"Who?" The black shadow suddenly turned around and shouted in a low voice. Before he finished speaking, a torch was suddenly lit. The dilapidated temple, which was originally pitch black, became brightly lit in an instant. The next moment, several yamen runners with swords rushed up quickly and surrounded him.
In the light of the torches, one could see that the person surrounded by the yamen runners was a man dressed in black with a veil on his face. He was thin and his body was shaking constantly. It was obvious that he was frightened by the scene and became panic-stricken.
"Miss Bai, just as you expected, there are people who really want to harm the old lady and her grandson." The leading bailiff who had led people to search Bao'an Hall during the day was now standing next to Bai Suzhen. He frowned and waved his hand. Immediately, someone came forward and pulled off the veil on the face of the man in black.
"Zhang Dean?" The leading yamen runner was startled and strode forward, fearing that he had made a mistake. However, the pale face illuminated by the firelight was indeed Zhang Dean from Cixintang, without a single mistake.
"Zhang Dean, how could it be you? Why are you not sleeping at home in the middle of the night? Why are you running to this dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city? Don't tell me you are out for a walk!" The leading yamen runner took a breath, his face darkened, stared at Zhang Dean, and asked coldly.
"This..." Zhang Dean opened his mouth, but his teeth were chattering and cold sweat was pouring down his face. He couldn't give a reasonable explanation for a long time.
"Sir, if my guess is correct, the porcelain bottle that Doctor Zhang just put in his arms must contain Crane's Beak Red." Bai Suzhen walked forward, glanced at Zhang Dean with her beautiful eyes, turned to the leading yamen runner, and spoke.
Zhang Dean's body shook violently and he subconsciously put his hands to protect his chest. Suddenly he came to his senses and realized that his action was inappropriate, as if he was trying to cover up something. Unfortunately, when he realized this, it was too late.
"Zhang Dean, do you still want to resist?" The leading yamen runner saw Zhang Dean's reaction and was convinced of Bai Suzhen's words. He searched for the porcelain bottle from his arms and said coldly, "Humph, now the evidence is solid. Zhang Dean, just follow me back to see the prefect."
Zhang Dean's body went limp and his face turned pale with fear.
"Take him away." The leading bailiff gave an order, ordering his men to carry Zhang Dean away.
Bai Suzhen reminded him, "Your Excellency, you might as well take the water in the bowl back to the government office so that you can present it as evidence in court."
The leading bailiff nodded and said, "Miss Bai is right." Then he ordered his men to take the bowl away.
The old woman and her grandson had been woken up long ago, and were now huddled in a corner, clinging to each other in confusion, not daring to make a sound. The leading yamen runner walked up to the two of them, looked down at them and said, "You should also follow me back to the government office."
"Sir, what happened? Why are you taking us, a grandparent and a granddaughter, to the government office?" When the old woman heard that they were going to be taken to the government office, she trembled and became nervous. She instinctively hugged her granddaughter tightly and shrank back.
"I'm bringing you back to the government office just to assist with the investigation. Hurry up and follow me."
"Assist in the investigation?" The old woman was confused and looked hesitant.
The leading yamen runner was a little impatient and was about to urge him again, but Bai Suzhen waved her hand gently, stepped forward with lotus steps, and said softly: "Old man, don't be afraid, these officials are all good people, and I will accompany you and my little sister to the government office, nothing will happen."
"Miss Bai." Hearing Bai Suzhen's voice, the old woman's expression relaxed and she nodded repeatedly: "Miss Bai, I will listen to you. If you ask me to go to the government office, I will go to the government office."
Bai Suzhen leaned over to help the old woman up, and held Lian'er's hand: "Lian'er, don't be afraid, come with me."
"With Sister Bai here, Lian'er is not afraid." Although little Lian'er is young, she is well-behaved and sensible.
Bai Suzhen nodded gently to the leading yamen runner and said, "Sir, let's go."
"Miss Bai, please."
The group left the ruined temple and headed towards the city.
The prefectural yamen was opened overnight. Chen Lun sat upright in the hall. In addition to Bai Suzhen, Zhang Dean and the old lady and her grandson, Xu Xian was also present. Xu Xian followed Bai Suzhen's instructions and went to the prefectural yamen to file a lawsuit, accusing Zhang Dean of hiding banned drugs and killing people. Bai Suzhen and her entourage rushed back to the city from the dilapidated temple on the outskirts of the city. When they arrived at the yamen, the prefect Chen Lun had just finished reading the lawsuit filed by Xu Xian and had some understanding of the case. He was still half-believing and half-doubting. Now seeing Zhang Dean being arrested on the spot and the search of Hedinghong on him, he was really horrified and angry. He stared coldly at Zhang Dean in the hall, suddenly slammed the gavel, and shouted: "Zhang Dean, this prefecture asks you, Baoan Hall accused you of hiding the banned drug Hedinghong and poisoning the old lady and her grandson with the highly toxic Hedinghong. Do you plead guilty?"
Zhang Dean knelt down in the hall, kowtowed repeatedly, and shouted loudly: "My lord, I am innocent. How could I have the courage to poison others..."
"How dare you, Zhang Dean!" Chen Lun shouted angrily, "The yamen runners caught you in the ruined temple outside the city, poisoning the water that the old woman and her grandson drank. They also found highly toxic red thorns on you. The evidence is irrefutable, and you still dare to quibble? If you don't confess the truth quickly, don't blame me for punishing you severely!"
"Sir..." Zhang Dean's eyes flashed with a sinister look, and he immediately pushed all the blame away: "I am indeed innocent, and it was all the idea of Zheng Taisheng and Doctor Zheng. Baoan Hall opened not long ago, but it has become famous. All patients go to Baoan Hall for treatment, which has greatly affected the business of our Three Emperors Ancestors Association. So the head of the association, Doctor Zheng, came to me and said that he wanted to teach Baoan Hall a lesson and also to reduce the prestige of Baoan Hall. So he asked me to secretly put the bag with the medicine in it. "I threw the buns to the old beggar woman and her grandson who were begging in the city, and carried them to the door of Baoan Hall after they fainted. At first, Doctor Zheng did not say that the buns were poisoned by Hedinghong. I just thought he put some rare medicine in them, so that Xu Xian in Baoan Hall could not be cured. But I didn't expect it to be Hedinghong, which could be fatal. When I found out later, it was too late. The old beggar woman and her grandson had already eaten the buns. But - I don't know why the two of them were alive and well."
"Hmph, Zhang Dean, you've made a clean excuse. Now let me ask you, how do you explain why you sneaked out of the city tonight and poisoned the old lady and her grandson in the dilapidated temple?"
"My lord, I was forced to do this. Doctor Zheng wanted Bao'an Hall to close down. He failed in his first attempt to poison the old beggar woman and frame the Bao'an Hall. So he asked me to go out of the city in the dead of night and poison the old beggar and her grandson. I refused, so he threatened me that I had poisoned them before, saying that if I did not do as he told me, he would sue me at the government office. I was scared and did a stupid thing. My lord, please make the decision for me. I was forced into all this. It was not my own idea..."
Chen Lun recognized Zheng Taisheng and knew that with his character, he would never be the main culprit in this case. However, seeing that Zhang Dean pushed all the blame onto Zheng Taisheng and refused to admit that he had anything to do with him, he was at a loss for a moment. Just as he was worrying, he heard Bai Suzhen say, "Sir, Suzhen has witnesses to prove that what Doctor Zhang said just now was all false. He, not Doctor Zheng, was the mastermind behind the poisoning of the old lady and her grandson."
Chen Lun was invigorated when he heard this, and said loudly: "Then quickly send someone to the court to testify—"