NOVPUB
Chapter 924: Chapter 927: Raising an Army to Demand Accountability
Li Zhengtian had hardly entered when he began to question assertively.
"Mrs. Tan, you concocted this medicine recipe, didn’t you?"
Qiao Duo’er shook her head, "I just found it in the notes left to me by Brother Bai San; I dare not claim credit."
All she did was accidentally discover that musk could expedite the medicine’s efficacy; it was her good fortune, not a credit she should claim.
"Where it comes from is not important, but there’s something I’d like to ask."
Li Zhengtian’s lips curled slightly upwards.
Chen Yiling said disdainfully, "If you have something to say, then say it and get lost quickly. The mere sight of you annoys me!"
Her mood had been foul these past few days, and she could only blame Li Zhengtian for bringing it upon himself.
"What was your intention by adding musk to the recipe?" Li Zhengtian looked steadily at Qiao Duo’er.
"To treat the illness, of course," Qiao Duo’er retorted irritably.
Was such an obvious question even necessary?
No, that couldn’t be right; Li Zhengtian was not a fool. He must have a purpose in asking such a question, and Qiao Duo’er immediately became vigilant, lest she fall into his trap.
Li Zhengtian snorted lightly, "How come I have never heard that musk can cure the plague?"
Normally, musk was formed into pills and used at critical moments to protect the patient’s heart and lungs; however, he felt that this was completely wasteful.
Thus, after obtaining twenty musk glands, he had people process them into Muskmelon Ink, which was the best for gifting others later on.
Muskmelon Ink was not only fragrant but also could prolong the preservation of calligraphy and paintings, highly sought after by scholars.
And as all officials were selected from educated individuals, they could not break from tradition.
"Then you can only wait for Young Master Bai to return and ask him, as he must have had his reasons for writing the recipe," Qiao Duo’er spread her hands; she was not a doctor and understood no medical theory.
Li Zhengtian snorted lightly again, "But I’ve heard that Mrs. Tan is raising musk deer, and you and Young Master Bai are sworn siblings."
The addition of musk to the medicine becomes particularly intriguing.
Chen Yiling spoke impatiently, "What’s the point of beating around the bush with your cryptic talk? You truly are a despicable creature, always hinting rather than speaking plainly."
Li Zhengtian dropped all pretense and bluntly revealed his true purpose.
"I suspect that you have colluded with the Bai Family and Qin Longyun to embezzle disaster relief funds, so I have decided to detain you as an explanation to the people."
This way, not only could he deal with Qiao Duo’er, but he could also use it as an excuse to prevent the use of musk in medicine.
Without musk, the epidemic would continue to spread.
"You’re insane. Through which eye did you see us colluding? He is currently in Beijiang; do you think he can foresee the future? And besides, Tan Family’s musk was donated; there was no earning money involved," Qiao Duo’er rolled her eyes at Li Zhengtian.
To frame someone, at least come up with a better excuse!
At the very least, claim there was an informant. Just capturing someone because it feels right to him; does he think the laws of the Daxing Dynasty are a joke?
Chen Yiling spoke sternly, "You think everyone is as dirty as you? In all of White Stone County, aside from you, people just want to cure the plague quickly, not to fill their own coffers."
Duo’er has Duo Meifang; is she afraid of not earning silver?
"Your excuses won’t work. Whether or not there is collusion will be known after I have conducted my investigation. Wen Jing, take her away!"
Li Zhengtian no longer argued with the two women.
He truly couldn’t outtalk these two pregnant ladies with just his words.
But he was the Disaster Relief Imperial Envoy, a Fifth Rank Official, and with that alone, he could have Qiao Duo’er thrown into prison.
"Lord Li, take a good look at what this is," Qiao Duo’er waved something in her hand.
