Chapter 164: 171. The Antidote is Actually on Me

171. The Antidote is Actually on Me

"Weilai, did I say anything in my sleep last night?"

In the breakfast hall of Meilu Garden, in front of an eight-immortal table with messy bowls and chopsticks, Ouyang Rong, who had finished his meal, stood up and opened his arms, letting Ye Weilai and other maids put on his water-green official uniform.

During this time, he suddenly turned his head and asked.

Ye Weilai's movements didn't stop, she tied his belt, and said calmly:

"It seems, I said a little."

Ouyang Rong said with a straight face: "Don't tell anyone. Especially... in front of the Xiao Shimei."

"Yes, Master."

Ye Weilai hurriedly nodded her small head.

Dressed neatly, he took the white sandalwood jade-handled knife and equipped it. Ouyang Rong patted his sleeves, laughed and thanked the maids, stepped out of the door, and began a new day of slacking off—no, it was performing official duties and performing his duties.

However, the young magistrate's back paused at the door. He turned his face, as if thinking of something, supported the skirt knife with his hand, and said seriously:

"Weilai, don't bring the skirt knife to bed next time. It feels strange, and I don't sleep soundly..."

Ye Weilai stood at the forefront of the maids, was stunned when she heard this, looked away slightly, nodded with a guilty conscience:

"Listen to the Sandalwood Gentleman... Safe travels, Sandalwood Gentleman."

"Hmm."

Ye Weilai supported the threshold with her hand, silently watching the back of the Sandalwood Gentleman who waved and left, disappearing outside the door.

At one point, she caught a glimpse of a familiar green figure flashing past on the corridor not far away.

It was the slender mute girl.

It seemed she was also silently watching the Sandalwood Gentleman go out early and return late.

It's just... the Sandalwood Gentleman didn't know that there was such a woman waiting for him at home.

Ye Weilai bit her lip.

She suddenly understood a bit of the complex look in Xiuniang's eyes when she looked at her...

Saying goodbye to the personal maid at the door, Ouyang Rong met up with the honest and honest Liu Ashan and headed to the Longcheng Public Office on the same street.

On the way, Ouyang Rong rubbed his face, his eyes thoughtful, and his hand let go of the jade hilt of the skirt knife.

He touched this hilt too much, and the Xiao Shimei seemed to have a sense... Hmm, he had to change the bad habit of his palm subconsciously supporting the skirt knife at his waist, otherwise he couldn't help but touch this round jade hilt even when sleeping in bed at night.

Last night he had a strange dream about the Xiao Shimei, and it seemed he said some dream talk...

Ouyang Rong felt a bit embarrassed.

He didn't dare to recall the specific dream.

It was just that thinking about the Xiao Shimei possibly sensing him touching the skirt knife in the middle of the night... Ouyang Rong's face was a bit embarrassed.

I don't know how to explain it if she asks...

Early in the morning, in the carriage, a certain young magistrate sighed, causing the wooden man driving the carriage in front to turn his head and look.

However, Liu Ashan only thought that his master was thinking about some great difficulty for the country and the people.

But he didn't know that someone was muttering in his heart:

"I've been sleeping a bit deeply these past few nights, maybe it's because I've relaxed recently, but that's a good thing. I feel more and more energetic during the day, as if I have an endless amount of strength...

"I had a discharge early this morning. That little girl is getting more and more presumptuous. She dares to touch any hilt, and lets me treat any water... She really doesn't treat me as an outsider."

A certain person sitting upright in the carriage was full of repentance, with a straight face: "Righteousness is leaking, record another major demerit."

"But it could also be that Liu Ziwen and the Liu family have fallen, and I subconsciously feel that there are not many challenges, but I must be prepared for danger in times of peace, Ouyang Lianghan, water control is still the last step..."

Ouyang Rong shook his head gently, muttering to himself and analyzing.

This is called self-reflection three times a day.

His routine operation.

What is the self-cultivation of a gentleman, hands on hips.

Ouyang Rong is an old gentleman.

"Ru Shixiong, was that Liu family just now? What are they doing here?"

In the main hall of the Longcheng County Office, Xie Lingjiang, who had just entered the door, looked at the backs of the lame servant and others who had just bowed respectfully when they passed her, and after they left, Xie Lingjiang frowned slightly.

"Liu Fu, you know him, sent by Liu Zi'an."

Ouyang Rong nodded indifferently, got up from the official desk, and lowered his eyes to pour tea for the Xiao Shimei.

Xie Lingjiang asked curiously: "What does Liu Zi'an want to do?"

Ouyang Rong nodded and said:

"After the Liu family was divided, they are quite honest now. They changed to Liu Zi'an as the head of the family, and they are quite obedient, much more sensible than his brother. Not only did they take the initiative to come to cooperate with the county office's official business, but they also reported everything to me, the parent official.

"They also took the initiative to propose that the Liu family take the lead in funding the construction of the second phase of the Zhe Yi Channel, and contribute people and effort...

"This is even more exemplary than the model good citizens of Longcheng County, making this official feel quite embarrassed."

Ouyang Rong praised in his mouth, but there was no smile on his face.

Xie Lingjiang, after hearing this calm narrative, couldn't help but look sideways and ask:

"Then Ru Shixiong's heart softened, changed his view of the Liu family, and wants to be lenient, not pursuing the matter of the Liu family faking the Ru Shixiong's assassination of the imperial court official at the ribbon-cutting ceremony?"

"Yes."

Ouyang Rong nodded with a normal expression, and before the Xiao Shimei widened her eyes, he joked:

"Just kidding."

"Ru Shixiong you... hmph."

"Drink tea."

Ouyang Rong was skilled in his craft, boiling tea and cooking tea, handed a steaming teacup forward, and said leisurely:

"Right and wrong are clear, and cannot be offset. If an apology is useful, then what does the world need the government for?

"However, you don't hit a smiling person. Liu Zi'an is performing so honestly, with such a sincere appearance of knowing his mistakes and changing, as a parent official, I naturally have to express my attitude.

"Although he is not a horse bone, I don't spend a thousand gold either.

"And the ribbon-cutting ceremony and Lady Yuzhi's matter naturally haven't ended. Xiao Shimei, continue to investigate. If you need any help, just ask.

"The reason why I didn't clean up Liu Zi'an and completely root out the Liu family is because someone above is protecting them... That new Jiangzhou Jiangzhou Cishi, Lord Wang, is really willing to lose face to guarantee them. I don't know how much local specialties the Liu family has transported to him, and he isn't afraid of being dragged into the mud and getting dirty."

Ouyang Rong looked outside the main hall and sneered. He turned his head, sighed, and said:

"However, Liu Zi'an and the Liu family now only have one sword shop and one ancestral house left, and have no strength to interfere with the affairs of the Longcheng County Office. It's not urgent to clean them up, and it's not impossible to keep them for now."

"Ru Shixiong has his considerations."

Xie Lingjiang showed some shame on her face:

"But it's also my fault, Xiao Shimei. My case has been slow to move, and I haven't been able to quickly solve the case and nail the final coffin lid on the Liu family to share Ru Shixiong's worries. Otherwise, even if Wang Lengran wants to intervene, even if he offers the official hat of a state inspector, he wouldn't be able to protect the Liu family."

Ouyang Rong shook his head and comforted:

"Don't worry, take your time. You are also leading a team for the first time, and your performance is already stronger than many people, and you have matured a lot."

After a pause, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but look at Xie Lingjiang's face a few more times.

I saw that under the pair of slender willow eyes on her pretty face, there were relatively obvious light cyan-purple eye bags.

I don't know if it was because of insomnia last night and not sleeping well.

However, this kind of thing appearing on the Xiao Shimei's body was very rare. In the past, every day Ouyang Rong saw the Xiao Shimei, she was full of vitality. For a Qi practitioner's physique, it was very difficult for things like insomnia and lack of rest to appear.

"Xiao Shimei, what's wrong with your face? Did you not sleep well last night..."

"No."

Xie Lingjiang denied it.

She didn't toss and turn with insomnia when she went back last night...

Looking at the Xiao Shimei who was silently sipping tea with her head bowed, Ouyang Rong's eyes were worried, and he wanted to speak but stopped.

Xie Lingjiang looked up and aimed at the Ru Shixiong's face.

"Ru Shixiong, don't worry." She said with a tight small face:

"It's just that there was a small deviation in Qi-refining recently, it's not serious."

"Do you want to see a doctor?" Ouyang Rong suggested.

"This deviation... the doctor can't cure it." Xie Lingjiang shook her head.

"Then who can cure it?" Ouyang Rong blurted out.

Xie Lingjiang didn't answer, holding the hot teacup, her black pearl-like eyes silently glanced down at the skirt knife at Ouyang Rong's waist.

Ouyang Rong was stunned, noticed the Xiao Shimei's line of sight, and his gaze followed the direction of her line of sight and moved down, falling on the skirt knife at his waist.

Xie Lingjiang suddenly said: "Ru Shixiong, just sleep honestly at night."

Ouyang Rong's face changed.

"Ahem." He coughed twice, as if his throat was dry, and immediately made a gesture of lowering his head to drink tea.

Ouyang Rong felt that his old face was even hotter than the porcelain wall of the teacup in his hand.

He thought of what happened last night again.

He only thought that he had a strange spring dream in the middle of the night, his hand touched the hilt of the skirt knife, and as a result, the Xiao Shimei in the Yilan Pavilion of the Su Mansion was also affected and suffered from insomnia all night...

"Hmph."

Xie Lingjiang glanced at the Ru Shixiong who seemed guilty and embarrassed, and snorted.

However, with Ru Shixiong's reaction like this, the original resentment in her heart dissipated by more than half.

After another night of grinding, she wasn't as shy as she was yesterday.

It's just that the daughter's sorrow seemed to be like a footprint on a stone, a shadow of a wild goose, faintly lingering in the depths of her heart, just like the tea she was holding in her hand, sweet after sipping, tasting it herself.

It seemed everything was in silence.

The atmosphere between the senior brother and junior sister was a bit awkward for a while.

Neither of them spoke first.

Xie Lingjiang glanced at the Ru Shixiong who was stiff and drinking hot tea regardless of the heat.

Actually, there was another annoying doubt lingering in her trembling heart.

Last night, didn't the Ru Shixiong's personal maid say that Ru Shixiong liked maids to pretend to be Xiao Shimei in private beds, playing that... that role-playing thing.

Later, when she was about to enter the room, she also heard Ru Shixiong muttering her name in his sleep, as if it were some shameful spring dream.

Doesn't that mean that Ru Shixiong, for her, this Xiao Shimei, is not without feelings... indeed has some "bad thoughts" that all men have, human nature.

Not completely indifferent to female color.

When they were together before, the way his gaze would occasionally drift inappropriately toward her chest also pointed to this.

But that day in the Donglin Temple hall, why did Ru Shixiong cruelly refuse?

Clearly, as long as he slightly coaxed the woman, he could get it easily, eat it clean, but Ru Shixiong...

Is this a great husband who is not serious about small things but very serious about big things, decided to focus on the Dao, never marry in his life, and then firmly moved forward, even if human desires troubled his heart, he would not cross the line at all.

Xie Lingjiang thought about it and could only reach this relatively reasonable conclusion.

Ru Shixiong is indeed a gentleman, with the style of an ancient gentleman.

A certain woman held the hot tea, her fingers shrank from the heat, and her heart recited silently.

It's just that Ru Shixiong should like her a little bit... otherwise why would he only like the role-playing of senior brother and junior sister in bed, and why would he call her name in his dream?

They say that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night, nothing more than this.

Xie Lingjiang, who lowered her head and pursed the cup edge, had her long eyelashes tremble, as if blown by the rising heat from the teacup.

It's just that facing such a gentlemanly Ru Shixiong, she didn't know whether to be happy or angry.

Xie Lingjiang suddenly put down the teacup, placed it aside, and smiled: "Let's talk about business, Ru Shixiong."

"Yes, yes, business."

Ouyang Rong nodded, very welcome, and asked with a smile:

"Did Xiao Shimei come from the official residence? How is Lady Yuzhi?"

"Did Ru Shixiong smell the medicine on me?"

Xie Lingjiang nodded and sighed:

"The situation is not optimistic. I have searched for famous doctors in Jiangzhou, whether they are from the black or white path, I have tried them, but I still can't solve this poison.

"I can only seal Lady Yuzhi's meridians to prevent the poison from attacking the heart, but this is only an expedient measure."

Ouyang Rong nodded, his expression also became more serious:

"We must think of other ways to wake her up. Now it seems that this is the only witness who can point out all the conspiracies of the Liu family. Other witnesses, either like the sword shop craftsmen who didn't participate much, only counted as ignorant accomplices, or like Official Yuan who was killed to silence him."

"Liu Ziwen, ah Liu Ziwen, he didn't make a move gently, but in the end, he was still clever and mistaken by his cleverness, becoming someone else's abandoned child."

Xie Lingjiang couldn't help but say: "Who does Ru Shixiong think directed the death squad to kill Liu Ziwen?"

Ouyang Rong looked at her and shook his head slightly without speaking.

Xie Lingjiang didn't ask any more, and said directly:

"However, these days, I haven't gained nothing. Although I can't solve the strange poison on Lady Yuzhi for the time being, I have found clues to this strange poison. It might be a strange poison that has been circulating in the rivers and lakes for a long time."

"Oh?" Ouyang Rong pricked up his ears.

Xie Lingjiang took out two small porcelain bottles that Ouyang Rong found familiar from her sleeves, one wrapped in blue cloth and one wrapped in red cloth, with her palm padded with a handkerchief.

She indicated the two bottles in her palm and said:

"I found a poison-skilled Daoist doctor in Jiangzhou City and studied this thing, and found that it was a rare Yin and Yang dual poison. This strange poison would never be unknown in the rivers and lakes.

"Combined with toxicology, I asked someone to inquire about it, and without accident, this poison should be called 'Bi Yi Bird'."

"'Bi Yi Bird'?"

Ouyang Rong's face was curious, and he reached out to take a porcelain bottle to check, but was stopped by Xie Lingjiang.

"Ru Shixiong, be careful, these Yin and Yang dual poisons cannot be contaminated at the same time..."

Xie Lingjiang explained patiently and explained the poisoning method of Bi Yi Bird that she had inquired about one by one.

After speaking.

Ouyang Rong's face was a bit condensed, and he nodded:

"This matches everything. No wonder Liu Ziwen was fearless in the public hall that day. It turns out he had long ago secretly poisoned Lady Yuzhi with Yin poison, and when he wanted to silence her, he only needed to use this harmless Yang bottle."

Xie Lingjiang nodded and added:

"Not only that, didn't Ru Shixiong say before that Liu Ziwen mistook you for Lady Yuzhi at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, so he gave you the Yin bottle poison...

"This is to let Lady Yuzhi poison me at the lunch banquet, so that at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, he could enable the Yang bottle to disperse the fragrance, deal with me, and let Lady Yuzhi, who was disguised as you, successfully make a move and assassinate Lord Shen.

"This scheme is poisonous enough, fortunately, it was discovered by Ru Shixiong..."

Xie Lingjiang had lingering fears, mainly because this Yin poison was colorless and odorless, and when used alone, the toxicity could not be detected, which was much more dangerous than the soft-bone powder that Lady Yuzhi had used at the time.

Because at the lunch banquet before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, although she suspected Lady Yuzhi, in order to gain trust, she might have accidentally been poisoned by this seemingly harmless Yin poison, then later, it would really be unimaginable, and she might end up in the same situation as Lady Yuzhi who was in a coma at this time...

"Liu Ziwen is guilty of heinous crimes, kill all the Liu family brothers, and not one is innocent!"

Xie Lingjiang gritted her teeth, even if she didn't care about the bronze mask in her sleeve for the time being, the malice of this poisoning was enough for her to copy the Liu family a hundred times.

Ouyang Rong suddenly said: "Wait, it doesn't match."

"What doesn't match?" Xie Lingjiang was stunned and asked.

Ouyang Rong looked into her eyes and said calmly:

"Since Lady Yuzhi was poisoned by Liu Ziwen with Yin

"After all, since both you and she were present, who would have assassinated Magistrate Shen in the end? Wouldn't doing so be stupid?"

"Eh, that seems to be the case. So Ru Shixiong, you mean..."

Ouyang Rong nodded calmly:

"At the ribbon-cutting ceremony luncheon, Liu Ziwen not only gave the green bottle containing the insidious poison to me—who was disguised as the Jade Chalice Immortal—but also, while I was eating, fed me the antidote without anyone noticing. Therefore, the antidote for this 'Bi Yi Niao' (Winged Bird)... should be inside my body."

Xie Lingjiang fell silent at once. The recent re-encoding is severe, giving us more motivation to update faster. Please take a moment to exit reading mode. Thank you.