Article 222 reveals the secret of the floral water.
Unlike traditional tents, it is not bulky and cumbersome, but its structure is exceptionally sturdy, with the thick canvas remaining motionless in the wind.
More importantly, this tent is windproof and waterproof!
I'm not afraid even in heavy snow.
Cheng Fang patted the tent's fabric, making a dull, sturdy sound, his face full of surprise.
"Did you see that clearly? It's that simple!"
Zhao Jingxing's deputy general and his personal guards, seeing that a pile of parts on the ground had instantly turned into a habitable tent, were immediately curious and gathered around.
Wow! This fabric is so unique, it's like leather and cloth at the same time!
"It looks even lighter than the leather tents used in our army, but its effectiveness is just as good!"
They bent down and crawled inside the tent to get a feel for it. Although it was spacious, there was enough room for four or five adults to curl up.
Zhao Jingxing then gave the instruction manual to several of his personal guards, instructing them to lead twenty-five groups of men, along with tents, to the designated open space outside to set up the tents.
The soldiers were initially a bit unfamiliar with the drills, but under the guidance of their personal guards, they gradually figured out the patterns.
Soon, gray-blue tents sprang up like mushrooms after rain on the open ground of the resettlement site.
As evening fell, Cheng Fang finished his day's work and prepared to head home.
It was evening.
After finishing his day's work, Cheng Fang mounted his horse and prepared to head home.
Passing by the South City Market, despite the cold winter, the market was still quite bustling.
He rode his horse leisurely through the market and overheard some students talking in a nearby teahouse about the recent hot topic: Su Wenxuan impersonating Zhou Zhongliang.
"...Who would have thought that the Su family would be so audacious! Impersonation is the least of their worries!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! This matter has far-reaching implications. Didn't you see that even the official in the Ministry of Rites is claiming illness and not attending court?"
"I've heard that the Su family has connections with the noble ladies of the imperial harem..."
"If Zhou Zhongliang hadn't risked his life to appeal to the emperor, we wouldn't have known that there was such an arrogant person right under the emperor's nose!"
"What talk of a scholarly family, all that talk of poetry, books, and etiquette! They're all just hypocrites!"
Cheng Fang frowned involuntarily. He was also very frustrated when the matter was brought up.
The evidence against Su Wenxuan for impersonating Zhou Zhongliang has been conclusive. It was thought that the Su family would be severely punished and justice would be served for Zhou Zhongliang, thus ending the matter.
Unexpectedly, the case snowballed, involving more and more people, from the Ministry of Rites to the imperial harem, and now it has reached a stalemate.
There are even rumors that the Su family colluded with the princes in an attempt to rebel.
As the source of the trouble, Zhou Zhongliang naturally became a target, and several assassination attempts followed one after another.
His Highness the Crown Prince met him and thought he was a capable person, so he kept him in the Eastern Palace for protection.
This move has also inadvertently created more speculation and pressure for the outside world.
Cheng Fang sighed, feeling frustrated.
He remembered that Jiang Ling and Zhou Zhongliang seemed to have some connection. Now that the case of impersonation had not yet been resolved, he didn't know how to bring it up with Jiang Ling.
Just as he was pondering this, the sound of carriages and horses interrupted his thoughts.
Not far ahead, several carriages loaded with boxes were about to set off, and the man standing next to them, dressed in an indigo brocade robe, was Fang Shijie.
"Young Master Cheng, what a coincidence!" Fang Shijie greeted Cheng Fang with a bow, his smile as impeccable as ever.
Because Fang Shijie had some connection with Jiang Ling, Cheng Fang always treated him with great courtesy.
"Is Mr. Fang leaving Beijing?"
"I have some family matters to attend to and need to return to Ping'an County. As a businessman, I naturally go wherever there is business. The capital may be nice, but it is not my base of operations."
He stirred up a lot of trouble in the court, but unfortunately, he lost many old men who had been lurking in the palace for many years in this operation.
At this point, there was nothing more he could do, so he might as well leave early to avoid being implicated.
He will not set foot in the capital again anytime soon.
Now he needs to find Jiang Ling and properly maintain the relationship they've worked so hard to build.
Cheng Fang's sharp gaze swept over the carriages and the seemingly ordinary attendants behind Fang Shijie.
For some reason, he always felt that this famous merchant in the capital was somewhat suspicious.
However, without any evidence and based solely on speculation, he cannot restrict his normal travel. Improper handling could even cause unnecessary trouble.
"Young Master Fang, please take care on your journey." Cheng Fang's tone was calm, but carried a hint of wariness.
Fang Shijie's smile remained unchanged. "Young Master Cheng, until we meet again."
He bowed again, then turned and boarded the carriage. The caravan started moving and headed out of the city.
Cheng Fang stared at the departing convoy, his fingers unconsciously stroking the riding whip.
This person is unfathomable, and his intentions are difficult to discern...
However, his caravans are very extensive, and unless there is concrete evidence, it is impossible to take action against him.
Cheng Fang turned his horse around in frustration.
I had just turned a corner when I almost bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction.
"Hey! Cheng Fang! Can't you see where you're going while riding a horse?!"
The visitor was none other than his good friend and confidant, Ji Wensheng.
Cheng Fang glared at him, annoyed: "Don't you watch where you're going? Why are you rushing across like that?"
Ji Wensheng patted his chest:
"I was just thinking about something! Did you just run into Fang Shijie? Did he leave the city?"
He then looked towards the alley entrance and, sure enough, there was no one there.
"What did he do to you?" Cheng Fang asked.
Ji Wensheng tapped his palm with the rib of his fan, his tone full of confusion:
"Haven't I been investigating the source of that exotic fragrance all this time? The last clue was with Fang Shijie! It's strange, he was frantically searching for the source of the floral water just a few days ago, but for some reason he suddenly stopped these past few days, and all the people he had arranged to leave have withdrawn. Now I've lost all my leads!"
Hearing that it was just a dispute between businessmen, Cheng Fang didn't take it seriously.
"After all this time and still no leads, I think you should just give up. I suspect Fang Shijie has stopped making any moves because he's already found the source of this strange fragrance."
Ji Wensheng was also puzzled: Could it be that Fang Shijie has really been found?
Why are you leaving Beijing in such a hurry? Are you going to buy goods?
But he had been keeping an eye on Fang Shijie's people for the past few days and hadn't found any clues.
Have we really been a step too late?
"Well, it seems we're not meant to be." Ji Wensheng shook his head and sighed.
Then, he took out a small package from his pocket and handed it to Cheng Fang.
"for you."
"What's this?"
"The exotic fragrance I promised you last time, but I heard that Miss Jiang has already left. I'm sorry I'm too late."
If you employ his people, you naturally have to fulfill the promises you made to him.
It's one thing if one person loses money, but don't let two people lose money together.
"Didn't you say you couldn't find it?" Cheng Fang asked, puzzled.
"I bought this from the most beautiful courtesan under the peony tree at a high price."
Of course, besides money, there are other methods.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Fang took the small package.
Ji Wensheng packed it very carefully, wrapping it in two or three layers of silk cloth. It was as if he was afraid it would break.
As Cheng Fang untied the silk cloths, a palm-sized green bottle came into view.
There were also pictures on the paper pasted on it.
Although they had never met, Cheng felt a sense of familiarity.
Until I saw the familiar, neat handwriting on the paper...
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