In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

Yang Xuan put the list back on the couch, his gaze sweeping over everyone's faces, finally settling on Yanhe.

"So, how should we arrange these layers?"

Yanhe seemed to have been waiting for him to say that.

She spoke slowly and deliberately:

"First floor, remain unchanged."

"Everyone should return to their place, and this should be made even clearer."

"The second layer is to offer reassurance as well as incentives."

"Let them know that as long as they follow the rules, they will have a way to survive when they arrive in Yaozhou."

"The third level doesn't rely on intimidation."

"By separating them."

"People who are soft-spoken are most afraid of spreading rumors together. So you separate them and put them next to people who are steady, so that it won't be so convenient for them to say anything."

"As for the fourth floor..."

She paused, and a faint hint of coldness finally appeared in her eyes.

"There's no need to rush to move on the fourth floor."

"Let's take a look first."

"Let's see which way he stretches his leg out."

"If it really extends outwards, it's not too late to cut it down."

Yang Xuan looked at her, and after a moment, suddenly nodded.

"it is good."

"This business is yours."

The people in the car fell silent for a moment.

Afu's eyes widened instinctively.

I'll give it to you.

These three words are spoken lightly.

But once it lands, the meaning changes.

Although Yanhe had been keeping the team in check and stabilizing the internal affairs, in the end, he was still more like someone helping Yang Xuan keep an eye on things.

Now that this sentence has been uttered, it is clear that "the hearts and minds of people and the internal order of things" have been handed over to her.

Yanhe didn't pretend to refuse, but only asked:

"If I were to harm anyone you brought from your original residence, wouldn't you stop me?"

"Look carefully before you act."

"Once you've seen it clearly, you don't need to ask me."

After Yang Xuan finished speaking, her voice was still slightly softer.

After the dressing was changed, the tingling heat from the wound gradually seeped into the bone. Although I was clearer than before, my strength was steadily declining.

Uncle Wen noticed that his complexion was gradually deteriorating, and quickly said:

"My lord, the matter has been made clear. Let them handle the rest."

"Take a break."

Yang Xuan did not refute.

But as he closed his eyes, he uttered one more sentence:

"After this pause today, pick two people from the second level who are more discerning and give them a clear explanation."

"Let them know that this morning's departure was not a chaotic affair."

"The main vehicle deliberately changed the time."

"But that's all I have to say."

"There's no need to go any deeper."

Cui Shen immediately agreed.

These words are extremely valuable.

If we don't say anything, things will only get more superficial.

To say everything would be too much.

Only release the part that can best stabilize people; that's just right.

After Yang Xuan closed his eyes, the voices in the car became quiet.

Yanhe got up and got out of the car first.

Afu and Uncle Wen followed.

Only Cui Shen and Pei Zhao remained by the carriage.

The two exchanged a glance, neither of them leaving first.

Finally, Pei Zhaoxian scoffed:

"Your four-layer division just now actually looked quite convincing."

Cui Shen pulled his sleeves up.

"Don't laugh at me."

"If things really go on, we'll have to rely on you for the dangerous tasks ahead."

"I am merely helping my lord distinguish between what is written on paper and what is in people's hearts."

Pei Zhao listened and stopped stabbing him.

He whispered:

"Then let's make it clearer."

"So that if blood really comes later, I won't have to take a knife for someone I shouldn't be protecting."

The pulp stall only stopped for a quarter of an hour.

Fifteen minutes later, the convoy started again.

This time, the team seems to be the same as before.

But the underlying feeling had quietly changed.

Yanhe didn't get back into the car behind them, but instead called Caifan to his side and walked along the convoy from beginning to end.

She didn't put on airs like a princess.

They didn't suddenly wake everyone up and give them a lecture.

Just watching.

Observe who stands with their heels unsteady, who keeps their eyes wandering to the side when they speak, who puts down their things as soon as she approaches, and who subconsciously tucks the opening of their bundle into their arms.

She walked the whole way without uttering a single unnecessary word.

But by the time they set off again, Cai Fan had secretly replaced everyone.

Granny Liang was moved to travel with the two more mature women who were standing next to Uncle Wen.

On Tuesday, he was placed behind Ah Fu, specifically in charge of leading the spare horses and carrying water bags.

As for Dong Liu—

Didn't move.

Yanhe asked Caifan to look at him a couple more times.

Dong Liu himself may not know.

From that moment on, he was no longer someone who could stand anywhere in the team and still look the same.

The car traveled more steadily in the afternoon than before.

Unhappy.

But it was all done.

Afu even felt that the sound of the car wheels was more orderly than the previous two days.

Around 3 PM, the group found a sheltered, gently sloping spot to rest.

This time, they didn't go to the post station again.

Pei Zhaoxian led his men to mark out the lodging area, Cui Shen checked the number of people and parking spaces, Wen Bo and Granny Liang started cooking, and A Fu ran around delivering water and carrying firewood. Everything went much more smoothly than the previous two days.

It's just that things go smoothly.

If you really want to test people's hearts, you have to see something solid.

In the evening, Uncle Wen handed the inventory book and the newly added page to Yanhe.

"Princess, the cash and medicine for today's journey are the same."

"Only half a bag of loose grain is missing."

Yanhe looked up.

"Who handled it?"

"First it was Tuesday, then it was taken over by Granny Liang's side."

"Later, Dong Liu helped move it once more."

This time, it's not just about being superficial.

Yanhe folded the paper and didn't react immediately.

She first called Cai Fan over.

"Call Granny Liang, Zhou Er, and Dong Liu over."

"Don't alarm anyone else."

"It's under that tree on the back slope."

Cai Fan responded and left.

Yang Xuan had just woken up. When he heard his uncle whisper about this, he sat up, put on his outer robe, but did not rush to show himself.

He only asked:

"What did the princess say?"

Wen Bodao:

"The princess said she would look first."

After hearing this, Yang Xuan didn't ask any more questions.

This is what he wants to see first.

The wind is gentle under the tree.

The sun had already set halfway.

Granny Liang arrived first, and before she could even stand properly, her face had already turned pale.

Tuesday was even more chaotic; I didn't even know where to put my hands.

Dong Liu remained relatively calm, but his eyes were excessively steady, almost to the point of being pretentious.

Yanhe stood under the tree, looked at the three of them for a moment, and then said:

"We're missing half a bag of grain today."

"I won't ask who took it."

"I'll only give you fifteen minutes."

"Whoever handled it within fifteen minutes, speaks for themselves."

"I already said, this matter can be attributed to slip of the tongue and impulsive actions."

"I won't say anything. I'll find out myself and then we'll treat it as collusion between insiders and outsiders."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three people changed.

Especially on Tuesday, my legs almost gave way on the spot.

Dong Liu bowed first:

"Princess, many people handle the grain distribution. If you can't remember them all at once, it doesn't necessarily mean that anyone had bad intentions."

"I think it would be better to wait until tonight and then thoroughly examine the bags..."

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Yanhe calmly interrupted him.

Dong Liuyi choked.

Her gaze remained fixed on his face, without uttering a sound.

"If you are merely the one leading the horse, then guard your horse well."

"Right now, I'm asking who handled it, not who covered for them."

Dong Liu then shut up.

The closure made Tuesday even more unsettling.

He knelt down in no time.

"Princess, I didn't steal any grain!"

"It was...it was Granny Liang who said that if we weren't staying at the inn tonight, we should at least leave some fine food in the stove so we wouldn't run out of food tomorrow..."

Upon hearing this, Granny Liang's face turned pale.

"You're talking nonsense!"

"I only told you to move half a bag out first, I didn't tell you to hide it!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she had made a mistake.

Yanhe was not angry.

Instead, he smiled.

"it is good."

"One is quick with his mouth, the other is quick with his hands."

"None of them are bad."

"But people like you are the ones who are most likely to cause trouble."

As she spoke, she looked at Cai Fan.

"From this day forward, Granny Liang will no longer touch the grain sack."

"Just boil and wash."

"On Tuesdays, we'll move to the outermost ring and take turns watching the water at night."

"If he dares to act on his own again, he will be tied up and sent back to Chang'an."

On Tuesday, he and Granny Liang agreed repeatedly, almost to the point of kowtowing.