suspicion
The next day, Jiang Nian returned to the place where the man had stayed last night and searched carefully again.
However, the man did not leave any clues. Thinking of the purpose of this warehouse and the equipment that had not yet been moved in, she asked Fuling to gather a few servants to patrol the area.
After returning to the room, Guizhi was wiping the recessed areas of the carved wooden door. Amber beams of light shone through the open window lattice, dimly spreading on the beige window paper.
Seeing Jiang Nian coming back from the warehouse, Guizhi put down the cloth in her hand and looked towards the yard where the master lived.
"Miss, the master is back from outside."
"Young lady said she wanted to question him earlier, and Guizhi just informed him. Now the master is asking young lady to go find him."
The wing room had just been cleaned by Guizhi, and the door was open to let in the air. The wind coming in from the corridor at the entrance was refreshing and dry.
Jiang Nian stood at the door and straightened his hair which was a little messy from walking back. He nodded slightly to Guizhi, and without stopping, turned and walked towards Jiang's father's room.
On the morning that Jiang Nian went to the teahouse to listen to a story, her father handed over the management of the medicine store to her. The dark light in his eyes and the pause in his hesitation to speak were always remembered by Jiang Nian.
At present, she has only slightly discovered Xiao Yingzhu's superficial intentions for cooperation, and does not know anything else.
And maybe my father knew something.
The more information we learn about Xiao Yingzhu, the more secure this partnership will be.
It just so happened that Father Jiang had just negotiated with a traveling merchant for the delivery of medicinal herbs for the next season, so he had some free time.
Jiang Nian naturally had to find Jiang's father to ask him what he thought about cooperating with Xiao Yingzhu.
The courtyard was quiet in the morning. When Jiang Nian knocked on the door from outside, Jiang's father had just finished his tea.
The soft and ethereal fragrance of tea wafts out from the house, mixed with the dryness of the warm sun lingering on the tip of the nose.
Jiang Nian lowered his breathing slightly, not wanting to disturb the tranquility of the room. He glanced at his father, who was looking down in deep thought, and bowed to him very quietly.
"Father."
Father Jiang opened his closed eyes, raised his hand to rub his temples, and waved gently to Jiang Nian who was standing not far away from him.
"You're here."
He looked at Jiang Nian carefully and asked him kindly.
"Are you adapting to the business at the pharmacy?"
Jiang Nian nodded in response.
"Everything is going smoothly at the pharmacy, father, don't worry."
"Um."
The atmosphere in the room gradually became quiet. Father Jiang withdrew his gaze, thinking about something thoughtfully, looking at the lush Chinese kite trees in the yard outside the window. He paused for a moment before speaking.
"What do you want to ask today? Feel free to ask."
The mottled and fragmented light flickered on the table. Jiang Nian narrowed his eyes slightly and guessed what his father was thinking. He waited until he spoke before looking away from the bright halo.
"My daughter's cooperation with Duke Xiao has already begun when she was running the pharmacy, and the cooperation between the two sides is progressing smoothly."
"But my daughter still has many questions about this matter. I wonder what your father's opinion is?"
From Jiang's father's perspective, this question is asked a little late.
Her father should have expected her to ask this question a long time ago.
Jiang Nian lowered his eyes and waited quietly for his father's response.
Father Jiang took his eyes off the swaying elm tree leaves outside the yard and cast a heavy gaze on Jiang Nian. The gentleness that was usually on his face faded a little, and the sharpness unique to a businessman was revealed in his humble eyes.
"When I went to buy Schisandra chinensis and Adenophora chinensis earlier, quite a few came from the border between Xuanmo and Huan."
"The border is near where the fierce battle of Shenjiang took place. Nine years have passed, and it has become a gathering place for refugees and displaced people. Many private traders are mixed in with them, conducting 'private transactions' there."
"In recent years, supervision over there has become increasingly strict. I heard from the merchants that they are now patrolling day and night."
"Even merchants who are simply transporting medicinal herbs along the necessary routes will be subject to repeated inspections."
"And those who sought salvation privately with unknown origins also seemed to have experienced a sharp decline."
Father Jiang looked at Jiang Nian solemnly again, with solemnity evident in his eyes.
"Maintaining your business is important, but you must be cautious in your actions."
When he raised his eyes, they met the deep gaze of Jiang's father. Jiang Nian's dense eyelashes concealed the thoughts in his eyes.
"Daughter understands, thank you for your guidance, father."
After leaving the study, the blue sky outside was as clear and bright as when I went to Jiangfu's house, and the scenery around me was bright and pure.
But Jiang Nian had no time to appreciate the scenery around him, and his heart was filled with more mixed emotions than before he went to see his father Jiang.
Recently, her interactions with Xiao Yingzhu have become deeper. The more help she receives, the more important the question of Xiao Yingzhu's position in the court politics becomes.
From the beginning of their cooperation, they placed their respective chips on both ends of the scale, and yesterday's cooperation with the Censor was a reflection of where the scale was.
Whether now or in the future, as long as the chips she puts on her side do not decrease, she is still related to Xiao Yingzhu, and is even more inseparable from the position behind him.
Judging from the previous tests, Xiao Yingzhu directly obeys the emperor.
But judging from the court officials who met with Xiao Yingzhu at that time, if his position was really so stable, then what were they afraid of?
She wanted to get some information from her father.
But not only did Jiang's father not know, he also pointed out a more questionable path for Jiang Nian.
The number of people who took the test privately dropped sharply.
Border defense is tighter.
My father thinks that Xiao Yingzhu is cooperating with her because it is related to the military changes on the border?
The wind on the corridor blew the hair by Jiang Nian's ears. She lowered her eyes and thought carefully, and suddenly matched a word from Xiao Yingzhu's life story that she heard in the teahouse with what her father had just said.
Fierce battle in Shenjiang.
Qishan Mansion
The invitation letter that had been placed on the window table and remained untouched was picked up by Xuan Gui at this time.
One of Mo Qing's secret guards came back from the capital, specifically to deliver the invitation letter to Mo Qing.
Xiao Yingzhu doesn't like to accept anything related to letter paper. Even if it is a secret decree written by Emperor Changde himself, it will burn at the touch of a button.
The secret guards who were carefully selected by Xiao Yingzhu had closer contact with Xiao Yingzhu, and would occasionally learn about Xiao Yingzhu's past from activities organized by Qin Lan in the mansion.
Therefore, when necessary, he would take the initiative to let Xiao Yingzhu review the letter and then send it to the right place.
For example, processing it, or handing it over to Mo Qing, who is the information handover point in the capital.
Due to the lack of time, the secret guards arrived at the designated location today without taking advantage of the night.
After taking the invitation from Xuanse's hand, he was about to go back when he caught a glimpse of a corner of the crimson brocade robe.
The cold gaze of Xiao Yingzhu when she raised her eyes cheered up the secret guard.
"master."
The crimson invitation was eye-catching and conspicuous. As soon as Xiao Yingzhu's eyes touched it, the secret guard understood and handed the letter over.
Ever since Qin Lan brought the birthday invitation to the mansion, Xiao Yingzhu had never even glanced at his own. Now, when he took it out and looked at it, the expression on the secret guard's face changed slightly.
Xiao Yingzhu casually glanced over the invitation letter written by Princess Qingping. Noticing the change in the expression of the secret guard beside him, he did not intend to inquire and just asked casually.
"What time did Mo Qing receive the secret letter?"
"Around the day before yesterday at midnight."
Emperor Changde wrote the secret letter about the same time he expected.
Xiao Yingzhu lowered his eyes and paused at the location on the invitation for a few seconds, then thoughtfully bent his fingertips and tapped the side of the invitation.
"How long would Emperor Changde stay at Princess Qingping's birthday banquet in previous years?"
Thinking that Xiao Yingzhu didn't care about the conditions of the participants in previous years' banquets, the secret guard chose to speak briefly and in detail.
"Every year I go there for half an hour and then return to Chongzheng Hall."
Half an hour?
Receiving the faint inquiry in Xiao Yingzhu's eyes, the secret guard explained.
"Show up first, then go to the Hibiscus Pond to see the flowers."
Knowing the general process, Xiao Yingzhu casually closed the invitation letter, concealing the cold and knowing look in his eyes, turned away and gave orders to Xuan Gui who was standing beside him.
"Get the car ready tomorrow at 9 o'clock."
"yes."
Xuan Gui received the order and hid in the corner.
The secret guard took the invitation from Xiao Yingzhu, not daring to disturb her any further, and hid in the room.
There was only one person in the study room at that moment. Xiao Yingzhu raised her eyes and looked at the military report on the Donglan border that she had just sorted out before taking a nap.
An important part of the stack of documents was locked into the seal box together with the last one. After sorting them out, the desk with the documents was instantly cleared of most of the space.
Therefore, the off-white paper pressed at the bottom was revealed at this time, and it was very conspicuous on the dark table.
Xiao Yingzhu's eyes fell on the elegant handwriting on the piece of paper that contained the insect repellent prescription, and her gloomy mood eased a little.
The only thing I'm slightly interested in recently is better kept safe.
He didn't know whether he was thinking about the person or the paper, but he picked up the paper that was supposed to be placed in the secret compartment from the table and put it into the seal box that he was going to carry to the capital.
When Jiang Nian returned to the room, Guizhi had already cleaned it, and the quilt on the bed was replaced with a soft quilt that she had instructed to be put out in the sun to dry yesterday at noon.
Thinking of the mysterious matter of Xiao Yingzhu and the limited information and bargaining chips at hand, Jiang Nian felt a headache. The bed in front of her was a huge temptation for her at this moment, so she let herself lie down on the bed.
The soft quilt still seemed to have the scent of dry herbs that had been exposed to the warm sun. Jiang Nian turned over and was about to think carefully about the detailed sales plan for insect repellent next week when Guizhi, carrying tea and snacks, knocked on the door.
The Jiang family usually eats snacks in the afternoon. Seeing the folded Fuming Cakes on the plate, Jiang Nian felt a little confused.
Before the question was asked, Guizhi answered it herself.
"Madam just asked what kind of cakes and pastries Miss likes to eat recently and when she likes to eat them. Guizhi remembered that Miss's eating habits have changed recently due to her busy business life, so she took the initiative to tell Madam about Miss's recent preferences. I hope Madam will love you more."
Jiang Nian paused as he twisted the cake to restore his vision.
She turned to look at Guizhi, observing her expression.
But Guizhi didn't find it strange at all. Her expression remained the same as usual and she continued to dissuade him.
"Miss, you'd better get more rest. Your body won't be able to handle such little rest every day."
Seeing Guizhi's expression as if she had finished speaking but hadn't finished yet, Jiang Nian guessed what she was thinking, and the strange feeling in her heart was temporarily suppressed.
"Are you worried that Blacksmith Zhao won't deliver the tools I ordered?"
Looking at the surprised reaction on Guizhi's face, Jiang Nian's clear smile was a little cunning.
"Don't worry, Blacksmith Zhao is so skilled at this kind of thing, he must have done it many times before. He doesn't want to go to court because of this one mistake and give up the huge amount of money he will earn in the future."
"not to mention……"
"If he really goes to court to appeal, we also have a notary public."
Suddenly thinking of Xiao Yingzhu who acted as the notary in this matter, Jiang Nianben's happy expression suddenly faded and his thoughts became heavy.
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