Lin Yuchan hesitated only for an instant. She ran toward Rong Hong, charging out of the concession.

Rong Hong had no one else besides him. She had to know what was happening.

Officers quickly surrounded her. Lin Yuchan rapidly recalled her bitter days at Defeng Trading. Just adjusting to a bitter, resentful expression, she was seized by two officers, one on each side.

Lin Yuchan struggled and cursed: “Shameless dog of a man, ungrateful heartbreaker who seduces and abandons! Today, you deserve to be caught by the officials! Better they beat you to death! You ignore your flesh and blood. Do you know how miserably my sister cried during her confinement? Officer, sir, quickly shackle him! Beat him hard!”

Rong Hong was suddenly cursed, his face was completely bewildered, and he forgot to speak.

The other officers had thought this girl was an “accomplice,” planning to arrest her together, but unexpectedly heard keywords like “seduce and abandon,” “confinement,” “flesh and blood,” all stunned, imagining countless vulgar storylines.

Someone shouted: “Woman, what’s your relationship to him?”

Lin Yuchan pulled out a pink-green small undergarment from her bag, waving it twice, throwing a tantrum: “What else could it be! Make him pay child support! I’ve been demanding it from him all the way! My sister says the child is his!”

While cursing, she thought: Scholar Rong, sorry, only melodrama can suppress people.

Fortunately, her bag contained a baby’s undergarment; otherwise, she might have had to sacrifice herself.

Sure enough, after the officers reacted, they all laughed dismissively.

“So it’s a crazy woman trying to extort money. Get lost! This has nothing to do with you!”

Lin Yuchan naturally refused to leave, appealing to the officers with tears: “Officer, sir, you must uphold justice for us! My sister and her orphaned child have it hard, all depending on his support money…”

A sergeant sneered, intimidating her: “Do you know who you’re trying to extort? – He’s a rebel who secretly communicated with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, came to Shanghai as a spy! Get lost! Otherwise we’ll arrest you as an accomplice too!”

Rong Hong called: “I’m an American citizen, to arrest me, you must first ask the American consulate—”

The sergeant sneered: “We don’t understand any America or not America, but did you serve as an official in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom? We’re arresting Taiping rebels, I don’t care what country’s citizen you are!”

Saying this, he pulled out a palm-sized seal from his chest, thrusting it before Rong Hong’s eyes: “The rebels’ false seal, is your name carved on it or not? Hiding in the concession, thinking we couldn’t find you?”

Rong Hong’s face went pale. After a long while, he said, “I declined and didn’t accept it!”

“Go argue sophistry at the yamen! – What else is hidden in your house? Are there other rebels, confess truthfully!”

The officers pulled and dragged Rong Hong away, then turned to wave fists at Lin Yuchan: “Little swindler, get lost now!”

Catching rebels was lucrative work; by comparison, female swindlers weren’t worth their time.

In the noisy cursing, Rong Hong said to her softly: “Tell my clerks to leave quickly!”

Lin Yuchan kept shouting “pay the money” while two officers grabbed her arms and threw her out forcefully.

With a thud, Lin Yuchan fell back onto the concession road, climbing up dizzily.

Lin Yuchan had no idea that when Rong Hong traveled to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom last year, he’d been granted an official position!

Of course, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s late period randomly granted titles – Nanjing had thousands of princes and ministers ready-made. Rong Hong’s appointment was probably just casual.

Rong Hong naturally retained his sanity. Having no hope in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and accepting no unearned rewards, he declined this “official seal” carved with his name and position.

Then this seal was probably forgotten in some corner.

Lin Yuchan speculated that recently, government troops had consecutive victories against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, somehow capturing this official seal. Capturing and killing rebels brought heavy rewards, so they followed this lead to find the seal’s “owner,” preparing to claim merit and rewards.

Rong Hong had long said his trip to Nanjing risked execution.

Now the risk materialized – truly rotten luck.

Lin Yuchan stood stunned by the roadside, momentarily feeling completely helpless. Her mind buzzed with colorful, countless thoughts flashing through.

What to do…

Su Minguan’s steamship had just left the wharf. No one to discuss with…

Sensing danger, Rong Hong’s first reaction was to wave for her to leave.

Yet she had pursued. How could she stand by and watch?

Though she knew Rong Hong would live to the twentieth century, could she stand aside, using his life to verify whether this world matched history precisely?

Moreover, even if Rong Hong lived long, who knew if this incident might trap him in years of imprisonment?

Chaotic thoughts came one after another, illogically stringing together in her mind, buzzing and competing for attention, leaving her unsure which to consider first.

She hailed a carriage, instructing the driver to hurry to Boya headquarters.

In the rattling wheel sounds, she breathed deeply, thinking as calmly as possible.

Rong Hong’s first thought was not implicating his family-like employees.

Though the concession wasn’t Qing territory, sometimes for major criminal threats, the Qing court would coordinate with various consuls, requesting the concession Municipal Council’s cooperation in law enforcement and extraditing criminals to maintain order.

One headquarters, one branch. If Rong Hong was truly classified as a rebel, probably both would have to close permanently.

Her assets would be completely lost.

Save Rong Hong, protect the shops. Both hands must be grasped.

Now the officers were just taking Rong Hong to the yamen for preliminary interrogation. And on foot. Hopefully they’d move slowly.

Saigon Road wasn’t far; the carriage arrived in moments. Lin Yuchan jumped down, rushing into the small garden.

Chang Baoluo was wiping window frames. Seeing Lin Yuchan, his face reddened, stunned for quite a while before gathering courage to smile shyly: “Miss Lin, long time no see…”

He had a belly full of words for this girl, mainly wanting to apologize because his emotional immaturity had prevented her from visiting for months…

“No time for other things now.” Lin Yuchan hurriedly ran past him, grabbing the cloth from his hands and throwing it on the ground, pulling his wrist inward, “First, have someone help me pay the carriage…”

Chang Baoluo struggled hard: “Hey hey, I’m getting married…”

“Then call everyone, close first, two people search the first floor basement, two search the second floor, you and I go to the third floor to Mr. Rong’s bedroom, find all correspondence evidence related to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Destroy immediately. Mr. Rong has been targeted by officials.”

Finishing, she was already running upstairs.

Holding the banister, looking down. All clerks stood like wooden chickens.

She shouted: “Hurry! Destroy all evidence related to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom!”

The clerks all knew about Rong Hong’s Nanjing trip. After about ten seconds of stunned silence, everyone’s faces went collectively white.

Accountant Zhao Huaisheng said in a trembling voice: “Miss Lin, little miss, you… You saw officers arrest him?”

“I saw it! Old Zhao, go through the account books, anything mentioning the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, don’t keep!” Lin Yuchan kicked Rong Hong’s bedroom door. “Who has keys?”

This wasn’t the time to discuss privacy. Chang Baoluo found spare keys under the carpet.

Rong Hong’s room wasn’t large, with a blue Yale school flag hanging by the bed. Three walls completely lined with books.

Plus various manuscript correspondence. Messily piled in heaps. Without official searches, it already looked like a raided scene.

Lin Yuchan felt somewhat desperate. Did scholars all throw things around so carelessly?!

If officers came to raid, they’d probably have the patience to search slowly. How could she check and destroy page by page?

Chang Baoluo ran in, suggesting softly: “Why not put them in boxes first, hide them?”

Chang Baoluo was usually slow and unhurried, but didn’t panic when faced with problems.

Lin Yuchan quickly nodded: “Find boxes!”

The shop had wooden boxes ready. Clerks huffed and puffed carrying them upstairs. Lin Yuchan pulled open Rong Hong’s drawers one by one, dumping all manuscripts and correspondence into them. She seemed to see Hong Rengan’s invitation letter to Rong Hong among them.

Never mind the books on the shelves. All English, Latin, Greek – unlikely to contain specifically rebellious books; moreover, if officers came searching and saw empty bookshelves, they’d be suspicious.

She checked the desk again, finding a pile of colorful pebbles in drawers, several crudely printed “Heavenly Father Poems” and “Original Way to Save the World Songs.” Obviously Rong Hong’s “tourist souvenirs” from his trip.

Everything went into the wooden box.

While closing the box, she thought the Boya Hongkou branch probably had no fatal evidence. All her things…

Clerks huffed and puffed carrying the box downstairs, looking at each other.

“Hide where?”

Lin Yuchan suddenly saw account ledger memos on the counter. One open page noted: “Final payment with Yixing Shipping silver dollars XX…”

Her heart chilled. Yixing also participated in transporting tea to war zones. What if they were also implicated…

She threw this memo book into the box too, locking it.

“Baoluo, call me a carriage.”

The carriage she’d arrived in hadn’t left. The driver waited and waited, no one coming out to pay, cursing now.

Just as Zhao Huaisheng came out with money, Lin Yuchan rushed up, stopping him.

“Transport this box to Yixing Shipping on Suzhou River.”

She stepped onto the carriage, saying to Chang Baoluo: “I entrust this place to you.”

Chang Baoluo’s face was somewhat stiff. He’d worked for Rong Hong for years, never making major decisions himself.

From childhood, serving God and parents, always following orders, no one had ever said to him: “I entrust this to you.”

“Quickly notify Mr. Rong’s friends, inform all you can find, then coordinate stories with everyone!” The carriage started, Lin Yuchan shouted: “Oh, congratulations!”

Chang Baoluo’s heart rolled with heat. He was about to start a family – couldn’t he support a shop’s overall situation?

He breathed deeply, shouting at the carriage: “Don’t worry!”

At Yixing’s shop, Shi Peng was about to finish work. Lin Yuchan burst in, pulling him out.

“Brother Peng, find someone to help me pay for the carriage.” She said, “Please hide this box well. Also, if officers come questioning, absolutely don’t mention your business transporting tea to Taiping Heavenly Kingdom war zones.”

Shi Peng saw her gasping, speech unclear, naturally confused at first, asking several times: “What happened?”

Fortunately, Yixing’s clerks were all relatively sharp, with some underworld and legitimate experience. After hearing a few sentences, they understood the current crisis.

“Don’t be afraid, miss, sit first.” Shi Peng had the box double-locked and hidden in the warehouse, asking calmly: “According to you, where is that Mr. Rong’s family? If officials arrest someone, the routine procedure is to notify the family.”

Lin Yuchan: “He’s unmarried. Some distant relatives in the countryside, all in Guangdong.”

Shi Peng slowly stroked his beard: “Notifying them would take at least a month round trip, then family preparations – the day lilies would be cold. Miss, just now you cleaned his shop, collected his correspondence manuscripts – this was very right. At least got ahead of the officers.”

Lin Yuchan said happily: “Really?”

She’d acted purely on instinct, afraid one wrong judgment might cause huge trouble.

Shi Peng smiled confidently. For a moment, he didn’t look like a shop manager in uniform, but like a Liangshan hero planning a prison break.

“Don’t laugh at me, but Brother Peng knows what I used to do, as you’re aware. Government office habits, I can somewhat figure out. Earliest tonight, latest tomorrow, they’ll get Municipal Council search warrants to treasure-hunt at Boya Trading.”

Lin Yuchan’s expression suddenly changed: “Will Qing officers enter directly?”

Shi Peng shook his head: “Foreigners won’t agree. Previously mostly asked the police to do the work.”

She sighed with relief.

Today’s officers arresting Rong Hong had already seen her, taking her for a money-extorting crazy woman. Hopefully, she wouldn’t encounter them again in the concession.

Shi Peng changed topics: “But even if they find nothing, now officials are red-eyed catching rebels, how many people get wrongly accused, losing their heads in confusion. Though Mr. Rong has status and position, that official seal carved with his name is iron evidence – officials won’t easily let go.”

Lin Yuchan immediately asked: “Won’t easily let go… so there’s still hope?”

Several Yixing duty clerks gathered around. Someone brought her tea.

First time encountering such matters, her mind raced rapidly. Though her actions still showed some youthful inexperience, she was calm and adaptable, drawing attention and making people want to help.

If Su Minguan were here, he probably wouldn’t tolerate subordinates being so unproductive, spending free time helping others.

But who told him to go on business trips? The clerks, feeling guilty about their “won’t marry the boss lady” statement toward Miss Lin, all slacked off to brainstorm ideas.

“From your description of that, Mr. Rong’s character, he’ll probably serve as his lawyer, striving to prove innocence. But now isn’t the time for legal rules. Even if he can escape lawsuits, he’ll lose three layers of skin at least, and property even harder to preserve. You don’t know prisoners’ treatment in jail… Miss Lin, nowadays, dealing with yamen, connections, and money is most important. Sigh, pity our Boss Su won’t buy official positions, otherwise his word would matter… but that would require at least a fourth-rank major official, and he’s not here now…”

…

Lin Yuchan spent half an hour at Yixing, receiving crash courses in various unspoken official rules from uncles and brothers, catching her breath and adjusting her mindset, silently planning next steps.

According to official action rhythm, they’d arrest Rong Hong by surprise, then when his family and friends got news, officers would have finished searching and interrogating, holding piles of evidence. Even if outsiders wanted to save him, they’d face enormous costs.

Lin Yuchan’s only advantage was witnessing Rong Hong’s arrest firsthand, immediately hearing the “charges,” enabling immediate action. Compared to lazy, complicated yamen, she had a slight first-move advantage.

She thanked Yixing’s clerks, instructing them to be careful.

Everyone smiled: “No need for Miss’s reminders, we know.”

This was true. Lin Yuchan completely trusted these people’s methods for dealing with officials.

Shi Peng held her back, whispering: “If you need money to grease palms, come find me.”

Lin Yuchan said “mm,” smiling: “When there’s money, we’ll talk.”

The clerks collectively laughed awkwardly. All knew she was Yixing’s creditor, having lent money to Boss Su.

Not to mention, Yixing currently carries debt. Even with money, Rong Hong was just an ordinary customer to them, not worth burning huge sums to save.

Business seas were treacherous, allowing no excess kindness.

Lin Yuchan left Yixing’s door. The carriage still waited. She leaped in.

The clerks, experienced, knew she’d need the carriage again, never letting the driver leave, stuffing him with silver dollars to book the carriage all day.

Lin Yuchan thought admiringly – this was the difference between Boya and Yixing…

She didn’t know most of Rong Hong’s usual friends, but Chang Baoluo should be able to notify some.

Now she needed to mobilize her connections.

And money.

“To the Customs House.”

The Customs House had changed guards, blocking Lin Yuchan outside, arguing for twenty minutes without letting her in.

Lin Yuchan glimpsed a familiar servant woman, turned, and followed her through the back door.

Entering the main hall corridor, looking up at the schedule, her heart sank slightly.

Inspector General Hede wasn’t there, inspecting various customs offices, and wouldn’t return for at least a month.

She didn’t stop, knocking on an office door.

“Mr. Yin Mei!”

Cui Yin Mei was buried in a pile of documents, seeing Lin Yuchan, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Little miss, do you have an appointment today?” He smiled, pushing her out. “Problems with tea orders? I still have business.”

Lin Yuchan smiled and chatted: “Today I met your uncle Mr. Li Shanlan, even mentioned you to him.”

Cui Yin Mei immediately forgot “I still have business,” dropping his pen, saying delightedly: “Really? You know him, too? How did you meet?”

Li Shanlan was a brilliant star in mathematics circles. But Cui Yin Mei rarely mentioned this elder – after all, in ordinary people’s minds, he was just a failed scholar who hadn’t even passed provincial exams, arrogant and proud, nothing worthy of respect.

Today, discovering his uncle had actually “broken out of the circle,” actually being respected by a teenage girl, Cui Yin Mei felt delighted and honored.

Lin Yuchan didn’t need to hide, simply saying she’d met him while touring steamships. She’d long admired this master, very excited to see him in person today.

Mr. Yin Mei felt even more cheerful, shaking his head and smiling: “You little miss, dare go anywhere.”

“While chatting, I mentioned sending Mr. Li some new tea.” Lin Yuchan began fabricating her next sentence. “But then I lost his address. Mr. Yin Mei, do you know where Mr. Li is staying now?”

Cui Yin Mei didn’t suspect, cheerfully writing an address for her.

Lin Yuchan collected it.

Notifying Li Shanlan would notify Xu Shou and Hua Hengfang. Though these Western learning experts lacked high scholarly positions, if they united, they could probably exert a slight influence on officials.

But she hadn’t left yet.

“Mr. Yin Mei, one more thing.”

Cui Yin Mei had just buried his head back in the document pile, hearing this felt somewhat impatient, smiling: “Schedule appointments next time for business.”

“It’s fine, very quick. Mr. Hede isn’t here anyway, be flexible.”

She usually did business with people. Didn’t like emphasizing her age and gender. But with urgent circumstances, she had to swallow pride, sweetly acting a bit coquettish, brazenly pulling up a stool to sit, obediently organizing the messy desk.

“The seven-port customs tea orders, I’ve only received deposits now. Could Mr. Yin Mei be flexible, letting me collect remaining payments early?”

Mr. Yin Mei processed business distractedly while shaking his head.

“No such rules. Mid-term payments next month, final payments half a year later, written in contracts.”

“I urgently need money.” Lin Yuchan said softly. “A frien… um, relative was framed and imprisoned.”

For a young girl, saying “friend” might invite romantic speculation, so she decisively claimed kinship with Rong Hong.

Hede ran Shanghai’s Guangfangyan Academy very low-key; most customs people didn’t know about hiring people to compile textbooks. Even knowing, they wouldn’t consider it important. So she didn’t mention Rong Hong’s employment by Hede, only saying relative, privatizing the matter.

Mr. Yin Mei said, “Ah.”

The little girl looked pitiable, with beautiful, large eyes filled with genuine anxiety and panic.

Even knowing her thick-skinned, bold, rule-breaking, daring to argue with Hede, Mr. Yin Mei couldn’t help feeling sympathetic, stopping his pen to comfort: “Good people have heavenly protection, if your relative committed no crimes, officials will naturally be just. Even needing money for rescue, it’s not a little girl’s turn to arrange. Be careful of being deceived.”

Lin Yuchan thanked his kindness but persisted: “He’s alone in a foreign place, now only I can arrange things.”

Not only spending money to save him. She didn’t know how much influence Qing officials had in the concession. This money was Rong Hong’s payment for collecting tea in war zones. Customs was a Qing office – what if they coordinated with officials, calculating it as “stolen money” and freezing it locally? Wouldn’t that be losing both person and money?

So better to withdraw quickly.

Seeing Cui Yin Mei silent, she said softly: “Truthfully, he’s my tea business partner. If something happens to him, customs tea might be cut off, you’d have to find replacements, much troublesome business.”

Just selling pity wasn’t enough. Couldn’t expect others to randomly show kindness.

She had to find ways to bind her intentions with Mr. Yin Mei’s interests.

Sure enough, hearing “tea cut off,” Cui Yin Mei frowned imperceptibly.

Lin Yuchan continued: “Sir, I know customs regulations. Before Mr. Hede traveled, he gave you discretionary space. Early payment isn’t irregular; we can sign supplementary agreements. I also know market rates, I can take only ninety percent payment.”

Cui Yin Mei still didn’t speak.

“…Or eighty-nine percent.” Lin Yuchan remembered the unspoken official rules the Yixing brothers had taught her, making up her mind, adding in a barely audible voice: “Agreements still write ninety percent.”

Cui Yin Mei’s expression changed slightly.

Seemed she was truly very anxious.

“Miss Lin.” Cui Yin Mei said seriously, also lowering his voice: “Since you know the new customs regulations, you should know Chinese and foreign employees are strictly forbidden from accepting any bribes. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”

Lin Yuchan silently nodded. In that instant, she’d indeed been somewhat irrational.

“I know. Sorry.”

Cui Yin Mei was silent for a long time, then sighed: “Fine. Since you know my uncle, I’ll sell you this favor this time. Write an application note.”