Chapter 74 Bearded Man with a Big Head

Yao Qingling smiled faintly and said, "I think Zhan Xingzhuo did this... probably to break free from the Grand Princess's restrictions."

Princess Deyang confined him to her new residence, forbidding him from seeing Zhou Zhining. This time, she was determined to separate them.

Given the current public opinion and the court's stance, Zhou Zhining is very likely to be formally identified as a remnant of the crime and forced into prostitution. As a mother, the Grand Princess's first priority is to protect her son.

Actually, Qingling left a reminder for the Grand Princess before she left.

If she had indeed accepted donations of silver from numerous female relatives and Zhan Xingzhuo had misappropriated the money, he would certainly have been imprisoned and investigated by the Dali Temple.

Given Zhou Zhining's character, even if she miscalculated this time, she would still instigate Zhan Xingzhuo to do the same thing next time she has the chance.

Princess Deyang knew that without Yao Qingling as a puppet, if she didn't take action herself, Zhan Xingzhuo would end up like the Zhou family.

But for Zhan Xingzhuo, being confined and unable to help Zhou Zhining and her son was probably worse than death.

If they wanted to leave, they had no choice but to submit a petition requesting to leave the capital and get away from the Grand Princess's control.

Furthermore, if he achieves something in Luozhou, he can report his merits to the court and request leniency for Zhou Zhining, and in turn, for the entire Zhou clan.

Ha, he'd do anything for Zhou Zhining.

Qingling lowered her eyes and remained silent, slowly peeling melon seeds.

The Censor's wife said, "That Zhou Zhining... after she was driven out of the new residence, her whereabouts became unknown. My husband, Cao, said that the Jingzhao Prefecture sent people to arrest her, but we don't know where she is hiding."

"Young Madam..." Accustomed to this form of address, the Imperial Censor's wife couldn't quite shake it off. After a pause, she changed her tone, "Madam Yao, you must be careful. Now that she's become like this, she must hate you to death. She might be lurking somewhere, waiting to take revenge on you."

Yao Qingling nodded: "Madam is right, I will definitely be extra careful. Fortunately, I haven't been going out much lately."

“I think you should wait a while longer, until Zhou Zhining is arrested, before you go out.”

Tao Ye was displeased and puffed out her cheeks, saying, "If they never catch him, won't my young lady have to hide in the manor for the rest of her life? Who is the culprit anyway?"

The censor's wife laughed: "You silly girl, I'm only doing this for Madam Yao's own good."

She put on a stern face: "I'm not trying to scare you. But in that dangerous situation at Yongning Temple that day, you weren't even as good as Madam Yao. Once we're outside, can you protect her?"

Peach Leaf pouted and fell silent.

Qingling chatted with the Censor's wife for a while longer; after the Censor's wife left, Taoye still had a little face on her face.

Qingling teased her, "Aren't you happy that we can't go out?"

Taoye said, "Miss, why don't we transfer Lin Qiao to our inner courtyard? She knows martial arts, and she's still a child, so people won't be wary of her!"

She was very nervous and kept the censor's wife's words in mind.

Yao Qingling had considered this idea, but...

She smiled and said, "We'll see."

Taoye glanced at her, then swept the courtyard around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before cautiously asking, "So, shall we go again this afternoon?"

In the afternoon, the ladies and young misses in the mansion were used to taking a nap, while the masters were still working at the mansion office; Yao Qingling and Taoye went out through the side gate.

Heading south, passing the former site of Yongning Temple, continue onward until you reach Que'er Mountain.

Que'er Mountain is a wild mountain, surrounded by desolate wilderness, with an even larger mountain range behind it, which holds countless secrets.

When Qingling's carriage arrived, it was already dusk, and there were no other pedestrians on the road.

Qingling did not dismount, but hung a yellow lantern on the front of the carriage.

She was quietly reading a book in the carriage.

But she had spent half a day riding in a carriage; she certainly didn't come here to read because she thought it was quiet and the scenery was beautiful.

The bandits from Yongning Temple hid in Que'er Mountain.

—The government searched the mountains several times, extending ten miles outward from Yongning Temple; the bandits, being hardworking, would hide in even more distant mountains when they saw the government troops searching. They had been hiding here for almost a year and were already familiar with the terrain.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a sharp whistle rang out.

Tao Ye tensed up, gripping Qing Ling's arm and lowering her body, watching the outside warily: "Miss, they're here!"

Qingling continued reading her "Miscellaneous Travel Notes," finding great interest in the items from all over the country described in the book, as well as the food from those places.

"Miss, stop looking!"

As Tao Ye was getting anxious, the carriage swayed slightly, and suddenly a large, bearded head poked its head through the curtain. Tao Ye was so frightened that she held her breath and widened her eyes, but instinctively put her body in front of Qing Ling to block him.

The bearded man looked inside the carriage and, finding no one else, stepped inside and sat down in front of Qingling.

He glanced at Tao Ye, and Qing Ling said calmly, "Tao Ye, step back."

Taoye glanced at the man again before quietly sitting down to the side.

The man rested his elbows on his knees, leaning slightly forward.

The carriage was small, and with the addition of a man, a burly one at that, it suddenly felt cramped; the man was also extremely intimidating.

His round, tiger-like eyes stared intently at Qing Ling, like a tiger descending from the mountain eyeing its delicious prey, ready to bite and devour it at any moment.

He stared at Qingling, then reached out and grabbed a fried dough stick from the low table, taking a big bite.

"Young lady, you're quite bold, aren't you afraid of me?"

Qing Ling smiled calmly: "Although we have not met at Yongning Temple, you already know what kind of person I am from your subordinates."

—A woman who dared to stand in front of a knife, ready to die for her cause.

She added, "If you looked down on me, you wouldn't have replied to my letter."

The man's lips curled into a smile, he glanced at her again, and then took a big bite of the fried dough.

Inside the carriage, there was the sound of men chewing on biscuits, along with the aroma of fried dough mixed with the men's body odor.

Tao Ye frowned slightly, unable to resist pinching her handkerchief to cover her nose, glaring at the man with disdain, her eyes cursing his rudeness.

As if sensing Taoye's disdain, the man looked up at her, and Taoye immediately lowered her eyelids in fright.

Yao Qingling sat calmly, looking neither at the man nor at anything else. She lifted the curtain and glanced outside the carriage.

It gets dark faster in the mountains than in the city. At this moment, it's hard to see anything clearly, except for a few figures standing there.

These people remained motionless, each clutching a large sword that gleamed silver in the moonlight, exuding an aura of extreme ruthlessness.

Qingling withdrew her gaze and turned to meet the man's eyes.

He had finished his biscuit and was about to take a second one.

Qingling said, "Aren't you afraid I'll poison the cake?"

The man glanced at her and said casually, "You saw those people outside."

He took another bite of the pancake.

Qingling was right. These people were hiding in the mountains. Although they had already robbed silver and food last time, the situation was tense now, and they dared not go out rashly. They couldn't spend the stolen silver, and they could only eat the food sparingly.

Qingling took out a large basket of fried dough cakes from under the table and instructed Taoye, "Fried dough cakes are filling; take them and share them with the people outside."

Taoye received the instructions and got off the carriage with the basket.

Qingling turned around, and the man stared at her: "Is the young mistress trying to win people over? Oh, no, you're not the young mistress anymore."

"I heard you and your husband have divorced?"

Yao Qingling smiled faintly and looked the man straight in the eye: "Yes. I suppose you guys are still quite well-informed even though you're deep in the mountains."

“We are not well-informed; we are waiting for the lady to fulfill her promise.”

She'd better know her own limitations before making a deal with bandits!