Chapter 171: The Value of River Heart Island
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
Could it only belong to Jiang City?
Seeing the picture drew with tea on the table, Junior Leopard seemed lost in thought. He nodded his head, “continue!”
“When the water of Luo River flows to the River Heart Island, it’ll be divided into two channels. One is the Broken Dragon Beach, and the other is the Narrow River Path. The water bandits, be it Li Sanbao or others who occupy the River Heart Island, they’ll block the Broken Dragon Beach and let go of the Narrow River Path. The reason being that, as for the Narrow River Path, its channel is narrow and its water is shallow thus, no huge boat can go through it. Compared to the Narrow River Path, the water of the Broken Dragon Beach is turbulent; the terrain here is strategically situated hence difficult to access. Meanwhile, the water surface is broad and the water is deep, 500 feet north of the Broken Dragon Beach is a natural harbor and all that is needed is to build a dock!”
“It’s the harbor of River Heart Island!”
“Right, it’s the harbor!” Jiang Xiao nodded and said, “The water surface of the Broken Dragon Beach is three times broad than that of the Narrow River Path. Thus, all huge boats can only go through the Broken Dragon Beach if they want to leave for Jiang City. In fact, all huge boats do so. Their masters have great influence, even if it is Li Sanbao, he’ll not dare to bother them. Nevertheless, no matter how celebrated they are, they can only successfully pass through the Broken Dragon Beach if they hand in a handsome sum of road toll. No boat can pass through the beach without it!”
“Just like Multiple Chain Dock?!”
“It’s just a compromise between Li Sanbao and some influential families in the city. The former doesn’t want to fall out with the latter; while the latter intends to suppress other families by the strength of the Broken Dragon Beach!” Saying this, an eccentric smile showed on Jiang Xiao’s face, “But now, Your Excellency captured the River Heart Island and it returned to Jiang City again. Thus, it’s a tricky matter on who should control the Broken Dragon Beach. I believe that in this matter, not only did the Magistrate and Guard Ding assist us, some rich and influential families in the city also fanned the fire. The Yellow Dragon Gang is merely the product of compromise!”
“What do you know about the Yellow Dragon Gang?”
“Not that much, but I know that it’s one of the strongest gangs in Jiang City and it controls several docks, small and large. Most importantly, it maintains a good relationship with all influences of the city. It has no other enemies except several gangs which have conflicts of interest with them!”
“Then, have the Yellow Dragon Gang colluded with water bandits?!” Junior Leopard asked softly.
“Ah?!” Jiang Xiao was dumbfounded at first, and then his expression changed and became complicated. “Well, to be honest, every influence in Jiang City has a connection with water bandits. Even us, the Navy of Jiang City, have contact with some water bandits on Luo River too!”
“Are there some people still alive among the water bandits that we captured from the River Heart Island?!”
“They’re in our hands!” It seemed that Jiang Xiao had figured out what Junior Leopard wanted to do. He felt pretty excited. Of course, he was a little nervous too.
“Take two men to convict the Yellow Dragon Gang of sin, and then take our men to siege it. Just say that you are here to avenge Commander Gao!”
“Ah…?!” Hearing Junior Leopard’s words, Jiang Xiao slightly hesitated. He did know what Junior Leopard would do, but he never thought that he was so straightforward and ruthless. “Your Excellency, that may not be such a good idea. The Yellow Dragon Gang is one of the biggest gangs in Jiang City and its underground influences are complicated. If we surround them so blatantly, it maybe has the opposite effect!”
“Opposite effect, what opposite effect?!”
“I’m worried about someone stopping us!”
“Then let them try!” Junior Leopard said coldly, “I’ll just let the people of Jiang City see and understand what they can vie for and what they can’t. Not only do I want the campsite of River Heart Island, but also the harbor. No matter who it is, if he wants to contend with me, then he’d better prepare to be tramped to death by me. You shall prepare a confession and find a water bandit to sign it. No, you should prepare several confessions and make more people to sign it. Even if somebody regrets at that time, we still have substitutions. Three days, three days later, you shall take our men to siege the Yellow Dragon Gang!”
“Yes!” Jiang Xiao nodded gently and didn’t dare to persuade him anymore. He just said, “Your Excellency, I’m afraid that if we make it bigger, the Magistrate and Guard Ding will have an excuse to attack Your Excellency!”
“They have some dirty secrets too!” Junior Leopard laughed coldly, “Take it easy, I’ve already got them on tape. They’d better wise up, or else I won’t mind to drive them away from here!”
“Their secrets?! Jiang Xiao felt fairly shocked and looked at Junior Leopard in confusion. Junior Leopard had just come here for a month and he nearly did not go out of the navy barracks except while suppressing the water bandits of the Broken Dragon Beach last time. How could he know the secrets of the Magistrate and Guard Ding?
“Don’t be so stunned. I surely haven’t lived in Jiang City. However, I still have other men here except the Jiang City navy!” Junior Leopard laughed, “Don’t forget, I’m one of the Seneschals of the Wu Family in Zhonghe City, although I have no real power!”
Jiang Xiao immediately wore a smile of understanding. Yeah, the teen before him was not only a Navy Commander of Jiang City, but also a Seneschal of Wu Family in Zhonghe Prefecture. Meanwhile, he had reached the Bone-Forging Realm today and became a Level Four expert. It may be assumed that he would be the Elder of the Wu Family before long.
Wu Family in Yunzhou, one of the four smelting families in Great Jin, was backed up by Tian Long Taoism. Although it couldn’t compare with those real millennial barons, well-known families as well as the wealthy families, it was more tightly connected to the whole bottom strata of Jianghu. People in the bottom strata could clearly feel its direct influence.
Though Jiang City’s position was quite crucial in Zhonghe Prefecture, after all, it was a small county that couldn’t compare with those regional cities, capital cities and other big cities. People who made a living in this county were all in the bottom strata of Jianghu. In their eyes, the Wu Family’s influence was no weaker than those wealthy families and big clans. They even did not know much about real wealthy families and well-known families. What was more, they had no idea about what was going on.
Just because of this, the branch of the Wu Family in Jiang City was the most influential and most powerful merchant here.
Suddenly, Jiang Xiao seemed to understand something. The Wu Family was a well-known smelting family, and the materials it needed were not only in great numbers but also heavy. So, they needed big boats if they wanted to ship them into Jiang City. The branch of Wu Family in Jiang City was one of the merchants who sent the most money to the Multiple Chain Dock and the Broken Dragon Beach before. Their huge shipping boats could only enter the city by sea through the Broken Dragon Beach. But now, the Navy of Jiang City captured the River Heart Island and the Navy Commander was the Seneschal of Wu Family’s branch here. Then, what would happen next was naturally self-explanatory.
Jiang Xiao felt relaxed when he thought of Junior Leopard’s identity.
The branch of Wu Family in Jiang City was one of the biggest merchants here athough their influence wasn’t so strong. This was mainly because the Wu Family focused on doing business and there was no need to deploy too many warriors in such a small place. Even if it didn’t have strong warriors, no one could make trouble here. The water bandits would show some respect for it too. After all, they were living in the same Jianghu and well-known families like Wu Family who had spread its business all around would obey the rules too. If you didn’t go too far, the Wu Family would hand in the money it ought to. Therefore, the influence of the Wu Family’s branch here was absolutely no less than those powerful influences and even higher. Why?
Because they had money after all!
Money could make the mare go and vice versa!
For an insignificant leader of the navy like him, it was difficult to meet the supervisor of the Wu Family in Jiang City before because they had totally different status. Most of the time, if the Wu Family needed help from the Navy of Jiang City, it just casually sent a man to tell them and the navy would fawn on it, busying finishing tasks that are given to them with passion. Then they could get a reward in return.
How about now?
Things were different now. Several days before, the supervisor as well as the Great Master of Wu Family in Jiang City paid a visit to Junior Leopard. On seeing them, such negligible people, they laughed contentedly, just like the spring flowers in full bloom. They tried hard to put money in their pockets and were afraid when they did not take it. Such treatment was far from the norm.
Of course, it did stray away from the point, but there was one point that Jiang Xiao understood. The dock of River Heart Island was of equal importance to the Wu Family. If the navy could occupy it, then the one who benefited most would be the Wu Family. Perhaps this was the most important reason for Junior Leopard to capture the River Heart Island. After all, he was a part of the Wu Family and also its future Elder. He would definitely take account of such things that could greatly benefit the Wu Family.
It was no wonder that he would have such an idea. In this world, the influences of well-known families and the wealthy families are powerful. In many people’s eyes, family and school’s interest were above anything else. As for the interest of Jin, Junior Leopard had put it aside. He was an official of the imperial court, and meanwhile, he was a disciple of a well-known family too. Taking advantage of his authority on the court to help his family was unquestionable and fairly normal.
After thinking through it, Jiang Xiao had no more worries, “Your Excellency, I’ll do it right away and properly settle it!”
“H’m, then just do it that way!”
Jiang Xiao knew that Junior Leopard had the intent to send him away, so, he didn’t dare to stay any longer. He saluted Junior Leopard and turned away.
“The dock of River Heart Island, hey hey, no wonder the Wu Family sent people to beg me to take control of it in my hand. Its location is so important. Controlling this dock equals to taking Jiang City by the throat. Maybe before long, there’ll be a letter from Old Ma of Zhonghe Prefecture. Now, the Wu Family is having terrible battles with the Pei Family in Zhonghe Prefecture. If I can control this dock, then I can help the Wu Family gain a greater advantage. The Wu Family is a visible and tangible big tree for me. At the same time, I’m an inner core disciple of the Wu Family and my cultivation has reached Level Four too. I believe I’ll become the Elder of it in a short time. I must do it because it can help the Wu Family, which means I’ll also bebefit from it.”
Jiang Xiao was right. At first, Junior Leopard was merely seized by a whim to the ownership of the River Heart Island, but after he came back, the supervisor and the Great Master of the Wu Family in Jiang City paid him a visit, hoping that he could take this chance to capture the dock of River Heart Island. He just said that it was of vital importance to the Wu Family and it could make both the Wu Family and Junior Leopard benefit a lot from it. However, he didn’t clearly say what benefit it was. But today, Jiang Xiao had stated the connection of it before him, which made him more determined to occupy it.