Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 364 My Benefactor! It really was you!

The banquet lasted until 11 p.m.

Everyone had a great time.

With fine wine and delicious food, accompanied by singing and dancing, time flew by.

Almost everyone was somewhat drunk.

of course,

Everyone was just drinking and chatting, indulging in some refined pursuits, and didn't do anything outrageous.

Even if someone wanted to play, they wouldn't do it in this kind of setting.

After the banquet, everyone left the boat shop, boarded sedan chairs and rode horses to return home.

What no one knew was that beneath the lively singing and dancing just now lay a deadly trap.

Dangerous and ruthless!
As long as Chen Jie's Spirit Refinement Realm is slightly lower, or his Holy Spirit Cultivation Technique is lower than Ruan Qingzhu's [Charm Technique], then...

Then,

If Ruan Qingzhu were to carry out the assassination, it would be a thrilling and terrifying killing spree.

but,

Before the deadly trap even began, Chen Jie had already defused it.

in fact,

Chen Jie knew very well that even if he wiped out Qingzhufang, it wouldn't be of much use.

The problems with the Green Gang must be handled properly.

The Green Gang has members all over the Great Qian Dynasty, and even overseas.

Those who follow me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish!

The battles of the martial world have always been a glorious chapter forged in blood.

Since Ximen Tang has not yet officially broken ties with the Green Gang, there is no need for him to start a massacre for the time being.

If we can subdue them, it will save us a lot of trouble.

Judging from the current situation, Qingzhufang has been in Jinling for a long time and has intricate connections with the officialdom and military of Jinling.

Xu Shichang must have had his reasons for hosting tonight's banquet at Qingzhufang.

Besides,

Chen Jie had just arrived in Jinling and hadn't yet figured out the situation here.

If we indiscriminately wipe out Qingzhufang, it will cause chaos and disorder throughout Jinling Prefecture.

Therefore, Chen Jie simply accepted Ruan Qingzhu's hidden weapon and waited to see how things would unfold.

Since I already know the extent of the Green Gang's influence in Nanjing, I'll wait until I've investigated thoroughly before deciding whether to eliminate them all.

If Chen Jie cannot bring the Green Gang under his control, he is never one to be merciful and is destined to cause bloodshed.

This is Jinling City; as long as I'm careful, I can survive.

He believed that the Green Gang's forces would not be able to easily deal with him for the time being.

Therefore, keeping Qingzhufang was not a bad thing for Chen Jie.

at least,

This will be a breakthrough point in dealing with the Green Gang.

-

A large mansion at the south gate of Jinling City.

at this time,

In the pavilion of the mansion, Ruan Qingzhu knelt on the ground and said:

"Master, I failed this time and am willing to accept punishment according to the gang rules."

"Chen Jie of Ximentang already knows the secrets of our Green Gang."

"According to the information we have received, Ximen Tang will soon be stationed in Nanjing. I believe that he will take action against our Green Gang in the near future."

"The Ximen Hall's army will likely be mobilized early tomorrow morning. I hope the gang leader can arrange a retreat in advance."

At this time.

A woman's voice came from behind, calmly saying:
"This incident is not your fault. Get up."

"Time is too short; dealing with Chen Jie won't be that simple."

"It seems we underestimated Ximentang Chen Jie. You should go back now."

"As for whether to retreat or stay in Jinling, I have my own plans."

Ruan Qingzhu nodded and got up from the ground.

"Thank you, Master. I'll take my leave now!"

After speaking, Ruan Qingzhu saluted the woman and then turned to leave the pavilion.

Inside the pavilion.

At this moment, two women were sitting at the coffee table, drinking flower tea.

A middle-aged woman, who looked to be in her forties.

She has an ordinary appearance, but in the martial arts world, even a stomp of her foot can cause an earthquake.

The leader of the Green Gang—Kou San Niang.

Beside Kou San Niang sat a pretty young woman.

If Chen Jie were here, he might not recognize the other person based solely on their appearance.

However, as long as he sensed the woman's presence, Chen Jie would definitely know who she was.

Special envoy of the Black Dragon Society – Shinobu Nakajima.

That's right,

It's Nakajima Shinobu, the one who assassinated Chen Jie in Songjiang Prefecture last time.

Her battle with Li Lingyue ended in a draw, and Chen Jie left a mark on her heart.

but,

Unexpectedly, Shinobu Nakajima appeared in Jinling.

Moreover, it seems that she has a close relationship with Kou San Niang, the leader of the Green Gang.

After Ruan Qingzhu left the pavilion in the mansion, Kou Sanniang frowned slightly and said:

"It seems that this commander of Ximen Hall is quite a figure."

"He not only easily thwarted Ruan Qingzhu's assassination attempt, but he was also able to quickly deduce that it was our Green Gang's method based on the slightest clues."

"This man is currently in a high position of power and influence. He is not only the Governor-General of Shandong, but will soon become the son-in-law of the emperor."

"Our Green Gang can no longer underestimate this man."

call--!
After saying that, Kou San Niang couldn't help but exhale.

Shinobu Nakajima nodded and said:

"Chief Kou, why don't we leave Jinling? Otherwise, once Ximen Hall's army arrives, it won't be easy for us to leave."

"Moreover, Guan Qilin is in charge here. If we offend him, it will be difficult for us to get away."

"I'll now order men to arrange boats to leave along the river. And then—!"

Before she could finish speaking, Kou Sanniang interrupted:

"Don't worry! Miss Nakajima Shinobu, Guan Qilin is on good terms with my father, so we don't need to leave Jinling for the time being."

Shinobu Nakajima was taken aback by his words, and frowned as he said:
"But it's too dangerous for us to stay here!"

Kou Sanniang smiled and said:
“Our Green Gang has been operating in Jiangnan for hundreds of years, and we have made all the necessary arrangements within the government. As long as Ximen Tang mobilizes troops, we will definitely know in advance.”

“Chen Jie of Ximen Hall is a smart man. He won’t act rashly until he has a clear understanding of the Green Gang’s situation.”

"Moreover, even if we don't respect the monk, we should respect the Buddha. Ximen Hall hasn't officially settled in Jinling yet, so he should at least give Guan Qilin face."

"If he really wants to wipe out our Green Gang, isn't he worried that we'll all perish together?"

"So for now, we are very safe in Jinling City, so there is no need to worry too much."

Shinobu Nakajima lowered his head and remained silent for a moment.

She wasn't worried about Ximentang sending troops to besiege Qingzhufang.

Although assassinating Chen Jie would be difficult, with her martial arts skills, leaving Jinling City would not be difficult.

"Since we're not leaving for the time being, what do we do next?"

"Should we continue the attack on Huzhou?"

Kou San Niang took a deep breath and lowered her head in silence for a moment.

She thought for a moment and said, "If Ximentang sends troops to Jinling, he will be our biggest obstacle."

"He already knows Ruan Qingzhu's background and sent her to deliver a message, probably to find out the movements of our Green Gang."

"Huzhou is the gateway between eastern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. To take Huzhou, we must concentrate an army of 100,000." "Xu Shichang requested Ximen Tang to send troops to Nanjing. He simply wanted Ximen Tang to block our army so that we could recover Hangzhou."

"Once Ximentang's army is assembled, they will launch a direct attack on eastern Zhejiang."

Thinking of this, Kou Sanniang looked worried.

After thinking for a moment, Nakajima Shinobu said, "Chief Kou, what should our next step be?"

Kou Sanniang nodded and said:

"Immediately send a message by carrier pigeon to Lin Dongyang of Hangzhou Prefecture, instructing them to cease their attack on Huzhou."

"Our top priority is to stabilize the situation in eastern Zhejiang and concentrate our current forces to attack the southern Fujian and southern Jiangxi regions."

"If we stabilize eastern Zhejiang and defend the city, even if Ximentang launches an attack on us, we will not be without the power to resist."

"Guan Qilin will soon be transferred back to the capital. Although Xu Shichang has 200,000 troops under his command, the only one who can truly threaten us is Ximen Tang."

"Your Japanese Kwantung Army has been continuously harassing the coast of southern Jiangsu, attacking the coastline with your fleet, and forcing Ximen Tang to transfer troops to the coast for support."

"We must prevent Ximentang from assembling a large army before Guan Qilin leaves Jinling."

"By retreating in order to advance and temporarily abandoning the attack on Huzhou Prefecture, we can not only make the Daqian army lower its guard."

"Once our main army has surrounded the city, your Kwantung Army will send another 100,000 troops, and together we will capture Nanjing and take Songjiang Prefecture in one fell swoop!"

As she said this, a sharp glint appeared in Kou San Niang's eyes.

"It's time to put our hidden agents in Hangzhou into action."

"Miss Shinobu Nakajima, when will the weapons and ammunition that your Japan promised to give us arrive?"

Shinobu Nakajima took a deep breath and said:
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow afternoon, our Third Fleet's warships will dock in Taizhou Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. You should notify your men to receive them."

-

Military camp inside Jinling City.

Chen Jie pointed to the map and said calmly:
"Huzhou Prefecture is not the focus of our counterattack; the rebels' base is in Hangzhou Prefecture."

"As long as we attack Hangzhou Prefecture, the rebels will collapse without a fight."

"These people are a motley crew, allied with a few major martial arts forces, each fighting their own battles."

"The Japanese suffered a great loss in Songjiang Prefecture, but they were not deterred and continued to send troops here."

"The Green Gang members are ungrateful and actually cooperated with the Japanese. They deserve to die."

"You can handle the matters concerning the imperial court. As for suppressing the rebellion, leave it to Ximen Hall."

Xu Shichang nodded and said:

"Alright, I'll handle the internal affairs of the imperial court!"

"As long as you send troops to quell the rebellion, you don't need to worry about anything else; I'll handle it."

Chen Jie nodded without saying anything more.

He trusted Xu Shichang, but he did not trust the garrison in Nanjing.

Guan Qilin was known as the most powerful general of the Daqian Dynasty, yet he did not send troops to quell the rebellion.

From any perspective, it reveals something unusual.

Early the next morning.

Xu Shichang approached Chen Jie again and began to discuss how to quell the rebellion in eastern Zhejiang.

The current rebel forces are divided into three armies.

They bypassed Huzhou Prefecture and headed straight for Suzhou.

Another army marched towards Jinling.

There was still a large army stationed in Hangzhou Prefecture. Instead of sending troops, they began to consolidate their forces and move towards southern Fujian and southern Jiangxi.

obviously,
The rebels were not united and fought their own battles.

After studying the map, Chen Jie concluded that the rebels' attack on Jinling City was likely a feint, intended to draw away Ximentang's forces.

Nanjing is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even without Ximen Tang stationed there, and without 200,000 troops and weapons and ammunition provided by the Japanese, it would be impossible to take it.

Therefore,
Unless the rebel leaders are stupid, they will never easily attack Nanjing.

Their goal was probably to attack Suzhou.

then,

Chen Jie and Xu Shichang discussed having the Daqian army abandon Huzhou and retreat directly to Suzhou.

As long as we can hold Suzhou Prefecture and hold back a portion of the rebel army's main force, we can wait until Aman's 10,000-strong army and supply train arrive in Jinling.

Ximentang directly attacked Hangzhou Prefecture, striking straight at the rebels' stronghold.

Taking Hangzhou Prefecture meant taking control of the entire eastern Zhejiang region and defeating the rebels.

Xu Shichang strongly agreed with Chen Jie's suggestion.

Ximentang attacked Hangzhou Prefecture, confronting the enemy head-on and attacking the main force of the rebel army.

If the rebels in Hangzhou can be defeated, the other rebel forces will collapse.

Because Guan Qilin's army was to be transferred to Shanhaiguan in Hebei, it was unable to coordinate with Xu Shichang's military campaign.

Although Xu Shichang was the Minister of War of the Daqian Dynasty, he was frustrated that he could not mobilize Guan Qilin's army.

Guan Qilin's identity is very special. Like Ximen Tang's army, he is not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War of the imperial court.

Even from another perspective,

Guan Qilin's army was very similar to Ximen Tang's; both were private soldiers.

for the rest of the time,

The two discussed the plan to quell the rebellion and confirmed that the plan was foolproof.

Xu Shichang transferred 10,000 troops from his own forces to Chen Jie's command, specifically to serve as auxiliary soldiers for transporting supplies.

Two days later, Aman's army and supply corps, carrying military supplies, finally arrived in Jinling City.

After the troops had rested, Chen Jie immediately ordered Liu Ergou to lead two thousand men to Suzhou to assist in the defense of the city, with the aim of drawing away the main force of the rebel army.

This time, we came to Nanjing with a full range of weapons and ammunition.

The two thousand men led by Liu Ergou were equipped with not only five hundred 60mm mortars, but also twenty 120mm mortars.

We had enough heavy machine guns and hand grenades, but we didn't bring any other special artillery shells.

This level of firepower is sufficient to assist in the defense of Suzhou.

After Liu Ergou led two thousand men on their journey.

Chen Jie immediately ordered all mortars, heavy machine guns, special shells, and other equipment to be prepared and ready to depart at any time.

While Xu Shichang was transferring troops from Huzhou Prefecture, Chen Jie, along with Meng Hu and his personal guards, changed into civilian clothes.

He strolled around the city of Jinling.

It must be said that this city is much more prosperous than Qingzhou in Shandong.

In the coming period, this city will become the residence of Simon Church.

He naturally wanted to familiarize himself with the surroundings, as he planned to make this one of his main bases in the future.

The group walked along the streets of Jinling City.

suddenly,
A middle-aged man appeared in front of Chen Jie, bowed to him, and said:
"Sir, are you Young Master Chen, the head of Ximen Hall?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie was taken aback.

Judging from the tone of their voice, they seem to know me.

Keep in mind, he's dressed in casual clothes right now, so if he can recognize me at a glance, he must know me.

He nodded slightly and replied, "That's right, I am Chen Jie from Ximentang. And you are?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's face lit up with joy, and he quickly kowtowed and bowed, saying:
"As expected of my benefactor, I never imagined you would come to Jinling!"

"I thought I'd never see you again—!"

It's clear that the other party is very excited.

My benefactor!
Chen Jie was completely bewildered and carefully examined the other party.

This person was around thirty-five years old, of medium build, and his martial arts skills were not high, only at the early stage of internal strength.

The other person's face was somewhat unfamiliar, and Chen Jie couldn't recall where he had seen this person before.

However, one thing is certain: the other party's expression showed only excitement and gratitude, without any hostility.

Meng Hu, who had been following Chen Jie closely, looked the middle-aged man up and down and suddenly remembered him.

He leaned closer to Chen Jie and whispered:

"Young master, this man seems to be Ma Tongming from the Tongbei Gate in the capital!"

“The leader of the Tongbei Sect, Ma Zhankun, died at the hands of Peng Gan, and he was Ma Zhankun’s younger brother.”

"Back then, when you killed Peng Gan, the deputy leader of the Axe Gang, at the Hero's Arena in the western district of the capital, you were kind to the Tongbei Sect."

(End of this chapter)