Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 117 A spring breeze

When he just woke up, Shentu Zhuo was still a little confused. He couldn't remember what happened or where he was.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light and he could clearly see the surrounding furnishings, he instantly became alert. His chaotic thoughts gradually settled, and the various strange things he had experienced before came together, leading to a host of speculations. He didn't rush to move, but closed his eyes again and considered the situation.

Today they led the canal to the vicinity of the Tan family's fields, and Mr. Tan held a banquet to reward all the canal workers.

Even if he wanted to express his gratitude or gain a reputation for being philanthropic, he would usually just treat everyone to a hot meal and at most provide some thick clothes and farm tools. However, Mr. Tan's behavior made people feel that he was not here to encourage the soldiers, but to hold them back.

For most of the day, the pounding of drums and gongs made everyone restless, the aroma of roasted meat and stewed meat wafted through the air, and dozens of jars of wine were poured into the banquet. Who had the time to think about where to dig the ditch? Everyone was thinking about how much more wine and meat they could grab at the banquet.

And the fruit wine that Yan Zhisi made at the end must have been specially reserved for him.

After preparing for so long, he finally got the big fish hooked.

Enduring the dizziness and throbbing pain in his head, Shentu Zhuo thought to himself that he was definitely not simply drunk. He had drunk Yan Zhisi's fruit wine a hundred or eighty times and knew exactly how much he could drink. Just a small bottle should at most make him a little tipsy, so why would he collapse unconscious? Besides, being drunk shouldn't feel this bad. In the past, he would just sleep it off and wake up fine. He had never felt so dizzy and had such a splitting headache before.

So he could almost conclude that the wine was drugged.

As for where I am...

After careful identification, Shentu Zhuo had roughly guessed that this should be the old house of the Tan family.

To find out more about Tan Huaike's background, he'd lied about coming to sort out his sister-in-law's belongings. He'd taken a cursory look around the courtyard and several rooms, even asking the old woman and the servants about each one. He still had a glimpse of the house's layout. And since it was Master Tan who had gotten him drunk, moving him to this old house made sense.

But the old fox must have some ulterior motive for doing this, otherwise he could just ask two soldiers to send him back to the Lude County Government Office, where he has been living and eating recently.

What is he planning?

Want to threaten him to add more ditches nearby? There's no need. The Qianjin Canal itself has already diverted a tributary of the Black Water River. Add in the newly dug underground spring, and the water volume is the most abundant in the area.

Want him to take over the remaining shops on Huaqi Street? Hadn't the Tan family recovered? Those shops weren't in such a hurry to sell. Given Mr. Tan's temperament, while he wouldn't run them himself, he would definitely keep them there for sale.

Or maybe he wanted to ask him for help to pave the way for the imperial merchant selection? That was a bit too hasty. He had just embarked on the road of recommendation, how could he have the ability to do such a thing for him? Besides, he didn't have such a good relationship with the Tan family.

The effects of the drug hadn't worn off yet, and Shen Tu Zhuo still felt groggy and his reactions were much slower than when he was awake. It was only then that he smelled a sweet aroma, emanating from the incense burner not far away.

Wisps of green smoke swirled upwards and melted into every corner of the room, especially near the bed, almost filling it up into a layer of mist that densely enveloped him.

Having always been surrounded by this kind of fragrance, Shentu Zhuo hadn't noticed anything unusual before. But now, this sweet aroma kept entering his nose, causing waves of heat, making it difficult for him not to notice it.

Coincidentally, he recognized this kind of fragrance.

It's called Hongsu.

This is a kind of incense pill commonly used in Lanying House for pleasure and excitement. However, due to its high price, it is usually only used in pure form when distinguished guests specifically request it. The rest of the time, a little bit of it is mixed with other incense pills at most. The fragrance still remains, but the function is almost non-existent. This incense is just used as a gimmick to deceive customers into spending more money.

Shentu Zhuo often went to Lanying Pavilion to rehearse music, so he was naturally very familiar with it.

The aroma he had smelled before was very faint, but the fragrance in this room was so rich and strong, it was obvious that the incense burner must be burning pure red crisps, and there was no telling how many pills were inside. Shen Tu Zhuo realized it later, and suddenly all his doubts were resolved. It turned out that he had been thinking wrongly, and this game was not set up by Master Tan.

Having guessed the other party's purpose, he naturally did not want to sit and wait for death.

Shentu Zhuo struggled to sit up, looked around, and planned to find some tea to quench his thirst.

squeak-

The door of this room was opened and closed, and the rustling sound gradually approached. A beautiful figure was reflected in the dim candlelight, and the bright and light outer dress could be vaguely seen half-slipped on the shoulders.

Eyes facing each other.

Tan Anfu was stunned at first, then smiled sweetly and said, "Mr. Zhuo drank too much and got drunk. I never thought he would wake up so quickly. It seems that Anfu was negligent."
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Shen Tu Zhuo leaned against the headboard and snorted coldly, "Just a little fruit wine, could make me this drunk? Madam Fu is underestimating a playboy like me. How did I offend the Tan family that you wanted to drug me?"

Tan Anfu gently sat down beside the couch and said affectionately, "Master Zhuo, you misunderstood. You knew I was deeply in love with you, yet you were determined to reject me without even a shred of mercy. I just wanted to meet you quietly one more time so I could pour out my heart."

Shen Tu Zhuo laughed in anger, looked at his limp limbs, then at the incense burner in front of the couch, and questioned, "Madam Fu, you are really willing to lose face. Do you call this deep love?"

"Why do you say that, Master Zhuo?" Tan Anfu feigned sadness. "I'm just a foolish person who can't get what I want. If you were like me, you'd understand why I resorted to such desperate measures, even risking my own reputation."

"I beg you not to gamble. I don't want to use your reputation as a bargaining chip." Shen Tu Zhuo thought to himself, who said I don't want it? But no matter how much I want it, I dare not act like you, otherwise I will definitely be pickled by my sister-in-law and buried in the sand to dry.

"Is Master Zhuo really going to be so ruthless?"

"With the drugs and the red pastry, Fu Niangzi has been visiting the black market a lot." Not wanting to play along with her any longer, Shen Tu Zhuo asked, "What exactly do you want to do to me?"

At this point, Tan Anfu could no longer pretend and simply said, "The person who bought the drug clearly said it could make an ordinary man unconscious for two hours. I didn't expect Master Zhuo to wake up so early. I didn't have time to prepare anything."

Looking at her half-exposed shoulders, Shen Tu Zhuo said, "What are you planning? You're not really going to use this method to force me to have sex with you, are you? Then you can come to my house and force my mother to recognize this marriage?"

"Master Zhuo, don't you already know everything?" Tan Anfu was also influenced by Hongsu's fragrance. Her heart was stirring, and she felt very hot. She took off the other half of her outer garment and leaned over to whisper in Shentu Zhuo's ear, "I am willing to give myself to you. It's rare to have Hongsu as a matchmaker, Master Zhuo, why don't you just go with your heart?"

"Madam Fu really does everything she can..." Shentu Zhuo gritted his teeth and endured it, his forehead covered with sweat.

It wasn't that he didn't want to break free from Hongsu's control; he didn't know how long he'd been sniffing at the scent; it must have soaked him in. He was waiting for the effects of the drug to completely wear off so he could find the strength to push away Tan Anfu, who had come to him.

The drug was impacted by the effect of Hongsu and seeped out through sweat, dissipating faster.

Tan Anfu became more and more wanton, her soft hands brushing against his ears, neck, chest and abdomen one by one, and she said passionately: "Master Zhuo, please fulfill my wish? What harm can this do to you and me?"

Shentu Zhuo turned his head to avoid her lips and tongue and clenched his fists hard.

Oh my God, I’m not really going to be my sister-in-law’s brother-in-law, am I?

Next chapter: Why did Master Zhuo jump into the river?