C11

The four of them followed their original plan and circled around the city gate. Taking advantage of the night sky, they entered the city from a secluded area of the city with the help of Lin Jiu and Ma Heizi. Fortunately, they did not encounter any trouble.

Zhang Zhou, who was carrying an 'important item', did not dare to delay any further and immediately went to the back yard of the yamen. The guard was naturally Cao Yi's trusted aide, and after receiving Cao Yi's signal, did not stop him and let him in. Although it was already the third fragment of the night, Cao Yi did not rest.

Cao Yi took the box and carefully examined it. It was exactly the same as described in the report. Moreover, it was completely sealed. He took a deep breath and his heart was finally at ease. After putting away the box, he didn't continue to talk about the box, but turned to Zhang Zhou and said, "The last time you mentioned that Old Qi might be detrimental to Chief Zhang, it means that you have noticed Old Qi. You don't have to worry, Master Zhang. I've already made arrangements! However, I'm a bit embarrassed that you were able to obtain this kind of information while strolling around the streets. "I've worked so hard to set up so many spies in Hezhou, but the news is a few days better than your evening."

"My lord, you are too serious. This lowly one was just a fluke!" Just like this case, even if this humble servant was given a year's time, I still would not be able to find out about it! "

Zhang Zhou didn't find it strange at all. He had this kind of intelligence agency under his control. As the Prefect of a state, if he didn't have a rough understanding of the situation on the ground, then it would be a dereliction of duty. The other one was a man with a huge responsibility. He had to be more meticulous in the area of intelligence. That was to ensure that he would not miss anything when he made a move! However, no matter how tight it was, it couldn't be comprehensive.

"Since you have completed your mission, I will keep my promise and give you a small gift."

With that, he took out a thick stack of papers filled with writing. Without waiting for Zhang Zhou to ask, Cao Yi explained, "This is some information about Old Qi. In a word, Old Qi is not a simple person. Also, this piece of meat is very rich."

Zhang Zhou did not understand what Cao Yi meant, but he still expressed his thanks and kept the information.

"You don't have to do the same thing to Old Qi!" "If there is a chance, don't let go of his property. I also don't want much. Two hundred thousand silver taels will do!"

It seemed like Old Qi was not far from the day of his downfall. It was inconvenient for him to personally take action and seize such a large amount of benefits, so he chose to do it for himself. Furthermore, he had also drawn a portion of the benefits, which could be considered as his own needs! Old Qi had been tormenting himself for so many years, it should be far more than two hundred thousand taels of silver. He wouldn't be at a disadvantage. This Cao Tianzheng acted very straightforwardly, making Zhang Zhou very fond of him!

Cao Yi finally warned again, "You are still being held in the yamen's prison, do you understand?"

Zhang Zhou understood what he meant and nodded his head. They left the yamen through the back door and returned home with the few brothers who were waiting in the dark.

Old Qi's original name was unknown, and his origin was unknown. It could be said that he had appeared out of thin air. In the original North Market, where the Winged Flood Dragon Gang was the largest, he had used a short amount of time to stabilize his footing after a few open rivalries and covert battles. The Winged Flood Dragon Gang chose to retreat and admitted the existence of the other party. According to Zhang Zhou's knowledge, the Winged Flood Dragon Gang had close to a thousand gang members in the Hezhou region, yet they were helpless against him.

There were more than twenty mansions and shops in Hezhou City, and the Drunken Moon Restaurant was only one of them. He was also the boss behind one of the two floral buildings in the east of the city, Flower Goddess Luo. That was the most profitable business in his possession. Not to mention the few farms outside the city that he owned. Looking at Old Qi's inventory, Zhang Zhou knew that even if Cao Yi cut off one piece of the fat, he wouldn't be able to eat the rest. Although he had high desires, his appetite was too small, and it would cause problems. It turned out that Cao Yi had wanted to help him before, so he could be considered as using a chicken to lay an egg. Therefore, the excitement and happiness in his heart was much greater than the regret!

Old Qi's four subordinates, King Kong, had detailed introductions. The golden tiger, the silver mouse, the bronze bear and the iron bull. The four of them had very high martial arts skills and were notorious for their evil deeds. The three of them were powerful, and that mouse was a hidden weapon master. No wonder he dared to scheme and get rid of manager Zhang. He indeed had some capital. It also meant that his understanding of Old Qi was too shallow. If you don't understand your opponent, act blindly and rely solely on your luck, you will lose miserably.

Seeing that it was almost the end of the year, Zhang Zhou asked Lin Jiu to make a few sets of clothes for them. For some occasions, they had to have proper clothes.

The business of the winery was getting better and better, and its reputation had spread far and wide. He then picked out seven or eight orphans with a clean foundation from the Flying Prince's hands. With a Dong Hai and more than a dozen hardworking children, he was able to cope with the situation. One of them was called Leaves, who was very intelligent. Under Zhang Zhou's personal tutelage, she arranged the interior and exterior of the winery in a very orderly manner. It also gave Zhang Zhou more free time, allowing him to "kill" time in Wang Tieshou's shop.

The single-handed crossbow had already been made, but there were still many improvements needed to be made on the details. Zhang Zhou pointed out the problems very seriously and asked Wang Tieshou to make further modifications. He also tactfully asked Wang Tieshou to forge a few more steel sabers so that he could exchange them for equipment for his brothers. For such a good sabre to be given to a female thief, he couldn't help but feel sorry for his brothers!

The reason for the euphemism was because Wang Tieshou's method of forging the steel sabre was from his previous life's Hundred Refinement Method. The efficiency and output of this method was very low and it would take a lot of time and effort to forge it. However, at present, there was no basis or conditions for trying to refine steel. He didn't ask for more output, but instead focused on supporting Wang Tieshou to do some quenching experiments with all kinds of water and oil, because he couldn't remember the specifics, and could only rely on this kind of stupid method to find out more experience. Wang Tieshou had also been earnestly executing the moves. He had also recorded down the process and results one by one using his own method.

At his request, Wang Tieshou agreed without any hesitation. Wang Tieshou also implicitly mentioned one thing to Zhang Zhou: his two sons, the boss, had great experience in forging iron, while the youngest son was more interested in roaming the world.

How could Zhang Zhou not know what Wang Tieshou was thinking? He nodded and told him to send the items to his youngest son after he was done making them, so that he could stay by his side and listen.

Since it was not convenient to go out during the day and he was bored, he called Fei Zi over to talk about the latest news.

The most lively thing in the city was that Hua Shen Luo from the east was going to choose a new Courtesan Belle. This made Zhang Zhou have a lot of ideas.

The newly appointed general of Dragon State's northern border, Zhang Shuhe, had to kill a few generals who refused to obey his orders.

The most talked about event in the martial world was the biennial duel between the Martial Arts Mountain and the famous Sword Valley in one of the four famous mountains of the Tang Dynasty, Fusu. Many people in the martial arts community were invited to witness the battle, and in the end, the famous Sword Valley won again.

Finally, Feizi mentioned, in the western part of the Tang Dynasty, a drought in Suzhou, a large number of immigrants!

"What, a drought in Su Zhou?"

Between the State of Su and He Zhou, Xiao Yun Prefecture was separated from the State of He; thus, there had not been a single drop of rain this year. Since the entire area of crops had been left unharvested, the prefecture did not have the strength to deal with it.

"Yes. Actually, this kind of thing happens every year. Hezhou is a good place. I heard that some counties in the northwest have been through three years of drought. Now, there's almost no one left."

Flying Child was also a refugee, and she felt pain in her heart. Zhang Zhou walked to Luo Yuan's side and gently patted his shoulder to comfort him. Thinking for a moment, he said, "Have Hei Zi and Thirteen go to Su Zhou, find some orphans around ten years old among the refugees, as well as some craftsmen, carpenters, and blacksmiths. Take their families, as well as embroidery ladies that can weave cloth, and bring them back to me."

"What does Big Brother mean?"

"We don't have the ability to help too many people at the moment, but we cannot ignore them. Besides, I still have plans for the next step, and I need a lot of manpower! Rather than recruiting in Hezhou, it would be better to gather some refugees. It can also be considered as me trying my best to make this world have fewer people who starve to death and freeze to death! "

"Then how does Big Bro want to treat these people?"

Zhang Zhou knew what he meant. In order to survive, many refugees would sign a contract to sell themselves as slaves, but Fei Zi just didn't want to be like that. Selling himself was definitely the most helpless choice for a person with a normal mind.

"Don't worry. Although I'll let these people sign the indenture contract, I definitely won't slave them like cattle or horses. I believe in my big brother!"

After these days of contact, Flying Child believed that Zhang Zhou would not go back on his words. Among the refugees, young women were valuable, strong men were valuable, who would have the time to take care of those children who lacked the ability to survive? Zhang Zhou was willing to accept some of the children, and even the family members of the craftsmen, he was already grateful for the refugees who were about to be rescued!

In the Tang Dynasty, selling one's body as a slave was legal. Zhang Zhou didn't promote the noble idea of equality for all, but he also didn't have the habit of enslaving others! Other people would think that slavery was cheaper and more suitable, but he felt that excessive slavery was a hidden danger! The reason why he wanted to sign the indenture contract was because it would be easier for him to enforce the restrictions within a short period of time so as to ensure a sound development. He believed that in this world, there would be countless miserable ones. However, as long as he could not see them, he would not take the initiative to show mercy. As for those with skills, if they were to miss them like this, it would definitely make his heart ache.

In Zhang Zhou's plan, the children were the ones he would focus on. In the future, these children would play an even greater role. Craftsmen are in urgent need, children are in preparation for the future. Zhang Zhou had already started to make long-term plans, and he was going to implement them step by step.

Old Qi's name was like thunder to the ears, but Zhang Zhou had never seen him before. Old Qi would definitely show up for the Courtesan Belle selection, and Zhang Zhou wanted to take this opportunity to get to know him.

He was a young man, a middle-aged man with a moustache, his face was slightly yellow, and his eyebrows were a lot thicker than usual. With the newly created gorgeous silk clothes, he looked just like a tycoon. Plus, Zhang Zhou had only been in Hezhou for a short time and had not interacted with any of his friends, so he was confident that he would not be recognized.

The battle for the Courtesan Belle selection could be considered a grand occasion in Hezhou. This year, a few famous people from the neighboring prefectures were invited to participate.

Flower God's Landing was a building similar to the one in his previous world. In the middle was a round patio that was over a hundred feet wide. Now, it was used as a main hall and tables were filled with guests. The four corners were three stories high, while the corridor was separated into many rooms, serving as a VIP lounge. Directly to the east, build a stage for all the beauties to display their talents. The whole thing was magnificent, with many flowers and flowers, yet it did not seem to be lacking in elegance. Zhang Zhou was naturally not willing to spend a lot of money on any fancy seats. Just this inconspicuous corner seat had cost Zhang Zhou a hundred silver taels.

As Zhang Zhou drank his tea, he admired the figure in front of him. He could not help but think of the various' fan 'talent competitions held in his previous life. Yang Xiaolang stood behind her as he looked at all the beautiful women walking around, which made his eyes almost unfocused. In the end, Zhang Zhou caught a glimpse of her and reminded her in a low voice, "Aren't you afraid that if that big sister finds out about you, she'll ignore you in anger?"

Yang Xiaolang was immediately seized by the pinch, and was left in a trance like a wooden chicken.

One should be the steward, Xu Niang. Her steps were like lotuses as she floated onto the stage, her voice beautiful and clear. At first, it was noisy everywhere, but soon, it was completely silent. It could be seen that this Xu Niang's ability to control the situation was not to be trifled with.

Zhang Zhou watched with interest as his facial features became clearer, causing him to tremble in fear. After standing up, he slowly sat down. Luckily, other than Yang Xiaoluo, no one paid attention to him.

This Mrs Xu was in her thirties. Her figure was graceful and her three peaks were outstanding. Every move she made had a sort of charming charm, but it also gave her an extremely refined temperament. That face especially caused Zhang Zhou to feel a sense of familiarity that he had never felt before. That pair of large eyes especially caused Zhang Zhou to become absent-minded.

Guests, the Flower God's show is about to begin. Today, there will be many top players from Lin Province, everyone, our He Zhou's nobles, and our masters, please do not let our He Zhou's rich and straightforward masters lose their reputation. Otherwise, if they come again, the Flower God will be looked down upon by the ladies!

The woman who had spoken was called Guan Yu-niang. Her demeanor was graceful, and her voice was melodious. She was not frivolous, but she had attracted the unceasing shouts from the distinguished guests below the stage, giving her an imposing air.

Because of that familiarity, Zhang Zhou could no longer move his eyes away, and his heart was filled with joy and heartache.

Zhang Zhou only came back to his senses when his shadow disappeared and the girls had already started to appear on stage one by one!

"This is Miss Yinyin from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in Yunzhou …"

"Lady Qiao'er from Pingzhou …"

"Dong Yang County..."

The last two to come out were Lady Qiu Yun and Qing Qing who had fallen from the sky like flowers. After all, they were the home ground, so the applause was the loudest.

No matter what world it was in, Zhang Zhou did not understand much about the entertainment industry, nor did he agree with the fanaticism of his fans!

He suddenly saw Guan Yumang, who was already standing below the stage, glance at the corner of the second floor on the west side. It was a very short glance, but it had a complicated look in it. Soon after, it returned to its proper rhythm. Zhang Zhou pretended to look towards the foot of the building casually. In one of the rooms, there were two people: a lean old man and a plump old man. The old man's eyes were like lightning, his expression was wooden, and the fat man was holding an exquisite teapot with a face full of smiles. Old Qi! " That fatty must be an old geezer! Zhang Zhou was immediately sure that this fatty was the overlord of the He Prefecture, Old Freak. That skinny old man had no impression of him. However, to be able to make Old Qi accompany him in such an occasion meant that he was definitely not an ordinary person. However, Zhang Zhou did not think that he was worth his attention.

Zhang Zhou, who was used to watching all kinds of musical performances on television, was not very interested in those girls' playing songs. Zhang Zhou, who was used to watching all kinds of musical performances on television, was not very interested in those girls' playing songs. If he set up a song and dance group to promote music and dance, who knew if there would be a market. If there was a chance, Zhang Zhou decided to give it a try.

Hua Kui's competition rules were very simple. After the performance, all the guests present would place their lots. Each of them would place their lots into a vase marked with a lady's name. The more the better. Everyone from the outside world was invited to be the supporting characters. The main characters were naturally Qing Qing and Qiu Yun who were like flowers in bloom. There were two rounds in total, and each round, they had to spend 10 taels of silver to buy a lot of straws. It could not be said that those girls were not gorgeous, but no one could make Zhang Zhou feel that they were a replacement for the smile in his memory, and the familiarity he had with Guan Yuniang just now.

Zhang Zhou's lots were all given to the one with the least number of autographs, just treat it as encouragement!

Guan Yuiniang went back behind the scenes and disappeared from sight. His mind was a little distracted. He began to focus on the second floor, afraid that he would miss something.

Just as the atmosphere was getting heated, a clamor from outside the restaurant interrupted the beautiful scene. A ragged man with disheveled hair and a disheveled face had managed to break through the barricade of more than a dozen muscular slaves and barge into the main hall of the courtyard.

A few of the guests saw a man who looked like a beggar rush in, but before they could get angry, they were easily taken out of their seats by the man who casually picked up a wine jug that was about to fall to the ground, raised his head and gulped a few mouthfuls of wine, before shouting out to the dazed Lady Qing who was standing on the stage: "Young lady, how about you sing a song for me? "Hahaha!"

After that, he continued to drink his wine casually while stumbling around and sending away the approaching slave, Zhang Zhou couldn't help but exclaim, "An expert!"

He secretly observed that the two people on the second floor didn't do anything. However, their expressions were reversed. The skinny old man laughed evilly while Old Qi's face was gloomy. Their eyes were cold.

There weren't any experts on the scene, and the one who came out was Guan Yuniang. Zhang Zhou could not help but feel nervous, thinking if he should take action to protect her, so that Guan Yu-niang would not be accidentally hurt by that mad man. However, the man with the dirty face could easily knock out countless men, but he couldn't resist Guan Yuniang's gentle push. He stumbled and fell on the stool, looked at Guan Yuniang and laughed: "Why did you push me? Do you want to invite me to drink?"

Guan Yu-niang was neither embarrassed nor annoyed, but her eyes showed some pity as she grabbed that person's arm.

"Great hero, can you stop messing around? Look at how much you've messed up this place with. Are you really going to ruthlessly smash my job?"

That person giggled and said …

"No way!"

"Then just listen to my arrangements, how about we go to the backyard and drink?"

"Alright, alright, alright. I'll listen to you!"

What do you mean four or four thousand pounds? This was it! Guan Yu-niang was neither frivolous nor coquettish, but she was able to make people feel the charm of a woman. She was able to resolve things in a low-key and perfect manner. Her ability made Zhang Zhou admire her from the bottom of his heart.

No one knew what to do when that person arrived, so the scene was quickly tidied up. Guan Yuniang, who had gotten on the stage again, got a lot of applause. She then casually said a few words to restore the liveliness!