CHAPTER 14 PART 3 PAVILON AGRREMENT
Naturally, Su Wanniang did not sleep again this night. By the time she got up the next day, her hands were trembling as she served tea. After having breakfast, Shen Wen shook her hand and said, "Don't be so nervous, it's really going to be fine, he'll definitely say yes."
Su Wanniang nodded vigorously, but her heart was still in a state of confusion. The next day, Shen Yi decided to go hiking, and Shen Jian and others followed, but Shen Wen said she was tired, so she stayed at the temple. Shen Yi took most of the guards with him and left five or six men behind for Shen Wen. He also repeatedly told Shen Wen not to go out of the temple courtyard and to let someone put out a signal if there was something wrong, before he left with the group.
Near noon, after they had lunch, Shen Wen asked Su Wanniang to go out and bring herself some more flowers, to which Su Wanniang responded. He Shi accompanied Su Wanniang to the guards guarding the courtyard gate. Then Su Wanniang hurriedly left their compound and made her way through the sparsely visited temple courtyard and made her way out of the gate.
There were three or four carriages parked outside the temple gates, and the Marquis Mansion’s carriages and horses were behind the temple; these were the ones that arrived today. Su Wanniang looked carefully, those carriages looked like good materials, but there were no markings, they should be people who came to the temple today to burn incense. Su Wanniang guessed that among these carriages there might be Ji Wenzhao's carriage.
The Moon Watching Pavilion is on a small, high slope in the fruit grove and has fallen into disrepair, with the paint peeling off and one of the corners of the pavilion falling off. Inside one can see the moon in the sky over the branches of the trees, but the surrounding fruit trees hide the pavilion and make the place very quiet. Su Wanniang walked around the Moon Watching Pavilion from afar, making sure that the sparse fruit forest was empty before she passed through the forest. When she almost reached the pavilion, she could vaguely see a person standing inside.
Su Wanniang's heart was beating out of her chest, and instead of hurrying, she took one step at a time, calming her breathing.
Ji Wenzhao stood in the pavilion, looking at the young girl walking between the sunlight and the shadows of the trees. Although she was only in her early teens, she could already tell that she would be a great beauty in the future. Her clothes were simple and she had no expensive jewellery on her head, so she was probably just a servant girl. Ji Wenzhao sighed that this must be an extremely powerful family, for even a servant was so beautiful.
Su Wanniang entered the pavilion and gave a salute to Ji Wenzhao, who returned it. Su Wanniang did not speak and did not give her name. After all, she was in maid's attire, who would care about a maid's name?
Ji Wenzhao waited for a moment and first opened the folding fan in his hand to reveal the Ge trigram, which was a kind of introduction of himself.
Su Wanniang smiled and asked, "May I ask how many days you have studied for this trigram?"
However, Ji Wenzhao did not smile and stared at Su Wanniang, and Su Wanniang was still smiling, "My master is skilled in numerology and wants to use this to see if Gongzi is Ji Wenzhao himself." Although her face was still smiling, the hands in her sleeves were clenched into fists.
Ji Wenzhao said, "Five days in total."
Su Wanniang nodded her head. Ji Wenzhao asked, "If I hadn't said five days, What words would young lady have asked again?"
Su Wanniang smiled again: " May I ask what family does Gongzi have betrothed to?”
Ji Wenzhao feels fear in his heart: Only before he left, Only then did his mentor settle the marriage with his parents, agreeing not to say anything to the public until he became a member of the civil service, so as not to give the impression that he was a strange commodity and and if they can't get him, they'll make a move on him in case it's cheaper for his rivals. His city was several hundred miles from here, so if someone had sent a letter, it would have been possible ......
Ji Wenzhao asked again, "If I still do not get the answer right, what else will the young lady testify with?"
This time Su Wanniang sighed, "If Gongzi have not answered correctly twice, then either you are not Ji Gongzi or Ji Gongzi cannot treat each other with sincerity, and my master will not want to befriend Ji Gongzi. In the future, my master will no longer be concerned about the Misfortune of Ji Gongzi."
Ji Wenzhao frowned: "What do you mean by 'my misfortune', did your master actually calculate that I have misfortune? Is it that underneath it is to recruit me to serve your master on the pretext of helping me avoid misfortune?"
Su Wanniang lowered her eyes and said, "My master is not trying to recruit you, she just wants to ask you to investigate a case, and she said that if you find out the details of this case, you might be able to understand who you want to serve in the future." She was so nervous about this that she could only ensure that her voice did not tremble at this point.
Ji Wenzhao finally smiled, "Is your Master so confident that I will help with this?"
Afraid of revealing her urgency, Su Wanniang did not even dare to raise her eyelids as she whispered, "My master said that investigating this case is not difficult for you, on the contrary, you might gain a life later because of it, so why not?"
Ji Wenzhao's heart twitched, "Why do you say that?"
Su Wanniang said, "Heaven's information cannot be revealed, my master said that if Gongzi found out the case, he would naturally understand where to go, if not, then if he lost his life, he should not blame God and die in peace."
Once again, Ji Wenzhao felt a chill run down his back, but as he had always been proud of himself, he smiled and said, "It seems like I have taken a big advantage, your master is well versed in the art of threatening and enticing."
Su Wanniang lost her smile and said with a stern face, "My master admires your talent, so he is willing to give you guidance. If Gongzi does not believe it, my Master will not force the matter, so allow me to leave now!" She felt that Ji Wenzhao was not going to help, and with a chill in her heart, her face became as cold as ice as she turned around and walked away.
When Ji Wenzhao saw this, he blurted out, "Please stay here, young lady."
Su Wanniang was so disappointed that she was almost in tears. She did not dare to turn back, but only tried to keep her voice steady and asked, "What does the gongzi have to say?"
Ji Wenzhao frowned and pondered, at this moment, how he could not figure out what the other party was up to. Is it to recruit himself? But as soon as he heard that he was not taking this up, he immediately abandoned himself, as if he was not famous, he was a national player, alright? But if he had no intention of soliciting him, why did he offer a chess game, give a fan and go to such lengths to arrange this meeting?
Thinking of this, Ji Wenzhao asked, "When your master came out of that game of life and death, did he himself have a solution?"
Su Wanniang flattened her tone and began to recite ......
Ji Wenzhao had finally come up with an answer these days, and at that moment he closed his eyes and laid out the chess pieces in his head according to what Su Wanniang had said, and had just listened to two score lines when he shouted: "Stop!" The solution was bolder than his answer, and he dared not listen further, ready to follow this line of thought and go back and work it out on his own.In his imagination, the owner of this beautiful servant girl became a grey-haired old man with excellent chess skills and good fortune telling, who wanted to test himself as a young man.
Looking at Su Wanniang's back, Ji Wenzhao sighed out loud and said, "Well, as a token of my gratitude to this game bureau, I will take on this case of your master. My master's disciples are all over the capital, so it should not be difficult to investigate anything. Tell me, who do you want me to ask about?"
Su Wanniang's heart was beating wildly, but she slowly turned around and first saluted Ji Wenzhao, "Many thanks, Gongzi ." Then she said,"My master also said that if Gongzi took this case, to have Gongzi promise not to alert anyone in the investigation of this case, not to reveal that Gongzi was investigating this case, not to let anyone know that someone had entrusted Gongzi to investigate, not even Gongzi's friends and relatives who are much closer, otherwise Gongzi's life would be in danger. If Gongzi cannot guarantee these three things, my master will still not allow Gongzi to do this, lest Gongzi die as a result, and my master will be upset about it."
Ji Wenzhao let out a gasp, "Is it that dangerous?" He laughed arrogantly, "When you say that, I am intrigued. Fine, I've agreed to it, so please tell me whose case it is."
Su Wanniang raised her eyes and looked around, the fruit forest outside the pavilion was quiet and empty, her eyes were once again fixed on her toes, she leaned forward and said in a very low voice: "Su Changting, the head of the Treasury Bureau in Ministry of Household, was wanted for embezzlement, but died in prison before he could be convicted. Please, Gongzi, find out where the evidence of his crime lies, who turned him in, and how he died in prison." It took Su Wanniang's best efforts to keep from trembling, but her voice was a little shaky.
Ji Wenzhao did not notice Su Wanniang's nervousness as he strained to hear Su Wanniang's whispered words and nodded as if in understanding: Treasure Bureau , the place where money is managed ...... The person who has this position has the power to control gold and silver. The Ministry of Household is also the department that appoints officials, and controls the salaries of officials... Ji Wenzhao smiled and said: "Good, I will then go and check who has done this, and whether this person is guilty or not guilty. May I ask you, young lady, if I have the result, how shall I come to tell?"
Su Wanniang lowered her head and said, "At half past haishi(9-11pm) on the on the 15th day of the first month of next year, I'll be in the Guanyi Pavilion."
Ji Wenzhao said in surprise, "It's only Fourth month now, how could this case take so long?"
Su Wanniang said, "Perhaps Gongzi can find out early, but my master does not want Gongzi to reveal himself, so it is better to be cautious. With plenty of time, Gongzi will not act in haste."
Ji Wen Zhao smiled a little, "Just thank your master for his kindness, I guess your master is not prepared to tell me who he is?"
Su Wanniang nodded and said: "My master said that it would be better for Gongzi not to explore who she is, so as not to attract the attention of others, which would be troublesome for both Gongzi and my master." After saying this, she bowed again and said, "Thank again for Gongzi’s assistance, and farewell."
She came from an official family and had her own manners and poise. After saluting, she hurried away. Ji Wenzhao looked at her back and sighed: a servant girl with such manners, what a transcendent and elegant person that master would be.
Ji Wenzhao knew that people from the Marquis of Zhenbei's house were now in the temple, but he had much contempt for martial houses, and, as there were other people's carriages outside the temple, it was too easy to use the Marquis of Zhenbei's house as cover. Knowing that the other side did not want him to probe for his identity, he did not delve any deeper and got into his carriage to go back to the city, thinking about how to start investigating the case.
