Volume 1: Mission in Danger Chapter 3 Reminiscence
That night, the entire Shenxian Island was in a state of debauchery and extravagance. Cai Qinghua came here on an important mission, and although he drank two cups, he remained sober. Noticing that the space behind the pearl curtain on the third floor was suddenly empty, he pushed away the young man sitting on his lap, threw a small bag of silver as a reward, and hurried out the door. Sure enough, he saw Wu Chengjian and his party had already gone downstairs and were about to board the "Hua Cha".
The closer they got, the taller and more imposing the "Hua Cha" seemed. Cai Qinghua thought to himself, "Did this Third Master Wu really just build such a big ship for fun?"
Although Wu Chengjian had personally promised in the Pearl Room just now to give the Huachai to Tan Sanniang, Cai Qinghua knew in his heart that a courtesan without a backer could not keep such a large ship that could be used as a military weapon. He felt that Wu Chengjian was just transferring things from his left hand to his right hand.
As they got closer, Cai Qinghua shouted, "Yijin! Zhou Yijin! Do you still remember Master?"
Wu Chengjian and his group all stopped. Zhou Yijin was also slightly surprised when he saw Cai Qinghua: "Master, why are you here?"
Wu Chengjian also stopped and asked, "Master?"
Zhou Yijin nodded.
Wu Chengjian said with a smile: "Then let's go up and sit together. The food and wine on our Sanniang's Huacha is no worse than that on Shenxianzhou."
In the darkness of the night, Tan Sanniang, wearing a cloak, turned her head slightly and said with a smile: "Why is it my Huachaihao?"
This was the first time that Cai Qinghua saw the true face of Dan Sanniang. He saw that her forehead was a little too high, her eyebrows were not thin enough, her mouth was not small enough, and her facial features all had minor flaws. Although she looked very refreshing and comfortable overall, she was not as beautiful as Qiu Ling, and not as charming as Ginkgo. I really don't know how she overwhelmed Shen Xiaoying and the other eleven golden hairpins and was re-elected the most beautiful woman in the three realms. Was it really just because of the favor of the third young master of the Wu family?
But Wu Chengjian smiled and said, "What I give you is yours."
Quick-tongued Wu Qi gave a look and a handsome servant came trotting over, bowing and inviting guests in Beijing dialect: "Sir, please come in." He led Cai Qinghua to Zhou Yijin and they boarded the Huacha together.
This is a sailing warship, powered by sails. The hull is made of solid wood and covered with copper below the waterline. It is a powerful weapon at sea in the pre-steam era. It is different from the bloated water-based buildings like Shenxianzhou, which are made up of many ships and have only the word "big" in their name.
However, there was no cannon on this ship. The deck was planted with precious flowers and plants, and there was even a rockery. Before boarding the ship, you would think it was a moving castle. Only after boarding did you realize that it was clearly a garden on the sea.
Wu Chengjian exchanged a few words with Cai Qinghua. Wu Chengjian had been dating Zhou Yijin for three years, but he had never heard him mention his master. He felt a little strange, but he remained polite. After they exchanged names, he guessed that the master and disciple probably had something to talk about, so he took Tan Sanniang into the cabin.
Master Chuan Longci came forward to help entertain the guests, and Zhou Yijin said, "This is my master, you're welcome, let's have a small gathering first, and then have a drink with you all."
Several hangers-on left, leaving only a maid and a servant to prepare a small cabin for Zhou and Cai. The cabin was decorated simply, with only a set of pear wood tables and chairs, and seven or eight antiques from the Song and Ming dynasties fixed on an antique shelf. After the two sat down, the maid placed some fruits and dried fruits on the table, and the servant brought a pot of wine. The plate for the wine and the pot both had peony patterns, a complete set of blue and white porcelain.
Cai Qinghua said: "If you use these things on the boat, you don't have to worry about them being broken by a wave."
Zhou Yijin smiled lightly and said, "If it breaks, just replace it with a new one. There are warehouses full of this kind of stuff in the Xiguan mansion, and it's not worth much."
When Cai Qinghua heard this, he knew that his beloved disciple had a close relationship with Wu Chengjian. He pointed to a gun carriage that had been converted into a swing outside the window and said to Zhou Yijin, "No matter how rich a merchant is, he will die if he breaks a taboo. Your boss made such a thing that violates the rules, and you didn't try to persuade him to do something."
Zhou Yijin said with a smile, "It's been turned into a swing, not used for rebellion, so what's the taboo? Besides, there are so many high-ranking officials in Guangzhou who have come here to drink and listen to music. The rule in the officialdom is to keep secrets from the superiors but not from the subordinates. Who would dare to offend others if they have nothing better to do? If there really comes a day like that, just burn it down and let the ashes sink to the bottom of the sea, completely wiped out."
Cai Qinghua knew as soon as he heard it that this huge ship was not just for fun, but also the third young master's private residence on the sea, and it was probably used to entertain dignitaries on a regular basis.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself here and don't want to go back to your hometown." Cai Qinghua said, "It seems that the ambition you had when you assisted generals and ministers and built a career has been drowned out by the red lights and wine at the mouth of the Pearl River."
"Year after year, nothing happens." Zhou Yijin muttered something in his hometown dialect that the Cantonese people couldn't understand. He took the wine from the servant and put it on the Huanghuali fixed rack, so that the two of them didn't have to wait on him. After the servant and the maid went out, he said, "It's normal for our ancestors to have great ambitions. It's understandable that you had it when you were young, Master. As for me, hehe!"
His peach-shaped eyes raised slightly and said, "During the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, this increasingly tight net has been tightening for more than a hundred years. Hasn't Master seen the situation clearly? This court is like this. We can't get rid of it, so we can only enjoy life today and have more fun in our lifetime. If it weren't for you, Master, I wouldn't dare say this to anyone else."
Cai Qinghua said, "The worse the situation is, the more we need to cheer up. The ancients said that we should do something even though we know it is impossible. We cannot reach that level, but we should do as much as we can to achieve good deeds. I know that you were almost devastated because your boss was implicated in the literary inquisition. Going south to Guangdong and temporarily seeking shelter in a wealthy businessman's home was a temporary solution, but it can't last forever."
Zhou Yijin smiled and said, "Why can't it last long?" He knocked on the beautiful jade hat on the table and raised the blue and white pot in his hand. "When I was in the shogunate before, I couldn't afford such bottles and hats. Now..." He loosened his hand and a Yuan Dynasty blue and white pot with peony and phoenix patterns fell. In an instant, the porcelain pot shattered and the aroma of wine filled the air. The servant outside the door heard the noise and hurriedly crouched in to clean up, but Zhou Yijin didn't even look at it: "With this kind of life, let alone being a shogunate advisor, I wouldn't change even if I were a prefect."
Cai Qinghua was silent for a moment before he said, "It seems you have guessed why I came here."
"I didn't know that Master was coming to Guangdong, otherwise I would have done anything to welcome Master." Zhou Yijin said, "But there are only three or five positions in Guangdong that can afford Master. The only position that has recently been vacant is the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi. I heard recently that Zhu Nanya will soon take office. Could Master's boss be this Grand Governor Zhu?"
Cai Qinghua praised: "Yijin, you have been in the south for several years, but I didn't expect that your spies in the capital are still so sharp. But why haven't you contacted me all this time?"
Zhou Yijin did not answer his master's question. He asked the servant to bring in another pot of wine, and then said, "Chengjian and I get along well. After I arrived in Guangzhou, we traveled in the same car, drank at the same table, and slept in the same bedroom. I enjoyed whatever he had, but he never asked me to do anything. I don't have to be polite to him, but he is not the head of the family after all, and he is spending the family's money. I can't drink this pot of wine from the Wu family for nothing, otherwise Chengjian will have a hard time at home."
Cai Qinghua asked: "So?"
Zhou Yijin said: "So if there is any news coming from the capital, I will hear it and tell Chengjian about it. Who knows when it will help to solve the problem. The Wu family has been making money for a long time, and I have been drinking wine for a long time following Chengjian."
"It seems that this Third Young Master Wu is not as useless as the outside world says," Cai Qinghua said, "The title of dandy is probably just a cover-up."
"Then you are wrong!" Zhou Yijin said with a smile, "He is a real playboy, but he has a very smart heart. He knows that to be a playboy in the long run, his family must be able to support him for a long time. So after having fun, he naturally did things that could help his family. For example, today, since he knew that Master was the Governor's guest, tonight on the Fairy Island, no matter who caught Master's eye, let alone the Twelve Golden Hairpins, even the Four Oirans, except for Sanniang who has already been sealed, Chengjian can get Master a flower official."
Cai Qinghua shook his head and said, "My intention tonight is not that."
Zhou Yijin smiled and said, "Why? Could it be that Master has been in the capital for too long and has fallen in love with Nanfeng? This is not difficult. The ancestors of the Wu family are from Fujian, and I have some experience in this matter."
Cai Qinghua said, "I don't want any of them." He pointed the folding fan in his hand at Zhou Yijin and said, "I only want you."
"Thank you for the recommendation, Master . Thank you for your appreciation, Grand Marquis." Zhou Yijin kept smiling, but his smile looked a little cold. "It's a pity that today's Zhou Yijin is no longer the Zhou Yijin of the past. Now I only love money and have no intention of career. Grand Marquis Zhu is an honest official. He only has that little money in his hand. He can't afford to be wasted by me."
Cai Qinghua knew his beloved disciple's temperament and knew that he could not persuade Zhou Yijin tonight. He relaxed despite his disappointment and stopped talking about the matter. However, he did not give up. He thought: "Yijin is a real talent. If the owner can get him to work, governing Guangdong will be smoother. How can a mere merchant compare with a provincial governor? Let's think about it and see how to make Yijin change his mind."
Zhou Yijin asked about Cai Qinghua's schedule again, and knowing that he had nothing to do tonight, he said, "Since we are on the Huacha, let Master enjoy some of the fun here, so that this trip will not be in vain."
Cai Qinghua said: "Master is strict with his subordinates, and I understand that."
Zhou Yijin smiled and said, "It won't be excessive, and it has nothing to do with Yihehang's business. It's just a gift from your disciple. You can't trust other people, so would I, your disciple, cheat you?"
Cai Qinghua smiled and did not refuse. Although he was only a shogun's advisor, as the saying goes, rising tide lifts all boats, and as the boss's power grew, he gained more power and did not take these trivial matters to heart.
Zhou Yijin called the servant and whispered for a while. The servant hurried out to find Master Chuan Longci and told him what Zhou Yijin had said. Master Chuan Longci was surprised. Although the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi was not the person directly in charge of the Thirteen Hongs, he was the number one person in the Guangdong officialdom. Normally, the Wu family could not reach him even if they stood on tiptoe. It was amazing that Master Zhou had made friends with such a person without saying anything. No wonder the Third Young Master always treated him differently from others.
He hurried into the main cabin. Through the screen, he vaguely saw Wu Chengjian and Tan Sanniang sitting opposite each other. There were more than a dozen boxes and cages on the table and on the deck. They must be talking in private. If they were not close friends, they should not be disturbed. But Master Chuan Longci still coughed before entering. Wu Chengjian frowned and said, "What's the urgent matter that you have to say it now?"
Master Chuan Longci was brief and to the point, and his first sentence was: "The gentleman that Master Zhou entertained seems to be the criminal lawyer of the new Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi."
When Tan Sanniang heard this, she cried out, closed the boxes on the table, and retreated behind the curtain. Only then did Master Chuan Longci repeat the rest of Zhou Yijin's words.
If it were any other merchant, they would have been weak at the mention of the title of Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, but Wu Chengjian just said, "I didn't expect Yi Jin's master to have such a great background. What do you think we should do?"
Master Chuan Longci thought that the Third Young Master had indeed been to the capital and seen big scenes, so he could keep his composure, so he said, "It's okay if you didn't know before, but now that you know, of course we have to make a big . He can go to Guangdong one step ahead to pave the way for the Governor-General. This person must be a confidant. Recently, our supervision of the Guangdong Customs has been unstable. If we can serve this Master Cai well and make friends with the new Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi through this line, then our Yihe Bank will be as stable as a rock in the future."
In the Qing Dynasty, officials wanted to make money by using their power, but there were many things that they could not do by themselves , so they could only hand them over to agents. Han officials liked to use advisors, while Manchu officials liked to use servants. Yihehang was able to succeed in recent years, which was not unrelated to its good relationship with Jishan, the supervisor of the Guangdong Customs, who was in charge of the Thirteen Hongs. However, there was a wave of infighting in Jishan's family recently. The manager's servants were replaced, the Wu family lost their insider, and the new manager's relationship was not established, so the insiders in the business and the house were uneasy. But if they could get close to Zhu Gui, then even if there was any change in the supervisor of the Guangdong Customs, with the protection of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, the Wu family would not only be stable, but could even move up to a higher level.
Wu Chengjian thought about it, but said, "No, let's do as Yijin says."
Master Chuan Longci advised: "Third Master! Don't miss this opportunity!"
Wu Chengjian still insisted: "He has the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi behind him. We can't just climb up to him if we want to. Some things are useless if we rush. We have to trust Yijin."
Lord Chuan Longci felt very sorry but he had no choice but to go out. Following Zhou Yijin's instructions, he only used a second-class cabin. He did not dare to decorate it too luxuriously but tried to make it as elegant as possible. At the same time, he sent an emergency boat to Shenxian Island to search for beauties who met the requirements. In just two quarters of an hour, everything was done.
At this time, Cai Qinghua was already a little drunk. He and Zhou Yijin were not only from the same hometown and master and apprentice, but also had similar experiences. Both of them found it difficult to achieve fame and fortune and instead chose the path of the shogunate. They knew and trusted each other, and their level of trust was different from others. That was why Cai Qinghua was willing to drink Zhou Yijin's wine.
Seeing that the man was already about 70% drunk, Zhou Yijin said hello, and two skinny guys from Yangzhou, about 16 or 17 years old, came in and waited on Cai Qinghua into the decorated cabin, where two extremely handsome young men had already waited to receive him.
That night, Cai Qinghua enjoyed himself to the fullest while half drunk and half awake. After waking up, he felt limp and soft, wrapped in a silk quilt that was soft to the touch. His whole body was clean and refreshed without a trace of dirt. Perhaps someone had helped him to clean himself last night, but he was unaware of it during his sleep. His delicate skills in serving people were worthy of the skills of the Fairy Island of Guangdong Sea.
Seeing that Cai Qinghua had woken up, the two Yangzhou skinny horses hurried over and helped him wash up. Cai Qinghua asked about Wu Chengjian and Zhou Yijin. One of the skinny horses said, "Something happened at home last night, and the third young master went back to Xiguan overnight."
Cai Qinghua casually asked, "Urgent matter?"
"I heard that the young master had an emergency and fell ill."
