She got pregnant after the swap marriage, and the scumbag's family regretted it so much they cr

"Livestock?" Lu Huan's heart skipped a beat. "Do you have mutton?"

"Yes! A whole adult ewe was just brought back. Miss, will you take half of it back with you later?"

"Great! On such a cold day, a hot pot of mutton is the perfect way to warm up!"

Lu Huan and Bi Zhu were discussing 108 ways to eat mutton, chatting enthusiastically, while Gao Yan watched from the side, his eyes full of warmth.

The two discussed how hungry they were, and Bizhu even had the servants bring in a lot of snacks, including the fragrant pears that she had packed for Uncle Qin last time.

Lu Huan handed one to Gao Yan, and then to herself.

As expected of a fragrant pear grown in this space, it tastes delicious and has a long shelf life. Especially after a snowfall, it can be stored in an ice freezer for up to a month.

Since the pears had been washed before being served, Lu Huan started eating them right away, asking indistinctly, "Have you finished that basket of pears? If you have, have Uncle Qin go and get some more."

The pears were indeed delicious, but Bizhu was more concerned about the cost. She immediately shook her head and refused, "No need, there's nothing we can't buy in Yanjing! Why trouble Miss with this!"

"I'm not just giving this to you, I'm also sending it to the Prince of Yan's residence! Besides, I'd like your father to send me some more sacks, baskets, and the like. Sending fruit is just a side thing."

In that case, Bizhu felt embarrassed to refuse: "Alright, then Miss, please send me some jujubes next time. I like to eat them."

Lu Huan and the others waited for almost half an hour before Qin Hui finally arrived.

"Miss, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" Qin Hui was covered in sweat, not even bothering to wipe it off.

Lu Huan shook her head in dissatisfaction: "If Uncle Qin had something to say, he could have just sent someone back to deliver the message. Why did he have to rush back in such a hurry? He's sweated so much; what if he catches a cold?"

Qin Hui waved his hand, catching his breath before speaking: "This old servant is in good health, not that fragile! Besides, I have important matters to report to Miss in person!"

Bizhu glanced at her father, then stood up: "Miss, I'll go to the kitchen and see if there are any dishes you like!"

Gao Yan also stood up: "Huan'er, I'd like to go to the washroom."

Lu Huan glared at him, then said to Bi Zhu, "Bi Zhu, could you please find a servant to take him there?"

"I will handle it!"

After the two left, Qin Hui's expression immediately turned serious.

"Miss, we've found something!"

Lu Huan was not surprised at all.

Speaking of which, so many years have passed since the Cheng family's affair. Some of those involved back then may have already passed away, and it's not surprising that those who knew the truth would let their guard down and slip up.

She gestured for Qin Hui to continue.

“I discovered before that Zou Chu had close ties with the Du family in secret, but it’s not a big deal. Miss, do you remember the names you asked me to investigate before? The person we suspected was Second Master Du has appeared in Yanjing City! And the person he’s with, I suspect, came from Daning Prefecture!”

The frequent appearance of the location Daning Prefecture is certainly not a coincidence.

Lu Huan stroked the patterns on the coffee table, and the clues in her mind quickly intertwined.

She remembered that in her previous life, four years after Gao Zhongbao passed the imperial examination, three princes were enfeoffed together. Lu Huan didn't pay much attention to the other two princes because she wasn't familiar with their locations.

However, the Prince of Ning, whose fiefdom was in Daning Prefecture, was someone Gao Zhongbao paid special attention to.

At that time, he privately lamented to Lu Huan that if he failed to rank among the top in the second class of the imperial examination and stay in the Hanlin Academy, he would follow the prince to his fiefdom and become an official in the prince's palace. That would be much more comfortable than becoming a county magistrate in a lower county and accumulating seniority.

At the time, Lu Huan knew nothing about the officials appointed by the imperial court and did not find his idea ridiculous.

If it were now, she would definitely laugh at Gao Zhongbao for his wild fantasies and for always dreaming of wonderful things.

The officials serving the princes were either confidants or personally appointed by the emperor. How could they possibly benefit Gao Zhongbao, a mere Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), especially since he had offended the head of the Eastern Depot?

Prince Ning, Consort Yang, Prince Yan, uprising... fragments swirled in Lu Huan's mind, but he couldn't piece them together.

She sighed: "We can only try to get information from the Daning Prefecture."

"By the way, Uncle Qin, you can start your investigation by starting with the generals or nobles who served as garrison commanders in Daning Prefecture and were of the third rank or higher. The Cheng family is a huge piece of meat; most people don't have that much of an appetite to gnaw on the powerful figures behind them."

Qin Hui clasped his hands in a fist and assured him, "That's easy, we can find out in less than two days!"

"There's no need to be in such a hurry. The meat will be delivered in a few days. Just find out before then. The most important thing is the safety of the people around you."

It's one thing if it's someone else, but if they follow the clues and implicate Uncle Qin, then all of Grandpa's arrangements will have been for nothing.

After Qin Hui finished recounting his discovery, he became curious about Lu Huan's purpose in coming: "Miss, I was just about to finish what I was doing and go to Gaojia Village to find you, but I didn't expect you to come first. Is there something you need?"

Lu Huan nodded: "I mainly wanted to ask if you encountered any trouble when you went to the Prince's Mansion to deliver goods that day."

"No, I followed your instructions and sent someone to inform the head steward. I absolutely did not delegate the task to anyone else. When the servant saw the token in my hand, he knew it was not something he could relay, so he did not make things difficult for me."

“Good, keep it that way from now on. Next time you deliver meat, bring the steward who will be staying in Yanjing City as well. I’d like to meet him.”

Lu Huan planned to ask Fairy Lingwei if she had any similar mantra talismans or other means to restrain people when she returned. Otherwise, she would rather spend a lot of money every month to hire a special caravan to escort the fruit back to Yanjing than take the slightest risk.

The safest way is to buy a forest near Yanjing City and irrigate it with spiritual spring water.

However, this plan is unlikely to be realized in the short term.

Qin Hui had two candidates in mind and was torn between them, unsure which one to keep. Now that Lu Huan had taken the initiative to suggest meeting her, he readily agreed.

They say one person's plan is short-sighted, but two people's plans are long-sighted. Maybe the young lady will discover something, a detail he himself hasn't noticed before.

“Yes, Miss!” he readily agreed.

After having dinner at the Qin family's house, Lu Huan and his companion headed back home.

She looked at Gao Yan with a half-smile. The latter appeared calm on the surface, but his clenched fists betrayed the unease in his heart.

"Do you still want to go to the bathroom now?"

Gao Yan forced himself to remain calm: "I've already been there, I won't go again."

"I wasn't even planning to hide anything from you, but you're the one who's scared and backing down. Humph! Coward!"

How can a grown man be called a coward by his wife!

Gao Yan hurriedly explained, "Wife, I'm not being cowardly, I'm just respecting you! If you really wanted me to know, you would have told me afterward, why would I make things difficult for you there?"

Huan'er, I don't want to do anything that will make things difficult for you.

Lu Huan started off in a teasing tone, but after hearing his confession, she couldn't help but feel a little moved.