However, at the time of the arrest of Jiang Bo'an's family, another family was still living in the Jiang family, namely Jiang Bo'an's sister Jiang Nanrong's family.
It turns out that Jiang Bo'an's older sister, Jiang Nanrong, married Tan Yuanfeng, a gentry from Jiujiang, Jiangxi. The siblings were very close. Before Jiujiang fell, Tan Yuanfeng led his family to escape to Wuhan and seek refuge with his brother-in-law, Jiang Bo'an. The two families were reunited, which was a stroke of good fortune amidst the chaos of war.
But they had only stayed for a few days when this unexpected turn of events occurred, and they were all arrested by the police and taken to the police station jail.
The very next morning, two rickshaws arrived at the gate of the Jiang family compound. Two young men got off, carrying suitcases, and quickly walked to the gate.
The young man at the head of the group had short hair and wore a long gown. He was tall and slender with a handsome face. He was Tan Jinhui, the eldest son of Tan Yuanfeng, who had just rushed over from Jiujiang to reunite with his family.
He was imprisoned and sentenced to death in Nanjing for accidentally killing someone while drunk. He was later chosen by Ning Zhiheng to be Ning Zhiheng's double and complete the mission of capturing Japanese agents.
After completing the mission, Ning Zhiheng wanted to keep Tan Jinhui in the Military Intelligence Investigation Department. His intention was clear: to have him continue to act as his double. However, Tan Jinhui was terrified by the scene and was afraid that if anything happened to him, his mother would have no way to support herself. So he begged and pleaded. In the end, Ning Zhiheng took pity on him and allowed him to return to his hometown in Jiujiang, Jiangxi.
Back home, Tan Jinhui made up an excuse to avoid his parents' questions and obediently stayed home to manage the business.
After that ordeal, Tan Jinhui, who had narrowly escaped death, changed his previously impetuous and restless nature and became cautious and composed. This greatly pleased his parents, who were pleased that he had come back from his trip to Nanjing and become more mature and sensible.
However, their good fortune did not last long. As the war spread, Jiujiang also became a target of the Japanese attack. So the Tan family quickly fled to Wuhan to seek refuge with Jiang Bo'an.
When the Tan family fled Jiujiang, they were in such a hurry that they only took some gold, silver and valuables with them. However, the Tan family was a prominent local gentry with a large fortune and a lot of wealth. Someone needed to clean up the mess, otherwise, in this chaotic world, how could such a large family survive without money? Tan Jinhui was the eldest son, so he naturally had to step forward. He stayed behind, dealt with the family's affairs, and then followed the flow of refugees to Wuhan. The young man behind him was He Zhu, a servant of the Tan family.
Jiujiang and Wuhan are not far apart, and the Jiang and Tan families have a close relationship and get along very well. Tan Jinhui often visits his uncle Jiang Baian's home, but today when he arrived at the Jiang family's gate, he immediately noticed something was wrong.
The gate was now tightly closed, with two intersecting strips of tape affixed to it. The courtyard was quiet and deserted.
Tan Jinhui was bewildered by the scene before him. Over the years, he had visited his uncle's house many times, so he certainly wouldn't have gotten the address wrong. But how could the familiar house have turned into this? Where had his uncle's family gone? Where had his parents and siblings gone?
He was momentarily at a loss, looking around blankly, wanting to ask a passerby for help, but soon he noticed that a neighbor was peeking out of their door. When they saw Tan Jinhui's gaze, they quickly shrank back and slammed the door shut.
He Zhu, a quick-witted young man behind him, knew something was wrong just by looking at the seals. Seeing the neighbors' reactions, he didn't hesitate. He pulled Tan Jinhui away and quickly walked a few steps away from the Jiang family's gate, only stopping when they were some distance away.
"Young Master, something must have happened to the Jiang family. We should be careful not to get involved with them."
At this moment, Tan Jinhui was not thinking about these things. He was worried about whether his family had also been in trouble. He grabbed He Zhu's hand and said anxiously, "Father and I agreed to meet at my uncle's house. They should be here too, but now there is only an empty house. Where did both families go?"
He Zhu looked around and said softly, "Young Master, you hide here first, I'll go and inquire around."
Tan Jinhui nodded and was about to agree when a face appeared from behind the house in front. The person was startled when he saw Tan Jinhui and quickly waved to him.
Tan Jinhui recognized him at a glance; it was Kuang He, the Jiang family's butler. He quickly pulled He Zhu along and hurried over.
Upon reaching Kuang He's side, Kuang He pulled Jiang Tan Jinhui close and said in a low, urgent voice, "Come with me quickly!"
Tan Jinhui and He Zhu dared not say anything more. The three of them quickly arrived at a secluded place and stopped.
"Young Master, something terrible has happened! Yesterday afternoon, a group of police officers suddenly came to the house and took the whole family away without saying a word. Even the son-in-law's family was arrested. They also kicked us servants out and sealed off the house. I'm here to guard the house because I'm afraid you'll come to the door and get arrested. That would be the end of us!"
Kuang He was the Jiang family's old steward, serving Jiang Bo'an for decades with unwavering loyalty. When the family suddenly faced a major upheaval, he was extremely anxious. Knowing that Tan Jinhui would arrive in Wuhan in the next few days, he waited near the Jiang family's gate for him to return and make a decision.
"What exactly happened at home? Why were they arrested? How is my mother?" Tan Jinhui asked anxiously.
"The police who came yesterday afternoon first said that the second young master was colluding with the Japanese, then they said that the whole family was suspected of treason, and finally they took both families away. The family's business was also sealed off, and the two managers were also taken away. It seems like they're going to confiscate our family's property!"
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