Paper cannot cover the fire. With such a large-scale battle in Suzhou Prefecture, the death of the Beijing official quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys.
After hearing the news, my father-in-law couldn't get out of bed that day, and lay in bed desperately trying to survive:
"Ouch, what should we do? Losing the coins is a small business, but offending the court is a big deal. If Master Cao's death implicates the Shen family, we will be doomed!"
The mother-in-law was crying beside the bed, "I've told you before, don't do porcelain work without diamonds. You always think about eating the royal food, but now it's better. The royal food is cooked, but when it comes to your mouth, it turns out to be sour. Yes, we have to eat even if we eat, and we have to eat even if we don’t eat!”
"Mom and dad, don't be anxious. The fortune-teller is dead, and the Sui coin business is not bad, but it will be postponed for a few days." Shen Wenjun comforted.
"Daughter, you are still too young. This official from the capital who is following the emperor's orders will be killed at will. It is obvious that someone does not want to promote this business. The power behind it is overwhelming. Our Shen family is in trouble this time. "My father-in-law became more and more anxious as he spoke, "Ahem, cough, cough..." Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!
Shen Wenjun bit his lip and looked at Song Che with clear eyes: "Husband..."
Song Che squeezed a smile and comforted her softly: "I'm here, don't be afraid."
"Uncle, a small official from Suzhou Mansion has come, saying that Master He has summoned him." The servant reported outside the door.
Song Che left.
Suzhou mansion.
He Qiu was dressed in casual clothes and strolling leisurely in the garden, showing no sign of panic.
Just don't panic, it means everything is under control.
"It's so urgent. Mr. He still wants to enjoy the flowers?" Song Che walked into the garden with a heavy heart.
He Qiu teased the flowers with a folding fan and said softly: "As soon as it comes, let it go. Burnt eyebrows will always grow back."
Song Che said solemnly: "If your head falls off, it won't grow back."
He Qiu said: "There are people in my court, and there are people in your court. The coins have not been lost, but the transfer envoy died and his head cannot be lost."
Song Che sighed softly: "You'd better say it directly."
"Someone came to the court just now, saying that the emperor heard that the transfer envoy was assassinated. Long Yan was furious and ordered the Suzhou Prefecture to find out the murderer within seven days and transport the coins to Luojing within a month," He said Qiu turned around and looked at Song Che: "If you can't handle these two things, you will really lose your head."
Song Che frowned. Just as his father-in-law said, there is an extremely powerful force that does not want to facilitate this transaction. It will be difficult to transport the coins to Luoyang, even if you think about it, it will be very difficult.
He Qiu added: "It is not difficult to find out the murderer. After all, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. He arrested Yang Xin to take the blame, and after a little more planning, his death was over. But the coins were transported to Luo within the specified time limit." Jing, this matter is very difficult, so I called you over to discuss the transfer strategy."
Song Che narrowed his eyes, "It seems that the emperor's will is to ask Suzhou Prefecture to handle this matter. Our Shen family is just an honest supplier. What does it have to do with it?"
"Don't, don't... Mr. Song, please don't let the relationship be so clear," He Qiu hummed, "You also said that we are in the same boat now. If I capsize, you will also be pulled into the water. What's more, the coins cannot be delivered to Luojing in one day, so you won't even get a penny."
He smiled faintly and looked at Song Che: "Now, Mr. Song, do you have any good transfer plans? Please speak freely. I will never refuse if I can do it."
Song Che was silent for a long time and then said softly: "This time, I will do the business myself."
He Qiu said: "I can keep you safe in Suzhou and even Zhejiang, but if it is beyond my ability, I can't help you."
Song Che said: "That's natural. Therefore, we must not fight alone. We should build plank roads openly and covertly."
He Qiu was curious: "What's the plan?"
Song Che said: "From Suzhou to Luoyang, there are two ways to choose from, one is to take the land route, the other is to take the water route - we can buy two batches of goods, one is genuine and the other is fake, the real one is by water, If it’s fake, you’ll have to travel by land in person;
The fake batch of goods should be carried out with great fanfare, and the real batch of goods should be carried out quietly. Confusing truth with falsehood, concealing truth with fiction, true truth with falsehood, falsehood with falsehood, true truth with falsehood, will surely be able to hide the truth from the sky. "
He Qiu said with a smile: "It seems that Mr. Song really doesn't want to lose this business."
Song Che has always resented being associated with the imperial court, but unfortunately Sui Yuan was what the Shen family had always hoped for, so he had to take over it. Now that it was a mistake, he could only make it happen, gritting his teeth and holding tears in his eyes, and braved the danger. , do it to the end.
"I just want to keep my family safe."
"Follow me into the study, and you and I will make tea and discuss our plans in detail."
…
To be well planned, the land route must attract firepower.
Song Che had already prepared for a rainy day.
Taking the land route, starting from Suzhou, passing through the border of Yangzhou on Huainan Road, then passing through Luzhou, heading north to Shouzhou to Jingxi Road, the whole journey is nearly two thousand miles, traveling through mountains and rivers, and it is full of calculations. It is necessary to travel hundreds of miles a day to meet the deadline.
Taking the waterway, from Hangou to Tongji Canal, the whole journey is more than 2,000 miles. To sail against the current, trackers are needed to pull the boat, but it depends on human effort. Spend more money and hire trackers to work day and night, and the speed will not be slower than the land route.
In short, the land route is to protect the waterway. Once the waterway is safe for delivery, there is no harm in abandoning the land route.
Song Che would personally transport the goods by land, and an experienced hand - Chen Rencai - must be found for the water transport. When the Feiyun Gang was in trouble, he had shipped goods by water as usual. His business experience was undoubted, and he was the only one to handle the water transport job.
Chen Ren is He Qiu's cousin. If Song Che's business can't be done, there's no way he can get the remaining balance. We're all in the same boat.
"Without further delay, after I return, I will ask people to transport the coins in batches to the Chen family. In the evening, they will be transferred to the dock and boarded by the Chen family. Then, I want you to allocate two hundred officers and soldiers and twenty government servants. Please invite ten experienced escorts to accompany me out of the city with great fanfare tomorrow morning."
"no problem."
"Furthermore, you need to write more orders, and all the counties and prefectures along the trade route must be taken care of."
"no problem."
"Also, I injured the murderer. If I don't protect him, he will take revenge on my family. You must protect my family during the few months I am away."
"no problem."
"Finally, all expenses for this transfer, including management along the way, will be reimbursed by your Suzhou government."
"Huh, what a profiteer...but it's okay."
"Song Che says goodbye!"
…
After leaving Suzhou Mansion and returning to Yunshuifang, Song Che began to work on business matters tomorrow.
The real coins were quietly transported to the west of the city in batches as planned. The fake Sui coins are made of straw wrapped in coarse cloth as the inner core, and then covered with a layer of real cloth on the surface. In this way, not only can they look fake, but they can also save a lot of energy for horses traveling long distances.
Three hundred thousand pieces of brocade cloth were loaded into fifty carts. He was busy until the fourth watch when Song Che returned to Shen's Mansion, but he was not allowed to rest. He packed gunpowder, muskets, explosives, medicines, electric batons, mobile phones, and power banks. , etc. Decorate everything that may be useful.
By the way, I also wrote a letter of divorce.
This trip to Luoyang lasted for at least two or three months, and at most... I don’t know when I will return. If the plan fails to keep up with the changes, and it really provokes some forces that cannot be dealt with, severing the relationship with Shen Wenjun can also prevent the Shen family from being implicated.
After finishing all this, it was almost five o'clock in the morning.
Song Che returned to the bedroom and sneaked into bed. Shen Wenjun also habitually shrank into his arms. He held his wife like this with his eyes open until dawn.
He never expected that his originally planned business trip in the autumn would now be advanced by more than a month.
No matter how reluctant you are to leave the gentle countryside, it’s time to set off.
Song Che gently got out of bed, stuffed the divorce letter under his pillow, and walked out of the bedroom slowly.
Shen Wenjun tossed and turned twice and took out the envelope under the bed. After just one glance, she couldn't help but burst into tears. She jumped out of bed in a hurry, without even putting on her shoes or socks, and caught up with Song Che who had just left for a long trip, as if she didn't care about her own safety. She threw herself into his arms, bursting into tears and wailing loudly.
After crying enough, he sobbed and raised his head and asked, "Don't you want me anymore?"
Song Che held back his tears and replaced them with a smile. He scratched Shen Wenjun's nose and wiped her tears: "As a son-in-law, I don't seem to have the right to reject you. I only signed the divorce letter with my name. You should judge the situation carefully." .”
Shen Wenjun bit his lip and blamed himself, "It's all my fault. I expected so much business, but in the end I harmed my husband..."
"We are businessmen. We will make money wherever we can. It is normal to have risks. Be bolder and more relaxed, and everything will be fine." Song Che comforted and gently pushed Shen Wenjun away.
Shen Wenjun was reluctant to let go, but couldn't stay, so he could only hesitate and ask, "Then... when can you come back?"
"When the fine snow first falls, that will be the day I return."
Song Che waved his hand and never looked back, not because he didn't think about it, but because he was afraid that it would last forever.
…
When Song Che pushed the wheelbarrow to Yunshuifang, two hundred officers and soldiers, twenty government officials, and ten bodyguards were all ready.
He Qiu handed over two packages, one was a ultimatum and the other was a heavy amount of silver. Song Che weighed it casually, and it weighed at least a thousand taels. He couldn't help but sigh: "Tsk tsk... Suzhou Mansion is spending a lot of money right now."
He Qiu hummed, "Since the last donation, Suzhou Mansion has long been out of money. These silver coins are my personal sponsorship for you."
Song Che happily threw it into the wheelbarrow and asked in a lower voice: "Is the waterway cargo ready to go?"
"It set off at midnight last night. It's my He family's merchant ship. I've arranged government officials to follow the official roads along the canal, pretending to be traveling merchants, and everything is safe." He Qiu changed the subject, rarely letting go of his arrogance, and carefully warned:
"On the other hand, you must be extremely careful when taking the land route, especially when entering the west of Beijing. Don't think that the emperor's feet are safe. It is no better than a real sword or a real gun. It often hurts people with hidden arrows;
Among the baggage containing the ultimatum, there is an envelope with peonies printed on it. If you really encounter difficulties, you may want to take it to Luoyang Mansion. As long as it is not a huge basket, you can make up for it. "
"Thank you, Mr. He, for reminding me. I hope I won't need that letter."
Song Che nodded, clasped his fists, said no more, loaded the wheelbarrow onto the carriage, and called out, "Let's set off."
Fifty vehicles and more than two hundred people drove toward the outside of the city.
