Chapter 463: Have We Found Them?

Su Yu didn’t expect Wang Jinhe to be interested in coastal areas.

“Why are you interested in those places?” Su Yu asked, looking at Wang Jinhe with curiosity.

“I’m interested in the things from those areas. There are many things there that we don’t have here. Does Xuan Empire have areas near the sea?” Wang Jinhe asked.

“We do have them, but it’s always been unstable over there,” Su Yu said with a furrowed brow.

Wang Jinhe looked at Su Yu in surprise, suddenly thinking of the bandits mentioned in the novels.

“Doesn’t the Emperor take care of that area?” Wang Jinhe asked in surprise.

“He certainly does, but the power distribution over there is too complex. Even the Emperor’s men may not be able to handle them, and most of the bandits over there are just common people,” Su Yu explained. The Emperor certainly wanted the people in that area to live a good life, but the situation there was very complex and not easy to handle.

“In the future, when we go there, you can help the Emperor solve a major problem,” Wang Jinhe said thoughtfully.

Su Yu shook his head with a wry smile, looking at Wang Jinhe with a sense of helplessness.

How could bandits be so easily dealt with? If it were really as simple as Xiao He said, and the problem could be easily solved, why would the Emperor be so worried?

“The reason they turn to banditry is simply because they can’t make a living. If we can help them earn money and live a good life, who would still want to be a bandit? For many people, it’s a last resort. If the court provides assistance and helps them solve their basic needs, wouldn’t that resolve the issue?”

Su Yu looked at Wang Jinhe in surprise. They had only ever thought about how to solve the problem of banditry, but they had never considered that these bandits were also citizens of Xuan Empire. There must be reasons why they had reached this point.

“We should indeed go and take a look, but it probably won’t be possible this year,” Wang Jinhe’s focus this year was on the rice fields, so she wouldn’t be able to go to those areas.

He had no interest in going alone.

“How about you have someone pay attention to the situation there, investigate everything that needs to be investigated, so that when we go, we won’t be completely in the dark about everything,” Wang Jinhe suggested, knowing that they wouldn’t be able to go this year.

“Okay.”

While Wang Jinhe and Su Yu were discussing how to help the people in the coastal areas, Gu Yanqi was already rushing back to the Gu family at full speed.

Upon his return, he found that the atmosphere in the Gu family was very strange.

Without asking too many questions, Gu Yanqi went to find Gu Xiruo.

When he saw Gu Xiruo, Gu Yanqi suddenly thought of Wang Jinhe. He seemed to understand why Wang Jinhe felt so familiar to him. It was because there were some similarities between Wang Jinhe and Gu Sheng.

However, Gu Xiruo didn’t resemble the people in the family at all. Not only did she not resemble Gu Sheng and his wife, but she also didn’t resemble the other members of the Gu family.

This thought made Gu Yanqi’s expression turn grim.

Gu Xiruo was surprised and somewhat puzzled to see Gu Yanqi. Why had he suddenly returned at this time?

What had happened in the Gu family that made Gu Yanqi put aside his own affairs and rush back? And why did he look at her with such a strange expression?

It was as if he knew everything, yet knew nothing at all. That look made Gu Xiruo subconsciously furrow her brow, and she felt somewhat resistant to Gu Yanqi.

Waving for the people around them to leave, Gu Xiruo put on a smile and looked at Gu Yanqi with curiosity. “Brother, when did you come back?”

She appeared to be a well-behaved and sensible younger sister.

Hearing Gu Xiruo call him her brother, Gu Yanqi couldn’t help but feel that something was off. Her way of addressing him as her brother seemed too forced.

Regardless of what Gu Yanqi was thinking, Gu Xiruo had no idea. She only knew that Gu Yanqi was ignoring her and looking at her with a strange expression.

Puzzled, Gu Xiruo asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Although she was extremely worried, Gu Xiruo managed to keep herself calm, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Gu Yanqi.

Despite having everything in the Gu family, the person in front of her was her biggest obstacle.

“It’s nothing. I just heard something and wanted to ask you about it,” Gu Yanqi said calmly.

Unlike in front of Wang Jinhe, he was undoubtedly composed in front of Gu Xiruo.

Although surprised, Gu Xiruo didn’t show it on her face.

“To think that there’s something that makes Big Brother need to come and ask me. What could it be?” Gu Xiruo asked, her face full of curiosity.

Gu Yanqi looked at Gu Xiruo in her current state, his brows furrowed, unsure of how to approach the situation.

This version of Gu Xiruo seemed like a child who knew nothing at all, but did she really know nothing?

Gu Yanqi was skeptical.

“What’s wrong, Big Brother?” Gu Xiruo was puzzled by Gu Yanqi’s behavior. He had said he needed to talk to her about something, but now he was silent, frowning at her as if trying to see through her.

Gu Yanqi averted his gaze and sat down across from Gu Xiruo. “I heard that you had some health issues before. How are you now?”

Relieved that Gu Yanqi was asking about this, Gu Xiruo smiled gently. “I’m fine now.”

“Is that so? Didn’t you need a close relative’s blood to cure it? Have you found someone?” Gu Yanqi asked, surprised.

Gu Xiruo’s eyes flickered slightly, and then she looked at Gu Yanqi with a troubled expression. “I did find someone, but unfortunately, despite promising to help me, they backed out in the end.”

Seeing Gu Xiruo’s troubled expression, Gu Yanqi didn’t know what to say. This was his sister.

“Are you telling the truth?” Gu Yanqi seemed to believe her, but there was still some doubt in his tone. It seemed that she needed to make him believe completely.

“Of course it’s true. They promised to help, and our family even gave them money…” Gu Xiruo frowned, looking desolate.

If Gu Yanqi hadn’t already known what had happened, he might have been fooled by Gu Xiruo’s demeanor.

“Is that so? But what I heard seems a bit different,” Gu Yanqi said meaningfully.

Gu Xiruo’s face turned red with anger. “Who is spreading rumors and making trouble for you as soon as you return?”

Gu Yanqi sneered inwardly. If he hadn’t known the truth, he might have been taken in by Gu Xiruo’s behavior.

“Alright, I didn’t say anything. There’s no need for you to be so agitated,” Gu Yanqi said with a double meaning.