Deng Xiao saw Yi Qing acting so mysteriously and then asking such a question. He almost burst out laughing.
"My name is Gu Shuqing. I'm thirty - six this year." Gu Shuqing's face showed a mysterious excitement.
"Now you've got your first reward. Open the box in front of you. There's a box of gold ingots inside."
Gu Shuqing's expression became even more excited.
"Where do you live?"
...
Yi Qing was asking very routine questions. Even Xue Miao'er beside her was about to yawn.
"Where did you get your Ruyi Cake?" Yi Qing finally got to the point.
Previously, Gu Shuqing had answered the questions quickly, but this time he hesitated slightly. Deng Xiao's expression also turned solemn.
"Qingyue Fang, the third fork in the alley, the fourth tree..." Gu Shuqing looked a bit struggling. "Divination."
"Divination?" Yi Qing was surprised. "How?"
"You'll get what you ask for." Gu Shuqing's face was excited again.
"Did you get your Ruyi Cake from there?"
"Yes."
Yi Qing snapped her fingers, and Gu Shuqing immediately fainted.
"What's this method?" Deng Xiao found it quite amazing.
"A simple form of hypnosis. It only works on those with weak wills. You can get out information that you can't get even through torture with some other aids." Yi Qing was quite proud.
She was just trying it out. She didn't want to make this matter a big deal. After all, the Yuan family was involved. If it got out of hand, it would be bad for everyone.
"It seems you're quite suitable to work in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I'll find an opportunity to report this to the emperor later." Deng Xiao said half - jokingly.
"Aren't you afraid I'll poison all the prisoners in the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
"They're all going to die anyway."
"Forget it. You deal with this guy. Don't breathe a single word about the Yuan family's matter."
"Okay." Deng Xiao didn't joke with Yi Qing anymore. He led his men away.
The matter of the Ruyi Cake was of great importance. If the emperor found out that he hadn't thoroughly investigated it before, things would get troublesome.
Yi Qing had lunch at the Yuan family's mansion. Lady Yuan gave Yi Qing a box of jewelry. It was obviously hush money. Yi Qing thought it would be much easier to just give silver instead of jewelry.
After that, she was arranged to rest in the guest room. In the afternoon, Miss Yuan woke up, and Yi Qing went to check on her again to determine the surgical plan.
She had a set of surgical equipment, but she had no assistant. It would be a bit overwhelming for her to handle it alone. She needed to find an assistant.
Ordinary women would scream at the sight of blood, let alone watching someone perform surgery. Yi Qing thought for a long time and decided to go to the vegetable market to look.
By dinner time, Xiao Jinghan still hadn't come to pick her up, so she had to have dinner at the Yuan family's mansion. After dinner, Lady Yuan was worried that Yi Qing would be bored waiting alone, so she accompanied Yi Qing to chat.
At this time, Yuan Hetong rushed in from outside.
"You're so rash. Have no manners at all." Lady Yuan pretended to be angry.
Yuan Hetong was very surprised to see Yi Qing there. Then he bowed to Yi Qing. "General Xiao was assassinated. He's being treated in the Imperial Hospital now."
"What?" Yi Qing suddenly stood up. "Xue Miao'er, let's go."
"Don't be in such a hurry, Lady Xiao..." Lady Yuan looked at Yi Qing's anxious expression.
Yi Qing ignored her, but stopped at the threshold and turned to look at Lady Yuan. "Can Lady Yuan do me a favor?"
"Sure." Lady Yuan was more than willing to help Yi Qing.
Everyone watched as Yi Qing hurriedly got on the Yuan family's carriage and headed towards the palace. At the same time, a small carriage left from the back door of the Yuan family's mansion.
When the Yuan family's carriage reached the bustling market, suddenly a group of people wearing ghost - face masks rushed out. At this time, that unremarkable carriage drove past from a side alley.
"How did you know there would be an assassination?" Xue Miao'er lifted a corner of the curtain and looked outside.
"They dared to assassinate Xiao Jinghan. They must be desperate. After what I did to Bai Yutang, she definitely won't let me go. The key is that she's worried I'll cure Xiao Jinghan." Yi Qing gritted her teeth.
She suddenly realized that Bai Yutang had taken the border defense map and then tried to kill Xiao Jinghan. Then no one could stop them from breaking through the border and advancing straight in.
Even if they couldn't kill Xiao Jinghan but just injured him, it would buy them a lot of time. By then, they would miss the best opportunity to counter - attack and would be very passive.
No wonder the enemy was so bold. With such a strategy, they really had the capital to be arrogant.
And Yi Qing wasn't interested in these matters and wasn't involved, so she naturally wouldn't think of the enemy's well - designed and desperate plan.
By the time the assassins realized they had assassinated the wrong person, Yi Qing had already entered the palace. To her surprise, she saw the emperor and Xiao Jinghan drinking.
"You..." All of Yi Qing's worries turned into anger. She turned her head and ignored Xiao Jinghan.
Xiao Jinghan quickly went over to coax Yi Qing. "It happened suddenly. We had to deceive everyone to make the spies in the capital believe it."
Hearing what Xiao Jinghan said, Yi Qing turned around and looked down at Xiao Jinghan. "Forget it. As long as you're okay."
The emperor immediately felt jealous. "I'm still here!"
He had originally prepared to sow discord and mock women for being petty and getting angry over a small matter, but instead he got a mouthful of dog food.
"Sure, I know." Yi Qing looked at the emperor. "Why don't you cry loudly to show your grief at losing a good general?"
The emperor took a deep breath and pointed at Yi Qing. "I'm the emperor. I won't argue with you."
He was probably the first emperor with three palaces and six courtyards to be fed dog food.
"Yes, Your Majesty is magnanimous. Then don't waste our time here." Yi Qing put her arm around Xiao Jinghan's waist.
Xiao Jinghan took a sharp breath.
"What's wrong?" Yi Qing immediately became nervous.
"I just scratched a bit when fighting the enemy. It's nothing." Xiao Jinghan said indifferently.
"We still have to take a look." Yi Qing was solemn.
"The imperial doctor has already bandaged it. It's really okay."
Yi Qing was unhappy.
"Okay, I'll let you take a look." Xiao Jinghan just doted on Yi Qing's childish temper.
"What are you still doing here? You're not a doctor." Yi Qing turned to look at the emperor.
The emperor was driven away before he could finish a cup of wine, and he didn't even have the slightest bit of temper. "If anything happens to my beloved general, I'll hold you accountable."
Yi Qing ignored him, and the emperor left dejectedly.
Xiao Jinghan's wound was a bit lower on his lower back, where there was no soft armor for protection. There was a three - inch - long wound.
Yi Qing felt a sudden sense of fear when she saw the wound. If it weren't for the soft armor, this knife would really have taken Xiao Jinghan's life. She looked at the wound carefully, and suddenly her expression became solemn. She went to get a candle.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Jinghan saw Yi Qing looking so solemn.
"Does it hurt?" Yi Qing pressed on it.
"It doesn't hurt when my wife is pressing." Xiao Jinghan joked.
"I'm serious. You should be poisoned." Yi Qing saw that the edge of the wound was a bit purple. It was hard to tell when mixed with the red blood. If she hadn't looked carefully, she wouldn't have noticed.