Due to the prevalence of barter in Da An, the peach wood, known as the 'Dragon Subduing Wood', was widely used by people. Ordinary people could not afford to buy gold, silver, and jade, but they also valued the saying of exorcising evil and seeking good fortune. They would often hang a piece of peach wood on the door beam of their houses, seeking both safety and peace of mind.
Ordinary peach wood could be sold in the barter shops, and the price was not expensive. A foot long piece would not cost more than half a string of money. But those were not of age, as long as it was more than fifty years old, the price would multiply by several times. Peach wood that was more than a hundred years old was priceless in the market, and the hundred-year-old peach wood root was even harder to find.
When Pei Jing heard Yu Shu's request, his face revealed a hint of difficulty, and he said, "Items of peach wood are mostly bought and sold in the barter shops. If it was only thirty to fifty years old, I could very well help you buy it at a low price. But this hundred-year-old peach wood root that you want is even rarer than lingzhi and ginseng. Not to mention that it is not available outside, even if someone could take it out, it would most likely be snatched away by the aristocratic families the moment it appears, and it would not be up to us merchants to extend our hands. Uncle does not dare to boast, I can only help you keep an eye out for this matter. "
Yu Shu looked a little disappointed as she nodded her head, "Then I will have to trouble you."
She had heard Daoist Qing Zheng pass on the theory of yin and yang and the five elements of energy, and knew that peach wood was the 'essence of the five elements'. Only on the hundred-year-old peach wood root would there be a trace of innate Yang energy, which could subdue a hundred ghosts, and was the best at suppressing evil Yin.
She was inspired by the 'List of Rare Objects', and taking into consideration that Xue Rui often had to come into contact with matters of the underworld when he was in the Supreme Court of Justice, and after a long time, he would inevitably attract evil Yin, so she thought of borrowing the hundred-year-old peach wood root to personally cultivate an object that could be carried around with him.
But this hundred-year-old peach wood root was not easy to find, so this matter could only be put aside for now.
Pei Jing waved his hand and said, "We are a family, there is no need to be so polite. It is almost noon, you can go back and eat by yourself. I still have a big pile of accounts to verify here, so I will not keep you. As for the Water Essence, I will give you an answer by the day after tomorrow. "
Yu Shu bade farewell to Pei Jing and went to the northern part of the city to visit a few trading shops. She compared the good and the bad and purchased all kinds of items with the essence of the five elements to build a Fengshui Pond. Going back and forth like this, the five hundred taels of silver she brought with her was all gone. But as the saying goes, one cannot catch the wolf without sacrificing the child. Thinking of the future profits, she didn't feel so pained.
When Yu Shu returned to Wang Ji Tower in the afternoon, Xue Rui was already there.
She called a waiter from the backyard to move the things she bought from the carriage upstairs. She then walked to the door of Xue Rui's room. When she pushed the door open, she saw that he was holding a bowl and chopsticks in his hand. There were a few hot dishes on the round table. They were still smoking and did not seem to have been touched.
"It is already so late, you still haven't eaten?"
Xue Rui raised his hand and motioned for her to sit down. He said in a low and hoarse voice, "Don't mention it. In the morning, I went to the palace with Ning Wang to see the Emperor and explained the matter of Ji Xingxuan. I angered the Emperor. In order to protect the child in Ji Xingxuan's belly, Ning Wang knelt in the Imperial Study for two hours. I couldn't leave, so I could only stand at the side as punishment."
Yu Shu looked at Xue Rui sympathetically and asked, "What happened after that? How did His Majesty deal with Ji Xingxuan?"
From Yu Shu's point of view, of course, she didn't want to let Ji Xingxuan go. But with the current situation involving the Imperial Family, it was not something she could control.
"After His Majesty's anger subsided, he gave a secret order … Tonight, he asked me to secretly release Ji Xingxuan from the prison and hand her over to Ning Wang."
Even though Yu Shu had already expected this, she couldn't help but curl her lips when she heard the Emperor's order to bend the law. She said, "Are we still going to try this case? Many people are watching. At least, Cao Family and Xin Family will not let Ji Xingxuan go. Now that the murderer has disappeared, how are you going to explain this to the public?"
When she finished speaking, she saw the corner of Xue Rui's mouth revealed a cold smile. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and leaned towards her. He whispered, "After tonight, there will no longer be a person called Ji Xingxuan in this world."
"…" Yu Shu's mouth widened in shock. She couldn't close it for a long time.
Xue Rui poured two cups of wine. He handed one to her and brought the other to his lips. He slowly drank two mouthfuls before saying in a low voice, "His Majesty has always been biased towards the Seventh Prince. Now that such a scandal has happened, he will definitely cover it up. If we want to keep the child in Ji Xingxuan's womb alive and not cause any more trouble, there is only one way — — to fabricate the false impression that Ji Xingxuan committed suicide to escape punishment. Only when she is dead, no one will pursue the matter."
Yu Shu was momentarily speechless. She picked up the cup of wine that Xue Rui poured for her. She tilted her head back and drank it down. Her throat was burning. Only then did she feel that what she had heard and thought was true.
"Man proposes, God disposes. I had thought that Ji Xingxuan would be able to escape another calamity. Who would have thought that the straw that she was grasping at would actually prematurely sentence her to death."
That day in Xuan Chun Yuan, Yu Shu had clearly seen Ning Wang's attitude. Right now, he only wanted to protect the flesh and blood in Ji Xingxuan's womb. When Ji Xingxuan gave birth to the child, what awaited her was undoubtedly an ending where she would keep the child but lose the mother.
Yu Shu did not want to deny it. She really did view Ji Xingxuan as a thorn in her side and wanted to get rid of her quickly. But knowing that she was about to face a tragic end, she did not feel much joy in her heart. Instead, she felt a sense of regret —
Ever since she came to this world, this woman had always been at odds with her. It was as if she was destined to become her mortal enemy and fight endlessly. Thinking back to that day, her 'predecessor' had died in vain because of Ji Xingxuan. Now, because of her, Ji Xingxuan had finally walked onto the road of death. Wasn't this what the Dao of Yi said, 'the cycle of heaven's law, retribution is not pleasant'?
When Xue Rui saw the complicated expression revealed on Yu Shu's pretty face, he sighed lightly and said, "You can't escape the consequences of your own actions. Ji Xingxuan only has herself to blame, so you don't have to feel pity for her."
Yu Shu blinked and came back to her senses. She could not confess her thoughts, so she could only pass the empty cup to him and ask for another cup of wine. She smiled slightly and said: "You have known me for so long. Am I the kind of person who sheds tears and pretends to be compassionate? It is the best thing for me that she has ended up like this. I only feel pity that you have no chance to investigate this case."
Yu Shu and Xue Rui were the same. They did not believe that Ji Xingxuan was the mastermind of the two murders in Taishi Shuyuan. They also vaguely felt that the mastermind behind the scenes was carefully planning something.
Unfortunately, the clues were cut off from Ji Xingxuan and there was no way to trace it.
Xue Rui filled her cup with wine. A light flashed across his eyes, but he smiled and did not say anything. He raised his hand and clinked glasses with her —
"Ding dong."
.....
Yu Shu and Xue Rui were both good drinkers. They drank half a pot of wine, but they were still sober. After the dishes were removed, they moved to the study to make tea.
Xue Rui asked her about the Day of Sacrifice. Yu Shu told him about the farce in Rongsheng Hall in the morning. Intentionally or unintentionally, she skipped the part where Jing Chen helped her and focused on the part where Madame Lu and Academician Gao quarreled. As she spoke, she couldn't help laughing.
"Big Brother didn't see the expressions on those people's faces. Madam Lu's words made their mouths crooked, but no one dared to quarrel with her. Only after she left did they make irresponsible remarks, hehehe."
Xue Rui saw that she did not care and said helplessly: "I told you earlier. Why didn't you pay more attention? That half of the people don't agree with you. It's not necessarily Han Wenguang's idea. If you had sent a few gifts in advance, you wouldn't have been selected. "
Yu Shu's smile did not diminish. She crossed her arms and said: "This ancestral worship thing, if it can be bribed with money, it's fine not to go. Even a fourth-grade female fortune teller like me can be pulled down by them. I can be selected by donating a special technique. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that there is something wrong. It's their business that they like to deceive themselves. Why should I cooperate with them? "
Xue Rui also knew that there were more and more muddy waters in Taishi Library in the past few years. Thinking about it carefully, it was good to be like Yu Shu.
"Forget it. After all, you are the most famous in this Dayan. This kind of thing is just icing on the cake. Moreover, when the day comes, you will have to carry the artifacts with you. If there is any mistake, it will be either a blessing or a disaster. It's better to let others do it."
Yu Shu was not interested in the ancestral worship ceremony. Hearing Xue Rui mention it, she did not ask in detail. Instead, she leaned forward on the tea table and opened her round and bright eyes. She sweetly said: "Big Brother, I want to borrow a place from you to set up a Feng Shui pond. What do you think?"
Xue Rui rarely saw her acting like this. He really could not stand it. He nodded his head in confusion before asking her: "Where?"
Yu Shu pointed upstairs. "The courtyard on the third floor. I want to make a Feng Shui pond and personally raise some artifacts."
Xue Rui laughed: "You really know how to choose a place. There are two Feng Shui eyes in this Wangji Loft. One is the small pond in the middle of the backyard. The other is the courtyard."
Yu Shu laughed: "Then will you lend it to me?"
It was just a place. Since she started asking, how could Xue Rui not give it to her? However, seeing the fervent look in her eyes, he could not help but tease her: "What's in it for me to lend it to you?"
Hearing his tone, Yu Shu secretly rolled her eyes. He was at it again. Every time Young Master Xue wanted to take advantage of her, he would first ask for benefits and then wait for her to take the bait. She had acted dumb and let him have his way a few times. He really thought she was easy to trick.
"Do you want me to give you a kiss?"
"Ahem." Xue Rui did not expect her to be so straightforward. He choked. Although he was very moved by this proposal, he did not miss the cunning look that flashed in her eyes. His intuition told him that if he nodded, he would definitely be in trouble later. Thus, he suppressed the itch in his heart and pretended to be serious: "Look at what you think of me. How am I a playboy? You can do whatever you want with the courtyard. Just don't tear down the floor."
Yu Shu looked at him with a smile. Her eyes glanced at his thin and moderately thick lips. She thought to herself, "At least he knows his place. If he really dares to take the opportunity to ask me to kiss him again, I'll see if she doesn't bite him hard later to teach him a lesson."
After talking about business, Yu Shu did not stay for a moment longer. She stood up and said: "Alright, you should take advantage of the day to sleep. Look at the dark circles under your eyes."
Xue Rui pressed his forehead. It would have been better if she did not say it. The moment she said it, he felt weak all over. These two days, he did not sleep for two whole nights. He was indeed tired.
"Then I will rest first. You go busy yourself. If you need anything, just tell Lin Fu and let him get it."
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