Under Madam Su's strong intervention, Fan Qinghu eventually dismissed the few brothers he had.
However, two people insisted on following Fan Qinghu.
Only after obtaining Madam Su's consent did Fan Qinghu take the two with him.
After resuming their journey, Shen Jing sat in the carriage, looking at Madam Su with a smile: "Mother-in-law, it's already this time, aren't you going to tell me about your past?"
Madam Su snorted: "It's all in the past, what's there to talk about?"
Shen Jing was determined to learn about Madam Su's past today, and probed: "I say, Mother-in-law, you weren't a bandit before, were you?"
"Do I look like a bandit?"
Madam Su glared at Shen Jing with wide eyes.
"Yes!"
Shen Jing nodded seriously.
Everyone she knew was from the jianghu!
Even though she was now a first-rank official's wife, she occasionally showed a hint of banditry.
If she didn't look like a bandit, who did?
"You..."
Madam Su paused slightly, glaring at Shen Jing for a long time before she stiffened her neck and said: "I started as a Escort , and later, out of necessity, I became a bandit..."
An armed escort?
Shen Jing was even more surprised.
His mother-in-law had quite a few unknown past stories!
Madam Su originally didn't want to bring up those past events, but seeing Shen Jing's persistent demeanor, she could only reluctantly tell him about her past.
She was raised as a boy from a young age and started working as an armed escort with her family at thirteen.
In the armed escort business, one had to know people from both the righteous and unrighteous sides.
Over four years, she traveled to many places with the Escort Agency , naturally getting to know many bandits.
When she was seventeen, their Escort Agency was ambushed by a group of unscrupulous bandits while escorting a valuable item. The Escort Agency suffered heavy casualties, the box of valuable items was stolen, and her father and brother were killed by those bandits while covering her escape.
Upon receiving the news, her mother died of grief.
To compensate the client for their losses, she had to sell all her family property and, with what little remained, sought refuge with a group of bandits in Meishan, Qingzhou, intending to avenge her father and brother.
In the following year, she helped the Meishan bandits grow rapidly, and through a series of means, became their leader, raising the banner of 'Mei Sanniang' and uniting with several other bandit groups in Qingzhou to begin her revenge.
However, there were also government officials behind that group of bandits.
The robbery of that valuable box from the Escort Agency was also an act of collusion between officials and bandits.
Although they successfully annihilated that bandit group, they also successfully attracted the attention of the government.
To prevent the collusion between officials and bandits from being exposed, government officials launched a relentless crackdown on them.
She led a large group of bandits through the mountains of Qingzhou, fighting the government for two whole years, becoming a notorious bandit, and by a strange twist of fate, captured Su Zai, who was on his way to the capital.
After Su Zai learned the full story, he appealed to her emotions and reasoned with her, promising to bring the officials who colluded with bandits to justice, but on the condition that they disband.
At that time, they had also suffered heavy losses from two years of government suppression, and after weighing the pros and cons, they agreed to Su Zai's terms.
Afterward, Su Zai kept his promise, and they also kept theirs by disbanding on the spot.
And it was through this incident that she became acquainted with Su Zai.
After listening to Madam Su's words, Shen Jing suddenly realized, "So, Du Yidao and Fan Qinghu's fathers were once your subordinates?"
He understood in his heart that although Madam Su spoke very calmly, only she herself knew the many dangers involved.
From an armed escort to a female bandit leader, and then to a first-rank official's wife.
It had to be said that his mother-in-law was indeed an extraordinary woman.
"Du Yidao and his father were, but Fan Lao Si was not."
Madam Su shook her head gently, then continued: "A few years ago, the imperial court was plagued by internal and external troubles, and bandits emerged everywhere. Emperor Zhou knew about my past, so he asked me to go and pacify bandits in various regions, on one hand, to gain some soldiers through pacification, and on the other hand, to stabilize the local areas..."
She accepted the task Emperor Zhou gave her and went to pacify the bandits with whom she had previously interacted.
At that time, the court's situation was very grim, and with her, a former female bandit leader who had openly defied the government, being pardoned, some bandits, after weighing the pros and cons, accepted the pacification.
Many of them died on the battlefield, but some also fought their way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
The most famous among them was Liang Jinzhong, the Earl of Xingan, who guarded the frontier in Su Prefecture.
However, some bandits still declined for various reasons.
Among them was Fan Lao Si.
It was also when she went to pacify Fan Lao Si that she helped name Fan Lao Si's son, Fan Qinghu.
And some bandits, although they did not accept the imperial court's pacification, chose to change their ways and live a peaceful life after her persuasion.
For example, the Du Family.
"Your experiences are quite rich!"
Shen Jing looked at Madam Su with admiration.
His mother-in-law's experiences were truly legendary.
"That's right!"
Madam Su raised her fair chin, "You don't even look at who I am! Compared to me, your experiences are nothing!"
"Yes, yes, you are the most amazing!"
Shen Jing gave Madam Su a thumbs up.
"Alright, just know these things yourself, don't go spreading them around."
Madam Su instructed: "Although Emperor Zhou knows about my past, the fewer people who know about these things, the better."
"Mm-hmm, I understand!"
Shen Jing nodded gently.
After chatting with the mother and daughter for a while, Shen Jing, who disliked riding in carriages, left the carriage and rode on horseback.
Outside, Du Heng and Fan Qinghu, having fought, now knew each other better, and with similar family backgrounds, they chatted enthusiastically.
Seeing Shen Jing ride over, Du Heng immediately lowered his voice and said to Shen Jing: "I never thought Madam Su was so fierce when she was young!"
Apparently, Du Heng had also learned some of Madam Su's past from Fan Qinghu.
"Just know it yourself, don't spread it around."
Shen Jing reminded Du Heng, then asked Fan Qinghu: "How many men does that Lao Guai have?"
Fan Qinghu replied: "About three thousand men."
"How many?"
Shen Jing and Du Heng were both startled.
Coming back to their senses, Du Heng looked at Fan Qinghu in astonishment, "Are the bandit problems in your Qingzhou so rampant?"
Three thousand men!
That was more than the county soldiers of a single county town!
There were also bandits here in Huaizhou, but from what he knew, most bandits only had one or two hundred people.
Some bandit dens even had only a few dozen people.
Could the government tolerate a large bandit group of three thousand?
Fan Qinghu shook his head, "It's not that Qingzhou's bandit problems are rampant, it's that almost all the bandits in Qingzhou have been absorbed by Lao Guai."
"Why is this person absorbing so many bandits?"
Du Heng stroked his chin, looking at Shen Jing in confusion, "This person isn't trying to rebel, is he? Or is it that there are officials in Qingzhou colluding with these bandits?"
Under normal circumstances, the government would never allow the existence of bandit groups exceeding a thousand people.
A large bandit group of three thousand, he had never seen in his life.
He had never even heard of it before!
"Who knows?"
Shen Jing shrugged, also becoming curious.
Just then, they suddenly heard urgent hoofbeats in their ears...