Chapter 8
Song Ling and Li Xinjun rushed to the Governor’s Mansion. They informed the guards at the gate of their identities and their request to meet with Minister Chen, asking them to relay the message. Soon, the guard returned, granting them permission to enter.
They were escorted to the guest hall and offered tea and pastries while they waited for Minister Chen. Li Xinjun took a sip of tea and then picked up a piece of imperial concubine cake, taking a bite.
“Sister Ling, this is delicious! Try it!”
“You glutton! You still have the mood to eat pastries at a time like this?” Song Ling playfully flicked Li Xinjun’s forehead.
“Sister Ling, I’m hungry! We didn’t even have time for lunch.” Li Xinjun pouted.
Song Ling adored Li Xinjun’s childish antics. They were incredibly endearing. Sometimes, Song Ling forgot that Li Xinjun was still a child because she often acted mature and composed, even more reliable than Song Ling herself. It was only at times like this, seeing Li Xinjun act her age, that Song Ling remembered their seven-year age difference.
The door to the guest hall opened, and Minister Chen entered, dressed in a white robe. Judging by his appearance, he was only in his early twenties, yet he held the esteemed position of Governor, a second-rank official. He must be an exceptional individual.
Minister Chen greeted them with a friendly smile, his eyes appraising them. “I apologize for keeping you waiting. Eunuch Liu mentioned both of you. I didn’t expect you to be so young. What brings you to see me? How can I be of assistance?”
“Greetings, Minister Chen. We do have a matter to discuss with you and seek your help.”
“If it’s within my power, I will certainly assist you. Tell me, what is it?”
“It’s like this…”
Song Ling recounted their experiences in detail, her voice calm but serious. As Minister Chen listened, his brow furrowed deeper with each passing sentence.
“You’re saying that Uncle Wang, who is currently imprisoned, is also what you call a jiangshi?”
“Yes, we just came from the prison. We conducted some tests, and we’re almost certain.”
“But I’ve never heard of such a thing as a jiangshi. Can you confirm the accuracy of this information?”
“Minister Chen, to be honest, we don’t know much about jiangshi ourselves. However, the one we encountered was indeed formidable. If the ancient texts are to be believed, our situation is extremely dangerous.”
“I understand your concerns, but this is a serious matter. You haven’t been able to confirm the veracity of the information in the ancient texts. It’s difficult for me to act based on speculation.”
Li Xinjun, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “Minister Chen, we also want to confirm this. If you don’t object, we can conduct an experiment with Uncle Wang. We heard that there’s a soldier in the prison who was bitten by him. We can observe him as well. If he exhibits similar symptoms as Uncle Wang in a few days, we can essentially confirm our suspicions.”
“That’s a viable plan. However, you must report your actions to me, and I will personally oversee the matter.”
“Agreed!” Song Ling replied readily.
“But you must keep this matter confidential for now. We’ve just managed to pacify the refugees. I don’t want to cause panic among the people before we have concrete evidence.”
“No problem. However, we need you to provide us with some manpower. We might also need some medicinal herbs and materials.”
“That’s not an issue. Tell me what you need, and I’ll do my best to accommodate you.”
“Thank you, Minister Chen. We won’t take up any more of your time.”
“You’re welcome. It’s my duty. I’ll send someone to your residence in a few days. Farewell.”
After leaving the Governor’s Mansion, Song Ling and Li Xinjun returned to the Li residence. They cleared out a space to accommodate Uncle Wang. Li Xinjun busied herself with moving things around, while Song Ling continued to pore over the ancient texts, hoping to find a solution quickly.
Since the house didn’t have a dungeon, and Li Xinjun didn’t want Uncle Wang inside the house, they decided to use the small courtyard outside the kitchen. There was a large pavilion there, sheltered from the wind and rain. It was usually used to store firewood and dried goods, but it seemed suitable for housing Uncle Wang.
After finishing, Li Xinjun clapped her hands, cleaning the dust off them, and placed them on her hips, admiring her work. She surveyed the area, satisfied with the result, and then went inside to find Song Ling.
She guessed that Song Ling would be in the study reading, so she headed there. As expected, she found Song Ling at her desk, engrossed in an ancient text.
Li Xinjun approached her. Song Ling, noticing her presence, put down the book and looked up.
“Have you finished setting up?”
“Yes, I’ve cleared out a space. It should be suitable for housing Uncle Wang temporarily.”
“That’s good.”
“Have you made any new discoveries?”
“Not yet. I’m not familiar with classical Chinese, so it takes me a long time to translate. It’s a headache.”
“I can help you. I’m quite good at classical Chinese.”
“Wait, how do you know classical Chinese? Did you learn it before?”
“Yes, my teacher at the private school loved studying classical Chinese. Out of curiosity, I learned it from him for a while. I didn’t expect it to come in handy now.”
“That’s wonderful! Come, grab a chair. Let’s read and research together. Maybe we can find more information about jiangshi faster.”
“Okay!”
Li Xinjun obediently fetched a chair and sat down beside Song Ling. They sat shoulder to shoulder, looking at the same book. Song Ling took out paper and a brush, copying down Li Xinjun’s translations.
The ancient text contained a mixture of information, not all of it related to jiangshi. Even with Li Xinjun’s help, it was still time-consuming to sift through it.
They were so engrossed in their work that they lost track of time. It wasn’t until Li Xinjun’s stomach grumbled that Song Ling realized it was getting late. They had missed dinner.
Not wanting Li Xinjun to go hungry, Song Ling put down the book and went to the kitchen to prepare a simple meal of noodles. Li Xinjun followed her and helped out, one chopping vegetables and the other washing them. Soon, two bowls of fragrant scallion oil noodles were ready.
“Wow! It smells so good!” Li Xinjun couldn’t resist taking a sniff as Song Ling poured the hot scallion oil over the noodles.
“Silly girl, help me take these out. We can eat now. I’ll get the chopsticks.”
“Okay! I’ll take them out first.”
Li Xinjun excitedly carried the two bowls of noodles to the dining table and sat down obediently, waiting for Song Ling. Soon, Song Ling emerged from the kitchen with two pairs of chopsticks. She handed one pair to Li Xinjun, and they sat down to eat.
“Eat while it’s hot.”
“Yes! You too, Sister Ling.”
“Let’s eat.”
Li Xinjun, famished, took a large mouthful of noodles but immediately yelped, burning her mouth. She opened her mouth wide and fanned herself with her hands.
“It’s so hot! So hot!”
“Oh dear, why did you eat so fast? You silly girl, are you alright?”
“Haa, haa, I’m fine, just a bit burnt.”
“Let me take a look.”
“No need, no need, I’m fine now, it’s better.”
Li Xinjun took a sip of tea from her cup, feeling much better. She continued eating, but this time, she was more careful, blowing on the noodles before putting them in her mouth.
Song Ling, watching her, smiled and shook her head, finally starting her own meal.
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