Reincarnated as the daughter of my mortal enemy, all I want is to ascend the throne.

Hui Niang's business involved fabrics and silks.

These all had to be traded and sold with caravans in the north.

Many merchants would lead their own caravans between the two places, but since Hui Niang became Luo Jun's concubine, she could no longer lead caravans.

So Hui Niang spent a lot of money to raise a team specifically for trading with the northern lands.

The leader of the group was named Hu Tao, and he used to be a镖师 (bodyguard/escort). The woman attending the meeting was from the same hometown.

Li Qingyan sat in her room on the top floor of Nuanchun Tower, looking out the window and tapping on the table. "The weather's getting warmer; caravans should be passing through by now. Is this man still gambling?"

Yan Li handed her a piece of milk cake, "Your Highness doesn't know this, does she? This family is really interesting."

In previous years, Hu Tao was always traveling with merchant caravans, while his wife took care of things at home. Although his wife was known for her fiery temper, they had lived a harmonious life with the husband working outside and the wife staying at home.

But last year, a woman suddenly barged into Hu Tao's house and said she was pregnant with Hu Tao's child.

Hu Tao's wife only then learned that every year when Hu Tao claimed to be traveling with a caravan, he actually went to Guiyuan City in the east and kept a mistress there.

The family almost fell apart.

Li Qingyan caught Yan Li's words, "Almost? Wouldn't this have set off a firework in the house? Hu Tao should have been blown up like a firework."

Today, Li Qingyan was dressed in a light blue outfit, her hair was braided into several plaits and secured with fluffy yarn balls, tied into a drooping ear shape. A few light blue velvet flowers adorned the plaits.

She wore a peace lock given to her by Yan Xu around her neck, silver bracelets given to her by Li Yan on her wrists, and her legs swung back and forth, looking exceptionally relaxed.

"That's the strangest thing." Yan Li poured Li Qingyan a cup of tea to prevent her from choking.

No one knows what Hu Tao said, but his wife let that mistress into the house as a concubine. However, after only a year, the concubine made a mistake and was sold off.

Li Qingyan narrowed her eyes. Selling concubines was not uncommon. There was nothing strange about it.

Yan Li continued, "What's strange is that this concubine was sold by Hui Niang's people. Does supporting a merchant caravan mean you have to meddle in other people's family affairs? And..."

When Hu Tao's caravan arrived in Guiyuan City, they did not trade silk with the northerners. Instead, they sold the silk cheaply in Guiyuan City and stayed there for several months, during which they spent their time eating, drinking, and having fun.

When they return, they will bring back a large pile of silver notes.

Where did this money come from?

"And this is what the young prince gave you..." Yan Li took out a document, which contained Hui Niang's indenture.

Hui Niang was not born into a merchant family at all; she was sold to a brothel when she was a child. She came from a brothel in Guiyuan City.

The brothels in Guiyuan City are quite interesting; they change their girls every few months. These girls are all over twenty years old. And the girls who are replaced disappear without a trace.

After Yan Li finished speaking, Li Qingyan narrowed her eyes. "Is Hui Niang involved in human trafficking? But why only sell girls over twenty years old?"

Upon arriving at this point, Yan Li shook his head; he couldn't find any more information. Only Yan Li himself knew the rest.

Li Qingyan jumped off the chair and waved to Yan Li.

Before Yan Li could react, she bent down and felt a small hand pat her head, just like patting a dog's head.

"You're really smart; you've given me some clues."

By the time Yan Li realized he'd been treated like a dog, Li Qingyan had already left through the back door. Enraged, he grabbed a milk cake from the table and took two vicious bites.

"That bastard's puppies."

He suddenly remembered that the safety lock he had just seen had his Yan family's logo underneath it, and he looked at it with a look of disappointment and frustration.

"That good-for-nothing Yan Xu is happy to be Li Yan's dog."

What did the Yan family owe the Li family? They treated the two brothers and their father and daughter like dogs…

He's so angry!

Li Qingyan left through the back door, and with guards protecting her, no one else could detect her movements.

She went directly from the back door of Nuanchun Tower to the back door of the Yan family. When the servant opened the door and saw that it was Li Qingyan, his eyes widened and he hurriedly bowed, "Your Highness."

"Where's the banquet?" Li Qingyan, wearing a fluffy hat and a fluffy cloak, and holding a fluffy hot water bottle, looked like a white dumpling.

"The general is busy in his courtyard, I'll go and inform him..."

Before I could finish speaking, I saw a white dumpling rush out, and it looked like it would roll a long way on the ground if it fell.

Cuiping hurriedly followed.

The servant took a deep breath. "Rushing through the inner courtyard of the Yan family is forbidden; violators will be whipped five times."

He shook his head; the family rules were useless against the young prince.

They couldn't even remember how many times Li Qingyan had broken the Yan family rules. The old steward had even said directly that as long as the young prince was having fun, that was all that mattered.

Li Qingyan ran so fast that she almost bumped into the courtyard gate. The old housekeeper, who happened to be carrying some things, saw this and quickly helped her up.

Li Qingyan put her hand to her mouth, signaling the old butler to be quiet.

She tossed the hot water bottle to the old housekeeper. There was still some snow on the tree trunk by the wall because it hadn't been exposed to sunlight. Li Qingyan tiptoed and rubbed her hands with the snow until they turned red.

She shivered from the cold before rushing over to Yan Xu, who was squatting on the ground, and put her little hands directly into Yan Xu's neck.

The old steward looked at this scene with some helplessness. Given their general's vigilance, he should have noticed it long ago, but he was just playing along with the young prince's antics.

"So cold... Your Highness..."

Hearing Yan Xu say she was cold, Li Qingyan's eyes crinkled with joy. Yan Xu took her small hand and rubbed it in his own, saying, "Your Highness, this is called killing eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of your own."

This mischievous look is exactly like Li Yan's; Li Yan was just as naughty when she was a child.

However, he rarely teased him; he preferred to tease Yanli.

Anyway, from childhood to adulthood, Yan Li always thought Li Yan was neither a pretty boy nor a pretty girl.

Li Qingyan looked at the small rocking chair on the ground, and sat down on it. It was just the right height for her.

She said unsteadily, "Help me catch someone, find a secluded place, and put them in a sack."

The steward, who was just about to leave, almost fell over. This young prince is so young, yet he has his own ideas.

It's good that the little girl is like this, so she won't be bullied in the future.

If their general were married, his children would be this age by now. The old steward sighed, saying that it was all fate.

Banquet Master acted immediately upon hearing Li Qingyan's request, without inquiring about the reasons behind it.

The courtyard was in a very secluded spot in the north of the capital. The little courtyard was decorated very warmly, with rabbit patterns on everything. However, there was little sign of life in it.

Li Qingyan sat on a swing, the ropes of which were all pink.

She frowned. "Is Yan Xu planning to keep a mistress hidden away?"

Soon, a person covered by a sack was thrown into the small courtyard. Yan Xu flipped over and came in from outside the wall.

Several soldiers followed behind him.

Those people were all from the White Tiger Army.

One of them was Wei Ran, whom Li Qingyan had met at the camp last time.

Wei Ran grabbed hard and pulled the sack off.

Hu Tao looked at the shocked faces around him and made a few "woo woo woo" sounds.

Li Qingyan pouted, "Explain what you've done?"

Hu Tao whimpered for a while before Wei Ran kicked him in the butt.

"Your Highness is asking you a question! Waaaaah, you son of a bitch!"

Yan Xu coughed lightly. "His mouth is still blocked."

Wei Ran suddenly realized what was happening and quickly pulled out the piece of cloth that had been stuffing it in.

"Who are you people? Why are you arresting an ordinary citizen like me?"

Hu Tao's eyes were fierce when he said this. Yan Xu could tell at a glance that this man's hands were stained with blood.

People who have never been exposed to blood will not understand this feeling.

"I heard you sold your concubine?"

When Li Qingyan asked this question, she was holding the rope with both hands, and the swing was swaying slightly. She looked like an exceptionally innocent child.

Hu Tao snorted coldly, "What does it have to do with you if I sell my own concubine?"