Chapter 126 The Next Wave

As the morning sun rose, Chang'an had just woken up from its deep sleep. The vast empire was like clockwork, slowly beginning its day. At this time, in a palace in Jingzhao Prefecture, scrolls were piled all over the floor.

Ming Huazhang and his companions did not dare to delay after they got new clues last night and immediately went to Jingzhao Prefecture to look for relevant records. The five of them searched all night, Jiang Ling and Xie Jichuan went to sleep in the second half of the night, and Ren Yao insisted on staying up until dawn, but he couldn't help but fall asleep just now.

Ming Huazhang and Ming Huashang were the only ones awake in the palace. Ming Huashang rubbed his eyes vigorously and whispered to Ming Huazhang, "Second brother, all the files should be here. According to the records above, six years ago a couple reported that their son Song Yanbai was accidentally poisoned to death while preparing medicinal materials, but they refused to accept this statement and asked the government to re-investigate. Song's father said that Song Yanbai had been obsessed with pharmacology since he was a child and was very careful and cautious. He would never make such a mistake. His son must have been killed. The couple beat the drum three times to protest their injustice. The Jingzhao Yin of that year was annoyed and sent people to Huichun Hall to inquire, but the result was still unexpected. Later, Song's father and mother came to the government to appeal for injustice, but were directly driven out of the Jingzhao Mansion. The last record was three years ago, and the couple has never appeared since then."

Ren Yao was still sleeping beside him, and Ming Huachang kept her voice very low in order not to wake her up. Ming Huazhang saw Ming Huachang's pale and tired face and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Go back to sleep, and I'll check the rest."

Ming Huashang shook her head and said with all her strength, "I'm fine. The case is more important. If what Liu said is true, it's another life lost. We don't know whether Song Yanbai's parents are dead or alive. We need to solve the case as soon as possible."

"I know." Ming Huazhang felt very distressed when he saw the dark circles under her eyes. He said, "I will send someone to find Song Yanbai's parents. I will also keep an eye on the West Market. If there is any news about Hei Hu, I will inform you immediately. You go back home first and have a good sleep."

Ming Huashang refused instinctively: "No, I'm not that delicate..."

Ming Huazhang interrupted her forcefully and said, "You will be needed in many places. You should rest well so that you can find the murderer faster. If you are worried, go back to the mansion. There is a couch in the side hall at the back. You can rest there first."

Ming Huashang knew that what Ming Huazhang said made sense, so she hesitated and said, "What about you? I think you are the one who needs sleep the most. You haven't had a good rest for a few days, and you stayed up all night last night. Even a strong body can't take it."

"Don't worry, I know what's going on." Ming Huazhang's eyes softened and he smiled, "Jiang Ling and Xie Jichuan have been lazy for half the night. If I can't handle it, I will definitely call them. You can go to sleep without worry."

Ming Huashang was now dizzy and could not bear it any longer. She stood up, supported by the table, took two steps, and turned back seriously: "We agreed that you must go to rest."

Ming Huazhang chuckled, stood up and touched her hair: "Okay."

Ming Huashang was still skeptical. She walked to the other side and gently woke Ren Yao up: "Sister Ren, it's too cold here. Go to the back and sleep."

Ming Huashang held Ren Yao and went to the side hall at the back after Ming Huazhang had repeatedly ordered them to do so. Ming Huazhang personally escorted Ming Huashang into the hall, and after closing the door for them, he straightened his face and walked out of the hall.

Ming Huazhang stopped a passing yamen runner and asked, "Where is Liu?"

"I have been imprisoned as ordered by Shao Yin and am awaiting sentencing."

"Where are her children?"

"Don't worry, Shao Yin. There are people to take care of him. We have already gone to the Imperial Medical Bureau to ask the chief physician to treat him."

Ming Huazhang was relieved after he confirmed that all the details were correct. He said, "Take good care of Liu and the child. No one is allowed to approach without my warrant. Prepare the horses and go to Huichun Hall."

The yamen runner crossed his arms and agreed, then he remembered, "Shao Yin, do we need to wake up Xie Sheren and Captain Jiang?"

Ming Huazhang glanced at the sunlight and walked down the steps with a bold step: "Let them sleep. When they wake up, let them go to Huichun Hall to find me. Also, no one is allowed to disturb them. No, no one is allowed to approach the side hall."

·

Ming Huashang was worried about something and woke up after only two hours of sleep. Ren Yao was checking weapons at the table and heard her get up. He asked hurriedly, "Did I wake you up?"

"No, I didn't sleep well." Ming Huashang held his neck, stretched his stiff neck, and asked, "Where are my second brother and the others?"

"I don't know. I'm just about to go out and look for them."

Ming Huashang was the laziest person. No matter how long she slept, she would always stay in bed for a while after waking up. But today, she tapped my shoulder, immediately lifted her skirt and got off the bed, saying, "I'll go with you."

Ming Huashang was afraid of making mistakes, so she just washed her face and went out without paying attention to her image. However, she didn't expect that after she hurried out, she learned that Jiang Ling and Xie Jichuan were still asleep.

Ming Huashang and Ren Yao: "..."

Ming Huashang rushed to the palace of the two people in a daze. Xie Jichuan had already gotten up and dressed neatly and even changed his clothes. He turned around and saw Ming Huashang and Ren Yao, and he said with disdain, "Don't you have a mirror? Why are you so messy?"

Ming Huashang was speechless and choked up, gritting her teeth and said, "This is Jingzhao Prefecture, how come there is a mirror?"

Xie Jichuan looked even more surprised: "Isn't this something you carry with you?"

Unlike Ren Yao and Ming Huashang, Xie Jichuan and Jiang Ling were in a two-way race. Xie Jichuan asked Shui to wash and tidy up his appearance, not caring that others were sleeping. Jiang Ling was also very competitive, sleeping soundly despite the clanging sounds, not being disturbed at all. Ren Yao was furious when he saw Jiang Ling was still sleeping. He strode to the side of the couch, pinched his ear and shouted: "Still sleeping, get up!"

·

Huichuntang.

The once bustling clinic suddenly became deserted. The male owner was killed, the female owner passed away, and the only apprentice was a half-grown child who was ignorant and incompetent. Therefore, after such a long time, Huichun Hall has not been cleaned up yet and is still in a desolate and messy state.

In front of the charred remains of a wooden frame, a scarlet-red figure stood sideways. His figure was as graceful and elegant as an ink mark, and he was thin and slender, like an immortal from another world who had strayed into the ruins of doomsday. He was the only bright spot in the gloomy atmosphere.

Ming Huazhang's fingertips were as white as jade, pressing on the yellowed pages and slowly turning them. The medicine boy stood aside with his hands clasped behind his back, and said hesitantly, "Sir, all the prescriptions are here. Is there something wrong with the prescriptions?"

Ming Huazhang had learned some basic pharmacology in Xuanxiaowei, so he was not proficient in it and could only guess roughly. Even so, he could tell that the latest prescription on the paper was completely different from the medicine he bought from Huichuntang last time.

Ming Huazhang pointed at the prescription and asked, "What is this for?"

The medicine boy took a look and said, "These are the secret recipes passed down from my master's ancestors. My master treasures them very much. He usually keeps them locked in a box and never allows me to get close to them. I don't really understand them either."

The Chu family of Huichuntang is famous for its expertise in treating heart diseases. If it is included in the ancestral secret recipe, then it must also be related to treating heart diseases? Ming Huazhang picked up the account book with his other hand, flipped through it slowly, and asked, "If it is an ancestral secret recipe, why is there no such recipe in your prescription records?"

The medicine boy was stumped by the question and shook his head in confusion: "I have only been a disciple for a short time, and I haven't even learned how to prepare medicine. My master hasn't taught me how to read prescriptions."

Ming Huazhang remained calm and continued to flip through the account books until he finished flipping through the books and still could not find any relevant records of prescriptions. Ming Huazhang had a basic idea in his mind. With his limited knowledge of pharmacology, he could see that the combination of this prescription was much more sophisticated, and the medicinal materials were very cheap. The price of a prescription was far lower than the ancestral secret recipe that Huichuntang relied on for survival. If he used this recipe to open another medicine shop in Chang'an, Huichuntang's business would be ruined.

Ming Huazhang closed the account book and asked the medicine boy, "Do you have a senior brother named Song Yanbai?"

The medicine boy nodded slightly, and Ming Huazhang asked, "How did he die?"

"Master said that my brother was not careful when preparing the herbs and got the process wrong, so he was poisoned to death." The herbalist said seriously, "So Master has very high standards for me and never lets me mess with the herbs. I have to report to him what I did and how much herbs I used every day."

Ming Huazhang nodded slowly and asked, "Is there anything left by your senior brother in Huichun Hall? It would be best if it were a letter or handwriting."

The medicine boy frowned and thought for a while, then said, "I don't know. I'll go look for it."

This medicine boy was slow to react and not very smart. His only advantage was probably that he was obedient. He buried his head in the paper for a long time, dragged out a pile of waste paper from under his bed, and said, "This was left by my senior brother. I was going to throw it away, but then I forgot about it. Does it count as handwriting?"

Ming Huazhang nodded and said, "Okay, thank you."

The medicine boy hid away, and Ming Huazhang sat in the medicine boy's messy and small room, slowly flipping through the things left by Song Yanbai.

The medicine boy was right. This was indeed a pile of waste paper, including storybooks, picture albums, and oil paper. Ming Huazhang was carefully looking for useful clues in the pile of debris. At this time, a familiar voice finally came from outside. Ming Huazhang sighed and raised his voice and said, "Don't ask, I'm here. Come in quickly, I have something to show you."

Ming Huashang, Xie Jichuan and others walked in and saw Ming Huazhang standing in a pile of waste paper. The floor was covered with papers. Xie Jichuan was disgusted by the mess inside. He stopped at the door and refused to move forward. He asked, "What are you doing?"

"You've come just in time." Ming Huazhang picked up a stack of papers, showed them to Xie Jichuan, and asked, "Is this the handwriting of one person?"

"no."

"What about these two?"

"yes."

“When was the ink written?”

"How would I know that?" Xie Jichuan said, "Different inks fade to different degrees. It's too far away, I can't see clearly."

Ming Huazhang glanced at Xie Jichuan and said coldly: "Are your legs just for show? Haven't you learned to walk yet?"

Xie Jichuan yawned, as if his ears were just for show, and stood there confidently: "Yes."

"Let me do it!" Ming Huashang stood on tiptoe and jumped to Ming Huazhang's side like a rabbit, leaning over and asking, "Let me see! Second brother, what is this?"

Ming Huazhang pointed to the things in his hand and said, "This is the secret recipe found in the secret compartment of Huichun Hall. It was placed together with the secret recipe handed down by Chu Ji's ancestors. This is the manuscript written by Song Yanbai. The handwriting of the two is the same. Judging from the color of the ink, it is at least six or seven years old."

Ming Huashang responded and asked, "You mean, Chu Ji has taken over the disciple's prescription?"

"It seems so at the moment." Ming Huazhang passed the prescription and manuscript to Ren Yao and Jiang Ling, and said, "I guess that Song Yanbai is quite talented in medicine, and was spotted by Chu Ji and accepted as his apprentice. Chu Ji has been famous for many years, and he always regards himself as a time-honored miracle doctor. Although he taught his apprentice to practice medicine and save lives, he did not teach his own unique skills. Unexpectedly, the apprentice was fearless. In addition to preparing herbs and running errands for Chu Ji, he often used the leftovers from the pharmacy to experiment on his own, and actually prepared a new prescription. This prescription is more gentle and balanced, and most importantly, it is much cheaper than Huichuntang's signature medicine."

Ren Yao had read few books, so he couldn't tell how these scribbled words looked like the regular script on the prescription, but Ming Huazhang and Xie Jichuan were both skilled in calligraphy, and they both said they were the same person, so that must be the case. Ren Yao frowned, puzzled: "Isn't this a good thing? Song Yanbai is Chu Ji's apprentice, and his apprentice has developed a cheaper prescription, which will save countless lives. Shouldn't Chu Ji, the master, feel proud?"

Xie Jichuan chuckled and said, "People can accept that those who are richer than themselves become richer, but they cannot accept that the beggar at the door is better than themselves. How can a teacher be proud to be surpassed by a young, poor, and penniless apprentice? This is clearly a shame."

Ren Yao felt even more confused: "So, he killed his apprentice? But if they put his apprentice's prescription on sale at Huichuntang, they could make more money."

It is unknown how Chu Ji discovered this recipe. It may be that Song Yanbai excitedly shared his achievements with his master, or it may be that Chu Ji saw it accidentally. But it is easy to imagine how terrified and angry Chu Ji was at that time.

Chu Ji and Song Yanbai had a dispute, which gave rise to the murderous intention, and took the opportunity to kill Song Yanbai while preparing medicinal materials. As long as the rising star died, he would still be the myth that everyone expected and would never end.

No one expected that this scene was seen by an inconspicuous fishmonger. Later, this woman became the owner of Jinxiu Tower and killed her husband in the same secretive way.

No one in the room spoke. After a while, Ming Huashang sighed, "Human nature is like this. Everyone understands this truth, but no one can see through it. The world is really a cycle of cause and effect, and retribution is inevitable. Chu Ji eliminated the person he thought was a competitor, but he didn't expect that he would have to live under the shadow of his apprentice for the rest of his life. Last time, I heard from the medicine boy that Chu Ji would sometimes drive everyone out of the pharmacy and lock himself in to stir the herbs. If I'm not mistaken, he was trying to imitate Song Yanbai's prescription."

As the Imperial Medical Bureau said before, having a prescription does not mean that you can crack the secret of the other party. The preparation process and the order of preparing the medicine determine the medicinal properties. A slight mistake can lead to a huge difference. Chu Ji has been trying to crack Song Yanbai's prescription, but he has never been able to do so.

This should have been a win-win situation. Song Yanbai needed the reputation and brand of Huichuntang, and Chu Ji could recruit a talented and promising young man. If they cooperated, both the master and the apprentice would gain fame and fortune. But now, Chu Ji is guarding a treasure mountain but cannot get it, and the genius dies early in hardship and destitution, and the prescription that should have benefited the people is lost.

The five of them were in a low mood. Ming Huazhang calmly put away the prescription and manuscript and asked the yamen runners to come in and seal the evidence. The medicine boy's room was very small, and Ming Huachang took the initiative to go outside to make room for the person who was doing the work.

She looked at the busy officials coming and going, and suddenly said, "We have investigated so much, but the original problem has not been solved. Liu did not admit that the explosives had anything to do with her, so who killed Chu Ji?"

Chu Ji is highly respected among the people. If it weren't for this explosion, what he did to his apprentice would probably be forever buried under the flowers and brocade. Liu has admitted to killing her husband, so there is no reason for her to lie. Feng Liang is not suspected of committing the crime, so who else would want to kill Qian Yi and Chu Ji?

Are they Song Yanbai's parents or relatives? Or is there still some connection between Qian Yi and Chu Ji that they are not aware of?

Ming Huazhang was busy, Xie Jichuan suggested going to the explosion site, Ming Huachang didn't have any more ideas, so he agreed. The four of them were looking for traces of explosives, when suddenly a yamen runner ran in and shouted, "Shao Yin, the brothers in Xishi sent news that they found Black Tiger!"