Chapter 76: Huang San

"Your Highness, you've been dosed with a sleeping powder," Imperial Physician Wen said in a low voice. "That person sprinkled the sleeping powder on the box. When you opened it, the powder drifted up and you inhaled it through your nose, and then you fainted."

"Sleeping powder? How could such a thing be in my courtyard?" His gaze fell upon the guard who had gone to fetch the box, and his cold, sinister look made that guard shiver uncontrollably.

"Your Highness, your subordinate only brought the item out and did nothing else. I beg Your Highness to investigate clearly."

"Did you encounter anyone along the way?"

"No, your subordinate did not encounter anyone."

"Then besides you, who else could have done such a thing?"

"I've been wronged! I've been wronged, Your Highness!"

Just then, the storehouse guard ran in in a panic, holding a bunch of keys: "Your Highness, it's terrible. Your subordinate just found a bunch of keys by the back gate. They looked like they belonged to the storehouse, so I had someone check the storehouse and found... found..."

"Found what!"

"Found that everything in the storehouse is gone."

"What?"

Mo Junheng said in shock: "What do you mean everything is gone?"

"Only a few boxes remain in the storehouse, but the contents inside have vanished without a trace."

"Nonsense!" Mo Junheng slammed the table hard. Another wave of cramping pain came from his abdomen, and he forcefully endured it without losing his composure. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared fiercely at the guard kneeling on the ground and trembling: "Speak! What exactly is going on?"

"Your Highness, please investigate clearly. After your subordinate brought the box out, I came straight here. I know nothing else."

"Don't know, don't know! That's all you know how to say. Fine, since that's the case, from now on, you won't need to know anything anymore either."

With a single sentence, the guard's life was settled.

Mo Junheng waved his hand and two guards stepped forward, directly dragging him away.

As for his fate, one could imagine.

"Investigate! Investigate for me! No matter who did it, drag them out and flay their skin and pull their tendons!"

"Yes!"

In such a short time, to silently move several boxes of goods out of the courtyard was absolutely impossible.

What exactly was going on?

Mo Junheng frowned tightly, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

Ever since arriving here, it was as if he had been struck by some kind of curse, not a single moment of peace.

By this time, Chi Nan Yi had already returned to the market and reunited with Chi Huai Qian.

"Little sister, the things you wanted, Third Brother has bought them all." He patted the horse carriage and said with a smile: "This really is a good thing. Fortunately I listened to you and bought it, and it didn't even cost much silver. There were also horse carriages for sale inside just now, and they wanted twenty-five taels!"

"We got a bargain that day. Otherwise in Jingcheng, buying a horse carriage would also cost twenty or thirty taels."

Chi Huai Qian nodded: "Only now it seems this carriage is a bit small. It's packed full with just this little bit of things, and you barely have room to sit."

"It's fine. Another day when we come across a good one, we'll just buy another."

Just then, a man with his hands tucked in his sleeves walked up with a smile and lowered his voice, saying: "Are you two customers looking to buy a horse?"

Chi Huai Qian glanced at him and warily shielded Chi Nan Yi behind himself.

"Who are you?"

"This humble one is Huang San. I just now inadvertently overheard your conversation. If I've given offense, please forgive me."

"Huang San? Never heard of you." Chi Huai Qian waved his hand: "We're not buying anything..."

"You have horses?"

Chi Nan Yi patted Chi Huai Qian on the shoulder and stepped out from behind him.

Seeing her engage him in conversation, Huang San hurriedly said: "Indeed, indeed." He lowered his voice: "The horses in this humble one's hands are ten, a hundred times better than the one you have now." He merely glanced at the horse carriage beside Chi Nan Yi and said with a smile: "The young lady's horse is old. Even for pulling goods it hasn't many years left to live. Ten taels of silver would already be a high price. But this humble one's horses are first-rate."

Hearing this, Chi Nan Yi grew even more curious.

The people of Qi Guo were not skilled at raising horses, so naturally there were no so-called first-rate good horses. In her previous life, even the horses used on the battlefield could not be considered top-tier. How could there be excellent horses here?

But seeing Huang San's face full of certainty, Chi Nan Yi's heart stirred: "Since that's the case, then I'll trust you this once."

Hearing this, Huang San's face piled high with smiles: "Please come with this humble one, dear customer."

Leaving the horse carriage parked at the entrance of Bai cao tang, they followed Huang San winding through several alleys until they arrived in front of a very secluded residence.

Chi Huai Qian frowned tightly and said with some concern: "Little sister, why does this place seem a bit off? Why don't we just leave!"

"Please come in, you two dear customers." Huang San pushed open a small door. Chi Nan Yi and Chi Huai Qian walked inside. The courtyard was very empty, but one could faintly smell the scent of horse manure.

Arriving at the back courtyard, several rows of stables appeared before their eyes.

"So he really is selling horses."

Huang San said with a smile: "Rest assured, dear customers. This humble one does only legitimate business."

"Is that so?" Chi Nan Yi gave a light laugh: "If it's legitimate business, why so sneaky? The horse sellers in town are more than just one."

"Well, this..."

Chi Nan Yi walked around the horse yard, her gaze unceasingly looking them up and down.

"The horses are good horses."

"The young lady truly has a good eye. This humble one's horses..."

"It's just a pity that they're all sick horses."

The smile on Huang San's face suddenly froze.

How, how did she see through it?

"Young lady, you shouldn't say such things carelessly!"

"Carelessly?" Chi Nan Yi casually pointed at a horse and said calmly: "The coat is coarse, and even just standing in the stable its breathing is very rapid, which shows the illness is in its lungs. This horse's leg injury is already very severe. The thickness of its left and right legs is slightly different."

Huang San and Chi Huai Qian looked in the direction she was pointing. Only after looking carefully did they discover that it was indeed as his little sister said.

Chi Huai Qian said loudly: "It's actually true! Good! Truly no merchant is without guile. You actually tried to fool us with these sick horses!"

Huang San never expected to meet an expert today; he put on a bitter face and said, "Sir, this…"

"You dare call this horse top-notch?" Chi Nan Yi weighed the money pouch in his hand; the clink of silver reached Huang San's ears.

His eyes lit up instantly.

"Forget it; as long as we have silver, what good thing can't we buy?" Chi Nan Yi turned and said, "San Ge, you said earlier there's someone selling horses at the market—let's go have a look."

"All right then."

"No, no, no!" Huang San hurried forward, smiling, and said, "Sir, let's talk properly—it's just a good horse, right? I have, I have, I have everything here."

"Forget it; you can't get ivory from a dog's mouth—you're just a swindler." Chi Huai Qian shoved Huang San aside with one hand and pulled Chi Nan Yi forward.

How could Huang San let the duck that was already in his mouth fly away?

He gritted his teeth and caught up: "Sir, I have a top-notch horse here—I just don't know if you can handle it."

He took the bait.

Chi Nan Yi's lips curled slightly.

The original owner's memory was indeed correct.