"Yes, you should remember this sentence too."

Cui Ming chuckled softly.

Hongye didn't reply and turned to go to the small kitchen.

It seems like a meal won't be served anytime soon, so we might as well add a couple more dishes that the Marquis likes.

Unexpectedly, the small kitchen had already prepared several dishes.

Hongye said, "Good, you've all prepared yourselves."

The cook hurriedly smiled and said, "We knew the Marquis was back, so we prepared this. The Marquis only likes a few things and isn't picky about food. We always keep some of the things that can be stored in the kitchen for emergencies, and here we are."

The red leaves nodded.

"If you do it this way, it will save everyone trouble."

The two chatted for a while, exchanging a few words, before the meal was finally served inside.

Hongye and her two maids then set out the food.

Gu Jinghui also gave Hongye a special look.

Hongye was startled and quickly glanced at Qin Yuan. Seeing that Qin Yuan didn't say anything, she made an excuse to slip out and never came back in to serve her.

Once the food was laid out, Qin Yuan laughed and said, "Why do you scare her all day long?"

Gu Jinghui feigned indignation: "Yuan'er, you're going too far these days, always accusing me of things. When have I ever scared her?"

Qin Yuan snorted, picked up a piece of rouge-colored goose breast with her chopsticks, stuffed it into his mouth, and said, "Stop pretending."

Gu Jinghui swallowed the food in a few gulps and chuckled, "You saw it too. I only glanced at her and didn't say a word. She just went outside on her own. How can you blame me for that?"

Qin Yuan said, "You are not allowed to embarrass her."

"OK."

Gu Jinghui began to eat.

Qin Yuan paused, then couldn't help but ask, "You still haven't told me what happened to Yelü Guzha? Did you find Xu Zhen or Zhao Niangzi at the hostage residence?"

Gu Jinghui said, "Yelü Guzha coughed up a large bowl of blood and is now searching the whole city for a doctor. He doesn't dare say that I beat him, but only that he fell from a height last night. Last night we were only concerned with robbing his valuables, and there were so many concubines, maids and servants in his mansion that we couldn't see them clearly."

"How many were actually moved back?"

Qin Yuan asked curiously.

Gu Jinghui lowered his voice, "We emptied his place completely, leaving nothing behind. There were nearly 100,000 taels of silver in cash alone, and even more in banknotes. We didn't even have time to count the gold, silver, jewelry, and antiques. This guy is incredibly wealthy and powerful; no wonder he can bribe officials in the court to speak and act on his behalf."

For the sake of gold, Physician Liu was willing to risk his life.

It's true what they say: people die for wealth, and birds die for food.

Qin Yuan said coldly, "Where did he, a defeated hostage, get so much money? I'd like to see if he dares to report this to the authorities."

Gu Jinghui burst out laughing.

"why are you laughing?"

Qin Yuan was puzzled.

Gu Jinghui said, "Yesterday, Sixteen and Eighteen said that we were more like robbers than robbers. But the way you're talking makes me think you're more like a robber than us."

Qin Yuan also smiled.

Gu Jinghui said, "He did report it to the authorities, otherwise it wouldn't make sense for such a big fire to break out at the hostage residence. We acted as both robbers and rescuers, carrying water on the way there and bringing back wealth. We didn't leave empty-handed. This trip was really a windfall. Let me tell you, what does losing an eyebrow matter to Gu Shiliu? He's already made enough money to marry Hongye."

Qin Yuan said, "You shouldn't say that in front of Hongye anymore. She's easily embarrassed."

Gu Jinghui said, "These are all important military matters, how could I possibly talk about them in front of her? You underestimate me too much."

"Then how will you tell me?"

Qin Yuan raised her delicate and slender eyebrows.

“You’re different,” Gu Jinghui said matter-of-factly.

"How come it's different?"

Lord Gu said, "We conspired together on this matter. You are my strategist, and I can't do without you."

Qin Yuan smiled.

Lord Gu also laughed.

He grinned, showing off his white teeth. His smile was a little goofy, but he was still very handsome.

Qin Yuan thought to herself, Hongye was right, this marriage in this life is truly a blessing.

But her greatest stroke of luck was that fate gave her a second chance to make up for her regrets.

Qin Yuan cleared her throat, refusing to look at the man opposite her who was using his good looks to disturb her peace of mind.

"Sixteen has been with you for so long, he should have saved up a lot of money by now. Why do you still need to rely on this trip to save up for your wife? Where did it all go?"

We should definitely ask Hongye about this.

If you gamble or...

Let's call off this marriage.

Gu Jinghui said, "His money is naturally kept by his mother. He is not married yet, and he has many siblings. His future wedding expenses will be high. Gu Shiliu said that he has earned quite a lot since he came back. He used to earn money to support his mother. He doesn't have to spend money on food, clothing, or daily necessities in the mansion. He saves all his earnings in the account to use when he gets married."

Qin Yuan nodded.

He must have earned a considerable amount of money risking his life on the battlefield with Lord Gu, which all went to support his family, indicating that he was a decent person.

He even knew to save the money he would have spent on his wedding, which shows he was quite shrewd.

If she adds a decent dowry to Hongye's dowry, they can live a comfortable life.

Gu Jinghui asked, "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Qin Yuan said seriously, "We must find out where Yelü Guzha got all this money. If we want to cut off his source of income, we have to dig it out from the root. Didn't we say before that we would send people to investigate what the Yelü clan is doing? Do they have any special methods of accumulating wealth?"

It's astonishing that a defeated clan, forced to leave their homeland, could quickly amass such a fortune.

Those with ulterior motives will naturally become suspicious.

This is also why Qin Yuan was certain that Yelü Guzha dared not make a fuss.

Gu Jinghui laughed and said, "My wife has the air of a great general. We're on the same page. It's just that the scout hasn't returned yet. But we can't just wait around. He's out of money now, so he'll naturally try to contact his old subordinates. We'll wait for him on the road. Hehe."

Qin Yuan laughed and said, "He's gotten addicted to being a bandit."

"That's right. We got the news and then we lay in ambush on the road. He won't even be able to afford porridge anymore."

Gu Jinghui became more and more excited as he spoke.

Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh.

"That would be best. Now that he has no money, he can't win over officials in the court. Anyone can kick him while he's down. No matter how capable he is, he can only stay put and see how he can stir up trouble."

Gu Jinghui gained a deeper understanding of his young wife's vindictive nature once again.

Qin Yuan not only holds grudges against those who have offended her.

Moreover, he showed no mercy to those who had hurt him.

Lord Gu felt a surge of sweetness in his heart and couldn't wait to go find Gu Shiliu and show off.

The boy said that Hongye had begged the madam for the best medicine for him, and now he understands that this is proof that Hongye is full of him.

I've been showing off for ages.

Even the boastful Gu Shiba is eager to marry him.

Seeing that Lord Gu was acting strangely again, Qin Yuan stopped paying attention to him and focused on eating.

She was in a very good mood right now.

As long as Lord Gu cuts off Yelü Guzha's supplies, what kind of trouble can a mere hostage cause in Daxing?