bookrebus Chapter 888 Three Shadows in the Moon Invitation Pavilion: Spy Shadows and Hidden Fragrance (3) The
Chapter 888 Three Shadows in the Moon Invitation Pavilion: Spy Shadows and Hidden Fragrance (3) The
Lin Xue began to "accept" Zheng Yunhao's pursuit. She no longer deliberately avoided him as before, and would occasionally accept the small gifts he gave her. When he came to Yaoyuefang, she would play a song for him alone, and even take a walk with him in the garden of the fang, chatting about trivial poems and songs.
Zheng Yunhao is Zheng Tianxiong's third son. He is a typical playboy with no ambition, who is lecherous and playful. However, he is better than his father and Wei Kun in that he lacks their deep scheming and is more easily deceived by beauty and flattery.
"Xue Mei, your flute playing is becoming more and more moving." Once, in the pavilion in the garden, Zheng Yunhao held a folding fan and fanned himself in a pretentious manner, but his eyes were fixed on Lin Xue.
Lin Xue lowered her eyes and smiled gently, putting away the jade flute: "Third Young Master is too kind. As long as Third Young Master doesn't mind, I will play for you often in the future."
Lin Xue revealed her most captivating side to Zheng Yunhao. Her dance was poetic and picturesque, and her flute music was melodious and enchanting, leaving Zheng Yunhao mesmerized. Drawn to Lin Xue's charm, Zheng Yunhao found himself growing closer to her without realizing it.
Lin Xue gently stroked Zheng Yunhao's face, her eyes filled with tenderness. She whispered, "Hao, do you know? I've always admired you." Zheng Yunhao was overjoyed and immediately put his arm around Lin Xue's waist.
Lin Xue leaned into Zheng Yunhao's arms, their bodies pressed tightly together. Zheng Yunhao felt Lin Xue's warmth and softness, and his breathing became rapid.
Taking the opportunity, Lin Xue whispered in Zheng Yunhao's ear, "Hao, can you tell me something about yourself? I want to know more about you." Zheng Yunhao was puzzled by Lin Xue's actions, and he replied without thinking, "Of course, Xue. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
Lin Xue began to guide Zheng Yunhao's conversation to some important matters. She subtly asked questions, leading Zheng Yunhao to unknowingly reveal crucial information. Completely immersed in Lin Xue's gentle charm, Zheng Yunhao was utterly unguarded.
However, Lin Xue did not forget her mission. She silently told herself that she couldn't be fooled by Zheng Yunhao's sweet talk. She had to stay alert and extract more information from him.
As dawn broke, Lin Xue quietly left Zheng Yunhao's room. She felt a surge of accomplishment and pride in her mission. She knew that everything she had done was for the sake of all living beings and for justice.
In the time that followed, Lin Xue continued to use her charm, and she and Zheng Yunhao spent a wonderful night in bed. Under Lin Xue's gentle advances, Zheng Yunhao unknowingly revealed many important secrets.
Lin Xue accepted Zheng Yunhao's advances and spent three consecutive days in bed with him. She said to Zheng Yunhao, "I don't want to stay in this Yaoyuefang anymore. Could you please redeem me, young master?"
"That's wonderful!" Zheng Yunhao exclaimed, his face beaming. He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Xuemei, someone as talented as you is being wasted staying at Yaoyuefang. Why don't you... come with me? I promise you'll live a life of luxury, a hundred times better than here!"
Lin Xue sneered inwardly, but on the surface she put on a troubled yet shy expression: "Third Young Master is too kind. How could a woman of my humble appearance be worthy of Third Young Master? Besides, the shopkeeper has been kind to me, I..."
"Don't worry about the shop owner!" Zheng Yunhao patted his chest confidently. "It's just a matter of my father's word! As long as you nod, I'll go and talk to him right away!"
"This..." Lin Xue pretended to hesitate, "I appreciate the Third Young Master's kindness. However... I heard that there are many things going on in the family recently. The Third Young Master should prioritize the important family matters." She cleverly steered the conversation toward the Zheng family.
When his family was mentioned, Zheng Yunhao's smugness faded a bit, and he pursed his lips: "Don't even mention it, it's been so annoying lately! My dad and Mr. Wei are always acting mysteriously, either in meetings or entertaining guests. When I ask them what's going on, they won't tell me, they just tell me to mind my own business."
"Oh? Do we have a distinguished guest?" Lin Xue asked, feigning curiosity.
“Who knows?” Zheng Yunhao said impatiently. “A few days ago, a few people with northern accents came over. They looked fierce and menacing, and they didn’t look like good people at all. They talked to my father and Mr. Wei behind closed doors in the study for an entire afternoon. I secretly overheard a few words outside, and it sounded like they were talking about ‘goods,’ ‘ships,’ ‘docks’ or something like that…”
"A northern accent?" Lin Xue's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "Where in the north are you from? Can you tell by your accent?"
Zheng Yunhao scratched his head: "I can't tell exactly where they're from, but they're definitely not from Jiangnan. They speak in a rough and gruff voice. Oh, right, I think I heard them mention the name 'Black Wind Pass'."
Black Wind Pass!
Lin Xue's heart skipped a beat. Black Wind Pass was an important river and land port in Jiangbei, and also one of the distribution centers for smuggling trade between the Northern Di and Da Jing! Could it be that the Zheng family was really colluding with the Northern Di?
She suppressed her excitement and continued to coax, "Black Wind Pass? What kind of place is that? The name sounds scary."
"Who knows?" Zheng Yunhao was clearly uninterested in these things and started grinning again. "Xuemei, let's not talk about these worries. How about I take you boating on the Qinhuai River? The moonlight is so beautiful tonight..."
"No, Third Young Master," Lin Xue said, feigning exhaustion. "I'm a little tired and would like to go back to my room to rest. Let's do it another day."
"Alright, alright," Zheng Yunhao said, somewhat disappointed, but not wanting to force the issue. "Then you should get some rest, I'll come see you another day."
After seeing Zheng Yunhao off, Lin Xue immediately returned to Tingfeng Xiaozhu and told Lin Xiaoyan and Bai Jie about this important information.
"Black Wind Pass! Northern Barbarians!" Lin Xiaoyan's eyes sharpened like knives upon hearing this. "It really is them! The Zheng family is plotting treason!"
Bai Jie's expression also turned serious: "If they are indeed trading with the Northern Di through Black Wind Pass, then the 'goods' being traded are very likely to be grain, ironware, or even... military intelligence!"
"We must confirm this as soon as possible and find out the specific details, timing, and method of their transaction!" Lin Xiaoyan said decisively. "Xue, you did a great job and got crucial clues from Zheng Yunhao."
"But how can we verify it?" Lin Xue was both excited and worried. "Zheng Yunhao only knows a limited amount of information."
Lin Xiaoyan looked at Bai Jie: "Bai Jie, your chance has come. The Zheng family is going to collude with the Northern Di. You need to work on the Zheng family head's side and find out the specific details."