Li Rong didn't expect Li Chuan to come in person. She frowned and said in a low voice: "What are you doing here? Is this the place you should come to?!"

"Let's not talk about it for now," Pei Wenxuan came from behind, leaned in front of the siblings, looked around and said, "There are so many people around, let's go in first."

Li Rong knew Pei Wenxuan was right, so she turned around and walked forward, whispering, "Come in."

The group went straight into the prison, with an attendant leading the way. The attendant didn't dare to look back, as if he knew who was coming. He respectfully escorted the person to the cell, and then whispered to Li Rong, "Your Highness, you can't stay too long. Your shift will be changed in two quarters of an hour. Please hurry up."

After saying that, the attendant retreated. Li Rong looked up and saw the people in the prison. After a brief moment of panic, the old man immediately recognized them and asked anxiously, "Your Highness! Is it His Highness Pingle and His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"Master Qin."

Li Rong stepped forward and saluted. She looked at the man with his hands clasped in front of the door. The old man's prison uniform was stained with blood, and his clothes were tattered due to the execution. Li Rong felt sorry for him, but she remained calm and said, "I will be the judge of the Qin family's case now. Do you know that?"

Qin Lang was stunned for a moment, then said slowly: "Did Zhenzhen find you?"

Li Rong pursed her lips and nodded. The old man sighed and said, "Fortunately, she is out. Otherwise, how can I face Shan'er in the underworld and Lin'er on the battlefield?"

Qin Shan is the father of Qin Lin and Qin Zhenzhen. He passed away early with his wife. As his father, Qin Lang took the responsibility of raising the two grandchildren on himself. As Qin Lang was talking, he suddenly remembered, "Your Highness, is Zhenzhen okay now?"

Li Rong listened and subconsciously glanced at Xun Chuan beside her.

Xun Chuan wore a mask and looked quietly at the old man in front of him, with a bit of pity in his eyes.

But she didn't say anything, so Li Rong didn't say anything either. She whispered, "Time is running out, Mr. Qin. Please tell me the whole case from beginning to end."

"Your Highness, where do you want me to start?"

The old man smiled bitterly.

Li Rong said calmly, "Huangping County."

Xun Chuan took a chair from the side and placed it behind Li Rong, and then she took another chair and placed it behind Li Chuan.

Pei Wenxuan stood behind Li Rong, and Xun Chuan stood behind Li Chuan.

Li Rong tapped her fan and said slowly, "This case started when Yu Shitai Wenping received a letter of accusation, saying that you were bribed by the Yang family and instructed Qin Feng to deliberately abandon the city in the battle of Huangping County. Then your deputy general Luo Juan's confession was used as evidence to confirm this, and there were letters from Huang Jin and Yang Lie in the courtyard as supporting evidence. I originally wanted to find Luo Juan to ask about the whole process, but now he is dead."

Qin Lang was stunned on the spot. He asked in disbelief: "Luo Juan is dead?"

"Yes," Li Rong said calmly, "All the generals who participated in the battle of Huangping County are now dead."

Qin Lang's face turned pale instantly, and his body swayed. Pei Wenxuan went over first, reached into the cell, supported Qin Lang, and said hurriedly: "Don't worry, uncle, His Highness is still reviewing the case, and there is still room for a reversal. You just need to tell the truth about what happened at that time."

"I have already told the truth..." Qin Lang's lips trembled, "What's the use? They can't let us overturn the case in Huangping County."

"Just tell me." Li Rong said directly, "The prince and I are sitting here, don't waste time."

"Uncle," Pei Wenxuan stared at Qin Lang, "You still have a family, so you must seize any chance of survival."

"You're right." Qin Lang took a deep breath and said slowly, "In the battle of Huangping County, we had 3,000 soldiers defending the city and 3,000 enemy soldiers attacking the city. My son Qin Feng was the commander. Yang Lie originally planned to let us defend the city for five days, but we were defeated and could only let people escort the people out of the city first and then abandon the city and leave."

"You defended the city while they attacked it. We had equal forces, so we shouldn't have lost." Li Rong reminded him directly, "Why did we lose?"

Qin Lang listened to these words and was silent for a moment. He smiled bitterly and said, "I let Feng'er go."

"Why?"

Li Rong continued to ask, and Qin Lang pursed his lips. After a long time, he raised his eyes and looked at Li Rong quietly: "Because there is no one left."

Li Rong was a little surprised. She didn't quite understand what was said, so she could only repeat: "No one?"

"Yes," Qin Lang took a deep breath, "Three months before the war, the food and wages were always insufficient. The food for 3,000 people was full of sand when it was transported. The soldiers had nothing to eat, so they could only separate the rice and sand every day and cook it into rice porridge. And much of that rice was stale rice. When the war started, although there were 3,000 soldiers, many of them were already sick, and less than 2,000 were able to fight. In addition, the military pay was delayed. If they continued to hold on, they would really have no food at all."

"How come there is food?" Li Chuan frowned, "Didn't you tell Yang Lie about it?"

"I have said that." Qin Lang smiled bitterly, "But what's the use? The military pay from the court is just that little. It is divided up layer by layer, with the first-class families given first, and then ordinary families like us. Who in the sixteen cities in the northwest asks for food?"

"But Huangping County is on the front line!"

Li Chuan was a little angry: "Yang Lie doesn't even have this point?!"

Qin Lang didn't say anything, so Li Rong asked directly, "Have you reported all this?"

"I later wrote an explanation in a letter, which should be at the end of the march diary."

"I checked the military logs of the Ministry of War." Li Rong frowned, "No."

Qin Lang chuckled: "Your Highness," he said hoarsely, "How is it possible?"

"That is," Qin Lang said with a choked voice, "the military department of the aristocratic family."

No one said anything. After a pause, Li Rong said, "Give me a list of all the people involved."

As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan handed the paper and pen to Qin Lang, who wrote down his name stroke by stroke with trembling hands.

This man is already old. He has fought on the battlefield all his life and never bowed his head. However, he has become hunched over in this prison of Daxia.

Li Chuan clenched his fists involuntarily. At this moment, he felt something sinking on his shoulders. He turned around in surprise and saw the man standing behind him, staring at Qin Lang in the cell, crying silently.

Li Chuan was stunned. He felt that the young man in front of him looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before. He looked at him quietly, and after a while, he heard Qin Lang say, "Your Highness, it's finished."

Li Rong took the list with the events of that year written on it from Qin Lang. She glanced at the names on it and remained silent.

Qin Lang sat cross-legged in the cell and sighed, "Your Highness, you are still young, go back first."

Li Rong held the name list in her hand. She looked at the old man in the cell who still had some dignity after being punished.

She looked for a long time, raised her hands, and bowed deeply to the person inside.

There were footsteps outside, and Pei Wenxuan said, "Someone must be coming."

Li Rong nodded, and Li Chuan put his hat back on to cover his face.

The attendant held up a lantern and whispered, "Your Highnesses must leave."

Li Rong responded and ordered, "Keep the people under good care. Don't let anything go wrong."

The attendant answered, and Li Rong was about to leave when she heard Qin Lang call her, "Your Highness."

Li Rong turned around and saw the old man hesitantly asking, "Zhenzhen, what happened?"

Li Rong didn't say anything. She looked at the old man's worried and expectant eyes. After a long while, she said, "She's doing well. You don't have to worry."

Qin Lang felt relieved and kowtowed to Li Rong. Li Rong turned around expressionlessly and led his people out.

As soon as they got out of the gate, Li Rong immediately said to Xun Chuan, "Send some people. No matter what, transfer the Qin family directly from the Ministry of Justice tonight. If they have any problems, let them come to me."

Xun Chuan spoke respectfully, turned around to get his horse, and galloped into the night.

After Xun Chuan left, Li Chuan retracted his gaze and frowned, "That person just now, I always feel familiar, is he my sister's new subordinate?"

Li Rong paused, then responded, "Go back to the palace first, don't let anyone know you interfered."

"sister……"

Li Chuan hesitated to speak, and Li Rong immediately understood what he meant. She raised her eyes and said calmly, "This is my business, and I know my limits."

Li Chuan was silent for a moment, then he bowed and said, "I'll leave first."

After finishing speaking, Li Chuan followed the servant back to the carriage. Before he left, he paused and finally said, "Sister, the Qin family must live."

"I know."

Li Rong said coldly: "Go away."

Li Chuan nodded and finally left.

After Li Chuan left, Pei Wenxuan stood behind Li Rong and said softly, "Your Highness, are you going back home?"

Li Rong didn't say anything. She just looked at the long street quietly. After a moment, she said slowly, "I thought I was old."

Pei Wenxuan stood behind her without saying a word. Li Rong laughed, "But now I know that no matter what time it is, there are always some obstacles in people's hearts that they can't get over."

"What does your highness intend to do?"

Li Rong didn't say anything. She put her hands in front of her and slowly closed her eyes.

After a long time, she spoke: "Pei Wenxuan."

"Your Highness, please give your orders."

Pei Wenxuan bowed and saluted. Li Rong whispered, "Take the tokens of the inspector and me, and follow the route that the military pay used to go to Huangping Town. Copy down all the records of grain and fodder in the county government when the military pay passed through the border."

"I'll wait for you."

Li Rong raised her eyes and looked at him quietly.

Pei Wenxuan stared into Li Rong's eyes, and at that moment he suddenly felt that this person seemed to have entrusted his life and death to him.

"They must know about the fact that I raised the issue of Qin Lang tonight. Qin Lang has written out the name list, and I'm afraid it's more dangerous than safe. I'll ask Xun Chuan to protect the Qin family. I'll ask to be confined to the court tomorrow."

"Twenty days from now, the Qin family will interrogate and execute you. You must bring this list back before then."

"Can you do that?"

Pei Wenxuan said nothing. He looked at Li Rong and chuckled, "I am driven by Your Highness and will not give up even if I die."

“The road may not be smooth.”

Li Rong chuckled: "Be careful."

Pei Wenxuan knew what Li Rong meant by "unrest". If he left Huajing and wanted to check the accounts of the granaries along the way, this would not only be unrest, but a matter of life and death.

But Pei Wenxuan looked calm, spread his sleeves, put his hands in front of him, bowed and said: "I will set out now."

Li Rong responded, and Pei Wenxuan turned around. Li Rong looked at his receding back and suddenly called out, "Pei Wenxuan."

Pei Wenxuan clasped his hands in his sleeves, turned sideways and looked back. The young man in blue and white shirt had eyes as calm as ancient wells, and sparks of light fell in his eyes.

Li Rong looked at him for a long time, and then she smiled.

"I'll wait for you to come back."