The masked man's identity is even more surprising! He is actually the son of the prefect. After being brainwashed by a certain man with a series of distorted and unfounded statements, he quickly came to believe that his father's death was a suicide out of fear of punishment and joined the bandit gang.
When Qin Qing found out, she was utterly speechless! She couldn't believe there were such stupid people out there; what kind of thought process did they have!
By noon, most of the bandits and rebels in Dingshan City had been captured, but there was still no information about the man.
Qin Qing led Xiao Muxing into the hall. There were only four people in the room, plus a baby-faced man kneeling on the floor with an unyielding expression...
Seeing her suddenly walk in, the group looked up at her, and Deputy General Zhang was the first to smile and speak.
"As expected, Sister Qin was decisive. If you hadn't come to our aid before us, the brothers probably wouldn't have made it through these last two days! I will remember this favor!"
Huang Zhong also clasped his hands in thanks, though he didn't say a word, the gratitude in his eyes was clearly visible.
Qin Qing smiled awkwardly. She could say that she didn't care about other people's lives or deaths at all. If it weren't for her granddaughter being there, she wouldn't bother getting involved in this mess.
Seeing that she remained silent, Deputy General Zhang followed up by asking the question that had been bothering him.
"However, there is one thing I don't understand, and I would like to ask Sister Qin for clarification!"
Qin Qing nodded upon hearing this.
"Please feel free to speak."
Seeing her frankness, Deputy General Zhang didn't mince words and spoke directly.
"Our army advanced at breakneck speed, yet it still took us nearly six days to arrive. We barely had time to rest along the way. Logically, we should have been at most a day behind Sister Qin. How come Sister Qin arrived two days earlier than us? We heard she even brought a whole cartload of grain..."
He paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on Qin Qing's face for a split second, but finding nothing amiss, he continued.
"Sister Qin managed to push the cart up the mountain all by herself, while also avoiding the enemy's sight, and finally saved the general and others at the critical moment... I'm really curious, how did you do that?"
Qin Qing's face remained calm, but her heart was in turmoil. She had considered this matter before, but since Wang Yan hadn't brought it up, she had assumed it didn't matter. She never expected that Vice General Zhang would bring it up so directly...
"actually…"
She had barely uttered two words when her face showed a look of struggle and unease. At that moment, the three men opposite her were all staring intently at her, as if they all wanted to know what had happened.
Just when she thought she was going to get Barbie Q, Wang Yan spoke up.
"If you don't want to talk about it, then so be it. The Qin family played a significant role in the chaos in Dingshan City. I will personally report to His Majesty the truth when we return."
Upon hearing this, Deputy General Zhang hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to remain silent under Wang Yan's keen gaze.
Qin Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that one lie would inevitably lead to more lies to cover it up, and she disliked having to think about such things.
"Thank you for your understanding, General. By the way, I would like to take Mu Xing back to the capital first. Anyway, she is just a little girl and she can't be of much help with the remaining matters in Dingshan City."
Wang Yan remained silent for a moment before nodding, and Qin Qing then smiled.
"Thank you, General. I'll be going now."
After saying that, she turned and left without seeing the resentment on the baby-faced man's face on the ground.
She had only walked out of the hall a short while when she heard shouts behind her. Turning around, she saw Huang Zhong's burly figure. After her gaze lingered on his evasive and humiliating expression for a few seconds, a look of surprise appeared on her face.
"Is there something you need, Deputy General Huang?"
Who could imagine that a burly man, about 1.78 meters tall, with a muscular build, a full beard, prominent eyebrows, and a gruff voice, would be so hesitant and unable to meet her gaze...
To be honest, it's quite disgusting.
But of course she wouldn't say that out loud!
After hesitating for a long time, Huang Zhong finally seemed to have mustered up his courage. His demeanor made Qin Qing wonder if he had a crush on her!
"Sister Qin! I wonder... I wonder if Miss Peony is married? I... I'm just asking, just asking."
As he stammered, the usually straightforward and burly man blushed. Although his dark skin made it hard to tell, Qin Qing could still sense his burning heat. Adding to this, the long axe at his waist, his menacing demeanor, and the way he nervously gripped his clothes—he looked incredibly anxious…
It feels strangely like a future son-in-law meeting his mother-in-law!
Thinking back to his previous meeting with Peony, Qin Qing suddenly felt he had figured it out! His face was filled with sudden realization!
"Oh...I see! Peonies never marry."
Upon hearing her words, Huang Zhong became as excited and thrilled as a poor man who had won the lottery, his mouth wide open in a silly grin.
"Really, really!!"
Could Qin Qing make him happy? Obviously not! After all, back in the military camp, this guy had spread quite a few rumors about her! So she sighed again.
"Of course! This child...is heartbroken!"
A vague sentence sent a jolt through Huang Zhong, filling him with uncontrollable tension and worry! He quickly asked.
"Heartbreak...heartbreak? She's injured? How serious is it? How come I didn't know? Who did it? Sister Qin, please tell me quickly, I will definitely get justice for Shaoyao!"
In a moment of desperation, the burly man grabbed Qin Qing's arms with both hands, his grip incredibly strong. Qin Qing's face instantly turned pale and contorted in pain.
"You...let go!"
Huang Zhong snapped out of his daze and quickly let her go, but his eyes remained fixed on her, as if waiting for an answer.
Qin Qing couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"When I say 'heartbroken,' I mean that she was once hurt with her whole heart! It doesn't mean she was actually hurt!"
Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong not only did not breathe a sigh of relief, but became even more worried.
"Then...how is she now? I, I..."
Seeing his helpless expression left Qin Qing speechless once again. He really was a brother to Wang Yan, that straight man! Being that straight, he'd probably never find a wife in his life!
"Alright! That's all in the past. Do you like peonies? Look at you, so pathetic! If you like someone, just say it! How will she know if you don't tell her? Anyway, neither of us is married, so it won't hurt to say it!"
She wasn't thinking much when she said that, but Wang Yan in the room heard it all. A look of surprise flashed across his usually serious and cold face. So that's what she was thinking?
After Qin Qing finished speaking, Huang Zhong looked shy and expectant. Seeing this, she immediately became interested and acted as a love psychologist, speaking eloquently and logically.
Huang Zhong listened very attentively, nodding occasionally to show his approval. Finally, he looked at Qin Qing with a serious and determined expression.
"Rest assured! I will definitely treat Miss Peony well!"
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