She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

Zhang San and the others, upon hearing this, showed a look of delight on their faces and clapped their hands, saying: "Master is wise! Luo Hai, that corrupt official, should have been dismissed and investigated long ago!"

Wei Dabao’s lips curled into a smug smile, as if he had already seen the downfall of Luo Hai.

However, his greed did not stop there.

He squinted his eyes and said in a low voice: "But as for Luo Hai’s treasure, it cannot be left for him that easily. Since we already know the location of the treasure, sooner or later, it will all belong to me."

Zhang San and the others exchanged glances, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

Li carefully asked: "Master, you mean...?"

Wei Dabao let out two cold laughs, his tone carrying a hint of ruthlessness.

"When that bastard Luo Hai is down, I’ll personally lead people to dig up the treasure. Not a single Luminous Pearl, gold or silver should be missing! Luo Hai thinks he can have it all to himself? Hmph, dream on!"

In the study, Wei Dabao’s voice was low and cold, like a venomous snake hissing scarlet in the darkness...

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Capital City.

The city’s walls stood tall and imposing, the gray bricks reflecting a cold, hard light under the setting sun.

Princess Changle stood outside the city gate, followed by a dozen or so attendants and maids. Although their clothes had been washed clean, they couldn’t hide the dust and dishevelment all over them.

She looked up at the towering city tower, tears silently falling from her eyes, the complex emotions of surviving a calamity surging in her heart.

The benefactor said it would take two days, but her pampered self took four or five days to arrive.

"Commandery Princess, we... have finally returned."

Mingyue, her personal maid, whispered, her voice choked with sobs.

Standing by Princess Changle’s side, she clenched her hands tightly on her clothes, holding back her tears.

Princess Changle did not immediately respond, only slightly nodded, her gaze still fixed on the city tower.

In her mind, all the experiences from the past two months came flooding back, those unbearable memories surging like a tide...

On that day, after her benefactor left, she trudged alone on the official road, her feet already blistered and bleeding.

In the past, she was always accompanied by a large entourage. She either traveled by carriage or palanquin when she went out. She had never walked such a long distance by herself.

But she had to persist and continue on. She had to return to the Capital City, back to the Marquis of Champion’s residence.

The nearer she got to the Capital City, the closer she got to the dignified self she once was.

Therefore, even though her feet were blistered and bleeding, she still stubbornly walked forward slowly.

Just as she finished gnawing on two pieces of bread, having drunk the water in the canteen, and was almost despairingly hungry, she met Mingyue and the others walking slowly along the official road as well.

"Mingyue?"

She tried to call out uncertainly from behind.

Upon hearing her call, the dozen or so people walking ahead turned their heads simultaneously.

Although the people in front were as ragged and woefully untidy as she was, she recognized them at once. Indeed, they were her maid and attendants.

"Commandery Princess?"

"Are you the Commandery Princess?"

"Sob, sob, Commandery Princess. We finally see you."

She knew she had been neither kind nor gentle to her servants on normal days, often scolding or beating them. But now, when the servants saw her, they seemed to have found their backbone, still pleased.

Princess Changle took a few quick steps and went forward to tightly hug Mingyue.

The others also began to embrace each other in pairs, all overwhelmed with emotion at seeing familiar faces again, bawling in each other’s arms on that official road.

After releasing the humiliation and grievances from those days, she sobbed and then asked Mingyue.

"Mingyue, how did you end up here? How did you escape?"

"Commandery Princess."

At the mention of this, Mingyue could not hold back her tears. She wiped them away and started recounting their capture.

"After we were taken by the bandits to the mountain, we lost sight of you. Those bandits whipped us daily to cultivate the wasteland. If we didn’t finish the task, they wouldn’t give us food."

"One day, the chief said the wasteland was cultivated enough and didn’t want to keep us ’idle folk’ anymore, so they packed us into sacks and sold us to traffickers."

Mingyue’s voice trembled slightly, as if the memory still terrified her.

"Traffickers?"

Princess Changle’s brow slightly furrowed, a glint of coldness in her eyes.

"Yes," Mingyue nodded, "they intended to sell us to wealthy households in the Capital City. At an inn in a small town, we took the chance and escaped when they were asleep."

After telling her story, Mingyue hesitated for a moment and then asked softly, "Commandery Princess, how... did you escape?"

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