Chapter 54 The bathwater we drank? Was it poisonous?

Lu Wensheng patted Shang Lian's back lightly, holding his breath and urging, "If you have something to say, climb out first!"

Although a lot of spices were added and a lot of lime was used as a base, the corpse had been stored for too long and the stench of decay was hard to conceal.

Shang Lian laughed through his tears, his eyes filled with sorrow and emptiness: "Little Deer, go away, I'm already ruined."

His gaze shifted to Shen Hegui, his lips twitching slightly as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end he said nothing.

Lu Wensheng's heart tightened, and he became uneasy: "Explain yourself clearly, what do you mean by 'it's already ruined'?"

Shen Hegui's eyes flickered slightly. Ignoring the nauseating smell, he bent down and raised his hand to touch Shang Lian's legs.

"Hiss! Ah!"

Shang Lian trembled violently, his teeth clenched, but he couldn't help but gasp and scream in pain. Cold sweat instantly seeped out, covering his forehead in a dense layer.

Following Shen Hegui's movements, Lu Wensheng looked at Shang Lian's legs, which were clearly somewhat unnatural, and reached out to pull his belt.

Shang Lian hurriedly stopped him, his voice trembling from the lingering pain: "Don't look... it's not pretty, give me some face."

Shen Hegui calmly snatched Lu Wensheng's hand from Shang Lian's, rubbed it repeatedly, and slowly stated his conclusion: "The patella, tibia, and fibula are all shattered. Whether the muscles are necrotic requires a doctor's diagnosis."

Lu Wensheng was stunned and immediately froze on the spot, unable to believe it.

Shen Hegui's gaze sharpened: "This is no ordinary beating injury. It was caused by repeated blows and crushing with a heavy weapon. Mr. Shang, is this what you call a family matter?"

Mr. Shang showed no remorse or regret, and said righteously, "If he hadn't run away, how could things have turned out like this! He brought it all on himself! It's just a marriage, and he'll be carrying on the Qian family line in the future. It's a simple and clear matter, but he's so stubborn that he's complicated a simple problem!"

Father Qian chimed in, "Yes, we didn't intend for this. Our youngest daughter has passed away, and we're worried that she'll be all alone and without anyone to take care of her. So we wanted to find her a heir. If he weren't a top-ranking scholar, we wouldn't even consider him!"

Shang Lian leaned against the coffin wall, his eyes cold and filled with hatred: "You really think I... know nothing!"

He turned to look at Shen Hegui, gritting his teeth as he said, “My father, Shang Silian, traveled overseas, smuggling countless raw silks, satins, and porcelains. The seas are unpredictable and treacherous. A shipwreck and loss of all capital can happen in a single night. I refused to help my brother enter officialdom, nor did I want to give up my official position to go into business. So they sold me to the Qian family to be a live-in son-in-law for procreation, in exchange for working capital.”

Lu Wensheng, who came from a merchant family, immediately understood the key point.

Merchants were not allowed to take the imperial examinations, so Shang Silian actually wanted to reinstate Shang Lian to the merchant register and have his eldest son, Shang Jue, register as a commoner so he could participate in the imperial examinations.

Lu Wensheng shook his head repeatedly, feeling both absurd and furious: "Crazy, absolutely crazy! Utterly delusional!"

She looked up and questioned, "Do you really think the imperial examinations are so easy to pass?"

Shang Lian's voice came softly: "It's not easy to pass the exam, but that's because of you. Little Deer, stay away from me from now on. The kindness of giving birth to and raising you is greater than heaven. You can suck the blood of your relatives if you want, but it's too outrageous for them to want to suck yours!"

Shen Hegui's brow twitched, and he asked solemnly, "Did they force you to ask Lu Wensheng about the imperial examination questions?"

Shang Lian nodded with a heavy heart: "Now I suddenly understand why merchants are not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations. Because a successful merchant only has profit in his eyes and heart. If he becomes an official and gains power, what will become of him!"

A commotion arose outside the courtyard, and Huo Qian stumbled in, followed by a large group of people. He saw Shang Lian still alive and breathed a heavy sigh of relief, repeatedly saying, "It's good that he's alive, it's good that he's alive."

Huo Changbai grabbed Huo Qian with a stick and said to Shang Silian, "Excuse me, I'll take my son away now."

Shang Lian met Huo Qian's gaze, forced a broken smile, and said to Shen Hegui, "By the way, Huo Qian's father, Huo Changbai, also participated in this smuggling operation. The ledger evidence is under the bricks in the changing area of ​​my courtyard."

Upon hearing this, both the merchant and the Huo family members who had just arrived were taken aback.

Shang Si roared, "Quickly, keep these two here! Don't let them out!"

Huo Changbai reacted extremely quickly: "Hurry up and help!"

Just before chaos erupted, figures descended from all directions, surging in like a tide. They were all dressed in flying fish robes and wore embroidered spring knives at their waists.

Shen Hegui stepped forward, shielding Lu Wensheng behind him, and calmly ordered: "Take them all down. Seal off the Shang residence immediately. No one is to make any rash moves. Send a team to seal off the Huo residence!"

The Imperial Guards responded in unison, "Understood!"

Huo Changbai was shocked: "Who exactly are you?" The Imperial Guards were actually being so respectful to him!

Lu Wensheng strode out from behind Shen Hegui, stepped forward to snatch Huo Qian back, and said succinctly: "My new backer!"

An absurd farce orchestrated by close relatives came to an end with the arrival of the Imperial Guards.

As the commotion subsided, Shang Lian's leg injury remained unclear, and Shen Hegui ordered his men to carry him, coffin and all, into the Imperial Hospital. Huo Qian, whose hand injury had only been hastily bandaged and treated without even applying medicine, rushed to the Shang residence and followed them to the Imperial Hospital, where he was subsequently imprisoned.

With two close friends suffering accidents one after another, Lu Wensheng was exhausted. Relying on Shen Hegui's presence and understanding of the whole situation, she mustered up the courage to skip work.

Inside the Imperial Medical Academy, the aroma of medicine mingled with a bitter smell.

Zhang Chanyi stroked his beard and handed Lu Wensheng a bowl of amber-colored medicinal soup.

Zhang Chanyi: "Drink it quickly."

Lu Wensheng stared intently at Shang Lian's shocking legs, then shook his head and refused, "I'm not sick."

Zhang Chanyi: "Relaxed and calming."

Lu Wensheng remained silent and ignored him.

At this moment, Shen Hegui, now dressed in clean clothes, walked over slowly. He didn't say much, but simply nodded slightly to Zhang Chanyi and naturally took the bowl of calming soup from his hands, saying softly, "I'll take it."

Zhang Chanyi understood, bowed silently, and quietly withdrew.

That jarring amber color caught her eye again, and Lu Wensheng resolutely refused: "I don't want to drink it."

Shen Hegui did not force him directly. Instead, he stirred it with a white porcelain spoon, tasted the temperature and flavor himself, and said in a deep voice, "I specially asked Zhang Yuanpan to prepare this for you. The medicine has a mild taste and is not bitter."

He paused, then said, "Listen to me, take your medicine, and then go to my place for a good night's sleep. You're too exhausted; if you collapse, who in this vast capital of Yanjing will be willing to take care of them?"

Lu Wensheng's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. She hesitated for a moment, looking at the bowl of steaming medicine, then at Shen Hegui's calm eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she finally held her breath and gulped down the entire bowl of calming soup.

Why is it sweet and sour?

Lu Wensheng pursed his lips, savoring the moment.

It tastes pretty good!

"Your Highness, is there any chance that Huo Qian and the others will be reinstated?" she asked hopefully, setting the medicine bowl aside.

Shen Hegui took out a yellowed folded document from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Wensheng: "Huo Qian asked someone to give this to me while he was in prison. I think it's better for you to know sooner rather than later."

Lu Wensheng took a deep breath, mentally prepared himself, before starting.

Your humble servant Huo Qian, filled with trepidation and fear, kowtows twice:

I am grateful to the court for granting me this humble post. However, my father has acted improperly and violated the law. Although I was not involved, I cannot escape the blame for negligence and collateral damage. I have no face to stand before the court again.

I humbly beg Your Highness to grant me your mercy, considering my past efforts, and allow me to be exiled with Shang Lian to a remote and desolate place to promote education, understand the people's sentiments, and guard this remote area for the court, so as to atone for my sins.

His hands trembled uncontrollably. The helplessness of the dust settling down, coupled with self-blame, transformed into fine, invisible silver needles that pierced through his heart, leaving Lu Wensheng pale with distress.

Shen Hegui gently patted her back to comfort her and spoke softly, "Raw silk is a prohibited item, and smuggling it is considered treason, a serious crime. He was very clever; he used a tactic of retreating to advance."

“I know.” Lu Wensheng took two heavy breaths. “I just… I just feel that everything happened too suddenly.”

No, there were actually signs. Shang Lian had taken so many days off, she should have noticed something was wrong and should have gone to visit her. She had just been living too comfortably these past few days.

From now on, she will be all alone in this vast city of Yanjing. Zhang Mianzhi, who has taken care of her for four years, is leaving, as are Huo Qian and Shang Lian. If only she could leave too.

Should she resign after the imperial examinations are over? Or should she ask for a posting to a remote area, so that she can go wherever Shang Lian and the others go?

As Lu Wensheng was quietly making plans, the imperial physician who was stitching up Shang Lian's wound bowed and said, "Your Highness, Lord Lu, the person is fine, but the bone injury is difficult to heal. In the future, whenever it is rainy or cold, he will probably suffer from unbearable pain."

Shen Hegui waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

Lu Wensheng's mind raced, and he immediately knelt down, pleading, "Since Huo Qian requests to be transferred to a post outside the capital, why not let him take Shang Lian to the southwestern plateau? Zhang Mianzhi is old and the coastal climate is humid and oppressive, which is not conducive to his recuperation. Why not let him go with him as well?"

"Get up." Shen Hegui bent down and lifted Lu Wensheng's arm. "I will send someone to convey your meaning to them. As for how to choose, it is ultimately up to them."

Shen Hegui's actions and words were so gentle and considerate that Lu Wensheng finally discerned the indulgence and tenderness that was unique to her.

"Your Highness," she said as if possessed, "I don't want to go to sleep. Is there any wine left from last time? I want to find a high place to sit and drink."

Shen Hegui's eyes flashed with surprise. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Yes, there is, but you can't drink it on an empty stomach. You can only have it after you've had a proper lunch."

"Okay." A good drink can wash away all her worries, and she'll be full of energy again after sobering up!

Lunch was served in Zhaowu Hall, consisting of light and easily digestible dishes that tasted decent. However, Lu Wensheng was in a bad mood and only ate a few bites before asking for wine.

She implied, "I'm full."

Shen Hegui took the wine that had been prepared beside him, filled it, and said without changing his expression, "That wine is mixed. Try it first to see if it tastes right."

Lu Wensheng took it suspiciously: "Why is it light blue this time?" It looks like a culinary disaster.

Shen Hegui: "Try it first."

Trusting Shen Hegui, Lu Wensheng downed the wine in the white jade cup in one gulp, then picked up a bamboo shoot from the old duck soup with his chopsticks. After tasting it, he frowned and said, "It's a bit too sweet, and there's no wine flavor, but it's quite fragrant." Moreover, the fragrance was exactly the same as the scent on Shen Hegui's body.

The hand holding the chopsticks paused, and an absurd thought instantly surged into my mind.

Could it be that Shen Hegui mixed this wine while taking a bath and accidentally splashed some bathwater into it?

I can't keep thinking about it, it's too unpleasant.

Setting down his ivory chopsticks, Lu Wensheng was about to ask where the wine was made when a feeling of weakness and limpness instantly washed over him, his thoughts became sluggish and dull, and he felt lightheaded, as if he were about to fly away.

"Poisonous?" she whispered in alarm, collapsing onto the table before she could utter a third word and lost consciousness.

Shen Hegui appeared behind her at some point and replied softly, "It is poison." His poison.

Originally, I planned to have Lu Wensheng drink the calming soup and obediently accompany me for a nap. Since he was so disobedient and thought about drinking heavily during the day, I can't blame him.

He carefully picked up the unconscious Lu Wensheng and whispered to the outside world, "Remove the wine and dishes, and immediately take the wine pot and wine cups to wash them clean."

"Here you go!"

After passing through the screen and entering the inner hall, Shen Hegui gently placed Lu Wensheng on his couch.

The large, soft bedding sank in, making Lu Wensheng appear even thinner and more frail.

Shen Hegui sat down on the edge of the couch, his gaze lingering uncontrollably.

She's still too thin. I wonder how Lu Wensheng has been working out these past few days, as there seems to be no improvement.

He reached out and grasped her soft palm, greedily rubbing it against her body heat, then gently rolled up her sleeve.

A few strands of worry crossed the beautiful sky.

Seems like nothing's changed? No, wait, she looks a bit thinner.

Fortunately, the decree has been issued, so we can keep the person by our side to care for them.

After a moment's thought, Shen Hegui reached out to unbutton the red button around Lu Wensheng's neck.

Suddenly, Feng Gou's deliberately lowered voice came from outside the screen.

"Your Highness, Lord Lin requests an audience."

Shen Hegui stopped halfway through his outstretched hand and instead went to lower the bed curtain: "Take the person to the side hall, and I will ride up on horseback."

Lin Shoubai should be interrogating prisoners at the Zhaoyu prison at this time; his sudden appearance must mean he has something important to discuss.

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Author's Note: Shang Lian: From now on, I'm a die-hard fan who forbids businessmen from taking the imperial examinations, hahaha!

From now on, he'll be a lone deer, all alone and pitiful. [doge emoji]