Su Xuerong felt a mix of emotions.
Thinking about his attitude towards me at Jujingyuan that day, I felt uncomfortable.
But I never expected that my father and the others were rescued by the people he sent.
She will not forget this kindness.
When can they return to Hangzhou?
"According to Mr. Ge, one of his subordinates, it should take about half a month if everything goes smoothly, but if there are any troubles, it may take longer..." Lin Chenggui looked at the worried faces of the women in his house and smiled, "Don't worry, this time the prince is personally leading the troops to suppress the bandits, there won't be any major problems."
Lin Jinyu couldn't help but say, "But the rumors circulating in the streets and alleys are that they are rebels, and that they came specifically to rescue the poor. How did they become bandits?"
Lin Chenggui sneered, "The people of Hangzhou have all been deceived. Your uncle and I fell into the hands of those bandits. At first, we thought they were some kind of rebel army coming to relieve our suffering, but in reality, they were bandits plundering the people under the guise of a righteous cause, even more hateful than ordinary bandits..."
Then the two of them began to recount the various evil deeds committed by the "rebel army".
Unexpectedly, such a terrifying army was hidden less than a hundred miles from Hangzhou. They launched a sweeping attack on the surrounding villages, looting all supplies and forcibly conscripting all the men under the age of sixty and over the age of twelve. All the women with good looks were forced into prostitution, and the old, weak, sick, and disabled were all buried alive...
The family members were terrified upon hearing this. Zhou couldn't help but clutch her chest and say, "Thank God, we've managed to find shelter in Hangzhou. If we had been stranded outside and encountered these horrible bandits, would our family have survived?"
Wang exclaimed in astonishment, "Amitabha! Thank goodness you were rescued, otherwise you would have had to become bandits with those people!"
Su Jingxuan sighed and looked at Su Xuerong: "We're lucky this time, but the rest of our silver notes were stolen."
Lin Chenggui added, "We were only robbed of two or three hundred taels of silver; the land deeds we bought before are still intact."
Those bandits only wanted food and gold and silver jewelry; they didn't want any houses or land.
“That advisor, Master Ge, said that once things are settled, we can hire people to farm.”
Su Xuerong breathed a long sigh of relief.
Zhou wiped her eyes and said, "Why mention money? As long as the person is back, that's all that matters."
At this point, she suddenly panicked: "But Shi Rong just went to Quanzhou not long ago. What if he encountered bandits on the way?"
Su Shirong followed Su Xuerong's advice and went to Quanzhou to investigate the situation. He only took two guards with him and carried so much silver. If he encountered bandits, he would be in big trouble.
Su Xuerong's heart was in her throat once again.
If she had known that such a band of bandits had appeared in Jiangnan, she would never have let her elder brother take the risk.
“He took the sea route to Quanzhou, which should be safer than the land route, right?” she couldn’t help but ask.
The fastest waterway from Hangzhou to Quanzhou is from the estuary to the sea, then south along the coastline.
When Su Shirong went to Quanzhou, he took a ship south for safety reasons.
Lin Chenggui said, "Right now, things are turbulent outside, so it's not a good idea to send someone to inquire about my nephew. Everyone, please be patient. Arong is right; waterways are always safer than land routes."
Chen returned in the evening and rushed into the Su residence. She grabbed Su Xuerong's hand and said, "Sister-in-law, tell me, will your eldest brother be alright in Quanzhou?"
Su Xuerong felt extremely guilty and took her hand, saying, "Big brother is traveling by water, so he won't be in danger for the time being..."
Chen's eyes reddened: "Your older brother is so stubborn. He thinks there are opportunities to make money in Quanzhou just because you said that, but what's the point of making money if you lose your life?"
Su Xuerong knew she was blaming her for letting her elder brother go out, but she didn't mind her complaints and comforted her, saying, "Sister-in-law, I will try to find someone to help me inquire about the situation in Quanzhou. Don't be sad."
Only then did Madam Chen return to her own residence.
Su Xuerong thought for a moment, then went out the door and waved to Song San.
Song San rushed over: "Madam Su."
Su Xuerong asked, "Song San, is there anyone else in your master's household who can make decisions?"
Not daring to reveal that his master was a prince, Song San asked, "What does my wife want to do?"
Su Xuerong then explained Su Shirong's situation: "...If it's convenient, could you hire someone from your master to help me find my brother in Quanzhou?"
Song San was somewhat perplexed.
There are indeed several of the prince's subordinates in the palace, and manpower can be dispatched.
But the premise is that it concerns the Prince's Palace.
Su Xuerong only sent a small team over on a whim before the prince's departure; it was a completely different matter from the overall troop mobilization of the prince's mansion.
Now, it's against the rules for Lady Su to use the soldiers of the Prince's mansion to search for someone.
Seeing Song San's troubled expression, Su Xuerong understood and quickly said, "It's okay, I'll think of another way."
Seeing her turn around, Song San suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Wife!"
"Um?"
“I see that you are very familiar with Princess Qinghe. You can ask the princess for help and ask the people in the Prince’s Mansion to help you.”
In this way, the Prince's Mansion will definitely send troops out of respect for Chen Siyi.
Song San's suggestion surprised Su Xuerong.
But he was unaware that he and Chen Siyi had completely fallen out, and he said this out of good intentions.
Su Xuerong didn't want to go to Chen Siyi and humiliate herself, but she thought of someone else.
As evening fell, all the taverns and restaurants on both sides of Xiaohe Street lit up with lanterns of various colors.
From a distance, the scattered lanterns are reflected on the surface of the nearby river like stars, shining as brightly as the Milky Way.
Sitting by the window, Cui Yun'er gazed at the brightly lit streets below and sighed with admiration, "Hangzhou is truly a prosperous city, in no way inferior to the capital..."
Su Xuerong smiled and said, "The old lady asked you to stay for a few days, and you were still so unwilling?"
She specially invited Cui Yun'er to this Chunfenglou restaurant because the private rooms upstairs overlook the river, which is much quieter than the restaurants on the street.
"She kept me around only because my father told me not to run around..." Cui Yun'er said irritably, then suddenly looked up at the woman opposite her.
Su Xuerong wore an elegant lotus-colored light silk robe, the strapless bodice underneath barely visible, her jade-like arms radiating a flawless glow. The interplay of light and shadow in the twilight made the beautiful scenery of the riverbank pale in comparison to her indescribable beauty.
"It was the right thing for the old lady to keep you here; things aren't peaceful in Shaoxing." Su Xuerong handed her a plate of freshly peeled lychees.
Cui Yun'er popped one into her mouth, looking very satisfied, and said with a smile, "Don't worry about that, I'll have people protecting me wherever I go... My family has no shortage of people!"
Su Xuerong looked up at her, gently placed her hands on the table, and gazed at her quietly with her beautiful eyes: "So, the reason I invited Madam Cui here for tea today is to ask Madam Cui for a favor!"
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