Chapter 2 — Once I am reborn, I will not give him even a strand of hair

Doctor Chuong Thai used a silk scarf to wrap the golden needle and brought it under a lamp to look closely. At the end of the needle is engraved a very small scrolled leaf pattern. That is the sign that the Khuong family's medical shop has used for hundreds of years. After my father passed away, all the Khuong family's medical shops in the capital were closed, and the remaining medicinal equipment was brought to the General's palace with the dowry. The old lady's lips trembled.

“Thanh Tu, what is this?”

I didn't answer, just walked towards Co Nghien Hanh lying on the ground. Two close guards immediately blocked in front of me. One of them put his hand on the hilt of the knife.

“Get away.”

The two guards still did not move. The old lady tightened her grip on the Buddha necklace, her eyes filled with doubt.

“Take the General back to Tung Hac Duong first.”

“Without my orders, no one is allowed to touch anything in this pharmacy.”

Phuc An carried Co Nghien Hanh on his back and hurried out. I looked at his hanging arm and suddenly spoke.

"Wait."

The two guards turned their heads at the same time. I pointed to the tiger mouth on Co Nghiem Hanh's left hand.

“There's also a pinhole there.”

Doctor Truong Thai quickly sat down to check. Sure enough, there was a small dark red spot in the tiger's mouth, and the surrounding skin was slightly swollen.

“The gold needle was inserted from here.”

Doctor Truong Thai raised the needle to estimate.

"If someone uses internal force to hit a needle into an acupuncture point, the golden needle will move along the blood vessels."

"Only when the poison manifests itself and causes blood to vomit, will it be able to be forced out."

The old lady's face turned pale.

“Who can take the gold from the Khuong family?”

I looked towards the medicine cabinet against the wall.

“I originally had thirty-six of these golden needles.”

“Three years ago, when the General went on an expedition, I used twelve sticks to stop the bleeding of wounded soldiers.”

“The remaining twenty-four plants are always locked in the medicine box.”

The manager immediately led people to look for him. Soon, the medicine box was carried up and placed on the table. The brass lock is still intact, the key is still hanging on my side. I opened the trunk lid myself. On the red silk sheet, twenty-three golden needles were neatly arranged. Not much, not less. Just missed exactly one tree. The old lady suddenly slammed down on the table.

"The key is kept by me alone, and the needle is also kept in my pharmacy!"

"Today, Nghiem Hanh became poisoned, and I tried to escape again and again."

“What do you want to do anyway?”

“Mother, do you think I poisoned you?”

I asked in a calm voice.

"The things are all here, the witnesses have all the evidence, what else can I think?"

“This pharmacy has servants coming in and out every day.”

“The lock can be turned into another key, and the needle can also be stolen.”

“Who knows if I left this excuse on purpose?”

As soon as the old lady's words ended, the whole room immediately fell silent. I looked at her for a moment, the corner of my lips curled up into a faint smile. In my previous life, I saved Co Nghien Hanh's life, but I couldn't get half of my trust in return. In this life, I haven't done anything yet. Yet she became the first single woman to plot to harm her husband. Doctor Truong Thai coughed softly.

“Old lady, although this needle comes from the Khuong family, it is not necessarily related to the poison of the Twelve Bone-Piercing Sutras.”

“If Young Lady really wanted to harm the General, she wouldn't have left any obvious signs so clear.”

The old lady replied coldly:

“Maybe it's just a calculation that other people will think that way.”

Outside the door came the sound of rapid footsteps. Tong Uyen Nhu was helped by her maid and ran over, her face wet with tears.

“Auntie, my sister-in-law will absolutely not harm her brother.”

She stood in front of me, as if she was risking her life to protect me.

"My sister-in-law and my brother have been husband and wife for many years. She has no reason to do that."

The anger on the old lady's face eased a bit.

“Uyen Nhu, you are too simple.”

"Some people's thoughts cannot be known just by looking at their faces."

Tong Uyen Nhu turned around and gently held my hand.

“My sister-in-law, please explain quickly.”

"As long as you explain clearly why there's a gold needle missing, auntie won't make things difficult for you."

I lowered my eyes and looked down. Tong Uyen Nhu's nails are trimmed round and clean, but there is a very faint incision on the index finger of her right hand. Around the wound, an unusual pale blue halo appeared. I turned around and held her wrist tightly. Tong Uyen Nhu was in so much pain that she cried out softly.

“Sister-in-law, what are you doing?”

“You have once touched a golden needle.”

I raised her right hand under the light. Everyone saw the wound clearly. There was a flash of panic in Tong Uyen Nhu's eyes, but she quickly shook her head and cried.

“I don't have it.”

"This is the wound I accidentally got pricked by the needle when I was embroidering yesterday."

“Embroidery needles will not turn the wound blue.”

I used my fingertips to press on her knuckles.

“The Khuong family's gold needles are soaked in medicinal fluid all year round. After injuring someone, the blue skin around the wound does not fade for three days."