Fleeing from famine? Not a chance; the divine healer's wife made her fortune.

Tracing the trail behind the scenes, re-examining the truth.

Su Yunlan stared at the crumpled letter in her hand, her brows furrowed.

The Bai family?

She knew almost nothing about this family, only that Young Master Bai was a member of the exile team. He appeared gentle and refined, with proper manners, but she never expected that he harbored such unfathomable power behind the scenes.

The dim oil lamp inside the tent flickered, illuminating her solemn face.

“The Bai family…” Xiao Yuhan repeated the two words in a low voice. His slender fingers tapped the table lightly, making a rhythmic sound, as if he was thinking about something.

Su Yunlan knew that it would be difficult to find conclusive evidence that Young Master Bai was related to the confiscation of the Xiao family's property based solely on an anonymous letter.

But she must find out the truth, not only for the Xiao family, but also for their future safety.

The next morning, Su Yunlan found Captain Sun and firmly asked him to reinvestigate the matter of her being slandered by Wu Xiaobing.

Lord Sun

Captain Sun's face was gloomy, and his tone was impatient. "Su, this matter has been investigated and cleared up. Stop making trouble!" The surrounding soldiers echoed him, casting disdainful glances at Su Yunlan.

Previously, Wu Xiaobing falsely accused Su Yunlan of stealing military rations. Although it was eventually proven to be a misunderstanding, the incident had a significant impact on the escort team, and many soldiers still harbored resentment towards Su Yunlan.

“My lord, I am not being unreasonable,” Su Yunlan looked directly into Captain Sun’s eyes, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable power. “I have new evidence that can prove my innocence and expose the real mastermind behind it all.”

Captain Sun sneered, "Evidence? What evidence?" He didn't believe Su Yunlan could produce any evidence at all, and thought she was just making trouble to avoid punishment.

Su Yunlan took out a neatly folded piece of paper from her sleeve; it was the anonymous letter.

She handed the letter to Captain Sun and said, word by word, "This letter says..."

Captain Sun snatched the letter, quickly glanced through it, and his face immediately turned ashen.

He abruptly raised his head, staring intently at Su Yunlan, his tone icy, "Who gave you this letter?"

Su Yunlan shook her head. "I don't know. Someone secretly slipped the letter to me."

Captain Sun clearly didn't believe her explanation and was about to lash out when a voice suddenly rang out, "Captain Sun, why be so aggressive?" Young Master Bai appeared in the crowd at some point. He was waving a folding fan, his face bearing his usual gentle smile, but a hint of coldness flashed deep in his eyes.

Xiao Yuhan stepped forward and stood beside Su Yunlan, his tall figure like a mountain, shielding her from the pressure from Captain Sun.

“Lord Sun, everything my wife said is true. The appearance of this letter at least shows that things are not as simple as they seem.” His voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority.

Xiao Yuhan was once a renowned war god, and even though he was imprisoned, the aura he exuded was still not to be underestimated.

Some soldiers who initially held prejudices against Su Yunlan began to waver at this moment.

Su Yunlan seized the opportunity and took out several pieces of cloth from her sleeve. These were the same pieces she had found near Wu Xiaobing's residence earlier, and they were made of the same paper as the anonymous letter.

“These scraps of cloth were found near Wu Xiaobing’s residence, which proves that someone deliberately framed me.”

As Captain Sun looked at the tattered cloth, his face grew increasingly gloomy, his brows furrowed, and he fell into deep thought.

Young Master Bai paused slightly while waving his folding fan. However, these fragments alone are probably not enough to prove anything, are they?

"

Su Yunlan ignored Young Master Bai's provocation and turned to Captain Sun, saying firmly, "My lord..."

Captain Sun's gaze swept back and forth between Su Yunlan and Young Master Bai, finally settling on the letter and scraps of cloth in his hand.

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "This matter is of great importance, and I will definitely investigate it thoroughly!" After saying that, he turned and left, leaving everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.

Xiao Yuhan gently grasped Su Yunlan's hand, the warmth of his palm conveying boundless strength to her.

Su Yunlan grasped his hand in return, feeling his firm yet gentle support, and a warm current surged in her heart.

They smiled at each other, and everything was said without words.

Looking at their tightly clasped hands, Young Master Bai said, "General Xiao, Madam Xiao, the show has only just begun..." He turned and left, his figure disappearing into the crowd.

As night fell, Xiao Yuhan and Su Yunlan returned to their tent.

The dim light of the oil lamp illuminated the two figures embracing each other. Outside the tent, the cold wind howled, but inside it was warm as spring.

Su Yunlan nestled in Xiao Yuhan's arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, feeling a deep sense of security.

"Lan'er, don't worry, everything will be alright." Xiao Yuhan gently stroked Su Yunlan's hair and comforted her softly.

Su Yunlan raised her head and looked at Xiao Yuhan's resolute face, her heart filled with gratitude.

"With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent, followed by a soldier's voice: "General Xiao, Lord Sun requests your presence..."

Xiao Yuhan and Su Yunlan exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.

Following the soldiers to Captain Sun's tent, they saw Captain Sun with a gloomy face, holding a stack of charred paper scraps in his hand.

“General Xiao, look…” Captain Sun pointed to the fragments, his tone heavy, “These were found at Wu Xiaobing’s residence. They should be evidence of his contact with the mastermind. Unfortunately, most of them have been burned and the contents are no longer recognizable.”

A chill ran from the soles of Su Yunlan's feet straight to the top of her head.

She took the fragments and examined them carefully, but could only vaguely make out a few blurry characters; she couldn't piece together any complete information.

Has the trail gone cold?

A sense of oppression washed over her like a tidal wave; the air inside the tent seemed to have solidified, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

The oil lamp flickered with a dim yellow light, casting a shadow on Captain Sun's tired face, adding to his solemn expression.

The wind howled outside the tent, like the low growl of a wild beast, which made her feel an inexplicable fear.

Back in his tent, Su Yunlan slumped onto the edge of the bed, the shards in his hand falling like snowflakes.

Xiao Yuhan pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her back, silently comforting her.

Su Yunlan buried her head in his chest, feeling his warm body temperature, trying to dispel the chill in her heart.

"Lan'er, don't give up, we will definitely find the truth." Xiao Yuhan whispered in her ear, his tone firm yet gentle.

Su Yunlan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

The fact that the clues have run dry does not mean that the truth will be covered up forever.

She looked up. "Yuhan, what do you think? What if we start with the people around Young Master Bai?"

Xiao Yuhan was slightly taken aback, then said, "Lan'er, you are truly intelligent. The people around Young Master Bai might know something."

The next morning, Su Yunlan began to observe the people around Young Master Bai.

She noticed that there was a servant boy named Afu by Bai Gongzi's side. He looked honest and simple and always followed Bai Gongzi closely.

Perhaps, he is the key.

Su Yunlan walked over to Afu and asked casually, "Afu, your young master seems to have an extraordinary bearing. He must come from a prestigious family, right?"

Afu raised her head and glanced at Su Yunlan. "My young master is the young master of the Bai family in the capital."

Su Yunlan's heart skipped a beat. The Bai family of the capital?

It seems that the Bai family's power is greater than she imagined.

She continued, "Is the Bai family very prestigious in the capital?"

Afu puffed out his chest, a hint of pride in his voice: "Of course, the Bai family is..." He suddenly paused, seemingly realizing he had let something slip, his expression changing slightly. "I'm sorry, Madam, I have other matters to attend to." With that, he hurriedly left.

Su Yunlan watched Afu's departing figure, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

It seems that this Ah Fu does indeed know something...

She turned and walked towards Xiao Yuhan, her eyes sparkling with confidence.

"Yuhan, we..."

Su Yunlan told Xiao Yuhan what she had gotten from Afu, and after analyzing it, the two concluded that this mysterious businessman was likely the key figure behind Young Master Bai.

They decided to follow this lead.

“Afu said that the merchant often appears near the dilapidated temple outside the city.” Su Yunlan pointed to a remote mark on the map. “This place is sparsely populated and easy to hide in, so it is very likely where they meet.”

Xiao Yuhan nodded. "Let's not delay, let's investigate tonight."

As night fell, the two took advantage of the darkness to quietly leave the exile camp.

A biting wind howled past, swirling up fallen leaves that rustled like ghostly whispers.

The occasional howls of wild beasts echoed from afar, adding to the eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

Su Yunlan wrapped her cloak tighter around herself and followed closely behind Xiao Yuhan, feeling somewhat uneasy.

The two arrived near the dilapidated temple marked on the map, hid in the dense woods, and carefully observed the surrounding movements.

The dilapidated temple was in ruins, with a collapsed roof and mottled walls, appearing particularly eerie and terrifying in the dim moonlight.

A chilling wind whistled through the cracks in the dilapidated temple, sending shivers down one's spine.

After waiting for a long time, there was still no movement.

Just as Su Yunlan was about to lose patience, a series of light footsteps came from afar.

She immediately became alert, gripped the dagger tightly, held her breath, and stared intently in the direction from which the sound came.

A dark figure appeared at the entrance of the dilapidated temple. He was tall, wearing a black cloak and a mask, so his face could not be seen.

He looked around warily, then slipped into the dilapidated temple.

"It's him!" Su Yunlan said in a low voice.

The two exchanged a glance and quietly approached the dilapidated temple.

Through the broken window, they saw a shadowy figure talking to another person.

Although it was impossible to hear what they were saying, their expressions and actions suggested that they were engaged in some kind of secret transaction.

"Looks like we've found the right place," Xiao Yuhan said in a low voice.

Just then, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds came from afar.

The shadowy figure and the other person seemed to have also heard the sound of hooves; their expressions changed drastically, and they immediately stopped talking.

"Oh no, someone's coming!" the dark figure whispered, quickly stuffing what he was holding into his pocket before turning and running toward the back door of the dilapidated temple.

The other person followed closely behind and disappeared into the night.

Su Yunlan and Xiao Yuhan exchanged a glance and immediately gave chase.

"They've headed towards the valley!" Xiao Yuhan said in a low voice, pointing to the dark valley ahead.

Su Yunlan nodded, "Chase!"

The two leaped onto their horses and galloped off into the dark valley...

At the entrance to the valley, two fine horses neighed, raising a cloud of dust.

“They must be in this valley!” Su Yunlan said firmly, her eyes sharp.

Xiao Yuhan dismounted and gazed intently into the dark depths of the valley. "Let's go in and take a look."