Chapter 5: Punishing the Scheming Servants

Li Qingluo lives in an ordinary side room.

Although no outsiders would randomly intrude, but if any disturbance arose, she only needed to shout a few times, and those Daoists would soon hear.

Soon, the side room inside and out was filled with young Daoists.

The servants of Jiangjun Fu, seeing this scene, who had just been aggressive, now stood frozen like cicadas in cold weather, silent and motionless, staring at each other.

"Good people, coming to my Azure Pine Temple to bind someone with great force—do you regard us Daoists and the Azure Pine Temple as nothing?"

A somewhat older Daoist with a long beard pushed through the crowd and came to the front.

He is the martial uncle Ling Fengzi of these young Daoists, and also Li Qingluo's Daoist friend who recently weeded and planted vegetables.

Seeing Li Qingluo tightly bound and gagged, Ling Fengzi frowned slightly.

Really too much!

How is this a request?

Clearly it's a kidnapping!

Ling Fengzi's eyes instantly filled with sternness as he looked at this group of fierce servants; a matron trembled and stepped forward.

"This, this Daoist priest, we, acting on the master's order, have come to bring back the long-absent second young lady. If we have disturbed you, please forgive us. We'll leave now and immediately give you Daoist priests peace."

The matron waved her hand to take them away, but before they could be lifted, Cui Er from beside lunged at Li Qingluo, tightly hugging her leg and crying: "No! She's lying! Esteemed Daoists, please save my young lady! They came up and bound her—this is no way to request someone, and they didn't even produce the General's Manor's token. If she's taken like this, it will surely be more misfortune than fortune!"

Li Qingluo looked at Cui Er in surprise.

She hadn't expected that, at this moment, this maid would actually run out to protect her.

She is a person close to Qu Shi, so even after being reborn, she never thought of winning her over.

Moreover, during these days at Azure Pine Temple, although she was busy each day enriching her life and hadn't really managed Cui Er, deep down she still guarded against her a bit.

Yet she never imagined that, at this very moment, she would actually protect her half-master.

However, even if Cui Er didn't step forward, Li Qingluo didn't worry that she would really be taken away by these people.

These days, besides making Daoist friends with those priests, she believed her grandmother was also secretly observing her.

Given her grandmother's temperament, having given her calligraphy practice, she would certainly not stand idly by, regardless of this matter.

So her grandmother should also be arriving soon.

As expected, Ling Fengzi refused to step aside, and Li Qingluo was again tightly hugged by Cui Er, leaving the situation at an impasse for a moment.

However, at that very moment, Zhang Mama led a group rushing over in haste.

"What the hell!? Bold, daring to treat the General's Manor's legitimate daughter like this! Seeking a beating! Come, tie up those who overstep their station!"

"Fellow Daoists, please lend a hand!"

Zhang Mama waved her hand, and the several rough maids behind her immediately grabbed sticks and came forward; the Daoists also received Zhang Mama's 'invitation'—how could this be polite?

All surged forward, and in a few moves they pressed the General's Manor's servants firmly to the ground, including the young servant who had previously driven Li Qingluo's cart, all bound tightly.

Li Qingluo was also quickly unbound; Zhang Mama concernedly looked her over: "Young lady, are you alright?"

Li Qingluo: "Thank you, Zhang Mama; fortunately everyone arrived in time, I'm fine."

Li Qingluo, though a bit disheveled, with a faint look of fright, remained fairly composed.

She bowed to Zhang Mama and the group of Daoists, sincerely saying: "Thank you, all you aunties and Daoist priests, for your help."

"They say they're from the General's Manor, but I haven't yet seen my grandmother and dare not blindly trust them, so this disturbance occurred. Please, Auntie, help me uphold justice."

The auntie from Jiangjun Fu beside them, however, refused to accept and began shouting.

"We are people of the General's Manor, acting on the master's orders; you had better release us quickly! Otherwise, when we report back to the master, we will certainly hold you and this Azure Pine Temple accountable!"

Zhang Mama gave a glance to the auntie beside her; that auntie immediately stepped forward and gave that auntie a big slap.

"Shut up! You stupid thing, what kind of thing are you doing!"

"Cui Er said it, but you didn't produce any token when you came up, you didn't request an audience, nor did you pay respects to the Old Lady, and you bound the young lady fivefold! What else could this be but bandit kidnappers?"

Ling Fengzi also stepped forward, coldly sneering with hands on hips: "Yo, what great official authority! Just a few servants of the General's Manor, and you want to question my Azure Pine Temple? Hehe, my Azure Pine Temple has been supported by Pei Lao Furen these years; it has nothing to do with your General's Manor, not even a copper coin. You want to hold us accountable—do you have the qualifications?"

"Even if General Li himself came today, there would still be no justification!"

Li Qingluo barely managed to suppress a laugh in her heart.

This Ling Fengzi and the Azure Pine Temple are quite enlightened.

Raising her grandmother high, it's no wonder they've gotten along peacefully these years; the grandmother is willing to stay here, indeed relaxed and carefree.

Zhang Mama also became angry.

She directly ordered that these insolent servants each receive ten heavy blows.

The General's Manor's party this time consisted of eight servants and maids; they originally thought just taking one young lady away wouldn't be much trouble.

But they never expected that the old lady who usually sits idle and does nothing would this time not only appear, but these Daoists would dare to intervene.

Soon, several servants were beaten until they cried out in pain, begging for mercy.

The Daoists all withdrew; with no one around, Zhang Mama asked Li Qingluo: "Young lady, the Old Lady sent this servant to ask you—since this matter concerns you, how would you like to handle it?"

Li Qingluo: "Auntie, I want to report to the authorities."

Zhang Mama thought she didn't understand the mansions' twists and turns, and whispered a reminder: "Report to the officials? Young lady, you'd better think it over. I see they act rashly, but they are likely truly from the General's Manor. If you report them, once you return home…"

Li Qingluo frowned: "If they really are people of the General's Manor, would my father and mother truly treat me like this? They came up without asking my wishes, directly binding me. Am I an escaped slave, or a daughter of the Li family? If that's truly the case, even if I returned home, how could I truly have good days? Better not to return at all!"