Volume 6: Dream Record Chapter 441 The End of the Dream World
As the first ray of sunshine in the early morning shone on the earth, the heavy rain that had fallen all night finally stopped. The Banzaimian Teahouse was now in ruins. After Yuan Xudong comforted them for a long time, Zhao Pan'er and Sun Sanniang finally recovered from their despair. The house collapsed, and the floor was full of broken furniture, calligraphy and paintings, and broken porcelain pieces. After finding a few intact famous porcelains from the ruins, Yuan Xudong and others began to walk towards Guihua Lane.
At the same time, at the Bianhe Wharf, the river water continued to hit the river bank. The disheveled Chi Yanei, along with He Si, Lu Wu and others, were dejectedly cleaning the silt on the river bank. The wharf behind him was already in ruins and a mess.
At this time, Kaifeng Prefecture Governor Ren Jiang came to the dock with several followers. Looking at the messy dock and dozens of merchant ships destroyed by the hurricane, he shouted gloomily:
"Who's in charge here?"
In front of Ren Jiang, Chi Yanei was no longer as arrogant and unruly as usual. He just bowed respectfully and said :
"Chi Pan meets with Ren Tidian!"
"Are you Chi Pan?"
"yes!"
Looking at the respectful Chi Yanei, Ren Jiang pointed at him with a whip and said in a commanding manner:
"Is this how you work as a dock manager? I told you to reinforce the docks, but you ignored me. Now, it's destroyed by a little wind and rain. How can I explain this to my superiors?"
Although Chi Yanei is often careless, he will still work seriously when it is time to do something. Otherwise, he would not have cleaned up the dock with his men. He was in such a mess. The storm last night was too big. It only happens once every few decades. Even if he reinforced the dock, it would still be destroyed. Therefore, Chi Yanei could not help but explain:
"I would like to remind you that last night was not just a little storm, but a storm that has happened for decades..."
"You still dare to talk back?"
Seeing that Chi Pan dared to contradict him, Ren Jiang's eyes turned cold and he whipped him all over the body with the whip in his hand.
Chi Yanei was the head of twelve trading companies in Tokyo, and a well-known figure in Tokyo. He was naturally a little arrogant, but now he was beaten in public by Ren Jiang. He was so angry that he grabbed Ren Jiang's wrist and said angrily:
"What do you want to do?"
Compared with Chi Yanei, although Ren Jiang was extremely arrogant and had a fierce face, his physique was not that good. He just wore a layer of tiger skin on his body, but he managed to intimidate dozens or even hundreds of Chi Yanei's men, making them all kneel on the ground, silent as a mouse.
At this moment, when Chi Yanei, who was in a rage, grabbed his wrist, Ren Jiang was not panicked, but smiled coldly:
"What? You still dare to disobey orders? Don't forget, I'm an official and you're a pariah. Kneel down!"
Chi Yanei shuddered all over. The people should not fight against the officials. After hesitating for a long time, he glanced at Ren Tidian who had a vicious face. Finally, he knelt in front of Ren Jiang. A man has gold under his knees, but even if he had mountains of gold and silver, he could not erase the shame of today. He often heard his subordinates say that the people should not fight against the officials. Just before today, he was doing well in Tokyo and spent money widely. Those dignitaries also gave him some face, but he did not really understand until now that as long as others did not give him, Chi Yanei, face, no matter how much money he had, it would be useless. Just one tip could trample him into the dust and make him have no dignity at all.
Seeing that Chi Yanei really knelt down, his subordinates He Si, Lu Wu and others immediately knelt lower, almost prostrating themselves on the ground. Ren Ti Dian was extremely proud. Chi Yanei was the head of the twelve guilds in Tokyo and a well-known figure in Tokyo, but what was the result?
He knelt before him, just like those ordinary untouchables. Not only did he want Chi Yanei to respect him, but he also wanted him to kneel on the ground and respectfully respect him. He wanted him to understand that he was not asking him for money, but he was begging him to give him money, so that he would understand who was the master and who was the servant.
Chi Yanei, He Si, Lu Wu and others knelt in the mud. There was a huge crowd of heads, about two hundred people. Ren Jiang stood in front of them, with only three or four followers behind him. They looked like good-for-nothings and weak, which formed a sharp contrast with the people under Chi Yanei who often worked. This is also a microcosm of the Song Dynasty court. The strong and healthy people are the workers, the inferior people, and the weak scholars who can't even tie a chicken are the superior people. All things are inferior except reading. This is also what the ruling class did deliberately in order to maintain their rule and fear that the people below would rebel.
They thought they could rule for eternity, but unexpectedly, in the end, they were not overthrown by their own people. Instead, they were hunted down and killed by outsiders. The high and mighty emperor, concubines, princesses and daughters were all reduced to the lowest slaves. If these rulers only had themselves to blame, then the ordinary people were badly harmed by them. As prosperous as the Tokyo city is today, it will be as miserable after it is conquered by foreign enemies. There will be burning, killing, looting and torture, just like hell on earth.
At this time, Yuan Xudong, Zhao Pan'er and others came over from a distance. When they passed by the dock, they saw many people gathered together. Yuan Xudong and others took a curious look and saw that Chi Yanei, who was usually sloppy, was kneeling in the mud, with one or two hundred servants kneeling behind him. A black-faced ghost in official uniform stood in front of them, looking so majestic. If Yuan Xudong had not seen the Big Fool Emperor, he would have thought he was the emperor.
I saw Ren Tidian scolding Chi Yanei in a bossy manner, his face was distorted and he said viciously:
"Aren't you known as the head of the Twelve Trades? How come you can't even manage a dock? On weekdays, your tail is almost up to the sky. I think you are not even as good as a dog. Thirteenth Young Master, I think you should be called Thirteenth Dog from now on!"
Hearing Ren Jiang insulting him so viciously, Chi Yanei dared not speak. He knelt in the mud and listened, his hands clenched tightly together. He Si and Lu Wu knelt together, watching Ren Jiang trample their own Yanei into the mud. They were angry in their hearts, but they did not dare to say a word loudly. They just knelt on the ground and whispered:
"They are just giving us some advice. They are just complaining that we didn't give them enough red envelopes last time, so they are here to find fault!"
At this time, Ren Tidian pointed his whip at Chi Yanei and taught him a lesson:
"Scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, the most despicable are you businessmen, full of thieves and whores, none of them are good!"
"Calm down, I'll take some people to repair the dock right now!"
Chi Yanei really didn't want to embarrass himself here anymore, so he wanted to get up and go repair the dock, but Ren Tidian was still not satisfied with his attitude towards him. He wanted Chi Yanei to kneel at his feet like a dog, and not just compromise. He wanted to trample Chi Yanei's dignity into the dust so that he could correct his attitude. Thinking this in his heart, Ren Tidian directly kicked Chi Yanei to the ground with his muddy boots, and said arrogantly:
"Who the hell are you? How dare you say that in front of me? If you can't fix it before tonight, you'll be beheaded tomorrow!"
Chi Yanei had been holding his anger in for so long, and although he did not dare to resist Ren Tidian, he could not help but said angrily:
"Even if you kill me, I can't fix the dock today!"
Seeing that Chi Yanei still dared to argue with him, Ren Tidian could not help but fly into a rage. He turned around, drew the sword from his follower's waist, and stabbed Chi Yanei's neck, saying:
"I will send you to heaven right now!"
Seeing Ren Ti Dian drawing his knife, the onlookers were shocked, and Chi Yanei was also frightened. Although He Si, Lu Wu and others were timid, they were loyal to Chi Yanei. They did not dare to resist the court officials, and could only throw themselves at Ren Ti Dian's feet and kowtow in the mud and beg for mercy.
"Please spare my life, please spare my life!"
"Just let our Yanei go!"
"A word of advice, spare our Yanei, spare our Yanei!"
…
At this moment, Chi Yanei was really scared. He murmured and begged for mercy:
"Please spare my life, please spare my life!"
Seeing that Chi Yanei no longer had any arrogance or unyielding spirit, Ren Tidian smiled with disdain. He was just trying to scare the other party. How could he kill people at will in front of so many people?
However, although Chi Yanei had surrendered, he had not yet completely capitulated. Only by trampling him into the mud and leaving him without any dignity and reputation, could he submit like a dog, listen to his master's scolding, and dare not resist again.
Looking at Chi Yanei kneeling on the ground, Ren Tidian placed his foot on his shoulder viciously and said jokingly:
"Come on, lick my boots clean and I'll spare your life!"
Maybe he was really frightened by Ren Tidian, or maybe he was trying to endure the humiliation. Chi Yanei hesitated for a moment. In front of so many people, he was really going to lick the boots covered with stinky mud. At this time, Zhao Paner's slightly cold voice came out from the crowd:
"Chi Pan, you are such a coward, if you have the guts, stretch out your neck for him to chop off, and within three days, I bet he will have to go to hell to play with you!"
Zhao Pan'er stepped out of the crowd. Seeing that she had ruined his good deeds, Ren Tidian said with a sinister look on his face:
"Where did this woman come from? You are talking nonsense here!"
"I'm talking nonsense?"
With Yuan Xudong's secret support, Zhao Pan'er was naturally not afraid of Ren Tidian. Her teahouse happened to be ruined and she had no place to vent her anger. Then she saw Ren Tidian taking advantage of his power to bully others and insulting business people. Wouldn't that mean she would be scolded as well?
With something to rely on in her heart, Zhao Pan'er looked at Ren Tidian and said unyieldingly:
"May I ask, as a river official, what right do you have to kill people in the street without a trial? Do you not respect the laws of the country?"
Ren Tidian's eyes flickered, and he explained forcefully:
"He delayed the river business, so I can punish him!"
Seeing Ren Tidian's evasive gaze, Zhao Paner smiled and said:
"The so-called wharf boss is just the leader of the civilian foot trade. Cleaning and maintaining the wharf, dredging and repairing the river are supposed to be your responsibilities. When will it be our turn? Chi Yanei is willing to assist because he is grateful for the emperor's grace and wants to repay the court. What do you mean by pointing fingers and making irresponsible remarks here?"
“Bold!”
Being rebuked by Zhao Pan'er, Ren Tidian could only use his authority to show off his power, but Zhao Pan'er was not afraid at all. She crossed her arms and said in a rather willful manner:
"I'm just being bold. I've been unlucky today anyway, so I might as well say it straight. You said that merchants are the lowest class among the scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans. If you have the ability, don't drink the wine sold by merchants, don't wear the clothes sold by merchants, and don't eat the food transported by merchants. There are no farmlands in Tokyo City a long time ago. Except for scholars, most of the people standing here are merchants of all sizes. While they are working hard to repair the river, what are you doing? Oppressing the people and showing off your power?"
"Well, well said, well said!"
"Well, good job, my lady!"
The onlookers cheered and applauded. Ren Tidian became angry and framed him:
"Someone, come and capture this bitch. A few days ago, there was a demon on the Bian River and a female prisoner escaped. I recognize her now. It's you!"
"You are slandering me. She is Madam Zhao, the owner of the Banzhaimian Teahouse, not some hat monster!"
Seeing that Ren Ti Dian wanted to arrest Zhao Pan'er, Chi Yanei could not help but speak out for help. Zhao Pan'er saved him, and he could not pretend to be a coward. Seeing that their own yamen dared to resist Ren Ti Dian, He Si, Lu Wu and others also stood up from the ground, holding pickaxes and other tools to confront Ren Ti Dian and others.
Seeing so many people resisting, Ren Tidian led his followers to retreat step by step. He said in a timid tone:
"Anyone who colludes with the Hat Monster will be considered his accomplice and will be killed without mercy. Do you want to rebel?"
"Well said. Anyone who colludes with the Hat Monster can be considered his accomplice and will be killed without mercy!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Xudong stepped out of the crowd of onlookers, followed by Sun Sanniang and several guards from the Xiao mansion. Originally, Yuan Xudong just wanted Zhao Pan'er to help Chi Yanei out so that Chi Yanei would owe her a huge favor, but he didn't expect that this dog official would just open his mouth and falsely accuse Zhao Pan'er of being an accomplice of the hat monster. If Zhao Pan'er was just an ordinary lady without anyone to support her, her fate would be predictable. Since this dog official wanted to die, Yuan Xudong decided to help him. He could falsely accuse Zhao Pan'er of being an accomplice of the hat monster, and Yuan Xudong could naturally also falsely accuse him of being an accomplice of the hat monster. Whoever has more power will have his words as evidence. Yuan Xudong is the national teacher of the Song Dynasty, and he also has a gold medal bestowed by the emperor as if he were present in person. Naturally, he can easily kill a small person like Ti Dian.
"Who are you?"
Yuan Xudong was wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat. Ren Tidian didn't see his face clearly, but he felt that his voice was as powerful as gold and jade. He didn't dare to act rashly. Yuan Xudong didn't continue to talk nonsense with him, but directly took out the gold medal that sounded like the emperor's presence and said:
"This is a gold medal bestowed by the government. Listen carefully. I suspect this person is the hat monster. Catch him and you will be rewarded handsomely!"
Seeing that Yuan Xudong had taken out the emperor's gold medals, Chi Yanei was excited. He was just afraid of Ren Tidian's official status. Now that he had Yuan Xudong's support, he could take the opportunity to take revenge. These thoughts flashed through his mind, and before Ren Tidian and others could react, Chi Yanei rushed up with He Si, Lu Wu and others. The result was self-evident. Ren Tidian's side had only a few people, and a real fight broke out. They didn't even dare to draw their swords, for fear of causing a fight among the crowd.
After a fight, Ren Ti Dian, with a bruised face and nose, and several of his followers were lying in the mud. At this time, Chi Yanei became a little scared again. He took his men to beat Ren Ti Dian. Ren Ti Dian didn't dare to provoke Yuan Xudong, so what should he do if he caused trouble for himself?
As if knowing Chi Yanei's concerns, Yuan Xudong walked up to him and said with a smile:
"Chi Yanei, you are really embarrassed today. How about you, do you want to save your face?"
"Of course I would. Would you like to help me?"
After being humiliated by Ren Tidian, Chi Yanei became polite to Yuan Xudong. This was a good thing, indicating that Chi Yanei had grown up and was no longer as willful as a child.
Yuan Xudong thought Chi Yanei was a decent guy and could be of some use to him, so he whispered:
"My wife's teahouse went bankrupt, and now she wants to open a restaurant. Hasn't your Yong'an Restaurant always been losing money? You give it to my wife, and if it loses in the future, it's yours, and if it makes money, we split it in half. How about that, you won't lose money, right?"
"Am I not at a disadvantage?"
Chi Yanei looked at Yuan Xudong with a look that said "Do you think I'm an idiot?" He felt that Yuan Xudong was insulting his intelligence. In fact, his feeling was right. Yuan Xudong was insulting his intelligence. Yuan Xudong confidently analyzed the situation for him:
"Think about it, your Yong'an Building has been losing money. If it continues to lose money after my wife takes over, then it will be the same as before. On the contrary, if my wife makes money, you can get half of it. Isn't it a sure win?"
“It seems to make sense!”
Chi Yanei frowned slightly and said:
"But why do I feel like it's a bit weird?"
"It's okay. Sometimes I also find it strange. How did you become the head of twelve trading companies in Tokyo?"
"My dad gave it to me!"
“I understand!”
…
Afterwards, Yuan Xudong briefly interrogated Ren Ti Dian, and with the help of threats and inducements from his subordinates, he obtained a written pledge without much effort. For these officials, it was difficult to prove that he was incorruptible, but it was very easy to prove that he had done a lot of bad things. The difficulty of the two was roughly equivalent to finding a three-legged toad and a two-legged person. With Yuan Xudong's efforts, Ren Ti Dian was directly tattooed with a tattoo and exiled three thousand miles away to Yashan to reflect on his past.
Dealing with Ren Tidian was also considered as helping Chi Yanei to avenge his hatred. In addition, Chi Yanei wanted the Xiao family to protect his business, so he sold Yong'an Tower to Yuan Xudong at a low price. As the largest and most luxurious high-end restaurant in Tokyo City, Yuan Xudong spent a full hundred coins, which almost moved Chi Yanei to tears. He kept praising Yuan Xudong for his talent for business and said it would be a pity if he didn't go into business.
In fact, Yuan Xudong didn't care about money. He had no interest in money. He just loved his wife. He gave Yong'an Tower to Zhao Pan'er and others. What's more, the wives Yuan Xudong married were all very powerful. Yong'an Tower was too big and too luxurious. Chi Yanei had been losing money, but Zhao Pan'er and others made money, and they made a lot of money. They organized a Huayue Banquet with dancing by Hu Ji, poetry appreciation, food tasting, etc. There were many activities, different every day, and customers were divided into different levels.
All in all, Yuan Xudong felt that it was an ancient version of a high-end club, the kind that any man with money would want to go and see, and after entering, they would not treat the money as money at all. Fortunately, Yuan Xudong was there to protect them, otherwise, such a profitable business would have been taken away by several women long ago. Sometimes, Yuan Xudong would secretly go to Yong'an Building to try something new. Don't get me wrong, Yong'an Building is a formal club, full of elegant things, if there really was something like that, it would be considered inferior, because there were many brothels in ancient times, and those literati and poets preferred places of spiritual enjoyment like Yong'an Building.
