Jian Xianzhi asked in a deep voice, staring at the guard sharply.
The guards looked terrified and shook their heads. "We were on guard outside last night and never let anyone in. I don't know why they all... died."
Shen Yuhan glanced around coldly, thinking secretly in his heart. These people were obviously killed, but how did the murderer get into such a heavily guarded dungeon?
Moreover, the fact that they were able to take their lives so quickly and accurately was obviously premeditated.
Fang Qingyue also came along at this time. She stood at the door of the cell and her heart tightened when she saw the corpses.
She walked over quickly, squatted down and took a closer look. Her eyes lingered on the woman's lips for a moment, then turned to the other corpses, her expression becoming more solemn.
"Your Majesty, these people appear to have died of poisoning."
Fang Qingyue said in a deep voice. She gently wiped the stain on the woman's lips with a handkerchief and continued, "This is not an ordinary poison. It is extremely toxic and can cause a person to bleed to death in a short period of time."
Jian Xianzhi also noticed something was wrong and stood up, his eyes stern. "Poisoned? Could it be that someone took advantage of our unpreparedness and sneaked into the dungeon and poisoned us?"
Shen Yuhan's eyes turned slightly cold, and he waved his hand to signal the guards: "Who was in charge of the guard last night? Come over and explain immediately."
The guards' expressions suddenly changed, and they immediately elected a prison boss who was on duty last night.
The jailer trembled as he stepped forward and knelt tremblingly, sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Your Highness, we followed the rules for our shift last night, and absolutely no one entered or left the cell. I... I don't know why they died so suddenly!"
Shen Yuhan frowned, obviously not believing what he said. When he was about to ask again, Fang Qingyue's gaze suddenly stopped on a broken bowl in the corner of the cell.
She gestured to Shen Yuhan to be patient, then walked over gently, bent down and picked up the bowl. There was some residual liquid at the bottom of the bowl that had not been cleaned clean, and it exuded a faint strange fragrance.
She sniffed carefully, frowning slightly. "There's some residual poison here, and it's extremely toxic. It looks like someone tampered with the food."
Fang Qingyue frowned slightly and carefully looked at the broken bowl in her hand.
The remaining liquid at the bottom of the bowl had a strange color and a faint fragrance. She sniffed it gently, and her brows furrowed even more tightly.
Then she rubbed the powder at the bottom of the bowl in her hands, carefully feeling the texture.
Jian Xianzhi and Shen Yuhan stood aside, staring closely at Fang Qingyue's movements, waiting for her analysis.
"This poison..." Fang Qingyue muttered to herself, her tone gradually becoming heavier as if she had confirmed a certain guess. "The ingredients of this poison are not common medicinal herbs in the capital, nor are they even poisons from the Central Plains. They come from farther away."
Shen Yuhan's eyes flashed with a chill when he heard this, and his tone was low: "Farther away? Are you saying that the ingredients of this poison come from foreign countries?"
Fang Qingyue nodded, gently blew away the powder at the bottom of the bowl, and confirmed, "That's right. This poison contains a special ingredient that's not common in the Central Plains. It comes from a unique plant in the West and can only be found in certain specific areas. Poisons in the capital rarely contain this ingredient."
Jian Xianzhi's expression immediately grew serious, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. "If that's the case, then this isn't just a disappearance case in the capital. It's very likely that foreign forces are involved, and it might even be connected to the events on the border."
Shen Yuhan's gaze became sharper, and he began to secretly calculate in his mind.
The poison before us is no longer a simple means of poisoning. The undercurrent hidden behind it may involve a larger conspiracy or even the intervention of foreign forces.
"It seems that the forces involved behind this poison should not be underestimated." Shen Yuhan said calmly, with a heavy thought in his tone.
Jian Xianzhi nodded, his brows furrowed slightly, a cold glint in his eyes. "If it's true, as Qingyue said, that the poison's ingredients came from a foreign country, then this disappearance case may have gone beyond our previous understanding and may even involve the situation on the border."
Fang Qingyue put down the broken bowl in her hand, and a plan gradually came to her mind. She looked around, her eyes landing on Shen Yuhan and Jian Xianzhi, and said firmly, "Since we already have this clue, why not use it to set up a trap and lure out the person behind the scenes."
Shen Yuhan raised his eyebrows slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "Your idea is good. But how do we implement it specifically?"
Jian Xianzhi nodded in agreement, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes. "However, we need to be extremely cautious when designing this bait. Those behind the scenes are obviously very careful. If they notice something, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to hit them with one strike."
Fang Qingyue pondered for a moment and spoke slowly: "If we want to lure them out, we must have someone they are interested in as bait to make them show up."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yuhan immediately realized her intention and his expression suddenly became serious: "You mean, you want to use people as bait? But this kind of thing is extremely dangerous. If you are not careful, you will get burned."
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Shen Yuhan and Jian Xianzhi exchanged glances, realizing the complexity of the situation had far exceeded their expectations. The idea of using a human as bait was risky, but it was the only viable solution. As Jian Xianzhi pondered, a suitable candidate suddenly emerged in his mind.
"Maybe I have a way." Jian Xianzhi suddenly spoke in a low voice.
A hint of determination flashed in his eyes, and then he turned to Shen Yuhan and Fang Qingyue, "However, we need to make some preparations. You go back to the clinic and wait for me. I will make arrangements."
Shen Yuhan nodded slightly. Although he still had doubts in his heart, he knew Jian Xianzhi and knew that he would not act rashly. "Okay, Qingyue and I will wait for you at the clinic."
Fang Qingyue wanted to ask more clearly, but saw Jian Xianzhi turned around and left with decisive steps.
She frowned slightly, turned to look at Shen Yuhan, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
Shen Yuhan patted her shoulder gently, his tone soft: "Don't worry, General Jian has always acted prudently. Since he has a plan, let him prepare it. Let's go back to the clinic and wait for him."
The two left the dark dungeon, walked through the increasingly bustling streets of the capital, and returned to the clinic.
Fang Qingyue looked at the endless stream of people outside and couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.
However, she also understood that this might be the only chance to find out who was behind this.
After returning to the clinic, Fang Qingyue asked Fang Chiyue to prepare some tea. The two of them sat quietly in the clinic, waiting for Jian Xianzhi's return.
Although Shen Yuhan seemed calm, the hidden worry in his eyes had never dissipated.
He looked at Fang Qingyue and saw that she looked calm, but he could still feel the worry in her heart.
"Qingyue, if there is any emergency, don't force yourself." Shen Yuhan said in a low voice, with concern in his eyes.
Fang Qingyue nodded gently and smiled: "Don't worry, I will take good care of myself."
Not long after, Jian Xianzhi came back as expected, followed by a young man in simple clothes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
