The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

Dongfanghong smiled and nodded: "Uncles, I have never blamed you. The situation was unclear at the time, so it is normal for you to have doubts."

His tolerance and magnanimity made the villagers feel relieved and the atmosphere became relaxed.

Zhao Tianyue scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly: "Dongfanghong, you are so broad-minded. I will definitely learn more from you in the future and not act so rashly again."

Dongfanghong smiled and said: "We should understand and tolerate each other."

Dongfanghong turned around and tried to leave, but Zhao Tianyue stepped forward to stop her, her face full of pleading: "Dongfanghong, don't leave in such a hurry. I lost my mind last time and wrongly accused you without knowing right or wrong. I feel really guilty. I want to buy something for you, you must accept it."

"I know you really want to apologize, but sincerity for sincerity doesn't need these things to measure it."

Dongfanghong rode away at a brisk pace. Zhao Tianyue stood still.

Looking at the receding figure of Dongfanghong, my heart was filled with a complex emotion of regret and admiration.

Dongfanghong stepped into the Prime Minister's Mansion and went straight to where Xiyu was.

After seeing Xiyu, Dongfanghong hurriedly said, "Xiyu, I've been to that village."

After a pause, a hint of hatred flashed in his eyes.

"But that Lu Yun, Zhao Tianyue's sister died because of him, how can we let him go so easily? It's better to deal with him. Letting him live is really giving this villain an easy chance."

Xi Yu sat on the chair, tapping the table lightly with his fingers. He looked calm, and just raised his eyes slightly to glance at Dongfang Hong.

"You don't need to worry about this matter anymore. I have my own ideas. Just do it according to my ideas."

Dongfanghong wanted to say something else, but seeing Xiyu's unquestionable expression, she swallowed the words back.

Xi Yu raised his eyes slightly, looked at Dongfanghong and said softly: "If you have nothing to do now, you can go back to the academy."

Dongfanghong turned around and slowly left the room, heading back towards the academy with slightly heavy steps.

Night fell over the inn, candlelight flickered, and Chen Shou sat at a simple table, taking out a few books from his bag.

Shi Daming was originally worried that Chen Shou might do something unusual, but seeing that he was concentrating on the pages of the book with a calm expression, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Chen Shou seemed to be immersed in the book, his heart was actually in turmoil. He kept looking away from the text, thinking about the best way to report the news to Xi Yu.

Chen Shou's fingers tapped lightly on the pages of the book, his brows furrowed.

Inside the inn, it was late at night. The candlelight flickered slightly in the night wind, casting a dim light.

Shi Daming was already fast asleep, his snoring rising and falling in the room. The bed was across the doorway, like an insurmountable barrier, trapping Chen Shou in this small world.

Chen Shou sat at the table, brows furrowed, thinking non-stop in his mind.

He knew very well that the current situation was tricky and he had to let Xi Yu know the situation here. However, with Shi Daming so defensive, it was impossible for him to go out and report the news.

After much thought, he decided to write a letter to Xi Yu. Although he was not sure whether it could be delivered smoothly, he still wanted to give it a try.

Chen Shou silently took out paper and pen and spread them out on the table. His eyes were focused and solemn. The pen in his hand was suspended in the air, as if he was considering something, and then he began to write with a rustling sound.

The only sounds left in the room were the rubbing of paper and pen and Smith's snoring.

The letter carried Chen Shou's full hopes. Even though the road ahead was uncertain at the moment, he hoped that this thin piece of paper could be the key to breaking through the predicament.

A moment later, Shi Daming woke up from his sleep. Chen Shou was quick to hide the letter he had just written under the book he was reading and continued to pretend to read calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Shi Daming rubbed his sleepy eyes and didn't notice anything unusual.

"I'm going to the toilet, you come with me." Shi Daming said in a muffled voice, with an unquestionable command in his tone.

Chen Shou secretly groaned in his heart, but he could only helplessly put down the book in his hand and stand up to accompany him.

The two walked slowly in the narrow corridor of the inn. The dim light stretched their shadows long and cast them on the mottled wall.

After the two returned from the toilet, Chen Shou pretended to yawn and said to Shi Daming, "I feel sleepy. Let's take a nap first."

Then he lay down on the bed.

Chen Shou closed his eyes and seemed to have fallen asleep, but his brain was actually working rapidly.

Chen Shou turned over and frowned in the dark. The letter was like a heavy stone pressing on his heart, preventing him from sleeping peacefully. How to overcome these difficulties and pass the letter to Xi Yu became the problem that he urgently needed to solve.

The next day, the morning light shone through the window onto the table. Chen Shou and Shi Daming sat opposite each other and ate breakfast together.

Chen Shou kept reminding himself in his heart that he must keep calm and not let any emotion show on his face, otherwise with Shi Daming's keen observation, he would definitely notice something.

He lowered his eyes, seemingly concentrating on the food in front of him, but in fact he was still thinking about how to deliver the letter.

After a while, the two finished their meal.

Shi Daming wiped his mouth, stood up, and said to Chen Shou, "Let's not hurry on our journey today. Come with me to a cloth shop."

Chen Shou had no choice but to respond and followed Shi Daming out the door silently.

Along the way, Chen Shou kept wondering about Shi Daming's intention of going to the cloth shop, whether he was simply going to buy some cloth, or had some other purpose. But seeing Shi Daming's unfathomable look, he could only swallow his doubts and follow him towards the shop step by step.

At this moment, on the bustling street, a thief was sneaking among the crowd.

His cunning eyes looked around and soon locked onto the target. Anyone who saw him would be able to tell that something was wrong.

Chen Shou raised his eyes inadvertently and immediately noticed this suspicious person, and became secretly alert.

But Shi Daming beside him seemed unaware of it. His mind was completely focused on Chen Shou, and his eyes were always watching Chen Shou's movements.

At this moment, the thief seized the opportunity and nimbly reached his hand into Smith's sleeve. The movement was so fast that it was almost imperceptible.

By the time Shi Daming felt something strange on his cuffs and realized what was happening, the thief had already grasped his purse firmly in his hand, with a hint of satisfaction on his face.

"Catch the thief!" Smith shouted at the top of his voice, and his voice echoed in the street.

But when the people around heard the shout, they just looked sideways, but no one dared to go forward to chase.

It turned out that this thief was a notorious habitual criminal in the area. He stole things and acted ruthlessly on a daily basis. Everyone was afraid of getting into trouble, so even though they knew he had done something bad, they only dared to stand still and watch.

Chen Shou frowned when he saw this, and a surge of anger surged from the bottom of his heart. He immediately shouted at the top of his voice: "You actually stole my friend's things, I must kill you today!"

After saying that, he swung his arms and chased after the thief. His momentum scared many people around him. Shi Daming was also stunned for a moment, and then hurriedly followed, shouting as he ran: "Chen Shou, be careful!"

Chen Shou ran after the thief as fast as he could. The thief ran away desperately in front of him, looking back from time to time. Seeing Chen Shou chasing him closely, he became a little panicked. Shi Daming was also chasing him from behind, but his speed was much slower than Chen Shou's, and he was gradually left behind.

The thief turned into an alley in a panic, thinking that he could get rid of Chen Shou. Unexpectedly, Chen Shou caught up with him in a few steps, grabbed the thief by the collar and pressed him against the wall.

The thief was about to struggle and was about to threaten Chen Shou viciously, asking him to be sensible and let him go, but Chen Shou's eyes flashed and he quickly made a gesture to silence him.

The thief looked at Chen Shou with confusion, not knowing what he was up to, and did not dare to say anything.

Chen Shou lowered his voice, and said with a serious and somewhat anxious look: "Brother, as long as you can do me a favor, I will never pursue the matter of your stealing today, and I will also give you some currency."

As he spoke, he quickly took out a handful of currency from his sleeve and stuffed it into the thief's hand.

Then, Chen Shou took out the letter written to Xi Yu that was hidden in his arms, stuffed it tightly into the thief's hand, and spoke earnestly.

"I only ask that you deliver this letter to the Prime Minister's Mansion in Youzhou as soon as possible. This matter concerns human life and is extremely urgent."

After saying this, he looked at the thief with pleading eyes, beads of sweat oozing out of his forehead. He kept an eye on the movements at the entrance of the alley and urged him, "It's too late to explain now. My friend is about to catch up with us. Just do me a favor and help me this time."

The thief looked at the letter and money in his hand, then looked at Chen Shou's anxious expression. He hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether he should agree to this.

At this moment, Smith caught up with him panting.

Seeing this, Chen Shou pretended to be pushed to the ground by the thief, fell to the ground, and then yelled at the top of his voice: "You little bastard, you are so hateful!"

While cursing, he winked at the thief, his eyes full of anxiety, hoping that he would take the opportunity to leave quickly.

The thief didn't have time to think about it at this moment. He made up his mind, clenched the letter and money in his hand, and ran forward as fast as the wind.

Chen Shou got up from the ground, looked at Shi Daming, and said apologetically: "I'm so sorry, the thief was too slippery, I couldn't catch him at all."

After the thief ran for a distance, he picked up a stone from the ground and threw it back suddenly. The stone flew towards Smith and the others with a whistling sound and almost hit their legs.

Shi Daming quickly dodged to the side, stamping his feet in anger and cursing. He wanted to chase after the thief, but the thief had already disappeared, so he had no choice but to give up.

He turned to look at Chen Shou, sighed and said, "Forget it, let's just consider it bad luck. Let's go to the cloth shop."

Chen Shou responded, but secretly prayed in his heart that the thief would be able to successfully deliver the letter to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Chen Shou then sighed heavily and said helplessly, "Alas, this thief is so rampant now. He runs as fast as if his feet are greased. I can't catch up with him at all."

"It doesn't matter if I can't catch up. But luckily I was careful and didn't keep all the money in one place. I still have some in my sleeves. The thief only took a part of it and didn't empty my family's wealth."

As he spoke, Smith even lifted his sleeves on purpose.

Chen Shou smiled and flattered him, saying, "Brother Shi, your idea is really thoughtful! When you are away from home, you should know how to keep your money separately. I have never thought of this before. You are experienced. I will have to learn more from you in the future and be more careful. Otherwise, I will suffer a big loss like today."

Shi Daming was very pleased and a look of pride appeared on his face.

The thief ran all the way and soon left where Chen Shou and the others were and came to a relatively safe and remote corner.

He leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. When his breathing became steady, he suddenly remembered the scene just now. He couldn't help but frown and ponder inwardly.

He usually steals and robs in the streets and alleys. When people see him, they either glare at him with disgust or pretend not to see him and quickly hide away. No one wants to pay any attention to him.

But what happened today was strange. The man named Chen Shou not only did not pursue the matter of stealing, but he also took the initiative to give me money and just asked me to help him do something. This was really the first time in history.

The thief scratched his head, feeling confused and curious. What kind of important thing could that letter be that could make the other party ask for his help so eagerly and generously? The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this matter was weird.

But since I have already received the money, I can only try it according to what the other party said.

Although he was a thief and usually did shameful things, he knew clearly in his heart that Prime Minister Xi Yu was a genuine good man.

The prime minister has done a lot of practical things for the people on weekdays, and his reputation among the people is beyond words. Everyone gives him a thumbs up and praises him when they mention him.

So when I think about it carefully, in this sense, I should indeed deliver the letter.

Moreover, if I can accomplish this task smoothly, the Prime Minister might be so happy that he might even reward me.

When he thought of this, the thief's eyes lit up instantly, and his face was filled with uncontrollable joy, as if he had already seen the gold, silver and treasures that the prime minister had rewarded him with. He no longer hesitated, carefully put the letter away, and hurried towards the direction of the Prime Minister's Mansion in Youzhou, fully expecting to get a good opportunity because of this letter.

So the thief hurried to the street, hired a carriage, climbed on it swiftly, and shouted to the driver: "Go to Youzhou, the faster the better!"

The carriage then started running with a clattering sound, speeding all the way towards Youzhou.

The thief sat in the carriage, his body swaying slightly with the bumps of the carriage, but the joy on his face became more and more intense.

He kept thinking in his heart that in the past he had done things that were sneaky and shameful, and he was despised and looked down upon by others, but this time it was different. This letter seemed to be very important. If he could deliver it, he would have done a great thing.

As he thought about it, he actually felt relaxed all over. That feeling of happiness spread in his heart, making him feel that this trip was worth it. He was looking forward to what would happen after arriving at the Prime Minister's Mansion in Youzhou.

Shi Daming and Chen Shou went to the cloth shop. After some selection and transaction, they came out of the shop and continued on their way.

Chen Shou walked with a frown on his face, worried about the thief the whole time.

He thought to himself that those thieves usually did petty thefts and most of them were morally corrupt people. They might not have any bottom line at all. Even if they received the money, they might not really do what he wanted and deliver the letter to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

But in that urgent and helpless situation, he really had no other choice but to hope that the thief still had a bit of conscience, would keep his promise, and successfully deliver the letter to Prime Minister Xi Yu.

The two mounted their horses and continued along the road.

Chen Shou still looked worried along the way, with a furrowed brow and undisguised worry in his eyes. He would be distracted from time to time, as if his thoughts were drifting far away.

Shi Daming noticed his strangeness and thought he was still worried about the thief, so he pulled the reins to slow down the horse's pace, and said to Chen Shou, "Hey, don't worry about it anymore. There is a saying in the Central Plains that spending money can avoid disasters. Just think of it as avoiding disasters for me. It's just a little money, there's no need to worry about it all the time."

After hearing this, Chen Shou came back to his senses, and immediately smiled, and quickly agreed: "Brother Shi, you are really open-minded. If it were someone else, they would probably be upset for a long time, but you can see it so openly. I must learn this free and easy mentality from you."

Although he said this, Chen Shou was still thinking about the letter in his heart. He just hoped that the thief could be reliable for once and not make any mistakes.

After a while, Chen Shou's curiosity surged, and he couldn't help asking, "Brother Shi, how do you know so many of our Central Plains' allusions?"

Shi Daming raised his chin slightly, with a bit of pride on his face, and said with a smile: "To be honest, I have admired the culture of the Han Dynasty since I was very young. Since then, I have found some relevant books to read. Although I haven't read a lot, I have learned a little bit, so I know these things about your Central Plains."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shou's face immediately became filled with a flattering smile, and he hurriedly flattered him again: "Brother Shi, you are so amazing! You can understand so much about the Central Plains culture just by studying on your own. This is really not something that ordinary people can do. I admire you so much."

Shi Daming waved his hand and replied with a smile: "Hey, don't praise me. How can my superficial knowledge compare with yours? You are the real erudite. I usually hear you talk about those academic allusions, and I feel ashamed of myself."

As he spoke, he cast a look of admiration at Chen Shou. (End of this chapter)