Chapter 636: Poisoned
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation |
Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Why are you here?”
Qing Qing’s face clouded over as she looked at the two of them.
The visitor replied icily, “If I didn’t come, you would have treated yourself as this family’s daughter-in-law. Did you find out anything?”
Qing Qing hid the strange look in her eyes. “People are not that easy to deceive. Shouldn’t I gain their trust first? I got two pieces of news today. I know where the entrance and exit is. There’s only one opening. Also, the people here plan to build a road.”
“That’s all?”
Qing Qing frowned. “That’s all.”
It s been so long and we still haven’t found the place where His Highness is imprisoned. How are we going to answer to Master when he asks?”
“I will continue to gather information. You guys should also think of a way to gather information in the city.”
While they were talking, light footsteps could be heard outside the door. The two of them became tense at once.
The visitor pulled out a sharp dagger and hid behind the door, ready to attack at any time.
“Qing Qing, are you asleep?”
The two of them looked at each other. Qing Qing held down the visitor’s hand holding the dagger and replied, “Aunt, I’m not asleep yet. I’m about to go to bed. Is there any matter?”
“Oh, nothing much. I just thought that you might be tired from working today. Seeing that you didn’t eat much tonight, I was afraid that you would be hungry, so I cooked a bowl of noodles for you. If you are not asleep, get up and eat.” Qing Qing shot a glance at the visitor and turned down the offer by saying, “Aunt, I’m already in bed. You can have this bowl of noodles yourself.”
“I am not hungry. Don’t stand on ceremony with me. I am putting this bowl of noodles outside for you. Quickly take it and eat it.”
After the bowl was put down, the sound of Mrs. Zhou’s footsteps gradually faded away.
Qing Qing waited until she heard the sound of Mrs. Zhou closing the door before she opened her door to bring the bowl of steaming hot noodles into the house.
When she saw this, the visitor gave a scornful laugh and took out a bottle of medicine. She opened it and poured the contents into the bowl.
“It’s just some inferior stuff. Surely you won’t feel touched, will you?”
Qing Qing s face tensed up. “Just what are you trying to say tonight? You said I didn’t find anything until now, but did you? We only have half a month. If we can’t locate His Highness, we can forget about going back.”
That person’s face instantly darkened. She glared at her icily and said, “You’re just a rat in the sewer that can’t see the light of day. You’d better not forget that. Don’t think about things that can never belong to you. Complete the mission as soon as possible. Otherwise, neither of us will have it easy!”
The two of them did not notice the tall figure hidden in one dark corner of the walls. When the person in the room came out and left, he saw it all.
At night, Su Ying was preparing to sleep when the Green Guardian came to report that Xie Rui fell ill.
Su Ying lay on the bed and did not move. “Is he about to die?”
“City Lord, he does appear like he’s about to die.”
Su Ying opened her eyes abruptly and sat up in bed. She then followed the
Green Guardian to the palace’s prison.
Xie Rui had already been carried out of the prison by the guards and placed on a wooden plank bed. The doctors in the city had also been asked to come here. When the people in the room heard the noise, they got up and turned to look at Su Ying.
“Greetings, City Lord.”
Su Ying waved her hand and signaled to them to rise. “How is he?”
She walked to the bed and saw that Xie Rui’s face had become swollen. She could not make out his original appearance at all.
“City Lord, there was nothing unusual about the prisoner during the day, but when I sent food to him at night, I found him lying on the ground without any movement. When I went in to take a look, I found that his face had changed.” The doctor stepped forward and said, “I took his pulse. I found that his breathing was very weak. He doesn’t seem to have long to live.”
Su Ying checked Xie Rui’s pulse. Xie Rui was still useful to her, so she had no plans to take his life now. His two meals a day were normal, and there were also doctors who treated his injuries so that he wouldn’t die. How did he end up in this state out of the blue?
Su Ying released Xie Rui’s hand and pried open his eyes to take a look. His pupils already showed signs that he was drifting off. It looked like he was really going to die.
“Everyone, go out and stand guard outside.”
The people present did not dare to ask any more questions. They excused themselves and left the room before closing the door.
After Su Ying was sure that Xie Rui wouldn’t wake up, she brought him into the interspatial store for further examination and found that his various organs had already begun failing.
Since she could not find the source of the disease for the time being, she could only save his wretched life first.
After a series of treatments, Xie Rui’s vital signs gradually stabilized.
Su Ying began to look for the root of the problem.
In the end, she found poison residue in his nose. Did he bite a poison pill to commit suicide?
Su Ying did not believe this hypothesis. If Xie Rui wanted to kill himself, he would have done so long ago. The only possibility was that someone poisoned him. Someone wanted him dead!
Su Ying brought Xie Rui out of the interspatial store with an ominous expression.
When she opened the door, the sky outside was already bright.
“City Lord, you’re out.”
“City Lord, it has been hard on you.”
“What did he eat today?” Su Ying asked.
“City Lord, he only had a bowl of porridge and two steamed buns. He also received porridge and steamed buns for dinner, but he didn’t eat anything for dinner. The food is still on the table outside.”
On the table outside the room, there were porridge and steamed buns. It looked like they had not been touched.
Su Ying picked up the food to check thoroughly. There was no problem. The poison was found in his nose, so it was likely to have been absorbed through his nose.
Su Ying came to Xie Rui’s cell and checked the whole place. Thereafter, she found a problem with the torch in the cell.
“Who lit this torch?”
“City Lord, we don’t light the torch during normal times. We only light it when we go in to deliver food and to check on the prisoner’s condition.”
“Who lit it?”
“The guards who deliver the food.”
Su Ying rubbed the ashes from the torch. This was a fast-acting poison. The victim would suffer a reaction immediately once he came into contact with it. In other words, the poison must have been placed today.
Go and get all the guards keeping watch in the prison today to come here. I have something to ask them.”
“Yes, City Lord.”
The prison cells in the palace were usually not used so there were not many people standing guard. There were only ten or so people on rotating shifts per day, and everyone was brought to Su Ying.
Su Ying’s almond-shaped eyes were dark as she swept her icy stern gaze across their faces. “I will give all of you a chance to admit your guilt voluntarily. Who poisoned the prisoner? Step forward. I’ll give all of you fifteen minutes to weigh the pros and cons.”
Everyone exchanged glances after listening to Su Ying.
Su Ying was not anxious. She took note of the time in her mind.
When a quarter of an hour was almost up, a person walked out from the group and knelt in front of Su Ying.
“City Lord, please forgive me. I was the one who introduced the poison.”
Su Ying’s eyes darkened. “Why?”
“They… they attacked us previously and killed my big brother. I wanted to take revenge for Big Brother, so I secretly added poison to the torch. I wanted him to pay with his life for Big Brother’s death. City Lord, please forgive me.”
“Do you know what kind of crime it is to poison a prisoner without permission?”
I deserve to die. I know I have done something wrong, City Lord. I beg you to forgive me this time, City Lord.”
Su Ying’s eyes turned darker as she looked at the guard in charge of keeping watch on the cell. “Interrogate him.”
The Blue Guardian stepped forward and replied, “Yes, City Lord. I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer..”