"A total of ten locations were set up to brew the herbal medicine, and everyone lined up to receive it every day."

"Thanks a lot."

Some are building houses, some are cooking, and some are brewing medicine.

Everyone was doing what they could, and what Pei Zhi saw was a thriving scene.

"Hey, you little brat, what are you doing?"

Pei Zhi saw a child fall to the ground, covered in medicine stains.

"What happened?"

"We were carefully distributing the herbal medicine when this child picked up the pot and tried to grab it. He ran too fast and fell down."

Qin Xiangyang squatted down to check on the child's condition. "Everyone gets a share of the medicine, why are you grabbing it?"

The child pursed his lips tightly and remained silent.

Pei Zhi asked, "Does anyone know this child? Does he have a seriously ill family member?"

The surrounding people shook their heads, saying, "Never seen him before, he looks completely unfamiliar."

The child was about ten years old; logically, the local people should have recognized him.

"Take him back; I want to question him carefully."

Pei Zhi realized that the child's identity was not so simple.

Upon hearing that he was to be arrested, the child struggled like a wolf cub, almost managing to break free.

After bringing the person back to the manor, Pei Zhi had some minor mistreatment done.

The child wolfed down the food, choked, but couldn't bear to spit it out.

Pei Zhi reminded him, "Drink some water."

After the child had eaten and drunk his fill, Pei Zhi had someone take the dirty child downstairs to bathe.

After watching the child being taken away, Chunhua hesitated and said, "Princess, this child doesn't seem to come from an ordinary family."

"Um."

Pei Zhi responded, and Pei Zhi also noticed.

Because the child has scars on his hands and arms.

If it were a child from an ordinary family, even if they were injured, they wouldn't have knife wounds.

"Go and summon the prefect. I have something to ask him."

Yin Lu had gone through thick and thin with Pei Zhi, and now he was extremely loyal to her.

Pei Zhi asked Yin Lu if there were any people who had not yet received the medicinal soup.

If a child comes to snatch medicine, it's definitely not for their own benefit.

Yin Lu thought for a moment, "There's a hill not far from here."

“That hill is easy to defend and difficult to attack. There is a group of bandits on the hill. I guess that the bandits are probably also infected with the plague.”

Yin Lu guessed, "The bandits would be caught as soon as they came down the mountain, so they sent a child to steal the medicine."

Pei Zhi asked, "Since there are bandits, why not report it to the imperial court and call for reinforcements to suppress them?"

Yin Lu was the local prefect, in charge of all the surrounding counties, so this matter was naturally Yin Lu's fault.

"We sent people to suppress the bandits at first, but those bandits were quite capable."

Yin Lu paused for a moment, then continued, "Later, they did not harm the surrounding villagers, and never committed any acts of arson, murder, or looting."

"Later, a few children, out of curiosity, climbed up the mountain, and the next morning, they were back at the foot of the mountain, completely unharmed."

Yin Lu observed Pei Zhi's expression and said, "Over time, I forgot about this matter."

"Forgot?" Pei Zhi almost laughed. "How could you forget such a large group of bandits on the mountain?"

Yin Lu immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness, "It was my negligence, Your Highness, please forgive me."

Pei Zhi asked, "Those bandits have never killed a single civilian?"

"That is indeed true."

Pei Zhi then asked, "They didn't steal a single penny?"

“Yes,” Yin Lu thought for a moment, then added, “Sometimes when it’s busy with farming down in the mountains, the bandits will come down to help, and then the people will sell them some grain at a low price.”

“Alright.” Pei Zhi had a general idea in mind. “In that case, you will come up the mountain with me tonight. I want to see what these bandits are all about.”

Pei Zhi was curious about the group of bandits living on the mountain.

If they don't rob and plunder, then how do they survive?

Pei Zhi believed that Lord Yin had not lied to her.

Pei Zhi spent more than twenty days with Yin Lu in the city, and thus got to know Yin Lu's character quite well.

He is a person who can get things done, not someone who is cunning and deceitful.

"Go up the mountain?" Yin Lu quickly shook his head. "Your Highness, you mustn't! Your Highness is of noble birth, how can you go up the mountain? It's too dangerous!"

"Didn't Lord Yin believe that those bandits were all good people, which is why he didn't ask the government troops to come and wipe them out?"

Yin Lu was struck by Pei Zhi's words, "Even so, they are still bandits, people who live on the edge of a knife."

"My mind is made up. If you are unwilling, then you can wait for me here."

Seeing this, Yin Lu could only sigh.

As night fell, Pei Zhi and Yin Lu were led by a child to climb a mountain.

Pei Zhi said that she was a doctor and was willing to go to the mountains to treat the people.

Seeing that Pei Zhi only had two options, the child naturally didn't hesitate.

The child led the way, and it took them more than half an hour to reach the top of the mountain.

As soon as they arrived at the mountain, Yin Lu and Pei Zhi were surrounded by a group of people.

Yin Lu quickly shielded Pei Zhi behind him, saying, "I am Prefect Yin. Tell your head of household to come out."

The bandits recognized Yin Lu's face.

Pei Zhi looked around and saw that many of the houses on the mountain had collapsed, and there were many loose rocks everywhere.

It's also because the mountain is so big; otherwise, if the mountain had collapsed, the bandits on it would have had a very hard time surviving.

Pei Zhi saw a burly man with a dark complexion walking over.

"Master Yin."

Yin Lu's eyes were practically twitching, but the man still bowed to Yin Lu.

Pei Zhi looked at Yin Lu with a half-smile.

Yin Lu could only say, "Back then, there was a notorious womanizer in the city, and they helped me catch him."

"I see."

Yin Lu smiled awkwardly and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

Yin Lu helped Pei Zhi sit down, while he stood to the side.

"His name is Alan, and the bandits here all listen to him."

Pei Zhi looked Alan up and down, "Why did you become a bandit in the mountains?"

The man named Allen stared at his face full of pustules and said, "Because I'm willing."

“Okay.” Pei Zhi didn’t waste any more words with him.

Pei Zhi tossed a bottle of medicine onto the ground. "There's a poison in this."

“If you eat this, I will guarantee that everyone in the entire village will live.”

"What did you say?"

"Are you looking for death?"

"Boss, you mustn't!"

The bandits who had been quietly staying nearby suddenly sprang into action, some even threatening to slash Pei Zhi with knives.

Yin Lu quickly stood in front of Pei Zhi, adopting a protective stance.

"Lord Yin told me that you have not harmed the villagers down the mountain."

"But even so, you are bandits. If you, the bandit leader, atone for your sins with your death, then this matter will be over."

"Boss, don't listen to this woman's nonsense."

"That's right, brothers would rather die of illness than die together."

As he spoke, a man picked up a knife and was about to slash at Pei Zhi, saying, "I'll kill you right now."