Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Fever.
Lin Mansion, night.
Lin Zhen sat in front of the bronze mirror while Hongye brushed her half-dried hair. "If Madam insists on not handing it over, what should I do?"
Lin Zhen stared at himself in the bronze mirror for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How did you decide I was dead?"
At first, Lin Zhen thought that Ji Sui had already seen through the fact that she had escaped from the fire at the Jiaofangsi, so he brought Lin Yue with him to lure her out and vowed to capture her to vent his hatred.
However, Lin Zhen felt something was wrong with Qu Ruyun's reaction today at the Yong'an Marquis Mansion. Qu Ruyun was so sure that she was dead, and she even talked about the corpse.
"...wasn't it the young lady who planned this? That corpse, so similar in shape to the young lady, even deceived me."
Very similar?
A flash of light suddenly flashed through Lin Zhen's mind, and she murmured softly: "Sanniang, it's Du Sanniang..."
The night wind carried the refreshing fragrance of pear blossoms into the window, suddenly reminding her of the pear petals floating all over the pond when she first met Sanniang.
Pear blossoms fell on Sanniang's shoulders, as pure and flawless as the first snow. She suddenly jumped into the water right in front of Lin Zhen.
She thought she had saved Sanniang, but she didn't expect that Sanniang would eventually die because of her.
Lin Zhen briefly recounted what happened that day to Hongye, who immediately erupted in anger, "The lock in that room must have been deliberately tampered with! We must thoroughly investigate and find out who was trying to kill this young lady!"
"No need to check." Lin Zhen said.
Qu Ruyun's reaction today was enough to explain everything. With Ji Sui's troops now filling the mansion, no matter how daring Qu Ruyun was, she wouldn't attack her at this juncture. Besides, there were more important things waiting for her to do.
Hongye knew that the girl must have her own opinions on whatever she decided, so she didn't say anything more.
After Hongye helped Lin Zhen wash up, she went to make the bed. Lin Zhen's question today reminded her of something that had been weighing on her mind for a long time. She wanted to speak several times, but she didn't know whether she should say it or not.
"Hongye...?" Lin Zhen noticed her strange expression and walked to the couch.
"Miss, the general was also there that day at the Music Bureau. When the fire was raging, he rushed into the sea of fire without hesitation..." Hongye's movements slowed down. "I think he hasn't completely forgotten the kindness that the young lady in the mansion showed him over the past two years..."
Seeing that Lin Zhen didn't speak for a long time, Hongye couldn't figure out the girl's attitude, so she didn't dare to say anything. She just turned around and saluted, saying, "Miss, please settle down as soon as possible."
Lin Zhen nodded slightly.
Before Hongye could open the door, it was pushed open from the outside. She hurriedly leaned aside and waited for Ji Rui to enter the room before she closed the door and went out.
"Haven't you rested yet? Coincidentally, the purple gold inkstone I bought from Qingfeng Pavilion a few days ago has arrived. Let's give it a try."
Ji Sui placed the inkstone on the desk and started grinding the ink.
Lin Zhen picked up the brush and dipped it in ink, but the strokes on the paper were intermittent. She frowned, took more ink, and wrote again with intermittent strokes.
Ji Sui looked at her sideways for a while, chuckled, and covered her hand from behind.
His palm was broad and warm, and the rough calluses gently rubbed the smooth skin on the back of Lin Zhen's hand. He closed his five fingers, wrapped her hand tightly, and guided her to write steadily. As the pen moved, the words flowed like clouds and running water.
He breathed hot air into her ear. "The beauty of the purple gold inkstone lies in the mica it contains. The words written with it have a silky sheen in the sunlight. However, the mica schist is rough, making it more suitable for the twisted strokes of seal and clerical scripts rather than regular script."
He laughed again, his breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe, making her feel numb and hot. "You taught me this before, have you forgotten?"
The purple gold inkstone is very precious. Lin Zhen had only heard of it but had never actually used it, so naturally he did not have a very deep impression of it.
She vaguely remembered that she seemed to have taught him.
That was five years ago, five years...
Five years ago, he had just entered the mansion and was still a short teenager. When he looked up, he could barely reach her eyebrows. Now he has surpassed her by a long way. He stood behind her, keeping a proper distance from her. Not far away, two dark shadows were cast on the ground by the candlelight, but they were tightly entangled and enveloped in one place.
The agarwood on his body was the one she used to wear, but now it smelled mixed with a different scent, a scent unique to Ji Bai. It was this unique scent that shattered the originally soothing and calming scent, and instead turned it into an invisible net that trapped her in a small space.
The thick calluses on the back of Ji Rui's hands seemed to have turned into ropes that were slowly but forcefully tightening. She felt a little dizzy and breathless, and seemed to be about to sink into it.
Lin Zhen suddenly pulled her hand out of the man's hot palm and took a half step back. "It's getting late, it's not suitable to bother writing anymore."
Ji Sui's hand paused in mid-air and curled up slightly: "Okay."
*
The night was silent and all the people in the red and green buildings were asleep, but Lin Zhen was the only one who could not sleep because of the sound of the night watch.
Ji Sui was sleeping facing outwards, his thin pajamas slipping off his shoulders, and his winding scars were clearly visible in the moonlight. Lin Zhen rested his head on his arms, watching quietly.
Feeling a faint heat somewhere in his heart, Lin Zhen took a deep breath and wanted to turn around.
Her waist was suddenly hugged tightly by the man who turned over. Her breathing stopped. After a while, she heard his even breathing and let out a light breath.
His chin rested on her shoulder, pressing down on half of her shoulder, and his arm around her waist was like an iron hoop, restricting her completely and making her unable to move.
Ji Sui closed his eyes, frowned, and was deeply lost in a dream.
In his dream, he returned to Qizhou, and returned to the three days and nights when he secretly followed Lin Zhen.
Unlike last time, he was an invisible presence in the dream, and he witnessed Lin Zhen and her husband getting along more intimately.
He watched them sleeping in each other's arms, their clothes tangled together, and her face held an extremely gentle and affectionate look that he had never seen before.
He watched her change his clothes and he pinned her hair.
The two of them lived in harmony and loved each other.
He stretched out his hand to touch it, but the beautiful scene before him suddenly shattered like a mirror, turning into densely packed sharp blades that stabbed at him, piercing deeper and deeper, as if they were going to take root in his flesh.
When I woke up from the dream, the pain had not dissipated.
His grip tightened, and Lin Zhen groaned in pain, finally awakening him. "What's wrong?"
In the darkness, he hurriedly reached out to touch Lin Zhen's face, but found it was abnormally hot. He quickly sat up and said, "I'll go light the lamp."
"Don't go!" Lin Zhen suddenly grabbed his arm, "...I'm fine."
At this moment, Lin Zhen didn't want him to turn on the light, but she suddenly felt that the place that was slightly hot just now was getting hotter and hotter, spreading to her whole body, like a fire, about to burn her dry, and even her breath was scorching hot.
She swallowed and finally said, "I want to go down and drink some water."
"Thirsty?"
Seeing that Ji Rui didn't move at all and had no intention of moving aside, Lin Zhen had no choice but to nod in agreement.
In the dark night, she heard the crisp sound of teacups colliding. After a while, Ji Sui returned to the couch with a tea bowl in his hand.
Lin Zhen sat up and was about to reach out her hand when she felt a slight chill on her jaw. Ji Sui grabbed her chin, put the edge of the bowl to her lips, and slowly poured the tea into her mouth.
Somehow, she suddenly forgot the instinct to swallow the water. The water had already overflowed from her lips and flowed along the corners of her lips. She hurriedly pushed the tea bowl away and said, "Okay."
She thought drinking water would moisten her dry lips and teeth, but after lying down, she found that she was still very thirsty, even more thirsty.
Especially when Ji Sui came over again.
"Lin Zhen, let me hug you, okay?" Before he finished speaking, he had already embraced her deeply in his arms, leaving Lin Zhen no chance to respond.
Ji Rui closed his eyes again and buried his head in her neck, feeling her warm body temperature and strong heartbeat.
He greedily absorbed the fresh breath that belonged to her. This was all he wanted.
As for the dense and tingling pain, it will always be slowly erased by the sound of the heartbeat day after day.
*
A full month later.
Ji Sui sat at his desk, lost in thought as he stared at the plum blossom wood hairpin in his hand. Shi Zhu entered and reported, "The Third Prince is riding alone towards the Lin Residence and will be here shortly."
Ji Sui put the hairpin back into his bosom, straightened his clothes and stood up: "We can also set off now."
The Third Prince dismounted and saw Ji Sui and his companions stepping out of the palace gate. He hurried forward and asked, "Brother Ji, are you going out?"
Ji Sui nodded slightly, with just the right amount of doubt between his brows, and looked at him with his eyebrows slightly raised.
The Third Prince continued, "Today, my mother is going to Dajueshan Temple to pay homage. Brother Ji, are you willing to trust me again? This time, I will definitely—"
"I don't have as strong a foundation as the Prime Minister. The Imperial Concubine's decision is a wise one. I am ashamed to accept your favor, Your Highness." Ji Bai bowed and left with his sleeves folded.
Watching Ji Sui leaving, the Third Prince felt very disappointed. If he lost this person, he would never find anyone who could compete with Meng Liangyu.
Ji Sui walked to the front of the carriage and suddenly stopped, looking back and asked, "Your Highness is a royal family. Even if you don't ascend to the throne, you can still enjoy a life of glory. I am just a lonely minister. If I become an enemy of the Prime Minister, who has all the power in the court, I will have no way out in the future. After all, Meng Liangyu and Your Highness have a teacher-student relationship. Are you really willing to abandon the Prime Minister and choose me?"
The Third Prince's eyes lit up, and he strode forward. "As the ancients said, 'If you want to hold the chess scale, you must first enter a dangerous situation.' On this point, General, are we not of the same mind? General, you should not doubt my determination."
Hearing this, Ji Sui turned around completely and walked closer to him: "Since Your Highness has said so, I will definitely live up to Your Highness's trust."
"I dare not deceive Your Highness. I have a case in my hands that may bring down Meng Liangyu."
Ji Sui deliberately lowered his voice when he spoke next. The Third Prince listened attentively, his expression shifting from surprise to great joy. Before he could finish, he said, "Why don't we arrest this man immediately? Your Highness has plenty of ways to pry him open!"
Ji Sui smiled and shook his head, gently pressing his arm. "How can you convict the Prime Minister based on just one side of the story? The most important thing is the roster. As far as I know, it's currently in the Meng Mansion."
"I am heading to the Meng Residence for this very matter, but Meng Liangyu has always been quite wary of me..." Ji Sui's expression showed some difficulty, but he quickly disappeared. He clasped his fists and said solemnly, "I will do my best!"
The Third Prince clenched his fist and said, "I will go with you!"
After saying that, he jumped on his horse and headed for Meng Mansion first.
Ji Sui's expression returned to calmness, and he nodded to Shi Zhu: "Let's go."
*
Ji Sui looked through the palace entry and exit records for the past three months. The imperial concubine would go to Dajueshan Temple to burn incense on this day every month. According to his inference, today was the day when Meng Liangyu and the imperial concubine had a secret meeting.
When he arrived at the Meng Mansion, he saw that the Third Prince had indeed stopped Meng Liangyu who was about to attend the meeting.
When Ji Sui entered, the two were sitting in the warm room chatting. He greeted them separately.
Just now, Meng Liangyu was asking the third prince about his homework. When he saw Ji Sui coming in, he closed the book, exempted him from the formalities, and raised his hand to look for a seat.
When Ji Sui briefly talked about the situation in the court, Meng Liangyu put on an expression of concern for the country and the people. He talked about the suffering of the people and the stability of the country in earnest words, as if there was no other official in the world who was more loyal and caring about the world than him.
The Third Prince had always disliked this behavior of his and had long been impatient. He was about to interrupt but received a look from Ji Sui and had to swallow the words back.
After a while, the steward bowed and came in, saying, "The Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple has an important matter to report."
Meng Liangyu stood up and walked out, saying to the steward as he walked, "Why didn't you come in earlier?"
The steward was stunned for a moment before he understood the hidden meaning of his words. He was scolding him for not finding an excuse to call him out earlier. He quickly replied, "This old servant is stupid. However... the Junior Official of the Dali Temple has come to see you."
"Shaoqing of the Dali Temple?" Meng Liangyu paused slightly and searched his memory for a long time, but he couldn't remember who it was, so he continued walking towards the study.
On this side, as soon as Meng Liangyu left, the third prince sent the servants away and started searching the room with Ji Bai in tacit understanding.
As soon as he entered the inner room, Ji Sui's eyes fell on the rosewood clothesline beside the couch. He could only secretly wonder whether the mechanism here was the same as the one in the Zen room of Dajueshan Temple.
After deliberately searching here and there for a while, he pretended to walk towards the clothes rack casually, put his hand on it, and immediately felt that something was wrong. The two mechanisms were indeed the same.
Ji Sui left the clothes hanger calmly, leaned over to check under the bed, and tried to talk to the third prince, successfully leading him to the clothes hanger.
Seeing that he casually rested his arm on the beam without noticing anything, Ji Sui had no choice but to continue reminding him: "Perhaps, it is hidden in some secret compartment. Many dignitaries in the capital city have secret rooms in their mansions, and the mechanisms are mostly light but immovable objects." As he spoke, his eyes vaguely swept over the clothesline under the third prince's hand.
The third prince seemed to have suddenly been enlightened. He suddenly raised his arm from the clothes rail and grabbed the beam!
Ji Sui then held his breath——
"Ha! Brother Ji, what you said makes sense!"
Ji Sui coughed violently several times.
…
What an idiot! It turns out that not everyone is as smart as his Lin Zhen. Ji Sui couldn't help but snort in his heart.
He had no choice but to make his hint more obvious, and began to knock on the wall and floor tiles one by one, until he heard a crisp sound under the base of the clothes hanger. The third prince finally realized: "There is something strange about this clothes hanger!"
Ji Sui half-knelt on the ground, his face gloomy, and said in a surprised tone: "Your Highness is wise!"
*
study.
Kong Jinghe heard the staggered footsteps outside the window, and put the teacup in his hand on the table with a "click", and hurriedly stood up to serve.
As soon as Meng Liangyu stepped into the room, he bowed deeply.
After Meng Liangyu sat down, he looked at him for a moment, and finally found a little impression from the depths of his mind, "Is it you?"
"The superior has recently promoted him to the Minister of War. He is your most proud student, and I have come to congratulate you."
"Since he has been promoted, you should go to his house to celebrate." Meng Liangyu said with a forced smile. After saying this, he looked impatient. He took a sip of tea and then picked up a book and opened it.
The steward understood what he meant and stepped forward to Kong Jinghe and said, "The master still has some government affairs to attend to. Please leave, sir."
Kong Jinghe was reluctant to leave and continued, "Master Prime Minister, I do have a request. Master Jiang has been promoted, and the position of Dali Temple Minister is now vacant. You once promised—"
His words brought back a long-forgotten memory for Meng Liangyu. He had indeed ordered him to monitor and report Lin Yunfeng's every move, and promised to give him the position of Dali Temple Minister after the task was accomplished.
But later, the imperial concubine came forward and asked for this position on behalf of her nephew Jiang Hong, so the matter was put on hold. After a long time, he forgot about it.
"I know what's going on. Just go back and wait for news."
It wasn't that Meng Liangyu was deliberately trying to fool him, but when Jiang Hong was promoted, the position had already been sold to someone else for 300,000 taels of silver.
"Sir, last time you—"
"Why don't you see me off?" Meng Liangyu interrupted coldly without even raising his head.
Kong Jinghe suddenly stepped forward and knelt at Meng Liangyu's feet, "Sir, have you forgotten how I helped you marry Prince Chen and Lin Yunfeng five years ago—"
"How dare you!" Meng Liangyu suddenly slammed the scroll on the table and slapped Kong Jinghe to the ground with a loud slap. He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped his fingers one by one in disgust, and spat, "How dare you threaten me?"
Kong Jinghe's expression remained unchanged as he slowly climbed to his feet, ignoring the dust on his hem or the blood stains at the corners of his swollen lips. He simply stood respectfully, "I dare not. I simply want you to remember that when I passed the imperial examination, Your Majesty personally selected me as the runner-up. I still remember you praising me for my 'talent for governing the country.' I am absolutely qualified for the position of Dali Temple Minister."
"Second place?" Meng Liangyu suddenly laughed. "My Great Zhou Dynasty holds its imperial examinations every two years. The Hanlin Academy has countless second and third place winners. A 'talented man' like you, I'm afraid I'll crush a bunch of them with one kick."
Hearing this, Kong Jinghe still maintained a respectful look on his face, but his heart was drenched from head to toe by a bucket of snow water - ten years of hard study and burning the midnight oil, but in the end, he was just an ant in their eyes.
He secretly calculated the time Ji Sui had given him, curled his lips, and said softly, "Thank you for your teachings, sir. I will take my leave."
Since you are treated as an ant, then you will taste the pain of being eaten by an ant.
***
Here, the third prince has successfully entered the dark room.
Although Ji Rui was about 70% sure about his inference, he still felt a little worried.
However, he did not expect that at the other end of the secret passage, not only were his guesses confirmed one by one, but they were also far more exciting than he had expected.
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