Chapter 444: Secret file buries love and sorrow

Jin Ling, Sihai Bank.

In the inner room of the bank's backyard, Zhen Fangqing wore a single-colored green shirt and long skirt, her belt was light and slow, simple and unadorned.

Her hair was combed into a bun, without other jewelry, just a pearl hairpin.

Her features were exquisite, clear and elegant, her demeanor was beautiful, and her eyes were as clear as water, looking at a wooden box on the table, lost in thought.

Beside the wooden box was a storage ticket; Baozhu delivered Jia Cong's personal letter, attached with this storage ticket.

Two days ago, Baozhu delivered Jia Cong's letter, and Zhen Fangqing went to the Sihai Bank that day to find the storage corresponding to this storage ticket.

Although Jia Cong's letter was very serious, her relationship with Jia Cong was also quite special.

But this storage was taken out in violation of regulations after all; the storage tickets of the Sihai Bank had always had an excellent reputation.

This behavior was somewhat contrary to credibility; in business, one must understand the general situation of this storage to prepare for future trouble.

At this time, the door of the inner room opened, and Liu Xian, the chief steward of the Zhen family's second branch, entered.

Zhen Fangqing asked, "Steward Xian, have you found out who Gu Yanzhen is?"

Liu Xian replied, "I followed the Third Young Lady's hint and checked the relatives and women of Zhou Zhengyang and Zou Huaiyi, and found that Zou Huaiyi's wife's surname was Gu; this is a bit too coincidental.

How did the Third Young Lady guess it?"

Zhen Fangqing's face changed slightly, saying, "In Yuzhang's letter, he said that this dead storage file was an item from his friend's family, and also said it involved a major national case.

He asked me to take the overall situation as the priority, break the bank's business rules, and help him take out the storage.

In fact, this time Yuzhang went down to Jin Ling, nominally to establish a branch of the Jin Ling Firearms Department and coordinate firearms matters in Jiangnan; however, these were all ordinary matters, and the Emperor could just send an official from the Ministry of Works.

Yet he sent the dignified Count of Lord Weiyuan down to Jin Ling to do these yamen-building matters, which was somewhat overqualified.

Yuzhang's timing for coming to Jin Ling was also very subtle, just catching up with the Jin Ling Guard Commander Zhou Zhengyang fleeing in fear of crime.

And Zhou Zhengyang was accused of being the mastermind behind the Water Supervision Department case two years ago; Yuzhang was the person who solved this major case that year; such things in the world wouldn't be so coincidental.

Therefore, I suspect that Yuzhang went down to Jin Ling to establish a branch of the Firearms Department, which was just a matter on the surface; secretly, he might have received a secret decree to investigate the follow-up of Zhou Zhengyang and the Water Supervision Department case of that year.

In order to get me to break the rules and take out the storage, he had to say that this matter involved a major national case.

It was easy to guess that this storage ticket was related to the Water Supervision Department case.

And in Jin Ling, the two people closely related to the Water Supervision Department case were Zou Huaiyi and Zhou Zhengyang, which is why I asked you to follow the clues to check."

Liu Xian said, "The Third Young Lady is truly wise and intelligent; such a tortuous matter can also be guessed by you.

I went to check the Gu family, the maiden family of Zou's wife; Zou's wife's parents died many years ago, and Zou's wife had no brothers or sisters; after the Zou family was raided, the Gu family also declined.

I met an old woman guarding the gate at the Gu mansion; she was Zou's wife's wet nurse when she was young; I asked her and found out that Gu Yanzhen was Zou's wife's childhood name.

It's just that this name was changed after Zou's wife was five years old, so very few people know it."

Zhen Fangqing's expression changed, saying, "Zou Huaiyi let his wife file this item, and let Zou's wife use her unknown childhood name.

It was just not wanting people to know that this storage was related to him; he hid it so secretly, this item must be related to his important secret."

Zhen Fangqing stroked the wooden box on the table and said, "Yuzhang wants to get it so much; I think I won't guess wrong; the things in the storage ticket must be related to the Water Supervision Department case."

……

Liu Xian asked, "Does the Third Young Lady have concerns about this matter? Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked me to inquire about the origin of the depositor?"

Zhen Fangqing said, "Steward Xian should know that when my father supported Du Hengxin from his humble beginnings, he pushed him to the position of thousand-man commander of the Water Supervision Department.

Du Hengxin returned the favor, relying on the power of the Water Supervision Department to open a convenient door for the Zhen family's sea trade business, which made the Zhen family's sea trade business flourish and occupy the top spot in Jin Ling city.

Ever since I took charge of the family business, Du Hengxin's successor, Zou Huaiyi, should have received Du Hengxin's instructions to take care of the Zhen family's business in waterway procedures.

Although I have done nothing to violate the national law in these years, and have never crossed the thunder pool by half a step.

But my father spent a lot of energy to support Du Hengxin to rise; this person could be a second-rank high official, which was inseparable from my father's full support at the beginning.

My father has always been deep in strategy; he did this back then; is it just to provide help for the Zhen family's business? I always feel it won't be so simple….

I am worried that my father and the Water Supervision Department…."

Liu Xian's heart jumped upon hearing this, saying, "Is the Third Young Lady suspecting that the Old Master was involved in the Water Supervision Department case back then?"

Zhen Fangqing looked dim and said, "A son does not speak of a father's faults; I hope I guessed wrong; my father disappeared five years ago, and Zou Huaiyi did evil on the outer sea after my father disappeared.

The two times don't match, but if the things in the storage ticket are secret records or secret accounts of the Water Supervision Department of that year, I am worried that it will involve my father.

After all, what my father did back then gave the Zhen family and the Water Supervision Department a special origin.

Great noble families have always been wealthy and prosperous, with glorious and decent appearances, often collapsing overnight due to a word or a matter; the Ningguo branch of the Jia family back then was a warning from the past.

I am worried that if this storage ticket involves the Zhen family, I don't know what the consequences will be."

Liu Xian said, "The Third Young Lady's concerns are very reasonable; before we hand over this storage box to the Count of Lord Weiyuan, let's open it and see; if there is anything unfavorable to the Zhen family, it's better to resolve it in advance."

Zhen Fangqing looked at the wooden box on the table, her eyes lowered, saying, "Yuzhang specifically entrusted this matter in a letter, but I want to spy on his things, which is really shameful.

Yuzhang is a jade-like gentleman on the outside, but he is tough and resolute on the inside, clear in every detail, and nothing can be hidden from him; once he knows what I have done, there will inevitably be a barrier between him and me…."

Liu Xian heard Zhen Fangqing say this to the end, and her words were full of sadness; she must be very concerned about Jia Cong in her heart and didn't want to create a rift.

He knew that his Third Young Lady was wise and intelligent, not inferior to men, and always handled things cleanly and neatly, rarely showing such hesitation like a daughter.

It must be that the Old Lady and the Great Master in the mansion were keen on arranging a marriage for her and Jia Cong; under the influence, the Third Young Lady had more unusual concerns and attachments to Jia Cong.

……

Liu Xian said, "It is human nature for the Third Young Lady to think so, but this matter concerns the safety and survival of the Zhen family; this is a move of necessity, not a violation of trust.

When the Old Master founded the Sihai Bank, because the sources of the storage tickets were varied, especially this kind of secret storage ticket with signed contracts, it contained hidden risks.

So the Old Master left a secret door on the contract storage box for emergencies; this is also a way of self-protection in business.

This matter was handled by a clever craftsman I found for the Old Master; only I and the Old Master know the details, and no third party knows.

As long as you pry a mortise and tenon at the bottom of the storage box, you can remove the bottom of the box and take out the items in the box, and it will not damage the seal of the box; the depositor will absolutely not find out."

Liu Xian saw that Zhen Fangqing's expression was somewhat moved, but she was still hesitant and unwilling to accept it, and sighed slightly in his heart.

The Third Young Lady was originally such a wise and decisive person, but now that she was involved with the young master of the Jia family, she became tangled and indecisive.

It is said that girls are outward-looking; the marriage between the Third Young Lady and Jia Cong hasn't been decided yet, but her heart has already started to lean toward others.

Liu Xian thought for a while and felt that he should push this matter.

The Third Young Lady was concerned about her friendship with Jia Cong, but he had received the kindness and favor of the Second Master for many years and could not watch the second branch have an accident.

He took the storage box on the table, pulled out the wooden hairpin on his head, and pushed hard at a place on the bottom of the box.

Zhen Fangqing was shocked in her heart and shouted, "Steward Xian, wait!"

But Liu Xian's movements were very skilled and swift; Zhen Fangqing's words didn't have time to stop him.

A secret mortise and tenon at the bottom of the box popped out, one side of the box bottom tilted up, and Liu Xian pulled it gently, and the entire box bottom was lifted, and the seal on the box lid was intact.

Liu Xian took out a thick blue-covered booklet from the storage box, as well as several letters, and handed them to Zhen Fangqing.

He said, "The Third Young Lady doesn't need to worry; this matter concerns the safety of the Zhen family; even if the Count of Lord Weiyuan knows, he will understand the young lady.

And the young lady doesn't know the method of opening the box; in the future, if the Count of Lord Weiyuan notices or blames, just say that I acted on my own initiative to open the box for inspection."

Zhen Fangqing smiled bitterly, "Steward Xian, what are you saying? You opened the box for inspection, what is the difference between that and me doing it myself."

……

She thought of Jia Cong's wariness of the Zhen family because of the Third Brother of the Great Branch's private storage of muskets; if he knew about today's private spying, she was afraid that she would have more distance from him from now on.

But Liu Xian was right; this matter concerned the safety and survival of the Zhen family, regardless of whether her father had done anything against the rules back then.

If she could know in advance, she would have one more point of stability; who let her be a daughter of the Zhen family.

She took a deep breath and picked up one of the letters to read.

Liu Xian bowed to her, then retreated from the room, bringing the door closed gently. The several letters in the storage box were all correspondence between Zou Huaiyi and others; the content of the letters and the correspondents made Zhen Fangqing more and more shocked as she read.

She finally understood why Jia Cong wanted to get this storage ticket.

Fortunately, although the content of these letters was terrifying, it had nothing to do with the Zhen family; Zhen Fangqing put them aside after reading.

Finally, she began to flip through the thick blue-covered booklet.

She flipped through a few pages and knew that this was a book similar to an account book.

The records on it dated back to four years ago, logging the information of more than twenty ships, as well as the categories and quantities of foreign goods carried by each ship.

As well as the foreign goods on the ships, transported to Jin Ling through the Water Supervision Department, and through what channels they were dumped, how much silver was obtained, and the details of the number of people involved in the profit sharing.

Zhen Fangqing was not a young lady who was locked in the inner courtyard; she was the main person in charge of the Zhen family's business and handled complex business affairs every day, so she was very well-informed about external information.

Naturally, she knew the anecdotes of the Water Supervision Department case back then; it was said that Zou Huaiyi, the thousand-man commander of the Water Supervision Department, colluded with and bribed Eastern pirates, robbed merchant ships on the outer sea, and plundered huge amounts of foreign goods and wealth.

Zhen Fangqing was in charge of the family's sea trade business and was very proficient and familiar with all the details of sea ships transporting foreign goods.

Just by looking at a few pages, she knew that the ship information logged in the blue-covered booklet must be those merchant ships robbed by pirates on the outer sea back then.

In fact, it was very simple to verify; just go to the Shipping Department to check the files, which ships had been reported missing without reason over the years, and the two items would be clear at a glance.

Every time Zhen Fangqing looked at a page, the names involved on it made her heart jump and her face turn pale.

She knew very clearly in her heart that the content of every page in this blue-covered booklet was enough to set off a bloody storm in the Jin Ling officialdom.

……

Fortunately, these terrifying pieces of information did not involve her father, and should not have involved anyone else in the Zhen family.

Zhen Fangqing flipped the blue-covered booklet to the last few pages; the content on it was no longer the account information from before.

Instead, it was some anecdotes, as if Zou Huaiyi had copied some of his own experiences into the booklet.

Some of the content attracted Zhen Fangqing's attention.

It mentioned that Du Hengxin, the Jin Ling Regional Military Commissioner, was a side-branch descendant of the Du family, a great clan in Jin Ling, before he became famous.

Du Hengxin's family background was poor and humble; in his youth, he was determined to achieve fame and strive for progress, but he was disliked by the Du family head, Du Hengchang, who thought he was greedy for profit, making Du Hengxin quite neglected in the family.

In the 20th year of Yong'an, Du Hengxin accused the family head Du Hengchang of colluding with the Hidden Sect, intending to rise in Jiangnan; the direct line of the Du family was exterminated, and the side branches were all implicated; Du Hengxin was promoted from a small flag officer of the guard to a hundred-man commander.

It also wrote that Du Hengchang had two sons and three daughters, one of whom was adopted; the children, except for those who died by law, were demoted for crimes or their whereabouts were unknown.

It also wrote that in the same year, the Wu Prince rebellion case occurred in the Love Shenjing, suspected to be implicated in the destruction of the Jin Ling Du family, the country was shaken, and the new Emperor ascended the throne, and so on.

Much of the information on this was fragmentary, and the connection between them was vague and not very clear.

It seemed that Zou Huaiyi collected these messages from various channels and then recorded them in the booklet.

These messages could be recorded in the secret booklet by him, which must be very important to him, and even involved privacy.

Perhaps he wanted to collect and analyze these messages to finally reach the result he wanted….

On the penultimate page of the blue-covered booklet, Zhen Fangqing saw her father's name.

It wrote that nineteen years ago, there was a famous scholar in Jin Ling, Mr. Master Xi Liu, who was knowledgeable and well-versed in everything, and taught students in Jin Ling.

Fifteen years ago, Mr. Master Xi Liu traveled far on the sea and his whereabouts were unknown.

The content behind was the names of some of Mr. Master Xi Liu's disciples back then, among whom was her father, Zhen Yingquan.

When Zhen Fangqing saw the names of the other two disciples, her face changed greatly, and her eyes were full of disbelief.

Her heart trembled; after pondering for a moment, she tore off this page of content, folded it carefully, and put it into her bosom.

She put the letters and the blue-covered booklet back into the storage box, learned Liu Xian's method, and sealed the bottom of the storage box.

She opened the door and left the inner room, handed the storage box to Liu Xian, and said, "I have read the things inside, and they have nothing to do with the Zhen family.

Steward Xian, run a trip to the Jiangnan general store of the Xinchun Number, and hand the box to Miss Baozhu; she will transfer it to Yuzhang."

……

Jin Ling, the seventh day of the ninth lunar month.

The wide city gate hole of Taiping gate was bustling with people coming and going, a scene of noise and prosperity.

Suddenly, five or six horses galloped from outside the city, only slowing down when they approached the city gate, and merged into the crowd to enter Jin Ling.

The guarding soldiers just glanced at them and didn't care much.

Taiping gate led to the road north; these travelers had different outfits and were covered in dust, and should all have come from the direction of the Love Shenjing.

As the north-south hub of the Great Zhou, Jin Ling and the Love Shenjing had frequent exchanges of merchants and people.

Such situations were not strange; travelers passing through states and counties, as long as their travel permits were complete, entered the city as usual.

Not to mention that these knights today held the waist tokens of the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works and were personnel handling business for the yamen, so there was naturally no problem.

It was just that the subsequent situation made the guarding soldiers somewhat surprised.

It seemed that those firearms department officials brought popularity, and in the following hour, horse teams of several people kept entering the city.

These people looked like they were coming from the south, as if everyone had gathered to enter the city on this day.

But as long as the official documents and travel permits were correct, the guarding soldiers naturally let them pass as usual.

On such a seemingly ordinary day, waves that were hard for ordinary people to notice were slightly bulging in Jin Ling city.

Those dusty knights were scattered in the ant-like crowd of the magnificent ancient city.

Some of them rushed to the yamen of the Six Ministries of the auxiliary capital, some rushed to the yamen of the Regional Military Commissioner, and some were buried in the noisy streets and alleys.

……

Jin Ling, Fengle Lane.

Before noon, two groups of people had already entered the three-entry courtyard in the lane.

In the study of the courtyard, the middle-aged man with a stern demeanor had a gloomy face and suppressed anger, making the atmosphere of the study appear exceptionally oppressive.

He questioned the young man in front of him, his voice low and cold, making people shudder: "Why was there no sign in advance, and suddenly a large number of people entered Gusu and abducted Zhou Zhengyang overnight?

I asked the Water Luo Sha to go down to Gusu in advance, just to prevent accidents with Zhou Zhengyang; why did the Water Luo Sha have no counter-measure and watch people be abducted!"

The young man replied, "Currently, there is no news from the Water Luo Sha, but before the Su Zhou Guard's messenger set out, Luo Xiong had already discovered the traces of that group of people and led a large troop of guards out of the city to pursue.

I believe he will definitely be able to intercept this group of people; as long as he regains control of Zhou Zhengyang, there will be a turning point."

The middle-aged man sighed, "These people can sneak into Gusu city silently, have the ability to discover Zhou Zhengyang's hiding place, and can still leave the city smoothly after abducting people; their actions are meticulous; how can they be ordinary people?

Luo Xiong has some talent, but he is reckless and aggressive; relying on him to intercept people, I am afraid it is not easy."

He asked again, "What news is there about Jia Cong and those five cannons?"

The young man replied, "The day before yesterday, the scouts reported that Jia Cong's troop entered Huizhou, about seventy li away from Gusu; that night Zhou Zhengyang was abducted in Gusu; this matter must have nothing to do with him."

The middle-aged man sneered, "We might have all been deceived by him; entering the city to abduct people is mostly Jia Cong; that troop entering Huizhou must be his cover.

This morning, news came from the Love Shenjing that Jia Cong's personal guards rushed to the Love Shenjing, which was to submit a memorial to the palace; the Emperor has already issued an imperial decree, and I already know the content of the decree.

In these two days, the imperial envoy will arrive in Jin Ling, and then Jin Ling will change!

If I didn't guess wrong, Jia Cong first sent a memorial to the Love Shenjing, then took the opportunity of escorting cannons down to Gusu and Songjiang, deceiving the sky and crossing the sea, sneaking into Gusu to abduct Zhou Zhengyang.

It is said that Jia Cong is always treacherous and resourceful; it is indeed well-deserved.

I don't know if Luo Xiong kept him; now that the scouts have news, it is too late; it takes two days to go back and forth between Jin Ling and Gusu; two days is enough for Jin Ling to turn upside down."

The middle-aged man's tone revealed a miserable feeling at the end: "But we cannot sit and wait for death; when things come to a head, we must fight for a chance.

If Jia Cong avoids Luo Xiong's pursuit, he will definitely bring Zhou Zhengyang back to Jin Ling quickly, meet the imperial envoy to enter the city and announce the decree; this is our last opportunity!

Handle the other loose ends in the city as soon as possible; now that the official ships cannot be used, you have connections in the Zhen family's ship fleet; make arrangements early to prepare for emergencies…." (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 445 =====