Chapter 39: Jade Rabbit slaps her face on the spot who said she can't speak
The man dismounted, led his horse through the crowd, and hurried to her side.
He opened his mouth to say something, then looked at the crowd gathered around him, and in the end, he didn't say what he wanted to say on the spot.
"Miss Alice, I know who it is," he said, glancing at the still-sad figure next to him. He cast a concerned look at the young lady before him and whispered, "Can we go inside and talk for a few minutes?"
As soon as the two turned around, the young husband, who had been closely watching their movements, immediately shouted, "Where do you want to go? Do you want to escape?!"
The porter had just opened the bag of Chinese medicinal herbs he had brought in, claiming they contained the ingredients used in the Hair Strengthening and Rejuvenating Cream, and that they were highly toxic. This method easily won the onlookers' trust, and exclamations echoed from the surroundings.
Many of them were middle-class Londoners who had recently squeezed out their money to buy the expensive £8 ointment, simply to grow their hair. After hearing such horrific accusations, their longing for hair became unimportant. They were more afraid of being poisoned by the ointment and dying, like the woman lying on the ground.
Victims and those who had come into contact with the ointment's raw materials spoke out, and the crowd became increasingly skeptical. Some were men and women lining up to buy the hair-strengthening and rejuvenating cream. Hearing Alice was leaving, they became even more convinced, and there was a moment of uproar.
"Oh no, could it be that what that gentleman said is true? Otherwise, why would the shop owner, Miss Alice, run away? It's obvious that she's feeling guilty." A female voice asked suspiciously.
"There are witnesses and physical evidence, the proof is conclusive! It's horrible, they want to poison all British people!" a male voice confirmed.
"God, am I about to be poisoned?! I just finished the second bottle this morning. I wonder how many bottles this lady on the ground used before she died!" A female voice was full of panic and worry.
"We can't let her get away! We have to ask this store to refund our money and compensate us for our medical expenses!" A male voice was filled with intense emotion.
As the young husband heard more and more discontented voices around him, a hint of complacency appeared in his eyes.
He took out the bottle of ointment that was said to be fatal and prepared to add fuel to the fire.
The medicine bottle was a round pumpkin-shaped bottle like the ones sold at Oriental Alice Pharmacy, and the ointment was a nearly transparent pale yellow, looking identical to the ones on the shelf nearby. A large chunk of ointment had been roughly scooped out of the bottle, leaving the spread of the ointment smeared across the transparent bottle wall, looking disorganized.
"It was this ointment, this ointment that took the life of my beloved Maria," he said. "Young lady, you have done such a horrible thing, and you have no regrets. Are you going to just walk away?"
"Who said we were leaving?" Alice said with a sneer on her lips and no fear in her eyes. She gestured for Adrian Moran to stand aside and said she could handle it.
She glanced lazily at the herbs in her pocket. It was indeed the black aconite root she used in her hair-strengthening and rejuvenation ointment. It was indeed related to the wolfsbane flower the porter had mentioned.
Europeans consider wolfsbane and oriental monkshood to be similar plants, but the black aconite she uses is a paralogous root of Aconitum, inherently less toxic. Furthermore, the Oriental preparation significantly reduces its toxicity. Furthermore, the amount of black aconite used is relatively small, and after being tempered with the jade pestle, it has reached its optimal state, balancing toxicity and medicinal properties. Even the weakest will not be harmed, let alone killed.
It's obvious that this person has bad intentions. Just as Adrian Moran wanted to remind you, there must be something fishy behind this.
"Sir, please prove that the herbs in the bag are indeed added to my hair-strengthening and rejuvenation ointment. Don't act like you've seen how I make the medicine," she said to the porter. Then she turned to her young husband. "Sir, please also prove that the ointment on the lady's head was purchased from my store. More importantly, prove that you didn't tamper with it."
She looked relaxed, and didn't look like someone being questioned in the crowd. People thought she was a judge, directing the plaintiff and defendant to submit evidence.
Seeing Alice's unconventional approach, the young husband resorted to emotional appeals once again: "You're just quibbling! How could a common person like me gather such solid evidence in such a short time? And aren't the ointment in my hand, my wife's death, and the herbs being carried on the ground enough to prove your guilt?"
"Sir, you can't convict me based on your own speculation. I can also accuse you of murder." Alice knew that he had no way of proving that the ointment was sold in her shop, and the fact that the bottle had been opened was even more unclear. And he was indeed not innocent.
The man surrounded by people on the opposite side rolled his eyes and showed panic on his face, but he quickly calmed down. "Miss, after the trauma of Maria's death, I am once again distressed and almost dying. How can you accuse the husband of a beloved wife who just died of such a hurtful crime? We are a loving couple, and our neighbors are all my witnesses. But you, the temptation of money, have the reason to do such a thing."
Alice remained calm and collected. She simply asked, "Sir, you keep saying I don't care about other people's lives for money, but according to you, all my customers have been poisoned. Who can I sell them to for the profit?"
"This..." The young husband's rhythm was disrupted. His mind raced as he immediately came up with a plan. "I'm not saying that everyone will die instantly, but there will inevitably be people like my wife who are sensitive to this toxin and will die immediately upon contact."
He looked around and questioned the onlookers, striking directly at their greatest fears: "Who among you can guarantee that you won't be the next one?"
Those who regained their sanity after being questioned by Alice were once again won over by him. Everyone was in danger, afraid that they would be the next unlucky person.
Alice suddenly became curious. Who had sent this person? He was quite good at playing tricks on people.
"You are a lady from a wealthy family, raised in luxury with countless servants. Naturally, you cannot understand the hardships we ordinary people face. You enjoy Britain's finest resources, yet you use the lives of the poor as stepping stones to accumulate wealth. I cannot accept this!" He continued, striking while the iron was hot, his voice rising, no less powerful than Mrs. Bennett's. "Maria, she was in so much pain before she died, crying out my name, begging me to save her. It was you, Miss Alice, who claimed to be saving the British, but in reality, you were killing people!"
This person clearly intended to portray Alice as a superior, upper-class lady, pitting her against the onlookers and calling on them to join the outcry. The aristocracy's custom of only sending servants to the shop to purchase ointments also provided the young man with this convenience.
Unexpectedly, this time it was not Alice who responded to him first, but a fist.
A middle-aged man wearing a tattered short jacket but in good spirits squeezed over, listened to his latest speech, and suddenly punched him in the left cheek.
"Shut up!" He looked very difficult to deal with. "Ms. Alice is not that kind of person!"
The young husband was stunned and didn't dare to speak for a moment. He could only signal his friends in the crowd with his eyes to continue.
"Why are you still hitting people? If this isn't upper-class oppression, then what is it?" A middle-aged man dressed in middle-class clothes loudly accused.
"Open your eyes and see clearly, I am not a member of the upper class." Another ragged man ran over, grabbed the speaker by the collar, and punched the blind man.
"Oriental Alice's Pharmacy sells poison and doesn't allow anyone to speak out. Does that mean the country lady doesn't care about the lives of the poor? And now she's hiring someone to kill someone right in front of everyone!" Despite the pressure of being beaten, a young man bravely stepped forward from the crowd, filled with righteous indignation. "What kind of rejuvenation cream is this? I think it's a fatal cream!"
"We are the real poor! Judging from your appearance, you probably don't even know where the Oriental Alice Tzu Chi Pharmacy is in London. How can you represent the poor?" A tall girl retorted loudly, "You have no idea how kind-hearted she is. My whole family got cholera, and we were saved by the Tzu Chi Pharmacy's medicine that only cost one penny. How could Miss Alice do something harmful for your little money?"
The onlookers began to whisper again. Everyone felt that the victim's accusations were not unreasonable, and these people who showed up also had good points. They didn't know who to believe for a moment, but they didn't dare to joke with their own lives and buy ointment from Oriental Alice Pharmacy again.
Seeing that his goal was about to be achieved, Viscount Thomas, who had been hiding in the crowd for a long time, stood up.
"Gentlemen and ladies, please be still," he said. "I have heard the victim's accusation, and I have also heard the other side's objections. Objectively speaking, the matter is of great importance, and the evidence is sufficient. As a member of the Court of King's Bench, Viscount Thomas, it is my duty to conduct a thorough review of this matter."
Viscount Thomas had learned in advance that the Bennets were ordinary country gentlemen, and his sister had married a rising class man who had inherited their father's estate. Although Mr. Bentley was close to the Darcy family, he believed that gentleman could resolve the matter, and of course he would do as he wished and bring the matter to a conclusion.
"Miss Alice, please come with me," the Viscount said politely. The people following him went to bring the victim, her family, and the witnesses.
Alice raised an eyebrow. From the Viscount's words, it seemed like everything was legal and compliant. She had actually refuted the so-called evidence, saying it was insufficient and there was no reason to take her away. Yet, he was forcing a conclusion as if she had indeed committed a crime.
The young husband, led by the Viscount's servants, passed by her. He covered his bruised face with his hands and smiled maliciously, pretending to say, "Miss Alice, you are just bullying my poor wife because she can't speak, so you keep making excuses. But fortunately, God and the wise monarch will not let you, the murderer, escape."
Alice said lightly, "Who said she can't speak? If you hadn't been stopping her, she would have been cured long ago."
"What? This...how is this possible?" He was completely panicked and forced himself to respond.
"Why, you don't want me to cure your wife?" Alice said meaningfully.
"How is that possible!" The young husband was sweating profusely, but he could do nothing in public. He could only bet that she could not cure his wife who was obviously dead.
Alice, acting like a lady, politely addressed the Viscount, "Mr. Viscount, could you please allow me to cure this lady first? Then you won't have to bother with the trial."
Viscount Thomas's smile froze, but he still said gently, "Of course, I'm happy to see the poor lady regain her life."
The smile shifted to Alice's face. "Really? That's perfect."
She walked into the shop and said to the Viscount, who wanted to follow her into the pharmacy, "There are no windows or doors in the back. I suppose your family has some property, so you should know what a secret recipe is."
Adrian Moran came out and said, "Viscount Thomas, let me introduce myself, Adrian Moran. Why don't you let me chat with you outside for a while? Even if Miss Alice runs away, others will only say that we were negligent. It's better than you bearing the name of a thief alone."
Although he had never met this legendary gentleman, his reputation as a man of both beauty and eccentricity was widespread in high society. Viscount Thomas knew it was true from the moment he saw his face and heard him speak. Ultimately, he didn't follow him in.
As soon as Alice saw the lady's appearance, she had a prescription in mind. She took the necessary herbs from the pharmacy, summoned the jade pestle, and with a few pounding and scratching, the medicine was ready.
She waited a moment, then brought the light brown liquid medicine to the person lying on the ground. As she fed it, she shielded everyone's view with her hand. As if possessed of intelligence, the medicine flew directly into the mouth of the dying man, who was already unable to swallow food on his own, and flowed into his stomach.
Alice had added a little more Jade Pestle Auspicious Qi to this bowl of medicine, nourishing her weakened body and stimulating her sluggish organs, which were nearly fading. Finally, she gasped, her eyes snapped open, and she spat out a pool of dark liquid. Alice had anticipated this, and after feeding her the medicine, she moved aside and waited.
Maria had just woken up and didn't understand why she was lying on the street surrounded by strangers.
When her discomfort improved a little, she keenly caught sight of a familiar figure: "Henry!"
Adrian Moran stopped the young man as he attempted to flee.
The person who was calling out stood up unsteadily and walked towards the man. Alice signaled to Anne, who hurried over to steady the still weak lady.
The red-haired lady's body had lost its former vitality due to the poison. Even though her lips were no longer covered with a deep blue color, they were still bloodless. She walked over to her husband and slapped him with all her strength.
"Maria," the man was beaten, furious for a moment, then weakly said, "I...please listen to my explanation..."
"Explain? What's there to explain? Haven't you already made it clear?" The woman sneered, "Oh, yes. The only thing that's still unclear is why I'm here."
Anne quietly explained to the woman what had happened, and Maria instantly understood everything.
"He said I was poisoned by the Oriental Alice Pharmacy's Hair Rejuvenation Cream?" the woman repeated to Annie, not needing an answer. She touched her head and found a small patch of hair missing. Furious, she cursed, "You bastard! Not only did you poison me to death, you even pulled my hair out!"
She excitedly told the curious onlookers the truth. It turned out that at noon that day, her husband Henry had returned home and brought her a piece of cake, supposedly a gift from a nobleman, for her to eat first, saying he was on the verge of great success. After she finished eating and collapsed in agony, he viciously revealed the full truth: he was indeed on the verge of rising to prominence, and if he sacrificed his wife's life, he would receive a windfall and the opportunity to be promoted by the nobility.
Hearing this, everyone turned their eyes to the only noble present who stepped out to wade into the muddy waters, Viscount Thomas, who held a position in the King's Court.
Alice understood. As expected, the bald patch she'd just observed didn't look like the result of natural hair loss, and this woman certainly hadn't been poisoned directly by the poisoned ointment. The hair-strengthening and rejuvenation ointment was nearly transparent, so it couldn't contain the colored aconite poison. She had to be poisoned first, then smeared with the ointment to create a fake appearance.
In other words, she likely knew who poisoned her, especially since the perpetrator believed she was doomed. Naturally, they'd share their thoughts with her. Such tactics usually leave no room for error, since the person is dead anyway. Unfortunately, she met me, was able to save the poisoned person, and let her identify him personally.
Henry was seized by the deceived crowd and was about to be sent to the King's Bench Court for the murder trial. However, when they thought that Viscount Thomas was a member of the King's Bench Court, they felt a little uneasy.
Furthermore, there was no clear evidence pointing to Viscount Thomas, and it was impossible to determine whether he was the nobleman the murdered woman had learned about. Henry, however, was hoping that he could be rescued by the noble lord working in the court, so he said nothing more.
In this delicate atmosphere, everyone took Henry to court. Maria, who had been rescued, followed him, wanting to see him executed. Before leaving, she repeatedly thanked Alice for saving her life and promised to repay her in the future.
The bustling crowd outside the store dispersed. Alice raised her eyes and stared at the man who remained inside.
He didn't pick up what she said yesterday, nor did he say anything to her. He just looked at her worriedly and said, "Miss Alice, the person behind this is not just Viscount Thomas."
"Oh?" Her attention snapped back. It looked like there was more to the enemy than met the eye.
"My lady, I rode here today because I happened to learn of the conspiracy behind the scenes," Adrian Moran said. "After meeting with the Archbishop at Lambeth Palace, I passed by a corner of the garden and heard the Duke and Viscount Thomas plotting this."
He repeated in detail what he had heard.
"However, I don't understand why Duke is your enemy." The man said with embarrassment, "I'll ask my mother. Perhaps she knows."
"No, I'm going to see the Countess of Finsbury."
No one had ever gotten away with a slap from her. After hearing the inside story, Alice's eyes darkened and flashed red.
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