NCCnovel Chapter 261 Poisoning
Chapter 261 Poisoning
"Cough cough cough... Lord Lin, I have been ill for quite some time and there has been no improvement." Chen Shuo gasped with difficulty, his voice as weak as a candle in the wind.
Lin Yu's brows twisted into the shape of the word "chuan", and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes: "Master Chen, you must take care of your body! To be honest, I came here this time to discuss something important."
Chen Shuo forced himself to sit up, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes: "Master Lin, is there any news from the Crown Prince?"
Lin Yu nodded slightly, his expression solemn: "That's right, the prince and the prisoners have arrived outside the city, but Longmen City is now controlled by the He family. If we rashly enter the city, I'm afraid it will alarm the He family and cause us trouble. So, I came to ask Master Chen for advice. I wonder if there is any good plan to help the prince and the others get out of the city and into the sea smoothly?"
Ever since Chen Shuo heard the news that the Chu family was exiled to Donghai Island, he had been secretly calculating in his mind for countless days and nights.
Chen Shuo forced himself to stand up from the bed despite his illness. His movements were slow and difficult, and every move seemed to exhaust all his strength.
Seeing this, Lin Yu immediately stepped forward quickly, picked up a pillow gently, and carefully placed it behind Chen Shuo, saying with concern: "Master Chen, please slow down and don't get tired."
Chen Shuo nodded slightly in thanks, then cleared his throat and said in a slightly hoarse but firm voice, "The He family has been incredibly busy lately due to the pirate raid on Donghai Island. They're intent on sending troops to Donghai Island in an attempt to seize territory during the chaos. You've arrived at the perfect time. In my opinion, there's no need to enter the city to avoid complications."
"After I stamp the customs clearance documents, take my token and immediately go to Longmen Wharf to find Chen Guangyan. He is my trusted confidant and a reliable person. He will definitely take you on a boat directly to Donghai Island."
As Chen Shuo spoke, he gently gestured the route with his fingers on the small table beside the bed, as if a detailed map was spread out in front of him.
This carefully planned route was the result of countless days and nights of his hard work, just to get the Chu family out safely under the close surveillance of the He family.
After all, the He family has absolute power in the local area. As the local tyrants, it would be easy for them to make things difficult for a fugitive. Even if they want to kill the person silently, no one would dare to stand up and say a word.
Lin Yu listened quietly, his eyes full of gratitude and admiration, and said sincerely: "Master Chen, you have considered it so carefully, it is really hard! The prince will definitely repay your kindness."
At this moment, a big stone in Lin Yu's heart finally fell to the ground.
Originally, he was still worried about the many troubles of entering the city. Not to mention the ridiculously high cost of entering and leaving the city, which the convicts were simply unable to afford, the subsequent large ferry fees alone were enough to make them stretched to the limit.
Now with Chen Shuo's arrangements, things are clearly going well.
However, when Lin Yu was about to say goodbye, he suddenly remembered that the customs clearance documents were still in the hands of Chifeng, so it seemed that his departure had to be put on hold for the time being.
Lin Yu was feeling depressed, and on the way out of the government office, he kept thinking about countermeasures in his mind.
As he walked, he suddenly had an idea and thought of Mr. Li.
Mr. Li is a skilled doctor and is known as a "miracle doctor" in the world. If he can treat Chen Shuo, perhaps Chen Shuo's condition will improve.
So, Lin Yu turned back without hesitation and immediately invited Mr. Li to Chen Shuo's residence.
As soon as Mr. Li entered the room, he walked straight to Chen Shuo's bedside, stretched out his hand, gently placed it on Chen Shuo's wrist, and began to take his pulse carefully.
For a moment, the room was so quiet that the only sound was the crackling of the burning candle.
After a moment, Mr. Li's originally kind expression suddenly became solemn, and his brows were tightly furrowed.
He spoke slowly, his voice low and serious: "This Lord Chen has been poisoned."
"Poisoned?" Chen Shuo and Lin Yu asked in surprise at the same time, their eyes full of shock and disbelief.
Chen Shuo's face turned pale in an instant. He couldn't understand why the He family still refused to let him go when he had been so cautious and obedient to the He family since he took office and never dared to disobey them.
Old Master Li nodded, his expression becoming increasingly serious. "Indeed, it's an extremely rare, chronic poison. Fortunately, we arrived in time. If we had been half a month later, Master Chen's life would have been in danger."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a bombshell, causing an uproar in the house.
Chen Shuo and Lin Yu looked at each other, and a trace of fear and anxiety flashed in their eyes.
A terrible thought arose in their minds at the same time: Has Chen Shuo's identity been exposed?
Otherwise, why did the time when he was dying coincide so perfectly with the time when the exile team arrived here?
If they had not arrived at Longmen City ahead of time, Chen Shuo's carefully placed chess piece would have been completely scrapped.
Thinking of this, the two felt a chill running up their spines from the soles of their feet, as if countless pairs of eyes were hidden in the darkness, staring at them closely...
"In my opinion, this is most likely the work of the He family." Lin Yu frowned, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and he expressed his guess in his heart.
Chen Shuo lay in bed, his expression solemn. He responded without hesitation, "Looking across the entire Longmen City, the only family with such means and courage is the He family! They are so powerful, and who knows how many shameful things they are hiding in the dark."
Lin Yu's worries surged like a tide. If it was really the He family who poisoned him, the deep meaning behind it would be terrifying.
Does this mean that the He family has already formed an alliance with that figure in the palace? If so, the He family is now busy seizing Donghai Island, and their target is likely Prince Chu.
When he thought of this, Lin Yu broke out in a cold sweat on his back. Fortunately, they had made arrangements in advance, and Prince Chu's people had already established a firm foothold on Donghai Island. Even if the He family intervened forcefully, it would not be easy to completely control the situation.
At this time, Murong Ling'er on the roof heard everything clearly.
She thought to herself that if the He family was really colluding with forces in the palace, then things would be far more complicated than she had imagined. After a little thought, she decided to return to He Weifeng's study immediately, as there might be key clues there that could unravel this mystery.
The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on the roof of the He Mansion. Murong Ling'er's figure was as light as a ghost, shuttling between the roof ridges. Soon, she arrived above the study.
At this time, He Weifeng had already left the study and returned to the main courtyard to rest, but the entire study was heavily guarded. Teams of patrolling guards walked back and forth like a revolving lantern, and the weapons in their hands flashed coldly in the moonlight.
Murong Ling'er lay on the roof, quietly observing the guards below.
She discovered that the patrol routes of these guards seemed complicated, but in fact there was a pattern to follow. She found the right moment and took advantage of the gap between the two teams of guards to quietly fall to the window of the study like a fallen leaf.
Murong Ling'er took out a thin wire from her bosom and gently inserted it into the window lock hole.
She was skilled, with her eyes slightly closed, concentrating on feeling the subtle changes in the lock core. After a while, there was a light "click" sound, and the window opened silently.