"Mother, where did you go?" Ling Dapeng was sitting alone at the entrance of the restaurant. When he saw Tao Wan's mother and her group return, he immediately ran over and asked.

"I'm off on business. Come inside!" Tao Wanniang glanced at Ling Dapeng and said casually.

"Big brother, sister-in-law, Xiao Qiao'er, Miss Bai, why did you all go out?" Ling Dapeng, who had just entered the house, was still puzzled and felt wronged, as if everyone had gone out to play without telling him.

"Something came up, but it's all taken care of," Wang Hongyu replied casually. They didn't even know what she had gone to do!

Ling Dapeng felt wronged because no one wanted to play with him, but as he got busy, he quickly forgot about his disappointment.

Ling Yunzhou came alone this time, his face somber. Upon entering the restaurant, he immediately asked for a private room.

“General, you’re all alone. The private room can seat ten people. Isn’t that a waste?” Ling Dapeng felt that he and General Ling got along quite well, so he spoke the truth.

Ling Yunzhou glanced at Ling Dapeng with displeasure. This silly boy, can't he turn away customers in business?

"I want a private room, and then I'll have your mother come over," Ling Yunzhou said sternly.

"Oh, so you want Mother to order the food? Okay, General, this way please!" Ling Dapeng didn't think of anything else and readily agreed.

Ling Yunzhou entered the private room where he had brought people last time. Sitting alone in the room, he felt rather lonely.

He knew everything Tao Wanniang had done. If he hadn't sent people to assist her, could she have succeeded? Playing tricks in the dead of night—only Tao Wanniang could come up with such a thing. However, Huang Youdao and his wife deserved their fate. As for the aggrieved party… Ling Yunzhou knew it was Bai Yumei, Tao Wanniang's confidante. But having done so much for Tao Wanniang, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to ask for a thank you!

Tao Wanniang was busy in the kitchen when she heard Ling Dapeng say that General Ling had arrived and specifically asked her to come over. She was furious. What exactly did Ling Yunzhou want to do?

"Mother, the General is very generous, he must want you to make some special dishes for him!" Ling Dapeng said smugly.

Tao Wanniang glanced speechlessly at Ling Dapeng. How could someone like Ling Yunzhou have such a foolish son? This was the original owner's fault!

"You all continue cooking, I'll go check on things," Tao Wanniang said calmly, not wanting anyone to know Ling Yunzhou's identity.

“I know what you did to Huang Youdao and his wife,” Ling Yunzhou said with a stern face as soon as Tao Wanniang entered.

Tao Wanniang was stunned for a moment, then looked at Ling Yunzhou with a scrutinizing expression.

"The General doesn't concern himself with these matters, does he?" Tao Wanniang said slowly.

Ling Yunzhou was taken aback. Did she think he had come to question her?

"Tao Wanniang, aren't you supposed to be very clever? Can't you see that someone is helping you?"

She had already spoken to the Prince Rui's son, and Cheng Feng had also helped her find out where Huang Youdao and the others were. So, someone was helping her; it was either Cheng Feng or someone from the Prince Rui's mansion!

"I know, but what does this have to do with the General?"

Ling Yunzhou was speechless, looking at Tao Wanniang in disbelief, and couldn't help but blurt out: "Tao Wanniang, if this general hadn't instructed the people of Xiangguo Temple not to accept their commission, do you think this matter would have gone so smoothly?"

"You?!" Tao Wanniang was genuinely surprised; she had thought it was the Prince Rui's residence! Then, her surprise turned into scrutiny. Why was Ling Yunzhou helping her? What were his intentions?

"What kind of look is that? Does it surprise you that I, the general, am helping you?" Ling Yunzhou's expression turned somewhat ugly.

"Ha, ha, how could that be? The General has taken time out of his busy schedule to help a middle-aged woman like me. I am flattered. Um... what would the General like to eat today? Since you have helped me so much, this meal is on me."

Tao Wanniang quickly composed herself and said with a smile.

With laughter, anger, and joy written all over his face, Ling Yunzhou sized up Tao Wanniang, but he couldn't understand her!

"Go ahead and go wherever you want." In the end, he didn't ask the question that was on his mind. He hadn't even thought about the past yet, so what could he ask her?

"Alright, General, please wait a moment!" Tao Wanniang immediately walked out of the private room, her smile vanishing instantly. Had Ling Yunzhou taken the wrong medicine?

Inside the Princess's residence, upon hearing the guards' report that Lingyun Continent had recently formed, the Princess's expression turned extremely grim.

"The owner of that restaurant, is she named Tao Wanniang?" the Princess asked, her voice trembling. That name, like a curse, had always filled her with unease. But her scouts reported that Ling Yunzhou had been frequently visiting the vicinity of Tongfu Inn recently, encountering a woman there. The scouts had also discovered that the woman was the owner of a restaurant, a place Ling Yunzhou had visited before!

"Your Highness, the woman's name is indeed Tao Wanniang, and she has two sons and one daughter."

"Two sons and one daughter?" the princess asked subconsciously, as the old man seemed to have no daughter.

"The eldest son is named Ling Dahu, the second son is named Ling Dapeng, and the daughter is named Tao Linglong."

The son's surname is Ling! The princess's heart clenched immediately. Didn't this mean that this Tao Wanniang was Ling Yunzhou's first wife?

How old are your two sons?

Upon hearing her subordinates announce the two men's ages, the princess slumped into her chair. It was her, it must be her!

Ling Yunzhou must have known about it, which is why he met with that woman. But he is a great general. How could a peasant woman be worthy of him?

The eldest princess clutched her chest, her expression extremely complicated. She had guarded him for ten years, was she really going to hand him over to someone else? How could she be willing to do that?

"Find an opportunity to bring that woman here. I, the princess, want to see her in person." The princess composed herself and said coldly, "Without attracting attention!"

The subordinates acknowledged the order and withdrew. The princess looked at the tea set on the table, feeling resentful and indignant. With a flick of her sleeve, she swept everything off the table.

"Your Highness!" Upon seeing this, all the maids knelt down.

"Get out, all of you!" the princess said angrily. She was determined to have Ling Yunzhou. She was willing to wait for ten years because she would not allow herself to fail. Everyone knew that the princess was in love with General Ling Yunzhou. How could she let a peasant woman who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere defeat her!

Tao Wanniang was taken away from her own home, because the house was too big. She had only gone to the vegetable garden in the backyard when she saw two men in black suddenly appear.

Not wanting to frighten the rest of her family, Tao Wan's mother obediently went with the man!

"Brothers, could you tell me where you're taking me?" Tao Wanniang was shoved into the carriage parked at the back door of her house. Before getting in, she couldn't help but ask.

"Enough with the nonsense, you'll see when we get there!" the two men in black shouted sternly, and then started driving the carriage.

With the future uncertain, it would be a shame not to have some tools for self-defense!

Tao Wanniang opened the trading system. It had been a long time since she had visited, so she wanted to see what discreet yet practical self-defense tools she could find.

Hidden arrows! In the end, Tao Wan's eyes were drawn to a set of hidden arrow equipment.

"One hundred taels of silver, that's fucking expensive!"

As Tao Wanniang muttered complaints, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she found a cleverly concealed arrow on her wrist.

"Kidnapping my Taowan daughter? You've got a death wish!"