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

Chapter 2054: If You Don’t Obey, You Will Be Sacrificed

Only after the footsteps at the gate could no longer be heard did Yan Ruyu step into the courtyard.

As soon as I came in, my nose was filled with the smell of herbs: the coolness of mint, the bitterness of scutellaria, and a bit of sweetness of licorice. Mixed together, it wasn't that unpleasant.

She glanced at the yard. The bamboo plaque that had fallen to the ground had not been picked up yet, and herbs were scattered everywhere, some of which had been stepped on and were covered in mud.

She squatted down, picked up a piece of licorice that was not stepped on, and put it to her nose to smell it.

It's just ordinary licorice, used to harmonize the medicinal properties, nothing special.

Looking at the mint and scutellaria scattered on the ground, they were also common herbs on the market, used to treat colds and regulate the body. There were no poisonous weeds or flowers - this was different from what she had imagined.

Yan Ruyu frowned, didn't stay in the yard for long, turned and went into Miss Li's room.

One could tell at a glance that the layout of the room was prepared by the Su family. The tables and chairs were made of pearwood, and the tabletops were mirror-clear; the curtains embroidered with orchids hung on the edge of the bed, with fine stitching; even the porcelain vases on the table were from the official kiln, with light landscape paintings on the vases, exuding elegance and even a bit of luxury.

She reached out and touched the edge of the table, her fingertips sliding across the smooth wood. There was not much dust, and it was obvious that someone cleaned it regularly.

The clothes hanging in the closet were all made of fine silk and cotton, in elegant light blue and light green colors, obviously made by the Su family;

There were some needles and thread, and handkerchiefs in the drawer. The pattern embroidered on the handkerchiefs was the common crabapple pattern in the Su Mansion, nothing special.

There were several medical books piled on the table. The pages were a little soft and there were some annotations written on them. The handwriting was beautiful and it could be seen that it was written by Miss Li.

Yan Ruyu picked up the medical book and flipped through it. It contained prescriptions for treating diseases, as well as a record of Su Jingzhuo's condition. From the initial "pulse was weak and breath was feeble" to the later "pulse gradually stabilized and he could sit up with support on the bed", at first glance, it seemed quite careful and serious.

However, Yan Ruyu did not forget what Su Jingzhuo's situation was when she first took over.

It has nothing to do with these records.

She put down the record and searched the room again.

I searched under the bed, on top of the cabinet, and in the gaps between the bookshelves, but found nothing unusual.

Did you really think too much?

No, Yan Ruyu felt that the more this was the case, the more it explained the problem.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, her eye suddenly caught sight of a small bundle stuffed under the bed. The color was so different from the orchid color of the bed curtains that it would be impossible to find it without careful observation.

Yan Ruyu squatted down and reached out to pull out the bundle.

The bundle was made of cotton, and the color had faded due to washing. It was supposed to be light gray, but now it looked like faded white.

The edges were roughened and although the stitches were neat, it didn't fit in with the delicate objects in the room. It was obvious that it was something Miss Li brought herself.

She squeezed the bundle and found it felt a bit hard, not heavy, as if there were some small items inside. Yan Ruyu took a deep breath and touched the bundle's tie with her fingertips - this tie was also made of cotton, also worn rough, and tied with a simple slipknot.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and untied the knot.

As soon as the bundle was opened, the contents were revealed.

There were no gold, silver, or jewelry, nor any secret letters, only a few small things: a smoothly polished wooden comb and a small rag doll, which was made very simply, made of scraps of cloth, with eyes embroidered with black silk thread, which had faded a little.

There was also a neatly folded small cloth bag. When I opened it, I saw a few dried leaves inside. They were not herbs, but petals of some kind of flower. The color had turned dark brown and it was impossible to tell what the original color was.

Yan Ruyu picked up the dried petals, put them to her nose and smelled them, but there was no smell.

She picked up the doll again and squeezed it. It felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool and was soft to the touch. She switched her eyes and looked carefully. There was nothing else hidden inside the doll except the cotton wool.

These things looked very ordinary, like old belongings that an ordinary woman would carry around, nothing special.

But Yan Ruyu's doubts remained - if these were just ordinary old things, why would Miss Li hide them under the bed?

Given the Su family's attitude towards her, no one would say anything even if she put these things out in the open.

There must be some secret hidden between Miss Li and the Su family. And the contents of that small bundle might be the key to unlocking the secret.

The things could not be taken away for the time being, so Yan Ruyu had an idea. She took out her mobile phone from the space and took pictures of the things one by one. Then she put the things back into the bag, tied the straps again, and stuffed them back under the bed. The position was exactly the same as before, leaving no signs of being turned over.

Then she glanced around the room again, making sure there were no signs of her presence before she gently closed the door and walked out of the yard.

At this time, Huo Changhe was talking to Su Zhenhai in the living room.

The hall was so quiet that one could hear the rustling of bamboo leaves outside the window. Huo Changhe sat in the main seat, his eyes fixed on Su Zhenhai who was standing below him, without any unnecessary greetings.

He rested his fingertips on his knees, his tone calm but with undeniable weight: "Envoy Su, I intend to clean up Rongzhou and let the people of Rongzhou live a good life again. Do you want to help me or do you want to stand by and watch?"

Just as Su Zhenhai was about to speak, Huo Changhe finished his words. His gaze swept over his slightly paused figure, and his tone added a hint of coldness: "Of course, there is another way, which is to choose to stand against this king. However, this king will ensure that you are sacrificed."

The determination in these words hit Su Zhenhai's heart like a stone. In Rongzhou, he watched those powerful people plundering people's wealth in the name of government, and the people were displaced, but he was never able to fight back.

At this moment, Huo Changhe's words were both a question and a life-saving straw.

He didn't hesitate any longer and stood up from his chair. His movements were smooth but solemn. He folded his hands at his sides, bowed deeply, and said in a steady voice, "Your Highness, I am willing to follow your lead and restore peace to Rongzhou!"

Huo Changhe looked at him bowing, his face expressionless. He just nodded slightly and tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his rhythm neither hurried nor slow. "Since that's the case, then follow my instructions. Wait for the sacrifice, and then we'll start."

Su Zhenhai stopped in mid-air, then stood up straight, his face full of surprise.

He clenched his hands at his sides, then loosened them. His Adam's apple moved before he dared to speak: "Your Highness, sacrifices are a major event in Rongzhou. Every time there is a sacrifice, the area is always crowded with people. If we start now, won't it cause too much trouble? What if we disturb the people..."

He was halfway through his words when Huo Changhe suddenly chuckled. There was no warmth in the chuckle, but it was a bit sharp.

Huo Changhe leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Su Zhenhai's face, and he said word by word, "This king wants all the people to see. All the food, money, and land that have been taken away from them over the years, which one wasn't taken under the pretext of 'sacrificing and praying for blessings' or 'offering to the gods'?

This king will let the people see with their own eyes that whoever has taken something from them will have to spit it out double today."