Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 357 Stupid Bird! Delivered the letter to the wrong place!

Gu Qingyue's lips twitched.

She pinched the little guy's chubby cheeks, then looked down at the little pigeon in her hand.

Suddenly, Gu Qingyue narrowed her eyes as she noticed a very small metal tube on the pigeon's leg.

The tube was grayish-black, very similar in color to the pigeon's claws, and was wrapped diagonally around its legs.

If you're not paying attention, most people wouldn't even notice it; it's actually quite cleverly designed.

Gu Qingyue reached out and pressed down on the pigeon's leg, rubbed it for a while, and then pressed a small switch. Immediately, a very thin roll of paper popped out of the small opening of the metal tube.

Gu Qingyue's eyes lit up.

As Gu Qingyue opened the scroll, she raised an eyebrow slightly. What a coincidence!

She escorted Tang Ge'er back to Qin Shi's room, paid her respects, and then left the courtyard.

"Stupid bird," Gu Qingyue called out to the roof in an annoyed tone.

Upon hearing this, the gyrfalcon trembled, flew off the roof, and landed on the stone table in the courtyard, even rubbing against Gu Qingyue's skirt in a somewhat ingratiating manner.

Gu Qingyue reached out and untied the small scroll of paper from the gyrfalcon's leg. "Stupid bird! You even delivered the letter to the wrong place!" she said, flicking the gyrfalcon's head.

This time, the gyrfalcon didn't dare ask for food again and flew diagonally out of the yard.

As Gu Qingyue watched it fly higher and higher, she had a feeling that the bird was acting guilty today.

Gu Qingyue quickly opened the scroll and took a look, then happily hurried back to Feiyue Pavilion.

"Jiang Wan, go see your grandfather and see if he's back."

As soon as Gu Qingyue entered the room, she instructed Jiang Wan to go find the old Duke immediately, as she wanted to tell her grandfather the news as soon as possible.

"Yes," Jiang Wan replied and immediately turned and left.

Gu Qingyue sat down at the table, rubbing her chin.

The letter on the leg of that pigeon came from Mingzhi County, Lizhou. It was probably sent by someone from the Liu family, but was intercepted by the gyrfalcon.

The letter said that someone was investigating what happened back then, and that he had found the two people and was keeping them under close surveillance. He asked Liu if she wanted to get rid of them.

Who is he?

Those who knew about what happened back then?

Why did we need to consult Liu Shi before dealing with the person?

Could it be that they have some leverage over the Liu family that prevents them from taking immediate action?

Jiang Wan returned just as he was pondering this.

"My lord, the old Duke has not yet returned."

Gu Qingyue thought of the old Duke going fishing at the villa with that Grandpa Heng again, and she felt exhausted. This grandfather really let go completely!

Now that my eldest and second eldest brothers are in government office, my third brother has gone to the military camp in the suburbs of Beijing, and my fourth brother is at Linfeng Academy, I'm left to figure things out on my own.

"Let's go to the courtyard."

After Gu Qingyue finished speaking, she hurriedly led Jiang Wan to the small courtyard in the city.

"Take this bell pigeon and go to Mingzhi County yourself." Yue Ran had previously investigated the Gu family's affairs in Xinghua Village and knew the cause and effect, so it was just right for him to go this time.

Yue Ran took the bell, carefully tucked it into her bosom, and bowed in acceptance.

Watching Yue Ran leave, Gu Qingyue turned and went into the room.

Yue Ling, Yu Mo, and Jiang Luo were all in the room.

"Reporting to the Pavilion Master, the Prince of An's Mansion has recently dispatched three groups of experts. My subordinates dealt with them outside the mansion and prevented them from breaking into the Duke's Mansion," Jiang Luo said, bowing.

Gu Qingyue nodded slightly.

Of course she knew, but she didn't know if the Prince An's mansion, which was in such a mess lately, would send anyone over.

"You must intensify your patrols and make sure to kill the person outside the mansion, so as not to alert the people inside."

"Your subordinates obey," the three men said, bowing in unison.

"Is there any movement from the Liu family?" Gu Qingyue asked Jiang Luo.

"Reporting to the Pavilion Master, Madam Liu is still ill, but there is a master with a scar on her left cheek by her side. He went to see Madam Liu last night. This man is extremely skilled in martial arts and very vigilant. I did not get too close, and I do not know what they talked about."

Gu Qingyue had Xiaoyue'er do something to Liu Shi's illness, so she naturally knew that, but she also knew that this woman wouldn't behave herself even when she was sick.

Gu Qingyue rubbed her fingers together, then paused: "You did a good job. Always prioritize your own safety. You'll eventually find out about their plot. Keep an eye on things."

Jiang Luo lowered his head and said, "Yes."

Yue Ling and Yu Mo felt a warmth in their hearts at the same time. Their master's orders always included this: "Preserving life is the most important thing, and protecting oneself is the most important thing."

It was their good fortune to have such a kind master who cared about his subordinates, which strengthened their belief that they should follow the Pavilion Master and protect him for life.

After explaining everything and leaving the courtyard, Gu Qingyue went to Wenxiang Tower.

Wenxianglou is about to open.

Gu Qingyue, along with Steward Wang and the four chefs, reviewed all the details again, with a focus on instructing the tea master on his skills. They decided to invite a few familiar people to Wenxianglou to taste the dishes before the opening.

After making all the preparations, the invitation was sent out.

Next, Gu Qingyue plunged into the kitchen, determined to personally oversee the preparation of the tea snacks.

At the end of the hour of You (5-7 PM), a line of exquisite carriages drove up to Wenxiang Tower, filling the wide road completely.

Cui Jiaojiao, along with Zhao Yunnan, Zhang Yuying, Mei Xiaoyuan, and others, entered Wenxiang Tower first, laughing and joking.

Upon entering, I was immediately struck by the elegant miniature landscape of a Jiangnan garden in the lobby.

Mountains and rivers rise and fall, scattered near and far, shrouded in mist and smoke.

Nearby, small bridges span flowing water, and white-walled, black-tiled houses are scattered like pearls.

The water flows gently under the bridge, and golden red fish swim happily to and fro.

Clumps of lush green bamboo in front of and behind the house concealed the round archway and windows. Inside the windows, they could even see a small table, teapot, and teacups, which almost dazzled them.

The more I looked, the more I felt like I had stepped into this paradise, tranquil and peaceful, warm and Zen-like, making me want to immerse myself in it.

"Ladies, you've arrived!"

Gu Qingyue's voice suddenly rang in their ears, startling everyone.

Just now, Steward Wang saw the noble ladies getting off the carriage, and he immediately sent someone to inform Gu Qingyue.

Gu Qingyue happily put down what she was doing and came out immediately.

She didn't expect that when she returned to the hall, she would see seven or eight heads crowded in front of the landscape in the middle of the hall, completely absorbed in watching it.

After waiting a while, they were still watching, so she had to speak up to remind them.

Speaking of which, this miniature landscape is somewhat different from the Wenxianglou in Lizhou.

This can be considered a distinctive feature of Wenxianglou.

Since Wenxianglou is mainly a tea-selling place, there must be a tea-tasting atmosphere upon entering.

Although it's a somewhat contrived gimmick, it's still a unique feature!

"Haha, Qingyue, you're amazing."

Upon hearing this, Cui Jiaojiao was the first to look towards Gu Qingyue.

"This is so beautiful, how was it made?"

Zhao Yunnan grabbed Gu Qingyue's arm in a few quick steps, his eyes shining with excitement.

Those arriving at this moment are either young ladies from prominent families or daughters of high-ranking officials in the court.

Carp ponds, lotus ponds, and rockery landscapes are all too common sights.

They had never seen such a miniature landscape before, with mountains and rivers, small bridges and houses, and wisps of mist they had never seen before, like a fairyland.

"Yes? Qingyue looks so good."

"This red fish is real! Look!"

How was this fog created?

"Wow, it's like a paradise."

Upon hearing this, everyone started asking questions all at once.