Qiu Ling'er recognized the person at a glance.

The person in front of me is the woman who just accompanied Zhou Dongjia to send Zhou Zifang off to take the imperial examination.

Beside Zhou's mother was a personal maid. At this moment, the attendants had already rushed to Qiu Ling'er's side.

Because Zhou's mother blocked their way, the followers looked around and, seeing that she had no help, all turned to Duan Tianzhang to ask for her opinion.

Duan Tianzhang took a few steps, walked up to Zhou's mother, examined her closely, and then curled his lip in disapproval.

What's wrong with me lately? Everything's going wrong.

"These days, how come even an old woman dares to act like a hero halfway through life? Old woman, don't you know you're already halfway to the grave? I advise you to go somewhere cool and stay there, lest my men accidentally hurt you. Then, no matter how much you cry and scream, it won't be of any use."

Having said that, she still coldly gave orders to her attendants beside her.

"take away!"

"Just wait and see who's crying for their parents!" Qiu Ling'er clenched her fists, ready to take the attack.

Then Zhou's mother said something stern.

"Have you no laws?!"

Zhou's mother stepped forward, and not forgetting to pull Qiu Ling'er's body back slightly.

Then the old nanny, known as Granny Wu, sternly said:

“Miss, to forcibly abduct a woman in broad daylight? That doesn’t seem like something a young woman like you should be doing.”

"So what?" Duan Tianzhang chuckled. "This young lady just enjoys kidnapping pretty girls."

Today, she will definitely take Qiu Ling'er away to vent all the unhappiness in her heart.

The hatred for killing one's mother is irreconcilable!

She now has nothing, and is suffering a lot of abuse and contempt.

In particular, former best friends have all become enemies.

Therefore, she has lost her original enthusiasm for her life.

According to her, she'll live one day at a time.

The premise is that, while she's alive, Gu Qian's family shouldn't expect to have an easy time either.

After much thought, she decided that Qiu Ling'er was the easiest target.

Unexpectedly, a wicked old woman appeared out of nowhere, trying to ruin her plans.

"The law of the land prevails!" Zhou's mother's stern words resonated deeply with Qiu Ling'er.

Does Mrs. Zhou also know her?

Otherwise, why would they have offered timely assistance?

Actually, what she wanted to say was, "Mrs. Zhou, there's no need to go to such trouble."

She could deal with Duan Tianzhang and his ilk with absolutely no effort.

However, she maintained her image as a well-behaved girl and stood secretly behind Zhou's mother.

"Law?" Duan Tianzhang laughed mockingly, completely forgetting that he was now merely a commoner.

Right now, she's single-mindedly focused on making Gu Qian suffer a terrible death.

"Take them all with you!" Duan Tianzhang said coldly again.

His entourage, following orders, approached Zhou's mother and Qiu Ling'er with menacing expressions.

"Stop!" Zhou's mother thought to herself, "This is bad."

Therefore, he said urgently:

"I've already reported it to the authorities. You can still escape now!"

Qiu Ling'er: Reporting to the authorities is acceptable.

She was just wondering how to vent her anger.

Duan Tianzhang's body stiffened slightly, and his face clearly showed fear.

She glared fiercely at Zhou's mother.

"Don't listen to this old woman's nonsense. If she reports us to the authorities, she certainly won't let us leave so easily!" However, the attendants hesitated and dared not step forward.

If they were to go further ahead, what fear would they have?

But now, the Duan family is no longer what it used to be.

Zhou's mother's usual kind face changed.

"You...don't believe me?" She deliberately drew out her words, glancing into the distance as she did so, when Granny Wu suddenly said...

"Madam, the officials... have arrived."

"..." Zhou's mother was clearly taken aback.

She was simply cheating.

Wu Po's single sentence sent a shiver down the spine of Duan Tianzhang's entourage.

They followed Granny Wu's gaze...

If not now, when?

Qiu Ling'er examined them closely and realized they were not government officials, but soldiers.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be...

Xue Ning and four others?

It's said that arriving at the right time is worse than arriving early.

Duan Tianzhang also followed the gaze and looked over.

He only hummed softly.

"What kind of officials are they? A bunch of good-for-nothings and a few soldiers. What's there to be afraid of?"

She was just about to run away when

Qiu Ling'er stopped him in his tracks.

"Miss Duan, if you're not afraid, why are you running?!"

Zhou's mother did not expect the soldiers in the army to come to her aid.

Seeing Qiu Ling'er's action, she shook her head at her.

A glance

Let's just leave; it's better to avoid trouble.

Otherwise, what if those soldiers leave and the people who just escaped come after them?

However, before she could think too far ahead, she saw Xue Ning and the others approaching.

"Second Miss?" Xue Ning and the others approached, first bowing respectfully to Qiu Ling'er.

Then, his unfriendly gaze fell on Duan Tianzhang.

"Second Miss, Madam, have you encountered any difficulties?"

Mother Zhou was secretly relieved. So, they all knew each other, which made things much easier.

Thinking about Qiu Ling'er's relationship with the current commander, he thought to himself that he was getting old and still lacked the ability to think things through.

"Mm." Qiu Ling'er nodded seriously, her expression like that of a wronged child.

She didn't know what had gotten into Tianzhang all of a sudden.

Suddenly, she thought of her brother-in-law, and then of Qin's death.

Could it be that Duan Tianzhang is picking on the weak, targeting her first to seek revenge, in order to control his sister and then take revenge on his brother-in-law?

That's absolutely outrageous!

"Brother Xue Ning, thank you so much for coming." Qiu Ling'er concealed her sharpness. She was naturally displeased with Duan Tianzhang's actions just now, so she thought of using his strength against him.

Zhou's mother replied, "Thank you for your help, gentlemen. I am fine, but the young lady beside me, your second young lady... alas, she was almost taken away by that wicked young lady. I don't know how to deal with her."

Zhou's mother glanced at Qiu Ling'er beside her, who remained unfazed and composed despite the scene that had just unfolded.

Qiu Ling'er lowered her eyes and explained the reason to Xue Ning and the others.

"Just because I declined Miss Duan's request to visit her home for a medical consultation, I was coerced by her and almost kidnapped."

"Such a thing is true?" Feng Chao frowned. "Second Miss, don't be afraid, we'll avenge you."

“Miss Duan? Could she be the daughter of the former Prime Minister?” Zhang Meng suddenly realized and asked.

“It’s her!” Lü Chong affirmed.

Qiu Ling'er nodded in affirmation: "Exactly."

Duan Tianzhang was instantly panicked.

Because she thought of Gu Qian.

She felt that these five soldiers must be Gu Qian's men.

"Mind your own business!" She glared at Zhou's mother angrily. If it weren't for the old woman's interference, she would have taken Qiu Ling'er away long ago.

She turned around, ready to make a quick getaway.

But can she escape?

"Stop! You bullied our second young lady and you think you can get away with it? Do you really think our young lady is easy to bully?!" Jiang Shengchao stepped forward and blocked Duan Tianzhang's path.

Zhou's mother's face regained its kind expression.

Qiu Ling'er was rescued by five people, and she had to say...

This feeling is quite wonderful.

She felt she was getting a little carried away and quickly stopped laughing.

My sister said that one should not take advantage of being favored and become arrogant, otherwise one will lose one's sense of propriety.

"Take her away and await the Princess's judgment!" Xue Ning said in a deep voice.

Jiang Sheng and the others had already stepped forward...

Duan Tianzhang was not convinced.

"You mere lowly soldiers, don't you know your place? How dare you treat me like this?"

She glared again at Zhou's mother, that meddlesome old woman.

Turning to look at Qiu Ling'er, his gaze changed from ruthless to pitiful.

“Sister Ling’er, we’re having our own family members’ conflict, so there’s no need for others to worry about it.”

"Hmph!" Ling'er raised her head, ignoring him, her face still bearing an arrogant and sneer that could infuriate anyone.

"Thank you all, brothers. I'll have my sister treat you to some extra food later."

"You said it yourself." Feng Chao recalled Qiu Yan's lamb leg and couldn't help but suck in his saliva. He was met with disdain from the others and finally gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Of course, my sister loves me the most," Qiu Ling'er assured her.

The conversation between Qiu Ling'er and Feng Chao caused Duan Tianzhang's expression to change once again.

Facing Xue Ning and the others, she made some harsh remarks.

"Let me go, or my elder brother will not let you off the hook!"

Because of Qin's death, the Qin family was destroyed and its entire family was executed. As a result, Duan Tianzhang's personality became twisted, and he no longer had the lively and cheerful personality he once had.

"Your older brother?" Xue Ning was clearly taken aback.

"Yes, my elder brother is Gu Qian, the Prince of Zhenbei!" Duan Tianzhang hated Gu Qian, but now, mentioning Gu Qian, she suddenly felt confident.

Her confidence startled even Zhou's mother, who began to think about their relationship.

Miss Ling'er, you mustn't kick a hornet's nest and displease the Prince of Zhenbei.

In her opinion, a younger sister-in-law is never as close as a younger sister.

"There's actually this connection?" Upon hearing the words "Prince of Zhenbei," Zhang Meng showed no fear whatsoever, only respect.

But at this moment, his gaze, as seen by Duan Tianzhang, revealed fear, while his face also showed smugness.

However, Qiu Ling'er's next words made her so angry that she vomited blood.

"That's not true!" Qiu Ling'er looked intently at Duan Tianzhang's features.

“Miss Duan, as far as I know, my brother-in-law has no connection with the Duan family. In fact, they have always been at odds. Otherwise, why would my brother-in-law ignore such a major event as the downfall of the Duan family?”

After hearing this, Zhou's mother nodded silently. Because of Qiu Ling'er's words, her tense heart relaxed again.

“What the Second Miss says is absolutely right!” Lü Chong echoed.

"You've offended my elder brother, can you afford to take the blame?" Duan Tianzhang, determined to succeed in the kidnapping, didn't want Gu Qian to know anything about it.

She was afraid of causing herself further trouble.

However, it seems impossible at present.

Right now, all she wants to do is escape as quickly as possible.

“My sister is the Princess Consort of Zhenbei, a first-rank lady of the current dynasty. Duan Tianzhang, now that you have offended my sister, what will you do?” Qiu Ling’er was clearly much more confident than Duan Tianzhang, and directly suppressed her.

Her words gave Zhou's mother confidence as well.

A Duan family that has severed ties with the Prince of Zhenbei, and the Princess Consort of Zhenbei's own sister—no sensible person would choose to help the Duan family.

Duan Tianzhang felt increasingly humiliated.

"I'm clearly Gu Qian's biological sister!"

"So what?" Qiu Ling'er sneered. "It's a pity that my brother-in-law only treats me like his own sister."

Duan Tianzhang: "You dare to challenge me?!"

Qiu Ling'er: Whether we're a good match or not is not for you to decide!

“Miss Duan, please come with us. Don’t worry, we will inform the Prince about this matter,” Xue Ning said, a cold smile on his face.

Duan Tianzhang's face was naturally very ugly. How could he inform the prince?

Gu Qian loved his wife dearly. If Qiu Yan were whispering sweet nothings in his ear, would he...?

Kill yourself?

Acting without considering the consequences has taught her a permanent lesson today.

Duan Tianzhang was both anxious and afraid. She couldn't understand why she was always being bullied, while others always had someone to help them.

"Get out of my way! My elder brother is the Prince of Zhenbei!" She still wanted to use his power to intimidate them.

However, in the end, he was taken away by Xue Ning and his group of five.

They have accomplished a great feat by returning home today.

At Zhou's mother's warm invitation, Qiu Ling'er boarded the Zhou family's carriage.

Inside the carriage, Zhou's mother maintained a smile as she carefully observed Qiu Ling'er's features.

He secretly admired the girl for remaining calm and composed even when faced with such a rogue, without even blinking.

Qiu Ling'er remained calm in the face of danger, which earned her her admiration.

Thinking of this, Zhou's mother's expression became even more amiable. She moved forward, getting closer to Qiu Ling'er.

Then Qiu Ling'er bent down to thank her.

"Thank you for saving me, Madam."

She believes that there are still more good people than bad in this world.

For example, she had never met Zhou's mother before.

"I didn't do anything. The ones who truly saved you were your own people." Madam Zhou smiled again.

The only person who could get her son to calm down and focus on his studies was probably the girl in front of him.

Anyway, those two old folks couldn't do it.

But does this girl have feelings for her son?

Of course she knew that what happened earlier was unintentional.

But just now, this girl personally saw her son off to the exam. Doesn't that mean she's closer to Zifang than to others?

"Young lady, why were you near the examination hall just now?" Zhou's mother thought Qiu Ling'er didn't recognize her. "Could it be that you know someone among the students taking the autumn examination this year?"

"Yes, there are people Ling'er knows."

"But, who is the young lady's beloved?" Zhou's mother asked expectantly as Qiu Ling'er replied.

"It's my brother," Qiu Ling'er blurted out, then realized something was off, so she pursed her lips and said nothing more.

To be honest, Zhou's mother felt quite uncomfortable hearing this.

Well, Qiu Ling'er, my son has devoted himself to passing the imperial examinations for you.

But you only see him as your brother.

Don't think she doesn't know that Qiu Ling'er's brother is the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination, so why would he participate in the autumn examination at this moment?

At that moment, she truly felt aggrieved for her son.

Although she was unhappy inside, she kept a smile on her face for the sake of her son.

"Young lady, since we are destined to meet, would you do me the honor of having a simple meal at my home today?"

Before Qiu Ling'er could speak, she heard Zhou's mother say again:

"When I saw you today, I felt an immediate sense of kinship with you, and I thought I would like to get to know you. Please do not refuse."

With a sincere look in her eyes, Zhou's mother finished speaking and warmly grasped Qiu Ling'er's wrist.

Qiu Ling'er had no choice but to go to the Zhou family compound at Zhou's mother's request.

She didn't want to go at first, but thinking that Madam Zhou had just waited for Xue Ning and the other four for her, she shouldn't refuse, so she agreed to her request.

When Qiu Ling'er first entered the Zhou family,

First impressions: unique location, beautiful scenery.

Although it wasn't as large as the General's Mansion, such a residence was still quite rare in the vast city of Shangjin.

As soon as Zhou's mother entered the mansion, she instructed the servants to have the cook prepare more delicious dishes.

Zhou Family Hall

"My dear girl, I've been busy arranging my son's wedding these past few days," Zhou's mother said with a smile, looking at Qiu Ling'er. As she finished speaking, she took out a stack of portraits of the young lady.

"Take a look at these girls. Do you know anyone who can give me some advice?"

Qiu Ling'er awkwardly accepted the paper portraits and looked at them one by one. When she turned to the last page, she suddenly stopped.