Xuanxuan studied for about an hour and then got off the cart to move around. Gu Xinran asked his grandfather to help drive the mule cart, saying that he had some knowledge to consult Mr. Fan, and took the opportunity to get on the ox cart.

Most of the space in the ox cart was piled with grain. Mr. Fan sat on a stool, his back against the grain, a thin blanket on his legs, and a book in his hand, thinking about something.

When he saw Gu Xinran coming up, there was a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Gu Xinran spoke first: "Mr. Fan, excuse me for interrupting you, but may I ask you a few questions?"

Mr. Fan put down the book and nodded with a little surprise.

"Of course you can. Don't you understand that you are knowledgeable? I've heard your father praise you for your quick learning before."

Gu Xinran straightened her back, looked at Mr. Fan seriously, and lowered her voice, "No, it's about my father. I want to know some details."

Mr. Fan's expression changed slightly. He closed the carriage door and said softly, "Ask."

Gu Xinran glanced through the crack in the door at the back of her elder brother, who was concentrating on driving the car. She didn't want him to worry about it before she figured out the situation, so she moved closer to Mr. Fan and asked in a low voice:

"You have such a good relationship with my father, you must know his whereabouts before the exam."

Seeing Gu Xinran's solemn expression, Mr. Fan had to answer seriously.

"The day before the scientific expedition, he and I attended a poetry reading together."

"And then?"

"Your father's poem won first prize, and he stayed as the guest of honor."

"What poetry gathering are you attending? Who organized it? My father went there specifically to take the provincial examination. He wouldn't have given up without a special reason."

Mr. Fan didn't expect that the first person in the Gu family to become suspicious would be a smart teenage girl.

"Who told you that your father didn't take the exam?"

"My father won first place in the poetry competition and is extremely talented, so how could he not pass the imperial examination? He was still alive when he left the prefecture, so if he had passed, someone should have announced the good news."

Mr. Fan frowned slightly, his eyes evading, "Niece, it's no good for you to know too much."

It seems that there is really something going on. Mr. Fan looks embarrassed, so the problem must be serious!

"How can the death of a loved one remain unclear?"

Mr. Fan was silent for a moment, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"Before his death, your father told you not to tell you the truth."

I don’t know if it was affected by the original owner’s emotions, but Gu Xinran felt a huge sadness in her heart, her eyes turned red instantly, and she sobbed silently.

After calming down for a while, he finally spoke: "Please understand the feelings of a child. Besides, we are leaving Chengzhou soon. Is there anyone or anything that we cannot touch?"

Looking at the grieving Gu Xinran, Mr. Fan's eyes also turned red. He opened and closed the book in his hand repeatedly, with a look of torment on his face. After a while, he finally uttered a word:

"Until you become strong enough, knowing the truth will do you no good at all!"

Seeing that Mr. Fan's expression had relaxed, Gu Xinran pressed on:

"Look, our family is doing well now. My brother has made some progress in martial arts, and our family is doing well. If you have any concerns, just tell me. I will consider whether it is an egg against a stone. Otherwise, I will suspect that you are also an accomplice."

"Mr. Fan slowly put the book on the small table, sighed deeply, and looked helpless.

"Girl, don't provoke me. What opportunities does your family have? It's a world of difference compared to before."

Gu Xinran thought for a moment and replied, "I met a noble person and made some money."

"A small wealthy family can't compete, so why bother yourself with trouble?"

Gu Xinran burst into tears again, "Sir, I must know who the enemy is. It would be tragic if I recognized the enemy as my father."

Mr. Fan looked at the stubborn girl, and after a few moments of inner struggle, he sat up straight and slowly opened his mouth:

"This matter has been weighing on my mind for a long time. It's okay to tell you, but you must not act impulsively."

Gu Xinran sat up straight and replied solemnly, "Okay, I swear to always put my own life first!"

Mr. Fan turned his back, took out a purse from his underwear, carefully took out the letter inside, and handed it to Gu Xinran.

"This is your father's suicide note. Before he died, he told you to take it out only if you have something to show for yourself."

Gu Xinran took it with trembling hands and thanked him sincerely.

It's time to solve the mystery!

nervous!

Gu Xinran carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of slightly yellowed rice paper with vague handwriting on it. The content was as follows:

The prefect's son was jealous of my talent and won the championship in a poetry competition. He was so impressed by my talent that he banned me and harmed me.

Gu Xinran read it carefully several times, folded it gently, put it into the envelope carefully, put it back into her purse, put it into her sleeve pocket (space), stood up and bowed ninety degrees to Mr. Fan.

"Sir, thank you for sending my father home. Thank you even more for taking care of my family and keeping the will. I will never forget it! From now on, you are my uncle. Feel free to ask for my help if you have any questions."

Mr. Fan relaxed, leaning against the grain bag, a heavy burden finally lifted from his shoulders. "Okay, niece! If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Gu Xinran sat back down and spoke slowly, "This prefect is the prefect of Chengzhou, right? How many sons does he have?"

I thought to myself, isn't this also Son Ja-yeon's father? No wonder that woman is so annoying, birds of a feather!

"Yes, the Chengzhou prefect, Sun Xuantao, had only one son, Sun Xudong, who was a famous scholar in Chengzhou at the time."

"So he organized the poetry gathering to make a name for himself, but he didn't expect my dad to snatch it away?"

Mr. Fan looked sad and angry. "Well, they were afraid that your father would overshadow him in the provincial examination, so they kept him here and locked him up."

"Given my father's personality, he will definitely want to escape and seek justice."

"Yes, your father did escape, but unfortunately he found the wrong person. The most noble person in the city at that time was the Third Prince Xiao Mingxuan who was on tour."

Gu Xinran thought to herself, this is such a big deal, even the prince is involved, no wonder Uncle Fan refused to say anything.

"This Third Prince must have a good reputation, otherwise my father wouldn't have gone to him to complain."

"Yes, but your father has only been in the city for a short time. He didn't know that he is the nephew of the prefect and the cousin of Sun Xudong."

Gu Xinran secretly resented, "How could my father make such a mistake! Was he killed by the Third Prince?"

Mr. Fan sighed again. "Everyone who knows the Third Prince's maternal grandfather was General Jianwei, who guarded the northern border. His entire family was in the military, and it's surprising that he even had a son serving outside the capital. In the eyes of the powerful, students from humble backgrounds are nothing but ants. If you stand in their way, you won't survive. Your father was beaten to death and thrown into the street, where he was unfortunately kicked by a crazy horse."

Gu Xinran had a lot of anger in her heart, and she had to let it out!

It is not her character to refrain from revenge. She can kill the prefect's son secretly, but she can't reach the prince.

"Uncle Fan, this enemy is indeed powerful. I won't fight a powerful enemy with a weak opponent. Please don't tell my family yet and cause them unnecessary trouble."

Mr. Fan breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, okay, a gentleman's revenge is never too late."

Fortunately, Mr. Fan didn’t know the next sentence: I’m seeking revenge from morning to night!

Gu Xinran said goodbye to Mr. Fan and got out of the car.

Brother Gu stopped the car and said with concern: "Ranran, you don't look right, what's wrong?"

Gu Xinran pretended to be fine and smiled, "Nothing, I'm just thinking about something. Mr. Fan is really knowledgeable!"

After saying that, he got off the ox cart and continued to think about Gu's father. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. He had to do something.