Song He'er was slightly taken aback, unsure how to respond.
That person? Isn't he just an ordinary citizen?
Perhaps he had offended these bandits from the Central Plains, which is why he was silenced...
"Because you were too afraid, you overlooked the badge on his waist."
After saying that, Jiang Huaifu took out a glittering silver object from his pocket and handed it to Song He'er.
Song He'er took it and examined it carefully in her hand.
However, the five large characters that suddenly appeared on the waist tag in the next instant made Song He'er panic.
"The people from the General of the North's Mansion should also be exiled to Xinzhou, right?" Jiang Huaifu suddenly asked.
Song He'er trembled as she thoughtfully stroked the words on the waist tag.
"Your Highness... is that person still alive?"
"It's already sealed. If you want to see it, you can have someone bring it over for you."
Song He'er dared not imagine who that person was. If it was her father, it would mean that all the men in the General's Mansion had been killed, and that they too would not be able to safely cross the snow-capped mountain.
"Your Highness, I want to see!"
Jiang Huaifu nodded and waved to the people behind him. Soon, a young soldier walked over.
"Your Highness, what are your orders?"
"Bring the person we found at the foot of the mountain here. By the way, is his face injured?"
The soldier hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Your Highness, when someone was carrying the body just now, they accidentally hit his head on a rock, so... so there are large bruises on his face, making him difficult to recognize."
"How dare you! Didn't I tell you to watch yourselves?!"
"Your Highness, please forgive us! It was our incompetence that we failed in our duties!"
"Get out!"
"yes!"
The soldier broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly ran away from the area.
Song He'er had anticipated that this matter was not so simple. Those soldiers had all fought on the battlefield, so how could they possibly throw a dead person to the ground?
Perhaps Jiang Huaifu didn't want her to see the person's face clearly at all, and was just deliberately reminding her like this.
"Don't be disappointed. Although you can't see the person's face clearly, they are still someone from your general's mansion. Speaking of which, does your family have enemies that caused this misfortune?"
After pondering for a while, Song He'er spoke calmly, "There must be an enemy, otherwise my father wouldn't have been framed, leading to our whole family being exiled..."
Jiang Huaifu's eyes were as deep as a pool, as if they held some secret, making them impossible to fathom.
"Are you still going to Xinzhou?" Jiang Huaifu suddenly asked.
“I must go. This is an imperial decree. I will not risk the lives of my entire clan.” With that, Song He’er turned and returned to Qin Xiaoniang’s side.
Their carriage was stained with blood, and there was a foul, fishy smell everywhere.
Although Zhang Xiue's wounds were still painful, she gritted her teeth and continued wiping away the bloodstains for the sake of the children.
When Qin Xiaoniang saw her daughter return, she immediately pulled her aside, and sometimes she would glance at Jiang Huaifu intentionally or unintentionally.
"Mother, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Does your wound hurt?"
"He'er, I'm asking you, what is your relationship with that young prince?"
Song He'er was speechless for a moment. "Mother, what kind of relationship could we have? It's just a master-servant relationship!"
“I saw him dressing you just now. As someone who has been through this before, I can tell you for sure that this young prince has ill intentions towards you!”
Song He'er was not unaware of this. She only gained Jiang Huaifu's extra attention because she looked too much like that woman, but this did not mean that there was any romantic relationship between the two of them.
Although Jiang Huaifu had ulterior motives towards her, she herself did not. She always understood her own identity and status, so she would not make mistakes.
"Mother, I look a lot like the woman he used to like. Didn't I tell you? He liked that woman, not me! So don't talk nonsense! Hurry up, let me see how your injuries are?"
Qin Xiaoniang shook her head. "I'm fine. I just scraped my skin when I was fighting with that bandit. It's nothing serious, and the children are all safe. It's just that your fourth aunt suffered a lot; she almost..."
Song He'er understood Chun Rao's feelings very well. An unmarried girl was almost molested. This kind of thing only happens in border areas. If it happened in the capital, she would probably be too ashamed to live and would have no choice but to throw herself into the river!
"Mother, I'm going to check on Fourth Aunt. You stay here and watch over the children! I'm afraid she might do something foolish!"
"Okay! Go ahead!"
But just as Song He'er was about to leave, she remembered something else. She turned around, hesitant, unsure how to bring it up with Qin Xiaoniang.
"What's wrong? Is there anything else?" Qin Xiaoniang asked.
"Mother, that dead man at the foot of the mountain... he had a waist tag on him..."
"Waist tag? What waist tag?"
Song He'er breathed a sigh of relief and replied, word by word, "It was... the waist tag of the General of Zhenbei's mansion. He might be someone from our household, but after thinking it over, servants don't necessarily have waist tags made of pure silver. The only ones who could have such a thing are my second uncle, third uncle, and father, but my third uncle is too big, and my second uncle is sickly. The only one who resembles the deceased is..."
Before Song He'er could finish speaking, Qin Xiaoniang had already guessed what was going on. After a long while, a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes.
"He's dead, so he's dead. All these years I've lived on the edge under his thumb, never having a single good day. I have nothing to say."
Song He'er felt very sorry for her stepmother. Although the identity of the deceased was still uncertain, if it was indeed her father, then her stepmother's life would be considered settled.
"Mother, don't think too much. Even without him, Huan-ge'er can still grow into a strong and upright man!"
Qin Xiaoniang calmed herself down and waved to Song He'er.
"Go see your fourth aunt, your mother wants some peace and quiet."
"good."
Song He'er nodded, turned around, and walked towards where Chun Rao was resting...
Chun Di was tidying up her dress. Her clothes were torn, her hair was disheveled, and she looked terrible, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.
"Fourth Aunt, are you alright?"
"Don't touch me!"
With red eyes, Chun Di pulled Song He'er aside and whispered a reminder, "He'er, Fourth Sister has suffered a blow. Apart from me, she doesn't get close to anyone. Don't blame her, just hate that damned beast!"
Song He'er took off one of her clothes and handed it to Chun Di.
"Please put this on her..."
.........
The main characters will be appearing one after another! Remember to give a five-star review, everyone! I'll be online every day waiting for you!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
