On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2296 Encountering 1 Corpse and 2 Lives

Princess Mingzhao took the food box from Mu Chen's hand. The lid of the food box was lifted a little to reveal the green rice dumplings inside.

"When I came, I specially bought my cousin's favorite green rice dumplings on the street, thinking that my cousin would be happy to see them and that it would also satisfy her cravings during her pregnancy."

Master He stared at her for a long time, then glanced at the green rice dumplings in the food box, and the suspicion in his eyes lessened a bit.

My sister-in-law does indeed love eating qingtuan (green rice dumplings), and she often sends her maid out to buy them.

The woman's words were impeccable and her tone natural; she truly seemed to be a relative of Su's family.

He remained silent for a moment, calculating in his mind. If he really sent her away, it would make the He family seem guilty. It would be better to invite her into the mansion and see what she wanted to do, so that he could deal with her accordingly.

Thinking of this, Master He stepped aside to make way for the doorway, his tone becoming somewhat indifferent: "In that case, young lady, you are a guest from afar, please come into my residence with me."

Mingzhao nodded slightly, picked up the food box, and stepped into the He family's house.

Mu Chen followed closely behind, glancing around out of the corner of his eye.

The He family mansion was filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs, everywhere from the corridors to the courtyards, with a faint medicinal fragrance lingering in the air.

The maids and servants under the eaves all bowed their heads in greeting when they saw Master He.

Mingzhao casually surveyed the scenery of the mansion.

She followed behind Master He at a leisurely pace and asked, "Where is my cousin now? I rushed here because I wanted to see her as soon as possible and make her happy."

Master He walked ahead without stopping or turning his head.

His voice drifted in the wind, clear and calm: "Miss, come with me to the backyard, and you will know then."

Mingzhao paused slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and he instantly became more alert.

Su Shi is clearly dead and hastily buried in the wilderness outside the city without even a grave. How could she possibly still be in the backyard?

Master He was clearly deceiving her, deliberately leading her to the backyard.

What is he planning?

Do you want to confine her in the backyard, or do you want to get rid of her altogether and eliminate any future trouble?

Mingzhao remained outwardly calm, but quickly exchanged a glance with Mu Chen.

Mu Chen nodded slightly, his hand silently resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, ready to respond at any moment.

The two followed Master He to the backyard. At the corner of the corridor, there was a large patch of mugwort, which gave off a stronger medicinal fragrance.

Meanwhile, in Youcheng, the morning breeze was still slightly cool. Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe, carrying Yin Ding and Linlang, rode their horses out of the city.

The four of them went ahead, while Wu Liang and Sun Qing led their men a step behind, splitting into two groups to avoid drawing too much attention.

We'll meet in Chongzhou then.

Not far from the city gate of Youcheng, a series of rapid hoofbeats suddenly came from behind, growing louder as they approached.

"Wait for me!"

Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe simultaneously reined in their horses and looked back.

A figure riding a reddish-brown horse galloped toward them; it was Su Shengsheng.

Su Shengsheng reined in her horse and stopped beside the group: "Your Highness, Your Highness, I also want to go to Chongzhou. Please take me with you!"

Huo Changhe raised an eyebrow, his eyes scrutinizing him: "The situation in Chongzhou is still unresolved, and the road ahead is fraught with danger. Are you really going to follow me?"

Su Shengsheng patted his chest and said earnestly, "I'm not afraid of danger, and I promise to obey in everything!"

After saying that, he looked at Yan Ruyu, his eyes full of pleading: "Your Highness, please let me come along!"

Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe exchanged a glance and smiled helplessly.

Seeing that she was interested, Huo Changhe relented: "If that's the case, then go with me. Just remember what you said: follow the rules and don't act on your own."

Su Shengsheng was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly: "I will remember, thank you Your Highness, thank you Princess!"

The sun gradually climbed overhead, the midday sun was scorching, and the trees along the official road cast dappled shadows.

Not far ahead, there was a small roadside restaurant with blue tiles and white walls. A faded wine flag hung at the entrance, and there were a few wooden tables. It looked quite clean.

Huo Changhe reined in his horse: "Let's rest and have a meal here, and then continue our journey."

The group dismounted in response and entered the restaurant. They found a square table at the back and sat down. The innkeeper quickly came forward to greet them.

There were a few other tables of passersby in the restaurant, all of them merchants on their way, chatting and eating.

One of the dark-faced men, holding a rough porcelain bowl, sighed, "That third daughter-in-law of the Li family, she's really too pitiful. She finally got a son, but ended up losing both her and her unborn child."

A person next to her chimed in: "That's right. I heard she had three daughters in four years of marriage, and both her husband's and her own family are hoping she'll have a son."

This time, the doctors all said it was a boy, and the whole family treated it like a precious treasure. Who could have imagined that a difficult labor would occur, and both mother and child would perish?

The words "two lives lost" reached Yan Ruyu's ears, and she paused slightly in her grip on the bamboo chopsticks, looking up at Huo Changhe.

Their eyes met, and both sensed something was amiss.

The Su family of the He family in Chongzhou also died while pregnant, and now the third daughter-in-law of the Li family is suffering a difficult childbirth, resulting in the death of both mother and child.

Huo Changhe gave Yin Ding a look, and Yin Ding understood immediately and stood up.

He was chubby, and when he smiled, two little dimples appeared, making him look exceptionally endearing.

He walked over to the table of passersby, bowed respectfully, took out a few coins from his waist, asked the innkeeper to refill a pot of wine, and poured it for the group with a smile.

"Brothers, hearing you talk about the Li family makes my heart ache."

Since we were going that way, I was curious and asked, "Where is the Li family from? And what's the story with that third daughter-in-law?"

He was good with words and even bought wine generously. The passersby were not on guard and quickly explained the situation to each other.

Yin Ding listened attentively, occasionally chiming in with a few words. Before long, he had grasped all the information clearly. He bowed to thank the group and turned to walk back to the table.

At this moment, the innkeeper had already served the food. Yin Ding sat down and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, the Li family is from Li Family Village nearby, about three miles from the official road."

The Li family has three sons. The third son's wife has been married into the family for four years and has given birth to three daughters in a row. The old lady of the Li family favors sons over daughters and is urging the third son and his wife to have a son.

This time, she finally got pregnant and went to the town doctor to take her pulse. The doctor said it was a boy. The whole family was overjoyed and treated her like royalty, feeding her big meals of fish and meat every day, and being afraid that she might bump or fall.

Who knew that on the day of delivery, she was in labor for a day and a night, but the baby just wouldn't come out. She suffered a difficult labor, and both mother and child died. They were buried just yesterday.

Yan Ruyu stopped picking up food with her chopsticks: "Go check her body and confirm the cause of death."

Huo Changhe nodded: "Okay."

The group quickly finished their meal, paid the bill, and asked the innkeeper for directions to Li Family Village and the Li Family Cemetery. They then mounted their horses and headed towards Li Family Village.

As dusk fell, the setting sun painted the sky orange-red. Sparse weeds grew on the grave mound, rustling in the wind, adding a touch of desolation.