“Jingfeng, hurry and follow them secretly!”
“That silly girl! How can she be so foolish?”
“No, I can’t let this happen. I’ll rush out and stop her no matter what!”
Ten thousand coins was no small amount!
At that moment, Shen Lanzhou was worrying over a girl he barely knew as if he were her father.
“Your Highness?”
Although Jingfeng was also anxious, he still had to seek Zhao Jingxing’s permission.
Zhao Jingxing pressed his temple, which was aching from Shen Lanzhou’s incessant chatter. With his other hand, he closed his book and said in a hoarse voice, “Follow them.”
Even his usually calm, indifferent eyes showed a faint, almost imperceptible ripple.
“This subordinate obeys!”
Jingfeng was more enthusiastic than ever.
…
After following Qu Jinshu for quite some time, the road grew increasingly deserted. He Yuexin gradually became impatient.
“Qu Jinshu, this isn’t the way to the money house, is it?”
At last, they arrived at a dead end alley.
Qu Jinshu clapped her hands and turned around, giving them a cold glance. “Of course not. I never intended to take you to the money house in the first place.”
“What did you say?”
The expressions of He Yuexin and Madam He changed drastically.
“Are you playing us?”
“Aren’t you afraid my brother will get angry?”
Hearing that, Qu Jinshu burst out laughing. “Why would I be afraid of your brother getting angry?”
“You… Aren’t you in love with my brother?”
“Oh, I’ll show you through my actions whether I really like your brother or not.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Qu Jinshu grabbed He Yuexin by the hair.
Before He Yuexin could react, Qu Jinshu shoved her head into a nearby bamboo chicken cage.
The stench was overwhelming. When she was finally pulled out, several chicken feathers were still caught between her teeth, and her face was smeared with something black and filthy.
Having never suffered such humiliation before, He Yuexin let out a piercing scream. “I’ll kill you! My brother will never forgive you! He’ll never even look at you again!”
Her mouth was still so filthy. It seemed she needed a good washing.
Qu Jinshu picked up a dried branch lying nearby and used it like a broom, sweeping it across He Yuexin’s face.
In just a short while, the face she had always been so proud of had become swollen and red, looking like a pig’s head. There was no trace left of her usual haughty elegance.
“Mother! Save me! Save me!”
Finally realizing that Qu Jinshu was serious, He Yuexin panicked and screamed for help.
Madam He had never witnessed anything like this either. Her face turned deathly pale, but she still forced herself to threaten Qu Jinshu.
“If you offend the General’s household, you’ll regret it! Qu Jinshu, you won’t get away with this! You… You…”
Suddenly, Qu Jinshu turned to look at her, frightening her so much that she began to stammer.
“I’m the General’s wife, and my son is a general too! If you dare lay a hand on me, you’ll bear the consequences!” she continued through gritted teeth.
“Bear the consequences? Now that sounds rather exciting.”
“Don’t be afraid. I generally don’t hit my elders…” Qu Jinshu spoke in a relaxed tone.
Madam He breathed a small sigh of relief.
At least she knew better than to hit her elders.
But a sharp pain suddenly struck the back of her head. She turned in disbelief, only to discover that Yunshui had knocked her unconscious.
“Just because my miss won’t hit you doesn’t mean I won’t!”
“Besides, my miss said she doesn’t hit her elders on the condition that they’re actually decent human beings. Do you even count as one?”
With her hands on her hips, Yunshui launched into a scolding at the unconscious Madam He.
“Stop hitting me! Please, stop…” He Yuexin curled up in a corner, trembling.
“I… I only insulted you with my words. I won’t do it again. Sister Jinshu, our families have been close for generations. Please let me go this once.”
She no longer hoped to get any money out of Qu Jinshu. All she wanted now was to make it home safely.
Qu Jinshu was a madwoman!
“Since you’re willing to admit your mistake, I’ll let you off this time.”
Qu Jinshu relented and stepped aside, leaving He Yuexin a path to escape.
Seeing this, He Yuexin didn’t even bother checking whether her mother was alive or dead. She immediately turned and ran.
The innocent, pitiful look she had worn moments earlier had already turned into a venomous glare.
‘Qu Jinshu, I’ll remember this! I’ll find people to take revenge on you as soon as I get home. I’ll also report you to the Qu family!’
Qu Jinshu might be crazy, but she was still an idiot.
All it had taken was shedding a few tears, and she had let her go.
However, He Yuexin’s smugness didn’t last long. A loud thud rang out as something struck her head, and she immediately collapsed unconscious.
Yunshui dusted off her hands.
“We only said we’d let you go this time. And you actually believed us!”
Qu Jinshu looked coldly at the mother and daughter lying half dead on the ground.
Since they had practically delivered themselves to her doorstep, why would she let them go so easily?
“Miss, what should we do next?” Yunshui asked.
“Just leave them here,” Qu Jinshu replied indifferently.
“Huh? What if someone rescues them and they come after us for revenge?” Yunshui asked worriedly.
“Then let them come. I already have more than enough enemies. Two more won’t make a difference.”
Qu Jinshu picked up their belongings and strode away.
If they died, who would help her torment He Xiujun and Qu Ya?
“I take back everything I said earlier. She’s not foolish at all. She’s actually terrifying!”
Having witnessed everything from beginning to end, Shen Lanzhou hurriedly led Jingfeng away, afraid that if they moved any slower, Qu Jinshu would spot them and add them to her list of people to hunt down.
So that was why she had agreed so readily. It wasn’t because she was hopelessly in love with He Xiujun.
She had simply lured the mother and daughter from the He family into that alley, like lambs being led to slaughter.
Still, given their disgusting behavior, they had brought this upon themselves.
“I knew it. There’s no way she could possibly like He Xiujun.” With his hands behind his back, Shen Lanzhou leisurely returned to the carriage.
Inside, Zhao Jingxing was still sitting in the same position, reading his book.
Shen Lanzhou really wanted to tell him all about Qu Jinshu’s impressive performance. But seeing how uninterested Zhao Jingxing seemed, he decided against it.
“Come on, let’s go find Elder Han. I’ve been coveting that spear of his for ages. You’re on good terms with him, Jingxing. Put in a good word for me and ask him to sell me that treasured red tasseled spear!”
He began pleading with Zhao Jingxing.
The two of them had set out specifically to obtain that spear.
Elder Han was the head of the renowned Han family, famous for its weapon making. His craftsmanship was extraordinary, and the weapons he forged were virtually indestructible.
People throughout the land considered it an honor to own even a single weapon made by him.
However, as he grew older, he produced fewer and fewer weapons.
Scarcity made them all the more precious, and his weapons had become nearly impossible to obtain, no matter how much money one offered.
Shen Lanzhou had heard that Elder Han was going to auction a red tasseled spear at the Jubao Pavilion, a weapon he had spent three years forging.
The moment he heard the news, he couldn’t stop thinking about it and immediately decided to go there.
But Elder Han had an eccentric personality. To buy one of his weapons, it wasn’t enough to offer the highest price. A buyer also had to appeal to his tastes. Otherwise, even a mountain of gold would be useless.
Worried that he wouldn’t be able to win the auction, Shen Lanzhou had dragged Zhao Jingxing along.
Jingxing had once dealt with Elder Han under another identity. Hopefully, Elder Han would be willing to do them a favor this time.