The official ship sank, the rains rose to a flood, the Huai River breached its banks, and tens of thousands of people and livestock were killed or injured.

This matter caused a great uproar in the imperial court.

The imperial court is to send an imperial envoy to the south to inspect and supervise.

When Xie Yu returned, his father spoke to him about matters of the court. Xie Yu asked, "Father, is His Majesty going to send someone to the south to supervise?"

"You guessed it?"

"Send Grand Secretary Gu?"

"Um!"

Xie Anfeng was very pleased that he had thought of this.

Before he could even praise Xie Yu for his keen understanding of current affairs, Xie Yu said with a grave expression, "Father, please take a look at this information."

Xie Yu handed a notebook to Xie Anfeng, in which the letters were arranged in chronological order.

Xie Anfeng stared at the messages, speechless for a long time.

More than a dozen official salt ships sank because they were sunk by bandits, who then salvaged the salt bags.

The ship was never fully loaded with salt.

For Xie Anfeng, a cunning old fox from a prominent family who had been entrenched in the court for so many years, these few pieces of news were enough to show that this hurricane had become a natural shield for some people.

Xie Anfeng could think of anything Xie Yu could think of.

He immediately sent Gu Shaoyu a calling card.

That evening, Xie Anfeng, Gu Shaoyu, and the others all entered the palace.

The Imperial City Guard also presented the letters and items intercepted from various sources.

Emperor Hui, draped in a fox fur coat, looked at his ministers gathered late at night, then at Leng Luo, the commander of the Imperial City Guard, and asked, "What have you found out?"

Leng Luo, dressed in a purple, round-necked, narrow-sleeved official robe, belted with boots, wearing a turban, and with a ceremonial sword hanging at his waist, respectfully replied, "The other letters are fine, but..."

He glanced at Gu Shaoyu, who said, "Speak the truth before His Majesty."

“We intercepted a package from the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang. It was addressed to Zhang Shaojun, the grandson of Zhang Zhengdao, the former Salt Commissioner. I cannot speculate on its contents.”

He placed the package on the table: a packet of Shouzhou yellow tea leaves and a packet of salt.

Emperor Hui tilted his head slightly, looking at his ministers.

The ministers, their minds filled with conspiracy theories, immediately came up with several answers.

Gu Shaoyu said, "Zhang Shaojun is now in charge of the sales of Yangzhou salt. This Shouzhou Huangya tea is tea, and when combined with salt, it becomes tea salt, which is a reminder that the imperial court is going to Jiangnan to investigate the salt affairs."

This is a way of sending a warning, reminding the other party to take precautions.

However, Gu Shaoyu added, "Gu Chengyan met with Shi Xiu, the Crown Prince's chief attendant, on the Shangsi Festival. The package was given to him by Shi Xiu."

Gu Chengyan sent this package to Zhang Shaojun through the post station, but he had no idea what the purpose of sending it was.

His Majesty snorted coldly, "Fool."

Gu Shaoyu: "My intention is to leave no one untouched for the time being."

The following day, the imperial court issued an edict appointing Grand Secretary Gu as Imperial Commissioner to inspect the salt administration in Jiangnan.

At noon, Xie Yu returned from the Ministry of Revenue and brought Xie Zhaozhao a letter. Xie Zhaozhao looked at the unfamiliar envelope and saw that the handwriting was strong and bold, clearly a man's.

Her face immediately turned red.

You don't need to guess whose it is.

“He will depart at 1:00 PM. If you wish to see him, I will take you.”

The imperial court proposed sending Grand Secretary Gu to Jiangnan yesterday, and today the imperial decree was issued for his immediate departure.

Before Grand Secretary Gu had even formally proposed marriage, he was on an inspection tour of Jiangnan and wrote a letter to his sister to inform her of his itinerary, which shows how much he values ​​her.

Xie Zhaozhao blushed slightly upon receiving the letter, but upon hearing that he had been appointed Imperial Commissioner for Salt Administration in Jiangnan, her face turned pale. She raised her eyes and said, "He still went to Jiangnan?"

Xie Yu said helplessly, "This is His Majesty's decision."

Leaving the capital at 1-3 PM means there is only one hour left.

She was extremely flustered and said to Xie Yu, "Brother, please take me to see him around 1-3 PM."

Xie Yu said he would pick her up at 1-3 PM.

Gu Shaoyu's letter was not long. He said that it was his duty to go, and he would return as soon as possible. He would propose marriage upon his return and told her to wait patiently.

Xie Zhaozhao read it three times in a row; how could she feel at ease?

But there's not much she can do.

She put the letter away, took off her agarwood bracelet, smoothed the yellow tassels at the bottom, and silently recited a Buddhist saying.

Xie Yu rode a horse, and Yuan Yuan accompanied her in a carriage to the city gate.

Along the way, she thought about it. Meeting a stranger like this was something she wouldn't have dared to imagine before, but now she couldn't care less.

She had already warned him, but he still went to Jiangnan. Either he was fully prepared, or he had no choice but to go for the sake of the country and its people.

Gu Shaoyu rode out of the Marquis's residence on horseback, accompanied only by his personal bodyguard, Nanxing.

At the city gate, he saw the Xie family's carriage and Xie Yu.

Gu Shaoyu dismounted, greeted Xie Yu, and his eyes inadvertently glanced at the carriage bearing the Xie family's insignia, where the pair of snow-white steeds stood quietly.

The young lady's carriage?

Xie Zhaozhao naturally wouldn't stand outside so openly. She heard Xie Yu outside the carriage say, "Grand Secretary Gu is going to Jiangnan. I don't know how long he will be gone, so my sister and I came to see him off."

Gu Shaoyu stood in front of the car and thanked him through the curtain: "I will be back as soon as I finish my business, Miss, you don't need to worry."

Through the curtain, Xie Zhaozhao could vaguely see a person, taller and stronger than her brother, wearing a dark-colored robe with gold trim and a noble air.

She wasn't shy at all, and said softly, "This bracelet was a gift from Living Buddha Yuanji. I'm giving it to you, please take good care of yourself."

Gu Shaoyu saw the outstretched hand, which was so white it seemed to glow, so tender it looked like it could be pinched to release moisture, with fingertips like spring reeds and nails like lustrous pearls.

He stretched out his large hand and received it reverently, as if afraid of breaking such a delicate wrist.

He took it and solemnly said, "Don't worry."

Don't worry about anything, she definitely understands.

Xie Yu recognized the bracelet.

Because my mother passed away shortly after my younger sister was born, my sister's birthday is the anniversary of my mother's death. My sister never celebrates her birthday, but every year she goes to Huguo Temple to pray for her deceased mother.

On the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, her younger sister performed a Buddhist ceremony for their mother at Huguo Temple. The Living Buddha Yuanji appeared out of nowhere and gave it to her.

The Living Buddha Yuanji said in a madmanish manner, "I specially chanted sutras and blessed you for forty-nine days as a reward for your filial piety."

My younger sister always wears it and never takes it off.

Now that it's been given to Gu Shaoyu, I know she's very worried.

Gu Shaoyu accepted the bracelet, then took his leave.

He rode his horse out of the city, and after traveling more than ten miles, he stopped the horse and took out the bracelet from his pocket.

The bracelet is small, with eighteen agarwood beads, one coral mother bead, and one spacer bead. The pendant is made of pearls and coral seed beads, and has a yellow tassel at the bottom.

He could tell that this bracelet was definitely extraordinary; the faint fragrance and the smooth, round beads told him that it must be something she kept close to her body.

He put it in his arms, patted it down, and then mounted his horse again.

When Xie Zhaozhao returned from outside, she ran into Xie Xiangxiang and her younger sister Xie Tingting, who were painting in the pear orchard.

"Elder sister," Xie Xiangxiang said, her eyes shining, "I heard that Grand Secretary Gu went to Jiangnan?"