On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2212 Bribery

Li Sanlang hesitated for a moment before saying, "He... he covered his face, only revealing his eyes, so you can't see his face at all."

He's of average height, neither tall nor short, and his build isn't particularly thin or overweight.

“There are at least hundreds or thousands of people like this in Youcheng. Saying this is as good as saying nothing!” Governor Cao’s face darkened, and his tone was impatient.

"Sir, let me think! Let me think!" Li Sanlang was sweating profusely, desperately trying to recall the details of the incident. "That's right! I remember he had a scar on the back of his left hand!"

However, most of it was covered by the sleeve, and I only caught a glimpse of it by chance, so I couldn't see its exact shape.

Governor Cao nodded, signaling the yamen runner to note down this characteristic, then looked at Yan Ruyu: "Your Highness, is there anything else you want to ask?"

Yan Ruyu's gaze fell on the woman, and she said softly, "I want to ask her alone."

Governor Cao nodded in agreement and ordered Li Sanlang to be taken away. Only Yan Ruyu, the woman, and two guards remained in the main hall.

Seeing Li Sanlang being taken away, the woman became even more terrified and lay on the ground, sobbing, "Your Highness, I really know I was wrong, please forgive me this time!"

I was forced into this by Li Sanlang; I didn't want it to be like this..."

Yan Ruyu sat down in the chair in front of her and said in a calm tone, "You don't need to be afraid. As long as you tell the truth, if you can provide useful information, it will be considered as making amends."

Do you have anything to add regarding what Li Sanlang said about the men in black?

The woman shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I've never seen that man in black. Li Sanlang told me all this. But..."

She paused here, a look of hesitation on her face.

"Say whatever comes to mind, there's no need to hide anything," Yan Ruyu encouraged softly.

The woman bit her lip before slowly saying, "That night, Li Sanlang was beaten and brought back. I smelled a faint medicinal scent on him."

I asked him what happened, and he said he had been beaten up and had applied some liniment.

I didn't pay much attention at the time, but today in the west courtyard, when I smelled the doctors decocting medicine, I realized something was wrong.

She looked up, her eyes filled with confusion: "The smell of medicine on Li Sanlang that night was more like the smell of medicine that doctors brew, not the smell of topical wound medicine at all."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruyu tapped her fingertips lightly on the chair surface, her thoughts stirring slightly.

External injury medicines are mostly made from ground herbs, with a pungent or slightly bitter taste, while decoctions have a richer and more mellow flavor.

If the smell of medicine on Li Sanlang's body is similar to that of decocting medicine, then it is definitely not an ordinary medicine for falls and injuries.

Could it be... a medicinal diet?

Having asked all the necessary questions, Yan Ruyu waved her hand and ordered her men to take the woman away as well.

The woman trembled with fear. Ignoring her injuries, she struggled to lift her head, tears streaming down her face mixed with dust. "Your Highness, please have mercy! I'm so afraid of dying!"

She raised her hand to cover her chest, her voice trembling with sobs: "I'm coughing up blood, I must have caught an acute illness. Can you get me treated before you lock me up?"

I promise I'll behave and not cause any trouble!

Yan Ruyu stood still, her expression calm. Her gaze fell on the girl's frightened face, and her tone was flat and emotionless: "Whether you can be cured depends on your subsequent performance."

If you behave well, you will naturally be treated well.

The woman tried to plead again, but the constables grabbed her and lifted her up.

She staggered, crying and begging for mercy, but was still forcibly taken away, her footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Yan Ruyu sneered inwardly. In fact, the woman had no symptoms at all. The so-called vomiting of blood was just because something had been added to the bowl of medicine she was given.

It wasn't fatal at all; it was just to scare her and teach her a lesson.

Huo Changhe, standing to the side, looked at Governor Cao and said in a serious tone: "These two must be kept under close watch. We must not let them take the opportunity to escape, and we must also be wary of someone trying to silence them."

Their knowledge is limited, but it's their only lead at the moment.

Governor Cao quickly bowed and replied, "Your Highness, rest assured! I will have them locked in the most secure cell and double the number of guards to ensure that no accidents occur."

Governor Cao turned to Yan Ruyu, his brows furrowed: "Your Highness, how credible do you think their statements are?"

Yan Ruyu nodded slightly, her fingertips gently brushing the creases on her sleeve: "It should be true."

The two of them were nothing more than the lowest-ranking henchmen in this conspiracy.

She looked up at Governor Cao, her tone revealing a hint of insight, "It is precisely because he is a nobody that he has so few scruples in his actions and is more likely to succeed—we have no sense of vigilance towards such commoners."

"Damn it!" Governor Cao slammed his fist on the table, his face turning pale instantly, his eyes surging with resentment. "Now, everyone in Youcheng is working together, hoping to control the acute illness as soon as possible so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment."

But there are always these heartless and depraved individuals who secretly cause trouble! Aren't they afraid of being struck by lightning?

Huo Changhe said in a deep voice, "Anger is useless. Next, we need to carefully investigate other suspicious persons in the city, especially those who usually roam the streets and have complicated identities."

He paused, then looked at Governor Cao and added, "When admitting patients to the treatment center in the future, we must carefully verify their identities and backgrounds. We must not allow anyone with ulterior motives to sneak in again."

"Yes!" Governor Cao nodded repeatedly, his face full of agreement, and then said through gritted teeth, "It's all because of these shameless guys that we've added so much workload for everyone for no reason!"

The doctors and constables were already overworked enough; now they also had to be on guard against these sordid affairs!

At this moment, the night outside the window had gradually faded, and a faint tinge of dawn appeared on the horizon. The morning light shone through the cracks in the window frame, casting a faint ray of light on the ground.

After a night without rest, everyone looked tired.

Yan Ruyu rubbed her temples and said softly, "It's almost dawn. Let's go back to the manor for a nap. We still have many things to do after daybreak."

I slept for only two hours before it was completely light.

The morning light bathed the courtyard, and birds chirped in the branches. What should have been a peaceful and serene morning was broken by a series of hurried footsteps.

Yan Ruyu had just gotten up and finished washing up, and hadn't even had breakfast yet, when she heard a report coming from outside the courtyard that Doctor Cao was rushing over in a panic, with something important to report.

A thought struck her, and she quickly had someone invite Doctor Cao in.

Doctor Cao strode into the courtyard, his face ashen, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, and his expression panicked.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" Doctor Cao's voice was extremely urgent, "There's...there's a problem at the treatment center!"