Peaceful Jianghu

Chapter 49

The knife had made him angry, but it cleared his head a bit. He flipped through the prescription again and asked the steward, "Was it spleen deficiency at first? He was pale and thin. Later, he developed liver disease?"

"Yes, young lady, my son-in-law was initially reluctant to eat or drink, and everyone thought he was in a bad mood."

"Xue Er, cut his wrist and let it bleed."

"Huh?" Xue Beifan looked at Xiao Dao and whispered a reminder, "Even if you can't heal him, don't rush to kill him!"

Xiao Dao pursed her lips and glared at him, "Do as I say!"

Seeing that she was getting anxious, Xue Beifan had no choice but to go over. "Left hand or right hand?"

"Never mind, just make a cut and let him bleed a little."

Xue Beifan was puzzled, but since Xiao Dao said that, she must have a reason. So he cut Wen Si's wrist with a knife, and blood flowed out.

Everyone was puzzled. Xiao Dao walked over, took the candlestick on the table, and examined the blood carefully. He immediately saw two small worms wriggling together in the blood. "They've been poisoned. They really have been given poison."

Xue Beifan looked at him with admiration, "You're really capable, girl! You can even cure this strange disease?"

Xiao Dao blinked. "I didn't say I could cure it."

Xue Beifan stared at her. "Didn't you say you were under a spell?"

"Yes, if there are worms in the blood, then it's definitely a case of being poisoned by a Gu."

"What kind of Gu?"

"How would I know? There are countless kinds of Gu poison."

Xue Beifan stared at her with his mouth agape, but at that moment, he saw Miss Zhai lying next to Wen Si with a mixture of surprise and joy, looking up at Xiao Dao, "Little miracle doctor, can you really cure him? Can my husband be cured?"

Before Xiao Dao could speak, Xue Beifan reminded her from behind, "Sigh, if you say it can't be cured, that would be a triple blow."

Xiao Dao kicked his knee, giving him a sidelong glance. She took a bottle from her pouch and walked to Miss Zhai's side. "I only know he's been poisoned by a Gu. My skills are limited; I don't know what kind of Gu it is, or if it can be cured. But nine out of ten Gu poisons are deadly. I have a very precious antidote here. My mother said it can cure most poisons and even prolong life. Give him one and see. It's a last resort. If he really dies, I've done my best; please don't blame me."

Miss Zhai's emotions fluctuated several times, but a glimmer of hope was better than watching Wen Si die. She thanked him profusely, accepted the pills, and gave them to Wen Si.

So everyone waited on the side.

Xiaoyue noticed that Xiaodao seemed a little distressed as he packed up the medicine, so she asked, "Xiaodao, is the medicine very precious?"

Xiao Dao pouted, "Hmm, making one is quite a lot of work. I hope Wen Si isn't a heartless man."

Xiaoyue nodded understandingly. After waiting for a while, Wen Si didn't make much of a move. Xiaodao sighed. Miracles are not something that can be done just because you say so.

Just when everyone thought Wen Si was about to die, he suddenly opened his mouth and began to vomit blood. After vomiting blood, he felt much better and his complexion actually returned to normal.

Xiao Dao leaned over to take his pulse, smiled, and said, "You guessed right. He might really not die."

The entire Zhai family was overjoyed.

Another hour passed, and Wen Si vomited a lot of blood. He regained consciousness and realized he was thirsty and hungry. Xiao Dao and the others were treated as honored guests and led to a guest room. The steward and maids served them carefully, keeping them there until the young lady had tidied up and they would come out to thank them.

Xiao Dao and his team are still investigating the case, so naturally they have no intention of leaving.

Xue Beifan tapped Xiao Dao's shoulder lightly with his finger, "Just a lucky break."

Xiao Dao curled her lip, "It's because I have the ability!"

"It's because you have a good mother," Xue Beifan chuckled.

By midnight, the entire Zhai residence had fallen silent. Wen Si's life was truly saved. He drank some porridge and then fell into a peaceful sleep, his breathing even and deep. Miss Zhai felt a sense of déjà vu for a moment, and reluctantly left her husband's bedside to go to the main hall to see Xiao Dao and the others.

Seeing that she was about to express her gratitude with a grand gesture, Xiao Dao quickly stopped her and explained his purpose.

“That’s right!” Miss Zhai stood up abruptly. “Someone did indeed harm my husband! I originally thought they used witchcraft, but now it seems they used poison and insects.”

"Miss Zhai, why do you suspect the Cai family?" Hao Jinfeng asked, recalling the Zhai family's previous lawsuit against Cai Bian.

“It’s a long story,” Miss Zhai sighed. “After my marriage to my fourth brother, things were incredibly difficult. Everyone said he was unfaithful and vain, but we endured it. Later, my fourth brother heard that Liao Xiaoqing had disappeared, so he searched for her everywhere. Eventually, he heard that she had gone to Xianyun Mountain to get married. My fourth brother went to look for her, and when he came back, he fell ill. After that, he sighed constantly and lost his appetite. I could see that he was very sad. The more time passed, the more my fourth brother suffered. Not only did he stop eating, but he also started having nightmares every night. He dreamed that Liao Xiaoqing wanted to harm him… I sent people there many times, but we couldn’t find her. It was said that she ran into the mountains and died. Later, I heard that Cai Bian had sealed off the mountains, and that my seventh concubine was also going into the mountains. That’s when I remembered something.”

"And what about the Seventh Concubine?" Xiao Dao was starting to have a problem with the Seventh Concubine, thinking she was scheming and had many secrets.

"Fourth Brother is naturally a romantic and affectionate man. He is very good to women and can win their hearts. Back then, if Seventh Concubine hadn't come to see him perform every day, she wouldn't have caught Cai Bian's eye and ended up being brought into the mansion as a concubine... I think she must hate Fourth Brother very much."

Xiao Dao was astonished. So, the Seventh Concubine knew Wen Si too? The matter seemed to have become quite complicated.

"So, in the end, is it really because Young Master Wen seduced Liao Xiaoqing and then abandoned her, that he turned his love into hatred?"

Just as everyone was wondering how to continue asking questions, Lou Xiaoyue asked directly what Xiaodao cared about most.

Xiao Dao gave a thumbs-up under the table—"Well done, Xiao Yue!"

Ms. Zhai lowered her head and said, "Everyone says that, and I'm used to it. Some things are just hard to explain."

Xiao Dao and Xiao Yue exchanged a glance, still not understanding whether Wen Si had truly abandoned her after starting something. Xue Bei Fan and Chong Hua, however, nodded repeatedly, seemingly understanding and quite empathetic.

Miss Zhai invited everyone to stay overnight, intending to provide them with proper hospitality the following day, and said that some matters could be discussed during the day.

Xiao Dao entered the courtyard, still puzzled, and asked Xue Beifan, "Did you understand? What do you mean by 'can't explain it clearly'?"

"That raises the issue of expectations. Didn't your mother teach you that?" Xue Beifan retorted to Xiaodao.

Xiao Dao shook his head suspiciously, "What expectations? My mother told me not to have any illusions about men."

"Heh." Xue Beifan smiled wryly, "That's about it, just like..." As he spoke, he casually picked a pear blossom and handed it to Xiaodao, "Here."

Xiao Dao took the flower, puzzled, and looked at him. "What are you doing?"