Poisoned wine

Dou Yanxun clapped his hands and stood up calmly. As soon as he moved, the black-clad assassins behind him couldn't help but look at him warily.

"I have long heard that Master Zheng's autumn-aged wine is made by using only the first batch of rice after the first frost to make the yeast, and then aging it in the cellar for a hundred days to achieve its three parts intoxicating and seven parts sweet aftertaste. It is a fine wine passed down through generations. If Master Zheng does not mind, then I would like to ask for a cup to try."

His lips curled slightly, and the curve at the corner of his eyes seemed both real and unreal. His peach blossom eyes were naturally smiling, but now they held an utterly amiable smile.

Zheng Fancang had never intended to spare Dou Yanxun's life, and seeing his frankness, he laughed as well.

"How could I refuse Lord Dou's dying words?"

Before he finished speaking, Wang Jin, who was standing to the side, took the wine pot from the window and handed it to Zheng Fancang. Seeing that Zheng Fancang was about to bend down to get a wine cup from the nearby table, Dou Yanxun chuckled softly:

"No need to trouble you, Mr. Zheng. I'll just hold the wine jug and drink heartily myself."

After saying that, he took the wine jar from Zheng Fancang's hand with his slender fingers. He quickly pulled out the cork, threw it on the ground, tilted his head back, and began to drink heartily from the jar.

The room was instantly filled with a rich, pervasive aroma of wine.

Zheng Fancang watched quietly as Dou Yanxun quickly finished most of the wine in the pot and casually wiped the corner of his mouth.

The wine is naturally of the finest autumn-aged variety. The jar has just been opened, and the wine soup is amber in color, with a faint hint of an unusual aroma hidden within its fragrant aroma.

That was autumn wine, laced with poison, that had been prepared for him long ago.

It tastes even more intense than ordinary autumn-aged wines. Just a small sip is enough to make your throat bleed.

Zheng Fancang coldly watched as a blush slowly rose on Dou Yanxun's fair face, and couldn't help but smile contemptuously:

"If I had known this would happen, why would Lord Dou have bothered to fight me?"

After speaking, he turned his head, picked up the handkerchief on the table, and slowly wiped his hands, which were slightly dusty, clean. He then said to the assassins:

"Later, throw him out along with Zheng Jiangran's body, and transport him to the mountain under cover of darkness. Just say that Zheng Jiangran harbored ill intentions and plotted to murder the county magistrate. It's truly a pity that Dou Yanxun risked his life..."

Dou Yanxun lowered his head slightly. The knuckles inside his sleeve slowly tightened.

The next instant, a very thin red mark appeared at the corner of her lips—

The blood was thick and vivid, winding its way down his lower lip to the side of his neck, dripping onto the black stone that had not yet fallen.

The three assassins behind Dou Yanxun surrounded him, their faces expressionless and their expressions unwavering.

Zheng Fancang finally smiled.

Now that things had come to this, he had finally succeeded in eliminating the arrogant new magistrate, as well as his long-time rival for fame and fortune. He could finally relax completely, feeling a sense of relief.

He strode toward the door.

A very faint sound broke the silence of the room from behind.

That was the crisp "thud" of a chess piece falling onto the chessboard.

For some reason, Zheng Fancang suddenly stopped, his heart clenching uncontrollably.

He held his breath and slowly turned his head.

Dou Yanxun was still sitting in his original seat, his face pale, and the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth were still wet. However, his posture was straight and his eyes were calm to the point of being cold.

Something is clearly wrong.

Zheng Fancang stared at the other man's eyes in disbelief, but then he saw Dou Yanxun cover his lips and cough lightly. Afterward, a slight smile slowly appeared on his lips.

Through the wisps of smoke rising from the bronze furnace, Zheng Fancang felt a sudden sense of disorientation; he was inexplicably filled with fear...

What is this person, him, what is he laughing at?

The smile didn't reach his eyes; the glint in his peach blossom eyes made it impossible to tell whether it was mockery, ridicule, or murderous intent...

Or perhaps, a smile hiding a knife.

Wang Jin also realized something was wrong. He watched as Zheng Fancang's legs went weak and he swayed precariously. His own face paled with fear, and he quickly pointed at Dou Yanxun and said to the three assassins:

"What are you all standing there for? Quickly take him down!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jin suddenly felt a darkness before his eyes, and for some reason, he couldn't even stand up straight!

He stumbled forward a few steps, then managed to stand up by holding onto the corner of the table. At the same time, the two masked assassins on his left and right sides suddenly swayed and collapsed to the ground one after another.

Zheng Fancang was shocked by the scene before him. He pointed wildly at Dou Yanxun, who remained calm and unmoved, and backed away while shouting in alarm:

"This house is poisoned! You...when did you poison it?!"

Dou Yanxun's smile faded. He casually raised his hand, and a black chess piece landed with a "thud" into the incense ash in the burner beside the table.

The sandalwood incense that had been burning steadily suddenly went out in an instant.

In an instant, the incense ash inside the room surged, and a wisp of grayish-yellow smoke quickly rose from the sparks. However, it was not the original scent of old sandalwood, but a pungent, astringent, and woody fragrance.

Zheng Fancang had appreciated incense for decades, only now realizing that the incense he was burning was no longer the old sandalwood he usually burned. Instead, it contained a strange, colorless and odorless poison, hidden beneath the long-accumulated ash.

Everyone in the room had been poisoned, the poison penetrating deep into their lungs and internal organs.

A surge of hatred welled up in his heart, but he could no longer stand steadily.

He pressed his hand to his chest, looked at the incense ash that had been tampered with, and couldn't help but rush forward and collapse in front of the chessboard.

However, the poison had been in his body for several hours, and he felt a burning and churning sensation in his chest, as well as an extremely nauseating sweet and fishy taste in his throat.

He reached out with trembling hands to grab the corner of the table, but he had no strength at all. He could only sweep away the white pieces that he had just won. The pieces rolled several feet and fell into the incense ash.

Zheng Fancang coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining half of his gray beard with crimson. He struggled to speak, his voice hoarse and broken like a broken gong:

"You...you wolf cub...you actually...dared to...dare to lay a hand on me..."

Dou Yanxun brushed aside the corner of his robe and slowly stood up amidst a cloud of incense ash.

He looked down at Zheng Fancang, who was slumped over the table, his eyes as cold as frost. The trace of blood on his lips, not yet dried, only accentuated his jade-like face and unapproachable nobility.

"Old Master Zheng has only burned this one kind of incense and brewed this one kind of wine for many years. Such dedication explains why he has been entrenched in Laining for so many years and is unwilling to retire to the mountains. However, it would be very easy to make some changes to the situation."

Behind him stood the only remaining conscious assassin, his eyes coldly fixed on Zheng Fancang's dying struggle, unmoved.

Dou Yanxun paced slowly around the room, a soft smile playing on his lips.

"Speaking of which, I must thank Master Zheng for this pot of autumn-aged wine with added poison, which just happened to cure the sandalwood poison that I had been smelling for so long. The so-called method of using poison to counteract poison is indeed a superior technique of balance. I am not very talented, these are just trivial skills, and I must thank Master Zheng for his guidance."

Zheng Fancang collapsed to the ground, looking out the window with regret and resentment.

This is his residence, and there should be countless men guarding it outside, but why is there no movement at all...?

Could it be that Dou Yanxun also tampered with these people?

Outside the window, a series of footsteps and a man's anxious voice gradually sounded. Soon after, the outside was illuminated by countless flames, which were the figures of people carrying torches searching for them.

The assassin behind Dou Yanxun put the black cloth covering his face back on.

Beneath the ordinary black cloth used to cover his face, there was a damp cloth that could filter out poisonous fumes. This was how he managed to keep the poisoned sandalwood he had been inhaling for so long from entering his body.

The masked man gave Dou Yanxun a deep look, nodded to him, and with a flip, climbed onto the roof beam and quickly disappeared into the endless night.

Splash—

The tightly closed door was pushed open by the person outside. Before them stood Magistrate Sun, his face contorted with anxiety. Behind him followed a group of soldiers holding torches, with his two advisors, Fang and Ma, standing on either side.

"Lord Dou, are you alright?"

Seeing the mess on the ground, Magistrate Sun had no time to be shocked. Instead, he quickly stepped forward and looked at Dou Yanxun with concern. Since Dou Yanxun was separated from him that day, Magistrate Sun had not seen him for two whole days.

Dou Yanxun coughed lightly and slowly picked up a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"It's nothing. It's just the aroma of the wine that's intoxicating."

Magistrate Sun finally breathed a sigh of relief. After speaking, Dou Yanxun walked leisurely towards the door, followed by two clerks bowing and praising him.

"Your Excellency is truly a man of extraordinary wisdom and strategy. Now, you have risked your life to remove the two major scourges of Laining with minimal effort, finally bringing peace and tranquility to the people of Laining!"

Master Fang was moved to tears, wishing he could compose a poem on the spot to praise Dou Yanxun's achievement in eliminating the two Zheng brothers.

Dou Yanxun didn't turn his head, but a cold voice drifted from behind him:

"Zheng Fancang's winery has been falsely reporting silver amounts year after year and has kept private accounts; he has embezzled government relief funds under the guise of the orphanage roster; he has colluded with government staff and bribed the registrar; today he has set a trap with poisoned wine, first killing Zheng Jiangran, and then intending to murder me... He has been entrenched in Laining, plotting against the government officials, and has committed evil deeds for many years. He deserves to die."

.

The rain finally stopped.

The wind tore a long slit open in the long-accumulated dark clouds, letting in clear, bright sunlight that spilled onto the muddy official road. The thin mist was just dissipating, and the bluestone road was damp and glistening with moisture.

Lin Xu sat in the carriage, looking out the window at the familiar gray-brick and red-roofed buildings—the very same Laining city gate she hadn't seen for several days. Her mind had been racing the whole way, and she had only found some comfort by leaning on Zhu Ling, after which she had fallen into a deep sleep. Now that she had just woken up, she was suffering from a terrible headache.

Guard Qin was already waiting outside the carriage when he heard a person approaching from afar, speaking to him in a low voice, his voice full of anxiety.

Lin Xu lifted the curtains and saw Hu Biao standing next to Qin Huwei outside the door. It was Hu Biao who led the remaining group back the day before yesterday to protect Dou Yanxun's safety.

"What's wrong? Has something happened? Where is Dou Yanxun?"

She immediately got off the carriage and asked seriously.

Seeing Lin Xu's furrowed brows and anxious expression, Guard Qin opened his mouth, but looked troubled, unsure how to begin. It was Hu Biao who clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Lin Xu, saying:

"Your Majesty, I have failed in my mission. Although I returned ahead of schedule, the moat was incredibly crowded at the time. Before we could even get close to the magistrate, we were separated by the throng... Now, we have searched all over Laining, but we still cannot find him..."

Lin Xu stared blankly at Hu Biao, unable to believe it for a moment.

Dou Yanxun has been missing for two whole days...

How could this be? How could this be? Didn't she already rush back ahead of time? Didn't she even send a highly skilled guard back ahead of time to protect him?

Even during their parting two days ago, she didn't even get to see him one last time...

How could he be so heartless... just leave her all alone like that?

Seeing that Lin Xu's face was deathly pale and he seemed unable to even stand, Zhu Ling hurriedly supported him, comforting him with a sob in her voice:

"Madam, please don't worry too much. Things might get better. The Second Master may just be dealing with some matters..."

Having received a series of blows in one day, she was afraid that Lin Xu would not be able to bear it, so she could only gently pat her shoulder, but her shoulder was quickly soaked with a cool sensation.

Zhu Ling's heart ached as well. Having been by Lin Xu's side for so long, her mistress, who was always gentle and calm, had never been so lost in pain before, and Zhu Ling felt a deep sadness in her heart as well.

"If something were to happen to him..."

Lin Xu's eyelashes were covered with glistening tears. She looked at the moss and pebbles at her feet and felt as if everything had happened in another world.

The last time they stood side by side, he had just arrived in Laining and had solemnly embraced her, promising to give her a wider world in the future...

Now, it's all gone...

If Dou Yanxun really did encounter some misfortune.

I will never forgive him. I will never forgive him for being so heartless, for pushing me away even though I was prepared, and not even giving me a chance to see him one last time...

Before she knew it, her eyes were blurred with tears, and she could no longer see anything around her. Her consciousness gradually faded, and Lin Xu felt dizzy and lightheaded, unable to stand any longer. All around her, she heard panicked cries, Zhu Ling's worried voice, and the distant clatter of galloping hooves…

She must have been overwhelmed with worry and grief to have experienced all sorts of hallucinations. In her daze, she even felt that she saw that figure from the depths of her memory in the distance, and that familiar smile that she used to share day and night with.

"lady."

She must have been in a daze, because she fell into an incredibly broad embrace, and could even hear his deep voice in her ear.

That voice, concealing a hint of surprise and amusement, quickly faded into her ear:

"My lady just said that if something were to happen to me... what should I do?"

Lin Xu mustered all her strength and opened her eyes, which were still wet with tears.