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

Chapter 2319 Crying for Help in Court

As soon as Governor Liu stepped onto the corridor, he saw Shi Mao stumbling and rushing towards him, and he swallowed back the reprimand that was on the tip of his tongue.

Shi Mao's brocade clothes were soaked with blood and dust, wrinkled and stuck to his body. The fabric at his shoulder was ripped open, and dark red blood was still dripping down his arm.

His hair was disheveled, strands clinging to his sweat-dampened, blood-stained face, obscuring most of it, leaving only a pair of terrified eyes visible. His eyes darted around, glancing behind him as if some man-eating creature was close behind.

Governor Liu's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously looked into the darkness behind Shi Mao.

The lanterns of the governor's mansion swayed under the eaves, their dim light only illuminating a few steps in front of the gate.

Apart from the sound of the wind rustling through the treetops, there was no one else outside, and no other sound could be heard.

He composed himself and loudly ordered the servants beside him, "Quickly, carry Doctor Shi to the front hall."

Two servants stepped forward and grabbed Shi Mao's arms on either side. Shi Mao struggled to move his feet, panting heavily.

When Shi Mao was still half a street away from the governor's mansion, he was already in shock when a dark figure rushed out of the alley and blocked his way.

He didn't know who the two people were, but guessed they must be from the He family.

Shi Mao was terrified and ran forward as fast as he could. One of the men still managed to slash his shoulder with a knife. Although it wasn't deep, it hurt enough to make him, who was already terrified, almost collapse on the spot.

With his last breath, he scrambled to the gate of the governor's mansion. When he saw the lanterns under the eaves, it was like grasping at a straw. He managed to call for help.

At that moment, the energy dissipated, and I felt as if all the bones in my body had been broken apart.

Upon arriving at the front hall, as soon as the servants put Shi Mao down, his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Two glass lamps were lit in the front hall, providing bright light that illuminated him even more clearly.

The bloodstains on his body were even more glaring, and the ground was also stained with a lot of blood, making it a shocking sight.

Governor Liu frowned, suppressing his discomfort, and ordered, "Go pour a cup of hot tea, and get a clean towel and wound medicine. First, wipe Doctor Shi's face and bandage his wound."

The servants quickly brought the items, and a young servant brought hot tea to Shi Mao.

Shi Mao's hands trembled violently, and it took him two tries to catch the teacup. The warm tea slid down his throat, which finally eased his extremely tense nerves a little.

Wipe away the blood and dust from his face, revealing his pale, paper-white face. Apply wound medicine to his shoulders and wrap them with cloth strips.

After all that commotion, Shi Mao finally caught his breath, and his eyes were clearer than before.

Governor Liu, seated at the head of the table, spoke in a deep voice: "Shi Mao, what happened to you? How did you get into this state? Who injured you?"

Shi Mao knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to Governor Liu.

He cried out in tears, "Lord Liu, please help! I almost died at home tonight. It was He Er from the He family!"

He brought a large group of men and suddenly surrounded my courtyard. Without saying a word, he was about to kill me to silence me. I was lucky to escape with my life!

He cried his heart out, his shoulders trembling, and blood seeped out from the bandaged area.

"How dare he try to kill such a lowly person! My lord, you must do me justice!"

Governor Liu's face darkened as he stared at Shi Mao in disbelief: "He Er, the second master of the He family? Weren't you working in his shop? Why would he kill you to silence you?"

Shi Mao paused in his kowtowing, his eyes flickering.

Remembering Huo Changhe's murderous warning, she ultimately didn't dare mention Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe and the others.

He gritted his teeth and confessed everything he had done on He Er's orders: "Sir, to tell you the truth, I have failed you and the people of Chongzhou!"

He Er gave the servant some medicinal powder and instructed him to secretly add it to the decoctions of the pregnant women who came for pulse diagnosis.

The medicine looked no different from ordinary medicines, but it was specially prepared by He Er.

I know this is wrong, but I dare not disobey the He family's power in Chongzhou. I have no choice but to do as they say!

"I don't know what he wants to do, but I just followed his instructions and drugged several pregnant women."

For some reason, he suddenly brought men to kill me today, probably to silence me forever and cover this up!

As Shi Mao spoke, he burst into tears again, looking utterly remorseful: "My lord, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have helped the wicked."

"But I was forced into this situation. Please spare me this time. I'm willing to testify against He Er, I only beg you to spare my life!"

Governor Liu was deeply shocked upon hearing this.

I can't believe the He family would do such a thing.

The He family is a renowned medical family in Chongzhou, having operated there for generations and possessing deep roots.

It's not to say that every resident of the city has been treated at the He family's pharmacy, but at least two-thirds of the people have benefited from the He family's kindness.

From high-ranking officials to ordinary people, who doesn't show the He family great respect?

How could such a family allow Shi Mao to drug a pregnant woman and then murder her to cover it up?

"Are you telling the truth?" Governor Liu's voice was tinged with disbelief. "What kind of medicine is that? What consequences will it have on a pregnant woman? Why did He Er make you do this?"

Shi Mao was taken aback upon hearing this, and looked up with a blank expression on his face.

He shook his head: "This... I really don't know!"

He Er never told me the details of those medicines, nor did he explain the purpose of doing so. He only told me to do as he was told, and if I dared to ask any more questions, he would break my arms and legs.

The villain is greedy for life and afraid of death; he can only listen to him and truly knows nothing!

The clerk standing to the side was dumbfounded, his mouth agape for a long time.

Seeing that Governor Liu was pondering and remaining silent, he quickly moved closer to Governor Liu and lowered his voice: "Sir, this matter is of utmost importance!"

How dare He Er commit such a heinous act, even going so far as to kill someone to silence them! Should I gather the constables right now and go to the He family to arrest him?

Governor Liu shook his head, his eyes deep, as he made his own calculations.

He just turned sixty this year and was thinking of serving as an official for a few years in peace and quiet, and then retiring to his hometown to enjoy his grandchildren.

The He family had deep roots in Chongzhou, and they were on good terms with many prominent families in the city, and even the local gentry outside the city had to give them some face.

If he rashly arrests the person and makes a big fuss, causing such a huge mess during his tenure, and the court blames him, he won't be able to retire peacefully, and he might not even be able to keep his official hat.

"No rush." ​​Governor Liu waved his hand at his advisor, his voice low. "The He family is no ordinary family. This matter involves many people, so we cannot act rashly."

Arresting someone without solid evidence could cause even bigger trouble.