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The Wu Mi Zhong of Donglan is a mob.

They worship crows as gods and cut human flesh in exchange for money. Those who have more money can pray to the gods with the leader and receive the blessing of longevity.

There are currently two groups entering Huandu.

One group entered from the border of Donglan and arrived at the capital.

Another group has been lurking in Cang County for many years and is now ready to make a move.

And now some believers have arrived in Pingzhou.

Xiao Yingzhu slightly changed the news, explaining lightly that the matter was related to a game of chess.

After hearing this information, Jiang Nianben's thoughts, which had been shrouded in a hazy fog, finally became clear.

Just as she had thought before, the origin and identity of this outsider were very different from those of ordinary people. He came to Pingzhou to disrupt the chess game.

And to mix the clear water into a pot of porridge is to hide all the dark purposes in the chaos on the surface.

In connection with the spies encountered before and Zhou Jinyu, their goals are the same.

It was all for her collaboration with Xiao Yingzhu...

Rather, it was the anthelmintic prescription in her hand.

After all, the reason she was able to share a house with Xiao Yingzhu was because her recipe caught Xiao Yingzhu's attention.

The first person Xiao Yingzhu noticed and took notice of the recipe in her hand was Emperor Changde.

Emperor Changde needs insect repellent because the country is suffering from pests and diseases, but someone stands against him and tries to steal the prescription.

Apart from the Wu Mi people from Donglan, the spies who came from the teahouse earlier seemed to be another force.

It seemed that two forces in Pingzhou came because of the prescription in her hand.

Then the most likely speculation is that Donglan, like Huandu, suffers from pests and diseases, and the problems are even more serious than those in Huandu.

With the beginning of autumn approaching, the rulers there have not found a way to stop the crisis, so they have no choice but to expand outward to find new lands and resources to alleviate the crisis at home.

This makes sense of Xiao Yingzhu's hidden purpose, which she had never made known publicly.

At first she only thought that Xiao Yingzhu came because of the insect repellent.

But after he got the insect repellent recipe, he didn't turn around and let others follow up on the project. Instead, he continued to do it himself and even came to her in person many times. Jiang Nian couldn't understand this.

The Duke reports directly to the Emperor, so the tasks he has to undertake must be numerous and heavy. It is impossible for him to personally investigate repeatedly just for the sake of cooperation in a mission, and at the same time, he has been testing her identity.

But if this cooperation is a piece of cake for him and Emperor Changde, and it is related to the turmoil of the entire court and the struggle between countries, then it is very likely.

But apart from the Wu Mi people, Zhou Jinyu, who came earlier because of her prescription, was too obvious. It was as if she was afraid that she would not notice him. Why was that?

But right now, all we need is a definite answer, so it’s better to put this matter off until later.

With this thought in mind, Jiang Nian looked at Xiao Yingzhu in front of him calmly.

His pupils were dark and clear, like a deep black hole that could accommodate everything in the world, and he wanted to see through her thoughts.

Compared with the previous question, his vision became sharper in response to this question. The usual indifference disappeared in an instant. The dark emotion in his eyes changed slightly, and a sharp blade that had been hidden in his heart, which seemed to be substantial and icy cold, was revealed from his core.

But this sharp and cold look only appeared for a moment. When Jiang Nian blinked again, he had already suppressed the complicated emotions in his eyes and smiled lightly:

"Miss Jiang is truly exceptionally perceptive."

"Now that the situation has been determined and we have deduced this far, do you dare to move forward?"

The backup piece of thin paper with the word "insect repellent" written on it in the golden box had its corner exposed. In Jiang Nian's eyes, it was like a summer flower burning in the scorching heat, bright and dazzling in this hot season. At this time, its mission had already quietly changed.

It not only represents the hope pointed out by the Chinese medicine shop, but also is an important chess piece in the confrontation between countries.

She had made up her mind and was determined to speak her mind frankly at this moment. Being on the same side with Xiao Yingzhu was the inevitable choice and the only choice she would make.

In her outlook on life, she will never back down when faced with complicated or dangerous things. As long as there is a need and she is capable of doing it, she will accept the invitation.

Jiang Nian suppressed the sudden fluctuation in his eyes, and a firmness appeared on his calm and gentle face. He responded with a slight smile.

"It's natural."

—

The night fades away and the sky begins to brighten.

The dew in the bamboo forest exudes a cool and moist scent. The embroidered shoes get wet as they step on the wet lush green grass, and the fragrance of bamboo fills the nostrils.

The tired body and mind that had been exhausted from sitting for a long night were relieved by the cool breeze. Jiang Nian stretched his arms slightly, lowered his head and rubbed his eyes.

Perhaps because I hadn't stood up and walked around all night, the tea room was very cold. Now, standing in the cool breeze of the morning dew, I felt the warmth for the first time.

After waiting outside the house all night for Yu Qian to pull the carriage, he was just about to take a slow walk to loosen up his numb muscles and bones when the hem of a dress with snow-blue sleeves appeared in his sight.

The outstretched arm froze in mid-air. Jiang Nian silently retracted his arm, raised his eyes and smiled at Xiao Yingzhu.

"You haven't left yet?"

A light laugh came from the other side, and Xiao Yingzhu's beautiful eyebrows curved slightly, and her beautiful and charming face softened against the backdrop of the bamboo forest and mountains.

"Miss Jiang hasn't left either?" He raised his eyes and glanced lightly around the bamboo forest where Jiang Nian was standing. His dark pupils darkened like ink as he casually said to her, "This Hanqing is a rare treasure. It was transplanted here from a bamboo grove on a small hill. I carefully cared for it and it is now growing luxuriantly."

"The branches are luxuriant and beautiful, with coral spikes and clear branches and bamboo sheaths."

The bamboos around her rustled, and the scattered words drifted into Jiang Nian's ears. The words beside her slowly stopped. She turned her eyes away from the green bamboo beside her in confusion, and looked at the person beside her, and couldn't help but bump into those deep and restrained eyes.

The depth in Xiao Yingzhu's eyes seemed just like last night, and the darkness was even more frightening.

Jiang Nian's heart skipped a beat. Just as she was about to say something in reply, his gaze disappeared from hers. He looked away casually and paused for a few seconds before asking.

"Miss Jiang, do you have the taste for bamboo?"

Being asked this question suddenly, Jiang Nian was stunned for a moment. As smart as she was, she did not think deeply about it at this time. She just thought that maybe he asked this question to suit the occasion, so she nodded.

"Today, the traveler from the north longs to return home, to return to Hena and wear green silk... Sometimes, when I look at these bamboos, it's as if I can see a thousand years of wind and frost."

The bamboo forest in front of her seemed as lush and green as it was in her time.

As soon as I left the teahouse, I saw Zhu in the mist when Bo Yang just appeared. I suddenly realized that she was already in the dynasty of a thousand years ago. She could not reach the era that raised her even if she stretched out her arms as hard as she could. She had already crossed the gap of time.

Although she has now accepted this unchangeable fate, she still cannot help but step into the bamboo forest. The bamboo joints are so high that when she looks up she can only see the sky and no other houses. Only then can she relax for a while, letting the emptiness in her heart caused by missing her hometown envelop her, and find herself in a strange yet familiar scene.

A look of longing and astonishment flashed across Jiang Nian's eyes. Xiao Yingzhu had been paying attention to her expression, but he still didn't catch a glimpse of the meaning behind her thoughts.

He withdrew his gaze thoughtfully, and secretly memorized the poem she had mentioned unintentionally just now. The sound of carriage wheels rolling on the road behind him was getting closer. He turned slightly, and the slightly inquiring look on his face had long since returned to his previous indifference, making way for Jiang Nian.

Because of the question just now, Jiang Nian suddenly thought of his hometown. Although he pretended to be indifferent on his face, he still felt melancholy in his heart.

Seeing that the carriage that was taking her back home had arrived, she secretly suppressed her emotions, fearing that Xiao Yingzhu would find out. She barely avoided his lowered gaze, said goodbye to him softly, and walked out of the bamboo forest that made her want to get closer but also wanted to leave quickly.

—

Back in the alley next to Jiang's house, it was just morning. Normally, Guizhi and the others would not knock on her door at this time.

But fearing that he would be hit head-on on the way back to his room, Jiang Nian thought about it and came up with a countermeasure.

That was to let Yu take her directly into the room.

Although I have never thought about seeing what the ancient secret guards' lightness skills were like before, this opportunity is rare and there may not be a next time.

As they got closer to Jiang's house, Jiang Nian observed Yu's expression all the way and finally made a request to him.

"Could you please take me back to the room?"

Touched by the cold and indifferent rain, there was a hint of doubt in his eyes, and Jiang Nian smiled gently.

"Because if I go out at night to meet someone, even if it's for serious business, people will inevitably be surprised if they find out."

"You don't want others to know that your master and I are meeting late at night, do you?"

—

Xuan Gui squeezed in among the believers who were worshipping the goddess, and the fragrance of dogwood beside him lingered in his nostrils.

Everyone listened to the high priest's speech, muttering incomprehensible code words and bowing their heads deeply.

Xizhen, who was standing beside him, saw the rows of people in front kneeling down in an orderly manner, their expressions were unclear, and finally he followed their movements and bowed several times to the goddess.

After that, they did not listen to what the high priest said on behalf of the goddess. While the believers were rushing forward to ask for blessings, they covered their faces and walked to the side path.

The new courtesan of Zuihualou is the goddess of Wu Mizhong.

The flower pill that was circulating among the high-ranking officials in Cang County would also be spread through various secret social gatherings.

At this time, the actions of the Wu Mi people were tantamount to a show of force to the imperial court.

Their evil magic is spread openly through seemingly legal processes, so if you don't know about it, it would be fine.

However, everyone involved in Donglan’s military affairs knew that this meant that the Wu Mi people were beginning to test the court’s bottom line.

But the more arrogant they are, the harder it is to tell who is the mantis and who is the oriole.

When they arrived at a place where few people went to rest for a while, Xuangui and Xizhen looked at each other.

Both sides saw it clearly.

"It's '洳'."

—

During this mission, both of them had never taken over matters related to Cang County before. Yunxiu, who had stayed in Cang County for a long time and was familiar with the customs of the people in Cang County, was transferred to Pingzhou by Xiao Yingzhu.

The purpose is to conceal the truth.

After all, Yunxiu and Wu Mizhong knew each other more or less. At this critical moment, Wu Mizhong would definitely stare at Yunxiu.

At this time, he could only escape by trying to shake off the Wu Mi people who were following him.

Therefore, Xuangui and Xizhen, two people who had no connection with Cang County, were sent here.

However, this time, the mission they were assigned to, in addition to keeping an eye on the Fifth Prince's movements, also included another additional task.

It is to investigate the legendary "Qixia Mountain Mine" incident in Cang County.