Horse Bandit Officer (Thirteen)
As expected, after just two days of not seeing each other, Chu Mo also lived a leisurely life.
When Xiao Lin and Mu You returned to the courtyard, it was already late at night. They thought he had already gone to bed, but they accidentally caught a glimpse of the firelight coming from the side room.
After pushing the door open, I saw Chu Mo holding a scroll in his hand, leaning against a wooden stool and dozing off.
Seeing this, Mu You passed by Xiao Lin and walked towards Chu Mo.
Xiao Lin thought that he was taking the opportunity to play a trick on him, but as soon as the corners of her mouth curled up, Mu You stretched out his arms and firmly locked the half-drowsy Chu Mo.
Chu Mo was shocked, and so was Xiao Lin.
But it was obvious that Chu Mo was more traumatized than Xiao Lin - the sudden pressure in his chest forced him to open his eyes, but when he opened his eyes he only saw a woman. Wouldn't this scare him to death?
Fortunately, he reacted quickly and immediately recognized that the "woman" was Mu You who had taken the talisman water he gave her, so he temporarily stopped his arm from pushing her away.
"What's wrong with you?" Chu Mo suddenly woke up and tried to struggle out of Mu You's arms.
However, Mu You became more aggressive and locked her even tighter.
Xiao Lin stood aside and watched the scene in front of him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "He...he might be happier..."
Since he couldn't break free, he might as well give up. After all, a child couldn't do anything to him.
But when Chu Mo saw Mu You, who looked like a woman, he still disliked him, so he waved his sleeves, and with a flash of light, Mu You immediately turned back to her original appearance.
His eyes rolled and Chu Mo suddenly had a good idea.
He leaned forward, leaned close to Mu You's ear, and teased, "Why, are you confessing your feelings?"
At this point, Mu You was so frightened that he stood up straight and quickly let go of the hand that was hugging Chu Mo: "How did you know?"
"What can you do without revealing yourself?" Chu Mo fell back arrogantly. "Who else can't see your feelings for Xiao Lin?"
Yes, everyone can see it, except Xiao Lin.
Mu You kept silent, his lips pursed into a rare line.
Chu Mo then put down the scroll in his hand and stretched out his hand to ask for it, "Give me back the Nachuan box."
When it came to returning the treasure, Mu You changed his previous behavior of acting like a spoiled puppy and started hesitating and refusing to give it back.
Chu Mo was helpless. With a flick of his slender finger, the exquisite little box hidden in his earlobe instantly returned to his hand. No matter how Muyou tried to grab it, it was all in vain.
After taking the treasure, Chu Mo straightened his sleeves and asked, "I heard that Tong Huan is going to hold a celebration banquet tomorrow?"
Xiao Lin was startled and took a step forward. "Right! So we're wondering, was it during this celebration banquet that County Magistrate Tong was poisoned?"
"Smart." Chu Mo's lips curled up into a smile, and he tilted his head back, looking extremely lazy. "If you fail, he will die at this banquet."
At this moment, Mu You suddenly said, "Then...wouldn't it be better to ask County Magistrate Tong not to touch the food and wine at the banquet?"
But before Chu Mo could retort, Xiao Lin shot back, "How could he possibly not drink? He was the one who wanted to host the banquet. How could the host not eat and let the guests eat? Anyone with suspicion would probably think the food was poisoned. That would be really bad for County Magistrate Tong's reputation."
Mu You pouted and laughed silently.
Then, Xiao Lin asked again, "Boss Chu, do you know who poisoned him?"
"If I knew, why would I ask you to come here?" Chu Mo let out a slight smile.
Chu Mo doesn’t know either?
I thought that giving him some money could reveal some information and save me a lot of trouble. But it seems that cheating is no longer possible.
So how should they guard against villains? Xiao Lin couldn't help but pinch his chin.
"County Magistrate Tong has done a great job. Everyone should be grateful to him. Who would hold a grudge against him?" Mu You muttered.
Chu Mo raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "Whoever's interests are harmed by his actions will hate him!"
Mu You suddenly understood.
Indeed, eradicating Zheng Ju and his gang would certainly affect someone's interests - probably not ordinary people, since they were being rid of a threat to the people; but it would be a different story for those scoundrels who relied on Zheng Ju to marry and have children. Destroying Canghu Valley would be tantamount to cutting off their descendants.
This is not easy. Wouldn’t it be better to find a few helpers to keep an eye on those old bachelors in the county?
When Mu You came up with the idea, Xiao Lin fell silent and Chu Mo closed his eyes.
What's going on? Why this reaction? Did he say something wrong?
"But County Magistrate Tong's celebration banquet tomorrow night has invited those who contributed to the bandit suppression operation. Those old bachelors won't even have a chance to attend the banquet, so how could they be poisoned?"
Xiao Lin's words woke Mu You up, and his eyes became clear instantly.
Yes, the guests at the banquet are all meritorious people! If suppressing the bandits would harm their interests, why would they take the initiative to participate in it?
What is going on?
Chu Mo was speechless, his sleeves hanging lightly, the tassel belt with dark patterns on his waist swaying in the wind, and his fingertips tapping the table lightly, the rhythm was slow and long, as if responding to the faint chirping of insects in the distance.
There was an unlit glass lamp on the table, and the light flowed across his jade-like fingertips, reflecting a somewhat cold luster.
Who is going to murder the banquet tomorrow night?
There was no other way. Since we couldn't find the suspect, we could only wait and see.
However, the weather in summer is unpredictable. Yesterday the sun was shining brightly, but today it suddenly looked like a rainstorm was coming.
But if you count the days, the Dragon Boat Festival is in two days, so it is common to rain.
However, the rain in midsummer does not bring coolness, but a stuffy and sticky feeling.
Xiao Lin and Mu You arrived at the county government office early. Looking up at the sky, which had not changed at all, they could not help but pull at the sweat-soaked clothes that were stuck to their backs.
Considering that there were not many people to be invited and several people declined the invitation, Tong Huan decided not to hold a grand banquet and just hold a small banquet in the county government office.
"You two are here!" Ai Ye's voice became an ice crystal that broke the sultry heat.
She took a large basket off her shoulder and put it into the courtyard of the inner office with great effort. Xiao Lin took a closer look and found that it was a basket full of glutinous rice dumplings.
Afterwards, Ai Ye explained, "This is the rice dumpling I made. I heard everyone say it tasted good, so I made some for you to try."
Xiao Lin and Mu You walked to the big basket one after another and looked inside curiously.
There are still a lot of water droplets on the rice dumpling leaves, which means they are indeed fresh. As soon as you get closer, the strong aroma of rice dumpling hits you immediately, and you can't wait to have a bite.
The rice dumplings were brought to the county government office, but the mugwort leaves were still left outside the door.
Xiao Lin was puzzled and called out, "Sister Ai Ye, aren't you going to come in?"
Ai Ye shook his head.
"That shouldn't be the case!" Mu You interrupted, putting his hands on his hips. "You've also been a great contributor! Didn't County Magistrate Tong invite you to the celebration banquet? I'll go talk to him."
Mu You was in high spirits, but Ai Ye stopped him: "I didn't want to come."
"Why?"
Mu You is quick-witted and speaks without thinking.
Xiao Lin thought about it carefully and felt that Ai Ye's refusal was probably to avoid suspicion.
But last night, Chu Mo told me that she and Tong Huan had asked for help in the street, and rumors had already spread throughout the streets and alleys of Hanlu. What's more, there was a celebration party with other people present, so why shouldn't she attend?
So after thinking for a moment, she and Mu You ended up in the same place.
"Yesterday, I walked around the streets with Ah Huan and was already criticized. My husband told me to be a good woman and not to have any more contact with him."
Ai Ye's voice was cold, and he didn't even raise his eyes, just fiddling with the basket of rice dumplings in front of him.
"But..." Mu You's quick-witted nature made him capricious. "County Magistrate Tong might die tonight. Don't you plan to save him?"
Upon hearing this, Ai Ye was shocked.
It was not until he met her dilated pupils that Mu You realized that he might have said something wrong and quickly covered his mouth.
But the words were already out of his mouth, and it was useless for him to cover his mouth.
"You...what did you say? Ah Huan...will die?" Ai Ye blinked and confirmed again and again.
Seeing that he could no longer hide the truth, Xiao Lin took the initiative to tell the truth: "Yes, someone will poison County Magistrate Tong tonight, but we don't know who it is. We want to save him."
"How did you know?"
"Just...just..." Xiao Lin was speechless, not knowing how to answer.
At this juncture, Mu You, the king of lies, had to step forward and say, "We overheard a mysterious person plotting while shopping last night, but it was too dark to see who it was. Besides, we were outsiders and didn't know the situation in the county, so we couldn't make out the noise."
Ai Ye listened quietly, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Sister Ai Ye, it's better to be safe than sorry!" Mu You suddenly became agitated. "Are you going to watch County Magistrate Tong, such a good man, die without even finding the real culprit?"
The two of them sang in unison and cooperated with each other in perfect harmony, and Ai Ye's eyes flashed unconsciously a few times.
Soon, the entire Hanlu was shrouded in a deep twilight, and the rumble of muffled thunder could be heard faintly in the sky, as if a giant beast in the distant mountains was roaring.
Suddenly, a flash of silver lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the pedestrians who were hurriedly taking shelter from the rain on the bluestone street, and also reflecting the lanterns swaying under the eaves, the red glow flickering in the wind.
The raindrops then poured down, crackling, hitting the tiles and splashing tiny pieces of water.
The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and freshly picked calamus has already been hung in front of every household. Raindrops slide down the leaves, bringing a bit of the bitterness of the festival.
Thunder rumbled, as if the heaven and earth were whispering. As the night deepened, only the lightning tore through the darkness again and again, reflecting the mottled city wall in a corner of Hanlu County and the lonely flag fluttering in the rain.
Although the weather was not good, considering that they should not offend the county magistrate, the county residents still braved the wind and rain and came to the county government office as invited yesterday.
Tong Huan did not live in the county government office, so the government office did not hire a cook. For this banquet, he specially went to a famous restaurant in the county, ordered some delicious dishes and packed them up and delivered them himself.
He was an honest official and had not saved much money, so he could not afford to buy delicacies, but he still did his best to prepare a lot of good wine and food.
Xiao Lin and the other two took their seats one after another, watching Tong Huan busying around, pouring wine and clearing dishes. He spent half a day and didn't even get his butt to touch the stool.
She poured a cup of tea, brought it to her lips and took a sip, her eyes still fixed on Tong Huan.
Logically speaking, this banquet was prepared by Tong Huan himself. If he had poisoned the food and wine, the people attending the banquet would also have been poisoned. But why was Tong Huan the only one who died in the end?
Xiao Lin was very puzzled.
Could it be that there is something that only Tong Huan eats?
So she stared at Tong Huan's every move, fearing that he had eaten the wrong thing.
The same thing happened to Ai Ye. In order to save Tong Huan, she came to deliver rice dumplings and then stayed to have the feast.
Tong Huanzi was extremely happy that she could come, but the happier he was, the more her heart ached.
Who could he have a grudge against? Why was he the one to die?
He tried hard to open his eyes, but due to the distance, even with an oil lamp in his hand, Ai Ye's eyesight was still not good, so he had to pin his hopes on Xiao Lin and Mu You.
Xiao Lin and Mu You were naturally concerned. After all, if Tong Huan died, they would end up in failure.
So, the two of them sat opposite each other, staring intently at every bite of food and wine that Tong Huan took.
The wine was non-toxic—he personally poured wine for each of the people, and they all drank from the same pot.
The dishes were not poisonous - the common people ate more than he did. If they had been poisoned, they would have died long ago.
Clear soup, non-toxic - Xiao Lin tested the poison himself and found no strange taste.
So where was the poison put?
Just as the two were lost in thought, Si Niang arrived late. She stared at the two with eyes full of curiosity, a hint of a smile forming at the corner of her mouth: "What are you two doing?"
"Catching the bad guys." Mu You took the opportunity to retort casually.
"Catch the bad guys?" Si Niang walked around Mu You and took a seat next to Ai Ye. "Catch what bad guys?"
“Someone will poison you.”
Hearing this, Si Niang shuddered and almost slipped off the bench. She stammered, "Poison...poison?"
"Someone will poison the food and wine." Mu You's eyes were fixed on Tong Huan, and his mouth did not stop for a moment.
I guess Si Niang didn't expect that someone would actually kill Tong Huan.
What kind of deep hatred is it that requires taking his life?
As time went by, most of the food had been eaten, and the people had left one by one. The oil-paper umbrellas that had been stacked by the door were reduced to only a few scattered ones.
But throughout the whole process, no suspicious person handed Tong Huan any wine or food, and he used his own cups and plates from beginning to end.
Just when Xiao Lin and Mu Yousong came to their senses and were about to pick up the wooden chopsticks to pick up some food, things finally took a turn for the better.
Tong Huan only had time to eat a piece of stir-fried pork after greeting several distinguished guests. However, he choked on the chili pepper in it and quickly reached around for tea.
Seeing this, a commoner hurriedly passed the teapot over and poured him a cup of tea.
Just as the tea was about to touch Tong Huan's lips, he was stopped by another county resident. After saying a few unclear words, he immediately replaced the cup of tea he had already poured and handed it to him.
Xiao Lin and Mu You woke up instantly, rushed forward and knocked over the cup of tea.
In the blink of an eye, the tea spilled onto the ground and mixed with the rain falling from the eaves.
"You...what are you doing? Cough cough cough..." Tong Huan was choked, tears came out of the corners of his eyes, he pinched his neck with one hand and patted his chest with the other.
Mu You's face was stern, and he angrily stared at the person who had just changed the tea: "So it's you! Tell me! Why did you poison me? Why did you want to kill me?"
However, the man looked flustered and had no idea what was going on. He waved his hands repeatedly to deny it, "No...it's not me...I didn't..."
"You're still saying no!" Mu You's voice grew louder and louder, ready to overturn the tiles of the county government office. "You have no bad intentions, otherwise why would you change the teacup?"
At the same time, Tong Huan was coughing very badly. Seeing this, Si Niang rushed around the table and hurriedly handed him a new cup of tea.
"I...I just saw that the cup had a chip on it, and I was worried that you might prick your mouth!"
"Yes, yes, we have used these two cups before. If they were poisoned, we would have died long ago! And this tea was just poured from the pot, so what's the problem?"
gap?
Mu You immediately looked down. The first cup of tea was rippling in the cup, and a crack on the edge of the cup was particularly noticeable.
Wait! He wasn't lying?
Since they didn't have ulterior motives, then who on earth wanted to take Tong Huan's life?
"Young Master Mu, you... cough cough... what nonsense are you talking about... cough cough..." Tong Huan was choking so much that he took the teacup handed to him by Si Niang and brought it close to his mouth.
Suddenly, Xiao Lin seemed to realize something, and subconsciously raised his arm and slapped Tong Huan on the back of his hand again.
In an instant, the tea was suspended in the air, revealing an uneven reddish-brown color, and was eventually fed by the pouring rain.
At this moment, Si Niang stood beside Xiao Lin, staring blankly at the teacup crashing to the ground with a clang, the bottom of the cup shattering. She couldn't help but feel at a loss, and her eyelashes were trembling.
At this moment, Xiao Lin suddenly realized that the person who poisoned Tong Huan was not someone else.
"Fourth Mother, why...are you doing this?" Xiao Lin's lips were slightly parted, his brows tightly furrowed.
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