Chapter 107: Undercurrents

In Wangjiang Tower, diners come in and out. Since Wu Daozi painted Wangjiang Tower, the business of Wangjiang Tower has become more and more prosperous, much better than it was at the beginning.

Looking at the diners coming in and out, Zhou Sheng was particularly happy. He thought that if it weren't for Wu Daozi's last painting that could easily attract jealousy, he had to hide it. If it was hanged out like "Gathering and Drinking Picture", his business would be even more prosperous.

A thin middle-aged man in a long and gorgeous uniform, wearing a mat hat, covered his face, swayed from time to time, and was charming and handsome, followed by three solemn men.

Zhou Sheng took over the Wangjiang Tower for many years, and many people from all walks of life have seen it. He has a special eye. He can see at a glance that the middle-aged man must be of great origin. He hurriedly greeted him with a smile: "Celebrity, do you want to eat wine or enjoy the scenery? If you want to enjoy the scenery, this building has the best private room; if you want to eat wine, this building has a luminous glass of grape wine!"

Before the introduction was finished, the middle-aged man waved his fan and said lightly: "Arrang a place for me to get close to the diners."

When guests come to the restaurant, they always need to be quiet, but he just goes the other way and wants to gather with guests. Zhou Sheng was stunned and thought he had heard it wrong: "You should go to the private room, you can enjoy the scenery and eat wine. In the crowd of guests, it is noisy and your ears cannot be quiet, so you will not be interested in eating this wine."

The middle-aged man was still calm: "I just like to join in the fun. The shopkeeper, think about it, if you eat wine and chat with the guests from time to time, that would be great! Maybe you can make a few friends. Isn't this better than eating and drinking in a private room behind closed doors?"

The excuse is very good, but Zhou Sheng is still difficult to convince. However, Zhou Sheng is a businessman and will not explore the reason. He smiled and said, "Since the guest official is interested, this building will fulfill it. Guest official, do you think this place is good?"

Under Zhou Sheng's leadership, the middle-aged man and his group came to a table. It was among the guests, and it was very noisy. The guests' laughter, the sound of urging, and the laughter and scolding were all clearly heard.

"It's here!" The middle-aged man was very satisfied and sat down, slapped his hand on the table and gently tweaked the three men.

Before Zhou Sheng asked him what dishes he wanted, the middle-aged man spoke: "The shopkeeper, the dish that is special in your store, can be served in just a few things. The wine is just fine wine, and the luminous cup is also required. This poem is really well written!" He pointed to Wu Daozi's "Gathering and Drinking Picture" in his hand, and nodded with appreciation: "It is well drawn and very skilled. Looking at the world, there are few people who can have such skills. What's more rare is that this poem is also a unique and perfect match."

When Zhou Sheng mentioned this drinking picture, he was very happy and his eyes lit up: "The guest official doesn't know that this painting was painted by Mr. Wu, Mr. Wu, and this poem was chanted by Mr. Wang Han. The guest official, I didn't tell you that Mr. Chen brought Mr. Wu to the building that day and met Mr. Wang unexpectedly."

"Which Mr. Chen?" the middle-aged man raised his eyebrows slightly and asked casually: "I heard that Wu Daozi had a friend with his surname was Chen."

Zhou Sheng praised: "Customer, you are right. Mr. Wu, a close friend, is amazing. He is the founder of Chen's Chemical Engineering. His surname is Chen and his name is Wanrong."

"Chen Wanrong? This person sounds very familiar." A sharp light flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes, and he said lightly.

If the mattress had not covered his eyes, Zhou Sheng would not have said anything further if he saw the coldness in his eyes. However, he didn't know, and when he heard this, his tone raised Lao Gao: "Customer, you are too ignorant..."

The three men raised their eyebrows and changed their faces, and they were about to have an attack. The middle-aged man coughed and asked, "Oh, I'd like to hear it carefully!" Only then did the three men return to normal.

Zhou Sheng didn't know that he had already walked in the Gate of Hell, and was very excited to brag for Chen Wanrong: "Customer, you ask me if you ask the right person. If you want to say that Lord Chen is this, that's amazing! He was kind-hearted. Mr. Wu was in a down-and-out manner and couldn't even afford to eat. It was Mr. Chen who helped Wu open a gallery called "Tianxia Gallery". From then on, Mr. Wu became famous and now he is famous in Chang'an. His paintings are not worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, so he can't buy them."

The middle-aged man asked intrigued interest: "How much did you buy this painting?"

Zhou Sheng became even more proud: "Customer, I didn't tell you that I didn't want a penny for this painting. On that day, Lord Chen and Mr. Wu and Mr. Wang met in the building, had a happy conversation, and recited poems and painted, and this painting was created. Mr. Wu was kind and gave this painting to me. I thanked Mr. Wu for his great virtue, so I hung it here for the guests to appreciate it."

"Shopkeeper, you have made a wishful thinking. Mr. Wu has become famous and you will benefit from it." The middle-aged man said to Zhou Sheng's intention.

Zhou Sheng admitted frankly: "Mr. Wu is very greedy and doesn't care."

Just as he was talking, the shopkeeper brought the food and food. Zhou Sheng personally arranged it and poured the wine, and then he left. Looking at Zhou Sheng leaving, the middle-aged man's brows tightened, and his eyes were scanning Zhou Sheng like a sharp sword.

"Zhang San, I got a huge news, I guarantee you don't know about this news." A drunkard turned red, and he was already seven points drunk, and he was burping.

He smiled disdainfully to the drinker named Zhang San: "Your surnamed Zhou can have big news, and you pretend to be a ghost, making it mysterious."

The wine chef named Zhou, with his tongue wide and waved his right hand casually: "My message is definitely bigger than the sky! Let me tell you that the Tang Dynasty now has a powerful weapon, and the schoolyard of the Longwu Army outside the city is like thundering every day, that is, the Tang Dynasty is trying out this powerful weapon."

Zhang San burst out and laughed: "You are a big news? This matter has spread all over the world for a long time. Who doesn't know? Do you know what the name of the weapon is? Tell you, it's called a cannon! I still know who made it, do you know?"

"Of course I know that this was created by a good craftsman named Chen from our Tang Dynasty." The winery surnamed Zhou was very dissatisfied and turned the door to raise the high place.

A diner from the next table corrected: "This good craftsman has the surname Cheng, but it is not an old Chen, but a bright future. Don't mess it up."

"Who said I was confused? It was an old old one." The winery surnamed Zhou argued loudly.

Zhang San shook his head and said, "Two, you are all wrong. It's a success. Only with this good surname can this cannon be successfully built."

"Where is no better future for success, it is Cheng's surname."

There are many rumors about Chen Wanrong's artillery construction. Some people say that his surname is Chen, some people say that his surname is Cheng, and some people say that his surname is Cheng. Various statements are all the same.

The matter of making artillery is very confidential. Except for a few people who know it, even many court officials are not very clear about it. The market is originally the cradle of rumors, and it is raining when it sees wind and rain. The statement is different, and it is normal.

The three drinkers refused to give in, and they all said that what they said was true and they fought for a while. At this moment, another hotel joined and said with a smile: "I say three, are you still quarreling about this? Whether this good worker's surname is Chen, Cheng, or Cheng, it doesn't matter. What's important is that he built the cannon!"

"Yes!" A sensation rang out.

The drinker then said, "I have an amazing news here. Do you want to listen?"

"Don't be fooling again, right?" Some drunkards didn't care.

The drinker was very confident: "I just got the news that the emperor had issued an order to lead the ministers to watch the cannon."

"How is it possible? The emperor has not had time to keep the artillery confidential, so how could he ask the ministers to see it?" The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows and asked immediately.

The drinker nodded and said, "This gentleman is right, I'm wondering, but that's it. The emperor not only wants the ministers to go, but also the envoys of various countries. Tubo and Turkic have always fought around. If they knew that the Tang Dynasty had such a powerful weapon, what would they think? They must be so scared that they couldn't hide."

"It must be relieved!" Many drinkers shouted in unison: "The emperor's trick is so clever! It's called knocking on the mountain and shaking the tiger! See what Tubo will use to fight against the Tang Dynasty in the future?"

The middle-aged man said lightly: "Don't be too angry, maybe this news is false."

The drunkard stood up angrily: "I can guarantee the head, and the news is absolutely true. It was told by one of my old friends to know. My old friends are neither high nor low, and they are also a minister in the court. He also wants to go. Can this be fake?"

"Brother, I'm so weird, I'm talking nonsense!" The middle-aged man clasped his fists and apologized.

The drinker held his fists and replied: "It's easy to say it!" He said politely, but he was still not angry. He said this without any sincerity.

The middle-aged man didn't care about it, put down his wine glass, called the shop clerk, got the account, and hurried away with the people. Looking at the wine and food on his table, the wine lovers were very surprised: "Look, I didn't move my chopsticks at all. Is this also called eating wine?"

After leaving Wangjiang Tower, the middle-aged man brought three men to a secluded place, and quickly changed into clothes. He no longer wore a hat and had a beard on his face, looking quite powerful. After a brief look, the middle-aged man took the man away quickly.

There is a small secluded courtyard in the west of Yonghefang, which is very simple and no difference from the house next to it.

The terrain of Chang'an is high in the east and low in the west. The east city is dry and clean, while the west city is humid. Therefore, rich people and court officials live in the east of the city. The Xicheng District is mainly lived by poor people, and such a simple courtyard is everywhere, no one will care.

In the room on the east side of the courtyard, Ruan Dacheng sat on a chair and was enjoying the tea leisurely, which was very comfortable.

With a bang, the door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man with a cheeky face strode in. His cold eyes swept over Ruan Dacheng. Ruan Dacheng couldn't help but feel excited and jumped up mechanically: "I've seen the leader!"

This middle-aged man is no one else, but the mysterious leader of the Crescent Sect. He looked at Ruan Dacheng coldly and didn't speak for a long time. Ruan Dacheng followed the leader for many years and knew that his temperament was so bad, so he must be very angry. He made the leader angry, and the consequences were no longer clear about the consequences. The cold sweat on his forehead couldn't help but seep it out, but he didn't dare to wipe it with his hands.

"Ruan Dacheng!" The leader of the New Moon finally spoke.

Although the voice was still cold, it was as beautiful as the Tianyin Fairy Music in Ruan Dacheng's ears. The crisis was over, so he hurriedly responded: "Master, I am here!"

"Is there any news recently?" The leader of the Crescent Moon kept his tone as calm as possible.

Ruan Dacheng didn't dare to lie in front of him: "The leader, except for Chen Wanrong training artillery on the school ground, firing artillery every day like thunder, there is no news."

"Really?" The Crescent Master was still cold.

Ruan Dacheng reacted quickly and asked quickly: "Is there any news from the leader? The leader has great magical powers, and there is nothing in the world that you don't know. Being able to follow the leader is a blessing for your subordinates!"

"Stop flattering!" The leader of the Crescent Moon slapped the table with his right hand. With a bang, the table collapsed, and the teacup and teapot on the table hit the ground, smashing to pieces.

Ruan Dacheng knew him so much that he was so angry that he was so scared that he didn't dare to take a breath. He only heard the leader of the Xinyue Sect say coldly: "I sent you to Chang'an to collect information, not to drink tea. You don't know that the court is so disturbing, and you are still drinking tea here. How do you say, how do you punish you if I want me to punish you?"

Ruan Dacheng knelt on the ground with a loud voice, begging for mercy, "The leader, I know my guilt, and I will never dare to do it again!"

"Get up!" If it weren't for Ruan Dacheng's years of following him, the leader of the New Moon would have wanted his life.

Ruan Dacheng kowtowed happily before he stood up.

The leader of the Crescent Moon was behind his back and slowly paced: "I just heard a huge news in Wangjiang Tower. You can verify it immediately and see if this news is trustworthy."

"Master, what is the news?" Ruan Dacheng spoke carefully.

The leader of the Crescent Moon stopped and looked at Ruan Dacheng: "Li Dan issued an order to the ministers, saying that he wanted to lead the ministers and envoys from various countries to watch the artillery. Do you think this is a big deal?"

Ruan Dacheng took a breath, thinking that no wonder he was so angry, this is a big deal. With the power of the Xinyue Sect in Chang'an, it is not difficult to find out the news, but Ruan Dacheng was not aware of it, so he hurriedly said: "Prince, please rest assured, I will do it now! There will be a result soon!"

He bowed and went out for a while and came back: "Report to the leader, my subordinates have already given instructions, and there will be a result in a while."

"Yes!" The leader of the Crescent Moon had no other expression.

Ruan Dacheng analyzed: "Master, from the perspective of subordinates, artillery is a powerful weapon and should be kept confidential. The fewer people know, the better. Why did Li Dan make such a big fanfare? When the ministers and envoys from various countries saw this, can this be kept secret?"

"This is also something I can't make sure of. I have to wait until it's confirmed." The leader of the Crescent Moon stopped talking, stood in the local area, and quietly began to think.

Time was lost in silence, and Ruan Dacheng stood with him, not daring to disturb him. Suddenly, a gentle knock on the door sounded, Ruan Dacheng went over carefully, opened the door, and a neat man stood by the door, muttering in Ruan Dacheng's ear.

"Good job, bring him in." Ruan Dacheng ordered and returned to the house: "Report to the leader, the Tubo envoy Gesang had something to see his subordinates. If you see him or not, please ask the leader for advice."

The leader of the crescent moon suddenly turned around and looked at Ruan Dacheng: "Can Gesang find this place?"

Ruan Dacheng hurriedly explained: "The leader, when he comes to Chang'an, he needs to contact all parties. He left an address for Gesang. If there is an urgent matter, he can find his subordinates there. Today, Gesang arrived there and declared that he would meet his subordinates. His subordinates blindfolded his eyes and brought him here."

The leader of the Crescent Moon nodded slightly and said, "Go to see him, I'll listen behind the screen, why did he come." With a blow from both hands, he suddenly woke up and said, "The news is most likely true!"

Ruan Dacheng had not reacted for a moment and blurted out, "Chief, which news?" He immediately understood: "If this is true, what exactly does Li Dan want to do?"

"Let Gesang wait first, let's discuss this matter first." The leader of the Crescent Moon frowned and analyzed: "According to common sense, the matter of artillery should be kept confidential. Not only did Li Dan not keep it confidential, he did the opposite and announced it to the public. How did he think?"

Ruan Dacheng thought, "The leader, in his subordinates' opinion, Li Dan wanted to take the opportunity to shock the Hu Hu. Over the years, the borders of the imperial court have been unstable, and the Turks, Tubo, Dashi and the imperial court have been fighting each other. The power of the cannons is extremely powerful. If the Hu Hu knows, they will be frightened."

The leader of the New Moon just said lightly: "There is such a possibility! However, I think he came to us. Maybe the court has already known about me when I arrived in Chang'an."

Ruan Dacheng was shocked and said in a lost voice: "Master, I can guarantee that no one will know about the fact that the leader came to Chang'an."

The leader of the Crescent Moon shook his head and said, "The incident of my coming to Chang'an is extremely secret. Apart from us, you know, how could the court know about it?"

Ruan Dacheng was so scared that he said this to him that he knelt on the ground and swore to the sky: "Master, my subordinates really did not reveal it! If my subordinates have a false statement, my subordinates will be thundered at the top of the five thunders, and they will never be repatriated!"

"I also believe you won't do such a thing." The leader of the New Moon was calm and frowned and said, "But this is too strange. If the court didn't know that I was in Chang'an, I wouldn't be like this, so I could only explain it like this. The court's intention was already very clear, and it was to force us to take action. As long as we act, we will reveal the traces of pearl silk and take advantage of loopholes for the court."

Ruan Dacheng asked tentatively: "Master, what should we do? It's better to keep our troops still."

"No! The court is forcing us, we have no choice! We can't do it without taking action!" The leader of the Crescent Sect laughed and said in a silence: "The court has people who are reasonable, not bad, not bad! It's probably Li Longji's idea, it's Li Longji! He counted me as a dead end. For so many years, I have been tolerant and did not raise troops. The reason is that I am not sure to repel the court's attacks again and again.

"Compared with the imperial court, our Annan is really too young. After three or five years of fighting, it is not the same thing for the imperial court. However, for our Annan, we can't stand it. Therefore, I will not do anything until I have a full grasp."

Ruan Dacheng disagreed with this: "Master, my subordinates think that our Annan has the advantage of geographical advantages. No matter how many troops there are in the court, it is useless."

The leader of the Crescent Moon is much more mature and makes further progress: "It is good to have the advantage of the location, but you can't rely on it! The time is not as good as the location, and the location is not as good as the people. You know this. Zhenfang in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty did not rely on the advantage of the location, but Ma Yuan, General Fubo, led his army to appear in Jiaozhi, defeated Zhenfang, captured her alive, and chopped her head."

Jiaozhi in the Eastern Han Dynasty was Annan of the Tang Dynasty. The leader of Jiaozhi Zhen Bian had an accident and chopped off Ma Yuan's head, which has always reminded the people of Annan. There are many people who want to be independent for hundreds of years, but no one dares to make a big fuss.
Chapter completed!