Yangzhou Eleven

Across the forest, the chaos at the waterfall escalated with Aruo's fall. Two of the men in black were killed, one knocked unconscious and captured by Cheng Sheng, while the ambushed one escaped into the forest. Su Zirui had already caught up, and Yiyuan cleaned up the scene, leaving Qin Zhi to grit his teeth and bring Lin Ya and Cai Xin down the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, an exquisite and luxurious carriage was parked in the middle of the road, taking up almost half the space. In front of the carriage were four guards riding crimson horses, and behind it stood a group of men in official uniforms.

Qin Zhi paused, his face no longer showing the anxiety he had when he had an argument with Cai Xin while going down the mountain, and he looked ahead expressionlessly.

"Young Gang Leader, he..." When the members of the Baiyan Gang who were waiting at the foot of the mountain saw him, they hurried over, wanting to say something but stopping themselves.

Qin Zhi nodded. The person on his back was unconscious. Yiyuan could only barely stop her bleeding, but given the current situation, it would probably not be easy to take her away.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a man in elegant attire stepped out. He was as tall as jade, with strikingly handsome features and delicate features. His eyebrows reached deep into his temples, his eyes were like cold pools, and his eyes and eyebrows were filled with nobility. He wore a cyan brocade robe, tied at the waist with a jade belt. His black hair was tied up in a high bun, adorned with a translucent jade hairpin. Seeing Qin Zhi approach, the man smiled faintly, his elegance yet intimidating presence.

"Master Qin, how are you?"

Qin Zhi's brows were calm, and he nodded slightly, "Greetings, Lord Marquis."

"Marquis?" Ning Caixin followed Qin Zhi, looked at the person opposite, then looked at Qin Zhi again. She stood quietly aside, consulting the woman in green with her eyes.

The woman pursed her lips and silently said three words, Marquis Dingbei.

Cai Xin suddenly looked over, her eyes wide open, only to be met with a pair of gentle gazes. She quickly ducked her head in shock. It was him? Luo Ziran, Marquis of Dingbei, one of the Four Princes of the Capital, who mourned his deceased wife with deep affection? Did he know Qin Zhi?

"We have important matters to attend to, so we won't delay the Marquis from going up the mountain to pray." Qin Zhi was concerned about Aruo's injury and didn't want to deal with this person, so he said bluntly. This was another way up the mountain from Dayin Temple, so Qin Zhi just assumed he was here to worship Buddha.

Luo Ziran smiled upon hearing this. "Of course, your gang is busy with affairs, and I won't delay you. However... before my wife died, she asked me to take good care of her sister, but I was so lost in the grief of losing her that I let her suffer for four years. I feel incredibly ashamed. Now that she's injured again, I'm worried about causing trouble for your gang. I have a royal physician with me in my mansion. Please, Young Gang Master, return her to me so I can fulfill my responsibilities as her brother-in-law."

Brother-in-law? Cai Xin looked at the motionless person lying on Qin Zhi's back in surprise. She had been with Aruo for four years, so how could she not know that she had a brother-in-law?

Qin Zhi remained silent as he said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, my Lord. Although we don't have a royal physician in the White Flame Gang, we do have many skilled healers who will take care of her. Besides, she's an unmarried girl with an older brother and sister-in-law, so why bother, my Lord?"

Luo Ziran refused to budge, his eyes cold, "Young Master, since you know she's still single, you should consider her reputation. You should avoid suspicion when you're in a melon field or a plum garden."

Shit, it’s really easy to get irritable talking to these nobles from the capital.

Qin Zhi sneered and said in a bold and clear voice, "It's a melon field under a plum tree, and the Marquis hasn't remarried yet, so he should avoid suspicion. My Qin family treats her as a close relative. If she agrees, I will definitely carry her in an eight-person sedan chair and make her the mistress of our Qin family. However, her brother and sister-in-law will make the decision on this matter, so the Marquis, her brother-in-law, doesn't need to worry about it. I've heard that the Marquis's Mansion is deserted, so the Marquis should pay more attention to the noble ladies in the capital and expand the Marquis's Mansion as soon as possible."

The two locked eyes, neither willing to yield, leaving Caixin trembling with fear. She wasn't stupid; from their conversation, she could tell that Marquis Dingbei seemed intent on taking Aruo away, while Qin Zhi was unwilling. Caixin naturally trusted Qin Zhi more than the stranger, but if the other party used his power, Qin Zhi would inevitably retreat. Unfortunately, her Aruo was still unconscious, and she stamped her feet anxiously, deeply resenting the absence of the sharp-tongued Lord Su and Yiyuan. She feared Qin Zhi's fighting ability would be insufficient, forcing Aruo to be taken away.

On the mountainside, Su Zirui and Yiyuan stood in the woods, frowning as they watched everything at the foot of the mountain.

"You're not going?" Su Zirui had a mission, so it wasn't the right time to show up. He glanced at Yiyuan, who was leaning calmly against the tree trunk.

Yiyuan raised his eyelids slightly and said lazily, "Why are you in such a hurry? Her mother hasn't arrived yet."

Her mother? Who?

At the foot of the mountain, the two sides were in a stalemate. The sound of horse hooves could be heard quickly, along with a woman's powerful voice.

"The people are almost gone, why are you still dawdling here? Men really care about their reputation." A reddish-brown horse came galloping over and the woman dismounted.

Her hair was tied high in a bun, a jade hairpin and a golden hairpin complementing each other, and pearl flowers shone softly. She wore a deep purple brocade embroidered gauze dress with a narrow collar, revealing her snow-white neck. Her beautiful face was adorned with a pair of bright phoenix eyes, and her eyebrows were full of confidence and assertiveness.

"Sister!" Qin Zhi's eyes lit up and he quickly ran around the person blocking his way.

"Useless idiot!" Qin Shuang frowned and glared at him, then readily took the person from his back and carried him horizontally in his arms. Before he could turn around, he was stopped by a sword-wielding guard. Qin Shuang glared at him with his phoenix eyes, and his imposing aura made the guard unconsciously take a half step back and look at his master.

"Mrs. Qi." Luo Ziran's face was gloomy and his eyes were alert.

"My Lord, how are you?... Well, it's bitterly cold in the northwest. My Lord, you look much older. Are you feeling well?" His clear voice was filled with concern, but the words were spoken too bluntly.

Luo Ziran choked for a moment, his fingers moving slightly, resisting the urge to touch his temples. "Thank you, Madam Qi, for your concern."

"You're welcome." Qin Shuang raised an eyebrow. "My aunt went out for an outing with friends today and encountered thieves. Fortunately, Azhi and the monks from Dayin Temple helped her out. Now she's injured, so I'll take her back. I heard that the Marquis came to Yangzhou to inspect the salt administration. Coincidentally, the girl is the daughter of the Salt Transport Commissioner, Lord Lin. Please, the Marquis, send her off on your behalf."

Aren't you going to investigate the salt administration? Why are you rushing here to grab people? Go meet the officials and greet them.

Luo Ziran suppressed his smile and said pointedly, "Madam Qi, I'm afraid that ordinary doctors can't treat my wife's sister's injury."

Qin Shuang held the person in her arms and swung her hairpin lightly, "It's okay. The famous doctor Xue just happened to come to my house. There is no injury or virus in the world that he can't cure. Her brother is also waiting. My Lord, please make way, or do you want my aunt to die here in pain?"

After saying this, he turned and walked towards the carriage that had just arrived. The guard wanted to stop him, but saw his master raised his hand to stop him.

Luo Ziran watched the people get on the carriage and said calmly, "In that case, I'll trouble Madam Qi. The Japanese Marquis will definitely come to visit."

"Waiting for you, My Lord." Qin Shuang naturally observed all the etiquette. As for the rest, it depended on her mood.

Qin Zhi readily ordered someone to hand Lin Ya over to the maid of the Marquis' Mansion, then mounted his horse and led his team away.

The people on the mountainside didn't bother to care about the rest of the people, and left silently with a tiptoe.

When turning around, Su Zirui looked over there. When the curtain of the carriage fell, Qin Shuang gently let the girl lie in her arms, and with a look of pity on her face, she lifted her black hair to check her wound.

Turning his head expressionlessly, Su Zirui disappeared into the dense forest.

In the forest, tiny flames slowly gathered down the mountain. The forest, which had been bustling for half the night, gradually returned to tranquility. Only the occasional sound of horse hooves could be heard, gradually fading away.

Soon, the mountains and forests quietly merged into the night, waiting for the powerful bells of Dayin Temple to ring again before sunrise tomorrow.

The summer sun shines on the golden roof of Dayin Temple, and it seems as if there is a golden glow. The magnificent building is set against the mountains, and the incense is curling around, forming a peaceful and beautiful picture.

Behind the halls, inside the sleeping quarters, sparrows hopped and hopped on the bluestone pavement, pecking at the ground. The door to the wing room was wide open, revealing four men seated at a square table.

A middle-aged man, casually dressed in a light robe and without even a belt, had his hair in a messy bun. With a solemn expression, he reached out and placed his hand on the other man's wrist. His two fingers, with blackened nails, pressed against the pulse, making the cold, pale skin beneath them appear exceptionally delicate.

"Old Xue, what's going on?" Qin Zhi, who was sitting across from him, yawned and asked impatiently, "You've been in pain for almost half an hour. Is it really that serious?"

Last night, he went back home to be interrogated and healed for most of the night. He hadn't even slept for two hours when Old Xue dragged him to Dayin Temple. He was in a very bad mood. Qin Zhi didn't understand. What did this gentleman have to do with him?

"Why are you in such a hurry? This is...difficult to deal with." Old Xue ignored him and pondered with a frown.

Su Zirui raised his eyes, his expression normal, as if he wasn't the one being told it was difficult to deal with. "Doctor Xue, just speak frankly."

"This poison of yours was deposited several months ago. It is the White Bone Sorrow that only exists outside the Great Wall. It was suppressed with medicine at that time, but it was never truly cured. If it could have been cured at that time, it would have been easy to deal with. Now it has been delayed for so long, and you were seriously poisoned and injured a few days ago. Your meridians are disordered. If it weren't for your deep internal strength, you would probably... Alas, it's difficult to deal with." Old Xue shook his head and sighed.

"So serious?" Qin Zhi was stunned, already thinking about how to distance himself from this second-generation official if he died here. Before he could come up with a plan, a pair of cold eyes glared at him, and Qin Zhi felt a chill down his spine. He turned away awkwardly and looked at Yiyuan. "Didn't you say it was nothing? Didn't Aunt Song cure half of it?"

Su Zirui looked thoughtfully at the hand on his wrist, wondering whether he should pull his hand back.

Yiyuan ignored Qin Zhi and just looked at Old Xue, whose face was heavy, and said lazily, "What's next? Are you going to say that delaying it will harm your lifespan?"

"Of course." Old Xue nodded affirmatively with a bright look in his eyes.

"Then you should say that there is no antidote for this poison." Su Zirui withdrew his hand and wiped his wrist with the handkerchief on the table.

"How do you know?" Old Xue blinked and looked at the two of them in disbelief.

Qin Zhi also reacted and said unhappily, "In the end, you still said that it was fortunate that you were there, and he didn't die."

"How... do you know all this?" Old Xue was surprised. When he saw the little girl last night, she clearly didn't say anything.

Qin Zhi and Yi Yuan rolled their eyes rudely. Su Zirui didn't want to listen to this kind of routine anymore and asked directly, "Doctor Xue, can you cure the previous poison now?"

His external injuries had long since healed, but the poison was long-lasting and difficult to treat, and his luck was often blocked.

Hearing this, Old Xue glanced at him and said, "It's not difficult to cure this poison. The difficult part is that there are a few medicinal herbs that are precious and hard to find."

"Didn't you loot enough from my house last night?" Qin Zhi couldn't bear it any longer and said maliciously, "I'm telling you, this is an official from the Ministry of Justice. If you use Qiao and others to arrest you again, you won't be able to redeem yourself even if you sell all those herbs."

Old Xue was stunned for a moment, and irritably scratched his already loose hair. "Never mind, never mind. Just do a good deed today. Give me two days, and the poison will wear off."

"Thank you, Doctor Xue." Su Zirui clasped his fists and pondered for a moment before asking, "By the way, is Aruo... okay?"

"Not good," Qin Zhi was the most qualified person to say this. Last night, he was upset for half the night because of his sister and brother-in-law's combined forces. "The girl's wound got wet, and she got a fever when she got home. She was already deficient in Qi and blood, and now she's even weaker."

The worst thing was that she was afraid of pain, and her subconscious mind didn't cooperate with the treatment. His sister had to coax and deceive her before she got the unconscious person to turn over.

"Come to think of it, were you the one who cured the poison on her shoulder?" Old Xue found traces of ointment on the wound.

Su Zirui nodded, "That poison is the same as the one I was poisoned with a few days ago. I have a pill from the palace that can cure it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zhi and Yiyuan looked up sharply, their eyes fixed on him. Old Xue nodded with relief, "It's a good thing I resolved it right away, otherwise even a little delay would have been fatal to her."

Su Zirui's heart sank. He met Qin Zhi and the other man's gaze and nodded slightly. "They should be the same group of people."

"Who?" Qin Zhi asked gritting his teeth.

"Liangzhou Governor, Luo Yin."

Yiyuan was slightly stunned. "Luo Ziran's third uncle?"

Su Zirui raised his eyebrows, a little surprised that it was him who knew the truth instead of the confused Qin Zhi.

The sparrows outside the door suddenly flapped their wings and flew away at the same time. The three people's faces were stern. Qin Zhi, who was closest to the door, turned over and walked out quickly. After seeing who was outside, he asked in surprise, "Brother-in-law?"

Sitting upright at the stone table outside the door was a handsome man. He wore a bright blue silk robe with wide sleeves, a matching jade belt around his waist. His jet-black hair was tied into a bun with a jade crown, revealing a beautiful face.

Seeing the people coming out, Qi Shaozhen smiled gently, "Azhi, your sister and I have always hoped that you could have more children for the Qin family. We never thought you would actually hide your lover in a temple... How could you bear to hide such a handsome man among a group of monks?"

The profound words made Qin Zhi's mouth twitch fiercely, "Brother-in-law...can you not tell my sister about this?"

Qin Shuang had just said that Su Zirui must not be involved. If she knew that the instigator was now seriously injured, she would definitely vent her anger on him. Qin Zhi didn't want to be cannon fodder.

Hearing this, Yiyuan almost choked, and even Lao Xue looked at him in shock.

As someone who was mistakenly thought to be hiding, Su Zirui felt a little helpless about Qin Zhi's reaction. He saluted the man with a playful look in his eyes and said, "Master Qi, I have heard of your great name for a long time."

Qi Shaozhen tilted his head and asked with interest, "Oh? Besides marrying into the Qin family, what other fame can I have?"

It’s hard to say… Su Zirui smiled slightly, “Mr. Shen’s disciples are already quite good.”

The rumors about him marrying Qin Shuang were mostly due to Qin Shuang's reputation for bravery in the Jiangnan area, but if one really wanted to say that Qi Shao was incompetent, there was nothing to prove it.

"The same goes for Lord Su." Qi Shaozhen nodded with a smile.

Okay, okay, he's the most vulgar one, okay. Qin Zhi, who had no idea what they were talking about, was a little discouraged, "Brother-in-law, why are you here?"

Qi Shaozhen propped up his chin with his hand, as leisurely as if sipping tea. "Luo Yin will directly take action against the officials and salt merchants' families. I guess they are desperate. Even my brother-in-law rushed over to clean up the mess. It seems that Lord Su has been suppressing him quite a bit recently."

"Brother-in-law, should we take action?" Qin Zhi glanced at Su Zirui and asked excitedly.

"We are just common people, why would we do anything? Right, Lord Su." Qi Shaozhen stood up with a smile and pointed to the side room, "Sir, can you please have a word with me?"

"please."