Chapter 17 Chapter 17 These are all strong drugs, what did the man drink...
The winter sun is shining, the weather is clear and bright, the glazed tiles are reflecting brilliant colors, and all things are flourishing with a sense of the interaction between the old and the new.
Since the carpenter's shop opened, it has been deserted. After sitting there for a long time, no customers came. Such a desolate scene made Lu Suizhu feel melancholy.
"Chen Guyan, if you ever find a girl you like, you must tell me and I will give you a betrothal gift."
Shen Guyan, who was wearing a coarse linen shirt and bending over to saw wood, let out a hearty laugh. Then he put down the work in his hands, went to the basin in the backyard to wash his hands, and made sure that his body was clean before coming in to talk.
"Don't worry, although my temple is small, it is still enough to support Fulin and me."
Fulin nodded his head like pounding garlic, and took over the remaining work of Shen Guyan very skillfully.
Facing the trusted Shen Guyan, Lu Suizhu revealed his plan.
She thought about it for a long time and decided that it would be safest and more likely to succeed if she acted on the old lady's birthday. When everyone was busy in the front yard and no one paid attention to her, she set fire to her own yard.
The backyard is far away from Huichun Hall. One needs to go around a pond and through a winding corridor. By the time the thick smoke outside the house is discovered by others, the people inside will be burned beyond recognition.
Shen Guyan's dark eyes turned slightly, his eyelashes fluttered, and he spoke slowly, half jokingly: "What a plan full of loopholes."
Lu Suizhu lost her strength, her shoulders slumped slightly, her posture no longer as dignified and composed as before. She half-lay on the clean wooden table and sighed deeply.
She knew very well that there were loopholes in this plan, but she had no choice. Xiao Mao gave her a month to kill Pei Zhiji, which was not short, but not long either.
But even if she had not been asked to poison Pei Zhiji, she would still want to leave.
Facing the door, scattered light streamed in from the window. Shen Guyan's eyes gleamed with a few golden glints. He raised his hand, picked up the cup, and blew on it at his lips, pretending to be mysterious: "But with me, a minor official who has reported to the Ministry of Justice, helping you, even the most sloppy plans can be completed."
The hazy eyes regained their color with these words. Lu Suizhu waited for Shen Guyan to finish drinking the glass of water before continuing to tell the story.
"First and foremost, we need to bribe the servants of the Pei Mansion. We must not let anyone discover the fire before it starts. Secondly, we need to arrange for a carriage to meet us at the side gate of the Pei Mansion. It's best to have a trusted person guarding there to prevent any accidents. I've briefly studied the defense map of Shangjing. There's a dense forest to the west of the city with a small path leading out. If we do this, we won't need to leave through the city gate. Even if someone becomes suspicious and comes to investigate, no trace will be left."
Outside the house, there was a faint sound of Fulin sawing wood, a creaking sound - and his hoarse voice, which he was holding back with all his strength.
Ignoring the tiring voice, Lu Suizhu nodded and said, "I'll send my servants to the front yard to help in advance. I have a maid named Fang Dian, who grew up with me and is trustworthy. She will be waiting at the door of the Pei Mansion to meet us."
"That's good. After you escape, remember to head straight to the dense forest west of the city. I'll take you out of the city from here."
The map was densely marked with routes. Coincidentally, this dense forest was where Pei Zhiji took her to claim the body of Master Li. Lu Suizhu had already memorized it after just a quick glance.
Putting the map into the drawer, Shen Guyan looked at the passers-by walking outside and deliberately lowered his voice.
"As for the charred corpse, I'll find a former colleague and steal the body of a death row prisoner. As long as you're willing to spend some money to bribe the jailer, it won't be difficult."
After all, as a former prison officer, Shen Guyan had taken all these details into consideration. The process gradually became clear, and Lu Suizhu's anxious heart finally felt at ease.
"Are you still unwilling to tell me why you did this? I always thought you entered the Pei Mansion voluntarily."
Shen Guyan had always been suspicious about this matter, but he had been holding it in until today to ask about it.
The hand holding the teacup slowly tightened, and the light rouge-colored nails scratched on it, leaving some white and fine lines: "Chen Guyan, if I have the chance in the future, I will tell you everything."
This matter involved the Crown Prince and the Pei Mansion, and she knew so many secrets of Xiao Mao. The accidents that followed one after another put her in such a desperate situation today. The more people who knew, the more danger there was.
"Okay, I'm always willing to listen whenever you want to talk."
The snow was falling less and less, and the thin layer became clear and loose under the sun. The backyard was filled with the sound of Fulin chopping wood, his hoarse and mocking voice like that of a beginner in orchestral music, which was really unpleasant to listen to.
Chen Guyan couldn't stand it any longer and called Fulin to stop, teaching him step by step how to control the strength. Lu Suizhu leaned against the door frame and laughed secretly, feeling a rare sense of ease and joy.
She whispered to Chen Guyan, "In a few days there will be a fireworks temple fair. It happens once a year. There will be silk and satin all over the ground and there will be performances of gods. It will be very lively. Do you want to go out and play?"
"Okay, I've only been in Beijing for a short time and haven't had a good time yet!" Shen Guyan agreed without much thought.
After the matter was said and done, Lu Suizhu was about to leave. Shen Guyan dusted off the dust on his body and sent her out the door.
"Let me walk you off. This alley is not far from Louyue Pavilion and is often haunted by drunkards."
"No, I have other things to do."
Lu Suizhu insisted on not using it, so Shen Guyan didn't force her. He watched her walk out of the alley before going back.
Unexpectedly, after leaving the alley, Lu Suizhu did not go back to Pei Mansion, but instead went into a medical clinic. As she walked, the fragrance of the wind and drizzle raised a gentle breeze. She had already put on a veil on her head, covering her entire delicate face.
To outsiders, her behavior seemed a bit sneaky and suspicious. When she entered the clinic, she called the waiter over first.
She asked the waiter in a low voice for the medicine, and her words were shy when she lowered her head. The waiter was used to this kind of thing.
This woman must be the mistress of some wealthy family. Because her husband is shy, she can only hide her illness and seek a cure.
"Just boil these herbs. They're all powerful. I guarantee any man's illness will be cured after drinking them. You don't have to be so cautious about a man's expression anymore. It's not easy being a woman these days."
When the waiter handed the medicine to Lu Suizhu, he smiled mysteriously, but then he sighed.
The medicine was still a little hot when she held it in her hand. After Lu Suizhu thanked him, she could only smile stiffly. If it weren't for the white gauze covering her face, her blushing face would have been extremely scary.
When she came out yesterday, she asked the doctor, "What will happen if a man drinks the same sterilization medicine that women drink?"
The old doctor sighed, stroked his beard with his calloused hands, and chattered to her incessantly.
"Well, it depends on the properties of the medicine. Most sterilization drugs contain Tripterygium wilfordii. If a woman doesn't take too much, it can have a contraceptive effect, but taking too much can cause menstrual irregularities, and in severe cases, lifelong infertility."
"As for men."
Lu Suizhu raised it in one breath.
"How could a man drink a sterilizing drug?"
Seeing the doctor leisurely stroking his beard, Lu Suizhu felt a surge of anger. She forced herself to smile and pretend she was just curious, saying word by word, "I mean, if a man accidentally drinks it, what should we do?"
"Is that so? That depends on the man's physical condition. If a young and strong man only takes a small amount, he should be fine. But if he is in poor health, it may lead to kidney yin deficiency, which will hinder his ability to control the clouds and bring rain. In severe cases, it may affect his reproduction."
Seeing that it was a young girl who asked the question, the doctor also spoke vaguely. Before leaving, Lu Suizhu asked him for a prescription.
She felt a little uneasy when she saw those medicinal herbs. They were really good tonics for men. She had been hesitating whether to tell Pei Zhiji about this matter, but she was afraid that it would hurt his reputation and he would not be able to accept it.
Faced with many difficulties, Lu Suizhu decided to risk her reputation to get medicine. After all, Pei Zhiji's misfortune was caused by her.
His health was already poor, and now it was even worse. Lu Suizhu felt full of guilt whenever he thought about it.
Medicine was often simmered in the kitchen for Pei Zhiji. Qiu Zhu said that the eldest son had always been taking medicine with him since he was a child. No wonder he swallowed the pungent sterilizing medicine without blinking that day. He must have been used to the bitter taste of the medicine.
Lu Suizhu was usually kind to others, and the maid in charge of making medicine had no guard against her at all. She found an excuse and sent the maid away.
While no one was around, she quickly poured the medicine that she had not yet taken away into a flowerpot on the side and replaced it with the herbs she had just picked up from the pharmacy.
He thought he was acting cautiously, but he didn't know that everything was seen by everyone.
"Sir, I've told you before that Miss Lu looks like a spy. She usually looks gentle and quiet, and I thought she had changed. But the people we were watching just now said that she secretly replaced your medicine."
"Just wait, she will come to poison you soon." Xiao Feng sighed repeatedly and couldn't help feeling regretful.
As expected, Lu Suizhu came over with a medicine bowl. She was wearing a goose yellow dress. Her frosty and snowy wrists gently lifted the curtain and naturally put down the medicine in her hand. Her voice was a little sweeter than usual, like the juice of a full and ripe pear in spring that would splash out with a bite, full of sweetness.
"Master Pei, Chunmei was temporarily assigned to do other work. I happened to see her and brought it here for her."
The east wind shakes and the pearl curtain sways gently.
Lu Suizhu was still standing there.
"Anything else?"
"Lord Pei must drink this medicine, and it's best to drink it while it's hot." After giving some instructions, he saw Pei Xingji nod, then he left with peace of mind.
As the saying goes, long illness cures itself. Pei Zhiji focused his eyes and sniffed the wine. The taste was different from what he usually drank. The color was strong but it didn't seem to be poisonous.
Thinking carefully about the bowl of medicine, what exactly does Lu Suizhu want to do?
Xiao Feng had already rushed over with Sun Liangxu. He had just returned from collecting herbs in the mountains when he was pulled over. He reached out to pick up the residue at the bottom of the bowl and put it in his mouth to taste it.
"Bullwhip, deer antler, Cistanche deserticola, Cynomorium songaricum, and Rejuvenating Herb..."
With every word he spoke, Pei Zhiji's face darkened, and the veins on his jaw bulged slightly.
"These are all things that nourish the kidneys and strengthen the body. When did you start taking this medicine, Lord Pei?" Sun Liangxu has been taking care of Pei Zhiji's body for many years. He didn't even know where this weird doctor came from and replaced him, and all of them are these... weird nourishing things.
After a long silence, Pei Zhiji raised his hand to signal them to leave. He looked at the bowl of medicine that could be called a tonic, with an extremely helpless expression. His thin lips quirked slightly, and he couldn't help laughing.
I helped her with good intentions, but I was misunderstood like this?
Xiao Feng and Sun Liangxu outside the door looked at each other, looking as if they had seen a ghost. Xiao Feng's Adam's apple rolled as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and the words were on the tip of his lips, but he couldn't utter them, and it was obvious that they were a little difficult.
"Is your Excellency mad?"
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