Snake Tale

Chapter 21 Inviting the Lord to Drink Poison

When Luo Yi was escorted up, Shen Yuzhu was bending over to pick up a wolf and was painting.The silk is fat-white Luxuan, the background color has been rendered with gamboge, and the calyx is outlined with light ink, which is suitable for painting a peach blossom who refuses to marry Dongfeng.

Hearing the cries of soldiers and the clatter of armor, he put the pen on the pen holder after finishing the last stroke, and turned his face away.He calmly walked down the steps, walked to the side of Luo Yi who was being escorted to the ground by several strong warriors, and walked around Luo Yi with a bewildered expression.

"Who is this?" He raised his head and asked the soldiers beside him earnestly.

The soldiers looked at him in bewilderment.However, Shen Yuzhu raised his foot, stepped Luo Yi's head into the dust, and grinded it back and forth several times before he lifted his chin with the sole of his foot.

"Now I recognize it." He looked at the face covered by gravel and dust, and looked warmly into the pair of blue eyes that were full of anger, burning gold and bone: "Isn't this Mr. Luo Yiluo?"

Luo Yi spat out the grass and sand in his mouth, and smiled brightly at him, showing his blood-stained white teeth: "I also want to know—" His eyebrows arched, murderous, but he turned to the left and right to hold him back Martial soldier: "How dare you have the guts to kidnap the Duke of Jin in broad daylight!"

Although he has been reduced to a prisoner, Luo Yi, who is on the battlefield, obviously still has his prestige.Those masked warriors were startled suddenly, and some people whispered to discuss: "Why... is it Gongqing?" "Didn't Mr. Shen say that the person passing by was a businessman on his way?..."

Shen Yuzhu shook his head with a smile, and said, "Master Zheng and I have our own plans. You all listen to my orders and act according to the plan, so naturally you can't go wrong." He walked aside and opened a nanmu box, which was full of gold and jade treasures Emerald green, as soon as it is opened, pearls radiate all over the place and fill the room with brilliance.

"It's a mere reward, please share it with the brothers. Since Mr. Zheng returned from the imperial court, he will also entertain you with good wine and meat."

With the heavy bribe in front, the doubts in everyone's hearts dissipated, and they thanked Shen Yuzhu again and again with a smile on their faces. While carrying the treasure box out, some people did not forget to come forward to show their courtesy: "Mr. Shen, only you and this... Is this barbarian in the same room?" The soldier glanced quietly at Luo Yi, "This guy is so powerful, he was hit by two arrows and injured more than a dozen of our best soldiers. If we don't subdue him, I'm afraid it will be against Mr. Shen Woolen cloth."

"Oh?" Shen Yuzhu asked with a humble expression that was not ashamed to ask: "Then what can you do?"

A military soldier enthusiastically offered advice: "In our village, when we encounter wild bulls that are reckless and rampant, they are always locked with wooden shackles so that they cannot move. This wooden shackle weighs sixty catties, eight Ten catties, the villain looks at this guy's strength, but a hundred catties of shackles may not be able to restrain him."

"Ridiculous," Shen Yuzhu frowned, with a tone of regret and intolerance: "Master Luo has a golden body and a noble body, how can he be treated like an animal with a shackle of one hundred catties?"

The soldier muttered in bewilderment, "But... sir—?"

"Bring another one of three hundred catties."

The soldiers led the way and left.This place used to be the place where Shen Yuzhu lived in seclusion and forged instruments. It is not difficult to make temporary shackles made of three hundred catties of pure iron.Luo Yi's hands were bound by heavy iron shackles, but his back was still as straight as a javelin.He looked at Shen Yuzhu coldly, although he didn't say a word, there was a tiger in his green pupils leaping and roaring, about to break out.

"Master Luo came a little earlier." He smiled at him, pointing to a small cauldron that was boiling on top of the charcoal fire. "Fortunately, the tea and wine for the guests is not ready yet."

If Luo Yi had a tender and affectionate heart, he would definitely appreciate a bit of sympathy in this boring ceremony.But with the iron shackle on his body, he obviously didn't have this mood. "I'm curious," he cut straight to the point, and sneered, "What price did you offer to lure that cowardly Zheng Su into willingly committing such a capital crime?"

After the initial shock, Luo Yi quickly began to assess his situation.These armed soldiers were well-equipped and well-trained, obviously they were not ordinary thieves and thieves, and after hearing Shen Yuzhu's only few words, Luo Yi had no choice but to attribute the culprit to another current court official——Zheng Su, the head of the Zheng family.This place is indeed Zheng Su's territory.However, Zheng Su is greedy for money, greedy for life, and afraid of death. Even when he went out for an expedition, he huddled in his gorgeous car inlaid with gold and jade all day long. The only time he was injured and bloody was due to the bumps in the military car , the accompanying Meiji accidentally touched his hand when she was peeling the fruit for him—how could such a timid and retreating person work together with Shen Yuzhu, and dare to send government soldiers to blatantly rob him, who is also a minister?

"If I say that I don't spend a penny, will Master Luo believe it?"

"you……"

Seeing that Luo Yi was full of doubts, Shen Yuzhu explained slowly: "This Heming Hill is rugged and densely forested, and it is a shortcut to avoid people's eyes. This place has been abandoned for a long time, until more than a year ago, when the Zheng family reclaimed it, under the advice of a discerning businessman, they transformed it into an excellent place to rob money and sell goods—Master Luo, Are you surprised? You must have been curious about where the Zheng family has accumulated so much gold and silver treasures in recent years; but you may not have imagined that that mediocre and cowardly Mr. Skimming the activities of rich merchants?"

Luo Yi was secretly startled, staring at him and slowly said: "So, you lied to Mrs. Zheng that a caravan of civilians will pass by today, and then led me to this remote place - to use Mrs. Zheng's knife to attack me? "

Shen Yuzhu praised: "When it comes to committing crimes, Mr. Luo really understands everything."

Luo Yi said gloomyly: "Do you really think that you can get what you want? I bet that once Zheng Su comes back from court and finds that he has become your tool to kill people with a knife, he will be in a panic—"

Shen Yuzhu said with a smile: "Then I'll take a gamble. When Zheng Su came back, he must have heard of Lord Luo's great achievements in slaughtering the Huanzhuang clan? At that time, he will definitely have a good impression of Master Luo's deep and vengeful personality. A very profound understanding. At that time, do you think Zheng Su dared to take the risk-let you go?"

"..." Luo Yi gritted his teeth and said, "It seems that the so-called 'Fuzi' didn't participate in it from the beginning to the end. Is that just your deliberate mystery?"

Shen Yuzhu said with a warm smile: "Fuzi is far away in Yuedi, whether he is alive or dead, I really don't know - but his life or death is not important at all, is it?"

Luo Yi nodded and said: "That's right, as long as you can make me think that he will pose a threat to me, your goal will be achieved."

"Lord Luo, if you had the time to think carefully, you would not have made such a foolish move. But you led the army to ambush the Dai Kingdom and failed, and you rushed to a decisive battle with the old enemy Huan Guo. In order to stabilize the situation in the court, you rushed thousands of miles day by day Back to Jiangdu——How many days have you not closed your eyes? Three days? Five days? The bowstring will suddenly break if it is stretched too tightly for too long, and the elk that has been surrounded by hunters all night will panic and throw itself into the snare. You are trapped Horses are exhausted, and I wait for work at leisure, how can I be invincible?"

Shen Yuzhu lowered his eyelashes, rolled up his cuffs with one hand, and fanned the charcoal for the cauldron on several tables, while talking casually.There was no complacency on his face, he was as leisurely as if he was talking about his hometown, a plum with a red letter, with a long-lost old friend.

Luo Yi was particularly annoyed by this serenity, and said with a sneer, "It's only my fault that I tried my best and threw myself into the trap. If I hadn't bothered to decipher your 'medical book'—"

Shen Yuzhu sighed softly: "Master Luo, haven't you figured it out yet? In fact, whether you keep the 'medical book' or not, the result is the same. You have seen through my ciphertext, and you lost today; you can't see through my secret." Wen, tomorrow's defeat—'Victorious soldiers win first, and then seek war', you may be still or moving, and you will be surrounded by heaven and earth in all directions."

Luo Yi was hoarse for a long time before he said shyly, "When... did you plan this?"

Shen Yuzhu's hands paused, and he looked down at Qiu Yu who was bound in front of the case: "Do you know how many times in the past, I could easily take your life? But, what's the fun in that? ?” He looked up at the rafters and said to himself, “Thanks to you all these years, I… have lost something very important, and I feel that the so-called revenge is absolutely necessary. .Maybe I think it would be more interesting to let the scheming people trick and let the good fighters lose the battle? But when this day really comes, this feeling...is nothing more than mediocre."

The medicinal wine was boiling, and the charcoal fire burst with a "bi peel".Shen Yuzhu came back to his senses, stared at the cauldron on the table, lifted the lid of the cauldron, and a bitter smell rushed out, lingering around the beam.The medicinal soup made from unknown substance in the cauldron is stenchy and dark green, like the fungus growing on a carrion corpse, curling up wisps of strange mist, which stung Luo Yi's eyes involuntarily. .

Shen Yuzhu didn't seem to notice the stench at all, poured them out separately, and smiled indifferently: "I have never understood what is so interesting about revenge--but I can't avoid it after all, let's talk about it. Lord Luo, please stop. "

Luo Yi lowered his eyes and stared at the terrifying medicinal soup.Three years ago, Luo Yi used despicable means to poison Shen Yuzhu, which started Shen Yuzhu's long humiliation and torture.Now that Shen Yuzhu returned the medicine to him in the same way, he could imagine what was hidden in this medicinal soup.The difference is that Shen Yuzhu didn't ask for anything from him, and there was no need to have any room for pity on him.Once he drank this medicine, he would accept all the misery and humiliation that Shen Yuzhu had experienced, or even worse—accept the unreversible death.

Luo Yi remained motionless, and said: "If I drink this bowl of medicine, have you thought about how to take revenge on me?"

Shen Yuzhu really showed a troubled expression, patting his jaw and thinking carefully: "Hmm... Strip off your clothes and let you lead the sheep on the streets of Jiangdu? Will you please dig the wall, dig out the dung, and feed the cattle and sheep? Sell ​​you to a dog who eats human flesh raw, and be a worthless slave?"

Luo Yi laughed loudly: "I thought you could come up with some novel tricks!" He stared into his eyes sullenly, and sneered coldly: "Does your hatred for me stop here?"

This unrepentant defiance did not anger Shen Yuzhu.He looked at him tolerantly: "Hate you? Luo Yi, why do you think so?"

He stretched out his hand, and gently brushed away the curly hair that fell on Luo Yi's cheeks, and gently walked his fingertips over his ear, Adam's apple, and neck—Luo Yi couldn't help holding his breath, letting him approach him, letting go The soft voice said: "Master Luo, I like you very much. You are as smart as a fox, as brave as a wolf, and as cruel and patient as a poisonous snake. People like you naturally know what they want, and they will do whatever they want. I rushed straight towards desire—oh, if I had half your persistence, how good would it be?"

He held his neck, and slowly increased the strength in his hands, feeling Luo Yi's sudden rapid breathing, the blue veins on his pale neck, struggling uncontrollably due to suffocation - but Shen Yuzhu didn't notice it, and walked slowly Yu said: "But you shouldn't humiliate me like this, a person who has nothing to do with the world. So I have to get rid of you and get rid of you, just like killing an annoying fly, like gouging out a festering sore , like kicking a piece of trash out of the way - and you think I hate you?"

He leaned close to his ear, and his warm lips almost kissed the cold pinna: "—You deserve it too?"

Luo Yi violently struggled with his neck and limbs, trying to regain his breath, but it was useless because of the iron shackles on his body.At the moment before he was about to faint, Shen Yuzhu finally let go of his hand, watching him slumped on the ground, panting violently.

Luo Yi struggled to raise his face, fixedly staring at Shen Yuzhu standing in front of him with his arms folded.Outside the house, it should be the mid-spring when the grass is growing and the warbler is flying, and it is so beautiful and frantic, but there is not much joy and encouragement in Shen Yuzhu's dark and indifferent eyes.This is not poise in disguise.Luo Yi finally saw the sluggish tiredness beneath his calmness and indifference.Only then did he know what the "things" that Shen Yuzhu left behind - compared to this endless indifference, humiliation and pain are such precious treasures!In the past three years, Luo Yi finally felt the joy of a winner in this day of this crushing defeat.

The young noble was weak and sat up slowly, ignoring the dust and mud all over his face and the purple bruises around his neck and wrists, his demeanor could even be called dignified and elegant.Shen Yuzhu saw that his thumb brushed away a piece of medicine dregs on the edge of the bowl, and his pale knuckles were mottled with blood scabs, which were scratches left by a weapon. His heart suddenly moved, as if something was about to break through the ground, and he opened his mouth suddenly He called out, "Luo Yi."

Luo Yi raised his eyelids and looked at him, listening to Shen Yuzhu ask word by word:

"Why do you hate me so much?"

Luo Yi paused, then suddenly smiled.This was the first time Shen Yuzhu saw him smile like this.His long eyebrows are raised, and his blue eyes are full of smoke and rain, with the spirit and arrogance of a young man, and a little strange and unspeakable compassion:

"You—you'll never know."

He said slowly, and drank the wine on his back.

As soon as the wine fell down, the expected sharp pain in the intestines did not come.However, soon, an indescribably strong breath rushed straight to the throat and nose.Luo Yi could smell the pungentness of ginger and osmanthus, the smell of mutton intestines, the bitterness of cicada sloughs, and every subtle taste in this medicinal wine, as if ten rotten and flatulent pig urine were bursting among the viscera at the same time, Luo Yi felt dizzy Dazed, turned to the other side, and suddenly vomited out!

Shen Yuzhu blinked angrily: "Is it really so bad?"

Luo Yi retched and retched, managed to recover with great difficulty, wiped off the remaining stains on his mouth, raised his head and gave him a hard look: "You, you have this cooking skill - you still need to poison?!"

Shen Yuzhu smiled: "Who said it was poison?"

He stretched out his hand to pick up the cauldron, and drank the remaining half of the cauldron's medicinal soup.

The cauldron was originally burnt red by the charcoal fire, but now the lingering warmth is still there, scalding his palm until it turns purple, but Shen Yuzhu didn't realize it.At that moment, Luo Yi suddenly felt a sudden weight on his body, as if thirty pregnant women sat on his shoulders and necks.He put his hands on the ground suddenly, so that he didn't get bruised and swollen, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift himself up anymore.

He was terrified in his heart, but when he looked back, it was empty; when he raised his eyes, he only saw Shen Yuzhu's calm and pitiful expression.

He finally understood what was weighing him down—it was just the weight of the iron shackle.

The iron flail did not increase.It was that he himself was suddenly unable to bear this weight.