"Once this matter is settled, I will formally propose marriage to Lord Qi," Xin Suiyun solemnly promised.
Qi Yue smiled and said, "I'll wait for you."
However, good times are always short-lived. Not long after Xin Suiyun left, the Qi family suddenly received an urgent summons from the palace: His Majesty was seriously ill, the Crown Prince was overseeing the country, and Qi Huaihe was summoned to the palace immediately for a meeting.
Qi Huaihe hurriedly entered the palace and did not return all night. When he returned to his residence the next morning, his face was solemn.
"Urgent report from the northern border: the new king of the Northern Barbarians has ascended the throne and is gathering a large army to invade the border." He said to his wife and daughters, "His Majesty, during his illness, has entrusted the Crown Prince with full authority to handle the matter, and the Crown Prince has decided to personally lead the expedition."
Qi Yue was startled: "The Crown Prince is personally leading the expedition? Then who will be in charge of affairs in the capital?"
"I and several ministers will jointly assist in governing." Qi Huaihe frowned. "But what worries me most is that there are many suspicious things in the allocation of military supplies and provisions, as if someone is secretly interfering."
Qi Yue exchanged a glance with her mother, knowing that this was related to the traitor Xin Suiyun had mentioned.
That evening, Qi Yue secretly relayed the news to Xin Suiyun. She quickly received a reply: The Crown Prince is aware of the situation and has ordered me to accompany him on the expedition to secretly investigate the issue of military equipment. The affairs of the capital are entrusted to you.
The note in her hand felt incredibly heavy. Qi Yue understood that this was not only an entrustment of affection, but also a weighty responsibility. Xin Suiyun's decision to entrust her with the crucial task of investigating in the capital was a sign of his trust in her abilities and an affirmation of her position.
Three days later, the Crown Prince led his army on a personal expedition. On the day of their departure, Qi Yue stood atop the city wall, watching the army vanish into the distance. At the very end of the procession, she spotted that familiar figure. Xin Suiyun turned back, his gaze meeting hers through the crowd.
The two gazed at each other from afar, a thousand words unspoken.
Upon returning home, Qi Yue began her covert investigation. Under the guise of assisting her father with organizing documents, she frequently visited the Ministry of War, meticulously examining various archives and accounts. Ostensibly, she was learning about government affairs, but in reality, she was searching for anomalies in the flow of military equipment.
This task was no easy feat. The accounts were vast, and suspicious points were meticulously concealed. But Qi Yue, with her carefulness and patience, painstakingly pieced together the clues.
At the same time, she had to maintain the facade of a refined young lady, attend necessary social events, and avoid arousing suspicion. This double life exhausted her, but it also made her feel more fulfilled than ever before.
One day, Qi Yue discovered a seemingly ordinary grain and fodder record book in the Ministry of War's archives. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the ink on several pages was slightly different from the rest, and the binding was relatively new.
She secretly took the booklet back to her residence and tested it with a special potion, and sure enough, she found traces of alteration. The original record showed that a batch of important military equipment had been transported to the northern border, but the altered record showed that it had been changed to ordinary grain supplies.
This was a major discovery. Qi Yue immediately notified Xin Suiyun through secret channels while continuing to investigate further.
However, unbeknownst to her, her actions had already attracted the attention of those secretly watching her. A pair of eyes were observing her every move from the shadows.
A crisis is quietly approaching, and the war in the North is entering a critical moment. Qi Yue and Xin Suiyun, one in the court and the other on the battlefield, are fighting for a common goal. Their relationship is being tested in this turmoil, but it is becoming increasingly unbreakable.
In the stillness of the night, Qi Yue would always take out that jade hairpin and gently stroke it. She knew that no matter how treacherous the road ahead, as long as their hearts were connected, they would have boundless strength.
Meanwhile, Xin Suiyun, far away in the northern border, would gaze towards the capital during lulls in the fighting, clutching the peace charm she had prayed for. The war was intense, and the investigation was stalled, but the thought of Qi Yue gave him the courage to continue.
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