Chapter 45 Scouting the Route
"Frost's Descent".
"Frost's Descent, what are you thinking about?"
It wasn't until Mrs. He knocked on the wall and door that Shuangjiang, as if startled, hid the dagger behind her back.
"Mother He..."
She was so frightened she almost bit her tongue.
Mrs. He glanced at her. "You were half-dead yesterday, and you're completely out of it today. Did you do something to upset yourself?"
Shuangjiang couldn't help but think of the scene yesterday when he stood up for her, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
"I ran into a scammer..."
Mrs. He was even more puzzled, "You encountered a swindler? Why are you blushing if you encountered a swindler?"
Frost's Descent, "so angry..."
"Aunt He, what did you call me for?" She quickly changed the subject.
Madam He remembered what her mistress had told her: "My mistress said to have you send over the undergarment you made for the young master."
When Shuangjiang went to Jiang Niangzi's house, he found her frowning and rubbing her lower abdomen.
"My wife, are you feeling unwell again?"
These past few days, I've occasionally seen my wife suffering from abdominal pain.
Jiang Shiyao shook her head. "It's nothing, just like usual. I have menstrual cramps, but it will be fine in a few days."
Frostfall was a little worried. "Should we call a doctor?"
She didn't take it to heart, saying, "It's nothing, the menstrual cramps are much less this time."
"Send these clothes over first, then tell the young master that we're going to the Jade Treasure Pavilion."
"yes."
Shuangjiang delivered the undergarment over. There was no one in the prince's courtyard. Just as she was about to walk back, Wei Xun came in.
His gaze fell on the undergarment in Shuangjiang's hand. "Is it for me? No need to be so polite, it was just a small favor."
Shuangjiang was initially embarrassed to face him.
Upon hearing his words, she fell silent for a moment, and only spoke to him politely out of gratitude for his kindness.
"This was made by my wife for the young master!"
Wei Xun touched his nose. "Oh, actually, that works too..."
Shuangjiang quickly interrupted him, "Dream on! Who wants to make clothes for you?"
"Hmm? No, I mean... actually, my lady can wait until the young master returns tonight and give it to him in person."
Shuangjiang's face instantly turned bright red. Not only had she misunderstood, but she had also directly rejected him. He had no intention of doing so at all.
"None of your business! My wife told me to bring it over!"
She tossed her undergarment onto him, saying, "Anyway, I've delivered it!"
"Hey..." Wei Xun, holding his inner garment, turned around and saw Shuangjiang's figure had already run out.
Just as he was about to put down his inner garment, Shuangjiang turned back again, "By the way, my wife said she's going to Yubaolou. Remember to tell the young master."
"Jade Treasure Pavilion? Wait, I'll take you there."
Wei Xun quickly put the clothes down.
The Crown Prince already gave instructions yesterday: there are undercurrents in the capital, and no one is behaving themselves.
Some people wanted to take advantage of the fact that the vassal kings and envoys were all in the capital to stir up trouble and ultimately reap the benefits.
Inside the carriage, Jiang Shiyao gazed out the window, lost in thought.
You can travel from Yuzhou to Chuzhou by boat, but there is no canal, so there are no official boats, only private boats.
I overheard the old ladies and stewards chatting in the mansion before, and I heard them say that the price of blue jade, which is expensive in the capital, is actually more than half the price in Yuzhou.
The various jade stones from different origins at Yu Bao Lou are sourced from different places, and the managers of their external sourcing operations are experienced in traveling to other areas.
If you can get information out of them, it will be much more reliable than information obtained from others.
She sighed softly, then turned her head and saw that Shuangjiang was still looking down, assuming she was still upset about being deceived.
"Shuangjiang, if you don't want to get the money back, I'll make it up to you when we get back."
"You're still so gloomy. How about I have Wei find someone to quietly deal with him?"
Wei Xun, sitting outside the carriage, couldn't help but smile; he had finished packing.
That kick of his will probably keep that swindler in bed for six or seven days.
And that conman's younger brother was also trained by him to cry and beg for mercy; this morning, the female conman brought him over in an oxcart.
Shuangjiang didn't dare to raise her head. Wei Xun was outside the carriage, and could only say in a muffled voice, "My lady, this servant no longer cares..."
Jiang Shiyao was unaware of the details and simply assumed that she didn't want to talk about painful things right now.
She reached out and gently patted her hand.
When they arrived at Yubaolou, they even picked out a pearl hairpin for Shuangjiang, intending to comfort her.
"The maiden of Frostfall is so beautiful, this red coral is the perfect match for her!"
After many days of waiting, Lady Wen finally welcomed Jiang Shiyao over.
They suddenly stopped coming last time, and I found out that they were assassinated on their way to Yubaolou.
"This hairpin is for you, young lady!"
As she spoke, she turned to the maid in the building and instructed, "Put this hairpin in my account, and also bring out the little fish I got a couple of days ago."
Wen Niangzi then handed her a small fish, about the size of a thumb.
"A few days ago, we acquired a fine piece of jade. We were about to throw away the remaining jade, but the craftsmen in the building discovered a small, excellent piece right in the middle of the waste material."
"It would be a real shame to throw it away, but we can't make any more jade pieces from it."
"The moment I saw it, I thought it would be perfect to make a little fish for my wife's daughter. It would be just the right size for a little girl to wear around her neck!"
Jiang Shiyao looked at the little fish in her hand. It was a translucent jade-colored, small and exquisite little thing that made people want to play with it.
Wen Niangzi pulled her upstairs, saying, "You can't refuse me today, my lady. You came all the way to help me, but you encountered such a thing. I've been feeling bad for days. Fortunately, you're alright."
Jiang Shiyao just smiled when she heard her words. She would never forget how the shopkeeper's wife had threatened her back then.
The reason they change their tune so quickly is because they're driven by self-interest.
"Since Madam Wen is so kind, I shall accept it without hesitation."
While Jiang Shiyao was still trying to figure out how to get information out of her, Wen Niangzi led her directly into a room on the third floor by the window.
This room is much larger than the room on the second floor last time. It has been set up as an embroidery room, with several embroidery frames and a tapestry machine inside.
Jiang Shiyao touched the embroidery thread covering an entire wall. "Is the shopkeeper planning to open another embroidery shop?"
Lady Wen smiled and said, "You guessed right, my wife. I've already had someone choose an auspicious day. We'll open for business on the day of the Autumnal Equinox. You must come and support us then."
She extended a warm invitation, but since it was the wedding day of the Duke of Ying's heir, Lady Jiang, being a concubine, was not allowed to appear on that day.
Instead of staying at home feeling down, it's better to go out.
The Beginning of Autumn (Chushu)
What a wonderful day!
Jiang Shiyao smiled, neither responding nor refusing, but simply offering her blessings.
"Wishing the shopkeeper's wife abundant wealth."
When Lady Wen saw that Lady Jiang did not respond to her, she said no more.
She pointed to an embroidery frame by the window, "I have another matter to ask you about today, my lady. Your ingenuity is exquisite, and I can only think of you for this matter."
Jiang Shiyao walked to the embroidery frame. The pink gauze on it was clear and transparent, unlike the usual soft gauze. This material was a bit stiff and not suitable for wearing next to the skin.
Madam Wen stepped forward and explained, "This piece of fabric was accidentally stained with dye by a servant in the dye room, and it turned out like this after washing."
"I saw that this material was as thin as a cicada's wing yet had a certain stiffness, so I thought that if I could embroider flowers on it and wear it as an outer garment, would the effect of the floral pattern be even better?"
Jiang Shiyao looked up and smiled, "I think it's the shopkeeper's wife who has the most ingenious idea. Only the shopkeeper's wife could think of using embroidery in jewelry."
"Now there's another unique piece of material. Who else in the entire capital can still run a business like this, acting as a shopkeeper's curtain?"
Lady Wen said modestly, "You flatter me, my lady. If I hadn't seen you in your embroidery room, I wouldn't have had these thoughts out of thin air."
Jiang Shiyao tapped her finger on the soft silk fabric. "I don't have a solution right now. Let me take this material back and think about it carefully."
Lady Wen quickly instructed her maid to remove the fabric from the embroidery frame.
Jiang Shiyao watched as Shuangjiang put away the fabric before speaking slowly.
"I have a small matter to trouble you with today, madam."
Lady Wen is in a very good mood now. As long as she learns Jiang Shiyao's double-sided imaging technique, she will be able to deliver messages to her master more discreetly and less likely to be discovered in the future.
"Please speak freely, my lady!"
Jiang Shiyao said, "My hometown is Chuzhou. I have an older brother who will be going to the capital to take the imperial examination soon. The people here are very knowledgeable, so I would like to ask if there are any ways to travel by boat from Chuzhou to Yuzhou."
"Chuzhou?" Lady Wen asked, puzzled. "The most convenient route from Chuzhou to the capital is through Jiaozhou and Jinzhou. Why go through Yuzhou instead?"
Jiang Shiyao gave a wry smile. "Next month, the mistress will enter the household, and at the end of the year, it will be the birthdays of the lady and the heir."
"I am not as wealthy as my mistress, and the blue jade from Yuzhou is only half the price of that in the capital. So I have no choice but to resort to this less desirable option and ask my brother to take a detour."
Lady Wen then understood.
The pearl that Lady Jiang used to steal the sky and replace the sun was intended to be used in this move.
What a risk-free business!
With this kind of mindset, Lady Jiang's destiny may not end there.
If Jiang Niangzi's brother were to pass the imperial examination and rise rapidly in his career, the Duke of Ying's mansion might very well recommend her as a secondary wife.
Looking further ahead, with a long lifespan, she might very well become the next Duchess.
If you cultivate good karma in times of difficulty, it will become a source of strength in the future.
Thinking of this, Madam Wen smiled and said, "It's just a small matter."
"Call Master Ma here."
The maidservant responded and left, then she turned back to explain.
"Master Ma often travels around on his own in order to find good jade, so he has a lot of experience in traveling."
Master Ma is a middle-aged man who travels around all year round and has dark skin.
"From Chuzhou to Yuzhou, find a large shipping company. Although it is not an official ship, the owner of the company is a righteous man. He used to be the young master of the Delong Escort Agency in the capital. After his family fell into ruin, he came to Chuzhou."
Jiang Shiyao nodded, then casually remarked, "So, is it also a long journey from Yuzhou to Chuzhou?"
Master Ma shook his head. "If you happen to encounter Long Da's ship returning, it would be best to take his ship. If not, then look for Master Zhang from Yuzhou."
"But this Master Zhang is narrow-minded. He used to be Long Da's subordinate. After the two had a falling out, Master Zhang settled down in Yuzhou. The two separated and each guarded a different place."
Jiang Shiyao said, "Thank you, Master Ma."
Master Ma is often away from home, and even a seasoned veteran can make mistakes, so he offered this advice.
"My wife also wrote to remind your brother not to flaunt his wealth, especially things like blue jade. Once you're on the land and traveling on official roads, don't trust anything strangers say."
Jiang Shiyao bowed slightly and said, "I will certainly pass on Master Ma's wise words."
Master Ma waved his hand, "It's all a small matter. It's not easy being away from home. The most important thing is to get to Beijing safely."
Wen Niangzi escorted Jiang Shiyao downstairs.
Just as I reached the stairwell, a group of soldiers rushed in from outside.
The leader was Zhou Congxian.
The crowd in the hall screamed and scattered, and he immediately spotted Jiang Shiyao at the bottom of the stairs.
He frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?"
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