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墨書 Inktalez
In early June, on Jiangnan Road, Suzhou.
Until one arrives in the water towns of the Southern Country, one cannot comprehend the ethereal beauty that exists in the world. The famous lines from Yuefu, "In Jiangnan, one can gather lotus; the lotus leaves cover the fields," vividly depict the lively scene of fish frolicking in the water. Only those within a painting can truly appreciate such joy.
Of course, even if I had never traveled to these places, I had seen them on television and the internet, so they didn't feel particularly novel. This realization left the man who brought me to Suzhou feeling quite frustrated.
"How come you've seen everything? I was hoping to surprise you, but instead, you're explaining things to me."
"Whose fault is that? I've never been to Suzhou; everything is new to me, and I really like it."
The man sighed and said, "Well then, let's go eat. It seems that only food and death can excite you in this world."
At this moment, I was dressed as Ye Zhenzhen. We had been quite busy lately. After returning to Chang'an, Nie Qiuyuan reported to the Ministry of Personnel and took charge of the Dali Temple's work, immediately becoming overwhelmed with tasks. After spending over ten days in Chang'an, we were forced to rush to Suzhou due to an urgent case. Today was our first step into Suzhou.
We made good time on our journey, so we didn't mind taking a moment. As soon as we entered Suzhou, Nie Qiuyuan led me away from our companions, and we sneaked out onto the streets.
This was truly what it meant to "steal half a day's leisure."
Nie Qiuyuan and I set off back to Chang'an on the fifth day after our wedding. Due to a lack of manpower at the Dali Temple, many complicated cases had piled up, with paperwork stacked so high it was almost unbearable. Given this difficult situation, the emperor granted Nie Qiuyuan's request for additional personnel.
Currently at the Dali Temple, aside from the previously assigned staff, Nie Qiuyuan brought along Lin Jiu and Wang Jinzhi, who had already developed a strong rapport with him. The Cold Case Division that was originally under Zhongshu Province was transferred to the Dali Temple, bringing Guilin along as well—he was also an expert in logical analysis. With these individuals present, I felt reassured about our situation.
Of course, I couldn't forget that there was another professional in Criminal Investigation: me. When I first stepped into the room housing Old Case Files and opened up records of cases from the Dali Temple, I instantly understood that I could be of great use here.
It felt wonderful to learn advanced scientific knowledge seriously; I was truly grateful for it.
In the open society of the Tang Dynasty, the restrictions on women were not as severe. However, while I was allowed to work alongside Qiu, I was not permitted to present myself as a woman. Ever since we became married, he had become increasingly protective of me.
Thus, I found myself once again living a life disguised as a man, just like when I was in Yichuan County.
Fortunately, I was not the only woman at the Dali Temple; Han Meilan had also come with us to Chang'an. She had initially planned to stay at Wanzi Mountain for some peace and quiet and not join us, but just before our departure, Lin Jiu somehow managed to persuade her to come along. Lin Jiu had become increasingly cunning lately, often surprising me with his cleverness.
Meilan no longer posed any threat to me; on the contrary, her presence brought me an inexplicable sense of joy, alleviating my loneliness.
Within two weeks of Nie Qiuyuan's appointment, there was a significant transformation in the work at the Dali Temple. Knowing how to assign tasks effectively and ensuring reasonable division of labor became paramount. This guaranteed the smooth operation of daily tasks, and soon enough, the skilled investigators were fully engaged in sifting through the backlog of cases.
The Dali Temple was responsible for reviewing complex cases outside the capital, so the piles of case files stored away came from all over the country, overwhelming me with their sheer volume. Additionally, with the Cold Case Division from Guilin moving here, we were now dealing with some of the most challenging cases imaginable. The difficulty of this work was evident.
This situation ignited a fierce determination within me.
After all, the 21st century is far more advanced than the Tang Dynasty. Even if I lacked practical experience, I was still more capable than many in this era. Over these two weeks, I managed to solve enough problems to rank among the top three in terms of performance at the Dali Temple.
My boss—who is also my husband—did not hold onto any feudal beliefs that women should be devoid of talent. Every time I made a discovery, he would be the first to cast an approving glance my way, making me feel fulfilled and valued in life.
Thus, starting from our seventh day of marriage, I threw myself into endless work alongside my husband, completely forgetting that this time together should have been precious and golden.
I woke up every morning at five o'clock and underwent physical training under Qiu's guidance. After having breakfast in the cafeteria, I would dive into work until around eight in the evening before heading home. Of course, I kept track of time according to Beijing standards; I still struggled with ancient methods of timekeeping.
Nie Qiuyuan maintained a cool demeanor in front of others and was not very talkative; however, he treated his subordinates well. Coupled with his handsome appearance, he quickly won over everyone's hearts at the Dali Temple and became a popular subject of gossip in the cafeteria.
Melan sometimes relayed the gossip from the dining hall to me. At first, people were particularly focused on a young man with a delicate appearance who worked closely with the master. Not only did they work together, but they also shared every meal, with the master frequently serving him food and caring for him in every possible way, which left everyone quite puzzled. Later on, when the young man revealed extraordinary talent in detective work, people gradually accepted him. Eventually, when everyone learned that this young man was actually the master's new wife, their jaws dropped, and the gossip came to an abrupt halt.
From that point on, the Dali Temple was destined to embark on a path of astonishing uniqueness.
Although work was tiring, it was also fulfilling and brought me great joy. I had chosen to study Criminal Investigation precisely so that I could stand behind Qiu and help him with his troubles. However, I never expected that in this era, my professional skills could be used so openly and that I could soar alongside him; it truly felt gratifying.
Sometimes, I even indulged in a bit of rivalry with him, secretly competing to see who would solve a mystery first. One thing I loved about Qiu was that despite his usual indulgence and compliance towards me, he never went easy on me in this regard. To my surprise, even though I possessed much advanced knowledge that this era lacked, most of the time Qiu's investigative abilities still overshadowed mine. His intelligence often left me in awe. If he were to let me win occasionally, it wouldn't feel as satisfying.
There was one more thing I felt inadequate about. Despite how exhausting our work was and how little sleep we got, he still maintained such good energy and mood... Well, let's not dwell on that.
In any case, everything at work had finally gotten onto the right track, and we progressed to the stage of going our separate ways to investigate cases and handle affairs. Since it was their honeymoon, Nie Qiuyuan specifically chose picturesque Suzhou among several urgent locations to please his new wife. To my surprise, his new wife showed no interest in the beautiful scenery of the water town at all.
With his strong sense of direction, my idol led me unknowingly into a desolate area devoid of people. The surroundings were eerily silent except for the vibrant lotus flowers blooming in the wild pond.
"Why are we here?" I asked him helplessly. Although this place had its own unique charm, I hoped to encounter something exciting soon—even if it was just a case to solve.
"Lost," he replied succinctly.
"Don't give me that!" Such an unconvincing excuse sounded like something meant for a child. He not only had an excellent sense of direction but also possessed an ancient mystical GPS—how could he possibly be lost?
Qiu smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"It's rare for us to get out; we should enjoy the scenery. It's nice to be in a place that's just for you and me. Zhenzhen, don't you like it?"
"Of course I like it," he replied. "It's just that after spending so much time together lately, I've become a bit insensitive."
He added, "Don't rush. I've found a good restaurant just beyond this area. Let's fill our stomachs first before heading to the Suzhou Inspectorate."
Thinking of the few colleagues from the Dali Temple who had been left behind, I couldn't help but sigh. It was their misfortune to encounter such a capricious superior. However, we couldn't afford to be too reckless either. Under the Light Transformation Day, we had to be careful with our affectionate gestures because, for safety's sake, the Shadow of the Night was always there to protect us in secret.
We leaned against each other for a while, admiring the lotus flowers. Nie Qiuyuan used his lightness skill to gracefully leap into the middle of the lotus pond, landing delicately on a lily pad. With elegance, he plucked a pink lotus flower for me. The scene was simply stunning, and I loved it immensely, which sparked a mischievous thought in my mind.
As he lightly tapped the lily pad with his toes and floated back effortlessly, I opened my arms as if to embrace him. The handsome man smiled sweetly and pretended to pounce on me, but suddenly I changed my stance and aimed a palm strike at his ankle.
This was a game we often played these days since he started teaching me internal martial arts again.
Ever since I learned that Ye Liuhui practiced that peculiar "Star Absorption Technique," I had been too afraid to train in internal martial arts myself, worried about losing control and ending up incapacitated. However, recently Nie Qiuyuan told me that during Ren Pingsheng's visit before our wedding, he had left behind the second half of Ye Liuhui's Inner Strength Technique for me.
I genuinely didn't understand why Ye Liuhui's master didn't give her both halves when she had the first half because this second part explained how to utilize external internal energy absorbed into oneself.
Nie Qiuyuan combined both halves of the book and confirmed through reading comprehension and overall separation techniques that they indeed belonged to the same text without a doubt. After studying it, he joyfully discovered that practicing the second half could effectively mitigate the potential dangers posed by my existing martial arts skills.
Essentially, this second half discussed two methods: one was how to assimilate absorbed internal energy for personal use to enhance one's own internal strength; the other was how to unleash absorbed internal energy outward as a powerful attack.
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