These people traveled between the two countries, ostensibly trading spices and tea, but in reality, they were simply trying to send gold back to the Great Wei through a middleman.

This large amount of gold was clearly not obtained through legitimate means.

But gold was a rare commodity in both the Great Wei and Tibet, let alone such a large quantity. Those merchants traveled back and forth between the two places countless times, transporting an immeasurable amount of gold.

Such a large quantity of gold, if stolen by bandits, would surely be a major case that shakes the Great Wei. However, there has been no news of it within the Great Wei, indicating that the Great Wei is unaware of this gold.

The massive amount of gold of unknown origin can only be attributed to someone discovering a gold mine and secretly mining it.

After having this suspicion, His Highness sent him in disguise to investigate the gold mines in the territory of the Great Wei. However, not long after he arrived, the Qin King of the Great Wei, who was said to be the god of war descended to earth, also came to Xizhou.

He had no choice but to lie low for the time being and wait for the storm to pass.

We've only managed to get a glimpse of the situation, but then His Highness ordered us to be urgently recalled.

Ah Ye then handed over the instructions and disguised himself as a foreign merchant, heading out of the city.

*

After returning home, Shen Youying was still thinking about the figure she had glimpsed by chance.

Although the other person was dressed in exotic attire, their physique and appearance were exactly the same as her elder brother's; she would never mistake them. However, if it really was her elder brother, Shen Youying couldn't understand why he refused to show himself.

No matter how you look at it, Shen Youying couldn't understand it. In the end, she got a headache from worrying and thinking too much, and her temples throbbed with pain.

When Bai Luo saw that she was frowning and pale, she was startled and quickly went to ask the Fire Cave Master to come and take a look. She also sent a message to Xue Shen, who was in the government office.

When Xue Shen hurriedly returned, Master Huodong had already given Shen Youying acupuncture, causing her to fall into a deep sleep.

"What happened? Everyone was perfectly fine when they left the government office."

Master Huodong said, "The fire in your heart has reached its peak and cannot be relieved, so it has suddenly flared up. The northwest is dry and hot, so I will prescribe some medicinal diet recipes to clear the heart and reduce the fire. The princess should eat these medicinal diets soon. She must not be anxious or get angry again."

Xue Shen handed the prescription to Liu Yun, then turned his gaze to Bai Luo: "What happened on your way back?"

Bai Luo then recounted what had happened: "When the carriage reached the main street, the princess seemed to suddenly see something and hurriedly got off the carriage to look for it. But she didn't seem to find it and was so anxious that she cried on the spot. However, when we asked the princess what she was looking for, she refused to say."

"After returning, she was in a daze, and not long after, the princess said she had a headache."

Bai Luo asked worriedly, "Could it be that we've bumped into something?"

Xue Shen frowned slightly, shook his head and said no more: "You all go and prepare the medicinal meal first, because the princess will probably need to eat when she wakes up. I'll stay here and watch over her."

Although Bai Luo also wanted to stay by her young lady's side, seeing Xue Shen's sullen face and not knowing what he was thinking, she had no choice but to obediently retreat.

Xue Shen sat down by the couch and took Shen Youying's hand in his palm.

She didn't know if she was searching for something in her dream, her brows were tightly furrowed, and she looked unhappy.

Xue Shen sighed and asked in a low voice, "Who did you see?"

*

Because of the acupuncture, Shen Youying slept until sunset.

In her dream, she discovered that her elder brother had returned, but for some reason, he refused to go back with her. She kept chasing after him, but no matter what she did, she couldn't catch up with him. As she watched her brother's figure grow further and further away, Shen Youying screamed and woke up.

"Big brother—"

Xue Shen grasped her hand and called her worriedly, "Zhaozhao?"

Shen Youying was in a daze for a moment before realizing that what she had just dreamed was just a dream. But the feeling of despair from the dream, of being unable to catch up, still lingered. She turned coldly to look at Xue Shen and said in a hoarse voice, "I saw my elder brother on the street, but when I got off the carriage to look for him, I couldn't find him anywhere."

She pressed her face against Xue Shen's palm, tears streaming down her face, and said, "I'm sure I didn't see wrong, but why won't you come out to see me, brother?"

She thought of her father, who had gone to the Northwest, and her tears fell even harder: "There's no news of my father either."

Xue Shen felt a pang in his heart as he watched her shed tears.

He carefully bent down to wipe away her tears and whispered to comfort her, "Are you sure Zhao Zhao saw your brother? I'll send someone to look for him right away, and I'll definitely find him for you."

Shen Youying nodded firmly: "I'm sure I saw it, I can't be mistaken. But when Bai Luo and the others asked, I didn't dare to say anything, afraid they would look at me strangely."

She was even more afraid that they would tell her again that her older brother was gone and that she had just mistaken him for someone else.

But Shen Youying trusted her instincts; the feeling of blood ties at that moment was unmistakable, and she saw her elder brother.

Xue Shen frowned, understanding why Shen Youying was so anxious and distressed. If that person were truly Shen Xiuyi, they would never be avoiding her.

He sighed softly and said, "I believe you. Don't worry, tell me what your elder brother is wearing, and I'll send people to search the city."

Shen Youying described Shen Xiuyi's attire and then asked worriedly, "Big brother's clothes look like those of a foreign tribe. Could he have encountered some trouble?"

Xue Shen shook his head: "There are too few clues at the moment, so it's hard to say. But since he can move around in Xizhou City, he's probably not in any danger. Once we find him, everything will become clear."

Shen Youying nestled in his arms and nodded slightly.

Seeing that she had calmed down a lot, Xue Shen asked Bai Luo to set out dinner and bring out the medicinal food.

Shen Youying frowned subconsciously when she saw the medicinal food and said, "Why do we have to eat this again?"

Xue Shen served her a bowl and also served himself a bowl, saying, "The weather in the Northwest is dry, which can cause internal heat. This medicinal cuisine is to clear the mind and reduce internal heat. Zhao Zhao, try it first. We have a different chef, so the taste is different from before."

Shen Youying pursed her lips, knowing that her headache earlier had probably frightened him, so she didn't act willfully and slowly began to eat the medicinal meal.

Xue Shen ate with her, and seeing that she didn't have much of an appetite and only ate half a bowl, he naturally took the rest and finished it. Then he asked, "Want to go for a walk?"

Shen Youying had been sleeping for a while, but she wasn't sleepy anymore, so she nodded.

Xue Shen had Bai Luo and Liu Yun accompany her for a walk, while he summoned his spies to his study.

Based on his memory of Shen Xiuyi, he drew a portrait. The portrait depicted Shen Xiuyi dressed exactly as Shen Youying had described.

Xue Shen handed the portrait to the scout and instructed, "Print the portrait and distribute it. Check if anyone who looks like him has been in or out of the city."