A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

After coming out of the Fourth Concubine's courtyard, Gui'er returned to her own courtyard and went straight back to her room.

Not long after she sat down, Sha Yanxiao came over. Gui'er was very surprised. In the past two years, Gui'er has grown older, and Sha Yanxiao may have seen the difference between men and women, so he rarely came to sit in her room.

Gui'er quickly let him in and happily told him about Sha Lili's preparations for the dowry and betrothal gifts.

Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "The women in this Marshal's Mansion have had a very hard life. They're all pitiful creatures, yet they still engage in intrigue and deception. Now the people in their courtyard can finally be free. The Fourth Concubine should be very happy."

Gui'er was stunned for a moment. She had never thought that Sha Yanxiao would have such an idea. Although she knew that Sha Yanxiao had received modern education, he was the Marshal's son after all.

Guier smiled a little unnaturally and said, "If my father heard you say that, he would probably be angry."

Sha Yanxiao sighed and said, "Father, do you still remember the first time we met?"

Gui'er immediately thought of the situation when Sha Yanxiao kidnapped Song Tingting and took her back to the mountain stronghold, but she didn't dare to mention it. Sha Yanxiao is now the young marshal, and that bandit past is a black history for him.

Guier smiled and said, "Are you talking about the first time we met in the school utility room?" She decided to pretend that she didn't remember Song Tingting being kidnapped.

Sha Yanxiao smiled, patted her head and said, "You are such a smart child. You always know the importance of things. But it's been so long, it doesn't hurt to tell you."

"I was studying at a medical school in Shanghai at the time and was about to graduate when I suddenly learned that my adoptive father had passed away. I immediately rushed back and found that he had been murdered. I asked the other leaders of Qingfeng Village, and they said it was related to the Song family. They also started to make a fuss and wanted to rob the Song family. I had just taken over my adoptive father's position as the leader, and the bandits under my command did not believe me at all. In order to avoid causing more casualties, they had to compromise and change their plan. Instead, they took Miss Song as a hostage and took her to the mountains. My idea was to designate Mr. Song to deliver the silver notes to the mountains, and then I would interrogate him. "I didn't expect Song Xichen to bring a large police force to suppress the bandits. Several of the leaders were killed on the spot. Only Dali and I escaped. When I was almost desperate, the Marshal appeared in front of me and took me back to the mansion. Later, I asked him what was going on and who killed my adoptive father. The Marshal said he didn't know. It might be that Song Xichen had just become the police chief and was making a lot of big moves. But there was no solid evidence. The Song family was also a prominent family of Jiang Cheng, so he asked me not to pursue the matter further. I was his son now, not a bandit anymore."

Gui'er suddenly realized why Sha Yanxiao and Song Xichen, who had no connection with each other before, were so at odds with each other.

She asked Sha Yanxiao: "After so many years, have you found out who killed your adoptive father?"

Sha Yanxiao shook his head, and Gui'er didn't know what to say. She recalled that she was indeed saved because of Song Xichen's suppression of bandits. She was almost taken to the mountain stronghold by the second in command of Qingfeng Stronghold. So many years have passed, it really seems like a lifetime ago.

However, she was puzzled as to why Sha Yanxiao suddenly brought this up to her. She asked cautiously, "It's been so long, brother. Are there any other developments in this matter that you're bringing it up all of a sudden?"

Sha Yanxiao smiled and patted her head. "No, I just don't want you to think I'm a bad person. I had my own reasons back then. I never intended to hurt you or Miss Song."

Gui'er smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "How could you be a bad person? You've been so kind to me, and you've been pretty nice to everyone else in the Marshal's Mansion, too. Everyone trusts you."

Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "I don't care about other people. I only care about what you think."

Guier nodded seriously and said, "Of course I believe you."

Sha Yanxiao smiled, then hesitated for several seconds before speaking. "The people Wu Mingqiang left in Shanghai found out that Duanmu Heng is indeed teaching at a middle school in Shanghai. People around him have a good opinion of him. What do you think of him?"

Gui'er didn't expect that Sha Yanxiao was also investigating the Duanmu family. If his investigation was true, Duanmu Heng might not be a traitor, but just his family.

Gui'er shook her head gently and said, "Although I'm not a person with great abilities, I still have to distinguish right from wrong. Duanmu Heng's family has mining in the Northeast, and his family has dealings with the Japanese, so he is also a vested interest. Besides, brother, although I don't like socializing, I have been in the Marshal's Mansion for so many years. I know too well what the mentality of those who come to the Marshal's Mansion to propose marriage is. They just want to get benefits by marrying me and forming an alliance with the Marshal's Mansion. Duanmu Heng is the same. If I were just an ordinary girl, would he still be so obsessed with me? It's impossible."

Sha Yanxiao opened his eyes wide and looked at Gui'er distressedly, hesitant to say, "Guier, ah, Gui'er..."

Gui'er smiled easily and said, "Brother, you don't have to be sad. How can there be pure love in a family like ours? You see, it's the same for you, and it's the same for big brother. Even Lily, she's so anxious to marry her fiancé as soon as possible, it's just out of consideration for profit. And his fiancé's ancestors are said to be merchants. I think he probably wants to marry a woman from an aristocratic family to save face. Even if Lily's father doesn't support her, she still has her uncle's family. Brother, if I don't meet the right person, I won't get married, is that okay?"

Sha Yanxiao subconsciously wanted to nod, then froze for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "Silly child, why do you say that? You will definitely meet someone you like. If not, you still have me."

As soon as he said this, Sha Yanxiao was stunned for a moment. Gui'er didn't think much about it and said with a smile: "Thank you, brother. I knew you always loved me the most."

Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "Okay, you should go to bed early." Then he turned and went out, closing the door behind him.

Gui'er looked at Sha Yanxiao's back and recalled the scene when she first met Song Xichen and Sha Yanxiao. It felt like it was fate.

However, after listening to Sha Yanxiao's story, she not only did not blame him for kidnapping her, but was full of sympathy for him. Because in this way, Sha Yanxiao seemed to have been framed by someone. If she could reconcile the relationship between Sha Yanxiao and Song Xichen, maybe she could guide Sha Yanxiao onto the right path.