Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 498 A strange combination of circumstances
Captain Han listened to Pei Yuan's overconfident words and his eyes moved slightly on Pei Yuan.

This guy.

He seems to be a very courageous man, but he is a little too conceited.

Han Qianhu still didn't know what kind of storm these words would bring.

She held the book leisurely with her hands behind her back, "Then you can give it a try."

After saying this, he walked out of the hall.

Pei Yuan watched Han Qianhu leave and his eyes fell on the letters in front of him.

He sorted them casually, and then spread them out casually. After a while, he tucked the documents under his armpit and said to Sikong Sui, "Let's go back."

The two men left the main hall and did not see Captain Han in the courtyard.

Sikong Sui took the initiative to say, "It's getting late now, Han Qianhu will not leave the temple, he should be wandering in the Zen forest at the back."

Pei Yuan nodded, and left the yard with Sikong Sui.

Pei Yuan asked Sikong Sui casually as they walked, "Do I need to have the documents I'm handling reviewed by Captain Han before sending them out?"

Sikong Sui laughed and said, "You are too suspicious, Captain. This is all for show. If Captain has any orders, just let Cen Meng or Chen Xinjian pass them on."

"Tan Tai and I both follow Qian Hu, and Cui Bohou also served under Qian Hu before. Who dares to stop Qian Hu's letter?"

Pei Yuan sighed, "If it weren't for the last sentence, I might have really believed it."

Sikong Sui was a little surprised when he heard this, "Why does Qian Hu say that?"

Pei Yuan finally got the chance to complain, "Captain Tantai betrayed me. I brought him south with me this time, intending to let Captain Han know about the Luo Sect. But he intervened and made me feel like a nobody."

Sikong Sui groaned, and said awkwardly, "Tan Tai has always been straightforward. I guess he hasn't figured it out."

Pei Yuan paused, looked at Sikong Sui from head to toe, and asked, "He hasn't figured it out, have you figured it out?"

Sikong Sui said confidently without blushing, "Of course I have figured it out."

Pei Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, wanting to watch Sikong Sui's performance.

Sikong Sui smiled bitterly and said, "Captain, don't doubt me. Even if Captain Han knew about this, what would happen?"

"She hates trouble the most. Why should I throw this mess to her?"

"I know Captain Pei's abilities. If we really want to clean up the mess, it depends on Captain Pei's abilities."

"If things can be accomplished, naturally everyone will be happy. If something goes wrong in the end, I believe Captain Pei will not implicate others."

Pei Yuan said unhappily, "Although your words are cold, they are in my best interest. This matter has been planned by the Qianhu for a long time. It is better for you to stop causing trouble."

Sikong Sui did not argue, but just said, "That's right, that's right."

Pei Yuan seemed to have remembered something, and turned back to correct Sikong Sui, "Deputy Captain, Deputy Captain."

After chatting for a while, Pei Yuan casually asked Sikong Sui, "By the way, I still don't know where Han Qianhu is from."

Sikong Sui said, "I am from Huguang."

Pei Yuan was speechless.

This answer seems to be an answer, but also seems to be no answer.

Just as he arrived in front of his own courtyard, Pei Yuan did not ask any more questions and went back to the courtyard.

Pei Yuan placed several official documents on the desk in his Zen room and looked at them for a long time before asking someone to bring him dinner. He ate the meal listlessly.

The next day, Pei Yuan had no intention of responding to those official documents.

On the third day, Cen Meng asked for a meeting outside and gave Pei Yuan an unopened letter.

Pei Yuan perked up a little, took the letter and saw that it was from Cheng Leixiang.

Pei Yuan raised his eyebrows, took out a knife and opened the letter.

Regarding this trip south to kill Zhang Yong, Pei Yuan simply tipped Cheng Lei off and did not let him participate.

After the news of Zhang Yong's death reached Tianjin, Cheng Leixiang also closely followed the subsequent developments of the matter.

As a result, a few days later, the Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commissioner suddenly transferred troops from the three guards in Tianjin to Dongping Prefecture to assist in the investigation.

Cheng Leixiang didn't know the ins and outs of the matter. While delaying the march, he sent someone to Yanggu quickly to deliver a letter, wanting to hear Captain Pei's opinion.

Pei Yuan wanted to write a reply to Cheng Leixiang, but the matter was too complicated and Pei Yuan did not dare to put it on paper.

After hesitating for a long time, I felt that it would be best to let Cheng Leixiang come to meet him, otherwise it would be easy for something to go wrong.

Pei Yuan then said to Cen Meng, "Go see Cheng Leixiang in person and try to get him to come to Liansheng Temple. I have something to tell him personally."

Cen Meng left after hearing this.

After Cen Meng left, Pei Yuan asked the Jinyiwei guarding the gate to call Chen Xinjian.

When Chen Xinjian arrived, he asked him, "Did anyone stop Cen Meng from leaving the temple just now?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xinjian replied, "No one stopped us."

After saying this, he also realized something, looked around, and asked Pei Yuan nervously, "Captain, is there any change in Liansheng Temple?"

Seeing that his orders were carried out smoothly, Pei Yuan began to believe Sikong Sui's words "do it for show".

Han Qianhu kept him in Liansheng Temple without making it public. It seemed that she just wanted to prove her right to rule in this way and had no intention of undermining his authority as the deputy Qianhu.

After all, someone has to do the work.

A little childish.

Pei Yuan couldn't help but complain.

Then, he asked Chen Xinjian, "The last time I met your brother, you should have discussed it. I remember that Luo Jiao has developed quite a few people in the transport army?"

Chen Xinjian thought about it and answered honestly, "It is indeed a large scale. But Qian Hu should know that the transport troops are originally reckless warriors. They basically don't believe in any religion."

"Many people joined the Luo Sect simply because it was so powerful. They just wanted to have a force behind them so they could show off their power."

"Although the Luo Sect has developed rapidly in the military, it has gained almost no benefits. No one takes the people we sent to preach seriously."

Pei Yuan frowned, but he wasn't too surprised.

After all, Luo Sect's makeshift team is just too makeshift.

Pei Yuan immediately gave up the idea of ​​starting with the Yun Army. He thought for a moment and said to Chen Xinjian, "You mean, most of the followers of the Yun Army only joined because of the Luo Sect's reputation and prestige."

Chen Xinjian said quickly, "That's right."

Pei Yuan said thoughtfully, "It seems that the Luo Sect's makeshift team is more than capable of being a paper tiger."

Chen Xinjian did not answer, fearing that he would disturb Pei Yuan's train of thought. Pei Yuan thought for a while and said, "It seems that the development of Luojiao in the Yun army needs a push. You go to Tai'an and meet your brother. There is something you want him to do."

Chen Xinjian said quickly, "Just give your orders, Captain."

Pei Yuan said, "Since the cover of Luo Cult is not bad, you can ask your brother to pay attention to those marginal figures in the transport army, that is, those small characters who have no one to protect them. Then, in the name of Luo Cult, ask them to help keep an eye on the cotton cloth transported from the south to the north."

Chen Xinjian took note of this and asked, "And then?"

Pei Yuan said calmly, "Then ask your brother to bring some reliable men to set fire to all the ships transporting cotton cloth to the north."

"This can be done secretly or openly. Anyway, I don't want to see any southern cotton ships go north."

Chen Xinjian was shocked when he heard this.

He asked Pei Yuan for confirmation, "Are you sure about this? This is going to be a big deal!"

Pei Yuan was silent for a long time, but still said firmly, "Do it!"

Chen Xinjian said no more and immediately said, "Then I will go and deliver the letter now."

Pei Yuan said, "There is no need to rush. We can take it slowly. The cotton harvest season has just arrived. It will take a long time for cotton cloth to be shipped north in large quantities."

"You can let Chen Toutie slowly lay out the plan first."

"Don't worry about those scattered cloth merchants. I just need to block the biggest wave."

Chen Xinjian still felt that this matter was a bit too risky, and tactfully advised, "I'm afraid, I'm afraid that there will be a big mess."

"Cotton cloth is an indispensable commodity for the people. If this causes the price of cloth to soar, the people will suffer and it will probably draw the wrath of the court."

After hearing this, Pei Yuan had a very strange expression on his face.

After a while, he said to Chen Xinjian, "So the destiny is in my hands. Do you remember our plan to convert soybeans into cotton?"

When Chen Xinjian heard the words "change beans to cotton", he was shocked.

But Pei Yuan continued, "In order to prevent others from growing beans and stealing our business, we spent a lot of effort to trick them into growing cotton."

"A few days ago, Wang Chang told me that he was worried that the scam would not end. If the scam of replacing soybeans with cotton fails, many wealthy and powerful people may suffer huge losses."

“Even if we eventually pass the responsibility on to those powerful workshops in the south, it will still cause a huge crisis.”

"But what now?"

“Did the malicious “changing soybeans to cotton” at the beginning fill in the most critical part of this plan?”

"Without the cheap cotton cloth from the south, Shandong's own cotton cloth will regain its profit margin and can quickly fill this market."

"Moreover, the huge demand for cotton cloth can eliminate the risks brought by the concentrated listing of cotton, allowing the wealthy cotton growers to profit from it."

"Perhaps, after they have tasted success in preventing cotton cloth from going north, we will receive unexpected strong support."

"And if the Luo Cult can accomplish this great feat, it will surely be able to rely on the fast-spreading rumors to spread its influence among the Yun Army. The Yun Army worships those with the biggest fists, so let them watch the Luo Cult's strength."

After hearing Pei Yuan's detailed plan, Chen Xinjian's doubts were gone.

He had not followed Pei Yuan to the court before, and did not know what had happened to Kong Xu.

Although Pei Yuan had made up his mind, he still asked with some doubt, "We have nothing to do with those noble families in the south, why did Qianhu suddenly want to take action against them?"

Pei Yuan naturally had nothing to hide from his confidant Chen Xinjian, so he gestured to him to look at the official document sent by Kong Xu on the table.

Chen Xinjian quickly took the document and flipped through it quickly.

After Chen Xinjian finished reading the document, he began to understand why Pei Yuan was so angry.

The oil press workshop in Huai'an is the most important source of wealth in Pei Yuan's plan.

Moreover, there are so many idle young and strong people in the entire Luo Sect who rely on this industrial chain for their livelihood.

Chen Xinjian put down the document and said, "I understand. I will definitely ask my brother to do his best to handle this matter."

Pei Yuan nodded and said firmly, "Since they are preventing the northern oil from going south, then I will fight back and prevent the southern cotton from going north."

"Although I don't have much power in Jiangnan, it doesn't stop me from driving the tiger to devour the wolf. Let them see my methods."

"Besides, I have the plan of 'changing soybeans to cotton' as a backup, and I can also take the opportunity to unite those Shandong tycoons. Even if I lose this battle, I can use this momentum to integrate resources to develop Liaodong."

Chen Xinjian thought of something else. He carefully suggested, "The commander volunteered to come to Shandong to suppress the Luo Sect. If such a big mess happens, I'm afraid the commander will be involved."

"How about we use the name of the White Lotus Sect?"

Pei Yuan looked at Chen Xinjian speechlessly, "Are you mentally ill? The White Lotus Sect is also under our control."

"Besides, I am in Shandong, so the Luo Cult in Shandong will naturally stop. But they are fleeing along the canal to Huaibei and Huainan, so it's not my fault."

"Then I can ask Your Majesty to establish new Hundred Households Offices in Huaibei and Huainan to resolutely suppress the spread of Luojiao."

Chen Xinjian understood.

My goodness, wherever the Luo Sect expands, the claim rights of Qianhu will follow.

Chen Xinjian said, "I understand. I will do it right away."

After Chen Xinjian left, Pei Yuan calculated the time and felt the urgency.

The cotton and soybean harvest season is approaching. When a large amount of soybeans are piled up in his hands but cannot be shipped smoothly, Pei Yuan will be completely passive.

If Luo Jiao wants to mobilize on a large scale, then there must be an explanation for the Zhang Yong case as soon as possible.

Otherwise, when Luo Jiao starts to cause chaos and burns the ships transporting cotton cloth to the north, the blame for the Zhang Yong case might be put on Luo Jiao.

Well, then the case is solved, right?

This is what Pei Yuan doesn't want to see.

Pei Yuan felt the urgency of time, so without waiting for Cheng Leixiang's troops to arrive, he secretly asked someone to notify Bi Zhen and began to spread the rumor that Zhang Xiong was suspected to be the real murderer.

By the way, the conflict between the new eunuch Zhang Rui and Zhang Yong, the commander-in-chief of the East Factory, was also widely publicized.

The feud between Zhang Rui and Zhang Yong was so detailed that many people believed it to be true.

And someone actually found out that during those days, Zhang Xiong led a large number of troops to leave Shandong.

Without saying anything else, Gu Dayong wrote a letter to Pei Yuan, wanting to ask for Pei Yuan's opinion.

The Eight Tigers had always been at odds with each other when Liu Jin was alive. The relationship between Gu Dayong and Zhang Yong was also ordinary, but because of their similar backgrounds, Gu Dayong felt very sad about the death of another.

No matter what the reason was, Pei Yuan couldn't communicate this with Gu Dayong.

So, after some hesitation, Pei Yuan gave a very technical reply, "Nothing is true."

(End of this chapter)