Xie Yue skillfully disguised Qin Yining to look exactly as before, even drawing the mole on her face in the original position. Pang Xiao was made up with a blackened face and many wrinkles, transforming into an aged, burly carriage driver.

Qin Yining still brought Ziyuan and Hanxiao with her onto the carriage.

Pang Xiao wore a bamboo hat and straw raincoat, standing with hands on hips in front of the carriage, looking at Qin Yining inside: “You went like this before with just those two?”

Qin Yining straightened her sapphire blue arrow-sleeved robe and nodded: “Yes.”

Pang Xiao took a deep breath and after a long while managed to say: “If I’d known you were taking such risks, I never should have agreed to let you go in the first place.” He should have pressed her over his knee and given her a good spanking.

“I knew you’d overthink this. I’ve always made complete preparations before acting. Though only the three of us go inside to contact those people,” Qin Yining put her arms around Hanxiao and Ziyuan’s shoulders, “there are quite a few people outside providing backup.”

Pang Xiao looked at Tang Xiu, Huzi, and others standing behind him, then thought of the Elite Tiger Guards who had disguised themselves as common people and departed ahead of them. Only then did he breathe a bit easier.

“Boss, hold on tight!” Pang Xiao turned and nimbly leaped onto the driver’s seat, cracking his small whip to drive the carriage.

Qin Yining giggled behind the curtain.

Pang Xiao laughed: “Don’t tease me later, or I might give myself away in front of others.”

“How did I tease you?” Qin Yining felt wronged.

Pang Xiao smiled: “Hearing you laugh makes me unable to stop laughing. If that’s not teasing, what is?”

“Scoundrel.” Qin Yining spat at him.

Pang Xiao laughed heartily again.

Ziyuan and Hanxiao hadn’t been with Qin Yining long. Seeing the prince and princess flirt and banter through the curtain, they both lowered their faces shyly. If it had been Bingtang and Ji Yun following along, they would already be winking at Qin Yining and teasing her mercilessly.

The carriage soon arrived at the gate of a large residence. Qin Yining got down and, without even glancing at the “driver” behind her, instructed Hanxiao to knock on the door.

Pang Xiao silently stood in place, watching Qin Yining’s back—she looked particularly charming in men’s clothing. He thought he’d have her dress like this at home too; it was quite attractive.

Soon, a gatekeeper came to answer the door.

Qin Yining led her two maids across the threshold and walked quickly into the residence. The gatekeeper smiled at Pang Xiao the driver.

“Hey, brother, why don’t you come in and sit for a while to avoid the rain?”

Pang Xiao thought it would be inconvenient to act with a door between them. Better to go inside so he could rush over quickly if he heard anything.

He also thought that if Mu Jinghu had come along, perhaps even a wall wouldn’t pose any obstacle. Unfortunately, he was hurrying back to see his wife and children and wouldn’t arrive in Huichuan for another day or two.

Pang Xiao grinned, putting on the demeanor of a rough man, holding his whip with crossed arms as he walked onto the porch. “Thank you, little brother.”

“No problem. You’re new, aren’t you? I don’t recognize your face.”

Pang Xiao smiled: “Our boss has many drivers. Ah, I was lucky this time—it was my turn.”

The gatekeeper nodded understandingly and invited Pang Xiao to the gatehouse to shelter from rain and drink tea.

Meanwhile, Qin Yining led her maids all the way to the front hall.

Guan Dahu, Liu Ban, and others had been waiting at the entrance upon hearing that Boss Qiu had arrived.

“Boss Qiu.”

“Hall Master Qiao.”

After exchanging greetings and taking seats according to rank, Qin Yining smiled and asked: “I’ve been busy with business these days and couldn’t personally visit the mansion to see Hall Master Qiao. Please forgive me, Hall Master.”

Guan Dahu waved his hands repeatedly with a beaming smile: “Boss Qiu has a large business and many affairs—being busy is understandable. Unlike us brothers who have been imposing on the mansion these days, we feel rather guilty about it.”

“Ah! Hall Master, saying such things makes you seem like a stranger to me. We’re all brothers here. This little sister has no talent or virtue, but having Hall Master grace us with your presence is already a great honor. If you keep being so formal, this little sister will get angry.”

Hearing this woman address herself as “little sister” repeatedly, Guan Dahu, Liu Ban, and the others felt inexplicably comfortable. Liu Ban and the others’ expressions improved considerably.

Guan Dahu lowered his voice and smiled: “Has Boss Qiu thought of a proper solution these days?”

Hearing this, everyone perked up their ears.

Qin Yining also lowered her voice and said seriously: “I have indeed thought of a method. It could save us brothers a lot of effort.”

“Oh?” Guan Dahu’s hoarse voice rose, clearly showing his great interest in this matter.

Qin Yining said: “I wonder if Hall Master has heard of yesterday’s major incident in the city?”

“You mean the conflict between the prince’s mansion and the magistrate’s residence?” Guan Dahu spoke with considerable disdain: “That was just the women of both families acting foolishly, making themselves laughingstocks.”

After saying this, he realized the person before him was also a woman. Having disparaged those respectable ladies, he worried this female benefactor might secretly get angry and reduce their allowances.

So Guan Dahu quickly changed his tone: “Those vulgar powder-faces naturally can’t compare to Boss Qiu. Boss Qiu is a heroine among women, not inferior to any man. Those vulgar powder-faces only know how to compete and be jealous over men—naturally they’re despised by others.”

Guan Dahu intended to put one down while praising another. He never dreamed that the one he was putting down was also the person before him.

Qin Yining sneered inwardly while remaining composed outwardly, modestly saying: “Hall Master greatly overpraises me. Those ladies are all imperial relatives—I’m merely a common merchant. How could I compare to such noble people? Let’s discuss how to transport the treasure quietly without leaving any traces.”

Guan Dahu was naturally pleased with this direction and smiled: “Boss Qiu has an idea?”

Qin Yining nodded, leaning closer to tell Guan Dahu what she had told Pang Xiao yesterday.

Guan Dahu’s eyes turned dark, his fists clenched tightly, his gaze shifting from initial indifference to wariness.

Qin Yining noticed his emotional change immediately but smiled without showing any reaction: “Hall Master, please don’t misunderstand my meaning. Privately informing Lord Zhongyi about this matter is truly a good way to kill with a borrowed knife. Moreover, with our capabilities, we’re insufficient to transport things out quietly. As long as the Lu family takes action to transport the stones out of the quarry, whenever we want to have people rob the goods, wouldn’t that be easy? You should know that hiring people to rob an ordinary merchant convoy transporting stones is different in difficulty from ordering people to rob stones for His Majesty’s imperial mausoleum. At critical moments, we can also protect ourselves wisely and avoid losing our lives over this.”

Speaking to this point, Qin Yining smiled and inquired: “What do you think, Hall Master?”

Guan Dahu lowered his eyes, his thick black eyebrows twisted together by his frowning expression, appearing particularly menacing as he pondered the feasibility of this method.