Gu Qinlan's tears streamed down her cheeks like broken pearls, her voice choked with sobs: "Who could have done such a cruel thing? How could they be so heartless to a frail woman!"
Fei Yun was also filled with sympathy, his eyes bloodshot, his voice low and firm: "If I find out who the murderer is, I will make him suffer all the bitterness of the world, wishing he could neither live nor die!"
Gu Qinlan was filled with guilt and self-blame: "If I hadn't ordered Luo Feng to investigate my mother's old case, how could she have suffered this calamity? It was my fault that she was harmed."
However, Fei Yun did not blame her. He simply said calmly, "Madam, there is no need to blame yourself. This has always been the rule of the Golden Saber Sect: to be loyal to those who entrust us with our mission. Every mission we accept carries hidden risks. If we are injured or killed because of a mission, we can only say that fate has played a trick on us, and it is not the fault of the employer."
This was not merely to comfort Gu Qinlan, but rather the ancient principle of the Golden Saber Sect.
Gu Qinlan understood, but still felt deeply guilty.
Seeing that he could not comfort her, Fei Yun could only change his mind and say, "Madam, you don't need to worry too much. We will definitely seek justice for Luo Feng and repay them a hundredfold or a thousandfold for the harm they caused."
Gu Qinlan nodded resolutely: "Okay, please let me know when the time comes!"
Leaving Luo Feng's residence, walking heavily on the way back, Gu Qinlan couldn't help but ask, "Who exactly harmed Luo Feng? And how did you all meet?"
Zheng Dinglian replied, "It was the Third Prince's men who harmed Luo Feng. She had tracked down several crucial clues, but unfortunately, she was caught in a trap and secretly killed. I rushed there to rescue her after receiving her distress signal."
His words implied that if it had been any later, Luo Feng's life would have come to an end.
Gu Qinlan gritted her teeth and said hatefully, "It's that Third Prince again!"
Zheng Dinglian's gaze swept over her: "You seem to know the Third Prince quite well?"
Gu Qinlan recounted, "My father once tried to get in touch with the Third Prince, and even wanted to use the Prince Duan's mansion as a medium to befriend him. However, he was just an ordinary merchant, and if the Third Prince hadn't taken the initiative to make over him, how would he have had the chance to get close to him?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Dinglian frowned deeply: "Is that so?"
Gu Qinlan nodded: "It is true. I should have told you sooner, but with the refugees besieging the city, letters were hard to deliver. Fortunately, after my father's unexpected death, there has been no further news from the Third Prince."
Zheng Dinglian gave her a deep look: "I heard from Polang that you asked him to set fire to your father's warehouse. And his death was caused by panic after hearing that the warehouse was on fire."
Gu Qinlan calmly hummed in agreement: "He originally wanted to use the Prince Duan's mansion to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy, so I taught him a lesson. I didn't expect him to be so badly injured, but even so, his death is not a pity."
She didn't care how Zheng Dinglian viewed her, which indirectly led to her father's death.
Surprisingly, Zheng Dinglian said, "Indeed, he deserved to die."
Gu Qinlan's eyes flickered, and Zheng Dinglian continued, "The matter you entrusted to Luo Feng to investigate has yielded results. Your speculation was correct; your mother's death is indeed inextricably linked to your father."
Upon hearing this news, Gu Qinlan had only one thought in her mind: Just as I thought.
Zheng Dinglian had expected her to be heartbroken and had even prepared words of comfort for her, but he was surprised to find her so calm.
Gu Qinlan said calmly, "Since you've already guessed the truth, why be sad? Besides, he's no longer alive."
His death was indirectly caused by her, and she could be said to have avenged her mother's death.
Zheng Dinglian couldn't help but smile: "You're quite open-minded."
Gu Qinlan smiled gently: "What do I have to be upset about? The dead are gone, and old scores are settled. Besides, the Gu family's business is now entirely under my control, so I am the biggest winner right now."
The two quietly returned to their tent.
Zheng Dinglian carefully tidied the bed and said gently, "You should rest early. We still have to set off for the capital tomorrow."
After saying this, he walked around the screen to his desk and began to seriously deal with military affairs.
Gu Qinlan hesitated slightly, then asked uncertainly, "Will you be resting here tonight too?"
Although she no longer resisted the idea of spending her life with Zheng Dinglian, she was still not ready to share a bed with him.
Zheng Dinglian's voice was calm as still water: "That's natural."
After a moment's thought, he added, "There are no more extra tents in the camp. Besides, if I spend the night elsewhere, the whole army will be talking about it tomorrow."
Gu Qinlan understood his implied meaning after a moment's thought.
He was the commander of an army, and if his wife banished him to another tent, he would likely become a laughingstock of the entire army.
For the sake of his reputation, he had to stay here.
Zheng Dinglian said gently, "If you feel uncomfortable, I can sit here quietly all night."
At this moment, Gu Qinlan felt a little embarrassed: "That won't be necessary. Your Highness is very busy with many affairs of state, and you've worked hard all day today. Perhaps..."
Gu Qinlan really wanted to suggest sleeping on the floor herself, but after looking at the bed, she realized there weren't any extra blankets, so she had to bite the bullet and say, "Then let's squeeze in."
As soon as she finished speaking, her cheeks burned as if on fire.
A blush crept onto Zheng Dinglian's face, his heart pounded like a drum, and his hand holding the pen trembled slightly.
After a while, he regained his composure and said as if nothing had happened, "If you don't mind, then it's settled. Get some rest, I have things to do."
He had to quickly change the subject, otherwise he worried that she would notice his nervousness.
He despised his own uselessness in his heart.
He had never been this nervous, not even when he first went to battle. But when facing Gu Qinlan, he could never control his nervousness, excitement, and trepidation. Sometimes, a single glance from her was enough to make his heart race.
However, this feeling brought him pleasure.
This feeling only comes when I'm with her.
This is probably what it feels like to be smitten. Because he values her, he is emotionally moved by every little thing she does.
But he also felt somewhat frustrated, because this feeling was unique to him. Gu Qinlan was always so calm in front of him, even more distant from him than from others.
Is she really planning to ask for a divorce after the refugee issue is resolved?
The thought of this possibility filled Zheng Dinglian with anxiety.
She didn't seem to take her original vow to heart.
What can he do to change her mind?
He had no clue about it.
If he had known it would turn out this way, he shouldn't have said those things on their wedding night; then he would have had a reason to refuse her request for a divorce.
Thinking about this, Zheng Dinglian wanted to slap himself.
He was struggling with his thoughts behind the screen, while Gu Qinlan was equally unsettled on her side.
She regretted saying those words so much that she wanted to bite off her own tongue.
It took her a long time to calm down.
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