Chapter 764: Hairpins and fragrance, all of the same kind

Count's Prefecture, Yingchun's Courtyard.

Since Musk entered the East Prefecture, because she was Yingchun's attendant in charge, she came and went in Yingchun's courtyard every day, and the sisters had long since become accustomed to it.

Musk was natural and poised, clever in speech, and got along well with others; she was harmonious in her daily interactions and spoke without restraint.

It was just that when everyone saw her enter the room wearing the same style of palace flower, they were all somewhat surprised. Xiangyun and the others all looked at Baochai, their gazes filled with curiosity.

Musk saw that every young lady in the room had a palace flower in her hair, and the style of the flowers was the same as the one she wore, as if they came from the same source.

Yingchun smiled and said, "This palace flower of yours looks so familiar. We only just received ours, and yet you've already put yours on."

Musk's pretty face flushed slightly. She smoothed the palace flower on her bun and said, "I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence. Miss Bao was just sending palace flowers over."

"Just now, Sister Aroma sent Spring Swallow to pass on a message, saying that she had received the palace flowers sent by Miss Bao. Although she was very grateful for Miss Bao's kindness,"

"she usually stays in the courtyard and rarely goes out, so it would be a waste to leave such beautiful palace flowers sitting idle."

"So she had Spring Swallow bring them to give to me. I saw that these palace flowers were beautiful, so I put one on right away. I feel a bit embarrassed in front of Miss Bao."

Baochai smiled and said, "You are being too formal. Since I gave them to Aroma, they are her own things, and it is naturally up to her who she gives them to."

"She is also a sensible person, which is why she had them sent to you. This is a very good thing. These palace flowers suit you very well, and they look lovely on you."

Baochai thought that Aroma had only just received the palace flowers and had given them to Musk so quickly. Although it was out of the friendship she once had with Musk,

there must have been other reasons. Because Aroma served Baoyu with such dedication, she had always been highly esteemed by her aunt.

Perhaps she had heard rumors from her aunt and knew that her aunt held deep grudges against her. Now, in Baoyu's room, she was the only one who had received palace flowers.

Perhaps she was worried that her aunt would become suspicious of her. This was also possible; she herself had not thought about it so carefully before.

Baochai did not care much about Aroma giving the palace flowers to Musk. The etiquette in Baoyu's room had been fulfilled, and other minor details did not matter.

……

Count's Prefecture, South Slope Small Courtyard.

In the main room's Buddha hall, before the Guanyin statue, sandalwood smoke curled, and the murmuring of Buddhist chants was light and devout.

Sister Miao Yu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, holding prayer beads in her hand, chanting scriptures. Every time she finished a verse, she would strike the sound bowl with a small mallet, emitting a clear and melodious sound.

The sound of the bowl was like heavenly music, lingering in the Buddha hall, long-lasting, as if it could cleanse all the darkness and obscurity in the world.

After the sound of the bowl had rung more than twenty times, Sister Miao Yu's daily lesson came to an end. She opened her beautiful eyes, put down the mallet, and put the prayer beads back around her neck.

Her gaze involuntarily turned to the earth-ware vase placed before the Guanyin statue, in which a branch of red plum with a graceful posture was offered.

The flowers were as red as fire, the stamens dotted with bright yellow, the branches slanting across, and the faint fragrance was refreshing.

In the empty and silent Buddha hall, this branch of red plum was the most eye-catching, vibrant, and fragrant thing, like a ship of mercy that could save all living beings above the weak water where all things sank to the bottom.

In Sister Miao Yu's clear and moist eyes, the graceful red plum was clearly reflected, and she could not help but think of the figure of Jia Cong reaching out to pick the plum in the plum forest that day.

The waveless state of mind nurtured by chanting scriptures just now was instantly somewhat chaotic. She closed her eyes, pinched the prayer beads on her chest, and forced herself to calm her mind.

After a while, she opened her eyes and saw the peach wood nameplate offered before the Guanyin statue next to the earth-ware vase, with Jia Cong's birth date carved on it.

She silently stared at the nameplate, and the cold Zen stillness in her gaze, along with the gradually softening eyes, faded away in an uncontrollable manner……

She reached out and took the mallet, striking the sound bowl, wanting to use it to dispel delusional thoughts, cleanse her inner demons, and return to clarity.

The sound of the bowl was still light and pleasant, but it lacked a bit of ethereal mystery and had a bit more lingering attachment and obsession.

……

In Sister Miao Yu's bedroom, Hearing Zhi Shao was sitting by the bed sewing clothes. Seeing Sister Miao Yu walk into the room, her slender hands lightly pinched the Buddhist beads on her chest, and her expression was somewhat dazed.

Hearing Zhi Shao asked, "Senior Sister, have you finished your lesson in the Buddha hall?"

Sister Miao Yu said, "I have already finished half of the chanting. My body is a bit tired, so I got up to walk around. Are you sewing clothes for Yuzhang again?"

Hearing Zhi Shao said, "The first snow has already fallen, and the weather will get colder and colder. If I finish them early, I can let the Cong Sanye change into them."

Sister Miao Yu walked to the clothes rack and took down another unfinished piece of clothing, which had the needlework of both Sister Miao Yu and Hearing Zhi Shao on it.

She said, "I will help you finish it together. The Muni Academy will soon be finished with repairs, and our Master will be moving away. By then, even if I want to help you, I won't be able to."

Hearing Zhi Shao smiled calmly and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Sister Miao Yu sat on the chair by the south window and picked up the needle and thread to sew the clothes. Just after a few stitches, her originally chaotic mind strangely calmed down.

The stability and calmness while sewing clothes were just like when she had no worries in previous years, when she was chanting scriptures before the Buddha, devoutly believing in the Buddha, and entrusting her body to it.

Hearing Zhi Shao glanced at the fully focused Sister Miao Yu, could not help but smile slightly, and concentrated her mind on the needle and thread again.

……

The two were each threading their needles when they suddenly heard a voice from outside: "Is Sister Hearing Zhi Shao in the room?"

Hearing Zhi Shao put down the clothes in her hand and hurried out of the room. Seeing that it was Yingchun's maid, Embroidery Orange, she smiled and said, "So it's you, Little Sister Embroidery Orange. How did you find your way here?"

Embroidery Orange smiled and said, "Miss Bao sent a box of palace flowers, saying they were for use in the palace. The young lady picked two, and asked me to give them to Sister Hearing Zhi Shao."

Hearing Zhi Shao took the brocade box from Embroidery Orange's hand and opened it to see two exquisite palace flowers. She smiled and said, "What delicate palace flowers. Help me thank your young lady."

After Embroidery Orange left, Hearing Zhi Shao returned to the room, opened the brocade box with a smile, took out a palace flower, and put it on her cloud-like bun in front of the bronze dressing mirror.

Seeing her junior sister dressing up in the mirror, Sister Miao Yu suddenly felt a trace of envy and said, "What exquisite palace flowers. They look like the top-quality gauze ones from the palace."

Hearing Zhi Shao smiled and said, "Although Senior Sister cultivates in the Buddha hall every day and rarely steps out of the house, your knowledge is truly not shallow. You saw the origin of these palace flowers at a glance."

"Just now Embroidery Orange also said that these were for use in the palace, and were sent by Miss Bao of the Xue family in the West Prefecture. I guess it's because her family are imperial merchants that they have the convenience of obtaining such palace flowers."

Sister Miao Yu smiled slightly and said, "What kind of knowledge is this? I just saw my family members wearing them when I was young. I was young then, and I envied them very much in my heart."

"So I asked one more question, and my family told me the story behind them. Although many years have passed, I have never forgotten it."

Hearing Zhi Shao smiled and said, "I knew that Senior Sister must have come from a noble family, otherwise how could you have raised such a person as Senior Sister."

Sister Miao Yu said, "That is not necessarily the case. You have mentioned to me that Yuzhang said you came from a humble background, and your parents' generation were all ordinary people."

"But you were born so outstanding. No wonder Yuzhang cannot forget you. Even after being separated for several years, he still had to search all over Jiangnan to find you back."

"It can be seen that how a person turns out is determined by heaven, and it doesn't have much to do with family background."

Hearing Zhi Shao heard that her senior sister was avoiding the subject, knowing that she did not want to mention the origin of her family, so naturally she would not ask more.

She smiled and said, "Senior Sister envied your family members wearing palace flowers when you were young. Why not fulfill your wish today? I still have one here. Senior Sister, put it on and see."

"I have never seen Senior Sister wear flowers. Let me see how rare it is."

Sister Miao Yu frowned and said, "Nonsense. I am a person who has left the secular world. How can I wear palace flowers? It looks like what kind of appearance."

Hearing Zhi Shao smiled and said, "Senior Sister, you are cultivating with your hair, and your secular ties have not yet ended. Leaving the world and entering the world are both for cultivation."

"Now we are in the inner room, and there are only the two of us. Senior Sister, just wear it for me to see. Others won't see it, and I will definitely not tell Master."

"Wearing palace flowers on your head, with a pure heart, Senior Sister, your cultivation is profound, why be constrained by external appearances?"

Sister Miao Yu glanced at Hearing Zhi Shao and scolded with a smile, "Master taught you Zen principles, and you use them to misinterpret and distort them. Be careful of the sect rules."

Hearing Zhi Shao stuck out her tongue, looked at the gorgeous palace flowers in the box, and thought of Sister Miao Yu's youthful years and great character, ending her life in Buddhist robes and plain hair, and felt pity in her heart.

Unwilling to give up, she said, "If Senior Sister doesn't want to wear it, then forget it. I can only blame myself for not having the eye for it."

Sister Miao Yu's heart softened. She bit her cherry lips slightly with her white teeth, looked at the exquisite palace flowers in the box, and suddenly felt a bit moved.

She said, "Look at you, is it necessary to say it so pitifully? Since you want to see it, I will wear it. You go and close the doors tightly."

"I will take it off after you see it, and you are not allowed to tell others, otherwise I will turn against you."

……

Hearing Zhi Shao saw that she was interesting, could not help but burst into laughter, hurried over to close the door tightly, and even bolted it.

Then she pulled Sister Miao Yu to sit in front of the dressing mirror, and personally helped her take off her Miaochang bun, seeing that her hair was tied into a bun, looking very elegant and cute.

According to Hearing Zhi Shao's meaning, it would be best to help her senior sister change her bun, draw her eyebrows and lips, and then wear the palace flowers. That would be truly beautiful.

However, if she dared to mess around like this, her senior sister would probably really turn against her……

Hearing Zhi Shao took the light purple palace flower from the brocade box and carefully inserted it into Sister Miao Yu's bun in front of the bronze dressing mirror.

At this time, the bright sunlight outside the window shot into the room along the window lattice, reflecting on Sister Miao Yu's pretty, jade-like face.

Apart from a wooden hairpin, there were no other ornaments on her bun. That light purple palace flower was lifelike, its petals elegantly stretched, as if blooming towards the sunlight.

The palace flower was beautiful and charming, set against Sister Miao Yu's simple and plain bun, and matched with her elegant and refined face, it was like black and white ink, instantly dotted with gorgeous colors.

Hearing Zhi Shao could not help but exclaim, "Senior Sister, you look so beautiful wearing palace flowers. Fortunately, I begged you to wear it, otherwise I wouldn't have seen it in my whole life. Wouldn't that be a pity?"

Hearing Zhi Shao leaned in front of the bronze mirror. Both sisters were wearing palace flowers, equally pretty and charming, like twin flowers, reflecting each other, exceptionally dazzling.

Sister Miao Yu had been cultivating with her hair since she was four years old, and from then on, she said goodbye to secular makeup. Even in her own memory, there was no impression of dressing up with flowers.

Sister Miao Yu stared at the bronze mirror without blinking, seeing herself wearing palace flowers, beautiful and charming, incomparable, as if she had changed into another person. Where did she still look like a nun with hair?

Her pretty face could not help but flush with red clouds, and her heart beat uncontrollably, as if shaken by the scene in the mirror, her mind becoming dazed and sinking.

Suddenly, I recalled that elegant red plum blossom offered before the Guanyin statue in Futang Hall, and that birth-date plaque before the Buddha...

Sister Miao Yu silently closed her eyes, not daring to face the scene in the mirror, as if looking at it a few more times would make her sink into the abyss and not want to extricate herself from then on.

She gently took off the palace flower on her head, and only then did she open her eyes. The beauty and charm in the bronze mirror seemed to have faded away instantly.

Hearing Zhi Shao felt a bit regretful and said, "Senior Sister, why did you take off the flower? You don't know how beautiful you looked wearing it."

Sister Miao Yu's face was still flushed, and she smiled and said, "I said I would wear it for you to see, and then I would take it off. You still want me to wear it all the time."

Hearing Zhi Shao sighed slightly, "I just feel that such a person as Senior Sister is really a pity."

Although Hearing Zhi Shao's words were not quite right, Sister Miao Yu understood what she meant. She put the palace flower into the brocade box and stuffed it into Hearing Zhi Shao's hand.

She said softly, "Master once told me that everyone has their own fate. The green lamp and the ancient Buddha are fate, and gratitude and affection are also fate."

"If it is in your life, do not refuse or abandon it. Accepting fate from heaven is great kindness."

"I was born with my own fate, so I should just be content with whatever happens. You should wear this palace flower. If you wear it, it's as if I wore it."

Hearing Zhi Shao heard Sister Miao Yu's last sentence, and suddenly felt a bit sour in her heart……

……

Count's Prefecture, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

Dusk fell, and the lanterns on the eaves of the courtyard veranda were lit one by one. The bright, pale yellow light spilled down gently.

In the main room, Hearing Zhi Shao, Wuer, Ping'er, Qingwen, Zhen Ying Lian, and others sat around the table, their gazes constantly looking towards the courtyard gate.

Lingguan walked into the courtyard with two maids, each carrying several food boxes in their hands. Entering the main room, she did not see Jia Cong's figure.

She said, "It's already past the time to get off work, why haven't we seen the Cong Sanye return to the prefecture? Could something have happened?"

Wuer said, "The Cong Sanye has always traveled all over the world. What kind of situation hasn't he seen? How could anything happen? It must be that the office is busy, delaying the time to get off work."

Lingguan said, "Then I will take the rice and dishes back to the kitchen and put them on the steamer, so that the Cong Sanye can eat them hot when he returns."

Hearing Zhi Shao said, "It's already dark. The Cong Sanye must be busy at the office. Looking at this situation, I'm afraid he will be late returning to the prefecture."

"Just heat up the Cong Sanye's portion. We should open the table and eat first. Everyone has been busy all day, so we should eat and rest early."

Ping'er said, "It's my turn to be on night duty tonight. I'll wait for the Cong Sanye to return, and then I'll serve him his meal."

Everyone heard this and felt it made sense, so they started to eat. It was just that with Jia Cong missing from the table, everyone was eating absent-mindedly.

After a hasty dinner, the sky outside was completely dark, and Jia Cong was still not seen returning to the prefecture.

Hearing Zhi Shao, Wuer, Ping'er, and others sat in the main room roasting fire and chatting.

Although they were worried about Jia Cong, it was not uncommon for him to return late from work, so they did not have any extra worries.

By the time it was past the hour of Xu, Jia Cong was still not seen returning to the prefecture. Everyone had no choice but to disperse first and return to their rooms to rest.

Hearing Zhi Shao thought of the last words Sister Miao Yu said in her room just now, her expression was somewhat lonely, and she could not help but feel worried in her heart.

Because it was not her turn to be on night duty tonight, and thinking that in a few days, her Master and Senior Sister would return to Muni Academy, she returned to the South Slope Small Courtyard.

She was also worried about Jia Cong, so she went outside the courtyard to instruct the night-patrolling old woman that as long as the Cong Sanye entered the inner courtyard, she should go to the South Slope to pass the message to her, so she could feel at ease at night.

Lingguan asked the kitchen to bring hot water and a steamer, stored Jia Cong's food in it, and placed it next to the incense cage in the main room.

She replaced the hot water every two quarters of an hour to prevent the food in the steamer from getting cold.

Ping'er entered the main bedroom, lit the candles in the room, and did some needlework in her spare time, feeling her eyes a bit sore.

She rubbed her eyes, turned the candle flame brighter, pushed open the door slightly, and looked at the empty courtyard. The night was getting deeper and deeper……

……

Outside the east suburb of Shenjing City, Ministry of Works Firearm Division Workshop.

Although night had fallen, the inside and outside of the workshop were brightly lit, and the surrounding guard towers were heavily guarded. A hundred paces away from the workshop, dense camps of the Forbidden Army were stationed.

Because it was close to the twelfth lunar month, there was less than a month left before the deadline for the construction of 500 breech-loading guns ordered by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao.

Jia Cong did not get off work on time today. He waited for each workshop to collect the day's construction affairs, gathered the main personnel of the workshop, and checked the finished firearms in the warehouse.

The warehouse of the workshop was a restricted area, with pine oil torches lit on all four walls, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.

There were many long wooden boxes in the warehouse, densely filling most of the warehouse floor. The boxes were filled with newly built breech-loading firearms.

This was a warehouse dedicated to storing finished firearms, and only here was night lighting allowed.

As for the special warehouse for storing ammunition and gunpowder, unless there were special circumstances, open flames were absolutely prohibited at night.

The main officials of the workshop and the heads of each workshop stood in the warehouse, everyone's expression was rigorous, and their faces were filled with excitement.

Leading them were Jia Cong, the Supervisor of the Firearm Division, and Liu Shizhen, the Deputy Supervisor.

Qian Huai, the manager of the workshop, was leading two small officials from the Ministry of Works, counting the number of newly built breech-loading guns in the boxes.

After three rounds of verification and counting, one by one registration and calculation, confirming that the quantity was correct, the counters signed and stamped.

Manager Qian Huai stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the Lord, after several counts, there are now 482 newly built breech-loading firearms completed."

"At present, each workshop still has sufficient inventory of accessories, and the remaining 18 breech-loading firearms can be assembled and tested within three days."

"Calculated according to this time, the workshop is a full half-month ahead of the deadline set by the imperial decree, achieving the responsibility of building 500 breech-loading guns."

The craftsmen heads in each workshop present were all skilled craftsmen carefully selected from all over the country. After several years of training in the workshop, they were now all kinds of firearm masters under Jia Cong.

Jia Cong proposed the concept of breech-loading gun construction and related structural drawings, which was a very advanced matter for this era.

It required these skilled craftsmen to verify and practice countless times before they could be put into practice to the greatest extent.

These brand-new breech-loading firearms were not only Jia Cong's clever ideas, but also the condensation of the hard work of these firearm masters.

Now that they finally saw the results, naturally everyone was happy in their hearts.

Jia Cong said, "Manager Guo, four days later, send a document to the Ministry of War, asking Minister Gu to send someone to inspect and count the firearms, and then seal them immediately, waiting for the imperial decree to be distributed."

"In the following three days, in addition to completing the assembly and boxing of the remaining 33 breech-loading guns,"

"each workshop should draw personnel to inspect other firearms in the warehouse to ensure that the performance of the firearms is flawless."

"Completing the responsibility of building 500 breech-loading guns, all workshops cannot relax their progress, and continue to step up construction before the end of the year."

"Deputy Supervisor Liu is responsible for calculating the required labor and materials. I will immediately ask for an imperial decree from the Emperor, and then coordinate with the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue to implement it."

Liu Shizhen, Qian Huai, and the masters of each workshop present took orders one after another.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "After the sample gun test firing was successful, it took less than half a year to complete the construction of 500 breech-loading guns."

"This is the result of the dedication and sincere efforts of everyone in the workshop, every master, and every craftsman in the workshop."

"After the Ministry of War finishes counting and verifying the firearms, I will immediately submit a report to the Emperor to ask for credit for all my colleagues!"

After distributing the relevant affairs, everyone dispersed. Jia Cong kept Liu Shizhen alone and gave him various matters, which must be implemented.

Before the end of the year, strengthen the control inside and outside the workshop, and eliminate all unauthorized exits.

Send a message to the Forbidden Army guarding the workshop to strengthen the guard within five miles of the workshop. Jia Cong will also write to the Emperor to add 500 Forbidden Army soldiers to guard the workshop.

Now the war on the Nine Borders is on the verge of breaking out, and the remnant Mongol delegation has entered the capital to negotiate peace. Thousands of delegation members are stationed in the northern suburbs of Shenjing City.

Moreover, the camp of the remnant Mongol delegation stationed in the north of the city is only ten miles away from the firearm workshop.

Although the workshop is guarded by heavy troops, the current situation is quite sensitive. Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao has high hopes for the breech-loading firearms, and Jia Cong has to be doubly cautious. (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 765 =====