Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper was immediately startled: "Sir, you can't speak carelessly. I'm only giving you face because you're young and handsome. You can't put me in an unjust position!"

Yinzhen: "Then, shopkeeper, why don't you tell us the origin of this clock?"

The shopkeeper said, "Sir, you're putting me in a difficult position. What business would do something like this? You'd be cutting off your own path."

The shopkeeper was still struggling.

Yinzhen's face turned cold: "If the shopkeeper won't tell me, then I'll guess. In recent years, few ships from the Qing Dynasty have been able to go to sea, so these goods can only have been brought over by foreigners through maritime trade. You're selling them so cheaply, let me guess, is the source of these goods somewhat shady, such as stolen goods from pirates?"

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's face turned pale.

Because the guess was absolutely correct, it was indeed stolen goods. The reason they opened such a shop in Jiangnan was to avoid attracting attention, so they didn't dare to set the prices too high.

Yinzhen knew from the shopkeeper's expression that he was right.

Actually, he wasn't sure himself; he was just trying to trick him. Who knew he would be so easily fooled?

You can't blame the shopkeeper for this. After all, who would want to know the source of a cheap product after getting a good deal? Unfortunately, the source of this cheap product was illegitimate.

The shopkeeper's lack of experience was the main reason for his numerous mistakes.

"It seems this really is the pirates' method of selling stolen goods. The shopkeeper is a smart man; he should know what to say."

The shopkeeper immediately put on a mournful face: "Young master, I have saved up a lot of money over the years. I'll give it all to you. Can you please pretend you don't know anything about it?"

The shopkeeper is just a shopkeeper; naturally, he has someone in charge behind him.

Yinzhen: "I'm afraid that's impossible. With pirates rampant, how can the manager not feel guilty about such ill-gotten gains?"

Pirates have no compassion; the thing in front of them has been adrift at sea for countless days and nights, witnessing countless joys and sorrows.

Tong Cheng'er listened from the side, feeling a little confused. She had originally planned to buy some things for her son, but now it seemed she should just forget about it!

Tong Cheng'er was afraid to have nightmares if she bought something stained with blood.

The shopkeeper looked dejected: "How could I not know this was ill-gotten gains? But once I got involved, how could I possibly extricate myself?"

To collude with pirates and work for them.

Pirates not only robbed merchant ships at sea, but also harassed local people when the market was bad. Many fishermen even lost their lives at the hands of pirates while fishing at sea.

In Yinzhen's eyes, pirates should be killed.

The shopkeeper continued, "I don't want to do this either, but my parents, wife, and children are in the hands of others. If I don't do this, what will happen to their safety? Please, young master, let me go this time."

Yinzhen didn't think he was being forced at all.

Yinzhen: "Playing the victim won't work on me. Those who died under the pirates' blades are even more miserable than you."

When the shopkeeper saw that he wouldn't listen to reason, his expression immediately changed.

"Why get involved in this mess, young master? Those people are no pushovers. If you send me to the yamen, they'll get the news, and you won't be in a good place either. Why bother, young master?"

Yinzhen: Is this a threat?

Furthermore, the meaning behind his words is quite interesting.

It seems these pirates are quite capable; they even have connections in the government. Of course, if they didn't have connections in the government, how could they have failed to discover even the slightest clue?

With this in mind, Yinzhen had an idea.

He instructed Su Peisheng to close the door before saying, "Shall we talk?"

The shopkeeper looked at all the people in the room; he had no choice but to talk.

Let's talk then.

Yinzhen spoke at length, and about an hour later, the shopkeeper sighed, his face pale.

That concludes the conversation.

Before leaving, Yinzhen left one person behind and took two clocks with him back with him.

Yinzhen had originally planned to continue his stroll in the evening, but he had lost the mood for it.

When Tong Cheng'er found out about this, her enthusiasm for shopping and sightseeing was greatly diminished.

The two then went back.

Back in the courtyard, Yinzhen said to Tong Cheng'er, "You must be tired from going out today. You should rest first. I have some things to do in my study."

Tong Cheng'er nodded: "Okay, but even though you're busy, you can't rush yourself. Your health is important."

She could sense that he was in a bad mood, probably because of what happened at the shop that afternoon.

Yinzhen nodded: "Okay."

After the two parted ways, Yinzhen went to his study to begin writing memorials.

Meanwhile, Tong Cheng'er didn't rest after returning home. She had heard people say that if the Qing Dynasty hadn't closed itself off from the world, there wouldn't have been that century of humiliation.

Only now, having experienced it firsthand, do I realize how difficult it was.

People today have no idea that on the other side of the ocean, Great Britain was about to embark on the Industrial Revolution, which would then open the door to the world.

Initially, the Qing Dynasty's policy of closing the country to the outside world was only to prevent the pirates and Japanese pirates from burning, killing, and looting the coastal people. However, no one could have predicted the future.

The Qing Dynasty was not the only dynasty that had closed itself off from the world for thousands of years; it just so happened that the Qing Dynasty became a turning point in history.

It's not entirely unjust that it has to bear this blame.

After all, for someone in power, failing to have a long-term vision is a mistake.

Tong Cheng'er thought about it more and more deeply. She roughly knew what Yinzhen was going to do, but if Kangxi knew, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't do something extreme, such as completely closing the door to the outside world.

What if another imperial edict were issued, forbidding future generations from opening the country's doors? That would be a real crime!

Tong Cheng'er thought about it a lot, and not only thought about it, but also wrote it down. She believed that Yinzhen should know his limits, but she couldn't just sit idly by and do nothing.

At this moment, Tong Cheng'er suddenly felt that the layout of Qiqiao Academy was a bit small. Then Tong Cheng'er had an idea and wrote four characters on the Xuan paper: Qiqiao Academy.

She earns a lot of money every quarter and is just worried about where to spend it.

Build a unique academy specifically for those with a talent for mathematics and physics, and start by improving their mathematical and physical abilities.

The academy doesn't require spending money; as long as you pass the assessment, you not only won't spend money, but you'll also receive a considerable amount of money every month.

She refused to believe it; the land of Kyushu was so vast and rich in resources, how could it be inferior to the people outside?

The more she thought about it, the more engrossed she became. Tong Cheng'er immersed herself in her own world, in which she envisioned the Qiqiao Academy she would build in the future, nurturing a large number of top scientific talents.

The inventions of these talented individuals have made China a global focus, and in the future, this land may even become a paradise that people all over the world yearn for.

Kitty School was once an academic mecca that students all over the world aspired to attend.

Tong Cheng'er, the founder and first dean of Tong Cheng'er Academy, has a statue standing at the main gate of the academy, which can be seen as soon as you enter.

...

"What are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed."

When Yinzhen returned, he saw his young wife staring blankly and couldn't help but speak up.

Hearing someone speak, Tong Cheng'er jumped in surprise, then came to her senses and saw that it was Yinzhen. She clutched her chest and exclaimed, "You scared me!"

The feeling of being jolted awake from a "sweet dream" is quite startling.

Yinzhen was full of questions: Is he scary?