Aunt Mei Jiang wasn't in the room at the moment. Only Dugu Luanyue was there.
As her eyes fluttered open and closed, she saw a hand reaching out towards her lapel.
Dugu Luanyue struggled to stand up from the table. Although her body was weak, her mind was clear. Shen Guilan's prescription was on her, and this person was after the cure for the plague.
Just as the middle - aged man's hand was about to touch Dugu Luanyue's chest, a palm - length dagger flew out from the cabinet behind her and stabbed right into the middle of the man's palm.
Huo Wei kicked open the wardrobe door, dashed in front of Dugu Luanyue, and kicked the man far away.
Killing intent raged on Huo Wei's cold, handsome face. "So it's you, Imperial Physician, who's been causing trouble behind the scenes."
At this time, Shen Guilan and Aunt Mei Jiang walked in through the door. They looked at Imperial Physician Wang on the ground, with the dagger still stuck in his palm, in confusion.
Aunt Mei Jiang didn't dare to delay. She quickly walked over and asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"
But Dugu Luanyue didn't answer her.
Shen Guilan walked over, checked Dugu Luanyue, and flipped her eyelids before saying,
"It's a special kind of sleeping drug. She'll wake up in half an hour. But those who are drugged will forget what happened before they lost consciousness."
He turned to look at Imperial Physician Wang. "This man must have taken the antidote first. He spread the sleeping drug while feeling the Queen's pulse."
Huo Wei stepped on Imperial Physician Wang's chest. "Speak! Who's your master?"
Imperial Physician Wang's face turned ashen. His eyes were almost popping out. "What is Your Highness talking about? I don't quite understand."
Huo Wei squatted down, grabbed Imperial Physician Wang's wrist, and slowly turned the dagger in his blood - dripping palm. He said with a smile,
"Really not going to talk, Imperial Physician Wang?
Some of my Black Tiger Cavalry are very good at torture and are proficient in all kinds of strange and cruel punishments. You'd better not wear out my patience."
Shen Guilan said angrily, "If it weren't for Queen Dugu's reminder, I would never have thought that the mole would be in my own yard!
Imperial Physician Wang, you're a doctor after all. Why are you so cruel and heartless, causing the deaths of thousands of people!"
Not long after he left that day, Aunt Mei Jiang, Dugu Luanyue's attendant, came to him privately.
She said that the person who knew how to change the dosage of the medicinal materials and turn the cure into a deadly drug must also be proficient in pharmacology. Otherwise, it couldn't be such a coincidence.
Shen Guilan was also a military advisor. After Aunt Mei Jiang said just a few words, he completely woke up.
The mole must be among the imperial physicians who came with them from the imperial capital to Danyang City. There were four of them in total, and the target was easily locked.
Dugu Luanyue secretly laughed at the person behind the scenes for being too smart for his own good. So she united everyone and asked Shen Guilan to write out a prescription on purpose, making a big fuss.
She said that a new prescription had been found and given to the Queen, which made that person target Dugu Luanyue.
At that time, Dugu Luanyue played along. She ordered someone to come and feel her pulse, and then dismissed all the people inside and outside the room, so that the mole couldn't help but act.
Imperial Physician Wang endured the sharp pain in his palm. His clothes were soaked with cold sweat. He gritted his teeth and said,
"If I had a choice, would I do such crazy things! We're just working for our masters. There's nothing to say after being caught by you!"
Huo Wei frowned fiercely. "Besides stealing and altering the prescription, are there any of your accomplices among the people we brought here? Speak!"
Imperial Physician Wang curled his lips. "I won't say anything. I never intended to go back since I came to Danyang City."
After saying this, a stream of bright red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. He gasped a few times and then died.
His family was under control. How could he say a single word?
Dark clouds surged in Huo Wei's black eyes. He said in a low voice,
"All the way here, there's always someone causing trouble. I'm just worried if it's that person. If so, if the plague is successfully cured and we go back, there may be a great battle."
Shen Guilan immediately knew what Huo Wei was talking about. He looked at Huo Wei calmly, without any fear.
"As a person of Northern Yan, how can I watch my compatriots in trouble while only thinking about power struggles in my heart? Huo Aman, I have no regrets."
Huo Wei patted his shoulder. "Neither do I."
Dugu Luanyue was still unconscious at the moment. Aunt Mei Jiang didn't understand what they were talking about. She silently ordered someone to come in and carry the body out.
When she turned around and came back, she saw Dugu Luanyue being carried horizontally by Huo Wei to the couch and laid down.
The plague in Danyang City flared up again. Huo Wei kept sending more people to burn the bodies of the plague - infected people. During the handling process, the officers and soldiers had a conflict with the common people.
After several tugs - of - war, several of Huo Wei's men were infected with the plague and died in a few days.
Since Shen Guilan's prescription had been tampered with, he needed to test the medicine again. There couldn't be any more mistakes.
Time passed bit by bit, and the morale of the people in the city began to waver again.
A torrential summer rain came down like a waterfall. The rain rushed down from the eaves and tiles, like a white bead curtain rolling down into the courtyard of the prefectural yamen, wetting the dark - green moss on the ground.
The black military boots stomped on the moss with a splash, and the heavy footsteps splashed huge water droplets.
Huo Wei was invincible on the battlefield, but this was his first time dealing with the plague, and he wasn't as handy as he was in battle.
Dugu Luanyue held out a brocade handkerchief and stood with him under the eaves. Looking at the pouring rain, she said softly,
"This is really a mess. You didn't have to get involved. Are you regretting it now because of me?"
Huo Wei took the brocade handkerchief and smiled fearlessly.
"Once I, Huo Wei, decide to do something, I never regret it.
Danyang City is an important pass between the north and the south. Every commoner in the city is a subject of Northern Yan. Since I'm fortunate enough to be a prince, I should shoulder greater responsibilities."
Dugu Luanyue stared at him intently. "In that case, the Prince of Yuzhang deserves the title of prince. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility."
She took out a prescription. "Military Advisor Shen has come up with a better cure, but there's a medicinal material missing."
Huo Wei took the prescription and glanced at it. "What's missing? I'll lead a team to buy it myself."
Dugu Luanyue looked at him hesitantly. She wondered how to say this. Would Huo Wei get angry if she said it?
Forget it. Business is business. She pulled back her thoughts and said,
"Rhizoma Coptidis. Although it's a common medicinal material, this herb in the whole Danyang City has been almost used up. And the output of Rhizoma Coptidis in your Northern Yan is scarce. It may be too late if you lead a team to buy it from house to house now.
This medicinal material is abundant in our Southern Chu. And I know a medicine merchant who has as much as we need. It's just..."
Huo Wei turned his head and scanned her up and down. "A medicine merchant? What, do you have an old flame in Southern Chu?"
She shook her head. "I'm going to buy it from the Sheng family. The maternal clan of Sheng Yunqi's mother is the number - one medicine - merchant family in Southern Chu.
I secretly sent a letter a few days ago, and the Rhizoma Coptidis is already ready.
I came here specifically today to tell you to open the south gate and let the goods in."
Huo Wei's face turned colder. "If I'm not wrong, your old flame will come to deliver the medicine into the city in person, right?"