Chapter 173: Chapter 86 To Live and Die Together_1
The wind crept in through the window cracks, causing the shadows on the ground to sway lightly.
If last night was an unspoken test, today had turned into an outright confrontation.
Lu Tong looked at the person in front of him, thinking that the Commander of the Palace Front Office had arrived even faster than he had imagined.
Duan Xiaoyan’s eyes suddenly filled with wild joy as he exclaimed, "My lord!"
Pei Yunmeng gave him a glance, "Why are you sitting on the ground?"
The young man’s handsome face flushed red, and with a grunt, he spoke sheepishly, "I was bitten by a poisonous snake. The poison will flare up in half an hour, so I dare not move too vigorously."
Hearing this, Pei Yunmeng raised an eyebrow and his gaze fell on the woman pounding medicine inside the room.
"Doctor Lu, what is the meaning of this?"
Lu Tong’s expression remained calm, and he did not panic even though there was one more person in the room; he even seemed somewhat indifferent to the paralyzed Duan Xiaoyan on the ground.
"Lord Pei, your man sneaked into my clinic in the dead of night, rummaged through my kitchen, and was bitten by the poisonous snake I had fetched for medicinal purposes. Are you going to blame me for his severe poisoning too?"
She sneered, "The ’Laws of the Liang Dynasty’ that I know by heart do not include such a clause."
Pei Yunmeng glanced at Duan Xiaoyan on the ground, who didn’t dare say a word.
After a moment of silence, he stepped back, leaned against the door with his arms crossed, and smiled, "Then, Doctor Lu, what do you propose?"
Direct and decisive — this man wasted no words.
Lu Tong paused in her movements, put down the Medicine Hammer, "I propose nothing."
"There is no cure for this poison, and even if there were, it could not be made in such a short time."
Duan Xiaoyan’s face turned pale.
She then looked at Pei Yunmeng with a hint of mockery in her eyes, "He is but a servant. If he dies, he dies. Why such concern from the Marshal?"
Duan Xiaoyan’s forehead throbbed.
What does she mean "but a servant"? What does she mean "if he dies, he dies"?
What kind of healer could say such cold words?
He had once thought that Lu Tong was a goddess; tomorrow he would go to the temple and apologize to the goddess!
The room was silent, except for the night wind that fluttered the flames casting shallow shadows of the lamp, and under the glowworm lanterns hanging in the courtyard, the Wind Chime was stirred by the wind, emitting a faint pleasant sound.
Pei Yunmeng’s gaze was fixed on her and suddenly, his lips curved into a smile.
He said, "Chi Jian."
No sooner had his words fallen than a man dressed as a guard, who appeared out of nowhere, stood in front of the kitchen door. In front of this guard was a young woman with her hands bound behind her, her eyes full of panic as she looked at Lu Tong.
Lu Tong’s face showed a slight change.
She had clearly told Yin Zheng to hide well outside the clinic...
The young man sighed, took a chair over, sat down opposite Lu Tong, his smile especially bright under the light of the lamp.
He said, "Doctor Lu has been so thoughtful for her maid. Unfortunately, your maid is too loyal and worried about you, so she turned back halfway."
His gaze lingered on Lu Tong with interest, "Now, Doctor Lu, will you still say ’he is but a servant. If he dies, he dies’?"
Lu Tong’s eyes darkened slightly.
Many in Shengjing called her "Doctor Lu."
Du Changqing was casual about it, Ah Cheng spoke with affection, Official Hu and other neighbors were kind and cautious, as they respected her as a true healer.
But no one said it with the mockery that Pei Yunmeng did.
His smiling eyes, his mocking tone, his casual posture, all seemed to indicate clearly that he had long seen through her, that she was not the compassionate "healer" she seemed to be.
From the doorway came Yin Zheng’s voice, filled with regret, "I’m sorry, miss, I..."
Lu Tong looked straight at Pei Yunmeng, "What do you want to do?"
Before Pei Yunmeng could reply, Duan Xiaoyan quickly said, "What else is there to do, Doctor Lu? Give me the antidote, and my lord will release your maid. Everyone will be happy, a perfect resolution, and we’ll steer clear of each other in the future."
It did sound like a fair trade, one life for another, quite even.
Lu Tong remained silent for a moment before raising her head, "What if I say there is no antidote?"
Duan Xiaoyan was taken aback.
No antidote?
How could that be possible!
Instinctively, he felt she was bluffing, yet, capturing the indifferent look on Lu Tong’s face, he suddenly became less sure, and a nervous tension began to build.
"Doctor Lu, you... you must be joking."
After Pei Yunmeng arrived, he had completely relaxed, confident that Lu Tong was just trying to scare him. She wouldn’t really just watch him die, would she?
What benefit could his death possibly bring to Lu Tong!
But Yin Zheng looked at Lu Tong pleadingly, "Miss, don’t worry about me. Don’t let me become a burden to you. The fortune-teller once told me my life is short, that I wouldn’t live past nineteen. Dying in exchange for an Imperial Guard of the Palace Front Office is worth it."