Yan Chi came to report: "General, according to our investigation, there's nothing unusual about their daily meals. The doctors haven't detected any poison in their food either."
"However, I just heard from an old lady about a strange incident that happened a while ago. A salt merchant, about to leave Shengjing, sold salt at a low price in the west part of the city."
"The people in the west rushed to buy the salt, some even hoarding it. It's said the merchant sold it at about one-tenth or one-fifth of the usual price."
"When did this happen?" Salt was monopolized by the government, how could there be private sales at such low prices?
Yan Chi replied, "It was said to be a month ago."
"Examine the salt they purchased." This was no ordinary matter and could be the source of the poisoning incident.
After rounds of examination, the doctors didn't find anything unusual.
Fortunately, Fukang hurried back that afternoon.
He had been sightseeing with friends in Ye City, but immediately rushed back to Shengjing upon receiving the news.
Fukang wore a black robe, his face strikingly handsome, with phoenix eyes that held a hint of mischief.
When he saw Qin Yuchuan, the cold aura around him slightly dissipated.
"What difficult problem has General Qin encountered that he's willing to seek out this young master?"
Qin Yuchuan kept his distance from him, "Go and check these unconscious people. What kind of poison have they ingested?"
"You're really not polite!"
Despite his words, Fukang still went to check their pulses.
His expression remained calm. Even surrounded by a group of poisoned people lying around, he showed no surprise, as if he was already accustomed to such scenes.
He gently placed his hand on the wrist of an unconscious man.
"I thought it would be some rare poison, but it's just a small dose of datura. How come none of you could diagnose this?"
Qin Yuchuan: "Datura?"
Fukang slowly explained, "Datura grows in the southern frontier. Although it's called the flower of hell, it's not that formidable."
"The entire plant is poisonous, but it only causes hallucinations and death if consumed in large quantities."
"They indeed consumed datura, but this coma doesn't seem to be caused by it alone."
After hearing Fukang's explanation, Qin Yuchuan said, "You mean to say, besides this poison, they've been affected by something else."
Fukang stood up, "Perhaps it's not poison, just something that causes unconsciousness. Have you found anything?"
Qin Yuchuan pointed at the salt that had just been collected, "I suspect they put the poison in the salt, but they haven't found anything."
"Do you think they could find it?" Fukang said disdainfully.
Qin Yuchuan remained silent. He also knew that most of these doctors were more concerned with fame than actual skill.
Fukang pinched a bit of salt from the bag, sniffed it, and then rubbed it between his fingers.
"Your guess isn't wrong. The datura poison was indeed put in the salt, and it was done quite skillfully."
"The poison must have been added before the salt was refined. It's no wonder they couldn't detect it."
"The poisoner was quite thoughtful. It's been a while since I've encountered such an interesting case."
Seeing that Fukang had discovered the poison in the salt, Qin Yuchuan asked, "Do you have a solution?"
"Let's wait to administer the antidote until we find out what else is causing the coma."
"Otherwise, if the medicines conflict, it might lead to more than just unconsciousness."
"This young master will accompany you to look around the area. We might get results quickly."
Qin Yuchuan agreed with Fukang's suggestion and took him on a tour of the western part of the city.
The autumn wind blew fiercely, tousling both men's hair.
After the tour, Fukang seemed to have noticed something.
Qin Yuchuan, seeing his look of sudden realization, asked, "Have you found it?"
Fukang: "This young master is a divine doctor, how could this stump me?"
"The poisoner is quite skilled. Do you see that locust tree?"
Qin Yuchuan looked towards the tree Fukang pointed at, wondering if poison could even be placed on trees.
Seeing Qin Yuchuan's silence, Fukang said, "Can't believe it? Someone actually put the drug on a tree!"
"Look at those bird nests on the branches. They must have put the mindlessness powder in the nests."
"That substance is colorless and odorless, dispersing with the wind."
"Without the datura poison, the mindlessness powder wouldn't cause any harm to people."
Qin Yuchuan: "But why didn't everyone who ate the same salt get poisoned?"
Fukang explained, "It depends on each person's constitution and how much salt they consumed."
"Generally, older people prefer lighter flavors, and many don't leave their homes often. They wouldn't have ingested much of the datura or mindlessness powder, so naturally, they wouldn't be poisoned."
"The poisoner was quite patient and truly remarkable."
"How should we cure this poison?" Qin Yuchuan asked.
Fukang: "I'll prescribe some medicine later. You send people to prepare the decoction. After they take it, they'll vomit and have diarrhea for a while, but they'll recover quickly."
"If there's nothing else, this young master will take his leave. Although we're friends, even close brothers need to be clear about money."
"Don't short me on the payment. Send it to the Five Elements Medical Hall. I have other matters to attend to and can't stay long."
After writing down the prescription, Fukang hurriedly left. Qin Yuchuan sent people to get the medicine from the medical hall.
As expected, after taking the medicine, the patients recovered to normal in no time.
Qin Yuchuan had people collect and dispose of the remaining salt centrally. To avoid further incidents, the bird nests on the old locust tree were also removed.
After resolving this matter, Shengjing returned to its usual bustling prosperity.
Xuanyuan Sheng was delighted that the issue had been resolved and specially rewarded them with ten thousand taels of silver.
Qin Yuchuan realized that the poison that killed Qiu Tongfu was almost the same as the one used in the western part of the city.
He was certain that all of this was caused by the southern frontier.
Although this poison didn't cause mass casualties, some innocent civilians had died due to the delay in handling the situation.
If not for Fukang, they might still be unable to find a solution. They couldn't let the culprits off so easily.
As long as the hidden enemies remained, Shengjing could never be at peace.
For this reason, Qin Yuchuan specially memorialized to Xuanyuan Sheng, explaining his views.
Xuanyuan Sheng took this matter very seriously, as it had already threatened the country.
Therefore, he sent his confidant to investigate the matter. Qin Yuchuan, now free from worry, finally had time to rest at the General's mansion.
During these days, he had been working tirelessly on this matter. As soon as he returned to the general's mansion, he saw Xuanyuan Xi waiting at the entrance.
"Mother, why are you here?"
Seeing that Qin Yuchuan was only somewhat tired and not injured, Xuanyuan Xi's anxious heart finally eased.
"I haven't seen you for days and was quite worried. Now that you've returned safely, quickly go to your room and rest."
Qin Yuchuan nodded slightly, "Mother, there's no need to worry. The situation has been handled now, and His Majesty has already sent people to investigate the aftermath."
"That's good! There are so many people in the imperial court, they shouldn't always send you for everything..."
