"Lord Fu, is our agreement still valid? We once agreed to dominate the capital together..."
Cheng Xiran didn't dare to read any further, especially with a maid standing not far away.
She wanted to pocket the letter, but with someone watching, she couldn't act. So she gave the maid a smile and said, "Could you please go and get some pastries? I don't really like these preserved fruits here."
The maid readily left. Cheng Xiran quickly stuffed the envelope into her sleeve and then continued to open the envelopes as if nothing had happened.
When Lord Fu came back, Cheng Xiran didn't pester him. After asking a few more questions, she asked to leave.
"Miss Cheng, why don't you stay for dinner? I still have a lot of stories to tell you!"
Cheng Xiran forced a smile and politely declined, "Lord Fu, you know that I'm not only a writer but also a newspaper seller. I know what the common people like to read. We have to leave them wanting more to achieve the best effect. Well, with the information I have now, it should last for a few days. When I run out, I'll come to you again, okay?"
"But I'm very busy. I may not be available!"
Lord Fu was being self - contradictory again.
But Cheng Xiran didn't have time to argue with him. She smiled at him and walked out.
Lord Fu chased after her and reluctantly saw her off out of the mansion.
Just as she left the Minister of War's mansion, she ran into Helian Duo who was about to go in.
Moreover, he looked a bit nervous.
"Hey, Prince, what brings you here? You're really a rare guest. Why don't you go in and have a cup of tea?"
Lord Fu invited Helian Duo in, but Helian Duo refused straightforwardly, "I'm here to pick up Xiran."
Lord Fu was in a good mood and teased him, "What's wrong, Prince? Are you afraid I'll bully Miss Cheng? Miss Cheng is doing an exclusive interview for me today. I should be the one thanking her."
Cheng Xiran quickly shook her head, "Lord Fu, you're being too kind. I should be the one thanking you. If it weren't for you, how could I have heard such a touching story today?"
Hearing her words, Lord Fu laughed from ear to ear, "Miss Cheng is really good at talking. If I'm free later, I'll definitely visit the Left Prime Minister at the Cheng Mansion and ask him how he raised such an outstanding child."
Cheng Xiran just smiled without saying a word.
"The Minister of War has been busy with the Emperor's tasks recently. He must be exhausted. After this busy period, you should take a few days off to recover."
After Helian Duo exchanged some polite words with him, he took Cheng Xiran away.
After they walked a long way, Cheng Xiran let out a long sigh of relief and couldn't help covering her mouth and chuckling, "I thought Lord Fu would be a really tough person to deal with at first, but I managed to handle him by accident..."
After taking out the envelope from her sleeve, Cheng Xiran confidently handed it to Helian Duo.
"Here, this is the evidence. I wasn't wrong. There's something fishy about this Minister of War."
Helian Duo opened it, only read the first paragraph, and then stuffed it back, "How did you steal it?"
Seeing his surprised expression, Cheng Xiran was extremely excited. She put her hands on her hips and said defiantly, "Humph, didn't you think I was useless before? I've just solved a case for you! I heard Ruoyue mention this a few days ago. With this letter, everything is clear now, isn't it?"
The next second, she suddenly felt a big hand gently land on her head.
Then it gently patted her.
"Our Xiran is amazing."
Needless to say, Cheng Xiran was extremely happy. She was overjoyed at that moment, but on the surface, she pretended to be cool, "It's actually nothing. I've always been smart. I know this better than anyone else."
Helian Duo pursed his lips and smiled, looking at her with great affection for a while, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
The two returned to the newspaper office and went up to the second floor together. Cheng Xiran then told him the whole story in detail.
At the same time, Helian Duo took out the letter and started to read it. After reading it, he frowned, "There's no signature on this letter. It should be a private way of communication for them. But since you said you saw those people in Huayan Pavilion for the first time and felt they were familiar, this matter shouldn't be too difficult to handle."
"Huh?" Cheng Xiran was a bit confused. She only felt that the smile on his lips was a bit charming.
Helian Duo said confidently, "Starting tomorrow, we'll go from house to house to send out the engagement invitations for next month. We'll visit every official's family in the court. We'll surely find the other conspirators, won't we?"
Cheng Xiran was a bit stunned, "No way. You always claim to be decisive. How come you've come up with such a stupid idea now? Running back and forth like this will probably exhaust people!"
She murmured softly, but Helian Duo said seriously, "As long as I can be with you, I won't feel tired at all."
Cheng Xiran turned her eyes away and偷笑了一下. Looking at him with a straight face, she said, "You're so good at talking. Why haven't you had a woman by your side for so many years?"
"Because I've been waiting for you."
Helian Duo answered without hesitation. That's why Cheng Xiran was even more convinced that he must like her.
Just as they were being lovey - dovey, there came a slightly hasty sound of footsteps from the stairs.
The two immediately sat up straight.
The person who came was Hua Bairu.
"I finally found you. Why have you been avoiding me these two days? I'm not a big bad wolf."
There was a bit of coquetry in her tone, and Cheng Xiran heard it clearly.
Helian Duo replied expressionlessly, "I've found a safe place for you. You'll be truly safe after the envoys from your country enter the capital."
But Hua Bairu pouted and sat down beside him. She even naturally wrapped her arm around Helian Duo's, "No way. I'm already starting to suspect them. Otherwise, why would I ask you for help?"
Helian Duo was slightly startled. After breaking free from her hold, he said, "The envoy from your country who came to the capital last time is the same one. There shouldn't be any problems. As for how your whereabouts were exposed, it may also be related to me."
Hua Bairu didn't give up, "Then you should be more responsible for my safety. After all, I've been living in fear because of you!"
Before Helian Duo could say anything, she said mysteriously, "And I have something really important to tell you!"
After saying that, she subconsciously glanced at Cheng Xiran and looked vigilant.