Qianmen Zhimen
Chapter 5
005
Yangzhou martial arts is famous in Yangzhou, when Luo Wenjia found here, these disciples just began their morning exercises. Luo Wenjia give the jade to gatekeeper, let him hand over it to Master Ding. It was not long before a tall old man dressed in brown came striding toward him with several disciples, went straight to the front of Luo Wenjia: "Young man, are you sent this jade to me? What"s the relationship between you and Luo Zonghan?"
"He is my uncle!" Luo Wenjia said.
"So you are my benefactor"s grandnephew! I"m Ding Jianfeng, my good nephew, come right in!"
Luo Wenjia was busy go down on his knees: "Master Ding! Please you help Luojiazhuang!"
"My good nephew, What was that for?" Ding Jianfeng hurriedly lifted Luo Wenjia up, "Nomatter what happened, let"s go in and say it slowly. Your uncle have saved my life, I will never just stand idle."
Two people come to the slant hall of the inner room, Ding Jianfeng listen to the end of Luo Wenjia"s words, his face wear grim expressions, bitter asked: "How are your uncle?" See Luo Wenjia sadly shook his head, Ding Jianfeng sighed: "Rest a.s.sured, my good nephew, if your uncle died in the hands of the black and white unruly snakes, I must kill the two beasts for you. However..."
See Ding Jianfeng about to speak, but saying nothing, Luo Wenjia asked: "What? Master Ding, please you just speak out what is on your mind."
Ding Jianfeng said moodily: "If the price is right, I think, you better advise you uncle to sell Luojiazhuang to Nangong family."
"What?" Luo Wenjia suddenly change his countenance. "Luojiazhuang not only is our home, but also it"s the place of our Luo family"s ancestral graves, how can we sell it? If uncle is willing to sell it, how would he let me look for help? Mater Ding, you said that, if it is because the Nangong family is too powerful, even you did not dare to offend?"
Ding Jianfeng shook his head and smile bitterly: "Too powerful? Who can understand the true meaning of the words?" He point to around, "My good nephew, do you think my martial arts is very majestic-looking?"
Luo Wenjia nod his head: "Before I came here, I never thought the Yangzhou martial arts is so large, really deserves to be called the first martial arts of southeast China."
"But it is the industry of Nangong family," Ding Jianfeng smile bitterly, "The gra.s.s, the wood, everything in here, including the kungfu masters of this martial arts, they are all belong to Nangong family. I"m the master in name only, but infact I"m just a idler of Nangong family, as long as they are willing, they can let me get away at any time. In the Yangzhou city, almost half of the industry belongs to Nangong family, you even can say they are more money than G.o.d. Not only that, they also have link with influential officals, cavorting with nefarious characters, in the area of south Jiangnan, regardless of the size of the gang, thay all have a close link with Nangong family, even the local government have to look at their behavior, it"s not excessive to treat them as local emperor. Here in Yangzhou, you can against the local government, but you can never against Nangong family, and against the family, this is the common sense of survival here."
Luo Wenjia daze on the spot, after a long time, he finally bitter said: "I understand! Originally Jiangnan Iron Palm, but also just is a Nangong family"s... I no longer dare to seek help. Goodbye!"
"My good nephew, where are you going?"
"Master Ding, you don"t have to worry about me, even Nangong family can hide the truth from the ma.s.ses in Yangzhou city, I think there must is a place that Nangong family can"t control!"
See Luo Wenjia proudly go away, Ding Jianfeng hesitated for a moment, then he suddenly grind his teeth to catch up with Luo Wenjia: "My goood nephew, wait! I certainly would not let my benefactor down!" He said and hold Luo Wenjia"s hand, in the surprised eyes of his disciples, he strode out the door.
Carriage rumble, they finally stopped in front of a very tradition mansion. Luo Wenjia with Ding Jianfeng under the carriage, looking ahead, he saw the mansion with mottled walls, the door already lost it"s bright-color, on both sides of the gate, the stone lions are overgrown with mosses. Though the mansion is a little bit old, but there is a sense of dignity of time precipitation.
"Where is here?" Luo Wenjia puzzled asked, then he saw four characters which are hidden under the eaves -- The Mansion of Nangong!
The door opened with a heavy groan creaked sound, an old man peeks his head out: "Master Ding!"
"Fybo! I have an urgent thing need to talk with Mahant Nangong, trouble you announce it."
"Do you have invitation or worship card?" Old man asked.
"I"m come in a hurry, not ready worship card." Ding Jianfeng said and gave a silver ingot into the old man"s hand. Old man readily weighed it in his hand, with a embarra.s.sed expression: "Master Ding, you know our rules, if there is no invitation or worship card, even if he"s the magistrate of a prefecture, our Mahant also will refuse to see him."
"Fybo, thank you for your trouble." Ding Jianfeng face smile, completely without his previous dignity.
Old family sighed and put the silver ingot away: "Only Master Ding can let me do this, if others, even if they give me a golden hill, I also not dare to broken the rules." He said and leave away, went straight to the inside.
Ding Jianfeng sigh with relief, standing at the side of the door. Luo Wenjia wondered: "Nangong Rui is too arrogant, do he think he is the emperor?"
"My good nephew, don"t say stuff like that!" Ding Jianfeng said, "By the ident.i.ty of Nangong family in Jiangnan, even the Royal can"t be more n.o.ble. When you meet with Mahant Nangong, whatch your mouth."
Luo Wenjia was about to argue, but see the old man already walked out, said to them: "Master Ding, Mahant is waiting for you."
Two people with the old man into the door, through the courtyard into the second door, and then through the winding corridor, and finally came to the outside of a slant hall. A amiable purple cloth old man came out from the hall to meet them, he submissively and said with smile: "Master Ding, what brings you here?"
Ding Jianfeng said: "I came in such a hurry, I hope I"m not interrupting the rest of Mahant."
"Never mind, it doesn"t matter!" Nangong Rui smiled and welcomed them into the hall, "I do not know Master Ding suddenly pay a visit to my house, for what?"
Ding Jianfeng hastily said: "I heard that you are buying estate on the outskirts, including my nephew"s village, Luojiazhuang. Is it real?"
Nangong Rui in a daze: "Yes, my third son is deal with this thing, what"s the matter?"
Ding Jianfeng hesitated: "The patriarch of Luojiazhuang, Luo Zonghan, he saved my life in the past. can Mahant spare him for me?"
Nangong Rui surprised: "What do you mean? Is my third son deliberately lower prices?"
"Price is not a problem," Ding Jianfeng said, "Luo family live in there for generations, my benefactor really do not want to sell their patrimony. I think Nangong family havs thousands of acres of fine land, do not lack that barren place, so I wish you can recall the order."
"It is somewhat difficult." Nangong Rui perplexedly rub the hands, "We and Tang Clan plan to partnership to build a racecourse in the outskirts. You know, outside the Yanzhou city, there are many rivers, it"s hard to find such a big piece of dry land in the outskirts. Now around within a ten mile radius of Luojiazhuang, we and Tang Clan has been put into ten thousands of silver ingots, this cannot fall by the wayside, isn" it? By the way, this thing is we cooperation with the Tang Clan, even if I agree your request, regardless of our family"s plans and cancel it, Tang Clan also will never agreed. "
Ding Jianfeng did not expect this matter involving such a huge, he has to embarra.s.sed look at Luo Wenjia. He wants continue plead to Nangong Rui, but don"t know how to speak. Nangong Rui added: "but since Master Ding you plead in person, I also can not blew your face off. I will let my third son increase the price of 20%, you also should help me persuade your friend, let him understand, we determined to get Luojiazhuang, apart from this, everything is negotiable. "