Chapter 21 Deep into the tiger's den

The news spread really fast, early the next morning, when Yu Wucheng returned to Tongli from Qingpu, he stopped for tea in a village on the way, and someone asked him about Hu Xueyan and Liu Bucai.Therefore, the first time he met Hu Xueyan at Master Zhu's Shui Pavilion, the first thing he said to Hu Xueyan was: "Once you arrive, you will become famous. We have been in the rivers and lakes for decades, and we are really going to bow down!" This is not a good word, Hu Xueyan could hear it naturally, so he had no choice but to reply: "We rely on the sound and light of the eldest brother. It is better not to get out of this kind of unreasonable limelight, so today I dare not go out at the door, and I am sincerely waiting for the eldest brother." , everything is according to the orders of the elder brother."

Between the host and the guest, they looked a little out of place when they met, Yang Fengmao was very disturbed, and quickly pulled Yu Wucheng's sleeve, "Master!" He said softly, "You always come here!" Pulling Yu Wucheng aside, Yang Fengmao explained in detail how the third mother-in-law valued this family relationship, and finally said solemnly: "Before leaving, the third mother-in-law called me aside to tell Master: Uncle Hu is a very capable and loyal person. Her old man said: In the past few decades, I have seen many, some are ruthless, and some are loyal. See you soon—”

"What?" Yu Wucheng said, "I don't understand her old man's words, how can you call her cruel and loyal?" "Loyalty refers to his nature, and ruthless refers to his way of doing things." Yang Fengmao said again, "I think the third mother-in-law has a strong vision. The words 'ruthless and loyal' cannot be said by others." "So, are you right?" "Of course you're right!" Yang Fengmao then relayed "Ci Xun", "The third mother-in-law said that we are here, living under the fence of others, and being angry with others is not the way to go. It is Uncle Hu who wants to open the situation. The master wants I respect him so much!"

"What happened in Boss Zhang's casino yesterday?" "This matter," Yang Fengmao looked very excited, "Master also has face!" Then, he described the situation at that time in detail. "That's rare! It's not bad to say that he is loyal." Yu Wucheng said again, "That Liu, who also looks like an 'Old White Prime Minister', is actually obedient to him. It can be seen that he has some skills." "There is more than a little bit of ability. Master, you will know it when you keep talking to him." So when Yu Wucheng talked to Hu Xueyan again, his attitude was quite different. He was very polite and insisted that Hu Xueyan and Liu Bucai be "promoted to the kang". Speaking of etiquette, Liu Bucai was Fu Rong's uncle who was a generation older. Therefore, the titles are also different. Yu Wucheng calls Hu Xueyan "Old Hu", and Liu Bucai is officially called "Liu Sanye", but Liu Sanye respectfully calls him "Yu Lao", which is the same as Hu Xueyan's "Big Brother" Than, it seems to be a generation shorter.Anyway, everyone in the Jianghu has their own names, and although they are called in disorder, they are actually equal friends.

Yu Wucheng's family rules are very strict, Yang Fengmao and Zhu Boss are standing and serving, while he himself sits on a grand master's chair by the window in the water pavilion to accompany him, and talks about the Songjiang Cao Gang with Hu Xueyan.He called the "grandfather" "Songjiang Boss", and told many stories about their adventures in the rivers and lakes together when they were young, lamenting that life is not as easy as before. On this occasion, Liu Bucai could only listen quietly.While listening, he looked at Yu Wucheng, he was over sixty years old, but he was dressed like a boy in a hakama, his satin shoes, satin robe, and snow-white sleeves were rolled up and down from time to time, and when the sleeves were rolled down, they had already covered his hands, so he must have Lifting up a thumb to block the cuffs makes it easier to move—this was originally a unique gesture of people in the Jianghu, but Yu Wucheng is tall and well-dressed, and when he raised his thumb, the green "glass Emerald" finger, extremely dazzling, so it looks extraordinarily stylish.

However, Liu Bucai was interested, and also puzzled by the fact that Yu Wucheng's satin robe glistened in the setting sun, it would automatically bulge in the east without wind, and squirm for a while on the west side. I don't know why!After staring at it for a long time, I couldn't figure it out, and my heart itched badly. When I couldn't help but ask, the answer was revealed. Boss Zhu brought a large ice tray of cherries from Dongting Dongshan in Taihu Lake to entertain the guests, but seeing Yu Wucheng grabbing a bunch of cherries in his hand, he stretched out his palm, and soon, a little fluffy squirrel came out of his sleeve. , a pair of huge and bright eyes turned around nimbly, then arched his two front paws, and bit the cherry in Yu Wucheng's palm.

Liu Bucai grinned, "Old Yu, you really know how to play!" He asked, "Why do you have a squirrel on you? Don't you feel burdened?" "It'll be fine once it's mature." "On your body all day?" "Yeah!" Yu Wucheng nodded, "Almost never leave." "Crawling around on you all day long, isn't it annoying?" "Of course there are times when you are sleeping, as long as you put it in your pocket, it will stop making noise." Yu Wucheng said again, "Liu Sanye likes it, so take it to play!" "No, no!" Liu Bucai said, shaking his hands, "A gentleman doesn't take what others like. And, to be honest, crawling around on me is disgusting!"

Yu Wucheng smiled silently, turned around and asked Boss Zhu: "Is dinner ready?" "Listen to Uncle Hu and Master." Boss Zhu replied, "If you're not very hungry, you might as well wait a little longer. The ham and shark's fin are stewed, and the fire skills are not enough." "Then wait a minute. Get some snacks to feed Uncle Hu. After we finish talking about the business, let's have a drink." The most important thing in this passage is the sentence "talk about business". Hu Xueyan was afraid that he didn't want Liu Bucai to keep secrets, so he inadvertently winked. Liu Bucai agreed, stood up and said, "Let's talk! In the meantime, go to the street to see a friend."

"Then," Boss Zhu volunteered, "I'll go with Mr. Liu." Liu Bucai wanted to see Zhou Yiming. This was an ambush reinforcement, and it was inconvenient for Yu Wucheng's people to know, so he cupped his hands and said, "Don't dare, dare not! As the master, you have to stay in the house, and, I am also familiar with the same place, so I will never get lost." This is a lie, it is his first time to Tongli, but otherwise, Boss Zhu will send someone to lead the way.Sure enough, the host was no longer polite and let him go alone. So, Yu Wucheng, Hu Xueyan, and Yang Fengmao had a secret talk together.Yu Wucheng expressed his willingness to follow Hu Xueyan's arrangement, and told the truth that the people who were going to use the foreign guns on the boat were all arranged by Zhou Lichun's capable leader "Changing Roots".The reason to rely on Yu Wucheng is because this waterway is the sphere of influence of the Songjiang Cao Gang, and he must be invited to come forward to open the way for the "Songjiang Boss".Now in Songjiang, due to the stance of "both parties are friends, we have no choice but to stand on their hands", so the "swinging feet and long roots" are also hesitant to make a move.Now there must be such a way out, which is exactly what I want, but what the conditions are, I must talk to Hu Xueyan.

"Of course." Hu Xueyan asked, "How do I meet this friend?" "Then I have to contact you again. Hu, I am straightforward," Yu Wucheng said solemnly, "There is something I want to ask you first, you are a family, and my old lady's eyes can't be wrong , of course I believe it. However, I have experienced the hardships of those officials, so I really don’t believe it. When my son was going to take the martial arts exam, I told him: “It’s no fun to be an official, don’t go Examination.' It's also my old lady'Wang Sun Chenglong' who personally cooks and sends for the exam. As for the section of appeasement, I don't care. If it is successful, the brothers in the gang can eat a share of food, which is also a living. Besides, Pulling them over is finally contributing to the imperial court. I'm afraid that those officials who are lords will say what they mean, and if something goes wrong, it will be useless for me to blame you. At that time, I will not be a fool in the world It's up!"

Hearing his big meal with a gun and a stick, Hu Xueyan was quite confused. He didn't know what he said, but he just grasped the four words "something went wrong" and tried his best to think about it, and gradually realized the truth. "You mean, after people pass away, officials will turn their faces and deny people, don't you?" "That's right!" Yu Wucheng said, "It's easy to just turn your face and deny people, but I'm afraid—" He shook his head, "If it really happens all of a sudden, it will be miserable." "You mean—" Hu Xueyan asked with difficulty, "will 'kill surrender'?" "Not sure." "No!" At this time, Hu Xueyan said in a firm voice, "I guarantee you won't, brother, let me tell you the truth, I connected with He Xueshi's way, and he will be ready soon. Jingli The big military planes are from the same year as them, and many provincial governors are also from the same year. This list is very popular, and words carry weight.” "Then, what about the friendship between He Xueshi and you?" "He Xueshi entrusted me to buy a concubine for him. That's all friendship!" "Then there's nothing to say." Yu Wucheng asked cheerfully, "Did He Xueshi ever talk about it, and give him some benefits?" He quickly added, "It's not about me. It's about them." "When it comes to this level, I don't want to say it. The eldest brother can also imagine that if you abandon the dark and turn to the bright, the court will naturally reward you. Officials must have something to do." Next, Hu Xueyan said according to He Guiqing's instructions, "Brothers can always One month's grace salary is closed as a reward. In the future, it will be seen where it is allocated and where the grain station will be paid. Originally, the one-month grace salary seems to be a little less, but there is really no way, too much land is lost, and money and food are scarce You received a lot, and of course you know about these situations, big brother." Of course Yu Wucheng knew that he and this gang had nothing to do, which was a clear proof of the reduction of the imperial court's revenue, so he nodded his head to express his understanding, "It's not a problem if you don't pay well, according to the meaning of swaying your feet and growing your roots, in the future He voted and became an officer, and he had to choose where to station. To be honest, he still wanted to be stationed in this area. This point," Yu Wucheng said with difficulty, "must be done!" Although Hu Xueyan was not good at this, but logically speaking, he felt that it was not easy to do. He thought about it for a while and asked: "Then I would like to ask my elder brother, if I ask him to go to the knife club, will he be willing?" "I don't want to. So it's someone on a springboard, how can you be ashamed?" "It's difficult like this!" Hu Xueyan said, "The soldiers stationed in this area are all going to fight with small swords. The military situation is urgent, and once an order is issued, it will be dispatched. If you refuse to leave the team, you will not obey the dispatch. Brother, you Think about it, what will you do if you become an officer?" "I didn't think of this level—" Yu Wucheng scratched his scalp, looking very embarrassed. Hu Xueyan could tell that Yu Wucheng had probably patted his chest and promised that he would do it, so he had this anxious expression.While worrying about him, Yang Fengmao had already opened his mouth. "Master can only reply him in this way. It's better to transfer him farther away. If Xiao Dao doesn't understand his situation, or if he agrees with him in a hurry and refuses to accept him, he will hurt his feelings. If he wants help, he will be accused of harboring treason. No small matter. Why not stay out of the dilemma?" "That's a thorough statement." Hu Xueyan took the opportunity to persuade, "Brother, you can reply accordingly. If you are reasonable and reasonable, you will definitely not ask for anything that others cannot do." As soon as these two people talked, Yu Wucheng felt relieved, "We'll talk about this today." He stood up, "I think we can probably reach an agreement. Let's have dinner!" We had to wait for Liu Bucai to start the banquet, but Liu Bucai didn't come back for a long time, so we had some snacks first, chatted and waited.When it was dark, Liu Bucai rushed back, entered the door to apologize to the host, but sneaked a wink at Hu Xueyan, implying that Zhou Ming had something up his sleeve. Hu Xueyan remained calm, talked and laughed happily during the dinner, talked about everything with Yu Wucheng, drank tea after the banquet, yawned intentionally or unintentionally, Mr. Zhu proposed to let the guests rest, send them to the guest room, and settle them down.Hu Xueyan and Liu Bucai lived in the same room, but they were connected by a door. To be on the safe side, he first saw that no one from the Zhu family lived nearby, and then he beckoned and invited Liu Bucai over to ask what happened. "Old Zhou is very familiar in this area. He has friends everywhere on the waterway. According to what he heard, old man Yu's situation is quite embarrassing. I wonder if he talked to you himself?" "We talked a little bit. But it's not 'embarrassed'." Hu Xueyan asked, "What did Lao Zhou say?" "That's what Lao Zhou said. He heard people say that this area is the power of the Songjiang Cao Gang, and many people know about your friendship with You Wu, so when the 'Songjiang Boss' said to quit, he was called neutral. In the eyes of others, Just don't care about old man Yu's affairs. Although loyalty is important in Jianghu, it is necessary to be an acquaintance. Old man Yu's territory has been lost, and here he relies on the name of Songjiang boss. If Songjiang boss doesn't care, no one will buy him. Account paid." Hu Xueyan took these words and Yu Wucheng's own situation together to think about it together, and felt that the news Zhou Ming got was quite reliable.Judging from the current situation, Yu Wucheng is indeed in a predicament, unable to achieve anything, not enough to fail, and has become an insignificant person. If there is any role for him, it is nothing more than that he still maintains the clue of swaying his feet and growing roots. ! "In my opinion, you don't need to be so perfunctory to old man Yu." Liu Bucai said, "I think he is like medicine dregs, past his life and useless." "It's not like that. Now that I have made friends, it's inconvenient to be too snobby." "A friend is a friend, and doing business is doing business. He is useless, what are you doing with him?" "No!" Hu Xueyan didn't want to tell him about growing roots, so he just replied, "I want to draw an important person out of him! So I have to cooperate with him." "It's your business to cooperate with him, but you have to think about whether others will cooperate with him?" This sentence reminded Hu Xueyan, thinking in his heart: Yes!Of course, Changgen already knew that Yu Wucheng's market had plummeted, but whether he would be like himself and confide in him is a big question.Maybe what Zhou Ming said about "no one buys him" is just the person on the side with long roots. Turning my thoughts to this point, I felt that my way of deploying Zhou Yiming's ambush was really an indispensable move.So he secretly negotiated with Yu Wucheng and agreed with him to meet with Qiaojiaochanggen, and he whispered to Liu Bucai, and then told him to go to Zhou Zhouming the next morning, and asked him to find someone on the waterway. Friends, go and feel the bottom of the long root of the stilted foot, and see how the relationship between Yu Wucheng and him is. On the next morning, Liu Bucai still excused himself to see his friends, and slipped out alone, while Hu Xueyan was accompanied by Yang Fengmao and Zhu Boss to have morning tea, saying that Yu Wucheng had something to go out early in the morning and would not be back until the afternoon.Hu Xueyan knew it well, and arranged for him to have a date with Changgen. After lunch, Hu Xueyan felt very bored, and was about to use this spare time to inquire about the silk market. Liu Bucai rushed back, and when he saw Hu Xueyan, he waved quietly, pulled him to a secluded place, and asked in a low voice: " Is old man Yu back yet?" "How do you know that old man Yu has gone out?" "You don't have to ask first." "Haven't come back yet!" "It's okay, it's okay, it really deserves to be saved." "Huh!" Hu Xueyan was taken aback, "What do you say?" "Zhou Ming is really capable. Inquire about the news, and if you tell it, it will scare you. The 'Hongmen Banquet' is set up with long roots on your feet. Not only you, but even old man Yu will be trapped in it." "This—" Hu Xueyan thought for a while, and then asked calmly, "Speak slowly, what's going on?" According to Zhou Yiming's inquiring information, when the stilted Changgen heard that "Songjiang Boss" had changed his mind, Yu Wucheng talked about recruiting again, and suspected that he was going to betray his friend, so he decided to join Yu Wucheng in the attack. To prepare for kidnapping and extortion, the condition is that ship of foreign guns. The plan of crossing his feet and growing roots is: invite Yu Wucheng and Hu Xueyan to meet at his house, and once they are in the cage, change the secret place, and when they get what they want, they will take the foreign gun and go to Hong Yang.Moreover, he was afraid that Hu Xueyan would not dare to go deep into the tiger's lair, so he prepared a second place, which was a "private door" in the downtown area of ​​Tongli. Forbidden legs with stilted feet and long roots.Like Mrs. Zhu, her family opened the back door to Hebu, kidnapped and dropped off the boat in the middle of the night without anyone noticing. This news is too shocking, but also too suspicious. Hu Xueyan really can't believe it, because such an approach is extremely "injurious" in Jianghu. Is it easy for Zhou Yiming to find out? "I think so too." After listening to Hu Xueyan's question, Liu Bucai replied, "But what Lao Zhou said was categorical, and the news was extremely reliable. He also said that this was also an accidental encounter with someone who knew the inside story. He admitted that It's too coincidental that it's because of your good luck that you have this chance to turn a bad luck into a good fortune." "That's good! It worked out after this trial. Tell me, what's the name of the head sister?" "Miaozhen, Miaozhu." Hu Xueyan nodded and looked around. In front of the window was a desk with a pair of pens and inkstones.He personally poured some tea juice into the inkstone, while grinding the ink, he beckoned Liu Bucai to him, and said in a low voice: "You can find a piece of paper and write it down for me, just write a sentence: I am not here in Chang'an." Gen's house is at Miaozhen's house." As he spoke, he went outside to "watch out" for Liu Bucai. Unable to find any paper, Liu Bucai spread out a snow-white Hangfang handkerchief on the table, picked up a pen and wrote the ten characters, folded it, and handed it to Hu Xueyan. Carefully hide it in the pocket of the little gown with the meat on it. As a result, Hu Xueyan changed his mind, and locked himself in the room under the pretext of taking a nap, planning to cope with the possible unexpected changes.Liu Bucai went to the poker table under the arrangement of his master. When it was past four o'clock for snacks, Yu Wucheng came back and asked Hu Xueyan as soon as he came.He really fell asleep, wake up for Boss Zhu, please go to the Water Pavilion to meet Yu Wucheng. "I went to see Changgen. He was very happy when he heard that you were here. He will welcome you tomorrow night and talk about everything in detail." Yu Wucheng said, "I told him everything you said, and he was very considerate, Fan Ku is no longer what he used to be, and he has finally given an account to his brothers for a month's salary." Yu Wucheng spoke very vigorously, but Hu Xueyan seemed quite indifferent, and asked calmly: "Where is he going to invite me to dinner?" "Your master as you please!" Yu Wucheng said, "If you don't think the distance is too far, go to his place. He lives in Pingwang, and it's not far away. Otherwise, he's in Tongli. He has an old friend who is famous here. The head of the private door, named—" He tapped on his forehead, "The memory of the past two years has been bad, why can't I remember it all at once?" "Is it Miaozhen?" "Miaozhen, Miaozhen!" Yu Wucheng repeated, "Old Hu, how do you know?" "Brother!" Hu Xueyan replied in a very calm voice, "Let me show you something." Needless to say, it was Liu Bucai's Hangfang handkerchief, spread out on the table, with ten large characters scrawled on it: "Not at Changgen's house, but at Miaozhen's house." "Old Hu," Yu Wucheng said suspiciously, "Well, what's the point?" Hu Xueyan didn't answer him, but said to himself: "Brother, today we are on the same boat, so you can't hide anything from me no matter what!" Seeing his dignified expression, Yu Wucheng knew that there was a lot to write about, and the matter might be very urgent, so he pulled his arm and said: "Come, come! Come to my room to talk." The residence prepared by Boss Zhu for his master is not only exquisite but also rigorous. It is a small courtyard with sparse flowers and trees. There are three bungalows in the north. Yu Wucheng lives in the innermost one. , with his face facing outside, if someone passed by the window, he would never escape his sight—in fact, this was a concern. From the beginning of planning to use the foreign guns, these three abodes have become forbidden areas, except for Zhu Boss. Other than Yang Fengmao, no one dared to enter without authorization. "Old Hu, I think you must have another way!" Yu Wucheng said, "Since you said that you are on the same boat, if you have other plans, don't hide it from me." It's really "bachelor's eye, match clipping", and I can see the clues at once, Hu Xueyan naturally refuses to hide it anymore, "I don't have any other plans, there are other ways, it is true. But this way, it came unexpectedly. Of course, I have to tell my elder brother everything." He paused and said, "Let me ask my elder brother first, what is it like to be a man with long roots on one's feet? Do you have enough friendship with your elder brother?" "If you want to say that he has always been scheming, nicknamed 'Sai Wuyong', as for my friendship, it's hard to say." "how?" "I don't have a deep friendship with him, but his 'predecessor' is my generation, called 'Golden Retriever Bingkui'. I saved the life of a golden retriever, and I can't explain clearly for a while." Yu Wucheng pressed Then he said, "Chang Gen is the golden retriever's favorite apprentice. When the golden retriever was dying, he took care of his apprentice: I can't repay Yu for his kindness in this life! When you see him in the future, you will treat him as if you met me." The Golden Retriever only swallowed his breath when his apprentice nodded in agreement. That’s why his apprentices call me Master Yu, and that’s why Chang Gen came to me for help.” "In this way, this person is 'deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors'!" Hearing this, Yu Wucheng was horrified, these four words are the most serious crimes in their gang, the perpetrators "three knives and six holes", they are merciless, so Yu Wucheng's expression was tense, and he couldn't speak for a while. "Brother, you probably don't believe it?" "Yes." Yu Wucheng slowly nodded his head, "It's just an idea, and I don't believe that he is a good person. However, Lao Hu, there is no loyalty in the world, but also interests. He I did the 'first day of junior high school', aren't you afraid that I will be the second junior high school?" "You are in the first grade of junior high school, and I will be in the second grade of junior high school".People with great similarities must avenge their grudges, and those with small differences have different times. One is "three years is not too late", and the other is that they have suffered a loss in the first year of junior high school, and they have to find a place in the second year of junior high school. Yu Wucheng's question is naturally reasonable, but Hu Xueyan can also explain it, as he himself said, "Don't pay attention to loyalty, but pay attention to interests". It's quite surprising, but it's inconvenient to say this directly, for fear that Yu Wucheng will be sad when he hears it. "Brother's words are good." He replied, "I'm already ready to escape to that area, and of course I'm not afraid that my brother will be a sophomore in junior high school." "You can escape from the monk, but you cannot escape from the temple—" "Settling accounts with him is a matter for the future." Hu Xueyan was a little anxious, rushed to speak, and pulled the topic back, "Let's talk about the present first. This news is better to be believed than not to be believed." Yu Wucheng shook his head, "Believe it or not! You have to find out, is this news true?" He looked up at Hu Xueyan and asked, "Where did you get this news?" "There is a Hunanese surnamed Zhou who used to work in the Navy's Yamen. He is very familiar with the situation on the waterway. He got the news." "Can I invite you to meet me?" "Of course. I'll ask Mr. Liu to find him." So he pulled Liu Bucai off the poker table, and Hu Xueyan told Yu Wucheng the task in front of him, specifically explaining that Yu Wucheng wanted to meet Zhou Yiming.This is a hint, Zhou Zhouming will definitely figure out what is going on and how to reply, so he will make preparations early. While waiting, Yu Wucheng recruited Yang Fengmao and Boss Zhu, discussed behind closed doors, and announced the news Zhou Yiming got. The one who said it was unreliable was Boss Zhu. His reason was that the sisters Miaozhen and Miaozhu's Xiangchao were limited to clothing every day, and there were so many people coming and going. It was so obvious to everyone that they couldn't do that kind of kidnapping. thing.Moreover, the section of the river at the back door of her house is not far from the pier, and there are boats passing by all night, so it is not easy to quietly get Yu Wucheng and Hu Xueyan onto the boat and transport them out of the water pass. "You are from Xiaokai, and you haven't gone through such tricks." Yang Fengmao calmly refuted him, "As long as he has this kind of thought, there are many ways to do it. To be honest, the person with legs crossed and long roots, in my opinion, is Wei Yan. The brain is rebellious. Seventy-eight percent of the things are true. Fortunately, friend Zhou's news came early, so we can still find ways to prevent it, but it is also difficult!" "What's the matter?" Yu Wucheng said, "Speak out and ask Uncle Hu for advice." "Uncle Hu!" Yang Fengmao asked, "You always see, is it soft or hard?" "How do you call it soft?" "Soft to do is to expose his tricks on the spot, and advise him not to do this!" "Not good, not good!" Yu Wucheng shook his head loudly, "This kind of soft law will make him see us as worthless. And if he really dares to do this, he has a wolfish heart. You talk to him , where would he listen?" "That's true. I'm afraid it's useless to do it softly." Hu Xueyan said again, "But if you do it hard, you have to do it beautifully. The most important thing is to hold the evidence first." "Hold on!" Yang Fengmao patted his thigh and said, "Uncle Hu's words, a drop of water falling into the oil bottle, can't be more accurate. There are many ways to do it forcefully, just rely on the evidence to speak." "How to obtain evidence, we'll talk about it later." Yu Wucheng asked, "Tell me first, how many methods are there to force it?" Yang Fengmao was very strange, but hesitated to say anything, his master pressed him repeatedly, and finally forced him out: "My method is not appropriate!" The purpose of coming and going is for evidence. According to Yang Fengmao's design, Yu Wucheng and Hu Xueyan have to enter the cage first and then try to jump out, so that they can grasp the real evidence of the crime.If the coordination is not good enough to jump out, and Changgen's murderous intent is revived, even the gods will be hard to save. The conversation was still inconclusive, but Liu Bucai arrived with Zhou Yiming. In front of Hu Xueyan, his status was inferior, but to Yu Wucheng, he was also a friend, and having the news meant that he had benefited Yu Wucheng. So their junior was very polite to him, and it was really perfunctory for a while before they got to the point. Of course, Hu Xueyan should ask the question: "Old Zhou, your news is very reasonable. But there is no doubt about it. This matter is too important, so we must find out. How did this news come about? Can you tell me?" Can't you speak out and listen?" If Hu Xueyan asked him in private, he would naturally tell the truth, but with Yu Wucheng's master and apprentice whom he met for the first time, he couldn't help but have some scruples.Yu Wucheng saw the clue, and made a very sincere statement: "Brother Zhou, just say that we will never leak a word. If you don't believe me, I will use my old lady to punish me—" Zhou Yiming was suddenly moved, and waved his hands again and again: "How is this possible?" He thought for a while and asked, "I want to ask Uncle Yu, do you know all about the bad things that Changgen did?" "I know a little bit, but I can't say I know everything." "He bullied a widow. Have you ever heard of that?" "I've heard of it." Yu Wucheng nodded, "He first hooked up with a widow, and when he lost the bet, he stretched out his hand. He forced all the widow's private house and jewelry away. Changgen asked her to sell the sacrificial land, and she If she refuses, I will scare her and try to tear her face off. The widow thought that she could not be a good person, so she hanged herself with a rope, is that the case?" "Yes, the widow's surname is Wei. She has a brother under Chang Gen. Chang Gen is careless and doesn't care about him—" "I understand." Yu Wucheng didn't need him to continue, "The one surnamed Wei is your brother's good friend?" "No, I made friends with him for the first time. I have a brother who exchanged posts, and he is a good friend. This time, the brother who exchanged posts with me talked about long roots, so he asked Xiaowei to meet me. The news is absolutely true , Unfortunately, he still doesn't know the details." "That's enough." Yu Wucheng asked, "I don't know if Little Wei Ken will come forward to be a witness?" "I won't agree." Hu Xueyan said, "If you are willing to come forward, your words are unfounded, and the long roots can be rejected." "Then," Yu Wucheng said resolutely, "I will meet him alone!" "No!" Hu Xueyan said, "Brother, it's useless for you to go alone, he will definitely stand still. I think I have to give up on this matter. I owe the ship of foreign guns to Brother, and I have another report—" "Hey!" Yu Wucheng hurriedly interrupted, "Old Hu, you're out of words. Things have gotten to this point, it's so bad, I'm so useless, how can I mess around on the scene in the future? In this way, please go back first. , I will discuss with the boss of Songjiang, and I will definitely transport your ship of foreign guns to Hangzhou. Of course, I can’t spare him if you sway your feet and grow roots. Don’t look at me borrowing land to camp, I still have to fight with him.” Seeing Yu Wucheng's angry appearance, Hu Xueyan thought that this matter should not be discussed further, and he should be calmed down first, so he winked at Liu Bucai, waved his hand and said: "'Impatience eat No hot porridge', let's talk about it later! Anyway, with the eldest brother here, there is nothing that cannot be done." "That's right!" Liu Bucai accepted the metaphor and echoed, "I'll play Pai Gow with Mr. Yu first, to change my mind!" As he spoke, he dragged Yu Wucheng away.There were a lot of people in Zhu's family eating and drinking, and when the scene opened up, some people gathered and quickly put together a table of small Pai Gow.Liu Bucai deliberately pushed Yu Wucheng to be the manor, stumbling him so that Hu Xueyan and Yang Fengmao could plan calmly. His measurement is not bad at all, that's exactly what Hu Xueyan hopes.He knew all about Yu Wucheng's strength, what he had in his belly, his thoughts and temper, and felt that it would be more useful to talk to him than Yang Fengmao.Of course, there is another indispensable person: Zhou Yiming. The three of them were huddling together in the water pavilion to make a plan.Hu Xueyan first expressed his attitude, his purpose has changed, how to transport that ship of foreign guns to Hangzhou is still secondary, the main thing is to help Yu Wucheng turn around, and the third mother-in-law's great affection is not in vain. This "meaning" is talked about in Jianghu.Yang Fengmao's attitude towards Hu Xueyan changed again and again, from indifference to admiration, but at the moment he was very grateful, "Uncle Hu," he said frankly, "Your old heart, my master may still I don’t understand, but I fully understand. As long as Uncle Hu orders us to do it, we must do our best. Now that Uncle Hu is so dedicated, I would like to ask, according to Uncle Hu, what should my master do? Turn over?" "Both official and private." Hu Xueyan replied quickly, "For the official, for example, it is best to be able to handle this recruitment well. Otherwise, there must be a method of killing and fighting, which is also a great achievement." Yang Fengmao understood what he meant, his heart was thumping, he was quite nervous, but it was inconvenient to express his attitude, and he only focused his eyes, waiting for him to continue. "Privately, I want to revive your master's reputation in the arena!" "Yes." Yang Fengmao deeply sympathized with this point, "I've been thinking this way too. However, there must be opportunities, and it would be nice if I could have the opportunity to do one or two beautiful things." "There is an opportunity in front of us. Let's put it down and talk about it. I have an idea now, and you can see it if you say it, okay?" Hu Xueyan said, "There is a saying called 'Cultivating the plank road in the open, crossing the old warehouse secretly', and now it is full of roots and roots. The spirit is all on your master and me, with a pair of eyes, only looking at Tongli, and neglecting other aspects. I want to take advantage of this gap to quickly ship the munitions in Shanghai. Fortunately, there is support from Songjiang , there will be nothing wrong." "En, um!" Yang Fengmao nodded repeatedly, "This risk is worth taking." "However, there is also a way. I would like to ask Shaowu to escort. Of course," Hu Xueyan said immediately, "if something goes wrong, he will never be held responsible. What I mean is, there is such a trip of 'reward', when the arms arrive Hangzhou, you can put his name in front of the memorial, which is somewhat beneficial, and it is also an explanation for the third mother-in-law." "Okay. Uncle Hu picked him, so what else can I say? When I go back to Suzhou, I will tell him in person." "You don't need to go, I will arrange it." The next step is to discuss how to deal with stilted feet and long roots.Hu Xueyan and Yang Fengmao have the same opinion, the whole key lies in the evidence!With the evidence, everything is easy to deal with. The big ones use officers and soldiers to encircle and suppress them, which is famous for their teachers; There are six holes in the knife, and you can do whatever you want. "Now there is only such news. There is no written letter, and no one is willing to testify. This is helpless. Of course, I can also find a way to catch him in court and torture him, but this way, I will end up Complaints are the second thing, it hurts your old man's reputation, saying that he used his power to hurt others, and I think he will never bear this reputation." "Of course, of course." Yang Fengmao said repeatedly, "Once this reputation is lost, it will be hard to get along in the Jianghu." "So, unless you give up and don't fall into his trap, there is only one way, which is called 'If you don't enter the tiger's den, you won't catch the tiger'!" "I thought about it too, I think it's too dangerous!" "As long as it's done well, it doesn't matter. I think it's the way—" Hu Xueyan's approach is to go to this "Hongmen Banquet" with Yu Wucheng, prepare to break down the negotiation, and prepare to be kidnapped. When the ship arrives at the checkpoint, under the pretext of inspection, they board the ship by surprise and save each other. Whether it is an official or a private matter, we will talk about it at that time. 杨凤毛极注意地听着，从头到底，细作盘算，认为他的计划，比自己的打算来得周密——前面的一段经过相同，不同的是脱险的方法：杨凤毛预备邀人埋伏，唱一出“临江夺计”；胡雪岩是动用官方的力量作掩护，围赵救燕。一个力夺，一个智取，自然后者比前者高明。 “胡大叔，你老随机应变的功夫，我是信得过的，就怕我师父脾气暴躁，搞得跷脚长根恼羞成怒。除此以外，只要接应得好，不会不成功。” “成败的关键在明暗之间。”胡雪岩说，“跷脚长根以为他在暗处，我们在明处，其实他明我暗。如果消息泄漏出去，就又变成我们在明处了。” “是的。”杨凤毛郑重地答道，“我想，这件事就胡大叔、周先生跟我三个人知道。等筹划好了，再告诉我师父。” "Not bad." 于是彼此不动声色，吃罢了饭，仍旧由刘不才陪着俞武成赌钱，他们三个人接续未完的话题，将一切细节，都筹划到了，然后分头行事。 首先当然是要告诉俞武成。对于整个计划，他有不以为然的地方，譬如由他儿子去押运那一船洋枪，俞武成就觉得将来说出去，是他先背弃了跷脚长根，名声不好听。但他一向倚人成事，杨凤毛是他最得力的学生，胡雪岩又处处显得比自己这面高明，加以有那一层干亲在，越发不便多说什么。所以慨然答应：“都随你们，你们怎么说，我怎么做！” “有一层要请示大哥，等事情抖明了，是官了，还是私了？”胡雪岩说，“官了，我来奔走，私了，是你们家门里的事，我就不能过问了。” 俞武成想了想说：“我想还是私了。惊官动府也不大好。” “那都随大哥的意思，好在我跟大哥始终在一起，有事随时听招呼就是了。” “始终在一起”这五个字，俞武成深深印入脑中，不由得便有患难祸福相共的感觉，因而对胡雪岩的情分也就不同了。他是豪爽，加上些纨袴子弟想到就做的鲁莽性格，当时便说：“凤毛，你告诉你那些兄弟和'小角色'，以后胡大叔说的话，就跟我同你说的一样。” “是！”杨凤毛心悦诚服地答道，“我们不敢不敬胡大叔。” “不敢当，不敢当！”胡雪岩既得意，又惭愧，“贤师弟如此厚爱，叫我不知何以为报。” “老胡，你说反了——” “师父！”杨凤毛打断他的话说，“这不是谈这些话的时候。胡大叔还有正事要赶着办，晚上消夜再谈吧！” 胡雪岩深知江湖上行事，越是光棍，越易多心，过节上的话，要交代得清楚，无端冒出个周一鸣来，已有些自张一帜，独行其是的味道，再藏着个“黑人”裘丰言，更不成话，因而把握机关，作了说明。 “有件事，我要跟大哥回明白。老周跟我还有个朋友，也就是那一船洋枪的押运委员裘丰言，他们两位不放心我，现在都赶到同里，预备帮忙。人多好做事，我们调兵遣将，原该在一起，不过，人一多，怕风声太大，我跟大哥请示，是大家住一起，还是分开来的好？” 是合是分，俞武成无从作判断，不过听话是听得懂的，胡雪岩既“怕风声太大”，则意向如何，不言可知。于是俞武成毫不迟疑地答道：“分开来的好，分开来的好！” “那位裘大老爷是'州县班子'，跟刘三爷一样，极有趣的人，三婆婆认胡大婶，算是他引进。” “喔！”俞武成说，“那么，我该尽点道理，明天下个帖子，请裘大老爷吃饭。” “那就不必了。等事情成功了，我们再好好热闹一下子。如果大哥想跟他见一面，我今晚上就把他带了来。” “那好极了！只怕简慢不恭。” 这样说定了，胡雪岩便由周一鸣陪着去看裘丰言。他正在客栈里，捏着一卷黄仲则的《两当轩集》，醉眼迷离地在吟哦。一见胡雪岩便即笑道：“老胡，我真服了你！来，来，先奉敬一杯。” “等等，等等，回头消夜，我再陪你吃。如今'军情紧急'，你先把酒杯放下来。” 夺去他的酒杯，自是件极扫兴的事，但他是真的服胡雪岩，说什么是什么，当时便陪着胡雪岩到另一张桌子坐下，细谈正事。 胡雪岩将“暗渡陈仓”的计划说了一遍，当时便请他写了三封信，一封是给松江老大，说明经过，请求在水路上照应；一封是由裘丰言自己出面，写给王有龄，说明委任俞少武押运洋枪，作为将来叙功的根据；再一封是写给何桂清，介绍周一鸣晋谒，说有“机密要事”密陈。 写完了信，胡雪岩邀他到朱家消夜，跟俞武成见面。“酒糊涂”的裘丰言，却忽然谨小慎微了，认为做事以隐秘为上，而且他也没有跟俞武成见面的必要。但胡雪岩认为说好了见面，临时变卦，怕俞武成多心，所以坚持原议。 这样便不得不有此一行。见了面互道仰慕，而且酒杯中容易交朋友，俞武成觉得此人颇为投机。谈到俞少武押运的差使，做父亲的虽不以为然，而此时竟不能不郑重拜托。这顿消夜，直吃到深夜才罢，裘丰言和周一鸣双双告辞，回到客栈打个盹，上了预先雇定的船，一个往北到苏州去见何桂清，并通知俞少武到上海会齐，一个往东，先到松江见“老太爷”，然后回上海去运洋枪。 由于关卡上的安排援救脱险，得有些日子来部署，所以依照预先的商议，先用一条缓兵之计——俞武成向跷脚长根说，胡雪岩为表敬意，坚持要先请他吃饭，从来“行客拜坐客”，但坐客却须先尽地主之谊，因此俞武成提出折中办法，由他作东，先请双方小叙会面，等条件谈妥当了，再领跷脚长根的情。 这个说法，合情合理，跷脚长根当然想不到其中别有作用，只觉得自己的计划，晚几天实行，也无所谓，因而欣然应诺。 于是就在裘丰言动身的第二天中午，俞武成在朱家设下盛筵，跷脚长根一跷一拐地到了，不知是有意炫耀，还是自觉不甚安全，需人保护，他竟带了二十名随从。 这一下，主人家固然手忙脚乱，得要临时添席招待，胡雪岩亦不得不关照刘不才，赶着添办礼物。每人一套衣料，二两银子的一个红包，原来备了八份，此刻需再添十二份。这倒不是他摆阔，是有意笼络，保不定将来遇着性命呼吸的生死关头，有此一重香火因缘，就可能会发生极大的作用。 入席谦让，胡雪岩是远客，坐了首座，与跷脚长根接席，在场面上自然都是些冠冕堂皇的应酬话。吃完了饭，刘不才做庄推牌九，以娱“嘉宾”，俞武成则陪着胡雪岩和跷脚长根，到水阁中谈正经，在座的只有一个杨凤毛。 “长根！”俞武成先作开场白，“这位胡老兄的如夫人，是我老娘从小就喜欢，认了干亲的，'大水冲倒龙王庙'，一家人不认识一家人，说起来也是巧事。老胡虽是空子，其实比我们门槛里都还够朋友，他跟松江老大、尤五的交情，是没话说的。还有湖州的郁四，你总也听说过，他们在一伙做生意。所以，那件事，要请你高抬贵手！” “俞师父，你老人家说话太重了，”跷脚长根的态度显得很恳切，“江湖上碰来碰去自己人，光是三婆婆跟你老的面子，我就没话可说。何况，我也很想结交我们胡老兄。” “承情，承情！”胡雪岩拱拱手说，“多蒙情让，我总也要有点意思——” “笑话！”跷脚长根摆着手说，“那件事就不必谈了！” 洋枪的事，总算有了交代，于是谈招抚。 跷脚长根亦颇会做作，明明并无就抚之心，却在条件上斤斤较量，反复争论，显得极其认真似的，特别是对改编为官军以后的驻区，坚持要在嘉定、昆山和青浦这个三角形的地带上。 一直是胡雪岩耐着性子跟他磨，到了僵持不下之时，俞武成忍不住要开口，“长根！”他用低沉的声音说，“做事总要'前半夜想想自己，后半夜想想别人'。我倒要问你一句：等招安以后，上头要派你出队去打上海县城，你肯不肯去？” “这——俞师父，你晓得我的处境的。” “是啊！”俞武成紧接着他的话说，“别人也就是晓得你的处境，不肯叫你为难，所以要把你调开。不然的话，你跟小刀会倒还有香火之情，小刀会不见得跟你讲义气，冷不防要来吃掉你，那时候你怎么办？老实说一句：你想退让都办不到！为什么呢，一则，你当官军，小刀会就不当你朋友了，说不定赶尽杀绝；再则，你一退就动摇军心，军令如山，父子都不认账的，'辕门斩子'这出戏，你难道没有看过？” 跷脚长根被驳倒了，沉吟了好半晌，做出情恳的神态，“俞师父，胡老兄，我实在有我的难处，弟兄们一份饷只好混自己，养家活口是不够的。在本乡本土，多少有点生路，一调开了，顾不到家眷，没有一个人安得下心来。俞师父你老的话，当然再透彻都没有，我就听凭上头作主，不过'皇帝不差饿兵'，请上头无论如何发半年的恩饷，算是安家费。家不安，心不定，出队打仗也不肯拼命的，胡老兄，你说是不是？” “是，是。你老兄再明白不过。”胡雪岩很诚恳地说，“我一定替你去力争。半年，恐怕不大办得到，三个月，我一定替你争来。能多自然最好。” “好了，好了！话说到这里，长根，你要再争就不够意思了！” “是的。”跷脚长根略带些勉强地，仿佛是因为俞武成以大压小，不敢不听，“我就听你老的吩咐了。” “好极！总算谈出个结果。”胡雪岩看着俞武成说，“大哥，我想明天就回苏州。官场上做事慢，恐怕要五六天才谈得好。不过，到底有多少人马，要有个确数，上头才好筹划。” 这是想跟跷脚长根要本花名册，俞武成虽懂得他的意思，却感到有些不易措词，怕跷脚长根托词拒绝，碰一个钉子，则以自己的身份，面子上下不来。 谁知跷脚长根倒爽快得很，不待俞武成开口，自己就说：“对，对！”接着便喊一声，“贵生！” 贵生是他的一名随从，生得雄武非常，腰里别一把短枪，枪上一绺猩红丝穗子，昂然走了进来候命。 “你把我那个'护书'拿来。” 取来“护书”，跷脚长根从里面抽出一张纸来，递给胡雪岩，打开一看，上面记得有数字：两千七百人，三百五十匹马，此外记着武器的数目，如长枪、大刀、白蜡杆子，另外还有四十多支洋枪。 胡雪岩虽不曾经手过招抚的事务，但平时跟王有龄、嵇鹤龄、裘丰言闲谈之中，已略知其中的关键虚实。大致盗匪就抚，老老实实陈报实力的，例子极少，不是虚增，就是暗减。而就在这增减之中，可以看出受抚者的态度，如果有心受抚，自然希望受到重视，所以人马总是多报些，用虚张声势来自高身价；倘或一时势穷力蹙，不得不暂时投降，暂保生路，那就一定有所隐瞒，作为保存实力，俟机翻复的退步。胡雪岩现在想探明的，就是跷脚长根真正的实力。 “老兄诚意相待，让我中间人毫不为难，实在心感之至。现在有句话想请教，我回到苏州，是不是拿老兄的这张单子，送了上去？” 这意思是说，单子送了上来，即是备了案，“一字入公门，九牛拔不转”，将来就抚时，便得照单点验。他这样试探，就是要看看跷脚长根的态度，倘或有心就抚，听此一说，自然要郑重考虑，否则，便不当回事了。 果然，胡雪岩试探出来了，“尽管送上去！”跷脚长根答道，“将来照这单子点数，我可以写包票，一个人不少，一匹马不缺。” 越是说得斩钉截铁，越显得是假话，因为天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福，这两千七百多人中，难免没有暴疾而亡的事情发生，何能包得下一个不少？他的心思深，跷脚长根和俞武成都想不到有这样的用意在内，只觉得事情谈到此，可以告一段落，当时约定，等他从苏州回来那天，便是在妙珍香闺畅饮庆功之日。 谈完正事，少不得有点余兴，这时在大厅上的赌，已经由一桌变成两桌，一桌牌九一桌摊，另外在厢房里有两桌麻将。俞武成陪着跷脚长根来做庄，胡雪岩反对，认为庄家赢了钱该继续往下推，让下风有个翻本的机会。 刘不才这一阵子跟胡雪岩朝夕相处，默契更深，听他这一说，立即会意，当时便改了宗旨，不以赢钱为目的。赌钱想赢不容易，想输不难，不过刘不才就是输钱，也要使点手段，潜注默察，哪个大输，哪个小赢，一一了然于胸，然后运用大牌九配牌的巧妙，斟酌情形，该放的放，该紧的紧，调剂盈虚，很快地使得十之七八都翻本出了赢钱。自己结一结账，输了三千银子，便笑嘻嘻地站起身“推位让国”。 这三千银子输得跷脚长根的手下，皆大欢喜，一致称赞他是第一等的赌客。接下来跷脚长根推庄，照规矩，他一个做头脑的，跟他手下赌，必得送几文，一千银子很快地输光。胡雪岩想输些钱给他，却不知怎么样才输得掉。“怎么！”跷脚长根不明他的用意，看着胡雪岩问道：“不下手玩玩？” “我对此道外行。”胡雪岩微笑着答道，“再看一看！” 跷脚长根不知是忽发豪兴，还是别有作用，突然间提高了声音，看着胡雪岩说道：“老兄，我们赌一记，怎么样？” “好！”胡雪岩答得也很爽脆，“奉陪。”然后又问，“是不是对赌？” 对赌就没有庄家、下风之分，跷脚长根在场面上也很漂亮，很快地答道：“自然是对赌，两不吃亏。怎么赌法，你说！” 所谓“怎么赌法”是问赌多少银子，胡雪岩有意答非所问地说：“赌一颗真心！” 这话出口，旁人的眼光都不约而同地看一看胡雪岩，再看跷脚长根，只见他一愣，双眼不住眨着，仿佛深感困惑似的，接着笑容满面地答道：“对，对！赌一颗真心！老兄，我不会输给你。” 这意思是他亦有一颗真心，然而这话也在可信、可疑之间，借机喻意，当不得真，胡雪岩自己把话拉了转来：“我是说笑话。你我连俞大哥在内，待朋友哪个不是真心。何用再赌？来，来！赌钱，赌钱！”他看着刘不才说，“三爷，借一万银子给我。” 等刘不才数了一万两的银票，交了过去，胡雪岩顺手就摆在天门上。于是跷脚长根又叫贵生把那个护书拿来，朝桌子中间一放，表示等见了输赢再结算。但在赌场中，这是个狂傲的举动，有着以大压小的意味，俞武成看着很不舒服，忍不住就说了句：“我也赌一记！” 真所谓“光棍一点就透”，跷脚长根赶紧一面伸手去取护书，一面赔笑说道：“俞师父出手，我就不敢接了。回头你老人家推几方给我们来打。”这是打俞武成的招呼，自是一笑置之，跷脚长根也不敢再有什么出格的花样，规规矩矩理了一叠银票，放在手边，然后问道：“赌大的，还是小的？” “小的爽快！” 跷脚长根便将副乌木牌九，一阵乱抹，随手拣了两副，拿起骰子说道：“单进双出。” 骰子撒出去，打了个五点，这是单进，他把外面的那副牌收进来，顺手一翻，真正“两瞪眼”了！是个蹩十。 胡雪岩不想赢他这一万银子。他的赌不精，对赌徒的心情却很了解，有时输钱是小事，一口气输不起。特别是跷脚长根此时的境况，不用打听，就可以猜想得到，势穷力蹙，已到了铤而走险的地步，一万银子究竟不是小数目，一名兵勇的饷银是一两五钱到二两银子，他手下二千七百人，如果改编为官军，发三个月的恩饷，还不到一万银子，就这样一举手之间输掉了，替他想想，心里也不是味道！ 有钱输倒还罢了，看样子是输不起的，一输就更得动歪脑筋，等于逼他“上梁山”。这样电闪一般转着念头，手下就极快，当大家还为跷脚长根错愕嗟叹之际，他已把两张牌，抢到了手里。 场面上是胡雪岩占尽了优势，跷脚长根已经认输，将那一万银票推到了他的面前，脸色自不免有些尴尬。其余的人则都将视线集中在胡雪岩的两张牌上，心急的人，并且喊道：“先翻一张！” 胡雪岩正拇指在上，中指在下，慢慢摸着牌，感觉再迟钝的人也摸得出来，是张地牌，这张牌绝不能翻，因为一翻就赢定了跷脚长根。 他决计不理旁人的怂勇关切，只管自己做作，摸到第二张牌，先是一怔，然后皱眉，继之以摇头，将两张牌，往未理的乱牌中一推，顺手收回了自己的银票。 “怎么样？”跷脚长根一面问，一面取了张胡雪岩的牌去摸。 “丁七蹩！”胡雪岩懒懒地答道，“和气！” 怎会是“丁七蹩”？跷脚长根不信，细细从中指的感觉上去分辨，明明是张“二六”，有这张牌就绝没有“蹩十”，再取另外一张来摸，才知道十点倒也是十点，只不过是一副地罡。 “难得和气！”他说，“和气最好！赌过了，好朋友只好赌一次，不好赌第二次。谢谢俞师父了，叨扰，叨扰！” “时候还早嘛！再玩一息？” “不玩了。”跷脚长根答道，“相聚的日子还长。等胡老兄从苏州回来，我们再叙，” 等他一走，俞武成悄悄问胡雪岩：“你到底是副什么牌，我不相信你连蹩十都吃不了它！” “是副地罡。”胡雪岩说，“我看他的境况也不大好，于心不忍。” “你倒真舍得！铜钱掼在水里还听个响声，你一万两银子就这样阴干了？”其词若有憾焉，其实是故意这样讥嘲，胡雪岩一时辨不清他的意思，唯有报之以一笑。 “老胡，怪不得我老娘都佩服你！”俞武成这时才说了他的想法，“现在，你交情是放出去了！要看跷脚是人，还是畜生？是人，当然不会做出什么狗屁倒灶的事，是畜生，我们就当他一条毒蛇打，要打在七寸上！死不足惜。” “我就是这个意思。”胡雪岩说，“这一来，我们就是下了辣手，只怪他自己不好，不但我们自己心里不会难过，就是有人替他出头，'四方台子八方理'，我们也可以把话摆在台面上来讲。” “一点都不错！你对江湖上的过节，熟透，真不晓得你是哪里学来的？” 胡雪岩笑笑答道：“闲话少说，我明天一早就走，大概三五天就回来。这里都拜托大哥了。” 第五天早上，胡雪岩如他自己所预定的期限，回到了同里，周一鸣是跟他一起来的。一到便调兵遣将，周一鸣和杨凤毛守住运河两头的卡子，朱老大打接应，刘不才串清客，陪着胡雪岩和俞武成去赴那场“鸿门宴”。 等布置停当，跷脚长根的帖子也送到了，日期是在两天以后，所以不一到就请，理由是妙珍家的厨子，整治一桌水陆杂陈