Xie Huai’an’s eyes curved slightly: "You’re just acting in place of Lady Qin, what’s so cruel about it?"
"Haven’t we seen much more cruel things than this?"
On the road to exile, even if she hadn’t witnessed it herself, as a woman, she could protect her family, find refuge amidst chaos, and even lead so many people to live peacefully.
The cruel things she has experienced wouldn’t be few, just thinking about it, one can imagine the nurous difficulties they’ve been through.
As the night wind gradually rose, Xie Huai’an draped a cloak over her, gazing at her seriously, speaking frankly. "I know you’re not an ordinary woman, and you also have secrets you can’t share with , but... those things are unimportant to , and I don’t care."
"I only care about whether you’re safe, whether you’re happy. At the sa ti, I’m grateful that you’re smart, capable, even if I have to leave for a while soday, I won’t have to worry incessantly every day."
Ruan Mian was moved, her slender fingers grasping his distinct wrist bones, sincerely speaking.
"Our marriage isn’t a shackle restraining each other, adults have their duties to attend to, and you have your aspirations. If you wish to return then, I’ll certainly be waiting for you."
Xie Huai’an’s eyes glead, his hands clasping hers tightly between his fingers.
Yet just as he was about to speak, an angry voice from Jiang Dao suddenly erged from under the ceiling!
"How can it still not be figured out?! Have Jiang Zhen and Jiang Dao disappeared into thin air?!"
"I refuse to believe it; two living people, can they really sprout wings in Tunan City? Anyway, go search for ! Search the entire city! Leave no place unsearched!"
"But... Young Master, the City Lord is coming tomorrow for the gift, those porcelains haven’t been found, and you promised last ti to tell the City Lord the secret of the gold mine, now Jiang Zhen is missing as well, so it seems we also won’t inquire about the gold mine. So... so we..."
The sentence was not finished before Jiang Dao kicked him away!
"Then go find them for !!!" Amidst his rage, he suddenly thought of sothing, then grabbed his collar and pulled him forward to ask.
"Last ti I asked you to investigate, has there been any news about those who bought mountain insects at a high price?"
For them to purchase mountain insects at a high price, it surely isn’t simple.
But the servant also hadn’t found Ruan Mian’s whereabouts, leaving Jiang Dao fuming: "Go investigate!!"
Seeing this, Ruan Mian looked at Xie Huai’an and whispered.
"Did you hear that, Sir? Jiang Dao wants to find Jiang Zhen to inquire about the gold mine’s location."
The gold mine...
Tunan City, though located within Liao Lie’s Inner Territory, hasn’t moved outside of Longchang Mountain’s area. Could the gold mine he ntioned actually refer to the one in Longchang Mountain?
Xie Huai’an teased: "It seems that soone might have an eye on your private properties, Lady."
Ruan Mian smiled calmly: "Sir, don’t forget, although Longchang Mountain is large, it’s within Wuheng’s territory, which is Da Jing’s land. Even if they know about the gold mine, outside of private mining, there isn’t another way."
To secretly mine hidden from so many eyes, the scale couldn’t be that large.
In comparison, she was more worried about Qin Sang and his wife.
With Jiang Dao increasing their manpower to search, the inn was no longer safe. Even though Ruan Mian had previously inford them, it wouldn’t hold for long.
She looked at Xie Huai’an and said, "There’s no rush with Jiang Dao’s matter; it’s not early anymore, just under cover of night we can transfer my cousin and his wife to a safer place, best done inconspicuously."
Yet where would be safer, she needed to think.
However, it seed Xie Huai’an saw through her thoughts and bluntly stated: "The most dangerous place is the safest place."
With this hint, Ruan Mian imdiately understood.
Both of them quickly struck a plan, intending to move Qin Sang and his wife to Tuji Mansion under the cover of darkness.
However, just as they left the mansion, they suddenly noticed a familiar figure lying at the alley’s entrance.
Looking closer, it turned out to be An Yang’s mother.
At this mont, she was coughing up fresh blood, trembling all over, crawling on the ground, a stark contrast to how she looked a few hours ago.
Ruan Mian glanced around, and together with Xie Huai’an, quickly went forward to help her up.
Yet the woman unpredictably spat more fresh blood! Splattering onto Ruan Mian’s clothes.
She furrowed her brows tightly, taking the woman’s pulse, unexpectedly discovering it was a dying pulse... Just as she was about to speak, the woman, with her last breath, took out a drawing from her collar: "Heaven is against him!!"
After a cold laugh, she stuffed a copper key into Ruan Mian’s hand.
"Lady, this private vault holds a colossal secret and countless piles of gold and silver treasures from my maternal family. Jiang Dao poisoned ; I have no hope of recovery! The heavens allowed you to see at my near... near death, which is also a kind of... fate..."
Before she finished speaking, her life-breath was completely cut off, beyond saving.
Even though Ruan Mian wanted to try saving her life with spiritual spring water, she couldn’t make it in ti.
The poison she was given was extrely potent, added to her already frail condition, being heavily dosed, she couldn’t withstand it for long.
Ruan Mian looked at the key in her hand, exchanged a glance with Xie Huai’an, full of contemplation.
They first handled her corpse properly, and only then departed for the inn.
On the way, Ruan Mian asked Xie Huai’an’s opinion: "Sir, what do you think of this?"
Xie Huai’an was looking at the drawing, his brows furrowed as he handed it to Ruan Mian: "Take a look."
The more she looked, the more surprised Ruan Mian beca.
"The so-called maternal family’s private vault is Longchang Mountain? Isn’t this place exactly where the gold mine is?"
When she discovered the gold mine, its range was broad, and the woman’s drawing of the vault was also within that area.
It seems that the secrets within Longchang Mountain are truly nurous!
But why did she claim it as her maternal family’s vault when it’s clearly a gold mine?
Ruan Mian’s suspicion, Xie Huai’an had also considered.
He analyzed clearly: "The woman ntioned a colossal secret, perhaps, it’s connected to Lady’s gold mine. If you’re interested, we could indeed go take a look."
Ruan Mian chuckled at his remark.
When did that gold mine beco hers?
However, he had a point; given the myriad suspicions, and their relation to the actions they were currently taking, not to ntion Jiang Dao’s desire to know the gold mine’s location!
Whether the gold mine held any other secrets apart from wealth, only a thorough investigation would reveal.
Coincidentally, she also intended to make use of this gold mine to sternly teach Jiang Dao a lesson.
So they first went to the inn, transferring Qin Sang and his wife to the mansion; conveniently, Qin Sang knew of a cellar within the mansion, used for storing their winter provisions.
Situated in a remote courtyard, now early autumn, hardly anyone visited that area.
At this mont, all the mansion’s capable servants and guards had been dispatched by Jiang Dao to search for people, so the couple didn’t expend much effort, moving them to the cellar under Qin Sang’s guidance.
As a precaution, Ruan Mian also provided them with two signal arrows, in case of unexpected events, so they could imdiately signal and Ruan Mian and Xie Huai’an would have a mont to prepare.
But basically, there wouldn’t be any trouble tonight.
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