“So, Jin Xing doesn't agree to help us with the western line and wants to do it himself… because of Wang Ren's connections, right? Search: \(Complete Book God Station) to read high-quality literature for free.”

“He didn't say he wanted to do it himself, just that they wanted 70%.”

“That's about right. Also, the news from Huangshan is back. The wood is fine, but there are too many displaced people along the way. Chen Bo, you need to check it when it's being transported back. We'll also need some people from Prime Minister Zu's side. Chen Bo, you and I will pay a visit to the Zu residence tomorrow.”

“Yes… Zu Shi Yuan has already become the Prime Minister?”

“In a few days, but barring any accidents, it's said he'll definitely be the Right Prime Minister…”

The wind blew through the spacious teahouse room. The chaotic sounds from the square outside drifted in through the window, enveloping the conversation inside. Several people were actually in the room, led by a noble young man between twenty-five and thirty years old. His attire wasn't flamboyant, but his clothes were obviously expensive. He had a calm demeanor and spoke simply and efficiently.

As they spoke, three young people, a man and two women, sat by another window, appearing less serious. The two women were young and beautiful, but their makeup was overly bright, revealing their origins as courtesans. The young man sitting between them, who we’ve met before, was named Lou Shuheng. He had a frivolous smile as he pointed and gestured, saying something about the crowds in the square outside.

It was early August, and the self-proclaimed Emperor Fang La's coronation was only a few days away. The celebratory atmosphere in the city was already building. On the other hand, the prisons were being emptied, and new personnel were being added to the newly established court. For several days, this square in the east of Hangzhou had been staging executions every noon.

These people being executed were different from the ordinary people who were hastily killed. In the past, in Hangzhou, they mostly had various identities, some as officials, some as prominent families, and some as great scholars. Since he was establishing a new dynasty, Fang La understood that he didn't have enough pragmatic civil officials and truly reputable supporters. Although most of these people had been killed after the fall of Hangzhou, a batch had been spared.

From July to August, some had been persuaded and recruited, but many remained stubborn. It was said that recently, the prisons had been filled with persuasion attempts every day, but everyone had a deadline. If they couldn't be persuaded by then, they would be dragged to the square and beheaded without further ado.

During the period when Hangzhou fell, the city was a bloodbath. Lou Shuheng was originally afraid of seeing blood, so he hid at home. But not anymore. He missed it then, so he's been very interested in watching executions these days. Although Hangzhou is now a conquered city, because it mainly involves killing the wealthy, friends and enemies alike, especially with Fang La's propaganda of "equality under the law," many people come to watch and cheer the daily killings of officials and wealthy families. When rows of heads fell and blood flowed, he would indulge in debauchery with the women in the teahouse room, feeling extremely good.

Of course, today was a little different.

Because his elder brother had invited several stewards to talk and used half of his room.

The eldest son of the Lou family, Lou Shuwang, arrived somewhat unexpectedly today. Lou Shuheng wasn't sure what his brother was thinking. When they were children, the three siblings had a good relationship, but since Lou Shuwang took over the family business after failing to succeed in his studies, Lou Shuheng's feelings for his elder brother had faded a bit. One was destined to do business and manage the family, while the other could become an official. There always seemed to be a barrier. Of course, although Lou Shuwang was away from home for much of the year, Lou Shuheng and Lou Shuwan still considered this elder brother very capable, perhaps second only to their father, Lou Jinlin, in their minds.

Because his elder brother was there, Lou Shuheng felt a bit suspicious and constrained. Sensing the man's forced casualness, the two beautiful women also seemed a little nervous. Over at the round table, Lou Shuwang gave his instructions meticulously and then waved his hand gently, dismissing the stewards. He stood up, walked to the window, and sat down on a chair. “Shuheng.”

“Big Brother!” Lou Shuheng smiled brightly, embracing the two women, with a hint of forced flamboyance. Lou Shuwang also smiled. “It's been so long since I've been back, it's a pity I've been too busy to get together often… Not bad.” He looked out the window and then at the two women beside Lou Shuheng.

Lou Shuheng laughed. “Haha, Big Brother knows them too, Guan Xin'er and Chen Tong. You know, one is from the Zhucui Pavilion, and the other is from the Huaping Pavilion. The two have always been at odds, never giving way to each other. But look now, they're both obedient. Right…” He hugged the two women tightly. These two were originally top courtesans in the big brothels, but now they just echoed his laughter. Lou Shuheng lowered his voice and said, “But Big Brother, don't tell anyone, being with both of them at the same time is really stimulating. Big Brother…”

Before he could finish, Lou Shuwang spoke gently, interrupting him. “Let's not talk about that. You've seen the recent situation, little brother. The new dynasty is just being established, and everything needs to be rebuilt. The family is making money box by box, and all the stewards have been sent out. You can… you can do this, do that, whatever you want, as long as the family is doing well. Little brother, you know, even sister has been managing things lately. Are you just planning to continue like this?”

“Uh, Big Brother, anyway, you and Father…”

“It's not that it's not allowed, but there needs to be a limit, you know.” Lou Shuwang smiled.

“I know, but…” Lou Shuheng was somewhat cheeky, his hands moving inappropriately. Guan Xin'er giggled and leaned closer to Lou Shuheng, resting her head on his shoulder, and said softly, “You're so annoying.”

Lou Shuwang picked up the teacup and looked at it, as if there was no water. Lou Shuheng said, “A Tong, help my big brother…” Before he could finish, a sudden roar rang out in the room, “Get out of here!” Before Lou Shuheng could react, the teacup and tea exploded on Guan Xin'er's face. The next moment, Guan Xin'er's abdomen was kicked by Lou Shuwang, who stood up suddenly, and she screamed as she flew out. The woman named Chen Tong stood up with wide eyes. Lou Shuwang had already swung the chair beside him, smashing it down on her head. Chen Tong raised her hand to block it, and then fell out along with the chair. The floor of the room resounded with loud bangs.

Lou Shuwang stood there with a grim expression. “Do you understand?”

The women's cries and screams finally started to sound. Lou Shuheng was completely stunned. Although his elder brother had been running around outside in recent years, he wasn't a violent person. Because he had read books, he was basically gentle and refined. He had never seen him like this before. At this time, he just subconsciously replied, “Wh-what…”

“In the current Hangzhou, you have everything, and you have nothing.” Lou Shuwang said, pointing to the square outside. Then he turned and walked towards the door, saying as he walked, “You're watching this now because you haven't seen what it was like more than twenty days ago. You were in this room, with people guarding you. It was fine to kill people outside, it looked good. More than twenty days ago, if you were standing outside watching, those who were disemboweled, those who were buried alive… I saw it…”

He paused. “Little brother, do you know? Hangzhou is still the same now. If it were before, I wouldn't dare to hit people in this building, I wouldn't dare to fight people. Now, anything goes. I know you snatched a few women back, and some of them died. It doesn't matter. A real man can play, but he needs to have restraint… We used to do business, and if we lost, our family would at most go hungry. Now, if we lose, we're the same as them, little brother, do you know? There are only two steps now. One step forward, what we have now, that's heaven. One step back… swoosh, and you fall down.”

He opened the door. Outside the door were the guards. Lou Shuwang pulled out the other party's knife, but then put it back in. When he turned around, he pulled out a dagger and walked straight towards Guan Xin'er on the ground. “You don't understand, I'll let you see it clearly.”

Lou Shuheng was almost stunned. “Brother! W-w-what are you doing…”

Begging and screaming echoed in the room. Lou Shuwang grabbed the woman and stabbed her with the dagger, one stab after another. He stabbed her eight times in a row amid screams before letting her go. The room was covered in blood. Lou Shuwang's hands, body, and even half of his face were covered in blood. He tilted his head and blinked. “Do you understand? If you don't understand, it doesn't matter, it's just like this…”

As he spoke, he walked towards Chen Tong, who had crawled to the corner of the wall on the other side. This woman had been hit by the chair just now. Although she had blocked with her hand, she still had blood on her head. She couldn't get up at this time, crying and begging for mercy. Lou Shuheng shouted by the window, “I understand! Brother, I understand!”

Lou Shuwang had squatted down at this time. He paused, reached out his hands, and Chen Tong screamed, thinking she was going to die. The next moment, she was gently hugged by Lou Shuwang.

The man said softly, “It's okay, it's okay, don't cry… I'm sorry, I scared you.”

After a moment, Lou Shuwang stood up from the ground, threw away the dagger, and looked at his younger brother. “That's how it is now. People can die as soon as you make a move, and no one cares if they die. If you're afraid, you can only move forward, so that others can't kill us… Don't do this anymore. Think about it, start helping out with the family in a few days… I'm going to wash up.”

After he finished speaking, he left the room, let the guards clean up the body, and went downstairs to change his clothes and wash his hands and face alone. Throughout the process, his hands were a little shaky, but he finally finished everything and went back to the room. His younger brother was still sitting in the chair by the window, but his eyes could finally move. He walked over and sat down in the chair on the other side. The two brothers didn't speak. But his presence still comforted Lou Shuheng. After a moment, Lou Shuheng finally mostly recovered. After all, he had seen dead people in the past few days, it was just a little more shocking this time.

There was still some time before noon, but the square was getting more and more crowded. Lou Shuheng's eyes wandered aimlessly through the crowd. At one point, he suddenly saw a figure. His mind was still shocked by the death of Guan Xin'er, but this figure made him unable to ignore it. He looked at it a few times, frowning. After a while, he looked at his elder brother and stood up at the window.

Lou Shuwang followed his gaze. There were people everywhere. “What's wrong?”

“That, that…” Lou Shuheng frowned, “That looks like Ning Liheng… No, it really is him. How is that possible? Over there… he's about to disappear. He and his maid, Xiao Chan.”

Lou Shuwang had only seen Ning Yi once when Ning Yi and Su Tan'er first arrived in Hangzhou. After that, he left Hangzhou to run the business. He rushed back when Hangzhou was besieged. After the city fell, he knew that his family had turned to Fang La, so he deliberately got captured by the chaotic army. During this period, he saw many dead people. But recalling that first meeting, since Ning Yi was a live-in son-in-law, he naturally didn't even bother to look at him properly. This time when he came back, he vaguely heard people mention that the Su family and his family had a disagreement, but there were too many important things to deal with, so he naturally put the matter out of his mind. At this time, looking at his younger brother, he seemed a little preoccupied.

Some small conflicts from the past could basically be seen as fleeting clouds at this point. Lou Shuwang didn't care about the Su family at all. He sat there watching. His younger brother then started to babble about rumors that Ning Liheng had already escaped, and also about the war in Huzhou. He poured a cup of tea and handed it over.

“Are you sure it's him… Then don't think too much about it. There are too many people, you can't find him even if you go down now, but as long as he's in Hangzhou, you can always find him. Ning Liheng… There are a few people here who you can use to find people, it might be beneficial. Lou Xiang's son, Lou Jingzhi, I know him. He's been interested in our business lately. You're a playful person, so learn about him these days and go find him… There's someone named Xing Zheng, he has wide connections. We have two deals that need to go through him. You can give him some things and ask him to inquire for you. Also… are you sure that's Ning Liheng?”

“I'm sure… And he has a maid named Xiao Chan by his side, she was with him just now…”

“Then there's nothing else to say. You need to know that with your intelligence, you can do anything in Hangzhou now. If you want to do something, just do it yourself, I won't interfere…” After he finished speaking, he thought for a moment, “Oh, do you like that Su Tan'er?”

Lou Shuheng was stunned. “Th-that bitch…”

He didn't finish his words, as if he couldn't find many adjectives. When Hangzhou fell, he thought the other party had already run away. Now he suddenly found out that the person was still here. Lou Shuheng couldn't think of what to do for a moment, but there were definitely many things he could do. Lou Shuwang looked at him for a long time and nodded. “I see…”

********************

There were already a lot of people in the square outside, and the noisy sounds came over. Ning Yi walked through a relatively long passage.

Although he was said to be captured, the Badao Camp didn't impose many restrictions on him. He could go out and walk around. Of course, someone had to follow him if he went too far, but he wasn't there to watch the executions.

Soon after, he met an acquaintance, the head of the Qian family, the old man Qian Xiwen, who was originally thought to have escaped by boat at the beginning of the city's fall. (To be continued.) Vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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