Chapter 349: After all... he was my uncle before.

Seeing her coming, Zhang twitched the corner of her mouth, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

This moment of stunned expression could not escape Ruan Mian's eyes: "Mother, what happened?"

Zhang took a deep breath and hesitated for a while before telling the truth.

"I want to... take care of Zhang Hesong's funeral."

Ruan Mian was stunned and wanted to say that it was unnecessary, but then he thought that his mother and he were brothers from the same mother.

Just as she was thinking, Zhang suddenly asked her: "Mianmian, do you think your mother is doing too much? Or... I shouldn't..."

"Mother, you must have made this decision after careful consideration. The deceased is gone, so just do what you want."

"After all...he was my uncle before."

Zhang lowered her eyes. Her heart seemed to open up suddenly when she received her daughter's understanding.

This was also the first time she mentioned her childhood in front of Ruan Mian.

"Your uncle wasn't like this before. When I was little, he was very protective of me and always thought about me, his older sister.

But why it changed later, I don’t know.”

Ruan Mian saw tears in her eyes and stepped forward to comfort her.

"People will always change. Trees, mountains and rivers can change, and so can people. Mother, don't feel burdened. Let the past be the past. Let us live in the present."

Her words made Zhang very happy.

After seeing Zhang off, Ruan Mian went to the textile mill and then to the cargo transport company, where he gave instructions on some precautions for transporting the batch of muskets to Kyoto.

Li Si patted his chest and assured her: "Don't worry, Madam Ruan. Liu Shu and I will be watching over it personally this time. Besides, we are transporting it in separate places and have disguised it well. I don't think anything will go wrong."

"I've already mapped out the shipping route. With General Huo's official seal and documents, we can just take the official road. No one will dare to embarrass us."

To be on the safe side this time, Ruan Mian specially asked Huo Zong for an official seal and document.

They were heading to Kyoto in the name of a caravan, and they were subordinates of a general guarding the border, so no one would stop them.

The journey will be smooth.

For this purpose, Ruan Mian specially prepared enough dry food and travel expenses for them so that they could travel to Kyoto comfortably.

After delivering the goods to the destination, they even have some spare time to go shopping and have fun.

Ruan Mian gave them enough time to return to Wu Heng.

I thought that this well-prepared freight route would be delivered safely to Kyoto like the previous ones.

Unexpectedly, something happened just a week later.

On that day, Ruan Mian was harvesting silk cocoons with a group of female workers in the tussah silkworm farm. The quality of this batch of cocoons was better than last year's.

Perhaps because of the abundant rainfall, the branches and leaves of the tussah tree grew very well, and Ruan Mian also used the spiritual spring water in the space to feed it periodically on weekdays.

Therefore, the silk cocoon is tough and lustrous, and the cloth woven from it is particularly special.

As a result, everyone in the cloth workshop was shocked by the first piece of cloth.

"This rippled material looks so precious!!"

"That's right! I've never seen anyone in the public have material like ours. It's of such high quality that it's probably only found as tribute gifts!"

Others were delighted, and Cuizhu, who had woven the cloth with her own hands, was even happier.

She couldn't wait to pick it up and show it to Ruan Mian, and she felt that they would definitely sell well in all aspects.

"Miss, this season's silk cocoon harvest is unprecedented, and the quality of the silk is amazing! Perhaps we could make special clothing for the rich and powerful, and then sell it in limited quantities! What do you think?"

Cuizhu is now influenced by her aunt, and some business opportunities pop up in her mind from time to time.

This is good. Ruan Mian doesn’t need to use his brain because the people around him are more capable than each other.

However, at this moment, a man's rough wailing suddenly came from outside the yard, and he shouted again and again.

"Madam Ruan!! Madam Ruan!"

Ruan Mian thought the voice was Li Si's, so he put down the cloth and walked into the yard out of curiosity.

I saw a man with a disheveled body and bloody face rolling off his horse.

The people around were startled and hurried to help him up.

It turned out that the face was Li Si.

Li Si, who was supposed to be on his way to Kyoto, now appeared in front of everyone in this state.

This surprised everyone, and Cuizhu had a bad feeling and asked quickly.

"Brother Li, what's wrong with you? What happened?" She looked around and saw Li Si coming back on horseback.

They were a team of several people, going out together.

Ruan Mian saw that Cuizhu was worried about Liu Shu, so he patted her shoulder and told her not to worry.

Then she asked Yun Xiu to get her water bag and feed it to Li Si.

The water bag contained spiritual spring water. Li Si, who was already out of breath and unable to speak, finally regained some strength after drinking the water. After he recovered, he couldn't wait to tell Ruan Mian.

"Madam Ruan, your goods, your goods were taken away by Liu Shu without permission!"

"Brother Li! What do you mean by taking it away without permission? Explain it clearly!"

Cuizhu looked over in confusion. Not only her, but no one present understood what Li Si meant.

He said angrily, "That beast Liu Shu is not a good man! He killed all my brothers, and I barely escaped. He pocketed all the goods! Now, I don't know where he took them."

"nonsense!"

Cuizhu couldn't believe it: "Brother Li, my husband has been with you for so long, how could he be that kind of person? Is there some misunderstanding? You..."

"I know you're desperate to protect your husband, but I almost lost my life. How could I lie?"

"I thought the same as you, which is why I completely trusted Liu Shu and treated him as a brother who would die for me. Now that I think about it, we were all blind and deceived by him!"

Cuizhu's heart skipped a beat and she almost lost her balance.

Ruan Mian quickly supported her. She was the only one who remained calm and composed. She looked at Li Si calmly and said, "Where did the incident happen? Do you know where he went?"

Li Si took a deep breath and told the story truthfully after recalling it: "When we first arrived in Wenchang Prefecture, we quickened our pace, thinking that we would soon enter the city.

But...but that night, before they entered the city, Liu Shu suddenly drew his sword and attacked them. And several men in black suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They were all in the same group as Liu Shu.

We brothers fought hard, but we were no match for their well-prepared arrival. Seeing that things were dire, I had no choice but to abandon everything and return to tell you, Madam Ruan, this news.

Otherwise, if I die, this matter will become an unsolved case, and everyone will be deceived by that arrogant beast Liu Shu."

Hearing this, everyone present felt a tightness in their hearts.

Yun Xiu is close to the brothers who run the cargo, and they often practice their skills together whenever they have time.

They knew that freight transportation required some skills, and some of them who had no basic knowledge even asked Yun Xiu to teach them.

Moreover, they were traveling on official roads all the way, so ordinary robbers and criminals would not dare to act so rampantly.

What's more, Wenchang Prefecture is a big city and not that remote, so ordinary robbers would not choose to act here.

Unless... those people really came prepared and were not afraid of the prefect in Wenchang Prefecture at all.

What Yun Xiu could think of, Ruan Mian and the others could also think of.

But they couldn't accept that Liu Shu, who was so enthusiastic and honest in his daily life, could be such a person.

Cuizhu couldn't accept it even more. They had just gotten married, and he had said so much to her when he left home. But now, why, why is it like this? Cuizhu felt the blood rushing back to her body. She was panicked and didn't know what to do.

She looked at Ruan Mian with tearful eyes and opened her mouth: "Miss, Liu Shu, he doesn't look like that kind of person. Is there a misunderstanding between us? I..."

"Ahem..." These words made Li Si very angry.

"I've already said that before this, no one knew he would be this kind of person! But my brothers are all dead, and I'm seriously injured!"

"If you don't believe me, I can take you to that place to have a look!"

Li Si coughed up blood anxiously. Cui Zhu stepped forward and said, "Brother Li, that's not what I meant. I just thought that this happened so suddenly. We should at least understand the whole story."

"But...if Liu Shu is really the unforgivable person you say he is, I will definitely make him pay the price!!"

Cuizhu had never felt so angry before. Her nails dug into the flesh of her palms and her lower lip was bitten so hard that it left a bloody mark.

Ruan Mian looked away, knowing that he had to go to Wenchang to see what was going on.

If it was really done by Liu Shu, it was definitely not a whim, it must have been a long-planned act.

In order to gain her trust, he worked undercover in their village for a long time and even married Cuizhu.

I guess he didn't come here just for the money.

Thinking of the muskets in that batch of freight, Ruan Mian couldn't help but wonder, could it be that he had taken a fancy to this batch of muskets?

Combined with what happened in Wenchang, it is very likely that Qin Fu is involved.

The more Ruan Mian thought about it, the more she felt like she was being led by a thread. With this in mind, she asked Yun Xiu to take Li Si back to the house for treatment while she headed to the stables, intending to quickly visit Wenchang to investigate the situation.

Seeing her like this, Cuizhu immediately stepped forward, grabbed her hand tightly and begged, "Miss! Can I go with you?"

Ruan Mian saw her slightly trembling eyes and knew very well what she was thinking at the moment.

Originally, I wanted to take Yun Xiu alone, but I couldn't resist Cuizhu's repeated requests and finally agreed.

But she still added one more sentence: "Zhu'er, it's okay for me to take you there, but I hope you can promise me that no matter what the truth is, you must remain calm."

"Even if things are really as Li Si said, you can't disturb your mind and lose your rationality, okay?"

Cuizhu nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, young lady, I will definitely keep myself calm."

"Liu Shu is my husband, and we were married in a formal ceremony. So I really want to know the truth of the matter!"

"If it weren't for what Big Brother Li said, I would have tried my best to rescue my husband and clear his name. But...but if it's really as Big Brother Li said, that Liu Shu is not a good man and we trusted the wrong person, I would also..."

"Well, let's go over and investigate and find out the truth."

After arriving at Wenchang City, as long as we follow the line of Qin Fu, we will be able to trace the batch of gunpowder we are interested in.

After making up his mind, Ruan Mian took Cuizhu and Yunxiu to Wenchang.

There are too many people and it’s difficult to move.

It just so happened that each of the three of them had a horse, and after riding at full speed for two days, they arrived at Wenchang City before dark.

The place on the official road that Li Si pointed to had been specially cleared. Even so, Ruan Mian and the others could still sense the fierce battle from the surrounding grass and land if they looked carefully.

Remembering what Li Si said about the death of several brothers, Ruan Mian took advantage of Cuizhu and Yunxiu's inattention, touched the jade bracelet, and summoned birds and beasts to search for traces of corpses nearby.

In less than a moment, there was feedback.

She followed the direction indicated by the birds and beasts above her head and led Yun Xiu and the others to the woods beside the official road.

In the half-human-high grass, I suddenly saw several familiar faces.

But they were all dead at this time and were abandoned in the wilderness, which made them feel very sad.

"Ah Xiu, we'll go into the city later, buy some straw mats, some good wine and food, and hire a few people to bury these brothers."

Seeing them die in a foreign land, Ruan Mian felt very sad.

Only by restoring the truth of the matter and seeking justice for them can their spirits in heaven finally rest in peace.

However, when Cuizhu saw all this, she already had a vague feeling in her heart.

Because Liu Shu was not among these faces.

It can be said that when their entire group left Wuheng, only Liu Shu was missing.

The result is easy to guess. Cuizhu just doesn't want to face Liu Shu as long as she doesn't see him.

Seeing these sacrificed freight operators, the three of them were in very low spirits.

Seeing that it was getting dark, Ruan Mian didn't want to waste time, so he urged them to go into the city together.

At the city gate, Ruan Mian took out a large sum of silver, found a few seemingly honest villagers, and asked them to bury the brothers on the spot.

She held the gold leaf in her hand and said with a heavy look in her eyes, "Brother, those people are our relatives. They were robbed and brutally murdered while delivering goods.

Now I am busy seeking justice for them, and I don't know if I will be able to return to handle their funeral. So I would like to ask for your help to let them rest in peace."

When the man heard this, his face was full of pity and he quickly agreed.

As for the gold leaves, he didn't want them.

"My lady, your reward is too high. This is a good deed to accumulate virtue, so there is no need for this. You can take this gold back. I will help you bury your brothers properly."

"To be honest, my eldest brother and his family were exiled to Wuheng, and now their fate is uncertain."

Hearing this, Ruan Mian was slightly stunned: "Your family was exiled to Wu Heng? What's your eldest brother's name?"

"Old Wu, there's a big family here."

Old Wu, this name flashed through Ruan Mian's mind, and Yun Xiu beside her remembered it earlier than her.

"Sister Mianmian, is this the Old Wu who transported the goods with Li Si and the others?"

Among the people who were transporting goods with Li Si and his team this time, there was also one named Lao Wu, and he was one of the people who were killed.

Ruan Mian paused and quickly asked the man to go and take a look.

When the man heard that there was a high possibility that his family members were among the dead brothers, he was stunned and stood there for a long time before he calmed down and hurriedly found someone to go to the official road.

However, as she watched him leave, Ruan Mian felt even more guilty.

Her original intention was to make everyone live a good life, but she didn't expect an accident to happen along the way.

If that happens, wouldn't I be letting those people down?

She lowered her eyes, and Yun Xiu beside her seemed to see what she was thinking and spoke quickly.

"Sister Mianmian, this matter is beyond our control. If it really is Old Wu, why don't we provide some material assistance to his family, so that they don't have to struggle for a living in this chaotic world."

These are all they can do now.

No, there is one more thing, and that is to seek justice for them.

Thinking of this, Ruan Mian didn't waste any more time and took them to the market to buy some equipment. Some ordinary servant clothes, after a little dressing up, he asked someone to find out where Qin Fu was.

Yun Xiu immediately guessed Ruan Mian's thoughts upon seeing this: "Could the robbery of the goods be related to that Wenchang Master Qin Fu?"

Qin Fu was an official who had retired from the imperial court. After arriving in Wenchang, he had always enjoyed a high reputation in the local area.

Including the prefect of Wenchang, they are all Qin Fu's nephew, so outsiders call him Master Wenchang.

Ruan Mian didn't explain much, just said it might be related to it.

Only after the man came with the news did they realize that Qin Fu was not at home today, but was in the restaurant across the street from them.

The man whispered, "Young lady, it seems Master Qin is hosting a banquet for someone today. He has booked the entire Ninghua Tower! This Ninghua Tower is the most prosperous restaurant in Wenchang City."

"If you go in now, someone will definitely stop you. I wonder what the young lady wants to see Master Qin about?"

Ruan Mian placed a silver ingot in his hand, saw his eyes shining, guessed his thoughts, and spoke.

"Brother, we have a personal matter that we would like to see Master Qin. I wonder if you can find a way for us to go into Ninghua Tower and take a look."

The man paused, then put away his smile. "You still want to go in and see him? That might be a little difficult. Whether Mr. Qin sees you or not is completely irrelevant!"

Ruan Mian smiled calmly and said, "Whether he meets us or not is up to Grandpa. We just want to see him. If you can help me with this, I can pay double the price."

"But if it's really difficult for you, I think I'll just let it go."

Ruan Mian took back the silver and wanted to turn around and leave. When the man saw her, he hurried forward to take back her silver and said with a smile.

"Since you are like this, I naturally have a way. Anyway, my only responsibility is to send you in. Other matters have nothing to do with us."

"Don't worry, big brother. We can't cause any trouble. We'll just go see Master Qin. If he doesn't want to see us or is in a bad mood, he will only punish us. It has nothing to do with you."

The man was not worried about this matter. He just wanted to take the money and leave.

So that person used some connections to get Ruan Mian and the other two to pretend to be new waiters in the restaurant to serve those distinguished guests.

Just in case, they did not show up too much, but just stood at the door of the private room, acting as waiters who could be demolished at any time.

Moreover, Ruan Mian did it personally, so the three people's outfits today were not so easy to recognize.

After everything was ready, they followed a few servants to the kitchen, took the dishes and went to the private room of the restaurant.

The huge restaurant was brightly lit with candles, many people were toasting and laughing, and in the center of the restaurant's stage, a group of dancers were dancing gracefully.

What a luxurious chapter! Even Cuizhu Yunxiu, who hadn't seen such a chapter for a long time, was shocked.

After the food and drinks were served, the three of them consciously followed a waiter to the door and stood guard under his watch.

Behind the thin screen, there is a scene of several people drinking together.

One of them was a middle-aged man with a thin build and sharp features. He was dressed luxuriously and had an extraordinary temperament. They immediately guessed that this was Qin Fu.

The people around him also respectfully called him Lord Qin.

So it goes without saying that this person is the Qin Fu they are looking for.

On the other hand, the others were all dressed in unusual attire, likely high-ranking officials under Qin Fu. Wenchang was a large area. At the same time, Wuheng and Yuzhou were ravaged by floods, leaving the people unable to afford food. They endured the devastation and the pain of illness.

One can lose his life here if he is not careful, but in Wenchang, not far from that place, this group of dignitaries are enjoying themselves, completely ignoring the people's livelihood.

If Liu Shu's affairs were really as Li Si said, why would Qin Fu have such a long hand and deliberately place someone by her side?

All I can say is that this person is very scheming, and like Wen Yuan and the others, he is a villain in this book.

Just as he was thinking about this, someone else walked towards their private room.

Ruan Mian and the others quickly lowered their heads, looking respectful, just like the waiter next to them.

However, when the newcomer approached, they were all shocked.

Because this person is none other than Liu Shu, the one they are looking for! !

At this moment, Liu Shu was no longer the same as they had seen in Wu Heng. He was not so plain, but dressed as luxuriously as the group of people inside, and his every move and gesture showed the demeanor of a high-ranking official.

He held his chin high and strode into the private room.

As soon as I entered, a group of people at the table started to compliment me.

"Master Liu is finally here. Our wine has cooled down. Please take a seat."

"That's right. I even specially asked Lijun to wait for you. I knew that Liu Langjun's favorite courtesan was Lijun, so I kept her for you today."

Faced with their compliments, Liu Shu laughed out loud and spoke politely.

"Sorry for the long wait, everyone."

After saying this, he saluted Qin Fu and said, "Thank you for waiting for me, godfather. I have done what you said. The goods have been shipped to the warehouse."

Qin Fu was quite satisfied and asked him to sit down. "Well done, you are worthy of being my godson. Here, take a sip of this jar of premium Hundred Flowers Wine."

Liu Shu quickly reached out to take the glass of wine, drank it until his eyes turned slightly red, and drank it all in one gulp.

At this time, Cuizhu, who was standing at the door, could not stop shaking all over.

She never thought that the truth was just as Brother Li said.

Along the way, Cuizhu imagined various possible outcomes for herself, and combined with the bits and pieces that Liu Shu and she had thought of before, she was more inclined to believe that her husband must have encountered some difficulties.

Maybe he was threatened, or maybe there was another hidden reason behind the robbery of the goods.

This is the worst possible outcome.

But when she really saw the completely different side of Liu Shu, Cuizhu almost lost her footing.

Ruan Mian was the first to notice that something was wrong with her and supported her arm.

Her bright eyes looked straight at Cuizhu.

It seemed like he was reminding her of something.

But who knows Cuizhu's mood at this moment.

She only felt that the blood in her body was rushing back, and countless emotions and anger were accumulating in her chest.

Those eyes were bloodshot.

Her eyes were always on the wine table, and she saw with her own eyes how Liu Shu flattered Qin Fu and how he accepted the flattery of others.

His every smile, every gesture seemed familiar, yet completely different from the Liu Shu in Wu Heng.

If the face was not exactly the same, Cuizhu would not have dared to recognize him. The man in front of her was actually the husband she had married.

Thinking of the bodies of her brothers that she saw on the pipe, and thinking of Li Si returning to the village seriously injured to report the news, Cuizhu felt as if there was a rage stuck in her throat that she couldn't vent.

I burst into tears without realizing it.

Ruan Mian saw the tears suddenly dripping onto the ground, and quickly held her hand tightly, lowering her voice.

"Zhu'er, don't forget what you promised me."

Cuizhu bit her lower lip tightly, the words she promised when she left home were still vivid in her mind.

I was also trying my best to comfort her in my heart, telling her not to be impulsive, and not to do things blindly and disrupt the girl's plans.

The reason why the girl agreed to bring me here and went straight here as soon as she arrived in Wenchang City must be that she had some ideas in mind.

In the calm, Liu Shu inside embraced the gorgeous and coquettish courtesan and sniffed her fragrance affectionately. He teased and replied to Qin Fu.

"Foster father, there is still one person who managed to escape, but his whereabouts have not been found yet. I have sent people to Wu Heng. If..."

Qin Fu waved his hand and said, "It's nothing serious. A cripple who escaped by chance won't cause any trouble. As long as we have that batch of goods, it won't be a problem."

"Also, you've been in Wu Heng for so long, have you figured out their details?"

Liu Shu replied fluently, "Of course. Ruan Mian is indeed extraordinary. She is the most special woman I have ever met."

"When she married my cousin, I went to the Qi Mansion to watch the ceremony and eat the banquet. When I met her then, she was just a timid little woman."

"My cousin didn't like her back then, so he ignored her on their wedding night and went south with us, disappearing for three years. He became a widow and was nearly completely eaten up by the Qi family."

"It's really puzzling that such a person can thrive so well in Wu Heng!"

"Is there some expert behind her giving her guidance?"

Qin Fu had heard of Ruan Mian a long time ago. Since the last time she asked someone to inquire about her, she learned more and more about Ruan Mian.

And she actually managed to bring so many people through the flood disaster.

It turned out to be the person Xie Huaian had his eyes on.

If this woman is not eliminated, she will definitely be a disaster. Of course, it would be even better if she could be used by the King of Yan.

While thinking, Liu Shu talked about his worries: "Foster father, although Li Si escaped with serious injuries and can't cause any trouble, he has a very good relationship with Ruan Mian. When he returns this time, he will definitely confess about me to everyone.

If they knew that I had taken the goods and silenced them, Ruan Mian would probably come to Wenchang, and we…"

"She's not ordinary, and she's special among all the women, but she's still a woman after all. It's even better if she comes to our Wenchang City. After all, it's our territory, so it would be easier for me to take action."

He narrowed his eyes. He didn't expect that the Fifth Princess would actually send Jing Hesong to deal with this person. He felt more and more that he had to meet Ruan Mian.

Thinking of this, Liu Shu suddenly smiled evilly again.

"Godfather, women like Ruan Mian are rare. I think she is not only intelligent but also beautiful. Although she has been married twice and is not a clean person, she is capable."

"Plus her beauty, if my adoptive father could take her under his wing and make her his concubine, there would be absolutely no harm in that."

Qin Fu, with wrinkles all over his face, had a look that seemed to be a smile. The meaningful looks from the men present made Yun Xiu clench his fists.

He took a step forward, but was pushed back by Ruan Mian's look.

Cuizhu was also angry at this time, and her scarlet eyes were like a little wild beast.

Like Yun Xiu, she wished she could put these wretched men inside to death right now! Let them experience the consequences of dreaming about grand things behind their backs.

But reason tells them that now is not the time to act impulsively.

Now the truth has come to light, and the facts are just as Li Si said.

Liu Shu is Qin Fu's subordinate. They came to Wu Heng with great deliberation just to gain Ruan Mian's trust.

They even took advantage of the kind and innocent Cuizhu, and their purpose was to get the batch of muskets. It was obvious that Qin Fu wanted to use these weapons to present them to the rebel army of Prince Yan in order to improve his own status in Prince Yan's party.

This time span is really long. Ruan Mian did not expect that they would be so patient in plotting against him.

However, at this moment, two tall men came in from outside the door.

Their facial features were sharp and expressionless, and they were followed by several followers. It was obvious at first glance that they were not ordinary people.

Ruan Mian, Cuizhu and the others looked at each other, and the three of them followed the servants beside them to salute.

Ruan Mian lowered her eyes and saw the shoes worn by the two young men.

The shoes were embroidered with eagle totems, and it was obvious that they were not from Dajing, but from Liaolie.

In the Liao Dynasty, the eagle totem was something only the nobility had, and she had already figured this out clearly when she was doing business in Guancheng.

In particular, the appearance of these two people is different from that of the people from Dajing next to them. Their eyes are deeper and their noses are much straighter.

Ruan Mian frowned slightly, and only raised her head slowly after the two men walked into the room.

However, at this moment, he met Yun Xiu's astonished eyes. He saw that he was also staring at the shoes of the two men, looking thoughtful.

At this moment, Ruan Mian suddenly remembered that Yun Xiu also had the eagle totem.

She and Ah Huai had once suspected Yun Xiu's background, but Ah Huai said at the time that it was all in his past and there was no need to investigate further.

The same was true in Ruan Mian's opinion.

The young man, who was treated as a slave, almost died in the Colosseum. After being rescued, he stayed with Ah Huai until he came to Wu Heng and became his family.

Ruan Mian didn't care what Yun Xiu's past identity was.

But when she saw Yun Xiu like this, it seemed as if he also knew something.

Just as he was thinking about it, everyone inside stood up at the same time, and Qin Fu was even very polite to the two of them.

"Young Master, you are tired from the journey. I have arranged for you to rest in a superior room today. If you need anything else, please feel free to ask me."

The young man in the lead smiled indifferently and sat down opposite Qin Fu.

He slowly picked up the teacup, poured himself a cup of tea and said.

"Thanks to Lord Qin's care, we have had a good journey. But I heard that Lord Qin prepared the best new bud tea for us?"

Qin Fu was slightly stunned, then quickly recovered and said, "That's right, that's right."

"Someone, bring up the 'New Bud Tea'."

As soon as he finished speaking, two burly men came in, escorting a skinny man.

The man's head was covered with a sack, revealing only his tattered clothes. He was dirty and covered in blood, looking extremely pitiful.

He was wearing tattered straw sandals, and his feet were so disfigured that even his fingernails had been pulled out.

Obviously someone who had been tortured.

When did this so-called new sprout tea become an adult?

Ruan Mian, Yun Xiu and the others looked at each other, and the three of them understood each other tacitly. They all knew that there might be some deal behind this.

So they all waited and waited to see what was going on inside.

After the man was brought in, he was forced to his knees on the ground.

The young man in the green robe had a hot temper. When he saw him, he picked up the sack without saying a word and kicked him hard.

The man vomited blood in an instant, which was very scary.

He was tortured to the point that he couldn't even speak and could only glare at the man in green robe hatefully.

The man curled his lips into a smile, crossed his arms, and said, "As expected, you are a traitor. I told you I won't let you go. Even if you go to the ends of the earth, I will find you. Even if you turn into a corpse, I will throw you to wild dogs to eat!"

Qin Fu calmly echoed, "Second Young Master is truly a man of character. When I heard you had come all the way from Liaolie just for this man, I decided to do him a favor."

"I just wonder if the two gentlemen are satisfied with this 'New Bud Tea'?"

The man called the Second Young Master snorted, and was naturally satisfied: "Since Lord Qin is so sincere, we are of course satisfied."

The eldest son beside him was much more composed. He poured two cups of tea and handed them to Qin Fu with a calm expression. After taking a sip, he said softly, "So, sir, you want to do this tea business with us?"

Qin Fu laughed out loud, patting his chest and saying, "Of course. This is a big business of ours, and it's a huge honor to be able to work with you two. I'm formally inviting you here today. As long as we work together happily, you two will definitely benefit from it in the future."

Others were confused by these words and didn't understand what they meant.

But anyone with a discerning eye could see that what they were talking about was not the tea merchant business at all.

The new bud tea is made by a person who has been tortured. This so-called tea business is probably related to some illegal activities.

Moreover, Ruan Mian had been doing business in Guancheng for so long that he could see that these two people were not real businessmen at all.

Their clothing and the eagle totems on their shoes are not common to ordinary Liao people.

According to Qin Fu's background, perhaps this tea merchant business is just a collusion between the King of Yan and the Liao high-level officials.

Before this, he had used Governor Wu Heng to collude with the small town of Bianguan, causing the Wu Heng mutiny.

The rebels originally wanted to use the mutiny to annex the border, but they were disrupted by Ruan Mian and others.

Just as he was thinking, Ruan Mian's eyes swept across Yun Xiu opposite him.

He just frowned and stared at the two of them thoughtfully.

Completely immersed in his own world.

Ruan Mian frowned slightly and waited patiently for a while. After discussing these important matters, the conversation inside became just daily jokes.

They were talking and laughing, singing and dancing, and were having a great time.

Especially Liu Shu, who seemed to have become a person valued by Qin Fu because of this, and he introduced him to the two young masters one by one.

Seeing Liu Shu's flattering look, Cuizhu felt nauseous and disgusted.

At this moment, there are absolutely no words to describe her current mood.

She just felt that she was sorry for the girl and the people of Jinsha Village.

After being with Liu Shu for so long, she actually fell into his sweet trap, allowing him to kill someone with a borrowed knife and steal the girl's goods.

If he hadn't been so obsessed with love, the girl wouldn't have had her goods stolen.

Cuizhu took a deep breath and tried her best to suppress her trembling body.

It was not until everyone had finished drinking and they were starting to clear out that they followed the servants and left one by one.

After the three of them walked out of the restaurant, Cuizhu could no longer hold back her anger, tears streaming down her face, and she knelt in front of Ruan Mian on the spot.

"Girl, it's my fault for not judging people well. I trusted the wrong person, which is why you suffered heavy losses and caused so many innocent brothers in the cargo transport to die in a foreign land!"

"I am guilty, please punish me, girl!"

Cuizhu kowtowed fiercely, but Ruan Mian quickly helped her up: "Zhu'er, didn't you promise me before that no matter what the truth is, you must remain calm?"

"I had anticipated this outcome a long time ago, and you're not at fault. Look, so many of us were deceived by him, and he even targeted you. Who could have predicted this?"

"So you don't need to blame yourself, just get up."

Although she said so, Cuizhu still felt guilty.

"But girl, those people didn't mention where the goods went. What should we do now?"

"No rush. Since we are already here, let's settle down first and let me think about it."

They were very efficient and found out the truth on the first day.

As for how to proceed next, Ruan Mian really needs to think about it carefully.

She first went to an inn to book a room, and then went around to ask around about Qin Fu.

When the three of them reunited, Yun Xiu had not returned yet.

They didn't know that Yun Xiu was already in the backyard of the Qin Mansion.

At dusk, he stood in front of the two young masters who had previously traded with Qin Fu and questioned them calmly.

"What are you trying to do with Qin Fu in private? Don't you know what kind of person he is?"

The man in green robes exchanged glances with his elder brother, a fierce look flashed in his eyes, and he couldn't help but let out a playful smile.

"Isn't this our little brother who's been living abroad? You once said in front of our father that you didn't want to go back, and our father respected your choice and set you free. Why are you controlling us now?"

Yun Xiu clenched his hands and said, "I don't care about your business, but Qin Fu is not a good person. If you make a deal, aren't you afraid of being cheated?"

"I came here this time because Qin Fu stole our things and wanted to kill me... my benefactor."

The man in green robe snorted contemptuously.

"Our affairs are not yours to control."

However, the eldest son, who had been silent all this time, slowly raised his eyes and looked at Yun Xiu.

"Xiu'er, we haven't seen each other for a long time. Did you come to see us today just to say this?"

"And who is the benefactor you mentioned?"

The green-robed man simply said, "Brother, why are you saying so much to him? He's leaving our Tunan family and has severed all ties with us. What's the point of saying all this?"

The second young master's face was full of disdain for Yun Xiu, and his chin was raised high with disdain.

"I advise you to stop interfering in our affairs, or you won't be able to bear the consequences of your own actions."

"Second brother!" Yun Xiu spoke subconsciously, but before he could finish his words, the man in green robe snorted contemptuously.

"You still want to call us brother? You said you were breaking off the relationship yourself! How can someone like you be worthy of our family's honor?"

"When you were young, your family worried about you. You were kidnapped by bandits and forced to flee to another land, leaving your family in tears day and night. Finally, after finally finding you, you chose to return to that impoverished place! Even the Liao Dynasty royal family looked down on you.

How can someone like you even be so presentable? How can you be qualified to speak these words in front of us?"

Hearing his constant scolding, Yun Xiu couldn't help but clench his hands. He felt very uncomfortable at this moment.

His family did find him at that time, and he followed Xie Huaian to Wu Heng.

But during the years of wandering outside, he was tortured as a slave and thrown into the Colosseum, where he almost died at the hands of a tiger.

He is alive now, all thanks to the mercy of Sister Mianmian and Lord Xie!

Yun Xiu lived a good and happy life with them. He was surrounded by a bunch of like-minded people. There was no intrigue among them. They all had their own ideals and pursuits. Everyone was united and worked together.

How can this not be considered a good life?

Indeed, if he had promised his family at that time, he would have returned to the Liao royal family and restored his status as a prince.

But so what? Facing a group of strange family members and strange classes, he was not happy!

Moreover, there are too many rules, and he has long been accustomed to the "wild" life and cannot live a life of luxury.

That's why he agreed with them to leave this place and return to the adults and Sister Mianmian, and would rather be an ordinary person.

But this time, he accidentally saw this scene. Knowing that Qin Fu was not a good person, he specially found them to ask about it.

As a result, he was scolded and ridiculed by his second brother. Although Yun Xiu didn't care much, those words like needles made him feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps seeing the change in his expression, the man on the other side, Yun Xiu's elder brother, stepped forward first to ease the atmosphere between the two.

"Alright, we are all brothers, why bother talking about this?"

"Aying, no matter what, Axiu is your brother. We are born of the same mother and share the same blood. This is true. It's understandable that you have no place to vent your anger, but don't go too far. He is so much younger than you."

Hearing this, the second young master snorted, very dissatisfied.

But he still listened to his elder brother and immediately retracted his sarcasm.

The eldest brother walked up to Yun Xiu and asked him calmly, "How are you doing lately?"

Yun Xiu was stunned, obviously not expecting his elder brother to ask about his recent situation.

But the light in his eyes wasn't a disguise. Feeling warm inside, he told the truth.

"Brother, I'm doing very well, really well. I'm currently living in Wuheng, and the people there are very nice."

"Wu Heng? Didn't you encounter a flood some time ago? Are you okay?"

"Thank you for your concern, brother. Our village is on Longchang Mountain and has escaped the flood."

"So you live in Jinsha Village."

The man suddenly realized that he had heard about the village before. It was rich and fertile. It was clearly a wasteland before, but because of a group of people, an entire village was built on it.

When the Three Kingdoms were about to suffer from famine, they still grew a lot of grain. Even the royal family of Liao ate the grain they sold.

Seeing that he was fine, the eldest brother felt relieved.

Yun Xiu took this opportunity to tell him very seriously.

"Although I don't know what kind of deal you and Qin Fu have, I want to say that Qin Fu is not a good person. He secretly planned and sent someone undercover to my benefactor's family. After deceiving the girl, he used the girl to rob a batch of my benefactor's goods."

"Not only that, he also hired assassins many times behind the scenes, not to mention how many evil things he did on a daily basis!"

"If you're going to trade with him, be sure to keep your eyes open. And given his personality, he might be setting a trap for you! I'm saying this not only for myself, but also for my benefactor, and... you. You're all people I care about, and I don't want anything to happen to you."

His sincere words also touched the eldest brother.

Thinking of the hardships he had endured when he was forced to leave home, the eldest brother felt filled with guilt.

Naturally, I believed his words: "I know Qin Fu is not a good person, so I will definitely be on guard. But this time we are also in trouble."

"You should understand that our Liao country is small and sandwiched between two countries. Our borders have been frequently invaded by foreign enemies. We have few troops and insufficient weapons, so we also need Qin Fu's goods."

Upon hearing this, Yun Xiu immediately responded, "So, Big Brother's goal is Qin Fu's batch of muskets, but what about you? What are the conditions you agreed to with him?"

The man paused and told him, "Soldier."

-

On the other side, Ruan Mian and the others were a little worried when they saw that Yun Xiu had not arrived yet.

She first found an excuse to return to the house, opened the window, took out the jade bracelet, and called the birds and beasts, asking them to look for Yun Xiu's trace.

However, not long after, Yun Xiu came back on his own initiative.

He ran straight to Ruan Mian's house and told her the news anxiously. He didn't even have time to knock on the door and just pushed it open and walked in.

As a result, he happened to see Ruan Mian's graceful figure changing clothes behind the screen. He was so scared that he froze in place and turned around immediately, his breathing becoming hot.

He even forgot to speak and ran out of the room in one step.

Ruan Mian was stunned for a moment when he saw the commotion. He calmly changed into casual clothes quickly before going to open the door.

Seeing Yun Xiu's flushed face, she smiled faintly: "Is there something urgent?"

Yun Xiu opened his mouth, not daring to look at Ruan Mian, but seeing that she was as calm as usual, he felt that he was thinking too much.

So, she feigned composure and slowly told him, "...Sister Mianmian, I have news."

"What news?"

"I know what the deal was between Qin Fu and those two 'tea merchants'."

"Those two 'tea merchants' are not ordinary people. They are members of the Liao Dynasty's royal family. Qin Fu, take your musket and borrow soldiers from them."

Hearing this, Ruan Mian frowned. She hadn't expected that things had developed to this point.

She used her improved musket as a bargaining chip to borrow troops from foreign enemies.

In other words, the Prince of Yan and his men were very likely ready to rebel in Kyoto.

In the original book, they annexed the Xuanjia Army and subdued several border guarding generals like Huo Zong.

While manipulating public opinion, he was recuperating and expanding his team, and even cultivating his own power in the court.

That's why on the day of the uprising, Kyoto was caught off guard.

Even if all the imperial guards came out, they would not be able to withstand their overwhelming force.

But behind that battle, Ruan Mian didn't know what the outcome would be.

In general, things have now returned to the main storyline of the original book.

They planned to start a rebellion.

And this time they are holding Ruan Mian's improved thermal weapons. Once a real battle breaks out, Kyoto will probably be littered with corpses, and the winner and loser will be obviously determined.

Thinking of this, Ruan Mian looked straight at Yun Xiu, with waves surging in his clear eyes.

Yun Xiu was caught off guard by her stare and his whole body jumped. Just as he was about to speak, Ruan Mian invited him into the house.

"Ash, I have something to tell you."

Seeing her so serious, Yun Xiu felt a little curious. After a pause, he followed her into the house obediently.

For some reason, following her, a man and a woman alone together, he felt inexplicably nervous.

But when he thought of his surging emotions just now and their increasingly dangerous situation, Yun Xiu was afraid that if he didn't say some things, he would never have the chance to say them again.

So before Ruan Mian could speak, Yun Xiu seemed to have made up his mind and looked at Ruan Mian first and said.

"Sister Mianmian, I have something to say to you too."

"I...I know I may not be qualified, but I still want to say that I like you. It's not the kind of affection you get from siblings or family, but...it's the kind of affection you get from adults."

"I know you've always had me in your heart, and I know you're a man I'll always respect. But the dead can't be resurrected, and I just want to help you take care of you. Of course, I'm not saying this to cause you any trouble, nor am I asking for a status. I just... just want to express my feelings, that's all."

He felt more and more guilty as he spoke, and by the end his voice was so weak and shrill that he began to regret it. But it was too late to regret. The words he had spoken were like spilled water, and he had no chance to take them back.

He looked at Ruan Mian anxiously, and when he saw her silent, he became even more frightened.

Afraid that Ruan Mian would break up with him, he quickly broke the awkward atmosphere and tried to pretend that this had never happened.

However, Ruan Mian spoke calmly.

"Thank you for your love, Ash."

"It's a pity that I can't accept your kindness. Since you've been honest with me, I have no reason to hide it from you."

"As you said, I have always had Ah Huai in my heart, and... Ah Huai is not dead."

Hearing this, Yun Xiu opened his eyes wide in disbelief, thinking he had misheard: "What?! My Lord, he... is he still alive?"

He was the one who personally sent the adult's body away and buried it with his own hands. How could he still be alive?

Seeing Yun Xiu's puzzled look, Ruan Mian had already expected it.

She said slowly, "Ah Huai is indeed fine. I helped him fake his death and set up a trap so that he could leave Wu Heng safely and return to Kyoto to continue his work."

“You also know that he was once the Prime Minister, highly regarded by the late Emperor, and trusted by the current His Majesty, and was entrusted with important tasks by His Majesty.

He was demoted to Wuheng not because he had actually committed any crime, but rather to take advantage of the opportunity to investigate the rebellious factions far from Kyoto and search for evidence.”

"It involves a struggle at court, and the details involved are difficult to explain to you right now, Ah Xiu. All you need to know is that the Lord is facing a difficult situation. Qin Fu wants to borrow troops from the Liao Dynasty, using my musket as a bargaining chip. His goal is to attack Huanglong directly and start a rebellion."

"Rebellion?" Yun Xiu was incredulous. "How could Qin Fu, a man far away in Kyoto, have the courage to rebel? Even if he borrowed troops, it would only be a drop in the bucket. I'm afraid..."

"Of course he's not alone."

"Behind Qin Fu, there are countless others, and the mastermind is the powerful Fifth Princess and the Prince of Yan's party."

Only then did Yun Xiu truly feel the urgency of this situation.

"Isn't that extremely dangerous, my lord?"

Ruan Mian nodded: "It is indeed an emergency. Especially since I heard you say today that Qin Fu is borrowing troops, I can guess that the day of rebellion is not far away."

After saying this, he thought for a moment before continuing.

"Ah Xiu, I know you are the prince of Liaolie. Those two tea merchants are your eldest and second brothers, right?"

Yun Xiu was stunned, obviously not expecting Ruan Mian to know all this!

He opened his mouth, not knowing where to begin.

"Sister Mianmian, I didn't mean to hide this from you. I just... I felt that there was no need to talk about this."

"I have decided not to return to Liaolie. I just want to live with you."

"It's okay. We will definitely comply with your wishes. But now that things have developed to this point, I would like to... ask for your help."

"I'm going to turn the tables."

Yun Xiu frowned slightly and quickly looked at her, waiting for her to speak: "How do you turn the tables on me?"

Ruan Mian whispered something in his ear.

Then he asked him, “Do you have faith?”

Yun Xiu nodded without saying anything: "Don't worry, I'll take care of this matter."

"Although I'm no longer in the past, my father still feels guilty about me and has always had feelings for me. If I plead, it will definitely be okay."

"What's more, the bargaining chip between my brother and Qin Fu is your musket. For them, as long as they get the weapon, it doesn't matter whether Qin Fu is there or not."

"And my eldest brother also told me that Qin Fu wants to recruit you."

Ruan Mian smiled and jokingly said, "Qin Fu has a nice idea."

Perhaps the reason for recruiting her was her ability to improve muskets.

In this case, there are even more things she can use.

After making this plan, the two of them acted separately.

At night, Ruan Mian thought in detail about how to get closer to Qin Fu and get to know him better.

After telling Cuizhu about this, she became a little worried: "Miss, I'm worried about you going alone."

Ruan Mian patted her shoulder and said, "Are you still worried about me? It's okay. I'm just going to inquire about the situation. You just wait here for me to come back. If you get bored waiting, you can also go to the market and gather some information about Qin Fu. The more the better."

Cuizhu knew that she couldn't convince Ruan Mian, so she had to go along with her wishes after some hesitation.

But because of Liu Shu's matter, Cuizhu felt full of guilt towards Ruan Mian, and when she thought of Liu Shu, that arrogant hypocrite, she was afraid that he would do anything against his will.

Thinking of this, Cuizhu considered it again and again, and finally decided to follow the girl secretly.

Ruan Mian heard that Qin Fu was holding another banquet at Yin Hua Tower tonight, so he sneaked in under the cover of night, knocked a dancer unconscious and sent her away, then changed into her clothes and blended in.

With heavy makeup on, few people could recognize the dancer's true face.

The long gown with flowing sleeves, the bright lights and the wine and women are so charming that no one would notice that she is a replaced dancer.

After the song ended, she followed other dancers to serve others.

Liu Shu was there, as expected. Just like that day, he was drunk and flushed, and today he had two girls by his side, looking quite happy.

Qin Fu was a man whose body was mostly buried in the earth, but he still couldn't resist the beautiful girl. He didn't care whether others were willing or not. He pulled the girl to his side, hugged her forcibly and kissed her face hard.

What they talked about were all unimportant things. It seemed that Qin Fu was very cautious and usually did not talk about important things in such occasions.

Ruan Mian's trip was in vain.

But since we're here, it seems unreasonable not to teach him a lesson.

I originally wanted to simply give them some laxatives to try, but there were special people in charge of supervising and serving their food and drinks, and countless pairs of eyes were watching, so the operation was a bit difficult.

She thought of another way.

At the same time, Cuizhu, who was dressed as a maid, was holding a pot of wine when she was suddenly pointed by the official next to her and asked to pour wine for Liu Shu.

Cuizhu was startled and quickly lowered her head, moving hesitantly.

Because of this hesitation, the official was angered. He angrily smashed the pot of wine that Cuizhu was holding with a palm.

Frightened, Cuizhu immediately knelt on the ground, crawling and begging for mercy, not wanting anyone to see her appearance.

Especially Liu Shu.

But it was Liu Shu who reached out to help him up.

Although she hadn't looked up yet, Cuizhu would recognize that familiar hand even if she turned into ashes.

Her heart instantly rose to her throat.

Liu Shu smiled, feeling sorry for her, and threatened her: "My beauty, don't you like me? Don't you want to get up?"

Cuizhu clenched her palms tightly and her body couldn't help but tremble.

Liu Shu saw this scene and couldn't help laughing: "Don't be afraid, beauty, I won't eat you, get up quickly."

"You ungrateful little girl, Lord Liu pities you, but you don't even give him face?"

"Come here, drag him away and teach him a lesson!"

Others couldn't bear to watch this, and Cuizhu thought that being beaten with a stick was better than being discovered by Liu Shu.

But when she was dragged up, Liu Shu, who had already turned around, suddenly remembered something and shouted at her to stop.

"stop!"

Cuizhu's heart tightened and she took a deep breath.

"Turn it around for me."

Liu Shu seemed to realize something, and his eyes became fierce.

When Cuizhu heard this voice, she knew that she was doomed.

It was just her fault for being too careless, which probably caused a lot of trouble for the girl.

But at this moment, she couldn't think of so many things. She clenched her hands. No one knew that the hidden weapon taught by the girl was tied to her wrist.

The moment she turned around, she suddenly pressed the switch towards Liu Shu's throat!

With a whoosh, a delicate hidden weapon dart shot out instantly, piercing Liu Shu's neck directly! Before anyone could react, blood splashed onto the faces of the people around them.

Everyone present was shocked!

"Someone! Assassin! Catch this assassin!"

Following the guard's angry shout, the restaurant suddenly became noisy.

When Liu Shu saw that it was Cuizhu, his eyes widened in surprise. He tried to identify her with his last breath: "You...why are you here, bitch? Sir...Ruan..."

Cuizhu thought it was not good when she heard it, but she didn't think too much at the time. She stepped forward to strangle his neck, squeezed out a mouthful of blood, and directly killed Liu Shu! She also stopped Liu Shu from saying anything.

She killed her husband with her own hands, and also killed this evil man with her own hands.

Cuizhu thought she would feel very relieved, but when she saw Liu Shu falling in front of her with his eyes open, she couldn't stop shaking all over, her mind went blank, and she lost the ability to resist.

The next moment, a guard rushed over and stabbed her with a knife, but she subconsciously dodged!

Although the wound avoided the most fatal part, it still pierced into the flesh and bones, causing bleeding to continue.

Cuizhu suddenly fell to the ground in pain. She looked around helplessly, but there was no fear in her eyes. There was only guilt towards the girl and fearlessness of death.

If she could die like this, she would accept it.

It's all her fault.

As long as the girl is not implicated and as long as she is safe, it doesn't matter if Cuizhu dies.

So she gave up resisting completely and fell down with a weak face.

When Ruan Mian saw this scene, he rushed forward desperately and hugged her!

When Cuizhu saw that it was her, she was so scared that she even stuttered.

"Girl, don't... don't bother with me!! Just go away..."

"Zhu'er, why are you so stupid?! I have my own way to deal with them, why do I need you to intervene?"

This method of killing one thousand enemies and injuring eight hundred of your own will only make Ruan Mian feel distressed.

However, it was too late to say anything now. Liu Shu was dead, they were exposed, and Cuizhu was in imminent danger.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, girl... It's my fault. I... I didn't expect that today would..."

After saying less than two sentences, Cuizhu was already coughing uncontrollably.

Seeing that her wound was still bleeding, Ruan Mian knew that he could not afford to delay any longer, so he immediately opened the small water bag he was carrying and fed her the spiritual spring water inside!

Let's keep her alive first.

Then she tore off a corner of her dress and quickly wrapped it around her wound to stop the bleeding.

However, all this fell into Qin Fu's eyes.

He was not in a hurry and did not let the guards come forward. He just looked at Ruan Mian for a few times. After she was bandaged, he slowly stood up and walked to Ruan Mian.

At this moment, Ruan Mian and his companions were surrounded by people. A whole team of elite guards were standing by, and not even a fly could fly out.

As for the other guests, Qin Fu had already ordered them to be dismissed.

Only keep your own people in this room.

He clapped his hands, which were adorned with large gold rings, and said with admiration in his eyes, "Mrs. Ruan is indeed worthy of her reputation. She is very courageous."

"He actually disguised himself and came to me to get information, and then killed Liu Shu with a single blow."

"It's rare for me to find a woman as decisive, bold, and careful as you."

After that, he sent someone to bring a chair over and motioned for Ruan Mian to sit down: "It's so tiring to talk while standing. Come on, sit down and let's chat."

Ruan Mian subconsciously looked at Cuizhu. She wanted to have a good "chat" with Qin Fu, but Cuizhu didn't give her much time.

How could she have the energy to compete with Qin Fu in wits and courage?

In order to buy Cuizhu time for treatment, she spoke straight to the point.

"Master Qin, you sent Liu Shu to stay by my side for so long just to get my batch of muskets. It's really a waste of time."

"I thought you wanted something important, but it's just some weapons. I'm telling you clearly today that I have more than just those muskets. I have many more good things than you can imagine."

"If you want to have them all, I can share them with you, sir. But now, sir Qin must let me rescue my sister. Let us leave first."

"Otherwise, not only will you get nothing, let alone weapons, but you might also get into even bigger trouble."

If an ordinary person spoke to Qin Fu in this tone, he would just sneer and not take it to heart at all.

But Ruan Mian was different. Qin Fu knew exactly how capable she was, and she spoke with such authority that people had to be wary of her.

After all, she sneaked up to him quietly and without anyone noticing, which showed that Ruan Mian was not an ordinary person.

It's just asking her to save a woman, so what's the harm in giving her some time?

Qin Fu didn't take it seriously and just did something good.

"Since Madam Ruan has said so sincerely, I will naturally not embarrass Madam Ruan."

"But the accommodation outside is not good. I have someone arrange a first-class guest room for Madam Ruan in my Qin Mansion, and provide a few maids and servants, and also have a doctor come over to help Madam Ruan save your sister. How do you think?"

Without waiting for Ruan Mian to reply, Qin Fu had already asked someone to come over and help carry Cuizhu away.

But Ruan Mian stopped him: "Don't bother Master Qin, I'll do it."

As for going to his Qin Mansion, there is no other way out now, mainly because Cuizhu can no longer withstand the consumption.

If she resisted, it would only waste the time of Zhu'er's life, and she would not be able to bear the pain.

So she took Cuizhu and got on the carriage back to Qin's house.

Qin Fu did arrange for them a good room with everything they needed.

Even the doctor has his medicine box ready.

But Ruan Mian persuaded everyone to leave, leaving only herself and Cuizhu in the room, and declared that no one was allowed to enter without her permission.

When the servant told Qin Fu about this, his face was full of contempt.

He added fuel to the fire, "Sir, you haven't seen the true face of that woman. She took advantage of your courtesy to her and really thought she was a distinguished guest in our mansion."

"She even said that no one could enter the room without her permission. She didn't even want a doctor. Could it be that she knows medical skills?"

Qin Fu's face was full of composure as he blew on the hot tea slowly and said, "She is an honored guest. She must have her reasons for saying that. We should just follow her advice."

The servant looked puzzled. "Sir, you... trust her so much? The girl next to her had a hidden weapon and dared to kill Liu Shu in front of so many people. Who knows if they have a backup plan?"

"Backhand?" Qin Fu smiled. "What's the point of just fighting with those incompetent people?"

"It's because she's so capable that I want to see just how capable she is! If she can pull off a trick right under my nose, that's also her strength."

After saying that, he put down the teacup and waved his hand: "Alright, don't be nervous, let's wait, I have plenty of ways to deal with her."

"If used well, she will become a sharp blade in my hand, invincible." He had personally handled the batch of goods that Liu Shu brought last time. To his surprise, it was a weapon he had never seen before.

It's compact enough to be held in your hand, powerful enough to kill with one shot.

On the battlefield, the power of this musket is equivalent to the strength of many people, which goes without saying.

They already lack manpower, and the addition of weapons will only make things better.

What's more, Ruan Mian had just said that in addition to the musket, she also had other weapons in her hands, and he completely believed this.

She definitely has that ability.

Therefore, Qin Fu was eager to try it out and was eager to see the weapons in her hands as soon as possible to see if there were any more surprising things than those muskets.

Seeing how relaxed his master was, the servant beside him said nothing more. They would try their best to satisfy whatever Ruan Mian wanted.

However, Ruan Mian didn't want anything. Behind the closed door, no one knew what was happening.

Ruan Mian had already disinfected, sutured, and applied medicine to her wounds. In order to prevent Cuizhu from fainting from the pain, he even exchanged for anesthetics in the space.

At the same time, she also noticed that the goodwill points stored in her space had increased a lot.

It seems that Liu Shu and others are indeed the unforgivable villains in the original book.

If Qin Fu's party could be cut off, it would be equivalent to cutting off the main artery of the Yan Wang rebel party, and the goodwill value would definitely increase.

She collected her thoughts and treated Cuizhu's wound first.

She had already gone into shock on the way here and didn't wake up until late at night. During this time, she also asked someone to go to the inn to pick up Yun Xiu.

When Cuizhu woke up, she saw Ruan Mian sitting at the desk, writing something under the flickering candlelight.

Cuizhu felt as if her throat was about to catch fire and she couldn't utter a word, but Ruan Mian still noticed the movement of the bed.

"Awake? The wound might still be a little painful. You'd better not move and rest."

"Girl...am I not dead yet? Where is this?"

The surrounding environment was obviously not the same as the inn they had been in before. It was magnificent and one could tell it was a wealthy family.

Ruan Mian smiled faintly and said, "You are fine, how could I let you die?"

"But you did give me a fright at that time. If you hadn't dodged in time, the blade would have gone straight into your heart. Even the King of Hell wouldn't have been able to save you then."

Seeing the guilt creeping back onto Cuizhu's face, Ruan Mian didn't want her to feel too guilty, so he changed the subject to ease the atmosphere.

"It's all over. Everything is fine now. Zhu'er, this is the Qin residence. We have everything we need. If you want anything to eat or drink, just ask the servants."

"Qin Mansion?!" Cuizhu almost choked, and her face became visibly tense.

"They didn't do anything to you, did they? Miss, why are we in the Qin Mansion?"

"It's a long story, so I'll make it short."

"Qin Fu and I have some deals. We are safe at the moment. He won't pursue the matter of you killing Liu Shu. After all, in his eyes, that man is just an insignificant person. It doesn't matter."

This sounded ridiculous, and Cuizhu couldn't help but sneer.

"It's true... things are so unpredictable."

Liu Shu worked hard to hide and did so many things for Qin Fu, but now he hasn't enjoyed anything. If he dies, he's dead. The other party will look at him like a dog.

For a moment, Cuizhu didn't know whether to laugh or feel pity for him. But all of this was his own fault! If he had turned over a new leaf sooner, and stopped harboring those harmful intentions, how could he have died so early at her hands?

Never mind, there's no point in thinking so much.

Cuizhu didn't want the girl to worry about her, so she comforted her instead: "Don't worry, girl, I won't think too much about it. Liu Shu has done so many evil things, and it's understandable that he ended up like this."

"I didn't judge people well before, I will never do that again!"

Seeing that she had regained her spirits, Cuizhu felt relieved.

A smile appeared on his face. Just at this moment, Yun Xiu's voice came from outside the door. Ruan Mian invited him in and took the pot of hot water from his hand.

Seeing that everyone was present, Ruan Mian spoke to them earnestly.

"Zhu'er, you need to rest for your injury. I'll have Ah Xiu take you back to Wu Heng tomorrow."

"No girl!"

“No!”

Cuizhu and Yunxiu spoke at the same time, with Cuizhu speaking first: "How can we let you stay here alone? What's more, you have to deal with Qin Fu, who is so dangerous! I feel more at ease if Ah Xiu stays with you."

Ruan Mian had expected them to say this, so he made preparations in advance.

"I said Qin Fu won't do anything to me right now. I hold his lifeline in my hands."

"Zhu'er, you staying here will only make me worried, and it will also give Qin Fu an opportunity to control me. I can only send you away safely so that I don't have to worry about the future."

These words made Cuizhu feel very uncomfortable. She thought that it was because of her that the girl was exposed to Qin Fu in the restaurant.

Otherwise, Qin Fu wouldn’t know that the girl had come to Wenchang.

But Cuizhu was always worried about her being alone.

"Otherwise, let Ash stay here with you and I'll go back by myself."

"Of course not. I'd be even more worried if you went back alone." Ruan Mian looked at Yun Xiu, beckoned him over, and asked quietly, "How are things going over there?"

Yun Xiu nodded quickly: "No problem, as long as we can provide more weapons, big brother and the others are willing to cooperate with you."

"But……"

"That's good." Before he could finish, Ruan Mian interrupted him: "Send Zhu'er back to Wu Heng safely before coming back. It will only take a few days at the earliest."

"During this time, I happened to be dealing with Qin Fu. You know, Qin Fu can't get away with me. He still has to rely on the bargaining chips I give him to negotiate the terms, so I will be fine."

"All you have to do is follow my instructions and ensure Cuizhu's safety as soon as possible, eliminating my worries."

Yun Xiu could understand this.

Cuizhu and himself could both become her weaknesses. How could Qin Fu, such a cunning man, not know this?

Now we have to take care of the people before he can react.

Thinking of this, Yun Xiu didn't say much and nodded in agreement with Ruan Mian.

But Yun Xiu is not here these days, so she may need to go see his elder brother.

So Yun Xiu gave her a token.

The next day, after Yun Xiu sent Cui Zhu away, Qin Fu came to comfort Ruan Mian.

He just wanted to find out if she had anything else in her hand. Ruan Mian did as he wished and took out a portable grenade from the space.

Of course, it is not as modern as that. It was improved by my aunt together. It is intended to be delicate and can explode after being thrown out after pulling the fuse.

Although its power is not as great as that of a musket at close range, it is much more portable than a musket.

Before the enemy could react, the grenade was thrown and they fell down.

It is many times better than ordinary gunpowder.

Qin Fu's eyes lit up on the spot.

He felt like he had found a treasure, and he seemed to be able to imagine that if he could recruit this woman into his army, and let her produce more good things to present to King Yan, then when the day came for the rebellion, wouldn't his wealth and glory for the rest of his life be guaranteed?

Thinking of this, he became even more friendly to Ruan Mian.

However, there was still a hint of caution and threat in his words. After all, Ruan Mian's injured sister was about to leave the mansion without his knowledge.

Now there is nothing they can do to control him.

We can only think of another way to give her a warning.

"Mrs. Ruan really didn't lie. She does have something on her."

"I wonder if Madam Ruan would like to sell these weapons? I'm very interested. I'm sincerely cooperating with you. We can let go of the past and pretend it never happened."

Ruan Mian found what he said very ridiculous.

"Not pursuing the matter? Your Excellency thinks too highly of me. I am but a humble man, and I cannot tolerate any injustice. Your Excellency is highly respected, and we have no grudges against each other. However, there is one person whom I must pursue."

Qin Fu's eyebrows moved slightly, as if he realized something.

Before he could finish, Ruan Mian spoke decisively: "I wonder if Master Qin still remembers Wen Qiang."

"To be honest, sir, there is a grudge between Wen Qiang and I. I need to resolve this matter before I can have the energy to discuss cooperation with you, sir."

Qin Fu frowned when he heard this and said politely, "Madam Ruan, Wen Qiang is a very stubborn girl. I've heard a little bit about what happened between you and her, but it's been so long now, can you please let it go?"

"As long as I'm here, Wen Qiang will never get in your way again, and I won't let her appear in front of you either. How about that?"

"Sir, I have said that I am only a small man with a small mind. I am sorry that I cannot obey your command."

"But I don't want to embarrass you, sir. This is a grudge between me and Wen Qiang. We will naturally resolve it between the two of us. You just have to wait a little longer."

Qin Fu's eyes sank slightly, he couldn't wait.

How could I let go of any chance to persuade Ruan Mian?

Thinking of this, he suddenly changed his attitude: "I understand."

But he didn't say it explicitly.

Instead, at nightfall, someone sent a note to Ruan Mian.

It’s the flower boat party in two days.

I wanted to specially invite her over to join in the fun.

Looking at the content of the post, Ruan Mian happily went there.

The flower boat party was even more luxurious than the restaurant party I had seen before.

As night fell, several brightly lit flower boats were slowly approaching the water. The water reflected the flickering lights, and the sound of pipa music could be heard from the bows.

From time to time, there are sounds of singing birds and dancing swallows. The flowers are in full bloom and the scenery is so beautiful.