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墨書 Inktalez
She followed the pattern and pulled out a few books, only to discover a hidden compartment at the back! Inside the compartment was a small wooden box, intricately carved, adorned with several plum blossoms.
"This is..." Nangong Shuang's heart raced as she carefully took out the box. It had a lock, but that was no challenge for her. She retrieved a silver needle as fine as a cow's hair from her hairpin and gently inserted it into the keyhole. After a moment, she heard a soft click, and the lock opened.
Inside the box lay a stack of yellowed letter paper and a jade pendant. The pendant was warm to the touch, intricately carved with a plum blossom that bore a striking resemblance to the mark on her wrist!
"Could this also be the Plum Blossom Token?" Nangong Shuang was astonished. Upon closer inspection, she found that while they were similar, there were subtle differences—seemingly from the same origin yet each possessing unique characteristics.
She carefully placed the jade pendant back and turned her attention to the stack of letters. The paper appeared quite old, with faded handwriting that suggested they were personal correspondences. As Nangong Shuang flipped through them, she suddenly spotted the words "Nan Gong" on one page, causing her to hold her breath and read closely.
"...the medical texts of the Nan Gong Family are invaluable, among which the Heavenly Fragrance Life-Extending Technique is unparalleled in the world and concerns the foundation of the nation. If one could find the complete text, it would not only resolve issues of poisoning but also unravel the mystery of the Royal Bloodline. The late emperor once said that when a true dragon appears in the world, there will surely be celestial phenomena. May I ask, dear brother, is it true what they say in town—that the Nan Gong family has a plum blossom birthmark?"
The latter part of the letter was torn and only partially legible, but it seemed to conclude with: "Y..." One half of a character for "Xiao" was ripped away, yet based on context and handwriting style, it likely belonged to Xiao Zhongyan!
Nangong Shuang was taken aback; this letter explicitly mentioned the Heavenly Fragrance Life-Extending Technique and the plum blossom birthmark of the Nan Gong Family, and it was signed by none other than Xiao Zhongyan! Did he already know these secrets? Was his approach towards her driven by ulterior motives?
Just as she was about to examine more letters, footsteps suddenly echoed from outside!
"Oh no!" Nangong Shuang quickly returned the letters to the wooden box, locked it up, and placed it back in its hidden compartment before restoring the books to their original positions. The footsteps grew closer; realizing she had no time to escape, she quickly grabbed a cloth and water basin nearby and pretended to clean the bookshelf.
The door swung open, and a figure entered holding a lantern. By its light, Nangong Shuang recognized him as Qian De, the Chief Steward of Qian Mansion—a lean man in his fifties who held significant authority in the household, second only to Qian Laoye and his wife; even Second Madam treated him with deference.
"Who is there?" Qian De raised his lantern and squinted at Nangong Shuang. "Isn't that Second Miss's maid? What are you doing here?"
Nangong Shuang set down the cloth and bowed respectfully. "Replying to Chief Steward, I am here on Second Miss's orders to clean the study. The young lady mentioned she would come here tomorrow to read and specifically instructed me to tidy up in advance."
"Cleaning at this hour?" A flicker of suspicion crossed Qian De's eyes. "When did Second Miss become so diligent?"
Nangong Shuang remained calm. "The young lady has been reading The Book of Songs recently and heard that there are annotated complete texts hidden in Master’s study. She grew curious and requested Master’s permission to come here tomorrow for her studies."
Qian De did not respond directly but walked around the study with his lantern, checking for anything unusual. He paused briefly at the shelf containing hidden compartments, his sharp gaze scanning over the spines of books. Ultimately seeming not to find anything amiss, he relaxed slightly.
"Even if Master allowed it, you shouldn't come here alone at night," Qian De said sternly. "This study is an important place; how can maids come and go freely? If you weren't of lowly birth, such audacity would warrant severe punishment!"
Nangong Shuang lowered her head in acknowledgment. "I understand my mistake; it's just that Miss is anxious and I dared not disobey her wishes. I hope Chief Steward can forgive me this once for Miss's sake."
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