Chapter 426: Untying the Spring Dream Fragrance

Jin Ling, Mingze Lane.

The daylight was already bright, and the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) was more than half over, when the person deep in a fragrant dream in the main room slowly woke up.

Embroidered bed, gauze pillow, black hair like ink, soft silk quilt wrapped around a slender, delicate body, presenting a graceful and alluring curve in the dim light.

The room was permeated with the intoxicating body fragrance of a young woman, mixed with a trace of slightly spicy medicinal scent.

The moment Zou Min'er opened her eyes, she subconsciously looked toward the bedside, but she didn't see Jia Cong's shadow, and her heart felt slightly disappointed.

She originally wanted to struggle to sit up, but just a slight exertion pulled at her pain, so she frowned and continued lying down.

Under the bed, Jia Cong had laid several layers of coarse hemp and cotton cloth from Songjiang, and on top of that, he had laid a high-quality reed mat, making it feel very soft, moist, and cool to lie on.

Sometimes even Zou Min'er found it strange; Jia Cong was born into a Duke's noble family, so he should have been living in luxury, not knowing the price of firewood and rice.

Yet, he seemed to know such delicate household details very well, which made her feel a bit strange, but more than that, it was appropriate and comforting.

Once the Jin Ling affair was over, he should return to the Love Shenjing to continue being his Count Lord Weiyuan, while she would find a quiet place in Jiangnan to live in seclusion.

After all, her current identity was no longer suitable for returning to the Love Shenjing, and the chances of meeting again in the future were likely very slim. With thousands of miles between them, perhaps they would be separated from now on.

However, things having reached this point today was the best ending for her; she shouldn't harbor any more delusions, lest she cause more trouble for herself and others….

The courtyard was quiet, because it wasn't yet noon, and she couldn't even hear a single cicada call, only occasionally hearing the rustling sound of the parasol tree branches and leaves in the wind.

She also didn't hear the sound of Lingguan busy coming and going, nor the moving tunes she hummed in her spare time.

She knew that Jia Cong had stayed in Mingze Lane last night, and until she fell asleep, he was still in her room flipping through documents.

Today was a day off for the government offices, so he shouldn't be going to work, and she didn't know where he and Lingguan had gone.

After a period of care, Zou Min'er's injuries were becoming increasingly stable.

Zhang You-peng was a famous physician of the time, who knew that for a seriously injured person, care was more important than treatment.

The prescription he wrote not only emphasized the principle of mutual assistance between monarch and minister and the method of generating muscle and replenishing Qi, but also added many herbs to calm the spirit and condense Qi.

In addition to external medicinal applications, Zou Min'er took medicinal soup internally every day. Zhang You-peng's medicinal soup had a sleep-inducing effect, so she would sleep past the hour of Chen every day before waking up.

……

She was feeling a bit bored when she suddenly heard the sound of the courtyard gate being opened, and then she heard Lingguan's clear, charming voice.

"Cong Sanye, this fish you picked is so fresh, jumping and bouncing; I can't even hold it."

"And these green vegetables, they are also lively enough; they are so green they could drip water."

"Cong Sanye, don't you have many people serving you at your residence? You don't usually have to do these things. How come you even know the way to shop at the market?"

Jia Cong's voice echoed in the courtyard: "What's difficult about shopping at the market? It's much easier than reading books and writing essays."

Naturally, he wouldn't tell Lingguan about the bizarre worlds he had experienced; this kind of experience of shopping at a vegetable market wasn't worth mentioning.

Listening to Jia Cong's voice, Zou Min'er felt joy bubbling up in her heart, and she heard the footsteps of Jia Cong and Lingguan walking into the inner courtyard.

Then she heard the sound of water coming from the kitchen, as well as the sound of ladles and basins colliding; it must be Lingguan busy at work.

Jia Cong had already walked to the window, carrying a brand-new bamboo lounge chair on his shoulder, with a warm and relaxed smile on his face.

He entered the room and said, "I calculated the time, and you should be awake by now. I bought a lounge chair. You've been stifled in the room for many days.

This eaves corridor is very cool; you can come out and lie down to rest, see some fresh light and air, which is very good for the recovery of your injuries."

Jia Cong stepped forward to help her sit up, and then took out a pink, front-buttoned vest from the wardrobe, thinking of letting her put it on before taking her out of the room, as she couldn't withstand the wind after her injury.

Just as he was about to call Lingguan to come in and help Zou Min'er get dressed, Zou Min'er saw his appearance and knew what he wanted to do.

Her face turned slightly red, and she said, "The little girl is busy. You come help me."

When she was first injured, even things like undressing and changing medicine were done by Jia Cong; any reserve and defenses a young woman might have had were already broken.

Moreover, she knew clearly in her heart that whether it was their past, their present, or their future, she and Jia Cong would ultimately not be able to be together.

As long as he finished the Jin Ling affair, he would return to the Love Shenjing, and she was a woman whose identity could not see the light of day. The fate between them, which seemed to exist and yet not, would come to an end.

Every day that passed, their time together became one day less.

Zou Min'er's heart was just surging with an inexplicable impulse.

Those shadows of sadness, those natural shyness and resistance of a young woman, she wanted to throw them all away with all her might, just wanting a moment more of intimacy and being together.

Let the long, lonely time ahead have a little more sweetness to comfort and remember, even if it meant betraying family and reason, she would not regret it.

Jia Cong was slightly stunned by Zou Min'er's words, but he didn't hesitate. He supported her body and helped her put on the pink, front-buttoned vest.

Zou Min'er had a serious injury to her chest and abdomen and couldn't move her hands, so he helped her fasten the buttons.

As the two were close, Jia Cong felt the black hair brushing against his face, a burst of numbness and itching, and Zou Min'er's intoxicating fragrance slowly surrounded him.

It made him produce an inexplicable impulse out of thin air. He steadied his mind slightly, found a thin quilt in the room, and spread it on the lounge chair under the eaves corridor.

He then entered the room, picked up Zou Min'er, who was leaning against the bed, by the waist, and carefully walked out of the room.

Since she was injured, Zou Min'er had never left the room.

Whether it was the dazzling sunlight outside or Jia Cong's embrace, she felt slightly dizzy, and a pair of arms subconsciously hugged Jia Cong's neck, leaning gently into his embrace.

Just those few steps from the room to the lounge chair under the eaves seemed to become very long, so long that she hoped there would be no end, and yet they also seemed very short, short like a fleeting, delusional spring dream.

……

Lingguan was busy in the kitchen when she suddenly saw from the window that Cong Sanye was actually carrying Miss Zou out of the room.

She had probably never seen a man carry a woman, and her small face couldn't help but blush. And why was Miss Zou hugging Cong Sanye so tightly?

A thought suddenly popped into the little girl's mind: if I get sick or injured in the future, will Cong Sanye carry me like this?

As soon as this shameful thought appeared, it startled her. With a red face, she picked up the water ladle beside her and gulped down a few mouthfuls of cold water.

……

Jia Cong gently placed Zou Min'er on the lounge chair and smiled: "I've tried this lounge chair myself; the scale of the backrest is just right, and you won't pull your wounds when you lie on it."

Zou Min'er naturally knew what Jia Cong meant when she heard this; where her wounds were, he was the one who knew best.

He had tried it beforehand, so naturally, he knew the lounge chair was suitable, and no wonder it felt very comfortable to lie on.

The sun in the sky gradually climbed higher, and the originally slightly dim eaves corridor became bright.

Zou Min'er's slightly pale complexion, under the reflection of the sunlight, revealed a trace of translucent luster and gradually produced a pink, tender blood color.

Jia Cong also moved a chair and sat down beside Zou Min'er. Both were silent, enjoying the carefree time in the small courtyard.

The green cylindrical tiles on the eaves drew a deep outline against the azure sky; the gaps in the parasol tree branches and leaves were swayed by the wind, casting mottled sunlight on the bluestone slabs in front of the corridor.

Perhaps in many years to come, they would still be able to remember this moment, when they had unforgettable, heart-stirring memories of each other in their youth.

The sound of clinking and clanking came from the kitchen, and a clear fragrance of steamed dishes drifted out, making the entire inner courtyard flow with a warm, domestic, smoky atmosphere.

……

It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky, and Jia Cong and Lingguan had set up tables and chairs in the corridor and each had served rice and dishes, that the three were preparing to have lunch, when a knocking sound came from the courtyard gate.

Jia Cong went out to open the courtyard gate, and the person knocking was Jiang Liu, who was holding a cowhide envelope in his hand.

He said, "Cong Sanye, someone sent a letter to the old residence in Xinglong Fang this morning, saying that they were instructed by Cong Sanye to forward an urgent document from Su Zhou.

They also said that the wine shop had a batch of new wine, and asked Cong Sanye to take a look at the quality of the new wine when he had time."

Jia Cong's eyes lit up when he heard this, knowing that this was information from Su Zhou received by the Zhongche Office, sent by someone to be forwarded to him.

This time, the batch of people Jia Cong assigned to Su Zhou was led by Jiang Xiao-liu, a former team leader of the Firearm Battalion, and accompanying them was a cadre from the Jin Ling Zhongche Office.

He opened the letter, browsed through it quickly, and couldn't help but feel surprised and happy.

Jia Cong had been in Jin Ling for quite some time, not only going to Su Zhou himself to investigate but also mobilizing a large number of people from the Zhongche Office to search in the various prefectures along the river, but he had never found anything.

But finally, the effort had not been in vain. The letter said that the batch of people he sent to Su Zhou had discovered Zhou Zheng-yang's tracks in a brothel in Su Zhou called Panxiang Tower.

At present, inspections along the various prefectures of the river are strict, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard thousand-household offices in various places have blocked the main water routes; Zhou Zhou Zhengyang must be unable to escape to the sea and is very likely still hiding in Gusu.

Jia Cong excitedly entered the inner courtyard and told Zou Min'er the news.

Zou Min'er had faked her death to escape, and although she was no longer involved in the mission she had undertaken for the Zhongche Office,

as long as Zhou Zheng-yang was caught, the inside story of the major Water Surveillance Office case from years ago would be revealed, and the knot that had been pressing on her heart for many years could be resolved.

Therefore, hearing this news, she also felt very excited in her heart.

But she suddenly thought that now that Zhou Zheng-yang had been located, with Jia Cong's ability, it was likely that it wouldn't be long before he could bring this person to justice.

By that time, the Jin Ling affair would likely be concluded very soon, and he would probably return to the Love Shenjing to report his mission very soon, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss in her heart.

The sudden news stirred up waves in the originally warm and peaceful courtyard in Mingze Lane.

Jia Cong ate this meal in a hurry, and Zou Min'er ate it somewhat absent-mindedly.

Only Lingguan had a simple mind and didn't notice anything, enjoying her own cooking slowly.

It was just that seeing Jia Cong eating as if swallowing a date whole, she felt slightly regretful, not knowing if he had tasted the flavor, as she had spent quite a bit of effort and had specifically made it for him.

……

Jia Cong ate in a hurry and then returned to Zou Min'er's room, carefully reviewing all the intelligence reports sent back from Su Zhou at various times that she had collected, as well as the local map and geographical data of Su Zhou.

He prepared to go to Xinchun Hao and ask Qu Hong-xiu to activate the "Flying Feather" to pass the message to the personnel assigned to Zhenjiang and Changzhou.

He would have the twenty people originally assigned to these two places gather in Su Zhou as soon as possible to increase the manpower in Su Zhou, hoping to find Zhou Zheng-yang's specific whereabouts as soon as possible.

Initially, the two female disciples trained by Ai Li had brought a batch of trained birds to Jin Ling, and with the financial support of Xinchun Hao, the power of "Flying Feather" had been growing steadily.

As Xinchun Hao began to set up branches in various prefectures in Jiangnan, "Flying Feather" also followed the Xinchun branches to set up sub-stations in various places.

In ordinary times, "Flying Feather" communicated business information between branches in various places with the highest efficiency;

and at the current juncture, it was passing information on personnel assignment and mobilization.

According to his estimation, with the speed of "Flying Feather" passing information, the personnel in Zhenjiang and Changzhou could arrive in Su Zhou in less than two days.

He would also draw additional personnel from Jin Ling to add weight to the Su Zhou area.

He also had to make another trip to the Yao Family Wine Shop in Apricot Blossom Lane.

The person who delivered the letter said that the shop had received a batch of new wine and asked him to take a look at the quality. This was Xu Xu Qiniang inviting him over to meet; there must be something to discuss.

Zhou Zheng-yang, as the Guard Commander of Jin Ling, had been an official in Jin Ling for many years, and his official relationships were intertwined.

Not to mention that Zhang Kang-nian and Du Heng-xin had both been his colleagues, who knew how many obscure connections he had in the major government offices of Jin Ling? No one could say for sure.

Compared to this, the Jin Ling Zhongche Office, hidden in the dark, because of its duty of monitoring officials, had very little entanglement with the Jin Ling officialdom and was instead the most reliable force.

He would have Xu Xu Qiniang mobilize capable personnel from the Zhongche Office to reinforce Su Zhou.

He planned to have himself and the Zhongche Office personnel gather and enter Su Zhou, and only after determining Zhou Zheng-yang's whereabouts would he pass the information to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Yang Hong-bin of the Court of Judicial Review, so that they could coordinate.

The reason for doing this was that once information spread, it was highly likely to bring about the negative impact of leaks.

When the information from the Court of Judicial Review in the Love Shenjing was leaked, causing Zhou Zheng-yang to escape in advance, that was already a lesson from the past.

However, everything had two sides. If it was always stagnant water, wanting to get to the bottom of things in the confusion of the road ahead would surely be difficult and hard to achieve results.

Although beating the grass would startle the snake, it could also allow one to detect the snake's tracks.

Jia believed that if he and the Zhongche Office personnel laid out their plans in Su Zhou in advance, he would have more than a seventy percent chance of controlling the situation in Su Zhou.

He carefully combed through the entire process again until every key point could be clearly and accurately determined.

He re-settled Zou Min'er back in the room, told her about his assumptions, and the two of them deliberated once more to check for omissions and details before he hurried out the door.

……

Zou Min'er leaned against the bed, slightly dazed, thinking over what Jia Cong had just said.

He had just received the news, and in a moment, he had a detailed plan.

It made Zou Min'er vaguely feel that the rhythm of the whole thing had suddenly been accelerated, and the final result seemed to have become within reach.

Lingguan finished tidying up the dishes and chopsticks outside and entered the room, carefully helping Zou Min'er lie down to rest.

Seeing a portrait among the pile of documents on the desk that Jia Cong had placed, her clear and bright eyes were filled with astonishment.

Zou Min'er saw Lingguan holding a portrait, tilting her head to examine it from left to right, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, seemingly thinking about something, and couldn't help but feel curious.

Zou Min'er knew that Jia Cong was different toward Lingguan and usually doted on her very much. Since the little girl arrived in Jin Ling, Jia Cong had protected her in everything, and she had always been carefree.

She rarely saw her show such a puzzled and confused expression.

Moreover, she recognized that what Lingguan was holding was indeed Zhou Zheng-yang's portrait.

That day, she discovered that the portraits used everywhere to capture Zhou Zheng-yang were extracted from the documents of the Ministry of War and were vastly different from Zhou Zheng-yang's actual appearance.

That portrait, which was similar but not quite right, would cause great misleading in the search and capture of Zhou Zheng-yang.

She even judged that Zhou Zheng-yang's escape without a trace and the inability to bring him to justice had a great deal to do with this old portrait.

When Zou Min'er noticed this loophole, she invited the best painter in Jin Ling.

And according to the description of those familiar with Zhou Zheng-yang's appearance, she had him redraw a portrait with a very high degree of similarity and distributed it to the various prefectures along the river.

She herself also kept a portrait on file. This portrait was usually kept together with the documents she collected.

Jia Cong and she had both become accustomed to this portrait and had become somewhat indifferent to it.

But Lingguan had been living in the old Jia residence in Xinglong Fang since she arrived in Jin Ling, so naturally, she had never had the opportunity to see this portrait.

Just now, if it hadn't been for Jia Cong taking out all the documents and materials to review and leaving in a hurry without having time to tidy up, Lingguan would likely still not have had the opportunity to see it.

Lingguan said, "Miss Zou, the person in this portrait looks very familiar. I seem to have seen him somewhere before."

Zou Min'er's eyes lit up slightly. She remembered the scene when she met Lingguan at the Jin Bi Garden in Su Zhou that day.

At that time, Lingguan had offended a guest and also broke a valuable headpiece in the opera troupe, and was punished by the troupe leader to wash clothes.

Zou Min'er tentatively asked, "You have been living in the old Jia residence since you arrived in Jin Ling. If you have seen the person in the portrait, it must not have been in Jin Ling.

Did you see him in Su Zhou before?"

Lingguan heard this, suddenly realized, and said urgently, "I remember who he is!" (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 427 =====

Zou Min'er tentatively asked: "You lived in the old Jia family residence whenever you were in Jin Ling; if you had seen the person in the portrait, it certainly wouldn't have been in Jin Ling.

Was it perhaps that you saw her before when you were in Gusu?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Qi Guan suddenly had a flash of realization and said urgently: "I remember who she is!" (End of chapter)