Breaking Snow (2)
Next month happens to be the first month of the year, so everything will be brought forward. In just a few months, Yuwen Xin has won great favor among the people for his advice on solving the problem of famine victims. He has also won the favor of the emperor, who has been so pleased that His Majesty has granted him a mansion and named him Prince An.
Hua Xing sneered, "Offering advice? What kind of advice is that? He's talking about reducing taxes for officials. He's just trying to get the local officials and gentry to release grain on their own initiative by holding leverage over them."
Zhao Mingchang raised an eyebrow and smiled without saying anything. She didn't care how Yuwen Xin was crowned king, what she wanted was power and the position of the principal wife.
During the day, Buhuo City was quiet, its streets and alleys deserted. Now, the sun was shining brightly, and a few birds were chirping. Ye Yulan was still recovering and had to go to Qu Xiang for acupuncture every day.
Xu Ning has been trying to integrate her mother's true qi these days. The true qi is too overbearing and she has not been completely successful after several attempts. Fortunately, nothing major has happened recently and she will not use the true qi for the time being. Qu Xiang gives her acupuncture on time every day to barely suppress it.
With the wedding date approaching, Xu Ning prepared a wedding gift for Zhao Mingchang. She had a dazzling array of beautiful hairpins, and Xu Ning couldn't decide, so she had them all try on for Zhao Mingchang.
It is said that beauty lies in the bones, not in the skin. Each hairpin worn by Zhao Mingshang has its own charm.
"I heard from Pei Yuanchi that the Queen Mother will also leave the palace to attend the wedding. This is a unique honor, and I'm afraid that only Sister Zhao has it in the whole Daxin." Xu Ning said casually as she carefully selected the lipstick.
The soft sunlight traced her crescent-shaped eyebrows. Zhao Mingchang was lost in thought for a moment before she pulled her lips together in a faint smile. "When I was young, I often followed my mother into the palace. I loved playing in the Empress Dowager's palace the most. She would always teach me many things that were not in books."
"Do you know about the Prince of Qi incident?" Xu Ning shook his head.
Zhao Mingchang continued, "That was General Mo's third year guarding the border. The King of Qi commanded a very capable army, and on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, they launched a mutiny in front of Yong'an Gate. Fortunately, General Mo learned of the news and returned without hesitation, risking his own life. Your Majesty was saved. The King of Qi was also raised by the Queen Mother during his youth. That night, the Queen Mother personally beheaded the King of Qi to apologize to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, concerned about the voices in the court, did not take action, but simply allowed her to rest in the temple for a few years."
Xu Ning's pupils trembled slightly. She never thought that the Queen Mother was such a cruel character.
Seeing Xu Ning listening intently and stopping her hands from selecting jewelry, Zhao Mingchang continued, "Since you like it, I will tell you more about the Empress Dowager's past."
"Before entering the palace, the Empress Dowager was a princess of the Feng Kingdom. Feng Kingdom valued civil officials over military affairs, and was eventually taken in by Da Xin. When the late Emperor was still a prince, he saw the princess's beauty and asked Chengzu to give her to him as a concubine. The princess didn't cry or make a fuss, and married the late Emperor like a normal woman. Perhaps the Empress Dowager has been unlucky in having children, and to this day has no biological children. The only ones she has adopted are the Prince of Qi and the current Emperor."
Xu Ning was startled for a moment, but regained her composure after a moment. After selecting the jewelry and placing it in the brocade box, she smiled faintly and said, "This is the wedding gift Ah Xu and I are sending you. I can't attend the wedding, so I hope Sister Zhao won't blame me."
Zhao Mingchang heard some rumors and roughly guessed something. He nodded and responded, "In that case, please feel free to do as you please, Sister Ning."
Xu Ning raised his eyebrows slightly, barely noticeable.
…
Tang Xixu has recently become fond of growing flowers. He has thrown away all the old and dim objects outside the courtyard of his mansion and replaced them with flowers and plants.
Xu Ning saw a small plant with cracks in the soil and watered it. Tang Xixu stopped him and said softly, "Don't water it too much. Only water it once every three or four days."
"Oh." Xu Ning put the kettle back.
"Is there any news about Brother Mo?"
Tang Xixu smiled bitterly and continued to trim the leaves: "Not yet. Since my brother is still alive, he would come to me if he wanted to show up. Maybe he is also investigating the case from that year."
Mo Tingzhou has been hiding his identity for so many years. Based on Tang Xixu's understanding of him, he must want to take charge of this matter alone and not want to involve others.
Xu Ning told Tang Xixu what Zhao Mingshang had said to her that day.
"A very capable army?"
"Yes, back then in Ye County, the Jin State also gained a very powerful army, which was one of the reasons why the Mo family army suffered heavy casualties."
Tang Xixu frowned and tapped the bluestone table lightly with his index finger.
"Do you still remember the day we met again?"
Xu Ning was puzzled and came back to her senses after a while. Before leaving, Guangyu told her that her memory would not be erased after the second restart. It was then that Xu Ning figured out why Tang Xixu's attitude towards her changed 180 degrees not long after she came here.
"Remember."
Recalling that terrifying experience, the "person" wearing the weasel mask still makes Xu Ning's scalp tingle.
"That weasel man fits the description very well." Xu Ning suddenly realized. No wonder Zhao Mingshang's description sounded so familiar.
"My second senior brother said at the time that the poison you were infected with was called Zi Kui San."
Xu Ning sorted out this clue: "The one who wants the woman's blood seems to be Wen Liang, but it is actually Su Wujin. Su Wujin is not feasible, perhaps we can find another person."
Tang Xixu frowned in confusion. This was the first time Xu Ning saw him with this expression.
Jishan is not far from Buhuo City, and it can be reached in two days by riding a fast horse.
The place is picturesque with green mountains and clear water, the air is moist and it is quiet all around. The only sound is the chirping of a few birds.
Relying on his memories of his first life, Xu Ning indeed found a small courtyard.
Tang Xixu didn't understand why, but he still followed.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Xu Ning was ready to try his luck. The last time he met his second senior brother here was about two years later. He didn't know if it was too early this time.
"Second Brother?"
Xu Ning even called him "Brother".
"There should be no one here." Tang Xixu opened the door and looked in every room. They were all covered with a layer of dust, and there were cobwebs wrapped around the beams.
It seems that I am the one looking for you.
Xu Ning spread his hands and looked at the sky. "Forget it. I don't think I can make it back to the inn today. How about staying here for the night?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Tang Xixu's cheeks turned red, and Xu Ning thought she was dazzled.
A face came close to Tang Xixu's eyes: "I haven't paid much attention these days, but the poisonous lines on your face have disappeared." No wonder your face is so red today.
The young man looked flustered and at a loss: "Yes, really."
Tang Xixu looked away, not daring to meet Xu Ning's eyes: "That's also Qu Xiangmiao, a miraculous doctor who brought people back to life."
"Oh~" Xu Ning turned his head triumphantly.
The two of them only cleaned up one room. Tang Xixu found some weeds outside and spread them on the bed: "It's so cold like this."
Tang Xixu spread some more grass beside the bed, left a faint candlelight, and then closed his eyes and lay down: "Go to sleep. Call me if you need anything. I'll be here."
Xu Ning was lying on the bed. There was a hole in the roof, and the sky was full of stars.
"Don't you think this is very similar to when we were kids?"
Tang Xixu didn't say anything for a while. Just when Xu Ning thought he was asleep, a faint voice came from the edge of the bed: "It seems like... I wonder who was so scared when he heard the wind."
Xu Ning was furious: "But that wind sounded like ghosts howling. Hua Xingjia's house is not safe."
Tang Xixu put his hand on his head and curled his lips: "Yes, his house is not stable."
Xu Ning closed her eyes, feeling angry and not wanting to talk to him.
The young man smiled but said nothing, just dozing quietly by the side.
The late autumn night wasn't too cold. The stars had closed their eyes, the moon had lost its last glimmer of light, and the leaky roof was plunged into endless darkness. The last few days of traveling had been exhausting, and soon sleepiness had taken hold. Xu Ning's consciousness was hazy, his mind in a state of confusion. Unconsciously, there was a rapid knock on the wooden door.
Tang Xixu opened his eyes, regained consciousness, jumped up and walked to the wooden door.
"B-Is anyone here?"
The voice of the person outside the door was so fragile that it was almost touching the wooden door.
Xu Ning was startled and got out of bed. She and Tang Xixu walked to the left and right of the door, slowly approaching.
There was no response from outside, and the starlight poured into the door through the gap as the wooden door opened.
The black shadow came in, and at the same moment, Xu Ning and Tang Xixu were about to put down their palms.
"elder brother?!"
"Xu Lian?"
Xu Lian was dressed in white, covered in blood, and was carrying a woman in red on his back.
The woman was seriously injured, with blood spitting from the corners of her lips, her hair was disheveled, and she looked weak.
Xu Ning lifted a strand of the woman's hair, frowned, and asked in shock, "Is this, Yin Wumeng?"
The two of them helped Xu Lian and Yin Wumeng into the house.
"I'm not injured, this is all Cang Cang's blood." Xu Lian coughed and said, "Don't worry about me, save her quickly."
Xu Ning and Tang Xixu looked at each other. Tang Xixu glanced outside the door to confirm that no one was around and closed the wooden door.
"What on earth is going on? Why are you two like this?" Xu Ning laid Yin Wumeng flat on the bed and filled another basin with water.
When Xu Lian heard Xu Ning calling him brother, he knew that she had met Ye Yulan.
"He is with you?" Xu Lian's face suddenly turned cold.
"Him?" Xu Ning didn't understand what Xu Lian was saying.
Xu Lian tied his hair up with a plain wooden hairpin, with some loose hair falling from his temples. He frowned and stared at the night outside the window.
"Of course it's the leader of the Lieyin sect, the one who betrayed his country for his ambition." His words were cold, sharp, and full of hatred.
"You may have misunderstood Dad. He is not that kind of person." Xu Ning was not sure what happened back then, but she believed in her father.
Tang Xixu has seen a lot of medicines and poisons over the years and has some knowledge of medical principles.
He felt her pulse through her clothes and said, "She was poisoned by Su Wuji's needle."
"As for the antidote, besides Su Wujin, only the Poison King Xue Bushu can concoct it."
Without further ado, Tangxi Xu rode his horse to the town to buy a carriage.
Xu Ning wiped the blood off Yin Wumeng's face.
The two of them were in a stalemate for a long time, and Xu Lian's frown finally relaxed.
"Fu Ling, remember?"
"Remember, one of the four great guardians of the Lie Yin Sect - the Heart-controlling Hand."
"That day he got the news that Ye Yulan was not dead, but was saved by Su Wujin and was in Xizhou. Cangcang and I had a peaceful life that was broken, and she insisted on going to Xizhou to save Ye Yulan.
Of course I wouldn't allow it. I originally locked her up at home, but Fu Ling found her and released her. When I went to look for her, she had already fought with Su Wujin. Later, I learned that Ye Yulan had been rescued by you and Tang Xixu. Only then did Cang Cang give up.
Xu Ning probably figured it out. That day, Ah Xu kidnapped someone, and Su Wujin couldn't beat the two of them, so she naturally took her anger out on Yin Wumeng.
…
Tang Xixu sent a message to Buhuocheng in advance, and they met Qu Xiang in just half a day on the road.
"Master Xue has gone back to Yaowang Valley to find Master Sun for something. Master Poison has taught me this, so I'd like to give it a try." Qu Xiang's eyes flashed with determination.
The wound on Yin Wumeng's waist had already turned black, and now he vomited a mouthful of black blood.
"cough!"
Qu Xiang felt her pulse, her brows furrowed. "Luckily we met halfway. If we were a quarter of an hour later, her power would have been wasted by seven or eight levels."
The thorn in Xu Ning's heart was pulled out. She thought of her first life. Yin Wumeng was as foolish as a child and her skills were only at the second or third level. Fortunately, she was saved this time.
Qu Xiang gave acupuncture to Yin Wumeng according to the method taught by his master. He first sealed the other acupoints, leaving only the injured one, and then gave him the prescription given by his master.
After about half an incense stick of time, Yin Wumeng's forehead was covered with sweat and his face was pale. Xu Lian suddenly became nervous and looked at Qu Xiang.
"Don't worry, Brother Xu, this is normal." After another half cup of tea, Qu Xiang cut a knife on Yin Wumeng's wrist, releasing the black blood, and then released the acupoint.
"I'll prescribe another prescription to clear the remaining poison. Drink it for a month and you'll be cured."
Xu Lian looked at Qu Xiang nervously.
"Don't worry, brother. Sister Qu Xiang is the direct disciple of the Poison King and the Master of Medicine Valley. She has received the true teachings from them, so she will definitely not go wrong." Xu Ning comforted him.
At noon, the pastoral dog downstairs of the inn lay in the garden, squinting its eyes to bask in the sun, stretching its drooping ears from time to time. A small butterfly kissed the tip of the dog's nose. The dog twitched the corners of its lips and shook its head, and the butterfly flew away in fright. There were not many people in the inn. The innkeeper was lying on the old chair to bask in the sun and snoring. It is true that the dog is like its owner.
After finishing his meal, Xu Ning went out to buy clothes for Yin Wumeng to change into. When he came back, he noticed the name of the inn, "Xianglai Inn".
"This name is quite interesting. It means to come as you please and let fate take its course. It fits the store's image quite well."
As he was speaking, Xu Lian came out and said, "Thank you." He took the clothes from Xu Ning's hand.
"Dad was seriously injured and hasn't recovered yet. He went to Yaowang Valley a few days ago." Xu Ning mentioned casually.
Xu Lian remained silent all the way. When he was about to enter the room, he said, "Go back and see Master with what you have. He misses you."
Xu Ning paused, her brows softening: "Okay."
After Qu Xiang gave Yin Wumeng the last injection, he packed up the medicine box. Yin Wumeng had gotten much better, and his complexion had become noticeably rosier recently.
"Second Brother, we actually have something to talk to you about."
Xu Lian turned and looked at Xu Ning: "What's the matter?"
"Do you still remember the poison Zi Kui San?"
Xu Lian didn't respond, so Xu Ning continued, "Those who are poisoned by this poison lose their sanity and become extremely powerful. The sudden surge in Jin's military might back then was likely caused by this poison."
After a long silence, Xu Lian raised his eyes. "This poison was originally used on the battlefield to anesthetize soldiers and treat wounds, but excessive intake can cause people to become irrational and excited. Therefore, it was banned during the reign of the previous emperor. The kind we encountered in the North Prison a year ago must have been laced with Gu poison, but the amount used was very small, and can be excreted through sweat."
"Poison?"
Tang Xixu, who had been silent for a long time, raised his eyelids.
"That's right." Xu Lian nodded. "If you add too much poison, it will make people forget themselves and attack others, and they won't feel the pain."
Xu Ning suddenly realized that this was just the ancient version of zombies.
"Su Wujin killed thousands of soldiers in Ye County because of poisoning."
Qu Xiang suddenly said, "I've heard from both Masters that if too little poison is added, the person will be weak and powerless, but still be able to maneuver. But if too much is added, it's called another disease: Heart-Eating Disease. At the beginning of the disease, the person will feel weak all over, faint, foam at the mouth, and have body pain as if thousands of ants are gnawing at the heart. Later, the whites of the eyes will be filled with bloodshot, muscles will develop, and the strength will be several times that of an ordinary person. After ten days of these symptoms, the whole body will rot and die."
Xu Ning and Tang Xixu looked at each other and understood what he meant.
This is consistent with the content of Su Wujin's memorial back then. This kind of poison called Heart-Eating Poison existed as early as sixteen years ago. There was still such an army during the Qi King's rebellion. So it can be inferred that this poison was very likely to have appeared during the Yonghua period.
Tang Xixu tapped the table lightly with his index finger and sneered for a while, laughing at himself for being blind for more than ten years and even more at his own incompetence.
Xu Ning became nervous and put his hand on the young man's shoulder: "Ah Xu, what's wrong?"
Tang Xixu got up and left. It started raining outside and Xu Ning, worried, followed him out.
"boom--"
The rain poured down in sheets, and the thunder and lightning roared and wept.
Tang Xixu was soaked by the rain. He punched the thick tree once, then punched it again. The joints on the back of his hands were covered in blood and were torn to pieces, with the bones exposed.
The young man wanted to raise his hand to hit again, but was stopped by Xu Ning.
"How dare he? He was given the guts! Thousands of heroes in my Mo family have been harmed by this poison, and yet I was grateful to him for saving me from danger. Even when he used me to refine the poison, I didn't resist or retaliate. In the end, I was just being played around by others!"
The young man's eyes were bloodshot, rain was dripping down his face, and he was shouting at the top of his lungs.
Xu Ning naturally knew who the "he" Tang Xixu was talking about. Who else could have such a dangerous poison except the witch elder from Ningzhou?
Xu Ning hugged Tang Xixu and said, "I know you're heartbroken, but this isn't the solution. We've only uncovered the tip of the iceberg. Only when we find the real culprit behind this can we bring him to justice."
The raindrops from the young man's hair dripped into Xu Ning's eyes. The rain finally crushed the big tree beside him, and the redness in Tang Xixu's eyes gradually faded.
The excited heart calmed down.
With his injured hand and fingertips soaked in blood, he stroked Xu Ning's back.
The rain was roaring, the wind and rain were blowing, the lanterns on the eaves were tilted to this and that, and the flowers and plants in the yard were crushed and broken.
Xu Ning thought of the image Guangyu showed her before he left. She lowered her voice and said, "When the truth comes out, whatever you want, I'll be with you."
Tang Xixu's face, washed by the rain, finally smiled: "Okay."
…
Although Yin Wumeng had recovered a lot, he was still weak and needed treatment, so they went to Buhuo City together.
Since Ye Yulan came, Tangxixu has completely closed the city for safety reasons. Only the confidants or the surviving members of the Mo family are left in the city.
"City Lord." The steward in Tangxixu Palace saw him coming back and hurriedly walked up to him and whispered a few words.
Xu Ning arranged rooms for them and asked, "What's wrong?"
Tang Xixu frowned: "Your third senior brother is here."
Pei Yuanchi?
Xu Ning followed Tang Xixu in confusion.
Speaking of the three unique skills of the Dice King, the first unique skill is that he has never lost with dice, the second unique skill is that no one is spared when his fan knife passes through, and the third unique skill is that he knows everything that happens in the court. However, he usually won't sell information easily in order to save his own life.
"Last night, Hanlin Fang suddenly entered the palace without an imperial edict. He knelt outside the palace for a long time. For some unknown reason, he bumped his head and died in the Qinzheng Palace."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
