In the prison of another city, Luo Qin Quan felt immense sorrow even though he was tidily dressed. The local prefect had merely taken him into custody without immediate punishment.
Now that he had fallen into Xiao Wang Ye's hands and his illicit activities exposed, he knew he was in dire straits. Thus, when Xiao Wang Ye brought him out for interrogation, Luo Qin Quan confessed to everything without reservation.
He had deceived his superiors and concealed the rampant strange illness plaguing the city.
He had oppressed the populace, increasing their taxes and extorting vast amounts of wealth.
He had also embezzled public funds, claiming the city's granaries as his own and secretly cooperating with Wokou pirates monthly to amass more riches.
He even confessed to the subsequent robbery of the grain that Xiao Wang Ye had raised, not denying any of it.
Luo Qin Quan knew that the single charge of colluding with Wokou pirates was a capital offense. With his crimes now revealed and Xiao Wang Ye in possession of the evidence, concealing anything further was futile.
His spirit broken, Luo Qin Quan seemed to age ten years in an instant, weakly answering Xiao Wang Ye's questions, utterly dispirited.
After obtaining all the information he desired, Xiao Wang Ye did not intend to execute him on the spot. Instead, he had him escorted back to Fengdu City. As for the Wokou pirates imprisoned, he had already submitted a memorial to the imperial court for the young emperor to handle; he had no time for such matters currently.
Luo Qin Quan, as the prefect of Xiao Wang Ye's fiefdom, was subject to his absolute authority for punishment. The young emperor had little say in this matter.
The entourage openly escorted the listless Luo Qin Quan back to Fengdu City, much to the astonishment of the citizens who began to discuss it amongst themselves. All of Luo Qin Quan's subordinates panicked, losing their direction and no one daring to step forward.
Amidst this chaotic situation, Xiao Wang Ye had a public notice posted, revealing Luo Qin Quan's crimes. The citizens applauded, expressing their relief at his downfall, and every corner of the city criticized Luo Qin Quan's wickedness. Fengdu City had always been under his control, and the common people had suffered greatly, long harboring a desire for rebellion. By bringing him down this time, Xiao Wang Ye had indirectly gained popular support and established his authority within the city.
He imprisoned Luo Qin Quan in Fengdu City's jail and systematically dismantled his power base, gaining complete control of the entire city. His master's downfall and capture had left Luo Qin Quan's former subordinates in disarray, lacking a leader to rally them. Meanwhile, Xiao Wang Ye's men were already positioned in every key location within the city, making their suppression effortless. After all, a considerable number of people in the city had been observing the situation, and with Luo Qin Quan's fall, they saw the writing on the wall and flocked to Xiao Wang Ye's banner. Thus, Luo Qin Quan's subordinates were either arrested or surrendered, posing no further threat. The prefect who had controlled Fengdu City for over a decade had finally fallen, with no chance of recovery.
With this, the city's situation was stabilized, and everything was firmly under Xiao Wang Ye's control. Only then could he, as a prince, feel secure. The farce finally concluded. As for Luo Qin Quan, the culprit, Xiao Wang Ye did not intend to deal with him immediately, opting to keep him imprisoned. He would be publicly executed only after the strange illness was completely resolved.
Fengdu City was finally stabilized by Xiao Wang Ye, and the citizens felt a measure of peace. Meanwhile, Ye Qing Cheng's poison testing had yielded new progress. As the city's situation settled, her research into the toxins concluded, and she devised a prescription to eradicate the poison from its source.
Ye Qing Cheng handed the compiled prescription to a servant, instructing him to deliver it to Xiao Wang Ye and gather the necessary medicinal ingredients. Coincidentally, Xiao Wang Ye was on his way to visit her at this very moment. He glanced at the ingredients listed on the prescription but did not examine them closely, instructing his subordinate to handle it while he proceeded to Ye Qing Cheng's small abode. After all, he was no physician and was completely ignorant of medicine and prescriptions.
Ye Qing Cheng sat in her room awaiting the servant when she looked up and saw Xiao Wang Ye entering.
"Why have you come?" she asked, stepping out in surprise, her eyes filled with confusion.
Xiao Wang Ye's gaze shifted, and he noticed several scattered red rashes on her wrist, exposed from her sleeve. This was an indication of the strange illness flaring up! Even with his lack of medical knowledge, he understood this much, having seen it on patients in the afflicted area. Xiao Wang Ye's expression darkened, his heart suddenly feeling as if it were being squeezed.
"I've sent people to find your prescription. Don't worry, I've come to see you," he said, striving to keep his tone even and casual as always. Ye Qing Cheng, indeed, heard no anomaly and nodded understandingly, leading him into the room.
They chatted for a while, with Xiao Wang Ye recounting how he had captured Luo Qin Quan and obtained the evidence. Just as Ye Qing Cheng was engrossed in his story, a knock sounded at the door. Xiao Wang Ye paused his narration and called out loudly, "Enter!"
As soon as he spoke, a guard carrying a bamboo basket entered with his head bowed, placing the basket on the table. He bowed to them and then stated, "Master, I have gathered all the medicinal ingredients on this prescription. However, the Starflower, listed on it, could not be found in the city."
Ye Qing Cheng frowned upon hearing this, her heart filled with concern. Starflower was an extremely rare and precious medicinal ingredient. While not ubiquitous in the capital, it was usually available in larger pharmacies. How could it be completely absent in Fengdu City? A suspicion arose in her mind, and Xiao Wang Ye, standing nearby, grew even more displeased, suddenly rising to his feet.
"What is this? Couldn't you inquire about it if you couldn't find it?" The guard, taken aback by his sudden anger, quickly knelt and explained, "I asked other physicians. They said this medicinal ingredient is very difficult to cultivate locally and can only be found in small quantities on the large mountain behind the city. However, that mountain is very treacherous and rarely climbed."
Fengdu City is located in the southwest, surrounded by mountains and ridges, with a large mountain directly behind it. This mountain was very steep, seldom climbed, and even locals avoided it. Consequently, although many precious medicinal herbs grew there, almost no one dared to venture into the mountains to gather them. Hearing the guard's report, Xiao Wang Ye frowned slightly and waved for him to leave.
"The back mountain? Is it very remote?" Ye Qing Cheng asked Xiao Wang Ye curiously, having overheard their conversation. She was unfamiliar with Fengdu City, having been occupied with treating patients since her arrival. She hadn't heard any local rumors or tales, so she didn't know where this so-called back mountain was.