The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

Chapter 323 Tian Yuan's Obsession

Taiping County, Xiangzhou, Xia State.

In a school in Yangquan Village.

Teacher Xu Shangxian, whose new identity Gu Jiancheng painstakingly obtained for Tian Yuan, has been living in Yangquan Village for several days.

At this moment, he was wearing a faded long gown, holding a book in his hand, and walking back and forth in the classroom.

A group of young children were swaying their heads and reciting earnestly:

"The sky and earth are dark yellow, the universe is vast and boundless. The sun and the moon wax and wane, and the stars are lined up..."

The children's clear and melodious recitations sounded like celestial music to Tian Yuan's ears.

He had long since integrated into the simple and peaceful life of the mountain village and had not remembered for a long time that his original name was Tian Yuan, the deposed crown prince of Yue, who once had the potential to ascend to the throne.

The children all call him Mr. Xu, and their relatives all call him Mr. Xu. Everyone takes good care of him and respects him.

He lived alone in a brick and tile house.

Besides teaching children, he would go fishing by the river, chat with the old people under the big locust tree at the village entrance, and write letters for the villagers. In short, he lived a peaceful and quiet life.

Every now and then, the village chief would bring him a pot of good wine, invite him to drink a little wine together, talk about the year's harvest, family matters, and even think about finding him a wife.

The warm summer breeze blew through the open window and onto Tian Yuan's face. He looked at the sky outside the window and walked to the front of the podium.

"Children, get out of class is over!"

As soon as he announced the end of get out of class, the children packed up their books, stood up, and bowed to him.

They said in unison, "Thank you for your hard work, sir!"

After saying that, they jumped and cheered as they ran out of the school.

A short while later, a dark-skinned, thin young man returned to the school carrying a boy as if he were a chick.

"Mr. Xu, was my little one well-behaved in class today? Did he make you angry? How was his homework?"

The man had a loud voice, and the boy in his arms had bright, sparkling eyes, looking at Tian Yuan with a fawning expression.

Tian Yuan touched the top of the boy's head with her hand, a smile remaining on her face.

"Brother Tiger, Xiaoshu has been very obedient lately, and he's memorizing his books well. His homework today was rated as excellent."

The boy named Hu Zi laughed heartily, let go of the boy's hand, let him stick his tongue out at him, ran out of the school, and handed the food box he was carrying in his other hand to Tian Yuan.

"My wife made braised noodles. Quick, eat them while they're hot! I'll need to trouble you a lot with Xiaoshu in the future. I won't be back for at least a year and a half after I join the army."

Tian Yuan subconsciously took the food box.

"I'm troubling you again, sister-in-law..."

Suddenly, Tian Yuan stopped speaking and looked at Hu Zi with a puzzled expression.

"Why do you suddenly want to join the army?"

Tiger placed the food box on a desk, opened it, and took out a steaming bowl of noodles with minced meat and eggplant sauce.

"The Yue Kingdom is going to war with us. You know our family situation. There are three brothers. The second brother is weak, and the third brother's wife just gave birth. If I don't go, who will?"

Tiger smiled warmly at Tian Yuan, placed the bowl of noodles in front of her, and handed her a pair of chopsticks, greeting her enthusiastically.

"Eat it, eat it while it's hot!"

The smile on Tian Yuan's face vanished abruptly. His fingers, gripping the chopsticks, turned white from the excessive force. His heart pounded, and a surge of anger rose from his chest and abdomen.

That damned Tian Shang! He's only been on the throne for a short time, and he's already going to war with the Xia Kingdom!

Since being deposed, Tian Yuan had completely let go and no longer harbored any illusions about the throne. But at this moment, looking at Tiger Brother's simple and honest face and smelling the aroma of braised noodles, he felt extremely regretful for the first time!

Why was he so stupid and incompetent that he couldn't beat Tian Shang?

Why doesn't he return to Yue, gather his old troops, and fight Tian Shang with all his might? Perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope!

If he could become the emperor of Yue, he would never go to war with Xia, so that good people like Brother Hu could be protected!

Swords have no eyes. If Brother Hu goes to the battlefield and something happens to him, how will his wife and Xiaoshu survive?

Seeing Tian Yuan holding the chopsticks motionless, his expression shifting—resentment, regret, fear, and unease—Hu Zi lowered his voice and asked with concern:

"Mr. Xu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? How about we ask Old Man He to take a look at you?"

Old Man He is the only person in Yangquan Village who knows how to use herbal medicine to treat villagers' illnesses, at least headaches and fevers are no problem for him.

"I'm fine..."

Tian Yuan let out a long sigh, forced a smile, and buried his head in his bowl of noodles with gravy.

The savory minced meat and eggplant mixed with chewy and smooth noodles were delicious, but Tian Yuan found them tasteless.

Will the peaceful life in the small mountain village be gone forever with the arrival of war?

Tiger sat opposite Tian Yuan, still rambling on and on.

"It's not just me, but also Brother Er Gou from the village entrance and Brother Shi Tou who likes hunting. They're all enlisting with me this time, so we can look out for each other..."

Er Gou was the eldest son in his family. Five years ago, his father passed away due to illness, and his widowed mother raised him and his younger brother. His younger brother is only six years old this year. After Er Gou left, there was no one left in the family to farm.

Shi Tou does have an older brother, but his family is large, with his grandparents still alive and his brother's family having four children. That's why Shi Tou sometimes goes up the mountain to hunt and then goes to town to exchange the hunted animals for money to supplement the family income, which is how the family manages to make ends meet.

Even so, Stone would occasionally bring him a pheasant, just so he could learn a few characters.

Suddenly, a strong desire arose in Tian Yuan's heart to bring Tian Shang down from the stage, trample him underfoot, and stomp on him so that he would never be able to rise again, no matter the cost.

?

In the Prince Cheng's mansion in Liyang City.

The handover of the crossbows has been completed, and Zhao Xuan has taught Gu Jiancheng how to use the repeating crossbow.

At this moment, Gu Jiancheng, Gu Zhanghua, and Zhao Xuan were sitting in the living room drinking tea.

Zhao Xuan, remembering the Fuze Relief Home, put down her teacup and asked Gu Jiancheng.

"Second brother, how's the investigation into the Fuze Relief Home branch going?"

Gu Jiancheng frowned slightly.

"Xu Hu has already told me everything he found out. Come with me to the study, and I'll explain it to you in detail."

As the three of them reached the entrance to the living room, a guard came running up excitedly and loudly reported to Gu Jiancheng.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Prime Minister Yang has brought his son to enlist in the army!"

Gu Jiancheng hurriedly asked, "Is Yang Zilan going to enlist?"

"Yes! There are a lot of people gathered at the entrance now!"

"Let's go take a look. Prime Minister Yang only has this one son. Is he really willing to give him up?"

Although the guards wouldn't lie, Gu Jiancheng still found it unbelievable.

At the entrance of Prince Cheng's mansion, surrounded by a crowd, Yang Zilan was sitting at a table diligently filling out a form.

Yang Liuming watched with a smile, then looked up and saw Gu Jiancheng, Gu Zhanghua, and Zhao Xuan walking towards him. He quickly bowed to the three of them.

Gu Jiancheng quickly grabbed Yang Liuming's arm.

"Prime Minister Yang, there's no need for such formalities!"

At this moment, Yang Zilan had already handed the completed form to a soldier, walked over and put her arm around Gu Zhanghua's shoulder, looking at Gu Jiancheng with a grin.

"Your Highness, why don't you take me as your personal bodyguard? I promise I can protect you on the battlefield!"

Yang Liuming immediately glared at Yang Zilan.

"Nonsense! His Highness doesn't need your protection! You'd better mind your own business and not break military regulations!"

Gu Zhanghua also asked his good friend with concern.

"Zilan, are you really going?"

Yang Zilan patted her chest fiercely, with an expression that said, "I'm the most important person in the world."

"Of course! I didn't get the title of Martial Arts Champion for nothing! I earned it through real fighting, I'm not just a pretty face!"

After saying that, she gave Gu Zhanghua's chest a disdainful punch.

"You think I'm as small as you? I could knock you down with one punch!"

"You brat, how can you talk like that?"

Yang Liuming glared and slapped Yang Zilan hard on the head.

"Hurry up and apologize to His Highness the Prince!"