The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

While Qin Xiaoming was secretly reporting to Wang Huai about the custom-made crossbow arrows, Hao Xiong was having a great chat with Qin Xiaoming's daughter Qin Tietie in Qin's blacksmith shop.

Qin Xiaoming's family has made a living by blacksmithing for three generations. It was not until Qin Xiaoming's generation that they finally managed to save enough money to open their own blacksmith shop and no longer had to work for others.

Qin Xiaoming naturally hoped that his blacksmithing skills could be passed down, but his wife only gave birth to a daughter, Qin Tietie, and she was injured in childbirth and never got pregnant again.

Qin Xiaoming has a good relationship with his wife, and he doesn't have any spare money to take a concubine. If the concubine gives birth to a daughter, it will be a loss.

So, Qin Xiaoming decided not to do what he thought and to train Qin Tietie well.

It's strange to say, but as a girl, Qin Tietie has never been interested in girls' jobs like embroidery since she was a child. Instead, she fell in love with the blacksmithing business because of her surroundings.

Now, at the age of sixteen, she is already the best blacksmith in Qin's Blacksmith Shop, second only to her father.

Zhao Xuan and her group came to place an order that day. Qin Xiaoming happened to be out for something, so it was Qin Tietie who received them. Then Zhao Xuan handed over the matter of customizing the crossbow arrows to Hao Xiong.

Hao Xiong came to Qin's blacksmith shop every now and then to check on the progress of crossbow production. He was very outgoing and became friends with Qin Tietie over time.

That day, Hao Xiong squatted aside and watched Qin Tietie concentrating on polishing the arrowhead of the crossbow. With a little force, the muscles on his exposed arms bulged.

Hao Xiong tried to stretch out his arm and clench his fist, but it seemed that his arm was not as strong as the girl's.

Qin Tietie found Hao Xiong's frustrated look a little funny. She smiled, revealing a row of big white teeth that formed a sharp contrast with her wheat-colored skin.

Her pair of shiny black eyes narrowed into crescents. Unlike the graceful figures of ordinary girls, she looked tall and strong, and her whole body was full of strength.

She shook her head, threw the ends of her hair wet with sweat behind her head, and said to Hao Xiong with a smile.

"You're quite interesting. Many people look down on me because I'm a female blacksmith, but you're the only one who doesn't mind at all."

Hao Xiong stood up and looked at the finely crafted crossbow in Qin Tietie's hand.

"Why would you despise me? Being a good blacksmith depends entirely on your skill, not your gender. Besides, I wouldn't dare look down on a woman. My sister would beat me up!"

Qin Tietie raised his eyebrows, very interested in what Hao Xiong said.

"Is your sister the woman who came to order the crossbow arrows that day?"

"Yes! My sister knows Kung Fu! And the sister in the white dress who came with us is very good at medicine. When I'm with them, I'm just a little brother with no skills!"

Hao Xiong praised his sister and Xiao Yixiong, and did not hesitate to belittle himself.

Qin Tietie looked at Hao Xiong with some envy.

"Your sisters are so talented. I'm the only child in our family. If I had an older brother or a younger brother, my father would definitely not want to teach me how to forge iron. But I just love it."

Qin Tietie felt a little distressed when he said this.

"My mother keeps telling me I'll never get married. I don't understand. Wouldn't it be better for me to inherit the family business and spend the rest of my life working as a blacksmith? Why do I have to get married? What will happen to my blacksmith shop if I get married?"

"You can find a son-in-law, what's the big deal?"

Qin Tietie's eyes suddenly widened, his face full of disbelief.

"You mean recruiting a man to marry into our family? Which normal man would be willing to do that? I don't want any ugly guy!"

Hao Xiong couldn't help laughing. He thought of his brother-in-law Gu Zhanghua. Wasn't he the son-in-law who married into their Jiaoyang Valley?

"The person who came to place the order with my sister that day was my brother-in-law. He was the son-in-law who married into the family! Back when he came to our Jiaoyang Valley, he always listened to my sister's orders. He was so well behaved!"

Qin Tietie stopped working and looked at Hao Xiong with shining eyes.

"What is Jiaoyang Valley?"

Hao Xiong also became interested and pulled Qin Tietie aside. While drinking tea, he talked to Qin Tietie about the scenery of Jiaoyang Valley and the thrilling past when he and Zhao Xuan had experienced the pursuit of the Tiandao League.

As soon as Qin Xiaoming stepped into the blacksmith shop, he saw his daughter showing her naive little girl look, sitting face to face with Hao Xiong, her hands on her chin, staring at Hao Xiong without blinking, with an infatuated look on her face.

Qin Xiaoming's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

His intuition told him that this man named Hao Xiong must be in big trouble, and his daughter must not have anything to do with Hao Xiong.

Qin Xiaoming walked up to the two of them and heard Hao Xiong talking to his daughter.

"I'll invite you to Jiaoyang Valley when we have the chance. I'll take you hunting in the mountains and fishing in the streams!"

His daughter nodded excitedly. Qin Xiaoming felt a headache and pulled Qin Tietie to the backyard.

"It's time to eat, and you're still talking nonsense here! Aren't you afraid your mother will scold you again?"

Qin Tietie was caught off guard and staggered when her father pulled her. She smiled apologetically at Hao Xiong and followed her father to the backyard. Seeing that her father's face was ashen, she asked hurriedly.

"Dad, what's wrong with you? Who made you angry?"

Qin Xiaoming paused, looked back at Qin Tietie, and said something that left no room for doubt.

"The thirty crossbow arrows he ordered will be delivered tomorrow morning. After dinner, finish the rest of your work quickly and don't talk to him again. Do you understand?"

Qin Tietie looked confused.

"You mean Hao Xiong? I think he's a nice guy, why aren't you allowed to talk to him?"

Qin Xiaoming grabbed Qin Tietie's hand tightly, a hint of fear flashing between his brows.

"You're right to listen to Dad. Dad won't harm you!"

Qin Tietie didn't argue with her father anymore and responded perfunctorily.

"it is good."

But her heart had already flown to Jiaoyang Valley. The stories told by Hao Xiong were so interesting that she really wanted to go and see them.

?

After Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua returned to Liyang, they had no time to go back to Prince Xian's Mansion to rest, and rushed directly to the palace to meet Gu Li.

At this time, Liyang City was shrouded in darkness.

In the imperial study, Gu Li was reviewing memorials. Suddenly, he rubbed his sore wrist and asked Han Gu who was standing next to him.

"The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is just two days away. I wonder if Xiaowu and Xuan'er can make it back to celebrate the Lantern Festival?"

Before Han Gu could reply, a young eunuch at the door reported.

"Your Majesty, the virtuous prince and princess request an audience!"

Gu Li suddenly stood up from his chair and strode towards the door of the imperial study.

Gu Zhanghua and Zhao Xuan were waiting outside the door. When they saw Gu Li coming out, they hurried forward to greet him.

"Father, we are back!"

Gu Li held one of them with each hand and looked at them carefully. They were both a little thinner, but in good spirits.

"Okay, okay, I'm glad you're back!"

Gu Li pulled the two of them into the imperial study, and Han Gu hurriedly called the eunuch to bring hot water so that the two of them could wash up.

Gu Li urged the two of them to drink some tea and eat a few snacks to fill their stomachs first, and to talk slowly if there was anything to say, without rushing.

Gu Zhanghua drank a sip of hot tea and felt warm all over immediately.

He first took out the brocade bag and handed it to Gu Li, speaking briefly and to the point.

"Father, we escaped danger on our trip to Yue. The magic bag you gave me was useless. Tian Shang was initially hostile to us, but later, with the efforts of many parties, he no longer pursued Tian Shiliu's death."

Gu Zhanghua hurriedly took out Tian Shang's handwritten letter and handed it to Gu Li. Gu Li quickly read the letter by candlelight and breathed a sigh of relief.

He touched the top of Gu Zhanghua's head, then touched Zhao Xuan, his eyes full of heartache.

"You two have worked hard. Go back and rest early. Leave the rest to father."

Zhao Xuan called out to Gu Li, "Father!"

Tears welled up in her eyes instantly, and she choked and said:

"Father, thank you for thinking so carefully of me. I used to be too willful and always tried to take the lead when things happened. I promise I won't do that again!"

Gu Li reached out and gently wiped away Zhao Xuan's tears, his tone gentle.

"Silly child, you should be happy to be home, why are you crying?

Now that everything has been successfully concluded, the Emperor will immediately recall Qin Shao and Jiang Song from Fengcheng, and issue an edict on the Lantern Festival to clear your master's name!"

"it is good!"

Zhao Xuan burst into laughter.

Gu Zhanghua thought of his promise to Guan Liushui and decided to act without delay.

"Father, we were lucky to have Guan Liushui's help on this trip to Yue State. It was he who persuaded the headmaster of Chuyang Palace, the great scholar Liu Huinian, to help us, and that's how we were able to escape.

Father, can you please show some leniency to his father, Hu Yiba, as a reward to him?"

"That's right!" Zhao Xuan continued, "Guan Liushui also won first place in the song and dance competition, bringing glory to our Xia Kingdom!"

Gu Li thought about it for a moment, then agreed with a smile.

"Okay, I will issue an order to commute Hu Yiba's sentence from exile to hard labor in the quarry outside of Liyang City. This will make it easier for him to visit his father when Guan Liushui returns."

"Thank you, Father!"

Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua thanked Gu Li in unison.

Gu Li reached out and hugged the two children in his arms, feeling deeply moved.

"What are you thanking me for? You all did a great job this time. You can all handle things on your own now. Father is very pleased!"

Gu Li's embrace was very warm. Zhao Xuan and Gu Zhanghua smiled at each other and saw the light of happiness in each other's eyes.

It feels so good to be home!