ebookland Chapter 201 Rare Herbs
Chapter 201 Rare Herbs
Gu Chengjin came over anxiously and saw Xinghan standing quietly where his father was resting. His calmness and confidence gave him a glimmer of hope.
Upon seeing this, Xinghan whispered to Gu Chengjin the news that Master Gu had recovered.
Upon hearing this, Gu Chengjin was stunned at first, then overjoyed, tears flashing in his eyes, and he thanked him repeatedly.
He was eager to spread the good news throughout the mansion so that everyone would be excited.
However, Xinghan raised his hand gently, signaling him to be patient. He lowered his voice, revealing a hint of depth and cunning in his tone:
"Master Gu, if we directly announce that the master has recovered now, it might alert the person who poisoned him. Why don't we devise a plan to make the outside world mistakenly believe that the master's condition has worsened, or even... is dying. In this way, the mastermind behind the scenes may not be able to hold back and make another move. We will have the opportunity to follow the clues and catch him in one fell swoop."
Gu Chengjin was shocked at first, then a look of determination flashed in his eyes. He knew that although this plan was risky, it was the only way to reveal the truth.
So, he readily agreed and immediately began to make arrangements. As night fell, the Gu family was shrouded in depression and sadness. Preparations for the funeral were quietly carried out, and the ceremony of bringing good luck also seemed particularly solemn and mysterious.
When it is late at night and everyone is asleep, everything is silent, with only the occasional chirping of insects breaking the tranquility of the night.
At this moment, a sneaky figure quietly slipped into Mr. Gu's room. The figure moved quickly and agilely, and it was obvious that he knew the layout of the mansion very well.
He held a sharp blade in his hand, his eyes flashing with ferocity and determination, and approached the sleeping Master Gu step by step.
However, just as he was about to succeed, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the room.
Xinghan has already laid a tight net, waiting for the mastermind behind the scenes to fall into it.
Following an order, several well-trained guards rushed in quickly and surrounded the figure. After a fierce fight, they finally captured him.
When the guards lifted the man's veil, Gu Chengjin and Xinghan were both stunned.
That man turned out to be the servant who seemed honest and loyal and had always been beside the young master!
His face was pale at this moment, and his eyes were full of fear and despair. He obviously had not expected that his plan would be exposed so quickly.
Faced with this sudden change, Gu Chengjin felt mixed emotions. He was glad that his father was safe, but also worried about the undercurrents in the mansion.
Xinghan observed all this calmly. He knew that the real battle had just begun.
Xinghan knew that the situation was urgent and could not afford any delay, so he proposed to Gu Chengjin:
"Master Gu, we must interrogate him overnight to prevent future troubles. Since this boy was able to sneak into the master's room, there must be an insider. We must find this insider to ensure the master's safety."
Gu Chengjin nodded in agreement, but his heart was already in turmoil.
He knew very well that the people in the palace had complicated minds and anyone could become a pawn of the mastermind behind the scenes.
As the interrogation progressed, the servant finally broke down under the torture and gave out the unexpected insider information - the old but loyal servant who was in charge of making tea for the master.
This news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving Gu Chengjin with mixed feelings.
He could hardly believe that the servant who usually took good care of the master and was deeply loved by the master could be a traitor. However, the facts were in front of him and he could not help but believe it.
Seeing this, Xinghan sighed and said:
"Master Gu, people's hearts are different, and things in the world are unpredictable. Since this person is capable of doing such a thing, he can no longer be kept. But if we capture him alive, it may cause unnecessary panic in the mansion and even alert the enemy. We need to use a trick to make him reveal himself."
When Gu Chengjin heard this, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, but then he regained his composure.
He knew that he had to rely on Xinghan's wisdom and strategy to resolve the crisis. So he looked at Xinghan inquiringly, waiting for his next instructions.
Xinghan pondered for a moment and said slowly:
"We can arrange it like this... First, we need to spread the word that the master's condition has stabilized, but he still needs an extremely rare herb as a medicine. And this herb can only be found in a deep mountain outside the city. At that time, I will pretend to be a herb collector and secretly observe the movements in the mansion. At the same time, Master Gu, you can arrange someone to deliberately reveal this news to the servant in the mansion to see if she will take any action."
When Gu Chengjin heard this, his eyes lit up and he praised the brilliant plan repeatedly.
He immediately started making arrangements to ensure that every step was flawless. Xinghan, on the other hand, began to prepare his identity as a "herb collector" and was ready to uncover the truth hidden in the dark in this silent contest.
Early the next morning, the sunlight penetrated the mist and shone on the gate of the Gu Mansion, giving the ancient mansion a layer of golden glow.
Xinghan walked into the Gu Mansion carrying a basket of seemingly ordinary but carefully arranged herbs on his shoulders. His steps were steady and his eyes revealed a hint of subtle alertness.
"Hello, is there anyone there? Open the door. I picked this rare herb as requested by Young Master Guzhou." Xinghan's voice was steady and powerful. He handed over the basket of seemingly ordinary herbs, but in fact it contained a secret. It was delivered at the time agreed with Young Master Guzhou. It depends on whether the man will take the bait.
At this time, the servant who was respectfully called Lao Zhang by the people in the mansion slowly walked over.
He had an old face, but his eyes gleamed with a subtle cunning.
"The master has ordered me to bring this herbalist in." Lao Zhang's voice was low and powerful, and seemed to leave no room for doubt.
Xinghan exchanged glances with Gu Chengjin, then followed Lao Zhang into the mansion.
Along the way, Lao Zhang behaved very naturally, as if everything was under his control.
However, their every move had already been under Gu Chengjin's surveillance.
When they reached a remote corridor, Lao Zhang suddenly stopped, took the medicine basket from Xinghan, and used the excuse of checking the quality of the herbs, but in fact he was preparing to replace the fake herbs that had been prepared long ago.
He turned his back to the crowd and swiftly opened the medicine basket. Just as he was about to start, a cold wind blew past, as if foreshadowing an impending disaster.
At this moment, Gu Chengjin and several guards appeared behind Lao Zhang like a ghost. His eyes were cold and his tone was full of unquestionable majesty: "Lao Zhang, what are you doing?"
Old Zhang trembled all over and the movement of his hands came to an abrupt stop.
He turned around suddenly and saw Gu Chengjin staring at him coldly, holding tightly in his hand the basket of herbs that were about to be replaced.
The guards had surrounded him and caught him red-handed, leaving him no chance of escape.
Faced with this sudden change, Lao Zhang's face instantly turned pale as paper.
He knew very well that his crime had been exposed and there was no room for excuses.
Under Gu Chengjin's stern gaze, he could only lower his head and silently accept the impending punishment.
Xinghan, on the other hand, stood aside, observing all this quietly, muttering, "Something is wrong."