Zhao Wu added, "I had an unexpected gain this time. I originally wanted to balance public and private matters and investigate my father's past. I actually found one of my father's former subordinates. My brother specifically mentioned this person's name. He is now serving as a guerrilla general there. He was also involved in this matter, but not too deeply. I helped him get through it. In order to thank me and to get out of it, he told me some things, one of which involved Wang Yi. If it is true, Wang Yi will be in big trouble..."

Xu Lanyin raised an eyebrow, "Are you also reselling military rations?"

This was truly an unexpected gain. Zhao Wu was unwilling to join the military camp. It seemed like he was giving up a bright future, but it did make it easier for him to do what he wanted to do.

Zhao Wudao said, "Pretty much. They're selling the rations provided by the court at high prices, and buying moldy grain at low prices to supply the army... This happens occasionally in the army, and it's a common way for some officers to make money. As long as it's not too serious, the officers and soldiers dare not speak out. If no one reports it, it will be over. But if it's proven true and someone reports it, the court will punish them severely." He added, "I'll follow this line and investigate carefully. If Wang Yi did this, he'll definitely do something else. I'll find a chance to talk to Uncle Xu later and ask him to investigate the army in the capital. If those people do it, there will be traces."

Xu Lanyin suddenly became interested and said with a smile, "If we can get hold of something against Wang Yi, many problems will be easily solved. Thank you, you are my lucky star."

In the hazy moonlight, Xu Lanyin's eyes shone brightly, like two crescent moons.

Zhao Wu's heart beat wildly a few times. He stretched out his big hand and grabbed Xu Lanyin's small hand on the table, saying, "Sister is also my lucky star. Without sister, I would be a shameless villain who died for my elder brother's fiancée, and my elder brother would be bound to that small courtyard for the rest of his life."

The broad and warm hands wrapped around her small hands. Xu Lanyin was dazed. These hands were no longer the thin hands of a boy, but the strong and tough hands of a man.

Her heart beat wildly and her face felt hot. She tried to pull her hand back, but the big hand became stronger and she couldn't pull it back.

Zhao Wu smiled again and said, "I heard from my brother that Lord Qin and Auntie have already recognized each other."

Xu Lanyin nodded and said, "Well, they will come to our house for dinner some other day, and ask you and your elder brother to come over."

She tried to pull her hand back, but when she failed, she gave up and let him hold it.

The two held hands and talked for nearly an hour before Zhao Wucai stood up to say goodbye. Before leaving, he gave Xu Lanyin a small sachet, saying that he had been too busy with the case to buy anything else, and that he had hurriedly bought it while passing by the market, so she shouldn't mind it.

Xu Lanyin stood in front of the window and saw the slender figure leap up and disappear. The tiles made two slight sounds, and then there was no movement, leaving only the moonlight in the courtyard.

If it weren’t for the small sachet in my hand and the residual warmth on the back of my hand, it would have felt like a dream.

Xu Lan went to bed satisfied and had a good sleep all night.

Early the next morning, the Zhao Wu brothers came to Xu's house for breakfast.

Seeing Zhao Wu coming back, Qin and Xu Lanting both smiled. Qin then asked someone to go to the street corner to buy the fried cakes that Zhao Wu liked to eat.

After dinner, Xu Lanyin made the excuse that she had to go to the teahouse to check the accounts and leave early, lest Min Jia and Xu Lanyue wake up and pester her to go to the teahouse, thus distracting her from her work. She hurriedly wrapped her clothes in cloth and left. Instead of going to the alley entrance to hail a donkey cart, she took Zhangqi to Zhao's house.

Xu Lanyin and Zhangqi went into the south room of the east wing and left Zhao Guan outside.

Xu Lanyin had bound her chest at home that morning, changed into men's clothes, and donned heels with thicker soles. She combed her hair again and applied a layer of cream to her face, turning her skin a tan. She then thickened her eyebrows and applied a tuft of mustache. She looked in the mirror again; this time, she looked like a man.

This was the outfit she had secretly made for the trial.

Before he put on the beard, Zhangqi looked at her in surprise with his mouth wide open.

After putting on the beard, Zhangqi couldn't help himself any longer and asked, "Girl, what are you doing?"

Xu Lanyin tapped her head and said, "Don't be so curious and keep your mouth shut. When you reach the fork in the road, get off the car and go directly to the teahouse. I have something important to do with Zhao Wu."

Although Zhangqi really didn't want to be separated from Xu Lanyin, he knew that she would be fine as long as she was with Zhao Wu, so he had to agree with a pout.

"Whatever you do, girls should be careful about their safety,"

When Xu Lanyin came out after dressing up, Zhao Wu was stunned at first, then he laughed.

"Sister, you really know how to fix it."

Xu Lanyin rolled her eyes and said in a gruff voice, "Brother Zhao, I'm Brother Ding."

Zhao Wu quickly clasped his fists and said with a smile, "Oh, Brother Ding, I'm so sorry, so sorry."

The three of them walked out of the Chuihua Gate, and the carriage driven by He Dong was already waiting in the outer courtyard.

When He Dong saw Xu Lanyin like this, he was also distracted.

Several people got on the car, put Zhangqi down at the fork in the road, and went to the Censorate for Criminal Justice.

The carriage went directly to the door of the compartment they visited last time, and Zhao Wu and Xu Lanyin got off and entered the compartment.

The place had been cleared in advance, and only Min Hu, Qin Che, and Min Hu's aide, Master Ji, were inside. This case had nothing to do with Qin Che, but Min Hu trusted him and invited him anyway.

The light in the room was dim. There were curtains on several windows, except for one small window. However, the window paper was very thick, so the sunlight that came in was limited.

Seeing Xu Lanyin like this, they were also stunned for a moment, and then they all laughed. Qin Che laughed out loud, while Min Hu put his fist to his mouth and lowered his eyes to hide the content in his eyes.

Seeing Xu Lanyin like this, Minhu's heart ached again. Such a smart, sharp, and unique girl, but it was a pity he wasn't meant to be with her. He thought that after all these days, he'd figured it out, let it go, and that seeing her again would be calm and unperturbed. Now, it seemed, he couldn't.

Min Hu took a few deep breaths before raising his eyelids and smiling, "I have to trouble Miss Xu again."

Xu Lanyin clasped his fists and bowed to them, saying with a smile, "Master Min, you are too polite."

Later, Zhao Wu walked in carrying a thin man in his forties.

The man was wearing prison clothes, was thin, and had a goatee. Although his face was dirty, there was no blood on it, so he had probably not been tortured.

The prisoner knelt down and said to Min Hu, "Master Min, I have confessed everything I should have. My crime is unforgivable and I deserve to be executed. I plead guilty, but why do you still want a separate trial?"

Zhao Wu picked up Jiang Ping, forced him to sit on a chair, and forced his mouth to feed him half a bowl of tranquilizing soup. He couldn't feed him too much, for fear that he would fall asleep completely.

Jiang Ping became even more frightened when he saw that he was the only one sitting there and everyone else was standing around him.

Xu Lanyin seemed to unintentionally hold the back of the chair where Jiang Ping was sitting, listening to his inner thoughts.

He thought, "No matter how you ask, I won't say anything I shouldn't. My shabby body won't survive for many years unless I'm beheaded. If I reveal the secrets of Wang Yi, Pu Yuanjie, Huang Song, and other important figures, my family will be finished..."