A sole gyrfalcon landed on a wooden frame in an unremarkable family's courtyard outside of Tiandu city.
An old man with a bent waist hobbled over on a cane to pick up the gyrfalcon, then he undid a piece of silk that had been folded over many times from its leg.
The old man coughed twice, then he slowly returned to his house with his back still bent.
He took out a log from the pile of firewood by the fireplace.
He made some strange hand movements, then he struck the wood.
The piece of silk vanished with a cracking noise; that piece of firewood was all that was left in the old man's hand.
The old man threw the log into the unlit fireplace.
After completing this series of actions, the old man coughed once again.
He turned to leave the house with a bent back to soak up the sun in the courtyard.
***
Capital city, Windsor Castle.
The scholar's four treasures and a mythical bird figured brush rest was arranged on a large desk covered with satin cloth.
Three rectangular pieces of silk were laid out in the middle of its surface.
A fair and delicate hand picked up one of the pieces.
There were dense and numerous small words written on it.
--Liam rode Longleg to travel continuously to an intersection; changed route to Lian city.
Encountered mountain bandit Bambam outside of city gates.
Bambam wished to follow Liam.
Liam refused resolutely. He raced away on Longleg; then he stopped at Zaozi village.
First, he bought two kilograms of rice with a hundred and ten zhus at Erin's house. Then, he afforded sixty zhus for twenty hens at Armin's house, to gift to the Kim family. The elders shed tears of gratitude. They made Liam stay, and prepared dinner.
Bambam arrived before the meal began.
The next day, Liam and Bambam left together.--
---
Jennie could not resist curving the corner of her lips once she read this silk report.
Warmth flowed past her heart.
In a trance, she thought about that old couple who lived in an old courtyard, who allowed them to stay the night back then.
LIsa helped them to chop wood and fetch water, and the two seniors liked her very much. They had even made her promise to come back again someday.
Jennie put down this silk report to pick up the second one.
--Liam returned to camp, greeted the General. He exited the tent, no longer as spirited.
At the Flying-Feather barracks, he laughed with comrades.
He requested a meeting with the General the next day. He left the tent with a relieved expression, then he called Jackson, Gyomei, Muichiro, Bambam to a discussion within his tent. They were dismissed half an hour later.
On the same day, Liam left a written document to the General, then he led Bambam and Muichiro to Lian city.
This lowly one slipped into the tent to search for Liam's document.
Liam's writing was unexpectedly ugly, it could not be deciphered.
Fearing the General's return; a replica couldn't be made for the master. A kowtow for apology here...
Liam's team arrived at Huzhou city, entered tea house--
-----
"Your Highness!"
"Come in."
Receiving Jennie's permission, Nayeon pushed the door to her study to walk inside.
She came towards Jennie with light and quiet footsteps, then she asked: "Its noon, your Highness. Should lunch be served?"
Jennie continued staring at the silk report in her hand as she answered: "I have no appetite today."
"Your Highness!"
Nayeon kicked the ground. She was about to say something to persuade her, but unexpectedly, Jennie suddenly revealed a brilliant smile.
"Your Highness?"
Jennie put away the smile on her face slowly.
She swept a look over the silk report in her hand again, then she raised her eyes, "Since it is so, infuse a pot of half mountain spirit for me. Make a plate of jade dew linglong pastry too." She said to Nayeon.
Nayeon could not understand why Jennie who hadn't had any appetite for several days would suddenly change her mind, but she still revealed a joyous expression.
She gave her salutations: "Please wait a moment, your Highness. This maid will prepare it at once."
Nayeon left Jennie's study happily.
Jennie looked at the silk report in her hand, recalling that time where she had invited Lisa to sit for a while at her castle.
During those days, she was still worried about the Dukes' hidden little tricks and other matters. That was why she could not stomach anything.
That scene happened the same way as today; Nayeon had asked if lunch should be served, but she did not have much of an appetite, and Lisa has already eaten.
So, she had turned down Nayeon's suggestions. However, Nayeon asked out of worry for her: "Your Highness, perhaps this maid should make your favorite jade dew linglong pastry?"
Jennie laughed lightly: who would've thought? This person had firmly remembered it.
What kind of thoughts did he have when he ordered this dessert...?
Jennie smiled as she put down the second silk report.
She took up the third one, but the last piece had just a sparse few words.
--Liam arrived in Fanli city, then he visited a brothel at night...--
Jennie furrowed her brows as she put down the silk report.
A shred of displeasure emerged in her heart.
She thought back to the time where she was at the military camp.
This person had walked me to the prostitution camp without thinking, and now he's taking the chance to visit a brothel during an investigation of provisions?
Didn't Jackson say that Liam had... suffered injury? Why would he still go to a brothel?
Was he unable to give it up? Or had it healed completely?
A brothel...
Hmph. What was the surveilling shadows even doing?
If I had known that this person was such a lecher earlier, would I have needed to spend so much effort roping him in?
Thinking to this point, Jennie took up a brush from the brush stand.
She took a piece of blank silk, then she dipped the brush in ink.
With one hand drawing back the sleeve of her palace clothes, the other wielded the brush to write energetically...
***
Three days ago...
LISA
I had left Huzhou city from the south gates with Bambam...
I pulled on the reins once we were outside of the city gates, "Go down for a look, are there still any traceable hoof tracks on this road?"
"Ai, right away!"
Bambam got down from his horse.
Once he was on the dirt path, he crouched over like a cat as he walked forward with small steps. He kept his head lowered to observe the road, while he occasionally reached a hand out to feel parts of the ground, grabbing and nudging the dirt.
One of the reasons why I took in him was concern over his mountain bandit origins. I feared that he would bring trouble to the two seniors in the future.
Another reason was that, despite the many forked paths between Zaozi village and Lian city, he could still track me the whole way just by reading hoof tracks.
That was what impressed me the most, and that was why I made the decision to bring him back to the military camp!
To turn over a new leaf was a good thing. But if he did not have any expertise with him, I wouldn't have an actual need to bring him back to the military camp.
I wouldn't have to go through all that extra trouble to get him in either.
I had long expected for him to be useful, but I did not think that it would be so soon!
Bambam maintained this position for hundreds of steps ahead, then he finally straightened up his back.
I slowly followed behind him while leading the two horses.
When I saw Bambam straighten up, I jutted my chin a little as I threw back the reins to him.
"How is it?" I asked.
Bambam revealed a gleeful expression. He grinned as he mounted his horse, then he answered: "Lian city truly can't be compared to Huzhou city. Too many caravans go through this place, so it took more effort, but I still found it in the end. Young master, please follow me!"
"Mm." I nodded with satisfaction.
Squeezing Longleg's abdomen, I followed behind Bambam.
But the further south we went, the greater the uncertainty in my heart.
For the fabric business to leave in such a hurry, there's a strong possibility that what they carried away was the missing provisions.
To go to the capital would be a ruse.
Based on my hypothesis, even though they have left the south city gates, the caravans should change directions halfway along the road...
Bambam led us on the official road the whole way, and this official road did lead to the capital indeed.
I felt even more perplexed.
But I believed in his ability.
And so, tolerating the uncertainty in my heart, Bambam and I chased down the official road for two days.
At last, we arrived in Fanli city!
The sky was already turning black by the time that we entered the city.
I brought out two zhus for a soldier guarding the city, easily getting the whereabouts of Fiero fabric business pit stop— the biggest warehouse at the city's south!
I was delighted by this news, I could not be concerned about much else.
I headed to the warehouse south of the city with Bambam right away.
Once we arrived at the city's south, it was just the time where the evening lights were lit.
Unexpectedly, the warehouse was not just thickly walled and tightly locked. There were also more than ten built guards watching over the entrance.
"Boss, may I ask if this is Fiero fabric business?"
The build guard guarding the entrance looked me up and down.
Seeing that I was dressed in coarse and practical clothes, he started to chase me away impatiently: "Shoo shoo shoo... Our fabric business is relocating to the capital city, everything inside is expensive goods. Idlers better not get too close, or someone could get hurt!"
Hearing this, I felt annoyed.
However, the letter given by the Commander-in-Chief was left with Muichiro.
I did not have proof to support my investigation, and it was not good to alarm the authorities either.
I tried to persuade the build guard, but he would not budge. Ultimately, I had no choice but to leave.
I reached a hand into my chest, feeling the jade pendant that she had given me.
I remembered the reaction that those two guards at the palace gates had when they saw this jade pendant.
Perhaps... This jade pendant could help me...
I perished this thought as soon as it emerged.
The loss of provisions happened too strangely; it may lead to even more earth-shaking matters.
She gifted this jade pendant to me with so much trust. That was all the more reason why I shouldn't use it freely...
If I ended up involving her because I was not careful, wouldn't it make her situation in the palaces become even more difficult than it was now?
I had no choice but to take Bambam along to stay in an inn temporarily.
----
The next day.
I changed into my extravagant outfit, bringing silver money with me.
I went alone to the warehouse south of the city under the night sky.
The built guard looked at me with suspicion, thinking that I looked familiar. However, the sky was too dark, and I have tan skin, so my features were difficult to distinguish.
I brought out a few zhus to award this person, then made up a conversation without revealing anything.
From this, I attained information that the key to this warehouse was with the head of the fabric business, Marcus Fiero.
No one could even think about getting in without the key.
"Actually, my family is a tailoring business. While I was out on a trip for supplies, I've heard that this fabric business is also in Fanli city, so I wish to make an acquaintance with the head of the business. Do you know of his location?"
"Our boss should be at Hundred Flower inn. Young master can just head there to find him!"
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