Chapter 71: Nitrate.

Ye, the manager, beamed and said, "Master, these several carriages arrived last night and will be loaded with goods soon."

Lin Yannan walked to the front of the carriage and wandered around each carriage.

Her nose twitched, catching a familiar scent, saltpetre?

Saltpetre, also known as nitre or potassium nitrate, is described in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" as having a pungent, bitter taste with a slight saltiness and strong warmth. It enters the heart and spleen meridians. When used medicinally, warm internal remedies containing saltpetre can expel filth, clear turbidity, break through stagnation, promote diuresis, eliminate dampness, and detoxify and reduce swelling. It is used to treat conditions such as heatstroke, cold with fever and vomiting, abdominal masses and lumps, cervical lymphadenopathy, abdominal pain due to stagnant blood, jaundice, urinary pain with stones, headaches, throat obstruction, red eyes, and various types of sores, abscesses, and toxic swellings.

Lin Yannan continued to stroll around calmly and caught the smell of gunpowder on three carriages.

Ye, the steward, maintained a composed demeanor, as everything had already been cleaned up. There's nothing suspicious that this esteemed guest can discern.

"Good morning, what have you found?" Xiao Qian asked.

Lin Yanyan looked up at Mr. Ye and clearly saw his throat move twice, which was a sign of nervousness.

Lin Yannan smiled lightly and said, "I didn't find anything, just casually looking around."

Then she noticed that Ye, the steward, slightly breathed a sigh of relief.

After coming out of the second warehouse located in the south of the city, lunchtime had already passed.

Three people haven't eaten breakfast yet, and they are starving at this moment.

“咱们先找个地方吃饭，虽然没查到什么线索，但饭还是要吃的，走吧，我请客。”萧潜道。

"Who said there were no clues?" Lin Yannan raised an eyebrow.

"What did you find?" Xiao Qian and Lu Zhaonan said in unison.

"Gunpowder. I smelled gunpowder on three carriages, and there was also the smell of gunpowder in the warehouse located in the east of the city. It suggests that they transported a large quantity of gunpowder into the city."

Xiao Qian's face changed dramatically: "Saltpeter is under the control of the imperial court. A permit is required to bring saltpeter into the city, only for medicinal and some special purposes."

"That's right, so there is a problem here. Do you still remember when I mentioned that Meng's father used to work in a firecracker workshop and had three fingers blown off in an explosion? Meng Chao must also be familiar with saltpeter, so despite Guo Yongli's reprimand, he insisted on continuing the inspection. I suspect that Meng Chao's death is related to these several carts of saltpeter."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaonan said, "Immediately arrest the owner of Shunchang Cart and Horse Company for interrogation."

"Things are not that simple. Did Guo Yongli really scold Meng Chao for inspecting the convoy and causing the congestion at the city gate? Or does Guo Yongli know what was inside that horse carriage? Who is responsible for bringing in so much saltpeter? And what is their intention for using this saltpeter? This matter is very complicated and may involve many people. So, I didn't say anything earlier, letting Ye handle things as if we accomplished nothing. Only then can certain people feel at ease to continue their actions, and only then can we have a chance to unravel the truth bit by bit."

"You have a point. Fortunately, we now have some leads. Let's follow the clues of Guo Yongli and Shunchang Car Dealership and dig deeper. Let's eat first." Xiao Qian's confidence soared. Lin Yannan indeed had a knack for investigating cases. After him and Lu Zhaonan looked for a while without finding anything, Lin Yannan discovered an important clue just by circling around the carriage.

"You guys go ahead and eat, I have to go home first. I rushed out this morning without having a chance to explain anything. Lin Yanyan was concerned about the situation at the Zhu family's house. Maybe by now, the Hou Mansion is already in chaos."

Furthermore, when the three of them eat together, she feels like she's the odd one out.

"Alright, if there's any update, I'll send someone to get you."

Lin Yanyan forced a smile and said, "Can you send someone else? It's not very appropriate to always have Guan the head catcher come."

Xiao Qian touched his nose, "I understand, today's situation is unusual."

After bidding farewell to Lin Yannan and Xiao Qian and Lu Zhaonan, they rode their horses back home. Halfway there, they suddenly heard someone calling out, "Master Zhen."

Lin Yannan didn't react immediately and continued walking on her own.

"Master Zhen..." the person raised their voice.

Lin Yannan turned her head in the direction of the sound, only to see a carriage approaching. A person in the carriage pulled back the curtain and shyly looked at her.

Um... It's Wang Yiren.

Lin Yannan quickly dismounted and bowed respectfully: "Dr. Wang, good day to you with my greetings."

"Young Master Zhen, where are you coming from and where are you going?" Wang Yiren felt joyful in his heart upon seeing Zhen Rian.

She has been waiting at Yuqing Hall for two consecutive days, but Zhen Tianan never showed up to find her, which made her feel empty and the meals no longer appetizing.

"I just went to check a case and now I have to return to Shuntian Prefecture. Sheriff Xiao is still waiting for me." Lin Yanyan intentionally said this, afraid that Wang Yiren would invite her to have tea. Right now, she just wants to go home, have a meal, and listen to some gossip.

"Young Master Zhen is really busy." Wang Yiren was slightly disappointed, as someone with such important duties, she didn't want to hold him back.

"Duty calls, I have no choice." Lin Yannan smirked.

Wang Yiren's mind moved and she said, "Young Master Zhen, I will have a day off tomorrow. Please come to Yuqing Hall for a cup of tea. I have a few questions that I want to consult Young Master Zhen about."

"Tomorrow doesn't happen to be the third day of the week," Lin Yanyan wondered.

王伊人耳根发热：“我多日未沐休了，明日调休，就这么说定了，明日我在余庆堂恭候甄公子。”

王伊人说完就放下车帘，命车夫赶紧驾车，生怕甄公子会反悔。

Lin Yannan looks at the quickly departing carriage in both laughter and tears. Is Wang Yiren running away?

约在明日，明日还不知有多少事儿。过，跟王家人接触也是正事，还是抽空去一趟。

In a typical restaurant in the southern part of the city, Xiao Qian couldn't help but say to Lu Zhaonan, who was eating greedily, "I think you better not stay in Shuntian Mansion anymore. If you really want to do something, I can arrange a leisurely job for you."

"No, I am not someone who gives up easily when faced with difficulties," Luo Zhaonan said as he shoveled food into his mouth. Damn it, he hasn't been this hungry in a long time, feeling hunger from front to back.

"Why do you have to make things difficult for yourself? I know you thought investigating cases would be fun, but in reality, you've seen that it's not fun at all. It's only bloody, dirty, and full of wickedness..."

Lu Zhaonan said, "Who said I'm just doing this for fun? I find it meaningful. The Meng family died so tragically, I must investigate and uncover the truth, no matter what it takes. I admit I may not be as good as Lin Yannan, but everyone has a first time, right? I'll get used to it later. Don't tell me to quit, I don't want to hear it, and besides, it's pointless even if you say it."

Xiao Qian helplessly smiled as he saw how serious Lu Zhaonan looked, which was a sight he had never seen before.

Perhaps it was because of the presence of someone as exceptional as Lin Yanyan before, that Xiao Qian felt that Lu Zhaonan was useless. But upon closer thought, it was rare to come across someone as talented as Lin Yanyan, and Lu Zhaonan couldn't be compared to her. The fact that Lu Zhaonan didn't give up after witnessing such a bloody scene was commendable.

"Okay, take your time eating. We still have a lot of things to handle when we return to the office." Xiao Qian picked up his bowl and casually started eating.