Xuan Shen arrived at Li Lanzhen's bedroom door and knocked twice.

Li Lanzhen said softly, "Xuan Shen, come in."

"Sit down, have some water."

Li Lianzhen took out a bowl of spiritual spring water from her spatial storage, placed it on the kang table, and pushed it in front of him.

Without any hesitation, Xuan Shen picked up the water bowl and drank the water in it in one gulp.

He glanced at Han Yitan in Li Lanzhen's arms and asked.

And you were frightened by talking about womanly virtues, did you get a fever?

"Han Yitan must be frightened. She'll have a fever."

As he said this, his eyes remained fixed on Han Yitan's swollen face.

At this moment, the handprint on Han Yitan's face had turned purplish-blue, and the fingerprints were even more clearly visible.

Li Lanzhen looked up at him and saw his tightly clenched fist on the kang table.

I gripped it too tightly, and the back of my hand turned deathly pale, completely bloodless.

It's clear how much effort he put in; you can tell he cares about Han Yitan and is very angry about what happened today.

“Xuan Shen, your auntie has a favor to ask you.”

Xuan Shen raised her hand to interrupt her.

"Auntie, I know. I've already sent people to investigate this matter."

I'll tell you once I've found out the details.

Let's go find him and settle the score!

Li Lanzhen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay. Your aunt will wait for your news."

"Auntie, I'll head over now. I came to see you as soon as I heard about this."

Don't worry, we'll make them pay back double.

Although she could investigate today's events herself and Li Lanzhen could resolve the matter on her own, Xuan Shen's concern still comforted her.

"Okay. Auntie understands."

Looking at Han Yitan sleeping soundly in her arms, Li Lanzhen was also a little tired. She pulled over Han Yitan's pillow, took a small pillow, placed it next to her, and gently put Han Yitan on it before lying down herself.

They pulled the blanket over each other and fell asleep in no time.

Perhaps she had something on her mind, because she woke up suddenly after sleeping for less than half an hour and sat up.

Her getting up startled Han Yitan, who was standing beside her.

The child waved his hands, trying to grab Li Lanzhen, and whimpered. She quickly put her clothes in his little hands, letting him hold onto Li Lanzhen's clothes tightly. Han Yitan then fell into a deep sleep again.

Li Lanzhen reached out and touched his forehead; it was a little warm.

She quickly fed him another half bowl of spiritual spring water.

"Ding ding ding."

"Auntie, I'm coming in."

"Come in."

Xuan Shen came in and sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), telling Li Lanzhen about the findings of their investigation.

After hearing what Xuan Shen had found out, Li Lanzhen felt a mix of emotions, but mostly she was furious!

It turns out that on the night Gu Yuli fled the famine and stayed on the mountaintop, she secretly climbed onto the bridge they had built with three trees.

She planned to sneak across, then push the log into the river to prevent Li Lanzhen and the others from crossing.

Unexpectedly, he shot himself in the foot.

She fell off the cliff and was swept away by the flood.

Perhaps it was her destiny to live, or perhaps it was a case of evil living on for a thousand years.

After Gu Yuli fell into the water, she climbed up a tree, and the tree carried her all the way down the mountain.

Along the way, she collapsed on this big tree, but she still clung tightly to the branches with both hands.

When she woke up again, she was surrounded by more than 20 people who had fled the famine.

Moreover, these people were all men, and they didn't look like refugees at all. They were all strong and healthy, with bloodshot eyes.

Gu Yuli followed the people of Hanjiacun on their journey to escape famine, and she heard about the phenomenon of exchanging children for food and cannibalism. Based on the characteristics she heard, she judged that these people had already eaten human flesh.

She cried out in panic, "Don't eat me! Don't eat me! I don't taste good at all! Look how skinny I am!"

"Eating me would be a real pain, like food stuck in your teeth."

The men laughed heartily, and one of them said, "Don't worry, how could we bear to eat such a beautiful woman like you?"

The group gave Gu Yuli some dried meat and a water bag so she could drink water and eat her fill. Then they tied her hands and led her along the way.

Gu Yuli was terrified the whole way, fearing that these people would eat her.

But nothing happened. One night, while sleeping in the woods, she overheard the leader of the group saying...

"Let me tell you, you all better keep yourselves in check, no one is allowed to touch her."

"We'll sell her to the Yihong Brothel in Fucheng; we're sure to get a good price."

"Yes, we'll sell her. We'll definitely get a good price. Look at her alluring figure; she's even more beautiful than the top courtesan of Yihong Pavilion."

Two days later, they indeed appeared in the backyard of Yihonglou.

No matter how much she cried and made a scene, from that day on, her life consisted only of humiliation and pain.

Three months ago, the madam of the brothel told her that a high-ranking official would be coming from the capital that night and that she should serve him well.

If you serve her well, you'll definitely get your share of the benefits.

Gu Yuli used all her skills to get the man to throw down a stack of silver notes and tell his mother that he had booked Gu Yuli and that no one else could touch her for a month.

Gu Yuli knew that her opportunity had come in less than a month.

He bewitched the man so much that he became his 13th concubine.

After hearing the news from the investigation, Li Lanzhen asked him a question.

"Xuanshen, do you mean that the person Gu Yuli married is the military governor of Youzhou City's garrison?"

"Yes, Auntie."

He was originally a squad leader in the capital's city defense battalion.

However, he discovered that the emperor intended to reorganize the court, so he made arrangements early, taking his family to the garrison of Youzhou Prefecture to find General Qi.

"Is he related to General Qi?"

"Auntie is wise! They are cousins."

“Xuanshen, I don’t care if he’s a warlord or a general, I want him dead!”

Gu Yuli wouldn't survive either.

"Auntie, I know you don't need to do it. I'll make sure they both die accidentally tonight."

"No! I'm going to deal with Gu Yuli myself."

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright, Auntie, we'll set off in an hour!"

"Okay, should I save some food for you?"

"No need, I can eat at the canteen in the training camp up ahead."

After Xuan Shen left, Li Lanzhen saw that Han Yitan no longer had a fever, so she carried him to Han Minghai's courtyard.

When Zhang Yuniang saw her arrive, she slowly sat up.

"Mother, leave Han Yitan here."

You've been traveling for over ten days, go back and get some rest. I'll take good care of Tan'er."

Li Lanzhen gently placed Han Yitan next to her.

He took out two water pouches filled with spring water from the space, and two fever-reducing patches.

"Yu Niang, if the child has a fever again, stick this on his forehead and make sure he drinks the water from this water pouch."

If you don't return by tomorrow morning, don't panic, and don't tell anyone else.

I went to the canteen and told them to have someone specifically responsible for preparing lighter meals for the wounded.

We'll bring it back to you, so you don't need to eat in the dining room.

"Yes, Mother, thank you, Mother."

"Lie down and go to sleep."

After leaving Han Minghai's courtyard, Li Lanzhen went to the large canteen.

As soon as she entered the dining hall, she saw Aunt Huaihua sitting on a stool by the door, doing nothing, her eyes vacant, and muttering something to herself.

Everyone else was busy preparing dinner.

Li Lanzhen didn't look at her; after stepping inside, she directly told Liu Zhaodi.

"Zhaodi, these next few days you will be in charge of preparing meals for all the wounded."

The meals should be light, and several people should be sent to deliver them to their homes.

Just as Li Lanzhen finished speaking and went out...

Aunt Huaihua lunged at Li Lanzhen like a madwoman.

"Li Lanzhen, you awful thing, how could you be so vicious? Ah."

My poor Yuli'er.

As she spoke, she rushed forward and grabbed Li Lanzhen's collar tightly with both hands.

Li Lanzhen never imagined that she had gone mad.

The collar of her clothes tightened around her neck. She looked coldly at Aunt Huaihua and said...

"Send it over!"

"I won't let go, so what? You utterly wicked old Li!"

I'll say it again, let go!

I won't let go.

Clang!

Li Lanzhen raised her foot and kicked Aunt Huaihua out of the canteen.