Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

In the east of Jinling City, Xinghua Lane, Yao’s Wine Shop.

It is now the end of August, and the peak season for brewing, storing and pawning Yaojia Wine Shop's famous Apricot Blossom Spring Wine has passed.

There were no customers in the wine shop the entire afternoon, and it seemed a little empty.

Xu Qinniang, the female owner of the wine shop, is already a young woman in her twenties, with a graceful figure, beautiful eyes and eyebrows, and alluring charm.

At this moment, she was calculating the shop accounts at the counter, and the old elm wood abacus was clattering.

A sturdy guy ran into the store quickly, looking a little panicked.

When he saw Xu Qiniang, he said in a hurry: "Boss, something bad has happened. Something has happened to Miss Zou!"

When Xu Qinnan heard this, her face changed. She glanced at the door of the shop to make sure there was nothing unusual. She put away the account book and abacus in her hand, stood up and went into the inner hall, and the clerk followed her in.

As soon as she entered the inner hall, Xu Qiniang asked anxiously, "What happened to Miss Zou?"

The waiter wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Miss Zou was assassinated in the inner courtyard of Qingyin Pavilion!"

Xu Qiniang opened her eyes wide in shock, and couldn't believe her ears: "What did you say? What on earth is going on?"

The waiter said, "Yesterday evening, someone disguised themselves as a maid from Qingyin Pavilion and sneaked into the inner courtyard to assassinate Miss Zou. She was stabbed in the chest and abdomen.

It is said that Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong arrived in time and although a doctor was called in for emergency treatment, Miss Zou eventually died of her injuries.

This incident caused a big stir, and the Jinyiwei, Yingtian Prefecture, and the City Patrol were all alarmed, and they all sent people into Qingyin Pavilion to investigate.

The secret agents we originally deployed in Qingyin Pavilion were transferred to various states along the river by Miss Zou, so the news did not reach us yesterday.

This morning I went to deliver a tip to Miss Zou and just heard about this incident. Miss Zou's body was taken away by Jia Cong and it was said that he was preparing for her funeral."

When Xu Qinnan heard this, her eyes suddenly turned red.

Although Zou Min'er is young and inexperienced, she is shrewd, cautious, diligent, and courageous.

Since she arrived in Jinling, she often discussed business with Xu Qinnan, and the two had a harmonious relationship.

I didn't expect that someone so young would die suddenly and unclearly. Xu Qinnan felt very upset.

……

Moreover, Zou Min'er was the confidant of Du Qingniang, the head of the Zhongche Division, and also her personal disciple in music. She had not been in Nanjing for long when she was murdered.

Xu Qinniang really didn't know how to explain this to Du Qingniang.

She asked sternly, "Have you found out who the murderer is?"

The clerk replied, “It is said that after Miss Zou was assassinated, Jia Cong was the first to arrive and even fought with the assassin.

He described the assassin's appearance, martial arts, and the weapon he used, and the Jinyiwei concluded that the assassin was the Water Rakshasa who had recently sneaked into Jinling. "

Xu Qiniang raised her eyebrows and said in surprise, "Shui Luosha is not a subordinate of Liu Ao, the great pirate of the East China Sea. Why would he kill Miss Zou?"

The clerk said, “It is said on the street that although this water demon is Liu Ao’s subordinate, he is always unruly and does not stay at sea all the time.

Five years ago, for some unknown reason, she often went ashore and roamed around. She has committed many crimes in the past few years. I guess she took money from people and helped them buy lives.”

Xu Qiniang said: "Shui Luosha and Miss Zou have no connection at all, and it is impossible for them to know each other. It is not a personal revenge assassination. She must have been hired to sneak into Qingyin Pavilion to assassinate.

But Miss Zou's identity as a carriage driver is very secretive. On the surface, she is just a musician in the Jiaofang Department. Why would someone want to harm her... "

The clerk said, "Could it be related to Zhou Zhengyang's case? Maybe Miss Zou revealed her identity, or knew something she shouldn't know, and was assassinated to silence her?"

Xu Qinniang's voice became sharp: "No matter what the reason is, our people from the Zhongche Division must not die in vain!
Mobilize all the manpower in our city to search for the trace of Water Rakshasa. As long as we catch this person, we will know the purpose of the assassination.

In addition, all of Liu Ao’s spies and agents in Jinling City were found.

These people are the remnants of pirates. They set up shops in the city to sell stolen goods and collect and transmit information about ports and ships to help pirates plunder in the open sea. In short, they are not good people.

Perhaps we can learn the whereabouts of the Water Rakshasa from these people. If they conceal the truth or resist, we will kill them all!"

The clerk was shocked when he heard Xu Qiniang's murderous words and asked, "Boss, the manpower in the city may not be enough."

Xu Qiniang said: "Transfer the twelve swordmen we have in Liuhe into the city. These people are all good fighters in the border army. They received the favor of Du Dangtou in the past and are our most reliable force.

Although it is unclear whether it was Liu Ao who ordered the murder, Shui Luosha was his subordinate and he could not escape the responsibility. Anyone who dared to touch the people of Zhongchesi must be retaliated!
Otherwise, how can we explain to Du Dangtou if Miss Zou dies innocently and we do nothing about it? "

……

Jinling, Dazaimen, Xinchunhao Jiangnan Head Office.

In the room on the second floor of the shop, Keqing was checking the account books sent by various branch shops.

But today she was always restless. After flipping through a few pages of the account book, she stopped and seemed a little restless.

Seeing her impetuous look, Qu Hongxiu on the side raised her lips slightly and said, "Why are you thinking about Brother Cong again? You don't even have the heart to look at the account book."

Keqing blushed and said, "Sister Xiu, don't you think it's a little unusual? He hasn't been to Yuminfang for almost three days. Is there anything wrong?"

Qu Hongxiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Brother Cong is a man of sense. He must be troubled by something. He may be in the Jia Mansion in Xinglongfang these days. You will know when Baozhu comes back."

As the two were talking, they heard hurried footsteps coming up the stairs. They looked at each other and smiled. The only person in the store who could make such a noise on the stairs was Baozhu.

A figure flashed at the door, and Baozhu was seen running in.

She wore a light blue embroidered vest on her upper body, soft silk bloomers on her lower body, a pleated skirt around her slender waist, and a pair of light green embroidered shoes on her feet. Her little face was rosy, her eyebrows and eyes were beautiful, and she looked smart and cute.

"Sister Xiu, Miss, I just went to the old house in Xinglongfang, and Butler Jin said that Brother Cong hasn't returned home for almost three days."

When Keqing heard this, a look of worry appeared on her face.

Qu Hongxiu had just comforted Keqing, saying that Jia Cong had not come to Yuminfang for two days, so he must be in the Jia Mansion. However, she did not expect that he had not returned to the Jia Mansion for three days. So where was he living these days?

Even with Qu Hongxiu's understanding of Jia Cong, he felt that something was unusual and became worried.

"Baozhu, have you found Jiang Liu? Hasn't he been following Brother Cong?"

"Jiang Liu is not in the Jia Mansion either. I haven't seen him for several days."

After hearing this, Qu Hongxiu and Keqing looked at each other, their worries deepening.

They all knew that Jia Cong always had instructions for what he did, and there had never been any news for several days. Even Jiang Liu, who always followed him, had no news.

…Baozhu seemed to be hesitant to speak. Qin Keqing was very attentive and saw that she had something to say, so she asked, "Baozhu, is there anything else?"

Baozhu seemed a little embarrassed, and said softly: "I came back from Xinglongfang and stopped by Qingyin Pavilion."

Qu Hongxiu looked curious: "Why are you going there?"

She and Keqing both knew that Baozhu was active by nature, and if she was asked to help in the store, she would become restless after a long time and would often run around alone, doing many strange things.

Although Baozhu is young, she is naturally strong and has been practicing martial arts since she was young, so there is no need to worry about her suffering outside, and Qu Hongxiu and Keqing have never restricted her.

But when I heard that she went to a place like Qingyin Pavilion, I was really curious.

Baozhu said, "You all forgot that when Brother Cong first came to Jinling, he asked me where Qingyin Pavilion was and said he wanted to go there to handle government affairs."

Qu Hongxiu naturally knew the gist of this conversation. At that time, she had laughed at Jia Cong for his nonsense. She said that Qingyin Pavilion was full of women, and he was actually going there to handle government business. Who would believe it if she told him that?

Qin Keqing was very smart and understood Baozhu's thoughts immediately. She asked with a strange look on her face, "So, you think Brother Cong hasn't returned home these days because he's in Qingyin Pavilion."

Baozhu giggled: "You are the smartest girl. You figured it out right away."

Qu Hongxiu laughed and scolded: "You devilish girl, you are full of weird ideas. What are you thinking of? You actually thought of going there to find him."

Baozhu said: "Sister Xiu, don't tell me, I went to Qingyin Pavilion to look for Brother Cong, and I really went to the right place. I asked anyone there.

They all said that after Brother Cong arrived in Jinling, he had an affair with a lady named Zhou in Qingyin Pavilion. Many people knew that he often went to the pavilion to listen to Lady Zhou playing the pipa, and the two of them would stay in the elegant room for most of the day.

After hearing this, Qu Hongxiu frowned slightly and said in an annoyed tone, "This little bastard is so ridiculous. Has he been having fun in Qingyin Pavilion these days..."

Qin Keqing said sourly: "Sister Xiu, it seems that I was right. He has not come back for a few days. There must be a reason. Humph."

Baozhu said on the side: "Although Brother Cong often went to Qingyin Pavilion in the past, he was not here these days because a big thing happened in Qingyin Pavilion the day before yesterday.

Madam Zhou, who was in love with Brother Cong, was suddenly stabbed in the inner courtyard. They said that Brother Cong rushed over but was unable to save her. Then Brother Cong left with the madam's body.

No one saw him come back.”

Qu Hongxiu and Keqing were both shocked when they heard this.

Qu Hongxiu thought for a moment and said, "Keqing, this is a little wrong. Even if Brother Cong flirts with women, he is not a person without sense of propriety.

On the first day he arrived in Jinling, he asked where Qingyin Pavilion was. At that time, he must not have known the lady Zhou in the pavilion. It seemed that he had decided to go there before he came to Jinling.

But this doesn't seem like he's going there for fun, but more like he's going to look for someone, or do something, just like he said, to do government business.

That lady Zhou was just a lady of Qu Le, who would go out of their way to assassinate her? Afterwards, Brother Cong took her body with him and there was no news for several days. "

Qin Keqing was somewhat puzzled: "He went to Nanjing to do some secret work, and he said he went to Qingyin Pavilion to handle government affairs. Could it be that Miss Zhou was related to his work in Nanjing?"

Qu Hongxiu said: "It must be like this. Even if he went to Qingyin Pavilion to have fun, there is no need to let everyone know. Otherwise, why would he say that when Baozhu asked.

I think he did this mostly to cover up his tracks. The sudden assassination of Ms. Zhou is likely related to his handling of Zhou Zhengyang's case."

Keqing looked worried and said, "Sister Xiu, he took Madam Zhou's body away and there has been no news for several days. Is he in danger?"

Qu Hongxiu said: "Brother Cong is a smart person. When Madam Zhou got into trouble, he must have been prepared. He is not a weak scholar, so he should have no problem protecting himself.

I will go to the farm east of the city now and transfer some people from there to the city to search, just in case."

……

Jinling, Longtan Port Terminal.

A carriage with the Zhen family logo slowly drove into the dock and stopped near the dock.

Zhen Fangqing lifted the car curtain and looked at the three Zhen family ships, which left the dock one after another, cut through the waves and sailed out of the pier, heading towards the distant place where the sky and water met.

Liu Xian, who was sitting on the shaft of the cart, asked, "Miss San, that island is isolated a hundred miles from the estuary. Back then, the master built several storage buildings on the island as a transit point for sea transportation.

But it has been abandoned for many years, why does the girl care so much about that deserted island? "

Zhen Fangqing said: “When I was still accompanying the old concubine in Shenjing, I often received letters from my father, and he mentioned this island many times in his letters.

There is a large forest on the west side of the island, with many birds and animals. The east side of the island is flat and can be cultivated into fertile farmland. There are also two freshwater lakes on the island and springs in many places.

I was deeply impressed by the many words my father praised in his letter about this island.

Moreover, the island is surrounded by complex hydrology and numerous reefs, making it extremely dangerous and impossible for ships to approach.

But my father once told me in a letter that he had obtained a nautical chart that showed there was a narrow waterway without reefs to the west of the island, which could lead to smooth access to the island.

When I was young and curious, I once asked about this wonderful map in a letter. Unexpectedly, my father really attached the nautical chart to the letter and sent it to me.

Not long after that, my father went out to sea on a ship and had an accident...

In recent years, I have been wanting to fulfill my father's wish and build a Zhen family ship port on the island for transit of maritime trade business.

The things that happened to my third brother some time ago made me feel more anxious. "

Liu Xian said, "Miss San feels that there are risks with the first house, and wants to create an extra retreat on that island?"

Zhen Fangqing did not answer Liu Xian's question. She looked at the three ships sailing away and said quietly, "This time I visited Mrs. Jia of Rong State in Shenjing and heard about the Ning State Jia family being stripped of their titles and confiscated.

I once heard my father say that the Duke of Ning had made great contributions in expanding borders and establishing a nation, and that the descendants of Ning had also held high positions such as the Jiedushi of the Beijing Camp.

However, the grace of a gentleman will be cut off after five generations. If his descendants are unworthy and become a topic of gossip or commit crimes, their property will be confiscated and their titles will be stripped away in an instant, and a century-old nobleman will be reduced to a commoner.

My Zhen family is a prominent family in Jinling and has been wealthy for generations. However, the children of the Zhen family are bound to be of varying quality. The Ningguo Jia family is a lesson for us.

I hope these three ships can provide the Zhen family with a shelter from the wind and rain, so that if they are able to survive one day, they will have a place to stay.”

After hearing this, Liu Xian was silent. His third daughter, although a woman, was thoughtful and had long-term plans for the family, which was far superior to the men of the Zhen family.

Zhen Fangqing asked again, "Uncle Xian, my mother has been feeling unwell these past few days, and I want Doctor Zhang to prescribe a prescription for her to take care of her. Yesterday I asked you to invite him to come to my house. Did Doctor Zhang say when he would come to see her?"

Liu Xian replied: "Yesterday I went to Fushou Lane to ask for help, but the gate of Doctor Zhang's house was closed. I asked the neighbors nearby, and they said that a carriage came to pick up Doctor Zhang for emergency treatment the day before yesterday.

After Doctor Zhang left, he never came back. I guess the emergency case was very difficult and delayed him outside."

Zhen Fangqing was somewhat surprised to hear this and said, "With Doctor Zhang's superb medical skills, how could an emergency case delay his stay for three days?" (End of this chapter)