Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jinling, the official residence of the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works.

When Jia Cong and others heard Liu Shilun say that these Ottoman fine irons could be used to make two hundred gun barrels, their faces changed.

Liu Yong even exclaimed: "That means they can produce 200 firearms. Is the Zhen family in Jinling planning a rebellion?

Lord Jia, this is a huge incident. I will go back and report it to Captain Ge immediately.

I don’t believe Zhen Shiwen can withstand the torture of the Jinyiwei. He will tell you everything he knows!”

Jia Cong said, "Brother Zhao, please don't do that. If you do that, I'm afraid the Jinyiwei will never be able to find out the details of this matter!"

After hearing this, Liu Yong looked a little confused.

Jia Cong continued, "The Zhen family of Jinling is a prominent family in the area, on par with the four great families of Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue.

When I first arrived in Jinling, I heard that the father and daughter of the second branch of the Zhen family were both outstanding people. They made an astonishing fortune for the Zhen family through maritime trade, and people in the streets called them Zhen Bancheng.

The Zhen family holds both official positions and inexhaustible wealth. If there is a group of people in this world who are least likely to rebel, it is the Zhen family of Nanjing.

As the eldest son of the Zhen family, Zhen Shiwen would not be unaware of the importance of this. It is hard to believe that he hoarded the fine iron for making guns in order to rebel in the future.

The biggest possibility is that he was entrusted or instructed by someone!
Zhen Shiwen grew up in a noble family in Jinling. He would not be a man without insight. He would know the risks of privately storing items related to firearms.

But he did it anyway. I think there are two reasons.

The first is that doing this thing can bring him huge benefits, which are far greater than the risks he needs to take.

The second reason is a little harder to explain, that is, he did it under duress.

However, the Zhen family has great power and wealth in Jinling. How many people in Jinling City are capable of coercing the eldest son of the Zhen family?

Therefore, I am more inclined to the first possibility, that Zhen Shiwen was instructed to do this in order to gain huge benefits.

Today, the Jinyiwei were in full view of the public, with great power, searching shops and arresting people to the Jinyiwei Thousand Households Office. I'm afraid the news has spread throughout Jinling by now.

The person who ordered it should have known about it a long time ago, and should have been on high alert and prepared a way to escape. If this person really had the courage to privately manufacture 200 muskets, there was nothing he couldn't do.

As long as Zhen Shiwen cannot leave the Qianhu Suo for most of the day, I am afraid that the relevant people and evidence will be destroyed without a trace.

By then, what would be the point of the Jinyiwei capturing Zhen Shiwen?

Furthermore, although this batch of fine iron was found in the Zhen family’s shop, it cannot serve as direct evidence of illegality.

Without any concrete evidence, torturing the eldest son of the Zhen family in Jinling would probably cause big trouble for the Jinyiwei, not to mention that Zhen Shiwen's father, Zhen Yingjia, was the president of the Ti-Ren Academy and a third-rank official.

The Zhen family also has an old concubine who holds a high position in the palace, and these are not things that the Jinyiwei can easily touch.”

……

When Liu Yong heard this, he felt a chill in his heart and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He thought he was a little impulsive and almost got into trouble.

The Zhen family is not an ordinary family. They cannot be attacked with ordinary methods.

Even if Jia Cong had not reminded him, Ge Zhicheng, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was a shrewd and experienced man and would definitely not let himself act recklessly. In the end, he would be the one who was exposed.

When Jia Cong cracked the major case of the Water Conservancy Bureau, Liu Yong had personally experienced it and knew that Jia Cong was meticulous and extraordinary.

Now, seeing that he was able to deduce the cause of the whole incident in just a moment based on the information provided by Liu Shilun, I couldn't help but admire him.

He made up his mind not to make any more rash suggestions, and it turned out that the commander was right to ask him to listen more to Jia Cong's opinions.

Liu Yong asked, "Lord Jia means to play the long game and catch the big fish. Release Zhen Shiwen from the Qianhu Office as soon as possible and pretend that nothing happened."

Jia Cong replied: "Since Zhen Shiwen has been imprisoned, the necessary interrogation procedures must still be followed, but he must be released as soon as possible.

It's just that letting him go too easily seems to arouse suspicion, and if there is an explanation or a reason, then there will be no loopholes."

Jia Cong handed the fine iron that Liu Shilun brought back to Liu Yong and said: Brother Liu, please ask your capable men to put this fine iron back into the Zhen family warehouse.

And we must not let the Zhen family know about it."

Liu Yong smiled and said, "This is easy, Lord Jia, don't worry."

At this time, the police outside came to report that Liu Xian, the manager of the Zhen family in Jinling, wanted to see Lord Jia and was now waiting outside the yamen.

When Jia Cong heard this, he was moved. Just as he mentioned the matter of the Zhen family, someone from the Zhen family came to his door, so he asked the servants to invite them to the outer hall for a meeting.

……

Liu Xian waited in the outer hall for a while, and then saw a handsome young man wearing the uniform of a fifth-rank official walking into the inner hall.

Liu Xian had naturally heard of Jia Cong's name, and he also knew that the mansion was considering him as the third lady's marriage proposal.

As the trusted steward of the Second House and Miss Zhen San's right-hand man, he naturally paid more attention to Jia Cong. He was secretly surprised to find that Jia Cong was even more outstanding than the legend said.

Jia Cong asked, "Is this Liu, the steward of the Zhen residence?"

Liu Xian smiled and said, "I am Liu Xian, on the orders of my master Miss Zhen San, to deliver a letter to Lord Jia."

Jia Cong took the letter and unfolded it, and what came into view was a beautiful and elegant handwriting. Although it was obvious that it was written by a woman, the brushstrokes were concealed and revealed a heroic spirit.

……

Weiyuanbo Rumian:
I have long heard that your Excellency is a man of both civil and military talents, extremely intelligent and brilliant, with his anecdotes spread throughout the world and his reputation spread throughout the south of the Yangtze River. Out of the friendship of aristocratic families and the righteousness of fellow men, it is a pity that I have not had the opportunity to meet you in Nanjing.

The Zhen family of Jinling is a family that values ​​grace and righteousness, and their mission is to benefit the common people and open up trade routes.

Mu Xinchun is a company that makes incense business in the south of the Yangtze River. I am honored to have the attention of Mr. Qu and to have his seal of approval written on his name. I sincerely look forward to your continued success in business in the south of the Yangtze River.

Now my elder brother, whose real name is Shiwen, has been temporarily imprisoned in the Jinyiwei Thousand Households Office in the secondary capital due to a crime. I have heard that you, young master, have many friends and are respected as a member of a noble family. All the consultants in the government look up to you for your great reputation.

Thinking of the friendship between our noble family and others for generations, I hope that you can help and assist my brother to relieve his distress and danger. I will be deeply grateful.

In order to choose a better time, set the wine cups and sweep the bed, compose poems and play the zither, toast with friends and enjoy harmony with the family.

Written by Fang Qing on August 20, the 14th year of Jiazhao.

……

When Jia Cong saw the letter from Miss Zhen San, he could not help but marvel at the simple and elegant words, the free and easy demeanor, and the generosity of the lady, without any trace of the delicate and timidity of a girl.

The daughters of wealthy families never step out of the house and seldom see the world.

The only thing that was different was Miss Zhen San, as she was the one in charge of all the family's social arrangements.

Yingchun and Daiyu had mentioned to him at the beginning that the third daughter of the Zhen family was a very distinguished girl, but now it seemed a little strange.

I was just worried that if the Jinyiwei released Zhen Shiwen too easily, it might arouse suspicion.

But he didn't expect that when he was about to doze off, Miss Zhen brought him a pillow. The meaning of Miss Zhen San's letter was very clear. She said that she had business dealings with Xinchunhao to show their close relationship. She knew that she had a close relationship with Jinyiwei and asked her to help rescue Zhen Shiwen.

He smiled at Liu Xian and said, "I have heard about this matter from my subordinates, and now the Third Miss has entrusted me with this matter. The Jia and Zhen families are old friends, so I will definitely help.

I will go to the Jinyiwei Qianhu Office later, please tell the third lady for me and ask her to rest assured. "

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Liu Xian was stunned. He originally wanted to ask Jia Cong to help him get the person back from the Jinyiwei, after all, it was a matter that required favors and face.

Besides, the Third Young Master was involved in smuggling firearms, which was somewhat taboo, not to mention it involved the sinister and eccentric Jinyiwei.

Even if Jia Cong was afraid of getting into trouble and made excuses to shirk responsibility, it was actually human nature.

Even if he took into consideration the long-standing friendship between our two families, he would still ask me the reason first, and then consider it carefully before doing anything. This is normal human relations and official conduct.

But I didn't expect that after reading the third lady's letter, he agreed without much hesitation. What did the third lady write in the letter to make him so kind-hearted...

……

Jinling, Rongyufang, Zhen’s House.

After Liu Xian came back from the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works, he entered the Hongxuan Hall outside the second gate of the Zhen Mansion, and asked the maid to go to the inner house to pass a message to the third Miss Zhen.

After a while, the maid came back and said that the third lady had taken her personal maid to several old shops in the city to check the accounts an hour ago, and she has not returned yet.

Liu Xian waited in Hongxuan Hall for a meal before he saw Miss Zhen San coming back with her maid Bei'er.

The little maidservant Bei'er held a stack of account books under her armpit and a heavy short stick in her right hand, and followed Miss Zhen San closely.

When Zhen Fangqing saw Liu Xian, he asked, "After the letter was sent, how did Jia Cong respond?"

Liu Xian said: "After reading the letter, Master Jia agreed to go to the Jinyiwei to plead for the Third Master to be released as soon as possible."

Zhen Fangqing's eyes flickered as he asked, "He agreed to this right away without even asking for the reason?"

Liu Xian said: "After reading the letter from the young lady, I didn't ask anything else, but just agreed to this matter and asked the young lady to rest assured. Did the young lady think there was something wrong?"

Zhen Fangqing said quietly, "In order to withdraw the money from the old shop as quickly as possible, I told the old lady that I would personally ask Jia Cong to come forward.

I sent the letter to Jia Cong as a gesture to my family.

The third brother was involved in smuggling firearms. To rescue him from the Jinyiwei is not as simple as asking for a meal.

Although the Zhen and Jia families are old friends, Jia Cong and we have never met before, so how can we have any friendship?

Although I have never seen him, I have heard a lot about him. He must be a man of great wisdom and careful planning, and he definitely does not seem like a soft-hearted person.

At that time, a major case involving the Water Conservancy Bureau involved two sons of the Shi family in Jinling. The Shi family came to him for help, hoping that he could come forward to rescue them, but he refused to even see them.

Many people in Jinling knew about this matter. The Shi family was his grandmother's maiden family, so he was so decisive and resolute.

How can our Zhen family compare with the Shi family? Although I asked you to deliver the letter, I don't have much hope that Jia Cong can help.

I didn't expect him to agree to it without asking the reason, just based on my letter. Isn't that strange?"

……

In fact, when Liu Xian went to deliver the letter to Jia Cong just now, he was a little surprised that the other party agreed to this matter so readily.

It's just that he is not as meticulous and thoughtful as Miss Zhen San, and can't analyze it in such detail.

Zhen Fangqing said, "Just now, while Uncle Xian was delivering a letter to Jia Cong, I struck while the iron was hot and went to several shops to withdraw silver, and checked the accounts and treasury funds.

Finally, I found this thing in the storeroom of Haiyun Pavilion."

She took the short stick from the maid Bei'er, handed it to Liu Xian, and said, "Uncle Xian, do you recognize this thing?"

Liu Xian took the short stick and looked at it for a few seconds, his eyes showing surprise, and said: "Third Miss, this should be high-quality refined iron from abroad.

The Xue family of Jinling is also the imperial merchant of the Imperial Household Department. Their Ziyun Pavilion purchases a certain amount of this fine iron for the Arsenal of the Ministry of War every year to forge high-quality swords and weapons.

I have some personal friendship with the manager of the Xue family and have seen this item in their shop.

However, this kind of high-quality fine iron is strictly controlled by the government. It is purchased in fixed quantities each time and its usage is recorded in a register. It rarely flows into the public.

Although it is not a banned item among the people like firearms, ordinary people have no use for it.

How could there be something like this in the Haiyun Pavilion's warehouse? This kind of high-quality refined iron is not easy to buy."

Zhen Fangqing looked solemn and said, "Uncle Xian is indeed knowledgeable. There are quite a few of these things in the Haiyun Pavilion warehouse. I counted them and there are a total of 104 pieces.

I heard from the shop owner that these fine irons were delivered by land five days ago. My third brother received the goods personally and said that they would be used to update and forge the anchors of the Zhen family's ships.

I was worried, so I took this piece of fine iron to consult an experienced blacksmith in the city. He said it was top-grade fine iron from the Ottoman Empire.

Not only can it be used to make a sword that can cut through iron like mud, but it can also be used to make the barrel of a firearm!"

Liu Xian's face changed drastically when he heard this, and he said, "Why did the Third Master hide so much high-quality iron? What does he want to do?"

Zhen Fangqing sneered and said, "He smuggled muskets before and brought in an unidentified Englishman. The old silversmith you found investigated this man and said he might be a blacksmith.

Now the third brother is hoarding fine iron that can be used to cast gun barrels. What do you think he wants to do? !

Even if we ask him, he will only say that the fine iron is used to cast anchors, and he won't tell us the truth..."

What I am thinking about now is not whether my third brother will tell the truth, but how a woman like me can find something strange about this batch of fine iron in Haiyun Pavilion.

It was extremely unusual that the Jinyiwei, with a clerk from the Firearms Department who was proficient in firearms, went into the store to search but nothing happened.

Moreover, when you sent the letter to Jia Cong, he agreed without hesitation to help get the third brother out of the Jinyiwei, as if it was a piece of cake for him... "

Zhen Fangqing frowned and walked back and forth in the hall a few times. Liu Xian knew that this was the usual behavior of the third young lady when she encountered difficulties.

Zhen Fangqing suddenly stopped, his eyes sparkling, and said to Liu Xian: "Uncle Xian, you must immediately arrange for reliable personnel to transport the silver drawn from the five old shops as soon as possible.

All the cash was exchanged for silver notes for collection. In addition, during the past two days, business materials were counted and the silver that could be diverted was gradually transferred to Xiuwen Pavilion.

I secretly look for buyers for the idle land and shops at home, so they can be liquidated whenever needed."

Liu Xian's face changed. He had lived in the mansion for his entire life and had heard and seen a lot of things. Naturally, he understood that the third lady was preparing a way out.

She said with some worry: "Miss San, if you do this, I'm afraid that Master San will notice. Although the current situation sounds a bit bad, the Zhen family is a big family in Jinling, and Master San is still an official. It shouldn't be this serious, right?"

Zhen Fangqing's pretty face was full of charm, revealing a calm and composed expression, and she said: "Third brother's recent incidents have become increasingly dangerous, and he will not report his actions to the Second House.

As a woman, I have already attracted a lot of gossip by managing the family business, and I am not allowed to interfere in the affairs of the first wife.

But I can't watch the family business left by my father being destroyed. It will never be wrong to make more plans and preparations. " (End of this chapter)