Liangyan Mountain.

The atmosphere in the village was tense and serious unlike before.

Wang Biao hurriedly entered Lin Yao’s courtyard, his face full of joy. “Master, the people from Black Tiger Cliff and Windfire Forest have arrived, and the leaders of other mountain strongholds are also on their way.”

Qi Yunzhai was weak in power.

If they were to face the officials alone, it would be like hitting a stone with an egg.

But if they joined forces with other strongholds, it would be difficult for the officials to deal with them in the short term.

How could Wang Biao not be delighted?

Lin Yao was currently discussing the situation with Chu Chengji as they looked at the map of Qing Prefecture on the table.

Upon hearing Wang Biao’s words, the gloom between his brows vanished instantly, and he said, “Quick, please invite them in.”

After Wang Biao left to welcome the representatives from the two major strongholds, Lin Yao turned to Chu Chengji at the other end of the long table, his eyes filled with admiration. “Now I understand why you had the brothers tidied up and trained them for an hour this morning. You were preparing for this act, weren’t you? Brother Chu, you’re always good at bluffing. But how did you know for sure that the other mountain bandits in Qing Prefecture would come to help after receiving Qi Yunzhai’s message?”

Chu Chengji’s gaze remained fixed on the map, his eyes cold and unfathomable, lacking the warmth they used to have.

Even Wang Biao didn’t dare to approach him these days except when absolutely necessary.

The person in question evidently didn’t have this self-awareness.

He continued to use a red pen to mark several locations on the map without lifting his eyelids, his voice cold and indifferent.

“Lips and teeth are connected. With the precedent of Panlong Gou, all the major mountain strongholds in Qing Prefecture are now on edge.

If the officials continue to defeat them one by one, which of the remaining strongholds can match Panlong Gou? Fighting alone against the officials is as good as seeking death.”

“Qi Yunzhai occupies a strategic position and now has weapons from the court. Those who come here are not so much here to help Qi Yunzhai as they are to seek a way out for themselves.”

As he spoke, Chu Chengji finally stopped the pen, his cold and calm black eyes lifting. “However, the people from the other major strongholds still don’t know that we intend to raid Qing Prefecture. Convincing them to form an alliance will depend on the master.”

This was also why Qi Yunzhai didn’t wait for the leaders of the other major strongholds to come to them but instead extended an olive branch early on.

With Qi Yunzhai’s strength alone, it was absolutely impossible to confront the officials.

But if they could bring people from other strongholds, they might just be able to put up a fight.

Lin Yao looked at the map of Qing Prefecture with a furrowed brow. “The court has sent thirty thousand elite soldiers to suppress the bandits.

The combined strength of all the mountain bandits in Qing Prefecture is only a few thousand.

The disparity in strength is too great. I’m afraid we won’t be able to persuade the leaders of the other major strongholds.”

“In less than three days, the official troops sent to suppress the bandits in Qing Prefecture will be withdrawn.”

Chu Chengji’s overly confident tone surprised Lin Yao, and he raised an eyebrow. “Very well. When Wang Biao brings the people over later, I will go and negotiate with the leaders of the other major strongholds.”

Chu Chengji didn’t explain why the troops suppressing the bandits would be withdrawn, and Lin Yao wisely refrained from asking further.

Chu Chengji picked up the map of the stronghold and continued to inspect the defensive fortifications in the village.

Since the attack from Panlong Gou, the wooden beams on the cliff had been set on fire, and now Qi Yunzhai could only enter and exit through the dam cave.

When there were only people from the stronghold, going up and down with the hoist was no problem.

But if people from other strongholds wanted to enter the stronghold, relying solely on the hoist would be troublesome.

Chu Chengji’s gaze fell on the mountain behind Liangyan Mountain and the mountain opposite the river.

If a bridge could be built on the mountaintop to connect the mountains on the opposite side of the river, entering and leaving Qi Yunzhai would be much more convenient, and the stronghold’s power would also be easier to expand outward.

At the end of the road, when there was no way out, retreating to Liangyan Mountain and cutting off the suspension bridge connecting both sides would ensure safety.

However, the Central Plains region was mostly flat, and suspension bridges were rare.

Skilled craftsmen who understood how to build them would be hard to find. It was only during his conscription to Xiling for those bitter battles that he had witnessed how a suspension bridge could turn a natural barrier into a fast route for marching.

As he lightly flicked the red pen in his hand, a strange idea suddenly occurred to him:

Perhaps she knew how to build a suspension bridge?

But she was currently in the hands of Shen Yanzhi.

His slender eyes half-lowered, concealing all the deep and mysterious emotions within.

He had doubted the reason for her abnormal behavior before, but the more he doubted, the less willing he was to delve into her choices at that time.

She was always clever and would never put herself in danger.

In front of him, to save her own life, she would flatter and please him, but in front of Shen Yanzhi?

For this fleeting moment, the brush tip on the white paper spread out into a thick blotch of ink, glaringly obvious.

In an instant, a strange hint of warmth surfaced again in his cold and deep eyes, and Lin Yao felt an inexplicable stiffness in his spine at the sight of his gaze.

Before he could speak, the other party casually said, “It’s wise to prioritize self-preservation.”

Lin Yao didn’t know why he suddenly said such a thing, but under his gentle yet compelling gaze, he quickly nodded. “Yes, yes.”

Chu Chengji continued slowly, “But it’s foolish not to know when to advance or retreat.”

Lin Yao was even more confused by this statement, but as soon as Chu Chengji’s gaze swept over him, he quickly nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, those who don’t know when to advance or retreat deserve to die!”

---

Since rejecting Shen Yanzhi in the morning, he hadn’t come over for the whole morning.

Qin Zheng was happy for the peace and quiet.

She thought that at this time, Shen Yanzhi would still be thin-skinned, sticking to etiquette.

But she didn’t expect herself to be too naive.

Just as it was nearing noon, a group of maidservants entered the courtyard carrying dishes and filled Qin Zheng’s room with a table full of food.

Qin Zheng frowned, not yet understanding the situation, when Lin Zhao, who had heard the noise, was directly intercepted by two guards.

“What are you doing?” Lin Zhao had a hot temper.

If it weren’t for his injury, he might have already started fighting with the two guards.

“The master wants to have a meal here. Please step aside for a moment, miss.” The guards replied expressionlessly.

Qin Zheng immediately said, “Let her go. She will have the meal with me.”

Her right eyelid was twitching rapidly, and Qin Zheng had a feeling of impending doom.

The two guards remained unmoved.

When Lin Zhao struggled, one of them directly pinched the wound on her shoulder blade.

Lin Zhao immediately turned pale with pain, but refused to show weakness. She lifted her leg and fiercely kneed the guard’s abdomen.

The guard bent over in pain, and the strength in his hand loosened, allowing Lin Zhao to break free.

Remembering the injury, Lin Zhao gave a whip kick to the other guard, but it was blocked by the guard’s hand.

Then, a group of guards rushed over and drew their swords, aiming them at Lin Zhao.

Qin Zheng sensed the danger and immediately pushed aside the guards, standing in front of Lin Zhao. “If you want to take her away, then take me too.”

“Everyone, step back.”

A cold voice came from outside the door.

The guards sheathed their swords and stepped aside.

Shen Yanzhi was not wearing official robes today, instead opting for a simple black outfit.

The delicate silver patterns on his clothes shimmered in the sunlight, and the twin fish ornaments at his waist softened his usual cold and sharp demeanor with a hint of youthful vigor.

As he stepped into the room, his gaze fell on Qin Zheng.

There was amazement, nostalgia, but also well-hidden pain and stubbornness in his eyes.

Indeed, she was most suitable in a white dress. When she didn’t smile, she was as ethereal as a celestial who had accidentally fallen into the mortal world.

As his gaze swept over the wooden hairpin in her hair, Shen Yanzhi noticed the dull-colored woodpin and his already unimpressive complexion grew even darker. “Who gave you the hairpin last night?”

A unfamiliar maidservant knelt down trembling, her knees giving out under her. “It… it was me, sir.”

Shen Yanzhi didn’t even spare a glance at the maid. “Take her away and execute her.”

The maid pleaded for mercy in terror, “Please spare me, sir! Please spare me!”

No one paid any attention to her. Two guards stepped forward, gagging her with a cloth and dragging her away.

Qin Zheng struggled to stop them. “Stop.”

Qin Zheng couldn’t stand the plot where the male lead or male second forced the female lead under duress. When she used to read books, she always found such situations frustrating. She didn’t expect to encounter it herself after transmigrating.

She disliked plots where the protagonist fell in love and killed servants when upset.

If she were a native of ancient times, perhaps she wouldn’t think much of it, but Qin Zheng was a modern person. She couldn’t remain indifferent to such cruelty, especially when it was all because of her. There was no reason to kill the maid who had brought her the hairpin.

She even wanted to lift Shen Yanzhi’s skull to see what was inside his brain, to understand why he would resort to killing so easily.

Shen Yanzhi looked at Qin Zheng, his gaze stubborn. “She brought you something you didn’t like. What use is there for her?”

Qin Zheng couldn’t fathom what had triggered Shen Yanzhi like this. Indeed, not everyone could endure the eccentricities of the male lead. She said coldly, “It’s none of her business. The hairpin is too precious, I don’t want it.”

Understanding why she refused to wear the hairpin, Shen Yanzhi’s attitude miraculously softened. “What’s a hairpin? Compared to things a hundred or a thousand times more valuable, Ah Zheng is more than worthy.”

He gestured, and the guards released the maid.

Shen Yanzhi glanced at the maid. “Go and fetch the hairpin.”

Moments later, the maid returned, holding a sandalwood box and presenting it with a half-kneel. She then lifted the sandalwood box above her head.

Shen Yanzhi looked at Qin Zheng. “Put it on, Ah Zheng.”

Lin Zhao’s chest heaved violently, unable to bear it any longer. “You’re going too far!”

Shen Yanzhi’s gaze fell on Lin Zhao. His eyes were icy and indifferent, tinged with impatience, as if he was considering whether or not to keep this noisy person. But seeing Qin Zheng protect her like that, he suppressed his thoughts and simply instructed the guards behind him, “Take her away.”

Lin Zhao refused to leave, and Qin Zheng, afraid they might harm him, didn’t dare to step aside easily.

Shen Yanzhi had already sat down at the Eight Immortals table. Seeing Qin Zheng still standing in front of Lin Zhao, he propped his chin with one hand and looked at her. “I just wanted to have a meal alone with Ah Zheng. I’m just temporarily asking this young lady to eat elsewhere. If Ah Zheng makes me sad again, I can’t guarantee whether she’ll come back in one piece.”

Lin Zhao immediately retorted, “Dog official! Do you think I’m afraid of you? What kind of person do you think you are?”

Chen Qing’s long sword was half unsheathed, as if he was about to step forward, but Shen Yanzhi raised his hand to stop him, with a childish look of stubbornness on his pale face.

He was waiting for Qin Zheng’s choice.

Qin Zheng clenched her five fingers in her palm and said to Lin Zhao, “Azuo, you go down first.”

Lin Zhao was worried about her, “Sister Zheng, are you sure?”

“Don’t worry, I just want to talk to Lord Shen alone.” Qin Zheng interrupted Lin Zhao.

Letting Lin Zhao stay here, with Lin Zhao’s temperament, would only end up in a disadvantage.

Lin Zhao was pushed and shoved by several guards and stepped out of the door with three steps and turned his head.

Shen Yanzhi saw the indifferent look in Qin Zheng’s eyes, his eyes slightly red, in endless pain, but also with a numb sense of pleasure that was unyielding and relentless.

He was indeed stimulated by the words Qin Zheng had someone bring him this morning.

A married couple?

He didn’t know what had happened between her and the useless crown prince during her time of amnesia, but she willingly recognized that waste as her husband, as if a poisonous thorn had been stabbed into his heart, with hatred and jealousy burning through his limbs and bones.

What did the former crown prince say to her?

Did he lie to her that they were a loving couple?

The former crown prince was worthless, but he could still pass muster. It was more than enough to deceive her during her amnesia.

Sometimes he even suspected that the former crown prince did it on purpose, deliberately letting her return to him one day and take this kind of revenge on him.

He had thought about starting over with her, just this morning, but almost all his rationality was shattered by her words.

She forgot about him, so she could speak so hurtfully to him?

Yes, anyway, she wouldn’t know how sad he was.

Last night he even thought it would be better if she didn’t remember, but hearing her say that she was a married woman this morning, he just wanted to obsessively relive everything they had experienced.

Shen Yanzhi smiled at Qin Zheng, but his eyes were full of brokenness. He ordered the maid standing nervously aside, “Why aren’t you offering a seat?”

The maid quickly pulled open a cushion for Qin Zheng to sit on.

His gaze passed over the hairpin, and he asked somewhat obsessively, “Is it Azheng who did it herself, or should I help Azheng?”

This sentence reminded Qin Zheng of that morning when Chu Chengji helped her with her hair.

Her heart seemed to be pinched by a pair of hands, and it felt so stuffy that it was a bit painful.

She looked at the maid kneeling on the ground holding the sandalwood box. Because she had been holding it for too long, the maid’s hands were trembling, and she kept her head down, crying silently.

Without saying a word, Qin Zheng picked up the jade hairpin and pinned it in her hair, looking at Shen Yanzhi with a clear gaze. “Are you satisfied?”

Clearly, she had done everything according to her own wishes, but when she touched Qin Zheng’s gaze, Shen Yanzhi still felt a dense pain, he felt embarrassed and turned his eyes away, waving his hand to signal Chen Qing and all the maids in the room to leave.

The door was not closed, and although he was overbearing from the moment he entered, at this moment, he was so fragile that his eyes were red, and there were no outsiders present. He said in a humble tone close to begging, “Azheng, can you accompany me for a meal, please?”