On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2223 Left-hand characteristics

"You're talking nonsense! You're not genuinely trying to help me!" The worker's eyes reddened with anger, and his voice trembled with tears. "You always beat and scold me, and you often delay paying my wages."

"If you hadn't threatened and bribed me, saying you'd break my legs if I didn't do as you said, why would I have agreed to poison you?"

The two argued fiercely in the side courtyard, each sticking to their own version of events, their spittle flying everywhere.

The candlelight flickered in the breeze, casting distorted shadows that made both of their faces appear somewhat disfigured.

Huo Changhe frowned as he listened to the argument between the two, his expression growing increasingly grim.

Yan Ruyu remained calm, picked up her teacup and took a sip, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the two.

Sun Qing stood to the side, growing impatient. He clenched his fists, wishing he could go up and teach them another lesson, but Yan Ruyu stopped him with a look.

During the argument, the waiter's gaze inadvertently fell on the various kinds of mushrooms on the ground. As if he had suddenly remembered something, his eyes lit up.

He knelt down before Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe, shouting, "Your Highness, Your Highness! I have evidence! I know where this batch of mushrooms came from!"

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhou, who had been sternly reprimanding them, stopped abruptly, his angry expression freezing instantly, as if he had been choked.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively looked at the mushrooms on the ground, then quickly looked at his companion.

Yan Ruyu put down her teacup, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at the kneeling waiter. Her tone was calm yet slightly guiding: "Oh? Tell me, where did this batch of mushrooms come from?"

The shopkeeper took a breath, composed himself, and said quickly, "Your Highness, this batch of mushrooms is not produced locally in Youcheng!"

Manager Zhou asked me to pick up the goods from Heifengkou, which is thirty miles outside the city, half a month ago!

There is a hidden cave there, where a man in black lives.

He always handed me the mushrooms, and he specifically instructed me to store them separately, not to mix them with other fresh produce, and absolutely not to let anyone else know the origin of these mushrooms!

He paused, then added, "At the time, I found it strange and asked Manager Zhou what the mushrooms were. He scolded me and said not to ask questions I shouldn't ask, and just do as he said."

Looking back now, he must have known all along that these mushrooms were problematic and that mixing them with medicinal cuisine or alcohol would cause poisoning!

Manager Zhou looked at the shop assistant, his eyes filled with resentment and despair. His lips trembled, and it took him a long time to squeeze out, "You're lying! You're telling the truth!"

“I’m not lying!” the man immediately retorted. “I can point out the man in black in the cave at Black Wind Pass!”

Moreover, every time I picked up goods, Manager Zhou would make me sign and put my fingerprint on a booklet, which he then locked in his room!

Yan Ruyu opened one of the ledgers and saw that there were indeed several lines of crooked handwriting on the paper, as well as a red fingerprint, which was the shop assistant's signature and fingerprint. The date and quantity of the goods to be picked up were also written on it, which matched the time the shop assistant had mentioned.

Yan Ruyu handed the paper to Huo Changhe, who glanced at it, then threw it on the ground in front of Manager Zhou, and said coldly, "Manager Zhou, what do you have to say now?"

Manager Zhou's gaze fell on the ledger, his face deathly pale.

He slumped to the ground, trembling all over, his eyes unfocused. This was enough to prove his crime, and there was no way he could deny it anymore.

"No...that's not how it is..." Manager Zhou's voice was so weak it was like a mosquito's buzz, "That man in black forced me to do it!"

He said he would kill my whole family if I didn't do as he was told!

I was forced into this situation!

Looking at his cowardly appearance, Yan Ruyu smiled coldly: "Forced into it?"

When you sent your buddy to poison the patients at the treatment center, did you ever consider that those patients were also someone else's family members?

You disregard the lives of others for money and self-preservation—is that what you call being forced into a corner?

Manager Zhou was speechless after Yan Ruyu's question. He lowered his head and dared not look her in the eye again.

Huo Changhe stood up, walked up to Manager Zhou, looked down at him, and said in a cold and piercing tone: "Speak! Who is that man in black?"

What is your relationship with him? Who else is in your group?

Manager Zhou trembled, raised his head, opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

Seeing this, Sun Qing stepped forward and shouted sternly, "Speak quickly! If you dare to hide anything again, you'll regret it!"

Shopkeeper Zhou trembled in fright, and after a long while, he said haltingly, "I don't know that man in black. He always wears a mask, so I can't see his face."

He just gave me money to help him sell these mushrooms, and then told me to have my employees do those things according to his instructions..."

"You're lying!" the clerk shouted immediately. "Every time you pick up a package, you talk to that man in black alone for a long time. How could you not recognize him? You must be afraid of being retaliated against if you reveal his identity!"

Manager Zhou suddenly raised his head and roared at the shop assistant, "I didn't lie!"

I really don't know him!

He's ruthless; how could I dare to inquire about his identity?

I just wanted to make some money, I never expected things to escalate like this…

Huo Changhe frowned. Yan Ruyu pondered for a moment and said, "Manager Zhou, if you confess honestly and reveal the true identity of the man in black and the transaction between you, perhaps the Prince can be lenient with you."

But if you insist on concealing it, you will only face the most severe punishment.

You should be familiar with the laws of Youcheng.

Manager Zhou looked conflicted.

He knew Yan Ruyu was telling the truth, and if he were to be punished according to the law, he would surely die.

But when he thought of the man in black's methods, he couldn't help but tremble and dared not tell the truth.

The atmosphere in the side courtyard was heavy, with flickering candlelight casting shadows on everyone.

Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe watched Manager Zhou quietly, waiting for his answer.

Manager Zhou was covered in cold sweat, and his hands were clenched into fists.

After struggling for a long time, he finally made up his mind, raised his head, and looked at him with a resolute expression.

He said to Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe, "I really don't know the true identity of that man in black, but I know one of his characteristics!"

On his left wrist, there was a black scorpion tattoo!

Huo Changhe gave him a wink, and Sun Qing immediately brought over paper and pen, asking Manager Zhou to draw the design.

Manager Zhou looked troubled: "This... I can't draw either."

"Draw!" Sun Qing roared.

Shopkeeper Zhou was so frightened that he trembled and dared not say anything more. He quickly picked up a pen and drew a picture.

I'll finish drawing it and hand it in, my hands trembling.

Yan Ruyu glanced at it: "..."

I really don't know how.

The drawing is basically just a blob of black ink, offering virtually no reference value.

Sun Qing couldn't help but complain, "What the hell is this thing you drew?"