tai'an Prefecture. The officials in Laizhou were afraid that we would rebel and affect their promotion and fortune, so they indulged us. Meat! And what about us? Relying on the prestige of Marshal Yang and Liu Erzu, we are full of meat, shouldn't we be rewarded?"

(End of this chapter)