Free Web NovelChapter 101: Chapter 101
Chapter 101
"In that case... why don’t you try bringing it out to prove it yourself? Whether it is poison or medicine, such a simple matter... if I could think of it, surely you could too." Yueqian gave him a beautiful smile.
Upon hearing the beautiful woman’s words, the Young General’s face immediately turned grim. He could sense the challenge in her words and the underlying implication that she knew all along that this would happen. Consequently, his position shifted from hunter to prey. This feeling made the general even more furious and determined to win.
All his life, he felt as if he was always being looked down upon. No matter the situation, Yueqian always deceived him, luring him into traps. She saw him as prey and consistently used her plans against him.
Who would have thought that his well-laid plan would end up like this? It turned out she had known all along and had planned to get back at him. She stated the fact to oppose him in front of many people, making his scheme look like child’s play!
As the two of them locked eyes, the atmosphere around them changed completely. Even Mu Tian, who wanted to say something, didn’t dare speak. The gazes between Qin Yueqian and the Young General were extremely terrifying. Although Yueqian wore a smile, it was a one that was too terrifying. As for the Young General, who had been smiling moments ago, he was now emanating a murderous aura.
"Eldest Young Miss Qin seems very confident. Perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding. In that case, bring the head of food supply unit who detained this villager and the cooking pot with the remaining powder.”
The Third Prince was no fool. Seeing the atmosphere, he immediately knew that his Young General had made a mistake.
He was surprised that a foolish, loud woman like the Eldest Young Miss Qin could outwit a promising Young General with such tricks. However, this surprise was less important than stepping in to assist the Young General, who might become a great general beside him in battle.
"Yes, Your Highness," the nearby soldier said.
The Young General remained silent, still staring at the small face that pretended to look elsewhere.
Soon, the people from the food supply unit who witnessed the incident walked in, glaring at Mu Tian with vengeful looks. The pot containing the powdered medicine dissolved in water was also brought in, it was great evidence. Fortunately, the water in the pot was just lightly seasoned and hadn’t had any meat added yet, or else, it would be giving off a foul smell by this time.
"Have someone inspect it," the Third Prince ordered, waving his hand. Soldiers then called for experts in examining poisons, which turned out to be skilled apothecaries.
Three apothecaries from the city were invited. They all had the same answer: in this pot... there was no poison in it.
"Not only is there no poison, but there’s also the scent of charcoal and medicine for the stomach”
"Mmm, the smell of charcoal is very strong. I’m not sure why it was added, but it doesn’t seem to be dangerous. It’s definitely not poison and can’t cause diarrhea or vomiting."
"In some texts I’ve read, there’s mention of a local physician who said that well-cleaned charcoal powder can reduce symptom of severe diarrhea.”
With the apothecaries’ opinions in agreement, the Young General let out a short laugh.
"Ha, good," he said before turning his gaze to the head of the food supply unit who was unaware of what was happening. His eyes looked as if he was staring at a dead man.
"Eldest Young Miss Qin was trying to help, but you ignored her and even punished her people. Do you know what you did wrong?!!" The Young General said sternly.
The head of the food supply unit, did not know about the scheme, was utterly confused about how things had turned out like this. That packet of poison was real for sure, he and his people had smelled it. They could identify whether it was a good or bad thing. And what was that charcoal scent? He had no recollection of ever smelling such a thing.
Besides, if it were charcoal that really came from the burning of wood, why wasn’t it black?! This was something the food supply unit head wanted to argue, but it would be like contradicting the words of the three apothecaries. Were they supposed to claim that the three apothecaries were also in league with the bandits?
"Th-The General, we..."
"To prevent any negligence and ensure no one is wrongfully accused again, punish him severely according to military law." Once the master finished his word, the head of the food supply unit widened his eyes in shock.
Even though he was willing to die on the battlefield, this situation was not his doing! This thing that happened was unfair. How could he willingly accept it?
"General, please have mercy. There must be more to this story. In truth, it was the young misses from the capital who mentioned this suspicious woman coming in and putting poison in the soldiers’ food. I... I was only following their advice. After secretly observing her and confirming her suspicious behavior as the young misses described, I detained her for interrogation. W... We never had any such intention from the start," the head of food supply unit said earnestly.
He wasn’t the one who initially suspected this villager. The whole issue began with those ladies who were young misses from the capital who told him about it. When combined with the moment Mu Tian sprinkled something in the food, there was no way to believe she had good intentions.
Who would have thought that the so-called poison powder would suddenly turn out to be a remedy from Eldest Young Miss Qin!
"It doesn’t matter who gave the information. The fact that you trusted them without thinking means you deserve severe punishment," the Young General insisted, not even glancing at his own food supply unit head.
"Or do you intend to defy my orders as your general?"
Every word he spoke, his eyes were fixed solely on Yueqian. He acted as if the punishment of the food supply unit head was entirely her fault. Thus, he punished these people for her to see.
If it were any other woman, she might feel guilty about what she had done. At least, she must feel bad causing someone’s punishment when that person wasn’t truly at fault. But not Yueqian. She turned back to look at the Young General after having turned her gaze elsewhere...
After all, who could stand his disgusting glare?! Even though she wanted to see the one falling into his own trap felt upset, Yueqian couldn’t bear to look her ex-fiancé in the eye.
She despised him for never feeling any remorse. Even now, he was imposing harsh punishment on his own man who wasn’t to blame without any sign of hesitation. She couldn’t understand why in the novel, so many people admired him to the point of being willing to die for him. But... with his nature of being a selfish man, valuing his own pride over human life, Yueqian saw nothing worthy of respect in him.
The food supply head was indeed at fault, but the severe punishment of the military would leave him worse than dead. Although he wouldn’t die, he wouldn’t be able to live a normal life again. He would be left crippled from the punishment, which made the food supply head unwilling to accept it.
With a villainess’ smile, Yueqian, unfazed by the situation before her, raised her white, delicate hand to brush away a lock of hair fluttering in the wind. Her graceful demeanor, so out of place in this life-and-death scenario, made people view her even more as a malevolent evil.
"As for the punishment, I agree. However, didn’t the unit head just mention a ’mastermind’ behind this? And it’s a woman from the capital! Oh, could it be the same woman you slept with this morning?" Yueqian wasn’t going to let them end this matter by blaming the innocent unit head.
If everything was going to fall apart, she’d rather destroy everything in her own villainess way...
Well, the Young General was trying to threaten her by punishing one of his own soldiers, but she didn’t care. Whoever lived or died was none of her concerns. More importantly, she would drag more of his people down. This was just karma for those who started this mess.
Since the young misses from the capital didn’t dare take responsibility from the beginning and intended for others to die in their place, it would be great to let them face the same fate.
"Unbelievable." Just her first word, the nobles’ hairs stood on end.
"Initially, we thought the young misses from the capital set up the soup kitchen and spent so much money out of pity for the poor villagers. We believed they weren’t heartless and classist. Who would have thought that in the end, they would easily believe the villagers were in league with bandits?"
"Ha! Doing this, don’t they realize that we villagers, who did not have enough to eat but still work hard to survive, have our own dignity? Or is it that you all never considered us good in the first place?"
Yueqian feigned covering her mouth in sadness, but it was clearly an act, which annoyed many. This was her talent: provoking people into thinking she was foolish yet leaving them frustrated when they couldn’t do anything with this foolish woman.
If anyone else had tried to play the role of sympathizing with the villagers, would they have smirked secretly like this?! frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
It was easy for people to see that she was putting on a show, but since her reputation had never been good from the start, and she had never been able to hide her jealousy since her childhood, people had grown used to it.
Of course, Yueqian wasn’t finished. Having successfully provoked even more anger, she continued.
"Above all else, what’s even more unbelievable is that the brave soldiers actually believed them," fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"You know full well that many villagers have died, and we can’t even forage for food in the forest. If we villagers were truly bandits, do you think we would still need the soldiers’ help? In that case, we wouldn’t trouble ourselves by sending a petition to you at all."
"Can’t you even... think of something as simple as this?" The beautiful woman raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile tugging at her lips. She cast a glance at her former fiancé along with a mocking smile, her eyes seemed as if they were really looking at a fool.
"Ah, no, wait. Or do you all understand that the villagers couldn’t have done this and... are just covering something up?" The beauty tilted her head from side to side, her fake demeanor infuriating everyone. Even her voice was high-pitched, sounding ugly."How dare you! These soldiers risk their lives to help the villagers. What could they possibly be covering up?" The Fifth Prince, unable to endure her insincerity tone any longer, so his voice was full of threat.
