The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

In the rebel army's tent, Zhao Xiaoman, who was only sixteen at the time, looked at the rebel general sitting in front of her and felt deeply moved. He was so young and heroic. Qin Shao also looked at her with a sharp gaze and said, "Miss Zhao looks young, but she has such a heart that cares about the country and the people. I underestimated you!"

"I'm sorry I was rude, but my father is the president of the Xiangzhou Chamber of Commerce. I've traveled extensively with him since I was young, learning the ways of business. I know how difficult it is for merchants to navigate the harsh conditions. If you want to gather enough food and fodder, purchasing at a high price is indeed the most appropriate method. However, the rebel army has expanded from its original 50,000 troops to its current 200,000. I'm sure you can't afford to buy enough food and fodder to sustain them until they capture Liyang, right?"

Qin Shao felt a little embarrassed, scratched his head, and said sheepishly: "My brother and I have been stationed in the northern border for many years. Soldiers are really poor. Although my brother is the King of the Northern Border, he has fulfilled his duties and has some savings, but along the way, he also..."

Zhao Xiaoman looked at Qin Shao's distressed expression and wanted to laugh, but she quickly suppressed her laughter and said sternly, "If the general trusts me, please leave the task of preparing food supplies to me. I will definitely help you in seven days!"

Qin Shao looked at Zhao Xiaoman curiously and asked, "Miss Zhao, what's your brilliant plan? Why not tell me about it?"

"Keep it secret!"

After Zhao Xiaoman finished speaking, she saw Qin Shao's depressed look, which she found amusing instead. She smiled, bowed, and left.

Zhao Xiaoman's plan was very simple. She had long ago persuaded her father to order all the clansmen to spend all their family wealth, and she used her reputation as the president of the Chamber of Commerce to guarantee that she would buy grain at a fair price from the merchants. If the rebel army was successful, the Zhao family would have the merit of following the dragon and would be valued. She would definitely return double the cash to the merchants. If the rebel army was defeated, the Zhao family would be the first to bear the brunt of the crime. The other merchants were just selling grain to the Zhao family normally, which had nothing to do with supporting the rebel army.

In the eyes of all the businessmen, Zhao Xiaoman was taking a gamble, but Zhao Xiaoman herself knew that the reason she did this was, on the one hand, that she believed in the judgment of her master, Old Man Xuanji, that Qin Shao and Gu Li, one brave and the other resourceful, were leading an army of justice; on the other hand, as a merchant girl who traveled around with her father, she had long seen that the people had suffered from the tyranny of Emperor Chen for a long time. Even if Qin Shao and King Gu Li of the Northern Territory had not risen up in arms, there would have been other rebel forces to overthrow Emperor Chen's tyrannical rule and restore peace to the people.

Later, she followed Qin Shao all the way until the rebel army attacked Liyang, and then went south with Qin Shao to support Fengcheng, and finally they drank and talked happily in the Moon Tower!

Back then, they fought side by side when faced with danger; back then, they chatted all night long by the campfire when they had some free time; back then, despite being in danger many times, they stayed together through life and death; back then, despite being deeply attached to each other, they were free and easy...

Thinking of this, Zhao Xiaoman sighed deeply. If only time could stop at that time, how wonderful it would be! What changed all this and caused the situation to get out of control later?

Of course, she had accidentally seen the jade ruyi in her father's hand. Upon asking, she learned that Gu Li, the King of the Northern Territory, had made a secret agreement with her father back in Xiangzhou City. If the rebels successfully captured Liyang, he would become king and make Zhao Xiaoman his queen! Now that Gu Li had ascended the throne, her father had taken out the jade ruyi, hoping that Gu Li would fulfill the promise he had made.

But she already had someone in her heart, and hearing this news was like a bolt from the blue. She was so audacious that she immediately snatched the jade ruyi from her father's hand and broke into the palace at night! In front of Emperor Xia, she not only broke the contract and returned the token, but also risked her life to plead with the Emperor to grant her marriage to Qin Shao. Emperor Xia not only did not blame her, but also issued an edict to grant their marriage.

What happened next? As she waited at home, filled with endless anticipation and longing for a happy future, Qin Shao arrived, revealing that he had married three years earlier and, despite his deep love for her, was unable to divorce her...

She truly regretted it then. It was all her fault for being so impulsive and willful! She hadn't even thought of asking Qin Shao if he had any engagement before asking Emperor Xia for a marriage?

For more than a year thereafter, she traveled around the world, silently repairing her scarred heart, and never met Qin Shao again until she felt that she could face Qin Shao calmly. However, she did not expect that her marriage with Qin Shao would not succeed. Emperor Xia was grateful for his father Zhao Cheng's outstanding contribution to the management of the Ministry of Revenue, and he went against all odds to fulfill the promise of Xiangzhou and made herself the virtuous concubine.

When she asked her father to let her go to the northern border army to reward the soldiers, she had already made up her mind to commit herself to Qin Shao, because she loved him deeply. She was unwilling to be Qin Shao's concubine, nor was she willing to become the wife of Emperor Xia. This was the best choice.

So she came to the northern border and met Qin Shao. Her arrival made Qin Shao ecstatic and extremely painful. Qin Shao held the ice crystal chalcedony flower that he picked at the risk of his life as a gift and congratulated her on becoming a princess. She knew that her love was not in vain, but she just met too late.

She threw herself into Qin Shao's arms and burst into tears. The pain of longing for him for more than a year turned into tenderness. But it was only on that night that they belonged to each other, because that knot had no solution...

From then on, she put all her thoughts on the escort agency and devoted herself to protecting the caravan. Although she looked towards the north countless times in all the ups and downs, her idea of ​​never marrying never changed. She could hurt herself, but she could not let innocent people get hurt because of her selfish love, otherwise she would never forgive herself.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xiaoman looked at the sleeping Zhao Xuan. Fortunately, this little one came to her side in time, and her world suddenly became bright. She finally had the strength and courage to love again. She gently kissed Zhao Xuan's little face, but a tear quietly slipped from the corner of her eye...

In a corner of the pavilion in the courtyard, Qin Shao's thoughts were also in turmoil. He stared for a long time at the window of Zhao Xiaoman's bedroom not far away. The light inside was swaying, but Zhao Xiaoman's figure was nowhere to be seen. There was a pile of empty wine jugs at his feet, and the several plates of side dishes on the table were almost untouched.

At this time, Yulan came over quietly with two jugs of wine on a tray. Seeing this situation, she couldn't help but sigh softly, put the wine jug on the stone table, and squatted down to pick up the empty wine jugs scattered on the ground. She didn't pay attention for a moment, and her bun touched Qin Shao's legs on another stone bench. She hurriedly adjusted the hairpin on her head.

Qin Shao then looked at Yulan and said casually, "The hairpin is quite beautiful..."

"The young lady gave it to me... General, you drank too much..."

Qin Shao sighed and said, a little tipsy, "I wonder if she took the ice crystal chalcedony flower I gave her back then? Maybe she wanted to save it for that little girl..."

"The flower has already..."

Yulan hesitated to speak.

"Your young lady has already taken it? That's good!"

Yulan picked up the wine jug and stood up, saying sadly, "A while ago, the young lady gave the Ice Crystal Chalcedony Flower to Concubine Shu!"

Qin Shao was stunned.

"Really? She's such a cruel woman. I've been so infatuated with her for the past few years, trying so hard to spend our lives together... But even the position of legal wife couldn't change her mind... It's all in vain! Zhao Xiaoman, you're so cruel, so cruel!"

Qin Shao picked up the full pot of wine on the stone table and poured it all into his mouth. When he looked at Zhao Xiaoman's window again, the lights were off.

"That's it! That's it!"

Qin Shao placed the empty wine jug on the stone table, stood up, and staggered towards the gate of the mansion. Yulan looked at Qin Shao with infinite sadness in her eyes.

"General!"

She cried out sadly, hurriedly chased after him, supported Qin Shao who was about to fall, and walked out of the mansion together.

At this time, in the quiet night, in the residence of the Minister of Personnel, Yang Liuming was sleeping peacefully with his wife. Suddenly, he was awakened by several light but urgent knocks on the door. He immediately got up, put on his clothes, and opened the door.

A secret guard in night clothes hurriedly saluted him, handed him a secret letter, and whispered, "Sir, an urgent secret report from Yue Kingdom!"

Yang Liuming quickly took the secret letter and opened it. When he first saw it, he was shocked!