Chapter 29: Trouble comes from the mouth
When Shiyue came in, she had changed into a new set of clothes that looked like Gan Tang's.
They are of similar age, and this one fits Shiyue much better than her old clothes.
"I don't want to say it yet."
Shiyue shook her head and bowed timidly to Qiuxuan.
"Thank you, Madam, for the meal, and thank you, Sister Gantang, for the clothes."
"Sister Gan Tang?" Qiu Xuan said with a smile, "Gan Tang will definitely jump up to the sky when she hears someone calling her sister. Why don't you just come to my yard and call her sister every day? We'll have magic shows to watch every day."
Shiyue smiled with her lips pursed, then lowered her head.
"Madam, you should punish me."
"Why should I punish you?" Qiu Xuan helped Shiyue straighten her tangled belt. "Is it because you listened to the old lady and helped her hide something?"
Tears welled up in Shiyue's eyes. She was about to wipe them with her sleeve, but then she remembered that this was a gift from Gan Tang, so she tried hard to hold back her tears, her face turning red.
Qiuxuan gently wiped Shiyue's tears with a handkerchief.
"Why aren't you allowed to speak?"
"The old lady said that the Marquis's Mansion is about to be in great trouble."
"So the old lady pretended to be sick in order to save the Marquisate from this disaster?"
Shiyue nodded vigorously.
It was strange. The old lady said so, and Jiang Jinhan also said so. What on earth did they know?
Jiang Jinhan may have learned that the current Marquis of Yunyang was a substitute, and there is no wall that is impenetrable, so this matter will be leaked sooner or later.
As for the old lady, Qiu Xuan recalled that her abnormal behavior started when she met Ji Zhuang.
Will things be different now that Ji Zhuang is dead?
That's not right either.
Qiu Xuan realized that the old lady was just sick after seeing Ji Zhuang, but she started to act crazy and stupid last night.
"Where did the doctor go last night?" Qiu Xuan suddenly asked.
"Doctor..." Shiyue shook her head blankly.
I see.
Qiu Xuan stood up and walked out, saying to Shi Yue, "Let's go talk to the doctor."
Shiyue looked worried, but still followed.
Halfway along the way, we came across the willow-cutting trees in the old lady's yard.
"Doctor? The doctor just said there's a missing medicine, so she went out to buy it herself. What does Madam want to see her about? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Ask about the symptoms." Qiu Xuan explained. She turned to look at Shiyue and pushed her next to Jianliu. "It's a good opportunity for you to take her back."
Jian Liu quickly pulled Shi Yue over and said, "You silly girl, why did you ask Madam to personally send you back?"
As she spoke, she glared at Shiyue fiercely, then smiled at Qiuxuan and said, "Madam, just leave her to me. Don't delay Madam's important work."
As Qiuxuan turned the corner, he heard Jianliu scolding Shiyue harshly.
She frowned slightly, but did not stop, instead she quickened her pace.
Going to the corner gate to chase is wrong.
Qiuxuan chose another fork in the road and headed north.
Gan Tang is at the corner gate now. She will either stop the doctor and ask him a question, or...
From a distance, Qiu Xuan saw a sneaky figure.
Or the doctor might take another route because he has something to hide, such as a secluded path with few people.
Qiu Xuan quickly chased after him and grabbed the doctor's shoulder.
"Where is Doctor Lu going?"
To Qiu Xuan's surprise, Lu Dongfeng fell to his knees with a thud.
"I tell you, I tell you!"
Lu Dongfeng pulled out an envelope from his pocket, raised his hands above his head, and handed it to Qiu Xuan. He continued without stopping, "Last night, the old lady told me to wait at the corner gate. I waited for a mage to come and give me a note. The mage was wearing a mask and didn't say anything. I didn't even know if he was a man or a woman. I can't read, so I don't understand a single word of the note."
After Lu Dongfeng finished speaking, he gasped for breath and heard Qiu Xuan sneer.
"What's this?"
"The old lady told me to take it out. She said I just had to go out and someone would come to get it. I didn't read a single word of it. I don't know what it is!"
"Can't read?" The letter was not sealed, Qiu Xuan took it out and read it.
"I'm going to look at it, I'm going to say it wrong," Lu Dongfeng said quickly. "The words on the note looked like ghostly calligraphy, how could I recognize them? The old lady took the note and let me go, and said I was not allowed to open the door or come out no matter what noise I heard. I didn't dare sleep or move all night. I only heard some movement in the yard and sneaked out to hide in the pharmacy, pretending to have been grinding medicine all night."
As Lu Dongfeng said, the paper was just scribbled on and there was nothing to it.
"Why are you being sent?"
"Because I'm unlucky. On the day I entered the mansion, I was bumped into by a wizard on the road. My medicine box was broken and everything was scattered all over the floor. Who dares to mess with a wizard? I got up and put everything away. But the wizard threw a letter in my medicine box. I was in a hurry to enter the mansion and didn't take a closer look. When I was treating the old lady, she felt the envelope and asked me what it was. I read it to her... It's over, everything is over..."
She spoke too quickly, using a string of dialects. Qiu Xuan tried hard to make out what she was saying, but accidentally let go of her hand and Lu Dongfeng fell to the ground.
She cried, "If people knew that a doctor like me was involved with that group of charlatans, how would I be able to practice medicine in the future?"
"Do you think what you said is credible?" Qiu Xuan's tone was calm.
Lu Dongfeng hiccuped, pondered for a moment, and quickly grabbed Qiu Xuan's sleeve: "On the day I entered the mansion, someone saw the mage bump into me. The pear seller on the roadside, and... and the Marquis of Yunyang! He happened to be out and saw it!"
Jing Beian? She hadn't run into Jing Beian in the past few days.
Lu Dongfeng looked at Qiu Xuan cautiously. "I'm telling the truth. Madam, think about it. I'm a good doctor. Why would I ruin my reputation by getting involved with those swindling charlatans? But I can't offend the Yunyang Marquisate either. If the old lady says my medical skills are not good enough, I'll be finished too."
"Since the old lady has made all the arrangements, I won't bother with it anymore."
"Madam, Madam! You have to take care of it!" Lu Dongfeng quickly hugged Qiu Xuan's thighs, "Madam, please save me. The old lady wants to harm you. Saving me is saving yourself."
"It seems you know a lot."
Qiu Xuan grabbed Lu Dongfeng's collar and went to her yard.
"Tell me about it."
*
As the sun sets, its afterglow shines into the study, drawing a clear distinction between black and white spaces on the ground.
The attendant hid in the darkness and reported the news to Jing Beian in a low voice.
"All the mages wandering outside the Yunyang Marquis' Mansion have retreated."
"Yeah?"
"We don't have enough manpower. If we want to find out the reason, we must..."
"No need, we don't need to care about this."
Jing Beian stood at the window and looked out. The eldest princess's villa was located on the west side of the mountain, and he could just see the red walls and golden eaves of the imperial palace. The pavilions and towers stacked in layers inside the villa were like a big river blocking the way between Jing Beian and the imperial palace.
"Will you continue to wait?" the attendant asked. "Time is running out."
"Do you have a better idea?" Jing Beian turned around and asked, "Even if we send the letter back now, it's too late."
The attendant could not answer.
Jing Beian smiled and stopped looking at him, continuing to admire the beautiful sunset until the last bit of light disappeared from the spire of the North Temple of the Imperial Palace.
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