Chapter 172 The Antidote Was Actually on Me
"Wei Lai, did I talk in my sleep last night?"
In the breakfast hall of Meilu Garden, at a rather messy octagonal table with bowls and chopsticks, Ouyang Rong, having finished his meal, stood up and opened his arms, allowing Ye Weilai and other maids to help him put on his light green official robe.
During this time, he suddenly turned around and asked.
Ye Weilai continued working with her hands, fastening his belt, and said calmly:
"It seems like he said a little."
Ouyang Rong said sternly, "Don't tell anyone. Especially not... in front of Junior Sister."
"Yes, Master."
Ye Weilai nodded her little head quickly.
Dressed neatly, Ouyang Rong took the white sandalwood dagger and fitted it. He patted his sleeves, laughed heartily, thanked the maids, and stepped out the door to begin another day of slacking off—no, it was about upholding justice and fulfilling his duties.
However, the young magistrate paused at the door, then turned around, as if he had thought of something, and, with his hand on his skirt-sword, said seriously:
"Wei Lai, next time don't bring the skirt knife to bed. It feels weird, and I can't sleep soundly..."
Ye Weilai, standing at the very front of the group of maids, paused for a moment upon hearing this, then slightly averted her gaze and nodded cautiously and sheepishly.
"I will listen to my beloved... May my beloved travel safely."
"Um."
Ye Weilai leaned on the threshold, silently watching her beloved's departing figure disappear outside the door.
At one point, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in blue robes flashing by on the corridor not far away.
She was a slender, mute woman.
It seems she is also silently watching over her beloved as he leaves early and returns late.
However... Tanlang had no idea that there was such a woman waiting for him at home.
Ye Weilai bit her lip.
She suddenly understood the complex look in the embroiderer's eyes when she sometimes looked at her...
After bidding farewell to his personal maid at the entrance, Ouyang Rong met up with the honest and upright Liu Ashan and headed to the Longcheng Government Office on the same street.
On the way, Ouyang Rong rubbed his face, pondered for a moment, and then took his hand off the jade hilt of the skirt knife.
Touching the hilt of this knife too often seems to make my junior sister feel something... Hmm, he needs to get rid of the bad habit of unconsciously holding the skirt knife at his waist, otherwise he will even unconsciously touch the smooth jade hilt while sleeping at night.
Last night he had a strange dream about his junior sister, and it seemed he even talked in his sleep.
Ouyang Rong felt a little embarrassed.
He dared not recall the specific details of his dream.
However, the thought that his junior sister might sense him touching his skirt knife in the middle of the night made Ouyang Rong's expression a little embarrassed.
I don't know how to explain it if they ask...
Early in the morning, inside the carriage, a young county magistrate sighed, prompting the taciturn man driving the carriage ahead to turn around and look.
However, Liu Ashan only knew that his master was pondering some great problem concerning the country and its people.
Little did they know that someone was secretly wondering:
"I've been sleeping quite soundly these past few nights, probably because I've relaxed a bit lately. But that's a good thing, because I feel more and more energetic during the day, like I have inexhaustible energy..."
"I just got up early and we had another accident. That little girl is getting more and more outrageous. She dares to touch any knife handle and lets me treat any water... She really doesn't treat me like an outsider."
The person sitting upright in the carriage looked remorseful, with a serious expression on his face: "Your righteousness is leaking out; you'll be given another major demerit."
"But it's also possible that with Liu Ziwen and the Liu family gone, they subconsciously felt there wasn't much of a challenge left. However, we must be prepared for the worst, Ouyang Lianghan. The flood control project is still one step away from completion..."
Ouyang Rong shook his head slightly, muttering to himself as he analyzed the situation.
This is called self-reflection three times a day.
His standard procedure.
What does it mean to have the self-cultivation of a true gentleman? (Hands on hips)
Ouyang Rong is an old gentleman.
...
"Senior brother, were those people from the Liu family just now? What were they doing here?"
In the main hall of Longcheng County Government, Xie Lingjiang turned her head to look at the backs of the lame servant and others who had respectfully bowed to her as they passed by. After they left, Xie Lingjiang frowned slightly.
“Liu Fu, you know him, he was sent by Liu Zi’an.”
Ouyang Rong nodded calmly, got up from the desk, and poured tea for his junior sister.
Xie Lingjiang asked curiously, "What is Liu Zian going to do?"
Ouyang Rong nodded and said:
"After the Liu family was divided, they are now quite well-behaved. Liu Zi'an has taken over as the head of the family, and he is quite obedient. He is much more sensible than his brother. He not only takes the initiative to cooperate with the county government's official duties, but also reports everything to me, the local official."
"They even offered to take the lead in funding and providing manpower to help build the second phase of the Zheyi Canal, with the Liu family contributing funds and manpower..."
"This person is even more exemplary than the model citizens of Longcheng County, which makes me feel quite embarrassed."
Ouyang Rong offered a compliment, but there was no smile on his face.
After listening to this calm narration, Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but turn her head and ask:
"So, the eldest brother has softened his heart, changed his opinion of the Liu family, and wants to show leniency and not pursue the matter of the imposter posing as the eldest brother to assassinate an official at the ribbon-cutting ceremony?"
"right."
Ouyang Rong nodded calmly, and before his junior sister could glare at him, he chuckled and said:
"Yeah, right."
"Senior Brother, you... Hmph."
"Have some tea."
Ouyang Rong, skilled in brewing and preparing tea, handed over a steaming cup of tea and said leisurely:
"Right and wrong are clearly distinguishable and cannot be negated. If apologies were useful, what would be the point of having an official government in this world?"
"However, one cannot hit a smiling face. Liu Zian has acted so honestly, with a sincere look of knowing his mistakes and correcting them. As the local official, I naturally have to express my opinion as well."
"Although he is not a horse bone, I will not spend a thousand gold pieces."
"The matter of the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the Jade Cup Fairy is naturally not over yet. Junior Sister, continue your investigation. If you need any help, please feel free to ask."
"The reason why Liu Zian wasn't dealt with and the Liu family completely eradicated is because someone above is protecting them... That newly arrived Governor of Jiangzhou, Lord Wang, is really willing to risk his reputation to vouch for them. I wonder how much local produce the Liu family has supplied to him. Aren't you afraid of being dragged into the mud and getting all dirty?"
Ouyang Rong looked out of the hall, gave a cold laugh, then turned back and sighed:
"However, Liu Zian and the Liu family now only have a sword shop and an ancestral home left. They no longer have the strength to interfere with the affairs of the Longcheng County Government. So there's no rush to deal with them. Letting them go for now is not a bad idea."
"It's good that you've thought it through, Senior Brother."
Xie Lingjiang's face showed some shame:
"But it's also my fault, junior sister. There's been no progress on my case, so I haven't been able to solve it quickly enough to put the final straw on the Liu family and relieve my senior brother's burden. Otherwise, even if Wang Lengran wanted to intervene and offered up the position of governor of a prefecture, he still wouldn't be able to save the Liu family."
Ouyang Rong shook his head and offered a word of comfort:
"No rush, take your time. This is your first time leading a team, and you've already outperformed many others. You've matured a lot."
After a pause, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at Xie Lingjiang's expression a few more times.
Underneath her slender, willow-shaped eyes, one could see rather noticeable light blue-purple eye bags.
I don't know if it's because I had insomnia last night and didn't sleep well.
However, it is quite rare for such a thing to happen to Junior Sister. In the past, when Ouyang Rong saw Junior Sister every day, she was always full of energy. For a Qi cultivator, it is difficult to have something like insomnia or lack of rest.
"Junior Sister, what's wrong with your complexion? Didn't you sleep well last night...?"
"No."
Xie Lingjiang denied it.
She didn't suffer from insomnia and tossing and turning all night when she got home last night...
Looking at his junior sister, who was silently sipping her tea with her head down, Ouyang Rong's eyes were filled with worry, and he hesitated to speak.
Xie Lingjiang rolled her eyes and glanced at her senior brother's expression.
"Don't worry, senior brother."
Her small face tightened as she said:
"It's just that I recently encountered a slight mishap during my Qi cultivation, but it's nothing serious."
"Should we go see a doctor?" Ouyang Rong suggested.
“This problem…the doctor can’t cure it.” Xie Lingjiang shook her head.
"Then who can cure it?" Ouyang Rong blurted out.
Xie Lingjiang did not answer. Holding the warm teacup, her dark, pearly eyes glanced silently down at the white sandalwood dagger at Ouyang Rong's waist.
Ouyang Rong was startled, noticing his junior sister's gaze. He followed her line of sight and looked down at the skirt knife at his waist.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly said, "Senior Brother, just go to sleep tonight."
Ouyang Rong's expression changed.
"Cough cough." He coughed twice, as if his throat was also dry, and quickly pretended to lower his head to drink tea.
Ouyang Rong felt his face was burning hotter than the porcelain of the teacup in his hand.
He remembered what happened last night.
She thought she had a strange erotic dream in the middle of the night, and her hand touched the hilt of the skirt-shaped knife, which affected the junior sister of Yilan Pavilion in the nearby Su Mansion, causing her to suffer from insomnia all night...
"snort."
Xie Lingjiang glanced at her senior brother, who seemed guilty and embarrassed, and gave a soft snort.
However, her senior brother's reaction had largely dispelled her initial annoyance.
After another night, the sorrow and shame of yesterday were gone.
However, that girlish sorrow seemed to linger faintly in the depths of her heart, like the footprints left on the stone or the shadows left by the passing geese, just like the cup of tea in her hand at this moment, leaving a sweet aftertaste, the flavor of which she could savor herself.
It seemed that everything was understood without being said.
The atmosphere between the senior and junior students became a little awkward for a moment.
Neither of them spoke first.
Xie Lingjiang glanced again at her senior brother, who was stiff-handed and seemed unfazed by the heat, repeatedly drinking hot tea.
Actually, there was still a small, troubling question lingering in her trembling heart.
Last night, my senior brother's personal maid said that he likes to do... role-playing in his private bed room.
Later, as she was about to enter the room, she heard her senior brother calling her name in his sleep, as if it were some embarrassing dream.
Doesn't that mean that the senior brother isn't completely indifferent to his junior sister... he does indeed have some "bad thoughts" that are common to men and human nature?
He is not completely averse to women.
In the past, when they were together, his occasional strange glances that seemed to wander to her chest proved this point.
But why did the senior disciple so heartlessly refuse in the main hall of Donglin Temple that day?
He could have easily won over the woman with just a little coaxing, taking advantage of her and leaving her for good, but the eldest brother still…
Is this what it means to be a man who is unserious about small things but very serious about big things? Once he decides to devote himself to the Tao and never marry, he remains steadfast and unwavering, never crossing the line even when human desires trouble his heart.
After much deliberation, Xie Lingjiang could only arrive at this relatively reasonable conclusion.
Senior Brother is indeed a gentleman, possessing the virtues of ancient gentlemen.
A woman held a cup of hot tea in her hands, her fingers throbbing from the heat, and silently thought to herself.
However, the eldest brother must have some feelings for her... otherwise why would he prefer the role-playing of senior and junior brothers in bed, and why would he call her name in his dreams?
It is said that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night; this is nothing more than that.
Xie Lingjiang, who was looking down and sipping her tea from the rim of the cup, trembled her long eyelashes, as if stirred by the rising steam from the cup.
Faced with such a virtuous and upright senior brother, she didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed.
Xie Lingjiang suddenly put down his teacup and placed it aside, then smiled and said, "Let's get down to business, Senior Brother."
"Yes, yes, that's the important thing."
Ouyang Rong nodded, very welcoming, and asked with a smile:
"Junior Sister, did you come from the official residence? How is the Jade Cup Immortal?"
"Did Senior Brother smell the medicine on me?"
Xie Lingjiang nodded, sighed, and said:
"The situation is not optimistic. I have searched for famous doctors all over Jiangzhou, whether they are from the underworld or the legitimate world, but they still cannot cure this poison."
"We can only seal the Jade Cup Fairy's meridians to prevent the poison from attacking her heart, but this is only a temporary measure."
Ouyang Rong nodded, his expression becoming more serious:
"We need to think of another way to wake her up. It seems that she is the only witness who can identify the entire conspiracy of the Liu family. Other witnesses are either not involved much like the sword shop craftsmen and are just ignorant accomplices, or they were killed to silence them like Yuan Changli."
"Liu Ziwen, oh Liu Ziwen, your actions were anything but gentle, but in the end, your cleverness backfired, and you became someone else's pawn."
Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother, who do you think ordered the assassins to kill Liu Ziwen?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at her, shook his head slightly, and remained silent.
Xie Lingjiang didn't ask any more questions and said directly:
"However, I haven't come away empty-handed these days. Although I can't cure the strange poison on the Jade Cup Fairy for the time being, I have found a clue to this strange poison. It may be a rare poison that has been circulating in the martial arts world for a long time."
"Oh?" Ouyang Rong listened intently.
Xie Lingjiang placed a handkerchief under her palm and took out two small porcelain bottles from her sleeve that looked familiar to Ouyang Rong. One was wrapped in blue cloth, and the other in red cloth.
She gestured to the two bottles in her palm and said:
"I found a Taoist doctor in Jiangzhou City who was skilled in poisons. After studying this substance, I discovered that it was a rare dual poison of one yin and one yang. Such a strange poison would not be unknown in the martial arts world."
"Based on toxicology, I asked around and found out that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this poison should be called the Lovebird Poison."
"Lovebirds?"
Ouyang Rong looked curious and reached out to take a porcelain bottle to examine it, but Xie Lingjiang stopped him.
"Senior brother, be careful, these Yin and Yang poisons cannot be contaminated at the same time..."
Xie Lingjiang patiently explained, recounting the methods of poisoning the lovebirds that she had learned.
The words fell.
Ouyang Rong's expression was somewhat solemn as he nodded.
"That makes perfect sense now. No wonder Liu Ziwen was so fearless in court that day. It turns out that the Jade Cup Fairy had secretly poisoned him beforehand. When it was time to silence him, all he had to do was use this harmless Yang Bottle."
Xie Lingjiang nodded and added:
"Not only that, didn't Senior Brother say last time that Liu Ziwen mistook you for the Jade Cup Fairy at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which is why he gave you the Yin Bottle Poison...?"
"This is to have the Jade Cup Fairy poison me at the luncheon, so that when the ribbon-cutting ceremony is held at the inner gate, she can use the Yang Bottle to spread fragrance to deal with me, allowing the Jade Cup Fairy disguised as you to successfully assassinate Lord Shen."
"That was a vicious scheme, thankfully my senior brother saw through it..."
Xie Lingjiang was still shaken, mainly because this insidious poison was colorless and odorless, and its toxicity was undetectable when used alone. It was many times more dangerous than the bone-softening powder that the Jade Cup Immortal had administered.
Although she suspected the Jade Cup Fairy at the luncheon before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, in order to gain her trust, she might inadvertently fall victim to this seemingly harmless poison. The consequences would be unimaginable; she might even suffer the same fate as the Jade Cup Fairy, who is currently unconscious...
"Liu Ziwen committed heinous crimes. All the Liu brothers were killed, and none of them were innocent!"
Xie Lingjiang gritted her teeth. Even if she temporarily disregarded the bronze mask in her sleeve, the malice of the poison alone was enough for her to have the Liu family's property confiscated a hundred times over.
Ouyang Rong suddenly said, "Wait, it doesn't match up."
"What doesn't match?" Xie Lingjiang asked, startled, her teeth clenched.
Ouyang Rong looked into her eyes and calmly said:
"Since the Jade Cup Fairy was poisoned by Liu Ziwen beforehand and was prepared to be silenced at any time, what if Liu Ziwen's conspiracy succeeds at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and he really poisons you? If he uses the Yang Poison Bottle to spread fragrance during the inner gate ribbon-cutting, wouldn't he also poison the Jade Cup Fairy?"
"After all, you and she were both present. So who would assassinate Lord Shen in the end? Wouldn't that be foolish?"
"Hmm, that seems to be true. So, what does Senior Brother mean..."
Ouyang Rong nodded calmly:
"At the ribbon-cutting luncheon, Liu Ziwen not only gave me, who was disguised as the Jade Cup Fairy, a blue bottle containing poison, but also secretly fed me the antidote while I was eating. So the antidote for the Lovebirds should be inside my body."
Xie Lingjiang immediately fell silent.
(End of this chapter)
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