Chapter 436: Deep Affection to Wushan

Late summer melts away, early autumn has arrived.

Jia Cong led the team escorting the cannons out of Jin Ling City. The sky was high and the air was crisp, and the trees on both sides of the official road were already dyed with gold.

Five four-horse mule carts pulled the heavy cannons, marching at the front of the team under the guard of three hundred musketeers.

In the spacious carriage at the end of the team, a pair of figures sat together.

Jia Cong wore a moon-white silver bamboo-patterned soft robe, with a white jade hairpin, looking fresh and handsome.

The person beside him was beautiful and pretty, graceful like an orchid, with a heroic spirit between her brows.

Her clothing and attire were exactly the same as Jia Cong's, creating an illusion that it was hard to tell who was who for a moment.

It was just that her appearance and bearing were slightly different from Jia Cong's youthful handsomeness.

There was more of a daughter's exquisite prettiness, skin like congealed fat, bright eyes like autumn water, and a waist as slender as a willow.

If not for the graceful curves that couldn't be hidden on her figure, and the clear, charming, and alluring look in her eyes, at first glance, she actually looked 70-80% similar to Jia Cong.

The inside of the carriage was arranged very comfortably by Jia Cong, covered with thin felt and soft quilts, stacked with soft pillows and quilts, with a small elm wood table in the middle, on which were a teapot, water cups, and a basin of pink water-honey peaches.

There were even two bunches of fresh wild flowers inserted on the carriage wall, giving the whole cabin a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Qu Hongxiu looked at the furnishings in the carriage and laughed, "You arranged the carriage so exquisitely; it doesn't look like you're going to handle official business, but rather like you're going out for an outing."

Jia Cong laughed, "The cannons are very heavy, and our marching speed is much slower than usual. Along the way, we will often miss the inn, so we have to camp in the wild."

"I can't let Sister Xiu sleep in a tent by a bonfire like those big soldiers. Although these people outside are still trustworthy, unless it's a last resort, Sister Xiu shouldn't show her face."

"We'll sleep in the carriage at night; it's fragrant and warm."

Qu Hongxiu heard this, and her face turned slightly red.

This time Jia Cong asked her to help, which was to act as his double at a critical moment.

She knew Jia Cong asked her to help because in Jin Ling, she was the person he trusted most.

And she was most familiar with his behavior and habits; acting as his double had conveniences that others didn't have.

She had read the letters from Gu Su and the secret letters from Xu Qiniang investigating the high-ranking military officers of the guard troops, knowing that this trip to Gu Su was unpredictable.

The reason Jia Cong felt at ease letting her help was because she was used to the world and had extraordinary skills; even if she encountered risks, she was fully capable of protecting herself.

Except for the ten trusted musketeer guards beside Jia Cong, no one else knew that there was another person hidden in the carriage besides Jia Cong.

……

Since they had to sleep in the carriage when camping, naturally Jia Cong would also be with her...

Qu Hongxiu glanced at Jia Cong, seeing that he seemed to have no abnormality when he said this.

A strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart, and she couldn't help thinking that if it were Ke Qing, this little bastard would definitely not be so indifferent.

But she heard Jia Cong say, "Calculating the time, Jiang Liu should have delivered the memorial to the palace a few days ago. The Emperor has always been decisive and fast, so I'm afraid the reply has already been issued."

"I taught Jiang Liu a method to let him know the content of the reply as quickly as possible and transmit it to Jin Ling by feather as soon as possible. I estimate that in a day or two, Jin Ling will receive the news."

"It just so happens that the cannon transport is slow, so we can slow down the progress, which is convenient for the Jin Ling branch to receive the news and send it to me faster."

Qu Hongxiu saw Jia Cong talking eloquently, thinking meticulously and planning, seemingly enjoying it.

A big girl sitting beside him, and this little confused egg didn't say any intimate words. Who wanted to listen to him talk about these things?

……

During the subsequent journey, the accompanying firearm soldiers and civilians discovered that Commissioner Jia of the Firearms Department was a slow-paced person. The team would stop to rest every less than two hours of walking.

Originally, the speed of dragging the cannons was not fast, and this made the marching speed even slower.

However, Jia Cong was the highest-ranking officer of the team. Since he was not in a hurry, others were naturally happy to be relaxed; no one would have a broken brain and suggest a stupid suggestion to speed up the journey.

As a result, they set off early in the morning and didn't enter the Zhenjiang territory until the sky was dark.

And they were in the middle of nowhere, still a long distance from the nearest village, and unexpectedly missed the inn.

The accompanying soldiers couldn't eat hot food, and although they complained a bit, they were used to suffering in the army, so they didn't care much.

The team found an open space sheltered from the wind, surrounded by miscellaneous woods on three sides. Before long, tents were set up everywhere, and bonfires were lit.

Jia Cong took advantage of the darkness, when the light was unclear, and went out to patrol the circle roughly, then drilled back into the carriage.

Seeing Qu Hongxiu light a candle in the carriage, the yellow firelight reflected her pretty face, making it exceptionally beautiful and moving.

She opened the carriage window slightly and used the flame of the tea stove to bake the dry food.

When the dry food was baked soft and hot, she poured a cup of light tea and handed it to Jia Cong.

Qu Hongxiu was not like Ke Qing, who was born in a noble family and was good at needlework and cooking.

Her father died early when she was young, and she walked the world, often living in the open.

Even though she was now a noble imperial merchant, and delicacies were not a problem, she still didn't care about such things as light tea and simple food, doing it skillfully and properly.

She said somewhat apologetically, "Brother Jia Cong, I am clumsy, unlike Ke Qing who is so capable, and can take good care of your appetite. You just have to make do with it."

Jia Cong laughed, "Sister Xiu, what are you saying? I am not a pampered noble son; I can eat delicacies and I can also eat light tea and simple food."

"Back then, when I was practicing martial arts with you in the courtyard of Xin Chun Street, the big bowl of soup tea you cooked was more refreshing than the beautiful porcelain fragrant tea of the Rongguo Prefecture."

Qu Hongxiu lowered her head to turn the dry food on the tea stove, her voice soft, "You only know how to say nice things for me to hear; I hope you really think so in your heart."

Jia Cong said seriously, "Of course I think so. It's no problem to eat your grilled dry food and drink big bowls of tea every meal."

Qu Hongxiu laughed out loud and said, "As long as you have these words, I haven't lived these years in vain."

"But I won't treat you so badly. In the future, I will learn some skills from Ke Qing. Even if I can't make delicacies, it's still possible to have hot soup and hot food for you."

……

Jia Cong said again, "Sister Xiu, these three hundred musketeers were transferred from the Shen Jing Firearm Camp. They haven't rotated in Liaodong, and they are not familiar with me."

"Except for having met twice, they haven't seen me before. I won't show my face during the day these few days, so they won't have too much impression of my appearance."

"As long as Sister Xiu tries not to leave the carriage, you can pass for me."

"The ten personal guards accompanying me have been through life and death with me in Liaodong and are trustworthy people, so there is no need to worry."

As Jia Cong spoke, he suddenly looked at Qu Hongxiu carefully.

Qu Hongxiu saw his burning gaze, the candle flickering in the carriage, and her heart beat like a deer for no reason.

She had her own skills and was not a weak woman; even Jia Cong's skills were taught by her hand by hand.

For many years, the two didn't know how many days they had been alone, but today, facing Jia Cong's unusual gaze, she was actually a little afraid and uneasy...

Jia Cong laughed, "Sister Xiu looks so good wearing the same clothes as me, and you already look 60-70% like me."

"It's just that your behavior and demeanor are not quite the same. If you imitate them, even if you walk out of the carriage, you can deceive those who are not familiar with me."

Qu Hongxiu was amused by him, her nose wrinkled slightly, and she said, "You really have a thick skin. If you want to praise yourself for being handsome, you don't need to say such things."

She asked again, "Tell me, how to learn your behavior and demeanor..."

Jia Cong said unhurriedly, "First is the voice and tone of speaking, daily habits and behavior, such as walking posture, and also..."

Qu Hongxiu remembered the tips Jia Cong said one by one and secretly pondered, thinking about how to imitate them.

She knew that this trip to Gu Su was crucial for Jia Cong to handle this imperial errand well, so naturally, she didn't want to make any mistakes because of herself.

Jia Cong finished explaining the matters to note and suddenly thought of something, glancing at Qu Hongxiu quickly.

He hesitated for a long time before saying, "Sister Xiu, the figures of men and women are different, so... you have to disguise yourself a little better."

"Otherwise, no matter how much you imitate, it will be very easy for people to see through."

Qu Hongxiu was slightly stunned when she heard this and subconsciously looked down.

A pair of pretty eyes showed anger, and she grabbed Jia Cong's ear, shouting in a low voice, "You little bastard, you actually... actually dare to tease me!"

Jia Cong's brows wrinkled into a ball, and he explained in a low voice, "Sister Xiu, how dare I tease you? I am telling the truth; it is originally like this."

"You're still talking!"

"Sister Xiu, my ear hurts; it's about to be pulled off."

Qu Hongxiu had practiced the blade for many years, and her strength was not small. Although she had long controlled the force, Jia Cong still felt the pain of being pulled.

Subconsciously, he reached out to push her away, accidentally lost his footing, and both of them slipped in the carriage.

The candle on the table also fell over. Jia Cong's heart jumped, worried about the carriage catching fire, and hurriedly reached out to pat the candle out, his hand burned by the hot wax oil.

The carriage was suddenly pitch black. Jia Cong felt his left hand pressing against something soft; it was Qu Hongxiu's slender waist.

Just now, when the two fell, Qu Hongxiu happened to fall into his arms half-leaning. Jia Cong felt his left ear was still being grabbed by her, but it had long lost its force.

A tremor suddenly arose in his heart. The left hand that was pressing down couldn't help but gently hug the other's slender waist; it was soft and full of elasticity, a very good feeling.

Qu Hongxiu's voice trembled, "Brother Jia Cong, what are you doing..."

She struggled slightly, but it seemed to have no effect, so she let him hug her. The two leaned against each other without realizing it, the carriage was silent, and a messy sweetness drifted in the darkness.

After a long while, the surging and blurred feelings, although slowly calmed down, made people want to continue to be obsessed, and neither of them wanted to wake up.

Jia Cong suddenly asked, "Sister Xiu, you didn't wear rose-scented rouge today."

"I'm pretending to be you, how can I wear rouge."

"But I still smell the scent of rouge."

"You're talking nonsense again. I didn't wear rouge at all, where would the scent of rouge come from."

"I really smelled it. Could it be my illusion? Let me smell it carefully again."

In the dark carriage, a sweet and intoxicating breath permeated. Qu Hongxiu felt Jia Cong leaning close to her; she clearly heard his breathing and heartbeat, and her own.

"Brother Jia Cong, you are not allowed to do this, hmm..."

Qu Hongxiu felt a panic, but a pair of hands couldn't help but hug Jia Cong's neck.

……

One night of infatuation into a sweet dream, all kinds of spring breeze turned into rain.

This night, Qu Hongxiu didn't know how much rouge scent was smelled by Jia Cong. If it weren't for the oath she made.

Keeping her mind at the critical moment, I'm afraid all the fragrant benefits would have been eaten up by Jia Cong.

Outside the carriage window, it was slightly white, and Qu Hongxiu woke up from her deep sleep.

She found that her head had been placed on a pillow at some point, and she was covered with a thin quilt.

Noticing the steady breathing beside her, she turned her head and saw Jia Cong lying on his side beside her, sleeping soundly.

His brows were like distant mountains, and the lines of his nose and corners of his mouth were as smooth as a clear spring. In the morning light outside the carriage window, he was indescribably eye-catching.

She turned her body and stared at him for a long time before she was willing to get up slowly.

She also gently covered Jia Cong with the thin quilt on her body.

Thinking of what he said last night, her face turned red. When she got up, she opened the package, found a bundle of white cloth from it, and took off her clothes with her back to Jia Cong.

When Qu Hongxiu got up, Jia Cong was awakened, and he turned his body slightly.

The morning light outside the carriage window shot into the dim brightness through the gap in the carriage curtain.

In the dim light, Jia Cong saw a bare back, the skin crystal clear like jade, white like snow, the lines of the waist graceful and delicate, surprisingly slender and enchanting.

Her jade arms were raised gracefully, circling and turning, wrapping her ice-muscle and jade-bone layer by layer with a roll of white cloth, which had a soul-stirring beauty.

Looking up along the back, there was a bright red blood mole the size of a little finger tip on the back of the neck, shaped like a petal, like a red plum in the snow, which was stunning.

Jia Cong didn't dare to look again, worried about being noticed by Qu Hongxiu, fearing that his ears would be ravaged again.

……

When the sky was bright, the campsite began to become noisy, and everyone began to cook. After breakfast, the team began to set off again.

The two in the carriage, after the romance of last night, became more intimate than ever.

From time to time, they whispered, talking endlessly, and Jia Cong would smell Qu Hongxiu's rouge scent from time to time, and his ears would inevitably be ravaged again.

When the sun was in the middle of the sky, a person chased the team on a fast horse, pointing out that he wanted to see Jia Cong.

That person was brought to the carriage by the personal guards. It was Wang Dequan, who was in charge of the Xin Chun branch in Su Yang. Recently, because of the busy affairs in Jin Ling, he was temporarily transferred to Jin Ling to help by Qu Hongxiu.

Wang Dequan walked close to the carriage and said in a low voice, "Third Master, the feather transmission from Shen Jing was sent to the Jin Ling Xin Chun branch in the middle of the night yesterday. I set off overnight and finally caught up with you."

Jia Cong heard that Shen Jing finally sent a letter, and his spirit was lifted. He took the feather secret letter handed by Wang Dequan into the carriage. The whole letter was transcribed in beautiful small regular script.

The wording and text were exactly the reply Gu Yankui gave him, and the letter completely repeated the content of Emperor Jia Zhao's reply.

Most of the information was about the same as Jia Cong expected, but there were also a few contents that were completely beyond his expectations.

He looked at the date of Gu Yankui's reply; this time would only be earlier than the time the imperial edict left the palace.

According to the itinerary calculation, the imperial edict would only be transmitted to Jin Ling in five days.

Now he knew the content of Emperor Jia Zhao's reply completely, and he had a plan in his heart for what to do next, with no more worries.

Moreover, the content of the Emperor's reply he knew was a full five days earlier than others, occupying a huge advantage in the priority of information.

Jia Cong gave Wang Dequan a few instructions, and the other party left on horseback again.

As a regular official of the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works, it was not a strange thing for someone to send him information along the way.

The musketeers and civilians in the team could all see this scene, and no one would care.

……

In the carriage, Qu Hongxiu was reluctant, combed and re-tied Jia Cong's slightly messy hair from last night, and took out a set of casual clothes prepared in advance to help him change.

Jia Cong said, "The ten personal guards beside me have been through life and death with me in Liaodong and are trustworthy people. They know the ins and outs."

"They will help Sister Xiu cover and protect. Don't leave the carriage much on the road, slow down the pace, just arrive in Gu Su in five days..."

When the sun was in the middle of the sky, Jia Cong's personal soldiers suddenly passed down an order, saying that Commissioner Jia had caught a cold last night and was feeling unwell, so they would rest in place for half a day before setting off.

The accompanying musketeers and civilians naturally had no opinion. Since Commissioner Jia didn't need them to rush for their lives, everyone was happy to be relaxed.

When the soldiers and civilians found a cool place to sleep, the whole camp became quiet.

Only a young man dressed as a civilian, carrying a bucket of water, swayed toward the stream nearby to fetch water.

Not far from the cannon camp, in a woods where the shade covered, four horses were tied.

Three people were resting under the tree, and one was looking at the camp from the edge of the woods. He didn't pay any attention to an inconspicuous civilian carrying a bucket of water leaving the camp.

Even less would he notice that the civilian walked to the nearby stream, observed it sensitively, and after confirming it was safe, threw the bucket into the dense grass pile.

He walked quickly toward a nearby mountain col. Wang Dequan, who had left not long ago, had long been waiting there with a horse according to Jia Cong's instructions.

Jia Cong took out the map he carried and looked at it several times before determining the path.

The two rode the same horse, took a hidden path in the woods, and galloped toward Gu Su. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 437 =====