Zhong Li recognized the *yáng zhí zhú*, a common anesthetic in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Holding the child with one arm, she took the other and slowly walked towards the wooden bed.
Miaoyun stood behind her, watching her movements, and finally spoke impatiently, "Don't waste time. The buyer is arriving soon. If the goods aren't delivered, we'll all die here."
Zhong Li paused, quickly processing Miaoyun's words. "What goods?"
She asked, feigning ignorance.
Miaoyun walked to her side and helped place the child from Zhong Li's arms onto the bed. "Miaohui probably hasn't told you yet?
Ever since the Beichuan Gang incident last year, when the court learned that someone in the Southern Yue Kingdom was smuggling *qià tè cǎo*, the inspections at the ports became even more stringent. But who would turn away money?
The higher-ups devised a method: pack the *qià tè cǎo* into sheep intestines, and then into people's stomachs. Wouldn't that make it easier to circulate?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li looked at the child before her. "But you don't necessarily have to use children. It's so cruel..."
"We haven't used adults before. Many people would swallow these sheep intestines and then pass them out. But after all, it comes from below. Once many nobles learned of this method of circulation, they refused to buy.
Without buyers, there was no money. The superiors had no choice but to think of using slaves to transport the goods. But how many slaves could there be? And they had to be bought with money. Only unwanted children, who were going to die anyway, could be used to their fullest potential."
Miaoyun spoke as if discussing something extraordinary, a look of pride on her face.
Zhong Li simply stared at her. She truly couldn't fathom how this woman in a sea-green robe could be the greatest demon of the Beitian Nunnery.
"Alright, hurry up. Miaohui will be back soon, and she'll start the procedure. If the medicine hasn't taken effect, and this child wakes up in pain, it will be a headache for everyone," Miaoyun said impatiently, urging Zhong Li.
Zhong Li's hand, stirring the medicinal soup, paused. Her heart ached as if being gouged. She had expected Miaoyun to say something about the child suffering more, but instead, she was giving the child the *yáng zhí zhú* simply because she feared the child crying.
Suppressing her anger, she began feeding the medicine in her hand to the child on the wooden bed.
Miaoyun watched her actions with a cold laugh and turned back to the place where the medicine was being prepared, busying herself with her tasks and saying casually, "The previous child wasn't from the Beitian Nunnery. I remember when he was brought here, it was by someone from the Dali Temple."
Zhong Li's feeding motion stopped. She listened intently to Miaoyun's words, finally hearing about Zhong Wuyou again. Looking at where Zhong Wuyou had been before, so small and pitiable, she thought of how helpless he must have been to have his abdomen cut open.
Miaoyun's words continued, "Actually, the Beitian Nunnery did take in some abandoned infants in the beginning. But do you know?
Children are not easy to raise, especially very young ones. They can't speak, they only cry, and you have to get up at night to care for them. The nunnery had very little money to begin with, especially after the Baolin Temple was built here, effectively hiding the Beitian Nunnery and cutting off its incense offerings.
But these children needed milk. The nunnery had no money, so they could only give them millet porridge. The more delicate ones died, while those with good constitutions barely survived.
If you calculate it, only a few children survived each year. Not to mention that we who took care of the children were exhausted day and night, losing half our lives.
The Beitian Nunnery was originally planning to close. Who would have thought someone would come to do business with us? Although the work was indeed against our conscience, it was still better than the Beitian Nunnery closing down. After all, Miaoyun and I have spent more than half our lives here."
Zhong Li remained silent, continuing her work. During this time, she managed to pour a good amount of the medicine onto the ground when Miaoyun wasn't looking.
Miaoyun seemed to not notice, sighing and continuing, "Getting back to the point, I was talking about the child sent by the Dali Temple."
Zhong Li's expression stiffened again. Her hand holding the bowl dared not move in the slightest, fearing that even the slightest sound would make her miss Miaoyun's words.
Miaoyun shot her a sideways glance. "That child was very well-behaved. After all, he was a bit older and could understand words. I just tricked him with a few words, telling him that if he took his medicine obediently, he would see his mother, and he believed me.
But he never imagined that all I intended to do was to cut open his belly and stuff something inside."
Zhong Li felt her breathing begin to tremble. Her hand gripping the bowl made a crisp sound.
Miaoyun had not finished. She continued, "But that bowl of medicine was probably given to him by Miaohui. The timing was miscalculated. The medicine hadn't taken effect yet when I made the incision. The child was asleep at the time, who knew he would be painfully awakened alive! Haha!"
Zhong Li had always considered her patience to be good, able to remain calm and resolve any situation. Now, looking at Miaoyun's laughing face behind her hand, she could no longer hold back. The cuff of her sleeve trembled, and a scalpel appeared in her hand. Her gaze sharpened, and she moved lightly towards Miaoyun.
Miaoyun seemed to have anticipated Zhong Li's actions. As she saw the weapon wielded in her hand, Miaoyun casually grabbed a bottle of liquid from the table and flung it towards her.
If it were before, Zhong Li would have been defenseless against such a move from Miaoyun.
However, having experienced the battle at the naval base and pursued criminals multiple times during her investigations, Zhong Li recognized the danger with just a flicker in Miaoyun's eyes. She slightly shifted her body, covered her nose and mouth with her free hand, and aside from a small amount of liquid splashing onto her sleeve, the rest was all poured onto the ground.
"Quite quick with your reactions!" Miaoyun no longer intended to pretend, looking at Zhong Li opposite her with a sarcastic smile.
Zhong Li reacted, "You know who I am?"
Miaoyun said, "Lord Zhong, do you really think the trap you and Lord Lan set was so meticulous? When the Crown Prince transferred you from the Ministry of Justice, we already guessed that you wouldn't be content to stay quietly in the detached residence waiting for the case to be cleared up.
If that's the case, then let it be. After all, catching a rabbit in a basket is much easier than wasting effort searching for you everywhere. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Zhong Li let out a wry laugh. "So you knew from the beginning that I had infiltrated the Beitian Nunnery."
Miaoyun gave Zhong Li a look that said, "Yes, we were playing with you all along."
Zhong Li knew in her heart that the deeper into the case she delved, the more cunning the hidden enemies at the end would be. Her seemingly flawless plan was, in the eyes of others, merely a game.
"You know?" Miaoyun removed her sea-green robe, revealing the fitted garment underneath. She casually picked up a dagger from the table and slowly walked towards Zhong Li, saying, "If I kill you and take your head back, I can receive a thousand taels of silver. It's unexpected that the life of a forensic examiner is so valuable."
Zhong Li retreated inch by inch, watching Miaoyun with alert eyes. "Killing me is a small matter, but you must understand that since I was able to infiltrate, it means that the people behind me already suspect the Beitian Nunnery. None of you will escape!"