Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 57

Li Gongxiang was the imperial envoy secretly appointed by the Emperor to go to the south of the Yangtze River. Only a few important ministers in the court were aware of this. It was not easy for the Jin family to get wind of the court's attention on the Furu Commerce Association and the dispatch of Li Gongxiang beforehand. To avoid a catastrophic disaster, they spent countless silver in a desperate struggle, only to end up with a clean and comfortable cell, excellent food, and polite treatment, and finally, the three family members could stay together.

Xiaobao initially cried and made a fuss emotionally. After being thrown into the cell, he lay on Mrs. Jin's lap with his swollen and tired eyes closed, letting Mrs. Jin gently stroke his forehead, falling into a long silence.

Eventually, he sat up with effort, his eyes lifelessly staring at the bare walls, and said, "Dad, tell me, what exactly happened to the Jin family? Let me die with some understanding."

And Zongzheng... Huai en, if I have a chance to see you in this life, I also want to understand. If I, Jin Xiaobao, have wronged you in any way, if you have any true feelings for me, otherwise, I will not rest in death. I will keep asking in heaven and earth, through reincarnation, over and over again.

Old Master Jin sighed deeply, as if it took all his strength to regulate his breath before he could slowly speak.

"Where should I start... Furu Commerce Association, you've never heard of it because it's an underground commerce association. Including the Jin family, it encompasses five major families in the south of the Yangtze River with extremely strong financial power. None of these families are hereditary noble families; their wealth was accumulated in recent decades or even just a few years. They became rich during the early reign of the new Emperor, relying on risky ventures. When the Emperor settled external and internal troubles and brought peace to the four seas, we wanted to clean up and do legitimate business, but by then, it was already too late to get off the tiger's back..."

"Our five families were able to come together to make this short-lived fortune, which cannot be mentioned without the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau and the royal family's internal strife and sibling rivalry at that time..."

Old Master Jin fell into a lengthy reminiscence, his face showing a calmness that comes from being in a desperate situation.

"The weaver of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau at that time... was named Xue Wei."

"Xue Wei?" Xiaobao exclaimed, wasn't Xue Wei...

"Yes... the grandfather of Xiaoyu, the head of the Xue family."

Xiaobao's heart pounded. His father had acted as if he didn't recognize the Xue family at all. What complex secrets were hidden inside?

"Xue Wei, when the previous Emperor was in power, had already been appointed as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Works. He was originally from Suzhou. His eldest daughter, Xue Tong'en, you must have heard of her. She was once regarded as the most beautiful woman in the south of the Yangtze River, famous for her talent and beauty, far and wide. Later, she caught the eye of the Crown Prince, who is now the Emperor. When the Emperor ascended the throne, Xue Tong'en became the Imperial Consort. Among the three thousand beauties of the harem, she was second only to the Empress but was the sole favorite of the Emperor. Thus, the weaving bureaus of Jiangning, Suzhou, and Hangzhou were placed under Xue Wei's supervision. The Jiangnan Weaving Bureau was mainly responsible for supervising and purchasing silk and embroidery for the palace, a very lucrative job. Moreover, it secretly gathered intelligence on the four provinces for the Emperor, and Xue Wei had a very close relationship with the Emperor. If not for his daughter's favor, it would not have been his turn.

Later... later, there were only a few mentions in historical records, nothing more than the difficult childbirth and death of Consort Xue, the Emperor's first son died in the womb, and Xue Wei, advanced in years, grieved for his lost daughter and voluntarily resigned from his weaving position to live out his days in Suzhou."