clue
There was a moment of silence.
Jie Xiangsi stared at his unusually obedient appearance, her throat suddenly tightening.
She knew the effects of the enticing words. Anyone who drank the enticing words would reveal their truest thoughts no matter what others asked. In other words, no matter what she asked him now, he would answer everything without reservation.
Even matters related to the Xiao family case.
Suddenly, Xie Xiangsi felt a surge of malice. Trying to cover it up, she coughed lightly and stealthily approached Zhou Yanzhi, whispering, "Young Master?"
"Um?"
The last syllable lingered, carrying a hint of sleepiness, like soft cotton soaked in warm water—a world apart from its usual self.
After calming herself down, Jie Xiangsi slowly asked, "Why didn't you bring me to Yangqu before?"
"Too dangerous."
To be honest, it seems that the seductive powder really worked.
Seizing the opportunity, Xie Xiangsi continued, "Then do you think the Xiao family is innocent or not?"
"I don't know." He frowned slightly. "But there's something strange about this, however..."
Her heart sank, and Jie Xiangsi asked nervously, "But what?"
What did the Dali Temple find out? Why was the Xiao family framed?
"However, it is true that the Xiao family colluded with foreign tribes."
Jie Xiangsi exclaimed in surprise, "Impossible!"
"Boom—"
A thunderclap boomed across the sky, the enormous sound of which completely drowned out Jie Xiangsi's scream. Immediately afterward, a dazzling flash of lightning streaked through the thick clouds, and a cold wind suddenly arose.
A strong wind blew, making the green bamboo in the courtyard rustle. Even the bed curtains and gauze curtains inside the house were blown about by the wind, fluttering and swaying wildly, slapping haphazardly against the faces of the two people.
"Smack—"
Before Jie Xiangsi could calm the chaotic thoughts surging in her mind, the gauze curtain in front of her was suddenly slapped down and then violently torn open, revealing Zhou Yanzhi's pitiful face.
Zhou Yanzhi pursed his lips, a hint of anger in his eyes, "Why won't you let me see you?"
Jie Xiangsi was taken aback: "?"
What kind of crime is this?
Before she could retort, Zhou Yanzhi had already put away his anger and put on a wronged look, his long eyelashes trembling like startled cicada wings, "Why don't you like me?"
Jie Xiangsi was completely stunned. "Are you alright?"
Is this something Zhou Yanzhi would say? Is the power of the seductive powder really that great?
Seeing that she didn't reply, Zhou Yanzhi leaned forward again, his ears turning bright red, but he still forced a wronged expression and asked, "Why don't you like me? Is it because I'm not good-looking?"
“…No.” Jie Xiangsi rubbed her forehead, feeling a buzzing pain in her head; she hadn’t even finished asking her question yet.
"Then why don't you like me?" he persisted, determined to get to the bottom of it.
Unable to resist her persistent advances, Jie Xiangsi retreated slightly and asked helplessly, "Then why do you like me?"
Could it be that her kiss earlier made him fall for her?
Inside, the beaded curtain swayed gently in the breeze, the soft clinking of the jade beads filling the air and subtly stirring the hearts of both. After a moment, Zhou Yanzhi's voice rang out softly.
"At the first sight of the city gate, my heart was filled with longing."
He frowned, gently pressed one hand to his heart, and said earnestly, "My heart tells me that I like you."
Reaching out, Zhou Yanzhi grabbed Xie Xiangsi's sleeve, pulling it tighter, his eyes filled with determination. "What do I have to do for you to like me?"
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yanzhi, after drinking the seductive powder, was so difficult to deal with. Xie Xiangsi sighed inwardly and casually replied, "I'll like you once the Xiao family's case is closed."
Anyway, he's not conscious right now, and he might not remember even when he wakes up.
"Really?!" His eyes suddenly lit up, like a shattered galaxy.
Exhausted, Jie Xiangsi could only nod and say, "Really." Afraid that he would cause trouble again, she pressed him back onto the bed and said in a deep voice, "Close your eyes and rest, or I won't like you now."
Zhou Yanzhi immediately lay down obediently. When she saw her looking at him, he deliberately closed his eyes tightly, his long eyelashes drooping, being incredibly well-behaved.
Only when his breathing became even, as if he had fallen asleep, did Jie Xiangsi's last breath suddenly dissipate. As if all her strength had been drained, she slid down the edge of the couch and sat on the footstool, staring blankly at the swaying beaded curtain in front of her.
Colluding with foreign tribes.
How could that be? The Xiao family... how could they possibly collude with foreign tribes?
The wind was still howling outside, and a charcoal brazier was burning inside, but her fingertips were icy cold, and the cloud of doubt in her heart was heavier than the rain and mist outside the window.
...
The next morning, just as the first hint of dawn appeared on the distant horizon.
The bamboo in the courtyard had been battered by rain and snow for a day and a night. Each bamboo leaf was covered with a thick layer of frost, hanging heavily, and the wind couldn't even move it.
The footsteps of the servants of the Yang family were already faintly heard outside the courtyard, mixed with deliberately hushed conversations, when suddenly someone gently knocked twice on the lattice window.
Zhou Yanzhi suddenly opened his eyes, rubbing his throbbing and aching temples as he slowly sat up.
His brows furrowed slightly, and as soon as he moved his hand, he suddenly froze, a warmth slowly spreading across the tips of his ears. Holding his breath, he lowered his eyes and saw a profile with a blush on it.
Jie Xiangsi was sleeping on the edge of the bed, her brows slightly furrowed, perhaps because she was feeling unwell.
Quietly withdrawing his hand from Xie Xiangsi's face, Zhou Yanzhi gently got out of bed and carefully lifted her onto the couch. As soon as she touched the soft mattress, Xie Xiangsi rolled over to the inside, burying her head in the blankets, her breathing becoming heavier.
Zhou Yanzhi blushed and stared blankly at Jie Xiangsi for a while. Suddenly, she heard several knocking sounds beside her ear. She closed the bed curtains and quickly and quietly walked to the window and opened it.
Outside the window, Ji Feng, with snowflakes flying from his head, looked at him with surprise and delight. "My lord... um."
Zhou Yanzhi covered his mouth and said in a low voice, "Keep your voice down."
Ji Feng blinked to indicate that he understood.
After he withdrew his hand, Ji Feng whispered quickly, "Sir, we actually found out that Yangqu suffered a flood last year, and the city and its surroundings were completely washed away, but there is a horse farm outside the city that is still intact."
Zhou Yanzhi gripped the windowsill tightly with his fingertips and frowned, saying, "The horse farm?"
“Yes.” Ji Feng nodded, clicking his tongue, “It’s also because the horse farm was located in a good location, on high ground, that it didn’t suffer much damage. I heard that the horse farm was renovated last spring, as if they knew a flood was coming.”
Zhou Yanzhi seemed to be deep in thought, his gaze sweeping over the lush bamboo in the corner of the courtyard. Because of the constant steam rising from the hot spring, the bamboo here was not bent much.
He then asked, "Has there been any news from the capital?"
Upon hearing this question, Ji Feng's face immediately darkened. He glanced around and said in a low voice, "Young Master Qi sent a letter saying that His Majesty's health is strangely weak, as if... he has been poisoned."
"Poisoning?" Zhou Yanzhi's voice tightened, his fingers clenching even tighter. "How is the situation in the court?"
"The court is currently at peace, but..." Ji Feng's voice was even lower, "Several ministers in the court have jointly submitted a memorial advising: 'Establish the sixth prince as the crown prince.'"
"Absurd!" Zhou Yanzhi couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "The Crown Prince hasn't been deposed yet, so how can you talk about establishing another heir? Have these people lost their minds?!"
Seeing the anger rising on his face, Ji Feng wisely kept his eyes closed and remained silent.
Zhou Yanzhi pressed his temples hard, and after a long while, he ordered, "Send a few skilled men to scout the horse farm at night, but remember not to alert them."
The monsoon should be immediately.
Looking at the swaying bamboo in the courtyard, Zhou Yanzhi felt inexplicably uneasy. If the horse farm had really been repaired in advance, was last year's flood an act of God or man-made?
Thinking of the strange behavior of the residents in the city, Zhou Yanzhi felt a chill in his heart. If the horse farm was a hiding place for private soldiers, then wouldn't the lost disaster relief funds have been fed to Yangqu's private soldiers?
And the Xiao family...
It seems we need to deal with the situation in Yangqu quickly.
...
When Jie Xiangsi woke up, it was already broad daylight. The sound of servants sweeping snow came from outside the courtyard, and the bamboo tips shook off the frost, causing the bamboo to sway gently.
She lifted the bed curtain and looked up, only to see Zhou Yanzhi sitting in a grand chair not far away, writing something with his head down, looking quite serious.
Hearing the noise, he put down his pen, got up, and walked quickly to the bedside, but then suddenly stopped less than ten feet away.
Seeing his appearance, Jie Xiangsi was startled.
Could it be that he remembered trying to trick him into revealing information yesterday?
Holding onto the idea that whether she stuck her neck out or not, she would still get stabbed, Jie Xiangsi gripped the brocade quilt beneath her tightly and said with a forced smile, "You remember everything?"
Zhou Yanzhi's Adam's apple bobbed: "...Mm."
In an instant, Jie Xiangsi felt utterly hopeless. "I'm not..."
"Yesterday, I was reckless."
The two spoke at the same time, but Xie Xiangsi was taken aback by Zhou Yanzhi's words. She swallowed the rest of her sentence and asked in confusion, "What?"
Zhou Yanzhi took a deep breath and repeated, "I'm sorry, I was reckless yesterday."
The moment he saw Xie Xiangsi lying on the edge of the bed, he remembered exactly how he had tormented her the day before.
Even though she had already gone to bed, she suddenly got up again, demanding water, and it had to be water poured by Jie Xiangsi herself.
Even though he was no longer a child, he insisted that Jie Xiangsi tell him a story. After Jie Xiangsi told him a ghost story, he said he was scared and insisted that Jie Xiangsi stay with him while he slept.
These incidents, one after another, made him so ashamed that he wished he could commit suicide on the spot.
Seeing his face turn red in an instant, Jie Xiangsi realized what he was thinking and that what he remembered was not the same as what she was thinking. So she went along with it and, suppressing a laugh, waved her hand generously and said, "It's alright, young master. After all, you were drunk."
Zhou Yanzhi nodded, but still looked away somewhat awkwardly: "Yang Hui is going to take me to reconcile accounts today, so he might be back late. You don't need to wait for me."
Jie Xiangsi nodded, "Okay."
Perfect timing! She needed to sort out her thoughts today, and was just wondering how to get him away.
Since there's a problem with the disaster relief funds in Yangqu, we need to find out the evidence and see where they actually spent the money.
Also, why did he say that the Xiao family colluded with foreign tribes?
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