Yun Zhengze took back the ticket, neither covering for him nor asking if he was injured.
"How many people did the young master of Green City bring with him when he entered Yi Prefecture, and what methods do you plan to use to get close to Brocade Literature Bookshop?"
Zhao Wuxu had assumed that Yun Zhengze to investigate the manure theft incident, but upon hearing these questions, he hurriedly recounted all the information he knew.
" Pu Yunshan is ostensibly using the name Pu Hua, but the eight guards he brought have yet to show their faces."
He originally intended to gain fame through his writing, then use childhood mementos to get close to Xie Wanqing and uncover the connection between the Fireworks Summoning Edict and the Liu Clan's former subordinates.
Yun Zhengze opened a case file and wrote down the names of Pu Hua, Jiren Medical Hall, and the eight guards in turn.
"What past relationship did he have with Xie Wanqing, and what was that old item?"
Zhao Wuxu hesitated and shook his head.
Pu Yunshan didn't tell me, only that he had used the alias Xiaoshanzi when he was young and had met Xie Wanqing a few times;
He was hiding something that could prove his identity, but I never saw it with my own eyes.
Yun Zhengze put down his pen and looked up at Zhao Wuxu standing in front of the desk.
If Gu Moran hadn't taken precautions beforehand, this incompetent person would have already dragged the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office into the mud.
I don't know what Lady Wang saw in this good-for-nothing!
Yun Zhengze closed the case file.
"If Pu Yunshan contacts you again, you should continue to associate with him, but you are not allowed to mention his subordinates."
Write down exactly what he asked you to do when you get back. If you dare to act on your own again, I will have your travel permit and money taken back.
When Zhao Wuxu heard that Yun Zhengze still allowed him to contact Pu Yunshan, the frustration that had been weighing on his chest finally eased.
He thought his adoptive father was still willing to give him a chance, which meant he recognized him as his adopted son, so he quickly bowed and agreed.
"Please rest assured, Godfather, I will keep Pu Yunshan in check and allow him to continue investigating the Prince Yi's Residence and the Liu Clan's former subordinates; what happened last night will never happen again."
Yun Zhengze waved for him to leave, and only after the study door closed again did he tear off the page he had just written and put it into an unsigned envelope.
The attendant who had been waiting outside the door came in, took the envelope, and awaited instructions.
Yun Zhengze handed him the Waterworks Team's penalty notice as well.
"Send it to the old Prince's residence and hand it over to Uncle Fu personally; then tell the Prince that Zhao Wuxu still believes that Pu Yunshan's eight men have only gone missing, and that this lead can be maintained."
"One more thing, Your Highness, please treat Yue'er well."
"My son is lost; I only have this one daughter left."
The attendant tucked the letter into his pocket and quickly left through the side door.
Yun Zhengze picked up the case files from the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office again. Tucked between the pages were old accounts of Zhao Wuxu's recent encroachment on shops, collusion with powerful figures, and unauthorized investigations of the Prince's Mansion.
Inside the old Prince's Mansion Pharmacy, Shen Ling'er placed Rhodiola rosea, Astragalus membranaceus, Angelica sinensis, and Ligusticum chuanxiong in several bamboo sieves. The aroma of the herbs, mixed with the smell of charcoal fire, drifted into the courtyard through the half-open window.
After Rhodiola rosea is cleaned and sliced, it needs to be dried over low heat, while Astragalus membranaceus needs to be separately honey-fried. The two herbs should not be placed in the same medicine furnace to save time.
When Gu Moran entered, she was checking the weight of the medicinal herbs and had already listed the quantity of the first batch of trial medicines and the contraindications.
"Whether this prescription can be made depends not only on whether all the medicinal materials are available; some soldiers suffer from asthma, some have old injuries that have not yet healed, and some are taking other herbal decoctions, so they can't just put the pills in their mouths as soon as they get them."
Shen Ling'er handed the prescription to Gu Moran and slapped his hand back towards the medicine sieve.
"I'll make twenty pills first, and select scouts who are healthy to try them out, recording any changes in headaches, chest tightness, and sleep patterns; only after confirming there are no problems can I give them to Commandant Zhen for wider use."
After reading the prescription, Gu Moran put it back on the table.
"Do as you say. The medicinal materials, the participants, and the reactions must all be registered; this stuff is meant to reduce losses during marches, we can't rush to distribute it to the army and make our own people sick first."
Shen Ling'er heard that he didn't waste any words, and then she pouted and scolded him coquettishly.
"It's good that you remember this. What I fear most is that you'll think of heading into the mountains as soon as you get the new prescription; the snow-capped mountains are not the backyard of a royal palace. Even if you bring a few extra medicines, you can't just wander around recklessly."
Gu Moran grasped her icy hands and led her closer to the charcoal brazier.
"Today, I will only inspect the medicine and will not venture into the snowy mountains. Once you have prepared the medicine, I will only be responsible for checking the accounts and will not take away the scouts' chance to test the medicine."
Shen Ling'er withdrew her hand and placed a cup of warm tea into his palm.
"That's more like it. If you really want to help, sit there and copy down the medication instructions twice, and don't touch my medicine sieve."
"Don't touch me, I was exhausted last night."
Gu Moran sat down on the other side of the medicine table with his tea in hand. He had just finished copying the first line when he heard the sound of horses stepping on the stone slabs outside the window.
The scouts sent out by Zhen Daijin had already changed into winter clothes and were heading to the North Post from the back gate of the old Prince's Mansion.
Gu Moran placed the copied instructions on the corner of the medicine table. As she stood up, the hem of her clothes brushed against the edge of the charcoal brazier, carrying with it a warm, medicinal fragrance.
Shen Ling'er was sealing the porcelain jar containing Rhodiola rosea when she heard his footsteps heading towards the door. She looked up and called out to him.
"Finished copying?"
"I've finished copying. Give one copy to Commandant Zhen, and keep one for you." Gu Moran glanced back at her. "I'm going to Murong's place."
Shen Ling'er paused for a moment while sealing the jar before pretending nothing was wrong and continuing to press the wax.
"Go on, stay on the couch and don't try anything new or break anything in the house."
Gu Moran didn't answer, and pushed the door open to leave.
The snow stopped at night, and a black track was left in the snow under the eaves, leading all the way to the east courtyard.
He walked slowly, but the heat in his chest lingered.
At this moment, even stepping on the snow felt unsteady, and I just wanted to find a place to vent.
The east gate to the courtyard wasn't closed properly.
Murong Xue sat on the couch with a soft cloth spread on her lap, wiping the whip inch by inch. She didn't even lift her eyelids when she heard the door hinges click.
"Wasn't Your Highness supposed to be helping Sister Shen brew her medicine? What, did you burn the medicine and now you're here begging for a meal?"
Gu Moran pushed the door shut and then bolted it behind him.
Murong Xue stopped wiping her whip only after hearing the sound of the bolt clicking.
She looked up at him, the smile in her eyes slowly fading, and her fingertip twirled half a circle around the whip handle.
"Your Highness, there's something wrong with your eyes."
What's wrong with my eyes?
"Like a wolf that hasn't eaten for three days."
Murong Xue rolled up her whip halfway, her tone still lazy, "You usually apologize three times before entering my room, but today you even bolted the door. What's the reason for that?"
"Let's try reasoning first." Gu Moran took two steps forward. "If reasoning doesn't work, I'll try your new whip technique."
Murong Xue chuckled.
Before the laughter even landed, the whip tip had already swept across the ground.
She didn't use her full strength with that whip; she intended to force him back three steps as usual, making him stand still and talk.
She knew Gu Moran's methods all too well; this person always had to win through verbal sparring.
The whip was halfway through its flight when someone grabbed it.
Murong Xue pulled her hand holding the whip handle back, but it didn't budge.
She added another 30% of her strength, and the force returned to her wrist, causing her knuckles to go numb.
"You--"
Gu Moran pulled back the whip, dragging Murong Xue off the bed and into his arms.
She tried to elbow him in the ribs, but her wrist was first grabbed and pinned behind her back, and the whip snapped and fell onto the footstool.
" Xue'er," Gu Moran looked down at her, "Why have you become so weak?"
Murong Xue's ears turned red all the way down to her neck, but she still remained defiant.
"You... you cheated."
What trick did I use?
"Where did you get all this strength?" She struggled a couple of times, but her whole body was too weak to exert any strength, so she could only look up at him.
"Explain yourself clearly. Did you take some kind of weird pills again? Does Shen Ling'er know?"
(⺣◡⺣)
[Thanks to: SuSu for her talent, AoXia for her update reminder, Aili for her update reminder, JiangZuo for her likes, WeiZuo for her update reminder, and everyone else for their love and support!]
[The comic book series is out! Please check it out on Hongguo if you have time. Thanks, love you all (❁´ω`❁)]