Qi Yuan smiled faintly. “Madam Zou really is a daughter of the Xie family—so decisive and clean-cut.”
Many women, once married, instinctively align themselves with their husband’s camp. But clearly, Madam Zou was not one of those women.
Qi Yuan exhaled quietly in relief, without showing it.
Madam Zou let out a long breath, finally feeling some of the suffocating pressure in her chest ease. In a quiet voice, she asked, “Can you really help the Xie family?”
That’s a crime of treason!
Qi Yuan suddenly smiled. She stood and brushed the dust off her clothes. “Don’t worry, Madam. If I say I can, I can.”
Then she leaned slightly closer and asked softly, “Madam, hasn’t Zou Xiaopeng been suppressing bandits lately?”
At the mention of bandits, Madam Zou’s expression turned a little strange.
Yes, Jiangxi bordered Fujian, and the pirates in Fujian often fled into Jiangxi’s mountains to avoid pursuit, setting up strongholds.
In Huichang County, there was such a bandit den. The bandits frequently came down the mountains to rob travelers, disturbing the nearby people terribly. Even the tea shipments that used to pass through Huichang from Jiangxi had all but stopped taking this route.
There had even been deaths.
Because of that, the imperial court had once dispatched a censor to investigate.
At that time, Zou Xiaopeng had been in a foul mood, erupting with mouth ulcers one after another.
Even now, Madam Zou still remembered it clearly.
She looked at Qi Yuan with suspicion. “How do you know about that?”
Moreover, even if there were bandits, what did that have to do with Zou Xiaopeng?
Those bandits had seized Luohan Cliff. Whenever government troops came to raid, they would scatter into the mountains. As soon as the soldiers left, they’d raise their banners again. They were like ghosts—elusive and impossible to deal with.
Qi Yuan smiled. “Nothing. I just plan to send those bandits a big gift—and I’ll need your help, Madam.”
Madam Zou looked even more bewildered. “Me? What could I possibly do?”
She was just a woman. What did she have to do with bandits?
Qi Yuan took her hand. “Madam Zou, you’re quite wealthy, aren’t you?”
…
Madam Zou’s face turned even more complicated.
Her dowry was almost used up—she had no money, but Zou Xiaopeng did.
All these years as magistrate, selling tea mountains, hilltops, repeatedly asking the court for funds to reinforce dikes…
All of it had gone into his own pocket.
Qi Yuan could tell by her expression. “In that case, don’t let it go to waste. Madam Zou, send all that silver to the bandits.”
And how was she supposed to do that?
Qi Yuan only smiled.
—
Zou Xiaopeng returned home late into the night.
He walked with heavy steps straight to Madam Zou’s room.
Seeing her seated at the mirror brushing her hair, he stepped up and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “Is Mother feeling any better?”
Though her heart was churning, Madam Zou forced herself to remain calm and smiled. “A little better. She could sit up and eat today. I’ll go stay with her again tonight.”
Normally, Zou Xiaopeng would have nodded. But this time, to her surprise, he pressed her down. “You’ve worked too hard! We have servants in this house—what are they paid for? Let them watch over her tonight. You rest.”
As he spoke, he picked up a warm parcel of pastries from the table. “Come, try these. Pea cakes from Huifang Zhai. I just bought them. I remembered you love them most.”
If it had been before, Madam Zou would have been moved to tears.
But now—knowing her entire family had been secretly arrested by him and charged with treason—she couldn’t even bear to look at the pastry.
She declined gently, “I don’t know if it was dinner or what, but my stomach’s been upset. I’ll eat it tomorrow.”
“That won’t do,” Zou Xiaopeng frowned. “You’re unwell, all the more reason to eat. Otherwise, you’ll make yourself worse.”
He picked up a piece and tried to feed her. “Come, it’s still warm!”
Madam Zou resisted. “No, really, I can’t…”
But Zou Xiaopeng suddenly lost his temper.
His tone turned sharp and impatient: “I told you to eat, so eat! I brought this back because I care about you, and now you’re acting all uppity?”
The moment the words left his mouth, both of them froze.
Madam Zou’s eyes welled with tears. “What do you mean, my lord? I only said I didn’t feel like eating… Is that worth shouting at me over?”
Zou Xiaopeng slammed the pastry onto the table. “I work all day in the yamen, barely even have time to eat, and still I think of you. And you throw it back in my face! Fine! Since you think so little of me, don’t expect me to care anymore!”
Madam Zou had only been partly suspicious—but now her thoughts were running wild.
All this over a piece of cake? Why was he acting like a madman?
She kept her expression neutral. “I didn’t mean to reject your kindness…”
But Zou Xiaopeng was out of patience.
Qi Wang was pressing for results. He still had to finalize the Xie family’s charges. As for this woman—he couldn’t delay anymore.
If she caught wind of the situation and made trouble, things would spiral.
He seized her wrist coldly. “No more excuses. You’re eating it!”
With that, he grabbed her jaw and shoved the pastry toward her mouth.
The pressure on her jaw was so strong she felt it might dislocate. Tears sprang from her eyes as she struggled.
But Zou Xiaopeng didn’t notice. On the contrary, he seemed more and more excited. Seeing her spit out the pastry, he grabbed the plate, ready to pour it all down her throat—when suddenly, a flash of light shot across his eyes.
Then—
A sharp pain exploded in his abdomen.
He instinctively looked down—only to see a dagger embedded in his stomach.
Blood poured from the wound. He tried to press it, but it was useless. No matter how hard he pushed, the blood still streamed through his fingers.
Qi Yuan stood from where she’d crouched, clapping her hands clean. When she looked at him, her eyes were cold and deadly. “Since last night, I’ve been wanting to kill you. I let you live a whole extra day.”
Zou Xiaopeng tried to speak. He had such a bright future—he’d just secured backing from Qi Wang—how could he die here at the hands of some random woman?
But he couldn’t make a sound.
Blood trickled from the corner of his lips. When he opened his mouth, a mouthful gushed out, and he collapsed heavily to the floor.
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