After Xin Suiyun went to war, the capital city seemed much quieter than usual. Every day, Qi Yue assisted her mother in managing the affairs of the household and went to the charity hall in the city to help take care of the women and children who were displaced by the war.

That day, she was teaching a few children to read at the charity hall when she suddenly saw Xin Rui rushing over with a solemn expression.

"Yue'er, I have something important to discuss with you," Xin Rui said in a low voice.

Qi Yue handed the children over to the other ladies and followed Xin Rui to a side room. Xin Rui took out a secret letter from his pocket: "It's from the front lines, sent by Sui Yun."

Qi Yue hurriedly unfolded the letter, and Xin Suiyun's familiar handwriting leaped off the page. In addition to expressing her longing, the letter also mentioned a disturbing piece of news: a new type of crossbow had appeared in the Northern Di army, with a range and power far exceeding the previous ones, and was very similar to the equipment of our army.

"This is impossible," Qi Yue exclaimed in shock. "The blueprints for the Ministry of War's latest crossbow should be kept strictly confidential."

Xin Rui nodded: "Sui Yun suspects that there are still Li Minzhi's followers in the court, and that this person holds a high position and has access to core secrets."

Qi Yue pondered for a moment: "The Ministry of War is responsible for the development of the Divine Crossbow, but only a few people have access to the specific blueprints. Although Father is the Minister of War, he mostly delegates the specific tasks to his subordinates."

“We must investigate this matter thoroughly,” Xin Rui said. “Sui Yun is fighting a tough battle on the front lines. If military secrets continue to be leaked, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

Qi Yue recalled the Ministry of War archives in her father's study and had an idea.

That evening, she went to Qi Huaihe's study under the pretext of helping her father organize documents. Qi Huaihe was reviewing official documents when he saw his daughter come in. He looked up and smiled, "Yue'er, you've come at the right time. I'm having some accounts that I don't understand."

Qi Yue took the opportunity to browse through the Ministry of War's archives, paying particular attention to documents related to the Divine Crossbow. In a personnel list, she noticed a name: Zhou Wenkang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works.

"Father, this Vice Minister Zhou seems to be highly valued?" Qi Yue asked casually.

Qi Huaihe looked up and said, "Wen Kang? He's the main person in charge of developing the Divine Crossbow. He's very capable. What's wrong?"

Qi Yue explained, "I just happened to see his name appear multiple times, and I was a little curious."

Late at night, Qi Yue told Xin Rui about her discovery. The two agreed that Zhou Wenkang was a prime suspect.

“But Zhou Wenkang is a well-known honest official in the court, with a reputation for integrity. How could he be colluding with the enemy?” Xin Rui wondered.

Qi Yue pondered: "Perhaps we should consider this from another perspective. It's not necessarily that he himself is colluding with the enemy; it's possible that the problem lies with the people around him."

The following day, Qi Yue visited Crown Princess Su Qingwan. The Crown Princess was exceptionally intelligent and had the best access to information among the women in the court.

Upon hearing Qi Yue's purpose, the Crown Princess dismissed her attendants and whispered, "Minister Zhou's wife is a Northern Di person; not many people in the court know this."

Qi Yue was shocked: "Northern Di people?"

The Crown Princess nodded: "She was a maid who came with the princess when she was sent to marry a foreign ruler twenty years ago. She was later betrothed to Minister Zhou. Over the years, she has always been well-behaved and has never done anything wrong."

Qi Yue's suspicions deepened. After bidding farewell to the Crown Princess, she immediately sought out Xin Rui and informed him of her discovery.

“Madam Zhou…” Xin Rui said thoughtfully, “I remember Sui Yun once mentioned that the Northern Di have a special secret writing technique that requires a special potion to reveal.”

Qi Yue's eyes lit up: "If Madam Zhou uses this technology to transmit messages, it will indeed be difficult to detect."

However, investigating the wife of a high-ranking official was no easy task. Just as the two were struggling with this, Qin Sang returned from Jiangnan, bringing news.

“When I was practicing medicine in Jiangnan, I once treated a merchant from the Northern Barbarians,” Qin Sang said. “Before he died, he revealed that the Northern Barbarians had a very secret contact point in the capital, which was located in a silk shop in the west of the city.”

The three immediately decided to sneak into the silk shop at night.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high. Qi Yue, disguised as a buyer, entered the silk shop to select fabrics, while Xin Rui and Qin Sang waited outside to assist her.

The silk shopkeeper was a capable middle-aged man who was very enthusiastic towards Qi Yue: "Miss, you have excellent taste. This piece of brocade is the latest arrival from Jiangnan."

As Qi Yue made her selections, she secretly observed the surroundings. She noticed a slight movement in the curtains of the back room, suggesting that someone was inside.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from the back room. It was Madam Zhou's voice!

"...Three days later, the same place..." Madam Zhou's voice was low, but Qi Yue still caught a few words.

Qi Yue was startled, but forced herself to remain calm, paid, and left. As soon as she stepped outside, she immediately told Xin Rui and Qin Sang what she had seen and heard.

“Madam Zhou is indeed suspicious.” Xin Rui said gravely. “Three days from now… at the usual place… they must have important intelligence to pass on.”

Qi Yue suddenly remembered something: "The Ministry of War's routine meeting is in three days. Father will be discussing important military matters with other ministers. Could it be that they are planning to steal the meeting's contents?"

Qin Sang suggested, "We can follow Madam Zhou in three days and catch her red-handed."

With the plan settled, the three split up to prepare. Qi Yue was responsible for keeping an eye on the Ministry of War's movements, Xin Rui arranged manpower, and Qin Sang prepared to track down the necessary medicines and tools.

These three days felt exceptionally long for Qi Yue. She had to maintain her normal life to avoid arousing suspicion, while also secretly keeping an eye on the Zhou family's movements, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted.

That night, she strolled alone in the courtyard, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, longing for Xin Suiyun who was far away. Unconsciously, she walked to the side room where Xin Suiyun had stayed while recuperating from his injuries.

The room remained unchanged, as if he had only left yesterday. Qi Yue gently stroked the bed where he had once lain, tears welling in her eyes.

"Suiyun, you must come back safely," she prayed softly.

Just then, a soft sound came from outside the window. Qi Yue turned around warily and saw a figure silently leap into the room.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!