Upon hearing Pei Sining's words, Old Lady Zhu's face darkened, and she instantly became serious, staring at him intently as she asked questions.
"Your parents are at the border, why are you here? This place is thousands of kilometers away from the border."
This question made Pei Sining instantly cautious. She subconsciously took a few steps back and placed her hand on the dagger behind her back.
"Is it possible to not reply to this question?"
"No, since you're traveling with us first, there are some things that need to be made clear, otherwise we have no reason to take the risk of bringing you along."
When Grandma Zhu was talking to Pei Sining, she almost couldn't resist giving in to his request, if it weren't for her granddaughter's reminder.
She might actually be foolish enough to treat this child in front of her like an ordinary child, and because he looked pitiful, she would agree to his request, thus losing an opportunity to save Jiangyang City.
Now that we know his identity, we must force him to reveal his true identity and then use that as leverage to get him to exchange Jiangyang City for a trip to the border.
Faced with Old Lady Zhu's aggressive attitude, Pei Sining fell silent. He never expected that these people would be so wary of a seven-year-old child.
If he wanted to go to the border with them, he had to conceal his identity; otherwise, if they knew he was a member of the Liang royal family...
They probably only want to use him as bait to gain favor with the Yuan Dynasty and thus be exempt from their previous crimes.
Seeing that the other party insisted on getting to the bottom of things, he had no choice but to think for a long time before lowering his head and sobbing softly.
"Because... I was kidnapped from the border by human traffickers. After arriving in this remote place, I used my wits to escape. Now, with the help of several aunties, I want to go home with you to find my parents."
Grandma, don't believe him. He is the Crown Prince of Liang.
Make sure to keep him by your side; don't let this guy get away.
He's the male lead, a benefactor, and the grandmother; we can't let him leave.
Zhu Xixi, who was originally fast asleep, was sleeping very restlessly. She opened her eyes groggily and became excited when she saw Pei Sining. She grinned foolishly and waved her little hands frantically.
Grandma Zhu was very disappointed with Pei Sining's answer. Their conversation had taken up a lot of time, and it was already past midnight.
But there were no clues, and she was too lazy to play tricks on the other party anymore. She carefully handed her granddaughter to Liu Meixin.
Then, she took out the jade pendant in her hand and asked sincerely.
"Is this your jade pendant? It has the character 'Pei' engraved on it."
Pei Sining stared in astonishment at the jade pendant in Old Madam Zhu's hand, hurriedly searched for it, and when she found it was not on her person, her face darkened, and she asked in a low voice.
"You all knew?"
"Don't worry, we mean no harm and won't hurt you."
Old Mrs. Zhu tossed the jade pendant to Pei Sining, took a deep breath, and said nervously.
"Why are you here? Although Liang has conflicts with our country, it has not escalated to the point of armed conflict."
Pei Sining took the jade pendant and examined it carefully while looking down, ignoring Old Madam Zhu's question.
Grandma Zhu couldn't wait for Pei Sining to think things through. Suppressing her anxiety, she stepped forward and said, "You appeared alone and fainted in the woods. It can't be an accident. Do you know something?"
Pei Sining slowly raised her head to look at everyone, her cold face expressionless, and she remained silent.
Looking at Pei Sining's calm and composed attitude, Zhu Haotian became more and more anxious and wanted to step forward and take him down.
Unexpectedly, Liu Meixin stopped him as soon as he took a step, her face showing some unease, and said sincerely.
"Young Master Pei, to be honest, we're leaving tomorrow. I've received word that Jiangyang City is going to be in chaos."
"If Jiangyang falls into chaos, the people in the city will surely become refugees. With refugees everywhere and bandits running rampant, do you think you can still reach the border smoothly?"
“If you know anything, tell me. It will not only save the people of Jiangyang, but also you.”
Pei Sining looked calmly at the Zhu family members in front of her, but after hearing Liu Meixin's words, she couldn't help but lower her head and let out a laugh.
"Save the people of Jiangyang City? Even if you know, so what? You can't even save yourselves, how can you save them, and how can you save me?"
"What if we have weapons?" Old Mrs. Zhu knew that Pei Sining was not easy to deal with, so she had no choice but to reveal her last trump card by leaking the information about the supplies in advance.
This statement surprised not only Pei Sining, but also the rest of the Zhu family members, who looked at Old Madam Zhu with utter confusion.
Pei Sining squinted at Old Lady Zhu with a skeptical look. "What? You really think I'm just an ordinary seven-year-old child?"
"Of course I know that Young Master Pei is exceptionally talented, unlike children from ordinary families. That is why I proposed to cooperate with Young Master Pei and exchange information."
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Zhu lowered her head and smiled, then stepped forward with her hands behind her back, looking calmly at Lin Zi. "If you don't believe me, Young Master Pei, you can come with me to take a look."
"Why should I believe you?" Pei Sining cautiously took a few steps back, gripping a dagger in her hand, ready to strike at any moment.
Grandma Zhu smiled at Pei Sining, but did not answer his question. Instead, she waved and led the Zhu family members stealthily toward the woods.
Pei Sining watched the receding figure, hesitated for a moment, and then followed closely behind, deliberately keeping a distance from the Zhu family.
Only after the Zhu family entered the bushes did he stand outside and anxiously look inside.
"Old Madam Zhu, if you want me to believe you, why don't you take out the item?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of wheels rolling across the grass could be heard. A moment later, Zhu Haotian and Zhu Chenchun emerged from inside, pushing a cart with a smug look on their faces.
The rest of the Zhu family members were all all smiles, happily gathered around the cart, curiously trying to lift the bamboo curtain to see the supplies inside.
"Mother, where did you get this cart? What's inside?" Zhu Haotian carefully stopped the cart, looking at Old Lady Zhu with excitement, waiting for her to give instructions.
Old Mrs. Zhu stood in front of the cart, her eyes crinkling with joy. She casually waved her hand, signaling her son to lift the bamboo curtain, "Let Young Master Pei see what's inside."
Wow, supplies! It's supplies! Grandma finally found supplies!
[Thank goodness, my family is finally saved.]
Nestled in Liu Meixin's arms, Zhu Xixi watched the cart emerge from the grass, growing happier with each glance, her chubby face beaming with smiles.
At a command, the Zhu family members quickly lifted the bamboo curtain and stared in astonishment at the dazzling array of supplies on the cart.
Two-thirds of the cart was filled with crossbow bolts, and the rest with food and medicine.
Zhu Chenfeng roughly calculated that there were thirty crossbows in the carriage, food including cured meat, eggs, fine noodles, rice and other coarse grains, and medicinal herbs including some hemostatic and anti-inflammatory herbs.
After the inspection was completed, he hurriedly informed Grandma Zhu of the situation he had planned.
"Mother, there are thirty crossbows in total. They are all well-made weapons and very easy to use. Even women can use them."
In fact, when Grandma Zhu discovered these supplies, she had already planned out what was inside.
Her son's report didn't surprise her much; instead, she stared intently at Pei Sining.
"Young Master Pei, could these weapons serve as leverage in our negotiations?"
Pei Sining was surprised that these people could actually produce weapons. She knew that resources were scarce at the moment, and this truckload of weapons and medicines was more precious than gold.
Thinking of this, he began to hesitate, pursing his lower lip, a conflicted expression on his face.
If the Turks' plan were revealed, the Liang Kingdom's plan to annex the Yuan Kingdom after saving Jiangyang City would likely have to be delayed.
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