reason
"Walk!"
A frost-like knife mark flashed past Xuan Gui's face, and the dark black hair was lifted up by the biting wind, and the strands of hair obscured Xi Zhen's bright face in the darkness.
His slightly narrowed eyes seemed to be silently filled with sinister intent. The moment Ru stuck his head out, he silently and lightly raised the double-edged sword from behind like a ghost, lightly swept it to the back of Ru's neck, and gently touched his skin.
Xuan Gui dodged and took a step back to unsheath his sword to cooperate with Xi Zhen's attack. When he leaned over, a pair of hands suddenly stretched out from the fog behind him and held his waist tightly.
Blood as red as poison gushed out from Lu's neck. The cold and icy blade flashed away, and he noticed the sudden movement beside him out of the corner of his eye.
Xi Zhen put away his blade and followed closely behind. The solid ground under his feet suddenly became a set of earthen stairs leading down. His vision was covered by a thicker white mist mixed with a strong smell.
The window frame from which Lu emerged seemed to have disappeared out of thin air, and gradually became blurred in Xuangui's eyes.
The force that held him was too strong, and the gravity that fell backwards was like a vine that tightly wrapped around him. The tip of the half-unsheathed cold sharp knife scraped deep, hard scratches on the wall next to him.
Due to the friction, at the moment when the secret door leading to the ground behind him was about to close, the cold blade pressed against the throat of the person behind him.
Xi Zhen, who followed closely behind, looked at the person behind him. His dark and bright pupils swept back and forth. He pursed his lips, calmly put away the double blades, lifted the hair by his ears, lowered his head and walked down the stairs.
Someone lit the fireworks on the wall, and the charcoal burst with a slight sound. The long shadows of the three people flickered on the stone wall.
After a brief tinnitus, the surroundings fell into silence again.
His tense nerves suddenly relaxed, Xuan Gui tilted his head and stared at the figure behind him. He loosened his grip on the scabbard, stood up and put away the sword.
"Yan."
—
The carriage parked outside Jiang Mansion was spacious.
The cool fragrance of incense filled the air. The unfamiliar setting and the silence all around made Jiang Nian feel heavy in the heart as he smelled the cold fragrance.
Qin Lan, who was standing aside, was still leisurely and elegant, not like he was worried about Huandu's internal problems. He leisurely poured two cups of cold tea on the tea table.
The carriage moved forward steadily, passing by the experimental fields of the Jiang Mansion. There was a well-maintained stone road among the layers of woods, and the wheels were rumbling.
The warm tea gradually covered the cold fragrance, and the teacup was lifted up and gently placed beside her.
"I just saw Miss Jiang in the courtyard and she hasn't had much tea. The road to the mansion is still long, and there are no other treats in the carriage. It's better to use this tea to fill your stomach first."
The green shadows were mottled, the tea soup swayed slightly with the carriage, and a faint light passed by the tea table in front of me.
Jiang Nian turned his gaze back from the window with a gentle smile on his face.
"Thank you very much. I will obey your command."
The teacup is filled with a cool fragrance, I don’t know what kind it is, but it has a long-lasting rocky flavor.
She lowered her eyes, and the bottom of the raised teacup blocked the flashing light in her eyes. The clear tea in her mouth gently soothed her heavy heart.
Ever since learning about the enemies like Wu Mi Zhong, Jiang Nian couldn't help but worry about the pharmacy's growing reputation.
Although Xiao Yingzhu should have prepared a backup plan, the enemy has already set their sights on her recipe.
It was only a matter of time before the Wu Mi people turned their attention to the pharmacy.
And right now... perhaps this mine, which is most similar to the often-mentioned Qixia Mountain mine, can find some breakthroughs.
—
The location of the Qishan Mansion is exquisite. Although it is not very high, the mansion that comes into view after parking the car is contrasted with the slightly blurred Liangdu City in the distance at the foot of the mountain behind it. It is like a paradise on earth, as if no outsiders will notice it, visit it, and break the bond between them.
The chirping of birds was melodious and refreshing. Even at noon, I didn't feel sweaty or stuffy.
Xiao Yingzhu seemed to have anticipated that Qin Lan would come, so she left Yunxiu waiting at the gate of the mansion.
The servant who was watering the trees was sweeping the fallen leaves outside with a broom. When he saw a carriage approaching the mansion, he looked up and bowed slightly to them, then immediately went into the gate and called out Yunxiu, who was sitting by the lake in the courtyard feeding the fish.
There were still some steamed bun crumbs in his hands. He looked up and saw Qin Lan and the strange woman behind him. Yunxiu rubbed the crumbs in his hands, looked back and forth between the two of them, and raised a knowing smile.
"The master has finished his business and is waiting for you in the side hall."
He turned and walked forward at a brisk pace.
"Everyone, please follow me."
Qin Lan responded and turned to look at Jiang Nian.
Seeing that rather meaningful gaze, she smiled faintly in response.
The young man leading the way had his black hair tied up high, the same hairstyle as the one we saw before, except that this one seemed more casual, with some loose black hair hanging in front.
There was a slender dart bag tied around his waist. When Jiang Nian landed there, he happened to be facing the light, and the golden edge at the bottom was shining.
She withdrew her gaze and followed Qin Lan slowly.
I saw Qin Lan walking up this mountain at night. It turned out that he was going to Xiao Yingzhu's residence.
Then wouldn't the fact that she was developing the experimental field at the foot of Qishan Mountain be right under Xiao Yingzhu's eyes?
No wonder I saw Xiao Yingzhu in the field earlier. It turns out he had observed her from the very beginning.
Thinking of this, Jiang Nian suddenly felt a mixture of emotions.
The young man leading the way stopped in front of the door of the side hall, knocked gently, and turned to gesture towards them.
"The master is waiting for you inside, just push the door and go in."
His gaze swept across Jiang Nian's face, with a hint of interest in his eyes. He nodded slightly and left the corridor.
Jiang Nian was puzzled by the boy's gaze. His eyes shifted slightly and met Qin Lan's gaze.
As if guessing what Jiang Nian was thinking, Qin Lan smiled at her.
"That's just Yunxiu's nature. Miss Jiang, don't worry about it."
Considering the young man's attire, he should be Xiao Yingzhu's secret guard.
She no longer paid attention to that, nodded lightly in response, and then looked at the mahogany door in front of her.
The window paper was tightly covered, reflecting the faint sunlight. I couldn't see the objects placed inside, and all I could see was white.
Qin Lan seemed to be used to looking for people in this way. He opened the door familiarly, held the door with one hand, and moved aside to make way for Jiang Nian.
The huge side hall was filled with the faint scent of water agarwood, and a faint light shone through the mouth of the celadon vase under the window. There were several stacks of scrolls on the table against the wall, which were now being placed in the corner by the owner.
Xiao Yingzhu sat with her head propped up at the side of the long table. Qin Lan closed the door behind her and then pulled a wooden chair opposite Xiao Yingzhu and sat down.
The ink painting on the wall caught his eye as he pushed the door open. Jiang Nian's arrangement in the side hall was swept away, and his eyes were immediately attracted to the woman in the painting.
A few strokes outline the woman's profile, showing her elegance and gentleness in every detail. The woman in the painting has her back to the guests, her head tilted, and a bouquet of beautiful flowers in her hand.
Her long black hair hung down her shoulders, her eyelashes were slender, and the rouge on her lips was bright red.
Jiang Nian paused for a moment while looking at the painting, then looked away. As usual, he walked to the side of Qin Lan and chose a seat one chair away.
Just as he was about to lower his head and sit down, Xiao Yingzhu, who had been keeping his eyes down, suddenly raised his eyelids, tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and spoke in a light tone.
"Jiang Nian, come here."
Caught off guard by being called by his full name, Jiang Nian paused with his hand on the back of the wooden chair, then raised his head and met his gaze exactly.
Qin Lan on the side looked at the two of them with interest, then turned his head to look at the painting on the wall and mentioned it intentionally or unintentionally.
"The location of your painting hasn't changed... Did you hire someone to paint it for you?"
Xiao Yingzhu watched Jiang Nian calmly pull out a chair and sit beside her. She turned her eyes and her gaze fell on Qin Lan's face for a moment, and her expression showed no emotion.
"Well, it turns out that one is in the capital."
Listening to Xiao Yingzhu's light tone and sensing a hint of imperceptible coldness in it, Qin Lan stopped talking in time and turned to the refreshments that had been placed on the table in advance.
"You knew we were coming?"
The chef at Qishan Mansion loves to make pine nut and lily pastry. Usually, if Xiao Yingzhu asks him to entertain guests, this dessert is the one that is most often served.
Perhaps it was because the light in the study was too bright, Xiao Yingzhu simply took the scroll he wanted to look at directly to the side hall, and waited until after the guests arrived before taking it out for discussion.
Seeing the refreshments on the long table and the scrolls on the table next to it, Qin Lan withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiao Yingzhu with some inquiry.
Apart from the ones Qin Lan had just taken away, there were still two plates of pine nut and lily pastries left on the table. Jiang Nian was waiting for them to finish talking before interrupting. He lowered his eyes and looked at the table quietly, but suddenly a plate of lily pastries appeared in his sight.
Xiao Yingzhu withdrew her hand after putting down the snack and responded casually to Qin Lan's question.
"Ai delivered information to the mansion that was meant for you."
"Ai?"
Qin Lan was stunned when he heard the unexpected answer.
"What did she bring?"
Before he left, I didn't see Ai giving him any information, it must have been after he left.
Xiao Yingzhu didn't say anything else. She just picked up the teapot in the center, filled it with tea for both of them, and placed it in front of their desk.
It was noon outside, and the three of them were busy with their work, so they only ate at noon.
The Huan Dynasty had two meals a day, namely breakfast and lunch.
The Jiang family doted on their daughter, so after Jiang Nian made the request, they changed it to three meals a day.
Xiao Yingzhu had only filled up on desserts because of a visit from a guest. It was more likely that she had heard from Ai that Qin Lan had something to do, and then she recalled that Qin Lan had asked Xinfeng about something before leaving that day, and she expected Qin Lan to meet Jiang Nian.
Given Qin Lan's personality, he would most likely bring Jiang Nian to his mansion, so he specifically instructed the cook.
The sweet and fragrant scent of pine nuts suddenly appeared in the air like a blooming flower, warmly and lingeringly covering up the water agarwood that was already in the room.
The pastry paper was placed aside, and the lily pastry in the plate had been divided into small pieces by the chef in advance. It looked like a complete piece from a distance, but only when you looked closely could you see the fine dividing lines.
Jiang Nian was used to having lunch at noon, so he was indeed a little hungry at this time. He saw the scene suddenly become quiet, and the expressions of the other two people were natural again.
As if she was used to the sudden silence, she didn't know what to say for a moment. The best thing for her to do right now was to finish the pastries in front of her.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jiang Nian quietly eating pastries with his eyes downcast, and Xiao Yingzhu nonchalantly looked away.
Qin Lan in front was still gossiping between the two of them with great interest. He then put on a cold smile, put down the teacup in his hand, and picked up the plant that Ai had brought.
"I heard that after you came back from the capital, you became very interested in this plant and even connected it to the mine."
He raised his eyes slightly and looked at the table on the other side of the wall.
"Acting on intelligence without any evidence is not like your style."
There was silence in the room for a moment. Jiang Nian lowered his eyes and listened to their conversation without much change in his expression.
"The troops and secret guards are all guarding Cang County. If there is any disturbance, they can report it. What is your reason for going there?"
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