Denghuaxiao

Chapter 228 Assassination
Debt note?

Everyone in the temple was immediately attracted by Cuicui's words. Someone asked, "What debt note?"

Cuicui said: "Look for yourselves, it's engraved on the wall, very clearly -"

Lu Tong suddenly raised his eyes.

The medical officers beside her became curious and walked over to Cuicui with oil lamps and squatted down.

It was cloudy in southern Jiangsu every day, and it snowed again today. There was no sun at all. The door of the plague center was half closed, and the temple was as dark as night. The nearest medical officer put the oil lamp close to the wall. Under the altar, in front of the statue, there was indeed a line of large characters deeply engraved:
I have just borrowed two taels of silver from Miss Seventeen. The interest will be paid back at any time. I am afraid that I cannot prove it, so I write this loan agreement and keep it in your hand. It is the coldest time of the thirty-fifth year of Yongchang. The person who makes this loan agreement is the assassin young master.

The words carved on the wall are powerful, sharp and beautiful.

It was that "Young Master Assassin" and "Seventeenth Girl" who looked quite joking.

"The Great Cold in the thirty-fifth year of Yongchang..." Cai Fang was stunned, "Six years ago?"

This is a debt note from six years ago.

During the severe cold six years ago, who had been here? Who had carved a debt note on the mottled wall and carefully covered it with an altar?

Lu Tong sat in the crowd, looking at the people around him in amazement, and couldn't help but feel dazed for a moment.

six years ago……

She still remembers that great cold day.

She failed to get the silver from the man in black and got a worthless silver ring instead. She was very upset and forced the man to write a debt note on the wall.

At that time, she had not grown up yet and was not as tall as she is now. When she bent down and crawled under the altar to ask the other party to carve something on the wall, the other party just looked at her with a mixture of laughter and tears.

"So hidden?"

"Of course." Young Lu Tong looked at him solemnly: "If it is written in a conspicuous place and someone sees it and scribbles on it, the debt will be invalidated in an instant. Naturally, we have to find a place that is not easy to be found."

The man in black reminded: "But this is the temple wall of Sunan. Next time you ask me for a debt, are you going to scrape off the wall and bring it to Shengjing?"

"Who said we have to scrape it off?" Lu Tong retorted, "Who knows, maybe you and I will come back here in the future. By then, we will have evidence. I hope you won't go back on your word."

He sneered and cursed, "What a mean person." But he bent down under the altar and found a sharp stone on the ground and carved on the wall.

His handwriting was beautiful, and every stroke was full of style. Lu Tong watched him write and thought to herself that if her father were here, he would definitely ask him for a piece of calligraphy and force her to practice it.

When he reached the place where the person who borrowed the money was, the man in black stopped and asked, "What's your name?"

"Seventeen."

"Seventeen?"

"What's the problem?" she answered frankly, "I am the seventeenth child in my family."

He glanced at her and said lazily, "Okay, seventeen is seventeen."

The noisy clamor beside her brought her back to her senses. Lu Tong raised her eyes, looked across the crowd, and met Pei Yunying's gaze.

He sat next to Chang Jin, surrounded by people who were talking enthusiastically. The young man had an indifferent expression, but there was a dark glint in his black eyes when he looked over.

She had long forgotten that note, that note. The one time they met in Su Nan was just a fleeting glimpse in her busy life. Six years had passed, and the statues in the temple had become increasingly dilapidated. The temple door had been repaired and then demolished, and many people had come and gone to rest here. But the note carved on the corner of the wall, after being carefully hidden for many years, had unexpectedly seen the light of day again.

It's still there.

Clear, new, and as clear as yesterday.

"Ah! Now that you mention it, I remember something!" Li Wenhu, who was sitting at the gate, suddenly shouted, "There was a ghost in our temple before!"

When he said this, everyone looked at him. Cai Fang was confused: "What's haunted?"

Li Wenhu scratched his head and said bluntly, "This execution ground is under my jurisdiction, so it's natural that you don't know. About ten years ago, or even earlier, I don't remember, the Sunan execution ground was often haunted."

Cuicui climbed into her father's arms and stared at him with wide eyes. Chang Jin was puzzled: "How could this be haunted?"

"Ahem," Li Wenhu glanced around, then lowered his voice and whispered, "There are ghosts eating corpses in the Sunan execution ground."

There was a gust of wind outside, and everyone shuddered when these words were spoken.

"I was in charge of the execution grounds at that time. Those executed prisoners who still had family members could spend some money to take their bodies away and bury them themselves. Some had no relatives or their families didn't want to take care of them because their crimes were so serious. Their bodies were just left in the graveyard behind the execution grounds."

"I later discovered several times that there were problems with the discarded bodies. Either they were missing hearts and lungs, or they were missing livers and intestines."

Li Wenhu said dimly, "At first, I thought he was eaten by wild dogs down the mountain. But then I felt something was wrong. How could wild dogs be so picky? They only took a little bit of the heart and liver at a time. The wound doesn't look like it was caused by a dog bite!"

A medical officer asked cautiously: "Could it be man-made?"

"Listen to me." Li Wenhu was unhappy. He drank a mouthful of hot soup to moisten his throat and continued, "Later, one day, I met a little girl at the execution ground. The little girl was very young, about eleven or twelve years old, and looked terrified. I asked her what happened, and she told me--"

"The execution ground is haunted. She saw with her own eyes that there were hungry ghosts eating the bodies of the executed prisoners!"

Upon hearing this, the patients cried out in surprise and looked terrified.

The medical officers looked normal.

"Then what?" Chang Jin asked.

"Then I left." Li Wenhu spread his hands and said, "I'm not a Taoist priest. It's not my business to exorcise ghosts."

Ji Xun frowned and said, "Why don't you suspect that little girl? It's strange for a little girl to suddenly appear at the execution ground. Maybe she lied, or maybe she was the one who caused the strangeness of the corpse."

Li Wenhu was stunned.

The medical officers around him looked at him seriously.

He stammered, "I, I didn't think too much about it. She was so small and looked so frail. She said she was lost, and I gave her a piece of candy... and I... I'm afraid of ghosts too!"

When he heard there was a ghost, he was so panicked that he didn't even dare to look at him again. How could he analyze the situation calmly and notice the suspicious points on the other party?

However, in front of everyone, it was best to finish the ghost story since it had already begun. He reluctantly said, "Later, I heard that the offerings in this temple were often stolen, and someone saw a female ghost in white clothes coming and going at night. No one dared to come here anymore."

It's quiet around.

The medical officers were somewhat disappointed.

The beginning of this story was told vividly and intriguingly, but after the medical officers' analysis, the horror disappeared and instead Li Wenhu's original dereliction of duty was exposed.

Lu Chen was speechless.

Pei Yunying's eyes moved slightly, and after a while, he lowered his head and smiled faintly.

No matter how scary the story is, people will be more courageous when talking about it in a crowded crowd. Someone laughed and said, "Even if there are really hungry ghosts, we don't have to be afraid. There are so many of us gathered together. If things get worse, we still have Master Pei."

"It is said that evil spirits are afraid of knives. Even the most vicious female ghost will be terrified when she sees Master Xiao Pei's silver knife. With Master's knife to suppress her, no mountain spirits or wild monsters will be a threat to her!"

The patients all praised him.

Pei Yunying smiled faintly and said nothing.

A more enthusiastic woman saw that he was friendly and smiling, not arrogant like a nobleman, so she boldly asked with a smile: "Master Pei is very young, I wonder if he is married. If he is not married, when the epidemic is over, let County Magistrate Cai talk to you about a good marriage."

This woman was a famous matchmaker in southern Jiangsu before she came to the plague center. Cai Fang coughed lightly, but the woman didn't hear it. Pei Yunying curled his lips and said, "I have a lover."

Lu Tong's fingertips trembled.

The woman was pleasantly surprised: "Who is it? Is there a matchmaker? Is there a marriage contract?"

He played with the medicine bag in his hand and said in a neutral tone: "It's a pity that you don't like me."

"..."

The people around were silent for a moment.

Li Wenhu looked at Cai Fang and silently said to him, "Great."

The woman looked at him, somewhat puzzled: "Don't like him, sir? That girl's standards are so high... But sir, don't worry, there are beautiful women everywhere. What kind of woman do you like? I have been a matchmaker for many years, and I will definitely help you find a good match."

Someone else laughed and said, "Master Pei is from an aristocratic family and has a bright future. Even if he wants to find a wife, she should be a noble lady of equal status. Why are you worrying about this, Old Lady Hong?"

The woman retorted, "Who said I can't marry a noble lady? I'm the second best matchmaker in Sunan City, and no one dares to claim to be the best. Master Pei," she asked Pei Yunying, "What kind of women do you like? Quiet, lively, gentle, dignified, and talented? Or smart, lively, bold, and outspoken? There must be one type you like."

Everyone looked at him in a booing manner.

The young man smiled slightly, as if thinking, and after a moment he looked up, his eyes vaguely sweeping across the crowded crowd, and he spoke as if jokingly.

"Family or family background is not important."

"I am superficial and I like good-looking people."

The noise around him got louder, accompanied by some good-natured jokes. Lu Tong put the empty bowl on the ground, stood up and walked out.

Seeing this, Ji Xun thought about it and followed him out.

It was still snowing outside, and the snow was heavier than in the early morning. Looking from the direction of the execution ground, Luomei Peak was covered in silver.

Big snowflakes fell on her and quickly melted, leaving only a cold surface.

There were footsteps behind me.

Ji Xun walked to her side, followed her gaze towards Luomei Peak, and asked, "Why don't you stay inside?"

"It's stuffy with so many people, let's go out and get some fresh air."

Ji Xun nodded, and Lu Tong asked, "Why did you come out too?"

"I have something to tell you."

Lu Yan looked at him.

"Yesterday, County Magistrate Cai said that since the plague-repelling medicine was put into the well, the number of new cases of plague infection in southern Jiangsu has decreased." Ji Xun said, "The plague-repelling incense and medicine sacs also played a role, but at least the plague has not continued to spread."

Lu Tong: “It’s a good thing.”

"It is true for other people in southern Jiangsu, but not for them." Ji Xun looked towards the plague center. Through the half-open door, he could faintly hear the sound of lively laughter and the aroma of hot soup, which showed a boiling warmth in this icy and snowy place.

“No one who was sick with the plague recovered.”

Lu Yan was silent.

Ji Xun sighed, "Although the speed of death has slowed down, people will still die in the end. Doctor Chang asked me before, why not try a new medicine?"

Lu Tong frowned: "New medicine?"

In southern Jiangsu, medical officials used prescriptions based on the nine-transmission treatment methods in the Liang Dynasty's "On Epidemics". Patients who have been infected with the epidemic are weak, and if they blindly change to new medicines without assurance, it will stimulate the patient's condition, and who knows what the consequences will be.

"That's what the doctor was thinking, but he hasn't had time to tell you yet. But this is a good solution for now. Otherwise, if we can't find the right medicine, all the patients in the plague clinic will die."

"Dad Cuicui heard me talking about this with the doctor yesterday and was willing to take the initiative to be the first person to try the new medicine."

Lu Tong looked at him suddenly: "You let him try the medicine?"

Her eyes suddenly became sharp. Ji Xun was stunned for a moment, not understanding why she was so excited. He just said, "This is also an opportunity for him. It was Cuicui's father who took the initiative to propose it. Besides, we will not use medicine blindly..."

Lu Tong interrupted him: "Testing medicine is different."

"If you use an untried drug on a person, not to mention whether it is really effective, it may cause more pain. Besides, he is a patient. I don't agree with it."

She objected strongly.

Ji Xun paused.

When he was in the Medical Officers' Hospital, he always thought that Lu Tong used drugs aggressively and her prescriptions were extremely bold. He thought Lu Tong would approve of the drug trial without hesitation, but he didn't expect her to oppose it so fiercely.

"If he can successfully test out the new medicine, Cuicui may have a chance of survival in the future. Otherwise, everyone in the plague center will eventually die. Doctor Lu, we have been in southern Jiangsu for so long, and we have not cured a single patient yet. You are a doctor, and you clearly know that this action is not completely harmless, so why are you not sober enough?"

Lu Tong looked at him, was silent for a while, and said: "Because being a medicine man is very painful."

Ji Xun was stunned.

"Not to mention the physical pain, the fear of the unknown will destroy everything."

She said, "I know what you say makes sense, but I cannot agree with it."

After that, she turned around and left without saying anything more to him.

As soon as I turned around, I saw a person standing at the door of the plague center.

Pei Yunying stood in front of the plague center. He was wearing a black-scaled imperial guard uniform and no cloak. Large flakes of snow fell on him. The deeper snow and wind blurred his vision, making it difficult to see his expression. I don't know how long he has been standing here.

Amid the silvery white flying catkins, on one side was Ji Xun who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and on the other side was Pei Yunying who was quietly looking at her. Lu Tong was silent for a moment, turned around and walked towards the medicine basket in front of the plague center.

After taking only two steps, a person came running towards him from afar.

It was a man in yamen uniform, holding a small basket in his hand. He said to Lu Tong, "Doctor Lu, this is the medicine bag that needs to be replaced today. Take a look."

The medicine bags for the patients in the plague center had to be replaced every now and then. Lu Tong picked up the bag and checked if there was any damage inside. The yamen runner stood aside and waited.

As she flipped through the medicine bags, she asked casually, "These medicine bags have been used for ten days. After they are used today, they should all be destroyed and replaced with new bags."

Yamen runner: "Yes."

She glanced at the bailiff.

There were only a dozen people under Cai Fang's command in the Sunan County Government. Lu Tong had seen most of them when he changed the plague-avoiding incense every day. This man looked ordinary and would not be noticed in a crowd of people, but for some reason, Lu Tong's heart was alarmed and he stopped instinctively.

She asked, "I don't think I've seen you before?"

The yamen runner was stunned and replied, "I previously followed Li Xianwei to maintain order in the city, so the doctor has never seen me."

Lu Tong stared at him closely: "What's your name?"

"Reply to the doctor, my name is..."

The man stammered, and the next moment, a cold light flashed, and the tip of a dagger suddenly appeared in the sleeve of the yamen runner, rushing straight towards Lu Tong's chest without mercy!

　In front of a large group of people, I expressed my hidden love with all my heart (not)
　　(End of this chapter)