"That's right. After that, the needle tip needs to be calcined again, and then quenched with toad venom liquid, repeated many times, and then the needle tip is polished. After everything is completed, the needle is boiled according to the ancient recipe." Li Ji said, "Even if the needle is not newly sharpened, it should be boiled according to this method if it has not been used for a long time. You can remember this recipe - musk 5 fen, gallbladder alum, dendrobium each 1 qian, pangolin, angelica root, cinnabar, and asarum each 3 qian."
Xia Yue said hurriedly, "Sir, please speak slower. I can't write that fast."
Li Ji was good-tempered and repeated it slowly.
At this moment, spring has ended, and the grass and trees in the courtyard have already taken on the color of early summer. The spring in the capital is always very short, but the branches on the trees grow very quickly, changing their appearance every day. Shang Rui has been standing outside the door, listening to their conversation word by word. With the light summer atmosphere spreading, he feels very comfortable in his heart.
After teaching how to make needles, Li Ji started to talk about acupuncture techniques: "There are three types of acupuncture techniques: the Na Jia method, the Yang Zi method, the Zang Qi method..."
At this time, the housekeeper of the Li Mansion suddenly came from the corridor and saw Shang Rui was about to salute. The word "Master Hong" was stopped by Shang Rui's gesture of silence before he could even utter it.
The butler had no choice but to respectfully pass him and enter the study: "Master."
Li Ji was interrupted: "What?"
The housekeeper said that a relative had come to the front hall and asked Li Ji to deal with it. After hearing this, Li Ji gave Xia Yue a few words and followed the housekeeper out. When he walked to the door, he saw Shang Rui. Shang Rui waved his hand and still told him not to make a sound.
After Li Ji left, the house became quiet inside and outside.
Shang Rui continued to stand in the corridor.
Xia Yue sat on a chair and copied the prescription she had just written down. After a while, she remembered that the book Li Ji gave her yesterday was still in Taoye Ju, so she put down her pen and wanted to get it before Li Ji came back.
She moved the chair away, trotted out of the study, and walked out the door. She looked around in confusion. There seemed to be someone here just now, but now it was empty.
She knew that on the surface the Li Mansion seemed to allow her to come and go as she pleased, but in reality it was just a way of keeping face for both of them.
That night, when Shang Rui pushed the door open angrily, it was clear that her every move was controlled by others. The funny thing was that she was reluctant to kill him and was afraid that he would die because of her. In that bumpy and cold carriage, she hid a knife and protected him with fear and timidity, not even daring to blink.
Xia Yue stood under the tree, smiling bitterly at herself.
After getting the book, Xia Yue returned to the study and found Li Ji was already waiting for her inside.
Xia Yue asked curiously, "Is sir usually so free?"
Li Ji was sitting at the desk, checking the medical records from the past few days. Hearing this, he looked up at Xia Yue. He knew he couldn't tell her why he had been allowed to stay at home for these days, so he could only answer, "How can you see that I am free? Although I don't have to check the conditions of the concubines in the harem like the people in the Imperial Hospital of the previous dynasty, I am not idle either. I have to study medical records, test drugs, and take notes every day. Everyone has their own pursuits. So, who is really free?"
Li Ji put down what he was holding, walked to the bookshelf on one side, and pulled out a booklet from a pile of bound medical records: "This is the Acupuncture Minutes I compiled myself, you can also take it back and have a look." After saying this, Li Ji glanced at her again and warned her sincerely, "I still say that being impatient for success is a taboo in studying medicine."
Xia Yue's expression darkened and she nodded.
three
Shang Rui returned to the palace and went to Jinde Palace for dinner. Wang Xiaoxiang didn't know he was coming, she had already eaten, and now she asked someone to serve dinner.
Seeing that he remained silent, Wang Xiaoxiang mistakenly thought that he was still unhappy about Wang Gan's matter. Knowing that he was in the wrong, he had to serve him carefully.
During the meal, Shang Rui did not have a good appetite and finished his meal in a hurry. Someone brought him water to rinse his mouth.
He took the teacup and looked up at the person holding the tray. It was the maid he had ordered not to appear in Kangning Palace again. She was tall, and her limbs and posture were somewhat similar to Xia Yue. He was upset at the time and hated the queen's intention, so he said that.
Seeing Shang Rui looking at her twice more, Wang Xiaoxiang wanted to bring the two of them together again, but she was afraid of being too clever and angering him.
Shang Rui withdrew his gaze, waved his hand and asked the people to leave.
"Don't keep this person. Let her leave the palace in a few days." Shang Rui said casually. It seemed that he wanted to stay in Jinde Palace again.
Wang Xiaoxiang ordered people to prepare.
In the past few months, she didn't know what was wrong with him. Apart from coming to Jinde Palace, he didn't let anyone sleep with him. Outsiders only thought that she was monopolizing the emperor and favoring the harem, but the truth behind this was only known to the person involved.
There were always two beds in her bedroom. Others thought that she had trouble sleeping, so she slept on separate beds from Shang Rui at night.
After turning off the lights, he coughed twice.
She couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, please don't indulge in the cool at night."
He turned over and didn't answer.
After a while, he turned over and suddenly said, "Xiaoxiang, how am I inferior to my brother?"
Wang Xiaoxiang was stunned. They knew each other about Xianchu, but they had never talked about it so openly. It was as if Shang Rui had become the young boy in his teens again. He had no sister and was not close to his brother. For a long time, he actually treated Wang Xiaoxiang as his elder sister.
Wang Xiaoxiang sighed. She guessed that maybe he was not asking her, but asking someone else through her.
"The emperor is naturally the best man in the world, but if they are an ordinary loving couple, the wife will think that although her husband is not as good as the emperor, he is irreplaceable in her heart. Just like the emperor selects talents for the country, many people's articles cannot be ranked, just because the emperor likes them, they are good."
In fact, there was no need for her to say more. He was so wise and intelligent that he didn't need to ask others for answers. It was just that he was trapped in this mountain and couldn't find a way out.
Four
It was already late at night, and Xia Yue was in her room at the Li Mansion with a lamp on, reciting the medical book she had borrowed from Li Ji today. She did not copy it down, for she was afraid that she would not have the chance to take the notes with her when she left. So she picked up the important things and memorized them firmly in her mind, word for word, over and over again.
From the day Li Ji agreed to teach her how to treat illnesses, she almost never slept in bed at night, and occasionally took a nap at her desk when she was tired.
She never touched that bed again, as if touching it would remind her of Shang Rui that night. He stood there, so weak that a gust of wind could blow him down, but he said to her with an arrogant and cruel look: "Yu Zhaoyang, you win."
Did you win by whetting his appetite
Which one is real, the one under the black cliff or the one raging in anger in this room
At this time, He Xiang was lying on her couch, having a sweet dream, and she started to giggle and kicked off the quilt. Xia Yue walked over and pulled the quilt for her.
Then she returned to the table.
She refilled the oil lamp twice, until the dawn, when she finally slumped down on the table, feeling extremely exhausted even though she was not sleepy at all.
He Xiang had a good night's sleep and got up early. She thought Xia Yue had fallen asleep, so she gently put the shirt next to her on Xia Yue's shoulders, then quietly packed up and went to prepare breakfast and hot water.
Thinking of the homework that Li Ji was going to test her on today, Xia Yue got up, drank a cup of herbal tea, forced herself to stay alert, and continued reading.
After turning less than three pages, He Xiang pushed the door open with a "bang", scaring Xia Yue.
He Xiang stared with her eyes wide open and said in panic: "Miss, Wang Gan..."
After He Xiang met Yu Yin'er, Xia Yue told He Xiang what happened between herself and Wang Gan, so He Xiang paid special attention to this person.
"What's wrong?" Xia Yue raised her head and asked.
"Wang Gan is dead," He Xiang said breathlessly, "He died in front of the prime minister's residence and was only found this morning."
Xia Yue suddenly stood up from the table, paused, and asked slowly: "How did he die?"
He Xiang breathed rapidly and repeated what she had just heard in the kitchen.
It turned out that Wang Gan had disappeared since Yu Yin'er stopped the sedan chair in the downtown area. The Supreme Court even painted his portrait and posted it everywhere. As a result, when the gatekeeper of the Supreme Court went to open the door just after dawn today, he found a person sitting at the door. Thinking it was a drunkard or a beggar, the gatekeeper went over to greet him, but it turned out to be Wang Gan who was dead.
The appearance of a dead body on the street was a rare occurrence in itself, let alone at the gate of the prime minister's residence, where all the power was wielded, and the dead was Wang Gan from the Wang family.
The news spread like wildfire, and half of the capital was in an uproar. It was already known that Yu Yin'er had redressed her sister's grievances in public, and now some people were saying that it was a female ghost who came to claim her life.
Xia Yue listened to He Xiang's words nervously.
He Xiang continued, "Miss, do you think that he has done too many bad things, and God has finally opened his eyes and brought retribution?"
Xia Yue's mind was buzzing, and her thoughts were no longer on He Xiang. She thought of someone - Zi Jin.
"He's coming?" Xia Yue murmured to herself.
"Who?" He Xiang didn't understand.
Xia Yue did not answer. She glanced at He Xiang quickly and suddenly walked out of the door in a hurry.
She didn't care whether she could really get out. If someone tried to stop her, she would just kill her.
She walked very fast, first leaving Taoyeju, going around the rockery in the backyard, and walking up the corridor towards the front yard, without stopping, almost jogging. She lifted her skirt and climbed the stairs, and suddenly bumped into someone's chest.
The chest was so strong that she staggered and almost lost her balance.
"Why are you walking in such a hurry?" The person who came was Shang Rui. He frowned, lifted her arm and steady her body.
She saw Shang Rui, brushed his hand away, took two steps back, bit her lip with her upper teeth, and made up her mind. She said coldly, "I'm going out for a while."
Shang Rui raised his eyebrows: "Is there anyone stopping you here?"
"It doesn't look like it, but I'm not stupid." She sneered.
He was tall to begin with, and now standing on the steps, he looked even taller. She felt very uncomfortable with her head held high, so she stepped back a few steps.
His eyes fell on her face: "You are more than just stupid."
Yes, she was more than stupid. If he was not Hongwu, then his identity was almost obvious. If she had tried her best that day, even if she couldn't kill him, she could at least hurt him.
She didn't want to continue the verbal battle with him, so she lowered her head and repeated, "I need to go out for a while."
"Where are you going?"
She naturally couldn't tell the truth, so she looked away and said, "I'm so bored, I want to go out for a walk."
"The capital has been uneasy recently. Someone dumped a corpse in the downtown area this morning. If you really want to go out, I'll go with you." Wang Gan's unexpected disappearance and strange death inevitably aroused his interest. He went to see the corpse early and then came to Li Ji's house.
After hearing what he said, Xia Yue guessed that he was referring to Wang Gan. Her eyelashes moved and she suppressed her emotions.
But how could these unusual movements escape Shang Rui's eyes? Instead, he deliberately said, "Someone died in front of the Xiangfu this morning. I was just about to go over to see what was going on. Do you want to go and take a look?"
Xia Yue's heart moved, and she raised her head hastily to meet his gaze, but then she slowly said, "What's there to see in a dead person? I just want to go out and get some fresh air."
He smiled and said, "That's perfect. I just want to go shopping anyway."
Xia Yue wanted to refuse, but after hesitating for a moment, she nodded and followed him out of Li Ji's house.
Along the way, he walked in front, Xia Yue followed behind, and behind them were Ming Lian and Yao Chuang.
Li Ji's residence was not far from the Xiangye residence, and there was only one street between them. The imperial capital had been peaceful for too long, the criminal law was relaxed, and the people were not afraid of trouble. When they knew someone was killed, instead of avoiding it, they went to watch the excitement as soon as they heard the news.
Before they even reached the gate of the prime minister's residence, the crowd had already surrounded them in three layers, and the runners of the Imperial Court kept shouting, "Stop looking, stop looking, go home."
However, since the law does not hold everyone responsible, not many people paid attention to him.
Xia Yue was absent-minded along the way, but Shang Rui remained silent. He was trying to figure out the relationship between Xia Yue and Wang Gan, or the relationship between Wang Kui and Yu Sheng. There was no clue to connect them before. At most, Qi An was imprisoned for mocking Wang Kui's corrupt official style, and Yu Sheng helped him to get the connection. Since there was no sign of the relationship between Xia Yue and Wang Gan before, and the incident happened suddenly, he had no way to verify it with Qi An who was thousands of miles away.
Little did they know that Zi Jin and Xia Yue would not make that matter public because of the Min family's reputation in the local area. Wang Gan was afraid of affecting his father's official career, so he did not dare to make it public. In this way, how would outsiders know
When he couldn't figure out something, he felt very uncomfortable.
The two of them unknowingly followed the crowd to the gate of the prime minister's residence.
Xia Yue stood outside the crowd, tiptoeing, and could see through the gaps between the crowd that the government officials were standing outside in a layer, separating the onlookers. The body, two meters away from them, was covered with a white cloth. The people from the Supreme Court were investigating the scene, and no one dared to move the body without permission.
The white cloth covered Wang Gan very tightly, except for a pool of blood under his body. The blood was not much, perhaps it had just flowed from his body after he died, and had long since solidified and turned purple-red.
The people watching nearby were whispering to each other, asking each other questions, and spreading rumors.
"Is the head still there?"
"I see the wound is on the chest."
"Has your heart been cut out?"
"Is he being killed?"
…
There are more and more people.
The two of them and Yao Chuang who followed closely behind were originally standing on the periphery of the crowd, but for some reason there were several more layers of people behind them.
Those who came later tried hard to squeeze to the front to see.
I don’t know who stepped on Xia Yue.
Xia Yue didn't care about the pain in her toes, and like everyone else, she wanted to get closer to take a closer look, but Shang Rui held her hand. He wanted to hold Xia Yue in his arms and take her out.
He didn't like being in the crowd like this and being so close to others.
Xia Yue, however, seemed to be stung, and shook off his hand, avoiding him like a snake or scorpion.
Shang Rui laughed at himself.
"Why are you so interested in a dead person?" Shang Rui asked.
Xia Yue did not answer.
Shang Rui teased her as usual: "He is also from Jinluo, could he be your lover?" Before he finished speaking, Xia Yue suddenly turned to look at him, her eyes slightly red.
Shang Rui was suddenly startled.
Xia Yue stared at him with a pale face and said nothing. After a moment, her eyes stared at the corpse again, as if she wanted to poke through the white cloth on Wang Gan's face.
Yao Chuang usually didn't dare to look at Xia Yue too much, but Xia Yue's appearance at this moment accidentally caught his eye.
In a flash, Yao Chuang remembered something.
He wasn't sure and glanced at Xia Yue again hurriedly.
At the same time, Xia Yue said in a very cold tone: "He is not my lover. Not only that, I wish he would die, because he did the same thing to me as you did."
At this moment, the body had been moved to a stretcher, and the people investigating the scene had received the news and were ready to transport the body away. The yamen runners on duty tried to make a way through the dense crowd. People squeezed even harder, as if they wanted to take the last chance to see if the body was really headless and heartless.
Yao Chuang looked around vigilantly and followed Shang Rui closely.
Suddenly, someone not far away shouted, "My silver, who stole my silver?" Everyone looked and saw a middle-aged man feeling his pockets up and down, his face flushed. Seeing this, the people around him checked their things.
However, Yao Chuang guarded Shang Rui even more closely with caution.
Shang Rui felt as if his head was hit hard by a blunt object, and his head became a little dull for the first time. Xia Yue's words just now echoed repeatedly in his ears, and he was a little absent-minded for a while.
Wang Gan, Yu Huaer, Min Xiayue…
He suddenly remembered Wang Gan's face in the restaurant, the way Yu Huaer was pulled by him, and the recurrence of the old chest injury when Wang Gan fell down the stairs.
Shang Rui forced himself to calm down and calm the surging emotions in his chest. In just a blink of an eye, his face became clear again.
He turned and tried to pull Xia Yue: "We—" He only said two words and couldn't say the rest.
There was no trace of Xia Yue nearby.
Shang Rui's expression flashed and he quickly looked around.
Xia Yue was originally wearing a light red shirt, which was very eye-catching, but at this moment, there was not even one shirt of this color in the dense crowd.
At this moment, Xia Yue’s figure could no longer be found.