Chapter 52(1/2)
Nine Lady stroked the hair on her temples and restored her delicate smile: "Is there anything wrong with this method? Are you worried that he will leak the secrets, so let him join this sect, will it be a once and for all?"
Deng Xiucai sneered: "Did you not wake up from your dream? He is a court official. Such a person is the most arrogant person. How can he be with bandits like you and me?"
Ninth Lady smiled and said, "This is wrong. No matter how noble a saint is, he still has to eat and sleep. I wonder if Lord Tang, what is your annual salary every year?"
Why did you ask this question again?
Tang Fan shook his head: "It's shameful to say that according to the rules set by □□, officials like me from the sixth rank can be 96 stones a year, but most of them are converted into cloth and treasure banknotes. The treasure banknotes are like waste paper, and they may not be able to exchange for much silver. In short, one word is poor, and I'm almost drunk with the northwest wind!"
Ninth Lady covered her mouth and smiled, "Then don't you even have meat on weekdays?"
Tang Fan laughed dryly: "No, I have to write some Fengyue Stories to support my family income. Don't mention such a shameful thing."
Ninth Lady said: "Now I have a generous gift to Lord Tang, I don't know if you dare to accept it."
She took out several silver notes that were still fragrant from her arms and asked her subordinates to take them to Tang Fan to show them.
Tang Fan saw that he was very good, one hundred taels per bill, a total of ten, a total of one thousand taels. The money from Huitong Money House is perfectly deceptive.
What can I do with one thousand taels? I can buy a house like the kind of house I live in in Suizhou now, and there is still a surplus.
This is because of the high housing prices in Beijing. If you place it elsewhere, it is more than enough to be a landlord who doesn’t have to worry about food and drink.
Nine Lady smiled and said, "This is just a gift I give you. If you are willing to join this sect, there will be countless gold and silver waiting for you."
Deng Xiucai was silence next to him: "Miss Jiu is so generous. With so much money, how about helping me overcome the difficulties?"
Ninth Lady glanced at him sideways and said, "The second chief has no need to be sad. The family business you have saved over the years is more than a hundred times? These are my private money. I am just happy to see such talents as Lord Tang. I am just recruiting talents for this sect first. You also know that this sect has always been the most resourceful person. I have been in the sect for a long time, so I often hear the leader say that I should recruit more people like the second chief to expand my sect. If the leader knows that Lord Tang is willing to join, I am afraid that there will be more than this number of people!"
Tang Fanxu coughed and said, "Thank you for your praise from Niangzi, but as an official of the court, I have received the emperor's kindness, and I must not become a bandit."
Ninth Lady chuckled: "Don't be afraid. I didn't ask you to resign. You can still be your high-ranking official. You just secretly join our sect. If you need it, you can ask you to be compatible in some worlds. Naturally, this sect will not treat you badly. In this way, you can continue to be an official and have additional income. Wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?"
Tang Fan asked, "If I agree, will I join?"
Before the Ninth Lady answered, Deng Xiucai smiled: "You think beautifully. If you agree to join, you will naturally have to brand this sect on your body to prevent you from repentance and betrayal."
Seeing that Ninth Lady did not object, Tang Fan knew that what Deng Xiucai said was true.
He looked at the silver liang, and his face showed a look of a touch and a tangled look: "You ask me to consider it, can you?"
Nine Lady smiled and said, "Of course, but don't think too long. We have limited time. Think about it carefully. If you agree, we can send these children back immediately, and you will come forward to give you such a great contribution."
Deng Xiucai groaned: "I don't seem to agree yet?"
Nine Lady smiled and said, "If you are willing to agree, I will speak up to you, and I will spare you 10% of your task this year. In this way, I will be the best choice for recommending people, you will be the best for adulthood, and you will save money. This sect has another talent. Wouldn't it be a one-shot victory?"
Deng Xiucai stopped talking, and the ninth lady looked at Tang Fan with affectionateness, and then ordered someone to send him back.
This time, as usual, his eyes were still blindfolded, but Tang Fan had already secretly recorded the route.
He once secretly matched the layout here with the ground. In addition to Liu Da Ge's previous words, it is not difficult to draw a conclusion: the place he is in should be made by the people from the Nancheng Gang connecting the cellars of those in the deserted village. These families are very close, so it is not difficult to dig and connect the cellars. Moreover, few people here are here, which gives them sufficient conditions to do whatever they want.
No wonder Liu Da Ge said before that it was very safe. If the original entrance to the cellar was sealed and people outside could not find the new entrance, they would really not be able to enter.
But I really suffer from staying here, and it is not much better than the secret passage that Tang Fan and the others have walked before, so this place must be regarded as a temporary residence and cannot be lived in for a long time.
Deng Xiucai and his team were broken because of the big trouble, and the carriage was broken because they carried too many people, so they had to hide here to avoid the limelight, but they must be anxious to leave here and return to the ground.
If Tang Fan could get out of trouble now, and the people from the Xichang or Jinyiwei were outside, they could catch all the people in one place, but there was obviously nothing so good now.
The truth is that he was trapped here and his life was almost impossible to save. Unless he joined their gang, he would have to brand the Raush mark as a letter of fame.
If this mark is really branded, he will be unable to wash it even if he jumps into the Yellow River.
Because Ninth Lady expressed her attitude of wanting to recruit him, on the way back, Xin Shitou was a little restrained and was not as rude as before.
After Tang Fan returned to the original cellar, Liu Da Ge was no longer there. He was probably called to do something.
He took the opportunity to smile at Xin Shitou and said, "Brother Xin, you see, I am almost your own person. Can you help me loosen my ties? This rope makes me feel really uncomfortable. Anyway, I am a scholar, and I can't run away!"
Xin Shitou was reluctant and said directly: "Then you have to ask the second leader to go, I can't make the decision!"
Tang Fan smiled and said, "I felt that if I promised her, then we will be our own people in the future. You and Da Ge Liu brought me here first, and it is not a fight. I saw you and Da Ge feel that it is more intimate than others. I have to worry Brother Xin to do it himself and take out five hundred taels in my arms. You and Da Ge Liu are separated, so don't treat me in the future."
Xin Shitou's eyes lit up, and his expression suddenly eased a little, but he still refused pretentiously: "It's not good, after all, it was given to you by Niang Niang."
Tang Fan looked straight: "Brother Xin doesn't accept it, he's just seeing me!"
Xin Shitou then smiled: "I am my own person, so why should Lord Tang see him? If you join the sect, you will be the chief sect immediately. Your status is much higher than that of my younger brother. You should take good care of me at that time!"
He said, and reached out to help Tang Fan loosen his ties.
At this time, Tang Fan's wrist was bleeding, and it hurts with a slight touch. However, he didn't care about these things and took out the stack of silver notes and distributed them to Xin Shitou five pieces: "It's easy to say, Brother Xin, don't call him Lord Tang, you will be your own people in the future! You have experienced a lot, so I have to ask you to give me more advice!"
Xin Shitou took the silver note and took it into his arms without showing any expression. Then he sighed: "What are you talking about? I have been with the Second Head of the House for six years and am still in the Nancheng Gang. I have never even seen the Chief Executive look like it. It was only after I met the Ninth Lady that I realized that our Nancheng Gang is still related to the Chief Executive."
The two chatted for a few more times, and with the silver note, the relationship seemed to be getting closer all of a sudden. Xin Shitou said: "I have to go to inspect the exit so that people will not find out where they are from. You'd better stay here, otherwise if the second in command finds out, I won't be able to explain it."
Tang Fan smiled and nodded: "I understand, Brother Xin, you'll do it yourself, but can you give me a bowl of water to drink? I'm very thirsty!"
Sure enough, money can understand the gods, Xin Shitou said cheerfully: "What's the hard way?"
So he went to ask for a bowl of water for Tang Fan, and then left in a hurry.
As soon as Xin Shitou left, he curled his smile.
Although I was blindfolded just now, I could always hear the sound of talking and footsteps along the way. According to conservative estimates, Deng Xiucai brought no less than a dozen or twenty subordinates here. This is probably because the place here is not spacious and cannot accommodate so many people, so I brought so few. Otherwise, the Nancheng Gang's family business, with Deng Xiucai's status, there would definitely be no only such subordinates.
Now when I think about it, the old suspicion array of Deng Xiucai and others was not flawless. It was just that Tang Fan and the others were too anxious at that time, and they were worried that they would be escaped by these people any later. So they didn't have time to think about it. After listening to the man's confession, they hurriedly went up the mountain as he said. Otherwise, if they searched carefully in the deserted village, they might not have been able to find the entrance to the underground secret passage.
But then again, even if Suizhou and others arrived on the mountain now and found that they had cheated and returned, it seemed useless. The enemy was numerous and we were few. At that time, these bandits would be helpless if they put their knives on the children's necks, unless Wang Zhi could also come here in time.
If you are worried, Tang Fan is not a person who lives in a troubled city.
He poured the bowl of water into the corner, then took off his outer clothes and wrapped it around, and swung it hard to the ground.
There was no dull sound, but when he untied his clothes, the bowl inside had broken into several large petals.
Tang Fan put away the fragments, then Shi Shiran left the cellar where he was imprisoned and walked towards the room where A Dong and the others were imprisoned in his memory.
There were two people guarding the area there. As soon as they saw Tang Fan, they immediately stood up and said fiercely: "Who is it!"
Tang Fan bowed and smiled, "Brothers, I am the guests invited by your second boss. Come and see these children."
Taking advantage of the opportunity to speak, he had already seen the situation inside.
A dozen children were tied up and blocked their hands and feet and threw them into the corner. Each of them had fear and fear in their eyes, and they all shrank in the corner, with their shoulders facing each other, as if this would make them feel a little safe.
Tang Fan also saw that there was a fat girl with a slightly red and swollen cheek on one side. She looked at him with a very excited expression. If she hadn't been blocked, she would have been shouting immediately.
Tang Fan gave her a look of peace and irritability. As Dong also understood it and soon calmed down without making any sound.
The two men naturally refused to let Tang Fan in, so they shouted loudly and pushed and shoved.
"What's going on?" A delicate voice came. Tang Fan didn't have to look back and immediately knew who he was.
"Nine Lady." The two guards quickly saluted.
"Good lady Jiu." Tang Fan also bowed, "I know that among the children arrested here, my sister is my follower. I followed her this time because of her."
Ninth Lady smiled slightly: "So that's it. No wonder Lord Tang dares to take risks with his own life. It really makes me admire you!"
Tang Fan smiled bitterly: "Not it? If my sister hadn't been caught, I would have been unable to get along with you if I was full?"
Ninth Lady said, "Since that's the case, if I don't agree, wouldn't it be unkind? Lord Tang just go in and visit me. In a quarter of an hour, I will remember to find me in the room you were in before."
When Tang Fan received the charming eyes she threw, his face turned red, as if he wanted to look at her a few more times but was not very daring.
The Nine Lady was so funny that she giggled, and turned around and walked away with a sway.
It's true that she is so charming and attractive to men. You can tell from the two guards' eyes that they look straight.
With the permission of Ninth Lady, Tang Fan was naturally able to enter smoothly.
The children's faces and clothes were dirty, but they could still see their beautiful faces and good fabrics.
Tang Fan noticed that there was a girl and a boy among them, who looked particularly good-looking. After a few years of growth, he would probably be even more outstanding. It was probably because everyone was looking for Zhu Yongyou's daughter and Mr. Geng's grandson. With such a look, it was no wonder that the traffickers met the hunt and got into big trouble.
Looking at the other children, they are all from wealthy families and have a beautiful face.
The most inconspicuous one here is A Dong, but perhaps because she is born white and tender, the human traffickers took her together in the mind of not having fish and shrimp.
Tang Fan didn't care about the others. He squatted in front of A Dong, touched her head, and leaned close to her ear and whispered: "I said, listen, don't make a sound."
A Dong nodded, staring at Tang Fan without a moment.
Tang Fan pulled out the cloth from her mouth: "I know you are sensible. Brother, I want to ask you to help watch these younger brothers and sisters. If someone rushed in to save you, these bad guys will definitely fight to the death. You should not run around because of fear. You must stay here and wait for us to rescue you, do you know?"
A Dong nodded and said in a faint voice like a mosquito: "Brother, don't worry, I will listen to you and take care of them."
Tang Fan was very pleased. What he was most worried about was not the danger of the lives of these children. You should know that they were all the money cows of Deng Xiucai. Deng Xiucai would never abandon them unless he had to, otherwise he would not hide here for them.
What he was worried about was that if Suizhou and others could really find this place, there would be a fierce battle. These children who were ignorant would definitely panic and run around. If they were injured by invisible swords, the purpose of their trip would be in vain.
The two of them couldn't speak more quietly. A quarter of an hour came in a flash. Tang Fan knew very well that Ninth Lady seemed easy to talk, but in fact she was also a cunning figure. It seemed that she was more likely to break through because she had conflicts with Deng Xiucai.
He didn't delay much, and hurriedly explained A Dong, then got up and left.
The cloth on Adong's mouth was taken off by Tang Fan, but she did not make a big fuss, but instead persuaded other children to calm down. She was older among those children. Because she was slapped by Zhu Yong's young daughter Zhu Leping before, everyone subconsciously trusted her and was willing to listen to her. Although she was still sobbing, she finally calmed down.
The two guards saw that she could suppress the others and were so happy that their ears were clean, so they did not stuff the cloth back into her mouth again.
Anyway, in their eyes, this is just a group of children who can't cause any storm.
To be continued...