The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

Guan Liushui couldn't understand what his father meant.

"She was just the head of Jiaoyang Valley, and later transformed into the virtuous princess. What other identities could she have?"

"Son, over ten years ago, a tragedy occurred in Xia Country. A diplomatic delegation bound for Yue Country was attacked en route. The Crown Prince and his entourage were all killed. The only survivor is the current Prince Xian. Two people are still missing: Zhao Xiaoman, the head escort of the Wuwei Escort Agency, and her apprentice, Zhao Xuan. The government is still looking for them."

Guan Liushui's heart began to pound. He remembered that the boss had asked him to help find clues to the old case. He also learned from the Imperial Censor Ma Baoguo that after the case, the Prince of Yue had secretly come to Xia and had a secret conversation with the Emperor of Xia and others.

Later, he told the boss this clue, but the boss did not mention why he wanted to investigate this old case.

Could it be that the boss is indeed involved in this old case?

Hu Yiba looked around cautiously again before continuing in a low voice.

"For years, a mysterious figure in the imperial court has been paying Dad to secretly track down Zhao Xiaoman and Zhao Xuan. This figure must be a senior official in the court. I suspect it's Emperor Xia himself, but the person in charge of contacting me is a woman. A while ago, Dad finally discovered that Huang Huacai was Zhao Xuan. After the crime, she had been hiding in Heyan Village outside Yanzhou City for many years, hiding her identity. Only two years ago did she leave Heyan Village and settle in Jiaoyang Valley, becoming the head of Jiaoyang Valley."

Guan Liushui's eyes widened instantly.

"Dad, are you saying that the boss is a wanted criminal? Is Huang Huacai Zhao Xiaoman's apprentice Zhao Xuan?"

"Yes, and I've already told that mysterious person about this. She told me to find Huang Huacai and to see her alive or dead. But Huang Huacai should have come to Liyang and become the virtuous princess, so Dad put it off. Now that I think about it, this mysterious person probably has no good intentions towards Huang Huacai. Find a chance to remind Huang Huacai and tell her to be careful."

Guan Liushui finally figured it out at this time. The boss was Zhao Xuan who had disappeared that year. That was why he cared so much about the attack on the diplomatic mission more than ten years ago and asked him to help find clues.

"Dad, I've got it."

Hu Yiba rubbed Guan Liushui's head lovingly.

"You little brat, you've finally grown up. If Dad hadn't forced you to practice martial arts, maybe a lot of things wouldn't have happened. There's nothing wrong with you taking after your mother. You're more promising than Dad!"

After saying this, Hu Yiba stood up, walked out of the pavilion, and waved to Guan Liushui.

"No need to send me off, just go back!"

Guan Liushui's tears finally fell, and he shouted at Hu Yiba.

"Dad! You must take good care of yourself! I will definitely take you back one day!"

Hu Yiba paused, but did not look back. He strode towards the escort team. His eyes were filled with tears, but he did not want his son to see them.

The escort team set off quickly, and only when Hu Yiba was no longer in sight did Guan Liushui set off to return to Liyang.

He was really worried about Zhao Xuan's safety. He was once stigmatized as the boss of Yanwangzhai. He had just cleared his name, but now he became a wanted criminal wanted by the Xia government for many years. What should he do?

Guan Liushui went directly to Prince Xian's mansion, introduced himself to the gatekeeper, and said that he wanted to meet the Princess Xian for an urgent matter.

The servant ran in to tell the story, and soon Chunlan came out in person. She followed Guanliushui and walked around for several minutes until she arrived at the kitchen door of the palace. Chunlan pointed inside.

"The princess is making dumplings with Hao Xiong in there right now. You can just go in. I have other things to do."

Guan Liushui thanked Chunlan and walked into the kitchen. Sure enough, he saw Hao Xiong rolling out dough and Zhao Xuan making dumplings with her favorite leek and egg filling.

Guan Liushui called out, "Princess."

Zhao Xuan and Hao Xiong turned around at the same time and smiled when they saw him.

Zhao Xuan placed a freshly wrapped dumpling on the bamboo cover of the stove.

"You came just in time, we'll have something ready to eat soon!"

"The prince is not at home?"

"She went to the palace to express her gratitude to the Emperor. The successful resolution of the Jiaoyang Valley incident is due to the Emperor's support."

"Then why didn't you go into the palace with me?"

"I'm not going. Going to the palace is too much trouble. I have to change into palace clothes, style my hair in a bun, and put a lot of hairpins in my head. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt. It's the same if I ask the prince to thank my father on my behalf."

"You are really trying to save trouble as a princess."

Hao Xiong put his arm around Guan Liushui's shoulders.

"Don't call me Princess in private. It sounds awkward. Just call me sister like me. Do you want to try rolling out dumpling wrappers? It's such a strenuous job!"

Guan Liushui is not pretentious and just drives people away directly.

"Brother Xiong, can you please go out for a moment? I have something very important to tell my sister."

Zhao Xuan glanced at Guan Liushui and felt a little dissatisfied.

"Is there anything important that Hao Xiong can't know? You two are brothers, and we are siblings. There's nothing to hide. Just tell us directly."

Zhao Xuan thought of something and looked at Guan Liushui carefully. She saw that his eyes were swollen, obviously as if he had been crying.

"Did you go out of the city to see your father off today? What happened to your father? There's no need to hide it from Hao Xiong. He was harmed by your father this time and spent a few days in jail for me. He suffered a lot."

Guan Liushui pondered in silence. He was not sure whether he should tell Zhao Xuan what his father had told him in front of Hao Xiong.

Hao Xiongduo was very considerate. He threw the rolling pin onto the chopping board and patted the flour on his collar.

"Forget it, I think I'd better go out first. I'll come in and continue rolling the dough after you guys finish talking."

Zhao Xuan called out to Hao Xiong.

"Just stay here, why are you leaving? If I don't trust my own brothers, who else can I trust? Xiaoling, if you don't want to say it in front of Hao Xiong, then don't tell me behind Hao Xiong's back. I don't want to hear it!"

Guan Liushui saw that Zhao Xuan had a cold face, and he didn't want Hao Xiong to misunderstand that he didn't regard Hao Xiong as his elder brother. Since Zhao Xuan didn't mind, what else did he have to worry about?

Guan Liushui turned around and closed the kitchen door, then walked up to Zhao Xuan and Hao Xiong.

"My father told me a secret before he left. Sister, your original name was Zhao Xuan, and you were the apprentice of Zhao Xiaoman, the former head escort of the Wuwei Escort Agency. More than ten years ago, after the attack on the diplomatic mission, both you and Zhao Xiaoman disappeared, and you are still wanted by the government."

Hao Xiong picked up a rolling pin and hit Guan Liushui on the arm.

"Your father is a piece of shit, and you are a piece of shit too? Can you believe what he says? Aren't you afraid of dirtying our sister's ears?"

As soon as Guan Liushui finished speaking, she squeezed the dumpling that Zhao Xuan had just wrapped and it was flattened, and the dumpling filling dripped onto the ground.

Zhao Xuan grabbed a rag and wiped her hands to calm herself down.

"How did your father know?"

Hao Xiong immediately jumped high, his eyes as big as copper bells.

"Sister, what's going on? Is what this kid said true?"

"Really? More real than pearls. Why, are you scared?"

Hao Xiong snorted.

"If you're not afraid, why should I be afraid? Hearing is believing, seeing is believing. In this world, what you see isn't necessarily true. Otherwise, how could we be wronged? I believe there must be another reason why you're wanted. Sister, I'll follow you through fire and water!"

Guan Liushui glanced at Hao Xiong before continuing.

"Ever since you and your master disappeared, a mysterious man approached my father and gave him enough money to secretly search for your whereabouts. He eventually got a clue in Heyan Village and confirmed that Huang Huacai is Zhao Xuan. My father speculates that this mysterious man is most likely a senior official in the court or Emperor Xia himself."

Zhao Xuan smiled coldly.

"I didn't expect that even after all these years of hiding, the truth still couldn't be hidden. Your father is quite capable."

"My father told me these things out of kindness. He wanted me to warn you that the mysterious man might have bad intentions. He wanted you to be careful and not be careless."

"Your father really doesn't know who that mysterious man is?"

"I really don't know. I just said that the person who was in charge of contacting him was a woman."