Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!

Chapter 710 - 709: Traveling Day and Night

Over the past decade or so, Lan Country has been severely harmed by that damned impostor, causing great damage to its vitality, leaving everything beneficial to the people’s livelihood in utter chaos.

Therefore, in addition to establishing medical clinics, Lu Qing also reminded Chang Yu about the issue of food supplies.

It is said that food is the heaven for the people, and this saying is completely true.

Without silks and satins, coarse cloth and hemp clothing can still cover the body; even if there is a lack of medicine, at least people can rely on their resilience to get through.

However, without food, no one can survive.

At Lu Qing’s suggestion, Chang Yu issued a decree in the name of Prince Lan, ordering tax exemption for five years for farmers planting grain nationwide, encouraging them to diligently cultivate food after spring begins.

At the same time, Chang Yu arranged personnel to plant various medicinal herbs needed for traditional medicine on Prince Lan’s lands on a large scale to ensure both aspects are taken care of.

Thus, after over a month of busy work inside and out, although there couldn’t be any earth-shattering changes in Lan Country, signs of stabilization at least began to appear.

The lands that were originally taken away were returned entirely to the local people, and some who had fled and fled chose to return to their hometowns one after another.

Even after achieving modest results, Chang Yu did not dare to slacken, and, together with Lin Kun, urged daily training of Prince Lan Mansion’s personal soldiers and also planned to select strong young men from among the people to strengthen the severely weakened military once things stabilize further.

In this way, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu lingered in Lan Country for more than four months, from early winter all the way to early spring. During this time, Lu Qing received sporadic messages confirming that there were no changes elsewhere, only then feeling more at ease assisting Chang Yu in taking over Lan Country and clearing up the mess.

Lan Country has the most pleasant climate among these Fan Countries. By early spring, the chilling winds and rain gradually disappeared, and the sun emerged warmly, with all things competing to grow; Lan Country regained some vitality from its former gloom.

After shutting himself away for over three months, Mu Hong finally succeeded in creating an antidote whose scent indistinguishably mimicked the original poisonous fragrance, and began working tirelessly with Situ Jing’s subordinates to produce it—because according to the agreement in the letter between the impostor Prince Lan and Jin Country’s accomplice, they needed to ship a batch of poisonous fragrance to Jin Country next month.

To avoid arousing suspicion on the other side and to push the entire plan forward smoothly, this batch must not have any problems whatsoever, it must set off on time and in full, absolutely no delays.

During the antidote production, Mu Hong specially visited Lu Qing and Zhu Yu once.

"Sir, these are all the herbs necessary for configuring the poisonous fragrance." He hauled a pitch black box with difficulty to Lu Qing’s front, "While the villain who harmed my whole family is dead, and the new king seems to be a good person... but once bitten by a snake, ten years in fear of a rope...

I trust no one else, I can only leave these things to you!

These things cannot be kept, man’s greed swallows huge ambitions, even if the new king is a good person, there are so many subordinates under him, currently they are good, but in the future?

So it is better to hand them to you, later destroy them all, then there is no need to worry about them being coveted by bad people!"

Lu Qing understood his concerns. Back then, almost all members of the Mu family were forced to configure poisonous fragrance and died because of it. Mu Hong, who could have had a smooth and glorious life, was thrown into hardship and misery because of it; these fears were entirely normal.

Although if someone truly had bad intentions to commit such evil, even destroying the existing elements wouldn’t prevent them from finding other ways.

But Lu Qing didn’t voice these facts to stress Mu Hong; instead, he ordered the rune to carefully store that box and promised Mu Hong he would find a suitable time to destroy them all.

Only then did Mu Hong feel relieved.

On the day of departure to transport the poisonous fragrance to Jin Country, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu had prepared ahead of time, disguising with false skins to conceal their natural appearance, wearing identical clothing, blending into the transport team.

On the day of departure, Chang Yu particularly rose early to bid farewell.

After months of hard work, he had grown more stable, and after confirming the personnel he left behind were sufficient to manage things, Lu Qing allowed Situ Jing’s people to pack up and head to fortresses to reunite with their comrades, not lingering in the capital anymore.

Now even he and Zhu Yu were preparing to blend into the transport team to return to Jin Country, making Chang Yu feel somewhat empty.

Throughout these few months, he regarded Lu Qing as a benefactor, almost like a brother and teacher, trusting him greatly, and towards Zhu Yu, from initial curiosity to later understanding and greater admiration.

Now they were leaving, returning to such a perilous place, leaving him with indescribable feelings.

"Your progress these days is remarkable, with Lin Kun and Hong Liu’er loyally assisting by your side, you will surely become a wise ruler given time." Lu Qing noticed the complex emotion in his eyes and comforted him.

"But with your departure... I’m afraid the future road is dangerous..." Chang Yu furrowed his brows, his expression full of worry, "Yet... I don’t have the capability to assist you."

"Regardless of danger, it’s a road that must be traveled, there’s no reason not to take it." Lu Qing smiled, "If even we are afraid of death, then the common folk would only become fish and meat.

Continue governing Lan Country well, stabilize this realm, protect the fortresses, and help me firmly guard the Fan Country’s borders; that would assist me greatly."

Chang Yu nodded repeatedly, reluctantly sending them off with his gaze.

This journey progressed rapidly, with numerous spices transported, rendering it inconvenient to lodge, thus resting predominantly outdoors. By the time the group neared the capital, everyone appeared windswept and exhausted.

However, the good news is that now, after hurrying relentlessly, they were merely three days away from the capital, making the time now more than ample.

Thus, that night, they decided, once darkness fell, to rest in the woods not far from the official road, organize their gear, and resume their journey the next day.

Zhu Yu had maintained a masculine disguise throughout, riding the road on horseback like everyone else.

Initially she found riding considerably easier than walking, for it didn’t cause ten blisters on ten toes.

Her feet indeed hadn’t suffered. The hardship shifted elsewhere.

Initially, the rough paths merely made the horse’s gallop sore her bottom; later, as days passed, and the hurried pace increased, she suffered more than just that.

Her legs felt almost numb from the riding, now off the horse, resting under a tree, she felt her inner thighs burning painfully from chafing.