The maid walked to the window and looked out. A thick fog drifted by slowly, and no other pleasure boats were seen approaching.
A wave of humid air hit my face, and I suddenly felt a slight itch on my neck.
The maid scratched her neck, and then her face started to itch.
"Madam, no boats are approaching. Should I close the window? The fog and dampness can easily cause eczema," the maid suggested without suspicion.
Song Yunzhi looked at the other side warily, "Are you carrying sachets?"
When she came out of the princess's residence, she was wearing a maid's clothes and did not use any incense. Even the candles in the painted boat were extinguished. Where did the fragrance come from?
The man opposite said coldly, "Sachets are for women. Are you implying that we brothers are effeminate, Madam?"
"Madam, let's talk about when the remaining silver will be paid out should something unexpected happen?" the man said, touching his face as if insects were crawling on it. He touched it again, but there was nothing in his hand.
"What's the rush? The hostages are in my hands. As long as you get us all out of the capital and to the border of Liang, I will immediately pay the remaining silver," Song Yunzhi said confidently.
The man said, "The emperor is no pushover. If he doesn't believe you've left the city, he won't open the city gates tomorrow, and our plan will be ruined."
A calculating glint flashed in the man's eyes; they were after money, not their lives.
At this moment, Song Yunzhi also felt uncomfortable all over her body; her face and the back of her hands went from slightly burning to itchy.
Across from them were several men. The master and servant tried to suppress their discomfort by tucking their hands into their sleeves and scratching a few times. But the more they scratched, the more they wanted to scratch, and the unbearable itching gradually spread throughout their bodies.
A man scratched his neck and said, "Boss, something's wrong! We're all itchy. Have we been infected?"
Martial arts practitioners have better eyesight than ordinary people, and they noticed the pained expressions on Song Yunzhi and her servant's faces long before they even realized it.
The leader turned around and saw his men scratching themselves all over, completely disregarding their image.
Song Yunzhi's face paled instantly, filled with terror. She shouted outside, "Someone! Quickly check if anyone has boarded the boat!"
Song Yunzhi is going all in this time, and no more than ten of her trusted confidants are willing to risk their lives with her.
Hearing the shouts, the guards outside rushed in. "Madam, what has happened?"
"Ah! It itches, it itches so much!"
The men from the Green Robe Sect rushed out of the cabin while tearing at their clothes.
Immediately, chaos erupted in the cabin.
"Madam, what should I do? I feel terrible all over." The maid was scratching so hard that her neck felt sticky, and a faint smell of blood filled the cabin.
Seeing that she was the only one left in the room, Song Yunzhi started scratching herself without caring about her image.
She instructed the entering guards, "We may all be poisoned, the cause is unknown, go and investigate quickly."
Song Yunzhi staggered to the back of the screen, unbuttoned her clothes, and began scratching herself violently.
Upstairs in the cabin, Chang Le's palms were sweaty with nervousness.
Sui Sui lay on the floor listening to the sounds downstairs until the rapid "thump thump thump" sounded, at which point he scrambled to his feet.
"Auntie, it's done. Quickly throw the rope away. Close the window; they should be coming up soon."
Chang Le loosened her grip, and the gentle lapping of the lake water against the painted boat masked the sound of the rope falling into the water.
Chang Le quickly closed the window, leaving only a crack on the other side.
"Little aunt, quickly go and squat in the corner, put your hands behind your back, don't let anyone notice anything." Sui Sui was like a little adult, thinking of every detail.
Sui Sui put everything she had used as a footrest back in its place, then walked to the door and listened intently to what was happening outside.
There's no one ahead.
There was no one behind us.
"Go up there and see if someone with superb light-footed skills has already boarded the boat?"
Immediately afterwards, the sound of footsteps coming upstairs could be heard.
Sui Sui quickly turned around and sat crookedly next to Chang Le, putting her hands behind her back.
"Little aunt, quickly close your eyes and pretend to be asleep."
As soon as Sui Sui finished speaking, the door creaked open from the outside, and a person carrying the night wind entered the cabin, causing the two of them to tremble slightly.
Chang Le and Sui Sui closed their eyes, but their ears were perked up, listening intently to the sounds coming from inside the cabin.
By the light of a sliver of moonlight streaming through the doorway, the visitor saw the two children nestled in a corner, seemingly fast asleep, and there was nothing unusual about the window.
The person glanced at him coldly and then turned and left.
Hearing the door close, Sui Sui and Chang Le opened their eyes at the same time. "They're gone?"
“The ground is cold, and they’re probably too itchy to care about us. Let’s sit on the bed.” Chang Le said, getting up and pulling Sui Sui toward the bed.
"Auntie, the person who came in just now didn't scratch his itch. I wonder how many people have been poisoned." Sui Sui muttered softly as he got into bed, letting his aunt pull the thin blanket over him and hug him.
Chang Le said worriedly, "Don't think about it. We've run out of medicine powder, and we don't know kung fu. We can't beat them. Go to sleep. Maybe when you wake up, someone will come to save us."
Chang Le had just observed the scene outside. The fog on the lake was thick and dense, making it impossible for people on the shore to spot the painted boat hidden in the middle of the lake.
She thought that when the fog on the lake dissipated tomorrow, the painted boat would have nowhere to hide, and with her second brother and sister Jiang's intelligence, they would surely be able to find her and Sui Sui.
Sui Sui wasn't as optimistic as Chang Le; he feared the thugs, in desperation, might throw them into the lake.
He thought it to himself but dared not say it aloud, afraid of frightening his aunt.
He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, his little brain working rapidly.
When someone is poisoned, they always try to get ashore and seek medical treatment when they can't take it anymore.
As Sui Sui had predicted, Song Yunzhi was almost driven mad downstairs.
The maidservant continued rubbing her back against the cabin wall, occasionally letting out muffled groans of pain, ignoring her commands.
Song Yunzhi shouted, "Someone come here!"
The guard entered, stood behind the screen, bowed, and asked, "Madam, what are your orders?"
"Send the order down to have people go ashore to buy medicine. This poison makes my whole body itch, and I really can't stand it."
Song Yunzhi's words were practically spat out through clenched teeth. The guards outside had already seen the Qingyi Sect members scratching themselves in a pathetic state, having taken off their shirts because of the itching.
The rustling sounds behind the screen sent chills down the guards' spines.
Luckily, they were all standing outside. If they had all gone into the cabin, they would be the ones suffering now.
"Please be patient, Madam. The messenger you sent out should be back soon."
There aren't any spare boats right now, and it's quite a distance from here to the shore; we can't exactly send them swimming over to buy medicine.
Despite her discomfort, Song Yunzhi gritted her teeth and said, word by word, "After the boat returns, go quickly and come back quickly. Do not let anyone discover our whereabouts."
Before Song Yunzhi could finish speaking, the sound of clashing swords rang out outside.
"Not good!" The guard drew his sword and rushed out.
Song Yunzhi was startled, grabbed her clothes, and stumbled out.
"Madam, wait for me!" The maid, barely able to speak, followed after her, her clothes disheveled.
Stepping out of the cabin, Song Yunzhi was stunned by what she saw...
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