The inn was mostly filled with scholars in Confucian robes, and even in the early morning, there was a constant stream of people coming and going.
Li Yue Shu subtly scanned the room, then looked at the Mo family members eating at the table, before swallowing the porridge in her mouth.
She usually ate little for breakfast, but today she tasted everything on the table.
As expected, all the food had been tampered with. However, the dosage was so small that if she hadn't tasted it, she might not have noticed.
Fortunately, it wasn't anything fatal. Li Yue Shu pretended not to know and led everyone out after breakfast.
With the prefectural examinations approaching, the streets were as lively as a festival.
Shen Yi Min and Mo Lian were not the boisterous type, but Li Yue Shu enjoyed herself the most, buying many snacks.
By the time they returned to the inn, they were too full to eat lunch and still had plenty of snacks in hand.
Even at dinner time, their stomachs were still full.
But Li Yue Shu still asked the waiter to prepare dinner and have it brought to their room.
Mo Lian looked at the table full of dishes, then touched his stomach, his expression a little troubled, "Madam, I think... I can't eat anymore."
Li Yue Shu had just finished putting away the things she bought that day and glanced back at the table. "Don't worry, we won't be eating these."
Everyone was surprised, clearly not understanding her meaning.
Li Yue Shu took out the long box she bought on the street today. "A'Min, A'Lian, pour the dishes on the table into this, but don't empty them completely. Make it look like the table has been eaten from."
Looking at the dishes on the table, Madam Mo suddenly understood. "Madam, are these dishes problematic?"
Li Yue Shu's eyes turned cold as she nodded. "All the dishes have been tampered with. The amount isn't much, but if you eat it for three consecutive days, it will cause physical weakness and fever, leading to vomiting and diarrhea, and you'll have to stay in bed for at least half a month."
Everyone was shocked.
Mo Lian frowned, a vague guess forming in his mind. "This must be targeting me and Yi Min."
The prefectural examinations were in three days. Even if they forced themselves to enter the examination hall, they wouldn't be able to endure three consecutive sessions.
Shen Yi Min had the same thought, but he couldn't figure out who it could be.
They had found this inn after arriving at the yamen. The only people capable of acting so quickly would be those from Chongzhou, but they shouldn't have found them yet.
Shen Yi Min looked up at Li Yue Shu. "Who do you think did this?"
Li Yue Shu frowned and shook her head slightly.
Judging by their methods, the perpetrators must have some power. The powerful people she had offended were either the Li mansion or Li Xiang Ru.
However, based on her understanding, neither of them had a necessary reason to prevent A'Min and A'Lian from taking the prefectural examinations.
Li Yue Shu disturbed the dishes on the table, pouring some into the long box. "I'll go investigate the people at the inn later. You two stay in the room and don't run around."
Madam Mo watched her actions and suddenly spoke, "Madam, let me go investigate."
Everyone was slightly stunned.
Shen Wei looked at Madam Mo thoughtfully, knowing that this matter would be handled perfectly if entrusted to her.
Although Madam Mo usually helped out at home, she was always the calmest and most alert when Li Yue Shu got into trouble.
A person like her could be more helpful to Li Yue Shu in more important ways.
Li Yue Shu looked up and met Madam Mo's resolute gaze. After a moment of hesitation, she didn't refuse.
Madam Mo was a smart and meticulous person, otherwise she wouldn't have raised Mo Lian, the future Grand Chancellor.
But what she didn't expect was that Madam Mo would investigate the person who tampered with the food the very next day. It turned out to be the waiter from the inn, but the mastermind behind it was not found.
Li Yue Shu looked at Madam Mo before her and had a new perspective.
Before, she had only seen Madam Mo as Mo Lian's mother, someone kept at home idly.
But now, it seemed that Madam Mo's abilities were far greater than those of Aunt Liu and Zhou Shi.
Li Yue Shu collected her thoughts and said faintly, "No matter who it is, we'll know on the day of the prefectural examinations."
Seeing her confident demeanor, Madam Mo didn't ask further, which showed her trust in her.
...
In the following days, Li Yue Shu always had the waiter deliver the meals to their room. Afterward, they would pretend to have eaten and have Madam Mo secretly dispose of the long box.
Time passed quickly, and it was the day of the prefectural examinations. Many people from the inn had already rushed to the yamen early, but the two rooms Li Yue Shu had booked remained quiet.
Less than two quarters of an hour before the exam was to begin, the door of one of the closed rooms finally opened.
Madam Mo ran out, covered in sweat, her face as pale as paper.
She rushed downstairs and grabbed a waiter, "Quick... quickly take me to a doctor..."
The inn staff were all startled by her appearance and immediately rushed her to find a doctor.
As everyone's attention was drawn to Madam Mo, the door of another room quietly opened.
Li Yue Shu looked around, confirmed no one was watching, and then walked out.
Shen Yi Min and Mo Lian, each with a bundle on their backs, followed closely.
Before closing the door, Li Yue Shu looked back at Shen Wei, who was watching her with reluctance, and whispered, "Remember what I just taught you. Whether A'Min and A'Lian can take the exam with peace of mind depends on you."
Shen Wei seemed to suddenly feel the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He straightened his back and patted his chest. "Don't worry, A'Shu, I will definitely do a good job!"
Seeing his confident look, Li Yue Shu smiled gently and said no more. She led the two children to the back door of the inn, not noticing the helpless smile in Shen Wei's eyes.
Li Yue Shu cautiously surveyed the surroundings and then instructed the two children, "Study hard. I'll handle everything else. I'll come to the yamen to pick you up after the exam."
Shen Yi Min and Mo Lian exchanged a glance, then solemnly bowed to Li Yue Shu.
They blended into the crowd and quickly headed towards the yamen.
No matter who was behind this, their goal was to prevent them from participating in the prefectural examinations, so they would go and take it!
Li Yue Shu was targeted because of them, and the only way they could repay her was to achieve good results.
...
After seeing the two children off, Li Yue Shu did not return to her room but concealed her presence and hid among the crowd outside the inn.
A short while later, Madam Mo appeared with an old doctor, rushing, "Doctor, please hurry. My family members are all vomiting and having diarrhea, and they're weak all over. I still have two children taking the prefectural examinations. Please examine me quickly!"
Madam Mo's voice was not low, and those who needed to hear it naturally did.
As expected, two men followed them into the inn from outside. They watched as Madam Mo led the doctor into the room before hurriedly leaving.
Li Yue Shu saw everything. She then quietly followed the two men and saw them enter a large mansion with a plaque that read "Li Mansion."
The Li mansion?
Hadn't the previous matters been resolved? Why were they still causing trouble?
Li Yue Shu's brow furrowed, feeling that something had been overlooked.
Knowing who was behind it, Li Yue Shu no longer wasted time and turned back to the inn.
But before she could enter, she heard Madam Mo's anxious and panicked shouts from inside the room.