Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

Gu Hua took two steps and then suddenly stopped.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "I'll talk to Mother about it tomorrow. Sister Zhilan, find a trustworthy servant to secretly send a letter to Pei Yi, asking him to come to the manor immediately. Try not to let anyone know."

"Are you planning to tell the Pei family about this?"

Gu Hua grabbed Gu Wanru's wrist and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I'm afraid we won't have time to investigate the imperial grain transport teams, and the Southern Frontier won't wait for us to find out before redistributing grain. What if, by the time we find out, the grain has already been seized?"

Zhou Zhilan was also taken aback.

Gu Hua, her eyes red, said, "Right now, whether this batch of military rations is hijacked or not is not important to us. What is important is that the Mu family army must have enough food."

She was extremely anxious at the thought that Mu Junyan's army was trapped due to insufficient winter clothing and food.

"I understand, you want the Pei family to provide the grain?"

"Yes. Right now, I can only mobilize the Pei family, and only the Pei family has the ability to quickly gather food."

"Then I'll arrange for someone to go right away."

While Gu Hua was waiting for Zhou Zhilan, Chi Yan returned.

And he brought her news from southern Xinjiang.

The military report stated that Dali Prefecture in southern Xinjiang had gathered numerous small states and was extensively harassing the borders of Daliang. Due to the long border, Mu Junyan's army's battle lines were stretched thin, resulting in insufficient troops.

It is also said that the Southern Xinjiang Allied Army condoned the massacre of the city's inhabitants and the indiscriminate killing of civilians, using cruel methods in an attempt to intimidate the Mu family army.

The people along the southern border united, with almost all the men joining the army and the women sewing military uniforms.

They also said that the spies of the Yifeng Hall were rampant, and when they couldn't steal intelligence, they would assassinate people all over Daliang, causing panic and attempting to disrupt the morale of the people and the army.

Gu Hua was terrified when she heard this.

If the young master of Yifeng Hall is indeed Brother Ji, then he is a villain.

But he was kind only to her.

When she was kidnapped, he rescued her from the cliff edge; those eyes were so familiar…

Only now could she realize that Brother Ji's feelings for her had not changed.

Everyone in the world can spit on him, but she cannot.

However, the distance between her and Ji Xuanyu was not only affection, but also the principle of justice for the world.

If Brother Ji insists on going down this dark path, she will have no choice but to stand against him.

If she had to choose between Mu Junyan and Brother Ji, she would choose peace and tranquility.

There is so much suffering in the world, why do people still kill each other?

An hour later, Pei Yi arrived.

It was almost dawn.

"Hua-meimei, what happened?" Pei Yi looked at Gu Hua nervously and noticed that her expression was off.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Zhou Zhilan, along with Donghua and the others, kept watch around the area.

Gu Hua invited him to sit down and poured him a cup of hot tea: "Brother Pei, have some hot tea first. I have something important to discuss with you."

Pei Yi took the teacup and put it down: "If you have something to say, just say it, and I will do my best to help."

Gu Hua placed the envelope containing the silver notes Pei Yi had given her on the coffee table in front of him.

"This is a 200,000 tael silver note given to me by Brother Pei. Please use it to buy all the grain, rice or flour, for me."

"What do you need so many for?"

"I want to send it to southern Xinjiang."

Pei Yi was surprised: "Southern Xinjiang? The Ministry of Revenue just transported grain there; it should arrive in a month."

It will take a month to travel there.

Gu Hua thought to herself, "Just as I expected."

According to the trajectory of his previous life, Mu Junyan was besieged and killed in battle two months later, and military supplies were likely an important factor.

Pei Yi noticed her pale face and frowned, asking, "Sister Hua, there's no need for us to hide anything from each other. You can tell me anything. Is there a problem with the grain in Southern Xinjiang?"

Gu Hua: "The grain transported by the imperial court probably won't reach the southern border. I must gather grain and transport it there as soon as possible."

"Huh? You mean something's wrong with that shipment of military rations that was transported away?"

"This is the information I received."

"Then I will attend court today..."

Gu Hua was anxious: "Brother Pei, it's too late. Besides, who would dare to take military rations? Let alone the lack of evidence, some people will say we're just making things up. Even if the court finds out, the rations will probably be gone by then. By then, it will be too late for the court to collect and send them again."

Pei Yi's expression turned serious.

"Brother Pei, this is a golden opportunity for your Pei family. The Duke of Yongguo has said that this great war must subdue all the kingdoms of the Southern Frontier and force them to submit to the Great Liang. If the Pei family provides timely assistance, not only the Duke of Yongguo's mansion but also the imperial court will reward the Pei family handsomely. Hasn't your Pei family always wanted more of its members to enter officialdom? Haven't you wanted to become the true richest family in the Great Liang? This is your chance."

Pei Yi thought about it carefully for a moment: "You're right. This twenty taels of silver is yours. I'll immediately gather food and winter clothes, gather everything I can. Within ten days, our Pei Family Escort Agency will escort you to the Southern Frontier."

Become!

Gu Hua immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

She stood up and solemnly curtsied to him: "Brother Pei, I thank you on behalf of Mu Junyan."

Pei Yi quickly stood up and returned the greeting: "Sister Hua, there's no need for that. You've shown our Pei family a bright future."

"Brother Pei, the matter of collecting supplies and sending them to the southern border must be carried out in secret. Otherwise, if someone with ulterior motives finds out, they will definitely try to stop it. Even military rations can be robbed, and your escort agency may not be able to protect them."

"I understand, don't worry." Pei Yi nodded.

After seeing Pei Yi off, Gu Hua went to the kitchen herself and made the two desserts that the old lady loved the most. She then took the old lady's breakfast with her maid.

When we arrived at Xiangrui Hall, the old lady had just gotten up.

Upon seeing Gu Hua, the old lady quickly stood up and pulled her aside: "Why did you wake up so early?"

Gu Hua smiled and said, "Yes, I want to pay my respects to my mother early and serve her breakfast."

The old lady looked at her with red eyes and bowed her head to personally serve her porridge.

"What's the matter with you?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Hua's eyes reddened.

She looked at Yi Niang: "Yi Niang, please take the person out. I have something to say to my mother."

Upon hearing this, Yi Niang led everyone out and closed the door behind her.

Gu Hua walked up to the old lady, slowly knelt down, and placed her hands on her knees.

She said softly, "Mother, there's something I'd like you to keep secret."

The old lady patted her head tenderly and said, "Tell me."

"I need to take a batch of grain to southern Xinjiang, but this matter must not be known to anyone. The government must keep it a secret for me so that the grain can be delivered to southern Xinjiang smoothly."

The old lady was shocked: "What did you say? You went to deliver grain? What happened?"

Gu Hua told Bi Yu what she had heard, and also mentioned that Pei Yi was willing to raise food and supplies.

The old lady's expression turned serious, and she pulled Gu Hua up.

After thinking for a moment, I said, "You shouldn't go. The journey is long, and you're frail. What if you get sick?"

Gu Hua became anxious: "Mother. Ziyuan has helped me so much, I have no way to repay him, please let me go."

The old lady still refused: "His kindness to you is of his own free will, you are not allowed to go."

Gu Hua knelt down with a thud: "I can't rest easy if I don't go. I must personally accompany the grain to the Southern Frontier. If there's a problem with the grain along the way, I can find a way to procure more in time. Mother, how will the soldiers in the Southern Frontier fight if they are starving and freezing?"

"Let Akabane and the others go. Why should you, a young woman, go so far?"

“Mother, you are also a female general, you also went to the battlefield to fight the enemy, so can I. Besides, the people from the Duke’s mansion cannot go, because there are people in the capital watching. Only if I secretly follow the Pei family’s grain convoy alone can we avoid being noticed and ensure that the grain arrives.”

The old lady was stunned for a long time.

She never expected that the delicate Gu Hua would have such a resolute heart.

"But won't the Pei family hold a grudge against you just because Aunt Pei doesn't? What if they try to do something on the way?"

"Don't worry. They are businessmen. They won't kill me for a dead man who has ruined their family's reputation and future. They will only try to protect me and the food for their future wealth and glory."

Gu Hua said confidently, "Fortune favors the bold, they know that."

The old lady pulled Gu Hua into her arms, unable to hold back her sobs and tears.

“I didn’t misjudge you, and Ziyuan didn’t spoil you wrongly. You are a good child who is both righteous and intelligent.”

Nestled in her warm embrace, Gu Hua choked back tears, saying, "Mother, you treat me like your own mother. Don't worry, I will definitely protect myself and take good care of Ziyuan."