Chapter 67 Visiting the Mountain "I will definitely make the Xue family agree and grant your wish..."

"My lady, the bandits have indeed surrounded us, and their leader has already reached the street corner."

Jingnu hurried forward and whispered in Xue Rongyue's ear, "Don't worry, my lady, the traces have been erased and the secret passage has been temporarily buried. They really didn't find anyone else."

Xue Rongyue held a teacup in her hand, nodded slightly, and casually looked up at the window: "...Is he there?"

Jingnu replied, "The Crown Prince is here."

No sooner had the words been spoken than the loud, undisguised footsteps outside, mixed with several deep shouts, approached menacingly.

Xue Rongyue and Jingnu steadied themselves, exchanged a glance, and then Xue Rongyue slammed her teacup down, raising her voice in anger: "Who arrested Hu Dong? Don't they know he's one of my men? Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner!"

Jingnu anxiously advised, "Madam, please don't be angry. We've already sent people to look for him. Whoever it is, we'll make them come to apologize and release Hu Dongquan safely."

Xue Rongyue suddenly stood up: "Those who dare to arrest me have a death wish! If I find out who they are, I will definitely not let them off easily!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a thin wooden door to the courtyard was kicked open with a bang, revealing several burly men who swaggered in.

Xue Rongyue was so frightened that her face turned pale and she screamed. Jingnu was also frightened and turned pale. After she came to her senses, she trembled and stood in front of Xue Rongyue to block her.

Luo Zhen, who was fetching water in the courtyard, seemed to panic as well. His legs trembled and he stepped forward. Before he could speak, a burly man walked up to him, grabbed his collar, and punched him hard on the head without saying a word.

Luo Zhen's body went limp instantly. Taking advantage of his dizziness, the burly man pinned him to the ground and swiftly tied him up with hemp rope.

Jingnu retreated repeatedly, panicked and bewildered: "Who...who are you? How dare you...how dare you trespass on a private residence!"

Xue Rongyue slumped into a chair. Hearing this, she seemed to regain some of her confidence. She looked at the burly men crowding the courtyard and said fiercely but weakly, "Do you know who I am? Who is my father? How dare you be so disrespectful to me? Get out of here right now!"

After binding Luo Zhen, the burly man stepped forward, his gaze unabashedly sweeping over Xue Rongyue and Jingnu, as if assessing a piece of merchandise: "These two are indeed exceptionally good-looking."

Another burly man stepped forward with a grin and chimed in, "That's right, it'll definitely fetch a good price."

"You, you all!"

Offended by their flippant and unrestrained gazes, Xue Rongyue drew her long whip from her waist and lashed it at the two men.

Before the whip, which had been moving lightly, even got close, it was easily grasped by two burly men. With a slight exertion from one of them, Xue Rongyue staggered forward two steps.

"What kind of whip does a young lady carry instead of needle and thread? Is she going to tickle me?" Several burly men burst into laughter.

Xue Rongyue's face flushed red with anger, and she stomped her foot, roaring, "I'll have my father kill you all!"

Unexpectedly, after a brief pause upon hearing this, the burly men's laughter not only did not subside, but they became even more hearty.

"You lot, don't be rude to Madam Xue."

A light, dismissive rebuke suddenly rang out at the entrance to the courtyard.

Upon hearing this, the burly men blocking the door immediately stopped laughing and respectfully stepped aside to make way for them.

The person who spoke walked over slowly.

Unlike these burly, strong men, this man had a dignified appearance, with well-defined features and a smooth facial contour. He wore a brocade robe, and his black hair was tied up with a jade crown. His elegant demeanor made him seem less like a burly, strong man and more like a wealthy scholar. Unfortunately, there was a large scar on his face, running from his brow across his nose to behind his ear, which marred his otherwise handsome face and made him look somewhat ferocious.

Xue Rongyue looked at him with surprise and doubt: "...You know me?"

Luo Hongfang stepped in, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Madam Xue's father is a well-known cloth merchant in Liangzhou, and your family also has a shop in a neighboring county, so I've naturally heard of it. Not only that, Madam Xue's cousin is exceptionally beautiful and was taken as a concubine by the Prince of Huai'an, where she is quite favored and has even given birth to a son."

Seeing that he knew it all so well, Xue Rongyue raised her chin, regaining her previous arrogant demeanor: "Since you know, why don't you hurry up and make them kowtow and apologize? Be careful, or I'll tell my cousin, and you'll all be in big trouble!"

Luo Hongfang seemed amused by her words, shook his head and sat down: "Madam Xue is really... naive and innocent, unaware of the ways of the world."

Xue Rongyue glared at him: "What do you mean by that?"

"Bring the person up here."

Luo Hongfang raised his hand and poured himself a cup of hot tea.

The next moment, a man who was tied up was pushed in. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Hu Dong, who had gone out to gather information and had been captured.

Xue Rongyue realized: "So it was you who captured him."

"Didn't Madam Xue send him around to find the bandit leader in the neighboring county? That's why I've come to see you in person." Luo Hongfang raised his eyes to look at her and said unhurriedly, "May I ask what business Madam Xue has with me?"

Jingnu's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "You're the bandits?!"

Luo Hongfang smiled and said, "It seems that this person under Madam Xue is really useless. He couldn't even find out anything from me."

Xue Rongyue involuntarily took two steps back, her face deathly pale. She and Jingnu exchanged a panicked glance, trembling uncontrollably.

"Run, my wife!"

Jingnu suddenly pushed Xue Rongyue toward the window behind her, then shouted, drew a dagger from her sleeve, and rushed toward Luo Hongfang: "Run! Don't worry about me!"

With a loud thud, Jingnu was kicked hard to the ground by the bandits who had rushed over. His body crashed into a table and chairs not far away, and he screamed in pain as blood spilled from his mouth.

Before Xue Rongyue could react, she frantically pushed open the window on the back. Before her left foot could even step onto the window frame, a large knife, reeking of blood and covered in a thick layer of congealed blood, was already pressed against her fragile neck.

Setting down his teacup, Luo Hongfang looked at Xue Rongyue with a half-smile and asked, "Didn't Madam Xue want to see me? Why are you running away now that I've come?"

Xue Rongyue trembled violently, her teeth chattering. She seemed to be terrified to the extreme and couldn't utter a single word.

Luo Hongfang instructed, "Bring Madam Xue back."

The bandit with the knife grabbed Xue Rongyue's arm and shoved her, pushing her onto a chair.

"How can you be so rude to a young lady? Don't you know how to be gentle?" Luo Hongfang gently scolded the bandit, then looked at Xue Rongyue, "Don't be afraid. As long as you behave, I won't hurt you."

Seeing the bandits approaching with a bundle of hemp rope, Xue Rongyue's almond-shaped eyes welled up with tears, which streamed down her face. Finally, she managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "What...what are you going to do...?"

Before Xue Rongyue could struggle, the broadsword was already at her neck again. The sharp blade sliced ​​through Xue Rongyue's skin, and beads of blood instantly gushed out, looking particularly shocking against her snow-white skin.

Luo Hongfang said slowly, "Madam Xue, I told you that as long as you are obedient, I will not hurt you. But if you continue to be stubborn, I cannot guarantee what they might do."

Facing the menacing bandits on either side, Xue Rongyue's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing this. Even though she felt a sharp pain in her neck, she was so frightened that she dared not breathe properly and tried her best to control the trembling caused by the pain.

Luo Hongfang smiled with satisfaction: "Go and pack some clothes for Madam Xue. We'll invite her to visit us on the mountain."

***

"This woman's background is suspicious. Why does the boss insist on keeping her on the mountain? I think she's a honey trap deliberately set by some unscrupulous people to lure the boss into a trap!"

On the mountain, the village is hidden behind layers of greenery.

Having occupied the mountain behind Linxian County for many years, the mountain stronghold was not simple at all; on the contrary, it was more impressive than most of the courtyards and mansions at the foot of the mountain.

Inside the vast main hall, a man eight feet tall with a sharp and imposing appearance stepped forward, his voice like thunder startling a flock of birds. Although he did not name the man, besides him and Luo Hongfang, only Ji Dian remained in the hall.

"What do you mean by that? Who is the one with ill intentions? Explain yourself!"

Ji Dian met his gaze without flinching and rebuked him sharply.

"I never specified who it was, why are you so quick to assume it's me?" the man scoffed. "Are you feeling guilty?"

Ji Dian flew into a rage: "Who else is in the main hall? At this critical juncture, you still dare to accuse me! You're just jealous of my favor with the boss. Today, we'll settle this matter clearly!"

"Let's get to the bottom of this!"

The man was equally adamant: "Ever since you picked up that kid surnamed Qin, the village has been in turmoil. You dare say you have nothing to do with him?"

"The goods have just been delivered, and his fiancée has come knocking on the door again. What a coincidence! Who would believe it? It must have been you who did this. I wonder who you're working for!"

"Putting aside the fact that the person surnamed Qin was specifically asked by the boss to be brought back, his fiancée was also invited up the mountain by the boss. What does that have to do with me?"

Ji Dian sneered repeatedly: "Don't even think about pinning all these recent troubles on me. Who brought Jiang Huaishun up the mountain? Whose subordinate is he? You were so blind as to treat him like a little brother and even introduced him to the boss. And what was the result?"

"He not only stabbed the leader, but also stole the account books and made a mess of the village. Now you actually dare to blame all these things on me and try to throw this mud at me? You're dreaming!"

“I misjudged people, and the boss has already punished me. If the boss ever doubts my loyalty again, I will not hesitate to beat or kill him. But what about you? Do you dare to do that?”

The man's gaze was piercing, pressing closer with each step: "Besides, I've been referring to that kid surnamed Qin. Why do you keep saying I'm throwing mud at you, rushing to explain yourself? You're really good to your subordinates, rushing to...exonerate him."

He emphasized the word "exonerate".

Ji Dian showed no sign of panic. Hearing this, he coldly replied, "Don't treat others like fools. Everyone knows your ulterior motives. You're attacking him just to use him to bring me down."

The man stepped forward: "Do you dare say he's not suspicious? Back then, the Qin family was wiped out, and he was the only one who survived, and he just happened to faint in a neighboring county? Such a suspicious person, you dare to bring him up the mountain? Aren't you afraid he's an undercover agent secretly sent by the government?"

Upon hearing this, Ji Dian stopped arguing with him and instead looked at Luo Hongfang, who was sitting high in the main seat, casually reading a book. He let out a low growl with a hint of resentment: "Boss!"

Luo Hongfang reluctantly put down the book in his hand: "Liu Ge, it was indeed I who instructed Zhang Ming to bring Qin Ang back."

Liu Ge asked incredulously, "Why!"

"Because of his pitiful background." Luo Hongfang's deep gaze fell on Liu Ge, a smile playing on his lips, but a cold glint in his eyes. "Are you satisfied with this answer?"

Liu Ge's heart skipped a beat, realizing that his question had offended Luo Hongfang.

He had always been a domineering person and disliked anyone questioning his decisions. He couldn't help but show fear on his face: "I dare not."

Ji Dian lowered his eyes.

In order to go up the mountain, when Luo Hongfang led the bandits to kill them, Qin Jin disguised himself as a member of the Qin family who had escaped by hiding in the cellar and fled right under Luo Hongfang's nose.

As for why Luo Hongfang let him go, it was simply because the two had similar backgrounds.

Back then, Luo Hongfang was also a young master raised by landlords and gentry. Although he was an uneducated playboy, if it weren't for that incident, he would have been living a life of luxury.

Unfortunately, his father made a grave mistake, and his entire family was executed. Only he managed to survive by going on a trip on a whim. To evade the authorities, he had no choice but to flee to the mountains and become a roving bandit.

Therefore, when he saw Qin Ang, who had a similar experience, he still softened and let Qin Ang go. However, he did not know that Qin Ang had died of illness a quarter of an hour before the Qin family was wiped out, and the Qin Ang he saw was actually Qin Jin, who arrived later and took the opportunity to impersonate him.

It was precisely because of this that he had a certain degree of mutual respect and trust towards Qin Jin.

Luo Hongfang said calmly, "I have already checked her household registration and travel permit; her identity is beyond doubt."

Liu Ge was unwilling to give up. He opened his mouth, but couldn't help but say, "I know that our boss is meticulous in his actions, but..."

"But she didn't come earlier or later, so it's really suspicious that she came at this crucial moment."

Luo Hongfang said, "After the Qin family was wiped out, the Xue family searched everywhere for Qin Ang's whereabouts without success. They assumed that Qin Ang was also dead and had begun to look for a new husband for her. Until a few days ago, Jiang Huaishun escaped down the mountain. When Qin Ang was arresting people, she happened to be seen by the steward sent by the Xue family to inspect the shop. He recognized him, so she hurriedly came to find him."

Upon hearing the name Jiang Huaishun, Liu Ge realized he was in the wrong and lowered his head.

“I know you mean well, but she’s just a woman, what kind of trouble can she cause?” Luo Hongfang turned the pages of the book in his hand. “Instead of wasting time on this, you should hurry up and bring Jiang Huaishun back. Just thinking about him hiding with the account books makes me restless.”

Liu Ge responded with a deep voice.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the door, and a subordinate came in to report: "Boss, Qin Ang is back."

"Let him in."

Luo Hongfang looked up and saw Qin Jin holding a bloody human head. He couldn't help but smile and ask, "Did you succeed?"

Qin Jin strode in, put down the severed head he was carrying, and cupped his hands, saying, "I am fortunate to have fulfilled my duty as envoy."

"Well done, I'll give you credit for that," Luo Hongfang said with a smile. "Just tell me what you want."

Qin Jin pursed his lips, and after hesitating several times, he looked up at Luo Hongfang and said in a low voice, "Boss, I heard you're going to..."

Seeing Qin Jin hesitate, Luo Hongfang was more direct, smiling as he said, "I've invited your fiancée up the mountain. You too, your fiancée is family. She's come all this way to find you, how can you turn her away and not even invite her over?"

"Also, I don't know what you said to her, but a few days ago, Madam Xue was still asking around in the neighboring county about my whereabouts, wanting to negotiate with me to take you away. But when she saw me today, she was so frightened that she was trembling. How could you frighten your future wife like that?"

"I am no longer the Qin Ang I once was. We are worlds apart; there should be no further entanglement." Qin Ang lowered her head, a perfectly measured bitter smile on her face. "I didn't mean to hide it, but at this crucial juncture, I'm worried..."

Having dealt with Luo Hongfang for so long, I've long since figured out his temperament. He's never been a clever man, but he's suspicious by nature, so to avoid arousing his suspicion, I have to make him feel that everything is under control.

While Hu Dong was out gathering information, he was spotted by bandits. At this point, the best course of action was to turn the tables on them. The wealthy Xue family of Liangzhou had already made arrangements, and Xue Rongyue could use her identity to help Hu Dong pretend not to know anything and continue to inquire about the bandits' whereabouts, except that Qin Ang would be added to the list of people he was inquiring about.

When Luo Hongfang sent people to investigate Xue Rongyue's group's identities, Xue Rongyue pretended not to know that someone was following her. She stopped her fiancé, whom she hadn't seen for many days, to express her longing for him and wanted to take him away, but was harshly rejected.

All of this was discovered by Luo Hongfang himself through painstaking investigation. He didn't trust others, but he had unwavering faith in himself, unaware that it was all a deliberate arrangement.

Luo Hongfang clearly had something to say to Qin Jin: "You may all step back now."

Liu Ge's face had turned ashen ever since Qin Jin entered. Upon hearing this, he turned and left, and Ji Dian also left in response.

The main hall door slowly closed, and Luo Hongfang came down, patting Qin Jin on the shoulder: "Luckily you didn't listen to him and leave with her, otherwise I would have been heartbroken."

A smile played on his lips: "What difference is there? As long as you're willing to help me accomplish this, I guarantee I'll get the Xue family to agree and grant your wish."

Qin Jin looked surprised: "What is it?"

Several flowers were planted outside, in full bloom, just in season. A long breeze rustled the green leaves hanging by the window, and the fragrance of the flowers wafted in. The delicate flower branches looked especially lovely in the wind, but unfortunately, no one was in the mood to appreciate their beauty at that moment.

Luo Zhen closed the window: "There are bandits guarding the front, back, left, and right sides."

Jingnu was applying medicine to Xue Rongyue's neck. Although the wound had stopped bleeding, it still looked shocking: "What if it leaves a scar?"

Xue Rongyue didn't seem to care and asked her, "Are you two alright?"

Jingnu shook her head and replied, "The cotton padding in my dress is thick, so it doesn't hurt much. The blood I vomited was from a pre-prepared blood bag."

As they were talking, they heard footsteps approaching from outside. The three of them immediately stopped talking and looked warily toward the door. With a creak, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a tall and slender figure appeared in front of it.

It's Qin Jin.

Jingnu breathed a sigh of relief, gave Luo Zhen a wink, and the two of them retreated together.

Standing guard outside the door, Luo Zhen lowered his voice and asked Jingnu, "You don't seem to dislike Qin Shi... anymore."

Jingnu said, "Whoever my mistress dislikes, I dislike too. I always follow my mistress's lead."

Luo Zhen couldn't help but say, "My wife was so angry that day, it really frightened me. I didn't expect that she would be calmed down by Qin Langjun. I don't know what Qin Langjun said, but these past few days my wife has been no different from usual."

He had thought that his wife would make a fuss for several days before things calmed down, but he did not expect that in just one night, she had completely calmed down and was no longer fixated on the matter, as if she had found the answer she wanted.

-----------------------

Author's Note: The answer cannot be revealed yet, there will be spoilers. A reward (red envelope) will be given out when the answer is revealed in the main text~

The main storyline is finally finished. The next chapter will focus on romance; the young couple will be all lovey-dovey, and the prince will have to start settling his bills. [Let me see!]