Chapter 053 Know Yourself and Know Your Enemy

This time when he came to Lucheng, He'an's task, in addition to supervising the construction of dikes and investigating the issue of disaster relief funds, was most importantly to find out the hiding place of the second prince's private soldiers. This matter was of great importance and required precise deployment without any risk of any consequences.

How could she reveal the matter of her private soldiers to He'an without arousing his suspicion? Ruan Qinghuan was in a dilemma.

The matter of private soldiers is confidential, and with her identity, it is absolutely impossible for her to know about it.

"Sister-in-law, there is a shop selling rouge in front. Why don't we go and take a look?" Chu Li's words brought Ruan Qinghuan back to her senses.

Looking ahead, there is indeed a well-decorated rouge shop not far away. I can't help but wonder: "I didn't expect that there is still such a shop in Lucheng's current situation."

Lucheng suffered from disasters for years. Although the city was located on higher ground and was not affected by floods, the villages and towns downstream under its jurisdiction were not so lucky.

People's lives are difficult, so the local economy is naturally affected, so along the way, many shops are closed. It is rare to see a cosmetics shop with a chic decoration like this one.

"Sister-in-law, you don't know that the owner of this shop has a special identity."

"Oh?" Ruan Qinghuan felt quite curious.

Then Chu Li explained: "This shop belongs to the Qian family."

Qian family?

Chu Li didn't mention it, and Ruan Qinghuan had forgotten about it. He had heard it before in the capital that the former Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Qian Qitai's hometown was Lucheng, and his daughter had expressed her affection to He'an.

Chu Li whispered, "Sister-in-law, we know each other. Now that we are in Lucheng, we may not be able to go back for a while. I will take you to find out about Miss Qian so that you can be prepared."

Ruan Qinghuan: “…”

Regardless of whether she wanted to find out the truth or not, she was actually quite curious about this Qian girl.

Dare to confess to He'an?

Ruan Qinghuan suddenly thought of Qi Siwei. Although she didn't say it explicitly at the banquet at the Prince's Mansion that day, this move was considered bold enough in that era.

As they approached the door, Chu Li held Ruan Qinghuan and said, "Sister-in-law, please don't take it lightly. I heard that Miss Qian is still unmarried. What does this mean?"

Ruan Qinghuan tapped her head, and the two of them walked into the house one after the other.

A maid came out to greet us. The shelves in the room were all made of mahogany and were filled with beautifully packaged rouge and powder. The goods on the shelves against the wall looked more expensive and were all intricately carved gift boxes.

Chu Li shook his head in surprise: "This level of refinement is even better than that of the capital."

Ruan Qinghuan didn't react to this. Her family was in business and one of their businesses was this kind of business. But she had to admit that a shop like this was considered a high-end custom shop in a place like Lucheng.

Ruan Qinghuan picked up a gift box and asked Chu Li: "Do you like it?"

"It's OK."

Ruan Qinghuan took the most beautiful gift box, which contained rouge and powder. She subconsciously wanted to call Xia Lian, but then she remembered that Xia Lian had been taking care of the injured person they rescued in recent days.

Jiang Heng took the gift box and handed it to the maid in the shop, while Ruan Qinghuan and Chu Li continued to look inside.

Chu Li: "Sister-in-law, you bought it for me, didn't you?"

Chu Li usually only puts on light makeup and doesn't care much about these things. The reason she came here to shop was, firstly, because this shop was opened by Miss Qian, and secondly, she was afraid that there were no good places to shop in Lu City.

Ruan Qinghuan smiled mysteriously: "Don't worry, you will need it."

Chu Li: “…”

The legendary Miss Qian was never seen from beginning to end. Chu Li wanted to ask the maid to report it, but was stopped by Ruan Qinghuan. She didn't care about this Miss Qian at all, and there was no need for her to go out of her way to see her.

Just as the two were about to go out, they heard sounds like a quarrel coming from inside.

"Mom, I won't go to see it anyway."

"After the New Year, you will be eighteen. If you keep wasting time, will you become an old maid?"

"I'm an old girl, so what? I'm not going anyway."

"The second son of the Wu family is from a wealthy family and is a very polite person. You will not suffer any loss if you marry him."

Then there was the sound of a door slamming shut, as if someone was heading to the backyard.

After leaving the shop, Chu Li observed Ruan Qinghuan's reaction. She didn't seem to be worried at all: "Sister-in-law, this time we come to Lucheng, we will stay for several months, you have to be careful."

"Be careful about what?"

"Of course it's Miss Qian?" Chu Li turned around and took a look: "She has been back to Lucheng for two years and has not married yet. She must be obsessed with the Prime Minister."

Ruan Qinghuan pursed her lips and said nothing, but it was not impossible.

A man like Hean will have butterflies naturally wanting to fly towards him even if he does nothing.

Chu Li was worried by her indifferent look: "Qian Qitai was once an official in the same court as you. Now that he has come to Lucheng, you will definitely come to see him. Sister-in-law, don't blame me for not reminding you. Be careful that the Prime Minister may be seduced away by someone with ulterior motives..."

If something can be seduced away by others, it is destined not to be yours. What's the point of worrying?

The two of them walked around the street for a day, and when they came back, they saw a little boy of about two or three years old at the entrance of the alley. The child was walking unsteadily, and his clothes and face were covered in mud, as if he had fallen.

Ruan Qinghuan stepped forward and said, "Little boy, why are you here alone?"

"Baby, I'm hungry. Grandma isn't here very often." The child's words were not clear, but Ruan Qinghuan still understood them.

"Are you hungry, but grandma isn't up?"

"Not many, not many, dear."

"Then tell your sister where your home is?" Ruan Qinghuan looked around and had a bad feeling in his heart. Such a young child ran away and no one was looking for him. He must have had an accident at home.

The little boy pointed to a narrow alley nearby: "Home, home... Grandma... home."

Ruan Qinghuan held the child in her arms, not at all bothered by the mud on the child.

Ruan Qinghuan ordered Jiang Heng and Jiang Qi: "Go and take a look."

The houses in the narrow alley were all swaying in the wind and rain, and some of the mud walls had already peeled off. Ruan Qinghuan asked the little boy about each house, until he came to the innermost courtyard. The little boy pointed at the door and said, "Home..."

Several people entered the courtyard, and Jiang Heng quickly entered the house. After a moment, he came out with a serious look and shook his head: "Madam, the old man has already..."

"Anyone else?"

Jiang Heng shook his head.

Ruan Qinghuan was silent for a moment, then carried the little boy out and asked, "Baby, where are your parents?"

The little boy seemed not to understand, and only kept repeating: "Grandma... Grandma..."

The child was too young to get much information, so Ruan Qinghuan simply took the child back to the yard where she lived. As soon as she entered the door, she saw He An, who was about to leave with an angry look on his face.

When He'an saw her, his tense expression finally eased a little.

Jiang Ming behind him breathed a sigh of relief. His wife finally came back. If she hadn't come back, everyone would have to look for her all over the city.

Ruan Qinghuan was worried that the child might catch a cold, so she just said hello to him and went into the room. Chu Li looked at the Prime Minister with a dark face, and thought it was better not to stay for long, so he shouted into the room: "Sister-in-law, I'm leaving first."

Ruan Qinghuan was busy washing her child's hands and nodded in agreement when she heard this.

When He'an entered the room, the boy had been stripped naked and laid on the bed, eating a piece of cake with relish.

He An was about to ask her where she had been all afternoon, but Ruan Qinghuan spoke first: "Sir, can you ask the officials outside to go back to the county government to check the child's information and see if he has any relatives?"

He An glanced at the child and called Jiang Heng over: "I'm leaving this child's matter to you. Find his parents and take him away as soon as possible."

Hearing He'an's slightly disgusted tone, Ruan Qinghuan glared at him. How could he not like such a lovely child?

Before Jiang Henglin left, Ruan Qinghuan instructed, "Find a few people, order a good coffin, and bury the child's grandmother."

He An frowned.