The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

As soon as Gu Li saw Ma Baoguo's attitude, he knew that something bad was going to happen.

"Okay, then you should finish talking about everything today, both good and bad. Don't disturb me and my brother-in-law from drinking and chatting in the next two days!"

Ma Baoguo raised his head and looked at Gu Li.

"Your Majesty! I believe that Qin Shao's suppression of the Yancheng Rebellion was a matter of duty! Furthermore, for the sake of the nation, Your Majesty should not only refrain from rewarding Qin Shao, but should also take advantage of his return to the capital to reduce his military power. This is to prevent him from becoming too powerful and holding onto military and political power. If he were to harbor rebellious intentions, the Xia Kingdom would be in imminent danger!"

Yang Liuming saw the smile on Gu Li's face gradually disappear, and he broke into a cold sweat for Ma Baoguo. He hurried forward to help Ma Baoguo up, and took the opportunity to comfort him, "Master Ma, please don't always spoil the mood. His Majesty is just talking about something happy, but you insist on doing the opposite. Didn't I tell you that this matter needs to be considered carefully?"

Ma Baoguo pushed Yang Liuming aside and looked directly at Gu Li: "Your Majesty, please think carefully!"

"Think deeply?! I've thought deeply about this a long time ago! When you were still a court official of the State of Chen, demoted to a county magistrate, frustrated and unable to achieve your goals, you could only indulge in your musical passions. When Qin Shao, fearless of any danger, resolutely helped me raise an army, I had already thought deeply about this! He has been guarding the northern border for my State of Xia for all these years. It's a rare opportunity for you to come back. If you don't remember his contributions, you should at least sympathize with his hard work! You, on the other hand, have just put down the civil unrest, and you're already clamoring to strip him of his military power. Ma Baoguo, I tell you, even if you were to rebel, Qin Shao wouldn't!"

"I have no selfish motives! I am filled with only passion! I will pour it all out for the Xia Kingdom! Your Majesty, please grant my proposal. Otherwise, I would rather die and prove my loyalty!"

Gu Li was amused when he heard this: "Okay, okay, you are the only one who is loyal and passionate about the Xia Kingdom, while everyone else is thinking of rebelling, right? Fine! I approve! You die in front of me!"

Ma Baoguo's face was filled with grief and anger. He stood up and slammed his head against the wall. Yang Liuming was horrified and hurriedly grabbed Ma Baoguo.

"Master Ma! His Majesty was just speaking in anger! Do you take it seriously?!"

Ma Baoguo was filled with grief and struggled: "If the king orders me to die, I must die!"

Gu Li was extremely angry: "Ma Baoguo, I think you don't want to die yourself, you want to force me to death!"

Zhao Cheng, who had been silent the whole time, walked up to Ma Baoguo and said in a deep voice, "Master Ma, if you really want to die, there's no need to do it now. Can you first explain why your Youlanqin appeared in the Tianguang Collection?"

Ma Baoguo was stunned when he heard this.

Gu Li questioned first, "Is it because he shamelessly begged you that you helped him buy the Youlan Qin at a high price at the Yue Kingdom auction?"

"Exactly."

"Even when I ordered him to bring his zither into the palace and play for me, he kept making excuses and resisting. Finally, I felt the urge to do so and went to his house, and he finally took out his orchid zither and reluctantly played a piece for me."

"Exactly."

Ma Baoguo suddenly jumped up and shouted, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I took it out and carefully maintained it two days ago!"

The three asked in unison: "What about the next two days?"

Ma Baoguo recalled the past and suddenly became frightened and ran out the door.

Zhao Cheng shouted, "Old Ma, the Youlanqin is still on my desk at the Ministry of Revenue. If you don't explain clearly, I can't return it to you!"

After Ma Baoguo left, Gu Li finally breathed a sigh of relief:

"This Ma Baoguo always makes death-defying protests. This time he really pissed me off. On the surface, he said some good things, but how many times has he met Qin Shao in his life? Has he ever been close to Qin Shao? How well does he really know Qin Shao? Later, I'll let my brother-in-law go find Ma Baoguo and meet him!"

Yang Liuming looked at Zhao Cheng and laughed, "Master Zhao, your solution is not the way to save him. The Youlanqin is his lifeblood. What if... Fortunately, Master Ma has a good heart!"

Zhao Cheng said seriously, "But what I said is true! How dare I deceive you?!"

Ma Baoguo returned home and flipped through his study, which was so packed with books that he could barely fit his feet. Looking at the empty spot on the desk where the Youlanqin used to be, he still couldn't believe that his beloved instrument had just disappeared, and had even flown to Tianguangji?!

Ma Baoguo pondered until he saw five young boys and a yellow-haired girl at the door. Then an idea suddenly occurred to him. He stood up, walked to the door, and asked, "Where is your mother?"

Ma Zhenzhen answered first: "At this time, of course he is in the kitchen. Mom asked us to call Dad for dinner!"

Ma Baoguo hurried towards the kitchen, with his six children following behind him.

Ma Baoguo's mansion was more like a farmhouse courtyard, with only three or two servants. Strings of braided garlic hung at the door, bundles of green onions stood by the door, dried sweet potatoes were drying on the ground, and the children's washed clothes were hung on ropes between the trees, fluttering in the wind. It was simple yet full of the flavor of life.

At this time, Ma Baoguo's wife Li Cuihua was in the kitchen vigorously stirring a large pot of stew on the fire.

Ma Baoguo stood behind Li Cuihua with his hands behind his back and asked cautiously, "Madam, have you seen my Youlan Qin? It was there two days ago, but I don't know why I can't find it today..."

"Yes."

Ma Baoguo thought he hadn't heard clearly, so he moved closer and asked again, "Madam, what did you say? I didn't hear clearly just now."

"Damn it!" Li Cuihua looked at the children playing and chasing each other at the door and shouted, "One, two, three, four, five, Ma family! Ma Zhenzhen! Hurry up and set the table for dinner!"

Ma Baoguo's nose was crooked with anger: "You mean pawn it? You pawned my precious piano?! How did it end up in Tianguang Collection?"

Li Cuihua continued stirring the stew, her expression unchanged. "How should I know? Can it be eaten? You're busy with court affairs all day long, leaving me alone to take care of the whole family. Do you know how much salt costs per liter, or rice per bushel? How much is the children's tuition? Firewood, rice, oil, and salt all cost money! Ma Zhenzhen is going to the palace school, so you should quickly dismiss her servant and save some money."

"Other people's salaries can support a whole family, but how come you are so poor that you have to pawn your belongings?"

Li Cuihua asked in reply, "Other people can support one or two children with their salary, but look at our family, count them."

"Isn't that why you insisted on having a daughter?!"

"You're blaming me for this?!" Li Cuihua turned around and looked at Ma Zhenzhen, "Ma Zhenzhen, your father doesn't want you anymore. You can do whatever you want."

"I didn't say I didn't want my daughter anymore. I said you didn't have money to tell me. You don't have to pawn the Youlan Qin!"

Li Cuihua banged the edge of the pot vigorously with a spoon and glared at Ma Baoguo: "What? Do you have a secret stash of funds that I don't know about?"

"No! Once I buy the piano, it's completely gone!"

"Then what's the point of me telling you this? Would you be so servile as to ask someone to lend you money?"

"I'd rather die than surrender!"

"Then what nonsense are you talking to me about!"

Li Cuihua placed the stew in an oversized bowl and brought it to the table. She then took out a number of steamed buns from the steamer and placed them on the table, shouting, "Dinner is ready!"

Ma Baoguo squatted on the ground, holding his head, wailing: "Li Cuihua, I can't live like this anymore!"

Li Cuihua quickly interjected, "Divorce, the children will be yours, and I'll leave the house."

Ma Baoguo immediately stood up, sat down next to Li Cuihua, and said flatteringly, "That's impossible. If you leave, will it still be called home?"

Li Cuihua smiled and said, "Now that our family is short of money, just pawn it. Once Yi, Er, San, Si, Wu and Ma Zhenzhen are married, I'll buy you a better one!"

"Could you please stop talking about one, two, three, four, five, and give your sons some names? I plucked out all my hair when each one was born!"

Li Cuihua snorted, "Why don't you try shouting?"

Ma Baoguo looked at his sons, each of whom was concentrating on eating. Finally, he stared at one of them and shouted, "Ma Lixin!"

No one paid any attention to him, so Ma Baoguo shouted again: "Ma Lixin!!"

The sons then raised their heads and looked at each other.

Ma Baoguo shouted again: "Ma Haoyu!! Ma Haoyu!!!"

The sons still looked confused and stared at Ma Baoguo blankly.

Ma Baoguo became anxious and pointed at his youngest son: "Ma Wu, I'm calling you!"

Ma Wu stuffed a steamed bun into his mouth and said, "Dad, stop being so arrogant. Just call me Ma Wu! That's what all my classmates call me!"

Ma Baoguo was completely defeated.

Ma Zhenzhen blinked curiously and asked Li Cuihua, "Mom, why do you always call me Ma Zhenzhen and not Ma Liu?"

Li Cuihua stroked Ma Zhenzhen's hair and said softly, "That's because of your father. When I first picked you up, he was so excited. He hugged you and said, 'This time it's really a girl!' So I quickly decided on your name!"

Ma Baoguo covered his face with his hands, feeling a little sad.