Chapter 275: Night Banquet at Qingzhi

Qingzhi Studio.

Outside, the fine snow mixed with cold wind had been raging for half a day, and the air had become bone-chillingly cold.

Thin ice had condensed on the corners of the carved window lattices of the main room.

In the garden, the branches of the green paulownia trees, the black-blue glazed tiles on the eaves, and the edges of the railings of the covered corridor were all covered with thick snow.

On the porch outside the main room, there was a red clay stove, and a slender and graceful figure was bending over to stir the stove fire.

The fiery red stove fire illuminated her snow-moistened pretty face, which was exceptionally beautiful and eye-catching.

She heard the sound of stepping on snow in the courtyard, looked back, and said with joy: "Young Master, you're back!"

"Zhen Ying Lian, why are you burning the stove here?"

"You'll know when you go in. Young Master, why are you back so late from the office today?"

"When I came back, I went directly to Rongxi Hall to bid farewell to the Old Master and the Old Mistress, so I was late."

Wu'er thought of these things, and her worried heart relaxed a bit, smiling: "I don't know how long Cong Sanye will be gone this time. Let's drink a few more cups of wine with us later."

Zhen Ying Lian jumped over, took his hand, and walked into the room.

She went to fetch a jar of Shaoxing "Daughter Red" wine that had been prepared early, and twenty cold dishes and fruits, and set them all up.

After saying this, she took Si'er to the kitchen to fetch the hot dishes prepared by Sister Liu early on.

Only here did he not have to scheme against others, not have to weigh pros and cons, and even more so, not have to take precautions or guard against those unpredictable crises...

Even if it was this difficult, hadn't Cong Sanye earned his future? With his ability, he wouldn't suffer anywhere.

Jia Cong heard the sadness in her tone and smiled: "Don't worry, I haven't suffered enough? I can take care of myself."

Hearing Zhi Shao saw him and smiled to welcome him: "Cong Sanye is going north to handle imperial affairs tomorrow, so he can't spend the New Year at home this year. Wu'er and I have discussed it."

The main room was lit with more than twenty beeswax candles, making everything clearly visible, bright and shining.

Only in Qingzhi Studio, with the courtyard gate closed, did he truly feel the feeling of home.

Qingwen stepped forward to tease Wu'er: "You're just worrying blindly. Cong Sanye can pass the provincial examination and become a high official; can't he take care of himself?"

In a short while, the warm and fragrant heat filled the main room, driving away the cold air in the room.

They placed six or seven pieces of plain incense on the charcoal, sprinkled a cup of Suhe clear wine, lit the charcoal fire, and covered it with the incense cage lid.

Wu'er came up to help Jia Cong change his outer clothes, with a smile on her face: "Last time we went to Jin Ling, we could take us with us, and someone took care of our eating and sleeping. This time, there's no one."

Qingwen and Juan'er carried a pear-blossom round kang table and placed it on the large kang against the east wall, which had long been heated warmly.

Zhen Ying Lian filtered a pot of wine, filled a warm wine basin with water, and heated the wine in the red clay stove on the porch, facing the fine snow drifting all over the sky.

Jia Cong saw them each doing their own things, in an orderly manner, full of comfort and a sense of belonging, feeling peaceful and calm in his heart.

Wu'er thought of when he was in the East Courtyard, he didn't have a good life, being lectured and beaten every three days; he hadn't come from suffering.

"We'll have an early New Year in the courtyard this year, and also see Cong Sanye off. We've arranged everything. You can just sit down and drink wine with peace of mind."

Hearing Zhi Shao and Zhen Ying Lian removed the half-person-high incense cage lid and neatly stacked silver frost charcoal inside.

When Wu'er brought the food box and set out the hot dishes, a table full of cold dishes, fruits, and vegetables, water and land delicacies, was dazzling, and the fragrance drifted.

Hearing Zhi Shao and the others removed their cumbersome pearl hairpins, took off their makeup, took off their formal clothes, changed into simple long skirts and short jackets, took down their full heads of hair, and just casually tied them in buns.

They sat around the pear-blossom round kang table, leaning on Jia Cong, each with a soft and comfortable smile on their clear and plain pretty faces.

It seemed they wanted to give him the warmest and most soothing memory before Jia Cong traveled far, so that he would remember to come back early when he walked to the distance.

To Jia Cong, this was the most beautiful makeup in the world, the most wonderful scene; this was what a real home looked like.

As long as he returned with warmth in his heart, whether he was covered in dust or fighting, he could rise with infinite courage and pride, and everything could be treated as nothing.

During the banquet, they were guessing fists, drinking games, or telling interesting embarrassing stories, with laughter, bright candlelight, and incense in the copper tripod...

Drinking wine to pass the long night, laughing heartily to send off the remaining year.

When the wine was finished and the makeup was thin, they fell into dreams. When Jia Cong woke up, the window was already slightly bright.

He found himself sleeping on the large kang. He didn't know who had put a jade-colored gauze pillow for him, and he was covered with a thin cotton quilt, and the heated kang underneath was warm.

The lingering fragrance of residual makeup and powder floated in the air, and suddenly he felt a slender and warm body leaning in his arms.

He lifted the quilt, which smelled fragrant and pleasant, and found Zhen Ying Lian curled up there, sleeping soundly, her little face red like a begonia...

And behind him came the sound of fine breathing. He found Qingwen covered with a cotton jacket, sleeping soundly there.

At the other end of the large kang, Si'er and Juan'er were squeezed together...

On the small kang by the west window, Hearing Zhi Shao and Wu'er were squeezed together, sleeping soundly.

On the pear-blossom round kang table on the large kang, the cups and plates were in a mess, and the jar of Daughter Red wine was overturned on the ground.

Yesterday, several people actually finished a jar of wine. Of course, half of it was Jia Cong being coaxed and persuaded by them to drink.

Jia Cong got up and stretched his waist slightly. He really drank too much last night, but fortunately, nothing happened...

Yesterday, he estimated that he was drunk on the large kang, so the others didn't return to their rooms and all squeezed into the main room to accompany him.

He just walked two steps off the kang, and Wu'er and Hearing Zhi Shao woke up. Soon, the entire Qingzhi Studio woke up from their comfortable dreams.

Wu'er went to boil hot water for him to bathe and wash away the smell of wine. By the time Jia Cong was dressed and groomed, he heard the sound of knocking on the courtyard gate outside.

In Lixiang Courtyard, Xue Yima saw her daughter get up early, wash and dress, and go out with her maid Ying'er.

Xue Yima knew that Cong'er was going north today, and her daughter would definitely go to see him off, feeling helpless in her heart.

Baochai would be fifteen soon, and that Cong'er was going north for a long time before returning, which was also a good thing. At that time, she would let her sister probe the old lady's tone.

Otherwise, if this time was long, something would definitely happen, and it would be difficult to turn back then.

When Qingwen opened the courtyard gate, she found a group of people standing at the door: the three young ladies of the family, and Sister Lin and Sister Bao.

Qingwen knew that although Cong Sanye was not liked by the Old Mistress, several young ladies in the family were close to Cong Sanye. This must be to see Cong Sanye off.

Although Qingzhi Studio was not small, having these people come in all at once made the main room full, making the popularity very sufficient, which reduced a lot of the sorrow of seeing him off.

Jia Zheng had also arranged for servants to help Jia Cong settle his horses and luggage.

Outside the back corner gate, Jia Cong bid farewell to Daiyu and the other sisters. Everyone watched Jia Cong get on his horse and turned back to wave at them. The sound of horse hooves rang out, and the figure soon disappeared at the end of the alley.

Daiyu couldn't help but shed tears, but soon wiped them dry.

Jia Cong rode to the firearms workshop in the north of the city. Five hundred firearms soldiers had already been arranged to wait there.

Originally, Liu Shizhen suggested that Jia Cong take a few firearms craftsmen with him. After all, such a large quantity of firearms had to travel a long distance of over a thousand miles.

There might be collisions and losses on the way, needing a few knowledgeable people to maintain them, but Jia Cong refused after consideration.

The Liaodong Garrison was currently at war with the Jurchens, and any unpredictable situation could happen. If he carried firearms craftsmen, what if they got lost on the way, or were even captured?

Then what secrets would the firearms manufacturing technology in the workshop have? He didn't want to take this risk.

He just let the craftsmen do the most proper packaging for the porcelain thunder-bombs and muskets, preventing unnecessary losses on the way.

Moreover, the maintenance and simple repair of firearms were clear to him, and he could deal with emergencies.

Part of the fuses and thunder-bomb bodies of the porcelain thunder-bombs were stored separately, and they were temporarily installed when used, ensuring safety along the way.

Of course, to be on the safe side, Jia Cong still kept a small portion of porcelain thunder-bombs with fuses installed, in case of emergency along the way.

In a short while, five large carts full of firearms drove out of the firearms workshop one after another.

Under Jia Cong's leadership, guarded by five hundred Five Garrisons firearms soldiers, they walked north for more than ten miles and got on the official road heading north.

The wheels rolled, the war horses roared, and they marched toward Dengzhou in a mighty force.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 276 =====