Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!

Chapter 561 - 560: Great Fortune to Come After Hardships

After Liu Yueyao left with the others, the five people remaining in the small courtyard felt much more at ease.

The talismans were quite familiar with Lu Chao as well. Ever since they started following Lu Qing, especially during the days at Shanqing Temple, the brotherhood between their master and Lu Chao was crystal clear to them.

Lu Chao never acted superior in front of them, and it was no different now. Seeing that there were no outsiders present, knowing the two brothers never wished to act presumptuously, he called them over to get the dishes and divide every dish on the table in half, placing some on another table to eat, including the fruits.

But they wouldn’t touch the wine at all.

Lu Chao understood their concerns without needing explanation. In the past, "accidents" never lacked around Lu Qing. These incidents continued until he grew up, gained strength, and the talismans became increasingly formidable, leading to an improvement.

It’s not that no one plotted against Lu Qing anymore; rather, it was simply much harder for any plot to succeed.

Thus, over the years, the talismans always retained a sense of vigilance, afraid of any mishaps.

"It proves that you are good at judging people," Lu Chao admired the two brothers as they carried the food to another table, voicing praise to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing glanced at him, then at Zhu Yu beside him, and laughed: "Indeed, I may not have other obvious merits, but I have a good vision, I judge people accurately.

But you, looking at this table of fine wine and food, you even think it’s me who arranged it.

It seems Mr. Mo’s eyesight has been a bit off lately."

While speaking, he glanced several times in the direction where Liu Yueyao had left.

Lu Chao glared at him, picked up the pomegranate juice, and poured some into the nightlight cups before them: "I’ve come to visit intentionally today, you better appreciate it, don’t tease me, because it might be challenging to find another chance to sit together like this for a drink."

Lu Qing smiled, not teasing him further with words.

"How’s your recovery?" Lu Chao asked.

"With Zhu Yu here, naturally I’ve healed," Lu Qing replied, "otherwise I couldn’t sit here drinking with you today."

"Do you remember our time at Shanqing Temple?" Lu Chao wasn’t surprised, following Lu Qing’s words, he suddenly brought up old matters, "I went to Shanqing Temple for recuperation and blessings. It rained without pause back then, and I was already unwell, feeling particularly down, missing my mother, unable to sleep at night.

You heard, then sneaked back with a small urn of murky wine, intending to have me drown my sorrows."

"Remember, how could I forget." Lu Qing didn’t expect Lu Chao to mention this, he laughed promptly, "We were both young lads then, unable to handle liquor, yet we were ignorant of this fact.

The wine was brewed by farmers downhill, not strong to the taste, but the aftereffects were substantial. We both drank from just that small urn and got drunk.

Next day we were discovered by the master, since he couldn’t punish you, he gave me quite a beating instead."

Lu Chao laughed too: "That time your master was indeed quite angry, because the medicine he gave me included an ingredient that greatly forbids drinking alcohol, and our sneaky drinking ruined the effect of several days of medicine.

Thinking about it now, it was lucky that the ruined medicine effect required a fresh start, otherwise I would’ve left a month earlier at least, and might have encountered trouble."

Lu Qing sighed softly, nodding, then seeing Zhu Yu with a slightly puzzled expression while listening to their conversation, explained proactively: "Lu Chao’s stay at Shanqing Temple extended nearly three months longer than expected.

During this period... There was a young prince in the palace, initially adored by the Holy Emperor, but suddenly caught a strange disease and soon passed away."

"Then why do you think if Lu Chao returned early, he might have been the one?" Zhu Yu asked curiously.

"Because that young Prince got sick after eating rare fruits contributed by a vassal state," Lu Chao answered Zhu Yu’s doubts, "Originally my father wanted to save some for me, but I didn’t return after waiting for a long time, so he decided not to keep them and rewarded them to the concubines in various palaces.

Though the Pharmacy Bureau never claimed the prince’s death was related to the rewarded fruits, such rumors among people persisted."

"Which state contributed the fruits? Did anyone else get sick after eating them?" Zhu Yu asked curiously.

"The fruits were contributed by Lan Country, distributed throughout the palace immediately, and neither concubines nor the palace attendants showed any abnormalities after consumption."

Zhu Yu nodded.

She hadn’t seen such things but heard enough not to find it fresh anymore.

No matter what the ultimate cause of the young prince’s death was, whether the Imperial Attendant of the Pharmacy Bureau knew or not, it was something that must remain unsolved.

If the cause was indeed because Emperor Jin reserved the fruits for Lu Chao, and kept them too long causing them to become slightly rotten hence poisonous, naturally, no one could say it aloud, as it would mean accusing Emperor Jin directly of being the instigator of the prince’s demise.

The reason the Imperial Attendant was able to become the head of the Pharmacy Bureau might not solely be because of his unparalleled medical skills, but definitely because among all the brilliant medical practitioners he was the most savvy and sensible, otherwise, no matter how many heads he had, it wouldn’t suffice.

If the prince’s death wasn’t due to any inherent toxicity of the fruits, but someone’s deliberate plot...

Then the Imperial Attendant would be even less likely to make arbitrary assertions and publicize the outcome.

After all, the rewards given by Emperor Jin to Lu Chao wouldn’t be stored in ordinary places; if someone managed to act upon them, they wouldn’t be ordinary individuals either.

Being in the inner palace, this matter would become Emperor Jin’s family scandal.

If Emperor Jin desired thorough investigation, he could entrust it to outsiders rather than casually asking the Imperial Attendant to check.

The Imperial Attendant might have realized this point, thus wisely remained silent.

And had Lu Chao not ruined his medication’s effectiveness due to prior drinking, he would’ve returned to the palace early, and naturally would’ve been the one to consume those fruits...

Zhu Yu looked at Lu Qing, then at Lu Chao, thinking they indeed were a pair of brothers through hardship, surviving till now indeed proved their immense luck.

"I toast you two," Zhu Yu raised her nightlight cup, "To your survival against the odds, to future blessings!"