amaotonovel Chapter 1194 More Expensive Than Gold
Chapter 1194 More Expensive Than Gold
Before we knew it, the sun was high in the sky.
It was noon, but no one had gone home for lunch.
Local vendors spotted the business opportunity and pushed their food carts over, selling food while asking customers for information.
In the center of the crowd, Huai Shaoyong continued to shout "Ling San is non-toxic," which made many people present uneasy, since the students of Luming Academy who had taken "Ling San" were still standing there unharmed.
Jiang Zhiming took in the expressions of the people and leaned close to Shen Zheng, whispering, "Lord Shen, I think some people still don't quite believe it. If this continues, it might damage your reputation. How about... I send someone to invite some doctors to come and have them corroborate our testimony?"
doctor?
Shen Zheng's eyes darkened upon hearing this.
The powder in the oiled paper packet was reddish-brown, clearly made from a variety of minerals, and she could also faintly smell a herbal aroma...
It wasn't that she looked down on folk doctors, but based on the pharmacological knowledge possessed by doctors in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was difficult to associate this "spiritual powder" with "poison." Some doctors might even shout that the "spiritual powder" was a "tonic."
Shen Zheng fell into deep thought.
To prove that "Ling San" is poisonous in a very short time, experiments must be conducted.
Furthermore, the human body has a tolerance to mineral toxins, so it's difficult to see anything in a short time. Besides, she would never do something like "human experimentation."
Therefore, the most suitable test subject at present is...
A Jerry appeared in Shen Zheng's mind.
I'm sorry, little mouse.
"Go check out the nearby restaurants and inns." Shen Zheng raised her hand to summon the guards and ordered, "See if there are any rat holes. Take out four rats and buy two bamboo cages, a handful of cooked millet, and two porcelain bowls as soon as possible."
The guards left to carry out their orders. Jiang Zhiming secretly observed Shen Zheng's expression and asked, "Lord Shen, do you intend to... feed that powder to the rats?"
Shen Zheng nodded: "This is the fastest way to prove that the powder is poisonous."
After a moment's thought, Jiang Zhiming immediately acted as a mouthpiece, spreading the news that Shen Zheng was about to use rats to test poison.
The people looked on with anticipation, but Huai Shaoyong's expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Shen Zheng, do you know how much silver a tael of elixir costs?! You actually want to use such a precious medicine to feed rats?!"
Shen Zheng became interested upon hearing this, walked over to Huai Shaoyong, and asked in a low voice, "How much is one tael of silver?"
Huai Shaoyong paused for a moment, staring intently at Shen Zheng's right hand, and said, "You have a qian of spirit powder in your hand, which is equivalent to two taels of silver."
"One qian?" Shen Zheng raised her right hand, opened her palm, and glanced at it. "So, it takes twenty taels of silver to buy just one tael of this thing?"
In the end... this thing is actually more expensive than real gold.
The local people also noticed this and exclaimed, "The Huai family is rich!"
Seeing the genuine surprise in Shen Zheng's eyes, Huai Shaoyong assumed he had frightened her and pressed his advantage: "Exactly! How could such a precious item be the poison you speak of! If you release me now and return the spirit powder to me, I can overlook the fact that you beat me in public today..."
"Ding-dong—"
Before Huai Shaoyong could finish speaking, two copper coins landed in front of him.
Shen Zheng threw it.
"What do you mean?" Huai Shaoyong's bloodshot eyes widened suddenly, looking somewhat frightening at first glance.
"My hand slipped." Shen Zheng bent down and picked up a copper coin, then stood up and kicked another copper coin in front of Huai Shaoyong. She held up the "spirit powder" in her hand and said, "Consider this packet of powder as a purchase from me, but to be honest, I don't think the 'spirit powder' you mentioned is worth a single copper coin. As for the copper coin on the ground, it's money wrapped in oil paper, keep it safe."
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, followed by bursts of laughter.
"Are you playing me?" Huai Shaoyong struggled to get up, but was held down by the guards.
“You’re mistaken. I’m being very serious.” Shen Zheng squeezed the oil paper package in her hand, looked down at Huai Shaoyong and said, “This kind of thing shouldn’t exist. If you can provide the purchase channel, I can consider giving you a lighter sentence.”
Upon hearing the words "purchase channels," Huai Shaoyong immediately opened his mind and remained silent.
Seeing this, Shen Zheng's eyes flickered slightly. She stopped arguing with Huai Shaoyong and walked to the side.
Everyone on the field was waiting for the soldiers to return, but catching rats is mostly about luck and a little about skill. If you can't find the rat hole, it will be difficult to catch a live rat in a short time.
Time passed slowly amidst anxious waiting. The people discussed the exorbitant price of the "spiritual powder" in hushed tones, while Shen Zheng and Jiang Zhiming discussed countermeasures.
Those who can afford "spiritual powder" are almost certainly not ordinary people.
Therefore, Shen Zheng and Jiang Zhiming both focused their attention on the local gentry and aristocratic families.
However, these kinds of people are the most difficult to deal with in local areas. Not only are their interest chains intricate, but they also have connections with local officials, so it can be said that a single move can have far-reaching consequences.
“Lord Shen, perhaps the actual situation isn’t as bad as you think?” The worry in Shen Zheng’s eyes startled Jiang Zhiming. Jiang Zhiming cautiously said, “This humble official has come all the way from the capital to Fuzhou Prefecture, and this is the first time I’ve seen this item. Is it possible… that this item was only recently created and hasn’t yet circulated widely among the gentry and noble families?”
Shen Zheng immediately shook her head in denial: "Huai Shaoyong said he has been taking this for half a year. Half a year... is enough to change a lot of things. Moreover, Huai Shaoyong is of ordinary status, just the son of a local gentry. If even he can come into contact with this, then other celebrities... needless to say."
Jiang Zhiming paused for a moment.
It must be said that Lord Shen's analysis makes a lot of sense.
This "spiritual powder"... has probably already been circulating quietly in places they can't see.
After thinking it over, Jiang Zhiming strode towards the group from Luming Academy and said sternly, "Open your mouths, I will check each and every one of you!"
Normally, the students in the academy would have thought that Jiang Zhiming didn't trust them and was deliberately trying to humiliate them.
But after today's twists and turns, the students of the academy not only did not think that way, but even opened their mouths wide, eager to prove themselves.
Jiang Zhiming looked at the mouth one by one, and when he saw the black gaps between the old man's teeth, he was shocked and hurriedly called to Shen Zheng: "Lord Shen, come and see!"
The old man with the black beard glared and shook his head vigorously: "I didn't, I didn't, don't frame me..."
By the time Shen Zheng walked over, he was already practically drooling.
“Lord Shen, look at his teeth…” Jiang Zhiming pointed and complained, “They look just like Huai Shaoyong’s. Did he eat them too?”
The old man with the black beard was terrified and shook his head violently.
Shen Zheng glanced at it and shook her head: "It shouldn't be."
The old man with the black beard breathed a sigh of relief, and then Shen Zheng said, "He probably just doesn't like to clean his teeth, that's why his teeth are so black."
"..." The old man with the black beard blushed and whispered in defense, "I just like drinking tea..."