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

The kidnapper leader decided to open the letter and tell Zhao Qiang that if he deceived him, he would bear the consequences.

Later, he really opened the letter and was shocked to see the title of Prime Minister at the beginning of the letter. Seeing him like this, Zhao Qiang confirmed his guess and sneered again.

The kidnappers looked at each other, at a loss for a moment.

The kidnapper leader broke out in cold sweat. If this matter wasn't handled properly, his group would probably be doomed.

He gritted his teeth, glared at Zhao Qiang fiercely and said, "Even if it's the prime minister's letter, it's in my hands now. What do you say I should do?"

Although Zhao Qiang was afraid, he still pretended to be calm and said, "If you return the letter now, I can plead for you in front of the Prime Minister. Just say that you didn't know the importance of the letter and robbed me by accident. Maybe you can get a lighter sentence. If you insist on your mistakes, once the Prime Minister investigates, you will have no chance of survival."

The coachman had not expected this to happen.

The kidnappers began to discuss in low voices, knowing that they were in great trouble.

The kidnapper leader's eyes flickered. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "How do we know that this letter was not forged by you to scare us?"

Zhao Qiang heard this, took a step forward, and said frankly: "How dare I forge a letter from the Prime Minister? Besides, if you don't believe it, you can take the letter to the city to find a learned gentleman to identify the handwriting, or go directly to the Prime Minister's Mansion to surrender and see if it's true or not!"

Zhao Qiang said again, he didn't know someone was coming to rob him, so could he prepare a fake letter in advance?
The kidnappers became even more panicked.

The kidnapper leader said they were wrong and should not offend the prime minister. Let them go and give the letter to Zhao Qiang.

Zhao Qiang took the letter, but his face remained gloomy.

He snorted coldly: "Do you think that you can just return the letter to me so easily and get away with it? How can it be so easy? You have made such a big mistake, shouldn't you pay the price?"

The kidnapper leader looked bitter.

"We were just confused for a moment, please show some mercy. We have parents and children to take care of, and we dare not offend the Prime Minister again."

Zhao Qiang glared at him.

"When you were robbing, did you ever think about the situation of the people you robbed? If this letter is delayed, it will affect the military situation and lead to defeat. The lives of countless soldiers and the safety of the country will be destroyed. How can you afford to pay for it with your lives?"

The kidnappers knelt down and begged for mercy.

"Please give us a chance to live. We are willing to work like slaves to atone our sins."

Zhao Qiang pondered for a moment and said slowly: "The death penalty can be avoided, but the living crime cannot be escaped. You need to select half of the loot you have obtained in recent years and send it to the Jimin Hall in the city to help the poor people. In the future, you will be in this forest to protect the passing merchants. If you do evil again, I will report everything that happened today to the Prime Minister, and then you can expect your entire family to be executed."

The kidnappers nodded repeatedly.

"Thank you for your kindness. We will do as you say."

When the kidnapper leader heard what Zhao Qiang said, he hurriedly said, "Sir, we are here to show our sincerity. We robbed two passers-by today. The money we got is all here. We will return it all. We only ask for your forgiveness."

As he spoke, he signaled his men to hand over a few cloth bags.

Zhao Qiang took the cloth bag and took a quick look at it. There were a few silver ingots and some scattered copper coins inside.

He nodded slightly.

"Humph, you are sensible. Remember your promise. If you dare to break it, I will not forgive you."

"Don't worry, sir. We will never do it again." The kidnappers responded in unison, each of them feeling relieved.

Zhao Qiang then turned around and said to the coachman, "Let's go."

The coachman responded, waved the whip, and the carriage started slowly, gradually disappearing at the end of the road.

The kidnappers looked at the carriage going away, breathed a sigh of relief, and secretly felt lucky that they had escaped today.

The coachman said admiringly: "Sir, your handling of the matter is really appropriate. It not only gives them a chance to correct their mistakes, but also allows them to be punished."

Zhao Qiang sighed slightly: "Although they are robbers, they are also pitiful people. If they can change their ways, it will be a good thing. I just hope that there will be no more twists and turns along the way and the letter can be delivered smoothly."

The coachman waved his whip and said to Zhao Qiang with admiration, "Sir, I never thought you had such a connection with the Prime Minister. You are really a man who keeps his talents to yourself."

Zhao Qiang smiled slightly and said, "Brother Coachman, please don't praise me like that. I was just entrusted with delivering a letter by chance, and I never thought I would encounter such a disaster. I just hope that the letter can be delivered smoothly and not miss the important matter."

The coachman nodded repeatedly.

"Of course. With you here, the letter will definitely reach the Prime Minister safely. The Prime Minister may even reward you. When that happens, don't forget that I accompanied you today."

Zhao Qiang smiled and said, "If I am really that lucky, I will never forget your help today."

After saying this, the two of them smiled at each other, and the carriage sped along the road, continuing to move forward towards the distance with mission and hope.

Zhao Qiang looked at the scenery receding outside the car window, his heart filled with pride.

He has always been wandering in the dark corners of life, doing things that are not worthy of being shown in public, with a low status and not respected by others.

However, at this moment, he successfully saved the prime minister's letter under the threat of robbers.

He understood the weight of this letter, which might be related to the victory or defeat of the border, the peace of the people and the fate of the country.

This is a world of difference compared to his past experience of hiding his head and showing his tail and doing things in secret.

Now, he truly feels that he is no longer the small man who can only survive in the shadows, but has accomplished a noble deed that is of extraordinary significance to both the country and the people.

This honor and sense of accomplishment, like the dawning light, dispelled the long-standing haze in his heart and paved a new path for him that was full of hope and sense of mission.

He suddenly began to reflect on whether he should do some other legitimate business in the future.
Zhao Qiang's thoughts rose and fell with the bumps of the carriage.

The experience of protecting the prime minister seemed to open the door to a whole new world for him.

In this world, he can walk uprightly with wisdom and courage and participate in things that are beneficial to society and others.

That day, Wenxuan came to visit Xiyu.

As soon as they met, Wenxuan said with a smile on his face: "Xiyu, your establishment of the female official system is very commendable. Although it has not been fully implemented yet, it is already a great start."

When Xi Yu heard this, he quickly responded modestly: "Don't praise me like that. All of this is done according to your advice and arrangements. I am just doing a little bit of the implementation."

After hearing this, Wenxuan couldn't help but laugh even more happily, and waved his hand and said, "You are so determined and proactive, which is already commendable. If this system can be gradually improved in the future, it will definitely have a far-reaching impact on the government."

Night fell again, and Shi Daming and Chen Shou came to the inn as usual.

Shi Daming looked solemn. After thinking for a long time, he decided to write a letter immediately and present it to King Hesheli.

He spread out the paper, picked up the pen, and slowly wrote: "Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission and have now found the princess. Although this process has been full of twists and turns, it has finally paid off."

Then he paused, as if weighing his words, and continued writing.

"In addition, in order to ensure the success of your majesty's great cause, we plan to try to obtain Xi Yu's birth date and horoscope, which may provide assistance for subsequent matters. I hope your majesty will be aware of this and wait for good news."

After writing, Shi Daming carefully folded the letter, sealed it with his seal, and waited for someone to send it to the palace at full speed the next day.

Smith put the letter carefully into the envelope with a satisfied look on his face.

He turned to look at Chen Shou and found that Chen Shou was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Chen Shou was puzzled, but he didn't dare to ask directly, so he just observed quietly from the side.

After Chen Shou pondered for a while, he felt that Shi Daming's letter must be written to Hesheli, the king of the Parthian Empire, and must be reporting the progress of things related to him. But when he thought of the person who sent the letter, he couldn't help but frowned, and worry rose in his heart.

That thief has such a special identity and his behavior is so despicable. Can such a person really take on such an important task?
Will he have evil intentions and hide the letter or sell it to others? Or will he accidentally lose the letter because of his habit of stealing? There are too many variables, and any of these situations may cause the message to be unable to be accurately conveyed, thus affecting the progress of the entire plan.

The next morning, the sun was shining on the street outside the inn. Smith went out early and came to the post office. He found a postman who looked reliable, gave him some silver and money, and after giving him many instructions, he delivered the crucial letter to Anxi.

The two packed up and continued their journey.

Along the way, Shi Daming paid attention to the road conditions around him, and turned to ask Chen Shou: "Brother Chen, can you estimate that we should be in Youzhou soon?"

Chen Shou looked up at the road ahead, thought for a moment, and responded: "In my opinion, we are almost there. We will reach Youzhou in about two days."

Upon hearing this, Shi Daming nodded slightly.

On this day, an ancient bridge appeared ahead of their path.

The stones of the bridge are covered with moss and traces of time, as if quietly telling stories of the past.

As soon as Chen Shou saw the bridge, he immediately pulled the reins, stopped, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Shi Daming asked in confusion: "Brother Chen, what happened? Why did you stop suddenly?"

Chen Shou's eyes were fixed on the bridge, and he said slowly, "Brother Shi, look at this bridge. Its structure and style are extremely ancient and rare. I must stay and observe and study it carefully. This is of great significance to my research on ancient architecture, and it may help me solve many of my doubts."

Shi Daming was a little anxious and advised: "Brother Chen, we still have a schedule to catch up with. We can't delay here for too long."

However, Chen Shou was very determined. He straightened his back and said, "Brother Shi, I have made up my mind. This bridge is like a rare treasure to me. If I cannot explore it carefully, I would rather stay here. Even if I die of poison in the end, I will never regret it."

Seeing how persistent he was, Shi Daming sighed helplessly and said, "Forget it, since Brother Chen is so insistent, I will accompany you. But we have to hurry up and not let this matter take too long."

When Chen Shou heard this, a trace of gratitude appeared on his face. He then dismounted and slowly walked towards the ancient bridge, ready to start his journey of exploration.

And Smith could only follow behind, looking around with worry, hoping that nothing unexpected would happen during this stop.

Chen Shou carefully observed the ancient bridge for a long time, and suddenly a light flashed in his eyes, as if he had an inspiration.

He rubbed his hands excitedly, turned to Shi Daming and said, "Brother Shi, I am so inspired right now that I have to write an article to record it. I will go to a nearby place to buy some paper and pen so that I can put my thoughts into words."

After hearing this, Shi Daming felt helpless but couldn't stop it.

Shi Daming secretly complained in his heart: "These writers are so sour. For the sake of an article, they can even forget about something as important as traveling. It's really hard to understand."

Soon, Shi Daming and Chen Shou returned from the town with paper and pens.

Chen Shou couldn't wait to find a flat stone, spread out the paper, and start writing with ink. As his pen flew, an article took shape.

"Brother Shi, please take a look." Chen Shou handed the written article to Shi Daming, with a hint of expectation and pride in his eyes.

Smith was not interested in these literary matters. In his opinion, they were just some sour and pedantic word games. However, when his eyes touched the handwriting on the paper, he could not help but be attracted.

The article uses exquisite words, describing the ancient bridge in great detail, and the feelings evoked by the bridge are profound and unique. The writing is fluent and natural, and it has the style of an illustrious writer.

Shi Daming was secretly amazed. Although he still felt that the literati's behavior was a bit sour, he had to admit that Chen Shou did have extraordinary literary talent.

"Brother Chen, this article is really good. I, Shi, admire the effort you put into writing it." Shi Daming praised sincerely.

When Chen Shou heard this, a relieved smile appeared on his face and he carefully put the article away.

"Brother Shi, you are too kind. I just wrote this down based on my occasional feelings."

At this moment, the slight unpleasantness between the two people caused by their hurried journey also disappeared, they adjusted their mood and prepared to embark on the journey again.

After a bumpy journey, the thief Zhao Qiang and the coachman finally arrived at the border crossing of Youzhou.

But before they could move forward, they were stopped by the soldiers guarding the place.

Zhao Qiang saw this and hurried forward to explain: "General, we can't delay here. I'm here to deliver a letter to the Prime Minister. This matter is extremely urgent."

The soldiers looked at each other with suspicion in their eyes.

Zhao Qiang took a look and said hurriedly, "This letter was given to me by someone. The situation was special at the time, and he told me to deliver the letter to the prime minister as soon as possible. I have not dared to slack off on this journey, for fear of missing something important. I hope that the general will be flexible and let us pass."

The soldiers were unmoved. The leader frowned and said, "How can we believe your empty words? Who knows what is written in your letter? If there is anything wrong, we can't take the responsibility. How about this? You leave the letter and wait for news here. Once we verify it clearly, we will arrange the follow-up matters."

When Zhao Qiang heard this, he immediately became anxious. This letter was of great importance and he could not hand it over easily. However, the soldiers in front of him were determined and he was at a loss for a moment. He could only look at the coachman anxiously, hoping that he could say a few good words so that the soldiers would change their minds and let them cross the border smoothly to see the prime minister.

The soldier said in a serious tone, "This is the rule here. No matter who you are, you have to follow the rules. You can't bend them at will. Besides, you are giving the letter to us, not to others. What are you afraid of?"

After hearing this, Zhao Qiang was very unwilling, but he knew he couldn't refuse, so he gritted his teeth and agreed.

He had been looking forward to it all the way, thinking that with the opportunity of delivering this letter, he would finally have the honor of meeting the majestic and powerful prime minister. He might even be appreciated by the prime minister and change his life of petty theft.

But now that the letter has been handed over, it is unknown whether it can be successfully delivered to the prime minister. My plan to meet the prime minister is likely to be ruined.

Zhao Qiang could only wait anxiously at the border with the coachman, praying silently in his heart that everything would go smoothly and that nothing would go wrong with the letter.

The soldiers did not dare to delay for even a second and rode at full speed to deliver the letter to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

When he arrived at the mansion, he looked everywhere for Prime Minister Xi Yu, but he could not find him. In desperation, he had to follow the procedure and temporarily place the letter on the desk in the Prime Minister's study, and then hurried back to the transit point.

As soon as Zhao Qiang saw the soldier coming back, he hurried forward and asked anxiously, "Sir, has the letter been delivered to the Prime Minister? What was the Prime Minister's reaction after reading it?"

The soldier shook his head and responded, "The Prime Minister is not in the palace right now, so there is nothing we can do. You two have to continue waiting here. Once the Prime Minister returns to the palace and reads the letter and gives instructions, we will know how to arrange you next."

When Zhao Qiang heard this, he felt like a deflated ball. His expectations were dashed. He hoped that the matter would finally be resolved, but he still had to wait.

He sighed helplessly and turned to look at the coachman. The two looked at each other and saw helplessness in each other's eyes. They could only continue to wait patiently at this border crossing, hoping that the prime minister would return home as soon as possible to deal with the letter.

Gradually, it gets dark.

The soldier told Zhao Qiang.

"You should find a place to rest and stop waiting. I don't think there will be any news today."

The coachman said to Zhao Qiang, "Let's find an inn."

Zhao Qiang felt a little uncomfortable when he thought about spending money again.

But now it seems that this is the only thing we can do.

Fortunately, there were many inns nearby, so they had no choice but to go in.

Zhao Qiang complained.

"I never thought it would be so troublesome."

"How can it be so easy to see the prime minister? Just stop complaining." The coachman continued to comfort and enlighten her.

"makes sense."

After a while, Zhao Qiang stopped complaining.

In any case, there may still be a chance to see the Prime Minister's Mansion.

This is still a great thing after all. (End of this chapter)