mural
Jiang Nianzheng stopped holding the snack paper.
She shifted her gaze slightly.
Xiao Yingzhu also didn't know why Qin Lan wanted to go to Qixia Mountain at this time?
Only the residue of the pine nut and lily pastry was left on the plate. The servant outside seemed to have calculated the time. Without the host's signal, he gently pushed the door open, silently took away the plate on the table, and replaced it with a new teacup.
Birds chirped outside the house, and the mahogany door on one side opened to let in the faint sunlight as thin as a cicada's wing. Fine dust fluttered in the gap, and the sweet scent of lily pastry was dispersed by the warm light, and the scent of water agarwood began to spread again.
After the servants finished packing, they quietly retreated, and the soft and bright light was turned off again.
Xiao Yingzhu took the scroll on the desk to the long table, and the plant that Ai Ge had left there showed its corner from the scroll.
The lavender flower spikes were dazzling on the dark table, and the picture on the bamboo slip appeared in Jiang Nian's mind again.
Qin Lan's expression was not as nonchalant as before, and he looked a little more serious.
He told her about his meeting with Tao Yu when he went to the capital.
"...She came down the mountain specifically for this matter, which shows how seriously she takes it. The divination that Master gave earlier was also correct."
"Of course, this is not evidence, but these two are the evidence that caught my attention."
Another specimen was placed on the table, but this plant had not been preserved as a specimen and looked like it had been picked recently.
"According to Tao Yu's description, I sent people to search all the places in Huandu that matched the terrain. In the end, except for Qixia Mountain, there was no trace of any other places."
"This plant only grows in Qixia Mountain."
His words were pointed.
When I think about the things we have talked about recently, it seems that many things point to Qixia Mountain.
First, the scarcity of minerals in Huandu reminded everyone of the forgotten mines of Qixia Mountain. That mine had recently attracted the attention of Emperor Changde, and some soldiers sent there, like those who had previously explored it, had failed to emerge.
Therefore, the strange stories in the mine became more and more popular among the people. No one knew who was responsible, but everyone focused their attention on whether the strange stories were true or not, and wanted to use them as a breakthrough point to find out the truth about why these people could not get out.
This is the commission brought by Tao Yu.
When preparing a prescription that the master had predicted would be needed in the future, he found that he was missing this unknown plant. Coincidentally, this plant was only found in Qixia Mountain. It seemed to be unable to survive in other places and had died out.
The bamboo slips brought by Tao Yu were temporarily kept by Qin Lan and were now placed in front of Xiao Yingzhu.
Jiang Nian turned his head slightly, glanced at the open book on the table next to him for a moment, and fell into deep thought.
Everyone in the group had looked at the lifelike painting. Xiao Yingzhu paused on the wax leaf specimen for a moment, then looked away, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
"The specimen Ai just brought was found in a thatched cottage at the foot of Qixia Mountain. Where did you find the one you got first?"
"This one?"
Qin Lan lowered his eyes.
"It was found in the grass and bushes outside the mine."
Seeing that everyone's eyes were fixed on this fresh plant, Qin Lan spoke again, but there was a hint of confusion in his tone.
"This plant must be quite old. The report that the person who found it told me said that it was originally near the Ru statue."
"They took the plant down the mountain and asked some farmers, who said it was used to ward off evil spirits and ghosts."
"Then, if farmers down the mountain have this plant, they will store it with the statue to prevent the evil spirit from reviving and seeking revenge, thus avoiding disaster for the village."
"Yet somehow, this plant, which was supposed to be placed next to the statue, is now found outside the mine."
Lu was indeed called a god by the local villagers before, but why did this unknown grass become a local plant that can ward off evil spirits and drive away ghosts?
Shouldn't it be mugwort, willow, or peach wood?
Jiang Nian was a little confused. During the Ghost Festival, the Jiang family used mugwort to ward off evil spirits.
The customs of the Huan Dynasty should be the same as those of other dynasties.
"Your troops didn't tell me why this plant is used to ward off evil spirits?"
Xiao Yingzhu also had the same question.
He landed casually on the plants, which seemed unable to feel the flow of time in the air and were still blooming beautifully, like an everlasting flower.
"I asked, but the farmers were afraid to mention it, so they all ran away."
Qin Lan leaned back in his chair and spread his hands.
"How about it? Do you want to go?"
He paused for a moment, and without waiting for Xiao Yingzhu to answer, he seemed to skip over the question he had asked and brought up the original topic.
"I think something's going to happen in Cang County. Yan, who I've been in frequent contact with, hasn't replied to my messages for a while. Has your secret guard sent back any news?"
Jiang Nian responded to Qin Lan's question and turned to look at Xiao Yingzhu beside him.
Xiao Yingzhu lowered his eyes and replied lightly after a moment.
“No.”
The room fell silent again, and Jiang Nian suddenly thought of Zhou Jinyu who had come to ask her for the prescription.
They are still in Liangdu City. If Xiao Yingzhu and Qin Lan leave together now, what should they do with the spies hiding and stationed here?
Xiao Yingzhu seemed to sense the doubt in her eyes, and tilted his head slightly, his eyes darkening.
"Are you worried about the enemy's scouts?"
He pointed out what was in her mind sharply. There was a hint of surprise between Jiang Nianqing's brows, and then he nodded slightly.
"...Have you sent anyone to look for those people?"
When he opened his mouth, he wanted to say "Your Excellency", but the address changed direction when it reached his lips and finally turned back to "you".
Xiao Yingzhu listened to the subtle changes in Jiang Nian's pronunciation without changing his expression. The rolled bamboo scroll in his hand was lifted up at its corner by the wind blowing through the hall.
"Yunxiu has already sent people to secretly investigate the enemy's movements. They are temporarily waiting for the Wumi people to make a move and will remain inactive for the short term."
The spies wanted to take advantage of the chaos caused by the Wu Mi people to steal.
Jiang Nian turned his eyes away slightly, still feeling a little confused.
Now she only knew that in addition to Dong Lan, there was a group of people who seemed to be related to the Huan Dynasty and stood against Xiao Yingzhu and Emperor Changde.
But she still hasn't seen any trace of the people on this side.
The spies from Yuejiang Pavilion are easy to deal with.
But what about Zhou Jinyu? Will he sit still?
Even when he suspected that she was cooperating with Xiao Yingzhu, he would still go to her pharmacy in person to ask her for advice on the prescription.
No matter how you look at it, he seems to be an important subordinate who can be directly involved in the enemy's mastermind.
Although he knew that Xiao Yingzhu had sent Yunxiu to handle these matters, Jiang Nian still felt a little worried.
Allowing such a treacherous and strange person to move freely in the capital of Liang would be like letting a fuse ignite in the dark at any time, which would set the whole city ablaze and make the people suffer.
The most unpredictable thing is the human heart. She couldn't figure out what Zhou Jinyu's purpose was.
Qin Lan browsed through the scrolls on the table and clicked on one of them that Mo Qing had ordered Crow to send.
"The Wu Mi people have entered the capital now? Is this after you sent people to block the important passages last time?"
The inscription on the scroll was very light, recording several names, all of whom were people who had suddenly become officials recently.
The previous emperor of the Huan Dynasty had the bad habit of buying and selling official positions. Although this law was expressly prohibited after Emperor Changde ascended the throne, there were still many people who, in pursuit of money, defied the law and conducted transactions secretly under the nose of the capital.
The names on the scroll are all middle-aged men in their thirties or forties. There is no obvious connection between them in terms of their positions, but they are all closely connected by the same axis.
That is relief.
"Hmm." Xiao Yingzhu's gaze fell on the unfolded scroll. After a brief pause, his tone revealed a hint of deep meaning. "I previously asked Song Chui and him to follow the whereabouts of the group of people who entered the capital from Tongdao. After investigation, the people mentioned above are the ones."
"That's all?"
Qin Lan frowned slightly, his fingertips skimmed over each name for a moment, then asked, "Have you checked the family backgrounds of these people?"
A casual chuckle came from the other side.
Xiao Yingzhu's lips curled casually, and she was about to answer Qin Lan's question. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jiang Nian lowering her head in thought, her fingertips lightly clenched on the table, turning white. He then raised his hand and placed one of the scrolls in front of her, temporarily ignoring Qin Lan's question.
"Jiang Nian, don't think too much, just take a look at this first."
The bamboo scroll made a crisp sound when it was lifted, and a record of the Second Prince's whereabouts suddenly appeared before his eyes.
His thoughts were interrupted. He looked up and met Xiao Yingzhu's eyes by chance. His heart suddenly started to beat faster. His fingertips touched the cold wooden slips, and Jiang Nian looked away slightly.
Qin Lan looked back and forth at the interaction between the two people opposite him with great interest, then withdrew his gaze meaningfully, his eyes lingering on the scroll in front of him for a few seconds, pondering it intentionally or unintentionally.
"Let me guess. Did the ancestors of these Huandu people worship the bishop? Or were they members of the bishop's clan? Did they move to the capital later?"
“…”
The dark and cold gaze from the opposite side immediately passed through his face.
As if seeing a dormant poisonous scorpion in his eyes, Qin Lan stroked the bamboo slips in his hand and put on a smile as indifferent as his own. His eyes were as deep as a lamp in the darkness, reflecting a coldness as sharp as a knife.
"Because the ancestral wealth was squandered, and the late emperor wiped out all those sects, there was absolutely no profit left from the remaining legitimate sects. So, he established a connection with the Wu Mi people in Donglan?"
As soon as the words fell, the surroundings suddenly became silent.
Jiang Nian's eyes moved slightly as he read the bamboo slips, and he raised his eyes gently.
Beside him, Xiao Yingzhu's smile faded, and no emotion could be seen between her brows.
In the silence, Qin Lan did not notice the subtle change in the atmosphere. He lowered his head, gently closed the bamboo slips in his hand, and laughed.
"What a coincidence! I asked my subordinates to check it out as well."
"You said that the plant Tao Yu asked us to find is related to a medicinal prescription, and the Wu Mi people found in the capital are related to relief..."
"What her master said about Donglan, could it be related to the Wu Mi people?"
—
Yan led the way through the underground passage under Cangjun City, walking with a torch in hand. The fire rack on the stone wall next to him, which originally stored the fire, had aged and the patterns painted on it were blurred.
Xuan Gui glanced at the mural and then continued to ask, "So the news from Cang County can't be sent out?"
"Yes, it was secretly sealed by His Majesty."
Yan pursed his lips, his gaze calmly fixed on the fork in the road before him, and he chose one direction to go.
"It's easy to enter Cang County, but difficult to leave." His voice was low and shallow. After a moment's silence, he continued, "It's like a hunting cage."
Xizhen narrowed his eyes slightly and gently stroked the cold and strange curved blade in his hand, as if looking at a child, with a faint and strange color flashing in his eyes.
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