Chapter 13: I Will Protect You

“What do you mean by that?” Jiang Luan asked.

Zuo Lang thought for a moment. “Because of Dou Kou’s character, I don’t trust him.”

“What a coincidence, I don’t trust him either,” Jiang Luan smiled.

“But Doctor Xu said the plant itself has no issues,” Zuo Lang explained, “and the Chinese perfume bush has a fragrant aroma, with properties that promote qi circulation and invigorate the blood, which is very beneficial for your current condition.”

“The plant itself is fine,” Jiang Luan clicked his tongue, “then the leaves must have been coated with something?”

“Exactly,” Zuo Lang nodded, “without exception, these leaves have been dusted with dragon powder.”

“Dragon powder?”

Though Jiang Luan didn’t know what it was, a chill ran through him.

“So what does that mean? Is it poisonous?”

“No…” Zuo Lang frowned. “That’s the puzzling part. Doctor Xu said dragon powder isn’t toxic; rather, it enhances the plant’s aroma evaporation, thus amplifying the Chinese perfume bush’s effects on promoting blood flow. It’s a common medical technique called ‘fumigating with angelica.’”

“Then why is the Chinese perfume bush withering?” Jiang Luan asked again.

“That’s also because of the dragon powder,” Zuo Lang replied, “the powder is caustic, which accelerates the plant’s death cycle.”

Jiang Luan frowned. “So…”

Zuo Lang looked at Jiang Luan. “So we were indeed wrong to suspect him.”

Jiang Luan said nothing further.

They exchanged glances, both seeing anxiety and doubt mirrored in each other’s eyes.

“Wait a moment, let me think…” Jiang Luan paced in the courtyard, his mind racing through memories—from the slap he received soon after arriving, to the scripture copying in the ancestral hall, to the two visits from the Duke of Suping bearing ‘gifts.’

He is kind to me.

He wants me dead.

Can a person’s attitude be so contradictory?

Lost in thought, Jiang Luan was interrupted as Qi Shaolin entered, clutching a ball with a foolish smile.

Qi Shaolin’s thin clothes were muddy and his ears red from the cold, yet his face was carefree. “Madam, here’s the ball.”

Jiang Luan’s gaze fixed on Qi Shaolin, then suddenly said, “No, something’s wrong.”

Zuo Lang was taken aback. “What?”

“The motive doesn’t add up,” Jiang Luan said, turning to Zuo Lang. “The purpose doesn’t align with the outcome; there must be a flaw somewhere.”

Jiang Luan didn’t take the ball but instead turned back inside. Zuo Lang hesitated only briefly before following. Qi Shaolin stood holding the ball for a moment, then also followed inside.

Having been here several days, Jiang Luan was very familiar with the room.

A simple desk and curtains, a carved double wooden bed and a dressing table behind a screen.

The room was unpainted, sparsely decorated, stretching to the far wall in plain view—nothing like a wealthy young master’s quarters.

“Those cruel tortures you mentioned in the manor—the skinning and lead filling—are they real?” Jiang Luan asked Zuo Lang.

“Yes.”

“I never imagined the Duke of Suping, with his rosy lips and white teeth, could do such cruel things,” Jiang Luan frowned.

Zuo Lang shook his head. “Actually, most of the time it’s Hua Chao’s idea.”

Hearing this, Jiang Luan recalled the face of the Duke’s chief maid.

A young woman around twenty-three or twenty-four, quiet and composed, radiating maturity.

“How is Hua Chao’s personality?” Jiang Luan asked.

“Sinister, cautious,” Zuo Lang answered simply.

Jiang Luan picked up a cup from the table, turning it over in his hands with a blank expression but many thoughts flashing through his mind.

Though the Duke was domineering, he was straightforward and candid, never hiding anything.

But he had the sinister Hua Chao by his side.

These people would certainly not let go of the eastern wing easily; the Chinese perfume bush must be the problem.

Yet the problem was not with the potted plant itself. What else could it be?

Poisoning?

No, Hua Chao was too careful for such clumsy tactics—after all, the old lord was still breathing.

Jiang Luan remembered the Duke’s sneering words at the door earlier.

The Duke knew they had hung the ginseng he sent on the medicine market to sell, so he must have expected they wouldn’t consume his gifts.

If the food was safe, what about what was used with it?

The Chinese perfume bush promotes blood circulation…

“Xiao Zuo, do we still have the quilt the Duke of Suping sent with the ginseng?” Jiang Luan suddenly asked.

Zuo Lang replied, “I put it in the woodshed.”

“Bring it here, and prepare a basin of chicken’s blood.”

Zuo Lang seemed to understand, turning to fetch the items.

Jiang Luan closed his eyes.

His hand hanging at his side trembled uncontrollably.

Qi Shaolin noticed and gently placed his hand over Jiang Luan’s, asking with concern, “Madam?”

With Qi Shaolin holding his hand, Jiang Luan felt better.

He opened his eyes and smiled at him. “I’m fine.”

Zuo Lang was quick and soon returned with the items.

The quilt sent by the Duke was made of fine satin, pristine white inside and out, soft to the touch, embroidered with two peonies on the surface.

Zuo Lang placed the neatly folded quilt on the table, looking no different from an ordinary quilt.

Jiang Luan stared at it for a moment, then told Zuo Lang, “Pour the blood on it.”

Without asking why, Zuo Lang advanced with the chicken’s blood.

Strangely, as Zuo Lang approached, a corner of the otherwise ordinary quilt seemed to twitch.

Zuo Lang saw it but said nothing, decisively pouring the basin of chicken’s blood over it.

At that moment, a chilling scene unfolded.

The quilt, soaked with blood, seemed to come alive, the entire bedcover stirring as if animated.

The sudden movement startled even the usually calm Zuo Lang, causing him to drop the basin, spilling half its contents on the floor.

The quilt collapsed from the table, soaked in fresh blood.

Inside, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of living creatures wriggled and writhed, inching toward the spilled blood.

The sight was horrifying.

Seeing Zuo Lang stunned, Jiang Luan decisively pulled scissors from a drawer and stepped forward to cut the quilt.

“Madam?” Qi Shaolin tried to stop him but failed.

Jiang Luan grasped a corner of the quilt, raised the scissors, and sliced it open with a ripping sound, shaking it lightly.

What happened next was terrible: a swarm of tiny white insects fell like snowflakes, scattering across the floor.

The bugs were less than half a centimeter long, densely packed together. They were originally a thin layer of skin, but blood engorged their exteriors, turning them dark red and writhing in the chicken’s blood.

“…”

All three present were stunned. Qi Shaolin immediately pulled Jiang Luan back.

Jiang Luan dropped the scissors and took a deep breath. “What kind of insects are these?”

“…” Zuo Lang was silent for a while before replying, “They seem to be blood ticks. We need Doctor Xu to examine them.”

“Blood ticks? Good.” Jiang Luan nodded, his face calm but his heart roiling.

Chinese perfume bush to promote blood circulation, dragon powder to enhance its medicinal effect, and bloodsucking insects hidden in the quilt.

One layer locking another—an ingenious design.

But this wasn’t the most hair-raising discovery.

Jiang Luan recalled Qi Shaolin’s words from that morning: these Chinese perfume bushes had been tended for a long time, with one batch dying after another.

So from early on, or rather with the quilt they were currently using…

Jiang Luan exhaled deeply, forcing himself calm, and instructed Zuo Lang, “Remove all the quilts from the bed and burn them.”

“…” Zuo Lang hesitated. “Should we inform the old lord?”

If it was useful, who wouldn’t want to?

Jiang Luan smiled bitterly.

The quilts had come through Qi Shao Yan’s hands, so the design’s origin was a mystery—finding the source would hardly implicate the Duke of Suping. Moreover, the items had been here a while; no one could say where the problem began.

Most importantly, Jiang Luan had no authority over the Duke.

Was he to passively wait for harm to come?

Just as Zuo Lang was about to burn the “contaminated” items, Jiang Luan stopped him.

“Keep them for now,” Jiang Luan said, gently clenching his fist. “Since the Duke sent us such a special gift, maybe one day we can return the favor with a ‘grand present.’”

…

By evening, Jiang Luan had Zuo Lang purchase two new quilts. Only after confirming they were safe did they dare use them.

To be honest, the snowflake-like bloodsucking bugs in the quilt had left a deep psychological scar.

Doctor Xu explained these were called “silver blood ticks,” often attaching to human skin to feed on blood. Their tiny mouthparts and paralyzing saliva make them hard to detect.

They are common in the southern borderlands and extremely hardy. For ordinary people, bites are usually harmless, but prolonged feeding weakens the body, making one more susceptible to illness.

Qi Shaolin, holding the new quilt, was about to sleep outside when Jiang Luan called out.

“Going to bed already?” Jiang Luan asked abruptly. “Where did you sleep last night?”

Qi Shaolin tilted his head in confusion. “In the west side servant’s room, Madam. Didn’t you ask me while we were playing ball today?”

“Oh, right. I forgot,” Jiang Luan said awkwardly.

Qi Shaolin took a few steps, then was called back again.

“The servant’s room doesn’t have an earth dragon, right? Is it warm enough?”

“…”

Qi Shaolin was silent for a moment, looking at Jiang Luan with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Luan felt he was babbling excessively and muttered, “I’m just asking. Go on now.”

“Oh, I get it,” Qi Shaolin suddenly brightened and ran back, leaning close to Jiang Luan. “Madam, you don’t want me to leave, do you?”

“…”

Jiang Luan thought he’d seen a ghost—how did this fool suddenly get clever? Damn it, is this kid truly foolish or just pretending?

The next moment, Qi Shaolin proudly declared, “Madam, you’re afraid of ghosts! Am I right, Lin’er?”

“…”

Jiang Luan chuckled softly. “Actually, I’m most afraid of men wearing makeup.”

“Madam, if you’re scared of ghosts, just say so. Lin’er was scared of ghosts when he was little, but not anymore,” Qi Shaolin patted his chest. “Because now I’m a grown man and can protect you!”

After a frustrating day, Jiang Luan couldn’t help but smile at this innocent, unreserved speech. His heart softened.