The medicine is fake.
"My lord, I'm innocent!"
Fu Mingjie knelt on the ground and cried out his innocence, "My Fu family business has been established for a hundred years and has an excellent reputation in Yuzhou. Your Honor, you must investigate this matter thoroughly and not wrong me!"
Wang Qianxin kicked him, "What are you yelling about? The adults are here, who gives you the right to speak?"
"If it's not medicinal herbs, what else could it be? The prescription I used for them is the same as the one I used in Qingzhou, so why isn't it working in Yuzhou?" Doctor Gao insisted that his prescription was correct.
"In that case, let's open the warehouse and see if these medicinal herbs are good or bad." Fu Zhiqiao walked in.
When the others saw her coming, they all greeted her: "Boss Fu." "Greetings, Miss Fu."
Xie Zhuo looked at her with disapproval in his eyes: "Why aren't you resting properly? What are you doing at the yamen?"
Of course, we're here to watch the fun!
Fu Zhiqiao smiled slightly, "Your Highness, whether there is a problem with the medicinal herbs or not can be determined by opening the warehouse."
Kneeling on the ground, Fu Mingjie's eyes were filled with fear, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He could only grit his teeth and cry out, "My lord, I am innocent!"
Seeing his nervous expression, she couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head and sighing, "Really? But you're sweating so much from being so nervous!"
Fu Mingjie looked up abruptly, and upon seeing Fu Zhi Qiao's face, he was filled with disbelief: "You, you are..."
Xie Zhuo glanced at Fu Zhi Qiao a few times, wondering to himself.
He knew that Fu Zhiqiao's ancestral home was in Yuzhou, and he also knew about her relationship with Fu Mingjie, but judging from her gloating appearance now, it seems that there are some inside stories about her relationship with the Fu family that he doesn't know.
"Then open the warehouse and investigate thoroughly!"
At Xie Zhuo's command, Fu Mingjie's face turned ashen.
Before long, Fu Mingjie was thrown into jail.
Xie Zhuo and Min Kunzheng split up into two groups. Min Kunzheng led the officials to the Fu family's pharmacy to investigate, while Xie Zhuo led his men to the clinic to check out the medicinal herbs used to prepare medicine for the patients.
At the Fu family's pharmacy, the officials opened each medicine cabinet and carefully searched through them.
The shopkeeper was distressed by the officials' rough handling of the herbs. He exclaimed, "Ouch, be gentle! These are all precious medicinal herbs!"
After searching around, they found nothing suspicious. The medicine cabinet was full of good medicinal herbs, so naturally they couldn't find anything wrong with it. The officer grabbed the shopkeeper and shouted, "Open your warehouse immediately!"
"Open the warehouse? No, no, how can we let outsiders into the warehouse?" The pharmacy owner waved his hands repeatedly. "Officers, you must have misunderstood. Our Fu family pharmacy has been open for decades, there will absolutely be no problem."
"Enough with the nonsense. We are acting on the orders of the Imperial Envoy. Now you must open the warehouse immediately."
Upon hearing that it was an order from the imperial envoy, the shopkeeper's hands trembled as he took out the keys to the storeroom.
Meanwhile, Xie Zhuo led his men to the clinic to check the prescriptions.
The medicine packets prescribed to patients infected with the plague were readily available in the clinic, and then distributed to the patients' families to prepare the medicine themselves.
Xie Zhuo randomly pointed out a doctor to identify the medicinal herbs.
The medicine packet contained a mixture of nearly ten kinds of medicinal herbs. The doctor opened the packet and took out the prescription written by Physician Gao to compare them one by one: ephedra, cinnamon twig, schizonepeta, red peony root, acorus tatarinowii, ginseng, cyperus rotundus...
"Your Excellency, there is no problem with the prescription."
No problem? How could there be no problem?
"Let me take a look." Doctor Gao took the medicine packet and carefully searched through it. He had written the prescription, and during the examination, he not only checked the number of herbs but also the dosage.
He quickly realized that something was wrong with the other person.
According to the prescription he gave, the ginseng in the medicine packet should be a small ginseng root about half an inch long. Doctor Gao picked up the small ginseng root and examined it carefully.
How is that possible? His prescription clearly included ginseng, so how did it become Lu Shang's?
Imperial Physician Gao hurriedly opened the other medicine packets. Only one of the four packets contained ginseng, while the other three contained Lu Shang!
"There's something wrong with this medicine. The prescription I wrote called for ginseng, but the medicine packet contains Lu Shang!" Imperial Physician Gao's gentle face was full of anger, and his voice was much louder than usual.
He suppressed his anger and patiently explained, "Some medicine packets contain ginseng, while others contain oyster shells, which is why the patients don't experience any adverse reactions after taking the medicine."
Local merchants call these herbs "wild ginseng," and unless you're an expert, you can't tell the difference with the naked eye. Doctors can distinguish the quality of medicinal herbs, but ordinary people can hardly tell the difference. However, when decocting medicine, the whole packet of herbs is poured into the pot without checking the authenticity of the herbs.
Moreover, this medicine packet was issued by the government, so no one doubted that it was fake.
The doctor who inspected the medicine package also looked incredulous. He hadn't even considered the possibility that the medicine was wrong; he had only checked the quantity of the medicine to confirm that there was no shortage of ingredients.
Xie Zhuo asked, "Who is the medical officer in charge of purchasing the medicine?"
The prescription is correct; the problem lies with the person who purchased the medicinal herbs.
Human life is not a game. How can you treat and save lives if you buy the wrong medicine? Using Chinese medicine instead of ginseng is simply immoral and pushes patients into the abyss of death.
The physician knelt down with a thud. "Impossible! I bought the herbs according to the prescription. There couldn't have been a mistake. Please, Your Highness, investigate thoroughly."
Imperial Physician Gao insisted that he was right: "Your Highness, the prescription I wrote is absolutely correct. Otherwise, how did those people in Qingzhou get cured?"
With each side sticking to their own version of events, Xie Zhuo was unable to determine who was right and who was wrong for the time being.
Seeing that he was at a disadvantage, the physician hurriedly shouted, "Young Master, I have evidence! The account books can prove that I bought ginseng, not from the Lu merchants."
Lu Shang's medicine is a common medicinal herb, while ginseng is a precious medicinal herb, and the purchase prices of the two are not in the same range.
The purchase ledger was handed over to Xie Zhuo for inspection, and it was indeed written that it contained ginseng.
The physician breathed a sigh of relief.
"The imperial physician's prescription is correct, and the medical officer's purchase list is also correct. So where did the problem lie?" Fu Zhi Qiao added fuel to the fire. After listening to the explanations from the imperial physician and the medical officer, she knew that this matter was definitely related to Fu Ming Jie.
Fu Zhiqiao clicked his tongue in amazement, mixing Lu Shang with ginseng. After all, the plague was incurable, and if it couldn't be cured, it wouldn't be blamed on him, the medicine merchant.
Fu Mingjie, you're really good at scheming!
Xie Zhuo seemed to realize something, and his face visibly darkened: "Someone, summon Fu Mingjie."
Inside the Yuzhou Prefecture government office.
Fu Mingjie had just been released from prison and knelt down in the hall, looking disheveled. He turned his gaze to Fu Zhiqiao.
Fu Zhiqiao smiled at him and mouthed, "Second Uncle, how have you been?"
Fu Mingjie's pupils constricted sharply. What happened to Fu Zhiqiao? Didn't she take her mother to the countryside to recuperate? How did she end up here...?
The heavy slam of the gavel in Min Kun's hand brought Fu Mingjie back to his senses. He looked away, no longer daring to look around.
"Fu Mingjie, do you know your crime?"
"This humble servant is unaware. May I ask, Your Excellency, what crime have I committed?"
"Still dare to be stubborn? Today we discovered that the medicine packets you bought from your Fu family's shop were the problem." Min Kun was suppressing his anger, gritting his teeth as he interrogated Fu Mingjie. He had been appointed as an imperial envoy to Yuzhou to provide disaster relief, and if the plague in Yuzhou was not resolved, he would also be reprimanded by the Emperor.
Fu Mingjie looked flustered and hurriedly said, "Sir, I didn't know, I'm innocent."
"Still trying to argue." Min Kun threw the medicine packet in front of him. "Look for yourself, the physician bought ginseng, but you delivered Lu Shang's medicine."
Fu Mingjie stared blankly at the medicine packet, "This, this... I didn't know, someone must have framed me!"
Fu Mingjie was ambitious, but in reality, he was mediocre. He was good at chatting and building relationships at the dinner table, but he disdained to go to the medicinal herb field to identify herbs and understand their properties. So he knew a little about business, but when it came to identifying medicinal herbs, he was dumbfounded.
"Then tell me who framed you," Min Kunzheng sneered.
Fu Mingjie stammered and couldn't get the words out.
After an afternoon of interrogation, Fu Mingjie stubbornly refused to admit that he had switched the ginseng, and just kept shouting that he was innocent.
Currently, it can only be proven that the medicine packet is problematic, but it cannot be confirmed that it was made by Fu Mingjie. Min Kunzheng has no choice but to temporarily lock him up in jail.
“Since Fu Mingjie is unwilling to speak, let’s start by investigating the Fu family’s shops,” Fu Zhiqiao kindly suggested to Xie Zhuo.
Xie Zhuo nodded. "I will pass on the message to Lord Min."
This matter cannot withstand close scrutiny. The imperial physician Gao's prescription requires ginseng, so the medical officer thought of Fu Mingjie. The Fu family is the largest pharmaceutical merchant in Yuzhou City, so it is safe to buy medicinal materials from him.
However, Yuzhou was hit by floods and many fields were submerged, including the Fu family's medicinal herb fields.
Ginseng grows very slowly, taking three to five years to grow to an inch long. As the medicinal fields were flooded, a large number of ginseng plants that were about to mature in the Fu family's fields were also destroyed in the flood.
When Fu Wenyang went to the warehouse to retrieve the goods, he discovered that he didn't have enough ginseng. He checked all the required medicinal materials; they had all the other materials on the list. The only thing that bothered him was that they didn't have enough ginseng.
The Fu family has ginseng that is ten, thirty or even a hundred years old, but they lack small ginseng that is three to five years old.
Ginseng has the effect of strengthening the body and nourishing vital energy, making it a powerful tonic. Young ginseng has a milder medicinal effect and is suitable for most people, while older ginseng has a stronger medicinal effect. Some people are too weak to tolerate ginseng, and taking it may be harmful to their health.
Therefore, the imperial physician Gao specifically instructed in his prescription that small ginseng must be used.
The prescription was for treating the plague and was needed urgently. Fu Wenyang didn't have time to go to other places to source the goods, nor did he want to give up the order because he didn't have enough ginseng in stock.
It wouldn't do to fail to deliver the goods to the government. In order not to waste the connections that Fu Mingjie had painstakingly built, Fu Wenyang had a flash of inspiration. He thought that Lu Shang looked similar to ginseng, so he mixed half of Lu Shang into the medicine packet. Since it was chopped up anyway, it would be difficult for most people to distinguish it from other herbs.
*
The Fu family.
Zhao Xialan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pulling Fu Wenyang, "Third brother, you have to think of something quickly, your second brother has been locked up in the cell for five days."
"Second sister-in-law, don't worry, I've already sent someone to find out what's going on."
"Greetings, Madam and Third Master." Just as the two were talking, the servant ran over and said, "News has come from the yamen. It is said that our family sold substandard medicinal herbs to the government, and now the government is going to investigate and hold us accountable."
Could it be that that matter has been discovered?
Fu Wenyang's heart skipped a beat. He feigned surprise, "How could this be? Second Brother wouldn't do such a thing."
"That's right, those adults must have made a mistake. Third brother, quickly find a way to rescue your second brother." Zhao Xialan was so frightened that she was completely at a loss, placing all her hopes on Fu Wenyang.
Fu Wenyang felt a pang of guilt, but forced himself to remain calm and said, "Second sister-in-law, there must be some misunderstanding. I will send someone to take care of things right away, and I will make sure that Second Brother returns safely."
Fu Wenyang left in a hurry, and Zhao Xialan slumped into a chair.
Fu Yan'er was trying on her newly made dress in her bedroom when her maid, Xiao Qiu, rushed in, panting, "Miss, Master has been locked up by the yamen."
"What did you say?" The comb in Fu Yan'er's hand immediately fell to the ground, as if struck by lightning, and she froze on the spot.
"This servant heard it from Madam and Third Master."
Fu Zhiqiao rushed to Jinyuyuan and pushed open the door. "Mother, Father has been locked up by the yamen?"
Zhao Xialan's eyes were red and swollen. "Your third uncle went to inquire about the news."
"How could this be? Then... why did the yamen imprison Father?" Fu Yan'er frowned deeply.
The news of Fu Mingjie's imprisonment was like the sky falling for Zhao Xialan. She held a handkerchief and sobbed, "They say there's something wrong with the medicine our family sold to the government. What are we going to do now?"
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