Volume 1: Mission in Danger Chapter 51: Smuggling Intercepted
After all, the guys were all from Yihehang, and they all got angry when they heard this: "This is really too much! Even if they are from Guangdong Customs, they shouldn't do this!"
The man who rushed in to report the news said, "But there's something even more bizarre! Guess who they found in the carriage?"
One of the guys asked, "Who else could it be except the Third Young Master?"
Another guy said, "Since he asked that, he is definitely not the Third Young Master. At least he is more than just the Third Young Master."
"Who else could it be? Could it be the third young master's new courtesan?"
Someone whispered, "Could it be that the Third Young Master was so daring that he kidnapped Master Jishan's concubine?"
When everyone heard this, they thought that this matter was "in line with" Wu Chengjian's "reputation" as a playboy. However, if the Third Young Master really wanted to do this, wouldn't that be too audacious?
"You all guessed wrong!" The waiter who rushed in said, "What was found in the carriage was not the Third Young Master, nor any courtesan or concubine, but Wu Liu and Guang Young Master."
"What?" Everyone asked in surprise: "Wu Liu and who?"
"Wu Liu, and the young master of our Yihe Bank - Xiao Guangshao."
When everyone heard this, they looked at each other and guessed something at once. They all felt a pang in their hearts, thinking: "This... things are going to be bad!"
"What are you all yelling about here!" Wu Chenggou came out from another accounting office and shouted, "Get back to work!"
After he shouted at them, the crowd dispersed, but they were all thinking, "What work is there to do at this time?"
They all thought that it was not without reason that Galau intercepted Wu Chengjian's carriage. And the person found in Wu Chengjian's carriage to Shamian turned out to be Young Master Sun of Yihehang, which was probably not a coincidence either.
Everyone naturally thought: "Is Yihe Bank really going to go bankrupt? Is the Wu family going to send their eldest son and grandson away to escape and save their lives?"
Everyone thought so, and Wu Chenggou thought almost the same. When he thought of this, he couldn't help feeling irritated.
Such a big thing, but the family didn't even discuss it with me. It would have been fine if they didn't discuss it with me, but they actually messed it up! And they wanted to send Guang'er away. Was this the eldest sister-in-law's own plan, or did Wu Guoying know about it? If Wu Guoying also knew about it, then the situation of the Wu family has really become unmanageable?
He couldn't bear it any longer, so he rushed out and went home.
When he returned to the Xiguan mansion, he saw that the gate was open and two soldiers were standing at the door! Wu Chenggou secretly thought that it was not good. After thinking about it, he did not dare to go in. He went around to the back door. Fortunately, there was no one guarding it. Then he sneaked in quietly. He dodged all the way to the front yard, and heard someone laughing in a strange voice. The voice was unfamiliar, and it was not someone from the family.
The man smiled and said, "Where is your boss? Why is he gone?"
Wu Chenggou hid behind a small door and peeked out through the crack. He saw a Manchu man with a standard rat-tail haircut, leading a few bannermen, pointing at people in the yard and shouting. Opposite him, Guang'er was hiding in Cai Qiaozhu's arms, crying silently.
Wu Chenggou guessed that the man with the rat-tail hair might be Galiu. When he saw the Manchus, his legs went weak and he almost wanted to run away, but he was so eager to know what happened next that he barely held back. He couldn't help but secretly curse the third brother for bringing the Manchus into his home!
Ga Liu was shouting outside, and the servants of the Wu family in the yard didn't dare to speak. Cai Qiaozhu kept dodging, hugging the frightened Guang'er.
After listening to the noise in the yard for a while, Wu Chenggou finally understood the whole story. It turned out that the news he heard in the company was true. Today, Galiu suddenly appeared on the street and stopped Wu Chengjian's carriage for some reason. Wu Qi, who was driving the carriage, resisted desperately but to no avail. Galiu forcibly searched the carriage and found Wu Liu and Guang'er in the carriage. The street became lively now. Wu Qi was in a panic and was detained by the Manchu soldiers. Then he and his carriage were taken back to the Wu mansion.
Wu Qi was a clever and slippery man, and he took advantage of the chaos to escape, but Wu Liu and Guang'er were watched more closely.
Cai Qiaozhu, who was holding Guang'er, turned sideways to prevent the Manchus from seeing her face clearly. She had just heard from the servants that a Manchu master had brought Guang Shao home, which frightened her. She knew that the plan to send Guang'er overseas had been exposed, so she rushed out without regard for etiquette in panic - under normal circumstances, she would never show her face in front of such a person.
Although it was just a quick glimpse, Galau had already caught a glimpse of Cai Qiaozhu's beautiful face. He came closer while shouting and yelling, with a greedy look on his face.
Cai Qiaozhu was shocked and stepped back. If it was someone else, the Wu family's servants would have driven him away, but the other party was a Manchu master. Although Ga Liu was just a servant in the Supervisory Office, he was the master in front of the Han people. Even if the person in front of him was a wealthy man from the Thirteenth Line, he was still the master! Although everyone was angry, no one dared to step forward. Wu Liu was held down by two bannermen and could not step forward.
Wu Chenggou suddenly heard someone behind him say, "Second Young Master, go out and save the eldest young mistress..."
It was a servant who was also hiding behind the door and peeking. Wu Chenggou covered his mouth before he could finish speaking, fearing that the Manchus outside would hear him. How could he dare to go out at this moment?
Cai Qiaozhu was trembling all over and her back had hit the wall, but Galiu was still approaching. Seeing that one of Galiu's black claws was about to touch her, she felt so disgusted that she was about to vomit, fearing that she would be touched by it.
Fortunately, Wu Erliang shouted, "What are you doing? What are you doing?"
Wu Erliang, who was in his fifties, rushed over and inserted himself between Ga Liu and Cai Qiaozhu.
Cai Qiaozhu was like a person who had been saved from a desperate situation. She whispered, "Uncle Erliang!"
Then two servants carried out a chair, with Wu Guoying sitting on it. The two servants placed the chair in the middle of the yard. Wu Erliang protected Cai Qiaozhu and hid behind Wu Guoying.
Although Garu had been separated from Wu Erliang, Wu Guoying didn't know whether he had seen what had just happened or guessed something. His eyes were as if they were about to spit fire, but he still restrained his face. He leaned forward in his chair and said, "I am Wu Guoying, what is the name of this gentleman?"
Since Ga Liu had taken on the job of managing the Thirteen Hongs, he had also taken some time to get to know the main figures of the Thirteen Hongs. Although he had never met Wu Guoying, he knew that this was the founder of Yihe Hong. He walked up to Wu Guoying and said proudly, "I am Ga Liu!"
"Oh!" Wu Guoying said hurriedly, "It's Manager Ga. I wonder what you are doing here?"
With a glance, he seemed to have just discovered Wu Liu, and said in surprise, "Oh, isn't this our Wu Liu? How come he is being held by two soldiers? I wonder what he has done wrong, or if he has offended the officer?"
Because of his inappropriate words at the first meeting to protect merchants, Galu was severely punished by Jishan after returning to the Supervisory Office. After learning from his mistakes, he finally made some progress. This time, someone taught him how to deal with various people and occasions. He immediately replied: "I was walking on the street and suddenly found someone kidnapping your young master. I arrested the kidnapper and sent your young master back."
Although the Supervisor of Guangdong Customs was the immediate superior of the Thirteen Hongs, he had the final say in matters concerning the Thirteen Hongs' foreign affairs and commerce. However, even if he had soldiers at his disposal, he had no power to enforce public security in Guangzhou. It was not legitimate for his soldiers to intercept Wu Chengjian's carriage and arrest Wu Liu and Guang'er - the Wu family had not committed any crime, and their superiors had not ordered them to be under house arrest. According to the law, even if Guang'er went to his hometown in Fujian openly, no one could stop him, not to mention that he was just going out in his uncle's carriage.
Falsely accusing the Wu family's servants of kidnapping the young master was an excuse for Ga Liu to interfere in the Wu family's affairs. Everyone knew that this excuse was false, but no one pointed it out. After all, with Ga Liu saying this, even the people who were plotting behind the scenes were unwilling to reveal their identities publicly - the second meeting to protect the businessmen had not even started yet.
Wu Liu was more honest than his brother, and he shouted on the spot: "No, I didn't! I didn't kidnap anyone!"
Wu Guoying shouted, "Shut up!" He said to Wu Erliang, "Tell two people to take this beast to Nanhai County. Please let the master decide whether it is kidnapping or not."
Wu Erliang agreed and ordered the two young men to take Wu Liu away. The two flag soldiers looked at Ga Liu, who nodded slightly, and they let him go. Wu Liu was just slow to react, but he was not a fool. Seeing that it was his master who asked, he stopped shouting and obediently let the servants catch him.
Wu Guoying said, "It's just a little thing at home, and I was laughed at by the manager. Come on."
Wu Erliang had already received a box from a maid. Wu Guoying said, "Something ugly happened at home. I really need your help this time. Please accept this small gift."
Galau laughed, took the box, weighed it, opened it a crack and took a look in front of everyone, then closed it again and said with a smile: "Be more careful next time, keep the door closed, don't let cats and dogs take people away again."
Wu Guoying bowed and said, "Yes, yes. Manager Ga is right."
Galau then took the box, took the flag bearer with him, and staggered away.
Wu Guoying watched him disappear with red eyes, then said to Wu Erliang: "Tell Haoguan to go to Nanhai County to make arrangements and bring Wu Liu back."
Since they had said in front of Galau that they would take Wu Liu to the county government office, they had to go through all the procedures. As for how the county magistrate would rule, that was Nanhai County's business. The Supervisory Office had no say in it and had no say in it. It was just that the Wu family would have to spend some money.
Cai Qiaozhu hugged Guang'er and walked forward and said, "Master..."
Wu Guoying raised her hand to stop him: "Let's talk in the backyard."
Wu Erliang asked two young men to lift Wu Guoying up, and everyone followed him to the backyard.
