Chapter 92 Did you cast a spell on me?: Okay, I'll listen to you.
They said it would be a short while, and it wasn't long before the people who were standing very close backed away.
The warmth on his body faded, but the bitter smell of medicine seemed to linger. The person leaning against the wall rubbed his fingertips, barely managing to resist the urge to raise his hand to smell it.
It doesn't smell bad, and it's not poisonous.
Then a giant blue crab appeared before her, its slender, long hands clasped together, gripping the crossed wooden planks on the silk threads. With a flick of its fingertips, it hooked a thread, and the crab's large pincers moved accordingly.
Xi Congshuang's gaze swept over the woman's retreating face, and the smile in her eyes deepened: "We just agreed to exchange lanterns, so this blue crab lantern is yours."
Xun Suihuang's sugar figurine in the study hadn't melted yet, and now there was another blue crab lantern, which was quite troublesome: "I don't want it, you can keep it yourself."
Xi Congshuang looked regretful: "Don't you want it? I think only something unique is worthy of Chengzhi."
Her words reminded Xun Suihuang of the lanterns she had seen along the way, all sorts of shapes, but she had never seen one this big, with every claw moving like a blue crab lantern.
She didn't know which word from Xi Congshuang's mouth touched her, but she reached out to take it.
It's true that fortunes change. She used to wonder why she had to avoid someone's hand when holding a cup of tea, but now she's also careful to avoid Xi Congshuang's hand.
They want to hug you the moment they touch you, and you won't be able to get back to the general's mansion until dawn.
Taking the blue crab lantern, Xun Suihuang remembered something and asked with a smile, "What did you call this general?"
Xi Congshuang frowned: "You told me your courtesy name but don't want me to call you by it. Is it because you look down on me because I'm a person from the martial arts world and not a court official? Then I won't call you by it anymore. I'll find a teacher, go to school, and become the top scholar before I call you by your courtesy name."
Thanks to the ascension of the Holy Ancestor Emperor, who bestowed upon his younger sister the title of Military Marquis and issued an imperial edict ordering women to attend school and serve as officials in the court.
In the first few years, only a small number of women made the list, but this was just the beginning. They would not stay at the bottom forever, content to spend their whole lives in the Hanlin Academy.
These people were also the Emperor's confidants. Once they survived, they would naturally gain the Emperor's favor, rise rapidly in rank, and gradually turn the court into her personal fiefdom.
If Xi Congshuang wanted to go, it wasn't impossible. An eighty-year-old white-haired man could take the imperial examination with a cane, so of course she, being so young, could too.
Xun Suihuang was at her wit's end: "Go ahead and call me, don't make it sound like I'm trying to renege on my promise. My name isn't so precious that you have to pass the imperial examination to be able to use it."
She did grow up in Yongdu, and while she wasn't exactly pampered, she certainly had plenty of fine clothes and food. But her mother was a military hero who had earned a title, and she was a woman who secretly wore soft armor under her wedding dress when she was young. No matter how you look at it, she couldn't be associated with gentleness and tenderness.
As I grew up, my subordinates were either stubborn or made of steel, each one more competitive than the last. Suddenly, a refined gentleman in a blue robe appeared in my life, and I couldn't help but take a second look.
Being treated like this is incredibly novel, both intriguing and nauseating.
Xi Congshuang saw through it and deliberately teased her, and she actually managed to take advantage of the situation.
However, she did not miss Xun Chengzhi's absent-mindedness. The war was clearly a great victory, and at least five years of peace would come. It was time to return to the capital and reward those who had contributed to the victory. However, the commander-in-chief appeared absent-minded in the crowd.
This only proves one thing: she knew what would happen when she went back.
Xi Congshuang followed behind her, watching her back, and suddenly said, "Chengzhi."
The figure walking ahead paused, clearly not used to it, and replied, "What?"
Xi Congshuang asked, "Who gave you your courtesy name? Was it the former marshal of Northern Yan?"
Xun Suihuang didn't expect her to ask this. Usually, the given name is given by the elders, and there are only a few people who could guess. So she nodded: "Yes, my mother gave it to me."
Xi Congshuang: "Is it the 'Cheng' in 'Lanpei Chengqing' (揽貔澄澄)?"
As far as she knew, the old Marquis of Pingding was a woman with lofty ambitions. She spent most of her life traveling between Yongdu and Jiashan Pass. She fought against the Yeman people all her life, using herself as a defensive line to block the thirty-six tribes of Yeman. On her deathbed, she entrusted this legacy to her children.
However, the old Marquis of Pingding never expected that Xun Suihuang had an imperial edict that forbade him from leaving the capital without a decree. If it weren't for the fact that the Yeman had broken through Jiashan Pass and flooded into Fuzhou, about to head south, Xun Suihuang would still be a leisurely marquis in Yongdu.
However, the answer given by the person just three steps away was very different from what Xi Congshuang had expected.
Xun Suihuang's tone was a little strange, but upon closer listening, it was very calm: "It is the 'cheng' in 'the clarity of my heart'."
Xi Congshuang was taken aback, not expecting it to be Cheng.
I don't know why, maybe it's because it's too lively outside, or maybe I haven't seen enough people on the other side. Anyway, there aren't many opportunities, so it's okay to say some things.
Xun Suihuang's face was half-reddened by the light of the blue crab lantern, as if she were smiling: "My mother usually only reads military books. She doesn't know much about other poems and songs. She's a stubborn and inflexible old lady. Many people say that I'm completely different from her."
As she spoke, she hissed and said to Xi Congshuang, "Why are you so curious about me? Don't tell me you admire me; this general doesn't fall for honey traps."
"I should be saying this about Chengzhi," Xi Congshuang said with feigned sigh. "I couldn't forget Chengzhi after that day. I was willing to rebel against Prince Xin to go to the General's Mansion, just to catch a glimpse of you. Did Chengzhi put a curse in your tea that day?"
Xun Suihuang, who had been turned the tables, was speechless.
She suddenly changed her expression, chuckled, and left, not even leaving behind the bulky and unsightly blue crab lantern.
Xi Congshuang chased after him. When she wasn't poisoned, her physical condition was still quite good; she could run and jump, and even keep up with the general who was striding along.
Xun Suihuang cursed herself for being blinded by greed, thinking that she was really weak and frail just because she had vomited blood a few times.
She's not only incredibly tough, but she's also a smooth talker!
Xun Suihuang decided to strike first: "If you say anything I don't like again, take this lantern back. I don't want it anymore."
Xi Congshuang had no choice but to stop talking. After a while, she couldn't help but say, "I'm leaving soon. I just wanted to say a few more words to you before I go."
Xun Suihuang was used to the occasional smell of medicine in the mansion, so when she heard that someone was leaving, her first reaction was not the joy of sending away a plague god.
She stopped and looked at Xi Congshuang with a complicated expression. She suspected that Hongdou had put a curse on the tea she brought that night.
The two, each suspecting the other of using a spell on them, stared at each other for a moment. Xun Suihuang asked, "When are you leaving?"
Xi Congshuang quickly gave her answer: "In the next couple of days."
Since the problem doesn't lie with Xun Suihuang, it must lie in Yongdu.
Whether you say she was blinded by love or swayed by others, since the other party has stated that he has no ulterior motives, then she should handle the situation in a way that shows no ulterior motives.
Before Xun Suihuang returns to Yongdu, we should go to Yongdu and see what's going on.
The supervising eunuchs were busy receiving the envoys from the Yeman tribe and signing a truce treaty. Once this was done, the emperor's reward would be right in front of them, and they had long forgotten about Xi Congshuang, who had "sneaked" into the general's mansion.
The two walked forward and gradually reached a less crowded area. Xi Congshuang asked, "You'll be returning to Yongdu around this time too. I'll give you a lantern and some sugar figurines. Don't always treat me like an enemy."
"I genuinely want to be on your side, and there are many things I can do for you."
"You still dare to mention sugar figurines!" Xun Suihuang finally understood why the spy had been stammering that day. She never expected that this person would cause trouble once he stepped out.
She got into a huge mess; kids all over the streets were gnawing on her head.
Xi Congshuang was in the wrong, and she said apologetically, "I didn't expect your name to be so famous, to have such a powerful influence."
"..."
After her initial frustration subsided, Xun Suihuang felt relieved. At least it wasn't a shrine built for the living. Fortunately, she had destroyed the shrine first, and by the time the news reached Yongdu, it had already been turned into a pig farm.
There's no need for worship and incense burning. She's not Emperor Jianxing; she doesn't practice immortality cultivation or seek longevity. Let's just eat and drink well.
Upon hearing Xi Congshuang's announcement of her departure, Xun Suihuang finally voiced the question she had been wanting to ask: "Prince Xin relies on you so much, why would you betray him? Don't tell me you're abandoning darkness for light; that reason is worthless to me."
“Alright, I’ll listen to you.” Xi Congshuang came up with another reason. “Because he looks down on me, thinks I’m cunning and wicked, and that I’m a heartless woman. If I continue to assist him, I’ll only be discarded after I’ve served my purpose, and I won’t get what I want. Forget about becoming a high-ranking official, I won’t even get a high-ranking position or a generous salary.”
Xun Suihuang commented: "If you want to rise to the highest ranks of officialdom, you should take the imperial examination."
Doing it this way is too roundabout; if you want to take a shortcut, that's another story.
Xi Congshuang: "My master won't let me go."
Xun Suihuang finally remembered her true identity as someone from the Medicine Valley: "So it's because you weren't allowed to go..."
"..." You have to accept this blame whether you want to or not.
It is also true that the Valley Master of Medicine Valley did not allow her to participate in an official career.
Xi Congshuang nodded in agreement, and as expected, she received a pitying look from Xun Suihuang. Xun Suihuang patted Xi Congshuang's shoulder like an elder and comforted her: "That's how people are. When they are young, they are arrogant and think they are invincible. They insist on doing what they are not told to do and want to do something great to prove themselves."
“Chengzhi, actually I’m about the same age as you, you’re just trying to comfort me.” Xi Congshuang smiled, pressing her hand against the back of the hand on her shoulder and holding it.
Xun Suihuang felt a warmth on the back of her hand, and suddenly her eyes widened: "..."
Oh no, she's going to have another episode of that strange illness.
Finally, the general endured the humiliation and was led into a dark alley. She resolutely refused to be led by the hand to the front of the general's mansion. The gatekeeper was a big mouth and would surely spread the word throughout the entire mansion.
Xun Suihuang still took the lantern home and hung it in the study of Feihong Courtyard as decoration. When the lamp oil inside burned out, she didn't put in a new one, just hung it there as an ornament.
Gu Daifang was shocked when she saw it: "So it was General Shi who won the blue crab lantern as soon as it was displayed last night."
Xun Suihuang, who had been busy writing memorials lately, said without looking up, "It wasn't me; someone gave it to me."
Gu Daifang poked the crab's claws and exclaimed in surprise, "Who would send such a meager gift as a lantern?"
Xun Suihuang: "Sect Leader Xi."
Gu Daifang coughed: "Who...cough cough cough cough!"
Xun Suihuang thought she hadn't heard clearly, so she repeated, "Xi Congshuang, oh right, her full name is Xi Yan."
It's all her fault. She was perfectly fine when she asked her mother what the word meant, and last night she accidentally dreamt of her mother, who insisted that she had molested a girl and chased her all night with a broom.
She was the one who was sexually assaulted!
Gu Daifang was puzzled and shocked, forgetting to use respectful terms: "How did you end up hanging out with her?"
Xun Suihuang almost made a mistake in writing a stroke. She put down her pen, frowned, and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
There was another person seeking respite from the heat outside the study. The general was a kind man and always worried that his subordinates would get too hot, so he liked to send people outside to cool off.
For some reason, Hongdou has been unhappy for several days. Whenever crabs or lamps are mentioned, her expression changes drastically, and she sullenly squats on the ground pulling weeds.
After clearing a patch of land bare, she cheered herself up and regained her usual cheerful demeanor.
Because the sect leader told her to prepare to return to Yongdu and not stay in Fuzhou any longer, she would have been happier if the sect leader had told her to return to Bingzhou instead of Yongdu.
It was said to be two days, and it was indeed two days. Two days later, Xi Congshuang packed her things and prepared to leave Fuzhou.
Before leaving, he had to give the supervising eunuch some instructions. He couldn't just go to the general's mansion, do nothing, and come out empty-handed.
So she wrote a letter, a thick one.
The letter was delivered to the prefectural government, and the military supervisor treasured it, never expecting such a thick letter to contain so much evidence of his crimes.
When the box was opened, several stacks of silver notes fell out, each worth tens of thousands of taels of silver.
Military supervisor: "..."
He stared at the banknotes for a long time, his eyes glazed over.
Suddenly remembering something, he pulled out a thin piece of paper from the envelope, which read: "I have failed to live up to your expectations, but the general was wary of me and I had no choice. Just then, Prince Xin sent a letter summoning me back. I am truly ashamed and can only offer this small gift as compensation."
A small gift, worth tens of thousands of taels.
Eunuchs work in the palace, so they are generally well-informed. Although he is not as capable or prominent as his godfather, he only got a few sips of soup.
If someone suddenly stuffs a fragrant braised pork knuckle into your mouth, you'll naturally feel dizzy.
"Godfather, are you inside?"
There was a knock at the door. The military supervisor quickly gathered the silver notes on the table, put them into his inner pocket, cleared his throat, and said, "Come in."
Xi Congshuang was so preoccupied with finding a cure for herself and wondering why Xun Chengzhi had ended up like that that she didn't even have the heart to give a perfunctory answer.
Tens of thousands of taels were nothing to her; she didn't care at all, and first she wanted to shut the eunuch up.
Going back like this is definitely not an option.
The summons from the King was just her way of deceiving both sides. Xi Congshuang decided to write a letter to Bingzhou at the next inn to make preparations in advance.
As she was deep in thought, she heard the sound of hooves coming from behind the carriage. She didn't pay much attention, assuming that they were also travelers.
A gust of wind blew into the carriage, and accompanied by Hongdou's shouts, Xun Suihuang's smiling face appeared behind the carriage window.
"Thankfully, I'm not late."
The mute coachman made incoherent noises, but when he saw a familiar person next to the carriage, he didn't know what to do, so he shut his mouth and sat back down.
Xi Congshuang, who was inside the carriage, did not expect her to arrive on horseback. She looked at her for a while and confirmed that this was indeed Xun Suihuang.
"Didn't you go outside the city? How come you..." Xi Congshuang couldn't wait for anyone. If she waited any longer, she would have to spend the night in the wilderness, so she had no choice but to set off.
Xun Suihuang said "Oh," and tossed the brocade pouch in: "I wanted to tell you that if word got out that I don't have to pay rent to stay at the General's Mansion, what would that make me look like?"
Xi Congshuang reached out and caught the brocade pouch that was tossed to her. Inside were only a few pieces of silver, not even enough to cover the rent: "I forgot to take it. Thank you for bringing it to me personally."
After observing the people inside the carriage for a while, Xun Suihuang suddenly said, "Don't go back to Yongdu. Go back to Bingzhou, or better yet, back to Medicine Valley. Your master raised you from childhood, so there must still be some affection between you. Go and kowtow to him, pour out your grievances, pinch your thigh and cry a few tears. Maybe your master will open the door for you."
These were all Xun Suihuang's words of experience, but the old Marquis of Pingding was stubborn and unmoved, believing that if he didn't discipline her for a day, she would climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles.
If it were someone like Xi Congshuang, she might actually soften her heart if she cried and said a few nice words to the old Marquis of Pingding, since she has a face that makes people easily soft-hearted.
Xi Congshuang's gaze was fixed on her face. She listened with a smile, then shook her head: "No, I have to go to Yongdu."
Xun Suihuang, unable to persuade him, was a little unhappy: "Then are you planning to find another prince to assist you?"
If one wants to rise to the highest position in the court and influence the succession to the throne, one must inevitably have to work on a few of the princes.
"You seem unconcerned?" Xi Congshuang had already noticed her indifference. "Aren't you loyal to the Zhong royal family and the emperor of the Dayong Dynasty?"
They were taking advantage of Hongdou's ignorance and the fact that the groom was an illiterate mute, yet Xi Congshuang dared to speak such rebellious words.
Xi Congshuang said, "You should kill me."
Xun Suihuang raised an eyebrow, her face clearly saying that if she wanted to kill him, she would have done so long ago, why use this charge? She replied, "It doesn't matter who is on the throne."
Unable to persuade him, she prepared to back away, but was pulled back.
The movement and force were so familiar that she was startled at first, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the white glove covering the back of her hand. Then something cold and soft was stuffed into her hand.
“It’s very windy and sandy outside. This hasn’t been used before and isn’t marked. Take it and use it.” After Xi Congshuang finished speaking, she returned to her seat and transformed back into the refined and gentle Sect Leader Xi.
The figure on the tall horse stopped in place, watching the carriage disappear into the distance until it was no longer visible before looking down at the thing in her hand.
"...a medicinal smell, the smell of Xi Congshuang."
After hesitating for a long time, she put on the veil and tied it behind her head. This was something she used to consider a burden, but it made her breathing much easier and blocked the fine sand that filled her mouth and nose.
He rode all the way back to the city, then took off the lantern, washed it clean, and put it over the eyes of the blue crab lantern. The dark eyes, separated by a veil, seemed to be watching her writing who knows how many memorials at the table, as if they wanted to say something but didn't.
At this point in the appointment, it's crucial to avoid making any mistakes.
Half a month later, an unremarkable gray cloth carriage appeared on the road near Yongdu.
This place is some distance from the main road. Recently, the main road was blocked by a flash flood, so many people had to find another way out. This little-known path has been turned into a wide road where two horse-drawn carriages can travel side by side. The people nearby seized the opportunity and opened teahouses here for people to rest and drink tea.
The dusty carriage, having traveled a long way, swayed and finally stopped at a nearby teahouse.
Beside the teahouse, three or five people were gathered together drinking tea, while the proprietress deftly brewed the tea in front of the stove.
Upon seeing the unremarkable carriage, everyone curled their lip and looked away.
He looks like a poor wretch; there's nothing to gain from him.
But the coachman was dressed quite well; his clothes were unpatched, and he wasn't wearing straw sandals, making him look like a groom from a wealthy family.
The group of suspicious individuals kept a watchful eye on the situation. They watched as the coachman jumped off the carriage, sullenly pulled a stool from the back of the carriage, and placed it under the rut. A little girl in a purple dress jumped out of the stool.
That young girl is quite young, with fair skin, beautiful features, and bright, charming eyes; she could fetch a good price.
Before the people in the teahouse could even signal by smashing their cups, they slammed their fists on the table and rose up, launching a silent kidnapping.
Then the girl in the purple dress raised her eyelids and suddenly smiled. She pulled something out of her sleeve and flicked it in front of everyone like a long, thin black snake.
The four people at the table collapsed to the ground, and even the proprietress, who was putting in the medicinal powder, shuddered, dropped her teacup, and stammered, "Heroine, spare my life..."
Hongdou stepped forward with a cold face, hooked the runaway proprietress back with a whip, and chopped her on the back of the neck with a hand chop. The proprietress rolled her eyes and fainted.
In no time, she had dealt with the group of people, who were all lying neatly on the ground. After inspecting the area to make sure everything was safe, Hongdou walked to the carriage and said, "The thieves have all fainted. Please get out of the carriage, Sect Master."
There was movement inside the quiet carriage. Xi Congshuang lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage. Hongdou said to her, "I really didn't expect to encounter something like this near Yongdu. What are the local soldiers doing?"
She then asked, "These thieves are all unconscious, and we don't know where their hideout is. What should we do?"
Xi Congshuang lowered her eyes slightly: "Tie them all up, drug them and lock them up. Send someone to remind Prince Xin. He's probably very happy to do something that everyone can know about now. He's willing to do anything as long as Cheng Zhi doesn't get too much attention."
"yes."
With Ye Man surrendering first and Prince Xin having rendered meritorious service in suppressing bandits, she was able to have someone manipulate things to make Emperor Jianxing believe that his cultivation was effective and his merits were manifest.
At this point, he certainly wouldn't be satisfied with a peaceful and prosperous society; he would go even further, for example—seeking immortality.
The mute man searched the teahouse and found some rope. He tied the people up tightly, and then poured the soft tendon powder he carried with him into the brewed tea. He stirred it and made the mute man give each of them a bowl.
The mute man fell asleep too quickly, choking some people awake. Before they could even see the face of the person who was giving him the medicine, the effects of the drug took hold and they fell asleep again.
Xi Congshuang looked up, and just as the black dot on the horizon drew closer, she raised her hand, and a carrier pigeon landed on her arm.
Pulling out the paper tube tied to the carrier pigeon's leg, Xi Congshuang looked down and saw a line of words the size of soybeans on it: "The old immortal enters the palace to present medicine, the emperor takes the grand show, and we are honored guests."
After reading it, Xi Congshuang burned the note with a tinderbox.
Xun Suihuang thought that after returning to the capital, she would find another prince who was easier to control, but little did she know that she had long been impatient and directly took action against Emperor Jianxing.
To catch the thief, first catch the king; it's better to directly target Emperor Jianxing.
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I've prepared the nest in advance, waiting for my wife to come home.
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