Chapter Nine: The Frame-Up

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Seeing his younger brother still troubled, Jiang Bai gently tapped his head. "Don't overthink it. Come, let's go see how the general is recovering."

Jiang Ye said nothing further, but his small face, trying hard to stay composed yet still tinged with worry, was quite endearing. Jiang Bai watched him all the way, finding it thoroughly amusing.

Upon entering the new tent, Jiang Bai asked about the general’s condition as usual, then removed the bandages and changed the dressings. She couldn’t help but nod in approval—the mountain bandits’ healing abilities were definitely stronger than ordinary people’s, but...

“General, your wound is starting to heal now, but since it’s quite deep, the itching will be more intense than usual during recovery. You must resist scratching, or the wound won’t heal properly.”

General Duan Yue nodded but didn’t admit he had already scratched earlier. He wasn’t sure if Doctor Jiang had noticed.

“Alright. Is there anything else to be mindful of?” Yang Bin looked at the general and could tell he was hiding some guilt. Deciding to help divert attention, he resolved to assign someone to keep a close watch so the rough general wouldn’t scratch the wound open again.

“No, just make sure to rest well and avoid moving too much. That will speed up the healing process.”

While Jiang Bai and Yang Bin talked, Jiang Ye’s attention was caught by a fleeting pattern on the inside of Duan Yue’s garment. That pattern looked familiar...

That night, Jiang Bai took her brother to eat, noticing his absent-minded expression.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” Jiang Ye shook his head, unwilling to tell his sister what was on his mind for now.

“You say nothing but look like you’re miles away—almost getting food up your nose.” Jiang Bai picked a dish for him. “If you say nothing, then eat properly.”

Seeing that Jiang Ye didn’t want to speak, Jiang Bai didn’t press further. As long as he wasn’t upset, it was best to let it be.

Jiang Ye kept pondering until he lay in bed and felt a book pressed under his pillow. Suddenly, he realized the pattern on General Duan’s garment matched the family crest he’d once seen on a page in his father’s genealogy book. Could General Duan be a distant relative?

Excited by this thought, Jiang Ye was about to tell his sister but found she was already asleep. Half-awake, he resolved to share this incredible discovery with her the next day.

“Xingzhi, wake up. It’s time to go gather herbs with your sister.” Jiang Bai, having already started preparing medicine, noticed some supplies were running low. Seeing Wang Da and Doctor Liu still idle, she decided not to wait any longer and planned to gather the herbs herself first.

Still groggy, Jiang Ye followed his sister up the mountain. A cold wind made him shiver awake as he suddenly remembered what he had forgotten to tell her last night.

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“Sis, sis! I found out we might have distant relatives!”

“Hm?” Jiang Bai was surprised.

“I’m telling you—the general, Duan, probably is related to us. The pattern on his inner garment is exactly the same as the family crest in Dad’s genealogy book.”

“Really?” Jiang Bai was taken aback. Who would embroider their family crest on an inner garment?

“It’s true!” Jiang Ye, seeing his sister’s doubtful expression, knew she didn’t believe him.

“Do you remember which book you saw it in?” Jiang Bai asked—not because she distrusted her brother, but it was better to confirm. “Also, Xingzhi, maybe we should put this aside for now until I investigate further. It’s possible the general liked the pattern and had it sewn onto his clothing.”

Jiang Ye realized his assumption was too simple and the excitement of finding a relative faded somewhat.

“Let’s start gathering herbs.”

“Okay, sis.”

Meanwhile, while the siblings collected herbs, turmoil erupted in the army.

“Come quickly! See what’s going on!” Yang Bin urgently called over several military doctors.

A few injured soldiers had severe allergic reactions—red swelling all over, labored breathing—clearly a serious condition. Chen Jie rushed over to examine them. These men had recently taken the deworming medicine prescribed by Jiang Bai. It was supposed to be mild and effective, so why such a terrifying reaction?

Yang Bin anxiously stood nearby, watching the doctors scramble, filled with unease. The condition of these soldiers was grim and needed immediate attention. Chen Jie, the most skilled among the medics, furrowed his brow as he examined them.

“Chen Jie, how are they?” Yang Bin asked anxiously.

Chen Jie didn’t answer right away but carefully studied the symptoms. The soldiers’ skin was not only swollen and red but had tiny blisters; their breathing was rapid and wheezy. His heart sank—this was no ordinary allergic reaction.

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Without a word, Chen Jie swiftly pried open one soldier’s mouth to check the throat, which was not swollen. He then administered several injections to induce vomiting. After all had vomited, Chen Jie finally spoke.

“Deputy General, this isn’t looking good. Their symptoms suggest not just allergy, but some kind of drug poisoning.”

“Drug poisoning? But they only took the deworming medicine prescribed by Jiang Bai. How could they be poisoned?”

Chen Jie shook his head. “I don’t know either. I thought maybe they’d eaten something incompatible causing an allergic reaction, but it seems not. I had them vomit up the medicine, and their condition has eased somewhat, but we still need to investigate thoroughly.”

At that moment, Doctor Liu suddenly exclaimed, “Come look at what I found!”

Wang Da peeked over and shouted, “Good heavens, what is this?!”

Chen Jie took the herbal material from Doctor Liu and examined it carefully.

“This is Tianhua powder.”

Yang Bin looked puzzled, not knowing the significance.

“It wasn’t supposed to be in the prescription,” Wang Da said, racking his brain. Doctor Liu nodded in agreement.

“Who gathered these herbs?” Doctor Liu demanded angrily.

A young assistant promptly replied, “These doses were personally gathered by Doctor Jiang Bai.”

“What?!” Wang Da feigned shock. “How could Jiang Xiao You not even tell the difference between Tianhua powder and yam? Someone must have been lazy and mixed up the herbs. Who was responsible?”

“It wasn’t us! Jiang Bai herself gathered them—I saw it with my own eyes, and there are records from the pharmacy to prove it!” The assistant knelt down, protesting innocence.

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