Ma Wangkun was severely injured. Han Zhi had shown no mercy—he had originally been trained by Han Zhengqing, and the methods he employed were mostly the brutal techniques used on the battlefield against deserters. Ma Wangkun had been tortured until he was half dead, lying prone on the bed with more breath going in than coming out.

Ma San’s eyes instantly reddened. People often called them inhuman bandits and demons, but in the end they had been forced up the mountain by circumstances and driven to desperation. Over these many years, through battles large and small, they had long since come to regard each other as family. Seeing Ma Wangkun tortured so miserably by Han Zhi this time, he truly wanted to tear Han Zhi limb from limb and devour him alive.

The physician counted on his fingers and told Song Chuyi about Ma Wangkun’s current condition: “I’m afraid it doesn’t look good. You should still prepare a coffin to ward off bad luck for him. We can only do our human best and leave the rest to Heaven’s will.”

Han Zhi was the type who only kept useful people by his side. Although Ma Wangkun refused to open his mouth and confess who was behind him, just as Han Zhi had said in Tongzhou, he was still a chess piece that could threaten her. Yet even so, Han Zhi had still struck so ruthlessly—this could only mean the resentment in his heart was truly too heavy.

Song Chuyi lowered her eyelids. Her eyes were misty, making her emotions impossible to read. After a long while, she finally raised her head and softly said she understood, then instructed Qing Ying to see the physician out.

Ma San stood before her, a belly full of rage with nowhere to vent, holding it in until his eyes were bloodshot. Finally, he still roared furiously: “Miss, you must avenge him!” Among their group, Ma Wangkun was the most honest—not the kind of honest that came from having Ma Yongfu’s simple and upright appearance, but truly honest. When they were bandits dividing loot, he never stood at the front. Whatever people tossed to him, he would catch. If others came to take something from his share after it was divided, he would just laugh and never got angry with anyone. During those bitter times in Fujian fighting naval battles, when he himself could barely walk, after getting to the island he still desperately tried to pull along those behind him.

Ma San’s eyes were rimmed with red. For the first time, his usually fierce and menacing face crumpled up: “He still has a son he hasn’t finished raising… and a daughter who hasn’t married yet…”

He instinctively believed Song Chuyi could avenge Ma Wangkun. Although Song Chuyi’s age was only about a third of theirs, she just made people feel at ease following her.

Song Chuyi tilted her head to look at the fine dust particles in the sunlight outside the window. Her pair of eyes were like jade go stones soaked in clear water—sharply black and white, crystal clear in a way that made people involuntarily shiver.

“The revenge will naturally be taken.” She glanced at Ma San and rarely gave him a guarantee: “If Ma Wangkun is truly unfortunate and can’t pull through, I will definitely make Han Zhi accompany him in death!”

Her maternal uncle had said that making these people wholeheartedly submit was not about using power to pressure them or using profit to lure them, but about moving them with emotion. Originally, if their families hadn’t been unable to survive, they wouldn’t have been forced up the mountain to become bandits. Later, when they were willing to fight desperately in the Fujian naval battles, it was also because Cui Shaoting was willing to take care of their families.

Song Chuyi couldn’t give up this group of capable people who were easy to command. She had to let them know she could protect them—or at the very least, she was someone who could get even for them.

Ma San’s eyes blazed with raging fury. He spat on the ground hatefully and asked about Song Chuyi’s plans going forward: “Miss, last time you instructed us to go to Shu, but before you could give detailed instructions, that bastard messed everything up… Are we still going to Shu now?”

He had heard that Song Chuyi had a younger brother she valued extremely. So last time when he heard Song Chuyi was preparing to send them to Shu to escort Song Yan back, he knew this meant Song Chuyi was truly beginning to value them and preparing to take them as her own. He wasn’t a muddled person—if he were truly muddled, he wouldn’t have been able to make a living for so many years under a shrewd person like Cui Shaoting through wind and rain. Following Cui Shaoting was certainly good, but they had to keep their heads on their belts every day. Only after following Song Chuyi did he realize what a happy thing it was to encounter a good master to follow—their families, young and old, were all settled properly, living more comfortably than the young ladies and masters of small households. And the rewards they themselves received after completing each task were extraordinarily generous.

Song Chuyi nodded: “Naturally you must go. I originally didn’t plan to have Ma Wangkun go to Shu anyway—it just happens he can stay behind to recuperate this time. I’ll find other physicians to examine him separately. I must try every possible method before giving up. Whether it works or not is another matter.”

In her previous life, she had initially shared loving days with Shen Qingrang, learning to manage accounts, learning to serve her parents-in-law, learning to be thoroughly proper in etiquette. Some things had long been carved into her very bones. Combined with the skills she had learned since her rebirth from Old Madam Song, First Madam Song, and Li Shi, after integrating them all, she had her own set of methods for employing people. She knew how to firmly grasp people’s hearts in the palm of her hand.

Ma San indeed paused, then immediately kowtowed to Song Chuyi with true heartfelt submission: “The Miss is magnanimous. We will certainly repay this debt of gratitude even in death.”

Song Chuyi shook her head and told him to rise: “On this trip to Shu, go exactly as I instructed before—rest during the day and travel at night. I’ll give you a copy of the route map and send a letter to the people over there. When you all agree you can proceed, then go. Don’t worry about spending extra time—safety is most important. When you return from this trip, I’ll find a way to arrange legitimate identities for you all so you can act more conveniently.”

Ma San stuffed both the banknotes and route map that Qing Ying handed over into his bosom and straightforwardly agreed: “Miss can rest assured. As long as even one person from our Ma Family Village is still breathing, we will definitely protect the Young Master and bring him back safe and sound.”

He was a very shrewd person. He immediately understood Song Chuyi’s implicit meaning—this time could be considered as having torn off all pretense with Han Zhi. If Han Zhi had no way to deal with Song Chuyi, he might turn his attention to Song Chuyi’s younger brother instead. That’s why they must be extremely careful in all matters.

But what this group feared least was trouble. In the past, when they were forced with no other options, they still had to find ways to survive. Now they only needed to properly handle the matters Song Chuyi assigned them to have food and clothing without worry, and could ensure the safety of their families and children. No matter how you calculated it, this account was worthwhile.

Seeing that he had taken it to heart, Song Chuyi nodded: “Pack up and set out to leave the city at dusk when there are many people about. Be careful not to be discovered by Han Zhi’s people again. Go with Second Young Master Ye’s people.”

Ye Jingchuan would dispatch a group of people out of the city to Tongzhou this evening to meet his two younger sisters for their return to the capital tomorrow—it was precisely a good time to insert people. Song Yan’s matter couldn’t be delayed any longer. If they delayed further, even after the Dragon Boat Festival he might still be in Shu unable to return. Moreover, delays breed complications. Song Yan should return to take part in the examinations. At this time, there absolutely couldn’t be any mishaps.