When the Peizhou Dam was completed, everyone was overjoyed, but Wang Xiuxiu didn't seem particularly happy.
Lu Jingze took off his cloak and used it to cover Wang Xiuxiu.
"What's wrong? You look unhappy?"
“The Yuezhou grain case, and this Peizhou Dam case, how similar are the methods used in each and every one of them? I always feel that they were done by the same person.”
"You mean Uncle Rong?"
Wang Xiuxiu shook her head. "Even if Prince Rong is incredibly audacious, he couldn't have devised such a meticulous plan."
Lu Jingze's face suddenly darkened, and he said a name in disbelief, "Zhou Yun'an."
"You also think it's him, don't you? Although I have no proof, I always feel that someone is hiding in the shadows watching our actions along the way."
"To be able to wield absolute power in Yuezhou, bribe officials, and manipulate grain prices... besides the 'deceased' Zhou Yun'an, I really can't think of anyone else."
"He's not dead?" Wang Xiuxiu gasped. "But the mortuary clearly..."
"Turtle Breathing Pill." Lu Jingze gritted his teeth and said, "There's a rumor in the martial arts world that there's a medicine that can induce a state of suspended animation after consumption."
"There really is such a medicine?"
Lu Jingze nodded. "Thinking about it this way, it all makes sense. The night Zhou Yun'an's body was transported to the mortuary, the mortuary suddenly caught fire. What they wanted was for the dead to have no way to prove anything."
Lu Jingze stared intently at Wang Xiuxiu, "If Zhou Yun'an hadn't died, the Peizhou matter would never have ended there."
Wang Xiuxiu gasped, but quickly regained her composure. "You mean he has another trick up his sleeve?"
"Do you remember that before Zhou Yun'an died, the Emperor ordered me to conduct a secret investigation into Zhou Yun'an?"
"I remember, if Qiu Xin hadn't stumbled upon this by accident, you would have wanted to arrest the person."
"Yes, Zhou Yun'an is not just a remnant of Dayong; he is the son of the current leader of Dayong bandits and has been infiltrating the country for decades."
Wang Xiuxiu was shocked to discover that he had this identity, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Not only that, he was also involved in the civil unrest in Yangzhou and the plague in Liangzhou."
Wang Xiuxiu couldn't believe that there could be such a depraved person in the world, but soon, this shock turned into an even stronger fear.
Wang Xiuxiu gripped Lu Jingze tightly, "According to what you've said, Zhou Yun'an is so vindictive; there's absolutely no way he'll let the matter of Peizhou go unpunished!"
The two men exchanged a glance. "Liu Mingyuan!"
Liu Mingyuan is old, so he went home early after the banquet today.
While the fireworks celebrating the completion of the Peizhou Dam were still blooming in the night sky, Wang Xiuxiu and Lu Jingze were already running through the dark alleys.
Liu Mingyuan's residence stood alone in the west of the city, its windows, which should have been lit, were completely dark.
"Mr. Liu!"
In the hall, the exquisite hydrological instrument lay overturned on the table, its bronze components scattered all over the floor.
At the foot of the table, Liu Mingyuan was curled up like a shrimp, his face pale, his right hand tightly gripping the front of his shirt.
Lu Jingze knelt down on one knee to check the pulse, his expression changing drastically: "Poisoned! There's still a faint breath!"
Wang Xiuxiu had already torn off her cloak and spread it on the ground: "Let's get the gentleman onto the carriage first!"
As she turned around, Wang Xiuxiu caught a glimpse of a silver light flashing at the bottom of the hydrometer—a needle as thin as a cow's hair was slowly retracting into the mechanism box.
——
Inside the best medical clinic in Peizhou, the air was so heavy it seemed you could wring water out of it.
Liu Mingyuan lay on the narrow couch, his face already ashen.
After taking the pulse for the third time, the old doctor's withered fingers trembled slightly: "The poison has passed the elbow joint; in another hour it will attack the heart."
Lu Jingze slammed his fist on the medicine cabinet, the porcelain bottles clattering: "Is there really no other way?"
"Yes." The old doctor pointed to a barely visible blue spot on Liu Mingyuan's chest. "The silver needle is stuck at the junction of blood vessels. It needs to be held in place with a magnet first, then removed with extremely fine silver tweezers."
He shook his head and sighed, "My hands tremble; I need to find someone with steady hands..."
"I'll do it."
The doctor shook his head. "His hands are steady but rough; he can't hold this fine, hair-like poison needle."
"I'll do it." Wang Xiuxiu had already rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender, jade-like wrists. "I've been studying embroidery for many years."
Under the light, Wang Xiuxiu's fingers did not tremble at all; her fingertips were as smooth and translucent as solidified cream in the light and shadow.
The old doctor brought out a magnet and specially made silver tweezers, the tips of which were as fine as cow hair.
He said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, please remember, the needle must be gently rotated counterclockwise half a turn before being pulled out. If you force it out... the needle will break and there will be massive bleeding, beyond even a miracle cure."
Wang Xiuxiu took a deep breath and took the tools.
Kneeling beside Liu Mingyuan, Wang Xiuxiu repeatedly sterilized the silver tweezers by burning them over a candle flame.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, not from fear, but from anger—Zhou Yun'an had actually used such insidious methods to deal with an old man.
"A magnet." She reached out her hand, her voice unusually calm.
When the magnet was placed close to Liu Mingyuan's chest, a tiny moving point suddenly appeared under his skin, as if a living thing was moving in his blood vessels.
She held her breath and focused her energy on a single point at her fingertip. With a press of the magnet, the protrusion immediately froze.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Wang Xiuxiu bent down, and the moment the silver tweezers pierced through, Liu Mingyuan convulsed unconsciously, a terrifying blue vein bulging on his chest.
"Counterclockwise..." Wang Xiuxiu murmured, her wrist turning slightly in an almost imperceptible motion.
A slight resistance was felt at the tip of the tweezers—the barbs had hooked onto the inner wall of the blood vessel.
At this angle, even a slight deviation could potentially tear a blood vessel.
Sweat dripped from the tip of her nose, splashing into a small water droplet on Liu Mingyuan's chest.
Suddenly, the needle slid away another half inch, as if it were alive!
The old doctor gasped in shock.
Wang Xiuxiu remained unusually calm at this moment, the tip of the tweezers following closely behind, her wrist flicking and lifting.
\"bite!\"
A flash of silver light, and the blood-stained needle landed in the white porcelain plate.
The old doctor then noticed that the needle was covered with spiral patterns and shimmered with an eerie blue-purple hue under the candlelight.
Wang Xiuxiu's undergarment was soaked with cold sweat and clung stickily to her back.
The old doctor hurriedly gave Liu Mingyuan the antidote soup, while Wang Xiuxiu staggered back a few steps and had to hold onto the medicine cabinet to avoid falling.
"Show off!"
Lu Jingze rushed forward to support her swaying body, only to find her staring blankly at her right ring finger—which was now glowing with the same eerie blue as a poison needle.
"The needle has barbs; it's a 'scorpion tail needle' from southern Xinjiang!" The old doctor tremblingly picked up the porcelain plate. "This poison ignites upon contact with blood. Your Highness, quickly soak your fingers in the medicinal solution."
Wang Xiuxiu dipped her hand into the medicinal wine, and felt a stinging pain as if a thousand ants were gnawing at her.
She bit her lip to suppress her anger, but her gaze remained fixed on the poisoned needle.
Another flash of lightning outside the window, and before I knew it, a torrential downpour had begun.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.
Lu Jingze's personal guard, soaking wet, rushed in: "Your Highness! We just received an urgent report that a group of people are attempting to seize the dam on the east side!"
Wang Xiuxiu suddenly grabbed Lu Jingze's wrist: "This is a diversionary tactic. Zhou Yun'an knows we'll come to rescue them."
Wang Xiuxiu tried to stand up, but her vision went black.
"Show off!"
"Go to the dam quickly...go now!"
Before he could finish speaking, a metallic, sweet taste suddenly welled up in his throat.
Lu Jingze caught her limp body, but her skin was burning hot to the touch—Wang Xiuxiu's poison had taken effect.
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