Li Longji said to Lu Jinping: "I know that the Taiping Duke wants to deal with me, but I didn't expect him to be so ruthless, and he actually wanted to poison you. But the news can't be leaked, so don't tell anyone about today's events, especially not about Princess Taiping's actions. We're just going to fight him secretly, and I'm not going to tear my face until the last minute. ”

Lu Jinping nodded and said: "I know this, please rest assured that the prince will do it, just give orders." ”

Li Longji understood what Lu Jinping meant, which was to use the plum blossom internal guard to assassinate, he shook his head and said: "There is no need to use such drastic means at present, I will eliminate her henchmen through normal official changes, of course, this move will come to an end, and we still have to meet by force." We all have to be prepared for this. It takes patience to fight with her, I'll handle this matter, and I'll tell you if I need your help. ”

Lu Jinping snorted, hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice: "Prince, this time I went to Bazhou, in fact, there is another important matter to investigate, I found that this matter is not simple, I should not have told you about this matter when you have every opportunity, but if you don't say it, I am worried that there will be big trouble in the future." ”

Li Longji looked at him, he didn't ask anything, he knew that if he didn't ask, Lu Jinping would say it. Since he chose to say.

Lu Jinping pondered for a moment and said, "The reason why I hesitate is because I don't have a bottom in my heart about this matter, and it's just a speculation. I'm afraid that speaking out will affect the prince's thinking. However, because the stakes are so important, I have to say it. Well, I found out that it was possible that someone was secretly using a very powerful poison to cause chaos. ”

Li Longji's brows furrowed slightly, he knew the weight of Lu Jinping's words. But he still didn't speak, waiting for Lu Jinping to go down.

Thereupon. Lu Jinping told him about the fact that the Taoist who found that he had sarcoma on his forehead sold the yellow pill to the wife of Commander Wang, causing her to become a human wolf and eat people.

Li Longji listened quietly, and then asked, "What you said, apart from this incident, do you have any other discoveries?" ”

Because Li Longji knows that Lu Jinping's thinking is meticulous. It is impossible to conclude that this Taoist is creating chaos just because of this one thing.

"Yes, though, there are some other things. When I was in Tongzhou, a similar thing happened in a Qin Tower called Chunhualou, a faltering old lady actually had a strange and agile skill after taking a kind of golden earth, and at the same time, she was ruthless, and actually peeled off the human skin of the woman her granddaughter fancied. Covering her granddaughter's body. Such a tragic method is not at all like what a normal person can implement, it is a case that I have seen with my own eyes and investigated by myself. I suspect there is a connection between the two. ”

"In addition, I also heard that one of my maids had a terrible incident similar to the Bazhou exile in their hometown when they were young, and some villagers were eaten off their heads, of course, I haven't verified this matter, but I believe it should not be fake. Because she said that she had a nose and an eye, and she didn't know what was going on in Bazhou before. So it's impossible to make up a similar story. Combining these three things, I always feel very strange, whether there is something else going on and we don't know. ”

Li Longji said: "What you just said about the terrible thing that happened to the old lady in Chunhualou after taking the pill, was the pill also given by this Taoist who has sarcoma on her forehead?" ”

Lu Jinping smiled wryly and said, "No, it is precisely because of this that I have been hesitant. It is not to tell you as a conclusion, but the performance of both is the same. What happened in Chunhualou The old lady Huang was because she took a thing called golden soil that the owner of Chunhualou bought from overseas, and was struck by lightning and accidentally obtained this ability, but that kind of golden soil will make people suffer from severe pain like a thousand cuts, and after eating. Eventually, I'll die of pain. ”

"Fortunately, that kind of golden soil was washed away by the flood in the last rainstorm, and it should have been buried under the soil, and I don't know where it went. It seems that the soil can be dissolved in water, and perhaps dissolved into the water, and carried by the flood to rivers, lakes and seas. That's why I'm worried about what terrible things are going to happen, because at that time, the golden clay was used to make bricks, and once it was dissolved in water, the water would invade the underground water wells or springs, and if people drank it, would it bring terrible things? Therefore, I think it is better to report this matter to the prince, and it is better to send someone to investigate along the river, and if something strange is found, you must take corresponding measures. ”

Li Longji's expression became solemn, he walked back and forth in the house a few times, and then said to Lu Jinping: "The matter you said is very important, of course, we don't need to be too nervous now, because after all, the terrible thing you said has not happened, and after those golden soil were washed away by the flood, maybe they have been washed into the sea, even if it is poison, dissolved in the big rivers, its toxicity has long been dispersed, and it is not enough to harm people." ”

"Of course, this is our good intentions, but what you say cannot be ignored. However, this matter should not be said, so as not to panic but not good, it is better for you to take the plum blossom internal guard to investigate this matter and get to the bottom of it. So far, it's just you and I know, don't tell anyone else, and keep me informed of the results of your investigation. ”

Lu Jinping bowed and said, "Obey!" ”

Lu Jinping came out of Li Longji's study and walked out of the courtyard. A cold wind blew, and I felt a little cool. When I looked up, I saw that the clouds were thick, and before I knew it, it was late autumn.

Could it be that what is coming is a terrible winter?

――――――――――――

Lingzhou Mansion. Beginning of winter.

The maid of Mrs. Thorn Shi of Lingzhou Mansion went to the backyard early in the morning to fetch well water. There was a heavy snowfall last night, and the ground was white, and a layer of ice had formed by the well, which was a little slippery.

The maid shook the wheel with great difficulty, lifted up the small half bucket of water, and poured it into the bucket, repeating this several times, until the load of water was filled.

Although there are male servants in the house, this water is specially for Mrs. Thorn Shi to drink. This well was also specially drilled for the lady, who could not trust the other male servants, and he asked his personal maid to carry the water herself. And this backyard is also guarded by a trusted relative of hers, and outsiders can't get in. She is the only one who has this well, and I don't know if it's because she's afraid that someone will poison it, or if she likes it very much. And the amount of water in this well is very small, which is enough for one load a day.

The maid carried the water and staggered out of the backyard to the main house. Pour water into the water tank in the small room outside the main house. This water tank is also reserved for Mrs. Thorn.

Lingzhou Mansion Assassin surnamed Cao, Kong Wu is powerful, although he is a literati, but the Tang Dynasty is martial, he practices martial arts, and martial arts are good, in terms of martial arts, charge into battle, swords and horses ride and shoot, and do not lose to ordinary generals. So he got up early in the morning every day, and practiced boxing and kicking in the courtyard, and his two nurses accompanied him, and it took almost half an hour to practice before dawn, and then he took the posture and went back to the room to wash, and went to the office after breakfast.

When the maid came back from carrying water, Cao Tingshi happened to be carrying a simple knife, sweating slightly on his forehead, and walked back satisfied.

After practicing for half an hour every day, the assassin felt high-spirited, although the world is now peaceful, he has become the assassin, even if he leads the army to fight, it is not his turn to charge, but he still did not give up lazily, and at this time, the practice of martial arts is not more to protect the family and defend the country and establish military merits, but to exercise and strengthen the body.

He saw the maid wipe a handful of sweat and jump out of the empty bucket, and he knew that this was the maid's homework every morning, so he asked, "What about the lady?" Didn't you get up? ”

Thorn Shi is over half a hundred years old, and his wife is no more than two years younger than him, but she has always paid great attention to maintenance, as can be seen from the fact that she dug a well for herself. So he still has fine skin and tender meat, which is almost the same as a young woman in her twenties and thirties, so Thorn Shi has always doted on this lady, although the lady is also more than half a hundred people, he does not dislike it, nor does he take a concubine, and the husband and wife still depend on each other.

It's just that Cao Tingshi is busy with official business, and sometimes he is busy until late at night. Because I felt sorry for my wife and didn't want to go back in the middle of the night to disturb her dreams, I often fell asleep on the small bed in the study.

He had often heard his wife say that women who did not sleep well were especially prone to aging, and as he grew older, his wife did not sleep as well as when she was younger, and would wake up with the slightest noise. This is also the reason why Cao Tingshi didn't dare to go back to the house to rest late at night after finishing his official duties, and this night was the same.

Although the winter has just begun, the winter in Lingzhou came exceptionally early, and in late autumn, it was heavy snow one after another, and now, in some mountains and dense forests, the wind and snow have blocked the entire road. Heavy snow covers the mountains, and you can't get in or out. Many cattle and sheep froze to death, and there were not a few people who froze to death. Therefore, Cao Tingshi was busy dealing with disaster relief, but the disaster relief materials had not been allocated for a long time, and he had reported to the imperial court several times in a row, but the road was far away, and there was no one to settle down, so he was very anxious.

The maid listened to the question of the assassin, and quickly put down the bucket and said, "I just went to fetch water, so I'm going to see Madame, I should be up." There are also Xiulan and a few of them serving in the house, so don't worry. ”

Cao Tingshi nodded and said, "How can you not worry?" Yesterday, an urgent official report came, saying that more than a dozen people had frozen to death after several villages in Lark Mountain were closed by heavy snow. The people were already poor, the relief materials of the imperial court had not arrived for a long time, and it was so cold last night, I was afraid that on the high mountains, it would be even more windy and snowy, and I don't know how many people would die. As a parent official, but I can't solve the people's worries, my heart is very blocked! Alas, I went to see Madame. ”

People are often like this, after seeing the tragic scene of life and death, the first thing that often comes to mind is their family, and they will be extra cordial to their families. This is the case with Cao Thorn History. (To be continued.) )