As the sun set, a dilapidated horse-drawn carriage climbed up the Fengling Post Road. After passing the gate tower, the old woman sitting in the carriage showed a hint of joy on her face.
"Young Miss, we have entered the capital region. We will rest at the post station tonight and return to the manor tomorrow afternoon."
Sitting opposite the old woman was a simply dressed, plump young woman with a sallow complexion and a large mole on her left cheek.
Upon hearing the other person's words, she hummed in response, her face expressionless, her gaze fixed intently on the storybook in her hands.
The old woman continued to nag, "Miss, the capital is very safe. Please don't dress like that tomorrow, or you'll frighten the master and mistress when you return to the mansion."
They might even think she didn't pick up the young lady and just found some random country girl to impersonate her.
She had never seen a girl so ruthless as to dress herself up so ugly.
However, this method was indeed effective. Along the way, no one gave them a second glance. If the young lady had been in her original form, things would definitely not have been so peaceful.
Xiao Qingyin remained noncommittal and continued reading the storybook.
She had been in Xi Kingdom for three years and had never received a single letter from home. The only memory she had was of her wet nurse who had raised her. After her wet nurse passed away, the original owner was overwhelmed with grief, suffered a heart attack, and died as well.
If it weren't for Granny He and her husband coming to her door, Xiao Qingyin would have thought that her original father had long forgotten that he had a daughter back in his hometown.
After ignoring her for so many years, Xiao Qingyin didn't think anything good was coming her way by suddenly bringing her back to the manor.
As it just so happened, the original owner of this body still had an unfulfilled wish, and she also wanted to come to the capital to see it, so she went with Granny He and her husband back to the capital.
Just as Granny He was about to explain the situation in the manor to Xiao Qingyin, a sharp shout suddenly came from outside the carriage: "Stop! Everyone get out of the carriage!"
Xiao Qingyin put down her storybook and quickly peeked through the curtains.
"They are bandits, there are twenty or thirty of them."
Granny He's face turned deathly pale, and she trembled all over. "How could there be bandits on the pass..."
"You and Uncle He, don't say anything. I'll handle this. Remember our original statement and don't reveal my identity, or none of us will survive."
The daughter of the Minister of Revenue is no match for these desperate criminals; she will only incite their hatred.
Xiao Qingyin swallowed a voice-changing pill, got off the carriage, glanced back at the gate tower, and saw that there was no movement there, her heart sank slightly.
Guanlou was clearly under the control of these bandits. If they dared to attack Guanlou, they were either incredibly stupid or... Xiao Qingyin decisively abandoned her plan to confront them head-on.
Granny He and Old Man He got off the bus with trepidation.
A tall, burly bandit with a scarred face glanced at the three men and waved his hand, "Take them all up the mountain!"
The mountain was quite lively, with more than a dozen large pots set up in the open air, each cooking different dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, lamb, and pork, creating a full-on feast atmosphere.
Xiao Qingyin glanced at the dishes that had already been prepared and served without showing any emotion, silently estimating their value in her mind.
"Lock those two old geezers up."
After making the arrangements, Scarface led Xiao Qingyin to the main hall of the house. As soon as they crossed the threshold, he shouted at the lean, middle-aged man sitting high on the tiger-skin chair, "Brother, the dowry maids you requested!"
The middle-aged man, caught off guard by the sight of a large mole on her face, frowned. "How did you end up with such an ugly woman!"
"There weren't many people crossing the border this afternoon. We waited for ages before a car finally came. There was only an old driver, an old woman, and this ugly girl on the car. If you don't want her, you'll have to go with the old woman."
Scarface shrugged.
“If it weren’t for your jealousy, brother, that person wouldn’t have let us touch a single finger. We wouldn’t have needed to go through all the trouble of finding a dowry from outside. We would have been married long ago.”
The middle-aged man looked up at the sky outside. "Never mind, it's getting late. Let's make do for now. Give her the medicine."
"Alright!" Scarface took out a black pill the size of a longan from his purse and handed it to Xiao Qingyin. "Eat it."
Xiao Qingyin sniffed the pills, recognized what kind of medicine they were, and obediently accepted them.
Scarface watched her swallow, then made her open her mouth to check, making sure the pill had gone down her stomach. "Alright, big brother."
The middle-aged man looked down at Xiao Qingyin and said, "If you don't want to die, serve Madam well, understand?"
"I understand, I understand."
Xiao Qingyin looked extremely apprehensive.
The middle-aged man stood up from the tiger-skin chair. "Follow me."
Before long, Xiao Qingyin followed him to the door of a room, holding a set of exquisite and beautiful red wedding dress in her hands.
The middle-aged man knocked on the door and said in a gentle voice, "Madam, the auspicious time is almost here. I've found a maid to help you change your clothes. We'll be holding the wedding ceremony shortly."
His response was the sound of shattering porcelain.
The middle-aged man's expression remained unchanged as he instructed Xiao Qingyin, "Hurry up, the bridal sedan chair is coming to pick you up right away."
Xiao Qingyin nodded, her face docile.
The middle-aged man turned and left.
Xiao Qingyin pushed open the door and saw a person sitting by the window, his face turned to her, bathed in the golden afterglow of the setting sun. His features were exquisite, and his temperament was otherworldly, as if he were an immortal who had mistakenly entered the mortal world.
The room was dimly lit, except for his bright spot. The moment he appeared, Xiao Qingyin's mind went blank, and she had no idea where she was.
She was awakened by the crisp sound of shattering porcelain.
"I'm sorry I was stunned, Madam, you are just too beautiful."
Xiao Qingyin placed her wedding dress on the table and smiled slightly at the other person.
Who would have thought that the bandit leader's wife was a man?
The word "Madam" seemed to have touched a nerve with the man. As soon as Xiao Qingyin finished speaking, the other party swept the last teacup off the table.
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