Both worlds are like dreams

When Xue Huang left the county town, she bought some food from a stall and brought it back to find Gu Qinglan.

They were only halfway through the process, and each stone slab was almost as tall as a person and weighed about fifty or sixty kilograms.

It would be impossible to load the goods quickly just by using horse-drawn carriages, so every time a carriage was full, another carriage was sent back.

Xuehuang sat in the shade and distributed the herbal tea and ice cream she had bought to everyone.

Gu Qinglan sat beside her. "How is it? Did you gain anything?"

"Brother Qinglan, when you looked through the information your father left behind, did you find anything strange?"

"Do you mean?"

"The heavy fog, and the time General Gu mentioned."

"I have carefully studied the information recorded by my father and did not mention anything unusual."

"The old man didn't have any solid evidence, but he provided us with a contradiction. The file records that on the 15th day of the sixth lunar month in the 764th year of the Liuyun calendar, the army reached the dam and white fog rose over the river, obscuring the sun. But the old man said that the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly that day, and there was nothing unusual."

Gu Qinglan frowned slightly, "Father particularly emphasized the heavy fog, and he was not the only one who saw it."

"Yes, but Xu Yao mentioned a drug called Nightmare Fragrance, which can confuse people's memories. Perhaps General Gu and his men were also poisoned by this Nightmare Fragrance and had an illusion. They thought that only half an hour had passed from the time the white mist rose to the time it dissipated, but in fact it was a long time."

Gu Qinglan thought for a moment, "I seem to remember a sentence in my father's essay: Since the disaster relief money was stolen, I have been unable to sleep at night. When I think about it now, I still feel like it was all a dream."

“If he was really poisoned by the Nightmare Fragrance, then perhaps that can explain the problem of time,” Xue Huang said.

"But is this medicine really so powerful?"

Xue Huang nodded, "I've been poisoned by this kind of incense before."

"when?"

Xue Huang's eyes dimmed for a moment, and her tone was indifferent, but she seemed to recall the pain that the dream brought her. "Back then, I was taken away by Mo Yunchen at Bi Bo Lake, and he used this incense to spy on my memory. I remember that feeling, everything in the dream was extremely real, everything in the past was clearly presented before my eyes, it felt like a long, long time had passed, but when I opened my eyes, it seemed as if nothing had happened."

Gu Qinglan held her hand. He didn't know if she had felt helpless when she faced it alone. He also had no way to go back to that moment to experience it with her, but at this moment he just wanted to hold her hand tightly.

Xue Huang felt the warmth coming from the back of her hand and smiled slightly, "The Nightmare Fragrance seems to have different effects on everyone. Xiao Ling'er told me that Lin Yu had developed it, and it can indeed confuse people's memories."

"In that case, it is very likely that Mo Yunchen was also involved in this matter back then."

"But the message he sent me did not mention this matter. Either he is hiding something, or there is another hidden story."

Gu Qinglan was silent for a moment, "Please ask Brother Wei to investigate this matter. Don't get involved in anything related to Mo Yunchen anymore."

"Why?" Xue Huang looked at him in confusion. "Now I am the only one who can beat him. I still haven't paid him back for severely injuring you and Second Uncle."

"That's all in the past," Gu Qinglan said with a smile, "Your safety is more important than anything else."

Xue Huang didn't say anything. She didn't answer, which meant she didn't agree. Could the Guigu Sect's habit of protecting its own shortcomings be so easily convinced?

But in order not to make Gu Qinglan worried, she smiled and changed the subject, "We already have enough stones for the dam, what about the lime?"

"The place with the most lime right now is Qinghe County. Maybe we can start there."

"All the lime in Shangyang City has been bought. It's not a small amount of money. Who in Qinghe County has such financial resources?"

"Qinghe County Magistrate Chen Jin is Shen Congfeng's uncle, and the Chen family is the richest family in Qinghe County and runs a copper mine."

Xue Huang raised her eyebrows, "So your family owns a mine! No wonder you are so willful."

Gu Qinglan nodded, "Shen Congfeng's current status is inseparable from the financial support of the Chen family. So when Zhuo Yang said that the lime in Shangyang City was bought by Qinghe County, I guessed that it was the Chen family."

"Now it seems that the situation is very clear." Xue Huang said. "All of this was masterminded by Shen Congfeng. First he blew up the dam, then he bought out the lime. It's clear that he doesn't want us to repair the dam."

"If Phantom attacks, it will definitely be a death situation. The real killing move should not have begun yet." Gu Qinglan looked solemn.

"What are your plans?" Xue Huang asked.

"The trip to Qinghe County is inevitable."

"Then I'll go with you."

"it is good."

After the two escorted the stone back to the camp, Xue Huang briefly reported the gains in Guyan County to Mo Ruilin and Wei Yunzhou.

At the same time, they also learned that another incident happened in the camp after they left. That was the unlucky Mo Yiming, who was wandering around and broke his arm.

Then he left all the matters to Mo Ruilin, and asked for permission to return to Shangyang City to see the imperial physician.

"Why do I feel like he's leaving on purpose?" Xue Huang raised her eyebrows.

Mo Ruilin sighed, "Leaving is inevitable. This time it was a trap set against me. However, there is not enough lime now. If it rains again, the previous project may be in vain."

"Without further delay, let's set off for Qinghe County." Gu Qinglan said.

"Be careful on your way." Murilin instructed.

Xue Huang said goodbye to them, and then she and Gu Qinglan rode at full speed to Qinghe County upstream.

Fortunately, the two places were not far from each other, and they arrived there in two hours.

The nights are shorter in summer, so the sky was particularly bright at this time. The two of them went straight to Chen's house.

Before going there, Xuehuang imagined that the house of the richest man in Qinghe should be very grand, but when she actually saw it, she was still surprised.

Because not only the government offices, but also the houses of ordinary people, their houses are built very luxuriously, and can even be compared with the mansions of some officials in Shangyang City.

Chen Jin's mansion was even more exaggerated. It was a manor covering an area of 1,200 acres. It was built entirely with fine materials and was extremely luxurious, almost comparable to the palaces of princes and dukes.

The manor is complete with rockery and flowing water, and is picturesque. You can also see towering mountains in the distance.

Xue Huang didn't care to admire and followed the servant who led the way all the way inside. Xue Huang took a closer look at the servant. She was young and very beautiful. Although the clothes she wore were those of a maid, the fabrics were all high-quality brocade.

When Xue Huang arrived at the spacious hall, she smelled the scent of ambergris. The aroma was soft, sweet and wonderful, and it was the best of the best.

Moreover, the furnishings in this hall are extremely luxurious. Not only are there gold, silver and jade wares, but also various precious jade ornaments. It is as luxurious as it can be.

Xue Huang cast her eyes on the main seat in the hall and saw that the man sitting there was about fifty years old, a little fat, wearing a brown brocade robe, and looked very wealthy.

"Sir, your guest has arrived." After the servant announced, he sat down at the tea table and began to make tea. His technique was as sophisticated as those of princes and noble ladies.

Chen Jin shifted his gaze from the scroll to Gu Qinglan. He obviously recognized him and slowly stood up and bowed. "So you are the prince of the Duke of Jingguo. I am sorry for not coming in person to greet you."

In terms of official position, he was much lower than Gu Qinglan, but even though he was bowing at this moment, there was not much respect in his eyes, and it was obvious that he did not take Gu Qinglan seriously.

Moreover, Xue Huang believed that he had expected that they would come to find him, otherwise someone would have led them in before they even announced their identities at the door.

Gu Qinglan also knew that Chen Jin was trying to make things difficult for them, but he was still gentle and polite, and his tone made it hard to tell whether he was happy or angry. "Master Chen, there is no need to be polite. We are here to visit you without permission, so please forgive us."

"You are too polite, Master Gu." Chen Jin smiled, then his eyes fell on Xue Huang, and asked curiously: "Who is this?"

Just as Xue Huang was about to speak, Gu Qinglan said, "Princess Changle."

A hint of surprise flashed across Chen Jin's eyes, and his expression was a little more serious than before, "I didn't expect Princess Changle to come to my small Qinghe County in person."

"Master Chen is too modest," Xue Huang said with a smile, "I have come all this way and found that Qinghe County has beautiful scenery and magnificent and exquisite buildings, which are not inferior to Shangyang City at all."

"I have a small fortune and I am also a local official. It is my duty to do something for the people."

"Lord Chen is indeed very kind-hearted." Xue Huang said with a smile.

"Princess and Prince have come from afar, please take a seat and allow me to entertain you properly."

Gu Qinglan said, "Master Chen, you are too polite. We are here for another purpose."

"Your Highness, what you said is really embarrassing for me. If you have any instructions, please tell me directly. If I can do it, I will definitely do my best. Please take a seat first."

Gu Qinglan and Xuehuang took their seats, and then Chen Jin had someone serve a table full of delicacies and several pots of fine wine.

"This is the wine I brought back from a foreign country. It is crystal clear in color, delicious and sweet, and has a pleasant aroma. Princess and Prince, please taste it."

The person who came to pour wine for Gu Qinglan was a very pretty and charming woman, dressed in pink, gorgeous and charming, with slender fingers as white as cream, and there was a charm in her every move.

She knelt gracefully beside Gu Qinglan, her upper body moving closer to him intentionally or unintentionally, and poured the wine from the pot without spilling a drop.

"Sir," she said in a very gentle voice, "please."

Xuehuang clenched her hands under the table. If she were given a walnut, it would almost turn into dregs. What was the meaning of this? Was she blatantly seducing Gu Qinglan?

She looked at Gu Qinglan with a dim gaze and said nothing.

Gu Qinglan avoided the woman's touch and said with a calm smile: "Thank you, Master Chen, for your hospitality."

"Since you have come from afar, how can you not show your hospitality?" Chen Jin raised an eyebrow, "Besides, with a beautiful woman by your side, you should not let her down, Master Gu."