Chapter 122 (6,000 words) If you lie...
As the Lantern Festival approaches, the snow melts and the chill in the wind is no longer as sharp as in winter. It is more like dense, fine needles that silently penetrate the lungs, making people subconsciously hold their breath.
The sky was gray and the noodle stall in the alley was a little deserted. There were two people sitting at a table, but there was only one bowl of noodles.
Shangguan Sheng looked at Jiang Yun pouring chili oil into his bowl of noodles and said, "I was attacked in the red-light district. I'm not doing well. How are you?"
Jiang Yun slurred his noodles and mumbled, "I really envy you. I've been listening to people chanting in the dojo for so long that my ears are almost callused."
"Is there really no unusual movement?"
"I'm not sure, but I saw people from the Gongyang family present, along with quite a few powerful people. It seems like they have some kind of cooperative relationship."
Hearing this, Shangguan Sheng pondered, "The old patriarch of the Gongyang family is already old, and is rumored to be selecting a successor. This is probably a collaboration to spread his reputation."
The Gongyang family was famous for their writings, but today there are not many outstanding successors.
Jiang Yun had heard of this and said, "It's said that Gong Yangluo is a very talented young man. Unfortunately, his status and position are not high enough. He was suppressed by his own people when he entered the palace. We need to find another way."
The decline of descendants of aristocratic families is nothing new. After all, even the royal family can produce many fools, and the elites are just bragging to fool ordinary people.
"So that dojo is just for teaching Taoism and expanding its reputation."
"I've noticed that the gym is distributing elixirs to powerful followers. Let's wait until Liu Ci has researched the specific results before we discuss this."
Shangguan Sheng felt that Taoist alchemy was nothing strange. After all, many alchemy techniques throughout history had been used by powerful emperors.
If the powerful and influential people gathered together just to believe in Taoism and make elixirs, there would not be any cause for concern.
But if the powerful have other intentions through the faith, then we must prepare early.
The four great families each have their own ambitions. The war between the emperor and the Xiahou family was, to some extent, a test to suppress the families' control over the imperial power.
Jiang Yun finished his last mouthful of hot soup, exhaled a long breath, and said, "You were attacked in Hualiu Lane. Did you find out something?"
"That prostitute is dead, and the madam committed suicide out of fear of punishment. I ordered people to seal off the house, and found hundreds of corpses buried in the backyard. After investigation, it was confirmed that they were all women who used to receive customers in the building and were eventually abused to death." Shangguan Sheng had a serious expression, and he felt that the brothel was like the underworld.
Jiang Yun didn't look joking and sighed softly, "It seems the mastermind behind this carefully selected this place."
Most of the people who went to brothels came from poor families. Because most of them were sold into prostitution and had their freedom controlled, they had no relatives or other interpersonal relationships, and their life and death often depended on the will of others.
"Yes, I feel the same way, and I suspect that Xiao chose that place for other reasons."
"Why do you say that?"
Shangguan Sheng said frankly, "There's more than one brothel, and it's not the most famous one. The most important thing is that Xiao only orders prostitutes. Unless he's a lovelorn playboy, he must have other motives."
Jiang Yun was somewhat impressed by Shangguan Sheng's seriousness and jokingly said, "It seems you are very familiar with the fickleness and promiscuity of noble young men. Have you ever been hurt by love?"
"I don't have such boring hobbies." Shangguan Sheng saw that Jiang Yun was not serious and directly rejected his guess.
"Okay, then we'll continue to investigate separately. We'll talk about it later if there's anything. I'll pay for it myself today, so you're welcome." Jiang Yun took out a copper coin with a smile.
Shangguan Sheng felt that Jiang Yun was too shameless and said, "Then let's meet the day after tomorrow?"
Jiang Yun shook his head and replied: "We'll take a holiday for the Lantern Festival, the day after tomorrow."
After he finished speaking, Shangguan Sheng fell silent and didn't want to say a word to Jiang Yun. He was not worried at all about delaying his work.
The noodle stall was in trouble, and the long street was full of cars and horses. The ground was muddy and snowy, splashing with water, bringing a chill.
Most of the snow in the palace had been cleared away, with only the glazed roof tiles still showing some traces of winter snow.
The female official Chun Li was standing guard outside the imperial kitchen, on high alert, and even ordered the palace maids to prepare water early.
However, at this moment Yin Xing was still in the initial stage of making glutinous rice balls, adding water and glutinous rice flour.
Add more glutinous rice flour to water, and add more water to glutinous rice flour, and repeat this process over and over again until you get a very sticky mud.
After all this commotion, the sky gradually turned gray and black. Inside the magnificent palace, the glass lamps burned quietly, and the light flickered. Xuan Yizheng looked around in confusion, as he hadn't seen the familiar figure for a long time.
Finally, footsteps approached. Yin Xing stepped into the hall, smelling the aroma of food and looking at Xuan Yizheng who was sitting and waiting, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Let's eat first." Xuan Yizheng's gaze fell on Yin Xing's gray cheeks. Her beautiful eyes blinked slightly, reflecting a faint smile. She raised her hand and wiped her face with an embroidered handkerchief.
"Yeah." Yin Xing was quiet and didn't say a word, without any trace of that confident look on his face.
In the quiet place, the candlelight flickered, and Xuan Yizhen asked slowly, "Where are the glutinous rice balls you made today?"
Yin Xing bit into the juicy tofu, looked up at the gentle and beautiful Xuan Yizhen, and said hesitantly: "It's not the Lantern Festival yet, there shouldn't be any rush."
"That's true. I'm just concerned about your progress. Are you sure everything is okay?"
"No problem, overall progress is good."
Xuan Yizhen looked at Yin Xing's bright eyes and finally stopped teasing her about her efforts being in vain. He held the jade chopsticks and served her food, saying calmly, "Actually, I want to take you out of the palace to see the lanterns and visit the night market during the Lantern Festival."
Yin Xing paused, almost thinking he had misheard. Xuan Yizhen actually wanted to take him out to play. He inquired, "Really?"
"Why would I lie to you? It's just that you're obsessed with making glutinous rice balls all day long. It seems I have to give up my plan."
"No, I want to go out and play with Yizhen!"
Xuan Yizhen chuckled and looked into Yin Xingsheng's expectant eyes. He stopped teasing her and said softly, "Okay."
No matter what, as long as Yin Xing's attention can be diverted, it will always be a good thing.
Outside the window, the night was pitch black and the palace was plunged into silence. In the medicine room, Liu Ci ground the elixir into fine sand, lightly touched it with his fingertips, and tasted it.
Jiang Yun was completely unprepared and had no time to stop him. He was shocked and said, "This thing has unknown origins. How could you eat it?"
"It's okay. Even poison has to be measured in dosage. It's just a little bit." Liu Ci looked at Jiang Yun's concerned and frantic expression and comforted him with a faint smile.
"Then what exactly is this medicine?" Jiang Yun was relieved when he saw that Liu Ci was fine, and poured her some water.
Liu Ci rinsed his mouth with tea, then slowly wiped it with a handkerchief. He spoke slowly, "It's probably minerals like cinnabar and realgar. Consuming them can cause fever. Taoist elixirs often contain these substances. Long-term use is harmful rather than beneficial."
Jiang Yun looked at the small pill and said jokingly, "This Taoist nun Yiqing is quite conscientious. She specializes in killing the powerful and wealthy."
"You were investigating Xiao's illness, how did you find this Taoist nun?"
"I'm just checking in for Shangguan Sheng, but now it's confirmed that there's something behind Xiao's illness, which is quite troublesome."
Liu Ci tilted his head to look at Jiang Yun and said, "Ayun suspects someone is using the Xiao family to murder the empress?"
Jiang Yun leaned forward, hugged Liu Ci, kissed her lips and replied, "Well, the other party's layout is very hidden, and we haven't found any flaws yet. It's difficult to deal with."
"In that case, we must be more careful. If we really can't help it, we should not get involved in it." Liu Ci put his arms around Jiang Yun, feeling worried.
"Don't worry, I won't take any risks." Jiang Yun looked at Liu Ci seriously.
Now that there are no clues, Jiang Yun has no other choice.
As for the relationship between Taoist Nun Yiqing and Wuxianghua, Jiang Yun has not discovered anything yet.
Liu Ci touched Jiang Yun's cheek with his palm, his heart softened, and it was rare for him to take the initiative to kiss her.
Jiang Yun was stunned for a moment, then he looked at Liu Ci with a look of eagerness in his eyes and said, "Kiss me again."
After finishing her words, Liu Ci pinched Jiang Yun's cheek, and with a hot face, she left his arms and said angrily, "Stop it."
After saying that, Liu Ci went to the inner room to get clothes to take a bath. Jiang Yun didn't care about anything else at all. He immediately got up and went inside.
The candlelight flickered, the water gurgled in the bathroom, and some ambiguous sounds were heard faintly.
The night was long and dark, with the cold wind howling, and the Lantern Festival was approaching.
In the night, with lights dimming and drums and music playing, the crowds are bustling about, and wherever the lion dance and dragon dance go, it is extremely lively.
Many shops hang exquisite lanterns, attracting many people to stop and watch.
"Yizhen, this one is more beautiful than that one!" Yin Xing took Xuan Yizhen's hand and walked and stopped to look. His eyes fell on the kaleidoscope of changing phantoms, in which a tabby cat was painted, changing its movements vividly.
"Such a big lamp, are you sure you want to buy it?" Xuan Yizheng looked at the light reflected in Yin Xing's eyes, which looked like flowing sparks.
Yin Xing shook his head, raised his hand and held up the lantern in his hand and replied: "No, I have the peony lantern that Yizhen bought, the others are just for viewing."
The dim light of the lanterns cast a shadow on Xuan Yizheng's cold jade-like face, and his quiet, dark eyes were stained with ripples, which was strangely beautiful.
"That's good. I thought you would get bored with the old and love the new so quickly." Xuan Yizheng raised his hand and pinched Yin Xing's soft hand to play with it, joking casually.
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen's beautiful face with a crazy look. She was like a night lily in the dark night, quiet and beautiful. She smiled innocently and said, "Hehe, I like Yizhen so much that I won't get tired of the old and love the new."
Seeing this, Xuan Yizhen slowly turned his gaze away, his thin lips slightly raised, and he said softly with a reserved look: "Then let's go look somewhere else."
Maybe Yin Xing didn't know, but Xuan Yizheng found that he couldn't allow her to look at anything else.
It was for this reason that Xuan Yizheng was always reluctant to take Yin Xing out of the palace, as she was too easily distracted by the colorful world outside.
There was a lot of noise around, and Yin Xing's eyes fell on Xuan Yizheng's profile, but he found a faint red, which made him feel confused.
It’s still quite cold during the Lantern Festival.
So Yin Xing took Xuan Yizheng to avoid the wind. At this time, a clear sound came from not far away. It was not like the lively festival music, but a little ethereal and vague.
As the talisman papers flew everywhere, Yin Xing raised his hand and picked up one, but he couldn't understand it at all.
"Go and pay your respects!" Many people around did the same, as if they had really seen a god.
The crowd was so crowded that Yin Xing quickly hugged Xuan Yizheng, not wanting her to be taken away from his side.
Xuan Yizheng leaned against the wall, looking at Yin Xing in front of him. Although she didn't look much more mature than when they first met, he understood that she was sometimes calmer and composed than himself.
Xuan Yizheng had experienced the effects of the magic poison before, and most of the palace maids, female officials, and even the disciplinary officials were horrified and avoided it.
No one is not afraid and disgusted by a madman who can lose control at any time, so Xuan Yizheng tried his best to prevent the timid Yin Xing from knowing.
But even when Yin Xing was almost killed by her, she still did not show any alienation.
"Yizhen, are you okay?" Yin Xing remembered that Xuan Yizhen didn't like noise, and he remembered even more how terrifying Xuan Yizhen's illness was.
"It's okay." Xuan Yizheng raised his hand and touched the scar on Yin Xing's hairline.
Seeing Xuan Yizhen's clear eyes and gentle expression, Yin Xing breathed a sigh of relief. He then turned to look at the lotus chariot and muttered, "This Taoist nun is making such a big fuss."
Why does it feel like the Lantern Festival has become her personal show?
Xuan Yizhen's gaze fell on Yin Xing's lips. Due to the public presence, he had to look away and look at the lotus chariot with red lights hanging on it, like a red lotus in the dark night. He said, "It is said that tonight is the auspicious night for the Taoist nun Yiqing to open the way, so many believers will gather to worship."
"Then let's go eat dumplings?" Yin Xing didn't want to delay too long. It was very cold outside and Xuan Yizheng might catch a cold.
"Okay." Xuan Yizheng withdrew his gaze, followed Yin Xing's lead, and moved away from the crowd step by step.
After a while, Yin Xing finally took Xuan Yizheng away from the crowd and into a private room in a teahouse.
Tonight's itinerary was arranged by Xuan Yizheng, so Yin Xing just needed to play along.
The private room was much warmer, and was fully stocked with fruits and snacks. Yin Xing almost suspected that he was in the palace, thinking to himself that the female official was so thoughtful!
"The temperature is just right, not hot." Xuan Yizheng held the spoon and fed Yin Xing the glutinous rice balls.
"Hmm, delicious!" Yin Xing responded with puffy cheeks.
Xuan Yizheng watched Yin Xing eat with a smile in his eyes and fed her patiently.
Yin Xing ate most of the glutinous rice balls before realizing Xuan Yizhen hadn't eaten anything. He hurriedly said, "I'm full, Yizhen, go ahead and eat."
"Okay." Xuan Yizheng tasted the glutinous rice balls at the bottom of the bowl, still not used to the sweetness.
Or in other words, it was far less sweet and delicious than the glutinous rice balls that Yin Xing ate.
In a quiet place, Yin Xing watched Xuan Yizheng eating the glutinous rice balls that he had not finished as usual. His throat felt dry and he quickly drank tea to relieve the heat on his face.
There was a lot of noise outside the window. Yin Xing turned his head away and looked down at the night view.
I didn't expect that I could overlook the Taoist nun's temple from this window. It was really a coincidence.
At this moment, among the believers and people surrounding the temple, Jiang Yun, Liu Ci and the little girl were pushed into the temple by the crowd.
The bonfire flickered, the Taoist bells rang, and the sound of recitations was heard, surrounded by thick fog, adding a touch of mystery.
Jiang Yun was wondering what kind of ghost trick it was, but he didn't expect to see many ghost lights dancing in front of everyone, causing the crowd to shout in horror!
In the private room of the teahouse, Yin Xing was so shocked that his mouth opened wide, but before he could sigh, Xuan Yizheng fed him glutinous rice balls.
"Yizhen, aren't you shocked?" Although Yin Xing knew that there were no ghosts in the world, the visual impact was too strong.
"A little bit." Xuan Yizheng responded calmly.
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizhen's calm reaction and thought, is this considered a shock?!
But speaking of it, Xuan Yizheng had the same expression when he witnessed the cruise ship explosion, which seemed quite normal.
In this moment of distraction, the ghost fire outside the building was suppressed by the Taoist nun's talisman right under everyone's eyes, and then turned into a ball of ash and disappeared from their sight.
A huge crowd of people came to worship like a tide, and only Jiang Yun and Liu Ci stood among them with the little girl, looking particularly awkward.
"How did that ghost fire appear just now?" Jiang Yun muttered.
"I don't know, but I think we should be careful of this Taoist nun." Liu Ci took Jiang Yun away and didn't want to stay. This situation was too unconventional and was not a good thing.
Upstairs, Yin Xing was chewing glutinous rice balls, and was also puzzled as to how the Taoist nun did it.
Will-o'-the-wisp burns because of the spontaneous combustion of phosphorus, but how can the Taoist nun control it remotely?
Xuan Yizhen's eyes fell on Yin Xing's distracted face. He raised his hand and wiped her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief. He pinched her jaw with his fingertips to force her to look away. He asked casually, "Does it look good?"
Yin Xing responded: "Well, now I understand why that Taoist nun has so many followers."
"Silly, this is just a trick." Xuan Yizheng raised his hand and pinched Yin Xing's cheek.
"Could it be that Yizhen knows the reason?" Yin Xing asked curiously without avoiding Xuan Yizhen's hand.
Xuan Yizhen glanced lightly at the dojo, where a figure in Taoist robes stood quietly on the high platform. He said softly, "Don't worry. The fog will eventually clear."
Yin Xing was confused and didn't quite understand what Xuan Yizheng said.
However, with the opening of this strange Taoist meeting, the festive atmosphere of the Lantern Festival had obviously dissipated to a large extent.
These are all rumors about exterminating ghosts during the Lantern Festival.
The rain was falling heavily, and the weather was particularly cold and wet. Shangguan Sheng was passing by a tea stall with an umbrella when he heard some discussions.
"The capital has suffered a lot of killings in recent years, and ghosts are rampant. If it weren't for the Taoist nun, I'm afraid I don't know what kind of disaster would have happened."
"You may not know this, but Taoist nun Yiqing predicted that there will be great disasters and ghosts this year. Be careful when you go out."
When Shangguan Sheng entered the bun shop from the alley, he almost didn't see Jiang Yun because he first saw two stacks of steamed buns like a wall.
Then a little girl poked her head out, her bright round eyes were very cute, and she called out in a childish voice: "Sister Jiang, someone is coming."
Jiang Yun then waved to Shangguan Sheng, holding the note between his fingers, and said eagerly: "Come here quickly, I have good news."
"What news?" Shangguan Sheng sat down and asked.
"That elixir is made of minerals like cinnabar and realgar. Here are the specific ingredients and their origins. You can check the freight in the capital and perhaps learn more about the gym's profit chain."
"Can you check so clearly with just one pill?"
Jiang Yun raised his eyebrows confidently and said, "Of course, she is the woman I like. Don't underestimate the doctor. She can kill people without being seen."
"Okay, thank you." Shangguan Sheng took the note and thought that even someone as unruly as Jiang Yun could be tamed, and that the seemingly quiet woman must be very capable.
"You're welcome, just pay." After saying that, Jiang Yun wiped the oil off the little girl's mouth and prepared to take people away.
"I also have good news about the Xiao family. Don't you want to hear it?" Shangguan Sheng spoke up after seeing through Jiang Yun's method of evading debts.
Jiang Yun paused and asked in surprise, "What can you find in a place like Red Willow Lane where all the good and bad people mix together?"
Shangguan Sheng said calmly, "Every month, a group of people transport the money from that building to a certain place outside the capital, never passing through a bank. We should have accurate information in a few days."
Such covert tactics and repeated personnel changes show that the mastermind behind the scenes is very meticulous.
"Where did you get this kind of inside information?"
"The capital is not only the foothold of the emperor, but also the eyes and ears of all the major families. No matter how secretive it is, it will leave traces."
Hearing this, Jiang Yun understood that Shangguan Sheng had used the Shangguan family's secret agents this time.
Shangguan Sheng stood up slowly and said, "So we're even. Remember to pay, Captain Jiang."
Jiang Yun was stunned, and he missed the honest Yin Xing a little. At least she never played tricks like this!
"A-choo!" Yin Xing, who was in the palace at this time, sneezed suddenly. His nose turned red and he felt a little stuffy.
I thought Xuan Yizheng would catch a cold when he went out on the night of Lantern Festival, but who would have thought that it was Yin Xing himself who fell ill.
"It's a little hot." Xuan Yizheng raised his hand and placed it on Yin Xing's forehead, his expression solemn and uneasy.
The cold caused by falling into the water was more serious than expected, so much so that Yin Xing was not as healthy as before.
"It's okay, I'm much better now." Yin Xing didn't want Xuan Yizheng to worry, so he raised his hand, picked up the medicine soup, and gulped it down.
Before he finished speaking, Yin Xing almost vomited. He felt as bitter as a bitter gourd and had no energy at all.
Xuan Yizhen fed Yin Xing a piece of honey, a look of worry on his face, and sighed softly: "It seems that you can't go out and see the wind for a while."
Yin Xing tasted something sweet on the tip of his teeth and said soothingly, "Don't worry, it's just cold. It will be fine soon."
"Typhoid fever can be fatal, so we can't be careless."
"Okay, aren't you going to be busy?"
Xuan Yizhen shook his head, placed his palm on Yin Xing's burning cheek, and murmured, "I will only feel at ease if I am with you."
Except for the time when Yin Xing broke his arm, she had always taken care of him when he was sick, so Xuan Yizheng was not used to Yin Xing's listless look.
Seeing that Xuan Yizheng was so stubborn, Yin Xing couldn't persuade her for the moment, so he could only let her lie down with him and sleep for a while.
When he woke up from this sleep, the palace was already dark. Yin Xing was still feeling very hot, and the bones in his hands and feet were sore and weak.
Yin Xing looked at Xuan Yizheng in a daze as he stood up. Her hand fell on his cheek, feeling warm and cool, very comfortable.
"Xing'er, you seem to be even more seriously ill." Xuan Yizheng spoke while looking at Yin Xing who looked listless.
"I'm fine." Yin Xing replied while holding Xuan Yizheng's hand. He could clearly feel her fear and even guilt.
But later, Yin Xing lost all consciousness and faintly felt the warm and cool rain falling on his cheeks, which was very bitter and salty.
That night the lights in the bedroom were on until dawn, and the female official Chunli waited anxiously.
When the imperial doctors were able to leave the palace, they felt as if they had faced a formidable enemy the previous night and their lives were hanging by a thread.
When the rain stopped and the sky brightened, Yin Xing opened her eyes and saw Xuan Yizheng's haggard appearance. Her dark eyes were bloodshot, and she looked distraught as if she had lost all her strength and had cried bitterly.
At that time, Yin Xing cried so much that her eyes became swollen like sad frog eyes, but Xuan Yi was really beautiful, so she looked even more broken and pitiful.
"Yi, Yizhen..." Yin Xing called softly, only to find that his throat was dry as smoke.
Xuan Yizhen hurriedly raised his hand to feed Yin Xing some water, gently cupping the back of her head and softly calling, "Don't be impatient, go slowly."
Yin Xing drank some water and regained some vitality. His gaze fell on the crimson corners of Xuan Yizhen's eyes and he said, "Yizhen, your eyes."
"Is it ugly?" Xuan Yizheng saw his own loss of composure through Yin Xing's eyes and turned his head away to avoid his gaze.
"No, Yizhen is the most beautiful person I have ever seen." Yin Xing said it very seriously, fearing that it would make Xuan Yizhen sad.
If Yin Xing had known that he would get sick and make Xuan Yizheng worry, he would definitely have dressed as warmly as possible.
Xuan Yizhen pursed his lips lightly, raised his hand and touched Yin Xing's forehead. The temperature was normal, and he said in a hoarse voice: "You are so talkative. I don't look good now."
Yin Xing arched her eyebrows and smiled as she said, "I'm not being sarcastic. If you lie, you can really eat my heart out."
This is what Xuan Yizhen used to say. Yin Xing didn’t quite understand it before, but now she feels that as long as she can feel at ease, everything is worth it.
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