"What are we going to do? Of course, we're going to kill you! We're in the business of skinning people and pulling out their tendons. When we get back, we'll teach you all a lesson. Then, we'll skin you all and make lanterns out of you. Then, we'll slice your meat and feed it to the dogs! "
As the man spoke, it was as if he could already see the scene that would make him excited. He laughed heartily.
The bandits behind him also laughed heartily.
Bing Tang's body went weak from fear, but she forced herself not to faint.
When Senior Servant Lu, who was supporting Cao Yuqing, heard this, she finally couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground. Cao Yuqing, who had already fainted, also fell to the ground with a dull thud.
That person saw that although Qin Yining's face was pale, her eyes were calm, as if she was calmer than before. She didn't show any fear at all. A large, rough hand patted her cheek.
"Tsk tsk, little girl, you're not afraid at all. You should at least shed a few tears. That way, we'll be happy!"
Qin Yining tilted her head to avoid that person's hand. She sneered, "Aren't you all just looking for money? If you really wanted to kill us, you would've killed us in the carriage. Since you didn't kill us just now, then we're still useful. If the hostage is injured, I'm afraid it won't be easy to exchange for money. Then, we'll have wasted all of our efforts! "
"You're really interesting, little girl! No wonder you're the daughter of an old fox. "
A man behind him shouted, "Why are you talking nonsense with her? Knock her out and bring her back!"
When Qin Yining heard this, she immediately became alert and tensed up. Even with her hands behind her back, she still didn't give up thinking about how to escape.
However, that man seemed to have seen through Qin Yining's intentions. Without waiting for her to move, he chopped at the back of her neck with a knife.
Qin Yining's body trembled and she fell to the ground, unconscious. She was lifted onto the man's shoulders by his arms.
Bing Tang became anxious and struggled to escape. Unfortunately, her little strength was not worth mentioning in front of these people. She was also knocked unconscious.
%
When Qin Yining opened her eyes again, she found herself in a dimly lit room. Her nose was filled with the smell of straw and firewood. The smell of damp soil mixed with the smell of mold made her suspect that she had returned to the straw shed she lived in with her foster mother when she was young.
Her mouth was stuffed with rags and her hands and feet were tied with straw ropes. She looked around to find herself and Cao Yuqing in a small wooden shed. When she listened carefully, she could hear people whispering at the door to the sound of chickens and ducks.
Qin Yining was certain that this place should be the woodshed of a farmer.
She looked left and right but couldn't find Bing Tang and Lu Mama. She then looked at Cao Yuqing. All her valuables had been taken away. Her clothes were slightly messy. Her pretty face was pale as she lay on the ground. Her mouth was also stuffed with rags. Her hands and feet were also tied with hemp rope.
Qin Yining was a little flustered.
It seemed that these people were really here to kidnap them and threaten their father. Saying that he would skin them alive and pull out their tendons was just to scare them.
She just didn't know if they were after money or something else. If they were after money, it would be easy. But if these people didn't have good intentions and were arranged by her father's political enemies or someone else, it wouldn't be easy to exchange them for money.
Qin Yining was full of doubts and worries, but these emotions didn't affect her judgment of her surroundings.
Everything on her body must have been taken away. Qin Yining moved her tied hands and feet and frowned in frustration.
What should she do?
Was she going to sit here and wait for death?
At this moment, she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps approaching the wooden door.
Qin Yining looked through the irregular gap in the door. She could vaguely tell that the person outside was dressed very luxuriously because she saw the reflection of the silver embroidery on the brocade under the sunlight.
"Creak."
The wooden door was pushed open. Qin Yining looked at the door nervously and saw two masked men escorting a person in.
When Qin Yining saw the person in the middle, her almond-shaped eyes widened in shock.
It was a woman.
She was wearing a royal blue plain dress embroidered with silver chrysanthemums and a pure white cloak. Her gray hair, which had turned white for many days, was neatly tied up in a big bun with a white flower in her temple.
The madam walked closer and took off the rag covering Qin Yining's mouth.
Qin Yining stared at her blankly and murmured, "Grandmother, why are you here?"
Duchess Ding looked at Qin Yining and smiled. She lowered her head and untied the knots on her hands and feet. "Sister Yi, I'm sorry."
Qin Yining's hands were held by Duchess Ding's dry and cold hands. She stood up with the help of her hands and still looked at her in disbelief.
"Grandmother, what's going on?" She looked at the people behind Duchess Ding and asked, "Who are those people?"
Duchess Ding was still smiling, and her shrewd eyes were shining. She looked at the expression on Qin Yining's face without a trace and then looked at Cao Yuqing, who was unconscious on the ground.
"Sister Yi, do you know the Qingtian Alliance?"
Qin Yining's heart skipped a beat, and then she understood something. "Grandmother, you … the Qingtian Alliance is a rebel that the imperial court must kill!"
"A rebel?" Duchess Ding sneered. "I wasn't a rebel before. Your grandfather, your cousin, and your nephew weren't rebels. What good end did they have?"
Qin Yining felt sad when she thought of the tragic deaths of the men in Duke Ding's Mansion. She could understand the irreconcilable hatred between Duchess Ding and the incapable emperor.
But was joining the Qingtian Alliance a foolproof plan?
The Qingtian Alliance was a civil organization that had recently emerged. It intended to overthrow the tyranny of the incapable emperor and restore justice to the people. It loved to fight for justice. Wherever there were oppressed and wronged people, there would be the Qingtian Alliance. Most of the people who had been oppressed by the incapable emperor and corrupt officials eventually became members of the Qingtian Alliance.
Qin Yining didn't know this at first. She only knew about it when Master Zhong mentioned it when they were chatting. At that time, she thought that it was not surprising that there was such a resistance among the people because of the incapable emperor's muddleheadedness. Maybe it could get rid of the evil and bring peace to the good and save some people who had been harmed by the incapable emperor.
But she didn't expect that the Qingtian Alliance had something to do with her grandmother!
"Grandmother, did you …" Qin Yining swallowed her saliva and said with difficulty, "Did you do something to the Qingtian Alliance?"
Duchess Ding nodded and said with a smile, "There are too many people in the world who have been harmed by the incapable emperor. He only needs to raise his arm and call for help, and countless people who have been persecuted will respond."
Duchess Ding took a dagger from the man behind her and put it in Qin Yining's hand.
"Sister Yi, go. Kill this bitch from the Cao Family for your grandmother."
"If it weren't for the Demon Empress' instigation, your eldest cousin wouldn't have had his brain forcibly seized and died to show his sincerity. Your grandfather wouldn't have been angered by the incapable emperor."
"There are so many abominable people in the world. Let's start with Cao!"
"As long as you kill Cao. You will be the leader of the Qingtian Alliance. All the forces in the alliance will belong to you! "
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