Luo Yang Lake is located fifty miles north of Shanglin Ferry, where the new and old river channels of Shi Liang River fork. The new river goes straight to Shanglinli, while the shallow and narrow old river turns southwest and connects with the moat outside the county seat of Shi Liang County, then turns southeast and connects with Shanglin Creek. Luo Yang Lake is a thousand-acre lake, not very large in scale, but it is the first shallow lake at the southern end of Hongze Bay, and entering Luo Yang Lake means entering the range of Hongze Bay.

  Lin tied up the ordinary boat, and at noon on a sunny day in April, the sun made his forehead sweat. He was barefoot and had his sleeves rolled up, wearing a bamboo hat, and he didn't have any airs about him as he squatted at the bow of the boat, watching Ge Cunxin pull up the iron anchor that was about to sink to the bottom of the lake. Ge Cunxin calculated the depth of the lake and said, "With water this deep, even if someone isn't familiar with the waterway, it's not safe for an empty Dongyang boat to come in. Is there a problem meeting up at the river mouth in Hunan?"

  Although finding a fisherman or boatman familiar with Luoyang Lake might make it possible to find a waterway that would allow the Dongyang to travel further north, there are too many restrictive factors and the significance is no longer great. Once the ship becomes stranded in the shallow lake, it will be completely passive and the risk is too great.

  "Qin Chengbo had indeed thought of returning to Zhongli County from Shiliang River and Hongze Pu. The flat-bottomed boats he used for the northern expedition could carry about 200 stones, and the luxurious boat he used to show off his power was also flat-bottomed, with a draft of only about eight feet even when fully loaded," Lin said with furrowed brows. "If we want to fish in troubled waters, we can't let the Hongze Pu water stronghold lure Qin Chengbo into the depths of Hongze Pu for robbery. It's best to strike and scare him off as soon as he enters Luoyang Lake, so that whether or not we succeed, we can retreat to Hejiazui at the fastest speed."

  "It's easy to scare the snake by hitting the grass, there is a sentry post in Qingyanggang in the northwest direction to prevent bandits, we just need to choose a slightly farther point on this straight line to burn beacon fire and wolf smoke to pretend to be bandit news, which can surprise Qin Chengbo who enters Luoyang Lake, and also force Hong Zepu's water camp to take action early in Luoyang Lake," said Cao Zigao, "But even if we muddy the waters in Luoyang Lake, it's still not easy..."

  The Qin City Lord had over a thousand followers, among whom were four to five hundred elite warriors who followed him closely. In order for the Hong Ze Pu families to successfully rob the Qin family, they would have needed to secretly gather at least two to three thousand people. Of course, gathering more people beforehand and preventing the authorities from detecting them was not an easy task. Moreover, Shen Rong had hidden a contingent of elite troops in Shi Liang County, which, according to Liu Xi Lin, numbered around a thousand. Even if the current situation in Hong Ze Pu was likely due to Shen Rong's deliberate indulgence, when Qin City Lord was robbed at Luo Yang Lake, the troops from Shi Liang County would not have dared not to come and rescue him. Among the over a thousand elite troops, there were not many cavalrymen, mostly infantrymen, but they could take boats from the old river of Shi Liang River to quickly enter Luo Yang Lake and provide reinforcements. The water route from Shi Liang County to Luo Yang Lake was only over thirty miles, and they could arrive within two hours.

  There were no more than fifty people who could use Lin Nian's ability, and although they could enter Luo Yang Hu under the pretext of rescue after Qin Chengbo encountered a robbery, it was not an easy task to get enough benefits from it.

  Lin Ye didn't necessarily have to join in the muddy waters, but with such a great temptation, it was necessary to come and observe the situation, and make some preparations in advance.

  Zhou Pu walked over barefoot from the stern, saying: "We can't stay here for long. The lake surface looks calm, but the people on the fishing boats at the south of the lake and the east seem to be more vigilant. They should be the scouts released by the Hongze Pu Water Fortress. If we stay any longer, it will arouse their vigilance..."

  "Let's go, to the city." Lin Mou nodded and said, indicating that the two people rowing at the back of the boat should turn towards the old river mouth of Shiliang River and head to Shiliang County by paddling along the old river course.

  After the fishermen and boat households who had been making a disturbance for several months with their anti-donation campaign dispersed at the beginning of the month, the surface of Hongze Lake has now returned to calmness. There are even government patrol boats cruising on the lake, and nearby there are also fishing boats and boats harvesting water grass. On the grassy islets in the center of the lake, there are people cutting reeds, and occasionally one can see merchant ships passing by. In the shallow water along the lakeshore, several brown-yellow water buffalo are lying down, and a flock of wild ducks swim across the water's surface not far from the boat - if someone who doesn't know the truth were to see such a peaceful atmosphere, they would think that Hongze Lake has returned to its era of great prosperity.

  Zhou Pu picked up the bamboo pole to punt the boat, apart from Lin Fu and his five men pretending to be boatmen standing on the deck, there were six others wearing armor hiding in the narrow cabin as a precaution. The riverboat turned around and sailed into the old river of Shiliang River, Lin Fu, Cao Zikai and Ge Cunxin all crouched at the bow measuring the water depth.

  No wonder when they first wanted to dig a new river course, the old river course looked very wide, but the deepest part in the middle of the river was only 7 or 8 feet deep. Even the empty Dongyang boat could barely pass through, and the flat-bottomed boats with a shallow draft would easily get stuck.

  "When the time comes to stop Shen Rong's secretly hidden soldiers in Shiliang County from rescuing Luoyang Lake, it's simple. The river water flows slowly, and at the shallowest point of this river, sinking a flat-bottomed boat filled with sand and rocks can temporarily block the river... Hongze Pu Water Fort will definitely want to lure Qin Chengbo into the depths of Hongze Pu before making a move. This side may not be prepared, so we need to do the work thoroughly for them," Cao Zikang said. "The provincial army was forced to abandon their boats and rush to the shore of Luoyang Lake, and they also need to recruit more boats to enter the lake to rescue, which is not something that can be done in a short time. The timing of letting Qin Chengbo enter Luoma Lake is also crucial, best at night, when lanterns and fire signals are most convenient, and it's also the easiest time to muddy the waters."

  Cao Zi'ang was like Qin Chengzu, meticulous and good at strategy. Lin Xie obtained the opportunity to catch fish in Hongze Pu and immediately sent a message to Cao Zi'ang and Zhou Pu to come together. He indeed had an extraordinary understanding of the situation.

  "It seems that we have a 30-50% chance of catching the fish in the muddy water," Lin Xuan said with a smile, looking at the distant Ruo Yang Lake as he stood up and stretched his waist. "Let's hurry to the county first, and then return here tonight to explore this waterway again. Even if Qin Chengbo wants to head north via Shiliang River, it won't be until three to five days later, which is enough time for us to make some preparations."

  “……” Cao Zi'ang smiled, they had been wandering around Huai for nearly ten years, always taking risks and never fearing death. Such a good opportunity to muddy the waters was not something they wanted to let slip away easily. Lin Xie's style suited everyone just fine.

  Lin Xie stood at the bow of the boat, gazing out at the rolling hills of Qiu Shan in the western part of Shi Liang County. The peach blossoms on both banks were blooming profusely, like scattered gold. When there were no boats on the river and no people on the shore, he went into the cabin to change his clothes. From being a barefoot boatman from Luo Yang Lake, he transformed back into an extraordinary young noble in a green robe. Zhou Pu, Cao Zi'ang, Ge Cunxin, and others also changed into their attendant attire.

  From Luoma Lake to the county town of Shiliang, there are more than 30 miles of waterway. Against the current, it takes nearly two hours by boat. When the sun sets, Lin Xie arrives at the city gate and gets off the boat at the dock outside the north gate of the county town. Because he wants to host a banquet for officials Liang Zuoren, Lu Dongyang, Chen Ling, etc. in the wine tower in the county, after getting off the boat, Lin Xie does not delay and heads straight to the North City Gate.

  When Lin Tie was checking his identity at the North City Gate, he learned from a small school guarding the city gate that Liang Zuoren had sent someone to wait for them outside the East City Gate for a long time. Not long after Lin Tie and others entered the city from the north gate, they saw Liang Zuoren, Lu Dongyang, Chen Ling and other officials of Shiliang County coming out to greet them.

  "Ah, Lord Liang, where are you going......" Lin Xuan asked with feigned surprise.

  "I didn't expect Lin Xian-di to be so enthusiastic, 'Sitting on a boat in the spring dusk, enjoying the spring light, and the spring breeze brushing against my face, shouldn't it be cold?' But he ended up making us wait for a long time at the East Gate, looking forward to his arrival. Later, Lin Xian-di will have to punish himself with three cups of wine to get through this." Liang Zuoren walked over and warmly grasped Lin Xuan's arm, introducing the people behind him to Lin Xuan. In addition to the county officials, many local celebrities and scholars also came, including Xiao Yi-gui, the father of Liu Yue-er's late husband.

  Liang Zuoren and Lin Xie both came from the same imperial examination background, having served as officials for ten years. As a seventh-rank official in Shiliang County, Liang's status and position were far superior to those of Lin Xie, who was only a ninth-rank scholar-official. However, the actual power structure did not solely depend on these superficial positions or backgrounds. Although Liang Zuoren held a relatively high-ranking position as a seventh-rank official, Lin Xie, as a trusted confidant and protégé of Gu Wuhen, shared in his power and influence as Vice Censor-in-Chief and a rising star in the Chu Party. As a result, few people in Jiangning City dared to offend him. Liang Zuoren now realized that sending Xiao's daughter to serve as a maid in the Gu household was a mistake that had offended Gu Furen. Even though Gu Wuhen still cherished their past friendship, he would not show any favoritism towards Liang for the sake of family harmony. To make amends, Liang Zuoren tried to befriend Lin Xie, and although his enthusiastic greeting on the street seemed somewhat abrupt, it was not entirely excessive.

  "Is this Xiao Jia Weng?" When Liang Zuo Ren introduced him to Xiao Yi Gui, Lin Fu made a bow and said with a surprised face, "Later on, I will have to toast Xiao Jia Weng a few more cups of wine..."

  The ugly affair of Xiao Jia's young widow feeding Lin Xian's skin and flesh into her belly had spread throughout the county, causing the Xiao family to lose face. Xiao Yigui had been holding back his anger for a long time. Before noon, Lin Xian sent someone with an invitation card, which he tore to pieces after sending the person away, naturally unwilling to attend the evening's banquet. Liang Zuoren asked County Chief Chen Ling to personally come to the mansion to invite him, and Xiao Yigui had no choice but to put on a brave face and come out.

  Lin said so, and everyone else's mouth corners rose with a smile, but Xiao Yigui only muttered: "I don't dare, I don't dare..."

  Xiao's family in Shiliang County was also a powerful force, making a fortune by doing silk business. They had three silk shops in the county and Dongyang Prefecture, and also had millions of private houses. Even if they were placed in Jiangning City, they could be considered a wealthy family.

  The Xiao family, although engaged in commerce, still valued their reputation and encouraged their children to study, hoping to join the ranks of the literati. As a result, they took the matter of their daughters' chastity very seriously. Initially, they had resented Liu Yue'er for being widowed just ten days after marrying their son, and had sent her back to her natal family, but they would never allow her to remarry and tarnish the Xiao family's reputation. When County Magistrate Liang Zuoren wanted to give the young woman to Gu Wuhen as a concubine, the Xiao family did not dare object, for in the face of absolute power, their precious "family reputation" was nothing but hot air. No one in the county dared to speak out against it, but who could have anticipated that Gu Wuhen would turn around and give the young woman to his subordinate Lin Fu? This became a laughingstock for the Xiao family in Shiliang County.

  Shi Liang County is adjacent to Jiangning Prefecture, with frequent boat and carriage traffic, so news spreads quickly. Lin Xie's notorious reputation in Jiangning has also been circulating in Shi Liang County. Initially, Xiao Yigui still wanted to bring Liu Yue'er back for his deceased son to keep her chaste, but as Lin Xie's reputation grew more and more vicious, Xiao Yigui himself thought it better to let the matter drop. After all, Liu Yue'er was introduced by Liang Zuoren to the Gu family as a cook, and she also went by that name while with Lin Xie. Xiao Yigui thought that even if he were to sue, he wouldn't win, at least not until Liu Yue'er became pregnant and there was solid evidence.

  Xiao Yigui also had an attitude of dragging on for a day, and Lin Guan openly came to seek justice for Liu Yu'er, which made him somewhat angry.

  According to the rules, Lin Xian's nine-grade scholar escort can only have two attendants accompanying him on his outing. Looking at the eight robust men behind Lin Xian, all carrying knives, it seems that Lin Xian intends to resolve the issue of Liu Yue'er's status tonight and take her as a concubine. Xiao Yigui's heart is burning with anger, but he dare not show it.

  County clerk Chen Ling came to persuade him to attend tonight's banquet and said, "The Provincial Governor's office is in charge of lawsuits, and Gu Wudian will soon be appointed as the Provincial Governor of Jiangdong. Although the Xiao family has some influence in Shiliang County, Lin Xian will frame the Xiao family one day, and with a little cooperation from Liang Zuoren, the Xiao family will have a hard time. It is said that 'a county magistrate can destroy a family, and a prefectural governor can exterminate a clan.' Lin Xian has gained Gu Wudian's trust, and his power is comparable to that of a 'family-destroying county magistrate.'"

  Chen Ling asked Xiao Yigui to prepare the documents for "Liu Yue'er leaving the Xiao family" in advance. Rather than forcing him to do so, it would be better to use this as a gesture of goodwill. Although Xiao Yigui was filled with righteous indignation, he felt that Chen Ling's words were reasonable. At this time, no matter how he struggled, he could not surpass Lin Xian. He also prepared the "dismissal" documents at home.

  Now, Lin Xian explicitly hinted at the issue of status, and the county people listened and snickered again. Xiao Yigui was provoked to anger once more and hesitated. County clerk Chen Ling observed Xiao Yigui's expression and walked up to him quietly, pinching him with his fingers, and said in a low voice, "Your Xiao family has not treated Liu Yue'er well. Your son is critically ill in bed, and marrying Liu Yue'er was just for the sake of good luck. Good luck is a two-way street, and if it doesn't work out, you can't blame others for being unlucky. If your Xiao family sends Liu Yue'er back to her natal home, the Liu family will have grievances. If they pursue this matter, it may not be beneficial to your Xiao family. If you drag things out until Lin Xian demands that document from you, things may become complicated. At that time, who in the county will speak up for you?"

  Regardless of whether Gu Wu Chen is a new noble of the Chu Party, he is still a native of Dongyang Prefecture. If Gu Wu Chen gains power, he will definitely help his fellow townsman from Dongyang. Chen Ling is from Hengshan, Dongyang, and was a fellow graduate with Gu Wu Chen in the 3rd year of Chongguan. He didn't have as good an opportunity as Lin Xie, nor did he have a background of meritorious clans. After staying in the capital for three years, he was only appointed as a ninth-grade county clerk, which is considered a mediocre achievement among his peers. Others who were worse off could still manage to become eighth-grade county lieutenants. Now that the Chu Party is gaining power in the court, Gu Wu Chen, as the leader of the Dongyang local party and son-in-law of Tang Haixin, is rapidly rising through the ranks. Chen Ling doesn't want to miss this opportunity, but he didn't have a chance to fawn over Gu Wu Chen. Lin Xie sent someone to deliver an invitation to him earlier, mentioning the matter of the Liu family's daughter, so he couldn't help but put in his best effort.

  Xiao Yigui saw that Liang Zuoren was also trying to curry favor with Lin Kui, this small ninth-grade Confucian scholar. He knew that the Xiao family didn't have the qualifications to compete with this pig-like person at this time, so he sighed and handed over the "Downstairs Book" he had written earlier to Chen Ling in secret, saying: "Let this villain temporarily get his way, what's the harm? Please trouble Mr. Chen to take care of it, tomorrow I will prepare some thin wine at home, don't decline..."

  When entering the wine building, Lin Dai took out the "Down Hall Book" handed over by Chen Ling in secret, unfolded it and read it once, then put it into his pocket. He said a few good words to Chen Ling. This time he came to the county mainly for the "Down Hall Book". With this paper document, he could resolve Liu Yue'er's heart knot. Another was to observe the situation in Shiliang County. At night, drinking wine and carefully looking at Liang Zuoren and other officials' expressions, they really relaxed. At the banquet, everyone mentioned the incident of fishermen gathering and resisting taxes a few months ago, and they all indignantly demanded that the government investigate and punish, kill one to warn a hundred, completely unaware that the crisis in Hongze Pu had actually reached an extremely critical degree.

  After drinking, Lin Tie bid farewell and left the county. Although the city had been closed early, with Liang Zuoren seeing them off, it was only natural that Lin Tie and his group would leave the city without any issues. Lin Tie boarded a boat at the dock outside the North Gate, where Wu Qi and his men were waiting for them. In just over a day's time, Wu Qi and his scouts had not had the opportunity to penetrate deep into Hongze Pu, but from observing the situation along the southwest coast of Hongze Pu, the signs they saw were consistent with Lin Tie's conjectures. At this point, it was clear that the fishermen and boatmen on Hongze Pu had been gathering and making a ruckus for months, refusing to pay taxes, and that the water village forces and the leaders of the fishing and boat industries had secretly joined forces to plot something big.

  Lin Xie and his men took a boat on the old river to head towards Luo Yang Lake to survey the situation, also to familiarize themselves with the water route again. At night, the starlight was very weak, so there was no need to hide. Before entering Luo Yang Lake, Lin Xie ordered Wu Qi and others to get off the boat, asking them to ambush at the river fork, monitoring the boats that entered Shi Liang River from Luo Yang Lake.

  The combined forces of the Hongze Pu family will unite to make Qin Chengbo their target. First, they will send a large number of people and boats to infiltrate the Shiliang River, and once Qin Chengbo takes the bait, these boats will seal off his retreat route from behind. Lin Xie and his men want to enter the Luoyang Lake to fish in troubled waters, but to prevent their retreat from being blocked, they need to identify in advance which boats have been sent by the Hongze Pu family into the Shiliang River, whether there are any special markings, and whether the boatmen have any distinctive attire that can be identified. Only then can Lin Xie and his men disguise themselves as fishermen entering the Luoyang Lake.

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  PS: Today's update exceeded 8,000 words, awesome! Brothers, give more red votes too.