Water Margin: I am Zhu Biao

Ding ding ding, ding ding~

At the second watch of the night, in the secluded courtyard in the north corner of the Sanyuanlou residence, a series of knocks, three long and two short, were heard several times.

Squeak!

The courtyard gate opened, and Zhu Wu stood in front with a knife, while Ruyi stood a few steps behind him with a lantern.

Upon seeing Zhu Biao, Zhu Wu grinned widely and nodded vigorously at him.

"You idiot! You can speak up when no one's around."

Seeing him like this, Zhu Biao felt both angry and resentful.

"My husband, you're back?"

At this moment, Ruyi took two steps forward and called out softly.

Zhu Biao was tall and completely shielded Pang Qiutang behind him, and because it was dark, neither of them noticed him.

However, upon hearing her call him "husband," Pang Qiutang trembled violently, completely stunned, and her mind went blank.

"Isn't Third Brother unmarried? Who is this woman? Is she his concubine? Why bring her to Tokyo? Could it be that he...?"

Zhu Biao, completely unaware of this, turned to the side and explained:

"This is Huang Ji, one of our own."

"Hey, I finally have company, little brother Huang Ji. My name is Zhu Wu, and my snoring is big. Just so you know, don't be offended."

After not speaking for a day, Zhu Wu felt like his tongue was getting bigger.

When Ruyi saw Pang Qiutang, she was also taken aback, and instantly realized that she was a woman disguised as a man.

The year of hardship she endured in the brothel was not in vain. In order to preserve her innocence, she dealt with the situation almost day and night, developing a keen eye for detail.

The next moment, she pushed Zhu Wu, bypassed Zhu Biao, and directly grabbed Pang Qiutang's hand.

"Fifth Brother, don't talk nonsense. She's clearly a petite woman who wants to sleep with me."

Suddenly her hand was grabbed, and Pang Qiutang trembled again, but her heart relaxed abruptly. This was because Ruyi had just said that they would sleep together.

Therefore, she was neither the third brother's wife nor his concubine.

"Little sister, your hands are so hard, have you practiced martial arts?"

Ruyi smiled and said, Pang Qiutang raised her eyebrows slightly and immediately replied:

"That's right. I've always fought alongside Third Brother. Sister, your hands are so soft. You must have never suffered before."

"Ahem~"

Even if Zhu Biao was oblivious to women's feelings, he sensed something was amiss at this moment. Before Ruyi could reply, he coughed lightly and said...

"What are you doing blocking the doorway? Come inside and talk."

In the north room of the courtyard, Zhu Biao took off his shoes and socks, soaked his feet in a steaming foot bath, and slumped back in a chair without any regard for appearances, letting out a comfortable groan.

"My lord, is the water temperature comfortable?"

Ruyi stood by the table with a copper kettle in her hand. Opposite her, Pang Qiutang, who was drinking medicine for a cold with a bitter face, secretly rolled her eyes at her.

Pshaw, it's just serving people, anyone can do that. It's all an act, calling him "husband" all the time, how shameless.

"As one wishes."

After a long while, Zhu Biao opened his eyes and sat up straight.

"Um."

Ruyi's expression hardened; she knew he was about to get down to business—business that could cost her her head.

On the way, Zhu Biao briefly told her that she might die on this trip to Tokyo.

"Tomorrow, you and Zhu Wu will disguise yourselves as a vegetable and charcoal vendor couple and deliver a letter to Ganjing Lane. Make sure everything is prepared perfectly and without any mistakes."

"it is good."

Ruyi remained silent for a few moments, then nodded in agreement.

"Huang Ji, you stay in the courtyard and rest."

"Third Brother, what about you?"

Zhu Biao suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp.

"I need to make a trip to the Grand Commandant's residence."

No matter how many changes he encountered, his goal never changed: Gao Yanei had to die, and he didn't want to wait any longer.

He's trying to pull chestnuts out of the fire!

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent. Everyone was stunned. Only now did they vaguely guess what Zhu Biao was up to.

The following day, light snow fell in Bianliang.

On Nanmen Street, not far from Fanlou, Zhu Biao swaggered into a small gambling den hidden in an alley.

At this moment, he was dressed in a wealthy manner, wearing brocade clothes and robes, with flowers in his hair, and his eyes were bloodshot and his legs were weak, clearly showing that he had indulged in excessive sexual activity.

"What? Young master, you want to try your hand at it too?"

A squinty-eyed man came up to greet them with a grin.

"Really? There are gambling games with Mo Zi?"

Zhu Biao speaks fluent and authentic Sichuan Mandarin.

The man's smile widened even more:

"We have everything: leaf cards, backgammon, dice games, and more."

Zhu Biao pulled out his bulging money bag:

"Let's play some dice and see how the odds go today?"

As noon approached, he slammed his empty money bag onto the gambling table, scratched his head violently, and cursed:

"Damn it! This is weird, they opened seven bets in a row."

The slanted-eyed man gathered a handful of loose silver in front of him, his lips curled in a sneer, his eyes practically overflowing with contempt.

"Young master, they say fortune changes, so why don't you come back another day with enough money?"

Snapped!

Zhu Biao suddenly raised an eyebrow, took out two ten-tael gold coins from his pocket, and slammed them heavily on the gambling table.

"You think I'm broke? Open your dog eyes and look at yourself! Hmph, I'm just hungry right now. I'll come back after I eat!"

The squinty-eyed man and his accomplices were almost blinded by the golden light, constantly swallowing their saliva.

Twenty taels of gold can be exchanged for two hundred and forty taels of silver, or four hundred and eighty strings of cash, enough for them to swindle and cheat for half a year.

The slanted-eyed man suddenly darted over and blocked his way.

"No, no! What would you like to eat, young master? I'll buy it for you right away."

Zhu Biao tucked the gold nugget back into his pocket, rolled his eyes at him, and said disdainfully:

"Your doghouse is too filthy and smelly, I can't eat here."

The squinty-eyed man was unwilling to let this fat sheep go, and hurriedly said.

"The inner room is elegant and simple. Even Gao Yanei from the Grand Commandant's mansion often eats there."

"real?"

"Absolutely true!"

Zhu Biao glanced around:

"I love a good time, you all have to come drink with me!"

"No problem!"

The squinty-eyed man readily agreed.

At noon, these hooligans drove away all the customers and bolted the doors of the gambling den.

The squinty-eyed man hummed a tune and, with two of his men, strode quickly into the inner room carrying heavy food boxes.

"Um?"

But as soon as he pushed open the door, he was stunned.

The three henchmen who had been playing cards with Fatty Sheep were now lying on the ground, their mouths crooked, eyes slanted, and foaming at the mouth.

Before he could even react, a huge, well-defined fist suddenly loomed large in his eyes.

Bang!

Zhu Biao punched him in the chin, and his eyes went blank instantly as he fell backward like a wooden stake.

"You bastard!"

His two men threw down the food box and tried to resist, but they were also knocked down by Zhu Biao with a few punches and kicks.

He dragged everyone into the inner room, and Zhu Biao picked up the teapot and forced them to drink the sleeping potion from the black market.

He didn't know how much of this stuff to use, so he simply poured out most of the packet. The liquid was thick, like milk.

I reckon these birds will sleep for at least two or three days, or they might not wake up at all.

Zhu Biao not only recovered all the money he had lost, but also made off with over eighty taels of silver.

He never touched copper coins; they were too heavy and took up too much space.

Of course, his goal wasn't money. This gambling den was Gao Yanei's property, and these hooligans were all his men.

This is the most useful intelligence provided by Lin Chong: the slanted-eyed man is called Yang Bo, nicknamed "Cauliflower Snake".

He was considered Gao Yanei's top lieutenant.

After a moment, Zhu Biao made sure no one was around, climbed out of the backyard of the gambling den, shook the dust off his clothes, and strode towards the Grand Commandant's mansion.

At this moment, he had slanted eyes, a mustache, and wore a slightly oversized, but still neat and clean, bluish-gray robe.

After all, I'll be entering the Grand Commandant's mansion soon, so my clothes can't be too shabby.

In the Song Dynasty, the title of Grand Commandant was a general term. Several chief and deputy chief secretaries of the Privy Council, as well as high-ranking officials in the Ministry of War, could all be called Grand Commandants.

However, there was only one place in Bianliang that was called the Grand Commandant's Mansion, which was Gao Qiu's residence.

This fellow is currently serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guard and also as the Deputy Privy Councilor. He enjoys the Emperor's favor and his power is at its peak.

The Grand Commandant's residence is easy to find; it's right next to the Golden Water Gate of the Imperial City, a place where princes and nobles gather.

Spanning nearly ten acres, the mansion features flying beams and bracket sets inside, and halberds line the gate outside, creating an imposing atmosphere. Commoners would walk around it, and even officials would deliberately avoid it.

Of course, Zhu Biao also had to go around, and he went around three or five times before finally finding the back door.

"Sergeant, this is Pan San. I was sent by Brother Yang Bo to pay my respects to the young master and to inform him of your arrival."

He bowed and scraped, awkwardly handing over a string of coins as a token of respect, and even shook the bundle in his hand, making a clattering sound as the coins jingled.

A captain of the Imperial Guards, clad in iron armor, took the money from the door and glanced at him from head to toe.

"You don't look familiar?"

"The younger one only started following Brother Yang Bo last month."

Hey~

The constable weighed the four or five hundred coins in his hand and smiled mockingly.

"Yang Bo dares to call me 'Big Brother'? But this scoundrel is surprisingly generous today; he usually gives two hundred coins. What, did he manage to fleece a fat sheep recently?"

"Hehe, I don't know either."

Zhu Biao replied with a forced smile.

The head constable pursed his lips but didn't ask any more questions. He put away the money and casually said something to his subordinate.

"Search."

The subordinate lazily approached, first feeling the bundle, then searching his body and under him, and finally reaching under his crotch.

"Ha! I didn't expect that someone so young would have such a large amount of capital."

He chuckled and waved his hand:

"Alright, go in!"