Chapter 228: Snake-Twining Vine and Purple Monkey Flower

The next day.

Chang'an.

Jingzhao Prefecture.

Official office.

"Greetings, Mirror Master Chen!"

"Greetings, Heir!"

"Greetings, Young Master Dugu!"

Liu Bingzhong hurried out to welcome them, bowing to Chen Yan and the others who had entered from outside.

Originally, he was handling official business properly, and he didn't know why these few masters had suddenly come...

"Old Liu, there are no outsiders here, no need for such formalities!" Chen Yan, seeing this, smiled calmly, casually put his arm around Liu Bingzhong's shoulder, and continued to walk inside.

"Mirror Master Chen, why have you graced us with your presence?"

Liu Bingzhong glanced at the others, looked at Chen Yan, and asked carefully.

He paused, then continued: "And you didn't notify us in advance, so this subordinate could have made some preparations and welcomed you outside the door early..."

Liu Bingzhong was full of smiles, lowering his posture to the extreme. If outsiders saw this, it would be hard to associate him with the dignified Prefect of Jingzhao...

But there was no other way; when this master was the Zhuque Mirror Master before, he was already frightening enough.

Now that he had become the Mirror Master, he had to be cautious!

After walking into the hall for official business, Chen Yan walked to the main seat, pulled over a chair, sat down, and said directly: "This Mirror Master is entrusted by Grand General Yang Qin to come and assist Jingzhao Prefecture in investigating the villain who poisoned Young Master Yang!"

"Old Liu, order people to send the relevant case files!"

Since when did this master become so enthusiastic?... Liu Bingzhong, hearing this, was startled, muttered in his heart, but remained calm, and responded: "Yes."

Immediately, he looked at the subordinates waiting on the side and ordered: "You lot, hurry and go do it!"

"Obey!"

Zhang Yin and the others responded, not daring to delay for a moment, and hurried to do it.

When he first saw Chen Yan, Liu Bingzhong didn't associate this master with Yang Gong's case at all...

After all, the two sides were opposed, and they often used various means to attack each other on weekdays. It would be good enough if he didn't take the opportunity to kick them while they were down.

Liu Bingzhong guessed that such an abnormal scene could only appear because some kind of deal had been reached...

However, he was more than happy to have someone take over this hot potato!

A quarter of an hour later.

"Mirror Master Chen, all the case files are here, please take a look..."

Liu Bingzhong stood respectfully on the side, pointing to the case files that Zhang Yin and the others had retrieved.

He paused, then kindly reminded: "Young Master Yang's case is too bizarre; not to mention how the poison was administered, even the poison itself is difficult to distinguish..."

"If it weren't difficult, Grand General Yang wouldn't have invited this Mirror Master to come..."

Chen Yan raised his eyes, swept over the stack of files, didn't take it to heart, and laughed.

Immediately, he beckoned lightly and ordered: "You Xian, you lot take people to read through the files!"

"Young Master Dugu, you too..."

"Yes." You Xian nodded respectfully.

"Hmm." Dugu Zhang responded lightly, without any hesitation, and was the first to pick up a case file.

Originally, Dugu Zhang wanted to find some excuse to join in, lest Chen Yan tamper with the files...

But he never expected that this guy would arrange it directly, without needing him to open his mouth at all.

"How is big brother planning to play this game of chess?" Yuwen Ze, who was sitting on the side and had been silently watching, had been paying attention to the scene and muttered to himself.

Knowing that the poison was administered by his big brother and Yang Gong was killed by his big brother, how should he frame someone else?

And who was the lucky one chosen?

Yuwen Ze was incomparably curious.

Half an hour later.

Chen Yan yawned and asked nonchalantly: "How is it?"

"Master, no discoveries..." You Xian closed the case file in his hand and shook his head.

"This subordinate is the same." The Embroidered Attire Envoys responded in unison one after another.

"Me too!"

Dugu Zhang, who had been watching from all directions, finally spoke, "All clues are broken at the source of the poison and the method of administration..."

After seeing the case files with his own eyes, Dugu Zhang finally knew the true difficulty of this case...

The clues were broken at the two most critical points!

Moreover, there was no way to bypass them...

The reason Jingzhao Prefecture hadn't solved the case for a long time wasn't because they were incompetent, but because there was completely

"Hmm..."

"This Governor understands!"

Chen Yan nodded, expressionless, looked at Liu Bingzhong, and asked: "Old Liu, are the wine and dishes that Yang Gong and the others consumed that night still there?"

"They are. That very night, this subordinate ordered them to seal all items involved in the case..."

Liu Bingzhong pondered for a moment before replying quickly: "It is just that because the weather is hot, even though they were stored in an ice room, those dishes have already begun to rot!"

After all, the deceased was the eldest legitimate son of Grand General Yang, and the entire Jingzhao Prefecture dared not treat the matter lightly...

Not only were the wine and dishes sealed, but Da Fengtai was also sealed; it is not allowed to resume business until the case is solved.

"No matter, as long as they are still there..."

Chen Yan stroked his chin and said: "You Xian, take some men and inspect those wine and dishes again!"

"Yes."

Having received the order, You Xian immediately went to the ice room together with Zhang Yinxian.

"Governor Chen, Jingzhao Prefecture has checked repeatedly. Do you still feel the problem lies with those wine and dishes?" Dugu Zhang, upon hearing this, raised a different objection.

"That is correct!"

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow and said decisively: "This Governor believes that the poison could not possibly have appeared out of thin air, and even less could it be the work of ghosts and gods as rumored by the outside world..."

"It must have a source!"

He looked every bit like a man determined to have his own way.

"This one trusts the Governor's judgment!"

"I shall wait and see!"

Seeing this, Dugu Zhang curled his lips in contempt and laughed.

At that moment, Dugu Zhang felt that Chen Yan was nothing more than this...

After all, he himself was proof; so many days had passed without anything happening, which was enough to explain many things, yet he insisted on hitting a brick wall and doing useless work.

This Chen Yan is good at writing poetry and fighting wars, but he is still not good at investigating cases...

However, while he thought that, Dugu Zhang still gave his guards a look, signaling them to go over and watch, so as to prevent any tampering.

After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn.

"My Lord!"

You Xian and the other Embroidered Attire Envoys, along with Zhang Yinxian and Dugu Zhang's guards, returned together, their voices quite excited.

"How did it go?" Chen Yan picked up his teacup, took a shallow sip, and asked.

"In the wine, we made a discovery!" You Xian said, enunciating each word.

"Wine?"

"Could there really be some oversight?"

Dugu Zhang was startled, waves rising in his heart, and he immediately cast an inquiring look at the guards who had followed.

The guards shook their heads, signaling that there had been no unusual behavior...

"Speak." Chen Yan raised his hand.

"Wu Mingche, you discovered the clue, so you tell it..." You Xian patted the shoulder of the Embroidered Attire Envoy beside him, giving the opportunity away.

"Reporting to my Lord, there is no poison in the wine, but there is a medicinal ingredient called Snake-Entangling Vine!" Wu Mingche immediately took over the conversation, mentioning an extremely unfamiliar item.

"Medicine?!"

Dugu Zhang was shocked, his heart tightening, and he asked impatiently: "Is this Snake-Entangling Vine poisonous?!"

As he spoke, cold sweat could not help but ooze from his forehead.

He inexplicably felt that his own life had been pushed to the edge of a cliff...

"It is not poisonous, Young Master Dugu need not be nervous..." Wu Mingche shook his head, reassuring him.

"That is good, that is good!"

Dugu Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, patted his chest, and muttered: "Perhaps it was just a seasoning added when brewing the wine..."

But just as his hanging heart dropped, he heard Wu Mingche continue: "It is just that while the Snake-Entangling Vine is indeed not poisonous on its own, if it is mixed with Purple Monkey Flower, it becomes a deadly poison!"

"At first there will be no abnormality, but after a period of time, the poison will take effect silently and without any warning!"

"What did you say?!"

Dugu Zhang's smile froze instantly, and he almost roared it out.

He paused, and as if thinking of something, muttered: "Isn't that exactly A Gong's symptoms?!"

After connecting everything, Dugu Zhang felt that the more he thought about it, the more terrifying it was.

Fortunately, he hadn't come into contact with that Purple Monkey Flower later on...

Otherwise, he would have followed in Yang Gong's footsteps!

After this is over, he must remind Gao Jiong as well...

"Using the method of mutual generation and restraint to poison..."

"The methods of this villain are truly extraordinary!"

Chen Yan frowned slightly, tapped his knuckles on the table, and said in a deep voice: "No wonder Jingzhao Prefecture and Grand General Yang could not find it out..."

"Governor Chen, what should we do next?" Dugu Zhang asked after calming his emotions.

"That will require your labor, Brother Dugu..." Chen Yan smiled indifferently and gestured with his chin.

"Me?" Dugu Zhang was startled, pointed at himself, and was full of confusion.

"Yes, please trouble Brother Dugu to take men to check in the Yang Mansion who has had a large sum of silver deposited recently..." Chen Yan nodded and said.

"Wait!"

Dugu Zhang seemed to realize something, raised his hand to interrupt, and asked in confusion: "Why is this checking for silver, and not checking for the Purple Monkey Flower in the Yang Mansion?"