Prayer smoke
Just after noon, Jiang Jin finished her lunch and was about to take a nap when she heard familiar footsteps, "Ah Jin, Ah Jin..."
Ziyuan rushed over, panting heavily as she leaned against the doorframe. "Ajin, there's an urgent report from Beizhou Clothing Store. I just came out of the store when I saw the urgent message being delivered there, so I brought it back to you right away."
The cyan letter in Ziyuan's hand was the exact color of the urgent letter from Beizhou. "Give it to me!"
Jiang Jin threw off the covers and tore open the envelope. Inside were only a few simple words: "There are strange deaths among the people in Nanyi, Beizhou. There may be something amiss."
"Ah Jin, should we send someone to investigate or have Ah Wan come over?" Zi Yuan looked at the glaring words on the letter and couldn't help but feel worried.
"No, if this happens while we're in Beizhou, and we don't handle it properly, Wei Shu and I will be the first to be held accountable." Jiang Jin knew that it was crucial not to panic, especially at times like this.
"Go prepare the horses; we're going to Nanyi tonight." Jiang Jin made a decisive decision to go directly to Nanyi and get a clear picture of the situation.
"Alright, should we order a few Imperial Guards to go along?" Zi Yuan was worried that Jiang Jin might be harmed by someone in the shadows.
“Having too many people would actually hinder our actions. Yi Yi and the others will act according to the situation.” Jiang Jin wasn’t sure if this was a trap to lure her in or a scheme to impeach her, so she wanted to leave Wei Shu in Beizhou in case things took a turn for the worse, just in case there was still a glimmer of hope.
"Why don't you talk to Wei Shu about it?" Although Zi Yuan didn't like Wei Shu, she couldn't deny his sincerity towards Jiang Jin.
"Then you pack your things and I'll go find Wei Shu." Jiang Jin nodded to Zi Yuan and then walked towards the government office.
"Madam." Zhou Cong opened the door for Jiang Jin. Wei Shu was reviewing the testimonies of the prisoners.
"Did anything unusual happen during the interrogation last night?" Jiang Jin reached out her hand, and Wei Shu skillfully placed the paper in Jiang Jin's palm.
"His crimes are heinous; these deeds are enough to warrant his execution ten times over in the autumn." Jiang Jin silently memorized these matters while there was still time.
“I’m taking Ziyuan to Nanyi tonight. Some people there have died mysteriously, and I suspect it might be related to the people from Gaoyun Pavilion. If you stay here and keep watch, there’ll be a glimmer of hope even if we can’t suppress it.” Wei Shu sighed and looked at Jiang Jin. “I’ll have Zhou Cong go with you. If you don’t allow it, I’ll go with you myself.”
"Then let Zhou Cong come with me. You stay in the government office to calculate how much silver the Prefect of Qu paid to Gao Yunge, and then keep an eye on the capital to see who will take over as the Prefect of Beizhou."
Jiang Jin had a premonition that the Nan Yi incident might be a counterattack by Gao Yunge. If it could be resolved perfectly, it would at least keep them quiet for a few days.
Several fast horses left the city late at night. Zhou Liao stood behind Wei Shu, watching him stare intently in the direction where Jiang Jin had disappeared.
“If the general can’t bear to leave his wife, he can follow her in the shadows. The matter of Nan Yi is clearly not simple.” Zhou Liao didn’t understand why Wei Shu, who usually would never allow Jiang Jin to go alone, had agreed this time.
"I believe her. Ah Jin isn't arrogant; she's someone who values her life above all else." Wei Shu descended from the city wall, gazing at Beizhou shrouded in night, where darkness lurked beneath the calm surface of a lake.
"Madam, let's rest for a bit." Zhou Cong looked at Jiang Jin with some concern, noting that she had been traveling for a day and a night without sleep.
“Yes, Ah Jin, you’re not tired, but I am.” Zi Yuan dismounted and walked to the riverbank. “Anyway, we’re not far from Nan Yi. Why don’t we ask around nearby and maybe we can find some clues?”
Jiang Jin nodded at Zi Yuan and Zhou Cong's tired faces, "The village ahead is Bifeng Township. Let's rest there tonight."
"Yay!" Ziyuan beckoned to Zhou Cong, "Zhou Cong, you see, Ajin still cares about me, so treat me better from now on!"
"Who dares to disrespect Lady Ziyuan!" Zhou Cong, still on horseback, pulled a date from his pocket and tossed it to Ziyuan.
"Couldn't you dismount and hand me the dates? Throwing them at me from horseback is like a reward!" Ziyuan retorted, but still took a bite of a date.
"I'm not sitting on horseback so I can see far, but also so I can protect Madam and Lady Ziyuan in case anything happens!" Zhou Cong's gaze remained fixed on Ziyuan's surroundings.
"At least you have some brains!" After joking around for a while, Zi Yuan saw that it was about time, mounted her horse, and followed behind Jiang Jin. The three of them rode towards Bifeng Township. As dusk approached, the wind rustled through the leaves, and they made their way into Bifeng Township before the gates closed.
"This place isn't quite what I expected," Zi Yuan said, walking side-by-side with Zhou Cong, holding the reins. "Is it because we arrived late that it feels so desolate?" Zi Yuan noticed the somewhat empty and chilly atmosphere of the street.
"Probably. It's possible that people here are used to resting early." Zhou Cong also found it strange, but didn't think much of it.
"Alright, let's find an inn to stay in first, we still have a long journey ahead tomorrow." Jiang Jin casually found an inn, and after the three of them settled in, Jiang Jin called over the waiter, "Three bowls of soup noodles, please."
"Ah Jin, I checked and it seems like there are only three of us in this inn. Could it be a scam?" Zi Yuan nudged Zhou Cong, who was looking around.
"Madam, why don't we just eat the food we brought ourselves?" Zhou Cong didn't want Jiang Jin and Zi Yuan to take any risks. They were leaving tomorrow anyway, and as long as they were vigilant tonight, nothing serious should happen.
“Alright, let’s take the three bowls of soup noodles back to the room.” Jiang Jin nodded. Zhou Cong picked up the tray and walked ahead, with Zi Yuan following behind him up the stairs. Jiang Jin lagged behind, watching the two in front of her.
"Ah Jin, what's wrong?" Zi Yuan turned around and looked at Jiang Jin, who was still standing there, somewhat puzzled.
"It's alright, you guys go up first." Jiang Jin walked outside the inn, frowning as she looked at the somewhat desolate street.
"No matter how remote Bifeng Township is, it's still a township. It shouldn't be like this." Jiang Jin, hidden in the shadows, casually glanced at several houses, all of which were covered in dust and looked like they hadn't been lived in for a long time.
Despite being filled with doubts, Jiang Jin was still concerned about the two people at the inn, so she hurried back. Inside the room, Zi Yuan was wiping her small knife, while Zhou Cong sat warily in a chair, watching the door.
"Ah Jin, you're back!" Zi Yuan took out a flatbread from her bundle and handed it to Jiang Jin. "Zhou Cong and I have already eaten."
"I took a walk around outside, and the surrounding houses were all covered in dust." Jiang Jin took a bite of her sesame flatbread and exchanged a glance with Zi Yuan.
"Bifeng Township is remote, but it's impossible for it to be so deserted. Could it be that the events in Nanyi caused the people to relocate elsewhere?" Ziyuan guessed, putting away her knife.
"It does seem a bit strange here. Madam, I'll be on duty tonight to keep watch over you and Lady Ziyuan." Zhou dared not slack off; if anything happened to Jiang Jin, even his death wouldn't be enough to atone for it.
"I'll take the first half of the night shift, and you take the second half." Jiang Jin knew that if she took the second half, Zhou Cong might not wake her up.
“Madam,” Zhou Cong looked at Jiang Jin with some disapproval.
"This is an order. Ziyuan, you should rest well; we have to travel tomorrow." Jiang Jin sat in the chair, leaving no room for negotiation. Zhou Cong had no choice but to pick up the blanket and sleep on the floor. The night in Bifeng Township was very quiet, so the sound of the wind outside was particularly piercing.
Jiang Jin, propping her head up, watched the flickering candlelight with a hint of boredom. Zi Yuan lay on the couch, her arms dangling at her sides. Zhou Cong, his brow furrowed, was clearly more wary.
Jiang Jin twirled the ring on her finger. The connection between Gao Yunge and Sangzhou was undeniable; the events in Beizhou might also be under the Sun family's surveillance. His Majesty, Gao Yunge, the Dou family, the Liu family, the Sun family—these clues and doubts entangled Jiang Jin like threads, rendering her immobile.
Jiang Jin took a small bite of the sesame flatbread in her hand and looked at the door opposite. This was one of the few times she had to keep watch. Before, when others were out, there were always people like Yi Yi and Yi Er, so it was never her turn. Later, with Wei Shu watching over her, she could finally sleep peacefully.
Finally, in the middle of the night, Jiang Jin nudged Zhou Cong. He immediately opened his eyes and, upon seeing Jiang Jin, his anger subsided somewhat. "Madam."
Zhou Cong got up and sat on the stool, while Jiang Jin carefully lay down next to Zi Yuan. Zi Yuan, just like she always was, was fast asleep and completely unaware that someone was lying next to her.
Jiang Jin, who was sleeping on the outer side, kept her eyes closed but was still paying attention to the movements around her. She suddenly opened her eyes when she heard footsteps outside. Zhou Cong had already drawn his sword and walked to the door. Jiang Jin covered Zi Yuan's mouth and shook her awake.
The footsteps outside the door grew closer, and Jiang Jin's hand holding the dagger became slightly sweaty. Although Zi Yuan was sitting on the couch, the small knife in her hand was pointed at the door. All three of them stared at the door with extreme tension.
Footsteps stopped in front of the house, and something was placed at the door. A moment later, a puff of white smoke drifted in through the crack in the door. Ziyuan quickly took out three pills from her bosom and handed one to Jiang Jin and one to Zhou Cong.
The white smoke dissipated, but there was still no movement outside the door. The three waited for a while before footsteps sounded again. However, to their surprise, the person did not push the door open but instead took something from outside.
Zhou Cong turned to look at Jiang Jin, "Madam, this...?"
"Open the door. Rather than waiting to be killed, we should take the initiative." Jiang Jin got up, unlocked the door, and poked her head out, meeting the eyes of the waiter coming downstairs.
The inn was completely dark, with only the waiter holding a candle and a brazier from which lingering white smoke could be seen.
"Did I disturb you?" The waiter smiled apologetically, and when he saw Jiang Jin's gaze fall on the brazier in his hand, he apologized somewhat apologetically: "This is prayer smoke, not something bad."
"Prayer smoke?" Jiang Jin's hand, hidden behind his back, twitched. Zhou Cong temporarily sheathed his sword. "Would you mind coming in and explaining this to us?"
Jiang Jin was relieved to see the waiter's sincere expression. "Of course, this incense was specially lit for you by the shopkeeper."
The waiter carefully carried the candle upstairs, and felt even more guilty when he found that none of the people in the room were asleep. "Did I wake you all up?"
“No, we’re just more cautious when we’re out and about. It’s not your fault, so don’t blame yourself.” Jiang Jin closed the door and looked at the brazier in the waiter’s hand, asking, “Is this incense smoke a specialty of Bifeng Township?”
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