Chapter 4: The woman who sang songs had a beautiful voice. ...
The morning mist was thick, and Jiang Xu's eyes were quite deep, making him somewhat unfathomable to her.
Driven by her survival instinct, Shi Wan momentarily regained her voice, "Your...Your Majesty." Only this time, her voice trembled violently.
Jiang Xu turned the sword hilt around and deftly sheathed it, as if he had just accidentally held it askew. A few strands of hair from the man's side clung to his neck and snaked down to his chest. A leather belt cinched his lean waist, making Shi Wan dare not look at him a second time.
Ever since she was stabbed in prison that night, she was always afraid of Jiang Xu whenever she saw him.
Shi Wan dared not provoke him. Seeing that he ignored her, she continued tremblingly, "Did I do something wrong?"
Jiang Xu glanced at her trembling yet trying-to-remain calm appearance and said, "No."
Shi Wan: "......"
She was of low status and her voice carried little weight, so she dared not ask any further questions. She could only treat what had just happened as a spur-of-the-moment thing and quickly move on. "It was my first day on the job, so it was inevitable that I would make some minor mistakes. Fortunately, Your Majesty was discerning and understanding. I am extremely grateful." After speaking, she immediately asked humbly, "May I ask what Your Majesty's orders are?"
Jiang Xu disliked others getting close to him, so the tasks of washing his face, cleaning his clothes, and ironing clothes were naturally not assigned to Shi Wan. Therefore, the first task of the day was to clean the house and the courtyard.
But right now is clearly not the time to do that job.
Jiang Xu thought he was somehow connected to him, given his keen observation skills, but the word "consideration"...
He said calmly, "Go and pour me a cup of tea." After saying that, he pondered Shi Wan's wooden-like behavior and added, "Also, make the bed properly."
"Let's send this spy in and see what he can do." Jiang Xu thought to himself as he flicked his wrist, pretending to start practicing his sword again. The blade grazed Shi Wan's cheek, and unsurprisingly, it made her shudder.
In an instant, it disappeared again, reverting to its respectful demeanor.
Does this mean she'll continue practicing swordsmanship? Shi Wan suppressed the fear deep within her heart, lowered her head, and obediently asked Jiang Xu for permission before heading into the inner room.
Just as dawn broke, the sun barely peeked out in a blurry shape, hiding behind the clouds, quietly overlooking the entire earth.
To facilitate handling official business, Jiang Xu connected his study with his inner room.
The hazy light from outside filtered through the rosewood screen, making the place appear even more spotless. If it weren't for the slightly wrinkled bedding on the bed, it would seem as if no one had ever lived there.
She took out the tea cake box, and instantly, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted out. The tea cake, sealed with gold thread, was shaped like a full moon, which must be a new product that the governor of Jichuan had not yet had time to taste. As usual, Shi Wan cut off a small piece along the cut and placed it in the silver trough to crush it.
Before long, the tank was filled with emerald-colored powder. Seeing this, Shi Wan became even more careful.
Even the most uncouth person would be able to tell how valuable this item is. In other words, everything in Jiang Xu's residence, the former main house of the prefect's mansion, is extremely valuable, far beyond what she could possibly repay.
Fortunately, Shi Wan was lucky. Kind people had explained all the complicated procedures, such as the charcoal for brewing tea, the stove, and even the collection of cold spring water, so she was doing it very smoothly and brewed tea in no time.
Amidst the subtle aroma of tea, Shi Wan's gaze fell upon the luxurious bed she had just seen.
Upon closer inspection, the mother-of-pearl and ivory eight-tiered couch is intricately carved with many complex patterns, and on the table, a gem the size of an eyeball is inlaid, gleaming with a faint, cool luster.
Shi Wan lowered her eyes silently, quickly swept the curtain with a whisk, and seeing that no dust had gathered, she began to burn incense over a low flame.
Incense burning and tea brewing both take about 45 minutes, so it's good to do them together. Right now, Jiang Xu is outside, so there's no need to be in close contact with him, which relieves a lot of her pressure.
Before falling asleep last night, Shi Wan thought through all the key points of serving him in her mind. After going through them several times, she finally managed to fall asleep. A moment later, the culprit pointed a sword at her again. After a while, Shi Wan sighed softly.
This place is not suitable for lingering, but we cannot rush things at the moment.
Jiang Xu's tall figure danced in the courtyard, wielding his long sword, which faintly produced a sound of air being cut. Against the backdrop of the warm morning light, it was unexpectedly pleasing to the eye.
However, the next moment, the owner of the longsword seemed to sense something and looked over.
Shi Wan immediately lowered her head and hurriedly went to the tea stove to quietly guard it. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Before long, Jiang Xu's cold voice rang out, "You're brewing tea and burning incense in the room. Are you trying to suffocate me?"
Shi Wan immediately stood up straight and said, "This servant dares not."
Seeing her bewildered and helpless, Jiang Xu glanced around again. The furnishings were still the same, even the letter he had deliberately placed in a conspicuous spot remained unchanged.
His expression softened slightly. "From now on, all you need to do is make the bed. Don't worry about anything else."
Other than that? Aren't ordinary maids just doing these kinds of chores? Shi Wan didn't understand, but that didn't stop her from quickly replying, "Yes, this servant thanks Your Majesty for your guidance."
The woman's voice was soft and gentle, leaving a lingering, unique resonance in Jiang Xu's ears.
The woman singing has a nice voice, but I reckon... she only learned this kind of thing in the past, and she's not as good as the maids trained in wealthy families.
He said, “Go tell Jing Yin to send a more sensible maid to teach you.” His tone was pointed, “Now that you’re in my courtyard, don’t embarrass me. Be smart.”
Shi Wan: ......
*
At 3:45 AM, at the break of dawn, Huzhou City was quiet.
At the main gate of the Wu family, the gatekeeper yawned listlessly. A moment later, someone came running from afar, saying that he had something important to report.
Recognizing that they were spies from the master's household, the servant quickly perked up and led them inside.
The head of the family, Wu Yunzhi, was getting up from the gentle embrace of his concubine. Half asleep, he heard a commotion outside. A moment later, the people outside the door barged straight in.
He was displeased and about to reprimand the man when he realized it was someone he had sent out half a month ago. Seeing the man's pale face and dark red abdomen, he forgot his anger and asked in a panic, "What happened to you? Where are the others?"
He sent out a full twenty elites!
Wu Yunzhi's tone became increasingly suspicious and uncertain, "Why did you come back alone?"
"Blood! There's blood!!!"
"Don't be afraid, Aunt! Master is still here!"
"Go get some water! Get the medicine!"
The room was in chaos, filled with screams and chatter, before it stopped.
Wu Yunzhi: "Enough!!"
The concubine dared not provoke him, so she could only suppress her sobs and stammer, "Master, sir." Seeing that the man beside her had a face as black as charcoal, she called out twice and then fell silent. She hurriedly retreated to the side.
The atmosphere inside the room plummeted to freezing point; you could hear a pin drop. The servants silently carried the person away for treatment and cleaned up everything that had been soiled.
After a long while, Wu Yunzhi's voice rang out again, and he ordered, "Go and invite the eldest young master here."
A ray of sunlight illuminated the sky, and it was already bright.
A faint fragrance of flowers lingered in the courtyard, occasionally punctuated by the short, startling chirps of birds.
As soon as Wu Qiyuan entered the study and sat down, he saw Wu Yunzhi's serious expression.
"Father, what's wrong?" he asked calmly. "Have you encountered something troubling you?"
Everything that had just happened in the concubine's room was kept under tight surveillance, and not a single word was leaked out. Thinking of this, Wu Yunzhi looked up at his eldest son, on whom he had placed high hopes, and said, "Something has happened. The gold and silver we hid in the suburbs have been discovered by the Jingbei Army."
Once a clue is discovered, all other matters will inevitably be uncovered by following the trail; it's only a matter of time.
Wu Qiyuan naturally understood this as well, and so in just a few moments, he figured out the key point: "Father, do you hope that your son will go to Youzhou to consult the Grand Marshal?"
Wu Yunzhi nodded and said, "We're all in the same boat. The Grand Marshal won't just stand by and watch us die. He'll surely offer some guidance."
"Only if you go will I feel at ease." Seeing the reluctance on his eldest son's face, he immediately snorted coldly, "Qiyuan, don't think your father doesn't know what you've done!"
“She’s just a woman. What do you still have to hide now?” Wu Yunzhi said with a sorrowful expression. “Do you know where the person you’ve been so desperately trying to hide has been sent?”
"This news has probably spread among the powerful families in Jichuan." Wu Yunzhi said noncommittally, "Overnight, the Prince of Jingbei naturally accepted it."
Wu Qiyuan suddenly stood up, "How could this be?!"
“The Prince of Jingbei’s rule is extremely strict. Since he first showed his talent more than four years ago, those noble families have considered sending their daughters to the palace, but... so many times, I have never heard of anyone succeeding.”
"Master, this old servant has urgent news to report."
Wu Qiyuan immediately stopped making noise and sat back down in his original seat.
Upon receiving the order, the door opened, and the butler strode in, followed by another person.
Wu Qiyuan was breathing rapidly, his chest heaving, as he was venting his anger. Hearing the noise, he immediately looked up.
Who would have thought that one glance would freeze him in place?
The butler was followed by Ah Ling, whom he had sent out!
She trembled violently, and as she met the two piercing gazes, she staggered and knelt down, saying, "Young Master...!"
"Something terrible has happened!"
"Miss Wan'er, Miss Wan'er is missing!"
A note from the author:
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Ah Ling: Speak up for me! [Crying]
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Dragon Boat Festival! [Cat emoji] It's drizzling here in Hubei, and the temperature has dropped sharply, but it's actually quite comfortable, hehe.
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