Chapter 144: Who Exactly Is He?

The person who sold him the little yellow flowers had clearly promised that no one knew about them!

He had been deceived!

"Bao Mingzhi, you were blinded by greed and harmed the health of so many townspeople. Do you realize your crimes?" the Prefect demanded sternly.

Bao Mingzhi knelt on the ground, trembling and unable to utter a word.

"Very well. Since you have nothing to say, it means you admit your guilt. Guards! Take him into custody, secure him tightly, and we shall decide his fate on an appointed day!"

Two bailiffs immediately stepped forward and dragged the half-dead Bao Mingzhi away.

"Prefect, what kind of sentence will he face?" Lin Sangqian asked.

"Execution," the Prefect replied. "At the very least, he will be banished to the bitter, frozen lands, never to return."

Lin Sangqian nodded.

This would be a just retribution for the townspeople who had suffered so terribly from the illness recently.

The day she had learned about the existence of the little yellow flowers, she had immediately gone to find Guan Yanqing. After all, he was a powerful benefactor—it would be a waste not to lean on him. She figured that since Guan Yanqing came from the capital and was well-traveled, he might know what those little yellow flowers actually were.

Guan Yanqing did not disappoint her. He immediately sent a messenger to the capital, riding at full speed, to fetch Imperial Physician Sun. The crate of yellow flowers confiscated earlier had also been seized from Wanhua Restaurant under his orders. If it hadn't been for Guan Yanqing, this matter would likely not have been resolved so easily.

Lin Sangqian was now even more curious about Guan Yanqing’s identity. He could summon the head of the Imperial Medical Academy with such ease, and the Prefect treated him with such profound respect. Who exactly was he?

"What are you looking at?"

Lin Sangqian was deep in thought when she suddenly heard Guan Yanqing’s voice. She snapped back to reality and smiled. "I was just thinking that since Young Master Guan has done me such a great favor, I really should find a way to thank you."

Guan Yanqing also smiled. "There is no need for thanks. If you truly feel embarrassed, then just invite me for a meal."

"Certainly, that is no problem at all," Lin Sangqian said. "It happens to be the Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow. I hope you will grace us with your presence. I will prepare a sumptuous lunch."

After a moment's thought, she added, "And dinner."

"Very well," Guan Yanqing agreed. "It’s a deal."

"It’s a deal."

Guan Yanqing had other matters to attend to; he exchanged a few words with Imperial Physician Sun and took his leave. Lin Sangqian was about to go as well when the Prefect suddenly approached her, wearing a beaming smile.

Startled, Lin Sangqian asked, "Prefect, is there something else?"

"Young lady, I don't believe I know how to address you?" the Prefect asked.

"...My name is Lin Sangqian." (Please, sir, don't be so polite; you're scaring me.)

"Ah, Miss Lin, my apologies for the oversight," the Prefect said with a chuckle. "You must be a friend of Young Master Guan’s."

Lin Sangqian pondered for a moment before saying, "I suppose you could say that."

"Hahahaha, excellent, excellent."

To the Prefect, while he was a fair and upright man, making connections with high-ranking nobility was never a bad thing. If he could truly establish a relationship with Guan Yanqing, he would no longer have to worry about the interference of powerful officials or wealthy families when dealing with their delinquent children. Since Lin Sangqian lived in a town under the jurisdiction of Pingci Prefecture, he could look after her, which would surely leave a favorable impression on Guan Yanqing.

The Prefect felt quite pleased with this line of reasoning.

Lin Sangqian was, of course, unaware of the Prefect's inner calculations. Noticing Imperial Physician Sun sighing nearby, she asked, "Physician Sun, are you worried about the townspeople’s health?"

"Indeed," the physician replied with a furrowed brow. "This 'Phantom Leaf' poison has no known antidote. While it may not be fatal, if the toxins remain in the people's systems, I fear they will suffer for the rest of their lives."

"Rest assured, I have an effective medicine," Lin Sangqian said with a smile. "I will distribute it to the townspeople for free."

After all, the anti-inflammatory medication in her system’s storage space was inexhaustible.

"Truly?" Imperial Physician Sun looked at her in disbelief. "Several of us imperial physicians have studied it, but the toxicity is far too cunning. We could only develop medicines to alleviate the symptoms, not cure the root cause. Do you really have an antidote?"

"She does," Qin Zhengde chimed in. "I was suffering terribly from the illness, but after taking the medicine Miss Lin gave me, I improved significantly. You can see that I am well enough to testify in court today."

"That is wonderful!" the physician said excitedly. "Miss Lin, would you mind showing me the medicine?"

Lin Sangqian reached into her pocket, pretending to retrieve it from there, but in reality, she pulled a small anti-inflammatory capsule from her system space and handed it to him.

Imperial Physician Sun had never seen such an oddly shaped little capsule. He turned it over in his hand, examining it with a look of wonder.

"This medicine is quite strange," he remarked. "May I take it back for further study?"

"Of course," Lin Sangqian replied.

Given that it concerned the lives and health of the townspeople, it was only right for the physician to be cautious. In truth, Chinese medicine was profound and vast, and generally, Lin Sangqian preferred not to use modern medicine from her system space so openly. However, the nature of the little yellow flowers was so bizarre, and since the anti-inflammatory medication happened to neutralize the toxins, she had no choice but to use it to treat the people.

...

After leaving the magistrate's office, Lin Sangqian headed to Fuman Restaurant. Although Bao Mingzhi had brought this upon himself, the battle between Fuman and Wanhua had ultimately been won by Lu Chengren.

However, Lu Chengren did not seem very happy. He shook his head and sighed, "Though Bao Mingzhi has no chance of a comeback now, the townspeople have suffered greatly because of him. I would rather have done without such a victory."

Lin Sangqian was moved. In business, Bao Mingzhi and Lu Chengren were evenly matched, but in character, Lu Chengren was far superior.

"Manager Lu, don't worry. I have medicine that can cure the townspeople. Physician Sun has already taken some back to study," Lin Sangqian assured him. "I believe that within a few days, the medicine can be distributed throughout the town."

"Really?" Lu Chengren’s eyes lit up, and he let out a sigh of relief.

He then added excitedly, "Bao Mingzhi truly got what he deserved! Since his Wanhua Restaurant can no longer operate, I intend to buy the property across the street!"

With his competitor gone, his business would surely boom.

"Then I must congratulate you, Manager Lu."

...

The next day was the Dragon Boat Festival.

The Lin family was bustling with festive activity from early morning. Lin Yanbei had returned from school, and Lin Sangqian had asked him to invite Master Ge to celebrate with them. Lin Wenyen was busy cleaning fish while Lin Sangqian prepared crayfish. Suddenly, Lin Wenyen seemed to recall something and asked, "Little sister, have you noticed that we haven't seen Lin Xiong for a few days?"