Chapter 060: Peeping at the Secret Letter

With more than ten truckloads of food a day, it is impossible that there are only hundreds or thousands of bandits. From their means of concealment, it is not difficult to see that there are traces of military marches.

Ji Lingchuan opened his mouth and cursed: "These bastards, I wish I could surround and wipe them out right now."

"Be patient." He An looked at the locations of the traps marked on the map, and then calculated the location nearby for a long time: "In my opinion, there are definitely more traps in the mountains than just these few. There should be more. Before we find out everything, we must not act rashly."

Ji Lingchuan secretly clenched his fists, feeling depressed. He had been on the battlefield many times, but he had never been so upset. What made him depressed was that this time, his gun was aimed at the rebels of his own country.

He An knew that he was angry, so he raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder twice: "Have you ever thought about it? It's not difficult to take down these rebels, but after we leave, can you guarantee that this situation will not happen again?"

Ji Lingchuan: “…”

How can this be guaranteed? If you have money, you can recruit soldiers and buy horses, and if there is a big reward, there will be brave men.

“So, we need to eliminate the source.”

"Source?" Ji Lingchuan's eyes trembled: "Are you going to deal with the Wu family?"

The Wu family is the second prince's vanguard. The fact that they can raise so many private soldiers here is all thanks to the two brothers of the Wu family who planned for him.

He An: "It's not just the Wu family. The disaster relief has been ineffective for many years. The county magistrate of Lucheng and the prefect of Zhenjiang have unshirkable responsibilities. They are not only ashamed of the emperor's grace, but also care about the safety of the people. However, they still sit in that position. In this case, what is the use of the law?"

Ji Lingchuan thought so too, but he was a military commander and didn't think so much. He did think of teaching Bao County Magistrate a lesson, but after hearing what Ji Lingchuan said, he immediately became interested: "Tell me how to deal with them."

"My wife has already started to take action. Let's wait and see."

Ji Lingchuan: “…”

What can a young lady, a woman in the harem, do?

He'an saw the contempt in his eyes and added, "Chu Li was also involved." Then he walked out.

Ji Lingchuan couldn't sit still anymore: "Chu Li is the daughter of the Duke. Lucheng is a dangerous place. If something happens to her, how can I explain it when I go back? Hey, hey, hey... I haven't finished yet..."

When He'an returned to the city, it was already late at night. He thought Ruan Qinghuan had already fallen asleep, but he saw the light on in the side room. His stern expression softened, and the tiredness and depression in his heart disappeared. A faint smile appeared at the corners of his lips.

Hearing the footsteps, Ruan Qing came out to greet them: "You came back so late, must you have encountered difficulties?"

"Fortunately, the original dam has been almost demolished. It will be completely completed in two days. The next step is construction." He An was really tired. Looking at the simple dishes and rice on the table, which were still steaming, he was a little flattered and surprised: "You didn't do this, did you?"

"Husband, tut?"

He'an felt a little flattered. This was the first time she took the initiative to call him husband and the first time she cooked for him. She felt indescribably excited.

"What are you looking at? Eat quickly."

It was just a light side dish, but Hean ate it with great relish.

Ruan Qinghuan talked about the Wu family and also mentioned that she had ordered people to keep an eye on the county magistrate's wife. She thought He'an would at least ask her a few questions, but he just said "hmm" and said nothing more.

He doesn't look angry.

He An finished his meal quickly and took a sip of tea to rinse his mouth. "The two brothers of the Wu family are indeed difficult to deal with. Over the years, no matter what happened, they never had any grudges against each other. So, Madam wants to drive a wedge between them?"

"I don't know if this is feasible. As the saying goes, there is no construction without destruction. The power in Lucheng is intertwined. In addition to the city, there are also those bandits outside. The Wu family is the leader. As long as they are in chaos, we can take advantage of the opportunity. Although there are risks, it is better than a direct confrontation."

He An looked at her with admiration and inquiry. Ruan Qinghuan couldn't help but feel a little guilty, fearing that He An would get to the bottom of it. They stared at each other for a while, and He An asked, "Have you peeked at my secret letter?"

Ruan Qinghuan: “…”

Secret letter? She knew that He'an had received a secret letter, but she had never read it privately. But this was a good excuse. Ruan Qinghuan pretended to be exposed and showed fear, and nodded slightly.

"It's okay. Madam, even if you come with me, there are some things you should know. This trip is not as simple as disaster relief and dam construction. It is very dangerous to eliminate mountain bandits. Madam, you must put safety first and never leave the city easily."

As he said this, he took out a token from his arms. This was a transfer order. If there is any accident, give it to Jiang Ming. Then someone will ensure your safety.

Ruan Qinghuan's face was not looking good: "My safety is up to you, sir. I won't feel at ease if I leave it in the hands of others."

He An stood up and handed the token to her: "I will take good care of your safety, but with this, it is double insurance, and you don't have to be timid about your true identity. Do you understand?"

Only if he could protect her could he take drastic measures.

The sky brightened, and the rare sunlight penetrated the window. I had been in Lucheng for so many days, and even when it didn't rain, the sky was always gray. This was the first time I saw the sun.

Chu Li came early in the morning. After a few days of getting along, Zimo became familiar with her. He smiled and threw himself into her arms. Chu Li gave him the candy man she bought when she came. Zimo smiled from ear to ear.

The first thing Chu Li asked when he entered the room was: "How is it going? Any news?"

She was referring to Qian Yunxi's matter. Not only was Lucheng a small place, the weather was also bad. Life was so boring that she didn't even have the mood to go shopping. Even if she went shopping, there wasn't anything that caught her eye.

But there was something to do next, and Chu Li wished there would be a result immediately.

"Not yet." Ruan Qinghuan poured two cups of tea and handed one to Chu Li.

Chu Li was a little disappointed.

Xia Lian came out of the servant's room, her face pale. Ruan Qinghuan took the basin from her hand and said, "Didn't I tell you to take a rest? Why are you out again?"

Maybe it was due to the unfamiliar climate and water, Xia Lian had been vomiting and having diarrhea for the past few days. It was quite painful. After lying down for two days, she finally felt better.

"I'm fine. If I lie down any longer, I'll almost turn into a wooden block." Xia Lian turned around and opened the door of the lower room. A man in cloth walked out. He was the one they rescued from the bandits that day.

This person's recovery is pretty good. Although he still needs crutches to walk, fortunately he can move independently. With time, he will be well again soon. But I'm afraid his legs will be damaged.

The man came to Ruan Qinghuan and was about to kneel, but Jiang Qi held him up and said, "You are injured, so you don't have to greet the young lady."

The man bowed and said, "Thank you all for your generosity and for saving my life. I have no way to repay you. I am willing to serve you like a slave and do whatever you want."

"I do need your help with something." Ruan Qinghuan took out two drawings from the room and handed them to him: "Take a look and see if you can make this."

The man took the drawing and took a look at it. He was immediately surprised. He looked at Ruan Qinghuan in disbelief and then carefully checked the details of the drawing. His excitement was beyond words and his hands were shaking. "Where... where did this thing come from?"

"I drew this. Just tell me whether you can do it or not."

The man's eyes were filled with excitement. This was the first time he had ever seen such a finely crafted weapon. "I need two pieces of top-quality pine wood, a cauldron for smelting, and hammers and axes. As for fine iron, I don't need too much for now."

There is no iron ore in Lucheng, so it is difficult to obtain large quantities of refined iron.

Chu Li also saw the drawing at this moment, and knew at a glance that it was a weapon. He looked horrified: "Sister-in-law, you..."

"I only asked him to forge two crossbows in case of emergency."

Chu Li pulled her aside and said, "But the imperial court has clear regulations on weapon manufacturing. Privately casting weapons will result in criminal prosecution."

Ruan Qinghuan was naturally aware of this, and turned to look at the man surnamed Xie: "After returning to Beijing, you will hand these two drawings to the Ministry of War and say that they were designed by you. This should give you a new way to make a living."

Upon hearing this, the man knelt down on the ground, not caring about his injured leg: "Thank you for your kindness, sir. I have no way to repay you."