Chapter 361 The same aura as Prince Rui
"What are you looking at? Come inside!"
Ling Ce turned around and urged him on.
"They're here."
Shen Chu turned her head to look again before turning her gaze away, lost in thought.
The courtyard was guarded by many imperial guards.
Yu Feng approached Ling Ce, his gaze sweeping over Shen Chu, who was wearing a veil, and Han Feng.
"Young Master Shen, what brings these two here?"
He had seen Shen Chu wearing a veil on Daqing Mountain, and at that time, Lord Shen said that he was his savior.
"Oh, I invited them to treat Vice Minister Zhang. Quickly, take me inside to see Vice Minister Zhang."
Minister Zhang lay on the bed, his face ashen, his lips purple, his eyes tightly closed, and he appeared to be exhaling more than inhaling.
Han Feng's expression hardened, and he quickly took out silver needles and pricked the area a few times.
Zhang Shilang's body twitched twice, his eyelids trembled, but he didn't react much.
Upon seeing this, Chen Chu's heart sank slightly, and he asked in a low voice, "How is it?"
Han Feng said, "It was arsenic. Fortunately, he didn't ingest much. If Master were here, he could definitely be saved."
I can only do my best to save them; let's leave the rest to fate.
As he spoke, he inserted the needle and gave instructions to Ling Ce.
"Go and get two jugs of warm water, and be quick."
Yu Feng immediately ordered someone to fetch water.
Soon, a servant from the post station brought over two jugs of warm water.
Yu Feng poured water and handed it to Han Feng.
Shen Chu raised her hand. "Wait a moment."
Yu Feng was completely bewildered. Wasn't he told to hurry?
Shen Chu whispered to Han Feng, "Check if there's anything wrong with the water?"
Han Feng nodded, took the water, smelled it carefully, and then inserted a silver needle.
The silver needles turned black immediately after being taken out.
"It contains arsenic."
Yu Feng's expression changed drastically.
If this bowl of water were poured directly into Minister Zhang's mouth, wouldn't he die?
These imperial guards, responsible for protecting Minister Zhang's safety, also had to suffer the consequences.
The innkeeper who brought the water was so frightened that his face turned pale and he knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"It's not a small matter. I brought this water from the kitchen."
Yu Feng gritted his teeth, "I didn't expect someone to follow us to the post station so quickly. Damn it, I'll go and capture everyone at the post station for the lord to question."
"Wait a minute," Shen Chu said. "Take Lord Shen's waist token and immediately seal off the post station. No one is allowed to enter or leave."
Immediately take control of all the water in the kitchen and prevent anyone from using it indiscriminately.
Then they called over the postmaster and everyone in the kitchen for questioning, asking the postmaster if any strangers had entered or left that day.
Ask who went in or out of the kitchen today, or who went to the well.
Yu Feng paused for a moment, then looked at Chen Chu with curiosity.
A woman, who reacted even faster than Lord Shen, with such meticulous logical thinking.
She was the one who reminded the doctor to check if there was anything wrong with the water.
"What are you standing there for? Go on!"
Yu Feng subconsciously replied "yes," then turned and dragged the constable away.
Chen Chu looked at Han Feng and said, "Let's go check out the well first."
There was a private well in the inn, and Han Feng drew up a bucket and carefully examined it.
"There's nothing wrong with the water in the well."
"Go check the kitchen."
Yu Feng called all the people in the kitchen in for questioning.
There is a large pot on the stove, which is specifically used for boiling water.
Han Feng looked around. "The water boiling in the pot isn't poisonous, but these..."
He pointed to six or seven teapots lined up next to the stove, "These have all been poisoned with arsenic."
Shen Chu's expression was rather unpleasant.
Shen Chu concluded, "It seems the murderer's target was Vice Minister Zhang. They missed their target this morning and knew that water was necessary to save Vice Minister Zhang."
So they sneaked in again and poisoned the already boiled water. If others had drunk this water, who knows how many people would have died.
To harm Minister Zhang, they went so far as to poison other innocent people; it's utterly despicable.
Han Feng's expression wasn't much better.
"Fortunately, we discovered it in time. I'll go back first to give Minister Zhang acupuncture. You guys bring it over as soon as the water boils."
With Hongxiu personally overseeing the pot of water, Chen Chu went to the courtyard to listen to Yu Feng's questions.
When the postmaster learned that the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice had almost been murdered at the post station, he turned pale with fright and began to question the kitchen staff on Yu Feng's behalf.
"...Think it over carefully, everyone. If we can't find the murderer, we'll all be arrested."
The cooks in the kitchen were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, some crying and some trying to explain themselves.
They either claim they are innocent or accuse others of touching the kettle or carrying water.
The scene was in complete chaos.
Yu Feng was so annoyed by the noise that he heard a crisp sound from the side.
"Think carefully, did any unfamiliar faces enter the kitchen today? Or pass by the kitchen?"
The cooks' crying and fussing stopped abruptly.
You look at me, I look at you.
A burly old woman slapped her thigh and said, "I remember now, when I was cooking at noon, Old Gan, who collects swill, came by."
He didn't even come in. He just stopped at the door, said something like "It's time to collect the swill," and then took the swill away.
A man who collects swill?
Shen Chu suddenly remembered the man carrying a slop bucket that she had bumped into at the door, and turned to ask the postmaster.
"Where does Old Gan, the swill collector, live?"
The postmaster said, "Old Gan lives in the village right in front of the post station. You don't suspect him of poisoning us, do you?"
"Impossible! His name is Gan Laoshi, an honest but timid man. How could he dare to poison someone?"
Shen Chu said to Feng, "Immediately send two people to find this Gan Laoshi."
"yes."
Yu Feng responded subconsciously, then paused for a moment.
How strange, why did he subconsciously follow this lady's orders again?
Logically, this should be the place where Lord Shen should be in charge.
However, when facing this lady, he felt an inexplicable sense of pressure, as if he were facing Prince Rui.
He was surprised to see the same aura as Prince Rui in a woman, which made him involuntarily comply with her request.
Yu Feng scratched his head as he ordered someone to go find Gan Laoshi.
While waiting, Shen Chu didn't rest and continued to ask Yu Feng questions.
"Who was the first to discover that Vice Minister Zhang had woken up? When you returned after giving your orders, did you see that Vice Minister Zhang was poisoned, or did you notice anyone else?"
Yu Feng thought about it carefully.
"It was Zhang Shilang's servant who discovered it and then informed me. I instructed my subordinates to inform Lord Shen before I went to Zhang Shilang's room."
When they entered, the back window of Vice Minister Zhang's room was open, but they didn't see anyone.
"Then what?"
"Then I immediately sent people to chase after them, but we didn't see anyone suspicious. I was worried that someone might continue to harm Minister Zhang, so I took my men to stay at the post station."
Shen Chu frowned slightly.
"After arriving in Yangzhou, why did Vice Minister Zhang not stay at the post station or the prefectural government office, but instead stay in a residence outside?"
“Minister Zhang said that the post station was a bit far from the yamen and it was inconvenient to travel back and forth. He was also worried that staying at the prefect's yamen would make him too close to the people there and affect his judgment.”
So he paid for a house near the prefectural government office and moved in himself.
Shen Chu thought to himself that Vice Minister Zhang was a good official who seriously investigated cases, and then asked, "Who are the servants serving in the mansion?"
"There are no servants in the house, only two young servants that Vice Minister Zhang brought from the capital."
Yu Feng paused for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed "Ah!"
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