This season's spring silkworm harvest was good, and the quality of the dried silkworms produced was also exceptionally good. As soon as it arrived at Shiliupu Pier, it was divided up by merchants from various countries. Liu Yong's raw silk was given to Mr. Seroff as promised.
Mr. Serlov brought a letter from Tang Yanghe. The letter said that everything was fine with Anlan and Anjiang, and they were both studying in a missionary school. Tangyanghe also personally taught them the Four Books and Five Classics. Anlan was diligent and studious, and was quite motivated; Anjiang also began to
Enlightenment, he learned foreign languages very quickly, and he was best able to integrate into the French children's circle and made many children. Tang Yanghe also said in the letter that he had expanded the market around France, and the supply of Jiliganjing was in short supply, so he asked Liu Yong to think of ways to increase production.
He also asked about the situation in Nanxun after the Taiping Army was pacified, as well as the safety of Liu Yong's family.
Liu Yong also wrote back a letter, which Mr. Toselov took back to Tang Yanghe.
Liu Yong told Tang Yanghe: The Liu family is still in peace for the time being. However, An Lan and An Jiang are not suitable to come back yet, so they asked Tang Yanghe to strictly control them. As for the production of Jili Ganjing, he has discussed with his colleagues in the Silk Industry Association and is preparing to purchase Hangjiahu silk.
The raw silk from the production area will be graded and sorted before being reprocessed into "Jiliganjing". After the samples come out, they will be taken to France.
Although Liu Yong had always told his mother that sending An Lan and An Jiang to France was to facilitate future business with foreigners, Liu Yong's mother always felt that it was uncomfortable not having her grandson around. She always urged Liu Yong to bring the children back to Nanxun as soon as possible.
Liu Yongniang said: When your father was alive, he said that you couldn't study when you were young because your family was poor, so he felt extremely regretful. He nagged me several times that in the future his grandchildren must study hard and come back with merit.
, only then can we truly honor the Liu family and honor our ancestors, otherwise no matter how much money we make, it will be of no use.
Liu Yong smiled and said: Who said money is not useful? If money is not useful, how did you get your fifth-grade imperial life?
Liu Yongniang curled her lips and said: It's still different. Last time when Mr. Dong Ge retired and returned to his hometown, Mrs. Dong entertained guests at her hometown in Linghu, and invited all the royal ladies in Huzhou. I went there happily after receiving the message, but ended up like this
feel bad.
Liu Yong asked strangely: What's wrong?
Liu Yongniang said: Although I am a royal wife like others, others received the reward because their sons became officials. When they talk about their own sons, they are all proud. They privately say that I bought my royal title with money. In fact,
I had no taste at all from this meal.
Liu Yong smiled and said: "What do you care about them? Their sons who are officials may not all be promoted by fame. They may also be officials bought with money. As long as you have money, is it not easy to buy an official?"
Liu Yongniang said half-jokingly and half-seriously: Then you should also donate an official position.
Liu Yong joked: Am I not an official at Lanling Guanglu Temple?
Liu Yongniang was amused by her son and said: What kind of "Sesame and Mung Bean Official" are you? It's useless.
Liu Yong saw that his mother was happy, so he took advantage of it and said: Mom, our house is almost finished. We are letting the gardener plant trees in the yard these days. I will take you to take a look and see what other ideas you have.
, it’s still too late to plant something.
Liu Yongniang said with great interest: OK, call your aunt, and let's go over and have a look.
Liu Yong took his mother and aunt into the new house to see it. The new house was built on the site of the original house and bought about twenty acres of land next to it.
Because there was a wall on the south side, they entered through the side door on the north side and saw a square courtyard. On the north side of the courtyard was a row of long corridors. They walked through the corridors and walked to the main hall. This showed the grandeur of the mansion. The front yard and halls were connected, and the floors were connected.
There are about twenty rooms upstairs and downstairs. The most amazing thing is that the backyard is a red brick French-style Western-style building. It was designed by French craftsmen and all the materials are from France. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary house.
I can't see the mystery hidden inside at all.
The aunt sighed: Ah Yong, you are so good at hiding your clumsiness. For such a big house, the palace is just like this.
Liu Yongniang said: "Ayong has a far-sighted vision. This house can accommodate generations of descendants."
Liu Yong smiled and said: Mom, you said you like living in a foreign-style house, so my son built this foreign-style house according to your wishes. From now on, you can sit on the terrace to bask in the sun and enjoy the cool breeze. There is also a pavilion in the garden in front of the foreign-style house.
, you can usually chat with your aunts and the others inside and look at the flowers.
Little Ju Niang said with envy: Ah Yong is so filial.
Liu Yong said: Aunt, please don't go back to Jiaxing again. Although my father is no longer here, our Liu family is still your natal family. Just stay with my mother and take care of yourself in our home.
Xiao Ju Niang's face lit up with joy. She smiled and said: Thanks to your filial piety, I will also get some blessings.
Liu Yongniang walked around the house and said: The house must be lived in, but the two grandsons are not coming back. Dongmei and Qiumei are about to go out. In such a big house, are we two old ladies the only ones with you?
live?
Liu Yong could hear there was something in his mother's words. Seeing that his mother was urging him to get married again, he immediately felt a headache. He blinked hard at his aunt. Little Ju Niang understood, and pulled Liu Yong Niang and said: Sister-in-law, let's go over and take a look. It was planted there.
What kind of tree is it? This species seems to be uncommon in Nanxun.
Liu Yong saw the opportunity and ran away quickly. When Liu Yong's mother turned around and saw her son, she said angrily: His aunt, look at my son, he is deliberately trying to make trouble with me.
Xiao Ju Niang advised: Sister-in-law, just be content. Who else in this town is more blessed than you? There are some things that you don't need to worry about, and it's useless for you to worry about them.
Liu Yongniang said: A home without a female housewife will not be like a home no matter how good it is.
Xiao Ju Niang said: That's true. My nephew is still young and busy in business, so someone has to take care of the family. These matchmakers are unreliable, so we should ask someone to pay attention to them ourselves.
The sister-in-law and sister-in-law went home to make plans and decided to step up the search for a wife for Liu Yong. They personally went out to visit relatives and friends to find out who had a suitable girl.
After unremitting visits by the aunt and sister-in-law, they finally found two girls. One was a girl from the Wangju family in Xundong, and the other was a Miss Pan from the dye house in Huzhou. Both of them had delayed their marriages due to the war, and were the same age as Xiaoju.
Similar, it would be appropriate to ask the horoscope.
That night, Liu Yong was really troubled, so he went to bed early saying he had a headache, and planned to go to Shanghai to hide for a while the next morning.
Liu Yongniang and Xiao Juniang were discussing in the room whether a girl from the Wang family was suitable or a girl from the Pan family. They each had their own reasons and kept arguing.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door outside the house. Liu Yongniang asked her maid Hongfeng to go out and take a look. Hongfeng opened the door and saw a group of government servants standing at the door holding torches.
Before Hongfeng could ask, the government officials broke into the gate of Silk Line.
The chief of the government officials stood in the courtyard and asked loudly: Where is Liu Yong? Come out quickly!
Liu Yongniang and Xiao Juniang came out after hearing the sound and saw that the person who came was not kind. Liu Yongniang said loudly: I am a fifth-grade imperial conferred by the imperial court. Who dares to be so presumptuous and yell in my house?
The leader of the government officials sneered and said: The prince broke the law and committed the same crime as the people. I am here to arrest the wanted criminal Liu Yong on the order of Mr. Nie Tai.
Liu Yongniang asked: My son has just received a commendation from the imperial court. What law and crime did he commit? How can we not explain it clearly?
The head of the yamen said: "You ask me, who should I ask? I am just doing a routine job and arresting the important criminal. Let Liu Yong come out quickly, otherwise we will have to search, and the crime will be increased by one level."
Seeing this, Xiao Ju Niang quickly stuffed money into the hands of the chief of the Yamen. When the chief of the Yamen saw the money, he softened his expression and said: Someone reported to Mr. Naitai that Liu Yong had an affair with the "Lance" in the past, and also delivered guns to them. This is
This is a heinous crime, and your Liu family may suffer a serious crime.
Liu Yongniang and Xiao Juniang were dumbfounded when they heard that Liu Yong helped the "Lang Spear" transport guns. They were stunned. They also knew what kind of crime it was.
At this time, Liu Yong heard a noise in the house. He quickly dressed up and walked towards the government officials. This scene had appeared in his mind countless times. When it really came, he was not as panicked as he imagined.
.
Seeing the panic and helplessness of his family members, Liu Yong felt pain in his heart. He kowtowed to his mother three times and said with a forced smile: Mom, Dongmei and Qiumei's marriage depends on you. Get them married as soon as possible.
.Never let An Lan and An Jiang return to China. Please take care of yourself.
Liu Yong begged Xiao Juniang again: "Aunt, I ask you to take care of my mother-in-law."
After Liu Yong gave instructions to his family, he said to the head of the government office: Master, let's go.
As soon as Liu Yong was taken away, Liu Yongniang fainted and fell to the ground. Dongmei, Qiumei, Xiaoju and Xiaojuniang cried together, and they all had no idea.
When Qiu Xiancha heard the news in his mansion, he immediately rushed to Liu Shunheng Silk Shop. He ordered the housekeeper to call the doctor to rescue Liu Yongniang. When Liu Yongniang woke up, Qiu Xiancha said to the female relatives of the Liu family: "Don't be impatient, you are in a hurry."
It was no use. Eunuch Gu also wrote a special letter. Liu Qing and I just went to Hangzhou Chief Minister Chen to ask about the situation. Maybe there was room for improvement.
…
Qiu Xiancha and Liu Qing rushed to the Chief Envoy's Yamen in Hangzhou. Mr. Chen was not surprised at all by Qiu Xiancha's arrival. He got straight to the point: "My nephew is here because of Liu Yong's affairs, right?"
Qiu Xiancha knelt down and saluted, saying: Uncle Shi, I, brother Liu Yong, must have been wronged. Please understand clearly.
Master Chen said: But Liu Yong has confessed to everything. He admitted that he had provided 200 spears to the gambling king Huang Wenjin.
Qiu Xiancha said: Shibo, my sworn brother Liu Yong has a sworn hatred with King Du. How can he help those "spear"? There must be something fishy about this matter.
Liu Ting also kowtowed and argued: Yes, sir! "Lance" burned down the Liu family's house and took all the Liu family's children into prison. Every time he mentioned it, he was itching with hatred. How could he give them such gifts?
Gun? I have always been with my brother, and I can testify that there was no such thing as giving a gun to "Lance".
Mr. Chen put his hands behind his back, wiped his beard with his hand, and said: It's a bit strange to say so, but Liu Yong is not a timid person. If he didn't do it, why did he confess before he was tortured?
Qiu Xiancha begged: Shibo, my sworn brother has made huge contributions to help the court fight against the "Lang Spear". How could he have an affair with the "Lang Spear"? It doesn't make sense logically.
Mr. Chen pondered and said: This is true. I reported Liu Yong to the court and received a commendation. But as soon as this incident came out, I felt panicked. Now Taiwan is not an easy person to talk to, and he has different political views from me. If there is no There is so much evidence that I can't do anything about it. All I can do now is wait for the case file to be submitted by the Yamen, and then wait for a few days to see if any new evidence emerges before I can make any further theories.
Qiu Xiancha believed deeply in Master Chen's words, and he also knew that whether it was because of the friendship between his cousin, Eunuch Gu, and Master Chen, or Master Chen's own reputation, he would not ignore it as long as there was a slight leeway.
Qiu Xiancha and Liu Qing had no choice but to stay temporarily. They went to Zhensi Yamen every day to inquire about information. They had a lot of money, but they still didn't see Liu Yong.
A few days later, the Sisi Yamen submitted the case file to Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen read the file carefully and saw that Liu Yong's confession was very detailed. At first glance, there was no flaw. However, after careful consideration, he felt that something was wrong. There were many doubts. In Liu Yong's confession, the part about his dealings with King Du was very detailed, but the part about how he bought the gun at Shiliupu Pier in Shanghai was vague. Mr. Chen keenly thought that King Du was dead. , and found no symptoms, Liu Yong could naturally make up nonsense, but the arms trafficker in Shiliupu, Shanghai was still there, so Liu Yong did not dare to give too detailed information, otherwise he would be easily exposed.
But what makes Mr. Chen puzzled is that this matter is not a trivial matter. Once the case is established, it will not only be a crime of murder, but also affect his family. Since Liu Yong did not do it, why was he so eager to plead guilty? He has tried countless cases, and there must be a mystery in it.
Lord Chen summoned Qiu Xiancha and asked about Liu Yong's family situation.
Qiu Xiancha said: My adopted brother's father has passed away. My mother is over sixty years old. My two daughters have been betrothed to others but have not yet left the court. Although my two sons are still young, they have already gone to France.
Mr. Chen high-fived and said: Liu Yong is such a scheming man. It seems that he has been mentally prepared for this day.
Qiu Xiancha was at a loss.
Mr. Chen explained: According to Qing law, what Liu Yong committed was a capital crime, and all the adult men in the family would be guilty of the same crime. The female dependents and minor men would be punished as official slaves. However, according to Qing law, the female dependents of the criminal were over six years old. Those who are over ten years old will not be held accountable. Daughters who have been betrothed to others will not be held accountable regardless of whether they leave the government or not. The only two sons who may be implicated have been sent abroad by him and are beyond his reach. He arranged it so carefully.
Qiu Xiancha seemed to have some suspicions in his heart. At that time, Hong Ying asked him to borrow 10,000 yuan. What cargo was loaded on the ship is still a mystery. Is it related to this matter?
The matter was at a stalemate, and Qiu Xiancha ordered Liu Ting to report back to Nanxun first. Liu Ting knew the importance and listened carefully, saying that Mr. Chen promised to find a way to rescue Liu Yong, so that Liu Yongniang, Dongmei and Qiumei could rest assured.
Liu Qing comforted him and said: Mr. Chen said that the matter will be revealed in ten and a half days at most.
Liu Yongniang fell ill, Xiao Juniang also suffered from heartache, and Dongmei and Qiumei were also confused.
Colleagues came to the Silk Industry Association to ask about Liu Yong's situation, but if Qiu Xiancha didn't come back, no one would know the real situation, so everyone could only worry.
On this day, Hong Ying suddenly came in.
When Dongmei saw Hong Ying come in, she threw herself into Hong Ying's arms and burst into tears.
Dongmei cried and said: Mom...
Hong Ying covered Dongmei's mouth, waved his hand and said: Don't cry, I know everything. Don't worry, your father will be fine.
Hong Ying helped Dongmei wipe away her tears and said: Take me to see your empress.
Dongmei took Hong Ying into Liu Yongniang's room. Hong Ying stepped forward and called softly: Old lady, are you feeling better?
When Liu Yongniang opened her eyes and saw Hong Ying, she was so angry that she threw the medicine bowl beside the bed towards her. Hong Ying turned aside and the medicine bowl shattered on the ground.
Hong Ying said hurriedly: Madam, what are you doing?
Liu Yongniang pointed at Hong Ying and cursed: You, you broomstick and vixen, you are the one who brought great disaster to my son, get out of here!
Hong Ying stood aside, unable to say a word, feeling aggrieved and could only sit there in silence.
Xiaoju heard the noise and came over. She was surprised when she saw it was Hong Ying.
Hong Ying and her mother often came over when Xiao Ju was in the Liu family, and they were familiar with each other, but they hadn't seen each other for many years, and both of them had changed, especially Xiao Ju, who was only a teenage girl at the time, but now she has grown into a dignified and generous woman.
Already.
Xiaoju picked up the medicine bowl on the ground and advised Liu Yongniang: Why are you making such a big fire? You are not afraid of hurting yourself.
When Liu Yongniang saw Xiaoju coming to persuade her, she stopped saying anything.
Xiaoju winked at Dongmei and motioned for her and Hongying to come out.
The three of them arrived at the next room, and Xiaoju asked: Sister Hongying, why are you here?
Hong Ying said: I heard something happened to the master, so I came over to see what happened.
Xiaoju sighed: Although I don't know what happened between you and my cousin, but you can think of the Liu family at this time, and I will accept your love for him.
Hong Ying looked at Xiao Ju managing the family, as if she was the mistress of the Liu family. She took Xiao Ju's hand and said: Sister Xiao Ju, I am not qualified to say this, but I still want to say something to you shamelessly.
, please take care of the old lady and the children.
Xiaoju said: That is natural and should be.
Hong Ying said: Tell the old lady and reassure her that nothing will happen to me. Then he patted the back of Xiao Ju's hand and said solemnly: Please believe me.
Hong Ying took care of Dongmei again, taking good care of his wife and himself. Then he left Liu Shun Heng Silk Shop without looking back. This chapter has been completed!