Chapter 229: Chapter 228: HarvestThese days, they had all thought He Hongzhao would poison the water source.
After all, that was the simplest method.
But they hadn’t anticipated that He Hongzhao had a backup plan!
The most important source was the blood of the patients!
"Miss Qin, thank you very much, if it is confirmed, you will be the savior of Quanzhou!"
Sang Yan held Qin Tangyue’s hand, and after expressing her gratitude solemnly, she rushed off with Gao Wenliang.
Once back at the State Mansion.
Sang Yan first went to the pharmacy.
As soon as she entered the room, before Sang Yan had a chance to speak, she was so frightened by the scene before her that she almost retreated.
"Come here."
He Ying sat in a chair, and seeing Sang Yan dressed up, felt even more upset.
Sang Yan glared at Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Liang standing beside her. Sear?h the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Those two were too wicked.
They didn’t keep this from her!
Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Liang kept their eyes down as if they saw nothing, believing that if they were unaware, the Empress wouldn’t get angry!
"Don’t look at them, come here."
He Ying frowned, extending his hand toward her.
Sang Yan didn’t go over, realizing he was here, and thinking about her visit to the dock and seeing so many patients, she said, "I will take a bath first to avoid carrying anything unclean."
She didn’t want to be a burden to him.
He Ying knew her thoughts and shook his head. "No need. Come here."
His tone was very authoritative, showing no concern whether she might bring any harm to him.
"I will count to three, and if you don’t come over, I will carry you."
"Don’t—"
Sang Yan had no choice but to sigh, resigning herself to walking towards him.
"Xinyuan, don’t be like this—"
She walked very slowly, measuring a safe distance, afraid that He Ying might get involved because of her.
Her heart was panicked.
By now, she had thoroughly figured it out; he might appear fierce to others, but his heart would be raging.
However, toward her, the calmer his face, the more turbulent his heart.
Poor little Empress, inching forward, eventually stood in front of He Ying.
Of course, keeping a distance of three steps.
She stopped walking, also thinking of ways to admit her fault—just to admit it!
At the worst, would she suffer a bit more tonight?
With a stern heart!
Her eyes brimming with tears, she looked at him: "Xinyuan, I’m sorry—"
Before she could finish her sentence, he grasped her hand.
Immediately, with a stumble, she was by his side.
They were very close.
He Ying wasn’t worried at all about her coming from a dangerous place and potentially carrying a disease.
He picked up a wet handkerchief from the wooden basin on the table, and carefully wiped Sang Yan’s hands and any exposed skin until thoroughly clean.
He then instructed the Medical Woman standing beside, "Go get mugwort to boil water for the Empress’s bath."
"Yes."
The Medical Woman hurriedly took the order and left.
Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Liang, hearing this, also breathed a sigh of relief: it seemed the two masters would not start arguing.
Just then, Gao Wenliang had already had the patients’ blood sent over.
"I shall go have a look."
"I will also have a look."
Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Liang, the old and the young, both quick-witted, hurriedly left.
In the blink of an eye, only Sang Yan and He Ying were left, facing each other.
"Is there nothing you want to tell me?"
He Ying tossed the handkerchief back into the basin, snorting in annoyance.
Done for!
Sang Yan thought to herself: He is really angry this time! And he’s even referring to himself as "I"! In the past, when speaking to her, it always used to be "my"!
"I just went to the docks to check on those patients. I heard from Gao Wenliang that there was some unusual activity among the patients there. In such special times, I was afraid more chaos would erupt."
Sang Yan quietly explained, grasping He Ying’s robe and gently shaking it.
"Xinyuan, won’t you stop being angry, please?"
She apologized softly, trying to coax the little tyrant into forgiving her presumption.
He Ying’s heart did soften.
He was indeed angry, angry at her acting alone, at her hiding things from him, and also angry because...
Didn’t she ever consider, what would he do if something happened to her?
But looking into her pitiful eyes, even with myriad anger and sadness, it all gradually dissipated.
He sighed and pulled her onto his lap: "Go and have a proper bath later, to avoid catching a disease. Ah Yan, don’t ever make me worry like this again, alright?"
"Mm. Okay. I swear—"
Sang Yan raised her hand, quite seriously about to make a vow: "If I ever—"
"Enough. Don’t speak of inauspicious things."
How could He Ying bear her making a vow?
His temper, when it came to her, was almost non-existent, always boundlessly indulgent.
"However, there still was some gain."
Seeing He Ying not pursuing the matter further, Sang Yan’s mood instantly brightened, grabbing his hand and saying, "Do you know who I ran into at the docks? I actually met Qin Tangyue!"
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, wondering if he still remembered that daring woman who had confessed to him.
He Ying didn’t remember.
A trace of confusion appeared in his eyes: Qin Tangyue?
He didn’t remember at all.
And wasn’t interested either: "Don’t talk about irrelevant people. How are those commoners?"
Seeing He Ying’s attitude, Sang Yan’s focus shifted quickly: "There’s still some gain. Now Gao Wenliang has sent over the blood expelled by those refugees, we should have an answer soon."
Speaking of serious matters, her smile faded, and she became slightly indignant: If it’s really as she suspected, then He Hongzhao, that woman, is utterly malevolent!
"Let’s go. Let’s bathe together."
Thinking of how close they had been, she also pulled him to shower with her.
They frolicked in the bathhouse for a long part of the day.
When they came out, it had already turned dark.
Dinner was soon ready.
Together they dined, and halfway through, they heard Pei Muyang say Imperial Doctor Liang requested an audience, and in tacit agreement, they put down their chopsticks and went together to the pharmacy.
Imperial Doctor Liu and Imperial Doctor Liang were busy inside.
Hearing the noise, they came out, both looking grim.
Imperial Doctor Liu, upon seeing the Emperor and Empress, even forgot to bow, saying directly: "That He Hongzhao is so wicked! I had pitied her hard past, but now I realize, the pitiable must have detestable aspects!"
Imperial Doctor Liang, listening from the side, was frightened by this elderly predecessor’s behavior: You forgot to bow! Lower your voice in front of the Emperor!
He felt internally frantic and couldn’t help but fiercely tug on Imperial Doctor Liu’s robe, signaling him to control his emotions.
"No matter."
He Ying, seeing Imperial Doctor Liang’s discreet gesture, waved his hand, letting him sit down, and then said: "To make Imperial Doctor Liu so angry, He Hongzhao must indeed have committed something heinous."
He urgently needed to know the answer, thus he encouraged: "Speak frankly, Imperial Doctor. What is the issue with the blood?"
"It’s more than an issue."
Imperial Doctor Liu, lamenting humanity, sighed deeply and continued: "Your Majesties, upon studying this blood, it is indeed poison. The poison is so dominant, it permeates into the human bloodstream, within three to four days, those toxins can invade the internal organs, corroding them. But that’s not the worst of its viciousness, the medicine—"
Shaking and turning pale, as if he had seen some demon: "Forget it, it’s sinful, let Imperial Doctor Liang continue!"
Liang Xin secretly conducted an autopsy on the bodies.