Murder exposed

"Looks like you're crazier than me." Wei Shu glanced at Jiang Jin.

"Don't overthink it. I'm just worried something might happen to you while you're taking a bath. After all, we're on someone else's turf, and we don't know what other secret passages might be hidden in this house." Jiang Jin followed Wei Shu to the greenhouse.

The greenhouse was large, but the hot spring pool occupied half of the space. The inner and outer rooms were separated by a brick wall. Jiang Jin stood on the outside, looking out the window while listening to Wei Shu's movements.

Wei Shu glanced at Jiang Jin, whose eyes were darting around, then turned and went into the inner room to undress. He took off his round-necked robe and was about to put it on the wooden rack when he saw Jiang Jin. He changed his mind and threw it out, which landed right on Jiang Jin's head.

"Wei Shu, you must have done this on purpose!" Jiang Jin glared, pulled her robe off her head, threw it on the ground without hesitation, and stomped on it hard.

"I'm just not a very accurate shot; there's a lot of fog in here," Wei Shu's chuckled voice came, followed by the sound of rippling water.

"Wei Shu, you've gone in?" Jiang Jin turned her head and asked with a smile, watching the figure disappear by the door.

"What do you think?" Wei Shu's voice pierced through the gauze curtain and reached Jiang Jin's ears.

"It's good that you're inside." Jiang Jin couldn't help but smile, quickly pulled a dagger from her sleeve, and strode confidently towards the open wooden door.

As Wei Shu had described, the mist inside made it difficult to discern anything. Through the gauze curtain, Jiang Jin could see a vague figure leaning against the edge of the pool. The scent of water vapor mixed with the fragrance of soap pods wafted into Jiang Jin's nostrils.

"Jiang Jin, is that you coming in?"

Wei Shu keenly sensed that someone had entered behind the screen and was walking towards him, but the footsteps didn't sound like someone with profound martial arts skills.

"Jiang Jin?"

Wei Shu asked again, but still received no response from Jiang Jin. Sensing something was wrong, he was about to get up when a familiar dagger was pressed against his neck. Seeing that the person holding the dagger was Jiang Jin, Wei Shu breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong?" Wei Shu's upper body was exposed, his strong waist muscles covered with water droplets, some of which dripped down the dagger and onto Jiang Jin's hand.

"Wei Shu, tell me, if you die by my hand, how will the political landscape change?" Jiang Jin asked coldly, pushing the dagger forward again.

"Jiang Jin, guess why I didn't dodge?"

Before Jiang Jin could react, Wei Shu reached out and grabbed her arm, deftly pulling the dagger into the hot spring. Seeing the danger, Jiang Jin tried to turn around, but Wei Shu dragged her into the water.

"Wei Shu, I was just joking, I didn't mean to kill you!"

Jiang Jin gripped Wei Shu's shoulders tightly, feeling as if she were about to drown in the hot spring, when Wei Shu finally lifted her up by the waist and placed her on the edge of the pool.

"This is what happens when you go crazy." Wei Shu placed Jiang Jin on the edge of the pool with his eyes closed. "I need to get dressed. Take care of yourself!"

"No way!" Jiang Jin would never let Wei Shu leave, leaving her all alone here.

She jumped into the hot spring and held Wei Shu's hand tightly. The warm water swirled around them, and the steam made Jiang Jin's head throb.

"What do you want to do?"

Wei Shu suppressed his heat and asked, the mist enveloping the two of them. Jiang Jin could see the wounds on Wei Shu's body, but Wei Shu dared not open his eyes. Jiang Jin grasped Wei Shu's fingers and pulled his hand to her face.

"My face feels a little hot. I don't know if I'm still sick. Would you please open your eyes and take a look at me, my lord?"

"Jiang Jin, this is the governor's villa in Bianzhou. I don't want anything to go wrong, so let go of me right now!" Wei Shu felt the warmth of Jiang Jin's hand and involuntarily swallowed.

"Alright, I agree, but won't you take a look at me, my lord?" Because it was summer, she was dressed lightly, and after soaking in the hot spring water, her delicate skin was clearly visible beneath her clothes.

"Since you have extended such a warm invitation, how could I possibly refuse?"

Wei Shu's eyelids trembled slightly, and Jiang Jin reached out and covered his eyes. "It's a pity it's too late. We can't wait for you, my lord. Let's wait for the next time we bathe together."

Jiang Jin deliberately traced the outline of Wei Shu's Adam's apple with her finger before retreating to a corner. "My lord, remember to have someone send me some clothes." With the ripples of the water, Jiang Jin could clearly feel Wei Shu leaving the bath.

"Wei Shu, why aren't you afraid that I truly want to kill you?" Jiang Jin's words, carried by the sound of flowing water, reached Wei Shu's ears.

"Given your personality, if you wanted to kill me, you would have just slit my throat. Why bother with words? Besides, do you really think you're capable of killing me?" Wei Shu chuckled.

"General, you are quite confident." Jiang Jin turned around and pushed the water ripples as he walked to the edge of the hot spring. "General, how about we try again tonight?"

"Jiang Jin, do you really think I'm afraid to turn around and look at you?" Wei Shu's finger hovered over the door latch, as if he wanted to turn his head.

"Alright, shall I get up and let the general see clearly?" Jiang Jin slowly rose, only to be greeted by the sound of Wei Shu quickly closing the door.

"This is getting more and more fun." Jiang Jin took off her wet outer robe and lay comfortably in the hot spring, feeling a growing understanding of Wei Shu.

"Madam, your clothes." A maid knocked on the door.

"Come in, and close the wooden door behind you." Jiang Jin turned her back to the maid, letting her enter the inner room.

"Madam, may I help you dress?" The maid knelt beside the hot spring, looking down at the floor tiles.

"No need, just put down your clothes and leave." Jiang Jin glanced up at the maid and laughed when she saw the unusual maid's clothes.

"Madam?" The maidservant shuddered slightly as she listened to Jiang Jin's laughter.

"Why are you so scared if there's nothing wrong? Anyone who didn't know better would think I was trying to make things difficult for you." Jiang Jin reached out and lifted the maid's chin. "They say it's better to marry a maid from a wealthy family than a girl from a poor family. Seeing this today, it's definitely true."

"Madam, you flatter me!" The maid hurriedly kowtowed, the sound echoing throughout the greenhouse. Jiang Jin reached out and stopped the maid from kowtowing.

"I won't make things difficult for you, whether it's the governor's arrangement or your own will. But the general is different. If you want to save your life, stop these actions." Jiang Jin pulled off the shawl from the maid's shoulder, revealing her fair collarbone.

"But he will kill you."

Jiang Jin rose expressionlessly and walked to the maid's side. She picked up clean clothes, lifted the curtain, and wiped herself. The inner room was shrouded in mist, making it unbearably hot.

"This servant truly had no intention of seducing the General!" The maid looked at Jiang Jin with tears in her eyes, secretly wondering where she had given herself away.

"You don't need to explain to me. I just couldn't bear to see you die like this, so I tried to persuade you." Jiang Jin tied her long hair up with a wooden hairpin, and her light blue dress outlined her graceful figure.

"Your clothes are made of diamond-patterned silk. Although diamond-patterned silk may not be worth ten thousand gold pieces, it is still worth one gold piece per inch. Even if the governor's family is wealthy and powerful, they would not allow a lowly maid to wear such luxurious fabric."

Jiang Jin lifted the gauze curtain and looked at the maid kneeling by the pool, smiling as she examined the hairpins in her hair.

"The hairpin is nice too. If I wanted to harm you, would you still be here kowtowing to me?" Jiang Jin picked up the dagger she had retrieved from the pond from the edge of the pool.

"Alright, that's all I have to say. Judge for yourself." Jiang Jin sheathed his dagger and pushed open the wooden door to the inner room when he heard a soft sigh from the woman behind him.

"My lady has a good eye, but does she know that this rhombus-patterned silk has another wonderful use?" The maid slowly rose and looked at Jiang Jin with cold eyes.

"You can speak," Jiang Jin said with a smile, sitting down on the round stool in the outer room, seeing the person's overconfidence.

"This rhombus-patterned silk can conceal its medicinal properties when soaked in the medicinal liquid and then dried, but it can release its medicinal properties when it comes into contact with water. Are you feeling unwell, madam?" The maid walked out of the inner room and approached Jiang Jin step by step, the medicinal scent on her body becoming increasingly strong.

"So?" Jiang Jin glanced at the maid with interest, then took a sip of cold tea.

"My lady, why don't you look behind you?" The bed behind Jiang Jin slowly moved, and a head peeked out from inside.

"Was this your father's original plan, or something you secretly devised?" The maid paused, looking at Jiang Jin in disbelief.

"You must be wondering how I knew your identity?" Jiang Jin leisurely looked at the teacup, completely ignoring the two people outside.

"While the rhombus-patterned silk is precious, it's just ordinary for a daughter of the Wang family. Besides, your hairpin is an official item; you don't think I don't recognize it, do you? But I suppose Governor Wang wouldn't allow a daughter of the Wang family to seduce Wei Shu, so you're an illegitimate daughter, not registered in the family register?" Jiang Jin propped her chin on her hand, looking at the man who appeared before her.

"So you think that if something happens to me, you can take over Madam Wei's position?" Madam Wang said angrily, seeing that Jiang Jin had directly exposed her plan. "Idiot, hurry up and restrain her!"

"Madam Wang, it's a pity your plans are going to fall through."

Jiang Jin drew her dagger and attacked the man with lightning speed, leaving him no time to dodge. Her left armlet, with its openwork design, suddenly opened, spilling the sleeping potion into the man's nose. The bloodstains on his neck foreshadowed his impending death.

"You good-for-nothing idiot." Jiang Jin brandished his dagger as he approached Lady Wang. "Who do you think is next?"

"Even if I am a concubine's daughter, my biological father is Governor Wang. How dare you touch me!" Lady Wang pulled out a hairpin from her hair and confronted Jiang Jin.

"Fool, the moment you touched me, you ceased to be the daughter of Governor Wang." Jiang Jin sprinkled the remaining sleeping potion onto Lady Wang, then opened the door.

The courtyard was silent. Wei Shu stood not far away, quietly watching Jiang Jin. "It seems the general has enjoyed a good show!"

“You don’t have Chinese medicine.” Wei Shu noticed that Jiang Jin’s steps were steady and powerful, not at all like someone who had taken Chinese medicine.

"Could it be that the general really wants me to be poisoned?" Jiang Jin smirked as he composed himself and said, "You knew she was abnormal, yet you still let her in. I don't know whether to be moved by the general's confidence in me or saddened by the general's indifference towards me. Wei Shu, are you really not afraid of my death?!"

"So why don't you have any Chinese medicine?" Wei Shu's eyes darkened as he watched Jiang Jin sheath her dagger. "Could it be that you took the antidote beforehand?"

"I don't know." A surge of intense grievance welled up in Jiang Jin's heart, and tears welled up in her eyes. "If you don't believe me, you can ask a doctor to take my pulse carefully!"

"Zhou Cong, go to the city and fetch the best doctor to examine Madam. Remember, it must be the best!" Although the two were not far apart, Wei Shu could clearly sense the aloofness emanating from Jiang Jin.

"I'm tired." Jiang Jin didn't say anything more, but placed the dagger in Wei Shu's palm. "I'll return this dagger to the general. I'll return to the capital tomorrow, and the general doesn't need to bother testing me anymore."

"Jiang Jin!" Wei Shu felt a pang of guilt. "I..."

Watching Jiang Jin's departing figure, Wei Shu felt for the first time how painful guilt could be.