After Li Xuan finished transmitting his voice to Yang Wanli, he clutched his stomach and rolled around on the eaves, laughing.
That's right, all of this was a scheme to sow discord between the Money Gang's high-ranking members and Prince Zheng.
Ever since they rescued Chen Tan that night and understood the current situation of the Money Gang, they had come up with a brilliant plan to break the deadlock.
First, a direct military confrontation was not advisable.
Not to mention the sensitive identities of Zhao Feng and Chief Steward Shang, Prince Zheng's side also had no shortage of skilled fighters.
The clash at the Ministry of Justice Prison, though both sides showed restraint, still revealed clues.
Moreover, the Internal Affairs Bureau forcibly intervening in the Money Gang's internal affairs could easily be seized upon by Prince Zheng's side as a weakness, allowing them to continue slandering Emperor Yongyuan's reputation in secret.
After much deliberation, relying on Chen Tan's familiarity with the Money Gang's internal information, they devised today's scheme.
The flirtatious sounds and Old Zhu's reprimands in the room just now were all Li Xuan's secret mischief.
As for Old Zhu himself, he had already been secretly led away by Zhao Feng.
The female relatives of the various hall masters were invited by Li Xuan through the door, by instructing the servants in the courtyard, and then all were drugged in Old Zhu's room.
Of course, although it was deep winter, there were several braziers for warmth in Old Zhu's room.
Li Xuan feared that the young ladies and madams might be too hot, so before leaving the room, he specifically undressed them and placed them on the bed to rest well.
It was just that the bed was too small, so Li Xuan could only stack the madams and young ladies haphazardly, creating a scene of intertwined jade bodies full of spring, possessing great artistic beauty.
If Old Zhu and the various hall masters saw it, they would definitely be pleasantly surprised.
When Li Xuan drugged the hall masters' wives and young ladies, he used the Internal Affairs Bureau's special intoxicating incense, which would keep them unconscious for a while.
What made Li Xuan feel a bit regretful was that these few hall masters of the Money Gang were too tolerant.
Just now in the courtyard, not a single person dared to break into the room to demand justice, making Li Xuan feel like he had wasted his efforts.
Moving so many people around was a very physically demanding task, wasn't it?
Especially for a Little Cat!
But no matter what, this rift has formed.
How many men can tolerate being cuckolded?
In the pugilistic world, there are many who treat brothers as limbs and women as clothes.
But whether they are centipede limbs or winter clothes, it depends on one's mood to interpret.
Few people can tolerate someone stealing their clothes and wearing them casually.
Li Xuan did not believe that these few hall masters could endure it for a while, let alone for a lifetime.
As long as their hearts are not united, there will naturally be a time of disintegration.
Coupled with Li Xuan and their efforts to fan the flames, it would not take too long.
Previously, Li Xuan had transmitted a message to Yang Wanli at the Money Gang's main headquarters, asking him to cooperate.
Chen Tan had given them a secret code that only the two of them understood.
As soon as Li Xuan said the secret code, Yang Wanli immediately cooperated without any suspicion.
At this point, even Li Xuan had to admit that Chen Tan and Yang Wanli's friendship was truly reliable; it seemed their bond as brothers was not just talk.
Yang Wanli, who was cooperating, also did not expect the scheme to be so vicious, and could only secretly lament that it truly resembled Chen Tan's style.
At this moment, he slowly walked to the front, and according to the previously set procedure, he paid respects to the former Gang Leader Chen Tan.
But at this moment, Yang Wanli's mood was vastly different; he still knew that Chen Tan was alive, and that sense of ease inevitably showed in his words and expressions.
The high-ranking members of the gang who were familiar with Yang Wanli only thought that he was eager to become the gang leader, and did not think much of it.
After finishing the eulogy, Yang Wanli went straight to the main topic.
"A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a gang cannot be without a master for a day!"
"The former gang leader was killed by the bandits of the Great Desert; if this grudge is not avenged, what face will our Money Gang have to stand in the pugilistic world in the future?"
"But the enemy is a high-ranking official of the Great Desert, so vengeance will certainly not be easy."
"Therefore, it requires even more a talented and virtuous elite within the gang to lead everyone and unite as one."
"All present are elders of the Money Gang, so please nominate the new gang leader here and lead us to avenge the blood feud of the Money Gang!"
"And I also ask all fellow martial artists here to bear witness, so that the world may know the fairness, justice, and transparency of our Money Gang's selection of a new gang leader."
Yang Wanli spoke eloquently, making the matter seem perfectly reasonable.
Everyone present nodded in unison, having already reached a tacit understanding.
Next was purely going through the motions; the entire Money Gang unanimously nominated Yang Wanli.
Yang Wanli even feigned humility three times before finally reluctantly accepting the position of the new gang leader.
"Alas, I am undeserving of everyone's kindness, Gang Leader Yang is truly ashamed."
"But since everyone is so strongly requesting it, this gang leader cannot refuse your good intentions."
"Please rest assured, brothers, this gang leader will definitely do his utmost for the bright future of the Money Gang!"
Warm applause erupted, and everyone uniformly began to shout:
"Gang Leader Yang, Gang Leader Yang, Gang Leader Yang…"
Li Xuan, watching from above, couldn't help but comment, "How awkward."
Seeing that Yang Wanli had already succeeded as the Money Gang leader, Li Xuan immediately transmitted a message to him:
"Later, take a few hall masters to break into Old Zhu's room."
"Don't worry, Old Zhu is not there."
Yang Wanli, who was originally waving his fists in response to everyone, paused his movements, but quickly covered it up, though the panic in his eyes still inevitably flashed.
After all, Old Zhu was a third-rank master; anyone would be afraid.
If caught red-handed, Old Zhu, in his rage, who knew if blood wouldn't be shed on the spot.
After the gang leader was chosen, the banquet proceeded in a joyous atmosphere.
The lively atmosphere at the banquet made one wonder if the former gang leader's passing was a joyous funeral.
An hour later, the banquet was drawing to a close.
Under Li Xuan's repeated urging, Yang Wanli had no choice but to bite the bullet and find the few hall masters.
"Brothers, this gang leader's current position would not be possible without your support!"
"What are you saying, gang leader? It's all our duty."
The hall masters, preoccupied with their own concerns, forced a smile and replied.
They were no longer in the mood to foster good relations with Yang Wanli; their minds were entirely on their female relatives who had not yet returned.
Recalling the sounds they heard earlier outside Old Zhu's room, they could only tip their heads back and pour wine down, a bitter drink for a pained heart.
"Since my brothers call me gang leader, there are some things I cannot ignore."
"I've thought about it, and I don't think this is how things should be!"
Upon hearing this, the hall masters were all somewhat surprised.
Yang Wanli had no female relatives, so strictly speaking, the recent events had nothing to do with him.
"Our Money Gang certainly admires the Prince, but no matter how much we admire him, it shouldn't be in this manner."
Hearing this, the eyes of the hall masters turned red again, and the few of them tacitly took a large gulp of bitter wine.
They did want to climb the high branch of Prince Zheng, that was true, but they never thought of offering their wives and daughters to serve him.
Moreover, if they were to offer someone, it should be Prince Zheng, not Old Zhu, a mere attendant.
Now that the Money Gang was just beginning, Old Zhu was already eager to oppress them; how could they live in the future?
At this moment, others might not know, but the hall masters present clearly felt some regret.
No matter what the Money Gang was like before, no one had ever demanded that they offer their wives and daughters for service.
At this moment, they somewhat missed Chen Tan's relaxed gang management philosophy.
"As your elder brother, I cannot stand by and watch my brothers be bullied like this."
"Moreover, even if this matter escalates to the Prince, we are in the right."
"But if we endure this time, I fear that in the future, your wives and nieces…"
Yang Wanli turned his head away in anguish, seemingly unable to continue speaking.
The hall masters were all brave men of the pugilistic world, yet Yang Wanli's few words brought tears to their eyes.
"Gang leader, please don't say anymore!"
"Please, elder brother, uphold justice for us!!!"
At this moment, the hall masters were completely convinced by Yang Wanli, and all their previous resentment vanished.
"Wuwuwu, elder brother, our hearts are bitter—"
The few of them were emotional, even wiping away tears on the spot.
The guests who remained at the banquet and had not yet departed, seeing this scene, were secretly surprised by the Money Gang's unity.
The hall masters crying and pledging loyalty to the new gang leader showed the unity of the gang.
"It seems that even without Chen Tan, the future of the Money Gang is still limitless!"
Many people, watching this scene, raised their opinion of the Money Gang even higher.
"Let's go, elder brother will take you to seek justice!"
Yang Wanli waved his hand and led the hall masters back to Old Zhu's courtyard.
Everyone at the banquet saw this scene; although curious where these people went, no one stepped forward to inquire further.
After all, this was the Money Gang's territory, and they could do whatever they wanted.
Arriving at the entrance of Old Zhu's courtyard, Yang Wanli's heart couldn't help but pound.
"Hero Mo, please don't harm me."
The hall masters saw Yang Wanli hesitate for a moment, but he ultimately led them in with determination.
At this moment, Yang Wanli's back instantly grew taller in the eyes of the hall masters.
Yang Wanli was not unaware of the consequences of provoking Old Zhu, but having become the gang leader, he chose to bear this responsibility, not letting his hall masters suffer any grievances.
"Gang leader~"
They called out in their hearts; Yang Wanli's prestige at this moment instantly surpassed that of the former Gang Leader Chen Tan by countless times.
"Compared to that guy Chen Tan, Yang Wanli is truly the demeanor of a gang leader!"
...
In the Internal Affairs Bureau, Chen Tan, who was recording the entanglement between the Money Gang and Prince Zheng, inexplicably sneezed.
Chief Steward Shang, beside him, asked with a smile, "Gang Leader Chen, are you catching a cold?"
"No, an old habit. It's probably someone thinking of me again."
Chen Tan said smugly, thinking it was one of his confidantes missing him again.
...
Back at the Money Gang's main headquarters, Yang Wanli, emboldened, quickly walked to Old Zhu's door.
This time, he immediately listened carefully to the sounds inside the room and found that the strange noises from before were gone.
Yang Wanli immediately took two quick steps, pushed open the door with a palm, and glanced inside.
His eyes involuntarily widened, and he subconsciously swallowed.
But his mouth calmly shouted, "Old Zhu, there's something I've tolerated from you for a long time!"
The hall masters didn't dare to follow in immediately. Yang Wanli noticed this, glanced at the bed a few more times, and then belatedly showed surprise.
"Brothers, come in quickly, your family members are all here."
As Yang Wanli spoke, he hastily covered his eyes with his sleeve, but only he knew how great the regret in his heart was.
Upon hearing this, the hall masters could no longer hold back and rushed in together.
Then they saw the stark white scene on the bed, and their blood immediately rushed to their heads.
They quickly took off their clothes and went to cover their family members.
It was just that their family members were intertwined, and it wasn't appropriate for anyone to separate them, so for a moment, they just stood in front of the bed, their next move stalled.
"Hey, what are you looking at, kid?!"
"What, what? I can't even look at my own wife?!"
"Bullshit, your wife is under my daughter, and you still dare to look?!"
"..."
The next moment, a fierce quarrel erupted in front of the bed; none of the hall masters would allow themselves to be at a disadvantage, so if you looked at me, I would look back at you.
It vividly explained the pugilistic world's style of seeking revenge for the smallest grievance, an eye for an eye.
"Brothers, stop arguing!"
"I'll go find someone convenient to help, otherwise it'll be even more troublesome later!"
With Yang Wanli's reminder, the hall masters remembered that Old Zhu could return at any time.
But looking at their intertwined family members on the bed, the grief and indignation resurfaced.
Knowing that this was not the time for internal strife, they quickly agreed to Yang Wanli's suggestion and felt ashamed of their childish behavior earlier.
After Yang Wanli went out to seek help, the hall masters were silent for a moment before someone spoke:
"Gang Leader Yang, he's really not what I thought he was."
"Indeed, without him, I wouldn't have dared to step in today…"
"To be honest, the first time I got to the door, I heard the sounds, but I didn't have the guts to break in."
"Who isn't like that? The voices of family members are too easy to recognize."
"What angers me more is how flirtatious my wife was just now!"
"Don't overthink it, it shouldn't be an affair, they were all forced."
"They are unconscious now, they must have been drugged."
Someone observant figured out some of the truth, but as soon as this was said, the hall masters all fell silent.
"You guys say, will Prince Zheng also be of the same virtue?"
"Watch your words!"
The room fell silent again, but they all likely had their own answers in their hearts.
Li Xuan crouched by the window, peeking through the crack, satisfied with the scheme's effect.
The personalities of the hall masters, the situations of their respective female relatives, plus Li Xuan's several days of effort to mimic the voices of the corresponding targets.
Today's move was conceived by Chen Tan, with details supplemented by the Two Chief Eunuchs, and then implemented by Li Xuan.
Originally, Chen Tan wanted Yang Wanli to mimic the voices, as that was his forte.
But Li Xuan volunteered, so this important task was given to him.
Now, with his voice transmission skills, imitating others' voices was not difficult.
Especially since the female relatives' voices only needed to be 'hmm' and 'ah,' and only two lines of Old Zhu's words needed to be learned, the pressure wasn't great.
Moreover, it could completely clear Yang Wanli of suspicion, killing two birds with one stone.
A moment later, Yang Wanli brought a woman.
This person was a mid-level member of the gang, trusted by Yang Wanli.
The hall masters were also relieved to see the person Yang Wanli brought.
After all, family shame should not be aired, and it was better if outsiders didn't know.
Yang Wanli had clearly considered this for them, which made the hall masters admire him even more.
With a woman present, things became much smoother.
Upon arrival, they had already prepared clothes, asking the female gang member to quickly drape them over the ladies and young misses, while Yang Wanli and the hall masters stood guard outside the door.
"But gang leader, what should we do when Old Zhu comes later?" a hall master asked.
Although the people had been rescued, Old Zhu would certainly ask questions when he returned.
Knowing that they had broken into his room, he would probably throw a tantrum.
No matter how they thought about it, this matter today could not end peacefully.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here!"
Yang Wanli said calmly.
Li Xuan, perched on the eaves, secretly chuckled, and just then sensed Old Zhu's aura returning to the courtyard.
"Hehe, the show's about to begin!"