Chapter 111: Do You Have Some Hidden Agenda?

Chapter 111: Do You Have Some Hidden Agenda?

The recipe for the plague cure came from He Zhiran; no one knew the herbs better than she did.

"May I ask which herb Mr. Fei is searching for?"

"I'm currently only lacking Huanglian. I've searched through two counties, but to no avail. Initially, I planned on using Prince Qi's token to seek help from the county magistrate here. However, I just learned that his residence was robbed last night, so I decided to check the next county instead."

In He Zhiran's understanding, Huanglian wasn't an uncommon herb. She just didn't know why it couldn't be found in this area.

Her eyes darted around as a plan formed in her mind.

Not entirely sure if she could trust Fei Nanyu's servant, she gave him a subtle glance and said, "Mr. Fei, would you mind stepping aside for a private conversation?"

Fei Nanyu was well aware of her intentions.

"No need to worry, he's on our side."

Since Fei Nanyu had vouched for her, He Zhiran saw no reason to avoid the topic.

"Mr. Fei, I know why there's a shortage of coptis in this area."

Fei Nanyu raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

He Zhiran adopted a mysterious tone.

"To be frank with Mr. Fei, the person who severely injured the magistrate's son on the streets was me."

The incident had been the talk of the town, so Fei Nanyu was well aware of it.

While he admired He Zhiran's bravery as a woman standing up against authority, he couldn't fathom how the lack of coptis was connected to this matter.

As he pondered, He Zhiran continued, "In a fit of anger, I broke into the magistrate's residence at night, intending to give them a lesson. Little did I expect to overhear a crucial piece of information while eavesdropping on their conversation from the rooftop."

Fei Nanyu pressed, "What news?"

He Zhiran promptly activated her fabrication skills.

"The county magistrate mentioned that his small warehouse in the east suburbs is already overflowing with huanglian. The silver and copper coins collected from the city gates these past few days can no longer be stored there. To verify the authenticity, I went to the location he mentioned under the cover of night. Indeed, there was a modest-sized warehouse, filled not only with an abundance of huanglian but also several chests of silver and copper coins."

Upon hearing about the vast amount of huanglian, Fei Nanyu's eyes lit up.

He didn't bother pondering why the county magistrate would store so much of the herb, urging instead, "Mrs. Mo, please lead the way. If we could transport those huanglian to Dongfeng County, its people will have a chance at survival."

All of this was purely fabricated by He Zhiran; there was no way she could take Fei Nanyu to any county magistrate's warehouse right now.

"Mr. Fei, my husband is severely injured and still awaits me to purchase medicine for him. How about this? Let's set a time later, and I'll bring you both there."

Upon learning of Mo Jiuya's grave injury, Fei Nanyu finally recalled why they were in Pingyang County in the first place. However, he was a perceptive man, understanding that it wouldn't be appropriate to inquire further. He bowed respectfully towards He Zhiran.

"Mr. Mo's injuries are severe. I'll be waiting for you at the East City Gate at noon," He Zhiran said before turning to leave.

To save time, she headed straight for the carriage rental shop.

Initially, she thought renting a carriage would suffice, but to her surprise, the establishment not only offered carriages for hire but also sold the draft animals themselves.

The Daxun Dynasty imposed strict regulations on horses, allowing only a select few aristocratic households to possess them. For others who wished to own a carriage, they first needed to obtain a permit from the authorities.

Moreover, horses were exorbitantly priced, and as a result, the carriage shop rarely managed to sell even one in a month. Eventually, the owner ceased dealing with horses altogether.

Consequently, the shop only dealt in oxen, donkeys, and mules.

After some contemplation, He Zhiran realized that hiring a carriage wouldn't be as convenient as traveling alone with Mo Jiuya. She had secrets to keep, and their identities were rather peculiar.

With this in mind, she decided to purchase a mule and asked the owner to help harness it to a cart. This way, she could personally drive the mule-drawn cart to catch up with the main group.

If Peng Wang consented, they could have a conveyance for their journey ahead.

Alternatively, she could sell the cart once they caught up with the main group.

He Zhiran never dallied in her actions; once she had an idea, she acted on it promptly.

She selected a robust mule and bought a covered cart along with it.

All in all, it cost her ten taels of silver.

The vendor helped harness the cart, and He Zhiran set off eastward, driving the mule cart.

Fortunately, in her previous life, she had accompanied a military unit to the countryside for agricultural aid, where she learned the art of driving from the locals.

Although she was initially clumsy with the reins, after a brief period of practice, He Zhiran's skills improved significantly.

Due to the incident involving the county magistrate, the city gates were under unusually strict scrutiny for incoming and outgoing citizens that day.

He Zhiran's disguise passed inspection, and despite having to queue for a while, she exited the city smoothly.

Heading straight for the eastern outskirts, if she recalled correctly, there was an abandoned courtyard along the way. He Zhiran intended to investigate it.

Before long, she guided the cart to the courtyard based on her memory.

The yard wasn't spacious, but the houses appeared orderly. Perhaps due to its long vacancy, the courtyard had become overgrown with weeds.

He Zhiran parked the cart and entered directly.

Opening the main house's door, she surveyed the room and couldn't help but express gratitude to fate for her good fortune.

The house was empty, making it perfectly suited to serve as the storage room she mentioned.

Checking the large clock in her space, she still had some time before her meeting with Fei Nanyu. He Zhiran promptly stepped into her spatial realm.

Mo Jiuya was in the kitchen attempting to prepare lunch. Upon seeing He Zhiran return, he set down his cooking spoon and approached her.

"How was the situation outside?"

He Zhiran briefly recounted the gossip among Pingyang County's residents and informed him of her encounter with Fei Nanyu, as well as the reason for Fei Nanyu's presence in Pingyang County.

"I've found an abandoned courtyard in the eastern outskirts and plan to purchase some coptis there. At the same time, I'll hand over the silver and copper coins from the county magistrate's residence to him."

Mo Jiuya was puzzled as to why He Zhiran would do such a thing.

"Do you have a specific purpose behind this?"

He Zhiran explained her thoughts to him patiently.

"I told Fei Nanyu that these coptis were secretly stashed by the corrupt county magistrate. Considering Fei Nanyu's shrewdness, he will surely ponder the reason behind storing so much of it. As of now, Nan Qi has been dispatched by the Emperor to relieve the famine in Dongfeng County. Once he achieves something substantial there, he will certainly gain the Emperor's favor.

Given the current political climate, the person who would be least thrilled about Nan Qi's success in disaster relief would be Nan Heng. He is bound to secretly obstruct Nan Qi's efforts.

If Fei Nanyu reports back to Nan Qi about the county magistrate stockpiling large quantities of coptis, Nan Qi will initially suspect that the magistrate is working for Nan Heng, with the aim of hindering his relief mission.

Moreover, Nan Qi might even consider the possibility that the plague in Dongfeng County could be man-made. In that case, Nan Heng would be the most likely suspect."