Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Chen Shao did not answer but asked: "Have you met my sixth brother?"

Gu Feiyan laughed out loud, "So, you admit that you are not Mr. Chen Liu?"

Chen Shao poured more tea for her and said, "I'll give you half of Hongyuan County's food and money."

Gu Feiyan glanced at the tea in her hand, then looked at her again, then she put away the smile on her face and admitted, "I have indeed met your sixth brother."

Chen Shao asked: "When did you meet him?"

Gu Feiyan put down the teacup, looked at her slowly and said, "After receiving the calligraphy and paintings you sent, it was my idea to go to the border guarded by Duke Chen's Mansion to resolve the misunderstanding. Do you know why I came up with this idea?"

Chen Shao cooperated and asked, "Why?"

"Your grandfather, your father, your mother, your uncle, and your brothers are all dead. The Chen family army is leaderless. As the sixth son of the Duke of Chen's mansion, after recovering from your illness, you didn't rush to stabilize people's hearts, but ran to Hongyuan County to investigate the case. If it were you, would you believe it?" Gu Feiyan smiled, "Anyway, I don't believe it."

Chen Shao was stunned for a moment, then started laughing too.

After she said this, it was indeed hard to be convincing.

But she didn't think about that at the time.

"What should I do if I don't believe it?" Gu Feiyan asked herself, "Of course I should go and verify it. I originally planned to come to Hongyuan County to find you for verification. When I was thinking of an excuse, I heard that after your last two brothers died on the battlefield, the Chen family army, whose morale had been shattered, suddenly came back to life. This is interesting. It just so happened that at this time, you sent someone to deliver those calligraphy and paintings. I don't even need to find an excuse. Do you think this is God's will?"

Recalling the time when she was stationed at the border at the Duke of Chen's Mansion, and how, after several rounds of battles of wits and courage, she finally found out Chen Zhao, the 'culprit' who helped boost the morale of the Chen family army, and discovered his identity, Gu Feiyan's eyebrows unconsciously lifted up.

Facing Chen Shao's 'all ears' look, Gu Feiyan did not intend to share.

It was the most interesting experience besides her favorite thing about leading troops in battle, and she wanted to enjoy it all to herself.

"The moment we caught Young Master Chen Liu, all the unreasonable things made sense, but this made me interested in you again." Gu Feiyan summarized the result in a few words, and then changed the subject to Chen Shao, "On the way back to the residence of the General Fuguo, I heard that you wrote to your father again, asking him to help transport food, so I came here."

After a pause, he added: "You are smarter and more beautiful than I thought."

Chen Shao accepted her compliment calmly and said, "You too."

Gu Feiyan tapped the coffee table lightly: "Then tell me, what kind of person am I in your original imagination?"

Chen Shao thought for a moment and said, "She is so heroic and brave, and she is as good as any man."

Gu Feiyan was startled for a moment, then looked up at her calmly.

Although the word "jinguo" comes from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the word "xumei" has also referred to men since ancient times, the allusion of "jinguo is as good as xumei" comes from Liang Hongyu, a hero who fought against the Jin Dynasty in the Song Dynasty.

Although Datang, where they are now, has an unknown history, many of its customs and rules are the same as those of the Tang Dynasty.

She has been here for nineteen years. During these nineteen years, she has made countless investigations and can say with certainty that Datong and Dasong have no similarities at all.

Based on this, her identity is very suspicious.

Gu Feiyan has always believed that things that can be solved immediately should never be postponed until tomorrow. Since she suspected her identity, she simply asked, "What is the next sentence of 'Born to be a hero'?"

Chen Shao looked at her immediately with a stern gaze.

Gu Feiyan said seriously: "Answer me!"

Chen Shao said: "Even if I die, I will still be a ghost hero."

Gu Feiyan added: "Withered vines, old trees, and crows."

Chen Shao: "A small bridge, flowing water and a family."

Gu Feiyan: "I advise God to shake himself up again."

Chen Shao: "We can recruit talents regardless of their background."

Gu Feiyan: "Ask the vast earth."

Chen Shao: "Who's in charge?"

Gu Feiyan: "Count the heroes."

Chen Shao: "It depends on today."

Gu Feiyan felt heat rising in her chest, but she tried her best to suppress it, and asked softly, "When did you come here?"

Chen Shao smiled, lowered his eyes slightly, hid the heat in his eyes, and looked up at her. He started from her black hair, then her eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth... He looked at her again and again, and finally said: "I came here the moment Mrs. Chen San gave birth to this body of mine, how about you?"

Gu Feiyan smiled brightly: "Then I came here earlier than you. My body was still in my mother's womb when I came here."

Chen Shao extended his hand toward her.

Gu Feiyan took a look, then held her tightly. After a moment, she pulled her over and hugged her tightly, saying, "I didn't expect that I could meet a 'fellow countryman' after such a long time and space. It's really not easy."

Chen Shao joked: "As a developing country, of course we cannot just develop our own country. We must develop both the known and the unknown together, only then can we live up to the word 'development'."

"You're right." Gu Feiyan smiled, "I'm glad to meet you here."

Chen Shao said: "Me too."

Chan Yi rushed over and saw the two of them hugging each other. She looked at Chen Shao in surprise, then at Gu Feiyan, then at Chen Shao again, then at Gu Feiyan again... After a while, she called out uncertainly: "Young Master..."

"Tease her?" Gu Feiyan patted Chen Shao's back gently, whispered a few words in his ear, and then said loudly, "No need to call me, you young masters are all mine from now on."

Looking at Chan Yi's stiff expression, Chen Shao chuckled twice and said, "Well, I'm yours from now on."

Chan Yi's face flushed and she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.

Although Gu Feiyan was wearing tight clothes, her complexion was not as fair and smooth as those young ladies in Beijing, and her eyebrows and eyes were not as gentle and charming as those young ladies, she was still a bright and vigorous beauty. If the young master was really a man, she would have no objection to their love, but the young master was clearly...

Gu Feiyan was unaware of the truth and was temporarily deceived by the young master's handsome appearance. It is understandable, but why didn't the young master explain?

Looking at Gu Feiyan's eyes, I know she can definitely fight. If she finds out that the young master lied to her in the future...

Besides, didn't the young master always intend to join hands with the General of the State to deal with the princelings of the previous dynasty? By deceiving Gu Feiyan like this, wasn't he afraid that the General of the State would turn against her in the future?

Seeing Chan Yi's increasingly colorful complexion, Gu Feiyan laughed and let go of Chen Shao, saying, "Okay, I won't tease you anymore. Your son is still yours, and I won't snatch him from you."

After saying that, he jumped off the carriage, got back on the horse, and shouted to the elite soldiers in the distance: "Okay, come back and prepare to set off! Finish the case as soon as possible and come back to distribute the food as soon as possible!"

Gu Feiyan brought a total of 500 elite soldiers with him when he came to Hongyuan County this time.

He left four hundred men with Li Tianliu to help settle them, and only took one hundred with Chen Shao to Xitang County.

Earlier, she wanted to talk to Chen Shao alone, but Fu Jiu and Xu Guang were afraid that she would cause trouble, so they stopped her. The 100 elite soldiers who accompanied her, under her orders, surrounded the two of them from a distance.

Hearing her call, the hundred elite soldiers quickly retreated, reorganized their formation with the carriage as the center, and at her command, they set out towards Xitang County quickly and orderly.

"Young Master," Chan Yi, who had abandoned her horse and boarded the carriage half an hour after departure, looked at Gu Feiyan on the horse in front of her and asked in a low voice, "Should we quietly tell Miss Gu Liu that you are not Young Master Liu?"

Chen Shao was originally thinking about how Chen Zhao had used her to conceal her identity and go to the border. When she heard her words, she glanced at Gu Feiyan in front of her and said, "I was just teasing you. She knows my identity."

"Young Master told her?" Chan Yi was surprised.

"No." Chen Shao told her about Chen Zhao's trip to the border.

Chan Yi's eyes widened in shock. After a while, she said, "So, the Sixth Young Master's request for you to investigate the treacherous officials and rebels who killed the master and the mistress was just a cover, and the real purpose was to cover up for him to go to the border to continue to resist foreign enemies and protect the country?"

Chen Shao said uncertainly: "Probably."

"Why did the Sixth Young Master do this?" Chan Yi was puzzled, and even a little annoyed, "Sixth Young Master, do you know how dangerous it is for you to take his identity and walk around outside? If he really wants to investigate the treacherous officials who killed the master and the mistress, then that's fine. There are so many generals at the border, let them lead the troops to fight, why does he need to join in the fun! The young master spent so much effort to remove his poison, it's fine if he doesn't take care of his body, but he is still plotting against the young master!"

Chan Yi became angrier and angrier as she spoke, and gradually she began to speak without thinking: "Young Master, you grew up in the mountains and have never received any favor from the Duke of Chen's Mansion. Why do they bully you like this?"

Chen Shao patted her hand gently and said soothingly, "Don't get angry and hurt yourself."

Chan Yi's eyes were already red, and tears were already hanging in the corners of her eyes. Hearing her words, she couldn't help but said aggrievedly: "Sir, aren't you angry?"

"I'm a little angry," Chen Shao said with mixed emotions, "but more of it is..."

Chan Yi waited for a long time before she continued, "Unexpected."

Chan Yi didn't understand.

Chen Shao didn't understand either.

What she didn't expect was that when she was investigating the Zhu, Gu, Fan and Qi families, she kept questioning whether this corrupt country still needed to be saved. Later, after leaving the Fan family, on the way back to the prefect's mansion, the bowls of wontons, the buns, the Hu cakes, the bowls of noodles, the greetings, etc. made her feel that she could hold on a little longer.

But what about him?

He was poisoned when he was very young, and as the poison became more serious, he had not stepped out of the Duke of Chen's Mansion for many years.

Although she lived in poverty in the mountains, at least she had the company of her master and Chan Yi, and from time to time, she could travel with her master. But he not only had to suffer from poisoning every day, but also had to witness the death of his relatives one by one.

He experienced harm and hardship that ordinary people could hardly go through, but he was still willing to take on the responsibility of defending his country at the risk of his life.

She didn't know what he insisted on.

But his actions reminded her of...those revolutionary martyrs who refused to turn back.

Looking at the trees that were retreating as the carriage moved forward, Chen Shao rubbed his brows and said tiredly, "Since his purpose in asking me to replace him is not to deal with those treacherous officials and rebels, then write him a letter for me and ask him what happened to the prince's party in the previous dynasty."

Chan Yi silently took out the pen, ink, paper and inkstone. Just when she was halfway through writing, a Yulin Guard came on a fast horse and handed her a letter: "It's from the border."

Chan Yi took the letter and saw the words “Written by the Sixth Young Master”. She hummed softly and handed the letter to Chen Shao.

It was a letter written by Chen Zhao.

He started by apologizing to her, saying that he had indeed used her to divert the attention of the treacherous officials and rebels, so that he could go to the border to investigate the truth about the deaths of his grandfather, father, uncle, brother, etc. But at the same time, he explained that he had not lied to her. If his grandfather, parents, uncle, etc. were indeed murdered, then the murderers must have been the spies in the army and the treacherous officials and rebels who had become increasingly rampant in recent years. He could not take care of both sides, and he had no one he could fully trust, so he had to let her down.

Later, he said that the prince had sent him all the letters she wrote to him. He was surprised at her performance in Hongyuan County, but he admired her more, saying that if he came to Hongyuan County, he would not do as well as she did.

Afterwards, he also talked about the princelings of the previous dynasty. He said that he had sent people to investigate secretly in the past two years, but the information he found was mostly about the princes' restlessness. After reading the information she sent back, combined with the clues of the secret investigation in the past two years, if the culprit who murdered my grandfather was really the princelings of the previous dynasty, then those princes who were restless might have more or less had intricate interests with each other without knowing it, or with the intention of the princelings of the previous dynasty.

Finally, he said that since she had found out about the prince's gang of the previous dynasty, then the prince's gang of the previous dynasty must have also noticed her. After asking her to pay attention to her safety, he said that if it really didn't work, he would let her go to the border. The General Auxiliary State had agreed to form an alliance with the Chen Guogong Mansion to jointly resist foreign enemies and deal with the prince's gang of the previous dynasty at the same time.

Chen Shao did not read the concerned words. After reading the news that several princes were ready to make a move twice, he handed the letter to Chan Yi who was staring at him eagerly.

While Chan Yi was reading the letter, Chen Shao leaned against the soft pillow, rubbed his brows and said, "Put the letter away. Don't write to him again."

Chan Yi nodded lightly and agreed.

After rubbing his eyebrows, Chen Shao gently patted his forehead twice, then raised his eyes and looked at Gu Feiyan in front of him.

The situation was more complicated than she imagined.

Let's not talk about the disputes between several princes and the prince's party of the previous dynasty. Just the sentence in Chen Zhaoxin, "The General of the State has agreed to form an alliance with the Duke of Chen's Mansion to jointly resist foreign enemies and deal with the prince's party of the previous dynasty", contains a lot of information.

Although Gu Feiyan and she are "fellow villagers", they are ultimately from two different interest groups, and they know very little about each other now, so it is not appropriate to ask too many questions.

Let’s talk about it after we come back from Xitang County.

With a plan in mind, Chen Shao felt a little relieved.

I don't know if it was because of Gu Feiyan's escort, but the journey to Xitang County was relatively smooth. Even though we stopped and started along the way, we arrived at Xitang County before dark on the fifth day.

A banquet had already been set up in the county government office. In addition to officials of all ranks from Xitang County, all officials from Jingchuan County were also present.