"That's done. By the way, have the people in the manor confirm the effectiveness of this method, and then promote it to the common people in the name of the Crown Prince's Mansion. Start with my few estates and gradually expand outwards."
"Your Highness is wise." Changyuan breathed a sigh of relief; at least the Crown Prince would listen to advice.
"What exactly do you mean by what County Magistrate Lu said, 'The time is not yet ripe'?"
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's question, Changyuan paused for a moment. He had actually already figured it out, but naturally, he couldn't tell the Crown Prince the answer directly.
“Your Highness, County Magistrate Lu is probably still observing the situation. He has just arrived in the capital and his foundation is still shallow. His official position is also low, so he is probably unwilling to get involved in the court's struggles for the time being. This man may seem crude, but he is actually shrewd and may already have a plan in mind. We just need to wait and see.”
"That's true."
.................
In Wannian County, on the commercial street of Datang, a small disturbance is taking place.
One of the shop owners was quietly defending himself: "Master Feng, I've already said it, this shop is my family's heirloom, I'm not selling it."
A greasy middle-aged man with a protruding belly, upon hearing the other party's refusal, flashed anger across his face and whispered to the somewhat aged shop owner.
"Wen Wuji, have you thought this through? This area is what His Highness Prince Yong wants. You're not afraid of me, a mere clerk in the Ministry of Works, fine, but you won't even give His Highness Prince Yong face?"
“Master Feng, you’re mistaken. His Highness Prince Yong loves his people like his own children. Why would he force me to buy this little incense shop? Master Feng, take this and have some wine.” With that, the shopkeeper handed over a small piece of silver.
However, the man simply reached out and knocked his silver coins away.
"Let me say it again, Wen Wuji. Just hand over the shop obediently, and nothing will happen. Otherwise, watch out for your other leg."
“Lord Feng, you’re wrong. This shop is mine. Whether I buy it or not is my business. You can’t force me to buy it. Besides, the price you’re offering is far too low.”
Actually, the price offered by Prince Yong wasn't the problem. The key issue was that once the money was in Feng Dalun's hands, how could it possibly be delivered unharmed? A half-dead incense shop owner dared to negotiate with him? A fierce glint flashed across Feng Dalun's face. But he quickly regained his composure; other shop owners were already watching, and he naturally couldn't afford to make a scene there.
No matter how Feng Dalun threatened him, Wen Wuji refused to budge. Finally, Feng Dalun lost his patience, glared at Wen Wuji fiercely, and turned to leave.
As a ninth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, he was truly a nobody in Chang'an. Although he was in charge of the Ministry of Works and responsible for the repair of various buildings in Chang'an, which was quite lucrative, he didn't have much influence on the surface.
However, few people know that Feng Dalun has another identity. He came from a poor family, but he had a good eye. He used his position to gather a group of brave and ruthless thugs and established the infamous Xiong Huo Gang in Chang'an.
For many years, when things couldn't be done openly, he secretly had the Xiong Huo Gang sabotage them. Over the years, the Xiong Huo Gang had monopolized most of the construction projects in Wannian County. Seeing Wen Wuji's blatant disrespect, he finally couldn't tolerate it any longer. Wen Wuji had a close relationship with Zhang Xiaojing, and he had long dared not touch him. But this time, with Prince Yong backing him up, he naturally wasn't afraid of Zhang Xiaojing.
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Happy Lantern Festival
I almost forgot, today is the Lantern Festival! Has everyone eaten tangyuan (sweet rice balls)?
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Chapter Thirty-Seven: Trembling...
Instead of going straight home, Feng Dalun quickly turned into a small alley.
After he entered the alley, Lu Xuan emerged from the corner. For a transmigrator with cheat-like abilities, secret identities and such things were pure jokes. Although Lu Xuan devoted most of his energy to improving his life in the Tang Dynasty, he still paid attention to a few disgusting minor characters.
In this city, there are plenty of people who don't deserve their position. However, Lu Xuan can't afford to offend most of them right now. But Feng Dalun happens not to be among them. Although this guy has Prince Yong backing him, which is considered a decent patron, everyone with eyes can see that someone of his status doesn't even qualify him to be Prince Yong's dog. In modern terms, he's not even a front man; he's merely a tool for accumulating wealth and a scapegoat in crucial moments.
Feng Dalun was well aware of this. Over the years, he had distributed most of the wealth he had amassed, all in order to advance his position in Chang'an. A higher rank would at least allow him to become a lackey. Then, the saying "beat the dog according to its master" would come into play.
The aroma of cooking meat wafted from a somewhat dilapidated courtyard. A group of men with fierce faces, each with various weapons at their side, were eating meat and drinking wine.
Seeing Feng Dalun walk in, he hurriedly got up to greet him.
"Boss..."
"Hmm," Feng Dalun responded coldly. Then he addressed the crowd.
"Tomorrow night, Wen Wuji of Wenji Incense Shop, cripple his other leg as well."
The group of thugs naturally agreed. Feng Dalun didn't linger; after giving his instructions, he quickly left. He was very careful to avoid suspicion, showering these thugs with money but rarely associating with them. He had a much longer-term goal: to rise rapidly through the ranks and attain the highest official position. How could he possibly be on friendly terms with these thugs?
The Bearfire Gang was merely a stepping stone for him before he reached the pinnacle. Once he advanced further, he would personally destroy this dark spot, letting them contribute their last rays of light to him. As for Wen Wuji, he was nothing more than an insignificant pebble, easily kicked away by him.
Just after he left, Lu Xuan leisurely walked along the path he had come from into the courtyard. One of the thugs thought his leader had returned and hurriedly got up, only to see a stranger slowly walking in.
"Kid, you've had too much to drink and come to the wrong place. Get lost, this isn't a place for you," a burly man shouted, brandishing a machete without any attempt to hide his rudeness.
However, Lu Xuan ignored him and instead looked around unabashedly.
“Pingkang Ward again. This market town can truly be described as a den of iniquity.”
Upon hearing Lu Xuan's words, the leading man flew into a rage.
"Didn't you hear me? Get lost, or don't blame me for being impolite."
"What meaningless lines! They sound like the kind of minor characters who won't last two minutes. Is this the kind of trash the infamous Xiong Huo Gang of Chang'an is? They're far from the kind of gangsters I've always imagined."
The moment the words "Bear Fire Gang" were uttered, the other side immediately realized they were there to cause trouble. A cacophony of noise erupted. A dozen burly men, wielding various weapons, charged out.
The Xiong Huo Gang, accustomed to running rampant in Wannian County, would not tolerate anyone coming to provoke them. However, at this moment, one of the gang members, looking at Lu Xuan's face, suddenly remembered something.
“Brother Xiong, something seems off. This looks like Lu Xuan, the new county magistrate of Wannian County.”
"The county magistrate?" The Xiong Huo Gang was naturally not afraid of the county magistrate. But they were afraid of the rogue leader under him, Zhang Xiaojing. The Fifth King of Hell, ruthless and vicious—at least half of these adjectives apply to the Xiong Huo Gang; they are merely background figures.
"Zhang Yanwang's superior?"
"That's right."
Brother Xiong thought for a moment and then put away the machete in his hand.
"So it's County Magistrate Lu who has graced us with his presence. We brothers have been rude and we apologize. Why don't we come in and have a drink together? We have wine and meat here, which will warm us up."