Chapter 351 But now she has the vicious idea of killing her husband, how can he still turn a blind eye? !
"Then...how do we crack it?"
The master said, "Send people to search the southeast of the city. Also, think of anyone in the mansion who might be in conflict with the young master. Separate them from the young master, and his luck will not be affected."
Mrs. Qin thought about it and realized that there was no one in the mansion who could offend her, except... her biological father who never cared about her.
Thinking of this, her eyes immediately darkened.
Then he found the abbot and asked for some medicine.
In fact, the abbot of Leigong Temple had received favors from her mother's family in the past.
The abbot also did some shameful things behind the scenes, and Madam Qin knew it all clearly. A long time ago, he even did something for his biological father.
This time she asked the abbot for a medicine that was extremely poisonous.
Anyone who eats it will die within a quarter of an hour with foam at the mouth.
She and Qin Fu had no feelings for each other a long time ago. She only tolerated everything Qin Fu did for the sake of Shen'er's future, and just wanted to be his wife in a high position.
But now, Qin Fu has become a beast that affects his son.
If he doesn't care about his son, and doesn't care about himself, then what's the point of him coming here? ! Moreover, without me, Qin Fu wouldn't be where he is today.
Those who forget their roots will embark on a path of no return from which there will be no regrets.
"Thank you, Abbot."
She clutched the medicine and went home.
The nanny beside her looked at her nervously, and thinking of the effect of the medicine, she couldn't help but remind her.
"Madam, do we really want to do this? What if... what if the master finds out, I'm afraid..."
"If you don't tell me and I don't tell you, who will know?"
"Mammy, haven't I had enough of a hard life these past few years? Look at him, he's living such a carefree life!
Shen'er is missing now, but he doesn't care at all. He's only focused on having a romantic affair with another bitch. Tomorrow is his birthday, and he wants to throw a grand banquet. He asked me to arrange it for him half a month in advance. What kind of thing is this?
"I could tolerate it before, but now Shen'er has reached this point, I can't tolerate it anymore!"
After hearing what she said, the nanny stopped trying to comfort her and became angry as well.
Indeed, the master has gone too far.
However, just as they got home, they heard that Qin Fu had finally sent secret guards to look for his son.
Before the joy had worn off, everyone thought Qin Fu had a change of heart, but it turned out that the person that Mrs. Qin had originally sent out also came with news about Qin Shen.
The attendant was holding a familiar shoe tremblingly. The shoe was exquisitely embroidered. Mrs. Qin knew at a glance that it was her son's shoe.
Shen'er's shoes and clothes were all sewn by her stitch by stitch, so naturally there was no mistake.
So his face tightened and he asked hurriedly: "Where did you find him? Is there any news about Shen'er?" The follower hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth hesitantly.
"Ma'am, these shoes were found by the river outside the city. Someone said they saw the young master walking towards the river. When we got there, we only saw this shoe, and..."
"what else?!"
“And the levees collapsed.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Mrs. Qin's legs instantly went limp and she collapsed to the ground.
The nanny was shocked: "Madam!" She hurried to help Madam Qin up.
He also comforted her, "Madam, please don't worry. Those embankments are all naturally high embankments. They collapsed a few days ago due to the rain. It's not necessarily that the young master fell from there. As for those shoes, they can be seen everywhere. Maybe they are not the young master's shoes."
"Even if it was, it's possible that the young master threw it there, or..."
The nanny couldn't continue her story and didn't know how to make it up.
It seems that the more he talks, the more true it becomes.
Mrs. Qin could no longer hold back. Her eyes went dark and she fainted.
When she woke up again, there was no one standing next to the bed, but Qin Fu was sitting by the screen.
Seeing that she was awake, Qin Fu slammed the cup on the table with dissatisfaction, making a loud noise.
"How shameful!!!"
"You, Madam Qin, can't even handle this little emotion, and you've made a fool of yourself for nothing? Shen'er hasn't even been found yet, so what can a single shoe tell us?"
"If you suddenly fainted, and someone fabricated a story about Shen'er going missing, it would inevitably attract the attention of some people with ulterior motives. Then Shen'er would be in real danger!"
"Woman, you are so stupid! Besides, Shen'er is such a grown man, can he be thrown away like a three-year-old child? You are really making a big deal out of nothing."
He swung his sleeves fiercely and declared, "Don't worry about Shen'er's affairs for the next two days. Stay home and prepare for tomorrow's birthday banquet. There will be many people coming to the mansion as guests. Don't embarrass me!"
Seeing that Qin Fu was still thinking about her birthday party at this time, Mrs. Qin's face was filled with only a sneer.
She also didn't want to say too much to Qin Fu, such a cold and heartless man.
Because no matter what you say, it's redundant.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Qin Fu became even more furious: "Didn't you hear?!"
Madam Qin lowered her eyes, stared at him intently, and said, "Qin Fu, you'd better pray that Shen'er can return safely, otherwise... as a father, you will be punished by going to hell! Yama..."
However, before she could finish her words, she was slapped by Qin Fu. Mrs. Qin was dazed and saw stars.
Qin Fu turned around angrily and rushed out, slamming the door shut.
I don't want to say a word to this crazy woman.
On the other hand, the place where Ruan Mian stayed was indeed carefully selected by Qin Fu. It was not only remote but also had everything he needed.
Although there were not many guards, due to the unique terrain, even if she wanted to escape, it would probably be difficult for her to get out of the jungle outside the house.
But Qin Fu obviously underestimated her.
No matter what, she holds space in her hands, unlike ordinary women.
As the night deepened, the guards outside the door gradually became silent. Ruan Mian saw a bird or animal flapping its wings outside the window, guiding her to look in another direction.
This is the bird and beast that followed Yun Xiu back to Wuheng. It was originally there to ensure their safety along the way. Now that it has returned, Yun Xiu must have arrived in Wenchang.
Seeing this, Ruan Mian touched the jade bracelet and summoned the white tiger beast from it.
The little animal hadn't been out for a walk for a long time. When it saw Ruan Mian, it rubbed against him like a big cat.
Ruan Mian touched its head and didn't want it to waste time, so he quickly sat on its back, jumped up, and easily reached the eaves.
Although it is big in size, its light body and claws make it possible to run quickly on the eaves with Ruan Mian without making any sound.
It didn't take long for her to find Yun Xiu.
Yun Xiu was resting in a straw hut outside the city at the moment. Because of the curfew, he could not go into the city to find Sister Mianmian at night.
I thought I couldn't disturb her so late, so I was a little particular.
Unexpectedly, Ruan Mian actually took the initiative to find him. When he saw Ruan Mian, Yun Xiu thought he was hallucinating!
I quickly wiped my eyes, trying to stop myself from missing her too much.
Along the way, he kept reminding himself that since the master was not dead, he had to keep his feelings for Sister Mianmian to himself and not let others find out. He also didn't want to embarrass Sister Mianmian.
Everything can return to the starting point. What is more important is not to let the adults feel disappointed.
But he didn't expect that he would have hallucinations to this extent!
However, Ruan Mian tapped his shoulder, and the real touch made Yun Xiu react suddenly. This was not an illusion at all, it was clearly Sister Mianmian coming to see him.
"Sister Mianmian? How did you find me?"
Ruan Mian didn't explain too much, but just asked him: "Did Zhu'er get home safely?"
Yun Xiu nodded quickly. "Don't worry, Sister Mianmian. Sister Zhu'er has arrived home safely. She'll be fine with Miss Meixi taking care of her. I rushed here overnight, too. Are you all right over there? Is everything going well?"
Ruan Mian smiled lightly: "It's going well, just trust me."
"I'm here to see you now because some plans have been forced to move up, and I wanted to confirm with you whether there's any news on Madam Qin, whom I asked you to check on earlier."
It turned out that before Yun Xiu sent Cuizhu away, Ruan Mian had already asked him to look for her along the way. Not only that, she also spent some money to inquire in the city.
Yun Xiu also got results.
"That lady isn't a good person either. Sister Mianmian, you don't have to worry about her. She usually beats and scolds the servants, or sells them out. It's said... she even has secret dealings with a matchmaker, causing harm to many people."
It seems that Qin Fu's family is not a good family! This way, she doesn't need to care about anyone.
People like Madam Qin don't deserve to die.
She really thinks that only her own son is a treasure and everyone else is worse than pigs and dogs.
Now she can finally have a taste of what karma feels like.
Thinking of this, she patted Yun Xiu's shoulder and said, "I understand. There is one more thing I need your help with."
"Sister Mianmian, just go ahead."
Not long after, Ruan Mian took him to a remote cave outside the city.
As soon as I reached the door, I heard a man roaring from inside.
"Why don't you let me go?! I think you don't want to live anymore. Do you know who I am? My father is Qin Fu, Master Qin! If you don't want to die, send me back quickly. I can even leave you with an intact body!"
"Did you hear me? Let me go!"
Hearing this arrogant tone, Yun Xiu couldn't help but frown.
He is indeed Qin Fu's son, and he thinks he is very important.
Yun Xiu hated people like him the most, so he stepped forward without hesitation and punched Qin Shen hard twice.
He was hit so hard that the corner of his mouth started bleeding and he was completely stunned.
He stared at them with wide eyes, as if he wanted to tear them apart and eat them.
However, Yun Xiu's eyes narrowed, and his dark pupils were like a blade flashing with cold light. As he drew his sword, the sound of the sharp blade being unsheathed made Qin Shen give in instantly.
"Good man! Good man, spare my life!"
"I'll give you any amount of money you want, just let me go home. My dad's birthday is tomorrow. If I don't go back, how will others look at me? My dad will be humiliated!"
However, Ruan Mian completely ignored him and only said to Yun Xiu: "Please help me look after him for a few days. Don't show up at the Qin Mansion tomorrow."
Qin Shen immediately sensed the danger when he heard this and said, "You, what do you want to do in my Qin Mansion?"
However, Yun Xiu couldn't stand his noise anymore and knocked him out with a punch.
"Don't worry, Sister Mianmian, I'm watching over him. He won't leave even a step."
Ruan Mian could only feel at ease if she handed Qin Shen over to Yun Xiu.
After all, Qin Fu is now concerned about his son and has sent secret guards to look for him. Compared with ordinary guards, those people are more likely to find him.
She would not let Qin Fu disrupt her plans for tomorrow.
Qin Shen's shoe was enough to arouse Mrs. Qin's hatred.
Ruan Mian had realized at the Leigong Temple that Madam Qin hated Qin Fu to the core, so she bribed the abbot and gave the medicine to Madam Qin.
But her purpose was somewhat different from Mrs. Qin's.
Because if Qin Fu died like this, his value would not be fully utilized.
-
The next morning.
The Qin Mansion was already bustling with activity. All the servants in the mansion knew that today was the master's birthday, and people from all over Wenchang City came here to congratulate Qin Fu.
Most of them are people who are trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful. Even people who are not related to them at all want to show up today.
For a moment, it seemed as if the threshold of the Qin Mansion was about to be broken down.
Mrs. Qin was unexpectedly dressed up, unlike her usual dull look. Today, she was very warm and welcoming to the guests.
The banquet in the mansion was also well-organized. Qin Fu was very satisfied. It seemed that yesterday's encouragement had worked. So, this woman should be established in front of her. Only in this way would they be afraid of her.
So Qin Fu didn't think much about it, but instead accepted the flattery from people from all walks of life.
Even if his son was gone, he was determined to maintain the reputation of the mansion.
Of course, there are people looking for it, so there is no need for him to take action.
Rather than Qin Shen's disappearance, he believed that Qin Shen was angry for no reason. Who knew what kind of conflict that bastard had with his mother.
There have been cases of people running away from home and never being heard from again before, but now it’s just the case of crying wolf.
But today is his birthday. If he, as a son, doesn't take it seriously and doesn't show up, don't blame him for being rude in the future!
Thinking of this, Qin Fu's face darkened a little.
It was only after the attendant beside him reminded him that he regained his smile.
He waited until the banquet was over before returning to the backyard.
After hearing that there was still no news about that bastard Qin Shen, the anger in his heart suddenly reached its peak.
When he reached the wing room, he couldn't help but smash the cup and dish, pointed at Madam Qin's nose and cursed: "This is the good son you taught! Look at him! What a disgrace!"
"He didn't even show up for his father's birthday. There were so many people watching outside. Now everyone knows that my disappointing son no longer takes me seriously as his father!"
"Go out and see if there's any son out there who, on his father's birthday..."
"Qin Fu, you only think that Shen'er is unfilial and doesn't even care about your birthday, but have you ever thought about whether Shen'er is really in trouble? He can't return home."
Mrs. Qin was much calmer today. Even though Qin Fu said such words, she did not get hysterical.
Instead, her eyes were filled with tears and she looked even weaker than usual, completely lacking the demeanor of her usual tigress.
This made Qin Fu stunned and his brows furrowed.
With a little conscience in his heart, he rarely softened his tone: "I've sent people to investigate. It's such a nice day, and the guests haven't left yet, why are you crying like that?"
Madam Qin wiped her tears and sobbed, "Master is right. I am the wife of the Qin family after all. The more this happens, the more I cannot lose my composure."
"Master, please drink your tea first. Shen'er is not here today, and I haven't offered you this cup of filial tea yet. I will pass it to you on behalf of my son. At least the rules cannot be broken."
Seeing that she was reasonable, Qin Fu's temper calmed down a lot.
According to the rules, you have to drink this cup of tea.
So he took the cup without offending Mrs. Qin.
However, just as she was about to drink, the door to the wing room was suddenly thrown open, and two servants who were guarding the door rushed in and stopped her, saying, "Miss! You are not allowed to trespass!"
Before they could react, Ruan Mian had already stood in the room and stopped Qin Fu.
"Sir, you can't drink that tea!"
Mrs. Qin's face suddenly changed, and Qin Fu looked at her with confusion.
Ruan Mian walked up quickly and knocked the cup out of his hand.
The sound of a porcelain cup breaking was heard, and Ruan Mian spoke solemnly before Mrs. Qin could start cursing.
"Does your Excellency know what is in this tea?"
"What nonsense are you talking about! Someone, take him away!"
Mrs. Qin was so angry that she started shouting outside.
Soon several maids rushed in with guards, but were stopped by Qin Fu with a look.
He looked closely and motioned for Ruan Mian to continue, "Madam Ruan, do you know what's in this tea?"
Ruan Mian curled his lips and spoke mercilessly.
"This tea is soaked in poison powder. If you drink it, what do you think will happen?"
Hearing this, Qin Fu's face was instantly filled with anger. Qin Fu stared at Madam Qin with his eyes wide open, as if he wanted to tear her apart.
Madam Qin sneered, but calmed down a bit. "My dear husband, why would you trust a foreign woman like her? We have been married for so many years, and we even had a son like Shen'er. Why would I want to harm you?"
"If you die, everything I have now will be gone!! Why would I ask for trouble?!"
"It's her!" Mrs. Qin pointed at Ruan Mian fiercely, gritting her teeth.
"She's just a woman, how could she be as capable as you think? Who knows, there might be someone behind her who wants to use her to harm you! My husband, you must not trust her. I am your first wife. No matter how willful I am, I will not joke with my future."
To Qin Fu, what she said did make some sense.
And he had no reason to believe that there was any harmful poison in the tea just based on Ruan Mian's words.
Ruan Mian's face remained calm, and she didn't say much. She just walked forward and took the cup of tea from Qin Fu's hand without hesitation, and poured it into the potted plants beside her.
The moment the tea touched the soil, bubbles rose up with a sizzling sound.
Suddenly, after a while, a layer of black spread across the branches, and the bark peeled off a bit. The originally vibrant green leaves withered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Qin Fu was shocked. He had never seen such a strong poison that could kill a living potted plant in such a short time. If someone took this poison, the consequences could be imagined!
"Although I am not your first wife, I will not harm you for no reason. My Lord, do you still remember that it was you who took the initiative to keep me in your mansion to trade with me, and it was not my will. So if there is anyone behind me, please feel free to investigate."
"On the contrary, I'm afraid the Madam has long harbored ulterior motives towards you. The reason I know this tea is poisonous is that a few days ago, when I was still staying at the mansion, I saw a woman sneaking around my room. Upon asking, I found out she was the Madam's servant."
"Although I don't know why Madam sent someone to monitor me, for self-protection, my brother secretly followed me to find out.
However, during that tracking, I discovered that the lady had asked the abbot for these poisons in the Thunder God Temple, and I had just seen the old woman pour them into the tea."
"Nonsense! My husband, don't listen to her nonsense! My nanny hasn't even been to the kitchen, how could she possibly have put the medicine there? And she saw it with her own eyes. I think you are talking nonsense, you..."
However, before she could finish her words, Qin Fu slapped her to the ground.
At this moment, he also guessed what Mrs. Qin was thinking, so it didn't matter who put the medicine there.
Because she was the one who brought in the medicine, and Ruan Mian also mentioned that it was related to the abbot of Leigong Temple. As long as he finds someone to interrogate him, he will be able to get the result.
If he wasn't so sure, Ruan Mian wouldn't have chosen to come forward at this time.
Another aspect was that he understood his wife and knew that she had been dissatisfied with him for a long time.
However, considering their relationship as husband and wife and the many ways she had helped him in the past, Qin Fu did not touch her.
He tolerated it all, even letting her harm his concubine and drown his former illegitimate child.
But now she has the vicious thought of killing her husband, how can he still turn a blind eye? !
"Someone! Drag him away!"
Qin Fu believed Ruan Mian without hesitation, which made Mrs. Qin completely lose her temper.
She was still making her final struggle: "Husband, do you really not believe me? I am your first wife, the one who gave birth to your children and raised them."
As she spoke, she pointed at Ruan Mian and thought it was ridiculous: "And you would rather believe her, a cheap woman?"
As she spoke, her expression changed, and her sharp eyes were filled with viciousness. After being dragged out the door, she suddenly became hysterical.
"Qin Fu, you are such an ungrateful person! Even I can't believe it. If it weren't for my family, how could you have gotten to where you are today? You've been having affairs with other women for years, and I've never said a word to you. I've been running the entire Qin Mansion for you, but you've turned a blind eye to it. You didn't even care when your son got into trouble!"
"People like you deserve to be sent to the eighteen levels of hell after death! Even if I didn't want you dead, you would never have a good ending. Someone will always make you die!"
Her words gradually faded away until they disappeared.
Looking at Qin Fu's tense face, Ruan Mian took a deep breath and soothed him a few times.
"Sir, don't be sad. If the person beside you doesn't understand your pain and instead wants to harm you, you should cut the Gordian knot."
"I know it's inappropriate for me to come forward today, but I can't just stand by and watch you die in vain. Your Excellency and I haven't concluded our deal yet, and I still need your help to make my fortune."
She did not hide her ambition in front of Qin Fu, and her frankness made Qin Fu admire her even more.
As for his wife, he was not sad, but just felt a sense of loss after being angry.
After all, they had been married for decades, yet she wanted to kill herself.
Thinking of his disappointing son, Qin Fu's eyes darkened. He also wanted to be alone, so he spoke to Ruan Mian.
"I would like to thank Madam Ruan for reminding me about what happened today. I will have someone send you back."
Ruan Mian bowed and said, "Your Excellency is too polite. Today, my younger brother told me that the tea was poisoned, so I left the place where you invited me to play cards. It's very kind of you not to hold it against me."
"Then I will not bother you now. I will be leaving first. Tomorrow I will be able to give you a few more drawings of improved weapons. If the craftsman is fast, he can make a finished product for your approval within two days."
When Qin Fu heard that new weapons would be available soon, he no longer felt disappointed.
All I see are the beautiful days ahead.
When he becomes a noble in the capital, he can have as many wives and descendants as he wants, not to mention a first wife!
Ruan Mian was respected by the guards after leaving Qin's mansion. Perhaps Qin Fu's followers had given some instructions to those people, so those people were very polite to Ruan Mian.
Even his attitude towards Yun Xiu became much better.
Before this, every time Yun Xiu came to see Ruan Mian, he was stopped outside the door. Even if Qin Fulai was brought in, the two could only talk for a while through the courtyard gate.
But today, he politely invited Yun Xiu into the house so that the two of them could talk.
After waiting until there was no one outside the house, Ruan Mian asked in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
"Why are you here today? What happened to Qin Shen?"
Logically, he should have been guarding Qin Shen for the past two days, but after Ruan Mian handed Qin Shen over to Yun Xiu, he stopped guarding him.
It was impossible for Yun Xiu to leave his hands unattended and come here on his own.
Yun Xiu's brows were furrowed, and his hesitation made Ruan Mian realize that something must have happened. After asking, Yun Xiu finally told the truth.
But before he opened his mouth, he knelt in front of Ruan Mian and apologized.
"Sister Mianmian, I'm sorry for you!"
"Ash, what are you doing? Get up! You can just tell me what happened. You don't have to do this."
"I failed to keep watch on him, and he escaped. I chased him, and he accidentally fell off a cliff. When I found him, he was already dead."
"Sister Mianmian, did I interrupt your plan? I'm sorry, I didn't expect him to break free from the ropes."
Ruan Mian shook his head when he heard this and said, "Nothing. Qin Shen was not originally part of my plan."
"Besides, he has done a lot of evil things. Perhaps what he has experienced is God's punishment for him."
In fact, Yun Xiu did not tell her that the reason he let Qin Shen escape was because he was worried that Ruan Mian would be locked up here alone and bullied, even though there were several voices in his heart telling him that Sister Mian Mian was a capable person and would never be in danger.
But he was still very nervous, and he would never be able to let it go unless he came to take a look.
That's why he left Qin Shen alone in the cave that day and came to see Ruan Mian himself.
An accident happened after I got back.
I just came to tell her today.
But things have come to this, so Ruan Mian thought of another way.
"Have you moved Qin Shen's body back?"
Yun Xiu shook his head: "No."
"That's perfect. Can you help me with one more thing?"
She called Yun Xiu over and leaned over to whisper something in his ear.
The next day, Qin Mansion.
The secret guards Qin Fu sent out to look for his son received news that Qin Shen's body was found under a cliff outside the city.
It was a nearby villager who was chopping wood who came to tell me.
Because Qin Fu had already issued a missing person notice two days ago.
It just so happened that Yun Zheng was helping Ruan Mian deliver the blueprints to the Qin Mansion. As soon as he arrived at the door, he saw the guards coming out, so he followed them.
Moreover, he had medicine that could prevent the corpse from decaying quickly. Only after using it in time could Qin Shen's body be safely delivered to the Qin Mansion, and even give Qin Fu time to perform the ritual.
In Wenchang, if a young person dies unexpectedly, it is considered that the life has been taken away by evil spirits, and rituals must be performed to drive away the bad luck from the family so that the deceased can rest in peace.
If it weren't for Yun Xiu's medicine, Qin Shen's body would probably have rotted on the way back.
Qin Fu was also grateful for this.
Although Qin Shen was his disappointing son, he was also his only surviving son.
This time something really happened. Seeing his dead body, Qin Fu couldn't help but feel sad.
But no matter what, the ritual must continue.
However, no one knew who leaked the news to Mrs. Qin, who was in solitary confinement.
She has been immersed in the fantasy of finding her son these days and her mental state has become a little abnormal.
Now that she heard that her son's body had been returned, she ignored the attempts of the maid and guards to stop her and pulled out the hairpin, not caring even if it meant hurting the servants or stabbing the guards to death.
He stumbled to the backyard where the morgue was placed, fell to his knees, and burst into tears.
“Son!!!”
She was heartbroken. When she saw Qin Fu walking towards her with an unhappy look on his face, she no longer cared about anything else and rushed straight towards him, aiming the sharp hairpin at his neck.
Qin Fu was quick-witted and kicked it away!
However, Mrs. Qin lost her balance and hit her head on her son's coffin.
Suddenly blood oozed from his forehead, and bright red blood flowed down his cheeks. The servants opened their eyes wide and watched Mrs. Qin being hit to death.
Qin Fu just felt unlucky, so he quickly found someone to clean up the mess and shut the servants' mouths.
Anyone who talks nonsense will suffer a bad end!
So the ritual ended hastily.
Ruan Mian sighed when he heard Yun Xiu talk about this.
"Mrs. Qin is indeed pitiful, but there are many more pitiful people than her. She herself is a mother, but she has never considered that the people she has killed are also the treasures of other mothers."
"If she had done more good deeds in her daily life, she wouldn't have ended up like this."
Of course, Ruan Mian would not let an innocent person be used as a gun for him.
In short, everything in this world is the result of cause and effect.
Even if this world is just the world of a book, it is still the same.
As she spoke, she saw Yun Xiu seemed to be immersed in some thoughts, and she couldn't help but smile: "A Xiu, do you think I'm a little cruel?"
"If it weren't for me, Madam Qin might not have died, and her son might not have died. Instead, the evil man Qin Fu would have died at the hands of his own wife."
Yun Xiu quickly shook his head: "If it weren't for Sister Mianmian, even more innocent people would have died at the hands of Madam Qin and his son. As for Qin Fu, he currently controls so many people. If we don't eradicate them completely, even if he dies early, there will still be endless troubles."
"Just like Sister Mianmian said, karma is always right. You are just trying your best to minimize the losses."
He had no doubt about Ruan Mian's motives, even though he was not particularly clear about what big fish she was going to catch with Qin Fu, but his intuition told him that everything Sister Mian Mian did was right and beyond doubt.
He is willing to follow her for the rest of his life, even if... even if it is not as he once imagined, he is willing to protect her and the adults.
Yun Xiu restrained his expression and said, "It's getting late. I won't disturb you, Sister Mianmian."
Without waiting for Ruan Mian to finish, he turned and left the room.
But that night, Yun Xiu sat on the roof, unable to sleep at all.
Between heaven and earth, he was struggling with himself alone, repeatedly telling himself to take back all the emotions surging in his heart.
From now on, Sister Mianmian will only be his sister, and the wife of Lord Song, whom he respects the most.
The next day.
Ruan Mian came to Qin Fu as promised with the new weapon blueprints.
At that time, the Qin Mansion's ritual had already been completed, and it seemed as if nothing had happened, just as usual.
Apart from not being able to hear Madam Qin scolding the servants, everything else was no different from usual.
I'm afraid Mrs. Qin herself could not have imagined that she would end up like this.
What's even more tragic is that before her and Qin Shen's bodies were cold, Qin Fu was already enjoying the pleasure of singing and dancing in the mansion.
After Ruan Mian arrived at the mansion, he discovered a secret flower-viewing banquet had begun in the backyard. Although it hadn't been made public, Qin Fu didn't care what the servants might say. Of course, he also believed that with his strength and prestige, few would dare challenge him in Wenchang.
That's why they are so unscrupulous.
Ruan Mian suppressed her expression, and after she arrived, Qin Fu quickly invited her in.
Knowing that she, a woman, did not like such occasions, he asked the servants to take her to the pavilion nearby to rest. He then came over and looked at Ruan Mian with a smile.
"Has Madam Ruan finished drawing the blueprint?"
Ruan Mian smiled slightly and handed the drawings he brought to Qin Fu.
Qin Fu was so excited that he couldn't wait to examine it carefully.
But studying this is not the most important thing at this time.
After looking at it for a while, he immediately put it away as if it were a treasure and talked to Ruan Mian with a smile on his face.
"Madam Ruan, I need to show these drawings to a distinguished guest tomorrow. I need you to be present to talk to him."
"Distinguished guest?" Ruan Mian became interested when he heard the word "distinguished guest".
After all, anyone who could be called a distinguished guest by Qin Fu must be no ordinary person. He must be a very important person in the Yan Wang faction. As expected, after Ruan Mian asked who the distinguished guest was, Qin Fu moved closer to her and whispered.
"This distinguished guest is no ordinary person. Only someone I trust deeply can reveal his identity."
"Since Madam Ruan is on the same side as me and is such an important weapons manufacturer, I naturally have to tell you. I am also counting on Madam Ruan to help me entertain our distinguished guests tomorrow."
Qin Fu gave her a meaningful look before speaking.
"He's the Prince of Yan's adopted son, the one he holds in the highest regard. Li Ren, the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has come specially to inspect our weapons on behalf of the Prince. If they prove useful to His Majesty, we will both enjoy endless wealth and glory in the future."
When Ruan Mian heard the name Li Ren, he already felt unfamiliar with it.
Because she didn't read the second half of the original book, she didn't know who Li Ren was or what role he played in the rebellion.
But since he is the King of Yan's man, he must not be a good person.
But... at this moment, something suddenly flashed through her mind, as if a memory was forced into her brain.
I saw a blurry figure lying in a pool of blood in the bloody scene. He covered his chest tightly and cried out in pain.
“Why, why!!!”
Returning to reality, Ruan Mian was shocked to discover that the man lying in a pool of blood was called Li Ren.
Why did it suddenly appear in my memory? And why was it in a pool of blood?
There was no cause or effect, and Ruan Mian felt very strange.
Just as he was thinking, Qin Fu saw her strange expression and couldn't help but ask, "Madam Ruan, are you worried about anything?"
"Don't worry, with your ability, you will surely win the favor of Prince Li with just a few words."
"That's not what I meant. Madam Ruan, you just need to show your abilities. Tomorrow, introduce our weapons and say a few nice words to make people happy. After all, men are the ones who make the prince happy. If the prince is happy, we can go to Dajing and enjoy the good life."
Ruan Mian knew that Qin Fu was going to take the weapons to Dajing.
Add to that the troops borrowed from Liao Lie, and you can imagine what they are up to.
However, Ruan Mian has not yet found out the exact date of his arrival in Beijing.
But she definitely couldn't miss this Prince Li.
So he readily agreed to Qin Fu's words.
"Don't worry, sir. I will definitely make the prince happy tomorrow."
When Qin Fu heard this, he rubbed his hands contentedly. With Ruan Mian's words, he felt relieved.
Prince Li holds a high position and has seen all kinds of women around him, but Ruan Mian is both beautiful and capable. After listening to her talk about weapons tomorrow, Qin Fu believes that no man will not admire her.
If he hadn't considered it a long-term plan, he would have fallen in love with this woman and just wanted to have her for himself.
However, he still has a scale to judge what is more important and cannot lose the big picture for the sake of small things.
After delivering the blueprints, Ruan Mian took advantage of the opportunity to visit the garden to take care of some servants and collected some information about Prince Li from their mouths.
To sum up, he is not as dandy as imagined, but rather like a gentleman.
It’s strange to say, can the person who works for the Prince of Yan, who is also the main force of the rebellion, be a gentleman?
Or is this just a disguise he puts on in front of outsiders?
In fact, he is not a gentleman at all.
But at least Ruan Mian now has a clear idea in his mind.
The next day.
A simple sedan stopped outside the Qin Mansion.
This sedan chair seemed out of place in the now bright and beautiful Qin Mansion.
Today, Qin Fu invited many people to his house to entertain the arrival of Prince Li.
After all, it was the first time for everyone present to meet Prince Li, not to mention that he was a close confidant sent by Prince Yan, so everyone took him seriously.
So even though Qin Fu's son had just come out of the funeral, the mansion was decorated and the servants were ordered to keep their mouths shut. No one was allowed to mention the funeral so as not to offend the prince.
For a moment, everyone in the backyard of the mansion was singing and dancing, waiting for the arrival of the prince.
Just as the sedan chair arrived at the door, Ruan Mian also rushed over.
However, the guards at the door blocked the man in blue clothes who got out of the sedan chair outside the door, and they looked displeased.
"Who is it? Anyone without a visiting card is not allowed to enter. The Qin Mansion is welcoming distinguished guests today, and it is not for a vulgar person like you to enter."
They were short-sighted, but Ruan Mian could still see at a glance that his seemingly simple clothes were covered with a belt inlaid with gold and jade, and the dark-patterned Shu embroidery was obviously not something that an ordinary embroiderer could produce.
Her eyebrows moved slightly, and she immediately stepped forward to hand over the visiting card.
"You too, this young man doesn't have the vulgarity you describe him as. He's my companion."
When the guard saw that it was Ruan Mian, he immediately invited them in with a smile.
"So it's Madam Ruan's friend. Sorry, we offended her!"
After saying this, he politely made way.
The man was tall and slender, with handsome features that looked gentle and elegant. He looked at Ruan Mian with some doubt.
Ruan Mian said please.
"Sir, please come in."
After they walked into the mansion, the man slowly spoke: "Why did you rescue me, young lady?"
Ruan Mian simply said, "The young master doesn't look like a vulgar person. He must have come to the Qin Mansion on important business. Besides, the mansion is hosting a banquet for distinguished guests today. It wouldn't be good to stay out for too long. I'm afraid I might offend the distinguished guests."
"Since you are here, I will not disturb you any longer. Go through this corridor and you will find the backyard where you can have a banquet."
After she finished speaking, without waiting for the man to speak, Ruan Mian had already raised her foot and left.
At this moment, Yun Xiu had already been waiting for her in the corridor. Seeing her coming, he hurried to greet her.
But those eyes were still fixed on the man, and he was puzzled.
"Sister Mianmian, do you know that person?"
Ruan Mian shook her head, and Yun Xiu became even more puzzled: "If you didn't know him, why did you bring him in? I think he was turned away because he didn't have a visiting card. What if he is a bad person and Qin Fu..."
"Others may not be able to see it, but I can see that he is the distinguished guest we are going to entertain today."
"Prince Li?" Yun Xiu was slightly stunned. Obviously, he did not expect that the distinguished guest mentioned by others would be a man dressed so simply.
Ruan Mian had something in mind, so she asked Yun Xiu to look away.
"Helping the prince will naturally benefit me."
"Just help me keep an eye out for all kinds of information later. No matter how I approach you or what Qin Fu says to me, you don't have to intervene. Do you understand?"
Yun Xiu frowned: "What if they want to bully you? Shouldn't I stand up for them?"
"How do they bully me? Actually, it's better for them to bully me so that I can carry out my plan."
"Anyway, Ah Xiu, according to what I said, we need to find out the date of their uprising. And this Li Shizi, there must be something behind him."
Last time, due to my negligence, Qin Shen’s death was caused.
He almost disrupted Sister Mianmian's plan, so this time, Yun Xiu couldn't disrupt her plan no matter what.
So he nodded vigorously.
After Ruan Mian patted his arm, Yun Xiu suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called the servant behind him to hand an exquisite box to Ruan Mian.
"Sister Mianmian, this is what Lord Qin asked me to bring you. His attendants just brought it over, and I don't know what it is."
Ruan Mian looked over curiously, and when they opened the box, they were both stunned by what was inside.
It was nothing but a suit of clothes made of the finest cloth.
Gorgeous and beautiful, so exquisite!
Yun Xiu frowned suddenly: "What does Qin Fu mean? Is he dissatisfied with your appearance and afraid of losing face?!"
Ruan Mian couldn't help laughing. Yun Xiu was indeed still a child with little experience in the world.
Doesn’t this dress make Qin Fu’s purpose clearer?
He simply wanted to present himself as a gift to Prince Li.
However, Ruan Mian didn't want to follow his bad ideas on how to wrap the gift.
So he smiled soothingly: "Ah Xiu, take this thing away, I don't need it."
Yun Xiu snorted, looking down on her without a care in the world. "Sister Mianmian is naturally beautiful, why does she need these vulgar things to accentuate her beauty? I'll take her away right now, out of sight, out of mind!"
In his opinion, Ruan Mian was more beautiful than any other woman present. Even if she was wearing a sack, her temperament was still top-notch.
When Ruan Mian arrived at the backyard, she found that Qin Fu had deliberately arranged her seat in an inconspicuous corner, with a screen in front of her so that no one else could see anything.
Perhaps it was because he took into consideration that Ruan Mian was a woman, but more importantly, he now regarded Ruan Mian as his own.
He has become an ally standing on the same front with him.
Li Ren came in with Qin Fu.
When everyone saw Prince Li, they were all stunned, because no one expected that the adopted son of Prince Yan would be such a noble and simple person.
Everyone thought that he was a person of noble character and flamboyant temperament, but they didn't expect that he was so reserved and gentle.
But because of his status, everyone still saluted him respectfully.
Ruan Mian, who was still behind the screen, saw that the man she brought in was indeed Li Ren, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
It seems her guess was right.
I just don’t know how Qin Fu will push himself in front of Li Ren today.
Looking behind him, there were many women with heavy makeup on.
Looking closely, there were not only women with heavy makeup, but also pure and innocent girls. There were several types of women waiting there.
Looking at his position again, Ruan Mian suddenly sneered.
Even if Qin Fu regarded her as one of his accomplices, so what? In his eyes, no matter how capable a woman was, she was just a pawn to be used.
Compared to those women, in his eyes, Ruan Mian just had some extra skills in making weapons.
Looking at it this way, the clothes that Qin Fu had just sent further confirmed what Ruan Mian was thinking.
A banquet was bound to be filled with flattery, and Ruan Mian took his time, drinking and eating. No matter what show he was about to see, at least he wouldn't go hungry. After a while, everyone moved to the middle of the courtyard.
Ruan Mian and the other women also had two maids who led them to the courtyard.
But they were standing on the high platform corridor and could take in the scenery in the courtyard at a glance.
In the middle of the yard, there was a group of exotic dancers with special looks, swaying their waists and dancing wildly.
After a while, a long line of strong men, carrying a huge box-like object, covered by a curtain, made a grand appearance.
Everyone around was very curious and didn't know what was inside. The box-like thing covered was as high as half a house.
Qin Fu stroked his beard, walked up to Li Ren with a mysterious look on his face, and said proudly.
"Sir, you have come all the way here, thank you for the hard work. Qin specially prepared a banquet for you, and also prepared some special gifts. I wonder if you are satisfied."
"Come here, open this gift for the young master."
At his command, someone quickly stepped forward and lifted the curtain.
Amidst the exclamations of the crowd, a ferocious tiger roared.
The roar of the beast seemed to penetrate the minds of everyone present, and immediately frightened everyone back away.
Only the guard beside the cage remained motionless. Qin Fu stroked his beard and looked at the big beast with considerable satisfaction.
"This is a ferocious beast from the deep mountains. A hunter hunted it a while ago. Although it's ferocious, I heard that you like to raise ferocious beasts, so I spent a lot of money to buy it and give it to you. I wonder if you are satisfied?"
Li Ren's eyebrows moved slightly, and he knocked on the tiger's eyes with a ferocious look. The aura of the king of beasts alone was enough to scare people.
Fortunately, there is this cage to trap it, otherwise, with its huge body, everyone present would become its food.
The beast had probably been fed some medicine before, which is why it didn't make any noise during the journey. Now, as the medicine gradually dissipated, the beast's malice became apparent, and it slammed its two huge claws hard on the iron cage, as if it was about to run out at any time.
The others were nervous and didn't dare to sit too close, but Qin Fu didn't care.
"If you are satisfied, then Qin will send someone to take the king of beasts to the courtyard where you are."
"But Qin has more to offer you than just these. There are also the beauties upstairs. I'll have them all perform for you. If you like any of them, feel free to ask."
After he finished speaking, he clapped his hands, and several women behind Ruan Mian actually walked down the stairs together.
My goodness, Qin Fu also regards herself as an object to be exploited and wants her to please Li Ren.
No wonder he gave me such gorgeous clothes to wear.
Unfortunately, he miscalculated.
Thinking of this, she stood motionless on the high place, looking at them calmly.
The other women came gracefully, but Ruan Mian, dressed in plain clothes, stood out from the crowd.
Especially those eyes that showed no fear at all, like those of a ferocious beast, with a scarlet aura, which only made people feel afraid.
When Qin Fu saw that Ruan Mian didn't change into the clothes he sent, his brows furrowed slightly, and he called the maid over to ask what was going on.
The old woman had no choice but to tell the truth: "Master, the clothes have been sent over, but Madam Ruan refuses to wear them no matter what. We servants can't do anything about her."
Qin Fu snorted. It was clear that they had already agreed on it. She even promised him that she would serve Master Li well.
He also wanted to take the opportunity to talk to Li Ren about the weapons she made and push her to Li Ren's side.
So he lowered his eyes and ordered the maid, "Send the clothes over and make sure she changes into them. Tell her it's my order. This concerns our future, and she should know her limits!"
The old woman agreed reluctantly and was determined to send the clothes over.
However, Ruan Mian had already seen through his thoughts. Seeing that the clothes were being delivered again, she had already come up with a plan to deal with it without the old woman saying anything.
She walked down the stairs without hesitation, picked up the apple on the table and threw it into the iron cage.
With a snap, the beast chopped the fruit into pieces, as if biting off its head, which frightened everyone! Her actions attracted the attention of many people, and Li Ren also looked over.
Ruan Mian smiled at Qin Fu and bowed slightly, "Master Qin, those women are all talented, but I, a country girl, don't have much experience or talent."
"But I have a trick that I can use to keep myself safe. I'm sure it will make Master Li smile."
Seeing her swearing so confidently, Qin Fu thought that she must have some real skills.
So he curled his lips and smiled, and immediately introduced: "Young Master, this is my adopted daughter, Mianmian, whom I mentioned to you before." The name Mianmian had appeared many times in the correspondence with King Yan.
Qin Fu lied to her and called her his adopted daughter, saying that all those weapons were thanks to his adopted daughter's talents, which was why he had so many powerful weapons.
So Li Ren's eyes looked even more different when he looked at her.
In fact, he noticed this unique woman with just a quick glance.
She clearly had a pretty face, but she wore no makeup and dressed simply. She didn't look like an ordinary woman that Qin Fu used to please him. After seeing her today, it turned out that she was indeed of a different identity.
Yes, how could someone who could make those powerful weapons be an ordinary person?
Li Ren immediately became interested and put his hands behind his back: "Oh? Does Madam Mian have any skills?"
Ruan Mian looked at the beast in the iron cage, took off the water bag on his body, walked to the beast without fear, and poured the water in the water bag into its bloody mouth.
Everyone was shocked and murmured, "This woman really has no fear at all!"
In front of the beast, she actually dared to approach and feed it water.
However, they didn't know that what Ruan Mian fed it to drink was the spiritual spring water from the space.
After drinking the spiritual spring water, the beast's eyes instantly became much more obedient.
And she also began to communicate with the beast with her consciousness.
After less than two sentences, the beast immediately let down its guard and became docile.
Just like the big white tiger that he tamed in the Colosseum.
He was also subdued as a space spirit beast.
When the others saw that the big tiger, which had been ferocious just a moment ago, had suddenly become docile, they all looked over in surprise.
Li Ren and Qin Fu couldn't help but look at Ruan Mian.
She brought the fruit plate again, put the bunch of grapes in her palm, and in full view of everyone, put her own hand into the cage.
Others were so frightened that some dared not open their eyes, for fear of seeing her committing suicide and having her arm bitten off by a tiger.
But unexpectedly, as soon as the hand reached in, the tiger licked the grapes in Ruan Mian's palm gently like a kitten, with no intention of attacking them at all, and was extremely docile.
This made everyone's jaw drop, and they all looked over in disbelief.
"Why is this? It's amazing!"
"Why is this woman so bold?"
Qin Fu was also puzzled, and so was Li Ren: "Could this be the technique that the young lady mentioned for keeping oneself safe?"
Ruan Mian smiled, shook his head and said, "Of course not. To be honest, sir, my so-called personal protection is the ability to control beasts. You can release the beast from the cage later. With me here, it will never hurt anyone else."
When others heard this, they were also very scared.
"How can this be! Sir Qin, this is no joke!"
"That's right. The reason why wild beasts are wild beasts is that they don't listen to us. Their beastly nature is hard to get rid of."
Ruan Mian smiled and said, "If you are worried, those who are afraid can leave first. Those who are not afraid can move to a high pavilion to hide. I will tie him up with iron chains and then slowly release him from the cage."
"If I allow the beast to harm others, I will let it be dealt with today. How about that?"
She was so confident that many people became interested.
Everyone wants to take a look. Is there really someone in this world who can tame beasts?
Li Ren glanced at Qin Fu, who immediately understood and evacuated everyone. He also went to the pavilion upstairs with Li Ren.
Ruan Mian tied the chain around the beast's neck with her bare hands through the gap in the iron cage. To everyone's surprise, she opened the iron cage and slowly let the huge tiger walk out.
Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
However, the imagined bloody scene did not appear at all. Instead, it was like watching a circus. Wherever Ruan Mian told the tiger to go, the tiger obediently went there.
Just like a domestic cat, so well-behaved.
She could even sit on the tiger's back and let it walk slowly around the yard.
Everyone was shocked!
"Wonderful, wonderful!"
"What a spectacle! I've never seen such a ferocious beast, yet it can be so docile. Madam Mianmian's beast-taming skills are truly extraordinary!"
"Today has really broadened my horizons. Madam Mianmian is so amazing!"
As everyone exclaimed in surprise, Li Ren was also amazed and impressed.
"Master Qin's adopted daughter is indeed capable. My adoptive father specifically instructed me to come and see this adopted daughter that Master Qin mentioned. Is her ability really as described in the letter? Now it seems that it is indeed true."
Qin Fu's face lit up now, and he praised Ruan Mian highly.
Li Ren said that day that he would take Ruan Mian with him to Beijing.
Qin Fu thought he had misheard. After all, such decisiveness was rare. "Sir, are you really going to bring Mianmian to the capital?"
"Since Madam Mian is the owner of those things, of course she should take them with her. It will also help us in our future plans."
Qin Fu nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, sir, you are right. I thought that since Mianmian is a woman, you might not be willing to take her with you. I even thought of many words to persuade you today. But now there is no need."
Thanks to Ruan Mian's skill in taming beasts, the banquet was very lively.
Everyone ate and drank for a long time and did not leave until late at night.
And under Ruan Mian's "beast taming" technique, the big tiger treated Li Ren docilely and obediently.
Qin Fu sent someone to invite Ruan Mian to the side hall and praised her with admiration on his face.
"Mrs. Ruan has truly shown off her skills. I'm truly impressed and convinced."
"I didn't expect that Master Li would agree to let you come to the capital so quickly. It seems that our days of rapid success are just around the corner!"
He couldn't help rubbing his hands and gave a reminder at the same time.
"This time I come to the capital to shoulder the great responsibility of the King of Yan. You only need to follow my instructions and don't ask any other questions."
"One more thing. This Young Master Li is the prince's adopted son, and he values you very much. As a woman, if you can win the prince's favor, I don't need to say much. Your future will definitely be bright. I'm afraid I will have to rely on you in the future!"
Ruan Mian looked at his face and couldn't help but roll her eyes in her heart.
But on the surface, he was still polite to him: "Don't worry, sir, I know what I'm doing."
In this way, Qin Fu even thought about where to buy a big house in Kyoto in the future.
In the next few days, Qin Fu arranged for the weapons to be shipped to Dajing, and also confirmed with Ruan Mian how many they could make temporarily after arriving there.
On the other side, she also called Yun Xiu and asked him to go with her as her younger brother.
It would also be a good way to contact his brothers secretly.
By the time Qin Fu had arranged everything, it was already the fifth day, and they officially set off for Kyoto.
They tried to keep things simple and low-key along the way, and only brought with them Jingwei's dry food. Although there seemed to be not many people, there were many soldiers lying in ambush behind the scenes.
Ruan Mian especially reminded Yun Xiu of this point, not to let anyone notice any clues.
They left Wenchang peacefully and headed south. Yun Xiu was like an agile cheetah, always paying attention to every plant and tree around him.
Any slight movement will not be hidden from his eyes.
When passing through Runing City, Ruan Mian also saw the fruit shop owned by Manager Yi.
These preserved fruits and fresh fruits were all transported from Lady Wang’s orchard by freight transport.
I didn't expect business to be so good.
Moreover, Ruan Mian had introduced Liz's orchard to Manager Yi. At this time, Liz's orchard not only grew fruits, but also some other fruits, and it was thriving.
A look of relief appeared on her face. Seeing this, Yun Xiu ran over and bought all the fruits in the fruit shop, a little of each.
The fruit tree seeds in the orchard all came from her hands. They were all spiritual seedlings watered by spiritual spring water from the space. They tasted naturally fragrant and sweet. Even Li Ren and his group, who were traveling with them, bought a lot.
Ruan Mian told them that he went to the grain store next door to buy freshly fermented goat's milk, and asked the shopkeeper for some ice cubes to make a simple iced fruit salad.
In this hot weather, eating this will make you feel relaxed both physically and mentally.
The grain shop was also under the management of Manager Yi, and the iced fruit salad was a way she provided to Manager Yi to sell fruits.
Therefore, Manager Yi always has a place to store ice under his cellar.
In winter, the specially frozen ice cubes are preserved and can last for a whole year.
It was the first time for Li Ren to eat such fresh and delicious fruits, and this fruit salad was a novel way to eat it, and he would never get tired of it no matter how he ate it.
"Just now I heard the guy say that these fruits are from an orchard in Wu Heng. Back when I was in the East Territory, I heard that Wu Heng in the north not only grew a lot of food during the famine, but also that the fruits there were big and sweet, much tastier than the small fruits in the East Territory."
"After tasting it today, I found that the rumors are true! It's really like this!"
Ruan Mian saw that he ate a lot in succession and stopped only when he couldn't eat anymore, and couldn't help laughing.
After spending these few days together, I found that Li Ren was not who I thought he was.
She naturally thought that as the adopted son of a villain like the King of Yan, he must have only been thinking about how to oppress the civilians if he rebelled.
But along the way, he also cared about how others ate and slept. When they passed through Runing, Ruan Mian gave him a special fruit salad, so he specially sent someone to buy some clothes that were convenient for walking and some simple jewelry as a return gift for Ruan Mian.
"Don't refuse, Madam Mian. These are not valuable items. It will be more convenient for you to change into these on your journey."
When dealing with other people, he did not act like the adopted son of Prince Yan. Instead, he mingled with them and integrated into their lives.
There is no distinction between high and low.
Could there be another story behind him?
Ruan Mian thought to himself as they walked to another town.
The next day, as they passed a water source and stopped to fetch water and rest, a man suddenly dropped his water bag and shouted in shock, "Oh no! This is not a good place to fetch water. There are so many big bugs here. If I drink this water, I'm afraid it will be dangerous!"
When the bystanders saw this, they went over to check. When they saw the aquatic insect holding up two large claws, they all backed away in disgust and fear.
As if afraid of breaking the evil spirit.
Ruan Mian took another look out of curiosity and discovered that the so-called big bugs they were talking about were actually some crayfish.
I didn’t expect that lobsters existed in such ancient times.
There is not much difference in appearance from the giant lobster that mutated at the end of the world, except that it is much smaller.
It was time for lunch, and when she saw the fire rising, she simply walked over, grabbed a lot of fish with her bare hands, and brought them ashore. She placed them all in the ceramic basin and covered it with a cloth to prevent them from escaping.
Others were very curious, even Yun Xiu was puzzled.
"Sister Mianmian, these bugs look scary, and they live in sewage. What are you going to do with them? Let them go quickly before you get your hands dirty."
Yun Xiu was worried that they were as poisonous as scorpions and centipedes. If that were true, it would be too late to regret.
Just as he was about to dump the lobsters from the ceramic basin, Ruan Mian quickly stopped him, "Don't! These insects are called lobsters, they're not poisonous, and they're also a great ingredient for cooking. Today, I'll make you a spicy crayfish dish."
"What? You want to eat them?"
Yun Xiu was greatly shocked, and the others kept shaking their heads: "Madam Mian, please forgive us. We dare not eat such a horrible thing."
They all declined politely.
When they were exiled to Wu Heng, they also encountered lobsters on the road, but Ruan Mian almost forgot about it.
No one wanted to eat it at the time, and Yun Xiu didn't show up at that time.
So she set up a stove on the spot, and while no one was paying attention, she took out the marinade she had made and other fresh seasonings from the space and cut them into cubes.
They used the pot they used to cook porridge on the road to cook a spicy crayfish dish on the spot.
When Ruan Mian took out the dried chili peppers as seasoning from her bag, none of them was suspicious. They all thought that she had been carrying them with her from the beginning.
Even when it was just being cooked, there were still many people coming to watch the show.
"Madam Mian is so sure about this. Could it be that this giant insect is really edible?"
"It's already turned bright red after being put into the pot. I'm afraid it's poisonous!"
"Oh, it's scary to look at."
Ruan Mian stirred the food calmly. As the spices cooked into the flavor, the moment he lifted the lid of the pot, the refreshing aroma immediately rushed into his mind.
Others looked over here and couldn't help but exclaim: "It smells so good!!!"
"Madam Mian, your cooking skills are top-notch!"
Just by smelling the fragrance, they couldn't wait to come over.
Although I still didn't dare to pick up my chopsticks, my mouth was already watering and I wanted to eat the whole pot.
Ruan Mian smiled and decisively gave them the start. In front of them, he peeled the lobster shell, revealing the white shrimp meat inside. He dipped it in some soup and took a bite, and it was full of sweetness.
"This lobster is non-toxic and edible. Look, I'm fine."
She also baked several pieces of flour and ground cakes next to the pot, which were soaked in the smell of the soup, which was even more delicious.
Li Ren looked at her in disbelief: "Madam Mian, are you really eating?"
Ruan Mian peeled a few more, still unsatisfied. "Can't we just pretend to eat them? Young Master, would you like to try some too?"
Li Ren was stunned, and after a moment he chose to believe her.
After taking a cautious bite, I was surprised by its soft and tender texture, especially the spicy taste of the soup, the taste was even more amazing.
When everyone saw that Master Li was fine after eating it, they immediately became itchy and started peeling crayfish one after another.
It was such a delicious meal!
Li Ren even cleared out the last pot, and after that, he was still not satisfied and sent a few people to catch some more.
"Put it in the carriage and feed it. Tomorrow we'll let Madam Mian show off her cooking skills again!"
After saying this, he clasped his fists and bowed respectfully to Ruan Mian: "Madam Mian, would you be willing to condescend to show me yours again? This tastes really good. I have never tasted anything like this before."
Everyone around him rushed to raise his hands to express his agreement.
In this case, how could Ruan Mian let them down?
After eating this delicious food and filling their stomachs, they can find out the information they want.
Sure enough, after having a good meal the next day, Li Ren and Ruan Mian's relationship became even closer.
In particular, she also secretly took out ginseng wine from the space, which she allegedly bought at the wine shop next door while buying fruit.
Good wine with lobster and some fried peanuts, it was a heavenly day. After a few sips, Li Ren felt dizzy, drunk and confused.
During their casual chat, Ruan Mian suddenly asked him, "What are your ambitions, sir? Are you going to the capital this time to achieve great things?"
Li Ren smiled and said, "Madam Mian, you're joking. I can't say I have any great ambitions. I just want to find a way out for the people and seek justice for the world. If I can achieve these, I will die without regrets."
Hearing this so-called way out and fairness, Ruan Mian suddenly chuckled: "Isn't the world today unfair? Do you think there is a better crown prince than the one in the world today?"
Li Ren was stunned and started to laugh: "Madam Mian, you don't know, but now that we've come this far, there's no turning back for you. Why don't I tell you the truth?"
"You are from Wenchang, so you probably don't know what happened in Kyoto. The current emperor is tyrannical and unreasonable. When he first came to power, he slaughtered his ministers and exterminated all the honest and upright officials of the previous dynasty!"
“Natural disasters and man-made disasters have occurred. They have ignored the people and only focused on border expansion, leading to wars and chaos everywhere, and the people are living in misery!
Such behavior is the power of a tyrant. If it weren't for the Fifth Prince, the eastern border would be littered with corpses. You don't know that last year, the locust plague caused famine and the cold wave, and it was the Fifth Prince who saved lives.
Hearing this, Ruan Mian's eyes suddenly darkened.
Others may not know, but she has read the original book. Even if she doesn’t know the second half of the book, she knows that it has been written in the front.
In the eastern border, the so-called locust plague, famine, cold wave and dead bodies were all traps set by the King of Yan in order to start an uprising!
The imperial court had a disaster relief envoy, but he killed him on the way and robbed the relief supplies that were supposed to be given to the people.
If it weren't for the Prince of Yan's secret manipulation, the eastern border wouldn't have suffered from locust plagues and famine. Those were all fictitious things, and the matter was only made a big deal because the Prince of Yan did it on purpose!
But Li Ren had no idea about what King Yan was doing behind the scenes.
Giving him the title of adopted son and sending him to Kyoto to take the initiative, could it be that...
Did the King of Yan use him as a pawn?
Thinking of this, Ruan Mian suddenly sneered.
Nine times out of ten, you guessed it right.
Therefore, Li Ren was not an accomplice of the King of Yan. He was probably used by the King of Yan as a scapegoat.
Once we go to Kyoto, it is very likely that Li Ren will start an army!
He then secretly operated with the rebels in Kyoto. If the plan failed, Li Ren would be the scapegoat who would be labeled as a traitor, while they would successfully retreat to the back and wait for the opportunity to enter.
If the plan succeeds, he will rule the world.
Ruan Mian collected his thoughts, stared at Li Ren, and asked him, "Mr. Li, have you ever received favors from the Fifth Prince? Or have you witnessed the Fifth Prince's kindness to the people? Since you trust the Fifth Prince so much, it's understandable that he would adopt you as his adopted son."
Li Ren smiled faintly and didn't tell Ruan Mian, only told her.
"Your Majesty has been incredibly kind to me. I'm willing to help you overthrow the empire and restore justice."
"You are Qin Fu's adopted daughter, so you are naturally on the same side as us. Madam Mian, you have such great abilities. When the time comes, setting up the weapon formation will be left to you. If you achieve great success, your name will go down in history."
Weapon array?
So, he brought me to Beijing not only to escort Qin Fu's weapons, but also for other reasons?
Ruan Mian pondered secretly and gradually formed an idea in his heart.
In the next few days, they galloped towards Kyoto as fast as they could.
During the journey, she secretly summoned a bird and beast from space, tied the letter she wrote to the bird and beast's legs, and asked it to go to the horse-riding gang in Kyoto and deliver the letter to the gang leader.
After he sees it, he will convey it to Ah Huai.
But she has not yet found out the specific date of the uprising.
If they knew the date, Ah Huai and the others would definitely be able to prepare in advance.
If I think about it carefully, after arriving in Kyoto, it will take at least two days to make proper arrangements, including contacting people and setting up the formation.
After handing over the letter, I believe Ah Huai will be prepared.
But what she didn't expect was that the other party's method was so unexpected.
They had already reached the high mountains outside Kyoto. As long as they went down along the official road, they would be able to enter the city gate.
It is already late at night. These days are the Lantern Festival nights in Kyoto, and there is no curfew.
Ruan Mian specifically asked Li Ren: "Sir, are we entering the city now? Where will we stay?"
Li Ren glanced at her, kicked the horse's belly and continued moving forward.
But he didn't give a direct answer to her question: "You'll know when you go there."
When they arrived at the city gate, it was after midnight. Li Ren was holding a document in his hand. Ruan Mian didn't know what the document was, but the person on duty let them into the city without saying a word when he saw the document, without even searching.
At least we have a carriage. If we don't search it, it will always feel strange.
Could it be that among the people on duty there is also a traitor who is in contact with Li Ren and the others?
Maybe that's the case.
They thought they were going to stay in an inn, but unexpectedly, they came straight to the east gate of the city. Looking at the quiet surroundings, Ruan Mian frowned slightly.
At this time, Li Ren suddenly ordered his subordinates to move all the gunpowder boxes disguised as commercial grain to the bottom of the city gate.
Seeing this, Ruan Mian seemed to realize something, and before she could ask, Li Ren had already walked in front of her.
"Madam Mian, I need you to properly arrange and bury all this gunpowder under the east gate within one hour."
"Don't worry, we are all here, there's nothing to worry about."
Ruan Mian suddenly raised his eyes, obviously not expecting that they didn’t even have a chance to rest and had to work as soon as they entered the city!
Once the gunpowder is laid, won't the war begin tonight?
Why hadn't there been any news before? If they were really raising an army, why hadn't Yun Xiu's brother made any move?
Ruan Mian's eyes suddenly tightened. Obviously, she did not expect such an unexpected situation to happen.
Suddenly my whole body tensed up.
Seeing the crowd surrounding her, she had no way to break out, let alone contact Ah Huai immediately.
Once I am exposed, maybe all subsequent plans will have to be advanced.
By then, it will be even more difficult for Ah Huai and the others to deal with it.
She calmed herself down and decided to go with the flow. She wanted to find out for the time being whether they were going to launch the uprising tonight.
If tonight was just an ambush, then she still had a chance to convey the message.
At worst, she could get out of sight of others and use the spirit beast in space to go to the caravan to deliver the message.
Although it takes some time to go back and forth, it doesn't mean that Ah Huai has no way to deal with it.
The message had been sent before, and the palace must have been under tight security these days.
Seeing these people acting so blatantly, Ruan Mian realized that they had bribed quite a few people in secret.
I don’t know how the imperial guards in the palace are arranged.
She had also not heard that Prince Yan had arrived in Kyoto.
Thinking of this, she asked Li Ren, "Is your Excellency in charge tonight? Your Excellency is working for the Fifth Prince. Is the Prince here too?"
Li Ren glanced at her warily and said, "Madam Mian, you don't need to know about these things. You just need to help arrange the gunpowder properly."
At this time, someone had come over and communicated with Li Ren.
Even if Li Ren left now, she would not have any extra room to maneuver because there were so many eyes staring at her.
In particular, one of Li Ren's guards even followed closely behind him: "Madam Mian, I'm behind you to protect your safety, just rest assured and do your work."
This is not about protecting safety, it is obviously supervision. To put it bluntly, it is just surveillance.
It seems that Li Ren attaches great importance to this matter. I thought that he should have completely trusted me after all this time, but at the critical moment, he was still vigilant.
Thinking of this, Ruan Mian could only watch the situation develop.
She had wanted to find an opportunity to pass the message on, but she found that not only was there no chance, she was not given enough time either.
There was no need for her guidance. Li Ren's men had already set up the gunpowder array as quickly as possible.
Seeing this speed, Ruan Mian was stunned.
Just as they were looking for Li Ren, a group of people suddenly appeared in the crowd and took them away.
Li Ren's guards joined the others in trying to comfort Ruan Mian: "Madam Mian, let's wait outside for news. The master will be here soon. He also instructed that Madam Mian must stay close to him when the time comes. That way, it will be safe."
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