Chapter 76 Rain Mountain Camellia: Separated by water and flowers, she couldn't see anything clearly...
The milk porridge in the spoon touched my lips; the temperature was just right.
Jiang Geyun lowered her eyes, drank the milk porridge, and the sweet taste filled her mouth.
Hearing the question from the person next to her, she put down her spoon and explained, "I once told my husband that his sister, Cheng Jiao, was also my close friend. My husband must remember that there was something fishy about her death. I took the opportunity to talk to her using a soul-summoning ritual before. I think I already know who the real murderer is."
It was her oversight.
"Su Guang" was the name Su Guang used when they first met. This small character was probably not used often in daily life, so Cheng Xi did not react when she suddenly heard the name "Su Guang".
Cheng Xi said, "Is that so? Who does my wife think it is?"
Jiang Geyun paused for a few seconds, then said, "I think it's the magistrate of Jinghu County."
Cheng Xi showed no sign of rashness; instead, she asked seriously and with great interest, "Why?"
Jiang Geyun said, "Su Guang's death was caused by a tainted shadow. How could a place like Yunshui Temple breed tainted shadows? There must be an external force at play, an accident that even Abbot You couldn't detect... Husband, do you still remember Abbot You?"
Cheng Xi replied, "Of course."
After saying that, his concern deepened, and he added, "My wife, don't forget to drink your porridge."
Jiang Geyun was so engrossed in her speech that she almost forgot to continue. When he reminded her, she took a few more sips. It's not good to eat too much in the evening. The portion of milk porridge wasn't large, and after a few sips, half of it was gone.
Cheng Xi merely offered a reminder, without urging her on. Her smiling gaze gave Cheng Xi the illusion that watching her eat was more important than discussing the topic.
Seeing that Jiang Geyun had drunk enough, he seized the opportunity to speak, saying, "The filth in the temple was ultimately eliminated by Abbot You, wasn't it? He was truly remarkable."
Jiang Geyun nodded and said, "Even I today would probably find it difficult to eliminate the filthy shadow from back then. Even the abbot who eliminated it didn't discover it while it was lurking, which shows how terrifying it was."
If she were to face the Shadow now, she could at least rescue Su Guang from his clutches, if not completely eliminate him, even if it came at a great cost.
The thought of this filled her with a sense of emptiness and stagnation. The past, though known to be impossible, always evokes a multitude of uncontrollable thoughts.
Cheng Xi said, "So it was such a terrifying thing. It really makes one's heart tremble."
Jiang Geyun said, "That's right. Later, I took the opportunity to use the soul-summoning ritual to ask Su Guang in detail how the filthy shadow appeared and what its form was..."
She explained her thought process in detail.
Based on the information obtained, the filthy shadow is clearly closely related to the incense burner given by the unknown pilgrim, or rather, it was hidden in the incense burner and brought into Yunshui Temple.
"Coincidentally," Su Guang had frankly told the magistrate of Jinghu County about his illness, which caused a grudge between them. "Coincidentally," Su Guang was highly regarded by the abbot of Youguan Temple, which caused a grudge between him and the second-in-command of the temple. Most coincidentally, the two had a close relationship.
At this point, the truth of the matter is self-evident.
Jiang Geyun put down the empty bowl and said, "Although the matter has been connected, there is still no key evidence. I plan to visit the magistrate of Jinghu County and wait for an opportunity to collect evidence of the two colluding. It would be best to find the incense burner from that time... However, the invitation I sent has not been answered."
Although her words were brief, she had considered many possibilities, rehearsing each one repeatedly. In fact, if the existing evidence hadn't failed to dispel reasonable doubt, she might not have waited; instead, she would have…
But it's best not to do this too often, as it will only blur the lines of her actions and eventually turn her from a judge into a criminal. This rational thought is what has kept her from acting rashly in recent days.
...It's best not to say this to her husband.
He usually enjoys refined pursuits such as gardening, playing musical instruments, calligraphy, and painting. He is also gentle and quiet by nature. Even if he is not afraid of her, he will probably feel a little worried about her when he hears her idea.
Jiang Geyun's tone was somewhat reassuring, "We are at Mirror Lake now, so we can resolve this during this time. There's no need to rush, so don't worry."
“My wife’s considerations are comprehensive, and I think so too. However,” Cheng Xi said gently, “the former magistrate of Jinghu County was ousted by his political enemies shortly after Governor Cui’s death. All the things he did during his term were purged, and he and his cronies were recently executed. The position of magistrate of Jinghu County is now vacant. My wife, how do you plan to resolve this?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Geyun was stunned.
After a long while, she finally understood the meaning behind his words.
It turns out that the magistrate of Jinghu County has already been executed.
His past actions eventually caught up with him, making him pay with his life. Perhaps Su Guang was involved, or perhaps he wasn't even included.
In any case, the person is dead, the soul has dissipated, and everything has returned to the sea of sin. There will never be another individual for her to accuse with this crime again.
She should be happy, she should feel unexpected joy, but what fills her heart at this moment is confusion. The goal she has worked so hard for has somehow become an illusion.
Overwhelmed by indescribable chaos, Jiang Geyun remained silent for a long time.
Cheng Xi did not disturb her. When she regained some light in her eyes and looked up again, showing hesitation as if she didn't know what to say, he asked at the right moment, "Do you like the milk porridge?"
Jiang Geyun said, "I like it very much."
Cheng Xi smiled and said, "Doesn't my wife not have any favorite foods?"
Jiang Geyun had not yet recovered from her complicated emotions and subconsciously blurted out what was on her mind: "Because I know it was my husband who did it."
Silence fell.
Jiang Geyun paused for a few seconds before realizing what she had just said in the silence. She let out a soft, short "Ah," looked up at Cheng Xi, and gazed into his deep eyes.
Whether it was his quirk or out of shyness, he would always cover her eyes when he was close to her, sometimes with his hands, and sometimes... when his hands were not free, he would use light gauze, silk, or a kiss. Therefore, Jiang Geyun had never seen what his eyes looked like when he was extremely aroused.
I wonder if it will be even better than it is now...
Jiang Geyun cleared her throat, stood up, and said, "I'm going to take a bath!"
Cheng Xi did not stop her, but as she turned to call the servants, he said leisurely, "I will wait here for my wife."
...
Jiang Geyun looked down at the reflection on the water. Everything was no different from what she saw in reality. The warm water enveloped her, and the heat made the delicate fragrance of camellias floating in the air exude a slightly decadent aroma.
The scale of the Cheng residence and the services provided by the servants were far superior to those of the villa. Some of the enjoyment was beyond her imagination. For example, the bathing area was more like a miniature fairyland than a bathing room.
The dome is soaring high and inlaid with several luminous pearls, illuminating the room as bright as day. The bath itself is carved from a single piece of white jade of unknown variety, and several golden phoenixes stand at the water inlet, continuously spouting water of just the right temperature.
Jiang Geyun had seen things even more outrageous than this place, like the Chenweisi, which was beyond ordinary exaggeration and almost reached the level of science fiction. But what she saw before her eyes still made her feel shocked and... uneasy about the Cheng family's wealth.
She lifted her hand out of the water, and the pool water poured down, naturally causing the white camellia petals that covered the surface to fall into her palm.
The area is covered with these flower petals not because she likes them, but because every day it is covered with various kinds of fresh flowers picked that day, each day different, and every petal shows no signs of withering, just like the one in her hand.
She didn't say she liked it, so they changed the things laid out here every day. If she had said she liked it, she would probably have been steamed up with the scent of camellias that would never fade.
Speaking of "like"...
His eyes met hers again, and he thought about how he was waiting for her, and what he was waiting for her to do...
Jiang Geyun's cheeks flushed red. She took a breath, closed her eyes, and sank into the bath.
The rhythmic tinkling of flowing water that had come from nowhere in the room faded away, the golden phoenix flew away, and the rising steam dissipated, leaving only the low, subtle gurgling sound flowing silently in my ears.
At the bottom of the water, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at a pool of delicate white petals. Because of her movement, the water rippled and the petals swayed with it. The place was neither dark nor bright, and she could not see anything through the water and the flowers.
A moment later, Jiang Geyun suddenly emerged from the water.
She gasped for breath, water droplets falling from her hair onto the water and petals like a short, sudden downpour.
Hearing the commotion, the servant, through the curtain, asked respectfully, "Does Your Excellency have any orders?"
As her breathing calmed, Jiang Geyun raised her voice and replied, "It's alright."
In other words, don't play in the water unnecessarily; just splash some water on your face to cool it down if it gets hot!
...
The next day.
Zhang Jing pushed open the door and stood there, stunned.
The person standing in front of her was Jiang Geyun, whom she had parted ways with just yesterday.
Zhang Jing remained silent for a moment before speaking, "I don't think I've ever told Lord Jiang where I live."
Jiang Geyun nodded and said, "You definitely didn't say that."
"That……"
Jiang Geyun smiled and said, "A wonderful fate, or rather, a wonderful premonition, Lord Zhang, would you like to choose one?"
Neither.
She left a mark on Zhang Jing.
The two of them walked hand in hand for so long yesterday; it would be a shame not to do something about it.
Clearly, Zhang Jing didn't believe either of these explanations. She silently lowered her head, looked herself up and down, and ultimately couldn't see anything. She had no choice but to give up and said helplessly, "Does Lord Jiang have any instructions for me?"
Jiang Geyun said, "Lord Zhang understands me."
Zhang Jing said, "After my leave ends, I will decide..."
“I’ve been very sad lately,” Jiang Geyun sighed. “His Highness has pushed a lot of things onto me. Everyone else has gone on vacation, but I’m the only one who…”
“Your Highness…” Zhang Jing repeated, remaining calm, “The princess must be doing this for your own good. These are things that ordinary people wouldn’t even dare to do. Now that you have made a contribution, you will be promoted in the future. This is a good thing. I congratulate you in advance.”
"Which 'prince' did you think it was just now?"
Zhang Jing looked up at Jiang Geyun, who was leaning closer to her.
She said calmly, "Who else could it be? The person you and I have been talking about is Princess Zhengyi."
Jiang Geyun blinked, resumed her standing posture, and smiled, "Lord Zhang's words have cleared up my doubts. Since that's the case, I can't keep it to myself."
"...Enjoy it all by himself?" Zhang Jing asked, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
Jiang Geyun turned and took a few steps, then turned back and extended her hand to her from afar, her smile full of meaning, and said, "I am willing to share the opportunity to make merit and the opportunity to be promoted with Lord Zhang. Lord Zhang, please."
-----------------------
Author's Note: I hesitated between releasing both chapters tomorrow or today, but I decided to release today first. I expect to recap the first half of the synopsis in the next chapter. There might be an update tomorrow, or at least the day after tomorrow, with at least 6,000 words!
P.S.: Actually, I hadn't planned to include car exhaust fumes in many paragraphs. It's all because of that red lock Jinjiang gave me, which made me a bit rebellious. I started wanting to test the boundaries, and as I wrote, the atmosphere got right, so I added a little bit. Anyway, wish me luck in becoming a driving master soon!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
