Chapter 70: Qing Ping Yue - An Illusion
A dull pain came in waves from his jaw, causing Ye Mu's teeth to feel sore and weak.
Stab him?
The thought flashed through her mind, but it was quickly suppressed by the heavier reality. She was still holding the blue cloth bundle in her arms. If she were to reach into the bundle to take the knife, her movements would be slow and conspicuous, making the chances of success extremely slim, not to mention how she would escape afterwards.
She had no leverage to retaliate, and she didn't know how far he had gone. Was he merely suspecting her gender, or had he already uncovered her true intentions in infiltrating Wujiang? Was his ambiguous attitude towards the river works accounts a pretense of greed, or was there something else going on?
She could not see these things clearly, as if looking at flowers through a fog.
A head-on confrontation is a dead end, at least for now.
Ye Mu could only suppress his instinctive resistance and play along, trying to find out his true intentions.
She relaxed her shoulders, tilted her head slightly, and looked at him with a hint of bewilderment in her eyes.
"My lord..." her voice was slightly hoarse, tinged with the bitterness of being forced, "How do you expect this subordinate to obey?"
Zhou Chongli did not immediately release her hand, but lowered his eyes to examine her expression, noting how much was genuine and how much was feigned.
After a moment, he slowly withdrew his strength and pulled his hand back. "This matter is not urgent. We can discuss it after we return from the banquet at Lord Ye's residence."
Ye Mu felt a little uneasy. Why did he have to wait until he had seen his brother?
She remained expressionless, lowered her head to conceal the turmoil in her eyes, and obediently replied, "Yes, Your Excellency, I await your instructions."
Ye Mu did not return home immediately; for the first time, she found the Crown Prince's secret communication line.
The Ping An Inn had an ordinary facade and a worn-out signboard. She answered the code and was led into the back room.
The person who was supposed to meet her didn't exchange any pleasantries. She lowered her voice and said succinctly, "I'm afraid we've already seen through their disguise, but our situation is unclear. I'd like to ask for instructions."
The other party nodded silently, indicating that they understood, and would come back in five days to collect the message.
Once she got home, Ye Mu was finally able to relax completely and remove her makeup. Fortunately, Zhou Chongli's fingerprints were only on that spot and did not damage her original skin texture.
The soreness between my teeth has not subsided, and my temples are also throbbing slightly.
"So brave, Ye Mu," she couldn't help but praise herself as she looked in the mirror. Every time she dealt with Zhou Chongli, she relied entirely on her own willpower. Looking back, she was amazed at where she got the courage to take such a risk all by herself.
But why did he insist on waiting until he had met his brother? What kind of change was he waiting for with that "we can discuss it later"? And what exactly did he want her to listen to?
Whenever Ye Mu's thoughts were caught in this almost strangling predicament, and her head was throbbing with pain, she missed Xie Yicheng terribly.
People all wear masks, speak insincerely, and are driven by self-interest.
Jiang Si has his ambitions and schemes, Zhou Chongli has his cunning and mysteries, and the Crown Prince has his checks and balances and his overall vision. Only Yi Cheng's kindness is clumsy and unreserved.
In his presence, she didn't need to be the daughter of a noble family, the shrewd Fourth Miss Ye, or "Ye Mu" carrying a secret mission; she was simply herself.
She raised her hand, her fingertips lightly brushing across the mirror. In a daze, the mirror seemed to ripple, and Ye Mu seemed to see Yi Cheng pressed against her back, just like that day.
Ye Mu thought of him, of his deep, quiet eyes, of the intimacy when he chuckled softly in her ear, of the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he was being affectionate.
It's just an illusion.
He didn't come.
Ye Mu lowered her hands and clumsily imitated his movements based on her memory, but it was all in vain. She was far less patient and less methodical than him.
His fingers seemed to know all her hidden veins by nature.
The candlelight flickered, casting Ye Mu's thin, lonely shadow on the wall, the shadow slightly hunched over.
A deep weariness replaced her previous fear and anxiety, pressing heavily on her eyelids.
Before she could even enjoy herself, Ye Mu started to feel sleepy. Why was she not as fun as when she was with Yi Cheng?
Shouldn't she be the one who knows herself best? On the contrary, Yi Cheng knows her sensitivities even better than she does.
Never mind, I'll try again next time.
Ye Mu tidied himself up, blew out the light, and buried himself in the cold quilt. The lingering soreness in his body was still there, but fortunately, the suspicions about Zhou Chongli and the anxiety about the mission were temporarily gone.
That night, there were no nightmares, no tossing and turning.
Only a deep, dreamless darkness completely swallowed her up.
She rarely gets a good night's sleep.
-
The next day, at the county government's drill ground.
Springtime was in full bloom, with the warm and bright sun shining down. The clerks in each office stood in formation, their buzzing discussions filled with tension and excitement.
Ye Mu stood at the end of the household procession. The indigo riding and archery uniform she was wearing had been altered earlier and now fit her perfectly. She saw Zhou Chongli standing tall on the platform, wearing a fine black riding and archery uniform, with broad shoulders, a straight back, and a neat figure.
A sudden doubt crossed her mind. His figure was completely different from hers. How could the size of the riding and archery suit he ordered be so wrong that he couldn't fit into it at all?
Was that riding outfit she was wearing a new one he bought? Was it to help a poor scholar? Or was he testing her?
Did he notice something while she was changing clothes?
Ye Mu bit her lip. The progress had to be accelerated. It would be best to find the irrefutable clue of the ledger before her brother's birthday.
Zhou Chongli on the stage did not say much, but stood solemnly in front of the stage, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire field. Under that invisible pressure, the originally noisy training ground gradually quieted down.
Unlike the solemn and dignified demeanor of the civil officials in the hall, it added a touch of the sharpness and strength of a military man.
The speech was decisive and brief, just like his usual style. It reiterated the ancestral principle of "balancing civil and military affairs" and was presided over by the county magistrate and the old instructor.
The initial target practice was somewhat chaotic, and many newcomers like Ye Mu were struggling with their bows and arrows, unable to draw them properly or shoot accurately. Laughter and reprimands from the sidelines rose and fell.
When Ye Mu was called to the waiting room, he slowly stepped forward.
She chose a bow that looked relatively light, but it still felt heavy in her hand. Her lack of arm strength was an undeniable weakness, so at this moment she could only prioritize stability over brilliance, so as not to make a fool of herself.
All the scattered knowledge about archery came from those miscellaneous books that people copied down in exchange for money.
When a knight-errant displays his prowess or a general vanquishes the enemy, he always needs to draw his bow and nock an arrow. Fortunately, Ye Mu's memory is good enough. He stands still, turns to the side, steps slightly forward with his left foot, nocks the arrow on the bowstring, pinches the fletching and string with three fingers, and slowly pulls it backward to where he can.
She could remember all these techniques: focus, aim, hold her breath, and release her fingers.
The arrow flew out.
Although the force was weak, it still landed firmly on the outermost ring of the straw target thirty paces away.
only……
...not her target.
It struck the straw target that was in charge of Zheng's hand, with two people between them.
There was a moment of silence, followed by a burst of laughter.
"Secretary Ye, is your arrow aimed at Chief Clerk Zheng?" someone joked loudly.
Yu Shuban stood nearby and comforted her, "It's alright. The first arrow didn't fall to the ground and even stuck to the wood, which is already very impressive."
Ye Mu's face flushed slightly. It seemed that one couldn't completely believe everything in the stories, and the authors themselves probably didn't even know martial arts.
More people gathered around to watch the spectacle, waiting to see her second arrow.
This commotion caught the attention of Zhou Chongli on stage.
He saw that Ye Mu was surrounded, his ears were red, and his knuckles were white as he gripped the bow, probably feeling very embarrassed.
As he stepped down from the platform and walked towards her, he said, "For your first time practicing archery, your posture is already quite correct, there's no need..."
Before she could finish speaking, Ye Mu was nocking her second arrow, fully focused on turning the tide, when she suddenly heard his voice coming from not far behind her. Turning around to look at him, her mind went blank, and the arrow shot out with all her might.
The arrow left the bowstring and flew diagonally toward the direction where Zhou Chongli was standing.
Zhou Chongli caught a glimpse of a cold light out of the corner of his eye, reacted extremely quickly, and stepped to the side, his body swaying slightly.
A muffled thud.
The arrow pierced the sand less than half a foot from his feet, its fletching still trembling rapidly and emitting a sickening buzzing sound. Had he not moved, the arrow would likely have pierced his official boot.
Immediately, an even louder burst of laughter threatened to overturn the training ground.
Zhou Chongli was also amused and annoyed. "Is Secretary Ye plotting to kill me?"
"This humble servant dares not," Ye Mu stammered.
“I think you’re quite daring,” Zhou Chongli said, half-jokingly and half-seriously. “If you lean any further toward me, I might suspect you’re a spy.”
With the third arrow, everyone was watching her. Ye Mu took a deep breath, nocked the arrow again, and slowly drew her bow.
Unexpected changes occurred!
A sudden, deafening roar erupted from the southeast corner of the training ground, near the bamboo fence connecting the sparse woods behind the mountain. The sound of trees snapping was accompanied by a ferocious howl.
A black wild boar with its mane bristling smashed through a dilapidated fence, its eyes bloodshot, and charged into the training ground. It was huge and rampaged wildly.
"A wild boar! It's a wild boar that came down from the mountain!"
"Scatter!"
The crowd erupted into chaos, screams filled the air, and people dropped their bows and arrows, frantically scattering to the sides.
The wild boar was clearly startled, or perhaps driven mad by hunger. Instead of immediately charging the crowd, it paced restlessly around the edge of the training ground, its tusks gleaming coldly, its heavy breathing exhaling white steam, and its muddy hooves kicking up dust.
"Silence!" Zhou Chongli shouted sternly, his voice dominating the entire room.
His face was grim, and his gaze swept quickly across the arena. "County Commandant, take your men with long sticks and shields and slowly advance from both sides to drive it away. Do not provoke it! The rest of you, retreat behind the stage and do not make a sound!"
The panic subsided, and the group retreated as ordered, but they still stared at the ferocious beast with trepidation.
The old instructor stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Sir, this beast has thick skin and tough flesh. Ordinary sticks and clubs may not be able to subdue it immediately. If it charges into the crowd, it will be even worse. Right now, it has not completely gone berserk. It would be safest to shoot it with a bow and arrow from a distance."
Zhou Chongli's gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the scattered bows and arrows, then swept over the group of clerks with fearful expressions. Suddenly, he raised his voice and said, "That's right. Why practice archery? It's not just for physical fitness and etiquette, but also for protecting oneself and others in critical moments. Today is the day to test it out."
His voice was clear and bright, “Who dares to try? If you can hit this beast’s vital spot and make it lose its ferocity, I will reward you with ten inksticks and a set of Huzhou brushes. I will also grant you any request that does not violate the law or social norms!”
With such a generous reward, and an additional promise to fulfill a request, the crowd was in an uproar.
"My lord! If I hit the target, could you grant me half a month's leave? I'm newly married and haven't had a chance to take my wife to visit the surrounding cities and prefectures yet."
"Can."
"My lord! Could I be transferred to the criminal investigation department to study the law?"
"Can."
"grown ups……"
The crowd started chattering, and the atmosphere became quite lively. But when their eyes fell on the wild boar with its menacing tusks, most of them felt their legs go weak and their palms sweat.
Just then, Ye Mu stepped forward and said, "My lord."
She still held the light bow in her hand. Her face was still somewhat pale, but her eyes had calmed down as she looked directly at Zhou Chongli. "If I hit this pig, may I, sir, be allowed to enter the archives and freely examine the documents and files therein for three days?"
Frame the cabinet!
Everyone looked at her. This was where documents, account books, and files from previous years were stored. Ordinary clerks were not allowed to enter without permission, let alone look at them at will. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those who aspired to study criminal law and finance, or who wanted to find clues to certain old stories.
After failing to find the account books in the signing room, Ye Mu passed by the entrance of the Jiageku several times. She thought that even if she couldn't find out where Zhou Chongli's 50,000 taels of silver went, the old accounts and purchase records of the river works here would still be there, which would be more useful than the open account books she had come across outside.
Zhou Chongli looked down at her, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
After a moment, he said, "Okay."
Ye Mu was immediately invigorated and no longer hesitated.
She observed the wild boar and realized that her arm strength was weak and her arrows were too light to even penetrate its skin, which would only provoke it. She needed to hit its vitals with one shot and needed a stronger bow and arrows.
"My lord, I am willing to try. However, my practice bow is weak and the arrows are dull, so I am afraid it will be difficult to wound this beast. I humbly request that you use a real hunting bow and iron arrowheads instead."
As soon as she said this, she was met with a burst of laughter from those around her.
"Secretary Ye, you couldn't even hit the target accurately just now, and now you want to use a hunting bow?"
"I'm afraid they wouldn't even be able to draw a bow..."
She ignored him and only looked at Zhou Chongli, determined not to let even the slightest bit slip by.
"Granted. County Commandant, bring a hunting bow with a stone weight and three arrows."
Zhou Chongli said, "Ye Mu, come to the front of the stage. The terrain here is a bit higher, and the view is more open."
Enraged by the growing attention, the wild boar growled and took a few more steps closer to the arena, causing a stir among the crowd.
The county constable quickly brought out a bow and arrows.
A real hunting bow is heavy to the touch, with a taut bowstring and a cold, sharp glint in the iron arrowheads. Ye Mu picked it up with difficulty, and his arm felt heavy just from holding the bow.
She walked to the wooden platform, which was more than a foot higher than the flat ground, offering a slightly better view, but it was still more than forty paces away from the wild boar, more than ten paces farther than when she had shot at the target earlier.
The wild boar seemed to sense a threat, turned to her, bared its tusks, let out a threatening growl, and paved the ground with its forelegs, kicking up dust.
Ye Mu nocked an arrow and tried to draw the bow.
The hunting bow was much stiffer than she had imagined. She used all her strength but could only manage to pull it open a little more than halfway. Her arm was trembling violently, and she couldn't even aim properly.
“If you don’t have enough arm strength, forcing the bow will only waste your energy and make you lose your aim.” Zhou Chongli’s voice rang out from not far from his side.
He walked over and stood to her left rear. "The wild boar may be restless, but it has its habits. It's growling menacingly at you right now, its head and neck relatively fixed—it's the perfect opportunity. However, your bow isn't fully drawn, and the arrow lacks power..."
He was indeed a good archer, and he explained succinctly, "A bow of one stone is too heavy for you. Draw the bowstring to a point where your arm will no longer tremble violently, lower the arrow by three points, and aim at a point one foot below his neck and chest."
"Why not aim for its neck?" Ye Mu was completely focused on controlling his trembling arms.
"If your strength is insufficient, the arrow will inevitably fall in an arc. When the wild boar lowers its head and growls, its heart and lungs are located under its neck and in front of its chest."
Zhou Chongli's voice drew closer, "Remember, when shooting at a moving object, you don't just aim at its current position; you must calculate its movement and the trajectory of the arrow. If it's threatening you, it won't be charging at full speed for a short time, which is the best opportunity. Keep your breathing steady, don't look at its fierce eyes, just focus on the point you're aiming at."
Ye Mu followed instructions, no longer forcing himself to draw the bow to its full extent, but simply keeping it steady at the limit his arm could bear, pressing the arrow slightly downwards, aiming at the grayish-black area in front of the wild boar's neck...
She forced herself to forget that it was a ferocious beast, and treated it only as a moving ledger, showing distance, bow strength, arrow weight, and target.
The wild boar grew impatient and pawed at the ground with its front hooves, letting out an even louder roar.
Now!
Ye Mu held his breath and loosened his grip.
"Whoosh—!"
The iron arrow left the bowstring, tracing an arc sharper than any arrow before, and shot away with a whooshing sound!
"Pfft!"
A muffled thud!
The arrow did not land on her chest as she had aimed, but instead, as she exerted her final force, the boar slightly tilted its head, and the arrow struck the upper part of its shoulder blade at an angle.
The skin there is thick and the bones are hard; the iron arrowhead didn't penetrate deep into the flesh, but it was enough to cause excruciating pain.
"Awooo—!"
The wild boar let out a shrill scream, its massive body trembled violently, and its ferocity was fully unleashed. Its crimson eyes were fixed on Ye Mu, and it stomped its hind hooves on the ground, ignoring the yamen runners with sticks slowly approaching from both sides, and charged headlong toward the wooden platform. After taking about ten steps, its ferocious face was clearly visible.
"Oh no! It's charging at us!"
"Protect the adults!"
The crowd gasped again.
Ye Mu's face turned deathly pale. She had failed. Not only had she missed her target, but she had also thoroughly enraged the beast.
"Second arrow!" Zhou Chongli commanded, "Aim three inches above the back of his knee! Shoot the leg to stop his charge!"
Ye Mu didn't have time to think. She did as she was told, quickly drew out the second arrow, nocked it, pulled back the bow, and aimed at the joint above the thick foreleg of the charging horse. She could even feel the vibration coming from the wooden platform beneath her feet!
"Release the arrows!" Zhou Chongli shouted in a low voice.
This arrow flew like a shooting star!
Perfect hit!
The iron arrowhead was deeply embedded above the joint of the wild boar's right foreleg, almost featherless.
The wild boar, which was running wildly, let out an even more miserable howl. Its right foreleg staggered instantly, and its huge body tilted violently to the right due to the pain and loss of balance. Its momentum was reduced abruptly, and it rolled half a circle on the ground, stirring up a large cloud of dust.
"Third arrow! Below the ear, now!"
Ye Mu's hands were trembling uncontrollably, and her clothes were soaked with cold sweat. She gritted her teeth and pulled out the last arrow.
Although the wild boar was severely injured, its ferocity remained. Knowing it was no match for the enemy, it got up and ran away, fleeing for its life towards the woods behind the mountain.
How could Ye Mu let it escape? The three-day agreement to build the storehouse, the life-or-death struggle, all depended on this beast. If it escaped into the mountains, all their previous efforts would be in vain.
She wanted to win!
Ye Mu saw several spare horses tied to the side and back of the wooden platform. Without hesitation, he turned around, rushed to the nearest horse, pulled the reins, and mounted it!
"Ye Mu!" Zhou Chongli shouted sharply, his face showing shock and anger for the first time. "What are you doing? Come back! Are you out of your mind?!"
Ye Mu seemed not to hear her. She spurred the horse, and it neighed loudly, galloping off into the forest.
The spring wind howled in her ears and stung her cheeks, but all she could see were the ferocious beasts fleeing in panic.
Dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, he stunned everyone.
"This person usually seems dull-witted, how could he be so crazy..." Manager Zheng murmured, hugging the wooden pillar in fright.
Zhou Chongli's face turned ashen. He immediately rushed to another horse, intending to give chase, but just as he mounted it—
"Awooo—!!!"
From the woods behind the mountain came a piercing, earth-shattering scream! Immediately afterward, there was a dull thud as a heavy object crashed to the ground, and even the ground trembled slightly.
A flock of birds was startled from the woods and took flight, fluttering into the sky.
The noise suddenly stopped, and all was quiet.
Everyone's heart was in their throat, and they held their breath.
The sound of horses' hooves clattered, neither hurried nor slow, approaching from afar.
A moment later, the brown post horse, carrying its rider, slowly emerged from the shadows of the trees and stepped into the bright spring sunshine.
On horseback, Ye Mu sat up straight, her hair loose, a few strands of hair sticking to her forehead and cheeks with sweat, her shoulders covered in dust and grass clippings, her arms covered in scratches, her face pale and bloodless, only her eyes bright as stars, sparkling, looking straight at Zhou Chongli by the wooden platform.
Her hands were empty.
But everyone knows where the third iron arrow was left.
Ye Mu slowly spurred her horse forward, reined in it a few steps away from the wooden platform, and as she dismounted, her legs buckled and she almost knelt down. She immediately braced herself with her hands on the saddle to steady herself.
"Sir, the wild boar has died in the forest."
Ye Mu raised his head, "I hope Your Excellency will grant my request."
His voice was hoarse from exhaustion.
Zhou Chongli looked at her intently, his gaze complex and unreadable. He then ordered several constables, "Go into the forest and drag the wild boar back."
The constables obeyed and left. Not long after, the two men emerged from the forest, struggling to drag a huge black wild boar.
The wild boar was already dead. The last iron arrow pierced through from behind its ear, diagonally upwards, all the way down to the fletching, precisely the vital spot that Zhou Chongli had just pointed out.
Only a small amount of dark red blood seeped from the wound, indicating that it was a fatal blow.
On the training ground, there was a deathly silence, with only the sound of the spring breeze rustling the flags. All the previous snickers, teasing, and contempt had now turned into indescribable admiration.
Yu Shuban was the first to break the silence.
The plump clerk's eyes had reddened without him even noticing. He raised his hand and clapped vigorously, his voice choked with emotion: "Clerk Ye, Clerk Ye is so, so amazing!"
Then, scattered applause rang out, which grew louder and more frequent, eventually merging into a wave of heartfelt cheers and applause that echoed across the spring-day schoolyard.
Everyone looked at Ye Mu, their eyes no longer showing any contempt.
Amidst the clamor, Zhou Chongli slowly stepped forward, his gaze lingering for a moment on the fatal arrow wound on the wild boar carcass before turning to Ye Mu.
There was no approving smile on his face, but a lingering sense of fear remained in his eyes, which he suppressed.
"The first arrow missed by a hair's breadth, which only provoked his anger. This was unwise and also a result of my lack of strength. I should remember this lesson."
"The second arrow demonstrated composure under pressure, following orders and striking the leg to stop the charge, turning danger into safety. This showed quick thinking and decisiveness. It deserves recognition."
“The third arrow…” Zhou Chongli glanced at her fingers, which were hanging by her side and still trembling slightly, and his voice softened. “Pursuing the enemy alone, killing him with a single blow, and ultimately turning the tide of the crisis, that is true perseverance and courage.”
He gazed into her beautiful eyes. "You shot all three arrows; the reward is as promised. You shall have the right to access the imperial archives for three days, starting tomorrow. The reward of writing materials will be sent to the household office later."
After saying that, he stopped looking at her and turned to the county constable, "Order the grounds to be properly prepared, and immediately inspect and reinforce all the fences. As for this wild boar, drag it away and hand it over to the cook. Tonight, set up a bonfire in the drill ground and roast pork to show our appreciation and calm our nerves."
"Yes!" County Lieutenant Hong Liang replied.
Ye Mu's arms fell limply to the ground as if all her strength had left her. Her hunting bow slipped from her grasp. Her body went limp, and she could barely stand. Cold sweat poured down her back, and her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would jump out of her throat.
"Secretary Ye! Are you alright?" Secretary Yu rushed over, supporting her as she was about to fall, and helped her to sit down on a makeshift bench.
As if waking from a dream, cheers and words of concern rose and fell, enveloping her in a buzz.
Ye Mu forced a smile and waved her hand, "It's nothing, I just need a rest."
But this was by no means a simple case of overexertion. For the next three days, Ye Mu's right arm trembled so badly that he could barely hold a bowl of rice, and he tossed and turned in pain at night, unable to sleep.
However, the agreement with Jiageku was something she had risked her life for, and she couldn't afford to waste a single moment of it.
She could only rely on her left hand to flip through the booklets on the shelf.
River works expenses... Last year's autumn flood season... Material procurement... Related invoices...
Her gaze was like a comb, carefully brushing away the ink stains.
Indeed, some clues were discovered, such as several vague notes on the flow of funds, repeated appearances of several guarantor names associated with known suspicious shops, and several time discrepancies.
These fragments are like scattered beads, but lack the core evidence to connect them.
The original accounts still could not be found.
On the third day at dusk, when the warehouse clerk politely reminded him that it was time to close the warehouse, Ye Mu walked out of the warehouse with a sense of melancholy.
As she passed by the notice board at the yamen gate, she couldn't help but stop and stare blankly at the missing little red flower. If it wasn't in the signing room or the storeroom... could it be in his study?
Zhou Chongli is meticulous and suspicious; he must be hiding somewhere as close to me as possible.
Once this thought arises, it's hard to suppress.
The next day happened to be Ye Mu's day off. She carried pastries she had bought at the market and came to the side gate of the county government's back residence. She bowed to the gatekeeper and said, "Thank you for your help in announcing this. I am Ye Mu, a clerk in the household affairs department. I have come to thank Lord Zhou for the clothes he recently bestowed upon me."
The servant on duty this time was the same one who had guided us last time.
"Your timing is unfortunate, Secretary Ye. The master left early this morning and hasn't returned yet." The servant bowed. "Perhaps you could give me these pastries?"
Ye Mu had already found out that Zhou Chongli was going to Dongwei Village today, and the round trip would take at least half a day, so this was the emptier time in the mansion.
She handed over the pastries, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, young man. But there's something else I need to trouble you with. Last time I was trying on clothes in the side room, I accidentally left a jade pendant behind. I wonder if I could go in and look for it? I promise I won't touch anything else."
“Of course, Secretary Ye, please come with me.”
He led Ye Mu to the gate of the east wing courtyard where they had met before, then stopped. He clearly remembered the lesson he had learned from Zhou Chongli's strict order not to approach, and said, "Please feel free to do as you please, Ye. Search carefully. I will wait outside this courtyard."
This is simply divine intervention!
Ye Mu was originally thinking about how to get rid of him, but he didn't expect him to keep his distance.
"Thank you, young man." Ye Mu smiled gratefully, turned and entered the courtyard, then slipped out through the side gate.
The courtyard was quiet and deserted in spring.
She had been here twice and knew the layout of the place by heart: the side rooms were in the east, the study was in the west, and they were separated by a small courtyard and a few clumps of green bamboo.
She walked without stopping, straight through the courtyard, and came to the west wing where the study was located. There was no one in the corridor, and the courtyard gate was ajar.
The interior is simply and elegantly furnished. A large table by the window is neatly arranged with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones. Behind it is a bookshelf that reaches the ceiling, piled with books and documents. There are also two display shelves. On the west side, there is a couch and a small table. Apart from these, there are no other superfluous items.
Ye Mu quickly scanned the area, knowing that time was running out. She first quietly checked the document box on the bookshelf, which contained mostly county records and copies of official documents, and found nothing unusual.
The desk drawer was unlocked. When I opened it, I found only blank stationery, inkpad, paper cutter, and other such items.
My heart sank lower and lower. Had I guessed wrong?
Just as she was about to bend down to examine the wooden box on the bottom shelf, her elbow accidentally bumped into the lotus relief on the table leg.
“Clatter.”
A mechanism clicked.
Ye Mu froze, then abruptly turned his head.
On the other side, a display shelf with a few ordinary porcelain vases and rock ornaments silently slid inward by half a foot, revealing a narrow, downward-facing, secluded entrance behind it.
The smell of old paper seeped out from the darkness.
Ye Mu's heart skipped a beat. Could the secret be right here?
Without time to think, she slipped into the dark passage. Behind her, the display shelves closed silently, cutting off the last ray of sunlight.
The secret passage was initially very narrow, only wide enough for one person, with stone steps leading downwards.
The darkness was thick. She groped along the cold stone wall, held her breath, and carefully descended about twenty or thirty steps before the view suddenly opened up before her.
This is a hidden underground room, small but dry.
The walls were all made of stone, and several sturdy iron cabinets stood along the walls. In the center of the room, on a large stone table, some scattered files were piled up, and a white jade paperweight held down several sheets of paper covered with writing.
The only light source was the candle on the bronze candlestick on one side of the stone table.
In the candlelight, behind the stone table, a person sat comfortably in a large armchair, holding a book and seemingly engrossed in reading.
He wore a dark-colored casual dress, an ebony hairpin, and his brows and eyes appeared deep and thoughtful in the flickering candlelight.
It was Zhou Chongli.
He slowly raised his eyes from the book, his gaze calmly landing on Ye Mu, who was frozen at the entrance.
“Secretary Ye,” he raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a leisurely air, “should I pretend I didn’t see you?”
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Author's Note: Thank you for reading and adding this to your favorites! Master will be available in the next chapter! [Keep it up!]
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