The Jiang family's concierge was an old servant for many years, and Mr. Jiang treated him well. Now that no one has taken over the half-ruined haunted house, the loyal old servant is still guarding it conscientiously.
When the old servant saw Zheng Haizhu, Yong Hai, and Xu Yilong, all of whom were tired but had sincere faces, and heard that Zheng Haizhu claimed to have been taught by eminent monks from the south and came to see the piano, he didn't have any cold objections and talked with the guests.
Come.
Mr. Jiang is not one of the richest people among Lianghuai salt merchants, but he has considerable savings because he does not like gardening and raising flour. His brother, sister-in-law, wife and children are all in his hometown. He only has this small house in Yangzhou. He bought it in Nanjing to keep him company.
For many years, I have taken care of Mr. Jiang’s daily life. This concubine played the piano well, and Mr. Jiang also loved listening to the piano, so he spent a huge sum of money to buy the "Tong Shi Jian Yi". Unexpectedly, within two years, both the man and the piano would suffer such a disaster
.
The old servant finally lamented: "Last year, someone came from my hometown to take care of the funeral. When the salt merchants from the hometown hall expressed their condolences, they said that the piano was used by Wenquxing in the sky. It fell into the hands of our traders. Wenquxing was not happy, so he took it.
Take Qin back to the sky, and don’t care if thunder and fire cost my master’s life.”
Zheng Haizhu comforted her a few words on the spot. Seeing that the main house in the backyard had been burned down to the point where only half a foot high wooden piles were visible, she took Yong Hai and others to say goodbye and left.
Back in Songjiang, Wang Yuesheng and Zheng Haizhu met face to face. They talked earnestly about the official affairs of the firearms factory and the school. They were quite surprised that the Zhang family had money to invest, and they looked competent.
When Zheng Haizhu introduced Yong Hai, Wang Yuesheng first heard that the Japanese monk had played a machine overseas and it was also signed "Tongshi Jianyi" in Shao Shengnian. The slight disdain in his expression was fleeting, and he tactfully hinted that it was probably a fake.
Then he heard that the new owner of his Song Shi Jian Yi had encountered a natural disaster and his piano had been burned. The girl Yuesheng, who had always been as calm as an orchid, seemed to have been struck by lightning. She was stunned and speechless, and then muttered, "That's Dongpo."
Sir, there is no more piano in the world, I would rather be stolen by thieves." This made Ri Seng Yonghai, a fan of Su Shi, sigh with regret.
Zheng Haizhu looked at Wang Yuesheng's reaction at that time and found that there was no flaw. How could he have imagined that Liu Xiang, a maritime merchant, had a different connection and could be used as a tip-off.
A few days later, she asked Huang Zunsu again, but she still remembered that there were traces of repairs on the crown corners of "Tong Shi Jian Yi" because when she was on Penghu Island, through Yan Siqi's translation, Yong Hai mentioned that she had seen Teacher Mingren play it
The piano's headstock just had a chip off.
Huang Zunsu denied it after careful recall.
Zheng Haizhu had no choice but to temporarily put aside her doubts.
In the past six months, Wang Yuesheng has been working hard as always, teaching in the school, playing piano in the workshop, and managing the firearms factory.
At this moment, Wang Yuesheng looked at the time, picked up his piano, and said to Zheng Haizhu: "Miss Zheng, I'm going to Mu Atai's place."
Zheng Haizhu nodded: "Go ahead, A Tai's battle against Yi Tu in the Fujian Sea will not be able to end without the sound of your piano."
…
Gu Mansion, outside the Buddhist hall deep in Luxiang Garden, at the turn of the afternoon, the brightest sunlight of the day shines on the Xiang-colored silk base specially used for Gu embroidery.
Miao Ruiyun was sitting in front of the embroidery bed. He had just completed the outline of the reef and the flames embroidered with gold needle embroidery, and was about to start using net embroidery to represent the warships of the Ming army.
There are two wooden shelves beside the embroidery. One shelf holds a painting by Han Ximeng and Gu Shouqian. It is the warships under Yan Siqi's command that the couple used to record with their brushes when they traveled to Taiwan. The painting on the other shelf is in the style of sketch.
Western watercolor paintings record the scenes of the Ming Dynasty naval battle at Liaoluo Bay, the artillery attack by the Dutch Galen ship, and the fireship encirclement and suppression by the Fujian Navy of the Ming army, vividly appearing on the paper.
Zheng Haizhu was once among the Dutch prisoners in Kinmen. He was surprised to find that there were two painters. It was rare that they could faithfully record the naval battle like the later war photographers. Zheng Haizhu asked the two painters to make a copy and brought them with him.
Return to Songjiang and watch and talk to Miao Ruiyun and Han Ximeng.
Gu Xiuben was born out of the painting style, and the Liaoluo Bay naval battle was a far more intense gunboat battle than the previous anti-Japanese naval battle. Naturally, Miao Ruiyun and Han Ximeng were intrigued by the novelty, and immediately decided to create this story according to their own ideas.
Embroidery with magnificent themes.
From autumn to spring, Miao Ruiyun was in Luxiang Garden and Han Ximeng was in Wenzhe Garden. Their embroidery work was gradually coming to an end.
Miao Ruiyun's maid Zhuxiang led Wang Yuesheng in from the front yard.
After Wang Yuesheng finished the ceremony, his eyes wandered between the paintings on the wooden frame and the embroidery traces under Miao Ruiyun's needle.
Miao Ruiyun stopped sewing, pursed his lips and said with a smile: "Don't talk about this red Yi watercolor painting that Zheng Yatou brought back from Fujian. I really couldn't stand it at first, but after embroidering a scene, I can't do without these.
It’s time to draw it.”
Wang Yuesheng said respectfully: "It takes Atai's eyes and magical skills to remove the rough and extract the essence, and turn this messy painting into a magnificent and exquisite embroidery on silk."
Miao Ruiyun stared at the raging fire in the embroidery and murmured: "I didn't expect that the painters among the Hongyi people were not frightened when the two armies were fighting. They could also scour the sea for rocks and ships.
All the soldiers and generals have been painted dead. Yuesheng, if you look at our historians, they all record things that confuse right and wrong."
Wang Yuesheng lowered his head and whispered: "Those who do not want to write against their will will have their families and clans exterminated. The sporadic bloodline that narrowly escaped death will have to struggle in the lower ranks. From now on, the word "respect" will be separated by a chasm."
Miao Ruiyun's raised eyes were full of pity and love.
"By the way, Yuesheng, almost half a year has passed. Miss Zheng hasn't bothered about the piano anymore, has she?"
"It must have faded. When it was time to use me, she used me as usual. It's just that," Wang Yuesheng paused and said hesitantly, "it's just that Yuesheng recently helped the Japanese monk cut the piano. Maybe it was because he frequently recalled the relationship between the trees and rocks.
He looked so happy and had nightmares several times."
After hearing this, Miao Ruiyun's face became gentler and kinder, as if it was more comforting than the warm spring sun.
"Yue Sheng, I know that you are as hard-boned and kind-hearted as Bachelor Fang. The salt merchant and the concubine fell in love with Song Shijian and took them away without paying back the price. You feel a little sympathy for them.
Love, it’s a pity that they were wronged for nothing, isn’t it?”
Wang Yuesheng nodded.
Miao Ruiyun sighed: "Your thoughts are the spirit of a soldier and the spirit of Buddha. But what we want to keep in our chest now is ambition and the spirit of decisiveness. At the beginning, the frustration of the Lord's justice suddenly arose. Just now,
After the imperial seal of the Kingdom of Chu smashed the corners of the harp, he went to the beach and met the Japanese monk. The monk remembered that the horns of the harp were missing. Although the harp had been repaired and seemed to be in good condition, the salt merchant's concubine had been playing it for more than two years.
What have you noticed? Even if you haven’t noticed, Zheng Yatou brought the monk to visit, people who know the piano will always find that there is something wrong with the gray tire and the paint. Therefore, neither the person nor the piano can be kept. Yuesheng, I will not hide it from you, if not
Huang Zunsu has never played the harp a few times, so he doesn't know this part, otherwise, his life will not be spared."
Wang Yuesheng felt a familiar creepy feeling that flashed and disappeared.
The corners of her mouth curled up with great effort.
"Ata, Yuesheng understands. Miss Zheng is suspicious, and Yuesheng must not be kicked out of the firearms factory by her. Don't worry, Ata. A while ago, Miss Zheng asked me to count the twenty matchlock guns that were shipped out of the warehouse and send them to Fujian."
On the other side of the Navy, the ship is taking the ship from Eunuch Liu's Weaving Bureau to Yuegang. Miss Zheng has told me that regardless of the status of Mr. Sun and Mr. Li, I should be responsible for the write-off when leaving the warehouse."
Miao Ruiyun smiled with satisfaction: "You are so smart, how can I not worry about it? Zheng Yatou is always trying to support women, and you are making good use of this convenience. The large ships entering Shanghai County are becoming more and more...
There are many.”
A few days later, in Wusongkou, Shanghai County, Songjiang Prefecture, the first cargo ship from Dengzhou slowly entered the port after the Liaohai Sea began to freeze. The ship was scheduled to be among a large number of ships coming from Zhejiang.
"Eldest Young Master! Head Zheng!"
Xu San shouted, walked quickly across the springboard of the firewood boat, climbed onto the trestle, and headed straight for Mao Chengbei and Zheng Haizhu.
Behind him is Zheng Haizhu's intelligence chief, Wu Bangdang.