If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Having lived for decades in both past and present lives and witnessed countless schemes and plots, Wang Jue could see through Xi Lingxian's current intentions at a glance.

Not proactive, not refusing, not taking responsibility.

Given this saying, it's impossible for them to be jealous of each other.

If it were in the past, he would have liked a wife like that very much.

Living a life of mutual respect, with the man as the breadwinner and the woman as the homemaker, will be a beautiful story of a harmonious and loving couple a hundred years from now.

But that's not possible now.

Human hearts are too greedy. Even if there were quarrels and lively days in the past, everything becomes unacceptable.

She can choose not to marry, but if she does, it has to be him;

Conversely, the same applies to him.

……

On his third day in office, Wang Jue began to audit the accounts in Jiangzhou.

This is a routine matter for every superior, but this time, the number of ledgers piled up in the office was three times that of previous years.

The explanation given by the governor was that "the former governor left in haste, and many accounts were left unorganized and piled up here."

Wang Jue didn't ask any further questions, but simply instructed the registrar to sort the registers by year and category, starting with the land tax from the first year.

In less than half a day, three problems were identified.

The land tax amount did not match, the military rations expenditure was questionable, and there were fabricated compensation payments for fallen soldiers.

Wang Jue put down his pen and remained silent for a long time.

If it's just a few minor issues, he can turn a blind eye and treat it as a bribe for a new official taking office.

but……

Concealing household registration, falsely reporting military rations, and embezzling relief funds.

Each and every one of them is a major issue concerning the nation's well-being and the very foundation of the country.

This is because someone has treated Jiangzhou as their own money bag, exploiting it for countless years.

Wang Jue summoned his trusted advisors and whispered, "Take a few men and go to Xunyang County to check the original household registers. Don't alert the prefecture; just say you're here on my orders to verify a trivial document."

At the same time, the private residence of Zhou Gui, the Prefect, was brightly lit.

The chief administrator, the military commander, and several key officials were all present.

Zhizhong's face was grave. He slammed a letter on the table. "This afternoon, a member of the Wang family's staff went out of the city to Xunyang. He said he was checking some random documents—ha, he's not checking documents, he's checking our lives!"

Zhou Gui sat in the main seat, holding a cup of tea, slowly blowing away the foam, without saying a word.

Sima spoke, his voice rough: "He comes from the Langya Wang clan and has connections in the court, so we can't take drastic measures against him. But we can't let him continue investigating like this."

"So what do you mean?"

"The soft approach," Sima pointed to his temple. "Since we can't use force, let him decide not to investigate on his own."

Zhou Gui put down his teacup, his eyes finally showing a flicker of emotion: "What do you mean?"

Sima lowered his voice: "I know someone from Lingnan who has a rare medicine. When burned indoors, it is colorless and odorless, but those who smell it will become confused and intoxicated. At that time, send a beautiful woman in and have her sign a document confirming that the accounts are correct."

Zhizhong frowned. "Is it reliable?"

"I've used it three times, and it worked every time," Sima said confidently. "The drug is potent; even a man of iron would turn to water after smelling it. Once he signs, if he wants to renege on his promise later, we'll just produce the documents and signatures from that night. The Langya Wang family values ​​its reputation above all else; would a member of the prestigious Wang family dare to gamble with his own name and future?"

"What if he refuses to sign?"

Sima's eyes turned cold: "Then eliminate them."

---

The following evening, Zhou Gui invited Wang Jue to a meeting in the small hall of the east wing of the government office under the pretext of "reporting on the past barbarian affairs in Jiangzhou".

The small hall was elegantly decorated, with a full range of fruits and snacks available.

Zhou Gui came forward with a big smile on his face, with Zhizhong and Sima standing behind him.

"Please sit down, Your Excellency. Tonight we will only discuss official business and will not drink alcohol." Zhou Gui personally poured him a cup of tea.

Wang Jue sat down and began to look through the dossier on the barbarian affairs presented by Zhou Gui.

Zhou Gui spoke from the side, his words clear and logical, and it seemed there were no major problems.

A maidservant stepped forward to add tea, and a delicate fragrance wafted by.

Wang Jue suddenly felt his head begin to feel heavy.

It felt like someone had covered my mouth and nose, the words in front of me became blurry, my ears were ringing, and the strength in my limbs was like sand in an hourglass, leaking away little by little.

He looked up abruptly and saw Zhou Gui still sitting opposite him with a smile.

"My lord?" Zhou Gui's voice seemed to come from near and far. "Has my lord been working tirelessly these past few days and is feeling unwell?"

Wang Jue realized that he had been ambushed.

They were careful about what went into their mouths, but neglected the use of incense.

Just as that hazy feeling rushed to my head, a sudden, burning pain shot through my chest, as if something inside me had violently struggled.

It was the mother Gu within his body.

The burning sensation spread from my chest to every part of my body, like a raging fire poured onto ice, gradually pushing back the chaos brought on by the aphrodisiac.

My head was still heavy, but my mind had cleared up.

He lowered his head, took a deep breath while fiddling with the teacup, and composed his expression.

"Your Excellency is kind," he said, raising his head. "I haven't been sleeping well these past few days... Please allow me to go back and rest for a while, and we can discuss this again tomorrow."

Zhou Gui and Sima exchanged a glance.

"Since Your Excellency is unwell, I dare not insist that you stay." Zhou Gui stood up and cupped his hands in greeting. "Someone, escort Your Excellency back to your residence."

Wang Jue stood up, supporting himself on the table, but stumbled. Chang'an quickly stepped forward to help him up.

He then shifted most of his weight onto Chang'an's shoulders, feigning delirium, and was carried out of the small hall.

Behind him, Sima whispered to Zhou Gui, "The medicine is almost taking effect. In about half an incense stick's time, he will completely lose his mind. Should we send someone to follow him...?"

Zhou Gui raised his hand to stop him: "No rush. Once he returns to his residence, our people will naturally pick him up."

As soon as Wang Jue stepped out of the east wing courtyard, he suddenly grabbed Chang'an's wrist with such force that he almost crushed his bones.

"Don't look back," Wang Jue whispered. "Help me walk quickly. Have the guards stand watch at the gate; no one is allowed to enter."

Chang'an's heart skipped a beat. He dared not ask any more questions and hurried off.

Back at the governor's residence, the burning sensation in Wang Jue's chest hadn't subsided. He closed his eyes and slowly went through the events of the evening in his mind.

Zhou Gui acted even faster than he had expected.

Unfortunately, the mother Gu protected them, and they miscalculated this time.

……

Shen Lu, clutching a handkerchief, was stopped by a guard at the entrance to the study.

"This servant has urgent business to discuss with you, Your Excellency." She bowed her head, holding the handkerchief in both hands. "This is Miss Xi's handkerchief. I found it outside the courtyard. Miss Xi doesn't like me, so I dare not disturb her. I thought it would be more appropriate for you to deliver it to her."

The guard recognized her as one of the four beauties in the inner quarters. After hesitating for a moment, he went in to report.

A moment later, the door opened.

Wang Jue sat behind his desk, his expression unchanged. He glanced at the handkerchief in Shen Lu's hand, and his gaze paused.

He had seen that moon-white color and that orchid before; they were indeed Xi Lingxian's.

A hint of resistance flashed in her eyes; how could her things fall into the hands of these people?

As he hesitated, Shen Lu walked in gracefully, and the study door closed from the outside.

Shen Lu lowered her head and stepped forward, handing over the handkerchief with both hands.

Wang Jue was subconsciously focused on preventing Xi Lingxian's personal belongings from falling into the wrong hands. In his anxiety, he momentarily lost his composure and forgot to be cautious.

Without thinking much, he reached out to take it, but Shen Lu's fingers suddenly trembled slightly, and she abruptly unfolded the handkerchief.

A thin mist rose up and settled on Wang Jue's face and clothes.

Wang Jue was startled and instinctively stepped back, but it was too late.

A sweet, almost eerie scent entered his nostrils, causing his mind to buzz. The mother Gu within his body trembled violently, and a scalding heat surged from his chest, forcefully suppressing the hazy sensation.

Shen Lu raised her face.

The submissive demeanor from before vanished, replaced by a bewitching smile.

She reached out and unbuttoned her outer garment, revealing a sheer undergarment underneath, its delicate curves on full display under the light.

"My lord..." Her voice was as soft as melting honey, and she leaned forward, "I saw that you have been working hard these past few days, so I came to serve you."

Wang Jue tensed up. The fragrance of the powder seeped into his skin, like countless tiny snakes crawling into his blood vessels, causing his blood and qi to surge.

But he was clear-headed. The mother Gu was burning hot in his chest, like a volcano, suppressing all evil thoughts under the dam of reason.

Shen Lu's fingertips just touched his neck.

In that instant, a sharp, searing pain, like being branded with a hot iron, exploded from the point of contact with the skin, rushing straight to the heart along the meridians.

The mother Gu writhed wildly inside him, emitting a sharp hiss that only he could hear—it wouldn't allow it!

He was not allowed to touch any woman other than her.

Wang Jue grunted, veins bulging on his forehead, and grabbed Shen Lu's wrist with such force that he almost crushed her bones.

Shen Lu winced in pain, her smile freezing on her face.

"My lord...?"

Wang Jue's eyes were bloodshot, and there was no desire in them, only a cold, almost violent clarity.

"What are you hiding in your handkerchief?" His voice was hoarse, emphasizing each word, "Aphrodisiac?"

Shen Lu's expression changed.

"You think," Wang Jue abruptly shoved her forward, causing Shen Lu to stumble and fall to her knees, "that you can get to me with such despicable tactics?"

Shen Lu looked up and saw that the veins on his neck were bulging and his cheeks were flushed, clearly indicating that the drug had taken effect; but his eyes were as clear as a thousand-year-old icy pool.

The contrast was so eerie that it sent chills down one's spine.

"You..." she murmured, "you're not human..."

Wang Jue took two steps back, leaned against the desk, and his chest heaved violently.

"Someone come here!" he called out in a hoarse voice.

The guard pushed open the door and was stunned by the scene inside.

"Lock this woman in a cell. No one is allowed to visit her without my order."

The guards escorted the man out, and Chang'an, seeing this, helped his master up. "Young master, are you under the influence of Chinese medicine? Should we have Mr. Zhou take a look at you?"

Wang Jue gave a wry smile. "It's alright. The love potion can't do anything to the love curse. No one can do anything to the person it forbids me from touching."

The Gu (a type of poison) recognizes its master.

It recognizes the person whose fate is intertwined with its own.