Distributing dicine?!
Upon hearing these two words, Shang Ruyi’s eyes darkened slightly.
She had previously considered that the sudden outbreak of the epidemic might reveal those who had been scavenging for dicinal herbs in Daxing City, and thus know who was behind harming Yu Wenye, but she didn’t expect it to happen so quickly!
At a ti like this, there was no second guess about who could be providing dicine!
She imdiately asked, "Who is distributing dicine?!"
Wo Xue answered, "A group of people ca—just like those brought by Mr. Pei. However, they didn’t keep any records or make any count, they simply let the patients at Yanzuo Square queue up to receive decoctions."
"Oh..."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi exchanged a glance with Pei Xingyuan.
But neither of them said much, Pei Xingyuan imdiately asked, "Who ordered these people to distribute dicine?"
Wo Xue frowned and said, "It’s hard to tell, these people seem to be just following orders. I saw several patients who received the dicine fervently ask for the savior’s na, saying they want to go back and set up a morial tablet and burn incense for their benefactor, but those distributing the dicine only said—’Do not ask for nas.’
"..."
Upon hearing these words, Shang Ruyi furrowed her brows again.
Do not ask for nas.
Such lofty and uninhibited words.
If it were during normal tis, hearing these words from soone distributing dicine in a city plagued by epidemic, Shang Ruyi would certainly think the person is like a living deity or Bodhisattva, but at this mont, these words sounded deeply, almost acutely, ironic in her ears.
Although on the surface, this appears to be an act of charity to save lives, only Shang Ruyi in West City understood that the dicine distribution only happened in Yanzuo Square, aning the person behind this renounces fa and fortune, doing all this for one purpose only—
To eradicate the epidemic in Qingdong City!
Just like Shen Wuzheng previously said, this person is helping Yu Wenqian!
Wo Xue continued, "I wanted to gather more information, but these people were very cautious, unwilling to say a single word out of place, and the guards over at Yanzuo Square were very strict as well. I was afraid staying there too long would get discovered, so I hurried back to report to the Young Madam."
Shang Ruyi asked, "Is there really no other clue?"
Wo Xue said, "These people were tight-lipped, I indeed didn’t pick up any clues, but—"
"But what?"
"But the person the Young Madam told to follow, he disappeared among those distributing dicine, and I suspect he is sohow connected with them."
"Oh?"
"Moreover, in his hurry, he dropped sothing which I thought might be useful, so I picked it up."
"What is it? Show it to ."
Wo Xue hastily retrieved sothing from her bosom and handed it to Shang Ruyi, then said, "It was because I picked this up that I lost track of him."
Shang Ruyi glanced down and upon seeing the object, she inhaled sharply.
It was a purse!
Though purses are not unusual, not only these noble children, even ordinary folks carry them while walking the streets, but the purse in front of her stood out sharply—it was made of high-grade satin, entirely black, adorned with no birds, fishes, or insects, only a circular pattern in moonlight white thread embroidered at the center!
It’s identical to the purse they found on the hillside after being attacked in that valley across the Yi River!
Could it be—
A tumult arose in Shang Ruyi’s mind, and at the sa ti, that familiar feeling of being struck by lightning seized her again, causing cold sweat to break out, chilling her body, even her motion to reach for the purse slowed down, her fingertips trembled, and the purse slipped from between their hands.
"Ah!"
Wo Xue exclaid in surprise.
Just then, another hand suddenly reached out, catching the purse!
"This is—"
Shang Ruyi still hadn’t recovered, while Shen Wuzheng, having already turned his head, exclaid with delight, "Wuzheng!"
Standing before them, the one who steadily caught the purse was none other than Shen Wuzheng!
He had arrived unnoticed, his face covered with the sa veil Shang Ruyi had given him earlier, revealing eyes habitually filled with a gentle smile. But at this mont, those eyes carried a heavy hue, staring at the purse with furrowed brows.
Upon seeing him, despite having felt a mixture of shock and worry just monts ago, Pei Xingyuan imdiately smiled with joy, grabbed his shoulder and said, "Ah, when did you co? Did you see just now, I was quite impressive!"
Though his attention was first drawn to the purse, upon hearing this, Shen Wuzheng helplessly glanced up at him, shook his head, and said, "How was that impressive?"
"Why not? So many people were silenced by what I said."
"That was just sophistry."
"How was it sophistry? I—"
Seeing that he was about to argue, Shen Wuzheng had no ti to squabble with him, and imdiately turned to Shang Ruyi, saying, "Little sister, what’s wrong with you? Why do you look so pale?"
"Ah? I’m, I’m fine."
Although she had beco accustod to this feeling over these days, and even vaguely knew where it ca from, she couldn’t avoid the physical reactions. Shang Ruyi hurriedly raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead and nose tip, forcing a smile, and then said, "Brother, why are you here?"
Shen Wuzheng looked around, glancing at those still in line, reluctantly but obediently taking out hard-earned money to buy dicine, and then said, "I was worried, so I ca to check on you."
Neglected, Pei Xingyuan imdiately said, "What is there to worry about? You left the matter to , and I won’t ss it up."
Shen Wuzheng ignored him completely.
His gaze fell on the purse in his hand, eyes deepening.
Noticing the slight frown on his brow, Pei Xingyuan finally sensed sothing and asked, "What’s wrong? Is there sothing peculiar about this purse? Isn’t it just embroidered with a round—what is this, a moon or a cake? A mooncake, right?"
Although her feelings were complex, Shang Ruyi was amused by his words and let out a chuckle.
After laughing, her heart suddenly sank as she glanced at the purse again.
Seeing the two of them with such profound and thoughtful expressions, Pei Xingyuan, unable to bear it, tugged at Shen Wuzheng, pressing him. Shen Wuzheng, unable to fend him off, had to tell Pei Xingyuan about the incident with Yu Wenye and Shang Ruyi crossing the Yi River and nearly being crushed to death by a boulder in the carriage in that valley. He then said, "Afterwards, we sent people to investigate halfway up the mountain. Although the perpetrator was gone, a purse was found, presumably left behind by the person who acted."
After speaking, he lowered his head again, giving the purse a heavy glance.
Shang Ruyi also said, "Brother, if I rember correctly, wasn’t this purse exactly identical to the one we found back then?"
Shen Wuzheng nodded silently.
Pei Xingyuan took a deep breath and, bewildered, said, "So, the person who hoarded the dicinal herbs and wanted Feng Chen dead has been after your lives from so early on?"
Shang Ruyi said gravely, "It’s even more than that."
"What?"
"Later, our people found traces of nitre, sulfur, and charcoal in the shadows of that valley, but they were taken away."
"..."
"Which ans—"
"Which ans that person, even at the risk of blowing up a valley, wanted to take you—no, the person targeted was probably Feng Chen, and others may have just been collateral."
Hearing this, although she had experienced it all herself, Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but shiver.
Pei Xingyuan was right.
From beginning to end, the person had eyes only on Yu Wenye.
It was only because they were traveling with Yu Wenye that the boulder might have killed her in the carriage; it was only because Mu Xian, Cheng Qiao, and Shantong’er were Yu Wenye’s subordinates that if those nitre and sulfur exploded in the valley, they would accompany him to the grave.
Even—
The person looted all the dicinal herbs in Daxing City, in Central Pass, just to make Yu Wenye severely ill and die untreated. As for whether an epidemic would spread, affecting people inside and outside the city, leaving them without treatnt and leading to deaths, was not even a concern for this person.
The only life the person wanted was Yu Wenye’s!
Realizing this, not only was Shang Ruyi icy all over, but even Pei Xingyuan, who usually faced all hardships and dangers with humor, frowned, displaying a trace of anger on his handso face, saying heavily, "Who is it? Such a cruel hand!"
Shang Ruyi didn’t speak but her brows knitted into a tight knot.
Although all these events seed connected, the perpetrator was always shrouded in mystery, having done so much, without even a na!
Who, indeed, was this person!?
As her thoughts tangled into a ss, Shen Wuzheng’s clear voice suddenly echoed beside her—
"I think I know who this person is."
"...!?"
Hearing this, both Shang Ruyi and Pei Xingyuan widened their eyes at him, and even Wo Xue, who had been silent, couldn’t help taking a deep breath, intensely staring at him.
Shang Ruyi hastily asked, "Brother, how do you know?"
Shen Wuzheng looked down again at the purse in his hand and said heavily, "I just rembered, I might have seen this purse once a few days ago."
"Saw it once a few days ago? When? Where?"
"At the poetry competition."
"The poetry competition?!"
At this, both Shang Ruyi and Pei Xingyuan were startled, and Pei Xingyuan imdiately said, "Do you an the poetry competition held by the Divine Tired Pavilion, the one you nearly lost? Who used this purse?"
At this point, he seed to recall sothing himself, suddenly widening his eyes.
"Could it be—"
Shen Wuzheng looked at him, then at Shang Ruyi, and said heavily, "Guanghan Guest."
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