HBWnovel Chapter 199 Rectification
Chapter 199 Rectification
On the winding mountain road, a fast horse galloped, gradually slowing down.
Tao Shi patted the horse's neck reassuringly. After running for most of the day, he was tired, let alone the horse. While the horse was grazing in the shade, he took the opportunity to find a rock to sit down and rest.
He took out some dry rations from his bundle and started eating them, thinking to himself that even if the Third Prince found out that he had secretly returned to Anguo, he wouldn't be able to catch up. Unless the Third Prince had no intention of returning to Anguo, he would never dare to lay a hand on the Seventh Prince. Without the support of the Tao family of Anguo, what value would the Third Prince have to Marquis Yongyi?
Thinking this way, I felt much more at ease and prepared to rest a little longer... No!
Tao Shi put away the dry rations he had only taken a couple of bites of, drank some water, stood up and patted the horse's back. "Old buddy, hang in there a little longer. Just to be safe, we'll rest when it gets dark."
He then mounted his horse and continued on his journey. Before long, the sound of metal bells rang out in the sky.
What is that? Tao instinctively looked up at the sky.
The next moment, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, looked down, and saw an arrow piercing through his chest...
"Puff-"
Tao Shi fell off his horse. In his dazed state, he vaguely saw several figures in the woods beside the mountain road and heard voices in a daze.
"Finally, we've received the signal to make a move. This kid can really run..."
A gentle breeze blew, and nothing seemed to be happening on the deserted mountain path; there were no horses or travelers.
…………
Western suburbs of Yucheng
Tao You was overwhelmed by the shock and collapsed to the ground, her mind in turmoil, unsure of what to do.
Doctor Liu arrived late, carrying his medicine kit. Guo Yu and the soldier escorting the doctor exchanged a silent glance, signaling that the mission was accomplished. Guo Yu then led the doctor to Tao You's side and comforted him, saying, "I naturally trust Third Young Master's character. There must be more to the story."
Doctor Liu knelt down and touched Tao Yang's chest, seemingly to see if there was any hope of saving him.
"Please accept my condolences." Doctor Liu delivered the final verdict everyone had already anticipated. "Huh?"
Seemingly having touched something foreign, Doctor Liu took a brocade pouch from Tao Yang's bosom, sniffed it, and then revealed a strange expression.
He then got up, walked to the horse carcass not far away, squatted down to examine it for a while, and sighed with an expression of "I knew it."
"But what's the problem?" a young man watching couldn't help but ask.
By this time, quite some time had passed since the incident, and the polo match was long over. The fact that these spoiled young noblemen were still there to watch shows their boredom and gossip.
Doctor Liu opened the brocade pouch, took out the dried grass clippings, and said, "This is a highly poisonous substance. If animals eat it, it will cause them to go berserk and eventually die from foaming at the mouth and convulsing all over their bodies."
The meaning was self-evident. Guo Yu said as if suddenly realizing something, "Third Young Master, you said before that this black horse was a gift from Young Master Wu yesterday. Seventh Young Master must be planning to have Young Master Wu cover for him after things happen."
Upon hearing this, Wu Guo shuddered and looked at Tao Yang's corpse in shock. Had they already set a trap for him?
The onlookers' gazes toward Wu Guo became complicated, making Wu Guo's face burn with embarrassment, yet he couldn't retaliate.
"Tao Qi deserves to die for harming others and himself. Don't worry, Sanlang, we will prove it for you!" The young man was passionate and couldn't help but speak out for justice.
Tao You looked pale and forced himself to bow and express his gratitude, but he felt bitter inside. What good would it do if everyone present were willing to testify for him?
Tao Yang died in Xuan State, and Tao Shi returned to warn the emperor. For the stepmother, there was no way to verify the truth. She could not believe anyone else's words and would only think that she had been bribed to give false testimony. What rationality could a mother who had lost her son have?
Tao Yang is right. As long as he returns to Anguo, his stepmother will surely drag him down with her. But if he doesn't return to Anguo, the business will be unable to operate. Without the Tao family of Anguo, what is he?
Tao You knew the fickleness of human nature. Although they were willing to speak up for him now, once he lost his status as a young master from a prominent family, none of them would associate with him again.
"Sanlang, the world is vast, why confine yourself to one place with your talents?" Guo Yu patted Tao You on the shoulder to comfort him.
Looking into Guo Yu's sincere eyes, Tao You was slightly moved and solemnly bowed, saying, "Thank you, Military Advisor Guo, for clearing my name."
“Sanlang, you’re being too polite. I know your character well.”
So they're already calling each other brothers? Wu Guo, standing to the side, looked at Guo Yu and then at Tao Yang on the ground, feeling that something was off.