Chapter 1038: Too Many Coincidences Aren't Just Coincid

ed the pipe pouch tightly in her hand, her heart heavy with worry.After a long silence, she pointed to an empty space away from the throng of refugees and spoke in a low voice."Let's rest there for a...Before he could finish speaking, Lao Si snatched the oiled paper parcel and spread it out before the Marquis.

The two people politely didn't say a word, and just started eating.

Li Laosi, while eating, happily exclaimed, "Oh my, this is our Fu Niu'er's craftsmanship. Only she can make this spicy flavor, even her own mother can't."

The Lord didn't reply, but his subordinates were not slow...

In a blink of an eye, the oiled paper package was empty. Mu Xu held two dry buns in his hands, feeling quite pained, yet dared not speak...

Li Lao Si turned his head and couldn't help but laugh, "Looking at you like this, what are you worried about After we return victorious, I'll have Fu Niuer make a whole pot for you, and give you some extra."

After that, he licked his lips and still wasn't satisfied, forcing Mu Xu, "Kid, did you stash some more Is there anything else in your bag"

Mu Xu quickly flipped his bag over, finding it completely empty.

"I mingled in the grain supply queue, it wasn't convenient to carry too much."

Li Laosì sighed with regret, plopping down on the edge of the table and grumbling, “It’s a shame that Fu Niur didn’t come. If she were here, we certainly wouldn’t go hungry.”

"I wonder how that girl is doing in the palace Even if the Emperor and Princess are nice to her, it's not like being at home."

The god of war, who once struck fear into the hearts of all barbarians, became a nagging old father the moment he spoke of his daughter.

The Marquis naturally also had it in mind, and urged Mu Xu, "Tell me about things in Xindu. First, how is the County Princess"

Mu Xu swept a glance at Li Lao Si without leaving a trace, then poured himself some water, drank it down with gusto, and then began to speak.

For example, the drought in Jiangnan, the arguments on the imperial court, Li Laer borrowing grain from the wealthy families, Jia Ren and Li Ge'er taking office, and Jia Yin often sending Xiao Hu to deliver messages home...

Li Lao Si and Hou Ye listened intently, sometimes frowning, sometimes smiling, and finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Li Laosi even smiled triumphantly, "I said no need to worry about home, with my second brother here, Mr. Wen is also resourceful, Fu Niuer is even smarter, and Jia Ren's wife is a good person too, nothing could possibly go wrong."

The Marquis glared at him, but said nothing.

This guy is such a know-it-all, always lecturing people!

Li Laosi chuckled and, scratching his nose, went to fetch some dried noodles. He asked his personal guard to help cook them for Mu Xu to eat.

Then, he turned back to his tent and recalled the bandits. He asked, "Mu boy, you said those bandits came from the southwest. What's your basis"

Mu Xu pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice and replied, "Lord Hou, Fourth Master, these bandits who robbed the military supplies are very likely to be from the southwest, and they come from within the army."

Southwest!

The Lord frowned, unconsciously straightening his sleeve cuffs, showing that this possibility had also taken him by surprise.

Li Lao Si said, “My lord, when I encountered the supply team, they were already in trouble. Several traitors within their ranks had drugged the well water, putting hundreds of them unconscious.”

But those traitors, whether they used too little medicine or went easy on their men, the amount of poison in the water was very slight and wouldn't be fatal.

They fired cannons, and a group of bandits came charging in to loot the supply train. As a result, I led my men to scatter them!

That band of warriors was well-trained and disciplined, unlike the rabble of bandits.

Mu Xu said that several traitors spoke with the accents of Southwest Fan City, but unfortunately they all committed suicide by biting their tongues, so this matter is impossible to investigate.

“But our Northern Expeditionary Army has no grievance with the border guards in the southwest. Prince Lu is also close to our family, and even now that Mr. Jia is still serving in the southwest, I can’t find any reason why the southwest would target us…”

The Lord’s eyes were dark and heavy. After a moment of thought, he inquired of Mu Xu, "Besides the traitor's accent being off, do you have any other evidence This matter is of great importance, and we need irrefutable proof."

Mu Xu moved his stool closer to Li Lao Si and the Marquis, lowering his voice and saying, "Earlier, when the military rations sank in the river, Big Brave General and I suspected there was a traitor within our ranks."

Because those river boats were only accessible to military personnel, outsiders couldn't get close at all. Let alone secretly sabotage their hulls

"But we didn't catch them red-handed, just suspected. To prevent this from happening again, General Daring used the excuse of a cleanup to get rid of all the unreliable people in the port military camp. "

One of the lieutenants was from the Southwestern Border Guard, usually acting low-key and cautious. This time he wasn't caught because of any suspicion related to his participation in the boat incident, but rather because he committed a very foolish mistake, almost as if intentional.

I suspected this man had problems. He was punished and exiled to the southwest, where he ate sand. It seems like we helped him return home through our actions.

"So, I told my uncle, and my uncle sent people to follow him and keep an eye on him."

Li Lao Si frowned and replied, “It’s common for soldiers to be transferred between different military posts. Even in the southwest, there are officers and soldiers who served in our Northern Expeditionary Army. If we were to convict someone based solely on their origin, it wouldn't hold water.”

The Marquis remained silent, but Mu Xu nodded in agreement.

"The Fourth Master is right, I also know these things. That's why when the second batch of military supplies arrived in Jiangbei, I hurried to take a trip there."

Those people destroyed the military rations for the first time, and their families worked together to raise funds and replenish them. It didn't take long, and they continued transporting the second batch. If those behind this are not satisfied, they will definitely make another move.

As expected, on the first half of our journey, medicine powder was sprinkled into the well water, exposing the traitor within our ranks. Hiding beneath a carriage, I clearly heard their voices – they were from the southwest outskirts of Fan City.

"Even if both instances taken together aren't enough evidence, too many coincidences don't count as coincidences anymore."

The marquis's expression was somewhat solemn. He raised his hand to pour tea, but remained silent for a moment.

The Lu family guarded the southwest for countless years, diligently and faithfully. One could say their loyalty was unparalleled. Even Lu Zong, this prince, proactively went to study in the new capital.

Whether he was good or bad, the emperor never suspected that the Lu family had ulterior motives.

But now, as Mu Xu said, coincidences piled up definitely aren't coincidences anymore.

At this point, Mu Xu let out two dry coughs and added, "There's one more crucial clue that might shed light on the cause behind all of this. Or perhaps the destruction of military supplies wasn't targeting the Northern Expeditionary Army by the Lu family itself, but rather..."

This is really strange. Both the Marquis and Li Lao Si turned to look at Mu Xu.

Mu Xu didn't hesitate and continued, "Lu Zong, the prince of Lu, was chosen as the Tanhua Lang (ranked third in the imperial examinations) and betrothed to the Third Princess. Recently, the Emperor has even expressed a desire for the Prince and the Third Princess to marry sooner."

But the young master Lu had someone else in his heart, he was infatuated with... the county princess!

"What, impossible!" Li Laosi was indignant and stood up immediately, "He's the same size as Jiaren and is over a decade older than Funiu! Who gave him the guts to think about Funiu!"

He was truly enraged, speaking with fervor, his right hand already on the hilt of his sword.

If Lu Cong were here, his head and neck would probably be separated in an instant!

The Lord's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, his fists clenched tightly.

Before, he hadn't considered Lu Zong, but the Li family was harmonious and there were no schemes, power struggles, concubines vying for favor, or conflicts between legitimate and illegitimate children. Jia Yin was naturally raised to be innocent and joyful.

A family like the Lus' is demanding, anyone who marries in will have a hard time. Moreover, the Lus' are too far away; both he and the Lis can't bear the thought of Jia Yin marrying so far away. the elderly Madam Wen: "Judging by appearances, elder sister seems older than me, so I shall call you that.""Older sister, your daughter-in-law doesn't seem to be good at housework. Has she ever cook...