Mian Tang and Bi Cao were both somewhat startled, finding it hard to imagine that these men would react this way upon hearing news of someone’s marriage.
Mian Tang could hardly contain herself. “Who said I’m marrying him… to assassinate him?”
The brothers’ wailing subsided, and they stared blankly at Liu Mian Tang, unable to fathom why she would marry the Prince of Huaiyang.
Lu Yi spoke first, “Were you… captured by him earlier? Did he take a liking to you, Boss, and force you to marry him?”
Mian Tang realized she could no longer hide her memory loss. She decided to tell them the truth to prevent her loyal brothers from wild speculation.
“He didn’t force me. He saved me…” Mian Tang then recounted how villains had severed the tendons in her hands and feet before throwing her into the river.
The four brothers, who had been wondering why their boss had been out of touch for so long, were overcome with grief upon learning the truth. They wept uncontrollably, unable to bear the thought of their boss’s helplessness as she was thrown into the water with severe injuries.
Lu Yi clenched his fists, looking as if he wished he could have suffered in Mian Tang’s place.
However, Mian Tang felt they had missed the main point, so she reiterated, “In short, the Prince of Huaiyang rescued me in time and treated my injuries. I’ve now forgotten the events at Yangshan and don’t recognize you all…”
Lu Quan wiped his nose and choked out, “No wonder Boss looked at us with such wariness when we first met and didn’t come to recognize us. So it was the Prince of Huaiyang who caused her to lose her memory. He first sent soldiers to intercept and kill you, then pretended to be your husband when he saw you had lost your memory. How despicable! If I don’t kill Cui Xingzhou in this life, I, Lu Quan, am not worthy to be called a man!”
The other brothers’ faces darkened, seemingly agreeing with Lu Quan’s view.
The nuances of Liu Mian Tang and Cui Xingzhou’s relationship were far more complex than they imagined!
However, their deep-rooted hatred for the Prince of Huaiyang was difficult to shake. They were convinced that the prince had deceived their boss.
After all, setting aside the boss’s many skills, she was indeed a stunningly beautiful woman. It would be normal for the Prince of Huaiyang to be attracted to her.
Listening to Lu Quan’s words, Liu Mian Tang felt things were getting out of hand. She stood up, her face stern, and said, “Who told you the Prince of Huaiyang harmed me? I’ve already said he had nothing to do with it! My intention to marry him is genuine. We’ll live a proper life together. Don’t think about seeking revenge for me. Once you’ve recovered from your injuries, I’ll give you some money so you can live good lives on your own…”
Hearing this, the brothers became agitated again. They knelt, refusing to rise, and said, “Boss, our lives belong to you. We’re not going anywhere. We’ll stay by your side. Besides, we don’t lack money… When you left the mountain, you entrusted us with a large sum!”
Although the boss hadn’t embezzled the old treasury of Yangshan’s Eastern Palace, she was incredibly proficient at earning money. Her share of the profits over those few years was considerable. Fearing putting all her eggs in one basket, Mian Tang had distributed the deeds, account books, and silver notes among the four brothers for safekeeping. All this time, they hadn’t dared to spend it frivolously, saving it all for their boss.
When Mian Tang looked at the account book Lu Yi handed over, seeing the amount of silver recorded, she fell silent for a moment.
In the past few days, she had first discovered she was a bandit leader, and now she learned she had such a large fortune. It was truly one shock after another.
However, these men certainly lived up to the “loyalty and righteousness” she had tattooed on them. Despite possessing great wealth, they hadn’t succumbed to greed. Such pure-hearted people were rare in this world.
Unable to shake off these loyal followers, Mian Tang felt she couldn’t simply abandon them. She said, “All right, keep managing this money for me. Buy a house in Zhenzhou Prefecture and settle down. I now have fields and shops. If you’re willing, you can help out in my shops. Although there are some corrupt officials in the area, you can’t start a rebellion every time one appears. It’s easy to incite temporary public anger and cause trouble, but the real challenge is how to benefit the local people and help them live truly good lives. In the future, you must never do things like what happened in Dongzhou again.”
Coming from Liu Mian Tang, who knew her past, these words encouraging them to be good citizens might seem unconvincing. However, these men had always revered Mian Tang as a deity, and when a deity spoke, they naturally listened.
They were already delighted that she allowed them to stay. As for the boss marrying Cui Xingzhou, it seemed to them that she had been temporarily deceived by villains. They believed their boss would eventually come to her senses. With them guarding her, they wouldn’t let her suffer!
Just then, the sound of hoofbeats and voices suddenly came from the official road not far from the thatched hut.
Lu Quan went out and climbed a ridge to check the road. He quickly became tense and ran back, saying urgently, “Not good! Soldiers are coming!”
At his shout, everyone in the hut became nervous. They all sprang to their feet, drawing swords and clenching fists, ready to fight at any moment.
Mian Tang asked, “Have any of you been seen by the Prince of Huaiyang or his subordinates?”
Lu Yi shook his head and said, “During the battle, we always smeared our faces with furnace oil. In Dongzhou, we wore fake beards and disguises. They won’t recognize us…”
Mian Tang sighed with relief and said, “Then what are you nervous about? Just relax. Wait until the soldiers leave, then you can go…”
Unfortunately, the brothers had always been like cats and mice with soldiers. Just hearing the word “soldiers” made them unable to relax. Despite Mian Tang’s reassurances, they remained tense.
To make matters worse, these soldiers seemed unwilling to leave, continuously milling about on their horses nearby, their voices growing louder.
As someone appeared to be approaching the thatched hut, Mian Tang couldn’t help but go out to look.
What she saw was a tall man striding towards them, leading the group.
His hair bun looked somewhat disheveled as if it hadn’t been combed for days. A few strands hung by his face, accentuating his long eyebrows and eyes that carried an inexplicable air of severity. His chin was dotted with stubble, giving him an unexpectedly weathered look. This reduced his usual scholarly, otherworldly air but added a heart-stirring masculinity.
Mian Tang recognized Cui Xingzhou at a glance. She bounded towards him like an excited rabbit, but halfway there, she suddenly remembered the people in the thatched hut behind her and abruptly stopped.
However, Cui Xingzhou had also seen her. He strode forward with long steps, swift as an arrow, and tightly embraced Liu Mian Tang.
Over the past few days, the Prince of Sui had sent messages, but they were mostly attempts to distance himself from the situation, saying the chaos in Zhenzhou had nothing to do with him—nonsense that suggested he wasn’t in a hurry to exchange hostages.
If it weren’t for the soldiers Cui Xingzhou had sent to check the towns for suspicious individuals, who found Fan Hu and the two concubines, he would have thought the Prince of Sui was maintaining his composure.
It turned out that the Prince of Sui wasn’t deliberately delaying; he simply hadn’t captured Mian Tang and her mother.
But after checking all the towns without finding Mian Tang and the others, it was clear they were hiding much more effectively than the concubines and their group.
Fearing that time would bring unforeseen complications and that they might encounter more mishaps while outside, Cui Xingzhou didn’t wait for them to find their way back. Instead, he ordered a thorough search everywhere.
When they arrived at this place today, Cui Xingzhou’s troops were about to pass by. However, he suddenly remembered that during a previous hunting trip, he had discovered a hidden resting spot nearby for shelter from rain. So he reined in his horse and turned back to check.
Unexpectedly, his efforts bore fruit. He saw Liu Mian Tang emerge from the thatched hut. She seemed to have lost some weight and was dressed in men’s clothing, her face smeared like a dirty cat. The sight made Cui Xingzhou’s eyes sting and his heartburn. He wanted nothing more than to hold her tightly in his arms and never let her go.
At this moment, the brothers in the thatched hut also saw their boss being embraced by a tall, handsome man.
Lu Quan became agitated, wanting to rush over and knock down the impudent rogue with one punch, but Bi Cao held him back, saying, “Our prince and the county princess are reuniting. What business is it of yours? Don’t rush over there looking for trouble!”
Lu Quan finally took a closer look and realized the man did indeed resemble the commander in golden armor he had seen on the battlefield in Dongzhou.
On the battlefield, the Prince of Huaiyang had been protected by golden armor and wore a helmet, so his features weren’t visible. Now, seeing him up close, he was even more handsome and tall than Young Master Zi Yu. No wonder he had captivated their boss, making her determined to marry him regardless of the consequences…
Lu Yi bit his lip hard as he watched Mian Tang’s undisguised joy and shyness as she looked up intently at the handsome man embracing her.
Such intense, sweet affection couldn’t be faked.
It seemed their boss had fallen in love with someone she shouldn’t have… again.
Meanwhile, after tightly embracing his beloved for a good while, the Prince of Huaiyang looked up and noticed the few young men standing in front of the thatched hut, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
“Who are they?” Cui Xingzhou asked, sizing them up discreetly.
Mian Tang calmly replied, “They’re a group of kind-hearted brothers. When Bi Cao and I came down the mountain to look for food, we encountered some ruffians. These brothers helped us out of trouble. One of them was even injured while saving me, so I just finished stitching his wound and applying medicine when you arrived…”
Cui Xingzhou took her hand and approached the thatched hut.
Standing behind Cui Xingzhou, Liu Mian Tang glared at the “loyal and righteous” brothers while saying sweetly, “This is the Prince of Huaiyang of Zhenzhou, not some villain. Why don’t you pay your respects?”
Lu Yi, with a wooden expression, was the first to kneel, saying, “This humble commoner pays respects to Your Highness…”
The other three brothers, under Mian Tang’s glare, lowered their heads, concealing their hostility as they knelt and kowtowed.
Cui Xingzhou discreetly surveyed the hut, noticing the needle and thread used for stitching flesh wounds and the lingering scent of medicinal wine. It seemed that Mian Tang, the amateur doctor, had indeed been treating someone earlier.
He briefly inquired about these men’s origins, learning that they had been street urchins from a young age, surviving by begging and roaming the jianghu, with no registered permanent residence.
Mian Tang interjected at the right moment, “The Dowager is washing up in the mountains. She should be ready by now. Your Highness should go to receive her quickly. She’s been unwell these past few days and has suffered quite a fright…”