A glimpse of opportunity: Start by marrying a mermaid bride.

Cao San was the squad leader who helped Richard stop Li Jitong and his group at the Great Rainbow Bridge. After Zheng Xuan exchanged Erdan's corpse for a thousand silver dollars, he gave them one hundred silver dollars.

It was on that occasion that the two met, when Cao San said he wanted to be friends with Zheng Xuan.

Unexpectedly, the two met here today. It wasn't really a coincidence, since one of the main tasks of the patrol battalion was to protect the safety of Tianjin, and guarding the city gate was naturally their job.

Zheng Xuan then said to the person upstairs, "Is this Brother Cao? I want to enter the city, could you make an exception?"

Upon hearing this, Cao San said, "Haha, we're all brothers, what's wrong with that?"

"Go down and open the city gate a crack, let my brother in!"

Cao San turned around and said to the soldiers behind him. The soldiers immediately responded and quickly opened the city gate a crack. Zheng Xuan came in and saw Cao San in front of him.

"Brother Cao, I'm so grateful to you this time, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get into the city."

Upon hearing this, Cao San looked at Zheng Xuan and asked, "What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry so late at night?"

"Don't even mention it. My master was attacked by river bandits. I went into the city to get help, but I was too late, and they killed him."

Cao San was taken aback by these words: "River bandits? There are occasional river bandits on the Haihe River, but have they really gone so far as to rob someone from the Water Ghost Li's territory?"

This is no simple matter, but Cao San is a slippery person. He doesn't ask any questions about things he shouldn't be involved in. In fact, Zheng Xuan had already thought of his answer, but since Cao San didn't ask, he didn't say anything.

At this moment, he reached into his pocket, pulled out two silver dollars, and casually slapped them onto Cao San's hand.

"Brother Cao, I came in a hurry and only have two yuan left. Please treat the brothers to a drink."

"Ah, brother, this is too much..."

Cao San pretended to refuse, but Zheng Xuan knew that once the money was in their hands, how could they possibly return it?

"Brother, if you don't accept it, you're looking down on your younger brother."

Zheng Xuan replied, and Cao San said, "Alright, brother thanks you on behalf of the brothers. Are you leaving the city later? I'll leave the gate open for you."

"Thank you very much, brother."

Zheng Xuan quickly thanked him, but Cao San waved his hand and said, "We're all brothers."

Zheng Xuan clasped his hands in a fist salute, then ran directly into the city. Watching Zheng Xuan leave, a soldier behind him said, "Squad leader, he just said he encountered river bandits, but what river bandits are so bold as to dare to rob Water Ghost Li? He's obviously lying."

Upon hearing this, Cao San chuckled and said, "What does it have to do with us whether we lie or not?"

As he spoke, Cao San pulled out a silver dollar and said, "This is what's relevant to us. Take it and go to town to buy some braised food. Just say I'm giving the brothers an extra meal."

"Okay!"

When the soldier saw the ocean, his mouth broke into a grin. Isn't this what it's all about to become a soldier?

Zheng Xuan ran wildly along Jinmen Avenue. There was no one on the street. In this era, once it got dark, there were hardly any people on the street. Only one or two wine shops and braised food shops were open, and some drunkards were drinking.

In fact, according to the laws of Dajing, it is illegal for diners to drink at these taverns that are open at night. However, Dajing is now in a state of moral decay, and the local officials are too lazy to care.

Zheng Xuan remembered that Li Jitong had told him that Song Jin'ao's house was the fifth house in Luo Yi Hutong in the southern part of the city. Zheng Xuan followed the directions and found a large courtyard.

clap clap!

He went up and knocked on the door. It wasn't too late yet. Song Jin'ao was practicing martial arts with his three disciples in the courtyard when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.

Song Jin'ao said, "Shouyi, open the door."

After he finished speaking, an unremarkable-looking man stopped his stance training, turned around and went to the gate, where he opened it.

He saw a person who was soaking wet, looked him up and down, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Song Jin'ao, does the great hero Song live here?"

Zheng Xuan asked, and upon hearing this, Chen Shouyi nodded and said, "Who are you, and what do you want with my master?"

"I am Li Jitong's apprentice. My master is in mortal danger. Please, Master Song, save him!"

"Uncle Li's life is in danger, come in quickly."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shouyi immediately let the person in and then called out, "Master, Master..."

Song Jin'ao looked up and immediately saw Zheng Xuan.

"Nephew Zheng Xuanxian, what brings you here?"

……

Zheng Xuan told Song Jin'ao everything, and Song Jin'ao's eyes immediately lit up.

"This is outrageous! These foreign devils are going too far!"

Song Jin'ao spoke up in anger, and Zheng Xuan said, "Uncle-Master, the most important thing now is to save my master. I'm afraid these foreign devils will torture my master with that terrible monster potion."

Upon hearing this, Song Jin'ao said, "There's no time to lose, I'll go with you."

"I've tolerated those foreign devils before for the sake of the bigger picture, but now they dare to touch my elder brother! Today I'm going to settle things with them! Shouyi, bring me my gilded tiger-head spear!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shouyi responded and went inside. He quickly brought out a long, rod-shaped object wrapped in cloth, which Song Jin'ao took and casually tied to his body.

They immediately prepared to depart.

At this moment, one of the two remaining disciples in the courtyard, a female disciple, spoke up: "Master, wait a moment."

Song Jin'ao then looked at his female apprentice and asked, "What's wrong, Chunping?"

The female apprentice said, "Master, this matter involves foreigners, and I think we should speak to the magistrate about it."

Song Jin'ao frowned. This magistrate of Tianjin was also a member of the Baoguo Society, and a key member of the society. He was a classmate of the six elders of the Baoguo Society. The reason why Song Jin'ao insisted on establishing his own faction in Tianjin was actually on the orders of the Baoguo Society. He wanted to cultivate civilian forces for the magistrate, assist him, and help him eliminate the conservative forces in Tianjin.

That is, Magistrate Sun and the imperial court forces behind him.

If Song Jin'ao were to fight the foreigners now, the county magistrate would be in a passive position. After Chunping finished speaking, Song Jin'ao frowned and said, "Brother Ji Tong could have stayed out of this matter, but for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of my brother's face, he accepted the mission and saved Doctor Wen. Now he is being retaliated against by the foreigners."

"If I don't take action, how can I live up to this brotherhood, and how can I live up to the greater good of the country?"

Song Jin'ao glanced at Chen Shouyi and said, "Shouyi, go to the county government office and inform the magistrate of this matter. I'll leave now, Ah Xuan."

Song Jin'ao called out to Zheng Xuan, but Zheng Xuan replied, "Wait, Uncle-Master, you still have the county magistrate's connections?"

Song Jin'ao said, "The county magistrate cannot offend foreigners; he needs that status."

Zheng Xuan said, "I understand, I understand everything, but who said he should offend the foreigners? What if he goes to save the foreigners?"

Thinking it over, Zheng Xuan looked at Song Jin'ao and said, "Uncle-Master, among your many outstanding disciples, who is the most clever and eloquent?"

Upon hearing this, Song Jin'ao looked at Chunping and said, "She's capable."

"Then, Senior Sister, I'll have to leave this matter to you!"