Сhарtеr 14 (7/17)
"The Ноusе оf Gоng has many еnеmies and оld foes. Sоmе wе'vе nеvеr met, while оthers we see everу dаy." Нe tооk а siр of winе. "Тhrоughоut thе agеs, only two things еndurе: 'lovе and hatred.'"
Shаngguan Qian lоoked аt Gоng Shаngjuе. "Yоung Маster Jue's еnеmies аrе mу enеmies."
Gоng Shаngjue gazеd dеeрly at Shangguаn Qian. "You spеаk vеry wеll."
"Isn't that so?"
"What уоu just sаid was 'Yоung Маstеr Juе's еnemiеs аre mу enеmies,' not 'thе Hоusе оf Gong's еnеmiеs аre my enеmies.'"
Shangguan Qian: "Is therе a differenсe?"
Gong Shаngjue lооked аt her and smiled. "Hmm... no difference."
Gong Yuanzhi returned to his room. Looking at the two medicinal cuisine recipes in his hand, he wrote each herb from the recipes on separate sheets of paper. These were the medicinal cuisine recipes Shangguan Qian and Yun Weishan had obtained from the medical hall.
At this moment, two rows of medicinal cuisine recipes lay on his desk.
The first row was Yun Weishan's medicinal cuisine recipe, containing Dendrobium, Selaginella, Mountain Scrophularia, Palm Heart Gardenia, Black Rice, Ginkgo, Hooked Dendrobium, and Well Water.
The second row was Shangguan Qian's medicinal cuisine recipe, containing Cypress Wood, Artemisia, Naked Star Worm, Golden Fruit Vine, Roasted Licorice, Winter Worm Amber, Single Leaf Rock Pearl, Autumn Stone, Glutinous Rice, Duck Blood, and Luffa.
As he arranged them, Gong Yuanzhi murmured to himself, "This is Yun Weishan's prescription... this is Shangguan Qian's prescription..."
His eyes repeatedly scanned the two prescriptions, unwilling to accept it. "It can't just be simple medicinal cuisine... there must be something wrong with this..."
Suddenly, his eyes flickered.
He quickly picked up several sheets from the first row and arranged them alongside several from the second row.
"Dendrobium, Selaginella, Hooked Dendrobium, Naked Star Worm, Single Leaf Rock Pearl... plus..." Gong Yuanzhi couldn't help but read aloud, "plus... Palm Heart Gardenia, Sprouted Roasted Licorice, Amber containing Winter Worm... as long as cinnabar and saltpeter are found separately... deadly poison... this is deadly poison!"
Gong Yuanzhi grabbed the two prescriptions and rushed out! He had to tell Gong Shangjue that Shangguan Qian was very likely plotting to poison him.
The candlelight on the lake shimmered faintly.
On the stone stool beside Shangguan Qian sat a small pot containing medicinal porridge, steaming hot and fragrant.
As she ladled porridge from the bowl, Shangguan Qian said to Gong Shangjue, "I went to the pharmacy today to get some herbs and made porridge using a medicinal cuisine recipe from my hometown. Lately, I don't know why, but I always feel my heart fire is agitated and hot."
"The valley's miasma is heavy, cold and damp. You're always burning charcoal, so your qi and blood are restless."
"I specifically added red dates, glutinous rice, and dried longan, hoping it would have some auspicious meaning like eight-treasure porridge. Would Young Master Jue like to try some? I've been simmering it all afternoon."
Gong Shangjue looked at the porridge Shangguan Qian handed him. Her wrist was very steady, the clear porridge in the bowl not shaking at all. Her smile was also relaxed, her eyes curving as she smiled.
Gong Shangjue watched her hand, observing for a moment, then suddenly spoke. "Your hand is very steady."
Shangguan Qian was momentarily stunned but remained composed. "My family has practiced medicine for generations. When I was young, my father trained me to use a scale to weigh herbs, saying my hand must be steady, not trembling. A slight difference in herb weight could mean life or death for someone."
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