Chapter 060: Secretly Viewing Confidential Letters

Chapter 060: Secretly Viewing Confidential Letters

More than ten carts of food and supplies every day—there’s no way there are only a hundred or a thousand bandits. From the measures they’ve taken to conceal their activities, it’s clear there are traces of military movements.

Ji Lingchuan cursed immediately, “These bastards, I wish I could crush them right now.”

“Easy now,” He An said, looking at the marked trap locations on the map and calculating for a long while. “In my opinion, there are likely more traps in the mountains. We shouldn’t make any rash moves until we figure everything out.”

Ji Lingchuan clenched his fist, feeling frustrated. He had been on countless battlefields, but this situation was particularly vexing. What made him even more upset was that this time, his spear was aimed at domestic rebels.

He An knew he was angry and patted him on the shoulder twice. “Have you thought about it? It’s not difficult to take down these rebels, but can you guarantee that after we leave, the situation won’t happen again?”

Ji Lingchuan fell silent.

How could anyone guarantee that? With enough money, you can always recruit soldiers. Where there’s a hefty reward, there’s bound to be someone willing to take the risk.

“That’s why we need to cut off the source.”

“The source?” Ji Lingchuan’s eyes widened. “You mean you’re going after the Wu family?”

The Wu family were the second prince’s key supporters. They were able to keep so many private soldiers here thanks to the scheming of the two Wu brothers.

He An continued, “Not just the Wu family. For years, the disaster relief efforts have been inadequate. The Lu City County Magistrate and the Zhenjiang Prefect have their own unshirkable responsibilities. Not only have they betrayed the emperor’s trust, but they’ve also ignored the safety of the people. Yet they still remain in their positions. What good are laws if this keeps happening?”

Ji Lingchuan thought the same, but as a military man, he hadn’t thought that deeply. He had considered teaching the corrupt County Magistrate Bao a lesson. Now, hearing He An’s words, he became interested. “Tell me more, what’s your plan to deal with them?”

“My wife has already started taking action. Let’s wait for news.”

Ji Lingchuan fell silent again.

What could a woman like her possibly accomplish?

He An saw the disdain in his eyes and added, “Chu Li is also involved.” With that, he walked out.

Ji Lingchuan couldn’t sit still anymore. “Chu Li is the Duke’s daughter. If something happens to her in Lu City, how am I supposed to explain it when I return? Hey, hey, hey… I’m not finished speaking…”

When He An returned to the city, it was already late at night. He assumed Ruan Qinghuan had gone to bed, but he noticed a light coming from the side room. His stern expression softened, and the fatigue and frustration in his heart vanished in an instant, a faint smile pulling at his cold lips.

Hearing his footsteps, Ruan Qinghuan came out to greet him. “You’re back late, did you encounter any difficulties?”

“It’s alright. The existing dam has been almost completely dismantled, and it will be fully completed in another two days, after which we’ll start construction.” He An was truly tired, and seeing a simple dish and rice on the table, still steaming, he was somewhat surprised. “Did you make this?”

“Would you like to try?”

He An was somewhat surprised. This was the first time she had proactively called him “husband” and the first time she had made food for him. He felt an indescribable excitement.

“What are you looking at? Eat.”

Even though it was just a simple dish, He An enjoyed it thoroughly.

Ruan Qinghuan brought up the matter of the Wu family and also mentioned that she had someone keeping an eye on the County Magistrate’s wife, expecting at least a bit of reproach from He An. But he only responded with an “Mm,” and nothing more.

He didn’t seem angry.

He An finished his meal quickly and drank some tea to rinse his mouth. “The two Wu brothers are indeed tough opponents. Over the years, no matter what happened, the two brothers have never shown any signs of discord. So, are you planning to drive a wedge between them?”

“I don’t know if this approach will work. Sometimes, things need to fall apart before they can be fixed. The forces in Lu City are deeply entrenched, including the bandits outside the city. The Wu family is at the top. As long as they are thrown into chaos, we can take advantage of the situation. There are risks, but it’s still better than directly confronting them head-on.”

He An looked at her with admiration and curiosity. Ruan Qinghuan couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy, afraid that He An would probe further. After staring at each other for a while, He An said, “Did you sneak a peek at my secret letters?”

Ruan Qinghuan: “……”

A confidential letter? She was aware that He An had received a confidential letter but had never secretly read it. However, this could serve as a good excuse. Ruan Qinghuan feigned being exposed and showed a hint of fear, giving a slight nod.

“It’s fine. Since Madam is accompanying me, there are some things you should know. This trip is not as simple as just disaster relief and dam construction. The mission to eradicate the bandits is extremely dangerous. You must prioritize your safety and under no circumstances should you leave the city without good reason.”

He An then took out a military token from his chest. “In case of any emergency, give this to Jiang Ming. There will be people to ensure your safety.”

Ruan Qinghuan looked uneasy. “My safety is in your hands. I won't feel at ease if it's left to someone else.”

He An stood up and handed her the token. “Your safety is of utmost importance to me. With this token, it’s a double insurance. As the Prime Minister, I won’t have to hold back. Understand?”

Ensuring her safety was crucial for him to move forward confidently.

As dawn broke, the rare sunlight pierced through the window. After so many days in Lu City, even when it wasn’t raining, the sky was always overcast. This was the first time they had seen the sun.

Chu Li arrived bright and early. After a few days of interaction, Zimo had grown familiar with her. He laughed happily as he jumped into her arms. Chu Li gave him a sugar figurine she had bought on her way, which made Zimo beam with joy.

The first thing Chu Li asked upon entering the room was, “Any news?”

She was referring to Qian Yunxi. The town was small, and the weather had been dreary. Life was so monotonous that even shopping couldn’t lift their spirits; there was nothing worth buying.

Now that there was something to do, Chu Li was eager for results.

“Not yet,” Ruan Qinghuan replied as she poured two cups of tea, handing one to Chu Li.

Chu Li looked disappointed.

Xia Lian came out from the servants' quarters, her face a little pale. Ruan Qinghuan took the basin from her. “I told you to rest. Why did you come out?”

Perhaps due to the change in environment, Xia Lian had been vomiting and suffering from diarrhea for days, which had taken a toll on her. After lying down for two days, she had finally started to recover.

“I’m fine. If I lie down any longer, I’ll turn into a log.” Xia Lian turned around and opened the door to the servants' quarters, revealing a man in plain clothes.

He was recovering well. Though he still needed a crutch to walk, he could move independently. With time, he would fully recover, but his legs would likely have lasting issues.

The man was about to kneel before Ruan Qinghuan. Jiang Qi supported him. “You’re injured. There’s no need to pay respects to the Madam.”

The man then cupped his hands. “Thank you, esteemed benefactors, for your righteous aid. I am eternally grateful and am willing to serve you.”

“I do have a task for you,” Ruan Qinghuan said, taking out two blueprints and handing them to him. “Look at these. Can you build it?”

The man glanced at the blueprints, his expression turning to surprise. He examined the details in disbelief, his excitement evident. “This… Where did this come from?”

“I designed it. Can you build it?”

The man’s eyes were filled with uncontainable excitement. It was the first time he had seen such a finely crafted design. “I’ll need two top-quality pine woods, a smelting furnace, and some hammer and axe tools. As for refined iron, I don’t need too much for now.”

Lu City lacks iron mines, making it difficult to obtain large quantities of refined iron.

Chu Li also caught sight of the blueprint and realized it was a weapon, her expression changing in shock. “Sister-in-law, you…”

“I only asked him to forge two crossbows for precautionary purposes.”

Chu Li pulled her aside. “But there are clear laws against private weapon manufacturing. You can be prosecuted for privately casting weapons.”

Ruan Qinghuan was well aware of this. She turned to the man with the surname Xie. “Once we return to the capital, submit these blueprints to the Ministry of War, claiming they are your designs. This should help you find a livelihood.”

Hearing this, the man knelt down despite his leg injury. “Your immense kindness, I can never repay.”