Xu Jingyang did not hide anything, nor did she explain in detail.
She simply lowered her voice and explained: "I have a wealthy merchant friend who came from the Northwest. He was robbed of his goods while passing through this mountain path. I originally intended to find the mountain bandits and exterminate evildoers, but I didn't expect to meet you."
"By yourself?" Old Princess Consort was surprised, looking Xu Jingyang up and down.
In their eyes, although Xu Jingyang's clothes were somewhat disheveled, her appearance was beautiful and dignified.
On that exquisitely beautiful face, her features were spirited, a stunning beauty.
Such a frail woman dared to say she was looking for mountain bandits.
Xu Jingyang couldn't explain, calmly stating: "I've practiced martial arts since childhood. Dealing with them shouldn't be a problem."
The Ge Family thought she was joking!
There were at least fifty mountain bandits, and she was alone. Was she going to risk her life?
The Young Master Cui was the first to get anxious.
"Ridiculous! Can't you see that you're facing a group of desperate assassins?"
"I can see," Xu Jingyang replied calmly.
The youth accused her: "So, you so easily stumbled into the enemy's lair. How foolish! How dare you be so confident in your abilities?"
Old Princess Consort also sighed: "Girl, why are you doing this? You're needlessly risking your life."
Xu Jingyang knelt down, first tearing open the Nurse's clothes to apply medicine, then using strips of her clothing to bandage the wound.
Her movements were swift, causing the youth to pause.
Xu Jingyang said: "If you trust me, tell me the truth. What exactly do they want to get from you?"
She lifted her phoenix eyes, looking at Young Master Cui.
Those eyes were purely black, reminding one of a frozen lake, calm on the surface, with hidden currents lying low.
The youth paused for a moment, then turned his head: "Nothing."
Xu Jingyang stood up, her fingers stained with blood, yet making her face appear even more coldly ethereal.
"Your surname is Cui, the same surname as the former Empress's maternal family."
"Stop! Don’t say any more!" The youth's eyes widened in anger.
Xu Jingyang lowered her eyes, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the blood from her fingertips: "Forget it. Your identity doesn't matter. I will save you all."
Hearing her words, Old Princess Consort sighed: "Don't comfort us anymore."
The youth sneered: "Arrogant."
Xu Jingyang didn't argue with them.
When night fell, she would act.
For now, she walked to the wooden cage, sat down against the wall, and closed her eyes to rest for a while.
At the same time, she mentally rehearsed the sand table, planning her attack route.
Lei Chuan had said he would come to her aid, but Xu Jingyang knew the attitude of those in the Imperial Court. Once they knew she had broken up the mountain bandits with the Shence Army's help, they would certainly claim it as the Shence Army's merit.
She was confident this time, so she came alone.
While Xu Jingyang was meditating, Young Master Cui knelt before Old Princess Consort.
"Old Madam Ge, it's all my fault. I've involved you all. If there's a chance to be saved, I will thank you profusely."
"Young Master, please rise. These bandits are malicious, and there's no escaping them. Since it's happened, we mustn't lose our composure."
Madam Ge, who had just woken up, said tearfully: "That's right, Master will notice we haven't returned on time and will definitely discover something's wrong. He'll send people to rescue us!"
At that moment, the cellar door opened, and the female relatives huddled together, trembling in fear.
Old Princess Consort protected them like a hen protecting her chicks, vigilantly watching the three guards who entered.
They were originally guards of the Ge Family, but they had been bought off and were now in league with the mountain bandits.
They just mocked twice, then opened the wooden cage and approached Xu Jingyang.
Xu Jingyang's phoenix eyes opened, locking onto the men with icy coldness.
They reached out to grab her arms: "Come out and play with us!"
From the moment she had appeared, this newly arrived woman had attracted their attention like a fairy who had wandered in.
Her skin was as white as snow, her brows and eyes like a painting, and she exuded a cold air, like a goddess.
Now her hairpin had fallen, her black hair cascaded down, making her face appear even more simple and ethereal, not tainted by the filth of the bandit stronghold.
Such a beautiful woman, alone and helpless, with no value, would naturally become a plaything for these bandits.
Xu Jingyang was grabbed and shoved.
She wondered how she should act.
Should she scream?
However, Old Princess Consort lunged forward and desperately grabbed Xu Jingyang's sleeve: "Don't touch her! Whatever silver you want, we'll include hers. Our Ge Family will protect her!"
The Ge Family female relatives also surrounded her, Second Miss and Third Miss's trembling hands clutching Xu Jingyang's clothes.
Xu Jingyang was slightly stunned.
These weak women, at this moment, united to protect her innocence.
They all knew that if these men defiled one girl, there would be a second, a third…
No one could be spared; they had to unite.
"Get out of the way!" A guard kicked Old Princess Consort.
The old woman groaned and fell to the ground, the Ge Family female relatives were roughly shoved aside, and cries erupted.
Xu Jingyang paused, pretending to rub her eyes and cry.
As she was being dragged away by the guards, Young Master Cui, who had just been questioning Xu Jingyang's identity, suddenly lunged at the bars.
His eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse as he roared: "Beasts! You cowardly wretches! You only bully women, what kind of men are you?!"
The youth violently kicked the wooden cage: "If you have the guts, come at me! Don’t hurt others!"
The guards chuckled coldly.
"You should have handed over the thing earlier, then they wouldn't have suffered so much."
Having said that, they opened the cellar door and took Xu Jingyang out.
The door closed, shutting the cries of Old Princess Consort and the others behind them.
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