Chapter 141 – Young Master, This Is Quite Dangerous!
Jiang Pengji smirked and said, “The dried herbs inside have the effect of mesmerizing the mind. If ground into powder and made into incense to be burned in a censer or mixed into food, it could cause profuse sweating, racing heartbeats, dazed senses, and a feeling of euphoria. Of course, if taken in large quantities, it could even lead to sudden cardiac failure, convulsions, foaming at the mouth, and ultimately, death.”
Upon hearing her words, the audience in the live stream became alert; these descriptions sounded suspiciously like those substances!
【Nail in the Foot Eating】: Damn, this so-called spice, it can’t be opium, right?
【My Kingdom is Like a Painting】: Get a grip, this doesn’t resemble opium at all! I’m studying traditional Chinese medicine and have never seen such a thing. The world the streamer is in is different from ours, so encountering unfamiliar plants is normal…
【Sweet Roasted Chestnuts】: Streamer, you should get rid of that stuff as soon as possible. Just looking at it feels a bit scary.
Not only were the live stream viewers scared, but the Old Steward trembled, his face displaying shock and worry.
How could their Young Master possess such a toxic substance?
“Does the Young Master want to have these… mixed into Meng Liang’s and his servant’s meals?”
The Old Steward didn’t finish his sentence, but Jiang Pengji already interrupted him.
“These things are something I stumbled upon elsewhere, but they are related to that Meng Liang. I’m worried they might have such substances around them too. If they’re ground into powder and mixed with incense or heavily flavored food, it could be terrible if it harms someone.”
She deliberately exaggerated the negative effects; while the spice did have the properties she described, it required a considerable amount to be potent.
Currently, if used in moderation, it was indeed a stimulating aromatic material.
However, the two sachets in her hands contained herbs that had been preliminarily refined, not small amounts. If stored in a poorly ventilated room for a long time, they could indeed make people feel dazed. Those scoundrels had ruined countless women, and this substance could be the cause of that.
Jiang Pengji still wanted to keep Meng Liang and his servant alive for a few more days, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t restrict their actions.
If they were to roam around in their final days and ruin some decent woman, wouldn’t she, Jiang Pengji, become an accomplice?
Not to mention, this pair even had designs on the Stepmother and were eyeing the other ladies in the inner courtyard.
Heh, it’s truly said that if you don’t bring misfortune upon yourself, it won’t find you.
Since they didn’t cherish their lives, she would make full use of them, sparing herself any negative feelings.
When the Old Steward heard this, he instantly perked up, his old face brimming with righteous anger, “If that scoundrel dares to harm anyone, I will personally break his legs. This is the Liu Residence of Hejian, not their Cangzhou Meng Residence!”
Jiang Pengji secretly found it amusing, “Steward, send someone to keep an eye on them, just in case this pair stirs up trouble. Anyway, they’ll leave the Liu Residence in a few days; they certainly won’t be a bother to you… who knows, you might never get this chance again.”
The Old Steward took the order solemnly, but when his gaze fell on those two sachets, he hesitated a bit.
After some thought, he spoke with difficulty to dissuade her.
“Since the Young Master knows this is harmful, how can you keep it by your side? Forgive this old servant for overstepping, but this should be burnt as soon as possible.”
Jiang Pengji shook her head, turning the sachets in her hands, her lips slightly parted, “Steward, I appreciate your good intentions. However, these things still have their uses. I know they’re harmful; why wouldn’t I take precautions? I won’t let them harm me.”
The Old Steward sighed, watching the Young Master grow increasingly opinionated.
“Since the Young Master has made plans, I won’t dare to meddle. I only hope you prioritize your safety in your endeavors.”
Although the Old Steward was a servant in the Liu Residence, he had served there his entire life, watching Jiang Pengji grow up. To say something overstepping, in his heart, he had long regarded the Young Master as his own grandchild and naturally did not want to see her suffer.
“Mm, I understand, Steward. You don’t need to worry.”
Jiang Pengji nodded; she was playing others, delighting herself, so why would she be foolish enough to trap herself?
There were originally only a few instructions, but suddenly remembering something, she spoke again to the Steward, “By the way, about Xu Ke, have someone check what relatives he has at home. If any of those relatives are on good terms with Xu Ke, give them a little care.”
The Steward was startled, not expecting the Young Master to value Xu Ke this much. However, thinking about his master’s attitude toward Xu Ke, the Old Steward calmed down quite a bit… but he couldn’t help pondering if that Xu Ke had a bright future ahead.
“Understood.”
Jiang Pengji replied, “I trust you to handle this, Steward.”
This additional action wasn’t for anything else, but because she suddenly recalled what Liu Zhi had said.
In this era, blood relations were greatly valued, followed by non-blood relations like teacher-student and friendships. The social relationships and structures here were vastly different from what she was used to.
For example, regarding the Stepmother and Meng Liang, in her view, Meng Liang deserved to die, and no matter how she considered the Stepmother’s feelings, it wouldn’t erase Meng Liang’s crimes. The answer was no, so Meng Liang must die; any hesitation was just a waste of time.
Yet, her normal reaction appeared too cold and ruthless to the people of this world; it seemed lacking in compassion and morality.
Of course, that didn’t mean she should hastily conclude that she was highly intelligent yet emotionally deficient; in fact, her emotional intelligence was quite high.
So after realizing this, she needed to adjust her approach, considering these variables in her actions henceforth.
Xu Ke, then, was the little test subject.
The Old Steward was decisive and quick with his tasks, much more straightforward than the younger folks.
“Young Master, here are the items they hid.”
He pushed forward a delicate rouge box, roughly the size of a thumb cap, and the Old Steward was practically fuming with anger. Had it not been for Jiang Pengji’s specific instructions, who would have thought that this pair would bring such filthy things into the Liu Residence?
However, the Liu Residence wasn’t a palace; they wouldn’t search everyone’s belongings upon entering and certainly couldn’t meticulously inspect the “guests’” belongings.
“This thing is rather cleverly designed.” Jiang Pengji took it, opened it, and found the powder compressed into a cake form. Even from a distance, one could smell its rich fragrance, and if inhaled for too long, it could even make one feel dizzy and uncomfortable.
Seeing that she was about to touch the powder with her finger, the Old Steward hurried to stop her, worriedly saying, “Young Master, don’t be careless; this thing…”
Jiang Pengji chuckled knowingly, “With this little amount, I won’t be affected.”
