Chapter 135: Medicine mortar pounds fat fragrance

Yingtian Prefecture Prison.

That day, Xue Pan was scolded by Feng Yuan, which aroused his anger. He ordered his servants to teach him a lesson. He didn't expect that the rabbit-like husband couldn't stand the beating, and he was beaten to death in two or three strokes.

Although he was arrogant and domineering in Jin Ling City, he also knew that human life was at stake. He panicked and wanted to take his family to slip away, but he didn't expect to be caught by the Yingtian Prefecture yamen runners.

On the first day he entered prison, he also suffered some hardships. He was locked up for half a day and a night, and the jailer didn't give him even a drop of water or a grain of rice, making him hungry until his chest was against his back.

Although he was a spendthrift before, he had had fights with others, but he had never caused a human life. In this world, killing people pays for their lives. Could it be that he had to pay for the life of that rabbit-like husband this time?

This night, he was hungry and afraid, life was worse than death, and he was miserable.

The next day, the jailer who didn't look at him straight before suddenly brought him prison food. Although it was coarse things in the prison, he, who was used to eating jade food and gold soup, actually wolfed it down and swept it away.

Immediately after, the old steward at home came to see him, bringing food and bedding. The jailer also pretended not to see it.

The steward told him that the Mistress had written to the old master of the Jia mansion in the Love Shenjing, and was trying to find a way to help him mediate and escape the crime. He also said that the young master of the Jia family in Jin Ling had a friendship with the Prefect, and was also helping to mediate.

Jia Cong's time copying scriptures in Ding'an Temple was very regular and fulfilling.

Sometimes he would stand on the corridor of the third floor of the official residence, looking at the temple construction site. In the past few days, craftsmen have joined the construction of the temple one after another, and there are figures everywhere.

He also vaguely realized in his heart that if he continued to do this, he would only be a small shop owner in the Dazai Gate for the rest of his life.

For Jia Cong, teaching such a delicate, beautiful, and smart girl in his spare time was also a pleasing thing.

However, he was too lazy to pay attention to these things, just hoping that his family would fish him out early.

As for who the young master of the Jia family in Jin Ling was, he didn't know. The old Jia residence in Xinglong Fang had always been empty. Where was there any young master?

Xue Pan only then knew why the jailer gave him food this morning, and just now the steward stuffed things into his cell, and the jailer pretended not to see it. It turned out that the family had taken the path of the Jia family.

Jia Cong also noticed that apart from Qin Ye, the construction official, the person who frequently appeared at the construction site was the Water Supervision Division Platoon Leader Liu Hai.

He also said that the Mistress explained that he should wait patiently here for a few days, and the family would naturally try every means to save him.

In his spare time, he taught Xiang Ling to write. Xiang Ling listened to lessons at the door of the private school for a few years when she was small, and could recognize characters and recite texts, but she had very few opportunities to write.

Now that she met Jia Cong, a great expert, it was naturally the best thing.

Using prisoners to do coolie work has always been a common method for the government. It can be used as a punishment for prisoners, and it can also save a large amount of labor hiring fees.

Every day, apart from copying scriptures, he used his time to read the batch of books he bought in the Love Shenjing, involving military books, agricultural books, laws, and political theories, to lay a good foundation for the autumn provincial examination and policy discussion in the future.

These prisoners were all wearing shackles, ragged clothes, and dirty faces.

Xiang Ling was a bit naive in other aspects, but she had a great talent for literary affairs. Jia Cong taught her the tricks of using brushes and ink, and she understood almost everything. What was missing was only the work of tempering and accumulation.

The next day, more than ten Yingtian Prefecture yamen runners escorted dozens of prisoners into the construction site to do coolie work such as moving earth and stone.

Although he was squeezed out by his superiors to guard the construction site, he did not discount his work and was not discouraged. He patrolled the construction site back and forth every day.

His more than 100 garrison soldiers were deployed by him in a very methodical way. Wherever there were key points, there were soldiers guarding them, and the protection and vigilance of the entire construction site were orderly.

Seeing this, Jia Cong couldn't help but nod secretly.

Qin Ye could only provide guidance on the craftsmanship and progress of the construction.

But the big stall of six or seven hundred people at the construction site, all action order, material transportation, warehouse protection, etc., were all coordinated by this Liu Hai with soldiers, and it was done very meticulously and properly.

This requires very good execution and excellent coordination and planning ability. This Liu Hai can also be considered a person.

Such a capable and diligent person should have been relied upon by the garrison or the Water Supervision Division, but he was sent here to guard the construction site?

On the day of rest, Xiang Ling got up early. After serving Jia Cong to wash and gargle, she organized the luggage and clothes to be changed, waiting for the Jia mansion's carriage to pick them up.

Returning to the old Jia residence, Jia Cong entered his courtyard, but didn't see Liu Wuer. There was only Qing Wen sitting at the round table in the room.

Qing Wen was wearing a snow-green and peach-red stand-collar jacket, an outer plain white-bottomed crimson floral satin vest, a rose-red long skirt on her lower body, and a crimson embroidered sweat towel tied at her waist, appearing unusually pretty.

On the table was a small winnowing basket, filled with various flowers, and she was holding a small medicine mortar in her hand, not knowing what she was busy with.

"Qing Wen, what are you busy with?"

Qing Wen saw Jia Cong and was full of joy: "Oh, Cong Sanye is back. I was thinking it should be here by now. I am washing rouge paste."

"There are many roses and gardenias planted in the old residence. The flowers in the south smell better than ours in the north."

"I picked a lot, crushed them finely, filtered the residue with fine sand, and after drying, dripped a little osmanthus oil, which is the best rouge."

Qing Wen smiled and held the small medicine mortar in front of Jia Cong: "Cong Sanye, you smell it, is it fragrant?"

Jia Cong saw that the rouge in the medicine mortar was bright red, and the fragrance was refreshing. Among these maids, Qing Wen loved beauty the most, and she always loved these things when she had nothing to do.

"Very fragrant. Why are you doing these things? You are very fragrant without using these rouges."

Qing Wen blushed: "Cong Sanye is older now, and has heard too many lewd words outside, and often teases others."

"Where is Liu Wuer?"

"Liu Wuer went to the kitchen to greet, and asked them to prepare the fruit dishes that Cong Sanye likes, just waiting for Cong Sanye to come back."

"Xiang Ling, you are so good, following Cong Sanye out to be happy. Cong Sanye, you can't be biased. Next time it should be my turn to take me out to see the scenery."

The three of them were laughing and talking. Liu Wuer came in with a smile, followed by several old women and little maids, serving six or seven plates, as well as fragrant rice and a pot of Nine-Sink Daughter Spring.

Although the few people were only separated for a short time, they were unusually intimate when they sat together again, and it was very harmonious.

Xiang Ling had never tasted the taste of wine, and was coaxed by Qing Wen to drink half a cup of Daughter Spring, and her whole face turned red.

The few people were just lively when a little maid came to report from outside, saying that the construction official Qin Master sent a letter, asking the Cong Sanye to go to the Prince of Ning's residence to handle official business in the afternoon.

Jia Cong only then remembered that today was the day of every five, and a few days ago the Prince of Ning had agreed with them that they would report the construction progress of the Daci'en Temple every five days.

This Prince of Ning has always had a reputation for being diligent, and because of this, he is valued by the Emperor Prince Jia Shun.

The construction of the Daci'en Temple involves the ritual dispute between the Emperor Prince Jia Shun and the court officials, and finally ended with the Emperor's complete victory. Now the construction of the Daci'en Temple has become a matter of showing the majesty of imperial power.

The Prince of Ning, as a prince, naturally does not dare to be the slightest bit negligent. If it weren't for the fact that he was dealing with the Japanese ronin case, he wouldn't just report every five days, but would run to Qixia Mountain every three days.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 136 =====