"Lady Ning'an, this general and I are merely casual acquaintances. What makes you think I would help you?"
Even as he spoke, Huo Huaizhi's tone remained somewhat cold.
He doesn't want to help me!
This is the information Liu Yingying obtained, but since she has set her sights on this young master, how could she let it go so easily?
She smiled faintly, her face calm and composed; "I know that given my casual acquaintance with the young master, you certainly won't lend a hand. But what if I could offer something in return?"
Huo Huaizhi looked at her with a slightly puzzled expression, unable to think of anything this woman could offer in exchange for him.
Liu Yingying took two steps forward, smiled, and looked up at the person inside the car. She spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Young Master, do you know where I brought these three children from?"
Huo Huaizhi didn't speak, but his eyes clearly held a question mark.
Liu Yingying: "Marquis Yong'an Fu keeps dozens of handsome young boys at an estate outside the city. Every so often, these boys are selected and sent to the manors of powerful figures in the capital, and then new boys arrive at the estate..."
Her voice stopped abruptly, but Huo Huaizhi's expression instantly turned cold.
"Are you serious?" He stared at her with a sharp gaze, as if trying to pierce through her.
Not a single word Liu Yingying said was false, so why should she fear his sharp scrutiny?
"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, Young Master, you can send someone to investigate."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
The reason she told Huo Huaizhi this news was because she had previously received information from the Qingyun Gang.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the Marquis of Yong'an's mansion were at odds, a feud that had been brewing for many years.
Now that Liu Yingying has handed such a good handle to Huo Huaizhi, I don't believe he will remain indifferent.
Sure enough, after pondering for a moment, Huo Huaizhi had Liu Yingying take the three children onto the carriage.
No one dared to obstruct the carriage of Huo Huaizhi, the young master of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and the General of the Northern Army!
Liu Yingying and her three companions successfully entered the city.
Before getting out of the carriage, Huo Huaizhi suddenly asked, "This general really can't figure out why the Lady of Ning'an County, who is just a woman, would have such a deep grudge with the Marquis of Yong'an's family?"
He was asking a question he already knew the answer to.
Liu Yingying answered frankly: "I was originally a country woman from a rural village in Ningzhou County. I naturally have no connection with the noble family of the Marquis's mansion. But Lin Shichang, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's mansion, happens to be the prefect of Ningzhou County."
"This man is incompetent and tyrannical, greedy for pleasure, and oppresses the people. What good life can I and my fellow villagers possibly have under his rule?"
"Fortunately, a good official who cared about the people came to my place later. Under his rule, the lives of the people gradually improved."
"Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. That official was imprisoned for offending Lin Shichang. If I were still that penniless countrywoman at that time, there would be nothing I could do."
"But now I am also the Lady of Ning'an County, who enjoys the salary of the imperial court. I eat the emperor's food, so I should share the emperor's worries. I cannot just stand by and watch the people's benefactor be framed by villains!"
Is that really all there is to it?
Huo Huaizhi almost couldn't help but ask the question out loud.
His expression remained indifferent, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
Liu Yingying was also waiting, waiting for him to nod in agreement.
If they could get the assistance of the young master of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, then there would be a greater chance for Lord Shen to overturn the case...
After a long silence, Huo Huaizhi slowly uttered a sentence: "It's almost midnight. After all, Lady Ning'an is a woman. She should go back soon!"
He neither agreed nor refused.
As soon as he finished speaking, the carriage gradually drove away and disappeared into the cold night.
"Auntie, where are we going now?" A boy's timid voice came from behind.
Liu Yingying turned around and saw that all three of them had blank expressions on their faces.
She ruffled one of the boys' hair, a gentle smile on her face; "Come on, let's go to my house first!"
She took the three children to the newly purchased house, and by the time they arrived home, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
After she and Xue Ye left, Xiao Xue also sensed something was wrong. She knocked on the door but found that the two of them were no longer in their respective rooms.
Xiaoxue was so anxious that she didn't sleep all night, and waited until Liu Yingying returned with the three children.
Xiaoxue stepped forward with red eyes; "Sister Liu, where did you and Brother Xue Ye go? Why didn't you tell me? I was so worried about you!"
Liu Yingying looked somewhat guilty. "We went to investigate the missing children. The reason we didn't tell you was because we didn't want you to worry!"
Xiaoxue was almost in tears, wiping her eyes as she said, "But you don't tell me anything, I'm even more worried!"
Then she noticed the three lovely children hiding behind Liu Yingying, and seemed to suddenly remember something.
"Sister Liu, you've been out all night, you must be hungry. I'll go to the kitchen and make you something to eat..."
As soon as the words were spoken, one of the children's stomachs began to rumble.
The child blushed instantly, his face turning bright red to the roots of his ears, looking extremely embarrassed.
On the other side, a carriage was parked in front of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion; it was the very carriage that Huo Huaizhi had been riding in.
He remained seated in the car with his eyes lowered, his gaze unfathomable.
The grey falcon poked its head in and whispered a reminder: "Young Master, we're home!"
"Hmm!" Huo Huaizhi made a sound through his nose, then suddenly spoke, "Go and investigate the estate of the Marquis of Yong'an, and... what that illegitimate son of the Marquis has been doing in Ningzhou County."
"Yes!" Grey Falcon immediately replied, then asked, "Master, does this mean you agree to help Lady Ning'an?"
Huo Huaizhi: "The soldiers on the border risk their lives and sacrifice their lives to bring temporary peace to the country, not to fatten up those parasites!"
What Liu Yingying said earlier is correct; Zhenguo Kungfu does indeed have a grudge against the Yong'an Marquis's mansion.
But that wasn't a personal grudge!
For over twenty years, the Duke of Zhenguo guarded the northern frontier. With constant battles on the border, the war required provisions, and the Marquis of Yong'an was responsible for escorting the supplies.
Throughout history, it has been common for soldiers to risk their lives on the front lines while corrupt officials and treacherous ministers cut off their supplies from the rear.
The Duke of Zhenguo also had a dispute with the Marquis of Yong'an over the repeated failure to deliver grain on time.
He even submitted a memorial to the imperial court, but the Marquis of Yong'an always had various excuses.
His daughter was a favored concubine in the palace, and she would whisper sweet nothings in the emperor's ear, so the emperor would naturally favor the Yong'an Marquis's family.
Therefore, no matter how angry the Duke of Zhenguo was, he had no choice but to swallow his anger time and time again.
But the old Duke was calm and composed, always considering the bigger picture. Just because he could swallow his anger didn't mean Huo Huaizhi could tolerate it.
It must be admitted that the olive branch Liu Yingying extended was indeed tempting…
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