Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan raised her head and tilted her chin up to look at Gu Jinghui.

Lord Gu lowered his head, seemingly looking at the floral embroidery on the gauze blanket covering her, but in reality, his eyes were completely blank.

His tone was calm, but Qin Yuan could hear the deep longing in it.

“I always thought that if the late Crown Prince were to ascend the throne one day, he would surely be an extraordinary and sage ruler. He was of noble birth, kind-hearted, and compassionate towards everyone! Everyone who had been with him wanted to serve him… He was shrewd in politics, but never resorted to scheming. His intelligence was unparalleled in my life… He saw into people's hearts like the sun and moon illuminating the earth, leaving no room for greed, wickedness, or evil to hide. The late Empress's family was proud to have such a child. From a young age, I resolved to be his most loyal subject and protect him for life.”

A tear fell unexpectedly onto the back of Qin Yuan's hand.

Then came the second drop.

Qin Yuan lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

She had no chance to meet the late Crown Prince, but she had heard her father and others secretly discussing it: "If Prince Qi is described as refined and upright, then the late Crown Prince was magnanimous and insightful. It's such a pity... The current Crown Prince... sigh... the Emperor really favors Empress Lin too much."

This shows how much the late Crown Prince held in the hearts of the court officials.

The couple lay quietly for a while, and then Lord Gu said, "I'm going to check in. You can sleep a little longer."

Qin Yuan gave a mumbled reply.

After Lord Gu left, she sat up, pulled up a pillow and leaned against it, hugging the gauze quilt and staring blankly.

It wasn't until Hongye called out, "Miss, it's time to get up. Sixteen and Eighteen have received instructions from the Marquis and are waiting outside to report. If you wait until you're finished before going to the small courtyard to handle matters, I'm afraid the stewards and matrons will complain again."

Qin Yuan then got up to change her clothes and wash up.

Hongmian and Mozhu came in and set out breakfast. Qin Yuan then asked, "What did the Marquis have for breakfast?"

Hongmian said, "The Marquis had a basket of steamed buns, a bowl of noodles, a plate of fried dough sticks, two bowls of porridge, and a plate of braised beef."

Although there were fewer than usual, it was still alright.

Qin Yuan nodded and said, "Ask if Sixteen and Eighteen have eaten yet? If not, have the kitchen make some for them."

Mo Zhu smiled and said, "Sister Hongye has already given the instructions."

Qin Yuan then felt relieved and began to eat her chicken soup sweet noodles, and also sampled some of the other dishes.

Hongye stood to the side and asked, "Miss, did you see the accounts I sorted out yesterday?"

Qin Yuan said, "I've seen it, and it's on the bench. Go get it. Prepare the gifts according to this. Also, for those who have given generous gifts these days, consider adding a little more and reorganize them for me to see."

He paused, then added, "Go to the council chamber and handle those routine matters first. If a decision cannot be reached, tell them to wait until I arrive."

Hongye then went out.

After finishing breakfast and resting for a while, Qin Yuan had fresh tea and then invited Gu Shiliu and Gu Shiba in.

Through the beaded curtain, Gu Shiliu said, "Madam, I am following the orders of the Marquis and awaiting your instructions."

Gu Shiba echoed in response.

Qin Yuan asked curiously, "Didn't you say that the Marquis asked you to report to me? I thought there was news about the Zhao family."

Gu Shiliu said, "Yelü is stubborn and refuses to say anything, so he hasn't come to report to the madam. This morning, the marquis left the manor without letting the two of us follow him. He only said that the madam has a good way to gather information and told us to just follow the madam's instructions."

Qin Yuan suddenly realized.

This is how Lord Gu entrusted this matter to her again.

"What else did the Marquis say?"

"That's all the Marquis said."

Qin Yuan then repeated what she had told everyone the day before.

Gu Shiba sighed, "It used to be so much easier to gather information in the northern frontier. Children, merchants, and ordinary people would report even the slightest thing that seemed amiss."

Gu Shiliu refuted Gu Shiba.

“The northern frontier is our territory, and the Marquis is deeply loved by the people. Now that we are causing trouble in the capital, we really can’t do our job properly.”

Gu Shiba, with his head held high, said, "I just couldn't help but sigh. The Gu family has sacrificed so much to protect Daxing, but the people in the capital treat the Marquis much worse than those in the northern frontier."

Gu Shiliu was also stirred up: "After driving out the Yelü clan, we were also uprooted from the northern frontier. Such a large piece of land was used to build a government, and people were assigned to manage it."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan couldn't help but recall a saying: "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away."

This is just the beginning.

Since the end of war, military generals have been oppressed by civil officials, and they probably all feel the same way.

Qin Yuan then said, "Don't complain about these things in private. The veterans probably have some grievances in their hearts. You are people close to the Marquis and you say such things... There will be scholars who will talk to you, saying that the northern frontier is not the Gu family's land, that all the land under heaven belongs to the king, and that thunder and rain are all the king's grace."

Gu Shiliu immediately replied, "We understand."

Gu Shiba said, "What you're worried about is that the soldiers will inevitably gossip in private. They'll say that it's no wonder some people are raising bandits to enhance their own power. We risked our lives to earn military merits, and now that there are no more battles to fight, we'll have to watch the faces of those who only know how to talk."

Gu Shiliu glanced at Gu Shiba with some concern.

Gu Shiba, puzzled, said, "Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't lie."

Qin Yuan chuckled softly.

"Sixteen, don't worry. Although my father and elder brother are both scholars, they don't think that way. If they didn't respect the Marquis, they wouldn't have married me into the Marquis's mansion."

Gu Shiba laughed and said, "That's for sure. The Grand Master of Ceremonies is highly learned and virtuous. He is not like the likes of Shuhai Pavilion, who look down on soldiers."

Gu Shiliu said, "I was overthinking it."

Qin Yuan steered the conversation back on track: "Connecting the guilds of beggars, porters, and street cleaners is no easy task. You few alone can't handle it all. How about we think about what the Five Cities Garrison can do to help? Because of the Empress Dowager's birthday, the Five Cities Garrison is busy checking household and merchant registers. Also, I heard the Marquis say yesterday that we could try to get the Ministry of Works' Drainage Department to dredge and clear the silt, and check for any harboring of stolen goods or suspicious individuals. Soldiers from the military camps can also be called in to help. You should discuss this carefully, leverage any available resources, and spend money where possible. With Zhang Dada's information network, we might just find Xu Zhen."

He lowered his voice and said, "At that time, nothing will escape our notice. Even if the most powerful forces dare to challenge us, we'll have to think twice."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shiliu and Gu Shiba's hearts skipped a beat. They exchanged a glance, both seeing eagerness in each other's eyes.

Gu Shiliu then said, "Then let's go and discuss it with the people of the Five Cities Military Command. Once we have a plan, we'll report back to you, Madam."

Qin Yuan agreed, then added, "Uncle Cheng next door works in the Five Cities Military Command. Also, you should be careful, as Lord Xu is also a commander in the Five Cities Military Command. If you can get it done, keep a close eye on Xu Tang."