"Third Aunt, I'm not a child anymore. How could I put those things in front of everyone? I've already hidden them. Don't worry, we can change into them tonight and then safely enter the tunnel!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiue sighed and said nothing more.
Qin Xiaoniang was tidying up her personal belongings when she suddenly thought of a thorny problem. She quickly put down what she was doing and asked, "What about our cart? And what about our food and vegetables? I'm afraid they won't be able to come out with us, will they?"
Song He'er smiled and said, "Mother, now is the time to sacrifice the small family for the greater good, so let's not worry about these material possessions."
Li Qiang's wife continued, following Song He'er's words: "That's absolutely right. It's already a miracle that we were able to leave this palace safely. How can we still expect to have those material possessions? Once we're in a safe place, we can figure out what to do with the rest later."
Zhang Xiue wished she could throw all the teaware on the table to the ground and smash it to vent her anger!
"That mother and daughter are a pair of despicable people. Not only did they make us lose our things, but they also caused us to waste a lot of time in this godforsaken place. I wish I could rush up and tear them to pieces!"
Qin Xiaoniang stepped forward, patted her back, and whispered, "Don't believe what a madwoman says. Even if they said something to the young prince, it's too late now. Aren't we about to leave the palace? Who will have the patience to interrogate a madwoman from the Central Plains? Just wait for them to be kicked out and forced to beg on the streets. That's worse than killing them!"
Zhang Xiue found some merit in his words and stopped being angry.
Song He'er pondered for a long time, but still felt there was something amiss. After all, Li Shi was also a member of the General's Mansion. If they committed a crime, then no one in the General's Mansion would be spared...
“Mother, Madam is Father’s first wife, and in name, she is my legal mother. If she makes a mistake, it’s the same as us making a mistake. If the two of them really can’t go to Xinzhou, won’t we be implicated as well?”
These words were a wake-up call! These people hadn't even considered this point!
Just when she was at her wit's end, Zhang Xiue suddenly had an idea.
"I remember they perished on the mountain, didn't they? Many soldiers were left behind on the mountain with them!"
Qin Xiaoniang nodded, "Yes, that's right, it's about the poisoning incident last time."
"Then this matter is not difficult to handle. First, if two women who are powerless can survive, it means that the other soldiers must not have died either. In addition, one of the soldiers insulted a wanted criminal of the court. How could they utter such a shameful thing? Moreover, the mudslide was rapid that day. In order to save their lives, they must have abandoned Li and her daughter and fled on their own. So, in order to save their own lives, what would they say to the local government?"
Song He'er hesitated for a long time, then suddenly realized, "It must be to report to the government that these two people died on the road, and then file a report to cancel their household registration and remove them from the register!"
Zhang Xiu'e clapped her hands and replied happily, "That's right! In that case, who would bother two dead people? This mother and daughter are already dead a thousand times over in the eyes of the court, so it's not surprising that they didn't reach Xinzhou!"
Song He'er laughed and said, "Third Aunt! Anyone who didn't know better would think you secretly read military strategy books!"
"Studying military strategy? Not really, it's just that being around Xiao He'er all the time has made me smarter through constant exposure!"
The group chuckled a couple of times and then fell silent.
Qin Xiaoniang glanced a few times at the place where Su Yu's wife was resting, and saw that she was still listless, not speaking to herself or the children.
Song He'er thought this kind of person was really too strange, and who knows if he might cause them trouble in the future.
Even more seriously, if they were to betray them one day, wouldn't they be caught in a pincer movement, with no chance of recovery?
"Young lady, what's wrong with her? Why don't we find a doctor from Xizhou to take a look and give her some medicine?"
Qin Xiaoniang gestured for her to speak softly, "I saw it last night, and we paid for it ourselves. The doctor said it was due to excessive liver fire and internal stagnation, caused by too many worries. In addition, excessive worry can easily lead to weight loss."
Song He'er even found it laughable. Overthinking? What had she worried about during this entire exile? Now she was the one overthinking!
Thinking of this, Song He'er held her breath, quietly walked over and sat down beside her, then gently asked, "Madam Zhou, is something on your mind? If you have any difficulties, just tell us, and we'll all help you solve them."
Su Yu's wife was very cold and didn't even want to speak.
"fine."
"Since everything's alright, let's grab something to eat and then leave together tonight."
"I'm not leaving!"
Not leaving?
This remark enraged Li Qiang's wife, who was sitting to the side. She stormed over and said, "What do you mean by this? I know you're angry with me, but even if you are, it's just between the two of us. Don't involve others. If you're not leaving, do you expect us all to stay here with you? Or are you saying that after eating here for a few days, you're reluctant to leave?"
Su Yu's wife remained cold and silent.
Zhang Xiue pulled her aside to sit down. Li Qiang's wife had no choice but to drink cold tea in fits and starts to keep herself calm.
Song He'er continued to ask, "Madam Zhou, why don't you want to leave?"
"Leaving is suffering, staying is suffering too, so I might as well stay here and wait for His Highness to get angry and just chop off my head for a quick death. I don't want to live like this anymore..."
Song He'er knew that she had given up entirely.
“Madam Zhou, even if you disregard your own safety, you should at least think of the children.”
When the child was mentioned, Su Yu's wife fell silent, but her eyes remained cold.
Song He'er felt that there was no point in dragging this out, so she decided to send a group of people out first and then take Su Yu's wife away when she found an opportunity.
This is much better than having a bunch of people waiting here!
"Third Aunt, go get your clothes and change. I'll take you away first."
Zhang Xiue hesitated, "No, this won't work. What if the soldiers find we're all gone? How will you get out? No way! This plan won't work!"
"Oh dear! Stop with the nonsense at a time like this. I'll definitely get out more easily than you. I'm someone close to the young prince, and they'll all give me face!"
After listening to her daughter's advice, Qin Xiaoniang did not hesitate this time and went straight to the courtyard to bring the clothes in.
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