Chapter 435: Thin Skirts and Rouge Fragrance

Jin Ling, Yumin Fang.

In the main room of the inner courtyard, Jia Cong was carefully examining a map on his desk. He had already received the letters from Zhang Wu and Jiang Xiao Liu.

The matter of searching for Zhou Zheng already had a clue, and he decided to go to Gu Su in these next two days.

Ke Qing, beside him, helped him refill his teacup with hot tea. Seeing him fully focused on the map, she didn't go to disturb him.

She was about to walk away to help him tidy up the clothes on the bed when suddenly her slender waist felt hot; she had already been gently hugged by Jia Cong.

Ke Qing's heart jumped, and she said with a blushing face, "You are not allowed to act strangely. Sister Xiu is at home. Be careful, or I'll make you practice blade techniques for an extra hour tonight."

Jia Cong laughed, "I didn't do anything. I just received news that I will be going to Gu Su soon and will be away for a period of time."

"After arriving in Jin Ling, I have been busy without stopping and haven't had time to talk to you much. Once the Gu Su matter is finished, I estimate I will soon return to Shen Jing to report the decree."

Ke Qing smiled helplessly, leaning gently against him, and said, "It's already very good now. Back at the Ningguo Prefecture, I thought my whole life was over."

"I never thought I could have such free days. In Jin Ling, I have Sister Xiu for company, I have things I can do, and I can be my own master; no one can control me."

"I never dreamed before that I could live like this. You fought for all of this for me; I am very happy and very content."

"You are a capable person with many things to do; you can't always be kept by my side. People shouldn't be too greedy, don't you think?"

Jia Cong felt a sense of softness in his heart. A woman who knows how to cherish and be content does so because she already has a hot and deep reliance in her heart. She doesn't dare to have too heavy a bond because she wants to possess and keep it for a long time.

He knew the weight of her feelings.

He reached out and hugged her soft body, feeling her smooth skin beneath her thin summer clothes, smelling the faint fragrance on her hair, feeling an indescribable peace and joy in his heart.

Until he lowered his head slightly, Ke Qing could not hide the love and desire in her heart; she blushed and stood on tiptoe slightly, kissing him lightly on the lips.

Immediately after, she felt the hand on her waist tighten, and that action could no longer be stopped, continuing wantonly by Jia Cong.

I don't know how much time passed when suddenly footsteps came from outside the door.

Ke Qing pushed Jia Cong away at once, taking small steps, and ran to the bed to continue tidying up the clothes. Although her heart was beating wildly and her pretty face was flushed red, with the shadow of the bed curtain covering her, she probably covered it up.

……

The door of the main room was pushed open, and Qu Hongxiu walked in.

But just as she stepped into the room and saw Ke Qing sitting on the bed tidying clothes, she paused her steps slightly.

A pair of bright eyes turned back and forth between the two, and she entered the room as if she didn't know anything.

Jia Cong saw Qu Hongxiu and said, "I said before that I didn't need Sister Xiu's help, but news came from Gu Su. If I want to finish this errand as soon as possible, I can't do it alone."

"I don't have other trustworthy and reliable people in Jin Ling, so I still need Sister Xiu to help me once, and only Sister Xiu has the ability to help me."

Qu Hongxiu heard this and was happy, saying, "What kind of tricky matter is it that requires me to help you?"

Ke Qing heard them talking about business and said, "Sister Xiu, Ruizhu is busy in the kitchen. I'm afraid she can't handle it alone, so I'll go take a look."

Qu Hongxiu agreed casually, watching Ke Qing walk out of the room, and then turned back to look at Jia Cong.

I don't know if it was Jia Cong's illusion, but he always felt that Qu Hongxiu's gaze was lingering on his face.

The expression on her face was like a pout and a smile, wanting to be angry yet shy, making people feel very strange.

Jia Cong asked guiltily, "Sister Xiu, what's wrong with you?"

As he asked, he subconsciously touched his face, worried if something had rubbed onto it.

Qu Hongxiu saw his action and couldn't help but burst into laughter, her pair of pretty bright eyes glistening with water.

Seeing Jia Cong's confused face, she restrained her smile, straightened her face, and said, "Don't say these useless things; talk about your business."

Jia Cong handed the letters from Zhang Wu and Jiang Xiao Liu to her and took out another letter from his body.

He said, "This was just sent by Xu Qiniang; it contains the investigation results of the Central Vehicle Department regarding the main officials of the Jin Ling Guard troops and related secrets."

Qu Hongxiu read the two things, and her face changed, asking, "How do you want me to help you?"

Jia Cong said, "This time you go to Gu Su with me, let everyone know that I am escorting new-style cannons to Gu Su and Songjiang..."

The two discussed for a long time in the room until Ruizhu came to call them out for dinner.

Jia Cong was about to go out when he was stopped by Qu Hongxiu, which made him feel slightly strange.

Qu Hongxiu asked, "What were you and Ke Qing doing in the room just now?"

Jia Cong felt a bit empty in his heart and said, "Nothing... nothing, we were just talking."

Qu Hongxiu walked toward him step by step. Jia Cong only felt that the pretty face and bright eyes were magnifying in front of him bit by bit, the green silk at her temples flying, the faint fragrance floating, beautiful beyond compare.

Jia Cong suddenly saw her take a handkerchief from her body and then do an action that stunned him.

She used the handkerchief to gently wipe his lips, just like that day in the heavy rain outside the east city, when she carefully wiped the rainwater from his hair and temples.

He heard her unhurried voice, filled with teasing and shy anger: "Next time you lie to me, wipe the rouge off your mouth first!"

Jia Cong's heart jumped when he heard this, followed by a sense of embarrassment. Why didn't he think of this point?

No wonder Qu Hongxiu was staring at his face just now, and her expression was so strange.

She deliberately didn't tell him, just waiting for him to finish talking about everything, and then explained it to him. That was because she was angry in her heart and deliberately let him make a fool of himself.

Jia Cong thought about how he had a mouth full of rouge just now, truly romantic and dashing, talking there, planning and strategizing; that scene was really...

Although his psychological quality had always been good, he couldn't help but feel his face burning.

Subconsciously, he reached out to hold Qu Hongxiu's hand; this seemed more appropriate for him to wipe himself...

He held the other's slender, soft hand, and was scolded by Qu Hongxiu: "Let go!"

Jia Cong very wisely let go of his hand, even lowering his head slightly, letting the other party toss him about.

The bright sunlight shot down from the window lattice, casting overlapping shadows on the two, which had a strange harmony. At first glance, it looked like a woman tidying up the appearance for her younger brother.

Only when the two were close did Jia Cong notice Qu Hongxiu's perfectly lined lips, which were smeared with rose-scented rouge, the fragrance refreshing.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he couldn't help but look a few more times.

"Little bastard, what are you staring at? You're not being honest again. Practice for an extra hour tonight..."

Qu Hongxiu's pretty face was flushed red, and she persistently held the handkerchief, carefully wiping the rouge off Jia Cong's mouth.

Again and again, Jia Cong felt as if the skin on his lips was about to be rubbed raw...

After it was done, Qu Hongxiu snorted, didn't say a word, turned around, and left the room.

……

Jin Ling, Regional Military Commissioner's Office.

This was the most important guard troop command office in Jin Ling, controlling the five guards and one department on the south bank of the Yangtze River. Located in the hinterland of Jiang Nan, it controlled over ten thousand elite guard troops, and its military authority was extremely heavy.

But in the situation of peace in Jiang Nan, the Regional Military Commissioner's office was far less busy and noisy than the six ministries in the auxiliary capital.

Except for dealing with daily official business with various guards, it was usually calm and peaceful.

Among the six ministries in the auxiliary capital, except for the Ministry of War which had some official business dealings with it, the other five ministries rarely had official contact with it.

But today, the Regional Military Commissioner's office was bustling with popularity.

Early in the morning, the Jin Ling Regional Military Commissioner Du Hengxin and the Regional Military Commissioner Assistant Sun Zhongxing arrived early.

Officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War appeared one after another, and Vice Minister of War Zhang Kangnian even came in person.

The reason for such a large formation was that nine days ago, the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works completed the selection and training of artillerymen for the Su Zhou Guard and Songjiang Guard.

Under the Jin Ling Regional Military Commissioner's office, there was finally a well-trained artillery establishment, which would play a key role in resisting the harassment of coastal pirates and Japanese pirates.

Today was the day the Firearms Department escorted the new-style cannons to the Su Zhou Guard and Songjiang Guard.

These improved Red-Coated Cannons were the top products of the Great Zhou firearm manufacturing, and their amazing power was obvious to all.

If it weren't for the Emperor's emphasis on the stability of the six prefectures and one prefecture in Jiang Nan, he wouldn't have prioritized equipping the Jin Ling Regional Military Commissioner's office with such national military heavy weapons.

As long as the equipment was in place for the Su Zhou Guard and Songjiang Guard, the day of peace for the Japanese pirates along the river was just around the corner.

With such imperial grace, on the day the cannons were sent down to the guard stations along the river, officials from various relevant departments naturally had to show up to show their faces, to manifest the vision, and to reward the imperial grace.

The court sending cannons down to the guard stations along the river was closely related to the Ministry of War, so the actual chief of the Ministry of War, Vice Minister Zhang Kangnian, naturally had to show up.

And the person responsible for escorting the cannons to Gu Su and Songjiang this time was Jia Cong, the Commissioner of the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works, so the chief of the Ministry of Works in the auxiliary capital also arrived.

Three hundred musketeers were ready to go, lining up on the drill ground in front of the Commissioner's armory.

Although these musketeers had not undergone the actual combat rotation in Liaodong, they had all undergone strict training under Jia Cong's firearm training strategy. Their bearing was fierce, and their military appearance was disciplined, which was eye-catching.

In Shen Jing, the firearm camp had already flourished, but in the Jiang Nan region, firearm soldiers were still a very novel thing.

Therefore, many officials present held a curious and appreciative attitude toward this strangely equipped musketeer troop.

They also all knew that the firearm training technique used by the Great Zhou musketeers originated from that young Count Weiyuan.

Among the crowd, Du Hengxin and Zhang Kangnian were both senior figures in the guard troops. This troop of three hundred fierce musketeers attracted their attention at the same time.

They each sized up this troop with a scrutinizing gaze, and then looked at Jia Cong, who was greeting and chatting with the officials present. Their gazes revealed a cautious expression.

Accompanying Jia Cong this time were also fifty civilians recruited by the Firearms Department, who were responsible for driving mules and horses and dragging the cannons along the way.

After the five improved Red-Coated Cannons were pushed out of the armory separately and hitched to the prepared mule carts, they followed the three hundred firearm soldiers and slowly left the Regional Military Commissioner's office.

After Jia Cong bowed and bid farewell to the officials present, he got into a sturdy and spacious carriage in the team, guarded by ten musketeer personal guards brought from Shen Jing, and headed toward the Xuan He Gate in the east of Jin Ling City.

Zhang Kangnian looked at the carriage and asked Liu Yongfu, a Ministry of War official beside him, "Why did Commissioner Jia specifically bring a carriage instead of riding a horse himself?"

Liu Yongfu laughed, "I did hear colleagues from the Ministry of Works mention this. It is said that the cannons are too heavy, and the transportation speed along the way will not be very fast."

"Riding a horse all the way cannot be fast and can only follow slowly. Count Weiyuan dislikes riding a horse as too cumbersome and tiring, so he had his personal guards select a spacious carriage from the Ministry of Works to use along the way."

Zhang Kangnian's face revealed a look of sarcasm, saying, "The son of a noble family of the Rongguo Prefecture is used to being pampered. Escorting cannons down to the guard stations, he actually equipped himself with a carriage; it is too leisurely."

Not far away, Du Hengxin looked at Zhang Kangnian, who was talking with his subordinates, and then looked at the spacious carriage that was moving away, his gaze carrying a hint of doubt.

For many people present, this was just an ordinary official social engagement and welcoming, and few people would realize that in the near future, Jin Ling would usher in a mountain-shaking shock.

……

Jin Ling, Fengle Fang.

The three-entry residence with white walls and red doors changed its usual deep and quiet atmosphere.

There were many more servants in black clothes and black hats in the residence, moving many boxes and cages out of the residence and placing them neatly in the side hall of the outer courtyard, looking like they were moving house.

A capable young man walked into the front courtyard with steady steps, looking at the servants moving the boxes and cages, his gaze becoming deep and flickering.

The afternoon sun shone on him, pulling out a pitch-black and twisted shadow on the pebble path, and the missing half of the little finger on his left hand looked even more gloomy and weird.

When he walked into the study and saw the middle-aged man with a grand bearing looking at a map on his desk,

He said, "My lord, according to your instructions, I have arranged for men to follow Jia Cong's carriage team along the way. If they notice any unusual movement, they will report the information immediately."

"The Water Rakshasa left Jin Ling the day before yesterday and should have arrived in Gu Su by now."

"Luo Xiong is sitting in Gu Su, and there is no abnormality at present. Does my lord think Jia Cong will have any schemes by transporting cannons this time?"

The middle-aged man said, "Zou Huaiyi's daughter was demoted to the music department, but she disguised her identity and returned to Jin Ling, and her relationship with Jia Cong is now very close."

"It is enough to show that Jia Cong's purpose in coming to Jin Ling will never be just to assist in the auxiliary capital's music department; it is very likely that he was secretly dispatched by the Emperor to investigate the Zhou Zheng matter in Jin Ling."

"He used the matter of Liu Ao's sea bandits entering the city to keep those three hundred musketeers in Jin Ling. On the surface, the reason is reasonable."

"Now these three hundred musketeers have been logically deployed by him to escort the cannons to Gu Su. It seems that he had planned it long ago, which is enough to make people suspect that he has other schemes!"

"Whether it was detecting the major Water Supervision Department case back then or sweeping away the Jurchens in Liaodong, Jia Cong is meticulous, clever, and strange, specializing in using the strange rather than the righteous."

"Moreover, he is a master of firearms. In Liaodong, he was good at using muskets to form formations to defend against enemies. These three hundred musketeers in his hands are a very powerful force."

"Even facing over a thousand guard troops, he has room to protect himself and maneuver."

"In this situation, letting him enter Gu Su City, if my speculation is correct, I am afraid that any unpredictable situation could happen."

"So I have to guard against it. I have already sent someone to send a letter to Luo Xiong, telling him to be strictly on guard."

The young man said, "My lord, originally water transport for cannons along the river is faster. Jia Cong proposed using land transport because water routes easily cause cannon powder to get damp."

"But the cannons are very heavy, and land transport is difficult to be fast. He is going to Gu Su, and it will take four or five days on the road. If my lord wants to be foolproof, why not on the way..."

The middle-aged man looked at him; this subordinate of his had murderous intent, but he was thinking of things too simply.

According to the current situation, it was far from taking such a risk and cutting off the retreat.

He said in a deep voice, "Jia Cong is a noble and a trusted minister of the Emperor, acting under imperial order. Once an accident happens, it will definitely cause a huge disturbance."

"The Jin Ling officialdom will probably be turned upside down, and even I might be implicated, so at present, the cause and effect are not clear, and we cannot act rashly."

"The day Jia Cong's personal attendant returned to Shen Jing, I already sent someone to rush back to Shen Jing."

"If Jia Cong's personal attendant returned to the capital to deliver information or submit a memorial, our connections in Shen Jing would definitely have detected the news."

"If the palace really has an imperial edict, it will take six or seven days for the inner court to transmit news from Shen Jing to Jin Ling, but the men I sent can bring the news back to Jin Ling within five days."

"As long as it is one or two days in advance, it is enough to deal with everything. Wasn't it like this back then that Zhou Zheng was allowed to escape safely..."

"For now, let's stabilize our position. What we need most is to wait. It will only take four or five days, and we will definitely receive news from Shen Jing!" (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 436 =====