The Prime Minister's Darling novel Chapter 1135

Chapter 1135: 554 Affectionate (First Update)

Medical Hall, Xiao Hen was chatting with the second shopkeeper in the study room. Lately, since Gu Jiao had been staying at the Medical Hall, Xiao Hen’s visits had become more frequent.

"Big Brother Xiao, Big Brother Xiao."

Outside the door, Little Jiang Li quietly waved at Xiao Hen.

Xiao Hen glanced outside and said to the second shopkeeper busy with brewing tea, "... Excuse me for a moment, I need to check if Jiaojiao has returned."

The second shopkeeper hurriedly replied, "Go on!"

Husband and wife sure are affectionate, he thought to himself. Back in the day, he and his missus also clung to each other like that, but as time passed and he could no longer pay the public grain, he dared not get too close to his missus anymore.

Xiao Hen left the study room and went down to a warehouse on the ground floor with Little Jiang Li.

Little Jiang Li looked around outside, making sure no one was approaching before closing the door. She whispered to Xiao Hen, "Big Brother Xiao, someone’s been in Sister Mo’s room."

Little Jiang Li was a pharmacy boy at the Medical Hall. On the surface, he visited Mo Qianxue to relieve her boredom, but in reality, he was a little spy sent by Xiao Hen.

After all, Xiao Hen was not the person Mo Qianxue truly knew. To some extent, he was a bit guarded against her.

"Who was it?" he asked.

Little Jiang Li shook her head, "I didn’t see her face clearly, but from her voice she’s about Sister Mo’s age, maybe a bit older, not as young and pleasant-sounding as Sister Mo."

Having read the case file of the Xianle Inn, Xiao Hen knew that Mo Qianxue was seventeen this year. The first person he thought of who was slightly older than her was Hua Xiyao.

Hua Xiyao was nineteen and from Fu City.

Of course, one’s place of birth could be faked, as could their age, but Minister Xing had seen Hua Xiyao and he had determined that she was indeed under twenty.

Little Jiang Li said, "As soon as she arrived, she drugged me."

Xiao Hen’s brows knitted, "You were drugged? Are you alright?"

Little Jiang Li shook her head again, feeling really good being cared for, and happily patted her chest, "Those drugs don’t work on me."

"What do you mean they don’t work on you?" Xiao Hen asked, puzzled.

Little Jiang Li scratched at her braid, "I mean... my body’s strong, especially resistant to drugs! That’s what my brother says! I can handle my drink too!"

Xiao Hen: ... You’re only nine and you can already drink alcohol?

Xiao Hen said, "You’re still young, don’t drink in the future."

"Mmm... okay," Little Jiang Li felt this suggestion wasn’t unacceptable, anyway, she didn’t really like drinking.

Xiao Hen continued, "Tell me what happened after you were drugged."

Little Jiang Li recalled, "After I was drugged, I felt a little drowsy, so I pretended to be asleep. She gave me Paralysis Medicine, that’s what she said."

That was odd.

The normal way to put it would have been, I heard her say she gave me Paralysis Medicine.

But Little Jiang Li’s words clearly indicated she knew it was Paralysis Medicine and then had it confirmed by the other person.

Xiao Hen asked, "You recognize Paralysis Medicine?"

Little Jiang Li proudly said, "I’ve been a pharmacy boy for so long, of course, I recognize it! I even know Arsenic and He Dinghong!"

Xiao Hen couldn’t help but smile, "Good, continue."

Little Jiang Li said, "I heard that person asking, ’The three-day deadline is up, when is Sister planning on making her move? Surely Sister couldn’t be too soft-hearted to do it, could she? Big Brother Xiao, the ’he’ she mentioned, is that you?"

It was Gu Jiao.

Xiao Hen’s eyes grew cold, "It’s not me, anything else?"

Little Jiang Li continued, "She said, ’The young master told me to tell you, there’s a change in plans, lure him out of Capital City within three days!’"

Within three days, lured out of Capital City?

The simpler the words, the more information they contained.

Why would the young master of Xianle suddenly give up on killing Gu Jiao? Did the young master of Xianle think Mo Qianxue wouldn’t be able to succeed, or did they feel Gu Jiao had more value to be used?

Killing Gu Jiao compared to luring her out of Capital City, the difficulty differed, but if viewed within the entire event, the essence was the same: both required gaining Gu Jiao’s absolute trust.

And if Mo Qianxue had achieved this, whether she killed Gu Jiao or lured her out of the city would be feasible.

From this, it should be the latter—the value of using Gu Jiao.

What did they want to use Gu Jiao for?

Xiao Hen closed his eyes, linking all events related to Xianle Inn in his mind, and suddenly, a bold conjecture emerged—they wanted to capture Gu Jiao outside of the city and use her to lure him out.

It was that faction!

He could almost be certain that once he fell into the hands of that group, the young master of Xianle would immediately order Gu Jiao’s death.

...

After exiting the Imperial Study Room, Gu Jiao went to visit Renshou Palace.

Little Cleansing Void was swinging in the front courtyard, while Xiaojiu was dismantling a birdcage made for him by the palace maids on the nearby snowfield.

Lately, for some reason, he had a bit of a penchant for destruction.

"Jiaojiao!"