The constable of the Tuiguan Yamen was waiting under the corridor in the front courtyard, with a respectful expression, yet carrying an indescribable formulaic flavor.
"Lord Li, please go there again. I have something to ask..."
This sentence, to be heard at this moment, is no different from a bolt from the blue. Just as the black alert for A Xing came, Wang Bo led his men to rush to Fengqiao Town at top speed, but his fate remained unknown. At this critical juncture, is Li the Pusher summoning again?
Shen Ruoxin's heart tightened instantly. Is it a coincidence? Or... What has the yamen already known? Could it be that Ah Xing's actions in Fengqiao Town have touched the nerves of the authorities? Or... Is there someone behind the scenes fanning the flames, trying to use the government's hands to deal with her?
Countless thoughts flashed like a flash of lightning, and a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on her back. But the more critical the situation was, the calmer she became instead.
Got it. She nodded calmly at the constable, her voice showing no sign of movement. "Please wait for a moment. I'll come in a change of clothes."
She turned and went back to the inner room. Li Molan immediately followed in, her face full of worry: "Second Miss, this..." Could there be any fraud? How about pretending to be ill and not going?
One can avoid the first day of the lunar New Year, but not the fifteenth. Shen Ruoxin quickly took OFF THE SIMPLE and ELEGANT BODY WHEN SEEING LI PusHER JUST NOW 褙子, while changing INTO a more unremarkable bluish-gray cotton-padded JACKET, WHILE LOW VOICE, "Since he SENT PEOPLE to INVITE, HE must BE PREPARED. If I pretend to be ill and refuse to go, it will only make me feel guilty and be more likely to arouse suspicion. I'd rather go and see what he's up to!
She quickly straightened her somewhat disheveled bun and fixed it with just a wooden hairpin, looking simple and composed as a whole.
"Sister Mo LAN," she walked up to Li Mo LAN, her eyes solemn, "I don't know when I'll be back after I leave." For the matters in the pavilion, I'll leave them to you and Wang Xiuniang to take care of for now. Especially for the new batch of apprentices, they must be well watched. And... If there is any news from Uncle Wang, whether good or bad, please try to inform me immediately.
"Second Miss..." Li Molan's eyes were slightly red, but she nodded vigorously. "Don't worry!" There are us in the pavilion! You... Be careful in everything!
Shen Ruoxin took a deep breath. When she walked out of the room again, her face had returned to the calm state of an ancient well. She followed the constable and got back into that small tweed sedan chair again.
The sedan chair staggered through the familiar street, but Shen Ruoxin's heart was no longer merely filled with disappointment and alertness as it had been when she first arrived. Instead, it was brimming with high vigilance and anxiety about the unknown. She had no idea what awaited her, but she knew clearly that she had to be on high alert to deal with it.
The flower hall of the Tuiguan Yamen was still the same place as last time. Tutor Li still had that lukewarm look, but deep in his eyes, there seemed to be a hint of inquiry.
"Miss Shen Er, please have a seat." He pointed to the chair beside him and got straight to the point, "I invited you here today to ask you more details about the case where the clerk was attacked in Shengze."
This case again? Shen Ruoxin was full of doubts in her heart, but she remained calm on the surface: "Your Excellency, may I ask, this humble girl will speak her mind without reservation."
Inspector Li picked up the teacup, gently stroking the inner wall with his fingers and asked casually, "According to what I know, Miss Shen Er's Splendid Pavilion seems to have... recently..." Business is booming, and the demand for all kinds of silk threads is far greater than before?
Here it comes! Shen Ruoxin's heart gave a jolt. It was indeed not just for the case. He is testing the ins and outs of the Splendid Pavilion!
"Your Excellency, thanks to the kindness of all our customers, we can still make a living." She answered flawlessly, "It's just that recently the supply of gold and silver threads has been cut off, so I had no choice but to put more effort into the patterns of ordinary silk threads. Naturally, the usage is a bit larger than before."
"Oh?" Really? Inspector Li put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly. "But how did I hear that not only is the quantity of the Splendid Pavilion large, but it's also secretly..." Have you recruited quite a few apprentices? Especially some... An orphan girl of unknown origin?
Shen Ruoxin's heart missed a beat! Sure enough, he knew! Even the matter of recruiting apprentices is known so clearly! Was it Zhao Ba PI and the others who stabbed the government office? Or... Was the government itself keeping an eye on her?
"Sir, please understand." She forced herself to stay calm and slightly bowed. "The Splendid Pavilion has indeed recruited some apprentices. Firstly, it's to cultivate some manpower. Secondly..." It's also out of pity for those children that I give them a meal to eat and teach them a skill so that they can have the ability to make a living in the future. As for the origin... All of them were introduced by dental clinics or neighbors and have verifiable records. They are not of unknown origin.
"Is there any evidence to check?" Li Tuoguan smiled, but that smile made Shen Ruoxin feel a chill. "Miss Shen Er truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva." Just... With many people and diverse hands, it is inevitable that there will be a mixture of good and bad. This official also kindly reminds us not to let a momentary kindness lead us into unnecessary trouble."
This statement sounds like concern, but in fact it is a warning, even carrying an implicit threat!
Shen Ruoxin lowered her eyelids and said, "Thank you, Sir, for your reminder. This humble girl will save herself."
Next, Li, the official, seemingly casually asked some questions about the daily operation of Jinxiu Pavilion, its main customer base, and even the inventory in the warehouse. Shen Ruoxin responded carefully one by one, half true and half false. She neither completely exposed her true background nor appeared to be deliberately concealing it.
This conversation lasted for nearly half an hour. Tutor Li never mentioned the specific details of the Shengze robbery case again. Instead, it seemed as if he was conducting a comprehensive "investigation and screening" of the Jinxiu Pavilion. This made Shen Ruoxin even more certain that the purpose of his summons today was by no means simple!
It was not until the very end that Li, the Pusher, waved his hand and said in a calm tone, "Alright, I understand." Miss Shen Er can go back now. I will continue to keep an eye on the case of Shengze. If there is any progress, I will inform you.
Shen Ruoxin got up to take her leave. As she walked out of the yamen, she felt her whole body tense and the clothes on her back were soaked with cold sweat.
The attitude of the Pusher Li made her feel unprecedented pressure. The sharp sword hanging over the government's head could fall at any moment! She must act as soon as possible. She can no longer rely on sporadic external nodes for information transmission and lack sufficient security guarantees for internal communication as she does now!
Back at the Splendid Pavilion, she immediately locked herself in the study.
A Xing's black warning was like a thorn, piercing her heart. There has been no news from Uncle Wang's side yet. Every moment of waiting is like torture.
She spread out a piece of Xuan paper, picked up a pen, but was unable to put it down for a long time. My mind was in a complete mess, filled with the inquistive look in Li's eyes and the possible dangers that A Xing might encounter.
No! Calm down!
She closed her eyes and forced herself to sort out her thoughts. At present, the most urgent thing, apart from waiting for news from Fengqiao Town, is to establish a safer, more confidential and more efficient internal information transmission method!
The previously established three-level intelligence classification of yellow, red and black has solved the problem of information characterization. But how to convey it? Especially within the prefectural city, among the various links within the Jinxiu Pavilion, how can information be exchanged quickly and accurately without drawing the attention of outsiders?
Her gaze accidentally fell upon a stack of embroidery patterns piled up at the corner of the table. Those were the semi-finished products that Li Molan and Wang Xiuniang handed over to her for review every day or completed by the embroiderers, which needed to be passed around, guided and revised among each other. This exchange of embroidery patterns is the most frequent yet least conspicuous part of the daily operation of the Splendid Pavilion!
Got it!
Shen Ruoxin's eyes suddenly lit up!
She rose sharply, walked quickly to the pile of embroidery patterns and picked up one of the tasters embroidered with orchid grass. On the back of the taut, to make the embroidered surface smooth, a thin layer of cotton cloth or paper with good toughness is usually lined.
If... What if the extremely thin and tough paper with a secret letter written on it (such as mulberry bark paper soaked in a special solution and not easily damaged) is rolled into an extremely fine roll and hidden between the backing cloth on the back of the roller and the embroidered surface? Even, it can be hidden in the padded cotton fluff in certain parts of the embroidery surface that need to be raised to make it more three-dimensional (such as petals and leaves)?
Even if people outside hold it in their hands and examine it carefully, they will only see a normal embroidery! Only those who know the secret would carefully open specific parts and take out the secret letter inside!
The urgency of the information can be marked by the three-color lines set earlier!
For instance, at the edge of the embroidery pattern, a small, imperceptible piece of ochre-yellow cotton thread is tied into a knot to represent the "yellow" message. The recipient knows that there is a regular message inside and can handle it later.
If a tiny mark (such as a dot or a short line) is embroidered on the inconspicuous part of the back of the thread with red silk thread, it represents the "red" message and needs to be opened immediately!
As for "black"... You can deliberately leave a "mistake" of a stitch at a certain agreed position on the taut, such as a small broken black jute thread end, to represent the highest alert!
This method takes advantage of the most routine workflow of the embroidery shop as a cover and is highly concealed! Moreover, the transmission of embroidery patterns is already frequent and fast. Whether it is passed on from her study to Li Molan and Wang Xiuniang, or in the future to the reliable embroiderers who have been selected and trained and are distributed in different process links, it all seems natural and logical!
"Just do it this way!" Shen Ruoxin immediately spread out the paper and began to meticulously plan the details of this "confidential document transfer method" :
1. Secret letter carrier: The thinnest and toughest specially made mulberry bark paper is selected, with standardized dimensions for easy rolling and storage.
2. Writing style: Use the agreed-upon code words or passwords, and the handwriting should be small and clear.
3. Hidden position: Prioritize the area between the backing of the stitch and the embroidery surface, or the part of the embroidery that needs to be filled. The selection should be flexible according to the embroidery pattern to ensure naturalness.
4. Marking method: Strictly follow the three levels of yellow, red and black, and use the corresponding lines to make concealed marks on the edge or back of the tension bar. The style and position of the marking need to be agreed upon in advance.
5. Transmission process: Clearly define who is responsible for transmission, reception, opening and destruction. All handlers must be absolutely reliable people within the core circle.
6. Confidentiality Discipline: It is strictly prohibited to disclose this law to anyone outside the circle. Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished!
The more she wrote, the more excited she became, as if she had found a secret passage to the light in the darkness! Once this method is established, the communication efficiency and security within the Jinxiu Pavilion will be greatly enhanced! At least, within Pingjiang Prefecture, she could mobilize forces more quickly and secretly to deal with the crisis!
She immediately called Li Molan over and laid out all her thoughts.
After hearing this, Li Molan's eyes also sparkled: "Second Miss, this method..." Wonderful! Every day, the tasters are passed around. Who would have thought that there is something hidden inside! Moreover, marking with lines of different colors is clear at a glance and won't expose the content! Really... "Flawless!"
"It's not yet perfect," Shen Ruoxin shook her head, her expression solemn. "This is just the first step." We need to start the drill immediately! Let's start between the two of us! You go back to your workshop now. I'll write a 'yellow' secret letter later and hide it in a new embroidery pattern. Ask Ashi to deliver it to you. After you receive it, see if you can find and understand it smoothly.
"Ok!" Li Molan immediately agreed and turned to leave quickly.
Shen Ruoxin watched her back, picked up a pen, and wrote the first test message in code words on a small piece of mulberry bark paper: "The wind is blowing. Add more clothes." -- Representative: The situation has changed. Be on guard.
She carefully rolled the note into a thin roll, picked up a "Autumn Chrysanthemum Picture" on the table with its outline just drawn, gently lifted a corner of the backing, stuffed the paper roll in, smoothed it out, leaving no trace at all. Then, a small piece of ochre-yellow cotton thread was taken and a loose knot was tied at an inconspicuous pinhole on the edge of the taut.
Having finished all this, she called over A Shi, who was quietly practicing painting in the side room.
"Ah Shi," she handed the taster to the little girl and gently instructed, "Take this to your Master Mo LAN."
Ashi took the tensio, looked at Shen Ruoxin with his big, black and white eyes, then at the small yellow knot at the edge of the tensio, nodded, turned around and ran out.
Shen Ruoxin watched her tiny figure disappear at the door, silently praying in her heart: "Ah Xing, you must hold on!" Wait for me, wait for Uncle Wang! We'll soon... Then you can build up a stronger force to protect you!