Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

Xiao Zong led the Leopard Guards by water. Yuan Zhi had officially divorced him and was afraid of being discovered by his men, so she spent most of her time in the cabin.

The stifling feeling over the past few days, coupled with seasickness, caused her to lose a lot of weight.

Xiao Zong couldn't bear it, so he bought a veil from a woman on the same boat and gave it to Yuan Zhi under the cover of darkness. After Yuan Zhi put it on, the man took her hand and suggested taking her to the deck for some fresh air.

"It would be terrible if your subordinates saw this. I'll go myself."

Yuan Zhi avoided suspicion.

Xiao Zong took her hand. "I've sent them away. No one will bother us tonight. Let's go."

The two walked side by side down the corridor, passing Dou Zhao's house, when they heard a commotion, like someone playing cards.

Yuan Zhi smiled knowingly, "This is your idea?"

The man intertwined his fingers with hers. "They don't usually get this treatment. It's all thanks to you. Those monkeys won't stop making a ruckus until morning. Tonight, we'll have several hours alone together."

"This doesn't seem like a trick Xin would come up with. Young Master Xiao, this has been a long time coming!"

"Innocent." His voice carried a hint of laughter. "Clear water reflects my true heart, heaven and earth can bear witness."

Yuan Zhi snorted and jogged to the bow of the boat, pulling him along. She took a deep breath and felt much better, but the sky and water were pitch black, which looked a little frightening.

"Are you scared?" the man asked.

She nodded. "A little."

Xiao Zong pulled a packet of powder from his pocket, tore it open with one hand, and sprinkled it down from above. The powder flew in the wind, like distant stars, flashing briefly before falling into the water.

"now what?"

"I'm not afraid anymore." Yuan Zhi asked, "What is this? Why does it glow?"

Xiao Zong curled his lips, “Fluorite powder, a little gadget used by the Leopard Guard to track criminals.”

"This stuff is good. Do you have any more? Give me a pack!"

Xiao Zong took out a packet and tucked it into her waistband. "I'm busy with official duties and can't look after you often. If you encounter any danger, just throw this out. I'll follow the trail and find you."

Yuan Zhi looked at him and asked, "What if I cause you trouble or hold you back? Will you regret bringing me along?"

"will not."

"why?"

He smiled. "Because... you're not a nuisance, nor a burden, but someone I love. If something really happens, I'll only blame myself for not protecting you, not you."

The moon, accompanied by gentle whispers, sinks into the heart of the lake. A perfect couple embraces tightly, vowing to traverse the mortal world and walk together until the end of time.

More than half a month later, the group arrived in Shuozhou. Based on the clues he obtained from Feng Quan, Xiao Zong led his men to Luyun Temple.

The old Taoist priest poured them tea. Upon hearing that the Mad Hermit was a high-ranking official in Shengjing, he was surprised and recounted in detail how he found Chu Xia.

After learning about the situation, Xiao Zong found nothing unusual and rushed to investigate the place where Chu Xia had fallen into the water.

This investigation led him to discover a clue.

Based on the reported water depth and current speed, Chu Xia should have drifted to Luyun Temple long ago. However, the old Taoist priest rescued Chu Xia a full four hours later than calculated. Either Chu Xia stopped during the drift, or he fell into the water in a different place!

Xiao Zong continued along the river, and after nearly four hours, he arrived at a section of the riverbank that had clearly been reinforced. He instructed his men to ask the prefect to bring back the list of personnel who had repaired the river nineteen years ago, if he could find any records.

The subordinate obeyed and went to the yamen. A short while later, he returned with a shrewd and capable man. The man had a fair complexion, a mustache, and greeted him with clasped hands. He was none other than Liu Fei, the prefect of this state.

"Lord Xiao has come to Shuozhou with great difficulty, and I have failed to host a welcome banquet for you. It is my oversight."

"No need for formalities. Did you find what I asked you to bring?"

Liu Fei said, "Please forgive me, sir. Things that are almost twenty years old have long been cleared out by the government office. Even I, the prefect, have only been in office for three years."

Xiao Zong sighed, "It was my oversight, not your fault. I'm sorry to trouble you, Lord Liu, but I'll have my men escort you back."

"No need, no need, I can go back by myself. You and the brothers of the Leopard Guard are busy with official duties, how could I dare to trouble you?"

"Very well, Lord Liu, take care."

After Liu Fei had walked a distance, Xiao Zong glanced at his subordinate, who immediately understood and quietly followed.

In the case of embezzling disaster relief funds, the authorities shifted all the blame onto the deceased former prefect. Liu Fei's involvement in this is undeniable.

This person is not easy to deal with; he was able to deceive Feng Quan and handle things flawlessly!

The wheels rolled across the stone-paved road and stopped in front of a quiet house.

Yuan Zhi jumped off the carriage and gently knocked on the door.

She vaguely remembered that her mother had mentioned that her maternal grandparents' home was on Chuyan Street, with a century-old locust tree in front of the house. When she rented the carriage, she inquired about the location, and the driver said he knew the place, so he took her there.

Although my maternal grandparents' house is now empty, it would be good to get some information from the villagers.

A child's voice came from inside. A moment later, a woman opened the door, paused for a moment when she saw the ethereal beauty outside, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Excuse me! This was my maternal grandfather's old house twenty years ago. Before my mother passed away, she left a message asking me to come back and take a look on her behalf. I wonder... if it's convenient for me?"

The woman looked wary. "This house was bought by my husband, and the land deed is in our hands. If you want to take it back, we are not afraid of going to the authorities!"

Yuan Zhi hurriedly waved his hand, "Madam, you misunderstand. I didn't mean to take the house back."

She pulled the gold hairpin from her hair and stuffed it into the woman's hand. "This is enough to buy two houses. Please believe me, I really came here because of my mother's dying wish."

The woman weighed it in her hand; it was solid.

This woman is clearly from a wealthy family; she probably wouldn't even look at their modest fortune.

She opened the door and said, "Come in."

"Thank you!"

The courtyard inside wasn't large, and it was filled with chicken coops, dog kennels, and other odds and ends. In front of the house, there was a tree stump that hadn't been completely cleared, with a thin branch growing out from the side, bearing only a half-dead green leaf.

Seeing her staring intently, the woman explained, "This was a peach tree. Before it was cut down, it bore big, sweet fruit. We originally wanted to keep it, but we heard that planting trees in front of the house affects the family's fortune, so my husband cut it down."

Yuan Zhi said regretfully, "What a pity, it looks quite old. It would be better to move it elsewhere!"

The woman laughed and said, "You rich young ladies are always so sentimental. It's just a tree, nothing special!"

Yuan Zhi twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "What Madam says is true."

The two entered the house, and the woman's son kept circling around Yuanzhi. Yuanzhi felt a little uncomfortable and asked him what was wrong.

The woman said, "He likes you because you're pretty! That brat has been like this since he was little. I pray to Buddha and my ancestors every day, hoping he won't turn out badly!"

"No!" Yuan Zhi said, "Sister's son is discerning and clear-headed; he's obviously a good child!"