Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 145 Scouting

The afternoon sun cast a pale gold layer on the bluestone slabs.

On the bustling street, several people walked towards us, the most eye-catching of whom was the woman surrounded in the middle.

He was about thirty-one or thirty-two years old, tall and slender, with a straight back, and one could tell at a glance that he was the head of the household.

The autumn wind rustled the hem of her dress, revealing a pair of pointed shoes. The shoes were made of dark silk with a geometric pattern, and the toes were slightly upturned, adorned with a knot made of silk thread. They were probably stuffed with silk floss, making them plump and bulging, and they moved silently when she walked.

She wore a short jacket with a front opening, the collar trimmed with a two-finger-wide purple silk border, and a plain silk skirt underneath. The skirt was wide and swayed slightly as she walked, without getting dirty.

Her hair was tied into a bun, with a gold hairpin inserted at an angle, swaying gently with her steps.

Behind the woman followed two maids, one carrying a blue cloth bundle and the other a bamboo food box. Behind them were two servants, one of whom was burly and carried a stick, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily, wary of anyone who dared to approach—including the one beside him. Shao Shuyi, dressed in blue, walked beside Liu Xing, also carrying a stick, but his gaze only lingered on the surrounding buildings. "That's the Silver Hook Gambling House," Liu Xing said, coughing lightly and subtly pointing ahead with his stick, seeing that Shao Shuyi was relatively well-behaved. Shao Shuyi glanced over discreetly and found it to be a very inconspicuous house.

The gate was dilapidated, the walls were mottled, and even the trees in the courtyard looked listless, seemingly having no connection to the gambling den. However, he still managed to discern something.

Two men, looking like hangers-on, were squatting on either side of the entrance. Their eyes darted around, and they had a sleazy air about them. They were obviously street thugs, which immediately gave away the house's secrets—there probably weren't many decent people inside.

Across from the house was a teahouse, and a man was squatting against the wall, occasionally exchanging glances with the two men next to the house; they were clearly in cahoots. "Can we go in and take a look?" Shao Shuyi asked in a low voice.

"No," Liu Xing said. "This gambling den doesn't really attract new customers. The people who go there are either government officials or merchants of some status, all introduced by acquaintances. My family just arrived and doesn't know many people yet, so it'll be difficult to get in."

Shao Shuyi understood perfectly: it was a "membership-based" casino, where the number of people allowed in was strictly controlled to create a high-end gambling experience.

The group of five walked at a leisurely pace. When they came across a restaurant with a banner hanging above its entrance, Madam Liu suddenly stopped and turned to ask, "Ah Qing, is the chef here from the Dayanlou Restaurant?"

"Yes, Madam," the maid Aqing replied in a thick Wenzhou accent. "I've heard that this cook makes an exceptional crab roe bun. Why don't we go in and try some?"

"That's fine. I didn't eat much at noon. It would be good to go in and have some meat buns." Madam Liu nodded.

The five of them then went inside and found a table by the window to sit down.

Liu Xing went to prepare tea and food, while two maids stood behind Liu Shi, ready to serve her at any time.

Shao Shuyi stood at the window, looking out.

In terms of specific location, the gambling den faces south and is located at the westernmost end of an east-west street.

If you exit the gambling den and cross the street to the south, you will reach the back entrance of Dayanlou and the teahouse.

Turning right leads to a narrow alley running north to south. Across the alley are the academy and rows of shops outside, including the restaurant where Liu, Shao Shuyi, and others are currently located.

The restaurant's main entrance faces east, and its windows face the west wall of the gambling den, making it very easy to observe.

Shao Shuyi discovered that the gambling den had a backyard. At that moment, the west gate was open, and an oxcart slowly drove out and turned north.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that Zhu Ding could very well have taken a carriage or oxcart and left through this side door, disappearing without a trace. Or perhaps there was another door in the backyard through which Zhu Ding had vanished into the vast crowd.

After observing the backyard, Shao Shuyi looked up again, searching for a high vantage point nearby.

Unfortunately, the Dayan Tower seems to be the tallest, but I wonder if there will be any chance to sneak in and nock an arrow from the top.

"Madam, please enjoy your meal." Footsteps sounded, and the waiter came over with freshly steamed crab meat buns, saying respectfully.

Liu nodded, picked up her chopsticks, took a steamed bun, and began to eat it slowly and deliberately.

She ate leisurely, even taking the time to observe Shao Shuyi's expression, as if to see if he was disappointed at not being able to eat the crab roe buns. Shao Shuyi sensed her gaze, merely smiled slightly, and continued to observe.

Outside the gambling den's backyard was another east-west street, at the westernmost end of which was a silk shop. A bamboo pole stood at the entrance, from which hung several bolts of blue-green cloth and a piece of brocade with gold thread. When the wind blew, the cloth swayed gently, like ripples.

Next to the silk shop on the east side was a stationery shop. The storefront was small, but it was very tidy.

Two benches were placed at the entrance, with several reams of paper on them. If I'm not mistaken, there also seemed to be a newly written piece of calligraphy weighed down by an inkstone and paperweight, which should have been written by the shop's "famous calligrapher".

"The environment isn't complicated," Shao Shuyi thought to himself. The only thing he needed to determine now was where Zhu Ding would leave from, how he would leave, and what his route would be.

Once these things are determined, it won't be difficult for Qian to kill Zhu Ding, since he has already gained a huge advantage by having a calculated plan against an unsuspecting opponent.

Liu was full after eating for a while.

Seeing that there were still a few crab meat buns left on the table, he asked the maid to take them and put them in a bamboo food box.

"Let's go, let's go explore some other places, I'll make sure you see enough," said Madam Liu as she stood up.

Shao Shuyi gave a soft "hmm," left the window, and followed Liu Xinghui out of the restaurant after he finished paying.

"It seems a bit difficult at Nanzha," Liu said softly as they walked.

Shao Shuyi seemed to be deep in thought, and asked, "What makes it difficult?"

"It was a village, with about thirty or forty households, and the surrounding area was very open," Liu said. "My people went there, but they hadn't gone more than a few steps when they were stared at by many people, which made them very conspicuous."

Shao Shuyi understood.

This is somewhat similar to when Zhang Di went to Zhangjing East Second Capital to inquire about him, Shao. He was discovered almost as soon as he arrived, and the moment he opened his mouth, he was exposed. "Your people didn't ask any unnecessary questions, did they?" Shao Shuyi asked.

"Don't worry, they're not that stupid. They're locals from Jiangyin, disguised as vendors passing by, and they didn't say anything indiscriminately. Seeing that they were being watched wherever they went, they left," Liu said. "And one..."

Shao Shuyi looked at Madam Liu, waiting for what she would say next.

"There are many roads over there, and there's also a harbor. No matter which way Zhu Ding goes, it won't be easy to stop him," Liu continued. "In an unfamiliar place, it's really difficult to ambush and kill someone."

Shao Shuyi hummed in agreement.

He could completely understand the practical difficulties that Madam Liu was referring to.

Attacking Zhu Ding in the same way Zhang Neng recruited the bandits from Taihu Lake to attack him was not impossible, but it would be easy to expose oneself. In comparison, the Silver Hook Gambling House seemed to be a better place to strike, because there were people coming and going, and the appearance of unfamiliar faces would not be so abrupt.

The group of five wandered around the streets and alleys again. Sometimes they stopped in front of a silk shop to buy a couple of bolts of silk and leave, sometimes they lingered in front of a writing brush and ink shop to admire the calligraphy and paintings, and finally they took a distant look at the small courtyard next to the Silver Hook Gambling House, and found that a family of four lived there, but they didn't know if it had any connection with the gambling house. As the sun was about to set, the group returned to the warehouse behind Yang's Grain Shop.

"Brother Shao."

"Brother Shao".

"Brother Gongming."

"Brother Meng."

Those who remained stood up and began to chatter amongst themselves.

Shao Shuyi pressed his hands down, gesturing for everyone to sit down, and then said, "Calm down. You've all accomplished several great things, are you still so impatient?" Everyone awkwardly sat down.

Liu glanced at him.

The clever woman seemed to have thought of something. Ignoring the stares of others, she quietly moved closer to Shao Shuyi and whispered, "Shao Gongming? Meng Gongming?"

"Madam knows a bit too much," Shao Shuyi said with a smile, looking at Madam Liu.

"You dare to call but not answer?" Madam Liu chuckled and said, "I've given you the map, and you've looked around. Now it's your turn to make your own decisions. The salted fish that were delivered can probably still be sold for a while, but by the beginning of next month at the latest, someone will come to cause trouble. They'll probably be some hooligans, not hard to deal with. But after dealing with the hooligans, Zhu Ding's Thirteen Protectors might come. If I have enough manpower and my skills are decent enough that I don't have to fear one or two Thirteen Protectors, then the appearance of the government will make the outcome unpredictable. This will happen by the end of winter or the beginning of December at the latest, so you can't keep putting it off."

"Madam, don't you know anyone in the official circles?" Shao Shuyi asked.

"If you really don't have any connections, you can't even sell salted fish," Liu said. "But how long has Zhu Ding been in this business? How many officials in Jiangyin Prefecture have taken bribes from him? The people I know only help by saying a few words to smooth things over and cover things up when the government is about to take action, that's all."

Shao Shuyi was silent for a moment, then said, "Madam, you only need to tell me the date Zhu Ding will come to the Silver Hook Gambling House. I'll handle the rest." "Are you planning to wait here? Have you quit being the accountant at the blueware shop?"

"Let's wait a few more days and discuss with the brothers how to prepare the Zhu Ding. If it's too late this time, then next month."

"Alright." Madam Liu nodded and said, "I have a way to determine when Zhu Ding will go to the gambling den."

"Oh? Really?" Shao Shuyi was somewhat surprised.

Liu smiled mysteriously and said, "I'm going out tomorrow."