cause of death
The setting sun in summer was as red as blood. Duan Zheng sat in the Jinwuwei Yamen, watching the dusk outside the window sinking little by little, with no intention of going home.
He had missed his duties as a Jinwu Guard a month earlier and had been making up for it in the Southern Court recently. Moreover, he didn't want to go back and face his mother's crying, his father's scolding, and his wife's complaints, so he simply took advantage of his busy official duties to live in the Southern Court.
But he sent Sky Eagle to keep an eye on any news from home.
Since returning to the capital from the border, Marquis Xichang has taken a long vacation to reflect on himself in his mansion, citing his failure in managing his household and educating his children. However, his Xifeng Guards were not idle and brought back a lot of news.
It is reported that Sang Liuniang has a close relationship with Baili Hongyuan. From Huai County to the capital, and then to Yangcheng, Baili Hongyuan seems to have no intention of concealing his relationship with the old friend of the Qin family.
And Sang Liuniang has been frequently visiting Prince Bao's palace recently, leaving early and returning late every day, and she almost doesn't stay in the palace.
The Censorate and Prince Bao have joined forces?
Duan Zheng didn't quite believe that Baili Hongyuan had the guts to openly collude with Prince Bao.
What made him even more puzzled was, what ability did Sang Liuniang have that could make both Baili Hongyuan and Prince Bao become friends with her?
If Baili Hongyuan chose her because she looked like Qin Yousi, then what about Prince Bao? Was it true, as the inquiries had suggested, that she was originally a beauty that the Sang family wanted to give to Prince Bao?
When he thought of this, Duan Zheng's originally calm thoughts began to fluctuate.
Even if she was a puppet that looked similar to him, he couldn't accept her falling into the hands of others!
Thinking of this, he went out and rode his horse to Yuan's Medical Clinic.
Doctor Yuan was packing up the counter and preparing to close the shop when he saw the soldiers coming in. He politely stepped forward and asked, "Sir, are you here to get medicine or see a doctor?"
Duan Zheng said, "My mother is seriously ill. I would like Miss Sang to come and see her."
Yuan Zhi looked at him, waved his hand and said, "My daughter is not at home, please come back another day."
Duan Zheng sat down and said, "I'll wait for her."
Yuan Zhi saw that the visitor's dress and demeanor were not like those of an ordinary person. He came in and went straight to look for Sang Youzhi. Not knowing who the visitor was, he went to the backyard to find Yu Huan and asked her to talk to Qin Yousi.
Yu Huan had lived in Beijing since childhood. Although he didn't know Duan Zheng, he recognized his appearance.
On the way to Prince Bao's mansion, Yu Huan ran into Qin Yousi returning home. "Miss," she said hurriedly, "there's a Jinwu Guard waiting for you at the clinic. They seem to have bad intentions."
Qin Yousi nodded in understanding: "I know who it is. It's okay. I'll go back and meet him."
At the age of sixteen, Duan Zheng passed the Chinese and military imperial examinations and became famous in the capital. The emperor personally summoned him and asked him which government office he wanted to join.
Duan Zheng chose the Jinwu Guards himself, saying that they wanted to protect the emperor just like his father did.
After Qin Yousi got engaged to him, she reminded him that his father was in command of a large army outside and the emperor would no longer hand over the military power in the imperial city to him. If he wanted a better development, it would be better to choose another way.
I didn't expect that after so many years, he is still in the Jinwu Guard.
As the night deepened, when Qin Yousi returned to the clinic, the oil lamp had been lit in the room. Duan Zheng was sitting alone under the light, looking quite lonely.
Hearing footsteps, Duan Zheng immediately stood up and looked in the direction of the sound.
Qin Yousi walked in with a lantern in hand, and meeting his fixed gaze, he said, "I'm afraid your trip will be in vain, my Lord. I can't cure the Marquis's illness."
Duan Zheng pressed on: "Why? You haven't diagnosed it yet."
Qin Yousi smiled sarcastically and said, "Sir, isn't it clear in your mind? I have half the blood of the Qin family in my body. How could I possibly save the enemy who wiped out my clan?"
Duan Zheng said seriously, "Dr. Qin is teaching his disciples to treat all patients equally and not to use any reason as an excuse."
Qin Yousi felt a pain in his heart.
Yes, this is the Qin family's medical precept. Even if the patient is a death row prisoner or an enemy, the doctor must do his best to treat him, and then settle his sins after the patient is cured.
But it doesn't work for Qin Yousi.
She shook her head and said, "The Qin family is upright and honest. They put the country first, the people first, and the patients first. But what good end did they end up in? I'm not them. I wouldn't be so stupid."
Duan Zheng smiled disappointedly: "You are indeed not her. If Si Niang were still alive, she would definitely not say that."
Qin Yousi raised his eyes and stared at him: "She? Do you know how she died?"
Duan Zheng's eyes turned red. He stepped forward, grabbed her shoulders, and asked, "Do you know?"
Five years ago, he watched everything happen and saw how his father took drastic measures against the Qin family. His only thought was to wait for Qin Yousi to be exiled and then send someone to secretly pick her up.
However, despite her great martial arts and medical skills, she died on the way to exile, and he didn't even get to see her body!
He had asked many people and ordered the Ministry of Justice to conduct multiple investigations, and they all said that Qin Yousi had a high fever on the road and fell into the glacier, and was not persecuted by anyone.
But he didn't believe it.
Qin Yousi pushed him away. "The night before exile, my second sister's best friend, your good wife, Yan Rong, brought warm clothes to see me off, but hidden among them was a piece of clothing infected with the plague! When my second sister found out, she was already infected. She didn't want to infect the other exiled Qin women, so she had to tell the soldiers who were escorting her. They tied her hands and feet and sank her into the icy river!"
Duan Zheng was so shocked by the truth that he took two steps back, his eyes filled with bloodshot.
Qin Yousi sneered, "What does it matter if she's a skilled martial artist? What does it matter if she's a skilled doctor? They can't stand up to the evil in people's hearts. If she were reborn, how could you have the nerve to ask her to save her bloody enemy?"
This question made Duan Zheng's head buzz.
Qin Yousi continued, "So, Master Duan, do you think I was right or wrong to have Yan Rong attack the Sang family and anger the Marquis of Xichang? I actually think my methods are far inferior to hers and not enough to avenge my second sister. What do you think?"
Duan Zheng had been hesitating and had not yet killed Yan Rong. Now that he had nothing else to say, his first thought was to go home and kill Yan Rong to pay for Qin Yousi's life!
Qin Yousi saw through his thoughts and taunted him, "Second sister died a long time ago. Who are you acting like this for? If you really felt sorry for the Qin family and for her, what did you do back then? If I were you, I would be ashamed to face Second Sister. How can you still have the nerve to bother me?"
Duan Zheng was scolded and had no way to refute it: "I will give her an explanation about Yan Rong's matter."
After saying that, he left in a daze.
Qin Yousi sat alone in the clinic for a while, calmed down, and stood up to close the door of the clinic, but saw Baili Hongyuan leaning outside the door, looking up at the night sky in a daze.
Qin Yousi asked in surprise: "When did you come? Why didn't you come in?"
Baili Hongyuan turned his head to look at her, his eyes full of pity, but he couldn't utter a word of concern.
Seeing his expression, Qin Yousi asked, "Did you hear everything?"
Baili Hongyuan nodded, entered the house, and said, "I only just learned of Yan Rong's actions today. Back then, after your... second sister passed away, I investigated how she contracted the disease, but because her luggage and clothing had been burned, I was unable to find the real culprit."
Qin Yousi smiled faintly and said, "It's a great favor to have someone collect her body. Your Excellency doesn't need to say all this. By the way, you didn't contract the plague back then, did you?"
Baili Hongyuan shook his head and said, "I have to thank Master Xiwei for this. She discovered the epidemic when she arrived and gave me the pills to cure it."
Qin Yousi nodded and asked, "Master, are you here to see me for something?"
Baili Hongyuan nodded and said, "There are clues about the withering blood poison."
Ever since he knew that the mulberry branch was poisonous, Baili Hongyuan never gave up looking for an antidote.
He brought Tang, who had poisoned the woman, back to Bailutai for strict interrogation. After careful investigation, he finally found out that the poison came from a place called "Jiuyou Hall".
Baili Hongyuan said, "The Jiuyou Hall was a secret agency of the previous dynasty. This drug was developed to control assassins. Regular use of the antidote can alleviate the toxicity. However, since the collapse of the previous dynasty, the Jiuyou Hall has also dissipated. What I can find is that several key figures have taken refuge in Nanhua Mountain and established a sect called the Nine Sects. As for matters in the martial arts world, my manpower here is not very useful, so perhaps we can ask the people from the Oujiang Boat Gang to investigate."
Qin Yousi said gratefully, "I have given up hope, and you are still investigating... the nine sects of Nanhua Mountain. I know everything. I won't bother you with the rest, sir."
Baili Hongyuan warned: "Don't take it lightly. If you want revenge, take care of yourself first."
Qin Yousi said helplessly: "Okay, I will definitely look for an antidote!"
This was the first time Qin Yousi had heard of the Nine Sects, but she knew Nanhua Mountain, where Taoist Master Xiwei had once traveled to visit friends.
When she asked about it in the evening, she found out that she was right.
When Taoist Master Xiwei heard that the Nine Sects might have the antidote, he said, "I'll go find it tomorrow." He then confirmed, "Is the Nine Sects really the same as the former Jiuyou Hall?"
Qin Yousi hesitated and said, "What Lord Baili has verified should be credible. Master, what's wrong?"
Taoist Xiwei's expression turned cold, and he said, "I just thought of an insignificant person."
July 30th is the Bodhi Day of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. In order to eliminate the impact of the fire incident in the first half of the year, Hongye Temple invited several Buddhist masters to preach and chant scriptures, and arranged many activities such as consecration and salvation.
Before the Bodhi Day, people from all over the country had come here to admire its reputation, and the foot of the mountain was packed with people.
Princess Liu Ying of Pingtung invited Qin Yousi to go with her, saying that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was very effective in blessing people with good health, and she insisted that she go and worship him properly.
Qin Yousi was a lay disciple of Taoism and had not wanted to attend this grand event, but Liu Ying didn't have many friends in the capital, and seeing Liu Ying looking at her pitifully, it was difficult for her to refuse.
On the day they went up the mountain, due to the large number of people, their carriages were blocked at the entrance of the mountain road. They simply traveled light and walked up the mountain with a few guards and maids.
Halfway through the journey, Qin Yousi saw a few familiar servants, who were the servants in the room of the wife of the Marquis of Xichang.
When Qin Yousi was still the fiancée of the Prince of Xichang, Qin Yousi and the Marquis' wife were quite familiar with each other. During the holidays, in addition to the visits between the two families, the Marquis' wife would always ask her maid to send her some good things separately.
After Qin Yousi recognized her, she immediately grabbed Liu Ying's hand and said, "My dear sister, Hongye Temple is so lively, let's not join in. Let's go back quickly."
Liu Ying didn't understand and asked, "What's wrong?"
Qin Yousi said, "Someone has come from the Xichang Marquis' Mansion. I don't know why, but Duan Yao died in Hongye Temple. They chose today to come, so it must be bad news."
Looking at the endless stream of people going up and down the mountain road, Qin Yousi felt more and more uneasy.
Qin Yousi borrowed a guard from Liu Ying and ordered him to return to the city on horseback to report to Baili Hongyuan, asking him to inform the Jingji Guards to strengthen the patrol of Hongye Temple.
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