Lili hesitated for two seconds, then tentatively picked up a large shrimp and held it to his mouth: "Your Highness didn't eat much just now, this shrimp is delicious."
Gu Ziyi was taken aback. The little girl blinked her eyes, revealing worry. Her inner thoughts were seen through at a glance.
Gu Ziyi chuckled and took a bite of the shrimp: "Is Lili comforting me?"
"Um."
Royal matters are certainly complicated, and Lili shouldn't offer comfort so easily.
"Whenever Pear is feeling down, she eats something, and eating something delicious makes her feel better."
Gu Ziyi's smile grew even brighter, sweeping away the gloom from before.
Lili didn't understand why, but she was happy that he was in a better mood.
Gu Ziyi tried to control her emotions, but she still couldn't suppress her joy. Her shoulders trembled and laughter spilled out.
Seeing that he was indeed no longer unhappy, Lili felt relieved. She put down her chopsticks and pretended to be a little temperamental: "Your Highness is making fun of me? Is it because you think Lili eats too much?"
"How could that be?" Gu Ziyi chuckled, feeling the amulet on his chest burning hot, warming his heart.
“I’m just happy that Lili is worried about me.”
Gu Ziyi's eyes were full of smiles, gentle as water.
Lili was speechless for a moment, then muttered, "When children grow up, they will be grateful."
"What?"
Gu Ziyi didn't hear clearly.
"Nothing, nothing." Lili waved her hand, changing the subject, "Speaking of which, is the matter of the First Prince now considered settled?"
"Mm." Gu Ziyi nodded.
Lili lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling a little sad: "Is Your Highness leaving? Lili remembers that Your Highness came to Nanlin County to escape the troubles because of the First Prince. Now that the problem has been resolved, are you going back to the capital? I heard that the Crown Prince's wife and the others are setting off for the capital tomorrow. Will Your Highness come along?"
Lili kept asking a lot of questions, and only after she stopped talking did Gu Ziyi slowly say, "What, you don't want me to leave?"
Lili was momentarily speechless. After a moment of contemplation, she smiled and said directly, "Of course! Putting aside the deep friendship between Lili and His Highness, the rare treasures he gave me are enough for Lili to cherish. Besides..."
"What are you saying?"
Besides, you're someone I've watched grow up; how could I bear to part with you so easily?
"Besides, Your Highness is of divine appearance, handsome beyond compare. He can compose poems and write essays, and he can also wield a sword and spear. He is truly a dragon among men, a shining star. How could Lili bear to see Your Highness leave?" Lili flattered with a smile.
Gu Ziyi raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that these words came out of her mouth without warning, yet she couldn't help but be pleased.
Gu Ziyi suddenly leaned closer, propping his head up with his right hand, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Lazy yet arrogant, he looked at Lili and said, "Oh? I had no idea that Miss Chen was so reluctant to part with me?"
Lili was inexplicably stunned, somewhat dazzled by his sudden "putting on airs" and teasing.
Oh! This is such a beauty overload!
Lili was used to Gu Ziyi's approachable manner in front of her. When he suddenly referred to himself as "I" and put on this act, like a noble and leisurely Persian cat, how could he be so charming?
Lili shook her head and sighed deeply.
The child is growing up; before we knew it, the child was almost 14 years old, which is the age for marriage in this day and age.
Lili patted her slightly flushed cheeks. It seemed she could start looking for a perfect Crown Princess for His Highness.
She had watched His Highness grow up since he was a child, so she had to make sure he was properly vetted!
Gu Ziyi was amused by her expressive face and patted her head: "What are you thinking about, you little devil?"
"No, no," Lili shook her head.
Gu Ziyi raised an eyebrow slightly, gesturing for Han Xi to take out a thick ledger.
Gu Ziyi placed the ledger on the table: "Take a look."
"Um?"
Lili flipped through a few pages and found that this was a record of a caravan's trade over the past five years, detailing everything from the types of goods to the income and expenses.
The transactions covered a wide range of items, but most of them were jewelry, cosmetics, silks, and satins.
Lili looked closely and asked, puzzled, "What is this? Is it His Highness's own private caravan?"
Gu Ziyi countered with, "What do you think?"
"It's fine."
"Yes, this is for Lili."
"ah?"
Lili was a little confused: "Why are we sending caravans again out of the blue?"
The gifts Gu Ziyi gave were nothing more than jewelry that young ladies liked. Lili was also a young girl, so naturally she liked those kinds of things. She accepted them all as gifts from Gu Ziyi.
But isn't sending a caravan a bit too much?
Seeing Lili's confusion, Gu Ziyi smiled and explained, "Didn't you say before that you wanted to use the caravan to support a group of spies?"
Lili's eyes lit up: "Ah, could it be that His Highness prepared for this?"
"Well, actually I started working on this five years ago. I had my men fabricate the identity of a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan and set up a caravan. Over the years, we've traveled all over the country and gathered a lot of information. However, this is all just information from the general public. If we want to get information about a specific person, we still need Qi Zheng, the head of the Qi family. Now that this wealthy merchant has 'gone bankrupt,' Qi Zheng can take over the caravan with peace of mind."
Lili understood. Simply put, Gu Ziyi spent five years laying the foundation for this caravan, and after five years, the caravan can be said to be completely clean.
The road has already been paved, and the Qi family can take over the caravan now, making things much easier in the future.
Although Lili had never intended to put any effort into this matter in the first place, and had already agreed to leave it to Qi Zheng and her second brother, she really didn't expect that Gu Ziyi would start preparing five years ago.
Han Xi chimed in from the side, "His Highness forbade us from telling Miss that he was going to give her a ninth birthday gift."
Gu Ziyi did not refute: "Well, I originally planned to give it to you next year, but the turbulent situation in Dajin reminded me that if we are going to plant spies, it is far from enough to only plant them in our own country."
Lili asked in surprise, "Does Your Highness mean to trade with other countries?"
This is no easy task.
"Hmm, don't worry, I'll handle the rest. This caravan is yours now. I know you're too lazy to manage it, so hand it over to your second brother. I'll send someone to contact the Qi family as well."
Does this mean she can just sit back and wait for the dividends while her party is in charge?
Lili felt that the phrase "I'll take care of the rest" was simply heavenly music.
This kind of good thing is no different from a pie falling from the sky.
Well, there is a difference. She waits for the money, while her second brother and Qi Zheng have to work for Gu Ziyi.
Lili beamed with joy and added a few flattering words: "Then Lili thanks Your Highness. Your Highness is indeed the best man in the world. Only a capable man has the confidence to say such things!"
Gu Ziyi raised an eyebrow, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
In a restaurant, Bai Weiwei and Yu Siting were having a meal alone.
The table was filled with eighteen dishes, each one the finest in the restaurant, but Bai Weiwei found them utterly tasteless.
Yu Siting hadn't recovered from the intense pressure she'd just experienced; she could only manage a few bites before her hands were still trembling.
Yu Siting looked distressed and terrified: "Cousin, do you think His Highness the Crown Prince will hold us accountable? His Highness is different after being trained at the border. He's about the same age as us and seems gentle and refined, but he's so terrifying when he frowns!"
With each word Yu Siting spoke, Bai Weiwei tightened her grip on her chopsticks.
Bai Weiwei interrupted Yu Siting's incessant complaining: "Cousin."
"ah?"
Bai Weiwei smiled and asked casually, "Why do you think His Highness the Crown Prince knows Lili from the Shen family?"
"How would I know?" Yu Siting was equally puzzled. "Besides, it seems the two have a good relationship. Didn't you see His Highness the Crown Prince personally making pea flour cake for Shen Lili?"
Speaking of pea flour cake, Yu Siting got angry again: "Who would have thought that dish of pea flour cake that looked so ordinary was actually made by His Highness the Crown Prince? It's really strange. Shen Lili is quite beautiful. Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince also took a fancy to Shen Lili's beauty and regarded her as his future Crown Princess from an early age?"
Bai Weiwei's fingernails suddenly dug into her palm: "Don't make such a statement!"
Bai Weiwei's expression suddenly changed, abandoning her usual composure.
Yu Siting awkwardly shut her mouth: "Why are you suddenly angry?"
Bai Weiwei was embarrassed; the thought of that face, so similar to Bai Yun's, made her restless and unable to eat or sleep.
Bai Yu must think so too, otherwise why would he be so close to her for no reason?
Even the Crown Prince, who personally requested to come to the border for training, has a close relationship with her.
She really underestimated her!
Bai Weiwei stood up abruptly, losing all appetite, slammed down her chopsticks, and walked out.
Yu Siting exclaimed, "Hey, Weiwei, where are you going?"
Bai Weiwei ignored her and went downstairs on her own.
Yu Siting was bewildered and confused. She didn't chase after him, but sat down angrily: "Why are you suddenly angry? Honestly, if you weren't favored by the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and had some relationship with the two heirs' wives, I wouldn't want to follow you like this. I'm clearly the older sister!"
Yu Siting cursed under her breath, too lazy to pay attention to her cousin who had been having extreme mood swings lately, and just ate her own food.
Bai Weiwei went down to the restaurant entrance and found that Yu Siting hadn't followed, which made her furious again.
Bai Weiwei frowned, and was about to order someone to go up and call her when her maid Aoyue quickly came to her side and whispered in her ear: "Zuo Pang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, attempted to kidnap the Crown Prince's wife to force the Chongbo Marquis's mansion. He has now been escorted back to the capital by the Red Eagle Army. It is said that Zuo Pang is actually a member of the First Prince's faction."
Bai Weiwei's pupils dilated, her thoughts becoming even more chaotic.
After leaving the prefectural government office, Bai Weiwei sent her head maid to inquire about what had happened in the teahouse.
She only wanted to know why the Shen family was still present at that scene, even though her aunt had intentionally driven away the other ladies and young ladies, leaving only the Shen family.
The things I've found out seem much more interesting than those about the Shen family.
The Minister of War and the Left Assistant Minister were actually working for the Crown Prince.
So, if His Majesty finds out about Zuo Pang's affair, the Crown Prince will definitely be implicated?
Gu Ziyi intentionally suppressed the news that Gu Zian himself was present, so the information Bai Weiwei was able to find out was all information that Gu Ziyi had not blocked.
She naturally had no idea that Emperor Ganzheng already knew about Gu Zian's actions.
Bai Weiwei added with utter disdain, "This Zuo Pang is actually one of the First Prince's men. What a useless piece of trash! His subordinates are so careless, they've fallen right into His Highness the Crown Prince's trap!"
Ao Yue glanced around warily, and seeing that no one had heard Bai Weiwei's words, she cautiously reminded her, "Miss, be careful, walls have ears."
Bai Weiwei glared at her: "I know my limits. Who are you to tell me how to do things?"
Ao Yue remained silent for a moment, and had no choice but to obey her master's orders, not daring to say another word: "Yes, this servant knows her mistake."
Bai Weiwei glanced back at the restaurant, but Yu Siting was nowhere to be seen. She then ignored her and boarded the carriage alone, without even leaving a servant for her.
Ao Yue asked through the carriage curtain, "Miss, should we still be called Miss?"
"No need."
Bai Weiwei's expression was unpleasant, and her tone was icy.
Upon receiving the message, Ao Yue instructed the coachman to return to the prefectural government.
Bai Weiwei sat upright in the carriage, her back straight even though she was the only one inside, without relaxing in the slightest.
The carriage swayed and rocked for quite a while before Bai Weiwei's heartbeat gradually calmed down, and she was surprised to find that her palms were covered in sweat.
Bai Weiwei didn't rush to wipe it off; she quietly thought about everything else.
Zuo Pang was the Left Assistant Minister of War, and was the Minister of War's right-hand man.
Xia Ning's father was the Minister of Rites, and he and the Minister of War were both from the same of the Six Ministries, and they had a very close relationship.
Could it be... that Xia Ning was tricked and kidnapped five years ago, and that was all thanks to Zuo Pang?
"Oh."
Having figured this out, Bai Weiwei was not surprised at all; on the contrary, she felt a sense of sudden enlightenment.
No wonder, Xia Ning's mother is the youngest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo. Gu Zian's actions towards Xia Ning have clearly angered both sides.
Gu Zian is simply reckless.
He wasn't competing at all. This reckless and ruthless approach, which left no way out and disregarded the consequences, showed no regard for how others viewed him. He was clearly forcing His Highness the Crown Prince to take action.
Was today's event perhaps a deliberate attempt to provoke him?
However, the matter involving Zuo Pang was egregious and had a significant impact.
Emperor Ganzheng will surely deal with this severely, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, Zuo Pang's entire family will likely be wiped out.
Bai Weiwei took out a handkerchief to wipe herself expressionlessly, and muttered to herself, "Gu Zian, you'd better clear yourself up and don't let your stupid subordinates get involved and drag me down with them."
Thinking of how she had fueled the flames back then, Bai Weiwei closed her eyes, her expression crazed.
Zuo Pang's fate was undoubtedly due to the secret support of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the Xia family.
This shows that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has never given up its revenge for Xia Ning's abduction years ago.
So, what about Fu Li?
Fu Li, the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Also under Gu Zi'an's control, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion has not given up investigating the person who secretly helped Gu Zi'an kidnap Fu Li back then.
If it is found...
Zuo Pang's fate was the same as that man's fate.
Gu Zian, you'd better be smarter.
"It seems like His Highness is appearing a little more often lately. ((?o?;;)"
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