Chapter 18
These Herbs Are Harmless
Jinhua swallowed hard, her throat feeling tight.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just an ordinary country girl—how could I possibly recognize the herbs you mentioned? To us farmers, these are clearly just weeds. Nowadays, no matter how diligent you are, whose yard doesn’t have some weeds? Besides, Miss, why are you asking me this? Are you saying that if weeds grow in our yard, it’s a crime?”
Chun Yushuang shook his head.
“Of course not. The Ministry of Justice handles criminal cases across the realm. It’s fair and impartial. No one would judge someone guilty just because there are weeds in their home.”
“In that case…”
Before Jinhua could catch her breath, she heard Chun Yushuang’s voice quietly continue.
“But I don’t believe I said that this herb was dug from your yard, did I? Aren’t we in Miss Yunniang’s home right now? Why do you think the herbs in my hand are yours? Could it be that you have these herbs growing in your home too?”
Jinhua’s face paled slightly, but she still refused to admit it.
“Of course it’s because you asked me. If you had asked someone else, they would think the same about their own things. Otherwise, why didn’t you ask anyone else and came straight to me?”
“Exactly.”
Chun Yushuang clapped his hands lightly, secretly admiring Miss Jinhua. Although she seemed a bit dull at first glance, she was genuinely wise beyond her appearance. While being the concubine of someone like Yu Lang might not reflect well socially, her courage and composure were truly exceptional. Even with the questioning so close to her face, she remained calm.
Of course, this alone couldn’t clear her of suspicion.
“Miss Jinhua, why resist so? This is clearly the simplest of questions. But since you brought it up, it reminded me of something else.”
Chun Yushuang placed the wilted herb on the table, and everyone’s eyes instinctively turned to it.
At this moment, a few elders from Tonghua Lane were also called over. Seeing the herb, they were confused, admitting they had never seen such a weed. When they heard Jinhua’s description, they shook their heads.
“You flatter me, sir. Although Tonghua Lane is small, its location is excellent. Each household has a tiny plot of land, and they use every inch wisely. Even the small vegetable gardens are carefully planned for seasonal greens. After all, in the imperial city, even a handful of vegetables costs money, so growing your own saves coins. Who would go against money? So don’t talk about weeds—some households don’t even buy potted flowers. How could they waste precious land for weeds?”
“Yes! Even the tiny patch in my yard has vegetables planted—oh, elder sister, why are you poking me? Oh, I’m so sorry! This old woman’s words are sometimes thoughtless. Forgive me.”
Chun Yushuang coughed lightly. Though she was bold in official matters, willing to compete with men, she was not familiar with rural expressions and felt a bit awkward. But when she glanced at Ying Jiuque, he seemed completely at ease, even chuckling lightly, which was quite unlike a refined young lady.
But considering he grew up on a manor, perhaps he was used to it.
Returning to the matter at hand, Chun Yushuang continued.
“So Miss Jinhua, why have these common weeds never been seen by these elders? Even more astonishing, these weeds don’t grow in other households along Tonghua Lane or Xinghua Lane—only in your home and Miss Yunniang’s?”
Both Yunniang and Jinhua looked uneasy, but neither spoke.
Just then, Wei Yuan arrived with a group of people and physical evidence. Seeing the table piled with various weeds, the women’s expressions were strange but manageable. However, when the trembling human witness—the senior doctor from Huichun Hall—was brought forward, some could no longer maintain composure.
Chun Yushuang glanced at the uneasy women and sighed inwardly.
“Doctor Li, look at these people. Do you recognize any of them?”
Huichun Hall was located at the entrance of Tonghua Lane. Its elder doctor was well-respected for his fair prices and benevolent care, attracting many visitors daily. Now, looking at the courtyard full of young women, his eyes were strained. After examining for a while, he shook his head.
Chun Yushuang was not discouraged, nor did she care about the slight softening of someone behind her. Calmly, she had him inspect the herbs on the table.
Having worked with herbs his entire life, the elder doctor handled them with remarkable skill. He smelled one, tore off a leaf, and prepared to taste it.
“Doctor Li!”
Yunniang blurted out, swallowing the rest of her sentence amidst the surrounding curious gazes.
“…Nothing.”
Doctor Li gave a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry, this old man has dealt with herbs all his life. These herbs are harmless.”
After carefully chewing, he spoke with certainty.
“This is ‘Wuluo Grass,’ a common medicinal herb, though usually found in remote mountains. No wonder it’s slightly yellowed.”
“Elder Li, is this herb poisonous?”
“Of course not!”
Doctor Li confirmed firmly.
“This is a tonic herb for strengthening the body. How could it be poisonous?”
Everyone, including the elders, breathed a sigh of relief. After all, if poisonous herbs grew in their area, it would be a serious concern, especially with children at home.
However, Chun Yushuang and Ying Jiuque remained unmoved, simply having him examine the remaining herbs.
Doctor Li examined each herb carefully and provided conclusions one by one.
“‘Fengzhu Grass,’ ‘Seven Star Flower,’ ‘Three-leaf Drop,’ ‘Xiaolin Branch’…”
“All these herbs are non-toxic.”
Once Doctor Li gave the final verdict, everyone visibly relaxed. But his expression betrayed hesitation.
Why did these herbs seem familiar to him?
Although each herb was harmless individually, together they could be problematic. A mix of so many blood- and energy-boosting herbs could be fine in a single potion, but long-term consumption…
Wait! He suddenly remembered why these herbs seemed familiar! Weren’t they the toxic herbs from the unfortunate northern merchant before March?
“I remember now! These herbs are fine individually, but if consumed together over a long period, they rapidly strengthen the body. But that’s only superficially! Old Mu, do you remember that northern merchant who collapsed before March and was brought to me? He didn’t understand medicine and thought tonic herbs could be drunk freely. After foolishly drinking a month-long tonic soup, he nearly killed himself!”
