Chapter 191: A Triple Kill Formation
At the beginning of the Mao hour, the wooden door of the Xianchun Embroidery Workshop in the west of the city creaked open slowly.
The embroidery woman, A Qiao, exhaled a puff of white mist and slowly stepped over the threshold.
“This weather, it just got cold so quickly.”
She muttered softly, raising her hand to lift the blue cloth from the embroidery frame.
The unfinished Twin Lotuses embroidery pattern came into view. On the pink and white petals, two faint creases were subtly visible…
“Sister A Qiao, is the nightgown Consort Zhang ordered ready? It must be delivered to the Prince’s Mansion today, no more delays…” The embroidery woman, Xi’er, rubbed her eyes as she entered, only to see A Qiao had already changed the thread on her silver needle.
“It’s just about finished. I’ll deliver it myself later.”
Xianchun Embroidery Workshop was the most renowned in Shangjing City, especially for its nightgowns. Their designs were unique and ingenious, with thin fabric that clung to the body, exquisitely outlining a woman’s soft curves. Any man who saw them would inevitably be captivated.
The female relatives of marquis and high officials also came here by reputation.
A Qiao didn’t look up, her needle moving across the satin surface. The lotus seed head in the center of the flower was lifelike. However, the veins of the lotus stem appeared more delicate and flowing than in ordinary embroidery, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship…
–
At this moment, in the blacksmith shop across the street from the embroidery workshop, the blacksmith A Hu was diligently shoeing several spirited horses with his two apprentices.
The horse owner was a merchant from Xizi, dressed in foreign attire. He had brought ten horses, all well-fed and strong, each exceptionally spirited.
That Xizi merchant was impatient, tapping his copper bell and shouting loudly to urge them on.
“Faster, faster, be quick with your hands and feet, don’t delay our important business!”
“Yes, sir! Just a moment, Master, it’ll be ready soon…” A Hu smiled, but his hands didn’t stop, forcefully hammering the iron nails.
Sparks flew, landing on his hand, but he didn’t seem to notice. The cold glint in his eyes was hotter than the sparks.
After a while, when the Xizi man left with the horses, A Hu quickly hung a horseshoe with the same pattern at the entrance of the blacksmith shop.
“The target has taken the bait,” he muttered softly.
–
On the same day, in the kitchen of the Qingping Posthouse, everyone was busy preparing meals.
The cook, Sister Wang, stood by the stove, steaming fragrant glutinous rice balls in a steamer.
The bamboo steamer was slowly lifted, and a faint sweet almond scent mixed with the steam.
“They’re ready!”
Sister Wang nimbly placed the glutinous rice balls into a food box. On the oiled paper lining the food box’s interlayer, a silver-gray cloud pattern was printed, resembling quietly blooming petals.
“Are these for those Xizi merchants? They smell so good! Sister Wang, can I try one?” The assistant cook, Xiao Liu’er, leaned in with a craving, but Sister Wang lightly tapped her hand.
“Children shouldn’t be greedy.”
Sister Wang chided playfully as she tied up several filled food boxes and handed them to Xiao Liu’er, instructing:
“Take them to the courtyard quickly, don’t delay too long, or they won’t be good to eat.”
–
Night fell.
Shangjing City’s lanterns were lit, the streets and alleys hazy and indistinct.
The night watchman, Old Chen, carried his clapper and slowly walked through the blue stone alley.
“Dry weather, be careful of fire—”
The sound of the clapper was exceptionally clear in the silent night, its tail end drawn out.
In the shadows of the corner, the stableman Xiao Shun pricked up his ears, carefully counting the clapper beats.
Inside his coarse cloth padded jacket, he hid a sharp cutting knife.
“Dong—Dong—Dong—”
Just after the clapper sounded, Old Chen suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground.
Clang!
The clapper hit the ground and rolled into the gutter.
Xiao Shun’s shadow straightened up from his side. He quickly put away the throat-cutting weapon and hurried forward to check.
After confirming he had no breath, he quickly changed into Old Chen’s dark blue uniform and pushed the body into the gutter…
In the shadows of the west corner gate of the posthouse, a guard hummed a tune while urinating at the base of the blue stone wall.
The water flowed with a trickling sound, and the wine gourd at his waist swayed with his movements.
Xiao Shun sniffed and pretended to approach enthusiastically: “Brother, are you drinking Pear Blossom White?”
“Indeed! It’s brewed by a Hu Ji who just arrived from the east city…”
The guard, with drunken eyes, looked at Xiao Shun in confusion before finishing his sentence.
“Hey, who are you…”
“Your grandpa!”
Before the words were out, the thin blade from Xiao Shun’s sleeve flashed like lightning across his throat.
The body hadn’t yet fallen when Xiao Shun quickly supported him, dragged him to the base of the wall, took out a key from his pocket, and beckoned towards the darkness…
From the hay pile, several masked men in black quickly emerged, their sharp blades glinting, flashing in the moonlight.
“Attack!”
The iron chain clattered to the ground, and a hidden compartment beneath the hay pile quietly opened…
Meanwhile, in the side rooms of the posthouse, the guards of the Xizi merchant caravan, having eaten the drugged glutinous rice balls, were snoring loudly.
No one knew what had happened that night…
When the first ray of dawn illuminated the mottled stone path, a corpse lay quietly in the drainage ditch of the blue stone alley, its throat cut by a thin blade.
Someone who recognized him said the deceased was Old Chen, the night watchman. He had killed his wife last month, and this was his retribution.
–
That day, the rain cleared and the sky turned sunny.
Taking advantage of the sun, Xiao Zhao, with two maids, nimbly spread out bamboo mats and carefully sifted the osmanthus flowers newly picked this autumn, spreading them out evenly to dry.
Xue Sui wanted to make two osmanthus-filled pillows for Xue Ji, saying they could help calm her nerves, and the young maids were all enthusiastic.
Xue Ji leaned back on a soft chair in the corridor, directing the maids to bring out the daisies she had picked and spread them on the bamboo mats as well.
“Gently, all of you, be gentle, don’t crush the flower stamens,”
She said softly, coughing lightly. The silver threads at her temples were particularly striking in the sunlight.
“The rain was heavy yesterday, and the flower baskets hanging under the eaves are soaked. If they get any wetter, these flowers will get moldy.”
“Concubine Xue, don’t worry. With this strong sun today, we’ll make sure the flowers are thoroughly dried.”
“Look, you’re spoiling these flowers.” Xue Ji chided verbally, but her eyes held a smile.
Xue Yue Lou entered the gate of Li Xiang Courtyard, holding Ming Ge’er’s hand. Seeing everyone busy, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’ve come at a good time, Sixth Sister is busy.”
Xue Sui was standing on a wooden ladder, hanging a lantern under the eaves.
Her moon-white skirt gently billowed in the wind, like a fairy descending to earth.
Hearing the sound, she turned and smiled, “Mother always likes to fuss. In a few days, it will be the Zhongyuan Festival. With nothing else to do, I made a prayer lantern and prepared some mugwort sachets and lotus lanterns. You can take some back with you later, Second Sister.”
“Then I won’t be polite,” Xue Yue Lou said with a smile, coming over to greet Xue Ji.
Xue Sui slowly descended the wooden ladder.
Ru Yi came out with the tea stove and was startled when she saw her, shouting.
“Young Lady, be careful not to fall! Don’t you have eyes? Why are you letting the Young Lady hang lanterns?”
Xiao Zhao pursed her lips and chuckled: “What are you rushing for? The Young Lady is much steadier than you. You could fall a hundred times, and the Young Lady wouldn’t fall once.”
“Bah, bah, bah, you jinx!” Ru Yi spat.
Xue Sui ignored the two girls’ playful banter, poured the mint water into a teacup, placed it on the wooden table under the eaves, and beckoned Ming Ge’er over to wash his hands and eat.
“You two bickering might scare the child.”
Everyone else laughed along.
For a moment, the courtyard was filled with the scent of mint water mixed with osmanthus.
Xue Yue Lou watched Xue Sui busy herself, her expression slightly solemn.
“Sixth Sister, have you heard everything?”
