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

Chapter 2222 Confrontation

Ma Liyu took out the antidote from his pocket, pried open Shopkeeper Zhou's mouth, and fed him the antidote.

The antidote melted instantly upon entering his mouth. Before long, Manager Zhou's brows furrowed slightly, a soft groan escaped his throat, and he slowly opened his eyes.

When he first opened his eyes, Manager Zhou was still a little dazed. The figures in front of him were blurry, and he felt a splitting headache and his whole body was sore and weak.

He instinctively tried to move his hands and feet, but found that he was firmly bound and unable to move.

At this moment, he was mostly sober, thinking that a thief had broken into the house. He was both shocked and angry, and was about to scold him when he looked up and saw his surroundings. He was stunned.

This was an unfamiliar room, elegantly furnished, with a faint sandalwood scent in the air, quite different from his fresh produce shop.

The ropes binding him were so tight that he couldn't move, and a strong sense of unease welled up inside him.

"Who are you? How dare you kidnap me!" Manager Zhou's voice trembled slightly as he frantically scanned the people in the room.

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze suddenly fell on Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe, who were standing not far away. The panic on his face froze instantly, and his voice stopped abruptly.

Huo Changhe looked at him and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "You recognized me?"

Shopkeeper Zhou looked terrified. He struggled to get up, but was tightly bound by ropes. He could only manage a smile that looked worse than crying: "Your...Your Highness, Your Highness's Consort, this humble subject greets you."

"What are your orders for bringing me here so late at night? I will certainly obey."

Yan Ruyu took a sip of warm tea and said casually, "Manager Zhou, let's not beat around the bush. Do you think we would invite you to the Prince's Mansion in the middle of the night if it weren't for something important?"

Shopkeeper Zhou's smile froze for a moment, his eyes flickered, but he quickly regained his composure.

He feigned ignorance and said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, I truly do not know where I have offended you. Please explain."

"I have run a fresh produce shop in Youcheng for many years, always keeping to myself and being law-abiding. I have been deeply indebted to the Prince and Princess. If I could serve the Prince's household, I would gladly do so."

Upon hearing this, Huo Changhe smiled calmly, but the smile did not reach his eyes, and it carried a hint of mockery: "You'd better not serve me. Neither I nor the people of Youcheng are worthy of such service."

Shopkeeper Zhou's forehead was covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, and he said with a blank expression, "What do you mean by that, Your Highness? I am truly terrified and beg Your Highness to enlighten me."

Yan Ruyu put down her teacup and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, making a crisp sound.

She raised her hand, and Ma Liyu immediately understood, placing the various kinds of mushrooms she had brought from the fresh produce shop on the ground in front of Manager Zhou.

Shopkeeper Zhou's gaze fell on the mushrooms, his face filled with doubt: "This...this is something from my humble shop?"

Yan Ruyu chuckled lightly, her tone playful: "You're asking me, Princess Consort? Don't you recognize the things sold in your own shop?"

"Please forgive me, Your Highness," Shopkeeper Zhou quickly lowered his head and said with a helpless expression, "My shop has just too many fresh goods. There are dozens of kinds of mushrooms alone, each with a different shape. I really can't remember them all."

These mushrooms look familiar, but I'm not sure if they came from that scoundrel's shop.

Yan Ruyu looked at him quietly, her eyes calm and undisturbed, yet she seemed to see through all his pretenses.

From these few words, she could tell that Manager Zhou was a complete sly one who would only shirk responsibility and make excuses when faced with problems. It wouldn't be so easy to get the truth out of him.

Huo Changhe looked at Manager Zhou's feigned innocence, his eyes growing colder, and his tone turned somber: "Manager Zhou, even now, you still want to argue?"

The staff at the clinic have all confessed; you ordered them to poison him. These ten taels of silver engraved with your surname are the best evidence.

As he spoke, he threw the silver ingot onto the ground in front of Manager Zhou.

The silver coin fell onto the bluestone floor with a crisp "clang," which sounded particularly jarring in the quiet room.

When Manager Zhou saw the silver ingot, he was immediately shocked.

"Your Highness! How...how did this silver end up with you?"

His voice was deliberately raised with urgency, as if he had encountered an immense surprise: "My shop was robbed a few days ago, and I lost some silver. I never expected that Your Highness would find it!"

Huo Changhe's eyes grew even colder as he looked at Zhou's blatant lies: "Oh? Manager Zhou is saying that this silver is yours, and that it was stolen?"

"Exactly, exactly!" Manager Zhou nodded hurriedly, his head bobbing like a pestle, his face showing a grateful expression. "My silver coins are all engraved with my surname, it's this 'Zhou' character, there's no mistake!"

I never imagined that the person who stole the silver was someone from my own shop. They must be blind!

Thanks to Your Highness's keen insight, you caught the thief and recovered my silver. I am truly grateful!

Yan Ruyu toyed with her teacup, listening to his distorted words, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Seeing that he refused to admit it and even tried to confuse the issue, Huo Changhe's impatience deepened, and he raised his hand to order his servants to torture him.

"Your Highness, please don't be hasty," Yan Ruyu said gently, putting down her teacup and clapping her hands.

Sun Qing, who was outside the door, immediately responded and entered, followed by the captured employee.

The waiter's face was still red and swollen. He was pushed in by Sun Qing. When he saw Manager Zhou tied to the ground, his eyes instantly turned red.

"It was you! Manager Zhou! You were the one who ordered me to treat the poisoned patient!"

The shop assistant broke free from Sun Qing's grasp and lunged at Manager Zhou: "You still dare to accuse me of stealing your money? That was clearly the payment you gave me!"

Manager Zhou's face darkened, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He angrily shouted at the shop assistant, "You lazy, slacking wretch! Don't you dare spout nonsense here!"

He stiffened his neck, looking righteous and indignant, "You're always lazy and clumsy in the shop."

I merely reprimanded you a few times, telling you I'd fire you if you continued like this, and you held a grudge, not only stealing my money but also daring to slander me here!

"I didn't!" The shop assistant trembled with anger, his chest heaving violently, and pointed at Manager Zhou's nose, cursing, "You're talking nonsense!"

"You were the one who asked me to poison them, saying it was just to cause them some trouble. Now that something's happened, you're trying to pin all the blame on me!"

"Where's the evidence?" Manager Zhou sneered, his eyes filled with contempt. "You say I instructed you, what evidence do you have?"

You stole this silver, and now it's become your proof?

I think you're trying to drag me down with you so you can lessen your own guilt!

He changed the subject and his tone became somber: "Back then, when you were homeless and couldn't even afford a meal, who took pity on you and took you in to work in the shop, paying you wages to make a living?"

Who called a doctor and got medicine for you when you were sick?

"You've committed such a heinous act and now you want to slander your benefactor! You're truly an ungrateful wretch!"