Liu Yong returned home in despair, and the couple hid in their room and sighed.
Liu Yong said to Hong Ying: "Twenty thousand taels of silver, I just gave it with grit. Besides, Mr. Chen also helped us, which is a favor to him. In fact, Mr. Chen is right. If you give this money, it will be considered a loss."
Disaster eliminated.
Hong Ying said: What you said makes sense. This money must be given. If other silk shops can't pay it, we will pay it first.
Liu Yong asked: How much money is left in the silk shop's account?
Hong Ying replied: There are ten thousand taels of silver in the account that have not been touched, and the rest must be withdrawn from the bank.
Liu Yong said: Don't touch the money in the account. Take all the 20,000 taels from the bank and deposit it to Guangji Bank tomorrow.
Both Liu Yong and Hong Ying thought that Mr. Chen's matter was easy to solve, but buying a gun for gambling king Huang Wenjin was a big trouble. The couple discussed it all night, but they couldn't come up with a result.
The next morning, Liu Yong had breakfast, went to the bank to get money, and then went to Guangji Bank. After finishing his work, he hurried home. The streets were noisy, and several Taiping soldiers were escorting a businessman-looking man through the streets.
And then, it looked like he was going to kill someone again.
Liu Yong asked passers-by on the street: Who are they going to kill?
A passer-by said: You don’t know, he is the salt merchant boss Lu. He privately donated money to the government to fight against the Taiping Army, but was caught by King Du. Do you think he can still survive?
Liu Yong was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat and hurried back. When he got home, he said to Hong Ying: This is not the way people live. If this continues, something big will happen sooner or later.
Hong Ying said calmly: Anyway, there are still a few days, and there will be a way for the car to reach the mountain. Let's think of a way!
Liu Yong said anxiously: A few days have passed in a flash, what else can be done? Thirty-six tactics are the best, let's escape.
Hong Ying said helplessly: It seems that this is the only way.
They thought about it and concluded that there were currently seven members of the Liu family, so it was only possible to disperse and flee. Liu Yongniang was old and could not walk long distances, but she was the least noticeable, so she was allowed to go first.
After receiving the message from his sister Hong Ying, Song Hongsheng and his mother immediately drove a carriage to the town, pretending to be visiting relatives. In the evening, Liu Yongniang put on Song Hongsheng's mother's clothes and fled to the countryside to hide.
After seeing off Liu Yongniang, Liu Yong and Hong Ying breathed a sigh of relief. For them, it was a big deal that their family members could escape.
The next thing to consider is the four children. Dongmei and Qiumei are from a girl's family. Anlan and Anjiang are still young and can't live without their families. Finally, Liu Yong and Hong Ying decided that the six of them would not separate. They took advantage of the early morning guard to get tired.
When the time comes, he quietly escapes.
Before dawn the next day, Liu Yong carried An Lan on his back and Hong Ying held An Jiang in his arms and secretly came out from behind. The guarding Taiping soldiers were dozing off, giving them a chance to escape.
However, An Jiang suddenly woke up from his sleep and cried loudly. The Taiping Army on duty was awakened by An Jiang's cries and intercepted Liu Yong's family and brought them to King Du.
Hearing that Liu Yong's family was about to escape, Huang Wenjin was furious and shouted: Take him out and chop off his head.
The military advisor on the side grabbed King Du and whispered: Your Majesty, if Liu Yong is really killed, no one will be able to get guns for us.
King Du waved his hand: Then lock them all up!
King Du imprisoned all six members of their family. In order to make Liu Yong compromise, he, Hong Ying, and the children were imprisoned separately.
Liu Yong knew that he was bound to die. In order to save his wife and children, he prepared to commit suicide on a hunger strike. If he died, King Du would have no reason to imprison Hong Ying and his children.
Dongmei and Yin Qiumei were together, while Hong Ying, An Lan and An Jiang were locked up next door to them. The crying sounds of the two sisters kept coming from the next door. Hong Ying hugged the frightened An Lan and An Jiang, and she felt extremely heartbroken.
Liu Yong's family was arrested, and Liu Hengshun Silk Shop was naturally closed. The shopkeepers were afraid that they would be implicated, so they dispersed. Only Liu Yong's cousin Liu Ting and his shopkeeper Zhang Song did not leave. They closed the door tightly and guarded the warehouse.
Liu Yong was locked inside, thinking: The whole family is locked up here, waiting to die. Only by finding a way out by himself can he possibly rescue his wife and children. So, he asked the guard to bring a message saying: Only by going out by himself can he think of something. Get a gun. How can you get a gun by locking him here?
The military advisor thought deeply and said to Huang Wenjin: Liu Yong's words are reasonable. Anyway, Liu Yong's wife and children are in our hands. The monk can't leave the temple if he can leave.
King Du said angrily: These traitors are extremely cunning.
The night was already very deep. Hong Ying looked at An Lan and An Jiang who had fallen asleep, and thought: The whole family is locked up here. The only way to have hope is to get out, otherwise they will just wait to die here. It doesn't matter if they are themselves safe, the four children , and Liu Yong, if something unexpected happens, how will she explain to the dead? Now it seems that she may have hope to save the four children, Liu Yong, and the whole Liu family. So she asked the guard to bring a message Give it to Huang Wenjin, saying he can get a gun.
King Du laughed angrily: This is such a big joke, even men can't do it. How can she, a female prostitute, get a gun?
The military advisor on the side rolled his eyes and said: Your Majesty, not necessarily. Sometimes women have more connections than men, especially beautiful women, who are easy to impress men. Maybe she really has a way. You might as well ask her.
King Du sneered and said: The more beautiful a woman is, the more cunning she is. She may not be able to bear the pain of prison, and she may want to sell her husband for glory.
The military advisor ordered the guards to bring Song Hongying over.
The guards took the order and escorted Hong Ying into the house.
After Hong Ying came in, he paid homage to King Du with a calm expression and said: The daughter of the people, Liu Song, pays homage to the king.
King Du asked coldly: What do you have to say?
Hong Ying said: It's not that the daughter of the people had anything to say, but the husband of the daughter of the people asked the daughter to go back and report to the prince, "Your Majesty, I can get a gun for you."
King Du was shocked and wondered what kind of medicine Hong Ying was selling in the gourd.
Seeing that King Du was about to get angry, the military advisor hurriedly scolded Hong Ying: You woman, don't talk nonsense. Even your men say they can't get guns, how can you get them? If you dare to tease the prince, your crime will be increased. .
Hong Ying said calmly: "Your Majesty is generous, and the daughter of the people does not dare to make fun of her life. The daughter of the people's husband is doing business in Shanghai, and the daughter of the people also knows a few foreigners. She can ask them to think of a solution."
Du Wangdao: You don't want to leave this family and run away, do you?
The military advisor agreed: That's right, the child was not born to you anyway, and you have nothing to miss. Your lord, why don't I ask Liu Yong again?
Hong Ying said anxiously: "Your Majesty, it's useless for you to ask my husband. I'll tell you the truth. A famous girl is a personal friend of several foreigners. If you ask my husband, he will definitely not know."
King Du said angrily: "Then you, a slut, dare to have an affair with a foreigner in secret, so drag her out and chop off her head."
Hong Ying was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and knelt down and said: Your Majesty, please calm down. The famous woman only wanted to get a gun for your Majesty, so she told the truth.
The military advisor said to Huang Wenjin: Regardless of whether she is having an affair with a foreigner or hooking up with a foreigner, we just need to get a gun now.
Hong Yingdao: At this point, it won’t help if you put our family in jail. Why don’t you trust me once. However, in order to get the gun, the famous woman also has some requirements:
King Du glanced sideways at Hong Ying and said: Do you still make demands of me?
Hong Ying said: I want to ensure the safety of my husband and children; don’t tell anyone about the famous girl buying a gun, including my husband; the prince must give the famous girl a road, otherwise the goods will not be able to pass on the road.
The military advisor suggested: Your Majesty, although this woman's words cannot be fully believed, it does not appear to be a fraud. Anyway, Liu Yong and the child are still being detained. It is better to let her out and see whether she is real or not.
King Du thought for a long time and said: If you can really get the gun, I will keep my promise and I will not ask you for it in vain. I will give it to you for 100 oceans per gun. He also said to the military advisor: You can handle this matter quietly, then