Qin Xiaolin pondered for a moment, then said, "Send someone to help and see if anyone is injured."
The guards sprang into action, some moving obstacles, others checking for any injured people.
The road was cleared in no time.
It turned out that this was a caravan, and the culprit behind the accident was a runaway horse.
For some unknown reason, it suddenly started running wildly, causing the wagon carrying the goods to lose its balance and overturn.
Fortunately, after a preliminary check, the people inside the vehicle only suffered minor injuries and were otherwise unharmed.
"Thank you for your help, sir," a simply dressed middle-aged man said to the guard.
He must be the leader of this caravan. Although his face was covered in dust, his calm demeanor was still evident.
"No need, you should hurry on your way, it's getting late," the guard replied.
The team leader quickly stuffed a bag of silver into his hand and handed him a bamboo basket.
"This is a special medicinal wine made in our area. It has remarkable effects on people who are usually tired from running around. It's just a small gift, please accept it, sir."
The guards initially wanted to refuse, but then they saw the leader's sincere eyes.
She stuffed the purse back into his hand, saying, "Our master said we can't accept money from the people, but I'll keep the medicinal wine."
He accepted the gift and then went to report back to Feng Monian.
The caravan soon resumed its journey, the cart wheels rolling slowly and heavily on the dirt road.
"Master Feng, these are local specialties given by the team leader." The guard placed the bamboo basket on the carriage.
Feng Monian took the bamboo basket, gently lifted the lid, and found about twenty bottles of medicinal wine inside.
Li Xi curiously picked up a bottle, opened it, and took a sniff, then frowned.
She lightly dipped her finger in it and tasted it, her expression immediately changing drastically. "It contains ingredients for tobacco paste."
"What?" Feng Monian's expression immediately turned serious upon hearing this. He took the medicinal wine from Li Xi's hand, sniffed it carefully, and indeed it had a strange fragrance, somewhat similar to the opium paste he had come into contact with before.
"Obscene paste?" The guard looked surprised. "That's a contraband. Why would the leader send this?"
Feng Monian pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps the team leader is unaware of this. If he knew there was a problem, he wouldn't have given it away as a gift."
Judging from the direction they left, they probably intended to take this medicinal wine to Kyoto to sell.
"We need to tell the Emperor Emeritus about this." Li Xi carried the basket of medicinal wine to the Emperor Emeritus's carriage.
The retired emperor was playing chess with Prince An. Seeing that he was bored sitting alone in the carriage, he pulled Qi Yu into his carriage to play chess and pass the time.
"What's wrong, Xiaoxi?" The Emperor Emeritus didn't even look up, his eyes fixed on the chessboard.
I never expected my grandson to be so good at chess. His moves were novel and his attacks were relentless, which was truly impressive.
He was secretly pleased; it seemed this child had quite a talent for chess.
Li Xi placed the basket on the table and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have discovered some information that I need to report to you."
The Emperor Emeritus then raised his head, looked at Li Xi, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "Oh? What's going on?"
Li Xi pointed to the medicinal wine in the basket and said, "There seems to be something wrong with this medicinal wine. I just checked it and found that it contains ingredients for tobacco paste."
Upon hearing this, the retired emperor's face instantly darkened.
He picked up the bottle of medicinal wine and examined it carefully.
His brows were furrowed, his face contorted with rage. These people were acting with such impunity! Ordinary people probably have no idea how dangerous this situation is.
Upon seeing this, Prince An quickly stepped forward as well.
He glanced at the bottle of medicinal wine, and his face also showed a solemn expression.
He recalled the last time he and Li Xi captured Huang Er, from which he obtained a lot of important information.
Not only did they destroy the dens that manufactured counterfeit medicines, but they also received a reward from the emperor.
I thought the matter was over, but I never expected that these medicinal wines would appear now.
Without delay, the retired emperor made a decisive decision.
He beckoned to the guard who had just spoken with the leader and whispered a few instructions to him.
A moment later, the guard took his orders and left, leading two other guards as they sped off in the direction the caravan had gone.
Let the Emperor handle this matter; Jingyuan still needs him to take charge. I have already abdicated, so it's not appropriate for me to interfere too much.
Li Xi went to Meng Zhelan and told them what had just happened, and also asked her to take a look at the ingredients of the medicinal wine.
They needed to reach the inn before dark, so she said a few words and returned to Qin Xiaolin's carriage.
Meng Zhelan smelled it carefully, then dipped a little in and tasted it. Her expression became serious.
“This medicinal wine does indeed contain tobacco paste,” Meng Zhelan said with some concern. “If one does not investigate carefully, most people would mistake it for ordinary medicinal wine, and the taste is very faint and not easily detected.”
Meng Zhelan frowned slightly, "Those who have used it will gradually become addicted."
The Empress Dowager lost interest in playing cards. She put down her cards and sighed, "Alas, the common people have it tough. Once they get addicted, the consequences are unimaginable."
"I believe His Majesty will handle this matter well once he learns of it," Meng Zhelan comforted him.
The caravan arrived at the post station before nightfall.
Princess Xuanqing stepped down from the carriage with the help of her maid.
Prince An followed the Empress Dowager and said with concern, "Grandmother, how are you feeling? I have already had someone arrange a bath tub. Please rest well later."
The Empress Dowager smiled slightly, her face showing some fatigue, yet her majesty remained undiminished: "An'er, I'm fine, just a little tired."
"Grandmother, you must take care of your health," Prince An said, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
The Empress Dowager gently patted Prince An's hand, her voice softening considerably: "Yu'er, you've grown up and are becoming more and more caring. I know you've always tried your best to share your father's burdens."
Prince An bowed his head and said respectfully, "Grandmother, you flatter me. I only did my part."
The Empress Dowager shook her head and sighed, "The affairs of the court are complex and complicated, and cannot be solved by your own strength alone. But your father has seen your intentions."
As she spoke, the Empress Dowager looked into the distance, seemingly reminiscing about the past: "I remember you were always naughty and mischievous when you were little, causing me a lot of worry. Now, you have grown into a responsible man, and I am very pleased."
Upon hearing this, Prince An was deeply moved, as he had thought no one remembered him.
Meng Zhelan followed behind the two at a leisurely pace, remaining silent throughout.
Only when Li Xi arrived did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Xiao Xi, where is Master Feng?"
Li Xi pointed ahead, "Over there, talking to Commander Qin."
Meng Zhelan nodded. She just wanted to subtly distance herself from Prince An, and she was clearly somewhat distracted by Li Xi's answer.
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