Denghuaxiao

Chapter 153 Meeting the Palace Commander at Night
"Oh--"

Qi Yutai suddenly sat up from the low couch, his face covered with cold sweat.

The room was silent, and there seemed to be a lingering fragrance of spiritual fragrance in the air.

A concerned voice came from my ear: "Sir, are you okay?"

He looked up and saw a strange woman standing not far from the low couch. When she saw him waking up, she reached out to his wrist while talking.

"Go away——"

Qi Yutai pushed the person in front of him away and said in a stern tone: "Who are you?"

In extreme shock, he forgot for a moment that he was in Si Li's Mansion, and spoke in a fierce and irritable tone. The other party looked at him in astonishment, seeming a little aggrieved, pursed his lips and said nothing, and took a few steps back silently.

However, Jin Xianrong, who was standing behind the woman, came out, coughed slightly, and took the initiative to smooth things over: "Yutai, this is Medical Officer Lu from the Hanlin Medical Officer's Hospital. I asked her to come and see if you were sick because I woke you up just now." ”

Medical officer?

Qi Yutai was stunned for a moment.

The voice of the person in the dream seemed to still be lingering in his ears. He couldn't remember the voice clearly, but it was vaguely a woman. She was reminding and questioning in his ears, exploring the facts of the murder that night in Fengle Tower, like a sinister figure coming for revenge. Female ghost.

Sends chills down the spine.

He looked at the strange woman at the door with a somewhat suspicious expression: "What happened just now? Why are you here? Where is the person who spoke to me just now?"

"Who is speaking?" Jin Xianrong looked around, "No, you were the only one in this room just now."

"Am I the only one here?"

"Yes, Medical Officer Lu is busy giving me acupuncture and medicine. I wanted to ask you if you need Medical Officer Lu to check on you and see how your cold is getting better. As soon as you entered the room, you lay on the table and couldn't wake up even if you screamed. It scared me. For a moment, I thought something had happened to you."

Jin Xianrong looked at Qi Yutai's face: "Yutai, did you just dream? Is it because you haven't recovered from the cold yet and you are not in good spirits? Let me tell you, there is nothing wrong with Hu Bu. If you are still sick, just You need to rest in the mansion for a few more days, otherwise if something happens, the Grand Master will blame you, and it will be hard for me to explain to you, brother..."

He said to himself, Qi Yutai was still in a daze.

Just... was it a dream?

But the man's voice was so clear, as if he was chanting into his ear.

He raised his head and looked at the young woman standing by the door. Only then did he notice that she was wearing the blue robe of a new medical officer.

It's true that the medical officer is right.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked the female medical officer: "Did you not enter this room just now?"

The woman shook her head: "Xiaguan has just been in the hall making medicine for Master Jin."

Jin Xianrong nodded: "Medical Officer Lu is busy making medicine and has to go back to the Medical Officer's Hospital." He looked Qi Yutai up and down again, and suddenly smiled with understanding: "What kind of dream did Yutai have?"

The other party was so sure that Jin Xianrong didn't need to lie to him, so Qi Yutai became a little unsure. Maybe it was really a dream he had.

But this dream is too real.

Jin Xianrong took two steps forward and saw that the hem of his clothes was soaked with cold sweat on his forehead. He couldn't help but advise: "Yutai, your face doesn't look good. Why don't you let Medical Officer Lu take a pulse for you? Well, I might as well go back home and take care of myself.”

Before Qi Yutai could speak, Jin Xianrong turned around and said to the woman: "Medical Officer Lu, could you please show Mr. Qi a look."

The woman said yes.

Qi Yutai was sitting on the low couch, and it was at this moment that he suddenly realized that Jin Xianrong was too polite to this woman. This man has always been lecherous, and whenever he sees a woman who is attractive enough, he will go up and tease her. Qi Yutai has long been accustomed to this. This woman was born beautiful, but Jin Xianrong's words to her were not disrespectful in the slightest, and she seemed to be a completely different person.

Jin Xianrong can't change his habit of eating shit. Could it be that this woman has another identity?

Just as he was thinking about it, the woman had walked up to him and felt his pulse with her fingertips.

Qi Yutai suddenly shivered.

The female medical officer's fingers were cold, as cold as ice, and the place she touched seemed to be frozen by ice. It stiffened little by little, exuding a dead silence like dry water.

The opposite was her face.

She was born very beautiful, with a slender head and slender eyebrows. The ears hidden by the temples are as white as jade, making the face even more charming.

The beauty lowered her head and placed her fingertips on his pulse. When she was concentrating on feeling his pulse, her long eyelashes drooped like butterfly wings. He was accustomed to seeing such beautiful people and couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart.

When did such a beauty come to the hospital?
Just as he was making some moves, the medical woman suddenly withdrew her hand and stood up.

"Medical Officer Lu, how are you?" Jin Xianrong asked.

The woman frowned slightly, looking a little strange.

Seeing her like this, Qi Yutai's heart froze, and his reverie disappeared, and he asked hurriedly: "Is she sick?"

The woman shook her head: "Mr. Qi's health is not serious, it's just..."

"Just what?"

"It's just that the blood heat is too high, causing emotional imbalance."

She looked at Qi Yutai and said slowly: "Master Qi's pulse is rapid and strong, his tongue is red and dry, and he also has symptoms of fever and thirst. It is caused by excessive blood heat. I will prescribe a few blood-clearing and detoxifying prescriptions." Just let it go. As for emotional disorders..."

She stood up, walked to the desk behind the screen, picked up the gilt double moth pattern incense burner on the desk, and opened the lid of the incense burner.

The incense burner was empty, and the incense burnt out. She poured out the ashes, walked to the window, and threw them into the muddy water on the flower tree under the window.

"Medical officer, what are you..." Qi Yutai was puzzled.

"Master Qi, is this Lingxixiang?"

"Yes." Qi Yutai replied. Their family has used this kind of fragrant pills since childhood. The fragrant pills are so valuable and fragrant that they cannot be bought anywhere else.

The female medical officer smiled slightly: "Lingxi incense calms the mind and can relieve insomnia. However, long-term use of this incense will inevitably form dependence. If used for a long time, it will be counterproductive."

"Master Qi, you might as well try to use this incense less sometimes to avoid addiction and harm to the body."

Qi Yutai was stunned.

Addiction…

He has used this incense since he was a child. He has never used other incense in his house because it was arranged by his father. Over the years, it is indeed easy to become addicted.

His father was afraid that he would be addicted to taking Hanshi Powder and harm his health. The funny thing is that Lingxixiang was the same.

After the female medical officer finished speaking, she bowed to the two of them and left the room. Jin Xianrong hurriedly followed him out, not knowing what he was asking.

Qi Yutai leaned on the pillow on the low couch and felt that his whole body was soaked. It was unlucky to have such a nightmare in the clear day. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stroked his temples with his fingertips. Ants crawled across.

Itching and pain like pins and needles.

……

After giving Jin Xianrong the injections for the day and leaving the dressing behind, Lu Zhuo returned to the Medical Officer's Hospital carrying the medical box on his back.

I came back early today. There were not many people in the hospital, and Lin Danqing was not in the house either.

She put the medical kit on the table and reached out to open the window.

The bluestone slabs in the courtyard were washed clean by last night's rain. After the rain, the fresh vegetation mixed with the smell of mud dissipated some of the fragrant tranquility just now.

The April wind wasn't supposed to be chilly, but when it blew softly, Lu Chen suddenly shivered and felt a little chilly.

She sat down by the window.

A lush sophora tree branch stretched out from the window. Lu Yan's eyes fell on the flower branch and he stretched out his fingertips to gently touch it. The small branches and leaves trembled slightly, which reminded people of the silver needle touching the warm blood on the skin. The goosebumps that suddenly rose up seemed to be able to touch the gurgling blood inside. With just a slight prick, it would spurt out in all directions.

It's a pity that it was interrupted.

She took her hand back, looking a little regretful.

She mixed red fragrant catkins into the Lingxi incense, making Qi Yutai unable to distinguish between dreams and reality, and made Jin Xianrong fall asleep while giving him acupuncture, making Jin Xianrong think that he had never left the medicine-making front hall from beginning to end.

There were only a few people in the Household Department, and Qi Yutai didn't like others to follow him. Jin Xianrong was even more afraid that one more person would know that he was weak and weak, and the empty Si Li Mansion would be an advantage for her.

Qi Yutai revealed everything in her dream. At that time, her silver needle was already pressed against the other person's temple. At that time, she really wanted to kill him.

It was just a hair away from killing him.

Unfortunately, Jin Xianrong's servant came back with the medicine.

Lu Chen lowered his eyes indifferently.

If she had killed Qi Yutai at that time, she would have died naturally. She didn't regret her life, and she had no intention of keeping it. However, she cared more about the other two words coming out of Qi Yutai's mouth than this.

Take powder.

"...I just don't want my father to know that I'm taking Powder..."

At that time, Qi Yutai said so.

Lu Chen slowly sat down at the table.

During the lifetime of the late emperor, the habit of taking cold food powder became popular among the nobles of the Liang Dynasty. Later, a law was issued to prohibit it. Violators would be guilty of a felony. This law continues to this day.

If Qi Yutai sent the servants away to prevent Qi Qing from knowing that he had surrendered privately, it would also explain why Lu Rou did not meet Qi family guards to stop her in Fengle Tower that day and bumped into Qi Yutai.

Lu Rou may have stumbled upon this incident and wanted to inform Lu Qian about it, but was murdered by the Ke family. However, the letter left behind, recording that Qi Yutai took the medicine powder, became ironclad evidence that Lu Qian chose to file a lawsuit.

In fact, their ideas are not wrong.

It may be difficult to overturn the Taishi Mansion just based on the case of Lu Rou's corruption - the innocence of an ordinary woman is too insignificant.

What's more, there are Ke family minions who are hindering it.

But it's different when you switch to taking medicinal powder.

Taking cold food powder in private is a serious crime. Once it is revealed, it will be difficult for the Taishi Mansion to do anything good. As long as you seize the opportunity, you can also achieve your goal.

But Lu Qian didn't expect that Mr. Qingtian was not honest, and that his cousin Liu Kun and his family would use him as a weight in exchange for wealth and make a bloody deal with Fan Zhenglian.

All the disasters in the Lu family were caused by Qi Yutai secretly taking the medicine powder. What's more, the reason why Qi Yutai ordered Fan Zhenglian to kill the Lu family was just because he was afraid that Qi Qing would find out about taking the cold food powder and punish him and kill him.

It turned out to be the case.

It turns out that the truth is so absurdly simple.

The green and fluffy spring breeze in front of the window reflected the woman's face, which was neither sad nor happy. After a long time, Lu Zhu reached out, took the pen and paper on the table, and wrote the word "Qi" on the white paper with the pen.

She stared at the word "Qi" for a long time.

Qi Qingtong only had one son and one daughter. Everyone said that the grand master was simple and frugal, but the utensils and clothes used by Qi Yutai were gorgeous and extravagant. It can be seen that Qi Qing's "love for his son".

Although the incident involving the Lu family originated from Qi Yutai, the final destruction of the body and the complete restoration of Qi Yutai may not have been without the work of Qi Qing and the Taishi's servants.

After killing Qi Yutai, the Taishi Mansion will never let it go.

But now she is just a little medical officer, not even as good as an imperial doctor. After today, Qi Yutai will only be more vigilant, and opportunities like during the day are even rarer, and it is difficult to find another opportunity to take action.

Lu Zhu lowered his head and drew a few strokes on the word "Qi" on the white paper. As soon as the dark ink passed across the paper, the square word was smeared into a thick black shadow, like blood without color, dripping. The ground dripped all over.

I can no longer discern the traces.

She put down her pen.

The imperial master is powerful, but the medical officials are in a low position. One person is against one department, which is just a dream.

but……

The straight accumulates in the crooked, the strong accumulates in the weak. What the future holds is yet to be determined.

If Qi Qing wants to protect him, he will also get rid of Qi Qing.

The birds of prey are about to strike, and they fly low and fold their wings.

One by one, opportunities will always be found.

But sooner or later.

There were footsteps behind him. Lin Danqing came in from outside the house and was startled when he saw Lu Chen: "Hey, you came back early today."

Then he saw Lu Zhen spread out on the table, with a piece of black paper drawn on it: "What is written on this?"

Lu Zhuo casually tore off the ink paper, threw it into a ball into the waste paper basket, and said, "Practice calligraphy as you like."

Lin Danqing didn't pay attention, and put a large package of things wrapped in oil paper in his arms on the table, and said with a smile: "You came back just in time. The marrow cakes I asked people to buy from outside are still warm. You can try them." "The food in the medical hospital is light. Lin Danqing is addicted to spicy food and never likes it. He often sends people to buy it secretly in the market. Chang Jin was not allowed to eat secretly in the hospital, so Lin Danqing had no choice but to hide it in his arms and sneak it in behind Chang Jin's back.

She opened the oil paper bag, put oil paper on the bottom, and gave a piece to Lu Huo.

The steaming aroma suddenly spread all over the room.

Marrow cake is a cake stuffed with fat made from the marrow of cattle and sheep. "Mix marrow fat and honey into dough, four to five minutes thick and six to seven inches wide. Place it in a cake oven and let it cook until the cake is plump."

"Try it," Lin Danqing urged her: "The food in the Medical Officer's Hospital is not as good as the vegetarian food of Wan'en Temple. After eating it for so many months, I feel like I am going to become a Buddha immediately. But you don't choose."

Lu Yan has never been particular about food, as if what he eats and drinks doesn't matter as long as he can stay alive.

Lu Chen lowered his head and took a bite of the cake. The filling was very fragrant and hot. His empty stomach seemed to gradually become warm and full because of this little benefit in the world.

She ate slowly, took a few bites, and suddenly said, "I met Mr. Qi at Si Li's Mansion today."

"Master Qi, which Master Qi?"

"The young master of Taishi Mansion, Qi Yutai."

Lin Danqing paused while biting the pancake: "Him? What's wrong with him?"

Lu Chen shook his head: "He is a little strange."

"What's weird?"

"I went to give Mr. Jin a diagnosis. Mr. Qi fell asleep after entering the room. Later, Mr. Jin woke Mr. Qi up and wanted me to take his pulse. Who knew that when he saw me, he was like a snake and a scorpion. He talked some lies and was not very conscious. "Clear." Lu Yan hesitated, and after a moment of hesitation he said, "I took his pulse and saw that his pulse was fast and strong, and his blood was very hot and unusual...it seemed...like..."

After a long time, she stared at Lin Danqing and whispered: "It seems to be caused by taking Hanshi Powder for a long time."

There was silence in the room for a moment.

Lin Danqing swallowed the marrow cake in his mouth, turned to look out the window, and raised his hand to close the window door.

"Sister Lu," she picked up the teapot on the table and poured a cup of ginger honey water for Lu Zhen, and whispered to her, "You can say this in front of me, but you can't say it outside."

Lu Zhuo stared at her.

Lin Danqing waved his hand: "The late emperor has an order. Once the officials in the court find someone taking Hanshi Powder, they will be severely punished. I know that some nobles will take it secretly behind people's backs, but isn't he a prince? You know you are out there Said, I must cause trouble for you."

Lu Chen nodded thoughtfully: "Is the Grand Master very difficult to deal with?"

"It's not that it's not easy to mess with, how should I put it?" Lin Danqing took a sip of the ginger honey water and considered his words, "I grew up in Shengjing City, and I have heard countless embarrassing things about the children of noble families. Don't look at them. They all look good, and I have seen all kinds of shameful things in private, but this Mr. Qi is different..."

Lin Danqing held his chin in his hand and thought about it before saying, "I've never heard anything bad about him."

"When the elders in Shengjing mentioned this person, they all said he was well-behaved and sensible, taught the rules very well, never made a mistake, and was gentle and polite. He should be a role model for the younger generation."

Lin Danqing shook his head: "I don't like him."

Lu Yan asked: "Why don't you like it?"

Lin Danqing's eyes widened: "Sister Lu, isn't it a terrible thing for a person with no other strengths and only the word 'rules' to be widely known?"

"It's like a puppet in a puppet show. You don't know what he likes and what he hates. He is being controlled by others in every move, and yet others ask you to imitate him in being smart and sensible. It makes you tired just thinking about it. Let me tell you secretly," Lin Danqing He leaned closer to Lu Chen and whispered, "I know that the officials' sons in Shengjing are talking about him behind his back, saying that he is a 'fake'."

dummy?

Lu Zhen thought for a moment, these words were harsh but true.

You must know that when she first saw Qi Yutai's true appearance today, it was hard for her to imagine that that man who looked ordinary, even a little cowardly, was the murderer of four members of her Lu family.

"So," Lin Danqing lit the table and tried to persuade Lu Chen, "don't say anything out of kindness, just stay away from him."

Lu Ye nodded, lowered his head and took a sip of ginger honey water.

Honey water is sweet, boiled ginger can dispel cold, and it is the best drink for ironing in this weather. Lu Chen drank up the honey water in the cup, put down the tea cup in his hand, and said, "But I have to conduct a consultation for Minister Jin. In the future, I will go to Si Li Mansion frequently, so I will inevitably meet Mr. Qi." She looked at Lin Danqing, "Did you know Mr. Qi, if you have any other taboos, please explain them to me, so that I won’t offend him without knowing it.”

Hearing this, Lin Danqing held the marrow cake and thought for a while, "To be honest, I'm not very familiar with him, and I heard a lot of things from others. But I've never heard of Qi Yutai bullying others before. Speaking of taboos..."

She racked her brains and thought for a long time, then suddenly said: "I only know that this man hates thrushes, so don't mention it in front of him."

Lu Zhen's heart moved: "Thrush?"

"Yeah, it's strange to say it," Lin Danqing said: "Master Qi loved to raise birds. I remember that every year on the Master's birthday, there were many officials searching for famous birds and sending them to the Master's Mansion. It must have been a few years ago. The Grand Master's Mansion suddenly released all the birds in the mansion, saying that Mr. Qi hates birds. "

Lu Chen asked: "Why does he hate birds?"

Lin Danqing shrugged: "I don't know."

Lu Zhuo's expression was slightly calm.

Lin Danqing, on the other hand, finally reacted and said suspiciously: "Speaking of which, why have you been asking me about Qi Yutai today? This is not your temperament."

Lu Chen was in the medical hospital on weekdays, except for reading and making medicine, and he was indifferent to other things. This was the first time that he asked so many questions about things that had nothing to do with making medicine.

Lin Danqing came closer, stared into her eyes and said slowly: "Could it be that you..."

Lu Zhuo's fingertips moved slightly.

"...are you interested in him?"

Lu Chen: "..."

"This is not okay!" Lin Danqing was shocked and shook her shoulders, "No matter what his character is, his appearance is really ordinary. He is not worthy of you. Sister Lu, you must be sober!"

Lu Zhen was so dizzy by her shaking that he could only say: "I didn't..."

"I don't believe it, you swear!"

"I swear……"

Lin Danqing was just like seeing a girl who had lost her footing and was about to jump into a pit of fire. She was extremely sad and heartbroken. She did not give up until Lu Zhuo and her repeatedly promised that they would never have any thoughts about Qi Yutai.

She sat back down again, picked up the leftover marrow cake and stuffed it into her mouth. She randomly pinched an orchid finger with her right hand and said, "Anyway, let me count my fingers. Sister Lu, your destiny is not here. That Qi Yutai is not a good man, so let’s stop thinking about him as soon as possible.”

Lu Chen: "..."

She was a little funny, but after being interrupted by Lin Danqing, her depressed mood disappeared.

Lu Chen lowered his head and looked at the white paper on the table, with a strange color flashing in his eyes.

Hanshi Powder, Lingxixiang, Huamei...

Qi Yutai's secret seems to be even weirder than others imagined.

……

Because he came back early during the day and there was nothing else to do in the medical hospital, Lu Zhuo went to bed earlier than usual that day.

At night, Lin Danqing read medical books with her for a while, then went to bed and fell asleep. The hospital was quiet.

The moonlight shone in from the window and illuminated the table. Lu Zhuo sat up from the couch, casually put on a coat, picked up the lamp beside the couch and lit it, and walked out of the dormitory door in the dark.

It was pitch black outside, the night frost condensed into dew, the pale moon was swallowed by wandering dark clouds, and the sky and the earth seemed to have turned into a long abyss with no end in sight. The only bright color was the small flame in my hand.

The bright color is also melancholy, as if it will be extinguished in the thick ink in the next moment.

We walked around the verandah and walked through a row of pharmacies in the woods. As people walked by, the light beams flickered in and out of the night with people. The woods in the medical hospital seemed to have turned into a mass grave of Luomeifeng, which was always a bit mysterious. Ghost fire Yingying.

Lu Zhuo stopped in front of a door.

She opened the door and walked in.

As soon as he entered the room, there was a smell of old mist on the tip of his nose, accompanied by a strong fragrance of ink. She turned around and closed the door, then walked inside holding the oil lamp.

A faint firelight illuminated the room.

There are wooden beams of bookshelves on all sides, with thick books stacked on them. At a glance, they are densely packed.

This is the medical warehouse where the medical records of each patient are stored in the hospital.

From the harem, concubines, royal relatives, to officials of all sizes, all the medical records will be recorded and stored in the medical warehouse of the medical hospital after they are on duty at the medical hospital.

The same is true for Qi Yutai's medical records.

Lu Yan walked to a wooden cabinet, took out the key and opened the wooden cabinet door.

The wooden cabinet door opened, and there was a neat stack of volumes stacked vertically inside.

Lu Yan's eyes passed over the covers of the medical records. He stopped at one place for a moment, reached out and pulled out the medical records from the bookshelf.

Under the weak light, three blurry small words under the cover of the medical record could be clearly seen: Qi Yutai.

Qi Yutai is an official in the Ministry of Household Affairs. Originally, his medical records could not be accessed at will. Fortunately, Lu Zhuo is now consulting Jin Xianrong. Jin Xianrong is also an official in the Ministry of Household Affairs. She has the key to the cabinet of the medical records of the Ministry of Household Officials, which is a good bargain. She acts.

This is Qi Yutai's medical record.

During the day, she noticed that Qi Yutai's pulse was strange. Compared with the hyperthermia caused by Hanshi Powder, it seemed to be caused by long-term use of mind-stabilizing and analgesic drugs. After thinking about it, I felt that there was something wrong with this matter. However, medical officers were not allowed to look at medical records that were not the subject of medical consultation at will, so they could only come here at night to look for Qi Yutai's medical records when no one was around.

Lu Yan took the book and just closed the cabinet door when he heard a "squeak--".

There was a soft knock at the door.

somebody is coming!

In the flash of light, she suddenly blew out the oil lamp and quietly hid herself behind the stacks of bookshelves.

It was late at night, and there was deathly silence inside and outside the courtyard. The clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, revealing one or two faint white moons. The moonlight lengthened the figures on the ground, and then disappeared again with the closed door.

The man quietly entered the house and came to the numerous bookshelves as if he were familiar with the journey.

Lu Tong held back his breath, holding the medical case in his hand tightly, thinking that he was one of the several book beams in the room, standing quietly.

"Da da da--"

The footsteps were slow and leisurely, and Lu Zhen felt that the other party was walking towards him step by step, and he couldn't help but feel for the silver needle in his sleeve.

"Da da da--"

The sound was getting closer and louder, and as soon as I took another step, I could see Lu Yan hiding behind the bookshelf.

She held the silver needle tightly.

The other party suddenly stopped.

Immediately afterwards, there was a rustling sound, which seemed to be the sound of a key being opened, followed by another round of rummaging.

Lu Zhen cautiously pressed against the bookshelf, one shelf away, listening to the man's dark movements in the room.

After a while, the other party seemed to have found what he was looking for and closed the cabinet door.

Lu Chen heard the sound of footsteps gradually disappearing, and as the door of the medical warehouse closed, there was no movement in the surroundings, only the bottomless darkness.

... Did you leave?
She stood in the darkness for a while, making sure she didn't hear any more noises before finally feeling relieved.

It should be gone.

Secretly breathing a sigh of relief, she took the lamp and oil case and walked out of the bookshelf.

As soon as she took a step forward, a cold sharp edge touched her throat.

Lu Yan's eyebrows skipped a beat.

In the dark room, there was only a little light from the window, which silently cast on the heavy bookshelves, illuminating the two people behind the bookshelves like shadows in a shadow puppet show.

Someone was standing behind her, waiting here for who knows how long.

The familiar scent of blue musk came from behind, accompanied by the other party's calm voice.

He spoke, his tone completely different from usual indifference.

"You're so calm."

Lu Tong was startled.

Hearing this voice, she relaxed.

Putting away the poisonous silver needle in his sleeve, Lu Yan allowed the other party to hold him hostage and no longer resisted.

She said: "Master Pei, it's me."