A pure heart in a jade pot

Chapter 220

Mo Yan inspected the area before leaving, saying as usual that she would come again tomorrow. Gongsun Ce returned to his room, secretly lamenting his situation and hoping that Zhan Zhao would return soon.

Strangely enough, throughout the rest of the day, despite Gongsun Ce instructing his servants to be vigilant, no one saw any more snakes. That night, Gongsun Ce stood under the eaves for a long time, claiming to be admiring the moon, but his eyes never looked at the full moon in the sky; they were fixed on the grass…

Under the moonlight, the courtyard was very quiet, a quietness that made him feel a little uneasy.

The paper pasted on the corner of the wall rustled in the night wind. He thought incredulously, could it really be that Xiao Qi's talisman worked?

"Are the snakes really gone?" Mo Yan couldn't contain her excitement.

Gongsun Ce was an honest man, so he naturally nodded, but still reserved his opinion, saying, "However, it's possible that he just didn't see it. I can't be completely sure."

“I understand, I understand,” Mo Yan said hurriedly. “Then let’s stick it on for a few more days. If we still don’t find any snakes, then it must be because of the talisman.”

"...Do we have to apply it for a few more days?" Gongsun Ce sighed inwardly.

“Let’s try it for two more days,” Mo Yan said with great enthusiasm. “If it proves that the talisman is truly effective, I will be able to tell others with confidence in the future.”

Recalling the confident look on her face when she spoke to him, Gongsun Ce was speechless. It turned out that his own courtyard had become her testing ground.

This time, Zhan Zhao encountered many difficulties in collecting evidence, and returned much later than expected, taking three or four days longer than the five or six days he was supposed to return.

As he rode into the city, he keenly sensed the differences in the capital.

Because, everywhere on the streets, people were hawking paper talismans—red, yellow, and white paper—with incomprehensible writing on them. What surprised him even more was that the hawkers kept saying, "Master Gongsun of Kaifeng Prefecture personally tested it; its effects are extraordinary. You must believe it, you mustn't miss it!"

Mr. Gongsun… Zhan Zhao frowned slightly, slowing his horse, but then heard another voice: “Those who want a son, come quick! Exclusive ancient secret formula, guaranteed to give you a son…”

At this moment, Zhan Zhao had a vague premonition of something bad. He dismounted, walked to a stall, picked up a piece of yellow paper, and saw several large characters written on it: "Owes me money for Qingzhou papayas."

"Lord Zhan! It's you!" the shopkeeper greeted him warmly. "This is a mosquito repellent recipe. It's the height of summer now, and there are so many mosquitoes. Buy one and stick it at the foot of your bed or under your mattress, and you'll be guaranteed to stay away from mosquito bites. Don't doubt it, this recipe was tested by Master Gongsun in Kaifeng Prefecture, otherwise I wouldn't dare to sell it."

Zhan Zhao felt that the words on the talisman sounded very familiar, but he couldn't be sure if they were written in Mo Yan's book. So he asked, "That... the recipe for having a boy, let me see it."

"So this is what you wanted."

Seeing the shopkeeper's ambiguous smile, Zhan Zhao felt a little embarrassed, turned his face slightly away, and reached out to stroke the horse.

The shopkeeper bent down, found a piece of red paper, and handed it to him, saying, "Master Zhan, you've come to the right person for this recipe. Take it home and follow it, and I guarantee you'll have a healthy baby boy next year, making you beam with joy..."

Ignoring what he was saying, Zhan Zhao looked down at the red paper in his hand, which read: "If a woman is pregnant and wishes to have a son, she should secretly place an axe under the bed with the blade facing down, and she will surely give birth to a son."

That's right, these are the words Mo Yan read to him that night. Zhan Zhao sighed inwardly. It was exactly what he feared. He had only been gone for a few days, how could Mo Yan have spread the entire book all over the streets and made everyone believe it? What's even more absurd is that she even dragged Mr. Gongsun into it.

After returning the red paper to the shopkeeper, Zhan Zhao did not hesitate any longer and rode his horse toward Kaifeng Prefecture.

"Guard Zhan! You're finally back."

Before even entering Bao Zheng's study, Gongsun Ce heard Zhan Zhao's footsteps and came out to greet him from afar.

"Mr. Gongsun..." Not knowing the reason for the matter, Zhan Zhao did not know what to say.

Gongsun Ce hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Was the official business successful this time?"

"Although it was a bit troublesome, it's all taken care of now," Zhan Zhao replied.

"Official business is important, you go in first. I need to talk to you when you come out." Gongsun Ce looked worried and pointed towards Bao Zheng's study.

Zhan Zhao also had many questions for him, so he cupped his hands in greeting and quickly went inside.

Side Story 5: Anecdotes of Kaifeng, Chapter 5

After giving a detailed report on his official duties to Lord Bao, Zhan Zhao presented him with the evidence he had obtained on this trip. Bao Zheng examined it carefully, nodded, and smiled, saying, "Thank you for your hard work! ...By the way, did you notice anything when you entered the city?"

Zhan Zhao paused, then hesitated and asked, "Are you referring to those talismans sold all over the streets, sir?"

"Yes, you saw it too." Bao Zheng sighed helplessly, "In just a few days, the capital was in high demand, the news spread throughout the streets and alleys, and even Mr. Gongsun was implicated innocently. It's really..."

"Does Your Excellency know where this matter originated?" Zhan Zhao asked without much hope.

"I haven't verified the specifics yet, but according to rumors, it's said to be someone from our Kaifeng Prefecture, and it seems to be Xiao Qi."

Bao Zheng spoke calmly, but Zhan Zhao still blushed.

"I'll go back and ask her. If it really is her, I... will handle this matter properly." He really didn't know what to do with Mo Yan in this situation.

Bao Zheng smiled and said, "Everything else is fine, but it's really unfair to involve Mr. Gongsun."

Zhan Zhao sighed inwardly: "I understand, my lord. Rest assured, I will handle this matter properly."

"Um."

Bao Zheng nodded: "Then you should go and rest first. Xiao Qi... she's pregnant now, so she should rest more."

"I see."

Zhan Zhao understood the meaning of "quiet recuperation" and took his leave. He hadn't gone two steps outside the courtyard when he saw Gongsun Ce standing under the corridor waiting for him.

Zhan Zhao braced himself and stepped forward, bowing respectfully and saying, "Sir..."

“Guard Zhan,” Gongsun Ce said, his brow furrowed with worry, yet he hesitated to speak, “I…”

"Did Xiao Qi do something to offend you, sir?" Zhan Zhao sighed inwardly and asked directly.

"No, no, no... she meant well, she didn't mean any harm," Gongsun Ce quickly said. "Don't blame her."

"Sir, what exactly happened?"

"The story is..." Gongsun Ce tried to keep it brief as he told Zhan Zhao about Mo Yan getting rid of the snake in his yard, "The snake was gone, and I was naturally very happy. Xiao Qi seemed to be happy too, so she told others about it. The news spread like wildfire. Perhaps due to a slip of the tongue, it became known that I, Gongsun Ce, had tried all the remedies. Other remedies are fine, but how could I possibly have tried the remedy for having a boy? Now..." He hesitated, then leaned close to Zhan Zhao's ear and whispered the story.