Qin Moyuan shook his head, "She wants to see the two children, otherwise she wouldn't have handed over Lebai's things."
Having guessed this would happen, Li Yueshu wasn't too disappointed.
Seeing this, Qin Moyuan added, "I pried information from Qin Yijia. She stored everything from the Grand Princess's manor in the royal monastery, so the Crimson Flame Vine is most likely here."
However, to avoid exposing himself, he didn't inquire too deeply into the specifics.
Although Li Yueshu was a bit disappointed, she wasn't surprised by this outcome. "I found a secret chamber, but to avoid alerting them, it can only be opened with a key."
She recounted what she had discovered but omitted mentioning the old monk and old Taoist she had encountered.
Although they left empty-handed this time, it wasn't entirely without gain.
They would need to plan carefully to ensure they wouldn't return empty-handed next time.
As the carriage gradually made its way back to the manor, the two of them discussed their next course of action.
Soon, the carriage arrived at the manor.
Qin Moyuan alighted first, then turned and extended his hand, personally helping Li Yueshu down.
This scene was witnessed by those guarding the manor gates, who immediately reported it to their masters.
In an instant, the investigation into Li Yueshu's identity intensified, even drawing in people from outside the Chengnan Kingdom.
Of course, all of that was for later.
Li Yueshu naturally accepted Qin Moyuan's hand as she stepped down, completely unaware of any unusual attention.
As soon as they entered the manor, Chai Yang approached them.
Li Yueshu, knowing they had matters to discuss, spoke first, "I'll return to Rumoju first then."
Qin Moyuan nodded, watching her until she was out of sight.
Chai Yang hurried to report, "Your Highness, Guanzhou is experiencing heavy snow, and several villages are affected. The local government has requested disaster relief from the court, and the discussion about who will be in charge of this relief effort took place in the morning court, but no decision was made."
Li Yueshu, who was about to leave, paused for a moment, but then proceeded directly back to Rumoju.
Yet, her mind was preoccupied with the plot of the snow disaster in Guanzhou from the original novel.
Guanzhou was located north of Chongzhou, a remote area that was buried in snow every winter.
After the snow disaster in Guanzhou, the local government had swiftly evacuated the residents, resulting in minimal casualties. Therefore, going there for disaster relief was essentially a chance to gain good repute effortlessly.
Such a favorable opportunity would not be missed by any prince vying for power, with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince being the most fervent contenders.
Ultimately, the task fell to Gu Hexuan, the legitimate eldest son of the General of Zhenbei.
In the original novel's plot, when the snow disaster struck Guanzhou, Li Xiangru was still considered to be aligned with the Second Prince in the eyes of the world, and the Gu family maintained outward neutrality.
Unbeknownst to them, all of this was part of Crown Prince Qin Yexiu's plan, with Wei Zimiao being his strategist.
However, Wei Zimiao was now in Hongning City, and the Gu family, due to Li Xiangru's betrothal to Qin Yexiu, had already sided with the Crown Prince. It was uncertain who would be assigned the task of disaster relief in Guanzhou.
With so many variables at play, Li Yueshu was curious whether the plot would unfold as in the original book and thus paid more attention to this matter.
Qin Moyuan, naturally sensing her concern, proactively shared what he knew.
Due to the intense rivalry among several princes, the person responsible for disaster relief remained undecided, but the people of Guanzhou clearly could not wait.
In the end, the responsibility fell to Gu Hexuan.
Despite having some expectation, Li Yueshu was still somewhat surprised, "Why Gu Hexuan?"
"It's the Crown Prince who is stirring the pot," Qin Moyuan said calmly. "Guanzhou has a fierce populace, and undertaking disaster relief there will undoubtedly encounter many obstacles. Gu Hexuan grew up at the border with the General of Zhenbei; he is indeed a very suitable candidate."
Otherwise, given the current relationship between the Gu family and the Crown Prince, this matter would not have so easily fallen to Gu Hexuan.
Li Yueshu pursed her lips.
Gu Hexuan's journey for disaster relief was indeed fraught with peril, but not due to the local populace's temperament.
Li Yueshu hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Qin Moyuan, "What do you think of Gu Hexuan?"
Qin Moyuan blinked, not understanding why she was suddenly asking about Gu Hexuan.
After a moment of silence, he replied, "The Gu family has been loyal and upright for generations. Gu Hexuan grew up at the border and has a bold and forthright personality. He is a good person."
Qin Moyuan, having also experienced battlefield combat, held a high opinion of Gu Hexuan.
However, Ah Shu's keen interest in this person immediately diminished his initial favorable impression.
Li Yueshu, completely oblivious to his subtle feelings, recalled her impression of Gu Hexuan.
As the maternal family of the original female lead, the General of Zhenbei's manor naturally had a significant role, and the author had dedicated considerable space to describing Gu Hexuan, her brother.
When she first read it, Li Yueshu found Gu Hexuan to be a man filled with passion and youthful vigor.
She had even felt a pang of regret for this character when Gu Hexuan and his entire family were executed at the end of the story.
After a long period of deliberation, Li Yueshu finally spoke, "Can you send people to follow Gu Hexuan's disaster relief team? If anything happens, they can send word."
Qin Moyuan's lips tightened. He stared at Li Yueshu for a while before asking, "Does Ah Shu know what is going to happen?"
Li Yueshu did not answer immediately, seeming hesitant to reveal more.
Qin Moyuan did not press further, merely watching her quietly, waiting for her decision.
Finally, Li Yueshu spoke, "The snow disaster in Guanzhou is far more severe than the court realizes. The troubles Gu Hexuan will encounter far exceed expectations, and his fate is likely nine deaths and one life."
In the original book, after the news of Gu Hexuan's misfortune reached the capital, it was the male protagonist, the Crown Prince, who personally went to his rescue, not only saving Gu Hexuan and making the Gu family indebted to him but also significantly boosting his reputation.
Qin Moyuan understood perfectly what it meant for her to speak so definitively about an event that had yet to occur.
His earlier feelings of possessiveness, stemming from Li Yueshu's excessive attention to Gu Hexuan, instantly dissipated.
A slight smile touched Qin Moyuan's lips as he said, "Alright, I will immediately send people to follow Gu Hexuan and dispatch them for rescue at the first sign of trouble."
Li Yueshu nodded and said no more.
Helping Gu Hexuan was not only due to her lingering regret from reading the book but also because of something Qin Moyuan had mentioned to her earlier.
Li Xiangru was found by the Gu family because she had a red crescent-shaped birthmark on her back.
Her current body only bore a scar of unknown origin on its back, but that red crescent birthmark was something she had possessed in her previous life.
Li Yueshu felt there was some connection, but she couldn't quite grasp it.
...
After Gu Hexuan was confirmed to be in charge of the Guanzhou disaster relief, he quickly departed with his team.
Li Yueshu did not go to join the festivities, but she heard from Ying Xin that the Crown Prince personally saw him off at the city gates, and then accompanied Li Xiangru to the royal monastery to pray for the people of Guanzhou.
Now that the male and female leads were engaged, there was no longer a need for secret encounters.
It was said that these two met up frequently, and more and more voices in the marketplace praised them as a perfect match.
Li Yueshu paid little attention to these matters, her mind occupied with planning another visit to the royal monastery.
However, on her way to the study to find Qin Moyuan, she suddenly overheard two servants talking.