Even more loudly, after the banquet on the fourteenth elder brother's painting boat, Lian Zhenyun and Fourth Elder Brother Cui got off the painting boat side by side, got on a small boat and docked.

The moonlight was half-bright and half-dark on the bank of the Hongqiao, and under the willow trees, nearly a hundred Cao Gang members and two teams of river pacesetters stood quietly a hundred steps away, staring at each other with undisguised hatred and defense in their eyes. The tense air scared away the evening breeze on Slender West Lake.

Lian Zhenyun and Cui Hao got off the boat, and the servants and soldiers suddenly restrained their murderous spirit, quietly surrounded them, and each protected the two of them in the middle and sent them to their mounts.

Li Siqin was in a hurry to ask, watching Cui Hao and Lian Zhenyun smile at each other and say goodbye, he suddenly snorted heavily, staring at Cui Hao's distant back, "The face surnamed Cui is kind, and those hot hands under him have made us suffer a lot, and the eldest brother almost lost his life."

Lian Zhenyun rode on the horse, with a smile on his face, and said lightly, "Although I have some skills, I can't become a climate, and I only know how to look at the eyes of the master." After that, he crossed the money pass all the way and returned to Caolian Mansion.

Even the silver candles in the house are high, and the red sandalwood furniture in the main room is glowing with a layer of gloomy light under the candlelight.

Li Siqin followed Lian Zhenyun into the room, he reflexively closed the door, turned his head and asked, "Big brother, why did you stop me at first?" Fourteenth elder brother's fire, she ......"

Lian Zhen glanced at him, "It's just that the thunder is loud and the rain is small, it's still useful for the fourteenth elder brother to keep her, think about it, don't you still spoil her in the end?" Besides," smiled coldly, "The surname Cui Di didn't say a word, he always understands the fourteenth elder brother better than us, right?" ”

Li Siqin thought for a while, and suddenly sighed, Lian Zhenyun rarely saw him like this, and said strangely: "What's wrong?" ”

Li Siqin slowly got down the table and said in annoyance: "The news that came out of the capital said that the fourteenth elder brother had a great favor to her. Now he is like this to her. She has a low background, and the more Lord Chen is promoted, the more she has to rely on the fourteenth elder brother to sit firmly in the main room. According to her temperament, can she repay one or two? In the future, you will inevitably have to fight against us. I can't hide for a while. Big brother, if anything happens in the future, she will come and tell me, I'm afraid I won't be able to reply to her......"

Lian Zhenyun smiled slightly. "Your heart. I'm thinking about it. It almost happened last time. But he also sat down at the table. looked at Li Siqin. "As long as she doesn't go against us. lest we be embarrassed. Anything goes? ”

Li Siqin was stunned. Cracked laughed: "As long as she doesn't come to trouble me." Anything goes. ”

It's the Dragon Boat Festival in a blink of an eye. Outside the capital, in the canal. Zhili Cao Gangdi Dragon Boat and Changlu Salt Merchant Chajia Di Dragon Wave Chopping Waves. Compete for the headmark. The crowds on both sides of the strait are surging. The applause resounded in the air.

In the capital. The Nine Masters' Mansion is straight, but the Water Pavilion is quiet. After the Dragon Boat Festival dumpling was removed. The maids presented fresh mulberries and cherries. The ninth elder brother and the eighth elder brother drank realgar wine at the same time. While looking at the news handed back by Yangzhou.

The ninth elder brother leaned on the fence with the colorful and five poison bags to ward off evil spirits. Frowning. "Starling. The fourteenth brother has been in Yangzhou for more than half a month. I didn't talk to Sister Qi Qiang at all. He"

The eighth elder brother used a folding fan to pick up the five poison bags on the bar. Look closely at the little spider embroidery. Don't care: "You are up to him." It's not like you don't know his character. Again. She has no children now. The foundation is shaky. It's also not easy to use. "Raise your head. Shake off the golden folding fan of Xiangfei in his hand. Revealing a white gauze fan. "Huang Ama is going to transfer Zhang Peng to the ministry in the near future. Do you know who the Governor of the Rivers of SHKP is? ”

Brother Jiu was stunned for a moment, drank the wine in the cup in one gulp, grabbed a few ebony bone fans and fanned them vigorously, and said with a smile: "Who is it?" Is it your protégé? ”

The elder brother slowly shook the white gauze folding fan, and the colorful yarns on the bars around him to ward off evil and the five poisons were moving together, "Although it is not my doorman, it is the doorman of the fourteenth brother." ”

Brother Jiu laughed, "No wonder the fourteenth brother is not in a hurry to use her, it turns out that there is this move, and he happily stood up and nodded again and again" directly forcing Chen Bianzhi to do it, it is much easier than using her. As long as we get stuck in the river silver of the Yangzhou River, Chen Bianzhi will have to go to find money. He won't be greedy for ink, Yangzhou's money is just salt and Cao, both of which are involved in the Yangzhou Gang, as long as he collects grain, inspects ships, checks money, and verifies the transportation of Ding, these small things are stuck, and Yangzhou Mansion Lian Zhenyungong will have to pay half less to the prince."

The eighth elder brother swiped his finger across the white gauze fan on the folding fan, "The fourth and thirteenth members of the household department owe silver, doesn't the prince also owe hundreds of thousands of taels?" He also has a big treasury is the Internal Affairs Office, let's go hand in hand, those people in the Internal Affairs Office have long seen that Cao Yin is not pleasing to the eye, we don't have to stir up trouble, as long as we set the fire to let the Internal Affairs Office fight, whether it is Ling Pu or Cao Yin, by the way, which one falls, we all make money to see where the prince goes to fish and still owes silver

"Ling Pu of the Internal Affairs Office is the prince's nurse, needless to say, although the three major weavings of the Internal Affairs Office are the henchmen of Huang Ama, they have more or less secretly given the prince money." Brother Jiu shook the folding fan in his hand and said proudly: "Besides, the three major weaving mansions are the eyes of Huang Ama in the south of the Yangtze River, and Cao Xuan is the most trusted by Huang Ama the most, if we get rid of him, we will dare to act in the south." ”

The eighth elder brother put away the white gauze folding fan and looked at the pink lotus blooming in the lake outside Tongzhizhai, "We did this just to catch the salt and water in the palm of our hands." The Jiangsu gang leader is now seriously ill, and slowly began to hand over the affairs of Huai'an Mansion to Lian Zhenyun. Lian Zhenyun is not a dead brain, he is not moving now, it's just that the price we are opening is not high enough......" The fan slapped the railing one by one, and there was a rhythmic hitting sound, "In terms of situation, he is not taking the official road, seeing that the position of the leader of the Jiangsu gang is his, there is no big difference between following the prince and following us at the moment; In terms of wealth, I am afraid that his land money is not less than that of the eight chief salt merchants, but we have to rely on him to make money for us; On the color of two partial rooms, two concubines, three outer rooms in Yangzhou, Huai'an also chartered a Su opera ......"

Brother Jiu slapped the table, "Choose one of our eunuchs to be his wife with outstanding talents?" ”

The eighth elder brother shook his head, "The Jiangsu gang leader picked him from the prince's door, but he didn't respond." Turning around slowly, he seemed to smile, "I heard a message, and I don't know if it's true or not......

After January, it was autumn, and the sun had risen later than summer. The sky of Yangzhou City is still dark, and the lights are already bright on the gate of the Caohe Banknote Pass, and the river pacesetters and boats are crowded in the waterway, and the quarrels and scolding are endless.

The cloud board of the Yazhong Gate of Yangzhou Mansion rang an hour in advance, and the three halls were opened. The third class officer listened to the noise coming from the gate, and he was used to it. They drank at the head of the squad and lifted

Straddled the waist knife, hurriedly ran out of the mansion, and rushed to the banknote gate.

The chaos in Yangzhou City was blocked by the high courtyard wall, and the back house was still quiet. Qi Su Niang changed Chen Yan into her newly made lake silk clip, tied the wrapping belt, looked at him without realizing anything, only frowned, and ate half a bowl of Baoying lotus root noodles with double yellow duck eggs, then put down the chopsticks, and hurriedly went to the front office to discuss official business with Master Zhou.

Bi'er sighed while cleaning up the table with Qi Su Niang: "Ye shouted that he wanted to eat Baoying lotus root powder in May, and now that the lotus root is on the market, grandma specially made ...... for him" glanced at Qi Su Niang, as if he had something to say, and swallowed it alive.

Qi Su Niang thought about it and said slowly: "I'm afraid there is something difficult in the mansion." Every day when I go home and get in bed, but I sleep for two or three hours, and I go outside to be busy, and I lose a lot of weight. Looking at the remaining half bowl of Baoying lotus root powder in the celadon bowl, "We haven't spoken for more than half a month......

Bi'er looked at Qi Su Niang and persuaded: "Grandma has also cleared up a little, let's go to Lian's mansion to disperse, look at Haijing, and talk to Aunt Lian ......."

Qi Su Niang smiled bitterly: "I really want to go out." I'm afraid that when he is free to come back suddenly, he won't be able to find me to speak......" sighed, "I can't find out the news, and it's not good to ask him about the affairs in the yamen......"

Billy nodded, "Grandma is right." Yang is not Qinghe, the officials and relatives are all knowledgeable, and their mouths are tight. These outside business have nothing to do with the inner house, if you don't say it, grandma can't ask. The slave maid went to inquire."

Qi Su sat alone in front of the makeup dowry, counting the Chen family's belongings. 500 acres of land, a high-ranking mansion, 480 taels of silver, and 19,000 taels of dowry silver in her hand, and other head ornaments, gold and silver utensils are also worth 2,300 taels.

"I didn't hear him say that he was short of money...... Qi Su Niang muttered to herself, and sighed softly, "Yes, he wants to get money now, and he doesn't have to take it from me......"

Qi Su Niang was pondering, and Zhi'er hurriedly came in, "Grandma, Aunt Lian in the house is here." Sister Biller was accompanying her to tea in the hall. ”

Qi Su Niang was stunned, "She actually: The door is open?" Hurriedly stood up and rushed to the front, and sure enough, he saw Lianxiang laughing with Bi'er in the hall, and Banye and Ziding were standing aside. Although Banye often delivers things for Lianxiang, Ziding has never come, her eyes rolled, and she secretly looked at the back house of the mansion.

"The master and the second master are not falling, only a few days later, they send Dahe back to ask if Haijing is okay. I'm going to find time to go out and see you. Lian Xiang drank the wood rose tea, looking confused, "Don't talk about the master, although the second master also has two sisters outside, he will stay for ten days at most in January, and he has never come home for thirty or forty days." ”

Qi Suniang drank tea slowly, while watching Li'er and Zhi'er put down a horizontal table, and put on the air-dried chestnuts, candied green fruits, ripe white melon seeds, amber peach kernels four dried fruit saucers and longan, plums, peaches, grapes four fresh fruit saucers.

Lian Xiang took an amber peach kernel and put it in her mouth, chewed it slowly, and smiled sideways: "Madame hasn't been to me for almost a month, but Lord Chen accompanies Madame all the time?" ”

Qi Su Niang smiled bitterly: "The situation is similar here, he is busy with things in the yamen every day, I don't know what is going on at this time." ”

Lianxiang sat for a while, chatted with Qi Su Niang, although she was reluctant, she didn't dare to have lunch at the head, but she only asked Qi Su Niang to see her from time to time, and went back.

Qi Su Niang sat in the hall and pondered silently, Bi'er beat Zhi'er out, and quietly walked up and said, "Grandma, Mr. Zhou hasn't come to see his sister-in-law Li'er in the house for seven or eight days. In the past few days, Xiaolian has been avoiding the slave maid, and the slave and maid felt that something was going on outside, and they were not sure, so they heard Aunt Lian say it......"

Qi Suliang groaned slightly, "Quietly ask Li'er to call her sister Changsheng over." ”

"Changsheng is talking to her in the nursery right now. The slave went and called her.

”

Li'er took Changsheng's hand and walked into the hall, and both of them saluted. Qi Su Niang looked at Changsheng and said with a smile: "Changsheng, come here, I will ask you something." ”

Changsheng is only twelve years old, and he is still a child. She walked closer and looked at Qi Su Niang cautiously. As soon as she entered Chen's house, she and her brother sent her brother to Zhou Tian to wait, but she was rare for her grandmother, so she didn't know Qi Suniang's temperament as well as Bi'er and Li'er.

Qi Su Niang pondered and said, "Changsheng, what is Mr. Zhou busy with today?" Your brother Qixi is his land with Ma Xiaowu, have you mentioned to you where Mr. Zhou often goes? ”

was stunned for a moment, bowed his head and hesitated, "Grandma, Mr. has instructed the slave and maid, and the maid will not tell grandma these ......"

Before Qi Su Niang could speak, Li'er glared, "Nonsense, we are girls bought by grandma, brother and you are just going to wait for Mr. Zhou, have you forgotten that grandma provided us with food and drink to reunite our three brothers and sisters?" We are from the Chen family, grandma asked, you don't hurry up and reply. ”

Changsheng was young, he was scolded by his sister, he showed a frightened look on his face, he secretly glanced at Li'er, and stammered: "If you go back to grandma, my brother has followed Mr. to Caoshang for more than a month," hesitating: "My brother has been injured twice......"

Qi Su Niang, Bi'er, Li'er, and Zhi'er were all startled. Li'er's face was full of panic, grabbed her, and said angrily: "How could my brother be injured? You girl never get along."

Changsheng was glared at by his sister and cried out in fright, "Brother Xiaolian is also injured, and so is Mr. Zhou, they won't let me talk about it......"

Qi Su Niang heard that Xiaolian was injured, and her heart jumped. She pulled Changsheng to her side and raised her sleeves to wipe his tears for him, "Changsheng, don't cry, tell me quickly, how could they get hurt when they went to Caoshang?" Xiao Lian is the master of Futai and Ma Xiaoxiao, if he is injured, wouldn't he ...... Isn't there someone who wants to hurt Lord Futai? ”

Changsheng bit his lip, wrung his hands, and sobbed: "The slave doesn't know what is going on, my brother said that the sailors of Caoshang are making trouble from time to time, and those people say that our family is ......" but he didn't dare to say any more.

Qi Su Niang hurriedly said: "What are you talking about?" Changsheng looked at Qi Su Niang and said timidly: "Say ...... Say Adult...... Mean and greedy for money...... Cut off their way ......"

Qi Su Niang was stunned on the spot, speechless. Bi'er hurriedly persuaded: "Grandma, don't you know what your master is like?" The sailors have always been rude and rude, and it is common for them to gather people to fight, so it is difficult to say what is going on. After that, he looked at Changsheng and earnestly advised, "If grandma asks you today, don't mention it to Ye and Mr. Zhou, can you remember?" ”

Qi Su Niang watched Li'er take Changsheng and retreat, and gave Bi'er a look. Bill followed her back to the inner room. Qi Su Niang sat in front of the dressing table, and Bi'er closed the door and said, "What does grandma command?" ”

"Master

I can't ask where I live, and Xiaolian and Qixi are afraid that they don't know the inside story. Well, we can't go. You quietly go to Lianfu to keep an eye on it, and if you see Lian Dahe, the great housekeeper of Lianfu, come back, ask him to come to the mansion. Qi Su Niang said, took out a hundred taels of silver from the makeup box, "You keep an eye on it day and night, you don't have to go back to the house to wait for me, you must bring Lian Dahe over." ”

"Grandma rest assured, the slave maid went to hire a small canopy boat to guard the small Qinhuai River in front of Caolian Mansion. Even the chief steward will return to the house every few days, and he will definitely be able to meet him. He is very deferential to his grandmother on weekdays, and if the slave and maid stuff some silver, he will definitely come. ”

The north wind from the capital blew into the gate of Yangzhou City along the Cao River, setting off the waves to the old high. Boats, cargo ships, and passenger ships from south to north waited at the gates of various gates in the river section of Yangzhou Prefecture, delaying the shipping schedule, and although the official ships passed the customs smoothly, they did not dare to go on the road alone, for fear of the water thieves who haunted the river.

However, the autumn sun in July in the south of the Yangtze River caresses Yangzhou City, although the north wind is cold, after thousands of miles, it finally reduces some cold. Lian Dahe went out of the gate early in the morning, but he was not in a hurry to return to Caolian Mansion. He led people to the largest silk shop in Yangzhou City, made thousands of taels of silver, and wrapped all the new clothes.

"The big steward, the favorite cherry red lotus material in your mansion has not been sent from the Hangzhou weaving room, you see" Wan Huachun's big shopkeeper bent over and squinted with a smile, "Uncle Lian has wrapped these materials and specially rewarded them to Aunt Lian, this material is indispensable." When the goods arrive, the small lands will be sent to the house? ”

Lian Dahe smiled, "Just send it." ”

Two hundred and forty horses of clothing were packed into two boxes, carried by the family members of Caolian Mansion, and the gang shouted to open the way, all the way out of Duozi Street, through Yangzhou New Town, and back to Caolian Mansion along the Xiaoqinhuai River.

Lian Da went to the lotus fragrance room to ask for peace, sent clothes, and saw that Hai Jing was well, so he withdrew. He hurriedly walked out of the gate of Lianfu, his eyes swept over the seven or eight canopy boats on the mooring place on the river in front of the mansion, and frowned slightly, "What's the matter, there is a live boat, don't drive it away." ”

The doorman hurriedly whispered: "The boat seems to be a girl in Futai, and the little one has always watched her follow Mrs. Futai in and out, and she has been in the boat for three days, and there has been no movement." The little one didn't dare to act rashly, and she came out......"

Lian Dahe looked at a tall thin girl wearing a gray satin cloak, wearing an emerald blue eight-ball satin placket and a moon-white silk skirt, bending out of the canopy cabin and saluting him from afar.

"It's Bi'er......" Lian Dahe was slightly stunned, and said to himself, "What is the matter with her coming to me......" But he didn't hesitate, hurriedly walked to the shore, and replied: "Miss Bi'er, but are you looking for it?" ”

Bi'er lifted her skirt and walked up the steps, walked to Lian Dahe, and said in a low voice: "The big steward, our grandmother wants to invite the big steward to come over the house, and there is something to discuss." As he spoke, he shoved five taels of gold ingots through.

Even Dahe has always received little reward from Qi Su Niang, but now he doesn't dare to accept it, so he hurriedly excused himself and smiled: "Since the lady is called, how dare the little one not obey." "I muttered secretly in my heart, that lady came to look for him at this time, I am afraid that it will be inseparable from the affairs of Caoshang, Chen Da stuck the wealth of Caoshang, and wanted to fill the hole in the river, where is the big boss willing to suffer this loss, or because he is a dignified four-grade mansion and the emperor's favorite minister, he would have already taken his life.

Lian Dahe followed Bi'er, took a small canopy boat to the back house of the mansion, entered the hall, and called Qian'er to meet Qi Su Niang, "The little one asks Mrs. to say goodbye." ”

Qi Su Niang said with a smile: "The chief steward, please get up, Bi'er, you give the chief steward a bowl of tea, and then go and rest." ”

Lian Dahe took the tea, respectfully thanked the seat, and saw that there was no more than half a figure around, knowing that Qi Su Niang deliberately avoided people, and asked carefully: "I don't know what Madame called the little one, what are the orders?" ”

Qi Su Niang groaned slightly, and said: "The concubine and the chief steward are also old acquaintances, and if you have something to say, you can say it directly." What the hell is going on here? Please also ask the chief steward to explain the concubine's body. ”

He thought about it, weighed it, and said slowly: "It is said that Lord Chen is not entirely to blame for this matter. I heard that the silver of the Yangzhou River was detained from above, and just after the flood season, the embankments of the two prefectures and five counties of Yangzhou Prefecture had to be repaired, which was a major matter of human life. But our brothers in Caoshangdi also have their heads tied to their belts, and they are bleeding and losing their lives to run errands, and they always have to give us some hard-earned money.

Mr. Chen's personal affairs are more serious than ours, and he has all these floating fortunes, and the money saved is used to repair the river embankment, and our Caoshang brothers have no money to drink, and the mothers-in-law have no money to make clothes. Everyone can't help it, the people below are making a fuss, if he pretends to be deaf and dumb, he can't convince the public......"

Qi Su Niang was shocked when she heard that Heyin was detained, "The chief steward knows that Heyin has been deducted a lot"

Lian Dahe smiled bitterly: "I heard that more than 200,000 taels of silver in Yangzhou Mansion in autumn and winter were all detained. Qi Su Niang stayed on the spot and muttered: "More than 200,000 taels...... she secretly complained in her heart, the amount is too big, even if she loses all the family funds, it is not enough, she secretly hates that after coming to Yangzhou, she did not take precautions and save some money, and now go where to find the 200,000 taels of silver?

Lian Dahe looked at Qi Su Niang's face, "Xiaodi heard that it was the newly appointed governor of the river who deducted the silver, saying that he would first rebuild Gaojiayan, and transferred the silver of Yangzhou Mansion to the past, so that Yangzhou River would raise it by itself first, and then make up for it next year." "Add a fire," the little one also heard that this river platform is...... It's the Fourteenth Master Dimen......"

Qi Su Niang's face changed, she stood up suddenly, biting her lip and walking back and forth, remembering that Qi Qiang had mentioned in the letter he had sent to persuade Chen Yan that the Jiangsu Gang was the prince's subordinate; remembered that because of this incident, after coming to Yangzhou, he was afraid of his tail, and he did not dare to look for Lian Zhenyun to transport smuggled goods to make money; Thinking about it again, he and Lianxiang came and went from time to time for a while, and suddenly looked back at Lian Dahe, "When the concubine was still in Qinghe, I heard that the big boss was ...... The big boss is the prince's subordinate......"

Even Dahe didn't expect her to talk about this, so he was startled, quickly stood up, lowered his head and said vaguely: "The big boss is just acting on the orders of the helper, and the two eldest ladies of the helper are the concubines of the prince......"

Qi Su Niang sighed again and again, knowing that although she was thousands of miles away from the capital, she was still involved in the seizure of the elder brothers and the prince, and suffered from the disaster of the pond fish. Lian Dahe was afraid that she would ask again and leak the truth, so he deduced that there were many things in Caoshang, and took the gold ingot that Qi Su Niang repeatedly asked him to accept, and went to confess.

---－

Operational error, Khan, there may be a scrapped chapter in this volume, I can't delete it, otherwise I can't create a new volume, so I have to come out at the end of this volume. Dear friends, don't buy it. I will remind you again before the end of this volume. This chapter is 6200 words, as a word fee, to compensate those who do not know the one-time full subscription.