Gao Wenyang opened his mouth, but the words that were about to come out of his mouth were abruptly cut off.
He lay on the ground in a mess, his body covered in drizzle and mud, looking extremely miserable. But at this moment, he didn't care about these things at all.
He raised his head with difficulty, and saw a small courtyard not far ahead. Beneath the eaves of the courtyard stood a figure in a pitch-black robe.
Above the robe, a handsome and familiar face appeared. Its features were delicate, yet unlike those pampered pretty boys in the capital, its features were sharp and angular, its eyes sparkling, and it looked at him with ease and pleasure.
"Mr. Gao, what a coincidence!"
Gao Wenyang shuddered violently, his eyes showing fear, but it quickly flashed away and disappeared.
"Lin, Lin Jiangnian...you, what do you want to do?!"
"Don't you know what this prince wants to do?"
Lin Jiangnian looked him up and down, chuckled and spoke.
Gao Wenyang felt increasingly uneasy, a sense of foreboding rising within him. Why was Lin Jiangnian here? What was his purpose in seeking him out?
Could it be...
As if thinking of something, Gao Wenyang's heart was in turmoil, but he still forced himself to remain calm: "You, don't do anything rash..."
"Killing Zhou Huiguang wasn't enough for you, you want to kill me too?!"
"I'm telling you, if you dare to touch me... the capital will never tolerate you again, and His Majesty will never forgive you..."
Listening to Gao Wenyang's threatening warning, Lin Jiangnian's smile widened. He looked at Gao Wenyang with a smile: "Zhou Huiguang, was it really this prince who killed him?"
As soon as these words came out, Gao Wenyang's heart beat violently and his pupils shrank slightly: "No, if it's not you, who else could it be?!"
"Yeah?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at him without saying anything, then glanced at Lin Qingqing who was standing beside him.
Lin Qingqing took out a porcelain bottle from her arms and threw it in front of Gao Wenyang.
"What is this?"
Lin Jiangnian smiled and said, "Open it and take a look?"
Gao Wenyang was alert and suspicious. He looked at Lin Jiangnian in front of him, then looked at the heroic woman next to him who was staring at him coldly with an expressionless face. His heart tightened, and he reached out tremblingly to pick up the porcelain bottle on the ground and opened it carefully.
"Smell it and see if it looks familiar."
Gao Wenyang brought the porcelain bottle close to his nose and sniffed it gently. The next second, his face suddenly changed, and he threw the porcelain bottle away in panic as if he was holding a poisonous snake.
The porcelain bottle fell onto the grass, and the purple powder inside scattered, dissolving as it came into contact with the water, silently blending into the grass. Soon, the grass on the grass was visible to the naked eye, turning yellow, withered, and black...
This scene made Gao Wenyang's pupils shrink suddenly and he was terrified.
"Familiar?"
At this moment, Lin Jiangnian's voice came from the front. Gao Wenyang's heart suddenly sank, and he forced himself to suppress the fear in his heart: "You, what do you want to say?"
"I, I don't understand... You, are you going to poison me to death?"
Lin Jiangnian ignored his quibbling and pointed at the scattered medicinal powder on the ground, explaining to him: "This poison is called Purple Fragrant Orchid. It is a strange poison that came from the Western Regions. This poison dissolves in water and is colorless and odorless. It is extremely toxic and the poison only takes half a minute to take effect..."
"Zhou Huiguang died after being poisoned by this poison."
Gao Wenyang's breathing was rapid, his face extremely grim. He stared at Lin Jiangnian, his voice trembling slightly: "You, what on earth do you want to say?! You used this poison to murder Brother Zhou, and now you want to kill me?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at him and said calmly, "This prince just said that this poison came from the Western Regions. It's extremely precious and rare in the world... Coincidentally, just last month, a batch of treasures from the Western Regions were sent to the capital as tribute, and this purple fragrant orchid was among them..."
At this point, Lin Jiangnian paused for a moment and glanced at him. "Master Gao, do you need me to help you recall the treasures that were tributed from the Western Regions? Who passed through their hands?"
"And, does it have anything to do with Master Gao?"
Gao Wenyang's face turned completely pale, his whole body was trembling, and the feeling of fear and anxiety could not be dissipated: "You, what do you mean by this?!"
"I, I don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard of Purple Orchid..."
At this point, Gao Wenyang stared at Lin Jiangnian intently, as if he had suddenly realized something, and angrily said, "You, you want to put the blame on me?!"
"Don't worry, it's okay if you don't know. This prince will help you recall it slowly."
Compared to Gao Wenyang's excitement, Lin Jiangnian appeared calm and spoke slowly, "This batch of tribute from the Western Regions was overseen by Xin Wenshen, the Minister of Rites. You're familiar with Xin Wenshen, right? I heard he has a good relationship with your Gao family... Every year, the tribute from the small countries surrounding the Daning Dynasty is secretly withheld and divided up by their officials. I'm sure your Gao family has benefited greatly from this, right?"
"You are slandering me!"
Gao Wenyang gritted his teeth and said, "My Gao family is loyal to the court and His Majesty, and would never do such a thing!"
"Don't worry, it's okay if you don't admit it."
Lin Jiangnian waved his hand, signaling him not to rush. "Regarding this matter, the reason I can come to you today is naturally because I have already gone to see Xin Wenshen. Among the tribute items sent from the Western Regions, the purple fragrant orchid listed on the list has indeed been taken away. As for who took it away..."
Having said that, Lin Jiangnian did not speak again.
But Gao Wenyang's face suddenly turned red, and he said angrily: "How should I know? My Gao family has never embezzled any tribute, and I don't know what purple fragrant orchid is..."
Gao Wenyang struggled to get up from the ground. But just as he stood up, he was hit on the shoulder by the knife handle in Lin Qingqing's hand. He lost his balance and fell to the ground again.
"Master Gao, don't get too excited. I never said you took it. I trust Master Gao. You would never do such a thing, right?"
Gao Wenyang looked embarrassed, but raised his head in disbelief, as if he had heard it wrong.
A drizzle fell. Lin Jiangnian, who was standing under the eaves, suddenly approached and squatted in front of Gao Wenyang. He raised his eyes and glanced at Lin Qingqing in a slightly blaming tone: "You were too harsh! How could you be so rude to Mr. Gao?"
Lin Qingqing: “…”
I don't know who ordered it.
She chose not to speak, but to take the blame silently, standing beside His Highness holding an umbrella.
Gao Wenyang's eyes were filled with resentment and suspicion. What was this bastard prince trying to do?!
"Of course, this prince believes Master Gao. After all, the tributes sent from the Western Regions are recorded. The purple fragrant orchid is the key murder weapon in Master Zhou's murder. As long as the people from Jingzhao Prefecture and the Secret Heavenly Department investigate, they will easily find it..."
Lin Jiangnian paused, then suddenly smiled and said, "So, why don't you save some time? Mr. Gao, just tell me directly who took the purple fragrant orchid away?"
"Who gave the Purple Fragrance Orchid to Master Gao and instructed him to drug and poison his best friend in the capital?"
As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell all around.
Gao Wenyang's eyes instantly revealed fear, and the hairs on his body almost stood up.
He stared at Lin Jiangnian, and when he saw Lin Jiangnian's still harmless expression, he couldn't stop trembling all over.
He, how did he find out?!
Both the purple fragrant orchid and the tribute sent from the Western Regions are extremely secretive matters, and few people know about them.
He, the Prince of Lin, had just arrived in the capital. How did he find out all this?
Absolutely impossible!
"I, I don't know what you are talking about..."
"How could I have poisoned Brother Zhou to death? Zhou, Brother Zhou was clearly killed by you..."
"You, you want to put the blame on me?!"
Lin Jiangnian ignored him and sighed softly: "I'm giving Master Gao a chance. Do you really not want it?"
Without waiting for Gao Wenyang's reply, Lin Jiangnian glanced outside the courtyard again. "Where did Young Master Gao go just now? Let me guess... If I'm not mistaken, Young Master Gao should have gone to report to the Third Prince, right?"
Gao Wenyang's eyes were filled with horror, his hands and feet were cold, and he froze on the spot.
He, he already knew this?
"The poison was given to you by the Third Prince, right?"
Lin Jiang spoke in a young voice.
"I, I really don't know what you are talking about. This poison has nothing to do with me, nor with the Third Prince..."
After being shocked, Gao Wenyang quickly reacted and denied it.
"Mr. Gao's mouth seems to be really hard."
"You, don't even think about putting the blame on me."
After a brief moment of shock, Gao Wenyang gradually regained his composure and gritted his teeth, "You have no evidence, yet you defame the Third Prince and me. Do you know that defaming the Imperial Family is a capital crime?!"
"evidence?"
Lin Jiangnian looked at him like a fool: "When does this prince need evidence to act? Even if this prince slanders you, what can you do?"
Gao Wenyang stood there in a daze.
"Even if I kill you now... who would know? Since everyone thinks I killed Zhou Huiguang, what does it matter if there's another one like you? Don't you think so?"
As soon as these words came out, Gao Wenyang felt a chill in his heart, his whole body suddenly tensed up, and his eyes were filled with horror: "You, you dare to kill me?!"
"Why not?"
Lin Jiangnian glanced at Lin Qingqing next to him. Lin Qingqing immediately understood and drew the knife from her waist and handed it to Lin Jiangnian.
Lin Jiangnian held the knife and felt the weight of the strike. It was just right. The blade was shining. It was a good knife.
Gao Wenyang was so frightened when he saw the blade so close to him!
"You, don't do anything rash... If you kill me, my father won't let you go..."
Lin Jiangnian glanced at him sideways: "Your father won't let me go? Who is your father? A high-ranking official? Or a person with extensive connections? Or... very powerful? More powerful than my father?"
Gao Wenyang stood there in a daze, the fear in his eyes growing stronger.
More powerful than Prince Lin?
No matter how powerful his father is, how can he compare to Prince Lin?
There's no comparison!
Thinking of this, Gao Wenyang trembled all over, his face pale, and he almost subconsciously struggled to retreat: "You, don't mess around..."
A cold light appeared in front of him, and the long knife was close at hand. Gao Wenyang's eyes widened, he was terrified and trembling with fear.
"Master Gao, you don't really think you can get the benefits that the Third Prince promised you, do you?"
Lin Jiangnian's voice was cold, yet filled with meaning. "What benefit did the Third Prince promise you? Did he offer you a high position and generous salary, or did he promise your Gao family some kind of prosperity and success?"
The long knife was so close to him that Gao Wenyang was so frightened that his whole body stiffened and he didn't even dare to move.
"But don't worry, with this prince here, your Gao family won't get any benefits... No matter what he promises you, your Gao family will never have the slightest chance of getting it..."
Gao Wenyang, lying on the ground, trembled all over, and stared at Lin Jiangnian with red eyes. There seemed to be hatred and ferocity in his eyes.
"Don't you believe it?"
Lin Jiangnian still gave him a harmless smile.
Gao Wenyang said angrily: "My Gao family has no grudges against you, why are you targeting my Gao family so..."
"Zhou, Brother Zhou's death has nothing to do with me. I, I don't know what you are talking about..."
"You, why are you forcing me so hard and wrongly?!"
Gao Wenyang's voice was trembling and panic-stricken, with tears in his eyes. Anyone else would have been moved.
"It seems like you really won't cry until you see the coffin!"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head slightly, then suddenly changed his tone, "Master Gao, do you think that since Zhou Huiguang is dead and there's no evidence... as long as you hold on to your words, no one will be able to do anything to you?"
Gao Wenyang didn't say anything.
That's exactly what he thought in his heart.
Zhou Huiguang is already dead and there is no evidence to prove his wrongdoing.
Even if someone still suspected it, there would be absolutely no evidence. So what if they suspected it? So what if they knew the truth?
No evidence!
As long as he bites hard, there will be no mistakes.
"You are still a little too naive."
Lin Jiangnian suddenly smiled mysteriously at him: "Do you think it's really like that?"
For some reason, when Gao Wenyang met Lin Jiangnian's gaze, he suddenly felt an ominous premonition in his heart.
Just when he didn't know what to say, he suddenly heard a voice coming from the side.
"Gao Wenyang!"
Gao Wenyang trembled and suddenly raised his head in disbelief.
A figure appeared under the eaves not far away.
However, when Gao Wenyang saw the figure, he felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had fallen into a deep cellar. His entire body was completely stiff, and even his blood had almost solidified.
"Zhou, Zhou Huiguang?!"
"You, you're not dead?!"
The figure that appeared in Gao Wenyang's sight was clearly the resurrected 'Zhou Huiguang'. His face was pale, as if he had been dead for many days and resurrected. He stared at Gao Wenyang expressionlessly.
"No, you can't be Zhou Huiguang!"
After a brief moment of shock and panic, Gao Wenyang quickly reacted and shook his head in fear: "Zhou Huiguang has clearly died of poisoning. You are a fake... You are definitely not Zhou Huiguang!"
"Gao Wenyang, you really want me to die, right?"
Zhou Huiguang, who was standing under the eaves, stared at him expressionlessly, gritting his teeth. "I thought of you as my best brother, but I never thought you would plot against me and even want to kill me!"
The low voice, like a death-demanding voice, tore at Gao Wenyang's fragile mood.
"No, it's impossible... You, you're fake, you can't be Zhou Huiguang..."
Gao Wenyang stared at Zhou Huiguang in front of him, trying to find a flaw in him, but there was absolutely no flaw in his appearance or temperament.
It's clearly the real Zhou Huiguang!
He, how could he still be alive?
No, that's impossible!
"If that weren't the case, how could you have been fooled?"
Lin Jiangnian's voice suddenly came from the side: "You don't think there is no antidote for Zi Xianglan, do you?"
Gao Wenyang shuddered all over, and his whole body went cold when he heard the words "there is an antidote".
Under the eaves in front, Zhou Huiguang's deep voice rang out again: "I used to be on good terms with you, but you killed me... Gao Wenyang, you beast, you deserve to die!"
“I, I…”
Gao Wenyang was already terrified, and the scene before him was so shocking that his mind couldn't even process it. He retorted almost instinctively, "No, it's none of my business. I, I didn't mean to kill you..."
Gao Wenyang crawled back a few steps in fear, his whole body trembling. He stared at Zhou Huiguang in front of him with a pale face, his teeth chattering, and said in extreme fear: "I, I didn't know it was poison..."
"I, I really didn't mean to..."
“…”