Zhou Yiwen and Shen Sui exchanged a glance, hesitated for a long time, and then cautiously said, "The Zhou family's story back then was a frame-up. Unfortunately, we didn't know the details at the time and have no way to prove our innocence."
In addition, our business in Beijing plummeted, so we moved our whole family back to our hometown. We thought we could do some small business there, but as soon as people heard that the fireworks and firecrackers were from the Zhou family, no one bought them.
Finally, it was the wife who came up with a good idea.
It is said that there is a country in the northernmost sea of the Great Jin Dynasty called Dongying, which is extremely skilled in the use of gunpowder and has many exquisite fireworks.
As expected, after the news spread, many people headed towards the northernmost part of the Great Jin Dynasty.
The climate there is cold and the population is sparse. When people go to the deeper parts of the sea to search for Japan, they always visit the nearby small villages.
Almost everyone in that small village was a follower of the Zhou family.
Those who sought out Japan received different answers after being tested by the Zhou family's disciples.
If they have no ill intentions, they will have the opportunity to buy gunpowder from us; if they have ulterior motives, they will be given directions by Zhou's disciples, or the information will be false.
However, the rumor changed drastically in the end, and by the time we tried to stop it, it was too late.
In the end, Zhou Yiwen was only somewhat annoyed, seemingly unable to understand why, when they wanted to sell fireworks, people kept asking them strange questions.
"A disciple of the Zhou family?" Jiang Yimian was also somewhat surprised.
What surprised her even more was that it was these people who spread the word that Japan was skilled in using gunpowder.
She was actually quite curious at the time that this fictional dynasty would have a legend about Japan.
Zhou Yiwen straightened his back instantly and said smugly, "After all, our Zhou family used to be one of the top families in the capital. What's so strange about having disciples?"
"If it weren't for our disciples hiding us, our Zhou family would probably have been wiped out by those treacherous individuals long ago."
Jiang Yimian immediately understood. No wonder Zhou Yiwen was so confident when he said that no one knew their whereabouts.
Indeed, the various branches of these aristocratic families are extremely large, not to mention that, according to A-Jian, the Zhou family's fireworks and firecrackers business in the capital should have been unique.
This also explains why Xie Yang knew of the Zhou family's existence but hesitated to take action, and instead insisted on having Zhou Yiwen come to meet them in person, even though it was a long way off.
They must have only known that the people in that small fishing village were extraordinary, but they hadn't found Zhou Yiwen himself.
After all, only Zhou Yiwen himself was capable of making new types of gunpowder.
Thinking about all this, an idea instantly came to her mind.
Since Zhou Yiwen and Xie Yang had only exchanged letters a few times and were not very familiar with each other,
Why didn't they take advantage of the opportunity when Zhou Yiwen delivered gunpowder to Xie Yang to directly meet up with the Xiliang people who were there to meet them and head to Xiliang together?
Judging from the contents of the letter, those people were quite respectful to Zhou Yiwen, and they were also well aware that he could produce a lot of new types of gunpowder.
In essence, it was the people of Xiliang who had something to ask of Zhou Yiwen.
They went there disguised as members of the Zhou family, which gave them a greater chance to get in touch with Xie Yang.
Thinking it over, she only exchanged a glance with Lu Cijian to make sure that he thought the same way before looking at Zhou Yiwen and the other person again.
"That young master Xie wants to meet you only to control your wife and force you and the Zhou family members to make various kinds of gunpowder for him."
If you go there this time, or try to pass on any message to that Young Master Xie, you will be in danger.
Young Master Zhou probably doesn't want to see your wife and companions locked up in jail and beaten every day.
I don't want to see all the gunpowder those people threaten you to produce ultimately used in war.
Although they knew that Xie Yang's spies in Da Jin had been mostly eliminated, they would send people to keep an eye on the Zhou family members.
But she was worried that Xie Yang and these Zhou family members might have other secret means of communication.
If their interception of the Zhou family's cargo ship today gets out, they won't be able to meet Xie Yang smoothly, and they might even encounter a lot of trouble before they even see him. It might even affect their subsequent attack on Xiliang.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yiwen immediately shook his head.
The thought of his wife and the other disciples being arrested and subjected to torture, while he himself would be locked in a dark room making gunpowder and possibly beaten, made him tremble with fear.
She completely cleared her mind of any thoughts she might have had about sending a message to Young Master Xie after leaving this place.
"You, you can rest assured, I, I will definitely not contact Young Master Xie again, nor will I try to sell this powerful gunpowder again. From now on, I will definitely lead the Zhou family to stay far away."
"Could you please spare us from being taken to the authorities, considering this is our first offense?"
Shen Sui nodded repeatedly, looking expectantly at the two people opposite him.
In her opinion, although she was unsure how much of what these people said was true, she was certain that they meant her no harm.
Otherwise, they should have taken action long ago and wouldn't have wasted so much time.
If we plead with these two, they might not have to go to court, since they did indeed break the law.
Jiang Yimian thought of something and glanced at Lu Cijian as if she was thinking. Seeing that he nodded helplessly, she said, "It's not that I have to send you to see the officials."
However, your repeated sales of gunpowder to that scheming Young Master Xie, as well as to others, are indeed violations of the laws of the Great Jin Dynasty.
Zhou Yiwen, who was about to be happy after hearing the first half of the sentence, turned pale when he heard the second half and said pitifully, "Then, then can you just arrest me and take me to jail?"
My wife and the Zhou family members all listen to me. Without me, they wouldn't be able to make gunpowder.
"I can go to see the official alone."
Before his death, his father told him to take good care of the Zhou family's followers, and not to let them be implicated.
Upon hearing this, Shen Sui's eyes instantly reddened. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Jiang Yimian say, "Although you have violated the law, considering that no major disaster has yet occurred, we can spare you from being sent to see the authorities."
But you must leave with our people and honestly tell us who the Zhou family has sold gunpowder over the years.
Once the authorities have investigated and confirmed the truth, your identities will be restored, and you should be able to continue selling fireworks and firecrackers.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yiwen's eyes widened instantly, and he asked incredulously, "You, are you serious? The Zhou family can continue selling fireworks and firecrackers in the future?"
In his view, after what happened back then, his father took all the Zhou family members away and tried for so many years but failed to get the Zhou family's fireworks back on the market, which was enough to prove that the Zhou family had lost the fireworks market.
But now some people are saying that the Zhou family can still sell fireworks in the future.
Father would be happy if he knew.
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