Chapter 441 Poisoning and Death
In the early morning, Zhang Qian, who was without his wife and children, got up early.
He first walked with his hair loose, slowly moving in the Duke's Mansion, and also inspected it at the same time.
The morning light slowly emerged in the sky, and the moist air carried the smell of earth, a little fishy, but refreshing.
A guard came in hurriedly, and when he saw Zhang Qian, he said, "Mr. Zhang, dinner is ready over there."
"Are you sure you want to buy the mushrooms?" Zhang Qian asked.
The guard nodded, “The people selling mushrooms at the market yesterday were all our people, and they specially selected the best mushrooms, the ones that the locals couldn’t identify.
Just a few pieces of that mushroom or a bowl of soup with it can kill a person.
The cook was very alert. He first asked questions, then went to several stores to test them one by one. But he never expected that they were all our people. In the end, he bought two kinds of mushrooms, both of which were highly poisonous. "
"it is good!"
Zhang Qian ordered, "Have someone wait outside Jiang Qingzhi's residence. If they hear any noise, report it immediately."
"Yes."
After the guards left, Zhang Qian went to see Mu Chaobi, but Mu Chaobi was still sleeping.
It’s different for those who have wives and children!
Zhang Qian stood outside the courtyard where Mu Chaobi lived and laughed at himself.
But soon he had a worried look on his face. Mu Chaobi killed Mu Gong, but hid Chen, and announced to the public that Chen also died of illness. Once the outside world knew that Chen was not dead and was imprisoned in the Duke's Mansion by him, the Mu clan would be furious.
"The governor is good in everything except this one."
Zhang Qian knew that Mu Chaobi's intention of holding Chen hostage was nothing more than revenge against his brother Mu Chaofu.
Weren't you born earlier than me? Weren't you the heir to the throne? But now your two sons have died in my hands, and your woman is wailing under me...
Zhang Qian sighed and left.
……
"Get a dog."
Jiang Qingzhi ordered.
Sun Bu Tong said, "It's next door."
He led his men over the wall to Hu Xiong's base next door, and soon brought back a guard dog.
"Master, these mushrooms are cold." Sun Chonglou muttered.
"Do you want to live or die?" Jiang Qingzhi glanced at him, "Do you know what will happen if you eat poisonous mushrooms?"
Sun Chonglou shook his head. Jiang Qingzhi said, "You will see little people in front of you. You will think the wall is a ladder to heaven... This is the lightest. The worst is to be poisoned to death."
"But it doesn't look like it!" Sun Chonglou picked up a piece of mushroom, "What a beautiful mushroom."
"The more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it is." Jiang Qingzhi thought of what Zhang Wuji's mother said.
Sun Bu Tong wanted to pry open the dog's mouth, but he didn't need to do anything. The dog couldn't wait to eat the mushrooms and bacon.
After eating until his belly was full, the dog looked at everyone and prepared to run away.
"Keep an eye on it." Jiang Qingzhi sat down and started eating.
Mutton and rice are also good, but the taste is a little light. Jiang Qingzhi took out the hot sauce he brought with him, scraped it a little, and ate it with the sauce.
After the meal, he was sweating all over, and he felt that all the dampness in his body was dissipated with the sweat.
"Young Master, this mushroom..." Sun Chonglou still refused to give up.
"Uncle!" Sun Bu Tong, who was eating breakfast outside with a bowl in his hand and watching the dog at the same time, spoke in a sharp voice.
Jiang Qingzhi put down his chopsticks, and Sun Chonglou rushed out first.
The dog that was so lively before was now lying in the corner, with vomit and white foam at the corners of its mouth, and its body was twitching...
Sun Chonglou: “…”
Xu Wei: “…”
Jiang Qingzhi walked out slowly, and everyone looked at him. A picture appeared in everyone's mind...
From Jiang Qingzhi to Sun Bu Tong, they all lay on the ground twitching after breakfast...
"Mu Chaobi!" Xu Wei's eyes turned cold, "Bring the cook here to question him first."
The cook was called over, and seeing Gou Zi like this, he kneeled down subconsciously, "Master, I swear I have nothing to do with this matter..."
"I know it has nothing to do with you." When the cook went to buy groceries, a soldier who worked at night accompanied him and served as a supervisor.
"Think carefully about the process of picking mushrooms." Jiang Qingzhi sat on the steps and watched the rising sun.
"Yesterday I went to the market and bought some bacon and vegetables. As I walked along, I saw several vendors selling mushrooms. I asked them one by one, and most of them said the same thing, so I bought the two types of mushrooms they all recommended. I thought, even if someone wants to harm us, they will definitely be exposed. Who knows..."
The cook couldn't figure it out. "I asked all the vendors and they all said these two kinds of mushrooms are delicious and non-toxic."
Xu Wei said calmly: "What if those vendors are all Mu Chaobi's people?"
The cook was horrified. "This..."
Xu Wei turned around and said, "Master, this is Mu Chaobi's trick. There must be someone waiting for news outside."
"Exclaim." Jiang Qingzhi raised his eyebrows, "Since Mu Chaobi wants to put on a show, I'll help him."
Not long after, a cry of surprise suddenly came from Jiang Qingzhi’s base, “Someone come! Someone come! The uncle has fainted…”
Two men were lying on the wall of the house opposite. When they heard the shouting, they were very excited. "Quick, go and report to the governor."
Zhang Qian was overjoyed upon hearing the news, and reported it to Mu Chaobi. Mu Chaobi, who had just gotten up, smiled and said, "It turns out that good fortune will come to those who are lucky. Hahahaha! Let's go and have a look!"
Zhang Qian and a few clerks rushed to Jiang Qingzhi's residence and listened attentively. "Someone is crying. It seems something is wrong. Knock on the door!"
Boom boom boom!
The accompanying clerk pounded hard on the door.
The door opened, and Sun Chonglou's large body blocked their view. "Who are you looking for?"
"My name is Deng Hui, and I'd like to see you, Lord." Deng Hui tried his best to take a peek, but Sun Chonglou moved his body to follow his gaze, preventing him from doing so.
The more Sun Chonglou said this, the more Deng Hui believed that Jiang Qingzhi was poisoned.
"What's the matter?" Xu Wei came.
"The Duke would like to ask the Earl, when will the preparations for the succession to the title be made?"
"It's too early for this." Xu Wei said, "My Lord has just arrived in Kunming and is not feeling well. Let's wait a little longer!"
What kind of physical discomfort? He must be dead, and Xu Wei and others wanted to conceal this... With Jiang Qingzhi's death, they could not escape the pursuit of responsibility in the capital. Given Emperor Jiajing's protective nature, the best outcome for Xu Wei and others would be to be exiled to some wild place, or even to Yunnan, where Mu Chaobi would kill them to vent his anger.
"I want to meet you, Master." Deng Hui insisted.
"Sorry, Master, we are not seeing guests." Xu Wei shook his head. "Close the door."
Bah!
The door was shut roughly. Deng Hui touched his nose which was almost hit, and said with a sinister smile: "We succeeded. Let's go back."
Mu Chaobi thought for a moment after hearing the news, "Xu Wei and others are at a loss right now...but we have to find a way to confirm whether Jiang Qingzhi is dead."
Zhang Qian said, "This matter is quite simple. They brought a doctor with them on this trip, but the doctor in the army can't do anything about poisoning. If Jiang Qingzhi is not dead, Xu Wei and others will definitely quietly invite a local doctor to keep an eye on him."
Mu Chaobi nodded, "Don't force your way in. Also, spread the news quietly, especially to the Mu family."
Mu Chaobi's eyes were gloomy. "Those idiots were fooled by Jiang Qingzhi's glass of wine. I want to see what kind of faces they have when they find out that Jiang Qingzhi is dead!"
Jiang Shun said murderously: "Commander-in-chief, we should kill a few people to scare the monkeys."
"I know, but the time is not right."
Jiang Shun wanted to persuade him again, but Zhang Qian gave him a look. Jiang Shun was stunned and thought to himself that he was stupid.
Mu Chaobi could even kill his nephew, let alone those so-called Mu family members who had nothing to do with him.
"As for Yang Qi..." Mu Chaobi narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment, "Tell him to come as soon as possible."
"Governor, Yang Qi is cunning, I'm afraid he will wait and see." Deng Hui said: "Although it was the governor who gave him the opportunity to take over the tribe, he is greedy and has always had ambitions for Yunnan..."
Yang Qinai was a chieftain of Yunnan and had a close relationship with Mu Chaobi.
He had six thousand brave warriors under his command, and they acted recklessly.
"As long as I'm here, Yang Qi's ambitions have to be suppressed!" Mu Chaobi sneered.
If he wasn't here, who would care about the flood?
"What the governor means is... to wait until the news of Jiang Qingzhi's death is announced and then let Yang Qi take action?" Zhang Qian asked.
Mu Chaobi nodded. "Once the news of Jiang Qingzhi's death spreads, the 1,000 cavalry will be leaderless. It is said that the Tiger Guards Left Guard is the strongest among the Beijing Guards?"
"Yes." Jiang Shun said, "The Tiger Guards were trained by Jiang Qingzhi and have fought against Altan Khan many times. They are a powerful force."
"Those 1,000 cavalrymen were the elite of the Huben Zuowei, the elite of the elite of the Beijing Guards. They were defeated by the chieftain of Yunnan. When the news reaches the capital, what will the emperor and his ministers think?"
Mu Chaobi looked at everyone, and Deng Hui said, "The emperor and his ministers in the court will certainly be panicked. The Tiger Guards and Left Guards were defeated. If the army goes south and repeats the failure of Tumubao... there is no second Yu Qian in the Ming Dynasty at this moment."
"In this case, the court will surely stop its movements and even appease the governor. All we need to do is train the soldiers, appease the chieftain, and wait for the opportunity..."
Zhang Qian's eyes flashed with a strange light, "When the time comes, if the capital is not in good condition, the governor can lead the army to defend the king!"
Jiang Shun said with a smile: "The King of Qin will not leave if he is not careful. Who dares to object?"
"Hahahaha!"
Ambition is always indulged. Mu Chaobi's eyes flickered with wildfire. "First appease the civil and military officials. I will personally appease the Mu clan members."
In the afternoon, Mu Chaobi hosted a banquet for the Mu family members.
During the banquet, Mu Chaobi said humbly that he would join hands with the Mu clan members to govern Yunnan from now on.
This gesture was unprecedented, and many people were moved at once.
It would be great if my sons could become officials.
Deng Hui suddenly came in and whispered something to Mu Chaobi.
Those who were close by could vaguely hear something...Long Wilbur seemed to have eaten poisonous mushrooms...The poison had taken effect...Xu Wei...hidden...
Mu Chaobi's face changed. "Hurry up and ask the doctor to come in... Forget it. If I take action, I'm afraid I'll be suspected. Oh!"
After the banquet, the news spread like wildfire.
"Jiang Qingzhi ate poisonous mushrooms and died of the poison. Now the counselors who accompanied him are keeping the death a secret..."
Jiang Qingzhi is dead?
Mu Shu at home was shocked. She hurried to Jiang Qingzhi's residence, but was refused entry.
"My uncle is not feeling well and is not seeing guests."
Mu Shu returned sadly.
This actually confirmed the matter.
For a time, countless members of the Mu family and civil and military officials went to the Duke's Mansion to show their goodwill to Mu Chaobi.
On the second day, Mu Shu was feeling sad when someone reported, "Second Madam, there is a guest who wants to see you."
"Who? Just say I'm not feeling well." Mu Shu was in no mood to meet guests.
"The person who came said that if she didn't see him, the Second Lady would definitely regret it."
Mu Shu was startled and forced himself to go forward.
A big man wearing a bamboo hat was standing in the reception room. When he heard the footsteps, he turned around and slowly took off his bamboo hat.
Mu Shu's eyes lit up, "Long Wilbur!"
(End of this chapter)
