In truth, the Guard Leader most suspected the servant girl who had perished on the road. However, there was no evidence left since the dead could not speak, nor could they trace the whereabouts of that particular group of foreign merchants. To mention her now would only make his men appear incompetent, so he chose to conceal this suspicion.
Yet, dragging things out like this was not a solution. If they failed to accomplish their mission, they would inevitably draw reprimands.
Thus, he asked, "Your Highness, please think carefully again. Have you formed a grudge with anyone?
"Furthermore, your subordinates suspect that the drug given to you and the one given to Gu Shufei did not come from the same person's hands."
The situation with Gu Shufei looked like the scheming of women vying for favor in the inner courtyard. But no matter how fierce the competition got, they would never target the master of the estate.
