Chapter 72

But no matter how Yin Xuan tried to persuade her, Yin Shishi just wouldn't agree.

Helpless, he could only look at Yin Chengtao.

At this look, Yin Xuan was scared out of his wits.

Only then did he realize his father was staring at him fixedly, his eyes full of anger and deep disappointment.

If it weren't for Yin Mu holding him tightly, her eyes full of pleading, Yin Chengtao would probably have already gone berserk.

"Father!"

Yin Xuan felt a sudden guilty conscience, but still gathered his courage and said, "Father, marrying into the Fujiwara family is just an expedient measure; after I rescue you all, I can just withdraw later. Father, Mother, please persuade Little Sister. This jail is not a place for her to stay."

One could imagine the fate of a woman arrested and thrown into jail, not to mention a beautiful young girl like Yin Shishi.

He didn't feel there was any shame in this.

It wasn't really marrying into the family anyway.

Yin Chengtao trembled all over, the anger in his eyes overflowing: "Heads can be broken, blood can flow, but integrity cannot be broken! Yin Xuan, if you marry into Japan for the sake of surviving, then from now on, you and I are no longer father and son!"

"Old Man!"

"Father!"

Yin Mu and Yin Xuan both let out shrill screams.

Yin Chengtao looked cold, turned his head to look at Yin Shishi, and roared: "You too. If you marry a Japanese person, I will treat it as if I never gave birth to you as a daughter."

Yin Mu beat Yin Chengtao like she had gone crazy: "Yin Chengtao, what exactly do you want to do? Do you have to see Xuan'er and Shishi buried with us? They are still so young and have such a great future!

You want to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, you can do it yourself; why do you have to drag the two children along?

Old thing, I'll put my words here too.

If you break ties with them, I will also break ties with you as husband and wife."

Yin Mu, who had always been gentle as water, now went all out for her children, not hesitating to fall out with her husband.

Yin Chengtao was somewhat frightened; his face changed, both shocked and angry, wanting to scold, but looking at his wife's determined gaze, the words he was about to say were stifled back.

"You... you are simply unreasonable!"

Yin Chengtao was furious and simply turned around to face the wall and sit.

Although Yin Mu kept a straight face, she felt very sweet in her heart.

Because she knew this was her husband's love for her, exceeding his persistence.

They as husband and wife could face death, but their children could not.

Yin Mu turned her head and said righteously: "Xuan'er, Mother agrees; you marry into the Fujiwara family, and Shishi also marries into the Fujiwara family. You leave with your nephew; remember to act according to your ability. If you can't rescue us, you sell the family property and go to Japan. And your Second Brother, tell him not to do anything stupid, and don't think about taking revenge for us."

Yin Shishi shook her head repeatedly and said loudly: "Mother, I don't agree. I believe in Second Brother; I believe Second Brother will definitely rescue us."

Yin Xuan looked at Yin Shishi, who was still fiercely refusing, and gritted his teeth, throwing a punch.

Yin Shishi's eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

Yin Xuan hurriedly supported Yin Shishi and turned to say: "Jiro, let the jailer open the cell door, let's go."

"Good!"

Fujiwara Jiro's mouth curled up, and he nodded happily.

West side of the prefecture office.

Nalan Yuanshu stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Zhejiang map on the wall.

This was his temporary war room, with personnel constantly coming and going, using carrier pigeons to summarize various information.

Suddenly, a government soldier stepped forward and reported: "My Lord, Tao Chengzhang, president of the *Ming Pao*, requests an audience!"

"Tao Chengzhang?"

Nalan Yuanshu turned his head, frowned in thought, and then nodded: "Take him to the courtyard next door; this official will be there shortly."

Logically speaking, he shouldn't be meeting outsiders at a time like this.

But for Tao Chengzhang and the *Ming Pao*, he still had a very good impression; they all belonged to the reformist faction, so they could be considered comrades!

"Yes, My Lord!"

The government soldier turned and left quickly, and Nalan Yuanshu also walked out of the war room.

Not long after arriving at the courtyard next door, Tao Chengzhang was brought over.

Tao Chengzhang bowed: "Greetings, My Lord."

Nalan Yuanshu smiled slightly: "No need for formalities. Mr. Tao, what is the matter with your visit?"

Tao Chengzhang said righteously: "My Lord, this morning, the Prefect led people to raid the Yin Mansion; except for Brother Yin who escaped, all members of the Yin family were arrested and thrown into the prefecture jail."

"There's such a thing!"

Nalan Yuanshu was shocked and hurriedly asked: "What charge?"

Today was the day for the remnants of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to rise up; he didn't have the energy to deal with the prefecture office and that group of foreigners at all.

Among the three heroes of the *Ming Pao*, he appreciated Yin Qi the most, because Yin Qi was most like him—proficient in both literature and martial arts.

Tao Chengzhang, although he had studied martial arts, wasn't even at the Bright Jin level.

Tao Chengzhang said: "Last night, all the foreign technicians at the Yin family's steam engine factory were killed, and someone came to the prefecture office to inform that these foreign technicians were secretly executed by the Yin family, saying they had already completed the training of the workers and had no value, and they didn't want to pay the remuneration, so they simply killed them. It also said that the previous cases of foreigners being killed were also done by the Yin family."

"Absurd!"

Nalan Yuanshu let out a low shout, anger flashing in his eyes.

He was able to sit in the position of Provincial Commander at such an age not only because of his prominent status, but also because of his outstanding ability; anyone normal could see the problems in this kind of matter.

Not to mention that China was originally lacking in technicians; where was there a place that didn't treat technicians with respect?

Even if they didn't want to pay the remuneration, they could have completely placed them under house arrest.

As long as they were given food, could they not work?

Taking a step back, even if the Yin family was truly stupid, they should have pretended to release the foreign technicians first, and then intercepted and killed them on the road after they left to seize the property; how could they kill people in the factory?

How stupid must one be to do such a thing?

Since they could do it, it must be a conspiracy; he didn't know who was colluding with the foreigners, and then the prefecture office was licking the foreigners' boots, not even investigating the case clearly before arresting the whole Yin family.

He hated foreigners, and he hated even more those who acted as dogs for foreigners.

It was just that he really couldn't leave right now, so he said: "This official knows about this matter; I will have someone send a word to the Prefect later, telling him to investigate the case clearly before passing judgment. This official still has other matters today; I will personally inquire about it tomorrow."

"Thank you, My Lord!"

Tao Chengzhang was overjoyed and bowed again.

He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly; it seemed this Nalan Yuanshu really appreciated Yin Qi.

Nalan Yuanshu suddenly asked: "Where is Yin Qi?"

Tao Chengzhang smiled awkwardly, but still said truthfully: "Brother Yin is outside the prefecture office. I was worried he would be in danger, so I took the initiative to take on this matter."

Nalan Yuanshu didn't mind and said: "You are quite loyal. Go back and tell Yin Qi to come and find this official tomorrow."

Opposite the prefecture office, in a hidden corner.

Although there was a city-wide search, the prefecture office probably wouldn't have expected Yin Qi to appear here.

He stared at the main gate of the prefecture office, and suddenly his pupils shrank slightly; he actually saw Fujiwara Jiro and elder brother Yin Xuan walking out, with the elder brother carrying his younger sister, who seemed to have fallen asleep.

"What is going on?"

Yin Qi frowned.

How did Big Brother and Little Sister get out, and why was Little Sister unconscious?

In the dark, he had a kind of ominous premonition.

Therefore, he couldn't care about waiting for Tao Chengzhang and followed Yin Xuan and the others from afar as they left.

(End of chapter)