Chapter Fourteen: The Pirate Ship

  Ye Zhao didn't expect Ye Zhi Tai to invite him over to discuss matters, and in the elegant flower hall of the Governor's mansion, Ye Zhao met the famous Old Master Ou Min. Whether or not Ou Min was clean and uncorrupted, Ye Zhao didn't know, but his eccentric temper and willingness to speak the truth were indeed real.

  From beginning to end, I read through Ouyang Xiu's memorial, which was truly written with great passion and blood. After finishing this memorial, it seems that if the crimes of Fu Liang are not punished, the Qing dynasty will be in danger of losing its foundation, a crisis like the loss of the tripod.

  In history, many remonstrating officials were not necessarily of high moral character, but they did not fawn or try to please the emperor. Some were biased and often liked to die for their words, which were not particularly far-sighted. They were merely a product of cultural accumulation over thousands of years, leaving their names in history books, which was what scholars loved most.

  This folding memorial would make even Xianfeng furious, and it's unknown whether Fu Liang will handle it. However, the hat worn by Mr. E Min is somewhat inappropriate.

  Ye Zhao flipped through the memorial, while O Min sipped his tea, with some disdain for the yellow belt of the capital. Having often read the books of the Han family's sage, not fearing the powerful was Mr. O Min's first-class rule. What he is thinking about now is how to modify the wording of the memorial after returning to the mansion, after all, it has been shown to people before, and this memorial cannot be presented to the emperor again in its original form.

  "How is it? Does General Du have any lofty views?" Ye Mingxuan smiled as he looked at Ye Zhao.

  Ye Zhaoren's expression was solemn as he said: "The heart of the Imperial Guard, his loyalty to the emperor, is as clear as day and night. It cannot be hidden from others."

  Oh? Ou Min finally looked at Ye Zhaowu with a straight gaze, and his complexion also improved a lot.

  Ye Mingchen smiled lightly and nodded slightly.

  Ye Zhao said: "But this matter is quite suspicious, General Fuliang has just arrived in Guangzhou, how can he be familiar with the local prostitutes? If the Emperor finds out, I'm afraid no one will believe it."

  "From this it can be seen that Fuliang is making a big fuss, he's not up to the task, and with all the evidence and witnesses, he can't deny it!"

  Ye Zhao nodded and smiled: "Sir, you are right. But people are not saints, who can be perfect? Moreover, sir only saw that English prostitute leaving the general's private residence, whether the general knew about it or not, whether it was done by the servants, is unknown. It needs to be investigated carefully. If not, sir's enthusiasm will be wasted, isn't that frustrating?"

  Naturally, O Min understood Ye Zhao's meaning and her eyebrows furrowed, saying in a cold tone: "If he wants to deny it, that's up to him. The truth will come to light eventually, the Emperor will understand." Her tone gradually softened.

  Ye Zhao bowed slightly towards the north and said in a serious tone: "The Emperor is a wise and enlightened ruler, how could he be deceived by others?"

  E Mian's old face turned bright red, "Old man, old man didn't mean it that way." His momentum finally dissipated.

  Ye Zhao took a sip of tea and said in a warm tone, "To punish the past and warn the future, this note only needs to be shown to General Fuliang. It will curb his arrogance. In the outer city of Guangzhou where foreigners reside, if General Fuliang's subordinates are muddled and make mistakes, it is also inevitable. Let him strictly discipline them. I am not capable, but I am willing to take a trip for Your Honor, Sir, to deliver the note to the general, so as to avoid any unpleasantness between you and the general."

  E Mín Lǎo Dà was unwilling, and just as he was about to speak out in refutation, Yè Zhāo continued: "If it's said that Guangzhou City needs someone to slap on the forehead, would it be possible for Fù Liáng Jiàng Jūn? Two years ago there was a matter that outraged both heaven and man; has Sir Shì Yù heard of it?"

  Ou Min's eyes widened slightly as he picked up his tea cup, but his gaze at Ye Zhao had become sharp.

  Ye Zhao continued: "I heard that this case involves Vice Commander Song Yu, and it's been buzzing around the city. As soon as I arrived in Guangzhou, I heard about it."

  As Ye Zhao said, it was indeed a case of Song Yu. Ou Min's eyes became even more peculiar. Ou Min was not a foolish person and suddenly felt that the yellow belt in front of him was not an unlearned or unskilled person, nor was he here to make a name for himself in Guangzhou. Otherwise, at such a young age, how could he have participated in the infighting among officials? It seems that this Vice Commander Song Yu is a thorn in the eye of the yellow belt in front of him!

  The Song Yu case occurred before Ouyang Min came to Guangzhou, and at that time the Manchu and Han officials in charge of the Guangdong circuit were now one serving as governor of Liangjiang, and the other was promoted to the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Ducha Yamen, who was Ouyang Min's superior.

  Ye Mingchen just sipped his tea and listened, without saying a word.

  Ye Zhao said, "This official has already prepared the memorial to impeach Cong Yu, please don't blame the two of you." He bowed his hands to the two men. After all, it was an old case that Ye Zhao had dug up and taken to the Emperor, and Ye Mingchen couldn't control the garrison troops at that time, being only the Governor of Guangdong Province then. It wasn't a big deal for him, but E Min did bear some responsibility for his negligence.

  Ye Mingchen nodded slightly. E Min was stunned and speechless.

  Ye Zhao continued, "Of course, if Sir Shou is willing to submit this memorial, that would be best. Sir Shou is upright and honest, and has always been diligent in impeaching corrupt officials without leaving any stone unturned. If I were to say that among the fifteen censors, Sir Shou is the most outstanding, it's not an exaggeration. In my opinion, one day he will definitely become a high-ranking official, and only then can he live up to his reputation as a righteous and honest censor."

  Doulao Ye is the colloquial term for the Ducha Yuan Du Yu Shi. After hearing Ye Zhao's words, E Min felt an inexplicable warmth in his heart. He looked at Ye Zhao and saw that he was smiling all over his face, as if hinting at something.

  "This matter I will investigate thoroughly when I return to the government office. If it is indeed true, I will report it to the superior and impeach the corrupt official. It is only natural that justice will not tolerate such behavior!" In front of the Governor-General, O Min couldn't bring himself to agree readily, as a Guangdong Imperial Censor known for being upright and impartial, he couldn't afford to ruin his reputation in the eyes of the Governor-General by becoming an official sycophant.

  E Mian finally boarded his own pirate ship, Ye Zhao smiled slightly and picked up her tea cup to sip.

  Ye Mingchen just smiled and watched this scene with great interest.

  ……

  In the rear garden of General's Mansion in Guangzhou, a clear spring babbled, and artificial hills rose steeply. In a cool pavilion, Fu Liang was laughing and joking with a charming woman, who was his concubine that he had taken before coming to Guangzhou and whom he favored most.

  Furin is now quite complacent, but not really. He has tasted the flavor of a foreign woman, only that foreign woman seems to be older and not very pretty. Doing that thing was far from enjoyable as imagined, it's more of a sense of satisfaction with a curious psychology.

  Furin is still thinking about it now, originally the red card was called Yingchun Building, but the old prostitute thought it was to curry favor with Longduo, and actually sent a foreign woman to taste fresh, the old prostitute didn't know her own identity, nor did she know the taboo, when she saw the foreign woman for the first time, she also hesitated for a while, but in the end, she couldn't help herself, and tasted the flavor of this English woman, now thinking about it, she still has some nostalgia.

  Thinking about the events of that night, he couldn't help but be a little distracted. His concubine called out to him several times, "Master, Master?" Furuya finally came back to his senses and saw a maid bowing slightly, saying in a crisp tone: "Master, someone has sent a visiting card requesting an audience, Lung To is waiting outside the courtyard, claiming to be Vice-General Jingxiang."

  "Jing Xiang?" Furao slightly hesitated, then lightly laughed, "What is he doing here?"

  "Master, if you don't like it, just have him wait outside. I haven't finished talking to you yet."

  Fu Lang let out a sly laugh and reached out to pinch his concubine's cheek, saying: "This guy, I must see him for myself. Let's see what tricks he has up his sleeve!"

  The study had a strong scholarly atmosphere, with several calligraphic masterpieces by famous scholars of the previous dynasty hanging on the walls. Some were bold and powerful, while others were elegant and refined. Ye Zhao nodded in appreciation, thinking that he should also learn from General Fuliang - the more unrefined one's writing was, the more one had to pretend to be cultured.

  "Brother Jing!" Footsteps sounded, and Furong walked in with a smile, "What wind brought you here?" He said, walking over to warmly clasp Ye Zhao's hand and invite him to take a seat.

  Ye Zhao let out a soft sigh and didn't say anything. He simply pulled out a folded paper from his sleeve and handed it to Fuliang.

  Furong didn't mind, sat down beside the desk, smiled and asked someone to bring "Wuyi Mountain's Red Robe", casually flipped open the paper note to take a look, thinking it was another one of Ye Zhao's new military regulations.

  Who knows, just a glance in the past, Furao's smile on his face solidified, and the more he looked, the more ugly his complexion became.

  "This is clearly a frame-up! E Min must have been muddled! And you believe in rumors from the streets?" Furō slammed his fan onto the desk.

  Ye Zhao sighed, "I think the general doesn't know about this either, but that mansion is indeed the general's private residence. The barbarian woman came out of the private residence, the sedan chair broke, and the barbarian woman fell onto the street, with many people witnessing it. Even if it has nothing to do with the general, it's still a matter of public opinion!"

  Furao's face turned red and white, her heart full of resentment. This hateful thing, Longduo this slave, didn't even tell me about such a mistake, probably afraid of being scolded by me. Now it's all over the city, a storm is brewing.

  Ye Zhao said, "Although I have done my best to defend the general, Sir Shendu has reluctantly suppressed the memorial, but General, while in Guangzhou, must be cautious everywhere and when dealing with foreigners, even more so."

  Fu Liang was suffocating with anger, but could only force a smile and say: "Thank you, Commander Du." But Jing Ge couldn't bring himself to call out.

  Ye Zhao stood up and said: "Your subordinate is taking his leave. If there are any orders in the future, please just instruct."

  Furao smiled and nodded strongly.

  All the way to see Ye Zhao out of the General's Mansion, Fuliang's face gradually cooled down, turned around and returned to the mansion. This matter was indeed suspicious, but he had to ask Song Yu to help him investigate it. How could he have known? Song Yu was really busy at this time, just heard that the Imperial Censor had impeached him, and was rushing to the General's Mansion to ask the General to take charge of his case.

  ……

  Inside the Douyong Gongguan, a beautiful piano melody flows, making people feel as if they are in a state of intoxication.

  Square piano, much lighter than later pianos, which can have over 20,000 parts. Even so, it must have taken some effort to transport from India across the ocean to Hong Kong.

  Ye Zhaosat at the piano, having studied for a whole day yesterday, finally grasped the trick, knowing how to manipulate the knobs and pedals, a lively "Blue Danube" flowed from his nimble fingertips.

  Rong'er wore a white gauze foreign dress and beautiful milky white leather shoes, all of which were ordered by Ye Zhao for her early on. She had refused to wear them until today when she couldn't resist her husband's persuasion any longer. Even Jin Xiangyi was forbidden from entering the inner chamber by her husband. Only then did Rong'er reluctantly change into the strange outfit, but felt wronged and wanted to wipe away tears. Her mother-in-law had told her that many husbands have strange habits and make weird demands in their households, but she hadn't expected her own husband to be one of them.

  Sitting beside the piano, listening to Ye Zhaos beautiful melody, poor Rong Er finally couldnt help but wipe away her tears.

  Originally, I was laughing in my heart, the little guy wearing a foreign skirt and foreign leather shoes, but on his head, he had a beautifully styled bun, that's called lovely and cute, it can instantly kill all the little beauty stars of later generations, is this cuteness a bit too much?

  Who knew that suddenly seeing the little guy wiping away tears, Ye Zha was startled and stopped playing the piano, asking: "What's wrong? Is my playing very unpleasant?" But it was indeed a rhetorical question.

  Rong'er shook her head, choking with sobs, and stuttered: "No, no... it's not..."

  Ye Zhao just smiled: "What's wrong with that?"

  Rong'er's eyes were getting redder and redder, biting her small lips to hold back tears. Ye Zhao's heart softened, but he stopped teasing her, reaching out to gently wipe away the tears on her face. Her small face was very smooth, and his fingers couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement as they touched it. Ye Zhao silently cursed himself for being a beast, withdrawing his hand and speaking softly to Rong'er: "Don't cry, I know you're uncomfortable wearing this outfit, but you look beautiful now. We're an old couple, what's there to be afraid of?" He was only trying to comfort her, so he put on a thick face and used the term "old couple".

  "I understand..." Rong'er pitifully lowered her head.

  Ye Zhao didn't know that the little guy thought he had a strange habit, and smiled: "You understand, don't cry, listen." And then smiled again: "Get used to it." But he didn't know that his words in Rong'er's mind meant getting her used to his own strange habits.

  Rong'er nodded reluctantly, what could she do with a husband like this?

  Someone was knocking gently on the door outside, Ye Zhaosheng smiled and got up, saying: "Rui Si'er has arrived, I'll go out for a while." He also pointed to the Tuanhua mirror in the corner of the wall, smiling and saying: "You go take a look at yourself, are you beautiful or not? You, wearing cheongsam is the most beautiful, but wearing a Western skirt, it's another kind of cuteness, girls should dress up more, change clothes often, one style won't do!"

  Yeshao stepped out of the house, and outside the door was Jixiang. Yeshao instructed her that without being summoned by Old Madam, she was not allowed to enter, so she hurriedly ran towards the Flower Hall.

  "Master, Song Yu is causing trouble in the mansion and even scolded that good-for-nothing Fu Liang." Rui Si had been waiting in the flower hall and upon seeing Ye Zhao enter, he hastily greeted him with a bow to report the news he had gathered.

  Ye Zhaowu nodded slightly, thinking that Furong would not get involved in this matter again. Of course, it was to draw a clear line with Song Yu.

  "This errand was well done by you, I suppose Peter doesn't know what's going on?" Ye Zha asked slowly and calmly after taking a sip of tea. Although Peter must be in the same mind as himself, there were many things that he knew less about, the better.

  The secret prostitute was introduced by Peter, and the old procuress was bribed. Now the old procuress is probably already gone from Guangzhou. Rui Si smiled and said: "Master, rest assured, everything is fine."

  Ye Zhaoyu slightly nodded, for the time being, he could suppress Fuliang's arrogance. As for driving him away, first, there was no guarantee of success, and secondly, who knew whether the new general would be even more difficult to deal with than Fuliang?

  …………………………

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