The queen is crazy and spoiled, and the tyrant bows to her

Linzhou.

Linzhou is surrounded by mountains and has a relatively high terrain, so it is almost unaffected by floods.

The bustling streets in the city are still bustling with people, in stark contrast to the depressed and deserted scene in Changzhou.

The shops along the street are full of dazzling goods, their signs shining brightly in the sunlight, and the aroma of wine wafts from the wine shops...

The noise, shouts, and laughter were intertwined together, making it extremely lively, but beneath this liveliness there seemed to be an undercurrent.

At this time, in a private room of a restaurant in Linzhou City.

A tall man in a black robe stood quietly in front of the window, overlooking the bustling pedestrians on the street through the carved window. He had a sinister look, a sneer on his lips, and a vicious light flashing in his eyes.

It was Qi Ming, the second son of the eldest branch of the Qi family.

At this time, a subordinate hurried into the private room and bowed with both hands: "Second Master..."

"We have already arranged all the checkpoints along the way to the southern border according to your instructions. We are just waiting for your instructions."

Qi Ming didn't turn around, but just nodded slightly and said coldly: "Well done, but don't let those idiots ruin my plan, otherwise you will all die."

Upon hearing this, the subordinate trembled slightly and quickly responded.

"Second Master, don't worry, everything is going according to your plan, but..."

The subordinate behind him seemed to be hesitant to speak, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

Qi Ming turned around abruptly, his eyes stabbing at the subordinate like knives, frightening him so much that his whole body trembled.

He said sternly, "Just what? If you have something to say, just say it now, don't hesitate!"

"However, I heard that Lu Jinan from the Dali Temple has been conducting a large-scale search in Changzhou these days, seemingly looking for someone..."

The subordinate trembled with fear. After a pause, he continued, "Do you think... he might have discovered our whereabouts?"

Qi Ming frowned slightly, a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes, and his cold gaze fell on the terrified subordinate.

He was silent for a moment, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to freeze.

After a long moment, Qi Ming snorted coldly and said, "Even the great Dali Temple Minister Xie Zhiyan is dead. What does a nobody like Lu Jinan have to fear?"

"Without Xie Zhiyan, the Dali Temple would be like a pile of loose sand."

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes, his words filled with disdain and contempt.

"Let alone not finding it, even if they did find it, what can they do?"

"The dog tyrants are all dead. Now this Jiangnan area will soon become our territory. Why should we be afraid of them?"

The subordinate was startled and said, "Yes."

Qi Ming turned around, put his hands behind his back, and looked out the window: "Continue to send people to keep an eye on Changzhou. Report any signs of trouble immediately."

"Also, is there any news from the mountain?"

"We must urge them to seize the time and speed up our actions to avoid any further complications.

"I was just about to report this to you." The subordinate was immediately embarrassed and stammered, "There's news from the mountains... saying they're short on manpower, and I need you to find a way to send some more up..."

After saying that, he lowered his head, not daring to look directly into Qi Ming's sinister gaze. Beads of sweat were already oozing from his forehead, and the back of his clothes was slightly wet due to nervousness.

Qi Ming sneered, narrowed his eyes, and his tone suddenly turned cold: "Didn't you just send a large batch over here on the pretext of the flood?"

"How can it not be enough?"

The subordinate's heart sank, and he said cautiously: "Second Master, it is precisely because a large number of young men were sent over last time that the number of women in the mountains, which were already few in number, suddenly became even scarcer..."

"Furthermore, the women we sent last time were mostly simple villagers from flood-stricken areas. Some of them were too conservative and fierce-willed. Those rough and untamed men in the mountains don't know how to be gentle with women, and half of them have already died in their hands..."

"Nowadays, there are too many people and too little meat. I heard that dozens of men share one woman, and they often fight over her, getting bloody."

"I'm afraid that if this continues, it will affect the progress of our plan."

"Commander Wu asked you to think of another way to send a group of women up..."

After saying that, the subordinate looked at Qi Ming's expression secretly with trepidation.

As expected, Qi Ming's expression instantly darkened to a terrifying degree. His shrewd eyes were filled with sinister intent, and he gritted his teeth and said, "A bunch of useless and vulgar men. You can't live a single day without a woman, right?"

The subordinate was trembling with fear, his back already sweating, and he had no choice but to bite the bullet and comfort him: "Second Master, there are only men in the mountains, and they are all in their prime. Everyone works day and night, so it is inevitable that they need to vent and have some fun."

"This is a critical moment, you..."

Qi Ming frowned. He knew very well that this was a critical moment. They must seize the opportunity, take the initiative, and catch the capital city off guard.

Now is the time when those rough men from the mountains are needed to work, and they cannot be careless.

When Qi Ming thought of his grand plan, he curled his lips, and the smile on the corner of his mouth was cold: "Forget it, it's just a woman. If they want it, I will give it to them."

Outside, it was getting dark.

In the deep night, an ordinary carriage slowly drove into Linzhou City.

Ji Wuyuan's identity and whereabouts could not be exposed, so he was placed in a secret courtyard with three entrances and exits in the suburbs.

Not long after he and Jiang Wantang arrived, Xie Zhiyan, Lu Jinan and others also rushed over.

Jiang Wantang looked at the two people who came in exhausted. Xie Zhiyan had his usual indifferent expression. When he saw her, he nodded slightly, and then walked straight to Ji Wuyuan who was standing aside.

When Jiang Wantang's gaze fell on the haggard Lu Jinan standing behind him, he was stunned for a moment, and the reprimand on the tip of his tongue did not come out.

Several people discussed important matters and did not avoid Jiang Wantang.

In addition, along the way, Ji Wuyuan also told Jiang Wantang almost the whole story, except for the part about Bai Weiwei.

It’s not that Ji Wuyuan didn’t mention it on purpose, it’s just that he was disgusted and ignored it automatically.

Therefore, Jiang Wantang knew what they were discussing as soon as she heard it.

She sat aside, drinking hot tea and listening to the conversation calmly, the aroma of steaming tea lingering in her nose...

When Xie Zhiyan investigated the disappearance of Granny Qin's granddaughter, he found that the number of casualties in the Jiangnan flood was not large, but the number of missing persons was shocking, and the largest number of missing persons were young and middle-aged men, followed by young women.

And Grandma Qin’s granddaughter is one of them.

No matter how severe the floods were over the years, most of the casualties were among the elderly, the weak, the sick and the disabled. It is impossible for such a large number of young and middle-aged people to disappear.

There must be something wrong here.