Outside the palace, Hong Xiaoduo and Kaiyang didn't dare to go too far, so they just wandered around nearby.

"Mother, you're doing this for the good of Fengliang Kingdom, but they're so ungrateful, acting like you've ruined their plans," Kaiyang muttered to himself.

"Actually, it's not entirely their fault, because they didn't know how dangerous that thing was," Hong Xiaoduo said as she walked.

Kaiyang looked up at her, wanting to ask her how she knew, whether she had seen it with her own eyes.

But then I thought, Mother is really amazing. She knew a lot of things that even Master and Sister Feiyan didn't know.

So, it's normal for them to say they know about opioids now.

More than an hour later, Hong Xiaoduo was still thinking that if she were to have lunch in the palace later, she shouldn't expect the same thing to happen again this morning.

The next moment, a eunuch trotted over and said that the people who had gone to the palace to investigate had returned, and the emperor had also returned to the palace.

"You're back?" Hong Xiaoduo and Kaiyang exchanged a smile. They had been chatting so much that they hadn't noticed what was happening at the palace gate.

When the adult and the child entered the hall, several more people appeared inside.

"Alright, you can speak now," the emperor said.

The person in charge of this matter was Yue Wenchao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. After watching Hong Xiaoduo and Kaiyang take their seats, he said, "Your Majesty, the matter Your Majesty ordered me to investigate has been investigated. All three pharmacies in the capital have been questioned, and a total of six people have bought opium multiple times."

The first person to buy it has been five years already. The remaining five people have been buying it for four years (two people), three years (one person), two years (one person), and one person started buying it this summer.

Because opium is expensive and a foreign product, these people all told the pharmacy owner to reserve some for them next time. Therefore, they took the initiative to leave their address and name with the pharmacy.

Of these six people, only the first person to buy opium had broken his thighbone while riding a horse. The first attempt to set the bone failed, and it wasn't properly set until it healed. They then had to get a different doctor, who broke off the misaligned part and reset it, causing him unbearable pain, which is why he bought opium.

"What is the current state of these six people? Their physical condition, their emotions, and so on?" Minister Cao asked somewhat anxiously.

"The person who bought opium for five years was Shi Chenyu, the third son of Shi Tianfu, a major grain producer. He was forty-six years old. When I saw him, he was so thin that he was skin and bones. Even the starving refugees in the Northwest a few years ago were not as frightening as him."

His face was sallow, his eyes were lifeless, and he looked several years older than his father. He seemed quite impatient when he saw me. When his father saw me off, he kept apologizing, saying that his son was like this because of the old ailment in his legs.

The two people who had been buying opium for four years were Liu Baohua's grandson, Liu Pengyang, who was 23 years old. He initially took opium because of a toothache. He heard from others that opium could cure toothache, so he tried it and it really worked. After that, he would take it whenever he had a toothache..." Yue Wenchao explained in detail how the six people first came into contact with opium and their current situation.

After she finished speaking, everyone's expressions, except for the Emperor, were mostly surprised as they looked at Hong Xiaoduo.

"Your Majesty, after this investigation, I have found that what Lady Hong said earlier is true. Taking opium really can cause addiction and dependence, and it can also drastically change people's personalities."

According to those close to these individuals, after taking opium, they felt very comfortable and euphoric. However, once the opium was out of stock and could not be found anywhere, the originally filial sons would disobey their elders and become estranged from their relatives, and the originally gentle and refined gentlemen would become violent and attack their wives and children.

Currently, although only these six people have been identified, it is because their prices are high and their numbers are extremely small.

"So, we really can't buy this stuff from the opium-producing country anymore. Its harm is no less than that of the Cold Food Powder banned in the previous dynasty, and it can even be said to be worse than the Cold Food Powder. Otherwise, if more and more people get infected with this stuff in the long run, the consequences of its spread will be unimaginable. Besides, the doctors in our Fengliang Kingdom don't necessarily use opium in their prescriptions for treating diarrhea and relieving pain..." Yue Wenchao said with great concern.

Upon hearing Yue Wenchao's words, Hong Xiaoduo almost gave him a thumbs up on the spot. After all, he was from the Ministry of Justice. The emperor had only asked him to investigate, but he not only observed carefully but also analyzed the problem and considered the consequences.

Moreover, his words were far more convincing to those present than his own.

Hong Xiaoduo looked around again and saw that the emperor and the other officials all had solemn expressions on their faces, indicating that they had truly taken the advice to heart.

After Yue Wenchao finished speaking, his gaze fell on Hong Xiaoduo again. To be honest, when he received the emperor's decree, he was very puzzled. Why would the emperor suddenly order him to investigate such a matter?

Considering that today is the day to negotiate trade with foreign delegations, and opium is a product of that poppy country, but I have heard that the other party raises prices every year, could it be that this time they want to find some flaws in opium and lower the price?

Those who served the emperor were skilled at reading people's expressions. They noticed Yue Wenchao's confusion and knew he wouldn't inquire, so they took the initiative to explain the reason in general terms.

Yue Wenchao personally witnessed the case of the dancers in the music hall being tortured to death. Thanks to Hong Xiaoduo's abilities, the real culprit was found before the three judicial departments even had a formal joint trial.

Therefore, knowing that this was all because of her, Yue Wenchao had no doubts about her whatsoever.

This mission was completely different from the past. How to describe it? Let's just say that if he didn't know that this matter was caused by her, he would just be doing his job meticulously.

However, knowing that this matter was caused by her, things were completely different. Although she still had to perform her duties meticulously, there was something else involved. It was no longer simply about fulfilling the emperor's orders, but rather about feeling a little excited and curious.

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