kidnapping
——
I found it a bit strange that this woman kept calling the governor by his name, but as soon as she finished speaking and the man appeared, all my doubts vanished.
The person hidden behind the Guanyin statue had a gaunt face and a thin figure, resembling a pale-faced scholar in his thirties.
The governor of Jingzhou was a military officer and already had a robust son in his twenties... Comparing the two, apart from height, they had nothing in common.
Tan Shijun's robe was faded from washing, and he wore coarse cloth and no jade crown.
He cast his gaze upon Xie and Liu, the greedy green light now gone, bright as a star, sharp as a rocket, as if to lay bare their true nature.
He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, his robes trailing to the ground, and said, "Young Master Liu, Madam Xie, I apologize for any offense I may have caused you before."
"You are... Lord Tan?"
Tan Shijun nodded.
"This is a long story. I have recently compiled a list of officials who have accepted bribes. I wonder if I could give it to you two?"
This question asks whether Xie and Liu are trustworthy.
Although he showed his true face, he was clearly unwilling to reveal the reason for his dramatic change. It is likely that the person he usually wore in the mansion was actually the real governor.
“Of course.” Xie Lingxi thought of the high-ranking official surnamed Xie mentioned by Cui Yu and knew that something was amiss. Perhaps there were some conspiracies she had not yet discovered hidden beneath the layers of smoke in her previous life.
The entire Jing region is interconnected. The most important events here, besides the changed governor in front of us, are the Langtao Terrace that Tang Zexue is overseeing the construction of.
Liu Xu carefully flipped through the register, read it aloud to Xie Lingxi, and while listening to her words, circled several names at the top with a brush.
Seeing their actions, Tan Shijun pondered, "What is this...?"
"I remember these people are the river officials in charge of managing the Jing River. If they embezzled salt and grain, they might embezzle water conservancy projects as well, right?"
Before coming to Jingzhou, she had inquired about the specific situation there from her father. Seeing that the names in her mind coincided with those in Tan Shijun's book, she frowned:
"Quickly, let's go find Ling Shuang."
...
Tang Zexue was inspecting the passing workers along the river embankment.
The Wave Terrace was already halfway up the building. He repeatedly checked the tightly crumpled blueprints in his hand, confirming that every step of the process was correct. Just as he picked up a cup of tea to moisten his throat, a servant came to report—
"Lord Tang, Young Master Liu has arrived."
Liu Xu came to Jingzhou without reporting his official status, so he couldn't gain any benefit. Tang Zexue knew this perfectly well: "His Majesty is already wary of aristocratic families, but you and Brother Xiuyuan both have some connections with them, which is why I picked up this loophole."
Liu Xu took a sip of tea: "Ling Shuang deserves it."
The main door of the house was tightly closed, and everyone else had left. Only on the rosewood desk, a bowl of lotus leaves exuded a faint fragrance.
The two people in the room lowered their voices. "Please take a look at this roster, Ling Shuang. Do you recognize any of these people in the circle?"
Tang Zexue moved the paper under the lamp and examined it repeatedly. "These two people were in charge of building the dike, which is this Langtaotai."
“I have been watching it every day these days. The blueprints have not been altered by anyone else. The willows used for building the dike are all sturdy and solid. The workers are diligent and capable, and there has been no cutting corners. I have thought about it over and over, but I still haven’t found any flaws.”
Following Tang Zexue's gaze, Liu Xu could see through the window the top corner of the Wave Terrace, where countless craftsmen were carrying logs to build walls, with water flowing continuously day and night.
"This Wave Terrace is about to be completed."
Although Liu Xu was still worried, he comforted her, saying, "That would be the best thing."
As he was still pondering Xie Lingxi's dreaded "Langtaotai collapsing overnight," a hand rested on his shoulder—
Tang Zexue looked around but couldn't find Xie Lingxi. She asked in confusion, "Madam Xie, didn't you come with me?"
It's no wonder he asked that question. Since he met the couple, they have always been by each other's side, a perfect match, a harmonious couple.
Speaking of this, Liu Xu looked even more exhausted: "She went to see a doctor."
"Everywhere you look is a den of dragons and tigers, Ling Shuang, please be very careful."
...
Xie Lingxi was pulled into the clinic by Cui Yuqiang.
When Cui Yudao offered to treat her eyes, she took it as mere politeness and harbored some apprehension—she resolutely refused!
In an instant, the fragrance filled her nostrils, and before Xie Lingxi could even distinguish east from west, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, gripping her tightly.
The next instant, his entire body suddenly lost its balance, as if he had been tied up with a thick rope and thrown into the air.
Xie Lingxi had never experienced anything like this before. Because she couldn't see, she was both shocked and afraid. She was also afraid of losing face as a lady of a noble family. She clenched her teeth tightly, her face as white as melting snow, and couldn't utter a single word.
——
Cui Yu hated rambling explanations to others. After finishing his business, he immediately grabbed Xie Lingxi's belt, pulled her over abruptly, and disappeared in a flash, leaving the several young men in front of the Guanyin statue staring in disbelief.
Soon, they emerged from the mountains and fields, where a horse-drawn carriage had been waiting for them for some time.
Cui Yu hoisted Xie Lingxi over his shoulder and threw her into the carriage without any gentleness. He saw the woman leaning weakly against the soft couch, her black hair covering her face, her cheeks flushed, and a few tears welling up in her eyes as she tried her best to regulate her breathing.
Cui Yu felt a pang of guilt upon seeing this. She reached out and grabbed Xie Lingxi's belt, her hand just touching a small kingfisher feather bead when Xie Lingxi raised her hand to stop her.
"What else do we need to do?"
This man is incredibly rude and unreasonable. She was just talking peacefully a moment ago, and in the blink of an eye, she's been kidnapped here...
Xie Lingxi finally caught her breath and propped herself up. In the process, she bumped into something and the glass jar jingled. She moved her knee and kicked over another incense burner.
Instantly, a faint, lingering fragrance of hibiscus filled the surroundings. Xie Lingxi choked on a mouthful of incense ash, helplessly clinging to a few strands of curtains that had fallen from the sky. She lay on the couch coughing for a long time, not daring to move rashly.
Based on all this, Xie Lingxi guessed that the interior of the carriage must be quite different from Cui Yu's preferences—
Exquisite silk curtains hung all around, like flowing water, and a breeze stirred the lotus pond.
Beneath her lay an embroidered couch covered in precious brocade, adorned with countless pearls and tassels, vying in extravagance.
Cui Yu watched the farce unfold before her, her lips twitching slightly. After a moment, she withdrew her hand and said, "Your belt is crooked."
Xie Lingxi looked down and felt around. Sure enough, the belt around her waist had been loosened a few inches and was hanging loosely over her lower abdomen, almost unable to hold back her slightly oversized clothes.
She worked with lightning speed, quickly tidying it up, and said, "All done."
Horses galloped outside, the road was very uneven, and Xie Lingxi clung tightly to a beam beside her as it undulated. "Where are we going?"
Cui Yu remained silent.
Xie Lingxi asked again, "My lady, have I offended you in any way? Why am I being persecuted like this?"
She had been up and about since early morning, without having eaten a single bite, and was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Now, her head was throbbing from the horse's movements, and in her confusion, she heard Cui Yu say:
Don't you want to get your eyes healed?
Xie Lingxi: "That sounds like you're very confident... Madam Cui, there's something I don't understand, please enlighten me."
Seeing that Cui Yu remained silent, she knew that he was waiting for the next part of the sentence. "This carriage must have been prepared for you by Tao Langjun. He is so devoted to you, yet you are unmoved. So—what is your relationship with Governor Tan that makes you do so much for him?"
Despite holding her breath, Xie Lingxi had still inhaled a large amount of incense while coughing. Knowing that she was weak and helpless, she simply started chatting with Cui Yu.
She asked the question sincerely, but Cui Yu answered it coldly.
"Everything I said in the temple just now was absolutely true."
Seeing Xie Lingxi leaning against the car window, a weary smile playing on her lips, Cui Yu kindly reminded her, "However, you've guessed one thing wrong—"
"This carriage was prepared especially for you."
...
This was the last thing Xie Lingxi heard.
When she woke up again, it was eerily quiet. She was laid flat on a narrow bed, just big enough for one person to sleep on. It was pitch black in front of her, and she couldn't use her hands or feet.
The air outside the blanket was bone-chillingly cold, yet the body couldn't even instinctively curl up and tremble.
Resembling a dead body.
The situation was truly dire. She had no idea where Cui Yu had taken her; she was utterly alone, without a shred of sunlight. The only consolation was that the sudden pain in her head had finally subsided, replaced by a tingling, itchy sensation, as if countless ants were gnawing at her.
Xie Lingxi was unaware that there were more than ten silver needles stuck in her head.
In the quiet room, someone suddenly spoke:
"how?"
Another hoarse voice sighed, "What a rip-off... What kind of business are you running these days? You're even going after young girls like this."
Is it really a medical clinic?
Xie Lingxi felt the old doctor pricking the acupoint on the top of her head. She endured the slight stinging sensation as her right wrist was forcibly gripped beside her.
The man had thin calluses on the back of his hand, which he rubbed against her skin. He seemed to know nothing of medicine, casually taking her pulse—
"Still jumping, she's not dead, is she? This is my niece, you must treat her properly, don't neglect her."
The old doctor chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're left with everything intact."
After exchanging pleasantries, the person who had given the orders seemed to have left, leaving only her and the doctor in the room.
niece?
Xie Lingxi racked her brains, trying to recall who her uncles were. All of them were officials in the court, but none of them were military officers. The calluses on the man's hands were clearly from years of wielding weapons, and his voice was deep and solemn, as if he had long held a high position.
The person surnamed Xie that Tan Shijun mentioned should be this one.
She had initially thought someone was impersonating her father to cause trouble, but now she had to believe it to some extent.
But none of the uncles in the clan were stupid; their words and actions were all for the sake of protecting the Xie family's reputation and wealth. How could they be so foolish as to give others a handle to use against them and personally forge a sharp blade to cut down the Xie family?
Could it be that the father really gave his permission...?
Xie Lingxi dared not think too deeply. A shadow loomed above her, suddenly grabbing her chin and forcing a mouthful of medicine down her throat.
"...Hmm."
His oral muscles were weak, and most of the medicine dripped down his lips, soaking his clothes.
Meanwhile, scalding hot medicine flowed from the narrow spout of the pot, silently seeping into her throat through the gap between her lips and teeth.
Instantly, Xie Lingxi felt an extremely sticky and uncomfortable sensation in her throat, and she instinctively choked because she had swallowed some barely perceptible medicinal residue.
The veins on her beautiful neck suddenly stood out.
"Cough, cough!"
Seeing this, the doctor picked up the medicine pot and tried to hold her down to continue pouring the medicine, but as soon as the ceramic pot touched Xie Lingxi's elbow, she forcefully pushed it away.
The pressure that had just surged in his chest had brought a surge of strength to his whole body, though it was very slight, it was still better than lying paralyzed on the cot.
The bed beneath him was so hard it hurt his bones, and he could faintly smell the fragrance of pear wood. The bed board seemed to be connected by mortise and tenon joints in the middle, and it had been bent slightly by the doctor's bump.
This bed was only available to soldiers.
She pushed aside the doctor's medicine pot, her limbs moving uncontrollably like a child's. She threw off the covers and stumbled off the bed, pulling out the hairpin that bound her hair like a gust of wind, and pressing the sharp end against the doctor's neck.
"Stop, stop!"
With her vision clearing slightly, Xie Lingxi assumed the doctor's acupuncture was effective. Not daring to let her guard down, she asked solemnly, "What medicine is this?"
Were you trying to murder me just now?
The doctor, though being held hostage by her, showed no fear and asked in surprise, "You're awake?"
"No way... that sleeping potion is so ineffective?"
Some medicines had never worked on her. Xie Lingxi didn't explain this, and brought the weapon even closer, accidentally piercing the doctor's neck, causing it to bleed profusely.
"Hey! Don't be impulsive!" The doctor cried out after experiencing the pain. "Angelica, astragalus, white peony... what could they be? They're just medicinal herbs!"
After saying that, he handed over the medicine pot as if to show it to Xie Lingxi.
Xie Lingxi's eyes were still not fully recovered, and her skills were not yet proficient, so she couldn't smell it and let it go. She then looked for the exit and asked, "Where is this place? And who was that person just now?"
"this……"
The doctor straightened his neck, displaying a heroic spirit of sacrifice—even if he were to bleed on the spot today, it would be a thousand times better than if the person who betrayed him came back to settle accounts with him!
Thinking of the powerful figure's many tyrannical methods, the doctor began to advise Xie Lingxi, "My lady, you should stay here and recover from your injuries. Since he hasn't said he wants to kill you, why go against his wishes and risk your life by running away?"
That makes sense.
After much deliberation, Xie Lingxi slowly reduced the force in her hand.
As soon as the hairpin left the doctor's scalp a few inches, he darted to the side. The ice room cooled the boiling blood that had been burning his scalp, and in the dim light, he heard his wife's soft, gentle voice again as she sat back down on the bed:
When will my eyes be cured?
"Within ten days."
"Ten days?"
Xie Lingxi frowned. "Am I supposed to stay in this eerie place for another ten days?"
The sound was quite unpleasant, accompanied by the sharp wind of a snow blade. The doctor silently left the room without making a sound.
...
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