Reunion
"My lady, the things are back." Ersan was carrying a dress and the calming tea that Jiang Jin had specified she wanted.
"Just put it here. Is the gold I gave you enough?" Jiang Jin had glanced at the selling price of Jiu Fangcheng's clothes yesterday, but she wasn't sure if the girl would be cheated.
"My lady, don't worry, it's more than enough. I used the remaining string of cash to buy you some jujube cake and roasted mutton." Ersan took out the still-steaming roasted mutton and jujube cake wrapped in oiled paper from his bosom.
"How old are you?" Jiang Jin peeled off the oil paper and placed two pieces of jujube cake in Er San's hands.
"This servant is ten years old." Ersan carefully bit into the jujube cake, the soft, sweet jujube cake filling her mouth.
"Is anyone still at home?" Jiang Jin then placed some more roasted mutton into the oil paper wrapping the jujube cake.
"I also have two younger sisters and a younger brother." Ersan just licked the jujube cake without taking another bite.
"Did your father and mother sell you into this?" Jiang Jin rewrapped the mail.
“It’s because my father lost money in business. If we borrow money from loan sharks, my younger siblings might all lose it. It’s better for me to go to the Moon Appreciation Pavilion. At least here I have food and drink.”
Ersan smiled and said to Jiang Jin, "I think my wife is no ordinary person, so I've been a bit more attentive."
"It's nothing." Jiang Jin placed the oil paper package containing the jujube cake into Er San's hands. "I don't like jujube cake, but you can take these and the roasted mutton inside."
"What does my wife like to eat? I'll go out and buy it for her later." Ersan swallowed hard, looking at the fried dough sticks on the table.
"I like to eat Jade Dew Dumplings, but they are hard to find in Jiufang City. But it doesn't matter, they are not a necessary food."
Jiang Jin took out a few copper coins from his pocket. "I suppose you can't keep more than that. These few copper coins and the food the madam eats wouldn't even look at."
"Thank you, madam. When you rest, it would be best to lock the door and move the table over. Although the third floor of the Moon Viewing Pavilion is safe, the madam can't stop powerful and influential people from coming here." The second and third men, carrying the oil packets, bowed and took their leave.
As Ersan left and opened the door, Jiang Jin caught a glimpse of a robe flashing across the opposite room.
"Otsuichi." Jiang Jin's heart sank. Otsuichi quickly appeared beside her.
"Were there other guards around?" Jiang Jin recalled the robes that had flashed by just now, and a strange sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.
"Nothing has been found yet." Yi Yi handed the letter from Yi Er to Jiang Jin.
“Wei Ting may have traces of Jiang.” Jiang Jin frowned as she finished reading the letter and handed it to Yi Yi. “Dispose of the letter.”
"Wei Shu, it seems they've discovered our trail." Jiang Jin handed the letter to Yi Yi.
"This is a letter to His Highness. We need our people to speak well of the Wang family head. If he finds out that His Majesty intends to promote Governor Wang, he will become restless."
"But His Majesty didn't; on the contrary, he's now eager to get rid of him." Yi Yi didn't understand what purpose Jiang Jin had in telling such a colossal lie.
"If Wei Shu treats someone with respect, would others think His Majesty wants to get rid of him? Besides, Wei Shu releasing Lady Wang will only make others speculate about the reasons behind it. As long as they can think of something, we can add fuel to the fire."
Jiang Jin had always understood that people's hearts were the most uncontrollable thing. "We can try to lead Wei Shu to the Fulong Tea House. Rather than letting them find out on their own, we should guide him to find out."
"Okay." Yi Yi darted away, and Jiang Jin breathed a sigh of relief. Just after 7 PM, Jiang Jin heard a cat meow from the doorway.
Jiang Jin unlatched the door and let the woman in. "My lady, the teahouse staff have prepared everything according to your request."
"Why didn't Fen Yue come?" Jiang Jin carefully led the person behind the screen. "Sister Fen Yue said that we have distinguished guests in the shop today, and she's afraid we won't be able to handle them if she leaves." San Feng frowned slightly as he looked at the surrounding furnishings.
“How can my lady stay in the Moon Viewing Pavilion? It’s a place where all sorts of people mingle, it’s not a good place.” Sanfeng looked at Jiang Jin with concern. “If there’s no other way, why not stay in the house behind the teahouse?”
“No need. I’m doing fine here. If Wei Shu finds out about you, you must not resist. He’s unpredictable, so never go against him.” Jiang Jin thought for a moment and then asked, “What’s the background of that Ninth Prince from the governor’s family?”
“That spoiled brat!” Sanfeng’s face was full of disgust. “His favorite thing is to harass women. Many good women have been tricked by him and have no choice but to walk into his trap. My sister Fenyue and I can’t save them, so we can only light lamps for them at the temple.”
"Then were you..." Jiang Jin's eyes flashed with dissatisfaction, but she forcibly suppressed the anger in her heart.
"Don't worry, my lady, Sister Fenyue is very clever. Every time he comes, she eats scallions, and the smell always smothers him!" Umbrella Wind rarely showed a smile.
"You've worked hard." Jiang Jin sighed with some guilt. "If the situation hadn't been urgent, I would never have let you come out in the open."
"My lady, you flatter us." Sanfeng grasped Jiang Jin's hand. "Do you remember the scene when we first met?"
Jiang Jin nodded slightly, "That winter, during the snow disaster in Bocheng, you collapsed in the snow. Zhai Wan and I helped you to the inn. When you woke up, you knelt down in front of us. It was the first time Zhai Wan had ever seen such a scene, and she was at a loss."
"Without my wife, I would have died in that snow disaster long ago, as would Fen Yue and Nian Pi. My wife is kind-hearted and taught us to read and do business, and she also helped us settle down in Bianzhou. At least we are living a life that we never dared to dream of before."
Sanfeng's eyes were a little moist. "After the snow disaster, I went to look for my family, but they were all gone, or even their remains were nowhere to be found. My sister didn't even have any remains left."
"You don't need to thank me. Saving you was just a small act of kindness. Countless people died in the snow disaster, and His Highness, being kind-hearted, sent many people to rescue people. Zhai Wan and I were merely following orders." Jiang Jin wiped away the tears dripping from the umbrella with her handkerchief.
"I know that both my wife and Your Highness are kind-hearted people, so no matter what happens, I will stand in front of you." Sanfeng noticed Jiang Jin's sleeve had slipped down unintentionally, revealing horrific scars on her fair skin.
“My wife…” Sanfeng’s tears fell like beads from a broken string, “It’s all our fault for being useless and causing you to suffer like this.”
"Don't talk nonsense, how can you blame yourself for this?" Seeing that she couldn't coax Shan Feng, Jiang Jin stuffed mutton into her mouth. "Don't cry, your eyes will be so swollen tomorrow that you won't be able to show your face to anyone."
“I’ve heard that Wei Shu is ruthless and has a fierce face. My lady must have suffered a lot. Last night, his Imperial Guards were still searching. Why don’t you stay behind the teahouse? They can protect you there.” Sanfeng’s expression darkened at the mention of Wei Shu, and he stared intently at Jiang Jin, waiting for her reply.
“No, Wang Jiulang has seen me, and he might be looking for me all over the city right now, so I can’t implicate the teahouse. Although Shangyue Tower is a mixed bag, it has powerful backers, so Wang Jiulang wouldn’t dare to touch me.”
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from outside the door. Jiang Jin quickly fell silent, put on her veil, and had Sanfeng stand behind the door before slowly opening it.
Outside the door was the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, a scene of revelry and disorderly music. As if the rustling sounds from before were merely an auditory illusion, Jiang Jin breathed a sigh of relief and slowly closed the door.
"Sanfeng, be extremely careful on your way back. Then spread the word that His Majesty intends to promote Wang Juesong. Remember to keep it clean. It's okay if it doesn't work well, but it has to be clean." Jiang Jin squeezed Sanfeng's hand. "You must pay attention to safety. Your lives are more important than anything else."
"Don't worry, my wife, I'll wake up." Sanfeng took out an exquisite sachet from his bosom. "This is a birthday gift I embroidered for you. Please accept it if you don't mind."
"I really like it. I'll make you some sweet cakes for your birthday." Jiang Jin hung the sachet around her waist, and Sanfeng smiled happily and said coquettishly, "Then I'll be waiting for my wife's sweet cakes. I'm going to visit friends in Beizhou in a few days, and I'll send you a letter then!" After saying that, Sanfeng carefully left the room, blended into the maids, and left the front hall.
Neither of them noticed that the door to the room opposite on the third floor was slightly ajar, and a pair of eyes were watching Jiang Jin from inside.
"My lord, it is indeed Lady Jiang. Shall we take her?" The guard, standing beside the richly dressed man, asked, bowing his head.
"What do you want? Do you intend to take her away?" The man closed the door and looked at the guard. "No one is allowed to make a move without my order."
“But…” the man in fine clothes glanced at the guard, “why aren’t you even listening to me?”
"I think this is a rare opportunity. Lady Jiang is alone without Wei Shu by her side, so you can win her heart more quickly. At the very least, we still have a house in Bianzhou..."
The man interrupted the guard beside him, "Do you think she'll stay obediently in the mansion? With her personality, she'll probably find countless ways to kill me the moment I get close."
"Actually, Lady Jiang isn't uninterested in you, sir. Back in the capital, you invited her boating, and she always agreed," the guard silently reassured the man.
"When you say boating, do you mean the boating during the annual Flower Festival? There are twenty-odd people on a boat, and men and women are seated separately. Canglu, you're quite the gossipmonger!"
The man glanced at Cang Lu and said, "Alright, stop offering useless advice. Go and keep an eye on Madam Jiang's room and prevent any unscrupulous people from going in."
"My lord, shall we arrange to bump into each other?" Cang Lu suggested again, standing beside the man.
"Then how am I supposed to explain to Lady Jiang that I'm at the Moon Viewing Pavilion? What if she thinks I'm one of those wicked people?" The man shook his head, extinguished a candle, and sat down at the table to look at a book.
Jiang Jin was soaking in two or three tubs filled with water, the flower petals scattered on the water's surface dispelling the day's fatigue. Suddenly, a cool sensation swept over her neck.
"Madam, how delightful you are!" A familiar voice rang in Jiang Jin's ears. Although she was prepared, she hadn't expected Wei Shu to arrive so quickly.
"General, is this how you express an apology?" Jiang Jin swallowed hard. A white cotton robe floated in the air and then landed on the water's surface.
"So this is your reason for leaving without saying goodbye?" Jiang Jin casually moved, while Wei Shu helplessly sheathed his dagger. "You dare to move around so carelessly with a dagger on your shoulder?"
"If the general wanted to kill me, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to find me. I need to get dressed. Does the general still want to stay here?"
Jiang Jin, draped in cotton shawl, slowly rose. Wei Shu had already arrived at the wooden table. In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Jiang Jin had finished tidying up and came to the wooden table.
The girl's eyes sparkled, and her delicate, misty skin was revealed before Wei Shu. Her unadorned face was flushed with warmth.
"Explain it," Wei Shu said, shifting his gaze to sip the cold tea on the table.
"Shouldn't the general apologize first?" Jiang Jin turned and sat down on the couch, the two facing off in silence.
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