I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

Not long after, Qin Li brought Zhou Biao back to the camp.

However, Xiao Hong remained with Dong Jin as a necklace.

"What happened?"

Upon seeing the two return, Madam Wei, accompanied by Chun Tao and Xia Liu, hurried to greet them and couldn't help but ask.

Just now, Dong Jin came over with his men in a menacing manner. They thought Dong Jin was going to cause trouble, and they were even prepared for a fight.

Don't let their gender fool you; when it comes to fighting, they're just as good as any man.

One can easily take on four or five.

Qin Li said calmly, "That's good. Dong Jin has volunteered to escort us down to Jiangnan. We'll leave all the hard and dirty work to them, and we can just enjoy ourselves and sightsee along the way."

"How is that possible?"

The three women spoke in unison, their faces filled with disbelief.

Putting aside the blood feud of Qin Li killing Dong Jin's nephew and sister, just what they witnessed with their own eyes—Qin Li letting the Crimson Serpent bite Dong Jin's warhorse to death, causing Dong Jin to fall off—it's impossible for Dong Jin to be willing to escort him, unless he's lost his mind from the fall.

"How could that be impossible?"

Qin Li didn't want to explain too much because he smelled a pleasant scent in the air and couldn't help but sniff. "What's that smell? It's sweet and sour."

Both women were waiting for Madam Wei to speak first, since she was the one who had asked them to cook the soup.

To everyone's surprise, Madam Wei didn't mention it at all, as if she knew nothing about it. Both of them were worried for Madam Wei.

Finally, Xia Liu glanced at Madam Wei and said with a smile, "Your Highness, Madam Wei asked us to make you a tangerine peel hangover soup. She said it not only helps with hangovers but also nourishes the liver and protects the stomach."

After saying that, Xia Liu pulled Chun Tao next to her and covered her mouth, giggling.

Seeing the two of them like this, Madam Wei was furious and really wanted to reach out and pinch them hard a few times.

"lady?"

Qin Li looked at Madam Wei, somewhat surprised.

Why would Madam Wei be so kind as to have someone make him a hangover soup?

"Don't misunderstand!"

Madam Wei deliberately turned her face away from Qin Li, saying, "Your body is no longer your own. If anything goes wrong, my son Hongying will be heartbroken. I'm doing this for my son Hongying, not for you."

Such an explanation seems rather weak.

However, Qin Li did not expose him, but simply nodded.

Seriously, I don't think she'd actually become overwhelmed with maternal love and start treating me like her own son just because I call her "Mom" a few times.

Qin Li could only think of this possibility.

When Qin Li went to get some soup, Madam Wei reached out to stop Zhou Biao, who wanted to go with Qin Li.

"Tell me, what exactly happened with Dong Jin?"

"Why would he volunteer to escort us down to the south of the Yangtze River?"

The more Madam Wei thought about it, the more unreliable Qin Li's words seemed. She had to get to the bottom of it before she could feel at ease.

Spring Peach and Summer Willow came closer, also very curious.

Zhou Biao reached out, touched the back of his head, and grinned foolishly:

"Of course it couldn't have been voluntary. Dong Jin just wanted to kill His Highness! He even made some threats."

"That?"

Zhou Biao then recounted the events that had just transpired to the women in detail.

In fact, Dong Jin did not do it voluntarily at all, but rather out of desperation.

If he doesn't escort him, he'll be bitten on the neck by the Crimson Serpent and die bleeding from all seven orifices.

The girls, having learned the truth, all smiled, realizing how it was.

However, Lady Wei still had some lingering concerns.

Traveling with Dong Jin is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.

No one can guarantee when Dong Jin will give up entirely.

However, since Qin Li had already made his decision, she, as an outsider, couldn't offer any opinions and could only take it one step at a time.

After everyone finished lunch and rested for a while, the convoy set off again.

As expected, Dong Jin sent people over to take over the dirty and tiring work. In fact, Zhou Biao and the others no longer needed to do the scouting work ahead; they could just enjoy the scenery.

Qin Li had already woken up, so it was inappropriate for Madam Wei to sit in the same carriage with him any longer; it would be awkward for them to look at each other.

Fortunately, Lady Wei asked for a horse herself. She came from a military family and had followed her husband in battles for many years. For her, riding a horse was as simple as eating and drinking.

As he was riding his horse alongside the caravan, someone suddenly appeared beside him.

Lady Wei turned her head and saw that it was Dong Jin.

He was being discreet, afraid that Qin Li in the carriage would find out he had arrived.

He seemed to have something to say to Madam Wei in private.

"Madam, Madam."

Dong Jin deliberately lowered his body on horseback, called out softly twice, and stretched out an arm to ask, "May I speak with you in private?"

Lady Wei glanced at the carriage carrying Qin Li ahead and decisively said, "No."

Lady Wei was able to distinguish between her own people and her enemies.

She and Dong went in to whisper to each other. Knowing Qin Li's personality, although he wouldn't punish her directly, he would definitely be suspicious of her.

Lady Wei would not do things that were thankless and exhausting.

Seeing that Madam Wei refused to go aside and talk to him, Dong Jin's face turned ugly.

He glanced at the carriage carrying Qin Li ahead, and, desperate, cried out, "Please, Madam, save my life!"

After speaking, he cupped his hands in a respectful and devout manner towards Lady Wei.

Lady Wei looked at him; the little red hairpin around his neck was coiled up in several circles, and he was fast asleep.

But Dong Jin dared not make any rash moves, fearing that his mistake would cost him his life.

"Save you?"

Madam Wei couldn't help but snort coldly, "I can't save you. This Crimson Serpent is His Highness the Crown Prince's spirit pet. Only His Highness can command it and make it obey."

"Me? I'm old and past my prime, so forget it."

"That's not what I meant," Dong Jin quickly said. "What I meant was, for the sake of our long-standing friendship, I beg you, Madam, to put in a good word for me and ask His Highness the Crown Prince to take back this Crimson Serpent. I promise, I'll even escort him."

"friendship?"

Lady Wei didn't bother to look at Dong Jin anymore, but instead looked at the road ahead. "What kind of relationship do we have? If we have to talk about our relationship, it's that we betrayed me and my husband on the battlefield years ago, almost causing us to die at the hands of the enemy."

Lady Wei knew Dong Jin in her early years and they even fought together on the battlefield.

However, Dong Jin is not a trustworthy person.

If you were to entrust your life to him, you wouldn't even know how you died.

Countless people on the battlefield died tragically because they trusted Dong Jin.

After the war, Dong Jin always had his own reasons, and with the help of others, he not only escaped punishment but also gained considerable merit and was granted the title of Marquis.

The person she despised the most was Dong Jin.

After returning to the capital, they lost all contact.

Even today, Dong Jin shamelessly begs her for help.

"Madam, you are too kind. There were reasons for what happened back then, and it was not something I did intentionally."

"I beg you, Madam, to forgive my petty offense and plead on my behalf. A generous reward will be given afterward!"