Chapter 156: Having Ulterior Motives, Establishing Authority!
"Be careful, be careful, this is my favorite vase."
"The box is too heavy. Come and help me with the handle."
"Who is that? Go and fetch a horse."
At the entrance of the Zhou Family Courtyard, busy figures of servants shuttled back and forth. They either carried heavy luggage on their shoulders, or carefully carried delicate porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, and kept moving them to the motorcade at the entrance of the Zhou Family Courtyard.
…
Among the many carriages, one made of sandalwood and inlaid with silver wire stood out.
Zhou Xintong sat there, wearing an exquisite brocade robe, looking through the half-open car curtain from time to time.
"Is everything arranged?"
The old servant standing guard outside the carriage smiled and said: "Go back to the Fifth Young Master, everything is ready now."
"Then don't delay, let's go." Zhou Xintong said, closing the car curtain.
The old servant stepped forward and shouted: "The fifth young master has an order, let's set off!"
At his order, the Zhou family, which had been prepared for a long time, seemed to be driven by an invisible force and drove towards the city gate in a mighty manner.
The wheels rolled over the bluestone road, making a dull and rhythmic sound.
Zhou Dingwen looked at the compound that he had worked so hard for, with mixed feelings in his heart.
"Father, are we really leaving Taiping County?" Zhou Jishan, who was sitting next to Zhou Dingwen, said reluctantly.
"Do you think I do?" Zhou Dingwen heard this and patted the back of his son's hand gently: "You don't know the power of my Zhou family in Yongzhou. Your uncle, uncle Qi, any one of them can kill us all with just one slap. The Zhou family is beaten to death, we dare not disobey the master’s order.”
"What's more, the Huangtian Sect will attack the city soon, and we will lose everything if we stay here. It is better to go to Yongzhou to save our lives, and we will come back when this place is calmed down."
Zhou Jishan still had great dissatisfaction on his face, and his eyes couldn't help but drift to the frame in front, looking a little resentful.
Without his interference, he would have taken over the Zhou family in Taiping County in a few years and controlled everything in the inner city.
But now that something has happened, all of this has become an illusion.
The family's assets were sold off, and the servants were dismissed. After this incident, they shrank by more than one-third.
Zhou Jishan was not a fool. He knew in his heart that when his family went to Yongzhou, they were leaving their hometown and living under someone else's roof. Life would be difficult in the future.
As the motorcade moved further and further away, the Zhou family compound gradually disappeared from the sight of Zhou Dingwen.
Taiping County is backed by mountains and faces the Weihe River.
The Weihe River is like a jade belt, surrounding Taiping County.
The morning sun poured down like molten gold on the not-wide river, making the surface of the river sparkling.
At this time, a huge building boat docked at a slightly old ferry on the bank of the Weihe River.
With its wide deck and angled eaves, it looks like a palace on the water, in sharp contrast to the simple fishing boats around it.
On the deck of the building, Zhou Hao, the steward of the Zhou family, who was looking into the distance, suddenly looked serious and ordered the servants around him: "Hurry up and prepare, the fifth young master is here."
At his order, the servants in uniforms and uniforms quickly jumped out of the boat and lined up neatly at the edge of the ferry, all of them with solemn expressions.
Steward Zhou Hao also disembarked and stood respectfully in front of the servants.
The convoy that the Zhou family left gradually approached, and within a moment they were under the building boat.
Zhou Hao walked quickly to the unique carriage and horse, bowed his hands and said, "Young Master is ready."
"Thank you, Manager Zhou, for helping Master Jiu and his family. This time they returned to the county town with their family, so they were in a hurry for a while."
"Yes, Fifth Young Master, I will definitely help you."
The carriage started moving again, and with the help of the servants, it was pulled directly into the building boat.
"The remaining people will help Zhou Jiuye carry the luggage to the ship."
Under Zhou Hao's order, the ferry, which had always been relatively deserted, became extremely lively today.
On the boat, Zhou Xintong walked into the private room on the third floor with ease.
This elegant room is only ten square meters in size. It has fruits, pastries, books, classics, stone locks, bows and arrows, swords and weapons.
Zhou Xintong sat behind the long desk, lit up his brain, and said to the old servant: "Uncle Tai, please go and ask Uncle Zhou Jishan and Zhou Congwutang to come over."
The old servant didn't ask anything, and jumped off the ship's building with a swoop. He found the two brothers Zhou Jishan and said, "My fifth young master, please come up."
Zhou Congwu's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly had a bad premonition, and said, "I wonder what the fifth young master wants from us?"
The old servant smiled and said: "How can I, a servant, know about the master's affairs?"
"Thank you." Zhou Jishan took his brother's wrist and took a step forward and said, "Let's go."
After Zhou Tai's old servant left, Zhou Jishan said to his younger brother Zhou Congwu: "I don't know what the fifth young master wants from us. We will remain unchanged in the future to cope with all changes. Don't talk nonsense."
"good."
The two of them went upstairs together and walked to the private room, where they saw Zhou Xintong drinking tea.
Zhou Jishan took a step forward and asked, "Fifth Young Master, are you looking for us?"
Zhou Xintong put down the tea cup in his hand and said to Zhou Jishan: "Uncle, three days have passed. Have you found out what you promised me?"
Zhou Jishan's expression changed and he explained: "The incident involving the Twelve Sisters has been in the past for a long time. At that time, we had already found out that these were all caused by family members."
Zhou Xintong, who was the head of the household, looked directly at Zhou Jishan and said, "Didn't you check the clues I gave you?"
"I……"
Zhou Xintong sneered: "It seems that my words don't work well with you, Uncle Tai."
Before he finished speaking, the old servant standing behind Zhou Congwu had already moved, and his speed was so fast that it was shocking.
He stretched out his five fingers and suddenly slapped Zhou Congwu's head like a pair of iron pliers.
Bang.
A crisp sound.
Zhou Congwu's eyes widened instantly, full of confusion and astonishment, but this emotion was fleeting, replaced by a sense of emptiness and confusion.
His body seemed to have been drained of all its strength, and he fell forward softly, his eyes were scattered, and he gradually lost his breath.
He died in front of Zhou Jishan.
Zhou Xintong picked up the teacup again, and his eyes did not stay on Zhou Jishan for even a second, as if he was just tasting the tea in the cup: "Now, does your cousin remember what he found out?"
The sudden change made Zhou Jishan pale, and his lips kept trembling slightly.
His five fingers were clenched tightly, and the joints were clearly visible, as if he was trying to control his emotions.
Zhou Jishan saw that the man in front of him did not regard him as a fellow clan member at all, but regarded their family as a servant and subordinate, and wanted to swallow up their family's foundation.
He did not say it earlier or later, but just attacked after they got on the boat. This was clearly intentional, using his brother's life to establish his authority!
Investigating the murderer was just an excuse!
Zhou Jishan had already inquired about it. The fifth young master of the eldest house in front of him had already reached the Jade Meridian Realm at a young age, and could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, as if he had already entered the Dao through martial arts.
He was no match at all.
Zhou Jishan's eyes flashed with despair.