Everyone in the room looked grim, and the old lady's image crumbled into dust.

Halfway up the mountain, Ta Xue, Si Qin, and Quan Ling'er were crying and screaming, while the bandits were grinning maliciously.

Xie Zhaozhao could no longer hold back. She stood up and angrily said to the old lady, "Whether you agree or not, Yuan Yuan and I will rush out and go down the mountain to report the news."

The old lady was furious and embarrassed: "We finally managed to calm the bandits down with our five maids, and now you want to provoke them again?"

“Mother, didn’t you hear them shout that two have run away? They want two more! Who’s going to go? They won’t keep their word, they’ll just keep pressing us until we have nowhere left to retreat.”

Tu shouted, "If you want to die, then die! Don't drag us down with you!"

Xie Xiangxiang, her face flushed, said urgently, "If we're going to die, we'll all die together."

"She saw that Yan Kenian and the others had managed to achieve a good situation, so she wanted to take credit for it."

Guan Yingying stood up and angrily shouted to everyone, "Third Aunt usually talks a lot about benevolence and morality, but when it really matters, she only thinks about patting herself on the back. How can such a person be worthy of being granted the title of First-Rank Imperial Lady?"

The maids and concubines of each room ganged up on her, blocking the gate, cursing Xie Zhaozhao, and preventing Xie Zhaozhao and Yuanyuan from leaving.

Xie Zhaozhao looked at the people from the Earl's Mansion. They dared not fight the bandits, yet they seemed to have an irreconcilable hatred for her.

Anticipating that the bandits might be untrustworthy and their innocence might be in jeopardy, they were terrified, yet they felt a strange excitement, agitation, and anticipation because Xie Zhaozhao might fall from grace and be destroyed by the bandits just like them.

Xie Zhaozhao sneered, "If you don't want to resist, so be it! I'll take my men and fight the bandits to the death! Whether we live or die, it's better than being slaughtered by others."

She summoned her four guards and Guan Yan, instructing them to carry the injured Mo Yan on their backs and prepare to rush out through the west corner gate.

Following the route planned in the afternoon, we rushed out, sent a signal, and requested reinforcements.

Guan Yingying shouted at Xie Xiangxiang, "Stop her! Don't let her out! They definitely can't beat the bandits. If we anger them, we'll all be in trouble."

Xie Xiangxiang, accompanied by her four concubines, blocked the door and hysterically shouted, "You're not allowed to leave!"

The old lady shouted at Xie Zhaozhao, "Xie, I sacrificed Ta Xue to ensure everyone's safety, but you want to rush out and claim credit?"

Xie Zhaozhao patiently said to the old lady, "Mother, when have bandits ever talked about morality? How can we trust their words?"

“Even thieves have their code of honor. How do you know they’re not trustworthy?” Guan Yingying said loudly. “We’re all together, so you can’t be different.”

The old lady shouted, "Xie, if you dare to step out of this room, I'll go back and tell the third son to divorce you!"

Yuanyuan didn't want to pay attention to them and tried to pull the door open.

She had to go out and give a signal.

Guan Yingying, Xie Xiangxiang, the old lady, Tu Shi, and others strangely formed a united front and did their best to prevent Xie Zhaozhao from leaving the house.

"Everyone, stop her! She's trying to break through!" Guan Yingying shouted.

"Idiots!" Yuan Yuan roared. "Do you think you can just cower here and accept your fate?"

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Xiangxiang struck her on the head from behind with a stick. Caught off guard, Yuanyuan fell to the ground.

Xie Zhaozhao walked up to Xie Xiangxiang and slapped her across the face, angrily cursing for the first time, "You bitch!"

Xie Xiangxiang and Guan Yingying pounced on her and attacked her, but Manman protected her.

Manman received a slap from Xie Xiangxiang.

Xie Xiangxiang laughed loudly: "Bitch? Xie Zhaozhao, you're the bitch! Gu Shaoyu should have died in Jiangnan, and you should have been a widow who never touched a man in your life. Guess what, if you were ruined by bandits today, would Gu Shaoyu still want you?"

Xie Zhaozhao looked at the pitiful creature and said, "Xie Xiangxiang, do you know that losing your innocence is worse than death?"

"So what?" Xie Xiangxiang had slept with men before, it was just that she hadn't in this life. She said hysterically, "Ha, all my men are eunuchs, what do I have to be afraid of?"

She then pointed to Guan Yingying, Aunt Hua, and the other concubines, and said to Xie Zhaozhao, "Our men are eunuchs, so even if we all lose our virginity, he wouldn't dare say anything! What about you? Your husband is a Grand Secretary, can he tolerate that?"

The room fell silent. Although they had temporarily joined forces to prevent Xie Zhaozhao from leaving, they were still disgusted by Xie Xiangxiang's words!

Xie Zhaozhao slapped her again and said to Manman, "Kill anyone who dares to stop us!"

Yuanyuan's head was bumped by Xie Xiangxiang, and she was a little dizzy.

She drew her soft sword from her waist and pointed it at the group of women: "Anyone who dares to block my way shall die!"

They finally carried the inkstone out of the West Corner Gate.

Guan Yingying immediately shouted towards the front yard: "The Grand Secretary's wife has escaped through the west gate! You must protect the safety of the ladies."

"Xie Zhaozhao has gone west with her maid. She has silver and a priceless piece of jewelry on her," Xie Xiangxiang shouted angrily.

Their voices were incredibly loud, echoing almost throughout the entire mountainside in the dead of night.

Not only could the servants outside the door hear it, but even the bandits halfway up the mountain could hear it.

Yuanyuan said angrily, "Miss, they are deliberately reminding the bandits, telling them our location."

Xie Zhaozhao calmly said, "It's alright, immediately send a signal to Yunyang, Yin Jin'an, and Hongying."

He then instructed his four guards: "Prepare to fight the enemy with all your might. There is a forest to the west. We will break through from there and descend the mountain."

Yuanyuan took out three whistling arrows from her bosom, and was about to draw her bow and shoot them into the sky when suddenly a gust of wind blew, and she was kicked far away.

A group of people dressed in black armor, like midnight bats, suddenly landed in front of them.

By the light of the courtyard lamp, Xie Zhaozhao could see that these people were well-equipped and moved with great skill.

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