After I captured the wrong male lead, I broke off the engagement and married the villain

When Nangong Yuan talked about this, her expression looked a little strange.

"I have received reliable information that General Nangong is going to lead his troops to Hongzhou."

Hearing this, Xiao Heyun paused for a moment, and a look of understanding appeared in his eyes.

But he still asked: "Is the news accurate?"

"Of course, there is no problem with the channel. I am just wondering, wasn't the issue in Hongzhou resolved? Why is it happening again..."

Xiao Heyun thought for a moment and said, "Do you still remember the business path of Hongzhou?"

"nature."

Nangong Yuan nodded. Wasn’t it for business matters that she went to Hongzhou last time?

If it weren't for that, Yu Chengye would not have been able to reveal his identity, let alone be caught.

"The Hongzhou trade route has been established for more than 50 years, but after the Battle of the Paracel Islands, the trade route was almost closed, and few people went there to buy and sell goods."

Although there is a mountain separating the two countries, with a little effort, a way can still be found.

"Without trade routes, many goods in the Xisha Islands cannot be self-sufficient. Seeing that they are declining, it is normal for them to be unwilling to accept this."

Just like the Qingzhou trade route, the annual profit accounts for almost half of the national treasury.

This is just the tax money.

If you think about it carefully, even a king would not remain indifferent when hearing about such huge profits.

"True, but the people in Xisha... how should I put it? They are still uncivilized."

The last time she fought with them, Nangong Yuan noticed their exceptionally strong bodies and strength.

This group of people are quite good at fighting, but I don’t know what their strategy is?

"They have always respected the strong, and they will listen to whoever is stronger."

Xiao Heyun sorted out a stack of documents at hand and placed them in front of her.

"These are the few strange families that the secret guards have recently investigated. Take a look."

Nangong Yuan glanced at it quickly and said, "Sure enough, there seems to be something wrong with these accounts."

Although she has never done business, she has been hanging out outside for so long that she is quite familiar with the prices in different places.

Qingzhou is slightly cheaper than other places. After all, there are too many caravans, so the prices are naturally lowered.

Except for those extremely precious and rare items, the rest are half as expensive as other places.

“So, I suspect that this group of people are not only hiding in Qingzhou, but also hiding in the caravan.”

"That would be troublesome. You know, there are so many caravans, big and small. How long will it take to check them one by one?"

She pinched her chin and frowned.

Having said that, there hasn't been much progress in the exploration these days.

And...something is not clear.

When she didn't speak or smile, her overly handsome and bright face looked extremely sharp.

"I have an idea."

Nangong Yuan raised her head and said, "What's the solution? Tell me about it."

"The caravan did this because it was profitable. Once I have investigated everything, I will ask them to give up half of their profits. If they refuse, I will kill them for colluding with foreign tribes."

She knew that Xiao Heyun was always ruthless in his actions.

"But wouldn't this be too risky? After all, it involves so many people."

Hearing this, Xiao Heyun seemed to smile: "The so-called law does not punish the masses, it has always been an empty talk. You know, the emperor's anger can cause millions of corpses to float on the surface. I will report the matter, and His Majesty will make the decision."

The Emperor...

In recent years, the national treasury has indeed been short of money.

After the tax revenues from various places are collected, they must first be used to pay the salaries of court officials. If there is a disaster in any place, money must be allocated. Money is also required for spring plowing and autumn harvest.

Add to that the maintenance of the army and other miscellaneous items, where would the treasury get so much money?

The emperor would definitely be very happy if he could make a large sum of money.

As for what to do...that's up to them.

"That's right. Let's get started. But...will the local officials protect us?"

Nangong Yuan was worried that Qingzhou would not be united, and Xiao Heyun would be isolated and helpless.

"They don't dare, let alone the officials of the imperial court. What do they have to do with these people?"

If there is any involvement, it can only be a relationship of bribery and bribery.

Nangong Yuan raised her eyebrows: "Then don't worry about anything. Do you need my help?"

"Not yet, I'll call you if I need you."

This matter involves too many complicated issues, and Nangong Yuan should not intervene.

So Xiao Heyun did not let her run around with the secret guards, but kept her in the mansion.

Nangong Yuan had no objection to this.

Because she had other things to do.

"Miss, that Westerner's whereabouts are erratic. I have been looking for him for several days but couldn't find him."

Nangong Yuan asked her to sit down, drink some water and take a break.

"That's normal. He must be afraid of being discovered, so it's reasonable for him to be careful."

Tao Zhu looked a little frustrated. She was good at investigating cases, but this was the first time she had encountered such a difficult person.

"But it can also be seen that this person is not a good person."

Nangong Yuan nodded, his expression slightly indifferent: "He was like a troublemaker in Qingzhou, but he didn't cause much trouble. I don't think he is the ultimate figure behind the scenes."

“Miss, what you mean is…”

"Yes, my lady, what I mean is that there is someone manipulating all this."

Nangong Yuan had a fierce look on his face, and his long, slender fingers looked bony with distinct joints.

"Then, what should we do?"

"Keep watching him, and check immediately if there's any movement!"

Tao Zhu nodded.

She never refused any of the young lady's orders and would only try her best to do them.

Nangong Yuan was very satisfied with this.

"Don't worry too much. The prince's secret guards are watching us. We only need to keep an eye on Kes."

She and Tao Zhu are both very agile and convenient in their movements.

But there are only so many things that can be done, so Nangong Yuan chooses to focus on just one person.

As for book sources and businesses like that, they are all small fry.

All she had to do was catch Kes.

"Okay, but Miss, do these Westerners have any conspiracy?"

Tao Zhu was worried that the young lady would get hurt again like last time.

So I asked her secretly, hoping that if there was any danger, I could get rid of her quickly.

"Of course there are. Otherwise, why would they be so sneaky? I just don't know what they are planning."

Nangong Yuan ate a few snacks and frowned again: "By the way, is there still no trace of the fire gun in Qingzhou?"

"No, he seemed to have disappeared after the last time I saw him. There is no clue at all."

Nangong Yuan had a headache about this.

"That's really troublesome. Why do things seem to be getting more and more vague after investigating them so far?"

The originally clear thoughts seemed to become blurred.

This is not the right approach to investigating a case.

Could it be that I was wrong?

"Uh, that shouldn't be the case. If the musket didn't come from the army, it must have been brought by Westerners."