Starting in Exile: Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Lucky Little Wife

Chapter 61 Prince Duan's Secret Iron Mine Rebellion Discovered

Gu Liuli looked towards the source of the voice and remembered that this was when she first bound herself to the system. The dog butler that appeared was a purebred white fox terrier! "System triggered mission - please help the emperor subdue the iron ore! The reward for completing the mission is the Xuanyuan Sword and sword techniques!" The mechanical electronic voice echoed in Gu Liuli's ears.

She was slightly taken aback, then her brows furrowed as she thought to herself: This iron mine involves various forces and the situation is very complicated. Now that the system has issued such a task, it seems that she has no choice but to wade into these troubled waters.

Gu Liuli entered the space and found that the time portal from last time had reopened.

"Host, this is to make it easier for you to complete your mission. The time tunnel can only reach the designated destination." This time, the voice was not a cold, mechanical one.

Gu Liuli looked towards the source of the sound and remembered that this was when she first bound herself to the system. The dog butler that appeared was a purebred white fox terrier!

"Hehe, Xiaobai, long time no see!" Gu Liuli smiled shyly, secretly feeling embarrassed, as if she had forgotten that she had a dog butler in her space.

Gu Liuli turned her head sharply, her gaze quickly landing in the direction from which the sound came. She couldn't help but recall everything that had happened when she first became bound to this mysterious system.

The so-called dog butler that appeared before her was actually a pure white fox terrier! It stood there quietly, its bright eyes fixed on Gu Liuli, as if waiting for her response to the mission.

At the same time, in the palace, Yu Bai reported back to Xiao Han the information he had gathered about the iron mine: "Your Majesty, the forces surrounding the iron mine are deeply entrenched, and those people are not easy to deal with."

Xiao Han sat on the dragon throne, his expression cold and his slightly narrowed eyes revealing a hint of contemplation and determination: "In any case, the iron mine is a matter of life and death for our dynasty, and we cannot afford to lose it."

Yu Bai nodded slightly, his face showing some worry: "Your Majesty, there are several forces near that iron mine that are secretly colluding with neighboring countries. If we act rashly, it may trigger border disputes. It is very likely that Prince Duan is in close contact with other countries!"

At this moment, Gu Liuli, who was in the space, was looking at Xiaobai with curiosity and asked, "Xiaobai, this mission is so complicated, you have to give me more useful information." Xiaobai tilted its head and opened its mouth to make a series of crisp dog barks, as if it was conveying some information.

"I see. In other words, I need to start by understanding the internal relationships between these forces to find a breakthrough in order to successfully complete the mission." Gu Liuli suddenly realized.

Inside the palace, Xiao Han tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Secretly dispatch several elite teams to find out the details of all forces, especially evidence of collusion with neighboring countries. Be careful and do not alert them."

Yu Bai accepted the order and withdrew, while Gu Liuli, inside the space, began to plan her actions in her mind. She decided to start with the easier parts and work her way up to the more difficult ones, beginning with the relatively weakest link.

So, Gu Liuli told Xiao Jingchuan about Zi's mission and ideas. Xiao Jingchuan disagreed, after all, what if she encountered danger on her own?

"My wife, no! You can't go alone. I'll go with you!" Xiao Jingchuan's expression left no room for argument.

Gu Liuli recounted the details the system had provided to Xiao Jingchuan. Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan frowned. He never expected that his uncle, Xiao Ming, would actually collude with foreigners; he was utterly despicable!

Gu Liuli moved gracefully to a chair and sat down, gesturing for the small merchant to sit as well. Then, she parted her lips and said, "I've heard that you have some connections with the forces in the iron mines. To be honest, my family's business is considering getting involved in the iron mines, but I'm unsure of the ins and outs. I hope you'll be kind enough to enlighten me." As she spoke, she took a heavy silver ingot from her sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards the small merchant.

The small merchant's eyes were instantly drawn to the silver, and his face beamed with smiles. He hurriedly said, "Since you're so straightforward, young lady, then I'll be frank. Although there are many forces around this iron mine, only a few can truly influence things. The most powerful among them is the Zhou family. The Zhou family patriarch is related to a certain high-ranking official in the court, and his influence is immense. However, the Zhou family isn't a monolithic entity. The second young master of the Zhou family has always been at odds with the eldest young master, and he has spent a lot of time and effort building up connections outside the family in his quest for power."

Gu Liuli nodded slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes, and continued to ask, "Then, who does this second young master of the Zhou family usually associate with?" The small merchant scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said, "This second young master likes to make friends with people from the martial arts world, and he is quite close to the leader of 'Qingfeng Village.' Although Qingfeng Village is a den of bandits, its strength should not be underestimated, and it often does business with the forces around the iron mine."

Gu Liuli's heart stirred, and she asked more about the details of the Zhou family's trade with Qingfeng Village. The small merchant answered all her questions without reservation.

After asking all her questions, Gu Liuli stood up to take her leave: "Thank you for your guidance today. If the business is successful in the future, I will definitely not forget you."

After leaving the small merchant, Gu Liuli didn't go straight back. Instead, she inquired about Qingfeng Village throughout the city. After some investigation, she learned that Qingfeng Village was preparing for a big deal, seemingly related to a shipment of iron ore.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jingchuan was restless in his residence. Gu Liuli had not returned, filling him with worry. He paced back and forth in his room, glancing at the door every now and then, hoping that Gu Liuli would appear soon.

Finally, as night fell, Gu Liuli quietly returned to the mansion. As soon as Xiao Jingchuan saw her, he immediately went to greet her, looked her up and down, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was safe and sound: "You're finally back. How did it go? Did you find out anything?" Gu Liuli told Xiao Jingchuan everything she had learned that day.

After listening, Xiao Jingchuan frowned slightly: "Qingfeng Village is probably a problem. They are always ruthless. However, if we can find a breakthrough from them, we might be able to solve the iron mine issue." Gu Liuli nodded and said: "That's what I think too, but we need to plan carefully before we can get close to Qingfeng Village."

At the same moment, Tian Qing rushed back to the palace without stopping. He was covered in dust from the journey, but dared not delay for the slightest, for he carried with him the important information he had gathered that day.

Upon entering the palace, he went straight to the Emperor's quarters. If Qingfeng Village possessed an iron mine of such scale, it would undoubtedly be used to manufacture a large number of weapons. And the mastermind behind such an action was most likely the ever-ambitious Prince Duan. The more Xiao Han thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He realized this could very well mean that Prince Duan was plotting a rebellion!

Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli arrived directly at the palace through the spatial tunnel, and surprisingly found themselves at the entrance of the imperial study.

The old man, who was standing guard at the door, was dozing off out of boredom when he suddenly felt a strange aura approaching.

He rubbed his eyes and looked closely, only to see Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli appear before him as if they had fallen from the sky.

The old man was so frightened that he trembled all over, his mouth agape for a long time. He blinked hard, wondering if he was seeing things.

Eunuch Fu stood frozen in place, as if time itself had stopped. After a long while, he finally snapped out of his daze. His lips trembled as he stammered, "Your...Your Highness? The...Crown Princess?" His voice was filled with disbelief and terror, as if he had been struck by lightning.

Just then, Tian Qing, who was standing to the side, quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed to the Emperor, reporting: "Your Majesty, I seem to have seen the Crown Princess today. However, the woman was dressed in gorgeous clothes and dressed in rich attire, so I was not sure if she was really the Crown Princess. Perhaps I was seeing things!" After saying this, he raised his head slightly and secretly glanced at the Emperor's expression.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor raised his eyebrows and fell into deep thought. He carefully recalled various details from the past, pondering to himself, "This shouldn't be Gu Liuli. How could a woman confined to her chambers know that Prince Duan owns an iron mine? There must be something fishy about this!" Just as Xiao Han was racking his brains...

Suddenly, a slight noise came from the doorway. It turned out that Eunuch Fu had entered with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, looking astonished. Xiao Han's eyes were filled with vigilance, and he unconsciously glanced towards the door. Immediately afterward, everyone saw Xiao Jingchuan leading Gu Liuli slowly into the main hall.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Han's eyes widened instantly, his face filled with undisguised surprise! Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli said in unison, "Your subject and daughter-in-law pay their respects to Your Majesty!" The two respectfully bowed to Xiao Han, who was seated on the high throne.

"Father, Tianqing was not mistaken. The person he saw today is indeed my Crown Princess!" Xiao Jingchuan's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the imperial study, leaving everyone present speechless, especially Tianqing, whose jaw almost dropped to the ground in shock.

At the same time, Gu Liuli stepped forward gracefully, bowed slightly, and said softly to the emperor, "Father, I know you have been troubled lately by Prince Duan's unauthorized hoarding of iron ore and his secret manufacture of weapons. But please rest assured, I have a good solution to this problem!"