usatvline Chapter 75 Jun 1 Hair
Chapter 75 Jun 1 Hair
Just then, Gao Mengyuan and Xiao Guoxing came out of the gate.
Gao Mengyuan's gentle smile returned to his face.
He cupped his hands in greeting and addressed the crowd in a loud voice: "Ladies and gentlemen! Please listen to me! Tonight's events were caused by someone deliberately setting fire and plotting something sinister."
Rest assured, everyone, I, Gao Mengyuan, guarantee with my integrity that not a single penny of the silver and valuables you left in the building will be missing!
Please go back and rest. I will personally visit each of you tomorrow to provide compensation!
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Someone shouted, "Uncle Gao is a righteous man! We trust Uncle Gao!"
"That's right, that's right, Master Gao is always fair in his dealings!"
"Then we'll head back now. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Gao!"
Everyone bowed and took their leave, turning to go home.
But as soon as they turned around, they stopped in their tracks.
Across the street, a line of people had appeared out of nowhere. Not just a few, but dozens.
They were dressed in the uniforms of the Eight Banners soldiers, with knives at their waists and torches in their hands, forming human walls that completely blocked the street.
The torchlight flickered in the night wind, casting intermittent light and shadow on the soldiers' faces.
Standing at the very front was a middle-aged man dressed in the uniform of a lieutenant commander.
He was tall and burly, with a dark complexion and a thick beard, giving him an imposing presence.
He had a goose-feather knife hanging at his waist, the bronze ornaments on the scabbard gleaming dimly in the firelight.
He stood with his hands on his hips in the middle of the street, like a gatekeeper, blocking everyone's way.
"Tusihai?" Someone in the crowd recognized him, their voice tinged with surprise. "The captain of the Plain White Banner, what brings him here?"
Tu Sihai stepped forward, his right hand resting on the hilt of his knife, his gaze sharp as he swept over everyone present.
His voice was loud and clear, echoing in the night sky: "According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, there is a curfew in the capital, and no one is allowed to linger on the streets."
"A fire broke out at Juxianju Restaurant. All personnel present are strictly prohibited from leaving and must await investigation!"
An uproar erupted in the crowd.
"Why can't we leave?"
"We didn't start the fire!"
"We are guests, we are victims!" The murmurs rose and fell, some were dissatisfied, some were angry, and some tried to push forward, but were blocked by the soldiers.
Gao Mengyuan's expression changed.
He strode forward, stood before Tu Sihai, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled broadly: "Commander Tu, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."
These are all guests who come to Juxianju for tea, not bad people.
Look, there's also Lord Xiao from the Ministry of Justice there; they're all on our side.
"Please do us a favor and let everyone go back. I, Gao Mengyuan, will personally visit you another day to express my gratitude."
He turned around and waved to Xiao Guoxing.
Xiao Guoxing strode over, straightened his clothes, puffed out his chest, and tried to make himself look like a high-ranking official.
He forced a smile and nodded to Tu Sihai: "Tu Zuoling, I am Xiao Guoxing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."
Tonight, I was having a small gathering with friends when this unexpected incident occurred.
"I request that Commander Tu do me the favor and allow me and my guests to depart. The Ministry of Justice will send someone to investigate the cause of the fire tomorrow."
Tu Sihai glanced at him.
His gaze was neither warm nor cold, and his hand remained on the hilt of the knife.
"Lord Xiao," he began, his voice neither humble nor arrogant, "this humble servant recognizes you."
"But the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people. As the head of the Ministry of Justice, you must naturally abide by the law."
No one is to be let go today; take them back for questioning!
"Yes!" The soldiers behind him shouted in unison.
Xiao Guoxing's face turned from green to white, and then from white to red.
His lips trembled a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but he found that he couldn't utter a single word.
He turned his head and glanced at Gao Mengyuan, whose expression was not much better.
Just then, a deafening shout suddenly rang out around Juxianju.
"Fire! Fire!"
"Help! Juxianju Restaurant is on fire!"
The sound of gongs rang out from all directions, one after another, rapid and piercing, as if trying to shatter one's eardrums.
In the darkness, a large number of figures suddenly emerged from various alleyways and intersections.
Some carried buckets, some carried wooden basins, some carried shovels, and some carried wet quilts, rushing towards Juxianju from all directions.
Gao Mengyuan's eyes widened.
Xiao Guoxing's mouth dropped open.
Those people rushed into the gate of Juxianju, some rushing up the stairs, while others started splashing water downstairs.
Their movements were practiced and orderly, as if they had rehearsed countless times, and they did not look like civilians who had rushed to put out the fire.
A buzzing sound filled Gao Mengyuan's mind, as if hundreds of bees had simultaneously burst from their hive.
He finally realized that this was a meticulously planned trap.
From Batu's betrayal to arson, to the appearance of the night patrol, and then to these people who "put out the fire".
There's someone plotting behind every step.
He himself was walking on someone else's noose every step of the way.
Xiao Guoxing's face turned completely pale.
He understood, of course. He knew better than anyone what Juxianju was.
The ledgers, IOUs, gambling debts, and other shady records inside will be exposed once they are revealed.
Let alone a mere Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, even the Crown Prince would have to suffer greatly.
His hands began to tremble violently, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, streaming down his cheeks.
"Stop them!" Gao Mengyuan finally shouted. "Stop those people! Don't let them in!"
But nobody here listens to him.
His men had long since scattered, and the few remaining employees in the lobby looked at the strong men rushing in, exchanging glances, none daring to step forward.
Gao Mengyuan wanted to rush forward, but he found that he couldn't stop him at all.
The crowd surged in like a tidal wave, and he stood alone in the center of the hall, like a stone blocking the flood, instantly submerged.
The second floor.
The fight between Batu and Qiu'er has reached a fever pitch.
Qiu'er's fists came crashing down like hammers, one punch after another.
Batu dodged left and right, his steps becoming increasingly erratic, and his breathing becoming more and more rapid.
He could no longer lift his right shoulder, and his entire arm hung limply at his side.
His lip was cut, and blood was dripping down his chin onto his clothes.
His left eye socket was bruised and his eye was so swollen that it was only a slit.
For every step he takes back, the ball takes a step forward.
Batu learned martial arts from a young age and was also a skilled rider and archer on the grasslands.
But over the years, he has indulged in wine, women, wealth, and power, and has also become addicted to opium, which has long since drained his body.
His punches were weak and powerless.
His steps were unsteady, without any foundation.
Qiu kicked Batu in the chest.
The foot was as fast as lightning; Batu had no time to dodge.
He felt as if he had been struck in the chest by a bull, and he was sent flying into the air, crashing heavily to the ground and sliding several feet away.
His back slammed into the stair railing, and the pain made his vision go black for a moment.
The ball didn't give him a chance to catch his breath.
He strode over, grabbed Batu by the collar, and lifted him off the ground.
Batu's feet left the ground, and his body was suspended in mid-air.
"I hate you spoiled brats the most! Just because you were born better than me, why should you be the masters and I have to be your slaves!"
The ball flung him into the sea of fire, and Batu's body flew out.
Behind him were flames that had already reached the second floor.
Just as Batu's body was about to fall into the sea of fire, a dark shadow flashed from the direction of the stairwell.
The shadowy figure reached out, grabbed Batu's wrist, and yanked him back sharply.
Batu's body paused in mid-air for a moment, then was pulled back by the force and crashed heavily to the ground.
Qiu'er was stunned for a moment, and before she could react, a knife had already come down.
The blade struck Qiu'er's forearm with a "thud".
Qiu'er groaned, released her grip, took two steps back, and looked down at her arm. The wound was deep, the flesh torn open, revealing the white bone underneath.
The man bent down, used one hand to help Batu up from the ground, and held the knife in his other hand in front of him, protecting the two of them.
Batu leaned against him, his body covered in injuries, barely able to stand.
"Uncle," Yin De's voice rang out, "Are you alright? I've come to save you."