red cliff top

Jin Wang hurried to the inn, and he noticed the unusual atmosphere as soon as he entered the door.The guards and servants on duty all gathered downstairs, their faces dignified and silent, Niu Huang crouched in the corner with his colored glass in his arms, and even the little fox slumped and lost its former vivacity.

He didn't care about it, he strode upstairs, the door of Shen's third brother's bedroom was ajar, and several doctors outside were arguing nervously in a low voice, and it was not until King Jin arrived behind that everyone noticed, hurriedly and indistinctly Turn around and kneel down to salute.

King Jin waved his hands indiscriminately, pushed the door open and entered the room, only to see the third elder brother of the Shen family lying on the bed with his eyes closed, his face lifeless like gold paper.Chen Liudao stood in front of the window with his arms folded, his face in Chinese characters was gloomy.Shen Si sat on the chair beside the bed, leaning forward slightly, leaning his arms on the edge of the bed, frowning and staring at his brother on the bed, his expression was full of worry and anxiety.

King Jin approached Shen Si with three or two steps, bent down and put his palm on the other's shoulder lightly: "Nian Qing, how is the situation of the third son?"

Through several thin layers of clothing, he could vaguely feel that he was trembling slightly in thought, as if he couldn't bear the cold, his face was also blood faded, and he looked extremely tired.

It took a long time for him to react, he turned back to look at King Jin in a trance: "For some reason, when I got up early, everything was as usual, and after dinner, I played with Liuli for a while, and suddenly fell down unconscious Already." He took a long breath and tried his best to suppress his excitement, "After a few years, several old gentlemen discussed and prescribed a new prescription. After the third brother tried it, he really improved a lot. He went downstairs two days ago. I don't need anyone to support me, how would I know that today I will..."

Although he knew that the final outcome of this unexpected reunion would be eternal separation, and he had experienced the pain of separation countless times in the words of the third brother, but when this day really came, he still couldn't face it calmly.Especially after the new prescription took effect, he was lucky enough to hope that God would make an exception to favor their brothers once.It doesn't matter whether the third brother becomes a useless person or spends the rest of his life on a sick bed, as long as he is still alive, even if he has to carry shit and urinate in his clothes every day, it is already the greatest blessing for him.After all, this is his last relative in the world. He is not afraid of facing death, but he is afraid of watching his brother disappear, but he is powerless to keep anything.

King Jin shook Shen Si's shoulders vigorously, turned around and walked outside to ask the doctors in a low voice: "Regarding the third son's condition, can you all come up with any countermeasures for diagnosis and treatment?"

Those few were all well-known medical masters in the Jinyuan area, and they were proficient in everything, but when asked by King Jin, they all fell silent collectively.Noticing the different expressions on everyone's faces, the King of Jin said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your hard work for so many days. As the saying goes, 'Life and death have destiny', this king is definitely not an unreasonable person. Since I have something to say, it's okay to say it."

The few people secretly exchanged glances, and finally an old doctor with high prestige, Quan Zuo, bowed and replied: "Reporting to the lord, after I have repeatedly diagnosed the third son Shen, I agree that the sudden fainting of the third son is not a worsening of the illness, but rather a serious illness." It's... poisoned..."

"Poisoned?" King Jin's phoenix eyes were wide open, and he was about to ask a question when he heard a mess of tables and chairs in the room. He fell straight down, "What kind of poison is it? How could it be poisoned? Hurry up and detoxify him!"

"Nianqing, don't panic!" The King of Jin hurriedly pulled the man back into his arms to stabilize him, and then ordered for him: "Quickly draw up a prescription for detoxification, and be sure to protect the third son. If you need any medicinal materials, just prescribe them. There's always a way to get it."

Another younger doctor stood up and replied: "Returning to the prince, according to the symptoms of the third son, the poison should be gourd vines. People who are poisoned can have heart palpitations, chest tightness, and collapse, and can be fatal. Detoxification is overwhelming." It's not difficult, just take Sanhuang Decoction, that is, Huang Cen, Coptidis and Phellodendron, and licorice decoction. The boy has already gone to make the decoction, and it will be delivered in a short time, but..." He carefully looked at Jin Wang's face turned pale, "It's just that the third son is already injured and sick, and is very weak. Whether he can survive this poisonous erosion is unknown..."

Up to now, I can only resign myself to fate, but this is exactly what Shen Si fears the most.Betting his life with God, he was never the lucky one, and even lost everything after losing every time.

"Gourd vine... Gourd vine..." King Jin repeated several times in a thoughtful voice, "Nianqing, did you eat with the third son this morning? Did the third son eat after dinner?" What?"

Contemplating for a moment, I tried to concentrate and recall: "In addition to my third brother and I, I also invited Brother Chen, Niu Huang, and Zhang and Li to sit at the same table for breakfast today. I should take medicine after the meal, but the third brother said My stomach is too full, I can't drink it, that's why I haven't had time to drink that bowl of decoction..."

That Zhang and Li are the guards appointed by King Jin to be responsible for the safety of the inn, and they are also close friends of King Jin.Shen Si has always been informal in his dealings with people, and there is no distinction between superiority and inferiority. He treats all the guards around King Jin as brothers. Whether it is to learn martial arts or gather together for fun to eat and drink, it is common. outside.

Before he finished speaking, Shen Si was dragged to the table by King Jin involuntarily, and sat down on the chair: "Come here, take Mr. Shen's pulse and carefully see if there is any sign of poisoning. Then the few people who got up early and had dinner together Call them all upstairs and ask the doctor to take a look at them one by one! And..." After pondering for a while, he said coldly, "Go and get the cook who is in charge of Mr. Shen's meals, and the people who buy, clean, and deliver the meals, etc. Come see me!"

The gray-bearded and hair-haired old doctor immediately sat in front of Shen Si, put his hand on the pulse gate to examine carefully for a while, then stood up and bowed his hands to King Jin and replied: "As expected by the prince, Young Master Shen was indeed poisoned. Fortunately, the amount of poison is very slight, and the man who is also a son and martial arts practitioner is in good health, so he did not show any symptoms. Later, he only needs to take a few doses of detoxification decoction on time, and he will be fine."

King Jin nodded and didn't speak, but his face gradually became gloomy, and his brows and eyes were black and blue, which made people daunting.

After examining the pulse of several other people one after another, the old doctor twisted his beard in confusion: "It's strange, it's obviously a meal together, but except for the two Mr. Shen, the rest of the people can't find any signs of poisoning."

"Only the two of them were poisoned?" Jin Wang frowned, and his eyes, which had glanced at everyone, were a little suspicious.

"I see, the poison should have been put in the bowl of crispy cheese..." Shen Si rubbed his forehead vigorously with his fingers, "Today is Guanyin's birthday, so I got up early and prepared a table of vegetarian meals here. The few of us ate Most of the meals were the same, except for the bowl of sugar-steamed crispy cheese, because Brother Chen and Niu Huang were originally from the south of the Yangtze River, and they were not used to the smell of milk, and brothers Zhang and Li didn't like sweets, so I was the only one who ate it alone." Thinking of it There was a wry smile on his face, "Everyone in the manor knows that Mr. Shen is fond of sweets. Don't ask me, this poisonous pastry must have been specially prepared for me. If I hadn't been greedy and ate a few extra pieces of maltose yesterday, I was tired of it. I think I should have eaten a big cup of crispy cheese. It’s a pity that the third brother had no interest in this food at first, but I strongly recommended it to taste a few bites, who knows that it hurt him..."

His eyes were red as he spoke, and there was a faint sob in his tone.King Jin had no choice but to gently rub his palms on his back to appease him.

Not long after, the group of cooks and handymen who had handled the meals for meditation were all brought in.Hearing that the two Mr. Shen had been poisoned, they were all terrified. Everyone knew that Mr. Shen was the prince's favorite person, and it was too late to flatter and curry favor. How could they have the courage to commit murder?

Seeing the King of Jin, several cooks fell to their knees first, and confessed in earnest words: "My lord is clear, my lord is clear, the younger ones have served the prince, princess, princess, and princes for many years, and they have devoted themselves to eating and drinking , never dare to be negligent. According to the rules of the Fuchu, we are only responsible for cooking, and there are special personnel to purchase and distribute all kinds of ingredients. Besides, we are not allowed to leave the mansion without orders, and we are not allowed to give or receive privately with outsiders. , even if you have a malicious heart, there is nowhere to look for that poisonous thing."

As soon as this remark came out, the handyman in charge of the purchase was also frightened, and hurriedly replied: "My lord, please be careful, because Mr. Shen is not picky about food, and he never ordered the children to prepare any cooking materials separately, so we It's really hard to tell which ones are for the young master's use, so how can we talk about poisoning?"

The only ones left are the handymen who deliver the food, and those guys are even more aggrieved: "My lord, the villains have no second thoughts, the food boxes for the food delivery are all sealed from the mansion, how many eyes are staring at you?" Now, I am afraid of making mistakes, so I dare not delay for a moment on the way, and there are several guards who are changing shifts with me, and they can all testify."

King Jin waved his hand, stopped the crowd's chatter, and said quietly: "Who made the sugar-steamed crispy cheese this morning?"

A pockmarked chef surnamed Yu knelt and took two steps forward: "Back to the prince, it was made by a villain."

Yu Mazi was in his [-]s and had worked in the Fuchu since the king of Jin entrusted him with Jinyuan. He was an honest man and loved to study cooking skills. He was good at all kinds of dim sum and sweets from all over the country. Everyone favors.If it is said that he intends to poison Shen Si, Jin Wang is a hundred unbelievers.

After a moment of silence, the King of Jin thought about it and asked: "When you steamed the cheese today, did anything unusual happen? Are the materials and techniques different from those in the past? Did anyone interrupt you during the process?"

Yu Mazi recalled it for a long time: "This...because the milk used in the pastry is very easy to contaminate the odor with other foods, so the stoves used by villains are all specific, and the cooking utensils are never mixed. At the beginning of the fire today, I will All the household items have been cleaned inside and out, and they didn't leave half a step in the middle of the cooking. I really can't think of anything unusual. If someone interrupted in the middle...Only Zhang Jinyu and Mr. Zhang brought a personal boy. Let's go."

Shen Si stood up "teng", and was about to say something, but was pulled back by King Jin calmly.King Jin patted the back of Shen Si's hand twice, and asked Yu Mazi: "Ah Yu has been there? He is the most delicate and expensive, and he can't cook and smell smoke. What is Baba doing in the kitchen?"

Yu Mazi replied honestly: "Mr. Zhang passed by on the way. He said that his uncle Mr. Zhang has been feeling unwell recently. He wanted to send some golden blood swallows there when he visited, and he was worried that the bird's nest was rewarded by the prince last autumn. It will be moldy after being left for a long time, so I asked the little one to check it out. Later, the little one told him that if the bird's nest is stored properly, it will not be a problem if it is stored for three to five years, so he left happily .”

Shen Si took a deep look at King Jin, and deliberately asked Yu Mazi in a deep voice: "Is there anyone who can prove what you said? I don't think it is because of your poison, and because you are afraid that something will happen to the east window, so you lie here to drag Mr. Zhang." Let's go into the water?"

When Yu Mazi heard this, he immediately became anxious: "I'm wronged, the villain has been working in the mansion for 20 years, and he has never done his duty, and he has said half a lie. Both the prince and Mr. Hu know this. When Mr. Zhang came over today , only me and his personal boy were present, and it is true that no one else can be found to testify, but... but... oh, yes! When I was inspecting the bird's nest for Mr. Zhang, I accidentally broke one and dropped it Some scraps. Mr. Zhang is magnanimous, and he didn't bother with me. After he left, I didn't want to throw away the swallow scraps that fell on the ground. I still carried them with me. Although they were dirty, they were rare good things after all. Thinking about the New Year's Eve When I go home to visit my mother, I cook it for her too."

While talking, Yu Mazi took out a yellow paper bag from his pocket, and when he opened it, there were a few pieces of unsightly bird's nest residue.King Jin recognized that those batches were the best blood swallows presented by Java last year. There were only a few cups in total, half of which were given to the princess and half to Zhang Jinyu.The things in Wang Hao's hands were stewed and boiled for her tonic because of the princess's occasional cold and cough.Now not to mention the mansion, but the whole of Jinyuan, apart from Zhang Jinyu's place, there is no other good stuff of this quality.

Seeing King Jin staring at Bao Yan Sui in a daze, he asked thoughtfully, "How? Whether Zhang Jinyu has anything to do with the poisoning, does Shou Zhi have a judgment in his heart?"

King Jin hesitated and shook his head: "This thing is indeed Ayu's, but... Although Ayu is a bit spoiled, he has never had a chest. I can't believe it anyway."

At this time, Niu Huang suddenly squeezed out from the crowd, and knelt down in front of King Jin with a "plop", "My lord, my lord, I have something on my mind for a long time, and I have never dared to say it, for fear..."

King Jin sighed displeasedly: "Just say it, forgive you for your innocence."

Niuhuang's eyes dodged, and he said tremblingly: "Yes... yes... it was New Year's Eve, because the little fox was frightened by the sound of firecrackers outside and ran out for no reason, the villain chased him all the way, and unknowingly caught up with the person who hosted the banquet for the prince. Outside the Nuan Pavilion. At that time, the little fox ran up to the window sill mischievously, and the villain ran to catch it, and overheard the conversation between Mr. Ge and Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang said... He said Mr. Shen took the heart and soul of the prince They were all hooked away, Mr. Shen couldn't even catch the dregs of the soup when he drank and ate meat, and he said... that he wished he could send Mr. Shen to see the King of Hades with a glass of poisoned wine..."

King Jin slapped the table with his palm and shouted sharply: "Niuhuang, think clearly before speaking. If there is even half a lie, this king will not spare you!"

Niu Huang was so frightened that he lay down on the ground, trembling and couldn't help but bow his head: "What the villain said is absolutely true, but if there is a word that is false, it will be thundered, heaven and earth will be destroyed, and there will be no place to die. That night, the two young masters Ge and Zhang The personal boys were also present, so you can tell at the first trial, return, and, Mr. Zhang smashed the empty wine jug in a fit of rage, the handyman who cleaned it that day should remember..."

Before the words fell, Shen Si stood up and took off the saber hanging on the wall and was about to rush out. King Jin hurriedly dodged to block the way: "What is this for?"

Shen Si's chest was heaving violently, and even his lips were trembling: "Of course I have to ask!"

Jin Wang tried his best to hold Shen Si's arm: "If it is determined that he did it, what will you do?"

Shen Si snapped the spring with his thumb, and slammed the scabbard back: "What do you think!"

The King of Jin carefully dissuaded him: "Nianqing, this matter is complicated and confusing, and there are a lot of entanglements. We need to interrogate carefully to find out the truth."

"Interrogate in detail?" Shen Si sneered, "Should I give him enough time to think about the countermeasures, or give Mr. Zhang Shijie enough time to take care of his precious nephew?"

King Jin sighed helplessly: "You are angry at the moment, and it is not appropriate to ask him to argue, so leave it to me to investigate..."

Shen Si's eyes were red, and he was almost blinded by the anger. For a moment, the tragic scene of his family's ruin and death came back to his mind: "Leave it to you? So what if Zhang Jinyu really poisoned you? Kill him? Are you willing? Are you willing?" Can you disregard Mr. Zhang's relationship between the monarch and his ministers? If you hadn't been merciful and weighed everything, how could you have caused so many disputes..."

He wanted to go out, but he was dragged by the sleeves of King Jin and couldn't break free, so he swung his sword backhanded in desperation.Tu Mo'er, who was behind the King of Jin, wanted to raise his sword to block it, but saw Shen Si staggering the long sword out of his hand, and the blade of the sword was nailed to the ground with a "clang", and he fell limply.

The king of Jin turned pale with shock, and flew forward to hold him in his arms, calling repeatedly: "Nian Qing! Nian Qing!"

After calling for a long time, there was still no response. Beads of sweat dripped from King Jin's temples.Shen Si was young and energetic, and rarely fell ill. He had never fainted without warning like this. King Jin panicked for a while, holding his heart in a state of urgency and not knowing what to do.

Fortunately, the doctors were right in front of us. The leading old doctor had already leaned over and raised his pensive wrist without waiting for King Jin to urge him. He closed his eyes and looked carefully for a moment, then he replied clearly: "My lord, don't worry, Mr. Shen The young master just stimulated the poison in his body under the agitation of great grief and anger, and he can wake up after a short rest."

Hearing what he said, the King of Jin felt relieved a little, carried Shen Si to the bed and settled down with his own hands, and then called two trusted guards to him and told him: "Go back to the mansion immediately, find a quiet place and keep Ayu alone. Get in touch with outsiders, but don’t make it too difficult for him. As for the people in his courtyard, they will all be sent to the dungeon for the time being, and the courtyard will be guarded by special personnel, and no one is allowed to enter or leave, so go.”

The two had just taken two steps when he called them back: "Wait a minute, lock up that kid named Niu Huang, and send more people to watch over him. Be careful when you do things, don't make any noise, and don't do it again." Add chaos to Mr. Shen."

The guards led away again, not wanting to be stopped by King Jin just as they reached the door.This time, he didn't seem to have made up his mind about what to say, so he froze in place for a while, before slowly opening his mouth and saying, "Remember to find someone to feed the fox to Nianqing's yard, that beast is so vicious, he wants to eat chicken, You need to drink clean water, you have to run around to digest your food when you are full, and you scratch your paws when things go wrong, you need to find a girl who is bolder and more dexterous..."

"Ah? Uh... yes!" The guards clasped their fists and nodded in astonishment, but they couldn't help secretly slandering in their hearts. It's rare to see such a trivial mother-in-law after following the prince for so many years.

Meditating in a drowsy state, he didn't sleep soundly, as if he was deeply in a nightmare, his body writhed a little restlessly, and his facial features were almost tangled into a ball.At first, King Jin wiped the cold sweat off his forehead while whispering comforting words in his ear, but it had little effect, and finally sat on the bed and hugged him tightly, leaving one hand free. After patting and tossing for a while, the meditation finally calmed down.

After sleeping for about half a stick of incense, he woke up with a shock of meditation, sat up suddenly, stared blankly at the opposite wall, and gasped for breath.

King Jin was taken aback, he held him up from behind and asked cautiously, "What's the matter, Nian Qing? Did you have a nightmare?"

Sitting there motionless, Shen Si didn't look back, but uttered a few incoherent words in a hoarse voice: "My third brother... my third brother...he's probably..."

Before he could say the second half of the sentence, footsteps came in disorder outside the door, and then someone knocked on the door softly: "My lord..."

King Jin subconsciously blurted out: "What's the matter?" Seeing that Shen Si's body trembled, and his ten fingers tightly tightened the quilt, he seemed to have realized something, but unfortunately it was too late to stop it.

"Go back to the prince, the third son of Shen... is dead..."