Puppet Girl
Wen Yici did not respond, but just held her tightly in his arms for a long time.
After taking her pulse, the imperial physician said in embarrassment, "Princess, you fell into the lake and the cold air entered your body, which is harmful to your health. You may have difficulty having children in the future. I will prescribe some medicine for you to recuperate. You will be fine."
Yuanli stared blankly at the imperial physician. It was fine if she didn't have any offspring. Then Wen Yici wouldn't be too sad if he became a green-haired, short-lived turtle. By the way, what delicious food would the kitchen prepare today?
After Wen Yici sent the imperial physician away, he came back and saw Yuanli leaning against the head of the bed, staring blankly, with worry hidden in his eyes.
Since falling into the water, Yuanli has been recuperating at home. She is very depressed because she cannot go out to play in the snow. Wen Yici finds a zither player from the palace to cheer her up.
The musician was dressed in a green robe, with a cold face and a pair of lively eyes that even women could not match. His melodious music came, and although it was a cheerful tune, it was mixed with a sense of sadness.
In the underworld, by the bank of the Forgetful River, Shuang'er, a prostitute who plays the zither and has been waiting for her lover for three hundred years, plays the zither like this when she talks about her lover.
When he was bored and depressed, Yuanli talked to him about the past. He said that his name was Wujiu and he was the son of a wealthy businessman in Jiangnan. His family fell into poverty, so Lin Jian felt pity for him and brought him back to the palace. His Majesty was pleased to hear his piano playing and ordered him to enter the palace.
Time flies, and the stars change. After entering the palace, they haven't seen each other for five years. When he mentioned Lin Jian, his eyes were bright and his face was full of expectation.
"Lin Jian...he is also my savior."
"General, you are a loyal and kind person." As he spoke, a faint smile appeared on Wujiu's eyes and eyebrows. He gently stroked the piano for her, and the tune was less sad.
It seemed that half a month had passed since the general saved her life, and she had yet to thank him. She mentioned it casually at bedtime, and the next day Wen Yici invited Lin Jian to come.
He was wearing a black, double-breasted, narrow-sleeved gown, with a silver ribbon casually tied up his black hair. He didn't wear a crown or a bun, and a few strands of hair on his forehead fluttered freely, showing his casualness.
A scar on his sword-like brow formed a broken brow, and his peach blossom eyes shone with determination. He bowed to Lin Jian and sat down, his expression serious and upright, worthy of his military background.
"My lady likes to listen to Wujiu's music, why not invite Wujiu to come and join in the fun? Come to think of it, Wujiu was brought back by Lin Jian."
Yuanli nodded repeatedly, and soon Wujiu arrived, holding his precious Paulownia zither. When he glanced at Lin Jian, Yuanli saw that the corners of his mouth were slightly curved, but he couldn't hide the joy that was revealed in his curved eyebrows.
Wujiu played a song she had never heard before, but Lin Jian heard his fingers following the beat.
"Lin Jian, you have performed a great service this time. Is there anything you would like? This king will reward you."
Lin Jian glanced at Wu Jiu and said softly, "Your Majesty, I have nothing to ask for."
After the banquet, as soon as she returned to her room, Ziyun brought her a medicine soup. The medicine was extremely bitter. She swallowed it in one gulp, her brows furrowed and her expression painful. Wen Yici took out a candied fruit from somewhere and fed it into her mouth.
"Where does my husband get the candied fruit?"
"I've tasted this medicine and it's extremely bitter, so I brought some candied fruit with me."
Yuanli couldn't help laughing and jokingly said, "Husband, do you know that this medicine is for women to drink?"
"I know, but I also want to know what my wife has suffered." Wen Yici's face was calm, but his tone was full of tenderness, and every word was sincere. "If my wife finds it difficult to swallow, then stop giving her the medicine."
Hearing this, something in Yuanli's heart softened, and she felt a little bit reluctant.
Wen Yici held her in his arms, sniffing the peach blossom fragrance in her hair. He closed his eyes and took a nap with fatigue. He rested his chin on her shoulder and said, "My wife, when spring comes, I will take you to Jiangnan to enjoy the scenery. I heard that the scenery there is very beautiful."
"Okay, can you take Wujiu with you?"
He opened his eyes and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "My lady loves Wujiu so much?"
"Why are you being so jealous, my husband? You know perfectly well that I love you the most. Wu Jiu is a poor man, living in Jiangnan. Taking him with me will relieve his boredom, and he can also see his hometown. Why not?"
"Okay, whatever you say." Wen Yici gently pinched the tip of her nose and kissed her lips lightly like a dragonfly touching the water.
Wen Yici always kept his word. As soon as spring came, he prepared to go to the south of the Yangtze River. In order to enjoy the beautiful scenery, he bought a big boat and traveled by water.
Jiangnan is a place of beauty, both in terms of scenery and people. It's a great place for people to stay healthy. Yuanli was curious about the local customs and people, and asked excitedly while lying on the bow of the boat, "Wujiu, are you familiar with Jiangnan? Do you know what's the most delicious food?"
"My princess, it has been over ten years since I left Jiangnan. My memory is a little fuzzy. I only remember tasting the red bean cake from Old Zhang's when I left. I wonder if they still have it."
After chatting for a while, the boat docked.
As soon as we arrived at the inn near the county government office, Magistrate Li came to greet us. It was just that this government office was too poor. I was afraid that the treatment of the Ox-Head and Horse-Face in the underworld was better than this.
"County Magistrate Li, why is your government office so destitute?"
"My princess, Jiangnan was once a prosperous place. Ten years ago, there were bandits, but after they died down, they have become rampant again in recent years. They often come down from the mountains to plunder, and the government has become increasingly poor."
Upon hearing about the bandits, Wujiu clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with resentment.
Magistrate Li was filled with resentment and frustration. He reported the situation to his superiors more than once, but no one was willing to wade into the muddy waters. Officials protected each other, leaving him with nowhere to turn. He had considered paying the fine, but his meager salary had been used to help the poor, leaving little left.
Corrupt officials have full pockets, while honest officials are honest.
When Lin Jian returned again, he had been beaten.
"That bandit is not a living person at all!"
"It's ridiculous, how can you say that?"
"I went up the mountain to investigate and encountered a man abducting a woman. I went to rescue him, but he was covered in corpse spots. We fought him and chopped off his head before we were able to escape."
Yuanli heard the voice of Tianshu Xingjun in her ears, saying, "Ask him if his heels are off the ground. His eyes seem to be covered with a layer of white mist, and he is not afraid of harm. If so, he is a living dead. We must find the root cause before we can solve the problem."
After repeating the exact question, Lieutenant General Lin Jian gave a positive answer. After informing him of Tianshu's method, Heng Jin questioned him, but she brushed it off by saying she'd seen it in a lesser-known text. After discussing it, the three decided to head up the mountain the next morning to investigate.
At night, a gentle breeze from the south of the Yangtze River blew in, and the air was mixed with the fragrance of mud and grass. Leaning against the window, I could see many stars tonight.
As bustling as Jiangnan is during the day, it is as desolate at night. There are almost no women on the streets, only a few men rushing about.
Lying on the couch, Wen Yici hugged Yuanli and said guiltily, "I originally wanted to take you to enjoy the scenery, but I never thought this place would be so uneasy. I've disappointed you. But I can't ignore this matter. If you're scared, I'll send you back to Kyoto tomorrow."
"Don't be afraid. Wherever you are, I will be there too. Husband, don't feel guilty. You didn't know there were living dead. If they were ordinary bandits, they would be fine."
Starting from the early morning of the next day, people kept coming to the government office to report that the heart of a young woman in their family had been inexplicably taken out, and strange noises and rustlings could be heard at night.
For a time, people in Jiangnan were in panic.
When they got near the enemy's lair, they saw that all the people in the village were living dead, just as Tianshu had said.
Not long after they began to observe, they smelled a strange fragrance and felt dizzy and their heads were spinning. They all fell down weakly.
When I woke up again, I was surrounded by the living dead standing guard. A woman, carrying a baby on her back, brought some food. Seeing their vigilant guard against me, the woman quickly explained, "Don't be afraid, everyone. I'm different from them. I'm a living person. These are all made by me. They're not poisonous."
"How can I trust you?" Wen Yici looked at her warily and didn't dare to let his guard down.
Hearing this, the woman scooped up a bowl of porridge and ate it all. "I've tasted it, and everything is fine. If you're worried, you can wait until I'm still alive to eat it."
"As someone from the village, why are you helping us?"
The woman immediately knelt down and pleaded with tears in her eyes, "I see that you are dressed elegantly, so you must be a powerful person. I just want you to help me find my brother after you get out."
The woman was dressed in coarse linen clothes and looked a little haggard, with her hair tied up in a bun casually, but her words and actions revealed the air of a wealthy family.
“Sir, there’s no time to elaborate, I’ll come back when the cock crows.
The woman picked up the wooden barrel in a panic and left in a hurry, her face returning to the expression she had when she came.
Wujiu woke up at night and looked around in horror. Yuanli quickly signaled him to be quiet.
He is so weak and looks like a frail scholar. If he dies here, there must be many female ghost sisters who like him. Thinking about it, Yuanli couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth to try to hold back a smile.
"If she comes here as promised, my lady, please leave with Lin Jian immediately and leave for your husband. The situation is more critical than I thought. This thing is not an ordinary thing."
"What about my husband? How did he know he was not a mortal?"
Facing Yuanli's doubtful expression, Hengjin coughed softly and said calmly, "A Taoist priest once told me that when a rooster crows, all ghosts retreat. She must be trying to let us go while they're relaxed."
Yuanli pretended to agree and kept calling Tianshu in her heart, but Tianshu didn't respond at all. How could she, a half-baked jinx, solve the problem?
It was still dark, and as they were drowsy, the roosters began to crow. Sure enough, the woman had arrived. She kept glancing at the door, hurriedly but skillfully untying the ropes for them. When Wujiu saw the woman's face clearly, he froze in his tracks, and they had no choice but to drag him away.
As soon as she left the room, she was blocked in the yard by a man. He glared at the woman fiercely and said, "Since I promised to help you find your brother, why did you betray me, Sanniang?"
"You didn't even try to help me find my brother. For ten years, you just wanted to trap me here."
"Sanniang, be obedient and hand over the jade hairpin to me, and I will let you all go, okay?" The man smiled darkly and hypocritically stretched out his bony hands to Sanniang, his body making a sound of twisting joints.
Sanniang protected the child behind her with her hands behind her back, staring at him angrily and firmly, shaking her head and saying, "Don't even think about it!"
"Sanniang, are you out of your mind? I am your Lin San, your husband. Be good and give me the hairpin!" The man almost roared out the last few words.
"My husband may be a bandit, but he would never be as cruel as you and dig out a woman's heart and eat it."
"You finally know it." The man put away his smile and stared strangely into Sanniang's eyes. "But, what does it matter if you know it? I've already hollowed out Lin San's body. Only a piece of skin remains."
After he finished speaking, his face became hideous and his limbs twisted. There was a sound of bones breaking, and the man's face was shattered. A white and tender hand stretched out from the top of his head.
The human skin fell off, revealing a six-year-old girl with black eye sockets and bloodshot pupils. There was blood on her mouth, and her joints seemed to be sewn together with cloth.
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