Chapter 76: Peeling off the cocoon

Chapter 76: Peeling off the cocoon

Chapter 76: Peeling off the cocoon
Xiao Cong was really a little surprised. He hadn't seen Xiao Xia for only a month and a half, and he almost didn't recognize her. Xiao Xia had grown an inch and a half taller and was much stronger.

The key point is that Xiao Xia no longer has the thin and weak feeling he used to have. He has become like a leopard, with explosive power all over his body.

It was this inner change in feeling that made Xiao Xia seem like a different person.

"The master of the house is looking for me?"

Xiao Cong recovered from his surprise and nodded, "To be precise, it is County Magistrate Yuan who is looking for you. He wants to ask you some questions. It's normal questioning, and you just need to cooperate with him."

At this time, an official appeared behind Xiao Cong. He was about thirty years old, with a dignified appearance and very handsome.

"You must be Xiao Xia!"

The official smiled and said, "I am Yuan Shirong, and I have just been appointed as the lieutenant of Jiangdu County!"

Xiao Xia did not have a good impression of the Jiangdu County Lieutenant. The previous County Lieutenant Ma actually wanted to kill him in prison.

Xiao Xia nodded, "County Lieutenant Yuan, feel free to ask whatever you want to ask!"

"Please sit here!"

Yuan Shirong invited Xiao Xia to sit aside. Xiao Cong glanced at his third brother Xiao Yu and found that Xiao Yu was also surprised. It should be that Xiao Xia's change also surprised him.

Yuan Shirong smiled and asked, "Excuse me, how did Master Xiao discover that there was an ambush on the other side's ship and asked you to give the warning in advance?"

"I saw a foot sticking out from the side of the boat. They were squatting on the boat, facing us. I realized the danger."

"I see!"

Yuan Shirong asked again: "How many people are there? What clothes are they wearing? How many crossbows are there? Can Master Xiao answer these three questions?"

Xiao Xia nodded. "I saw them jump out of the black shed and escape. There were about thirty people, wearing black leather clothes. They might be water soldiers. I have never seen water soldiers. There were more than sixty crossbows in total, because they shot more than sixty arrows in the first round."

Yuan Shirong raised his eyebrows, "Sir, you mean that each of them carried two crossbows?"

Xiao Xia nodded, "The arrows shot in the second round were obviously only half of the first round."

The captain of the police, Yan, said, "Captain, a total of ninety-four arrows were found at the scene, which matches Master Xiao's judgment."

Yuan Shirong hesitated for a moment and asked, "Where do you think they are from, Master Xiao?"

Xiao Xia laughed, "I can't answer this question."

Yuan Shirong also laughed, "Mr. Xiao has told me a lot of useful information. Thank you! Thank you!"

Yuan Shirong stood up and clasped his fists to Xiao Cong, saying, "We will leave now without disturbing the Patriarch!"

After walking a few steps, he stopped again and waved to Xiao Xia, who stepped forward and said with a smile, "What else can I do for you, County Lieutenant?"

Yuan Shirong whispered, "You are very smart and can see things that others cannot see, but I want to remind you that the water in Jiangdu is very deep and the truth often lurks in the deepest part."

After saying that, he looked at Xiao Xia meaningfully again, then hurried away with his men.

..........
In the study, Xiao Cong smiled at Xiao Xia and said, "I haven't seen you for more than a month. I feel like you've become a different person. Haven't you noticed?"

Xiao Xia smiled slightly and said, "If the master is willing to install a mirror in our dormitory, I will definitely find it in time."

Xiao Cong laughed, "Did you get the 1,000 strings of cash?"

Xiao Xia nodded, "Thank you, Patriarch, for naming me the best warrior!"

Xiao Cong waved his hand and said solemnly to Xiao Xia: "What do you think of this ambush? I hope you can tell me your true thoughts."

Xiao Xia hesitated for a moment and said, "Did something happen to the Chen family as well?"

"how do you know?"

"I saw another record in the captain's hand. It said fourteen people were shot dead. Of course, it wasn't us. I guess it was the Chen family?"

Xiao Cong nodded approvingly, "You have sharp eyes. You are absolutely right. At the same time as our accident, the Chen family's fleet was also attacked at the mouth of the Yangtze River. They were also shot with crossbows. All fourteen warriors guarding the ships were shot dead."

"Did the master see the body?"

Xiao Cong nodded, "When I went there, fourteen bodies were lying in the yard."

"Has the master confirmed that this is the body of a samurai?"

Xiao Cong was stunned. "What do you mean by that?" "Please answer my question first, Master."

Xiao Cong thought for a moment and said, "It was wrapped in fourteen rolls of mats, with only the feet exposed. I didn't see the appearance of the corpse."

Xiao Xia nodded, "The reason why I asked in detail is because I think there is something strange about the murder of the Chen family warriors."

"What's so strange?"

"All fourteen samurai guarding the boat were killed. The head of the family wondered what this meant. It must be that the fourteen samurai were standing in a row, and then the other side shot arrows at the same time, and then killed the injured. There are two unexplainable questions here. First, why didn't the samurai jump into the water to escape? Second, why was the boatman okay?"

Xiao Cong narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you mean?"

Xiao Xia smiled faintly, "I think the Chen family knew that the master was going to go, so they prepared the props and made up the story in advance."

Xiao Cong immediately asked, "But how did they deceive the county lieutenant?"

"Master, I asked Xiao Zhurong, and he said that the Yuan family in the capital is the backer of the Chen family, and the new county lieutenant is also surnamed Yuan!"

Xiao Cong took a deep breath and asked, "Do you think it was the Chen family who did it?"

Xiao Xia shook his head. "More than sixty crossbows are enough to annihilate the entire clan. Even if the Chen family has them, they will never use them to fight with us!"

"Yes! You are absolutely right!"

Xiao Cong suddenly realized, "The Chen family must be an insider, so they can cooperate with the other party to set a trap for us, but I don't understand, what kind of blood feud is there, who wants to do this to our Xiao family?"

Xiao Xia was silent for a moment and said, "Master, after they shot us, they didn't leave any clues. Maybe they think we know who they are?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that the other party may have come to the Xiao family and made some requests, but we did not agree, so they used this method to warn us. If I am not mistaken, they will come again in the next two days!"

Xiao Cong's face turned pale. Yuan Family! They came to buy 200 cargo ships before, but were rejected by Xiao Hu.

This makes sense, why would the Chen family cooperate with the other party to set a trap, only the Yuan family.

"Do you have any suggestions on what we should do?"

Xiao Xia smiled and said, "The Patriarch thinks too highly of me. I will only be fifteen years old at the end of the year!"

"I don't think highly of you at all!"

Xiao Cong stared at Xiao Xia, as if he could see through him. "I feel that you are much older than fifteen years old. Your various analyses are definitely not something a fifteen-year-old can do. Of course, I am not saying that there is an adult monster hidden in your body."

Xiao Cong laughed, "What I mean is, you are a genius, a unique genius. It is a blessing for the Xiao family that you appear in the Xiao family, so I really want to hear your advice. What should I do?"

Xiao Xia pondered for a moment and said, "Prepare for a rainy day!"

"What do you mean?"

"These powerful families in Beijing came to Jiangdu not to get a few broken ships and a few warehouses and docks to do business. No, it's not that simple. The business at the end of the year is just the beginning. The head of the family must understand this."

"So what is their goal?"

"Jiangnan!"

Xiao Xia said slowly: "Their target is the entire Jiangnan region. They covet the wealth of Jiangnan. They use Jiangdu as a springboard and are eyeing the fat piece of meat in Jiangnan.

In fact, it also includes the imperial court. The emperor of the Sui Dynasty came to inspect Jiangdu for the same purpose. He also stood on the land of Jiangdu and looked at Jiangnan. Master, do you understand what I mean? Jiangnan is about to change, and Jiangdu is the first place to feel the storm. "

Xiao Cong nodded silently, and then asked: "The storm has already come, can I still prepare for it?"

"There are only two hundred ships now. The real storm has not yet arrived. The master still has some time, maybe one or two months!"

"what should I do?"

Xiao Xia smiled slightly and said, "I'm just suggesting it. It's up to the head of the family to decide whether to do it or not!"

"you say!"

Xiao Xia said calmly: "Retreat to Jinling and merge with the Jinling Xiao family. Only when the two Xiaos merge, the Xiao family will have the strength to resist the plunder of the northern dignitaries."

Xiao Xia smiled again and said self-deprecatingly: "Maybe it's a bit alarmist, but this is indeed the result of my thinking over the past few months."

(End of this chapter)