Volume 2: Eagle vs. Dragon Chapter 87 Heart to Heart
"Mr. Gao." Cai Qinghua called out.
The man in front of him was none other than Guangxing of the Gao family mentioned by Liu Quan. When Cai Qinghua first met him, he was still a poor family in the city. Although Gao Jin was a university scholar, he had too many sons, and the property in the hands of the youngest of the twelve children was not much. At that time, Guangxing was running around in Beijing, and he would sneak around to find opportunities wherever he saw them. At that time, he was very flattering to Cai Qinghua.
But things are different now.
The man frowned when he heard this address and said seriously, "Master Cai, I am Guangxing of the Gaojia clan, not Mr. Gao."
Cai Qinghua was stunned for a moment, and quickly changed his words: "Master Guangxing."
Guangxing's ancestors were Han Chinese, and even his father was a Han bannerman. But since his generation had been promoted to the Bordered Yellow Banner, he was very sensitive about being addressed inaccurately by others. In fact, the old-line Manchus did not care much about daily addresses. For example, Heshen was not named He, but if someone called him He Da Ren or He Zhong Tang, Heshen would not care. On the contrary, Guangxing, who had recently been promoted to the Bordered Yellow Banner, cared a lot in certain situations.
"Sit down." Guangxing pointed to the bench beside him with a palm leaf fan and suddenly said, "Liu Quan has arrived in Guangzhou."
"Ah?" Cai Qinghua, whose butt had just touched the bench, was about to stand up, but sat down again.
"Humph, he thought I didn't know." Guangxing said, "He's nowhere to be seen in Guangzhou. I guess someone is covering for him."
Cai Qinghua said: "I had expected He Shen to send someone, but I didn't expect them to come so soon. And it was Liu Quan who came."
"So what?" Guangxing sneered, "We kept Wu Chengjian in Guangzhou Prefecture instead of imprisoning him in the Governor's Mansion, isn't it to give people from all sides a chance to see him? Isn't this also your idea?"
"That's right." Cai Qinghua said, "The stolen goods are in our hands now. But with just that pile of stuff, it's more than enough to kill the Wu family, but it's not enough to get close to Heshen. So we have to leave a loophole to allow Wu Chengjian to contact the outside world. As long as they contact and do things, they will definitely leave traces. The more traces they leave, the more beneficial it will be for us. In the end, it can even cause waves that we can't imagine. I expected that as long as there is a chance, the other side will not let it go, and now it seems to be true."
Cai Qinghua is a teacher and has handled countless important criminal cases. There were many cases that originally had few loopholes and insufficient evidence, but in the process of handling the cases, the relevant parties could not help but intervene, prevent or even destroy the evidence, which always resulted in more and more clues. In the end, as long as the presiding judge could be impartial, there was almost no case that could not be solved, and every time, a bigger behind-the-scenes figure would be involved, without exception!
"Since Liu Quan is here, he must have said something to Wu Chengjian." Guangxing said, "Maybe it was bribery, maybe it was coercion."
Cai Qinghua nodded: "Wu Chengjian only got in touch with Liu Quan last year. It is impossible for him to become Heshen's confidant in such a short time. So when Heshen asked him to do something, he was mostly half-told and half-hidden. So if we had put Wu Chengjian in the death row and tortured him, he might not have said much. But after all these twists and turns, Wu Chengjian will know more and more. Especially when Liu Quan goes in, he will definitely say something to Wu Chengjian. No matter if Liu Quan forces, lures or threatens, with Wu Chengjian's wisdom, he will definitely be able to guess more things. If we persuade him to defect at this time, he will be able to reveal even more."
"I hope this Wu guy can understand what's best for us." Guangxing said coldly, "That way we can save ourselves a lot of trouble. It will be easier for Governor Zhu, and we can save ourselves a lot of trouble. Humph."
When Wu Chengjian saw Ye Youyu come in, he was even more surprised than Zhou Yijin was when he saw Ye Youyu come back.
"What are you doing here?" He said irritably, "Go away, go away!"
After Zhou Yijin escorted her in, he closed the door and stood guard outside. Ye Youyu walked into the cell calmly and said, "My child's father will be beheaded soon. As his mother, I have to come and see him off, right?"
Wu Chengjian said: "What did you say?!"
With his intelligence, he guessed it immediately and said angrily: "Yi Jin...he told you everything? When did he become so ignorant of the importance of things!"
"It's not that he doesn't know the seriousness of the matter. I forced him to say it." Seeing Wu Chengjian's anger turn into surprise, Ye Youyu said, "So, isn't it time for you to tell me the truth?"
"What's there to say?" Wu Chengjian said coldly: "Between you and me, it was just an agreement. Now the Wu family is in trouble, and I can no longer give you what you need. It's time for you to leave."
"Husband and wife are birds of the same forest, but they fly away separately when disaster strikes." Ye Youyu said, "What's more, we are a couple that don't even have affection for each other, but a tacit understanding that doesn't even have a piece of paper. So... you're right, I should have left without looking back."
"Then why are you here?" Wu Chengjian said, "Go quickly. You have money and connections now. Cai Qinghua and Liu Quan have not set their sights on you yet. You are so cunning that you have a chance to escape and save your life." He paused and said, "If you need anything, go to Hongmen and ask for a few people. Why ask Yi Jin?"
Ye Youyu's eyes flashed: "At this time, you can still call on the power of Hongmen? Then why don't you use the power of Hongmen to turn the tables?"
"The people of Hongmen are all petty thieves. If they really encounter a regular army..." Wu Chengjian frowned and said, "Why are you still asking these questions!"
Ye Youyu sat down slowly, "Because I don't want to leave. I'm having a good time as the Third Young Lady of the Wu Family. As long as there's a glimmer of hope, why should I give up? Even if I can use the Hongmen people to secretly bring my mother out, even if I can use the Hongmen people to send my mother and me away, then what? Should I go to the countryside to be a hiding village woman, or go overseas to be a widow in a foreign land? I don't want to, it's better to stay in Guangzhou, stay in Xiguan, be powerful and wealthy. After a few years, maybe I can even become a royal lady. If I run away now, I'll lose all of these."
Wu Chengjian sneered: "Still thinking of being rich and powerful? Be careful and you may even lose your life."
Ye Youyu said: "Although the situation is actually dangerous, you and Yi Jin still have a glimmer of hope to turn the situation around. Am I right?"
Wu Chengjian angrily said: "Whether we turn the tables or not is none of your business! I told you to get out!"
Ye Youyu said: "However, because the situation is too dangerous, the chance of a comeback is extremely small. This is a life-or-death situation."
Wu Chengjian sneered: "You know that you are in danger of death, but you still think about the wealth and glory afterwards. Ye Youyu, Ye Youyu, is your heart blinded by lard?"
Ye Youyu said, "Since there is still one life after nine deaths, but you are reluctant to let me take this risk with you, Wu Chengjian, Wu Chengjian, do you care about me so much?"
Wu Chengjian was suddenly choked.
Ye Youyu said, "Besides me, who else did you arrange to escape? What about the master? What about the uncle? Well, the master is too old, and the uncle is seriously ill. If they really leave the Xiguan mansion, they might not be able to survive on the way. So what about the sister-in-law? What about Guang'er?"
Wu Chengjian said coldly: "Guang'er, I have my own arrangements, you don't need to worry about it."
Ye Youyu asked, "What about Tan Sanniang? Have you made arrangements? How did you make arrangements for her?"
Wu Chengjian choked again, then said: "I'll ask Yi Jin to arrange it later..."
Ye Youyu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "You, you, you...you actually forgot about her...this time...you actually forgot...haha, haha!"
Wu Chengjian said angrily: "What are you laughing at? I just forgot for a moment!"
"Because you forgot for a moment, that's why I'm smiling." Ye Youyu's eyes were filled with tears, but she didn't feel sad at all. Instead, she looked very happy: "Okay, okay, just because you forgot about her for a moment but didn't forget about me, I decided to stay. If you live, I'll be with you. If you die, I'll be with you."
Wu Chengjian roared, " Are you crazy? Ye Youyu, are you crazy?"
Ye Youyu asked, "Why are you so angry? You have never been someone who gets angry easily, so why did you get angry so easily today? Are you confused? Are you anxious because you heard that I wanted to stay?"
Wu Chengjian yelled, "I don't know what you are talking about!"
"Okay, if you don't know, then you don't know." Ye Youyu supported his waist with one hand and held the prison pillar with the other, then slowly stood up and said, "Anyway, I came here today just to tell you this: I won't leave. It's just a narrow escape, but I may not die. I, Ye Youyu, have survived more difficult situations than this, so I'm not afraid of another one."
"A more difficult situation than this?" Wu Chengjian sneered, "What more difficult situation can you encounter than this?"
"Of course there is." Ye Youyu said, "I am trapped in the backyard of a deep house, with only a helpless mother to comfort me. I can't get any help from heaven or earth. I live in confusion and pain every day. I don't know why I am alive, nor do I know what I can do if I live. I look up at the sky, but it is pitch black. I look down at the ground, but there is no way to die... Third brother, you have been spoiled since childhood, so you can't understand. This situation is the real hardship!"
Wu Chengjian was stunned when he heard this.
"As for now ... what's so difficult about now?" Ye Youyu raised her chin and said, "I have a husband now, a husband who is afraid that I am in danger and wants to send me away like he has lost his mind. I have a child in my belly, and when I think about giving birth to him and raising him, I am full of courage and determination. I also have friends, who were originally my husband's friends, but I know that they are willing to do a lot for my husband. I also have loyal servants - a maid who is willing to accompany me through the coldest night, and a servant who is willing to drill ice water for me in the cold weather. Even my father-in-law and sister-in-law are all sincere for my own good. If a person has so many people around him to accompany and help him, then even if the sky is going to fall tomorrow, it will not be a difficult situation."
These words made Wu Chengjian stand there speechless for a while.
"You gave me all these! If you hadn't appeared, I wouldn't have gotten these." Ye Youyu said, "Maybe you think these are nothing, but to me, these things are priceless! You keep saying that what we have is just an agreement, then why did you get angry when you saw the old wound on my chest? You are a wealthy man who makes thousands of dollars a day, why did you personally go to the South China Sea to make medicine for me? You took me back to my mother's house on the second day of the New Year, so deliberately venting your anger on me and supporting my mother. Is this part of our agreement? One of the four major guarantors of the Thirteen Hongs knelt down in public to the concubine of another guarantor who is not as good as your own. Is this also part of our agreement?"
Wu Chengjian's face turned black.
"Third brother, are you angry again?" Ye Youyu said with a smile, "You don't like a woman seeing through your thoughts, so you are angry again, right? Or are these things you don't want to admit?"
Wu Chengjian snorted and said nothing.
Ye Youyu touched her belly and said, "Third brother, do you think someone like me would be willing to have sex with you and have a child just because of an agreement? When we were having sex, I felt like you really enjoyed it. When the child was born, I saw that you were so happy."
Wu Chengjian had already turned his head away and was not looking at Ye Youyu.
Ye Youyu asked, "Third brother, why don't you dare look at me? Are you embarrassed that I saw through your awkward heart, or are you afraid that you will change your heart and let down Tan Sanniang?"
Wu Chengjian said angrily: "Who changed his mind?"
"Okay, okay, you said you haven't changed your mind, then you haven't changed your mind." Ye Youyu wiped her tears and smiled, "Anyway, I'm very happy today. Now go out and discuss with Yi Jin what to do, and then we will rescue you."
Wu Chengjian said angrily: "You...you! Who am I, Wu Chengjian, that I need a woman like you to save me!"
"Yes, yes, of course not. In fact, you have already planned it, and many things are done to confuse others, right? You sent me away just in case, right? But in fact, you don't have to do this." Ye Youyu said: "Because no matter how dangerous the process is, you will succeed in the end. I, Ye Youyu, don't believe in heaven, I don't believe in gods, I don't believe in fate, but I believe in you."
After she said this, she finally turned and left.
Seeing that she had already reached the prison door, Wu Chengjian suddenly said, "Stop!"
Ye Youyu stopped.
Turning around, I saw Wu Chengjian's eyes gradually drooping, looking down at the ground. After a while, his emotions calmed down.
She heard him lower his voice and say, "Come back."
Ye Youyu supported his waist and walked back slowly.
Wu Chengjian did not leave the cell either. He pulled Ye Youyu closer to him through the prison pillar and let her lean her head against his forehead. After a while, he whispered, "It was my plan that Mr. Liu San got into trouble."
"ah?"
"Don't talk!" Wu Chengjian continued in a low voice: "Yi Jin and I have been prepared for this. We have calculated all kinds of worst-case scenarios and made various advance plans, but some changes are still beyond our expectations. I know I can't stop you from thinking about things. But I don't want you to think about the whole situation clearly. Thinking about the overall situation is too mentally exhausting and it hurts your health. If you still listen to me, if you really can't stop yourself from thinking, then just think about a little bit."
"Which point?" Ye Youyu asked.
"That batch of red goods!" Wu Chengjian said, "Only if we can get that batch of red goods back without anyone noticing, or destroy it, will we have a chance to escape. After you get out, if you can't control yourself, think about this matter. If you can't think of it, don't force it, and take good care of the fetus. Humph! I, Wu Chengjian, have been struck by lightning, and even monks praise me for knowing my past and present lives. If I really get to Beijing, I may not die by relying on my ability to adapt to circumstances!"
This was the first time after their marriage that the two of them talked so closely. Ye Youyu said nothing, just listened.
After Wu Chengjian finished speaking, he said, "Do you understand? Nod if you understand."
Ye Youyu said nothing and nodded.
Wu Chengjian then let her go and said, "Go."
Ye Youyu nodded and turned to leave.
When she walked to the prison door, Wu Chengjian suddenly let out a cry of surprise, and then shouted, "Hey!"
Ye Youyu asked, "What's wrong?"
Wu Chengjian said: "There is a fish in the North Sea, its name is Kun... Did we meet in the back garden of Lu Jiu's house?"
Ye Youyu suddenly raised his wrist and bit his hand, fearing that he would laugh. However, his eyes suddenly became wet and he quickly fled the cell.
Zhou Yijin watched Ye Youyu come out biting her hand, tears still stained on her face, her hand covering most of her mouth, but the corners of her mouth seemed to be smiling strangely. Zhou Yijin's eyes flickered, as if he guessed something, and suddenly said, "Congratulations, you got what you wanted."
Ye Youyu had not expected Zhou Yijin to be so perceptive. Just as he was about to speak, he heard footsteps. Zhou Yijin raised his eyebrows. His hearing was extremely sensitive, and the master and disciple were familiar with each other. He could actually hear the footsteps of Cai Qinghua. He whispered, "My master is here."
Ye Youyu said "oh" and his expression changed. The smile on his lips disappeared. With traces of tears on his face, he looked like he was crying and overly worried.
