With considerable power

Gu Jinghong, being new to such matters, still harbored some expectations for Xiao Chengyan.

However, she was, after all, the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and now, in order to investigate the Southwest epidemic of that year, she had inexplicably touched upon people and things that the Lord did not want her to touch. Therefore, she had to be prepared before returning to the capital.

Therefore, she devoted more of her energy to the further research and development of mechanical engineering and military gunpowder.

Xie Yan was just as concerned about this matter as Gu Jinghong.

After Xiao Chengyan left, Xie Yan brazenly knocked on the door of the temporary residence.

The steward, having been instructed by the prince, dared not let outsiders barge in, so he looked up at Xie Yan and said, "Young master, our prince is not here, please leave."

Xie Yan smiled and looked at the butler: "I'm here to see my sister, Gu Jinghong, you know her, she's here."

Upon hearing the name "Gu Jinghong," the butler's expression immediately became alert, and he practically blocked the doorway with his body: "What business do you have with Miss Gu?"

Xie Yan's lips curled into a smile as he glanced at the butler: "What, do I need to tell you if I need to speak with my own sister?"

Just as Xie Yan was about to make a move, Mu Chuchu appeared.

Originally, Mu Chuchu was already furious with Gu Jinghong because Xiao Chengyan disliked her. When she found out that Gu Jinghong had been carried in by Xiao Chengyan and had even stayed overnight in his room, Mu Chuchu became even angrier.

She put one hand on her hip and pointed at Xie Yan with the other, her pink skirt swaying in the breeze.

"Look at these poor relatives! Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can come knocking on our door!"

Xie Yan's eyes were sharp, and in an instant he passed by the butler and grabbed Mu Chuchu's throat with one hand.

Mu Chuchu struggled instinctively, looking at Xie Yan in horror.

Suddenly, a large number of guards surrounded Xie Yan.

Gu Jinghong happened to see this scene.

She was startled for a moment, then quickly took two steps forward and said, "Xie Yan, let go!"

Xie Yan turned around and saw Gu Jinghong in a moon-white dress.

She looked a little tired, but her spirits were high.

For some reason, Xie Yan felt a sudden tightness in his chest when he saw Gu Jinghong's appearance.

He slowly closed his eyes and lowered his hands.

Then Gu Jinghong's voice rang out again: "Manager, this is my sworn brother. He must have something to say to me."

The steward hesitated for a moment, then gestured for the guards to leave.

Mu Chuchu continued to shout, "No way! This is a sacred place; how can we allow an outsider to appear? Where will His Highness's face be?"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Jinghong pointed towards the door and said coldly, "Get him out of here!"

Mu Chuchu glanced at Gu Jinghong: "Do you really think you're a princess?... Hey, hey, hey... What are you doing...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Mu Chuchu was dragged outside by two guards. Amidst her surprised and bewildered gaze and her fierce resistance, she was thrown out of the compound gate with a thud.

The steward had long disliked Mu Chuchu, but since the prince didn't care about such trivial matters as the affairs of the imperial camp, he couldn't just do anything to her. Since the prince had already given the order before his departure that the affairs of the imperial camp should be handled according to Miss Gu's instructions, the steward wished Gu Jinghong would immediately order her to be thrown out.

Xie Yan looked meaningfully at Mu Chuchu, who had been thrown out the door, and then turned to look at Gu Jinghong.

He smiled knowingly and put his hand on Gu Jinghong's shoulder: "Ah Hong, you wield quite a bit of power. From now on, your sworn brother will be relying on you for protection."

Gu Jinghong turned slightly to the side, subtly avoiding his touch.

In that instant as she turned around, her collar loosened slightly, revealing a slender, fair neck—with a red mark clearly visible in Xie Yan's eyes.

The playful smile on Xie Yan's face froze instantly, as if a gorgeous mask had suddenly cracked open, revealing the cold truth beneath.

"Ah Hong, what did he do to you last night?"

Gu Jinghong subconsciously turned up her collar and glanced at Xie Yan: "Why should I tell you what I'm doing? What gives you the right to ask me?"

This was an extremely biased defense; Xie Yan was clearly asking about Xiao Chengyan, but Gu Jinghong answered from her own perspective.

In other words, Xiao Chengyan has become someone she subconsciously wants to protect.

You bastard!

Immediately, Xie Yan let out a chilling sneer.

"Heh... It seems our Prince Jin is truly 'full of energy,' only good at burying himself in his work, lacking any skills and not knowing how to cherish women. Look at this... Ouch... Ouch... Ouch... Ah Hong."

With a blank expression, Gu Jinghong reached out and grabbed Xie Yan's ear, dragging him toward the camp.

...

There was originally an artificial mirror-like pool in the area, with water as clear as jade and half-covered with duckweed.

A vermilion-lacquered corridor extends from the moon gate on the north side of the pond, winding and crawling across the pond.

In the very center of the corridor stands a hexagonal pavilion with a pointed roof. The pavilion is not large, with slightly upturned eaves. The pillars are made of dark brown sandalwood, and several bamboo branches are lightly carved on them. The bamboo shadows are reflected in the pond water, swaying gently with the waves.

As soon as they sat down in the pavilion, Xie Yan spoke up with dissatisfaction: "Ah Hong, this preferential treatment of you is too much! Why do you defend him when you speak, but pull my ear when you act!"

Gu Jinghong sat down expressionlessly opposite Xie Yan, subconsciously shaking her hand that was throbbing from being squeezed: "You asked for this! Speak quickly if you have something to say!"

Xie Yan snorted and turned his face away, refusing to look at Gu Jinghong.

Gu Jinghong said, "Thank you, Grand Secretary. Hawk is dead, and we've both been gone for so long. You don't think the Master of the Pavilion would have done nothing, do you?"

Xie Yan's expression immediately darkened.

He naturally knew that the host was making a move; not only did he know, he even saw it, which is why he insisted on seeing Gu Jinghong today.

Gu Jinghong looked at Xie Yan, his eyes darkening, and continued, "The three things I saw in the Southern Wind Secret Box before—that pill was poison, that map showed the poisoning locations, and now there's a purge list; all the people on it are those who carried out the Southwest Epidemic back then..."

Xie Yan leaned back instinctively, frowning as she looked at Gu Jinghong: "Gu Jinghong, why are you looking at me like that? I'm innocent! I was in Beijing during the Southwest epidemic! I was sick!"

Gu Jinghong nodded: "You are innocent. You believe me, I believe you... but who else would believe you?"

Xie Yan: "..."

Yes, he couldn't prove why he, who was also on the purge list, didn't participate in that operation.

"Therefore, we need to find the remaining people who haven't been purged yet before the original poster, and get to the bottom of this matter first."

Xie Yan's eyes flickered slightly: "For example?"

"For example, if the original poster is a cautious person, why would they expend so much effort to get involved in something that is so difficult to get out of?"

After saying that, Gu Jinghong winked at Xie Yan.

Xie Yan suddenly felt a tightness in his throat.

He knew perfectly well that Gu Jinghong's wink meant to reach a consensus or resonance, but her eyes were simply too beautiful, and with that little red mole, she was like a seductive enchantress in a storyteller's tale, causing Xie Yan's rationality to falter for a moment.

"Xie Yan?"

Xie Yan's gaze instinctively darted away. He picked up the teacup in front of him, took a sip, and regained his composure: "Then what do you want me to do?"

“Of course, we need to find those people!” Gu Jinghong said, taking out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handing it to Xie Yan. “These are the names of the people I saw in the secret box. Try to catch them and question them.”

Xie Yan held the note and pondered for a moment.

Then he suddenly moved closer to Gu Jinghong, so close that he could almost feel the warmth emanating from her clear skin.

He called out softly, "Ah Hong".

Gu Jinghong came to her senses and saw a faint sorrow in those phoenix eyes so close to hers.

She asked, slightly wary, "What is it?"

"...You chose such a conspicuous yet quiet spot, are you trying to prove our innocence to others?"

In an instant, the tension she had painstakingly cultivated in her mind was completely swept away by Xie Yan's inexplicable words.

"Xie Yan! Be serious! This is a matter of life and death!"

Xie Yan suddenly laughed and sat back down in his seat: "Taking someone's life? That would be me, Young Master Xie, taking someone else's life. Do you think someone else can take mine?"

Gu Jinghong scoffed, "Don't try to be brave. I'm asking you, why didn't Xuanru come with you today?"

Xie Yan: "Because..."

Gu Jinghong: "Because she was treating the wounded in the military camp and had no time to spare?"

Xie Yan: "..."

Gu Jinghong: "Although Xiao Chengyan won this battle, the soldiers in the southwest were also seriously injured. The various forces still need to be reconciled, don't they?"

Her eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Xie Yan.

Seeing the glint in Gu Jinghong's eyes, Xie Yan suddenly shielded himself, saying, "Gu Jinghong, what are you trying to do now? This Grand Secretary only deals with his own affairs; your sweetheart's business is not within this Grand Secretary's purview..."

Gu Jinghong looked at him with a grin, but her eyes were cold.

Xie Yan glanced at her, and suddenly a chill ran down his spine.

It was the first time he had been somewhat frightened by Gu Jinghong's gaze—how strange, she was becoming more and more like Xiao Chengyan.

Gu Jinghong suddenly raised his wrist, touching his newly made chain-sleeve arrows as he asked, "Are you sure?"

After he finished speaking, "whoosh whoosh whoosh—", about a dozen poisoned broken arrows flew out in one breath.

Xie Yan glanced at the hidden arrows that were staring at the pillars and faintly emitting a blue light, and subconsciously swallowed: "Hey, alright, alright, Ah Hong, you can't do this. What kind of relationship do we have? Is this really necessary? You, you tell me what it is, and I'll get back to you after I hear it."

Gu Jinghong said, "What is Minister Xie thinking? I wanted to show this to my sworn brother and see if you still find it acceptable."

Xie Yan's eyes lit up: "Of course I'm happy."

Gu Jinghong said, "Zhuoyue Tower shouldn't have only one voice. What does Minister Xie think?"

So that's what it was about—Xie Yan breathed a sigh of relief: "So that's what it was about... Why resort to violence? I know what Ah Hong is trying to say, the Pavilion Master is old and has gone mad. And a madman cannot lead the Qianyuan Pavilion."

Gu Jinghong said, "I have no interest in the position of the Pavilion Master, but I must take back what belongs to the Zhiji Pavilion, and I must know who I am. So... Minister Xie should be willing to help me, right?"