Double Life: The Sickly Prince Eavesdrops on My Heart

"We have also established long-term cooperative relationships with some local wealthy businessmen, providing them with customized goods and services, which has added a considerable amount of income for us." An elder in charge of business affairs recounted in detail.

"Furthermore, our Qianxun Pavilion's business of finding people and things has also achieved remarkable results. With our extensive network of contacts and accurate information channels, whether it is looking for long-lost relatives or recovering precious treasures, we have a very high success rate."

"Last month, we successfully helped a wealthy family find their ancestral jade pendant. The family gave us a generous reward to express their gratitude."

“There were also several missions to search for missing persons, which were all successfully completed. Not only did we get paid, we also won a good reputation.” Another elder went on to report.

Qin Ruhuan listened quietly to the elders' reports, nodding slightly from time to time, and sometimes thinking about something. Her heart was filled with satisfaction and expectations for the development of Qianxun Pavilion in Qingzhou.

"Thank you for your hard work, elders! The Qingzhou branch has achieved remarkable results, which is inseparable from your hard work! Ruhuan would like to thank all the elders here!" Qin Ruhuan clasped her fists to the elders.

Everyone has made plans and analyses for the future of the Qingzhou branch, and the elders are all full of confidence! The future is promising!

When night falls, the Qingzhou branch is brightly lit and bustling with activity.

The sumptuous banquet carefully prepared by the ministers has been placed in the spacious hall.

The tables were filled with all kinds of delicious food.

The fragrant roast chicken has a golden and crispy skin, exuding an enticing aroma that makes people want to tear off a piece and put it in their mouth immediately; the tender and juicy braised fish lies on the plate, garnished with green chopped green onions and bright red peppers, which is delicious.

There are also plates of exquisite side dishes, such as the refreshing cold cucumber and the sour and crispy vinegar-fried potato shreds, each of which has its own unique flavor.

Everyone sat around the table, their faces filled with joyful smiles.

Qin Ruhuan sat in the main seat, with Qianxun and several important elders beside her.

She picked up a glass of fine wine, stood up with a smile, and said, "Everyone is gathered here today, I would like to toast everyone and thank you for your contributions to Qianxun Pavilion."

Everyone picked up their glasses and drank them all.

During the banquet, everyone was laughing and talking. Some were talking about their experiences today and sharing interesting things along the way; some were discussing the affairs of Qianxun Pavilion and the future development direction.

Bai Xiaofeng picked up a piece of roast chicken and ate it with relish. He praised as he ate, "This roast chicken tastes really great. I haven't eaten such delicious food for a long time."

An elder beside him responded with a smile: "Haha, we specially invited the most famous chef in Qingzhou to make this dish, just for everyone to enjoy."

Qin Ruhuan felt warm in her heart as she watched everyone having such a happy time.

She chatted with people around her from time to time, and occasionally laughed out loud at everyone's jokes.

Chihiro was watching everything silently to make sure the banquet went smoothly.

After three rounds of drinking, everyone's mood became more and more excited. Some people began to stand up and toast to express their respect and blessings to each other.

The whole hall was filled with a joyful and harmonious atmosphere, as if all the fatigue and worries were thrown away at this moment.

Just then, a disciple from Qianxun Pavilion came to report that there was someone outside the door who claimed to be a subordinate of King Jing and asked to see Qin Ruhuan.

Everyone immediately put down their wine glasses, stopped laughing, and their expressions suddenly became serious.

"Hurry, let him in!" Qin Ruhuan said.

In a moment, the man walked in quickly, "Greetings to Princess Jing! Something terrible has happened, Prince Jing is missing!"

When everyone heard the words "King Jing is missing", there was an uproar, and the cheerful atmosphere at the banquet was instantly replaced by solemnity and tension.

The wine glass in Qin Ruhuan's hand trembled slightly, and the wine almost spilled out. Her face instantly became serious.

"What? The prince... is missing?"

She immediately stood up, walked up to the messenger, and asked anxiously, "Tell me the details as soon as possible."

The messenger panted and tried to calm himself down before saying, "The war is already intense in the area where King Jing is. The city has been besieged by the Western Regions for many days and is running out of food."

"When King Jing ordered the distribution of the grain Wang Zheng had collected, he discovered that the granary was full of sand. King Jing questioned Wang Zheng, who claimed he was innocent and said that it might have been replaced by a spy."

"Later, the deputy generals discussed and decided to leave the city to rob the Western Regions of their food and grass. King Jing personally led 300 people out of the city. However, they never expected to be ambushed by the enemy. The enemy seemed to have known their plan and whereabouts. After a fierce battle, King Jing and his men disappeared."

Qin Ruhuan frowned, her brain working rapidly. She knew that this matter was of great importance and could not be delayed for a moment.

She turned to look at Qianxun and the other elders, and said in a firm tone: "Immediately gather all our forces in Qingzhou and do our best to find out the whereabouts of King Jing. At the same time, prepare supplies and manpower and be ready to provide support at any time."

Qianxun immediately nodded and responded, "Yes, Miss. I will arrange it right away."

The ministers also expressed their full cooperation. Qin Ruhuan said to the messenger: "Please tell us in detail about their route after leaving the city and the general situation of the battle at that time."

The messenger tried to recall and said, "They quietly left the city from the east gate and walked along a relatively hidden path, hoping to get close to the food and fodder station of the Western Region people without being noticed."

“However, when they reached a valley, they suddenly heard shouts of killing all around them, and countless Western Region soldiers poured out from all directions.

"Although King Jing and his men fought hard, the enemy was numerous and well prepared, and they were soon surrounded and unable to escape."

"The scene was extremely chaotic. I and others who were waiting for news in the city only heard fierce fighting and shouting in the distance. Later, the sound gradually disappeared, and we had a bad feeling in our hearts."

"When we sent people to check, we only found some traces of fierce fighting and a small number of injured people. King Jing and most of the people were nowhere to be seen."

After hearing this, Qin Ruhuan fell into deep thought. She secretly guessed that there must be a traitor who tipped off the enemy, otherwise the enemy would not have been able to set up such an accurate ambush.

She decided to find out the traitor, not only to find King Jing, but also to ensure the smooth progress of future wars.

Under the emergency arrangements of Qianxun and the other elders, the staff of Qianxun Pavilion in Qingzhou took quick action.

After hearing this, Qin Ruhuan fell into deep thought. She secretly guessed that there must be a traitor who tipped off the enemy, otherwise the enemy would not have been able to set up such an accurate ambush.