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

That night, the moon was high in the sky, casting a silvery glow.

Madam Mingyue rode her horse and returned home in a vigorous manner. Sun Qiushui had been waiting at the door for a long time. When she saw her return, she hurried forward and asked curiously, "How is it? How is it today?"

Madam Mingyue dismounted, patted the horse's body, and said, "We found the store today, but unfortunately, the bastard we were looking for was not there. The Prime Minister did not want to return empty-handed, so he stayed at a nearby inn and planned to go again tomorrow."

A touch of emotion flashed in Sun Qiushui's eyes, and she said softly, "The Prime Minister is really a thoughtful person. I am just an ordinary citizen. How can I be so worthy of the Prime Minister to personally come to me for my affairs?"

Madam Mingyue smiled and nodded.

"Yes, the Prime Minister has an excellent reputation among the people. He cares about the people and is honest and upright. Wherever he goes, he is praised. It is a blessing for the people to have such a Prime Minister."

As they talked, the two walked into the house, the moonlight lengthening their shadows.

The next day, Xi Yu went out early and began to inquire about the situation of the restaurant owner Ma Pingchang.

He walked through the streets and alleys and finally walked into a shop that looked quite busy.

People were coming and going in the store. Xi Yu walked straight to the store owner, took out a few coins from his pocket and put them on the counter. He said sincerely, "Shop owner, I want to ask you about someone. It's the restaurant owner Ma Pingchang. If you know anything, please let me know. These coins are just a token of my appreciation."

The shop owner looked at the coins, a light flashed in his eyes, he rubbed his hands and began to recall.

The shop owner looked around cautiously and said to Xi Yu in a low voice, "Sir, I can tell you, but you must not tell anyone else. If the news gets out that I told it, I will be in trouble."

Xi Yu nodded quickly, "Of course, don't worry."

The owner cleared his throat and continued, "I don't really know much about Ma Pingchang, I just heard some gossip from time to time. It's said that Ma Pingchang is a complete pervert. Whenever a woman comes to work in his restaurant, his eyes light up and he stares at her with lustful eyes. It's scary. That's all I know, I really don't know anything else."

Xi Yu listened carefully with a frown on his face. After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he nodded at him, handed the prepared currency to him, and then turned and left the shop.

As he walked, he thought about the shop owner's words and felt that Ma Pingchang seemed more complicated than he had imagined.

Next, Xi Yu continued to inquire around the city for news about people related to Ma Pingchang.

He walked along the streets and alleys, asking from house to house, but the situations he encountered were different.

Some people knew nothing about Ma Pingchang and just shook their heads in confusion.

When some people heard Ma Pingchang's name, they showed fear on their faces, and no matter how Xi Yu persuaded them, they dared not utter a word.

Only a few brave people were willing to speak up after Xi Yu's sincere questioning and the temptation of a small reward.

However, what they said was roughly the same as what the previous store owner said, all pointing out that Ma Pingchang had bad conduct, especially in his treatment of women.

After a while, Xi Yu walked around and walked into the liquor store again.

The shop was still bustling with the sounds of customers chatting and laughing.

The waiter from yesterday was still busy in the store. He moved skillfully between the wine tables, holding the tray steadily in his hands, and served cup after cup of fragrant and fine wine to the guests.

When he glanced towards the door inadvertently, he saw Xi Yu's figure at a glance.

Xi Yu walked into the store with steady steps. After scanning the store, his eyes fell on the table where he sat yesterday.

Seeing this, the waiter quickly put down his work and went to meet him. With a professional smile on his face, he bowed slightly and said, "Sir, you are here."

Xi Yu nodded at him, his eyes lingered on the waiter's face for a moment, and asked, "Is the shopkeeper here?"

The waiter straightened up, scratched his head, and said with a trace of confusion in his eyes: "The shopkeeper hasn't come back yet, and I don't know where he went. Sometimes the shopkeeper goes out to do things and doesn't tell us where he is going, so we can't ask too much."

Xi Yu frowned, feeling a little helpless.

"In that case, let's wait here."

The noisy environment around him seemed to have nothing to do with him. His mind was completely immersed in waiting for the shopkeeper to return, and his mind was constantly guessing what secrets the shopkeeper might know.

After a while, two guests came in.

The two guests were dressed simply, but their faces were filled with excitement.

They sat down at a table near the corner and the waiter quickly brought them wine.

One of them said with envy on his face: "Have you heard? The daughter of the village old Tian Ma is so lucky that she was chosen by the prime minister! This is really a great thing."

The other person nodded quickly after hearing this, and said with a hint of amazement, "Yes, that's really a blessing from their ancestors! This girl will become a phoenix in the future. The prime minister is a very important person, second only to the emperor. If she can be favored by the prime minister, the family will have a comfortable life in the future."

As they talked, they raised their wine glasses and took a sip of the wine. The envy in their eyes became more and more intense, as if they were already imagining the girl's wealthy and prosperous life.

The moment he heard this, Xi Yu was struck by lightning. He was stunned for a moment and his body stiffened slightly.

He never expected that the two guests would actually talk about him, which meant that someone was impersonating him.

His brows were furrowed, a trace of anger flashed in his eyes, and he thought to himself: "Who is so bold as to impersonate me?"

But soon, Xi Yu calmed down, he knew that there must be something fishy going on.

This seemingly unexpected situation may be an important clue.

I originally came here to wait for the shopkeeper, but I didn't expect to have such an unexpected gain.

He sat there calmly, but listened carefully to the conversation between the two people, trying to get more information from it and find out what the purpose of the person impersonating him was.

However, the two seemed to have finished their conversation and soon stopped talking about this topic. Instead, they started talking about some trivial matters in the family and the fields.

Xi Yu sat aside, his curiosity growing like weeds. He really couldn't help but want to find out the whole story of the Prime Minister's identity being impersonated.

So, Xi Yu stood up, walked to the two people, and said with a gentle smile on his face: "My two friends, meeting is fate. I heard that you guys are having an interesting conversation. I wonder if I can have a drink with you?"

The two men were generous people. When they saw Xi Yu coming to talk to them, they smiled at each other and one of them responded enthusiastically: "Haha, why not? Come on, let's drink together!"

The other person also nodded quickly and extended his hand to invite Xi Yu to sit down.

Seeing this, Xi Yu waved to the waiter and said loudly: "Waiter, bring me some wine too!"

The waiter responded and brought the wine and glasses soon.

Xi Yu picked up the wine pot, filled the two people's glasses first, then poured himself a glass, raised the glass and said: "Come on, toast to the two friends!"

After that, drink it all in one gulp.

The two men also raised their glasses and drank the wine in the glasses, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.

Xi Yu put down his wine glass, a curious look appeared on his face, and began to ask about the topic the two had just discussed.

"You two, you just said that the Prime Minister has taken a fancy to someone's daughter. What's going on?"

When the two heard this, one of them said excitedly: "Hey, this girl is from our village, she is so lucky, we are so envious!"

The other one also nodded continuously.

Xi Yu deliberately frowned and asked, "How can you be sure that man is the prime minister? You can't just say that."

The two looked at each other, and one of them answered, "We didn't know at first, but we found out a few days ago. The man had a token on him, a token unique to the prime minister, which cannot be faked, so we are sure he is the prime minister."

When Xi Yu heard this, he thought to himself and frowned even more tightly, thinking that there must be some conspiracy here.

Xi Yu said seriously: "Think about it, this token can be forged, or maybe someone stole the prime minister's token?" At this time, the two of them were stunned. They had indeed never thought about this problem before, and a look of sudden realization appeared on their faces.

Then, one of them scratched his head and said hesitantly, "No way? Who would be so bold? This is the Prime Minister's token. If it is found to be forged or stolen, it will be a serious crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of the clan!"

Another person nodded in agreement.

Xi Yu smiled, with a hint of sincerity in his eyes, and asked the two people: "You two, I am very curious about this matter. I wonder if you could take me to your village to take a look? Maybe there is some misunderstanding here. If we can clarify it, it will be a good thing."

The two men looked at each other, and one of them laughed heartily and said, "Of course, please wait for us for a while. After we finish this glass of wine, you can follow us." Xi Yu hurriedly thanked him.

So, Xi Yu walked to the waiter and said softly, "I'm going to follow these two brothers for a while, and I'll be back later."

The waiter smiled and replied, "Sir, please help yourself."

After a while, the two men finished their drinks and stood up.

Xi Yu followed them out of the tavern.

Along the way, Xi Yu chatted with the two of them, but he was thinking about the token in his heart. He vaguely felt that the conspiracy behind it might be more complicated than he thought, and this village might hide the key clues to solve the mystery.

After a while, the three finally arrived at an ordinary small village.

Here there are green trees, crisscrossing paths, and the pastoral scenery is in full view.

Xi Yu looked up and saw that the village was surrounded by green mountains. A clear stream was gurgling by the side of the village. There were women washing clothes and vegetables by the stream, and several children were laughing and playing by the stream. It was a peaceful and harmonious picture.

The two of them took Xiyu to the village, introducing him as they walked.

One of them pointed ahead and said, "Look, there is a big locust tree at the entrance of the village. The locust tree is quite old. There is a family next to the locust tree. It is the home of the girl favored by the prime minister."

Xi Yu looked in the direction he pointed, and sure enough, he saw an old locust tree with lush branches and leaves, and a small courtyard under the tree.

After thanking the two of them, Xi Yu walked towards the girl’s home.

Xi Yu slowly walked to the front of the farmyard and saw an ordinary farm scene before him.

There is a simple fence surrounding the yard, and the years have left mottled marks on the fence.

Inside the fence, a few chickens were strolling leisurely, flapping their wings, and occasionally lowering their heads to peck at the grains on the ground.

A middle-aged woman was standing in the yard, holding a winnowing basket filled with chicken feed and scattering it on the ground.

She heard the noise, looked up, and saw a stranger, Xiyu, standing outside the yard.

She was slightly stunned, with some confusion in her eyes.

The person in front of me was completely different from the people in the village, both in his dress and in his temperament and demeanor.

She put down the winnowing basket, patted the grains on her hands, walked forward, and asked across the fence: "Who are you? Who are you looking for?"

Xi Yu smiled and said gently, "Sister-in-law, I heard about a happy event outside. It was said that your daughter and the Prime Minister were in love. This is really a great thing. I was very curious, so I came here to take a look."

When the middle-aged woman heard this, her face suddenly lit up with pride and her eyes were full of satisfaction.

She straightened her back, her voice full of joy, "Yes, my daughter is indeed in love with the Prime Minister. This is a blessing our family has cultivated for several lifetimes! Come on, young man, don't stand outside, come in and sit down."

As she said that, she enthusiastically opened the gate and invited Xiyu to come into the house.

Xi Yu followed him into the house. Although the furnishings in the house were simple and plain, they were clean and tidy.

The woman enthusiastically invited Xi Yu to sit down, and then she sat down on a stool nearby.

Xi Yu looked at the woman with curiosity in his eyes and asked, "Sister-in-law, where is your daughter? I really want to meet her, and I want to admire the Prime Minister's demeanor."

The woman looked Xi Yu up and down, with a look of scrutiny in her eyes, and asked, "Who are you? Why are you suddenly so interested in the matter between my daughter and the Prime Minister?"

Xi Yu replied calmly: "Sister-in-law, I am a businessman, running around doing business. This time I happened to pass by here, and when I heard the good news, I couldn't help but want to come and see it."

The woman smiled when she heard this and said, "So that's how it is. My daughter and the Prime Minister went out to travel together. When they left, they said they wanted to have a good time and they probably wouldn't be back until dark."

Xi Yu secretly groaned in his heart, how could it be such a coincidence?

He frowned slightly, thinking quickly about a solution.

But he still kept a smile on his face and said to the middle-aged woman, "Sister-in-law, if that's the case, then I won't bother you anymore. I'll come back in the evening. I hope to have the honor of meeting the Prime Minister and your daughter."

Xiyu stood up and prepared to leave.

At this moment, Xi Yu suddenly heard footsteps approaching from afar.

He turned around and saw a beautiful young girl leading a young man towards the house.

The girl had a pretty face, lively eyes, and a simple air.

The young man stood tall and straight, looking very imposing, but there was a hint of barely perceptible panic in his eyes.

The woman quickly stood up and introduced with a smile on her face: "This is my daughter."

Then, she pointed to the young man next to her and said, "This is the Prime Minister."

The girl looked at Xi Yu curiously, her eyes full of confusion, and asked, "Mom, who is this person?"

The mother smiled and replied, "He was a passerby. He heard about your story and was curious, so he came to visit us."

The girl nodded slightly, still looking at Xi Yu with a hint of wariness in her eyes.

The young man didn't say anything, just stood there quietly, his eyes wandering over Xi Yu from time to time.

The girl Tian Yanyan looked at Xi Yu with pride, raised her chin and said, "This is the Prime Minister. Why don't you pay your respects? It is a great blessing for you to meet the Prime Minister."

The young man waved his hand, showing a gentle smile on his face, and said: "No need to be so polite. This Prime Minister enjoys himself with the people. There is no need for these red tape. If the people have to bow to me when they see me, I will feel uncomfortable."

Xi Yu listened at the side, his heart burning with anger, secretly complaining in his heart.

Humph, you are really good at acting! It's fine if you pretend to be yourself, but you are also pretending to be so serious. Do you really think everyone is a fool?
But he didn't show it on his face and still looked respectful.

Xi Yu ignored the young man's performance, and turned to the middle-aged woman and said, "Sister-in-law, since it is such a coincidence that I met the Prime Minister and your daughter, I will not leave yet, so that I can also share in the joy."

The woman said with a smile on her face: "Of course, this is such a coincidence, it seems like this is fate."

Then, the woman warmly invited the three people to come into the house, muttering that she would make tea for them.

After entering the house and everyone sat down, Xi Yu looked at the young man and deliberately asked, "Prime Minister, you are so busy, why did you come to this small village?"

The young man straightened his face and said sincerely, "This time, the Prime Minister is on a private visit in order to understand the sufferings of the people. I didn't expect that after arriving here, I met Miss Tian Yanyan by chance. I felt that I was very compatible with her, so I fell in love with her and decided to marry her. After this matter is over, I plan to take her back to Youzhou."

Xi Yu sneered in his heart but remained calm on the surface and continued to test this impostor.

Then, Xi Yu's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible light. He looked at the young man and said with a smile, "Mr. Prime Minister, I heard that the Prime Minister has a special token. I wonder if I can have the honor to see it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Tian Yanyan frowned and said with displeasure: "You are so rude. The Prime Minister is here, how can it be false? Isn't it too much for you to question like this?" (End of this chapter)