Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the shopkeeper suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud.
"My lord, I have failed to perform my duties. Please punish me!"
Su Mingyu sighed. "Get up. What exactly is going on?"
With a complex expression, the shopkeeper explained, "Last month, I accidentally discovered a logistics firm transporting a large shipment of silk and fabric into Liangzhou. Since our base here primarily deals in textiles and garments—a business that has been quite profitable these past few years—I assumed they were competitors trying to move in on our territory.
"However, after investigating, I realized something was off. The tracks left by their carriages were far too deep for a load of mere cloth. There was no way that was just fabric inside. I snuck into their courtyard under the cover of darkness to take a look, and to my shock, the carriages were packed with weapons and armor.
"I knew this was a serious matter, but I dared not report it rashly. We have spent years establishing a foothold in the Northern Frontier, and it was only after Liangzhou opened up for trade that we finally managed to get in. I had to be extremely cautious. I kept watch over that courtyard day and night until, one day, a group from the Shenwu Army suddenly appeared and escorted all those weapons and armor out of the city.
"They took the cargo to the 'no-man's-land' on the border between Daxia and the Jin State—a vast, sparsely populated area. After the Shenwu Army dropped off the goods, I saw horses being brought across the border line to meet them. Given the gravity of the situation, I didn't dare make a solo decision. I immediately hid a letter inside a silk dress and sent it to the Capital by fast courier.
"However, because I had been leaving the city too frequently during that time, I was soon targeted by the Shenwu Army in Liangzhou; they came to interrogate me several times. I knew that our base in Liangzhou was hard-won and could not be exposed, so I used every trick in the book to dispel their suspicions.
"From that day on, I voluntarily cut all contact with the Capital. I knew that if the news reached the right people, an official would eventually be sent to investigate. When that time came, I could complete my mission and retire."
Su Mingyu carefully processed the information Ermao had provided. The letter originally sent from Liangzhou had only mentioned the situation in general terms, but today’s report confirmed that a large quantity of weapons and warhorses had indeed entered Liangzhou. Since the Shenwu Army was involved, it was almost certainly linked to Prince Ning.
Coupled with the recent influx of disaster victims, it was hard to say whether this was a deliberate scheme by the Prince. After all, among the refugees, there were many able-bodied men; if Prince Ning intended to raise a private army, this was the perfect opportunity.
The troops and horses were ready. Now, all Prince Ning lacked was grain.
The thought sent a shiver down Su Mingyu’s spine. The plot was so tightly woven; if Prince Ning didn't rebel, it would be an insult to his own "magnificent" schemes. Looking at it this way, Ermao’s decision to cut contact had been the right one. If Prince Ning had discovered them, he would have destroyed the evidence and alerted the enemy. The Brocade Guard would have arrived in Liangzhou only to find themselves completely in the dark, unable to achieve anything.
After fully grasping the situation and giving Ermao a few final instructions, Su Mingyu hurried back to Prince Ning's Estate. However, as she reached the outer wall, she was struck by a very ominous feeling.
Sure enough, the moment she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Murong Ke leaning against her door, watching her with a mocking smirk.
Su Mingyu rubbed her hands together and grinned. "What a coincidence! You enjoy taking midnight strolls, too?"
Prince Ning sneered, "I don't have the habit of climbing over walls in the middle of the night."
Su Mingyu replied shamelessly, "I just didn't want to trouble your servants to open the door for me. I thought I’d save everyone the hassle!"
Disbelief was written all over the Prince's face. He stepped forward and asked coldly, "Where have you been?"
"I told you, just out for a stroll."
"The estate isn't large enough for you to walk in?"
"The estate doesn't have a mountain spring." Su Mingyu rummaged through her cloth bag for a long time before pulling out a bamboo tube. She opened it and held it out for Prince Ning to see. "Look, I went all the way to the back mountains to fetch this spring water. It makes the most fragrant tea!"
Prince Ning frowned at it, his eyes filled with suspicion. "It's just water. What could possibly be different about it?"
Seeing that Prince Ning had taken the bait, Su Mingyu slapped her thigh. "The difference is massive! When brewing tea—especially good tea—the best water is morning dew from the spring. It's a pity the Northern Frontier winters are so harsh that there's no dew to be found. But this mountain spring water is a fine substitute. Shall I go brew a cup for you to taste right now?"
Prince Ning waved his hand impatiently. "My estate has no good tea. Your water would be wasted."
Su Mingyu rolled her eyes, silently muttering, *Stop putting on an act. You have enough money to buy warhorses, yet you claim you can't afford good tea?*
Prince Ning raised an eyebrow. "What is that expression? Do you look down on me?"
Su Mingyu waved her hands frantically. "No, no! I just feel sorry for you, my lord. The Northern Frontier is so bitter and cold; it’s truly not easy for you!" She pulled out a handkerchief and squeezed out a few tears for effect.
"Enough!" Prince Ning said, exasperated. "Private trips out of the estate at night are forbidden. Otherwise, you will be punished according to military law."
Su Mingyu muttered under her breath, "I'm not one of your soldiers."
"If you have somewhere else to live in Liangzhou, the estate wouldn't need to keep you. If not, I suggest you follow the rules."
Su Mingyu pouted and nodded, albeit very reluctantly.
"Oh, right. What are you doing in my room in the middle of the night?" Su Mingyu asked, guarded.
The next second, a poorly made straw doll was tossed into her arms.
"The child you saved today insisted that you have this," Prince Ning said. "I meant to give it to you earlier, but I was delayed by military affairs."
Su Mingyu examined the doll. It was clear the child had worked very hard on it, even if the craftsmanship was still quite clumsy. Regardless, it was the most heartwarming gift she had received in years. Her smile stretched from ear to ear.
Seeing how much she treasured the trinket, the cold, rigid expression on Prince Ning’s face softened slightly. "About today... I was a bit anxious and spoke too harshly. Don't take it to heart."
Su Mingyu was busy staring at the doll with a silly grin and hadn't heard a word he said.
"Huh? What did you say?" she asked, tilting her head.
Prince Ning’s face darkened. "Never mind. Go back to sleep."
"Oh." Su Mingyu walked back into her room, clutching the doll affectionately.
Murong Ke watched the door shut and didn't know whether to be angry or amused. *This woman usually has a silver tongue and a dozen tricks up her sleeve—why does she seem like her brain has been sucked dry tonight?*
Murong Ke shook his head. "I must be crazy to take a weirdo like her seriously."
He strode out of the small courtyard and returned to his study. At the same time, a secret report came flying toward him.