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墨書 Inktalez
Wu County Magistrate did not understand. A spoiled rich kid like Pang Yuanying had long been accustomed to acting recklessly, relying on his power and influence, and the favor of his parents, Empress Dowager. He had never faced any consequences. In the capital, he even built a 'Soft Red Hall' to collect beauties from various places, solely to satisfy his desires and to entertain his group of friends.
Whenever he saw a woman of outstanding beauty, his subordinates would not care whether she was someone else's wife.
The women he abducted were either enchanted by his looks or fearful of his power. As for their husbands, unless they were truly deeply in love, who would risk everything for a woman, even if that woman was their own wife, just to confront a prominent Marquis?
Take Gong Mei, for instance; she had actively offered herself to the prince to curry favor and seek wealth.
Occasionally, there were a few hot-headed individuals who were suppressed by the many officials trying to please him. Over the years, aside from this time when he ran into a wall and was even forced out of the capital, nothing significant had gone wrong.
What kind of trouble would Qin Yaru encounter being seen by such a person?
However, at this moment, Qin Yaru naturally did not know this person's thoughts. Even if she did know, she probably wouldn't care too much; she just wanted to finish the procedure quickly so she could take her money home.
She ascended the stairs slowly and first paid her respects to the Magistrate and Marquis. Then, according to custom, she washed her hands, took up chopsticks, and picked a piece of Pufferfish meat from the plate one by one.
Pang Yuanying's gaze followed Qin Yaru's delicate hand as it revealed a hint of her fair wrist. He suddenly recalled their chance meeting on Wudang Street. At that time, he had urgent matters and could not send someone to inquire; he thought he had missed his chance. For several days, he could not eat or sleep well. This time he returned to Wudang County, aside from his elder brother instructing him to find a place to hide, he had not entertained any thoughts of encountering Beauty again. Otherwise, in such a rural area, even if carried on an eight-man sedan chair, he would not have been willing to come.
He never expected that after sending someone to search for the beauty he encountered that day, she would come knocking at his door!
This person was inherently flirtatious; in the past in the capital, he would even enjoy meals accompanied by beautiful women. Now in Wudang County, even if there were a few who could catch his eye, after looking at them for a day or two, he would grow tired of them. None could compare to the beauty before him.
While Pang Yuanying was lost in thought, he saw that Qin Yaru had already eaten a piece of Pufferfish meat. He suddenly woke up and hurriedly said: "There’s no need for the Wife to taste the dishes!"
As soon as he spoke, a short man stepped out from behind him and quickly used a pair of silver chopsticks he carried with him to taste all the dishes.
Qin Yaru frowned. After thinking about it, since this person's entourage included someone who tested for poison, it must be quite an important matter. She decided not to interfere casually and simply said: "Please wait for a moment before proceeding with your meal."
Qin Yaru was about to withdraw when the Marquis suddenly laughed heartily and said, "Pufferfish is indeed rare, but this meat is delicious. Why doesn't my wife sit down and share a drink with me?"
The Wu County Magistrate was startled, fearing that the Marquis had gone mad.
Qin Yaru showed no anger on her face and replied indifferently, "I do not like Pufferfish, please enjoy it at your leisure." Before she finished speaking, she gracefully descended the stairs, maintaining her composure without a hint of disturbance.
Pang Yuanying noticed her calm demeanor from head to toe and found it even more amusing. Hunting requires patience; he was not in a hurry and turned his head with a smile.
Only then did the Wu County Magistrate breathe a sigh of relief, feeling reassured. He quickly arranged for performers to start entertaining the guests. Since the Pufferfish could not be eaten immediately, he certainly would not let the noble guests wait idly and had prepared various programs in advance.
At that moment, on the stage of the Vermilion Bird Tower, drums, clappers, flutes, pipa, and guzheng began to play. Beautiful dancers twirled gracefully. The Wu County Magistrate saw that the Marquis's expression was unusually gentle for the past few days; he even tapped along with the music and dance, looking content, which finally eased his mind a bit.
The five hundred taels he spent were indeed worth it!
After descending the stairs, Qin Yaru exhaled and revealed a faint bitter smile. She felt somewhat resentful of her own temperament—no matter how chaotic or dangerous the situation was, she was reluctant to ruin her makeup and demeanor. If she had just smudged her brows or behaved less conspicuously earlier, she might have avoided some trouble.
The staff at the Vermilion Bird Tower, including helpers and cooks, were unaware of Qin Yaru's troubles. They cheerfully poured her tea and brought out some fruits and snacks.
After waiting for a while, it was evident that the banquet upstairs had begun as cups were clinking together. Qin Yaru washed her face clean, casually picked up a storybook, and sat by the window flipping through it. She could not leave until the banquet ended; what had been served earlier was merely an appetizer, and there were still many dishes waiting to be presented.
It had been a long time since Qin Yaru read any contemporary stories, so she found it quite interesting. As she became engrossed in reading, she lost track of time until suddenly there was a commotion in the Vermilion Bird Tower.
Numerous staff members rushed down from upstairs in a panic, with the shopkeeper hurrying along unsteadily as he dashed up.
Qin Yaru was taken aback. "What happened?"
One staff member, drenched in sweat, shouted, "Consort Qin! It's bad news! The person who tested the poison just now has collapsed! The Wu County Magistrate and others are drinking antidote; we don't know if it will work."
Qin Yaru furrowed her brows and shook her head, saying, "This is impossible. The Pufferfish I made is definitely not poisonous!"
It wasn't just that Qin Yaru was confident in her skills; she had also eaten Pufferfish herself. After all, she was studying medicine, so if it were poisonous, she would know as soon as she tasted it.
Qin Yaru quickly rushed upstairs and indeed found the thin, dark-skinned man lying on the ground, his face pale, limbs weak, and his speech unclear—exactly the symptoms of Pufferfish Poison.
The others seemed fine and showed no signs of poisoning. However, upon seeing the state of the tester, they all felt a chill run down their spines. The Wu County Magistrate hurriedly instructed someone to bring the antidote and first handed it to Pang Yuanying. Everyone scrambled to drink it.
Unfortunately, whether it was that the antidote was ineffective or that it was too late, within just a moment, everyone at the table, including Pang Yuanying, collapsed to the ground.
The Shopkeeper of Vermilion Bird Tower suddenly knelt down, drenched in sweat, crying out in despair, "It's over! All over!"
Without hesitation, Qin Yaru grabbed her medical kit and rushed over, pouring a bottle of antidote into each person's mouth. Although she was confident in her skills, they had eaten Pufferfish after all. She had prepared the antidote from the start; this antidote could counteract many types of toxins, including Pufferfish Poison. It was a precious item that Gao Feng had taken from the hospital and was hard to come by. Using so much at once made Qin Yaru feel a bit pained.
However, good things are indeed effective! Before long, Pang Yuanying opened his eyes and his complexion improved significantly; the others also regained some strength.
The Wu County Magistrate trembled as he leaned against the table, his heart racing with regret for suggesting the terrible idea of eating Pufferfish. If Pang Yuanying died in Wudang County, his entire family would be buried with him!
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