Chapter 291: A Fourth-Rank Official Commanding a First-Rank Official?

Chapter 291: A Fourth-Rank Official Commanding a First-Rank Official?

By the time Xiaoyue stepped out again, the situation outside was mostly under control, and Qian Yong had already taken care of everything.

After seeing Zhao Le being taken away and not reappearing, as he was imprisoned for spreading false rumors and deceiving the public.

The townsfolk gathered in front of the government office, receiving herbal medicine packets from Wen Xu.

"The plague is not a natural plague, but a man-made poisoning. Therefore, if you notice any suspicious individuals, please report them immediately. We will definitely catch the mastermind behind this and give you all an explanation!" Wen Xu said while distributing the herbal medicine.

"So, these young ladies were poisoned and then manipulated into hanging themselves? This time it's targeting the young ladies of several prominent families, but what about next time? And the time after that? Is there any pattern to this?"

"That's right, the plague targets us commoners, either the elderly or the children. It's said that they want to eliminate the burdens, but now that the imperial doctor has cured our plague, will they resort to even more brutal methods next time?"

"Can't you just be satisfied? What more brutal methods can you think of? At most, they just want to cause chaos in the world. Stay calm, trust my father, and everything will be fine." Xiaoyu Heng, being naturally irritable and young, couldn't hold back when he heard the townsfolk talking like this.

"Heng'er!" Xiaoyue called out softly as she stepped out of the house.

"Yue'er!" Ci Xin approached, holding Xiao Xi'er, and asked Xiaoyue, "How is it? Qian Yong seems to be in high spirits!"

"Hehehe, Her Highness the Princess Royal has promised me an important position. From now on, our Qian Family will also be part of the official class!" Qian Yong walked over, his face full of joy.

Ci Xin looked at Xiaoyue, somewhat suspecting that it was Ruo Xi Baby's influence.

After all, Xiaoyue's temperament is quite irritable, and it seems she wouldn't easily give in in such situations.

"It's because Mother is clever herself, Little Heart. If you keep looking at Mother like that, be careful she might hit you!"

Xiaoyue overheard Ruo Xi Baby's words.

However, Ci Xin was staring at her, so she calmly walked over to Wen Xu and asked, "Wen Xu, what are the autopsy findings?"

"Your Highness, we were waiting for you to come and make the announcement public!" Wen Xu said, then had the guards he brought with him start distributing the medicinal herbs. Meanwhile, he and Xiaoyue stepped aside, took out the recorded case files, and began to read aloud: "Although poison was found in the bodies of these young ladies, their consistent behavior and reactions near death suggest that they were being controlled by someone!"

"It's still the poison from the Western Regions, 'One Spring in the Western Regions.' This poison was regulated in the Western Regions over a hundred years ago. Thirty years ago, there was a case of illegal cultivation in the Western Regions, which played a significant role in the royal succession struggle. Therefore, it was repeatedly banned by the Western Yue royal family, but some people still cultivated it in secret and brought it to our Great Wei!"

"My goodness, does that mean the struggle for the throne among our Great Wei princes back then was also due to this?"

"That can't be. Three years ago, those princes showed no signs of poisoning, and they had been scheming for a long time. I heard that the Fifth Prince spent ten years pretending to be paralyzed and acting crazy, but in reality, he was the most sinister."

"But in the end, who benefited..."

"Enough!" A sharp rebuke came as Xiaoyu Heng stepped forward, frowning, "Gossiping about the royal family, talking nonsense, do you all want your tongues cut off?"

"Hmm, Second Cousin is so cool. That's how it should be. Otherwise, these people wouldn't know their place."

Ruo Xi Baby retracted her little hand. If Second Cousin hadn't stepped in, she would have twisted, turned, and hurt the insides of those people.

"But, Imperial Doctor Wen, how did you determine that these young ladies were poisoned? They were all stopping the Imperial Tutor on the street yesterday. What if someone wanted to harm them?" someone asked.

"If they wanted to die, why not do it on the street, like Miss Qian, who dared to give the Imperial Tutor a handkerchief on the street? Why didn't they even dare to roll on the street?" Xiaoyue asked.

"But we've never seen this 'One Spring in the Western Regions' before. How can we be sure it's not around us? Your Highness the Princess Royal, you must think of the safety of us commoners!"

"That's right, Your Highness the Princess Royal, Your Highness Prince Heng, ever since the Stone Dragon Emerged from Water, we have indeed had this plague. Since you, our masters, say it's poisoning, then it must be poisoning. But the question is, who is the poisoner? If there isn't one, then isn't it still the plague?"

The townsfolk surged forward, their faces full of fear but also despair.

"They say that too many strange things happening must be a sign of the heavens' anger. Your Highness the Princess, whether it's the work of someone with ill intentions or not, if it's not resolved, it will always be a burden on our hearts!"

"Princess Royal, Prince Heng, Imperial Tutor, please save us!"

Led by some individuals, the townsfolk knelt down and kowtowed, pleading for help.

"Ah, these seemingly meek townsfolk are quite adept at pressuring others!" Ruo Xi Baby felt sorry for her mother and second cousin.

"These townsfolk are not to be underestimated. They know someone is causing trouble in Yunzhou, yet instead of actively responding, they still resort to such pressure. It seems they harbor grievances against the court as well!"

"Zhang Baiyun has not achieved much in recent years. He only made all the accounts impeccable, making it impossible for the court to investigate or control him," Ci Xin said, standing beside Xiaoyue.

"Then let's start with Zhang Baiyun!" Xiaoyue said.

"Good!" Ci Xin agreed with thoroughly investigating Zhang Baiyun.

"The deaths of the young ladies all occurred within a span of about fifteen minutes. So, last night, the perpetrator must have first gone to the Zhao family to kill Miss Zhao, then went to the Qian Family. Such rushed actions are sure to leave behind clues. Imperial Tutor, I think it would be better for you to personally inspect," Wen Xu turned to Ci Xin and said.

"Ah, a fourth-rank official daring to command a first-rank?" Ci Xin said.

"You have no rank!" Wen Xu smiled and said, "Imperial Tutor, who stands second only to the emperor and above all others, cannot be measured by rank!"

"Tsk, although I feel like you're insulting me, but... this doesn't sound bad. Fine, I'll go personally. Oh, Yue'er, let's go together!" Ci Xin said, holding Xiao Xi'er and left.

"Is the Imperial Tutor taking the Little Princess to investigate the case?"

"I heard that the Little Princess cracked a case in Su County, and Master Jing'en was present at the time!"

As the townsfolk continued their discussion, Ruo Xi Baby was already being carried far away. She rested her head on Ci Xin's shoulder and whispered to him: "Hey, do you know how to make Truth Charms? Prepare some Truth Charms, and they'll be forced to show their true selves!"