《Rebirth: My Healer Wife Owns Superpowers》 Chapter 1 ¡°She might be a bit chubby, but that skin is so white and tender, probably tastes delicious¡­¡± Awaking to a sleazy voice, Qi Yue struggled to open her eyes and, through a blur, saw the man¡¯s face grinning maliciously at her. She squirmed, sensing something amiss. This wasn¡¯t her body! Two coarse hands had already slipped inside her collar, gradually making their way downward. Clothing was being peeled off one piece at a time, exposing more and more of her skin as pale as milk¡ª ¡°You, stop¡ª¡± Qi Yue struggled, but her voice was as small as a cat¡¯s meow, and her body felt limp like dough. Who had drugged her? ¡°¡­Hehe, Miss Qi, don¡¯t bother struggling. You may be fat and ugly, but for the sake of silver, I, Li San, will make sure you become a real bride¡­ After all, with the Young Marquis¡¯s condition, there¡¯s a ninety-nine percent chance he can¡¯t consummate¡­¡± Li San quickly undid the sash, his mouth moving straight to her neck. The man¡¯s hot body pressed against her; she wanted to scream, but what came out of her mouth was instead a soft moan. ¡°Ah¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Good girl, soon I¡¯ll take you to experience heaven!¡± Suddenly, Li San¡¯s eyes bulged, and he froze motionless as if made of clay! A hairpin was deeply embedded in his chest! Qi Yue looked at her right hand, feeling both shocked and relieved. It was fortunate she had a hairpin on her head, or her purity in this new life would have been truly ruined by such an ugly man. She slowly moved off the bed and approached the dressing table. Upon raising her head and seeing the reflection of a face as wide as a washbasin in the copper mirror, she almost choked. ¡°Who is this?¡± Other people with chubby faces might be called little buns, but hers¡­ looked like the sum of ten large buns! After catching her breath, Qi Yue couldn¡¯t help but tremble at the corners of her mouth as she glanced down. Lucky for some with peaks resembling twin mountains, hers were simply wrapped into one mass. No wonder breathing was so difficult for her! And then her gaze fell on her round arms and thick legs, which were frightening indeed! She must weigh at least two hundred pounds! At that moment, Qi Yue¡¯s mind thundered, and memories flooded in instantaneously. She had transmigrated. Her last memory in the modern world was of a rural epidemic outbreak, working until dusk when she suddenly fainted. Next, she found herself in a country called Beiyuan. This time, she was no longer the resident doctor sent to provide medical care to rural areas, but the late Great General Qi Yunzhang¡¯s daughter, also named Qi Yue, in the Beiyuan Kingdom. Half a shichen ago, she was carried into the Ducal Mansion on a sedan chair to become the legitimate eldest son of the Duke, Zhao Xiyan¡¯s, bride of fortune. This Zhao Xiyan was rumored to have been exceptionally handsome in his youth, often mistaken for a woman, which is why he always wore a mask when going out, and no one had seen his real face. Even more rare was his intelligence and strategic mind. Famed throughout Beiyuan at 15, he joined the battlefield at 18, charging into enemy lines alone to decapitate the enemy general. His fame soared after that battle, and he was conferred the title of Marquis. Unfortunately, fate is unpredictable. Two years ago, Zhao Xiyan had a fall from his horse while hunting and has been paralyzed in bed ever since. A month ago, he contracted a severe cold, and his life was not expected to last long, leading to this marriage of fortune. ¡­ After a moment, she finally accepted her current self! Now was not the time to worry about her figure, she needed to regain her strength first! Qi Yue searched the dressing table and found an old ironwood hairpin. Bearing the pain, she plunged the hairpin into the middle fingers of both hands and pressed it into several acupoints on her body. Minutes later, the floor was stained blood red, and Qi Yue could feel her strength gradually returning. At that moment, a pile of a maidservant¡¯s clothes on the ground caught her attention. According to her memories, this Li San was a maidservant given to her as part of her dowry who had dressed as a woman to sneak into the Ducal Mansion, aiming to ruin her virtue. With a thought, Qi Yue quickly made sense of the situation. Before the original host¡¯s marriage, the malicious soup given by her wicked step-aunt was meant to suppress her strength and arrange for Li San to enter the Mansion, all to defile her so she¡¯d be disgraced and unable to remain in the Marquis Residence. In those times, the only recourse a woman had after being violated was death! What a malicious scheme! Qi Yue felt a rush of blood to her head and wished she could immediately rush to the General Residence and tear that wicked step-aunt to pieces! After a short bout of rage, Qi Yue calmed down. She walked over to Li San and pulled out the hairpin from his chest. A gush of blood spurted out, and Li San¡¯s eyes suddenly opened wide. ¡°You fat pig¡­¡± Fat people hated being told they¡¯re fat the most, and feeling annoyed, Qi Yue reached out and grasped Li San¡¯s throat. It was one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body. A light grip was enough to make a person go limp and not dare to resist. ¡°Say one more word, and believe it or not, I¡¯ll take your life!¡± The fierce voice, like that of a ghost from the underworld, coupled with blood-covered hands, terrified Li San beyond measure. He couldn¡¯t understand how Qi Yue, who had already lost her strength, suddenly became so forceful and fierce! However, he was used to playing to the wind, and now his neck was tightly clamped, so he immediately started confessing. ¡°Miss, please spare me, it was the lady who sent me. That evil woman said that only if you die, could the General Residence truly belong to her.¡± Qi Yue¡¯s pupils contracted, indeed it was the same as the original host¡¯s memory. In order to monopolize the General Residence and possess the original host¡¯s dowry, the evil second aunt not only drugged the original host to make her fat and ugly, arranged for the original host to wed a disabled man in a rush, but she also wanted her dead! This was truly intolerable! The resentment in Qi Yue¡¯s heart rose again! She applied more strength, and Li San¡¯s face immediately turned ginger red, his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. ¡°What else? Keep talking!¡± ¡°The lady said, when the people come to confiscate our property, let the soldiers know you and I had been up to something improper in the bridal chamber, that way I could escape!¡± ¡°What?¡± Qi Yue was shocked, her fingers tightened, ¡°What confiscation? Speak clearly!¡± Li San rolled his eyes several times before catching his breath. ¡°The lady has made connections with the steward of Consort Lin, and heard that the Emperor plans to move against the Zhao Family. That¡¯s why she devised a plan for your marriage¡­ She also said that the Zhao Family has generational merits, they will not be put to death, most likely they will be exiled¡­ She even said that she wants Miss Qi to suffer humiliation and die on the road to exile¡­¡± Before Li San had finished speaking, a noisy commotion came from outside. ¡°Run quickly! The soldiers are coming to confiscate our property!¡± Seeing Qi Yue distracted, a sly look flashed in Li San¡¯s eyes. He suddenly pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and stabbed towards her hand. ¡°Seeking death!¡± Qi Yue coldly snorted and with force hurled Li San away. Bang! Li San knocked over a stool and tumbled down beneath the opposite window. For a moment, blood flowed from his mouth and nose, and he gasped in his throat. ¡°Such strength!¡± Qi Yue¡¯s heart chilled, and she couldn¡¯t help but look at her hands that were as puffy as steamed buns. Was this the strength of a powerful warrior? ¡°Run quickly!¡± The footsteps outside grew even more chaotic. Qi Yue opened the door, and indeed, she saw many servants with bowed heads running about in disarray on the nearby corridor. They were really confiscating property? No, she had to run! Qi Yue quickly turned to close the door, taking off her eye-catching wedding dress, when suddenly there was a loud pounding from outside. ¡°Yueyue, Yueyue, my daughter-in-law!¡± The voice of the Duchess was weak and trembling with fear, reminding Qi Yue inexplicably of a cornered rabbit. She hurriedly opened the door and a beautiful woman rushed in, grasping her hand. ¡°Yueyue, you must run now! They¡¯re confiscating property! I can¡¯t look after you anymore!¡± The Duchess was pale, her delicate shoulders trembling uncontrollably, making Qi Yue¡¯s heart grow increasingly anxious. ¡°¡­What exactly happened?¡± ¡°Quite a few soldiers have come outside, they took your father and Yanyan away¡­¡± Talking about her husband and son, the Duchess wiped away a tear, her eyes gradually becoming determined. ¡°I must find a way to save Yanyan! Yueyue, you find a chance to run quickly!¡± After speaking, the Duchess rushed out of the door and ran away fast. Qi Yue fell silent. This stepmother had actually come to urge her to run? She seemed not so bad, after all? But where could she run to? Even if she could escape the Marquis Residence, she couldn¡¯t leave the Capital City and would soon be caught and brought back. In Beiyuan, if one person is guilty, the whole family suffers. It would be better to wait obediently for disposal. Li San was right, An Guogong Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan had merits, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t let them die without considering the impact on his reputation, and would likely exile them. Following the Zhao Family to the Place of Exile could perhaps lead to a different fate. Thinking of this, Qi Yue swept away the despair in her heart and immediately began rummaging through her belongings. She had to see if there was any money for protection on the road to exile. The original host¡¯s dowry was pitifully meagre, just a silver note worth a hundred taels and a few Gold Melon Seeds. There were several pieces of jewelry that were still quite valuable. Qi Yue collected these items, planning to hide them. Then she pulled out five hundred taels¡¯ worth of silver notes from Li San¡¯s embrace! Looking at Li San¡¯s drooping hands, Qi Yue felt a chill in her heart. ¡°Disgusting!¡± She kicked Li San several times in disgust and continued searching. One by one, she found three Gold Hairpins, two Jade Hairpins, and several Gold and Silver Ingots. Qi Yue didn¡¯t hesitate, taking everything without leaving a single item behind. She was just about to hide these items on her body when she realized that she couldn¡¯t. This body was too fat; wrapping even a little something showed conspicuously and could never escape the eyes of those search officials! What to do? Was she really going to set out empty-handed? Chapter 2 The noise outside grew louder, causing Qi Yue to almost burst into tears. She desperately clawed at her hair, and instinctively reached for the pen in her hand, only to remember that she was no longer in modern society. But the next second, a pen magically appeared in her hand¡ªit was one her father had left for her before he died. It was simple and elegant, made entirely of white jade. In memory of her father, she had always carried this pen with her over the years. A term flashed through her mind¡ª¡±Golden Finger!¡± Could this be the benefit brought by traveling through time? She busily waved the pen around, but noticed no change in it. She suddenly remembered a book she had read, in which a character attained a personal space just by getting blood on a jade pendant! Anxiously, she bit her fingertip and grasped the pen. A magical scene unfolded¡ªthe pen gradually disappeared until it was gone. She blurted out, ¡°Where¡¯s the space?¡± and instantly found herself in a familiar courtyard. Before her was a simple two-story building, its walls a blend of blue and white stone. The courtyard housed a pavilion with the familiar tea set inside! Next to the pavilion, a mountain spring flowed by, extending to the back garden. On the right side of the back garden were plots of vegetables, an orchard, and pens for pigs and sheep. On the left was a large warehouse and a sprawling parking lot. This was the peaceful, comfortable country clinic she knew! She had space now! The pen her father had given her had activated her country clinic and made it her personal space, and it had come with her! Qi Yue got excited! About to be banished, it would be great if her personal space could take in everything! She immediately thought, ¡°Go back to the room,¡± and the scene before her eyes changed instantly. Burning red candles, red bed curtains¡­ she was back in her room! She hurriedly tried to use her thoughts to gather everything in the room into her space, and to her surprise, the furniture and bed vanished instantly! Then, the silver notes and jewelry she wanted to hide also disappeared in an instant! Checking the space, she found that everything had been neatly placed on the left side of the storage room. On the right side were the large stocks of medicine bottles and medical supplies that were originally there. It was now very clear that she could control the clinic space entirely with her mind, and she could enter and exit at will! This was great! With money and these medicines, she was sure to survive the banishment! No, she would fill the space with as much food and supplies as she could¡ªit was better to have too much than too little! They wanted to confiscate everything? She would not leave a single copper behind! She would take all the gold, silver, jewels, and valuable items in the Marquis Residence! Qi Yue slightly curled her lips, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes, and walked out the door. Following the corridor out of the courtyard, she more or less figured out where the storage of the Marquis Residence was. In the Capital City of the Beiyuan Kingdom, three residences were famous because they were built by the Governance Bureau, one of which was the Ducal Mansion. Coincidentally, the original owner had visited here once with her grandmother at the age of five, and she still remembered many places. After a series of turns, she finally saw an isolated attic with three characters inscribed¡ªTreasure Pavilion. Under normal circumstances, this place would certainly be guarded, but now, the doors to the attic were wide open. As she reached the entrance, she encountered a guard who, in a panicked state, dashed out the door. He had several strings of jewels around his neck and was holding a box in his arms. Upon seeing her, the whole person looked terrified, dropped the box, and ran. As she watched the Gold Ingots drop to the ground, Qi Yue ignored him, slightly raised her hand, and instantly took everything into her space. After entering the building and closing the door, upon seeing the interior of the Treasure Pavilion, Qi Yue could not help but gasp in amazement. It was worthy of being the Ducal Mansion of three generations, with a profound legacy not to be underestimated by ordinary households. The vast Treasure Pavilion was filled with fine fabrics, gold and silver jade implements, treasures, jades, and antique calligraphy and paintings! Qi Yue took one look and saw there was a second floor, and it seemed to be faintly shimmering with gold light! She hastily waved her plump hand, stashing all the items into her space. Then, she patter her short chubby legs and swiftly made her way to the second floor. Wow! Glimmering silver ingots and dazzling gold ingots nearly blinded her! There was also a large box filled with fist-sized Luminous Pearls! Qi Yue waved her fat hand again and quickly tucked everything into her space. Such fine things should definitely stay in her space! Every second they were exposed to the air, she felt like she was losing something! After clearing out the Treasure Pavilion, Qi Yue moved to the Duke¡¯s courtyard. The calligraphy on the walls, the ornaments on the antique shelf¡­ she practically grabbed anything she saw. Coming from modern society, she found these ancient artifacts incredibly valuable! Qi Yue loved everything she saw, and eventually, she simply emptied the entire study. Next was the Duchess¡¯s courtyard. Headdress in the dressing box, private collections on the nightstand, brand new clothes, capes, quilts, blankets¡ªshe didn¡¯t leave a single item behind. She then made her way to Zhao Xiyan¡¯s courtyard. This place was quieter, except for the study, the other rooms had little to grab, only a jade pillow. Qi Yue, frustrated, decided to take the desk as well. As she was leaving, she saw a Long Halberd hanging on the wall. The blade of the halberd shimmered with a silver glow, nearly two meters long, the pole was pitch black and carved with primitive patterns, its material unidentifiable. Somehow, the image of a young man in a white robe appeared in Qi Yue¡¯s mind. Standing nine feet tall, majestic and commanding, grasping the Long Halberd, standing between heaven and earth, a single shout from him would topple an enemy general off his horse! This was probably her dear husband¡¯s weapon in his younger days, it looked valuable, so she took it too! With a wave of her hand, the Long Halberd instantly vanished. Qi Yue, satisfied with her haul, continued on to the next destination¡ªthe kitchen! Today was the Ducal Mansion¡¯s wedding, and the kitchen had a lot of delicious food! Flower Cooked Partridge, Lychee White Waist Dish, Three-Crunch Soup, Sheep Tongue Dish, Sprouting Stomach Slices, Palm Signature Dish, Partridge Soup, Stomach Slices, Mandarin Duck Fried Belly, Shark Minced, Blood Powder Soup, Wine Vinegar White Waist Dish, Three Fresh Bamboo Shoots Stir-Fried Partridge, Button Mushroom Fat Chicken, Three Fresh Duck, Five Tendril Chicken Strips¡­ It seemed the Ducal Mansion was really in the midst of serious wedding preparations! The arrangements were quite thorough! Having collected these, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food on her journey! Qi Yue, very pleased, looked at her spatial storeroom and suddenly remembered she hadn¡¯t yet visited the Marquis Residence¡¯s storeroom. Normally, for ease of storing and fetching items, storerooms are usually located behind the kitchen. As expected, just around a corner, she saw the large black door of the storeroom. As she pushed open the door, Qi Yue couldn¡¯t control the corners of her mouth from turning upward. Basics like rice, flour, and oil formed just the essential stock. There were also several unopened boxes of expensive ingredients like Blood Swallow, Lingzhi, Cordyceps, and Dendrobium¡ªexcellent for medicinal meals! She also found dozens of casks of fine liquor, judging from the clay seals, they seemed to be aging, all vintage! Qi Yue unceremoniously waved her hand, and with the word ¡°collect¡± leaving her lips, the entire storeroom instantly emptied! After everything, Qi Yue¡¯s stout body was drenched in sweat. Looking at the space in her storeroom, two-thirds was still empty! Instantly, her heart was filled with vigor! If possible, she wanted to keep collecting more and more! The space was huge, and aside from the storeroom, she had plenty of room for storing other things! The items she got just filled a tiny gap! It seems that the original owner¡¯s dowry was worth several million, all seized by the wicked second aunt. How could that stand, being Qi Yue now, the things that belonged to her naturally had to be taken back. Besides, it was also a way of avenging the original owner! Leaving the storeroom, Qi Yue was planning to visit the General Residence when she suddenly heard a series of orderly footsteps rushing toward the backyard. Chapter 3 ¡°Make way! All bystanders must clear out immediately!¡± ¡°The Duke of An and Marquis Yue have been found guilty of forming factions for selfish gains and plotting treason. The Imperial Capital Prefecture has received orders to confiscate their property!¡± As expected, they still came! Qi Yue¡¯s heart tightened, and she hurriedly left. Yet, no sooner had she crossed the long corridor than she was seized by the officials and soldiers of the Imperial Capital Prefecture and escorted to the front hall. The front hall had already been ransacked, and everyone from the Marquis Residence had been rounded up here. Her stepmother Shen Yu had already fainted, and beside her stood two sisters-in-law with tears streaming down their faces. Several servants tried to flee through the doors; they were struck down by the officials and soldiers of the Imperial Capital Prefecture, one by one, and were immediately breathless on the ground. The sight of blood everywhere left everyone in shock, silencing their cries, shouts, and gasps in an instant. Qi Yue, like everyone else, was so frightened that she knelt on the ground. Compared to the joy of her previous rebirth, she now felt the horror of death even more profoundly. This was no longer the modern world she was familiar with but an alternate dimension where human life was considered worthless and imperial power reigned supreme. Even though she came from the modern era and possessed a special space, she still had to desperately cling to life. ¡°Count the people, and detain all members of the Zhao Family under guard. Let no one escape!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Suddenly, a tall soldier entered the hall, circled in front of her twice, then abruptly stopped. ¡°Qi Yue? Niece Yue?¡± Qi Yue looked up to see a middle-aged man with a broad face and square jaw. She recalled faintly and immediately found the man¡¯s name from the original owner¡¯s memories. This man was named Dai Yuan, the Deputy General of her father Qi Yunzhang in those days. Noticing the pattern on his armor, Qi Yue promptly bowed her head and greeted him. ¡°Great Commander Dai!¡± Dai Yuan bent down to help her up and looked at her intently. ¡°Is it really you, Niece Yue? Just call me Uncle Dai.¡± Qi Yue saw his sincere expression and changed her address. ¡°Uncle Dai.¡± Dai Yuan motioned her to the side, looked around, and whispered, ¡°Niece Yue, I heard last month you were to be married, could it be to this Ducal Mansion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Yue responded with a nod, carefully observing Dai Yuan. Dai Yuan, the Great Commander, the head of the fifty thousand Imperial Guards of the Imperial City, the Emperor¡¯s most loyal subordinate. If she could use this connection well, she could do a lot. When Dai Yuan learned of Qi Fengzhang and Bai Jiahui¡¯s schemes to force her into a sham marriage to gain control over the General Residence, he clenched his fists and cursed angrily. ¡°Damn it, that second uncle of yours is really worthless, daring to deceive me like this!¡± However, he quickly calmed down and said with a stern face, ¡°Niece Yue, I¡¯m afraid this Ducal Mansion is beyond saving. Before the imperial decree arrives, I¡¯ll think of a way to get you out of the Capital City.¡± For a moment, Qi Yue almost believed Dai Yuan¡¯s words, but she quickly came to her senses. Back when her father Qi Yunzhang had fought against Nanyue and sacrificed himself for his country, he had not only preserved the land of Beiyuan Kingdom but also saved the lives of many Deputy Generals and over a thousand soldiers. But these things alone were not enough for Dai Yuan to risk his future and life to save her. The Emperor¡¯s Imperial Guards, what a sensitive force. They are the Emperor¡¯s knife, his amulet, how could they easily promise anything to someone else? Moreover, someone who could take the position of the Great Commander must not be truly righteous and loyal. Thinking this, Qi Yue shook her head repeatedly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble Uncle Dai. If you really want to save me, Qi Yue would like to ask you to help vindicate my father,¡± she said. As soon as Qi Yue mentioned Qi Yunzhang, Dai Yuan¡¯s expression became slightly solemn, and then he looked serious. ¡°May I know what kind of vindication Miss Yue is referring to?¡± he asked. Qi Yue caught the fleeting change in Dai Yuan¡¯s expression but did not dwell on it further. Right now, all she wanted was to avenge the fatal vendetta of her former self. When Qi Yue told him that Qi Fengzhang had bribed officials using the late Great General Qi Yunzhang¡¯s fame and connections to seek benefits everywhere, and had even been involved in the underhanded businesses of brothels and gambling dens, Dai Yuan¡¯s expression grew darker and darker. ¡°Great Commander Dai, Qi Yue wants to accuse my second uncle Qi Fengzhang. He has used the power of the General Residence to his advantage and has seized the position of the Major General in the Imperial City Division. Last year, he even killed two innocent citizens in the street. My father spent his life with a clean reputation, serving the country with loyalty, only to be completely ruined by Qi Fengzhang! I implore Great Commander Dai to thoroughly investigate and handle this!¡± After speaking, Qi Yue bowed respectfully and solemnly. Dai Yuan, who was able to become the Commander of the Imperial Guards, was naturally no ordinary person. Upon hearing this, he immediately understood Qi Yue¡¯s intent and expressed, with utmost gravity, that he would deal with both Qi Fengzhang and the affairs of the Ducal Mansion¡ªreassuring Qi Yue to have peace of mind! At that moment, a soldier dressed in the garb of the Imperial Guards came hurrying over with a look of panic and quietly reported the empty state of the Treasure Pavilion. Qi Yue instantly understood where that odd feeling in her heart was coming from. Dai Yuan, as the Commander of the Imperial Guards, naturally had command over the Imperial Guards. So why had he come to the Marquis Residence, and moreover, to inspect the seizure of the Treasure Pavilion? Her expression became stern as she remembered a rumor. It was said that the current Emperor of Beiyuan Kingdom had a collecting habit, fond of gold, especially keen on casting gold into various little animal figurines for decoration. Most of the valuable items taken from confiscated officials¡¯ possessions were converted into gold and stored in his private vault. Therefore, the Imperial Capital Prefecture¡¯s act of seizure was just a pretense; the genuine executors were the Emperor¡¯s Imperial Guards. Lost in thought, she saw Dai Yuan whispering mysteriously to the guard, who immediately turned and left. Afterward, Dai Yuan comforted Qi Yue with a few words, implying that those from the Ducal Mansion were highly likely to be exiled, and then he left in a hurry. Qi Yue surmised that he was off to deal with Qi Fengzhang. After all, she had exaggerated so much just to signal to Dai Yuan that there were mountains of gold and silver in the Great General Residence! Since Dai Yuan was amassing wealth for the Emperor, he would undoubtedly not miss such an excellent opportunity! Thinking of the soon to be nonexistent General Residence, Qi Yue¡¯s lips curved into a slight smirk. ¡°Qi Fengzhang, Bai Jiahui, just wait! Everything you owe Qi Yue will be repaid twofold!¡± Very soon, the servants who hadn¡¯t managed to escape were tied up with ropes by the officials from the Slave Administration Division and led away, awaiting to be sold once more. Following that, everyone from the Marquis Residence was taken into custody by the soldiers. The men in one room, and the women in another. Because of Dai Yuan¡¯s special attention, Qi Yue was not locked up with her stepmother and the others, but isolated in a room by herself. This actually made it easier for her to carry out her next plan. She needed to get back to the General Residence before Dai Yuan and retrieve what belonged to Qi Yue. As for how to get back, Qi Yue had long thought of a good plan! Chapter 4 Xiyan feigned needing a restroom break to the guards, and once permitted, she quickly made her way to the servants¡¯ quarters on the west side of the Ducal Mansion. Earlier, while she was collecting her belongings, she had overheard a fleeing servant mention that there was an exit leading outside from here, and she planned to escape through this route. It didn¡¯t take much time for Qi Yue to reach the Great General Residence. The Great General Residence had two storehouses. One was a large storehouse, containing decades¡¯ accumulation of gold, silver, and valuable goods from within the residence. The other was a smaller storehouse, privately owned by her second aunt, Bai Jiahui. Inside were mostly the original dowries of the owner, along with the fields, shops, and other business earnings left by the Great General after his death. Qi Yue decided to head to the large storehouse first. In his time, the renowned Great General Qi Yunzhang had countless military achievements and received innumerable awards, all of which he left for the owner as her dowry. Yet, when the owner married, she took only one hundred taels of silver with her. Qi Yue felt angry on behalf of the owner! The storehouse was secured with a large lock. Qi Yue was initially worried about how to get in, but then she remembered her body¡¯s great strength and simply twisted off the lock. The gold amounted to only fifty thousand taels, but there was more silver ¡ª over forty chests, totaling about two hundred thousand taels. There were also many gold and silver vessels, precious medicinal herbs of varying quality, probably looted by Qi Fengzhang. After collecting these items, Qi Yue went to Bai Jiahui¡¯s residence at Furong Garden. She was pondering how to draw out the people inside when a flustered young gatekeeper rushed in. Soon, Bai Jiahui, looking horrified, hurried with a large group of maids and old nurses to the front hall. Qi Yue knew Dai Yuan had arrived and immediately seized the opportunity to enter Bai Jiahui¡¯s smaller storehouse in the backyard. Eighty-eight dowries were neatly arranged in the room. Qi Yue casually checked them and found just one cosmetic box filled to the brim with over a hundred gold hairpins. In other chests, there were countless jade bracelets, jade ornaments, precious gems, and a thick stack of silver notes, all worth two million taels of silver!!! The most valuable were several cases of pearls. The largest were as big as a thumb; even the smallest were the size of soybeans, each shining with a white luster as smooth and glowing as jade. Beiyuan was located in the northern part, and the only place to obtain pearls was the southern bay of Longnan Ridge, making them extremely rare. Such quality, such large pearls, were only seen in use by those in the palace. Qi Yue silently admired them. It truly was a dowry befitting a Great General¡¯s daughter, so incredibly generous!!! She took everything without hesitation, storing them away, a deep sense of satisfaction welling within her. ¡°Qi Yue, do you see? I have avenged you!¡± ¡°If you wish for their demise, the road to exile is long indeed!¡± Just as she left Bai Jiahui¡¯s courtyard, wails that shook the heavens and the earth came from the front courtyard. ¡°Official sir, could there be a mistake? We would never conspire with rebels!¡± ¡°We belong to the Great General Residence, protected and honored by the Emperor as a pillar of the nation! We would never act against the Imperial Court!¡± ¡°Official sir, please consider the Great General¡¯s contributions and show some leniency!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bai Jiahui kneeled on the ground continuously kowtowing to the soldiers until her forehead bled, only to be kicked away by a soldier¡¯s foot. Hidden behind a pillar, Qi Yue¡¯s lips curled in amusement. ¡°Bai Jiahui, we¡¯ll meet again on the road to exile!¡± Soon after, two squads of Imperial Guards stormed into the Great General Residence, heading straight for the storehouses. Qi Yue took the opportunity to slip away amidst the chaos. On her way back, she planned to stop by Tello Street to buy some common items and food for the road. As she turned onto the street, she overheard several people discussing the matter of the Ducal Mansion. ¡°The Ducal Mansion is finished, who knows whom they offended?¡± ¡°Who else but Shuangmu Forest?¡± ¡°Shh¡­ let¡¯s not talk about that. To think such a good man as the Marquis just died, it¡¯s truly a pity!¡± What? Zhao Xiyan died? Does that make her a widow now? If the Zhao Family casts her out, does she no longer have to go into exile? Several questions popped into Qi Yue¡¯s mind, and she quickly lowered her voice to ask. ¡°When did the Marquis die?¡± The person thought she was just there to watch the chaos and followed up with a comment. ¡°He hasn¡¯t died yet, but he will soon.¡± ¡°I heard that the Marquis and the Duke were carried back, covered in blood. I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t make it to the Place of Exile before they have to hold a funeral.¡± Upon learning that her father-in-law and husband had already been sent home, the decree from the Emperor also arrived. The entire Zhao Family was demoted to commoners and exiled to Longnan Ridge, with no chance of being pardoned for life. While Qi Yue felt a moment of relief, deep concerns also surged within her. People from Beiyuan had long lived in the north and were accustomed to the distinct seasons there, but Longnan Ridge was thousands of miles away, full of rugged mountains and swarming with snakes and insects. Many areas were plagued with miasma. And there were essentially only two seasons each year, summer and winter. Summer was humid and scorching hot, and winter was bleak and bitterly cold. Most people who came to this place often died because they could not adapt to the local environment. Even those who were lucky enough to survive would succumb to various strange diseases and die. Qi Yue became more and more infuriated as she thought about it! The damn Emperor wanted to ruin the Zhao Family and accidentally dragged her into this mess. She married into the Ducal Mansion without even eating a meal there, yet she had to follow them into exile! That was utterly unreasonable! It seemed that this dog Emperor never considered her, the orphan of the Great General of Beiyuan, when he arranged the marriage! He probably had long forgotten that there was a Great General Qi Yunzhang in Beiyuan who had died for his country! For a moment, Qi Yue was at a loss for what to do. She wanted to give the dog Emperor a harsh lesson, but she lacked the ability to do so! She could only take things one step at a time. Fortunately, she was a doctor, and now she had her space. Ill-suited to the local climate? Strange diseases? Humph, she was not afraid of those! Just as she was about to head back, she suddenly saw Dai Yuan riding his horse into Tello Street, blocking the street entrance with a group of soldiers. Curious, she took a closer look and noticed another group of soldiers carrying many items into the Treasure Pavilion. Some of those items looked very familiar to Qi Yue. Weren¡¯t those the things she had specifically left in the storehouse of the General Residence? She was puzzled. Weren¡¯t seized items supposed to be sent to the state treasury? Why were they here? Unable to figure it out, Qi Yue decided to go into the Treasure Pavilion herself to investigate. She quickly went to a secluded area, entered her space, changed into a set of men¡¯s clothing, and disguised her face with makeup. By the time the officials had left, Qi Yue boldly entered the Treasure Pavilion. The shopkeeper, thinking a big spender had come, eagerly welcomed her to an elegant seating area on the second floor. ¡°This hero, may I ask if you were referred here by a brother from the Imperial City Division?¡± Qi Yue almost failed to control her fist! Hero? Did she look robust? She was a sixteen-year-old maiden! If it weren¡¯t for the mountain of gold and silver within the Treasure Pavilion, she would certainly have knocked out the shopkeeper¡¯s golden teeth on the spot! However, from the shopkeeper¡¯s words, it seemed that a referral was necessary. Qi Yue immediately put on an air of profound mystery and slightly nodded her head. ¡°Mm.¡± The shopkeeper didn¡¯t know what he imagined, but his face immediately bloomed into a large chrysanthemum smile. ¡°What good timing for the hero. We just received some excellent items today, and they¡¯re still fresh and hot!¡± What fresh and hot? Do you think they¡¯re poop? Qi Yue suppressed her disgust and calmly waved her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look then!¡± The shopkeeper responded with a ¡°Right away¡± and hurried to the back room. Amid the sounds of a cabinet opening and closing, the shopkeeper came back beaming, holding a booklet in his hand. ¡°Hero, I guarantee you will leave satisfied today!¡± Chapter 5 This¡­ Qi Yue furrowed her brows. These items weren¡¯t obtained from raiding a household? Suppressing the doubts in her heart, she opened the booklet. It listed military officer ranks in ascending order. The last page had newly added content¡ªCapital City Imperial City Division¡¯s Senior Military Advisor! Wasn¡¯t this the title of her vile second uncle, Qi Fengzhang? Her mind was struck by a bolt of lightning, and Qi Yue began to understand. The current Emperor was selling official titles!!! If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, once she selected a title, the shopkeeper would lead her to choose an item. And surely, those items were ones seized from others, and their prices would be outrageously frightening. As a result, the Emperor would satisfy his own desires, and those in the food chain would grow fat, all while deceiving the people of the world!! To confirm her suspicions, Qi Yue deliberately pointed at the words ¡°Imperial City Division¡¯s Senior Military Advisor.¡± Seeing this, the shopkeeper clapped his hands with excitement. ¡°Good, good, the warrior indeed has an eye for quality! You¡¯ve picked the best treasure here on your first try.¡± What followed was as she had suspected. The shopkeeper led her into a room filled with many boxes, and he took one out and placed it in front of her. It was just a small Jade Ruyi. At this moment, it was placed inside a box lined with yellow brocade, with a piece of paper attached that read¡ªImperial City Division¡¯s Senior Military Advisor, gold 200,000 taels! Qi Yue almost swore out loud! How could this shabby Jade Ruyi be worth gold 200,000 taels? If this wasn¡¯t selling official positions, what was? The shopkeeper thought Qi Yue was delighted and hastily served up a barrage of flattery. ¡°Warrior, look at this treasure, clear and translucent, symbolizing a bright future and smooth sailing for you!¡± ¡°With this treasure, you¡¯re sure to rise to great heights!¡± Qi Yue cursed inwardly but kept a cautious expression on her face. ¡°Shopkeeper, there won¡¯t be any problems with this, right? If I¡¯m not wrong, the person before who had this gold worth 200,000 taels ended up in a disaster?¡± The shopkeeper dismissively waved his hand, looking incredibly arrogant. ¡°Warrior, rest assured, that person¡¯s disaster was his own doing. As long as you don¡¯t provoke those one shouldn¡¯t, you¡¯ll always be safe and sound!¡± Qi Yue quickly grasped the meaning of his words. Those who bought official positions were all marked, our own people wouldn¡¯t harm our own, everyone just needed to live in peace, exploiting the common folk was all that mattered. But the person who had taken action against Qi Fengzhang was Dai Yuan, no, it might even be the person behind him. Although the Emperor loved gold, he wouldn¡¯t bother with such matters; who could it be? Thinking of the Lin Family from Shuangmu Forest, whom no one even dared to mention, Qi Yue had a vague answer in her heart. The round-faced maid who had tried to kill her also mentioned the Lin Family¡¯s Noble Consort in the palace. This Noble Consort was the daughter of the Grand Tutor of Lin. Qi Yue had long heard that the Lin Family father and daughter were extremely ruthless¡ªone dominated the inner court, the other the imperial court, plunging the Beiyuan Kingdom into chaos and corruption. Suppressing the indignation in her heart, Qi Yue cheerfully said, ¡°Since the shopkeeper says so, I¡¯m reassured. Actually, 200,000 gold isn¡¯t much for me¡­¡± She lowered her voice and said, ¡°I won¡¯t hide it from you, I¡¯m looking to secure a job closer to the top.¡± Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper¡¯s eyes went round, and his voice trembled a bit¡ªit was a deal worth over a million in gold, and he could earn a few hundred! ¡°Warrior, such magnanimity! My master loves people with such courage.¡± Seizing the chance, Qi Yue asked, ¡°May I know who your master is?¡± The shopkeeper¡¯s demeanor turned strict, and his face instantly filled with a respectful smile. ¡°The Lin Family of our nation is my master.¡± Seeing Qi Yue¡¯s surprised face, the shopkeeper became even more complacent. ¡°Do you know about the brave warriors from the Ducal Mansion of An? Not even their household is worthy of stepping on one of my master¡¯s toes!¡± Qi Yue no longer wished to listen to any more of this talk. The damned Emperor favored his corrupt officials and forgot about her, the orphan of the former Great General who defended the nation. Why should she be courteous then? She would plunder the gold from his Treasure Pavilion!!! Doesn¡¯t the damned Emperor like to collect? Let him collect loneliness! Crack! Qi Yue struck the shopkeeper on the head with her fist, knocking him out cold. After collecting all the items in the inner chambers, aside from some silver notes, she didn¡¯t find any heaps of gold or silver. She guessed that the truly valuable items must be hidden somewhere, most likely in the backyard. After brief contemplation, Qi Yue took out a small bottle of alcohol from her space, poured it on the wooden cabinets, and in an instant, the entire second floor of the Treasure Pavilion was ablaze. She then slipped through the back door into the backyard. Soon, after the fire on the second floor had been extinguished, four or five people headed towards the backyard. The one leading them clearly had some insight, but all of this was part of Qi Yue¡¯s plan. He was listening to the reports about the second-floor situation while twirling his beard around his finger. After a moment, his expression suddenly changed, ¡°This is bad, we have unfriendly visitors! Follow me to the lower levels and check, if anything goes wrong with those items, all our heads will roll!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Yue, hiding behind the rocks, heard everything clearly and became even more certain that the gold amassed from the Emperor¡¯s sale of offices was hidden here. While considering how to get her hands on the treasure, she saw a tall man hurrying over. An idea flashed in her eyes. Taking the opportunity as he approached, she knocked him out and dragged him over. This man was sturdy and his clothes fitted her perfectly. When she emerged from behind the fake mountain, she had transformed into one of the employees of the Treasure Pavilion. Following those people, she also entered a pavilion. The pavilion was just for show. The leader moved the table in the center, stamped his foot twice on the floor, and a staircase leading down appeared. What followed went very smoothly. The leader, still shaken from the fire earlier, was intent on checking the items in storage and didn¡¯t notice the stranger who had infiltrated their group. As soon as they reached the storage, Qi Yue was stunned by the sight before her. The storage was enormous, spanning over a hundred square meters. Stacks of gold and silver piled up higher than her height filled the room! Shelves around the walls were filled with animal statues cast in gold. There were snakes, tigers, lions, wolves, rabbits¡­, a menagerie of all shapes and colors. Qi Yue even wondered if the Emperor had watched too much of the animal world? Seeing the treasures untouched, the leader breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest, ¡°Thank goodness, our lives are spared.¡± As soon as his words fell, Qi Yue hit him with a club. Then, the other four men were taken down by her as well. Qi Yue quickly gathered all the gold and silver into her space. At that moment, she didn¡¯t even have time to rejoice. Having collected so much gold, she began to feel a flutter of panic. She had the sneaking suspicion that she had just punched a hole in the sky, and if the Emperor found out she had emptied the treasury, her life would be over in a matter of minutes. Indeed, as soon as she left the storage, she saw a troop of soldiers heading straight for the pavilion in the backyard. The cries for capturing the thief were also sounding all around. Qi Yue couldn¡¯t avoid them in time and quickly hid behind a pillar, slipping into her space. After sitting on a chair in the clinic courtyard for a while, she became restless. If she didn¡¯t return soon, the officials who came to confiscate her property would assume she had fled. Once the Imperial Court began hunting her for fleeing, she would be in big trouble! What to do? Chapter 6 Qi Yue thought it over and over but found no good solution. ¡°It seems the only option is to risk rushing out!¡± When she had entered, she had observed the terrain; beyond the wall of the Treasure Pavilion¡¯s backyard was a deserted alley that led directly away from Tello Street. The advantage of this body was its strength; as long as she ran quickly to that wall, she could push it down with one punch and escape! With her mind made up, she immediately flashed out of the space and quickly hid behind the flowers and trees at the back of the pavilion. Unexpectedly, she had barely taken a step when she heard someone shout harshly, ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who¡¯s over there?¡± Qi Yue almost reflexively hid back into the space. After hiding for five minutes, guessing that the soldiers had searched elsewhere, she slowly came out of the space. Seeing the soldiers searching with their backs to her, Qi Yue disregarded everything else and ran. But just as she stepped forward, she heard the whistling of a sword coming from behind her, and she had to hide in the space again. However, staying in the space didn¡¯t allow her to move her body away from there. Qi Yue was extremely anxious when suddenly she had an idea. She could avoid injury by flashing in and out of the space just as she had done, meanwhile running towards the wall. As long as she was fast enough, she would be but a fleeting shadow, and they would be unable to catch her! Indeed, this method worked even better than she had imagined. After several flashes in and out of the space, she indeed reached the wall at the back of the yard. Without pausing to rejoice, she punched a big hole through the wall. Just like that, she perfectly avoided the pursuit of the soldiers and returned to the Marquis Residence without anyone noticing. Hearing the distant sounds of soldiers and Imperial Guards chasing after thieves, Qi Yue slightly curled her lips. Today was indeed a fruitful day! She had finally given the dog Emperor a good beating! Let him ransack homes randomly! And exile her! Hmph! Once again back to her normal appearance, Qi Yue happily appeared at the Ducal Mansion, planning to go straight into the front hall and get caught, but she was surrounded by the raiding soldiers. These people really thought she had run away and were searching all around for her! Fortunately, with Dai Yuan¡¯s solid support, she made up a few words, and the soldiers did not make things difficult for her, though this time they locked her up with the women of the Ducal Mansion. The room originally served as the servant¡¯s quarters; it was small and shabby. Her plump body made the room even more cramped. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this the Great Commander¡¯s niece? How come, they didn¡¯t rescue you?!¡± The speaking woman was Chen Suyun, the wife of Zhao Yongxin from the Zhao Family¡¯s second branch. More than dealing with this sharp and bitter woman, Qi Yue was now more worried about the exile. Seeing that she ignored her, Chen Suyun then turned her spite toward her mother-in-law, Shen Yu. ¡°Look at what kind of daughter-in-law you found.¡± ¡°Not only does she look like that, but she¡¯s also rude!¡± Hearing this, Shen Yu stood up and said coldly, ¡°Chen Suyun, do you still have a heart? At such a time, must we still fight among family?¡± ¡°Family?¡± Chen Suyun suddenly became very agitated. She jumped up from the floor, hands on her hips, and began to curse loudly! ¡°Who is family with you? Your husband and your son conspired with their cronies and did a fine job, but they made us suffer!¡± As she spoke, she turned her fury towards Qi Yue again. ¡°And this disaster star, curse of mother and father, ever since she entered the Zhao family¡¯s door, we have been suffering!¡± In Beiyuan, being labeled a disaster star was enough to get one beaten or killed. Frustrated, Shen Yu again spoke out to stop her. ¡°Chen Suyun, all these years, your Chen family has been riding on the coattails of my husband and my son Xiyan; yet now you¡¯re kicking us while we¡¯re down.¡± ¡°Yueyue is my daughter-in-law, what right do you have to speak about her!¡± ¡°Besides, this time the Zhao family was framed, and it has nothing to do with Yueyue.¡± When she had first suggested a marriage to bring joy for her son, not a single noble lady from Capital City was willing. Except for Qi Yue. Although she was a bit plump and not very attractive, her status was indeed that of an orphan of the Great General. After scolding Chen Suyun, Shen Yu turned to comfort Qi Yue. ¡°Yueyue, don¡¯t worry, from now on, mother will protect you.¡± Tears fell as Shen Yu held her hand and spoke. ¡°You like Yanyan and don¡¯t mind that he can¡¯t stand, Mother thanks you for him,¡± she said. ¡°Yueyue didn¡¯t leave, Mother is very happy, from now on, Mother will have Yanyan treat you well.¡± Qi Yue was a bit bewildered by these words. When had she ever liked Zhao Xiyan? She hadn¡¯t even met the person; how could she have feelings for him? After a moment¡¯s thought, she guessed that this was probably the doing of her wicked aunt. But this stepmother wasn¡¯t too bad. Previously wanting her to escape, and now wanting to protect her, this somewhat surprised her. Anyway, this was not the time to talk about these things. When she was caught by the government officers, she had already indirectly learned some information. In Beiyuan, people sentenced to exile with their families could never leave their criminal records as widows. Only women who had divorced while their husbands were alive and had no children could leave the Place of Exile and gain civilian status. Moreover, this could only be arranged in the Place of Exile. This meant that if she wanted to regain her freedom, she needed Zhao Xiyan to stay alive and reach Longnan Ridge safely. Shen Yu continued tearfully. ¡°I don¡¯t know how your father and Yanyan are doing? I¡¯m really afraid¡­ afraid I won¡¯t see them again!¡± Qi Yue was even more anxious upon hearing this. Zhao Xiyan and Zhao Yongzhe had been severely beaten and were very likely not to survive the journey to the Place of Exile. She had hoped to find a way to treat them before departure, but the government officers firmly refused. Even bringing up Dai Yuan, the influential figure, was of no help now. Meanwhile, in another servant¡¯s room, Zhao Xiyan and his father Zhao Yongzhe had fallen into a deep coma. Zhao Yonglian, the third son of the Zhao Family, was calling out to them as he lay next to the two. ¡°Brother, brother, Yanyan, wake up!¡± ¡°Brother, Yanyan, you can¡¯t let anything happen to you!¡± The second son, Zhao Yongxin, watched the two lying on the ground with a dull expression, his eyes vacant. His two sons, Zhao Zhi and Zhao Weiyi, terrified as if seeing ghosts, shrank back into a corner of the wall. Zhao Yonglian, seeing no response from them, called out again. ¡°Second brother, go fetch someone, brother is in bad shape!¡± Zhao Yongxin turned his head woodenly, as if hearing nothing, remaining silent. Zhao Yonglian angrily pushed him aside and rushed to the door to pound on it. ¡°Someone come quick! My brother has passed out!¡± ¡°Stop shouting! Shout again and I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Two government officers rushed over, one slashing the door with his blade, nearly severing Zhao Yonglian¡¯s fingers, though he quickly dodged. Ignoring his own fingers, he quickly pulled out a silver ingot from his chest and passed it through the door crack. ¡°Officers, I beg you, please save my brother!¡± ¡°Please bring a doctor!¡± Upon seeing the silver in Zhao Yonglian¡¯s hand, the two government officers exchanged a smile, then burst through the door. One of them kicked Zhao Yonglian to the ground and searched him. ¡°You¡¯re really good at hiding! No wonder the Treasure Pavilion didn¡¯t even have a single copper coin! Search them!¡± The two officers, like bandits, searched all four people in the room, taking all the money they had hidden. One of the officers felt over Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan, then spat disdainfully on the ground. ¡°Damn bad luck, now we have to carry a corpse!¡± ¡°Zhao Yongzhe is dying, someone check on him!¡± A crude voice called from outside, and then the door opened. A government officer at the door, covering his nose, asked, ¡°Is anyone going? If not, just carry him out for burial!¡± Shen Yu, as if struck by a bludgeon, cried out ¡°Husband¡± and collapsed outright. Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue, the two younger sister-in-laws, supported Shen Yu, crying out ¡°Mother¡± and crying incessantly. Seeing this, Qi Yue quickly stepped forward. ¡°Officer, I¡¯ll go.¡± The officer scrutinized her, frowning slightly. ¡°Alright then!¡± Although Qi Yue was somewhat prepared, she was still stunned by the scene before her. Chapter 7 Two bloodstained figures lay side by side on the ground, their hair a disheveled mess, like wild grass covering their faces, rendering their features indistinguishable. At a cursory glance, they bore no difference from the corpses in a chaotic burial ground. Only from the style of their clothes could one distinguish that one was Zhao Yongzhe and the other was Zhao Xiyan. Qi Yue¡¯s heart tightened, and she hurriedly bent down to check on them. Upon feeling their pulse, she sighed in relief. Fortunately, Zhao Yongzhe had not died completely, and Zhao Xiyan was also still alive, though both were severely injured. Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s legs were broken, and his back was covered entirely with dense lash marks, three of which were deep enough to expose bone. Zhao Xiyan¡¯s pulse, however, was even more complicated. His body had already been poisoned with an unidentified drug, causing numbness in his legs. The person who beat him seemed to know this well, and thus did not target his legs but almost smashed his back to pieces. Even as a doctor, Qi Yue, accustomed to seeing severe patients, was shocked by the extent of the injuries. The thick blood almost covered both of their backs, and not a single piece of good skin was visible, as if their skin had been flayed. The fact that this father and son were still alive was indeed miraculous. She examined their wounds, rapidly formulating a treatment plan in her mind. With the medicinal supplies she had on hand, she was confident she could save Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s life. With a thought, several oral hemostatic and anti-inflammatory pills appeared in her hand. While pretending to tidy Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s clothes, noticing that the government officials outside were not paying attention, Qi Yue quickly brushed the hair from Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s face and poured the medicine into his mouth. To her surprise, this act was clearly seen by Zhao Yonglian, who was standing nearby. He glanced outside and whispered softly, ¡°Niece-in-law, is your father¡­¡± Qi Yue silently nodded her head. ¡°Dad¡¯s not dead. I learned medicine from the wet nurse beside my grandma in the past, and now I need to treat him.¡± Upon hearing this, a gleam flashed in Zhao Yonglian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Niece-in-law, what should we do next?¡± Qi Yue whispered a few words, and Zhao Yonglian immediately got up and knocked on the door. ¡°Officer, although my elder brother has suffered, he was once a duke. To carry him out in such a bloody state might provoke criticism; please allow us to clean him up a little.¡± Zhao Yongzhe was, after all, a duke, and being beaten to death before exile without being cleaned up would surely sound terrible if word got out. The officials outside whispered among themselves for a while before bringing over half a basin of water and a set of old clothes. Qi Yue let Zhao Yonglian watch the officials outside while she started cleaning Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s back wounds herself. Given the limited conditions, she couldn¡¯t take out many items from her space. Fortunately, with Zhao Yonglian watching outside, and others keeping their distance, hardly daring to look, she found room to operate. She pretended to use the water the officials brought to rinse the wounds, but she had already switched it for hydrogen peroxide. Next was suturing. The needle and thread were small; many women had the habit of hiding needles and threads in their sleeves, which Qi Yue did not need to explain. What really surprised people was her suturing technique. Seeing Qi Yue¡¯s hands moving so fast they almost seemed to blur, Zhao Yonglian¡¯s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but ultimately, he said nothing. After treating Zhao Yongzhe, Qi Yue then proceeded to treat Zhao Xiyan. With the final step of applying the medicine completed, she was covered in sweat. In such conditions, she couldn¡¯t use a drip, so she directly injected each of them with a needle. After checking Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s condition again, she noticed his breathing gradually return to normal, and Zhao Xiyan had also improved significantly. ¡°His life was temporarily saved.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief, just about to wipe the dirtied blood off their faces, when the door was abruptly pushed open. ¡°Move, move, move! It¡¯s time to depart!¡± Zhao Yonglian hurriedly went up, ¡°Government Official, my elder brother is not dead yet. Could you please find a cart for us? I will pull them on the road.¡± The Government Official stepped forward, placed his finger under Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s nose, then furrowed his brows, ¡°He¡¯s not dead?¡± He glanced at Qi Yue, then looked at Zhao Yonglian. ¡°What have you done?¡± Qi Yue shook her head. ¡°My father just passed out for a moment, he¡¯s fine!¡± ¡°This is really absurd,¡± the Government Official cursed and walked out. At that moment, the Registrar¡¯s Office¡¯s commander, Guan Yidao, and the government officials had arrived, taking over from the guards, checking the numbers. Soon, the paperwork for the Zhao Family¡¯s exile was delivered by the Imperial Capital Prefecture, Guan Yidao signed to record it, and the handover was completely finished. The detained Zhao Family members were driven out of the house, Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan were also carried out and placed on the cart, ready to set off. Seeing her father and brother on the cart frame, Shen Yu, with swollen eyes, rushed over and burst into inconsolable crying. Chen Suyun heard that they intended her son to pull the cart for a dead man, and she immediately became unhappy. She knelt in front of Guan Yidao, pleading for him to authorize the separation of the second and main household. ¡°Government Official, our second household has been implicated by the main household.¡± ¡°The two of them, father and son, have done countless wrongs. It¡¯s only right that they face their retribution; it makes no sense for my son to also suffer!¡± Guan Yidao had been a commander for more than ten years, having escorted many prisoners of every sort. But it was the first time he had seen someone calling for a separation before even hitting the road. He immediately wrote a letter of severance and took out the exile paperwork to note the situation. Everyone pressed their fingerprints, and the ties were severed. With the ties severed, the two younger members of the second household were no longer obliged to pull the cart. Zhao Yongzhe left only one son, Zhao Xiyan, both of whom were now lying on the cart. Ultimately, it was the Zhao Family¡¯s third son, Zhao Yonglian who ended up pulling the cart. The family, under the harsh sun, departed the capital amidst the pointing and murmuring of the townspeople. The Zhao Family had a decent reputation; fortunately, no one chased after them, throwing rotten vegetables or stinky eggs. Half a shichen later, the family reached the guest pavilion ten li away from the capital. This time, more than twenty families were confiscated along with the Ducal Mansion. The reason for the stop here was to wait for everyone to gather before moving forward. Occasionally, some people brought food and supplies to the exiles, letting out a couple of sorrowful cries. Although the Ducal Mansion had the highest status among the exiled, no one came to look after them. A prestigious Marquis Residence fell in one day; everyone steered clear, fearing they would bring trouble upon themselves. The family members huddled together, enjoying a moment of tranquility under a large tree. They feared that after this moment, finding even a moment¡¯s peace would be impossible. Qi Yue looked around, pondering the challenges they would face on the road, when she suddenly spotted Qi Fengzhang, Bai Jiahui, and their two children among the crowd of exiles. ¡°This journey will keep us busy.¡± She slightly curled her lips, then closed her eyes to rest. It was a long road ahead, better gather energy first! When the time came, she would join them for some fun! Chapter 8 By 3-5 PM, all the exiles had gathered. In addition to the more than twenty noble households that had been raided, there were also some criminals and their companions, all heading to the Place of Exile together. Over three hundred people marched in an endless stream along the not-so-wide official road, kicking up layers of dust over and over again. After walking for two shichen, the pace of the procession slowed down. The sound of crying gradually emerged from the crowd, starting with just one or two people, but soon the number of people crying increased. Women, children, the elderly, men¡­ The crying sounded like an undercurrent from the depths of an abyss, which once erupted, swept through the entire procession like bamboo breaking through the earth, spreading in an instant. The government officials escorting the group were unsurprised, and immediately pulled out their whips for a bout of indiscriminate lashing. ¡°Lowly criminals, what right do you have to cry!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re still the high and mighty nobles, remember you are criminals, criminals!¡± Accompanied by the piercing sound of whips striking, the mournful screams and pleas echoed along the official road. ¡°My lord, please spare me!¡± ¡°My lord, have mercy, please stop beating.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fortunately, Qi Yue had anticipated such emergencies and had specifically instructed Zhao Yonglian to stay at the very back of the group. Otherwise, the over three hundred people would have probably overturned the cart carrying Zhao Yongzhe and his son just to evade the whippings. The group continued walking until the afternoon, not stopping until the sun had set, when they finally arrived at the first stop on the route of their exile. There were only about a dozen houses in the post station, and only the commander and some government officials could stay there. Some government officials and the exiled people could only rest in the open air around the post station. Fortunately, it was the end of summer and not cold at all, otherwise spending a night out in the open like this would lead to illness if not death. Qi Yue found a spot leaning against the wall outside the post station and hurriedly helped Zhao Yonglian to push the cart over and settle it down. Unexpectedly, they had ill-fated luck when it came to crossing paths¡ªright next to them were Qi Fengzhang and his family. The moment Qi Yue saw Bai Jiahui¡¯s face, she lost her appetite. Bai Jiahui was no better off seeing Qi Yue, her face equally filled with resentment. She had already married off Qi Yue, seizing her entire dowry, and even managed to connect with Consort Lin from the palace, soon she was to live the life of a lady of stature. Who could have known that an inexplicable raid would strip her of everything. She always felt that Qi Yue had something to do with this misfortune. The instant their eyes met, each saw a murderous intention in the other¡¯s gaze. Qi Yue let out a cold laugh and took the initiative to greet them. ¡°Auntie, uncle, it¡¯s been a long time, hasn¡¯t it? Who would have thought we were so fated?¡± Qi Fengzhang had never had much fondness for this niece of his. He even believed that Qi Yue was a harbinger of disaster. First, her birth caused the death of her mother, then she was responsible for the death of her father, and now his entire family was exiled because of her, so he didn¡¯t want to pay her any mind and turned away with a flick of his sleeve. Bai Jiahui, on the other hand, approached with a sinister smile. ¡°I say, Yueyue, why is your fate so tough? Not only do you doom us, but no sooner do you step through the door than you cause the duke to be thrown into a great prison. Your mother-in-law hasn¡¯t blamed you, has she?¡± As she spoke, she deliberately raised her voice so that the Zhao Family could hear. Qi Yue wasn¡¯t ignorant of her intention to provoke discord, but she had nothing to worry about. If Shen Yu truly believed that the unwarranted disaster at the Marquis Residence was brought by her, then there was no need for her to protect them any longer. She smiled faintly and raised her voice as well, ¡°My fate has to be tough, doesn¡¯t it? Otherwise, I would have been poisoned to death by that fake woman you sent after me, right?¡± Upon hearing this, Bai Jiahui¡¯s face changed color. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°What am I saying that isn¡¯t very clear to you? Or should I tell everyone so they all know?¡± The long, slender eyes hidden within Qi Yue¡¯s round face were dark and gleaming with a cold light, causing Bai Jiahui to shiver at that moment. ¡°What, what do you want to do?¡± ¡°You should be asking what I have done,¡± Qi Yue slightly lifted her lips, lowering her voice, ¡°My dear auntie, how did it feel to have your family uprooted and exiled? Was it bearable?¡± Bai Jiahui¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, pointing at Qi Yue. ¡°You¡­ it was you! You were the one¡­¡± Qi Yue left her with a provocative smile, angering Bai Jiahui to the point of jumping up to hit someone. Just then, a government official came by with a bucket of steamed buns and upon seeing this, he lashed Bai Jiahui with his whip. Qi Fengzhang stepped forward to speak, and he too was whipped by the official. The whole family immediately huddled together, not daring to move, and Qi Yue watched with great satisfaction. Soon, the steamed buns were distributed to the Zhao family members, one for each person, dark and unidentifiable as to what they were made of. Qi Yue couldn¡¯t eat it at all. Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan had been unconscious the whole time, clearly not in need of food. Shen Yu, holding Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue, sat beside the carriage, clutching steamed buns and silently shedding tears. Zhao Yonglian, having pulled the cart all day, was already starving and started to devour the bun in a frenzy. After eating almost half, he suddenly began to spit fiercely, ¡°ptui, ptui, ptui.¡± ¡°Damn it, is this even fit for human consumption?¡± Hearing this, Qi Yue broke open a dark steamed bun and saw, to her dismay, that half of its contents were fine sand. At this moment, the always silent Shen Yu spoke up in a hoarse voice, ¡°This is a common trick played by the escorting officials.¡± As she spoke, she took a silver note from her chest. ¡°Yueyue, I have a little money here, please go exchange it for some food for everyone.¡± She held Qi Yue¡¯s hand, murmured a few words, and then started to tear up again. ¡°Yueyue, you¡¯re the only one we can count on now.¡± The two younger sisters-in-law, Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue, also looked at her with tearful eyes and a pitiful appearance. Qi Yue pursed her lips and accepted the silver note. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry, leave it to me.¡± The three women were cast from the same mold. They were truly beautiful but indeed, seemed too delicate. One could only wonder whether their frail bodies could withstand the countless tribulations of the journey into exile. After comforting the three of them, Qi Yue turned and headed toward the station. She planned to find the commander Guan Yidao. Since the road ahead was long, and since they were seeking protection, it was only natural to look for someone with authority. Seeing Qi Yue walk away, Zhao Yonglian weighed his words before speaking. ¡°Sister-in-law, I think this daughter of General Qi has much of her father¡¯s spirit. You¡¯ve found a good match for Yanyan!¡± He then recounted how Qi Yue had treated Zhao Yongzhe and his son that morning. Although it was the first time Shen Yu heard about Qi Yue¡¯s medical skills, she didn¡¯t doubt it at all. ¡°A daughter of General Qi is naturally different from an ordinary girl; it is Yanyan who is fortunate!¡± She glanced at the father and son who were still unconscious, and once again, tears began to flow. ¡°But Yueyue has been made to suffer.¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Zhao Yonglian also sighed, his handsome face clouded with worry, ¡°I hope Yanyan will recover and treat her well in the future.¡± Each member of the family was burdened with their own sorrows, and no one noticed that Zhao Xiyan¡¯s fingers had slightly moved. Chapter 9 Exiled individuals giving silver to the escorting commander and government officials in exchange for protection was no secret. As soon as Qi Yue entered the posthouse, someone led her into the main upper room. The posthouses of Beiyuan were crude, and although it was called an upper room, it was barely any different from the servant quarters of the Ducal Mansion. Guan Yidao was sitting beside the table, eating his dinner. One meat dish, one vegetable dish, and a pot of wine. Seeing her come in, as if he had been expecting her, he didn¡¯t even lift his head and kept gnawing on a pig¡¯s trotter in his hands. His full beard was smeared with grease, and as she approached, Qi Yue noticed a ferocious scar beside his eyebrow. ¡°What are you looking at? Want some?¡± With a ¡°thud,¡± a bone was slammed onto the table by Guan Yidao. Qi Yue frowned slightly and bowed a little. ¡°Qi Yue wouldn¡¯t dare covet the commander¡¯s food.¡± ¡°Hmph, as if you would dare!¡± Guan Yidao poured himself another drink and let out a contented hum. ¡°Speak, what brings you here?¡± Qi Yue took out the one hundred silver note and placed it on the table. ¡°Commander, we have someone ill in our family and would like to request the commander¡¯s permission to buy some rice and to borrow some cooking utensils.¡± She had rice and utensils in her space, but it wasn¡¯t convenient to bring them out. The corner of Guan Yidao¡¯s lips, hidden beneath his beard, twitched, and after wiping his fingers on his sleeve a couple of times, he picked up the silver to inspect it. Suddenly, he laughed, a laugh filled with obvious mockery. ¡°I heard you were asking the guards about whether widows need to be exiled, right?¡± Qi Yue was astonished. What was this all about? Why would an escorting commander ask such a question? ¡°You should thank the laws of Beiyuan for being lenient,¡± Guan Yidao tucked the silver into his bosom and laughed again, ¡°otherwise, Xiyan might have been buried long ago, no?¡± What did he mean by that? Could he be someone close to the Zhao Family? Just as Qi Yue was about to speak, he had already stood up and called for the government official to come in. ¡°Go fetch some rice and lead this Zhao family mistress¡­¡± He glanced at Qi Yue with a smirk, ¡°No, Miss Qi, to the small kitchen.¡± He paused then added, ¡°In the future, make sure the Zhao family¡¯s steamed buns are the edible kind.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied the government official, then asked, ¡°Should we treat the second branch of the Zhao family the same?¡± ¡°What second branch of the Zhao family?¡± Guan Yidao furrowed his brows and kicked the government official, ¡°Haven¡¯t they been disowned?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the official nodded obsequiously and hurried Qi Yue away. Even standing in the small kitchen, Qi Yue still couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening. Why did she find Guan Yidao so strange? Considering Zhao Yongzhe and his son hadn¡¯t eaten in two days, Qi Yue decided to cook some watery porridge. The water in the tank was full of impurities, so she used spring water from her space. Perhaps it was because of the one hundred silver note, the government official also brought her several white steamed buns and some vegetables. Qi Yue steamed the buns and made a simple vegetable soup. After borrowing a food container from the government official, she carried the porridge and buns back, just in time to hear Shen Yu preparing to clean Zhao Yongzhe and his son¡¯s faces. Qi Yue set down her things and went to help. The two men hadn¡¯t had the chance to be cleansed all day; now covered in dust mixed with blood, Zhao Yongzhe and Xiyan looked quite unrecognizable. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being in a daze all day, only remembering this now,¡± Shen Yu said as she straightened Xiyan¡¯s hair, tears streaming down her cheeks once more. Seeing this made Qi Yue¡¯s heart ache, and she quickly helped Shen Yu to one side. ¡°Mother, you and the younger aunts go eat first. I¡¯ll take care of this here.¡± Wiping away her tears, Shen Yu replied, ¡°Yueyue, let¡¯s eat together!¡± Qi Yue shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten in the kitchen.¡± When it came to food, she never shortchanged herself; she had taken a roasted chicken from her space to eat while cooking the porridge and was satisfied now. Seeing that Qi Yue looked well and not starved, Shen Yu then went to eat with the others. Qi Yue figured that Zhao Yongzhe and his son would soon wake up, so she hurriedly cleaned their faces to feed them some porridge. Without a basin, she could only use a water jug and wet a cloth to wipe their faces. Zhao Yongzhe may have been older, but his features were still clear and unique, making him quite a handsome elderly man. ¡°Mm, he looks like my father,¡± she remarked, softening her touch while she observed him. If he had such good fortune as her father, she thought, she should take extra care of him. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts as she continued to clean Xiyan¡¯s face. At first, she was distracted by her thoughts and didn¡¯t pay much attention. When she did take notice, she was utterly astonished. Rumors had it that Xiyan was extremely handsome, but Qi Yue had only heard about it. Now, with the real person before her, she truly understood what the phrase ¡°indistinguishable beauty between a man and a woman¡± meant and how far such beauty could transcend. To say that Xiyan¡¯s beauty could overturn states and charm like a celestial being was no exaggeration at all. Especially those eyes. Qi Yue had never seen anyone with such beautiful eyes before. Thick lashes covered the lower lid, curled so much they met with the delicate brows above, creating an enchantment. Even with his eyes tightly closed, the corners of his eyes were turned up, forming an elegant curve like poised butterfly wings ready to take flight. She could scarcely imagine what it would be like when those eyes opened, what kind of exquisite allure they might reveal? Suddenly, the previously motionless Xiyan wrinkled his brows as if about to awaken. Qi Yue quickly averted her gaze, slightly flustered as she tossed the bloodstained cloth aside. With her body tense, she stared at his eyes as if they would open any moment¡ª Chapter 10 After waiting a while and seeing that Zhao Xiyan was still deeply asleep with no sign of waking, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had truly lost her composure just now. She had always thought she wasn¡¯t one to be swayed by handsome men, but unexpectedly¡­ Zhao Xiyan was unparalleled compared to those national heartthrobs and top stars she had seen in her previous life. ¡°What a bewitching creature!¡± Qi Yue murmured silently in her heart, bent over to pick up the handkerchief, and planned to wash it. Actually, her main purpose was to go into the space. After telling Shen Yu, she turned around and left. Previously, when she was treating Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan, she was worried that the pain would prevent them from sleeping, so she specially fed them sleeping medicine. According to the time, the two of them should be waking up now. Shen Yu watched Qi Yue¡¯s hurrying figure with a face full of confusion. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry with this child?¡± When she turned back, she was startled to see Zhao Xiyan struggling to sit up and almost dropped the bun in her hand. She hurried over to help Zhao Xiyan, but was afraid of touching his wound, leaving her somewhat at a loss for what to do. ¡°Yanyan?¡± ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°Yanyan, lie down quickly. Are you hungry? Your wife just made porridge, it¡¯s still warm. Mother will feed you right away.¡± Shen Yu hastened to get the bowl of porridge, feeling somewhat anxious for Qi Yue. What was this girl embarrassed about, running away when she saw the person awake? ¡°Mother.¡± Zhao Xiyan frowned, his expression cold and his voice urgent, ¡°Where is father?¡± While he spoke, Zhao Yongzhe slowly opened his eyes. ¡°¡ªYanyan.¡± Zhao Yongzhe was more seriously injured and couldn¡¯t get up yet. Father and son turned their heads to look at each other, wordless, their eyes moistening. Seeing this scene, Shen Yu¡¯s tears, which had stopped, started to fall again. Zhao Yonglian hurried over to comfort them, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, everyone is still alive, aren¡¯t we? As long as we are alive, there¡¯s hope!¡± Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue, the two sisters, brought over the porridge and said tearfully, ¡°Father, big brother, eat some porridge first.¡± Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan hadn¡¯t eaten all day, and with the aroma of the porridge, they felt their appetite return. After eating a bowl each, both felt their pain had lessened considerably. ¡°Mother, where did this porridge come from? It seems quite extraordinary.¡± ¡°Your wife made it specially, doesn¡¯t it taste very good?¡± Shen Yu wiped away her tears and recounted all the day¡¯s events. ¡°Xiyan, Mother knows you are not pleased with this marriage, but Yueyue is a good girl, and she loves you deeply. Please, don¡¯t hurt her.¡± ¡°Mother.¡± Zhao Xiyan frowned, calling out with a face full of resistance, but in the end, said nothing more. Seeing this, Shen Yu finally felt somewhat relieved. She knew her son all too well; his silence meant he understood, and he would never do anything to hurt Qi Yue. Meanwhile, Qi Yue had already found a secluded spot to enter the space. From acquiring the space in the morning until now, she had been busy collecting things, without having inspected the inside of the small building. After looking around the space, she indeed found that everything was exactly as before. The first floor of the small building had a consultation room, treatment room, operating room, equipment room, etc., and the second floor was where the living quarters were situated, with clothes and various items neatly arranged. In the backyard, there was a kitchen and a small dining room. Looking at this familiar place, Qi Yue¡¯s heart grew even more settled. If she couldn¡¯t go back, then she would survive here and thrive. After eating a piece of cake from the space¡¯s refrigerator, Qi Yue belatedly remembered the fact that she was now a big fatty. Looking at the mirror reflecting her corpulent body, she restrained herself from eating a second piece. She had already examined this body carefully. The original owner had indeed been given some kind of drug to increase her appetite when she was young, but after years of eating voraciously, her stomach had adapted to high-volume intake. So, if she wanted to slim down, the first step was to control her diet. Standing at 170 cm tall, once she lost weight, she was sure to be very attractive! Qi Yue was filled with confidence in herself and no longer felt hungry. After a busy day, she smelled, so Qi Yue simply took a bath, washing and drying her clothes inside and out before putting them on again. Afterward, she went to the pharmacy, crushed several kinds of medicine, and remade them into honey pills. She could not reveal the existence of the space; she had to be extremely careful. Luckily, there were many porcelain bottles in the clinic¡¯s space. She filled two, placed them on her and then left the space. When she returned to the Zhao Family camp, the day had already dimmed. Shen Yu saw her coming back and hurried to greet her with a series of questions, her concern clearly spilling over, which made Qi Yue feel warm. ¡°Yueyue, your medical skills are truly remarkable, both Yanyan and your father have woken up, and mother sees they are much better now. Do they still need to take medicine?¡± ¡°They do.¡± Qi Yue took out two porcelain vials from her bosom and handed them to Shen Yu, ¡°Two of each kind, and if there¡¯s no fever tonight, in a few days they¡¯ll be¡­ all right.¡± She had intended to say they could get up and walk around, but she abruptly remembered the two men, one with a broken leg and the other paralyzed from the waist down, and she quickly corrected herself. Shen Yu didn¡¯t realize that in just a second, Qi Yue had considered so much, and she hurriedly stuffed the medicine vials back into her hands. ¡°Yueyue, mother is afraid of getting the medicine wrong, please help your mother!¡± She wanted Qi Yue to spend more time with Zhao Xiyan to slowly nurture their feelings for each other. Qi Yue could see what she was thinking but felt it wasn¡¯t her place to say anything, so she took the medicine and walked to the carriage. Hearing her approach, Zhao Yongzhe struggled to rise, but Qi Yue hurried over to support him. ¡°Duke, please don¡¯t get up.¡± Zhao Yongzhe didn¡¯t insist and took the medicine with the help of Qi Yue¡¯s hand, then took a couple of breaths. ¡°There¡¯s no Duke anymore, now that you¡¯ve married in and you¡¯ll be with Xiyan, just call me father.¡± This was his way of acknowledging her, and Qi Yue¡¯s lips curled in a small smile. She had to wait until they arrived at the Place of Exile to discuss the annulment with Zhao Xiyan, so agreeing with this was fine for now, and she responded. ¡°Yes, father.¡± Feeling Zhao Xiyan looking at her from the side, Qi Yue didn¡¯t raise her head to meet his gaze, but frowned slightly as she pushed the medicine and the water bottle toward him. ¡°Your injuries are serious, take the medicine and try to get some sleep early, and if you have a fever in the middle of the night, remember to call me.¡± As she turned to leave, she heard Zhao Xiyan¡¯s voice, crisp and clear like fragments of jade. ¡°I heard from mother and third uncle that you know medical skills?¡± With a crack, it was as if glass shattered inside her heart. Qi Yue stood frozen on the spot. Nobody knew she was an extreme audiophile, who¡¯s always been defenseless against beautiful voices. In her previous life, she had stayed up until 1 AM night after night just to listen to a late-night radio host¡¯s voice. ¡°Are you listening?¡± Oh heaven, spare her, Qi Yue wished she could block her ears. ¡°Oh¡­ yes, I learned from the nanny who was with my grandmother. She was born into a family with a medical heritage and was very skilled. As a child, all the medicines in our home were made by her. You can rest assured, healing you and father won¡¯t be a problem.¡± Qi Yue babbled an answer, afraid that Zhao Xiyan would ask something more and hastily ran away. Of course, she wasn¡¯t entirely bluffing. After all, she came from a medical family, her father was a renowned surgeon, and her mother was a master of traditional Chinese medicine; the possibility of healing their injuries was real. Given enough time to gather the required herbs, she could even enable him to stand up again. Watching Qi Yue¡¯s robust back swiftly departing, Zhao Xiyan¡¯s brows tightened. His mother had said that Qi Yue was infatuated with him, but he couldn¡¯t see it. She ran away so quickly. That was for the best, saving him from saying something that might hurt her again. The night grew deeper. Even the most noble people had no luxury on the road to exile, sleeping directly in the grass or against the walls. Qi Yue guessed that even if Zhao Xiyan were to have a fever, he would probably not call out to her, so she stayed alert all night. In the middle of the night, Zhao Xiyan and Zhao Yongzhe did indeed come down with fevers. As both were feverishly confused, she gave each of them a shot to bring down the fever. The night passed safely. As dawn broke, a Government Official arrived, whipping the convicts to wake everyone up. The group set off on the road of exile once again. In Beiyuan, it was the rule for exiles to eat only once a day, and the distance to each station was predetermined; everyone had to reach the station on time to have something to eat. Unless someone had brought their own provisions beforehand, the Government Officials didn¡¯t really interfere. Fortunately, having bribed Guan Yidao the night before, Qi Yue had reasons to pull out a few buns to give to Shen Yu and the others. Moreover, it seemed that the spring water from her space had remarkable effects, and her family was holding up well. Upon reaching the station to rest for the day, another day had passed. The exiles settled as usual on the open ground outside, and soon after, a Government Official came with a bucket of buns, handing one to each member of the Zhao Family. Though the bread was made with dark flour and was without sand, it was edible. Qi Yue naturally couldn¡¯t swallow it. She had completely underestimated the various problems one could face on the road to exile, thinking that with her space, having food and money meant she was worry-free. But that wasn¡¯t the case at all. She had things in her space, but it wasn¡¯t easy to take them out! Seeing a river not far away, Qi Yue had an idea. Chapter 11 Qi Yue hurried to the riverbank and in less than fifteen minutes, she came back carrying several fish. Many people saw her and thought there were really fish in the river, so they all ran to the riverbank, even the Government Official took some criminals to catch fish. As a result, despite their busy efforts until dusk, they had not caught a single fish. By then, Qi Yue had already greeted Guan Yidao and was cooking the fish with her young sisters-in-law. Of the five fish, one was stewed clear and intended for Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan. The other four were all braised, two of which the Zhao Family kept, and the other two were given to Guan Yidao and the Government Official. Now on the road to exile, the fate of the family was essentially in the hands of the Government Official, and it was necessary to maintain certain appearances. Otherwise, just a few extra whips from them on the journey could be deadly. Shen Yu and Zhao Yonglian nodded again and again upon hearing Qi Yue¡¯s arrangements, saying she was capable. After the family had eaten, Qi Yue, as usual, cleaned the pots and bowls and returned them. Just as she was about to leave the station, a Government Official ran over to her, saying Guan Yidao had summoned her. It was the usual upper room of the inn where Guan Yidao was seated next to the table, with only a skeleton of fish bones beside him. Qi Yue bowed slightly as a greeting. ¡°Commander Guan called for me, is there something you need?¡± While picking his teeth, Guan Yidao lazily uttered a sound from his half-opened mouth. ¡°There¡¯s something, you might be interested.¡± ¡°Please tell me, sir.¡± ¡°Tomorrow at the station, there¡¯s a man named Qian Faliang, you should beware of him. It¡¯s said he¡¯s targeting Zhao Xiyan.¡± Hearing that a new Lieutenant General named Qian Faliang was coming and that he had sinister motives, Qi Yue felt uneasy. Upon returning and reporting the matter, Zhao Yonglian was the first to leap out. ¡°Damn Emperor, our Zhao family has already suffered so much, yet he won¡¯t let us go?¡± However, Zhao Yongzhe shook his head. ¡°Our Emperor has always been obstinate and indifferent; Yanyan has been sick for a long time, he stopped caring long ago.¡± ¡°Why then?¡± Zhao Yonglian was still puzzled. The others were also confused, with Shen Yu particularly worried. ¡°Yanyan, do you know this Qian Faliang? What is his background?¡± Zhao Xiyan shook his head, his face cryptic. At this point, Zhao Yongzhe suddenly instructed Shen Yu to take out all the money she had. Knowing it was to save her son, Shen Yu immediately pulled out all the hidden silver. Even Zhao Shuanghua and the young sisters-in-law took out the little silver they had. As Qi Yue was wondering whether and how much to contribute, Zhao Yongzhe suddenly said, ¡°Yueyue, take this money and go ask Commander Guan exactly what is going on.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Just as Qi Yue was about to say that seeking Guan Yidao might be futile, she only heard Zhao Yongzhe sigh. ¡°Yueyue, father knows it¡¯s not good to take advantage of General Qi¡¯s friendship, but now you¡¯re the only one who can talk to him.¡± Qi Yue was even more confused. What did this mean? Why involve Qi Yunzhang? ¡°Father, I don¡¯t understand, what does my father have to do with Guan Yidao?¡± Zhao Yongzhe was momentarily stunned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Guan Yidao was a Lieutenant General under your father¡¯s command back in the day, and they were very close.¡± Qi Yue understood at once; no wonder Guan Yidao looked after her somewhat. But Guan Yidao, always talking in riddles, seemed to hold some resentments towards her. Seeing Qi Yue silent, Zhao Yongzhe thought she was unwilling and his face showed embarrassment. ¡°Yueyue, I understand this request is a bit much, but you¡¯re the only one who can save Yanyan now.¡± Zhao Xiyan, who had been silent, could not hold back any longer. He had never imagined one day his life would depend on a woman; he would rather not live if that were the case. ¡°Father, let Qian Faliang come if he must, I am not afraid of him.¡± The strength in Zhao Xiyan¡¯s voice jolted Qi Yue back to her senses, it struck her like a profound and resounding bell. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go to him right now.¡± With that, she turned and left. She could control her eyes from looking at Zhao Xiyan, but her ears were beyond control. This voice was more lethal to her than his stunning face. Just as she took a few steps, Zhao Shuanghua caught up with her, stuffing the forgotten silver into her hands and tearfully begging her to save her elder brother. Qi Yue was overwhelmed. She felt she was probably indebted to this family. She went to the station in the dark, but Guan Yidao didn¡¯t even open the door, only saying he didn¡¯t know the specifics either, and they would see when the man arrived. Qi Yue had no choice but to return. The family anxiously awaited the arrival at the next station. It was another hard day¡¯s journey, and only in the evening when they reached the station could the exile team finally rest. Concerned about the new Vice commander, Qi Yue planned to use the kitchen as a pretext to look for Guan Yidao, after she and Zhao Yonglian had settled the carriages. Before she could make her move, several unfamiliar faces of Government Officials appeared, specifically summoning Zhao Yongzhe and the ailing Zhao Xiyan to the station. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Vice Commander Qian is waiting to welcome you.¡± ¡°Welcome?¡± The family was puzzled. ¡°Yes, Vice Commander Qian has also brought a medical officer to examine your injuries!¡± The family members looked at one another, not understanding what this meant. The Government Officials looked cheerful and seemed amiable, yet their gazes constantly swept over Zhao Xiyan and the young sisters-in-law, making Qi Yue uneasy. If it was about checking their injuries, where had these people been all along? Eventually, Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan were taken away by them, with Zhao Yonglian claiming he was helping, only then was he allowed to follow. Once the three men were gone, the women felt somewhat helpless. ¡°How will we manage, surely nothing bad will happen!¡± Chapter 12 Qi Yue was doing slightly better. Shen Yu could hardly sit still, getting up every minute to pace around; his neck almost stretched like a giraffe¡¯s as he continually asked questions. Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue weren¡¯t faring much better. They paced intermittently, daring not to cry, almost biting through their lips with their pearly white teeth¡ªmaking them look even more strikingly beautiful. Zhao Yonglian only had two daughters, Zhao Shuangyun and Zhao Shuangxue. They were a bit younger, one twelve and the other thirteen. Perhaps because they grew up without a mother, they were especially sensible, both well-behaved and strong. They too were curled up, their faces filled with fear, yet they bravely held back their tears. Seeing that they had no appetite for the black wheat buns, Qi Yue quietly took out a small package of peach blossom crisp from her space. These had been collected previously from the Zhao Family¡¯s kitchen. ¡°Here, eat this, but quietly,¡± she said. Exile was harsh, and the peach blossom crisp, once a common treat in the Marquis Residence, had now become a rare delicacy. The four girls each took a piece and finished it in a few bites. ¡°Big sister, did the Commander give you this peach blossom crisp?¡± Zhao Shuangyun asked, blinking her eyes. ¡°Hmm.¡± Instantly, Qi Yue unlocked a new tactic¡ªshe could blame all future treats on Guan Yidao. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s strange, it tastes just like the ones from our home,¡± she remarked. Qi Yue twitched the corner of her mouth. ¡°Peach blossom crisp is supposed to taste the same everywhere,¡± she replied. ¡°Oh.¡± The little girl did not pursue further, allowing Qi Yue to breathe a sigh of relief. Why was giving them something to eat so difficult? Had she known, she wouldn¡¯t have offered it to them; she would have eaten it herself! Half a shichen later, seeing Shen Yu¡¯s growing anxiety, Qi Yue suggested going to check on the situation. As she stood up, she saw Zhao Yonglian pulling the cart out of the station. Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan were both seated in the cart, all three wearing grave expressions. Qi Yue held back her questions, helped push the cart back to the camp, and then heard Zhao Yongzhe confirm that nothing had happened. On the contrary, Qian Faliang was very enthusiastic. He not only invited them to stay at the station but also found someone to treat their injuries, which they both declined. It took a great deal of effort to leave the station. Shen Yu, somewhat incredulous, pressed further, ¡°Husband, since that Mr. Qian did not trouble you, doesn¡¯t it mean he will not do anything to Yanyan?¡± Zhao Yongzhe shook his head. ¡°No, Mr. Qian¡¯s actions only suggest that his plans are very grand; we must be more cautious,¡± he explained. Upon hearing this, Shen Yu¡¯s already haggard face grew even more worried. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± With a usually stern face, Zhao Xiyan suddenly spoke up, ¡°Dad, there will be no issues, don¡¯t scare mom.¡± Qi Yue abruptly stood up, unable to endure that voice any longer. His voice was like the sound of a flowing spring mixed with the rhythm of a string instrument, with a touch of modulation that seeped incessantly into her heart. Especially now that he was injured, his voice carried a frail and breathy quality, which tugged at Qi Yue¡¯s heartstrings. And his face kept flashing through her mind! Oh heavens, why was she so captivated by voices? Or was it her penchant for handsome men? ¡°I¡¯ll go find Commander Guan!¡± Her hefty frame whooshed out like the wind. In the eyes of the Zhao family, everyone had different thoughts. Shen Yu wiped a tear and said reassuringly, ¡°Yanyan, you see how worried Yueyue is about you? She really cares about you, so you should be nicer to her, try to talk to her more.¡± Zhao Yongzhe also nodded. ¡°A tiger father does not bear a dog son, after all, she is General Qi¡¯s daughter. I should have proposed to her sooner, and you two could have enjoyed some good days together.¡± Zhao Shuanghua and others nodded in agreement. ¡°My sister-in-law is so kind. Even the peach pastries given by the commander were shared with us.¡± Zhao Xiyan, however, looked dubious. Why did he feel that Qi Yue not only didn¡¯t want to see him but also didn¡¯t want to hear him speak? When Qi Yue arrived at the post station, she met Guan Yidao and got two very important pieces of information. One was about Qian Faliang¡¯s background. According to Guan Yidao, this guy was a big deal and even looked down on him, taking over the commander¡¯s residence as soon as he arrived. Second, Qian Faliang¡¯s pursuit here seemed to be related to the missing treasure of the Ducal Mansion. Knowing this, Qi Yue was also taken aback. If she had known earlier that taking the Ducal Mansion¡¯s money would bring trouble for Zhao Xiyan, she would have definitely left some behind. After returning to camp and discussing Qian Faliang¡¯s situation with the Zhao Family, Zhao Yonglian and others were also shocked. Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan had been taken away by the soldiers early on and had been unconscious all this time, completely unaware of the Ducal Mansion treasure being removed. Having heard this, they were also utterly confused. Everyone agreed that this big misunderstanding should be clarified with Qian Faliang. Qi Yue, as the mastermind behind the emptying of the treasury, felt it necessary to take responsibility. So, the next day, when the deportation team stopped again for the night, Qi Yue decided to go and find Qian Faliang. She naturally wouldn¡¯t go empty-handed in such a situation. Considering they were penniless deportees, Qi Yue still chose to bring food. Don¡¯t be fooled by people like Guan Yidao, those generals and vice generals, who ride tall horses during the day and crack their whips at anyone they please; their food in the wilderness is nothing special. Qi Yue made her plans and then went to the nearby woods. First, she entered the space, filled herself up with food and drink, and then brought out three chickens and a half-grown pig. She handed the chickens to Zhao Yonglian to roast and dragged the pig to the post station. This act led to another round of deportees entering the woods to catch chickens and pigs, but of course, they came out empty-handed. Because of this pig, she met Qian Faliang in the upper room of the post station. This man had a sharp, monkey-like face, clearly no good person. Moreover, he didn¡¯t look much like a man. His withered hand clutched a brocade handkerchief, constantly covering his nose, and there was a faint disgusting scent of rouge. If Guan Yidao hadn¡¯t specifically warned her that Qian Faliang wasn¡¯t a eunuch, she might have thought he was. ¡°You are General Qi¡¯s daughter, married to Zhao Xiyan?¡± Qian Faliang flicked the handkerchief in his hand, his face forming a creepy smile, his voice bearing a nauseating tone. ¡°Yes, Vice Commander, sir.¡± ¡°No, no need to be so formal. I quite admire Zhao Xiyan,¡± Qian Faliang¡¯s beady eyes glittered coldly, ¡°I specifically came to protect him. You can call me Brother Qian.¡± Damn it. Qi Yue¡¯s man under the ¡®protection¡¯ of this sissy? Qi Yue suppressed the discomfort in her heart and bowed slightly as a courtesy. ¡°To reply to the Vice Commander, sir, how dare I? When I left, my father specifically instructed me to treat the Vice Commander with the utmost respect.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Qian Faliang, covering his nose, chuckled a few times, seeming very pleased with the response. But Qi Yue clearly saw, those eyes hidden behind the handkerchief chilled one to the bone like a venomous snake. In an instant, she was almost certain that this person was extremely malicious. She even had a premonition that Qian Faliang¡¯s interest in Zhao Xiyan wasn¡¯t just about retrieving the Ducal Mansion¡¯s treasure. With that thought, Qi Yue furrowed her brows and concealed the emotions in her eyes. ¡°Vice Commander, sir, I heard that you came from the Capital City with a significant task at hand. There is something I would like to report to you.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Qian Faliang¡¯s small eyes flickered, ¡°If it is interesting, let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°Absolutely interesting. I¡¯ve been puzzled by this and wanted to discuss it with Lord Qian.¡± ¡°Oh, do tell quickly.¡± Chapter 13 Qi Yue had long prepared her story, and when she told it, it was as vivid as if it was happening right then and there. ¡°That day, I had just been helped through the door by the maid when I heard outside it sounded like someone was passing by. I thought it was just a servant walking past, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention. Little did I know the maid suddenly screamed out for help, scaring me so much that I quickly hid under the bed.¡± ¡°Then someone entered the room, and of course, I didn¡¯t dare to look. I just heard the tables and chairs being moved around, and I couldn¡¯t help myself, I sneaked a peek. Just that one glance nearly scared me to death.¡± Qian Faliang listened with growing concentration, his beady eyes shining in the dim light, and he didn¡¯t even notice when he dropped the handkerchief he was holding. ¡°Quick, what did you see?¡± Qi Yue feigned nervousness and quickly recounted the events. ¡°I saw that all the items in the room were gone, and then the person inside disappeared as well. Later, the officials came to confiscate property, saying that everything from the Treasure Pavilion was missing. Then I heard that the Treasure Pavilion in the streets had also been burgled, and these past few days the more I think about it, the more I feel like it¡¯s related to the scene I witnessed.¡± No sooner had she finished than Qian Faliang suddenly stood up, his face flushed with excitement as he turned around twice, looking as if he had just won a great prize. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the work of the Guyang Grand Thief!! I am going to be rich! Quick, somebody!¡± When he looked up and saw Qi Yue was still there, he waved his hands impatiently for her to leave, as if shooing away a fly. The next morning, Guan Yidao quietly came to see her, saying Qian Faliang was preparing to return to the Capital City. Qi Yue hadn¡¯t expected things to go so smoothly. A lie made up on the fly had become a real Guyang Grand Thief? She couldn¡¯t be bothered to think any more about it; as long as Zhao Xiyan was safe, that was all that mattered to her. The Zhao Family was very happy to hear that the issue had been resolved. Zhao Yonglian and several young ladies all praised her for being brave and resourceful, saying she truly was the daughter of Qi Yunzhang. Shen Yu even went so far as to compliment her, saying she was beautiful, kind, and capable in every way. If it weren¡¯t for knowing that this mother-in-law was a decent person, Qi Yue would have wondered if she was being sarcastic. Only Zhao Xiyan kept his head down, lost in thought. That night, as usual, Qi Yue waited for Zhao Xiyan to take his medicine and fall asleep, then she applied the medicine to both him and Zhao Yongzhe. She also filled their water bottles with spring water from her space. The next day after treating the two of them, she had noticed that this spring water seemed to have a particularly good effect, just like the legendary Spiritual Spring Water. Not only could it accelerate the healing of wounds, but using it for cooking was absolutely amazing. Porridge made with it was fragrant, sweet, and soft, as if honey had been added. The fish soup cooked with it was also exceptionally textured and tasted incredibly delicious. From then on, Qi Yue took on the task of filling the water bottles. Indeed, after the Zhao Family drank this spring water, they all seemed particularly energized. The most noticeable comparison was that by afternoon, when everyone else was already lagging behind, the Zhao Family members could still keep walking at an unhurried pace. Especially Zhao Yonglian, who was pulling the cart; even after several days of this, he showed no signs of fatigue. With the Spiritual Spring Water, coupled with her exclusive Trauma Medicine, the father and son¡¯s injuries had improved greatly, and they no longer needed to lie down while traveling during the day. All these factors, along with the solution to the Qian Faliang issue, swept away the fear the Zhao Family felt after their home had been raided and they were exiled, filling them with confidence about the future. The next two days passed rather well. With Guan Yidao taking care of the travel and Qi Yue handling the food, the Zhao Family, despite having two sick members, was actually living more comfortably than the other exiles. On the third day, just as everyone had started on their way, they heard the sound of horse hooves catching up from behind. The official road was narrow, so people hurriedly stood to the sides to clear the middle of the road. Qi Yue also helped Zhao Yonglian move the cart to the side of the road and, worried about it tipping over, she specifically held onto the shaft. Seven or eight horses galloped up, kicking up a pungent odor of horse dung, causing everyone to involuntarily hold their breath, waiting for the horses to pass. ¡°Hahaha¡­ Zhao Xiyan¡­ are your wounds better?¡± Qian Faliang¡¯s voice, a mix of the effeminate and the brutal, exploded above Qi Yue¡¯s head, and the high-raised hooves of his horse stopped in front of the cart, with the huge horse head blowing foul breath in her face. Why was he here? Qi Yue was shocked. As she looked up, her unease only intensified. The smile on Qian Faliang¡¯s face stretched from the corner of his mouth to his temples. His beady eyes fixed unblinkingly on Zhao Xiyan. What kind of gaze was this? Greedy, filthy, lascivious, depraved¡­ And there was the nearness of the breathing and panting, like a cold wind from hell, even the whispers of evil spirits¡­ Qi Yue¡¯s heartbeat pounded like a drum; she knew Zhao Xiyan felt it too. Seeing the hand by his knee clenched tightly, gradually turning a powerless pale, anger rose in Qi Yue¡¯s heart. Shameless Qian Faliang! The celestial-like Zhao Xiyan should have been high above, standing at the pinnacle of clouds. Yet having fallen to the dust, he had to endure such strange and immense humiliation! She stepped forward and cut off Qian Faliang¡¯s line of sight. No matter what, Zhao Xiyan was her husband in name. Anyone who defiled him was rubbing her face on the ground. She would never allow such a thing to happen! She reached into her bosom and pulled out a mask, quickly placing it on Zhao Xiyan¡¯s face. This mask, with its green face and fangs, was a souvenir from Halloween in her previous life. These past few days, there had been many women sneaking glances at Zhao Xiyan, so she had specifically found this mask in her space. She had wanted to give it to him a long time ago, but worried he might not accept it or it would be self-embarrassing, she had not taken it out until now. ¡°Husband, I told you to wear this mask a long time ago to avoid being targeted by certain rabid dogs!¡± she glared fiercely at Qian Faliang, skillfully tying the straps of the mask behind him. In an instant, she felt Zhao Xiyan¡¯s tensed body relax, as if he had let out a big sigh of relief. ¡°Good, I should have listened to you earlier,¡± said Zhao Xiyan, lifting his chin slightly as their eyes met through the mask. This was the first time they had looked each other in the eye. Qi Yue distinctly heard the thin membrane around her heart ¡°hiss¡± as it tore open, revealing the pulsating red heart within. Pounding uncontrollably, filled with excitement and restlessness. It was not until she touched Zhao Xiyan¡¯s slightly cool ears that she snapped back to reality. At that moment, she wanted to pull out another mask for herself. Behind her, Qian Faliang¡¯s voice came through sardonically, ¡°Miss Qi, whom did you just call a rabid dog?¡± Qi Yue slowly turned around, meeting Qian Faliang¡¯s nauseating gaze and offered a cold smile. ¡°Vice Commander Qian, why not take a look in the mirror?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Just as Qian Faliang raised his whip to lash at Qi Yue, Guan Yiliang, who had quickly arrived, intercepted it. Despite his rough appearance, his emotional intelligence was not to be underestimated, as he managed to divert Qian Faliang away with just a few words. The Zhao family members all breathed a sigh of relief, but the cloud over their heads did not allow them to rest easy. An hour later, Guan Yidao sent a minor government official to inform Qi Yue that Qian Faliang would not be leaving and would be accompanying them to Longnan Ridge, seemingly with even greater matters at hand. Qi Yue felt even more uneasy. Upon arrival at the post station that evening, she inadvertently saw several noblemen from the deportation convoy being called into Qian Faliang¡¯s room. When they emerged, every one of them was as pale as the white steamed bun in their arms. That night, she distinctly heard low sobs emanating from the deportees, cries of sorrow like bleeding hearts. This continued for three more days, with the situation unchanging. Qian Faliang, as if drugged, brutally mistreated the once noble sons of the Capital City. The deportees were panic-stricken and heavy-hearted. Although Qi Yue found these events unbearable, she was powerless to change anything. Her own strength was only enough to protect the Zhao family members. Until the evening of the fourth day¡ª Chapter 14 On the fourth evening, when they stopped at the post station to spend the night, young and beautiful women also became victims. Those who were unwilling to go were whipped half to death by the government officials accompanying Qian Faliang and then dragged away. On the fifth day, Qi Baozhu, the daughter of Qi Yue¡¯s second aunt, was chosen. While a government official was dragging her halfway, Qi Fengzhang stumbled and rolled over to block them, pulling out a stack of silver notes to save Qi Baozhu. Qi Yue estimated the stack contained one hundred thousand taels. She felt an itch in her hands at that moment, thinking that the money should have been hers and felt an impulse to rush over and collect all the silver notes. But thinking that it would be exposing herself to great danger, she firmly restrained herself. On the sixth day, the situation did not improve. The Zhao Family members were all trembling with fear, and Qi Yue could no longer sit still, worried that the next targets would be one of the Zhao family¡¯s girls. Shen Yu was a great beauty, and the men of the Zhao Family were each outstanding as well. Zhao Shuangyun and Zhao Shuangxue, although still young, were also poised like slender stalks of lotus, endearing to all who saw them. Especially Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue, who were of marriageable age, possessed beauty so captivating it could shame the moon and flowers. During these days, although Qian Faliang had not bothered Zhao Xiyan again, his subordinates followed the Zhao family members constantly, their intentions unclear. On the seventh day, rain suddenly began to pour, and the exile team hastened to reach the post station in Siping Town. Fortunately, this post station used to be a horse farm, and Guan Yidao had everyone stay in the horse stables. The rain was pouring heavily, as if the sky had opened a gap and was spilling water. If it weren¡¯t for the high stables, everyone might have had to swim in manure water. For safety reasons, Qi Yue specifically placed the Zhao Family members at the innermost position. ¡°Mom, you must be hungry, I¡¯ll go make some soup for everyone to drink something hot.¡± As soon as Qi Yue spoke, Shen Yu embraced her tightly. ¡°Yueyue, can we not have soup? Let¡¯s just eat some steamed buns,¡± Several younger sisters-in-law also gathered around. ¡°Sister-in-law, we don¡¯t want soup, don¡¯t leave us.¡± Zhao Yonglian finally spoke. ¡°Yes, niece-in-law, look at the situation now. If you¡¯re not here, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t protect them!¡± Qi Yue was worried too, but seeing the rock-hard steamed buns, she still felt the need to go. ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll just make some hot water and come back. We haven¡¯t eaten anything hot in days. Dad and Zhao Xiyan have injuries, they can¡¯t endure this,¡± Despite the anxious glances from others, Qi Yue left the stable with a bit of worry in her heart. Even though it was only momentarily, mishaps could still happen. Recalling that there was a hand crossbow in the junk room of her space, she simply took it out and turned back. In her previous life, the rural clinic where she worked was remote, with plenty of weasels, and this hand crossbow was quite effective in chasing them away. Aimed correctly, it was one shot, one kill. Zhao Xiyan couldn¡¯t move his leg and had used swords before, so handling the hand crossbow was a piece of cake for him. ¡°Take this, shoot directly at anyone who¡¯s troublesome.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhao Xiyan was wearing a mask, so his expression was unseen, but Qi Yue could hear the pleasure in his voice. The slight hint of a smile was wrapped within the word ¡°thank you,¡± like a hawthorn candy coated with frosted sugar, instantly evoking in Qi Yue the sensation of a sweet and sour burst. She bit her lip. This damn voice fetish! Qi Yue had never expected that. Ever since she entered this stable, Qian Faliang¡¯s men had been closely watching her every move. And indeed, no sooner had she left than Qian Faliang entered the stable, accompanied by several Government Officials. ¡°Tsk tsk, look at this, how is one to step down here?¡± he said. Qian Faliang, holding his fingers daintily, flicked a brocade handkerchief that reeked of cheap rouge. The two Government Officials by his side immediately went out and soon brought in a large, ornate chair, placing it deferentially behind Qian Faliang. Qian Faliang flicked his brocade handkerchief across his nose and settled himself into the chair with a wag of his head. Sitting cross-legged, he squinted his small bean-like eyes, surveying everyone in the stable. ¡°Why is no one speaking? Are you all mute?¡± All was silent. More than three hundred people, except for those wearing shackles, had all curled up into tight balls, not even daring to breathe heavily. The already cramped stable, because of the overcrowding, was somewhat stuffy and warm. But in that moment, it was as if winter had descended suddenly, freezing the place. Qian Faliang suddenly jumped up, squatting on the chair, looking down imperiously at the huddled convicts. ¡°Speak¡ªup!!¡± The crowd shrieked, dropping to their knees. Qian Faliang extended his riding crop, pointing it at a young man with clear, handsome features. ¡°Bring him to me!¡± he commanded. Immediately, two Government Officials stepped forward, dragged the youth out, and forced him to kneel before Qian Faliang. A hand, like a hawk¡¯s claw, seized his chin, ¡°This mouth of yours, it¡¯s fed by me, it drinks what I provide, and yet you cannot even speak?¡± The young man clenched his teeth so tightly his neck almost formed a straight line and his eyes seemed to spit fire, yet he remained silent. Qian Faliang caressed his chin a couple of times and then suddenly burst into creepy laughter. ¡°Ah, almost forgot, you were quite the noble young master, weren¡¯t you? You probably don¡¯t remember the events of that night, do you?¡± he said. While speaking, he suddenly grabbed the young man¡¯s hair, pressing his face brutally onto the seat between his legs. The young man struggled violently, but the more he struggled, the more the foul stench invaded his nose and mouth. ¡°Mmph¡­ mmph¡­ beast¡­¡± Suddenly, Qian Faliang seemed to lose interest and violently threw the young man aside. ¡°Damn it, wasting my precious time,¡± he muttered. He stood on the chair, starting to search among the crowd. Wherever his snake-like gaze fell, that area collapsed. Everyone buried their faces down, some even began to smear dirt and feces on their faces. But in the next instant, countless whips rained down on them. The bullwhip, stained with who knew how much human blood, sounded particularly sharp and horrifying. Amidst the deafening cries, only the Zhao Family members neither cried nor wailed nor smeared feces on their faces, maintaining an extraordinary calm. Qian Faliang glanced over, and his beady eyes suddenly crinkled into a smile, ¡°Found you.¡± He jumped down from the chair, swaggering with his thin legs straight toward the back of the stable. ¡°Xiyan Zhao, quite good at hiding, aren¡¯t you? Knew I was coming for you?¡± he called out. The man before him was like a solitary orchid in a deep valley, exuding an unrecognizable delicate fragrance even amidst the dirt of the stable. With a noble face and stunningly beautiful eyes, his aura bore a strange, bewitching charm. Gazing at Xiyan Zhao, it felt as if a million ants were gnawing and biting in Qian Faliang¡¯s heart. How could such a creature of the world, an object of passion, let him rest easy? Chapter 15 Qian Faliang, believing himself to be suave, smiled and used the handkerchief in his hand to dab at the drool at the corner of his mouth. ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, I will take that as your consent!¡± he declared. ¡°I granted you six days to consider, and now I¡¯ve come in person, you should be grateful.¡± With a wave of his hand, he commanded, ¡°Come, carry him back for me.¡± ¡°Qian Faliang, are you not afraid of divine retribution?¡± Zhao Yonglian burst out, bumping into two Government Officials as he shielded Zhao Xiyan. ¡°Divine retribution? What¡¯s that? Here, at this station, I¡ªQian Faliang!¡ªam the heaven!¡± He glanced at the torrential rain outside and let out a deranged laugh. ¡°Take him away, we¡¯ve wasted too much time already.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Six Government Officials looked at each other and started approaching Zhao Yonglian with whips in hand. Outnumbered six to one, Zhao Yonglian was swiftly restrained. His arms and legs were bound behind him in a bow shape with a whip. Even his mouth was gagged with a whip, resembling a zongzi. ¡°Mmph, beasts¡­¡± Inside the carriage, Zhao Yongzhe was unable to move his legs, his eyes almost bled with rage. He harbored hate. Hate that despite his lifelong service and honors, he had been humiliated and was unable to save his family. He moved his battered body, trying with all his might to protect Zhao Xiyan. ¡°Qian Faliang, come at me, not my son!¡± Hearing this, Qian Faliang snorted with laughter and raised his orchid finger, pointing distantly. ¡°You,¡± he sized up Zhao Yongzhe, examining him as if evaluating an object, ¡°¡ªare too old, and dirty.¡± ¡°You!¡± Zhao Yongzhe, suppressing the tumult in his heart, warned, ¡°Qian Faliang, my Zhao Family has served the nation all our lives. If His Majesty knew, he wouldn¡¯t let you off!¡± ¡°Hahahahaha¡­ His Majesty!¡± Qian Faliang laughed madly, barely able to catch his breath, ¡°Does His Majesty even know who you are anymore? Hahahahaha¡­¡± Still recovering from severe injuries, Zhao Yongzhe was so provoked that he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted. ¡°Husband, husband!¡± Shen Yu collapsed onto Zhao Yongzhe and called out several times, tears streaming down her face. At that moment, she could no longer concern herself with her husband. As a mother, she was even more determined to protect her son to the end. She shielded Zhao Xiyan, her delicate face showing stubborn perseverance. ¡°You beasts, if you dare touch my son, I will kill you.¡± The Government Officials, upon hearing this, burst into laughter. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll kill us? How? With those tender little hands of yours? Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°No, she probably plans to use herself! Isn¡¯t there a saying, ¡®Better to die beneath the peony, for even as a ghost you¡¯ll be charming¡¯? Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°I agree, let¡¯s take her back too!¡± Shen Yu was not yet forty and had maintained herself well, her skin still soft and delicate. Despite wearing tattered clothes, her appearance was still captivating. As the wife of a duke, she had never been humiliated like this, wishing she could bite her tongue and die. Zhao Shuanghua, seeing her mother insulted, also rushed forward to protect her. ¡°You, you beasts! You will not die well! Even as a ghost, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Zhao Shuangyue found a dagger from somewhere and, holding it in front, rushed to the forefront. ¡°If you dare come closer, I¡ªI will kill you!¡± Seeing this, the Government Officials laughed even more smugly. ¡°Miss, do you even know how to kill someone? Would you like your brother here to teach you?¡± ¡°These little girls are quite understanding, knowing that their brothers have been longing for them for many days!¡± ¡°Perfect, one for each of the two! Hehehe¡­¡± Zhao Shuangyun and Zhao Shuangxue saw the dire situation and dashed outside, but a Government Official blocked them. The two saw their second uncle Zhao Yongxin and his family in the crowd and started shouting at the top of their voices. ¡°Second Uncle, Second Brother, Third Brother, please save Big Brother, save our aunt!¡± ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t know you!¡± Zhao Yongxin quickly dragged his sons and buried himself in the dung. Zhao Shuangyun and Zhao Shuangxue, unwilling to give up, knelt on the ground and continued to plead. ¡°Please, save my Big Brother, he is a good man, a hero.¡± ¡°Two years ago, he protected Beiyuan, have you all forgotten?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Their begging did not provoke the imagined courage to stand up; at such a moment, everyone was too busy running away to come forward. ¡°Mother, you take the sisters aside,¡± Zhao Xiyan¡¯s cool voice rang out. Shen Yu shuddered, looking at him incredulously, ¡°Yanyan!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Zhao Xiyan¡¯s gaze was firm, he slowly shook his head, ¡°This is my affair.¡± Shen Yu knew her son and knew that if she did not back down, Zhao Xiyan might just end his own life on the spot. She retreated with tears in her eyes, guarding the four sisters behind her. Qian Faliang saw the hand crossbow in Zhao Xiyan¡¯s hand, and a gleam flashed in his beady eyes. ¡°You are trying to stall for time, waiting for that Miss Qi to come and save you, aren¡¯t you?¡± He squeezed a silk handkerchief and wiped his nose, glancing at the Government Official beside him. ¡°What do you say, can Big Li and Big Qiang take down that fat woman?¡± A Government Official stepped forward with a smug smile, ¡°Sure, that fat lady might be a bit strong, but she¡¯s no match for Big Li and Big Qiang!¡± Hearing this, anger flashed across Shen Yu¡¯s face, and Zhao Xiyan¡¯s hand holding the crossbow trembled slightly. ¡°She is General Qi¡¯s daughter, how dare you treat her like this?¡± Qian Faliang sneered coldly. ¡°General Qi is dead and gone, and if it weren¡¯t for his old subordinates, his daughter would be nothing! Take Zhao Xiyan away!¡± At his command, several Government Officials surged forward. ¡°Wait,¡± Zhao Xiyan spoke coldly, ¡°please clarify, Mr. Qian, where are you taking me? And for what?¡± Hearing this, Qian Faliang chuckled. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zhao Xiyan¡¯s cool voice was calm and unflustered. Qian Faliang rolled his eyeballs around, grinning, and pointed at the clean-faced young man. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him? He knows very well.¡± The designated young man suddenly jumped up, holding a rock in his hand and charged towards Qian Faliang. ¡°Devil! Beast! I will kill you!¡± Qian Faliang, as if he had foreseen this, stood still and at the moment the young man came close, he thrust a sharp knife from his sleeve into the young man¡¯s throat, then yanked it out. ¡°Pff!¡± Bright red blood sprayed out in a fan-shaped pattern in the air, like a fleeting rainbow shadow, it instantly fell to the ground, seeping into the dung. Qian Faliang¡¯s face turned ferocious, and he stretched out his blood-red tongue, hooking a few drops of blood on his lip corners into his mouth, laughing triumphantly. ¡°I wonder if Young Marquis Zhao¡¯s blood is even sweeter? Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Marquis, I will definitely take good care of you. I have some fun toys in my room, all of which you will get to try, haha, take him away!¡± Chapter 16 Meanwhile, Qi Yue, who was about to boil some water, suddenly felt that something was amiss. The two government officials who had been following her seemed to be underlings of Qian Faliang? ¡°Not good!¡± In an instant, Qi Yue¡¯s blood surged, and she grabbed the firewood chopping knife from the ground and headed outside. In the stable, Qian Faliang¡¯s long whip struck out, ensnaring Zhao Shuangxue on the other side. The crossbow in Zhao Xiyan¡¯s hand instantly lost its deterrent power. Shen Yu rushed to the rescue but was also captured. Finally, several government officials sneered as they approached Zhao Xiyan. Shen Yu started screaming in despair. ¡°Yanyan¡ª¡± She knew that her pure and innocent son, once taken out of this stable, would surely not survive. Who will save him! Save her poor son! Suddenly, the wall of the stable behind them collapsed with a loud crash. Amidst the dust and heavy rain, the robust figure of Qi Yue appeared. ¡°Who dares to touch him!?¡± Her round face quivered, her slightly oversized clothes fluttered in the storm, carrying an irrepressible fury that whipped up a fierce wind inside the stable. The firewood chopping knife in her hand glinted with a chilling cold light, and the tip still bore traces of crimson blood. This woman could kill! The hands of several government officials involuntarily halted. ¡°Who dares to touch him?¡± Another chilling roar echoed! The government officials faltered, stepping back one after another! Even Qian Faliang was startled by the sight of Qi Yue, and for a moment, he thought he saw the late Qi Yunzhang. Standing with a blade, commanding respect from foes. However, this fear was momentary. To him, Qi Yunzhang was already a dead man, and Qi Yue was merely a woman. ¡°Qi Yue, do you realize what you are doing? I am a deputy commander specially appointed by the Imperial Court, do you dare disrespect me?¡± Qi Yue snorted disdainfully. ¡°Deputy commander, hold off on your complaints, there¡¯s ample time for you to speak!¡± She advanced towards Zhao Xiyan, blade in hand, checking that his clothes were still neat and his face mask intact, and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that she had made it in time. If Zhao Xiyan had been taken from this place, regardless of what had occurred, given his nature, he would have certainly ended his own life. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± the eyes behind Zhao Xiyan¡¯s mask shimmered with a different light, ¡°Yueyue, father has coughed up blood, you need to check on him quickly¡­¡± This address as Yueyue made her heart tremble. Having been called that by countless individuals in two lifetimes, none had made her feel as weak at heart as at this moment. Qi Yue steadied her wavering spirit and reached for Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s wrist. ¡°Alright. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anything happen to Dad.¡± The rush of blood to the head was extremely dangerous. Fortunately, he had been drinking Spiritual Spring Water for some time, significantly improving his physical condition, making recovery a matter of minutes. Qi Yue reached into her sleeve into space, retrieving a silver needle from the medicine cabinet. With swift movements, she inserted six needles each into Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s skull and chest. Her plump hand flicked at Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s collarbone hollow, causing the six needles in his chest to suddenly tremble collectively. She then applied the same technique to the forehead, causing the six needles on the head to also incessantly tremble. After three breaths, all twelve silver needles simultaneously stopped, as if frozen. The people in the stable were stunned. Zhao Xiyan, who was closest, was especially bewildered. Who was she? Even if she had learned medical skills from her family¡¯s nanny, she was still just a 16-year-old girl. Such an expert needling technique seemed as if she had practiced for more than 20 years. Watching a clearly astonished yet pretending to be composed Zhao Xiyan, Qi Yue slightly curled her lips. Let them be suspicious; she had never planned to live her life confined to others¡¯ expectations. Qi Yue, no matter where she was, had to be herself. Stabilizing her mind, she struck again like lightning, instantly drawing twelve silver needles into her palm. The Twelve Ghost Gate Needles were uniquely created by her mother and had saved hundreds of people from the brink of death. The practitioner of this technique had to combine it with a Qigong Technique, pulling the needles out simultaneously to maximize the effects of the silver needles. She had been practicing since she was three years old. Over twenty years, her hands had been beaten to pulp countless times by her mother. Sure enough, just as she withdrew the silver needles into her sleeve, Zhao Yongzhe suddenly sat up. ¡°Yanyan, Yanyan¡­¡± By his side, Zhao Xiyan hastily grabbed his hand, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m here, I¡¯m fine.¡± Shen Yu also rushed over, calling out ¡°Husband.¡± The over three hundred exiles at Mapengli were all stunned. ¡°General Qi¡¯s daughter knows medical skills?¡± ¡°Had I known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have just stood by; I could have earned some favor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not certain; what if she had been¡­ killed when she rushed out, could she have saved him then?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Beiyuan¡¯s medical skills were relatively primitive, with few practitioners generally serving the royal family. Ordinary people had no access to medical consultation. Once sick, they either spent their family¡¯s wealth on a witch doctor or simply waited for death. These former nobles from the Capital City were accustomed to commanding medical officers; the beatings on the road had already left them in unbearable pain. Seeing Qi Yue¡¯s distinguished medical skills, their hearts filled with hope. Ignoring Qian Faliang¡¯s presence, they started discussing among themselves. ¡°Shut up! You lowlifes!¡± Felt neglected, Qian Faliang bellowed. He gripped his whip, charged into the crowd, and lashed ferociously. Screams and wails of pain rose and fell, yet Qi Yue appeared as if she heard nothing, simply watching silently. It was not until the whip flew towards the Zhao Family that she moved. With just a light tug, Qian Faliang¡¯s whip ended in her hand. Ew, how filthy! Yet, compared to that, she preferred not to touch Qian Faliang¡¯s disgusting body with her hands. Qi Yue frowned slightly and flicked the whip straight towards Qian Faliang¡¯s neck. ¡°Qi Yue, you dare!¡± Qian Faliang¡¯s mouth fell agape as the whip coiled around his neck, tightening bit by bit. ¡°What wouldn¡¯t I dare? As for you, Vice Commander, you seem to lack confidence in your words!¡± Qi Yue fiercely dragged Qian Faliang to the ground and stepped on his shoulder. ¡°Dad, mom, Zhao Xiyan, you probably don¡¯t want to hear this beast¡¯s apology, right?¡± All three silently shook their heads. This great shame could not be washed away by blood alone; how could a simple apology suffice! Qi Yue¡¯s lips curved in satisfaction, and she raised the firewood chopping knife, poised to strike down. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± A loud shout rang out, and Guan Yidao arrived hurriedly with a Government Official. ¡°Girl Qi, do you realize what you are doing?¡± Qi Yue habitually raised her eyebrows, which caused half of her round face to tremble. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m avenging a grievance!¡± Guan Yidao¡¯s expression looked severe. He really hadn¡¯t misunderstood this friend¡¯s daughter, completely akin to Qi Yunzhang in temperament. Similar in ruthlessness and vindictiveness, yet valuing loyalty and justice. But upon recalling that she protected the Zhao Family to safely send them to the Place of Exile, then pursued a divorce paper, Guan Yidao mentally struck out the words ¡®loyalty and justice¡¯ from his assessment. Selfish! Utterly devoid of humanity! ¡°You can¡¯t kill him!¡± ¡°Oh, and why not?¡± Qi Yue¡¯s foot remained firmly on Qian Faliang without moving. ¡°Had I not returned in time, the one without a life now would have been Zhao Xiyan. Therefore, he must die.¡± As she spoke, she pressed the firewood chopping knife harder into Qian Faliang¡¯s neck. Chapter 17 ¡°Miss Qi!¡± Guan Yidao let out another furious shout and rushed over to grab Qi Yue¡¯s wrist. Qi Yue bit down on her teeth and smiled. ¡°Why? Give me a reason, Commander. Or are you saying you were involved in those things he did?¡± At that remark, Guan Yidao suddenly froze. ¡°What did you say? Qi Yue, do you have any idea who I am?¡± ¡°I know, my father¡¯s Lieutenant General. He¡¯s dead, and you¡¯re alive. I heard you were bosom friends?¡± Qi Yue¡¯s voice contained playfulness, doubt, and a hint of mockery. Guan Yidao¡¯s complexion turned deathly pale, as if he had been wounded by the words ¡°bosom friends.¡± But he quickly regained his composure, his expression becoming a mixture of sincerity and pleading. ¡°Qi Yue, trust me, let him live a few more days.¡± She curled her lips and glanced at the over three hundred people in Ma Pengli. Everyone was looking at her with fanatical admiration, their lips slightly stirring as their low cries merged into a single phrase. ¡°Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!¡± She smiled faintly, put away her firewood chopping knife, and with a swift kick sent Qian Faliang flying into the crowd. Shrieks erupted from the people as they hastily retreated. ¡°This man has abused your sons and daughters, whipped you on the road to exile, making sure you suffered every step of the way. Don¡¯t you want your revenge?¡± The crowd fell silent, no one daring to come forward. Qian Faliang, who had been thrown out, scrambled to his feet, frantically pulling at the whip coiled around his neck. ¡°Hurry, someone help!¡± The six attending government officials regained their senses and clumsily rushed to Qian Faliang¡¯s side, helping him to his feet. No sooner had Qian Faliang stabilized himself than he rewarded the attending government officials with a flurry of slaps. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, go and capture that dead fat woman! I want her dead!¡± The government officials, dazed from the slapping, drew their knives and charged at Qi Yue. It was six against one again. Zhao Yonglian, who had been previously captured by six men, cried out in alarm. ¡°Be careful!¡± Zhao Xiyan also held onto the crossbow, having heard that General Qi¡¯s daughter indeed possessed innate divine strength, but truly knew no martial arts. ¡°Ah!¡± Several screams rang out as six men were flung away simultaneously. Guan Yidao looked at the knife in his hand, confused. He hadn¡¯t even struck yet. Zhao Xiyan was also stunned. He hadn¡¯t fired his crossbow! Looking again at Qi Yue, she stood proudly amidst the stable like a stout pine, her firewood chopping knife dripping with bright red blood. Qi Yue was somewhat surprised herself. She knew this body had innate divine strength, but what about this speed? When the men had charged at her, she had swung the firewood chopping knife almost instinctively, as though her muscles remembered the movement on their own. Swish swish swish! Two strikes to the left, one above, three in the center¡ªit was as if she had known martial arts all her life. Could the original owner of this body actually have been skilled in martial arts? She focused her thoughts, but couldn¡¯t recall anything. Instead, her head began to throb in pain. ¡°Qi Yue, you have the audacity of the heavens, do you know who I am?¡± The shouting of Qian Faliang brought her back from her thoughts. Strange, why were so many people asking her that question today? What did she care who they were? All she knew was that she had to safely deliver Zhao Xiyan to the place of exile, get the divorce paper from him, and reclaim her freedom! Anyone who wanted to harm Zhao Xiyan was opposing her freedom, and she would not let them go! ¡°Guan Yidao, why don¡¯t you hurry up and restrain this fat woman? Careful, or I¡¯ll report you to the Grand Tutor and have your entire family executed!¡± At these words, Guan Yidao¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°You really are the Grand Tutor¡¯s man!¡± Qi Yue¡¯s brows furrowed ever so slightly. That Qian Faliang was a man of the Grand Tutor was not hard to guess. This time, the Zhao Family was raided by the Grand Tutor himself; Qian Faliang parachuting into the mission midway clearly indicated he was directed to target the Zhao Family. Throughout the journey, he had been overbearing and cruel, committed all kinds of atrocities, always referring to himself as ¡®this great official,¡¯ and not even the commander was spared his disdain. Clearly, the power behind him was formidable. But she had not expected him to invoke the Grand Tutor¡¯s name as soon as he opened his mouth. If he wasn¡¯t just bluffing for effect, then a problem had arisen. The Grand Tutor himself, a figure of such standing, had personally ordered Zhao Xiyan¡¯s death? That made no sense at all! And there was Guan Yidao, who clearly also harbored deep hatred for Qian Faliang. Why would he want to save Qian Faliang¡¯s life? Seeing both of them stunned, Qian Faliang became arrogant again! ¡°Scared now, aren¡¯t you? Let me tell you, once I report all of today¡¯s events to the Grand Tutor, every one of you will die!¡± He laughed wildly, pulling out a token from his bosom. The token was black, with a ferocious human head carved on it, into which a sword was thrust. ¡°Let this great official broaden your horizons, hahaha!¡± All the exiles had seen much of the world. At the sight of the token in Qian Faliang¡¯s hand, they all fell silent as if struck by frostbite, followed by a series of thudding kneels. ¡°Spare us, great official, spare our lives!¡± ¡°We were ignorant of your arrival, great official, our transgression is unforgivable!¡± ¡°We beg you, great official, to be merciful. We have nothing to do with the Zhao Family; we would never defy you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Notorious¡¯ was not Qian Faliang¡¯s name or his rank; it referred to a dread-inspiring governmental office¡ªthe Notorious Ones. This was a secretive organization that had existed since the founding of Beiyuan. It had no official premises, no personnel records; all its members responded solely to the black token¡¯s call. In Beiyuan, being a Notorious One meant acting by the Emperor¡¯s personal command, with carte blanche. Among the common people, the terror of the Notorious Ones even eclipsed that of ferocious beasts and ghosts. If children were disobedient, simply by saying ¡°The Notorious Ones are coming,¡± they would instantly behave, indicating the group¡¯s actions were wickedly cruel and brutal. However, in recent years, with the power of Beiyuan¡¯s Huang family waning, even the Notorious Ones had become the pawn of Grand Tutor Lin. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The object of the kneeling, Qian Faliang laughed maniacally, his emaciated form trembling as though struck by lightning. ¡°Qi Yue, bring Zhao Xiyan to this great official immediately!¡± ¡°Considering you are General Qi¡¯s daughter, and given your medical skills and cunning, if you willingly serve me, you won¡¯t have to suffer this exile any longer, and you could be one of the elite!¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the scene became instantly quiet. The fervent gazes of those who had knelt turned back to Qi Yue. A single thought roared in everyone¡¯s mind, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I be Qi Yue? Then I could prosper!¡± Suddenly, someone burst from the crowd. ¡°Qi Yue, my dear niece! What are you standing there for? Hurry up and bring Zhao Xiyan to the official!¡± This endearment nearly made Qi Yue vomit. She examined the man before her, Qi Fengzhang, and suddenly found his name rather fitting. Indeed, he was rat-like, crafty, full of foul schemes! That her self-proclaimed patriotic father could have such a brother? It was truly a family misfortune! ¡°My niece, your second uncle understands that you have been wronged. You are a member of our Qi Family and have nothing to do with the Zhao Family. Just listen to the great Notorious Official, offer up Zhao Xiyan, and our whole family can return to the Capital City!¡± Qi Yue suppressed her disgust and replied indifferently, ¡°Our whole family? What relation do I have with you?¡± At this, Qi Fengzhang hurriedly took a step forward. ¡°We¡¯re related, I¡¯m your second uncle!¡± ¡°Oh, I can see that,¡± Qi Yue snorted, ¡°You certainly share my second uncle¡¯s character, both utterly shameless.¡± With that, she walked towards Zhao Xiyan. Chapter 18 The kneeling people all stretched their necks, staring at Qi Yue with blazing fire in their eyes. They would regain their freedom, return to the Capital City, and become people of high status! All it took was to offer up a cripple! What a simple and perfect choice it was! Qi Fengzhang also fixed his gaze on Qi Yue¡¯s silhouette. What did it matter if he were cursed at? As long as his capable niece curried favor with the disreputable man and gained her freedom, he was confident he could persuade the disreputable man to allow his family to leave with them too. Once they got into the good graces of the disreputable man, what else was there to fear? What did it matter if a General Residence was confiscated? He could snatch up ten General Residences in a matter of minutes! And then, hahaha¡­ Guan Yidao also fixed his gaze on Qi Yue. Regaining her freedom, returning to the Capital City; wasn¡¯t it exactly what she wanted? Now that she had the chance to obtain it so easily, would she still consider the posthumous reputation of General Qi? Qian Faliang also fixed his gaze on Qi Yue. He knew no one could resist the charm of that silver note! If he had known Qi Yue would cave in so easily, why would he have bothered with all this effort? As Qi Yue stepped closer, the people of the Zhao Family also fixed their eyes on her. Inside each of them, two selves were fiercely battling. One self was shouting, she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing! She was the daughter of General Qi! She was the one who saved the people of the Zhao Family. She worried about their food, drink, lodging, and travel along the way, always thinking of the Zhao Family people; she definitely wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. But the other self was laughing wildly. She surely would choose freedom, power. After all, she really was innocently implicated this time! Qi Yue was unaware of the internal drama in these people¡¯s minds as she walked briskly to Zhao Xiyan¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°I want to spare his life for now, what do you think?¡± Zhao Xiyan¡¯s slender body trembled slightly. What was she saying? Wasn¡¯t she about to hand him over? Instead, she was asking his opinion, whether or not to spare Qian Faliang¡¯s life? From the beginning to the end, she had considered his feelings, avenged him! He had just been comforting himself that if she truly did present him, he wouldn¡¯t complain. After all, his life was saved by her! ¡°This Qian Faliang has many secrets on him, and we still don¡¯t know what he¡¯s up to following us all this way. I¡¯ll figure it out and then kill him.¡± Qi Yue continued to explain in a low voice, her tone clear and soft. He suddenly had a strange notion that the voice seemed to belong to someone else, someone different from the corpulent her before him. ¡°Okay, do as you see fit.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing Qi Yue turn to walk away, he suddenly felt the urge to tell her to be cautious since Qian Faliang was cunning and vicious. But his eyes fell on her firm stride, and he suddenly felt she would be all right. She was the most unique, the most formidable woman he had ever met. A slight smile formed on the corners of his mouth hidden beneath his mask, and a subtle joy began to rise in his heart. ¡°Qi Yue, no matter who you are, I believe in you.¡± As the people of the Zhao Family overheard Qi Yue¡¯s words, they all let out a sigh of relief. At the same time, they felt ashamed of their suspicions just like Zhao Xiyan, and they silently vowed to trust Qi Yue wholeheartedly from now on! Watching Qi Yue returning empty-handed, Guan Yidao also heaved a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he indeed had not misjudged her. The daughter of General Qi indeed had the same bearing as General Qi! For Qi Fengzhang, things were less comfortable. Ever since his exile, watching Qi Yue care solidly for the Zhao Family people, ensuring there was always meat in their bowls, he regretted having fallen out with Qi Yue. Now that such a great opportunity had literally fallen from the sky, he was determined to seize it. With that in mind, he quickly stepped forward. ¡°My good niece, what did you say to Zhao Xiyan? Why didn¡¯t you bring him over? How about your uncle helps you?¡± Qi Yue, who was just walking normally, felt an inexplicable irritation when she was intercepted like this and immediately kicked, sending Qi Fengzhang flying through the air. Qian Faliang was feeling quite smug, but upon witnessing this scene, doubts began to arise in his heart too. ¡°Qi Yue, I told you to bring the person over directly, what are you doing? Are you somehow dissatisfied?¡± ¡°Let me tell you, according to our unwritten rules, you¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Qi Yue suddenly smiled slyly and reached out, tossing something round directly into his wide-open mouth. It was slippery, and before he could react, it had already slid down his throat. ¡°What, what did you give me to eat?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s something good! You¡¯re going to enjoy it in a moment!¡± Qi Yue smiled slightly. All of the onlookers were stunned by this sudden turn of events. They watched Qian Faliang in astonishment as he suddenly began to roll his eyes back and shake violently all over. As he shook, the loose flesh on his body bounced up and down as though a Category 12 hurricane was raging inside him, threatening to tear him apart. And Qi Yue, she was still smiling slyly. She watched Qian Faliang with interest, seemingly pleased with his reaction. ¡°You, you poisoned me?!¡± Qian Faliang collapsed to the ground, desperately scrambling backwards. Qi Yue frowned slightly, ¡°He¡¯s still conscious? Not enough dosage?¡± No sooner had she spoken than Qian Faliang let out a loud scream and stopped moving for good. ¡°Dead?¡± Qi Yue stepped forward, picked up a thin stick from the ground, and lifted Qian Faliang¡¯s eyelid to have a look. ¡°Too weak, I hope he isn¡¯t dead!¡± Her gaze fell on Qian Faliang¡¯s bulging chest, and she couldn¡¯t help but raise her eyebrows. There must be at least a hundred thousand silver notes in there! And for some reason, ever since she had that space, her hand had become itchier. Whenever she saw something valuable, she couldn¡¯t restrain herself. With a thought, Qian Faliang¡¯s chest instantly caved in. An inspection revealed a thick stack of silver notes had indeed appeared on the warehouse shelf. At a glance, there were a whole one hundred and fifty thousand. This guy was good at making money! Carrying so much cash on the road to exile, who knows how much more was hidden at his home and in his business! If it all belonged to her, wouldn¡¯t that be beautiful? Suddenly, Qian Faliang, who had been lying on the ground, sprang to his feet and ¡°thump¡± kneeled down in front of Qi Yue. ¡°Miss Qi, I was wrong, I deserve to die! From now on, I¡¯m your dog! Please spare me!¡± Qi Yue slightly raised her eyes, ¡°Alright, describe to me how you¡¯re feeling right now! I need to tailor the cure.¡± ¡°I, I feel like my internal organs are burning, being pricked by needles, bitten by insects, I feel like I¡¯m rotting away!¡± Qian Faliang¡¯s face grew paler and his facial muscles started trembling again. ¡°You described it quite precisely.¡± Qi Yue smiled as she raised her hand with a red pill between her fingertips. ¡°Qian Faliang, how much wealth have you accumulated over the years? Tell me the truth, and I¡¯ll give you the antidote.¡± Qian Faliang, rolling his eyes, stared fixatedly at the pill in her hand and opened his mouth eagerly. ¡°Countless jewels and jade articles, innumerable gold and silver. Everything is yours if you wish it, Miss Qi.¡± Qi Yue smiled slightly. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll accept it.¡± As her words fell, the red pill dropped to the ground. Qian Faliang hurriedly reached out with both hands to catch it. He didn¡¯t even care that the pill was covered in filth, he grabbed it and stuffed it into his mouth. A sigh came from everyone in the stable. It couldn¡¯t be clearer. Was there something wrong with Qi Yue¡¯s mind? Having restrained Qian Faliang, why give him the antidote? Would he still listen to you once he had the antidote? Even Guan Yidao couldn¡¯t help but step forward, ready to intervene if Qian Faliang suddenly lashed out violently to harm someone. Only Zhao Xiyan remained calm and composed throughout, he even set aside his crossbow. Long fingers meticulously adjusted his clothing, and beneath the mask, his handsome face wore a breath-taking smile. But what happened next seemed to prove that he was wrong. Qian Faliang, who had been lying on the ground like a dead dog, suddenly leapt up, a dagger in hand, thrusting fiercely towards Qi Yue¡¯s neck. ¡°Fatty, how could you be so stupid? You believe whatever I say? Hahaha¡­¡± Just as the dagger was about to pierce Qi Yue¡¯s neck, suddenly, the laughing Qian Faliang froze in place. Chapter 19 ¡°`html ¡°Clang,¡± the dagger fell to the ground, followed by Qian Faliang collapsing onto the floor. ¡°Ah! Give me the antidote, give me the antidote.¡± He clutched his head with both hands, kowtowing to Qi Yue frantically, even faster than someone grinding garlic. ¡°I beg you, give me the antidote!¡± Qian Faliang kept pleading and howling. Rolling around on the ground, he kicked up clouds of dust and dirt. Qi Yue stepped back quietly and watched silently, calculating in her mind the time it would take for Qian Faliang to succumb to the poison. In her previous life, Qi Yue was not only a doctor who integrated Chinese and Western medicine, but she also had a secret passion¡ªpoisons. Of all the poisons, she favored only one kind: slow, long-term, addictive, yet ultimately leading to death. Due to safety issues in her world before, she never had a chance to test, yet unexpectedly, she found a suitable candidate here. Qian Faliang had committed too many evils, offensive to both gods and men; using him as a human guinea pig was his just deserts. Most importantly, she wanted to turn Qian Faliang into a dog. A dog that was disloyal, but could never dare to betray her no matter what. ¡°Miss Qi, I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± Qian Faliang crawled on his knees like a dog. Each movement he made, he couldn¡¯t stop wiping his nose on his fingers. But as soon as the snot was wiped away, tears rolled down like a dam had burst. ¡°Miss Qi, Granny Qi, Ancestor Qi. I don¡¯t want the antidote anymore, please, just let me feel better!¡± Qian Faliang kept wiping his nose and tears, his face plastered with soil and feces, leaving only a pair of bloodshot eyes that looked ready to burst. ¡°Don¡¯t want it anymore?¡± Qi Yue, holding a white antidote, raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want it, you better think it through?¡± ¡°I want it, I want!¡± Qian Faliang frantically lunged for that white pellet in the dirt, almost wolfing it down as he put it in his mouth. 1, 2, 3¡­ In just three seconds, Qian Faliang was back to normal. This time he was smarter, and instead of trying to do something, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and cleaned himself up. ¡°Thank you, Master, for granting me the medicine, this servant is eternally grateful.¡± Qian Faliang bowed deeply to Qi Yue with a respectful face and made a bow in the direction of Zhao Xiyan, his voice full of groveling. ¡°Master, this place is too shabby. Please Master, Master Ye, move to the main rooms of the post station. I will have someone prepare dinner immediately.¡± Qi Yue looked at him with a smile, ¡°I prefer cleanliness. Have someone get the items ready, I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡± ¡°Yes, Master, it is my crudeness.¡± From beginning to end, Qian Faliang seemed like a changed person, astonishing everyone present. All of them were discussing quietly. ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Qi too terrifying? How did she do it?¡± ¡°Was the poison in Qian Faliang really cured?¡± ¡°Probably not, right? Otherwise, why would Qian act like a dog?¡± Qi Yue didn¡¯t care about the discussions, because she knew that Qian Faliang was pretending, showing weakness. He was confirming whether his poison was truly cured. Like a malevolent hunter, he would leap at the chance to deal her a fatal blow. But, what a pity. The moment Qian Faliang swallowed the white pill, he lost his opportunity forever. That was the viciousness of her specially crafted pill. If one relied solely on one¡¯s willpower and managed to endure for a half an hour, then there would be no issue at all. ¡°` But once the antidote was used, there would be no turning back. From then on, every 12 Shichen, Qian Faliang would experience the agony of countless worms consuming his heart and his tendons breaking, until he took the antidote. In this way, he would repeat this suffering until he turned into a skeleton. Thinking of this, Qi Yue stopped in her tracks and looked back at Qian Faliang. ¡°Every 12 Shichen, come to me for the antidote. As long as you¡¯re a good dog, there will be no trouble.¡± ¡°¡ªYes, Master!¡± Seeing Qian Faliang clenching his fist inside his sleeve, Qi Yue smiled faintly. This poison, she was the only one in the world who had it, and she was the only one who could cure it. Whatever Qian Faliang wanted to do, it was too late. Right, there were still things she had not asked. Forget it, it¡¯s not too late to ask in a couple of days, after all, he can¡¯t run away. It¡¯s important to eat first. Hungry. She walked leisurely toward Zhao Xiyan¡¯s carriage. ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Ah, Yueyue!¡± Shen Yu cried with emotion, her sleeve quickly wet with tears. Zhao Shuangyue and Zhao Shuangxue both wiped their tears, crying and laughing as they called out. ¡°Big sister-in-law!¡± Zhao Yonglian and Zhao Yongzhe were visibly excited and happy. Zhao Xiyan wore a mask, so his expression was not visible, but Qi Yue saw the eyes beneath it fluttering like dazzling moths. They were so brilliantly eye-catching. She felt a little embarrassed and without thinking, she bent down to pull the carriage when suddenly a group of people crowded around her. ¡°Oh, my dear niece-in-law, how can you pull the carriage? Let us do it!¡± ¡°Niece-in-law, let us handle pulling the carriage from now on!¡± Qi Yue turned her head to look. Well, isn¡¯t this Chen Suyun, who was yelling about cutting off ties? Looking back further, she saw the miserable Zhao Yongxin and his equally miserable sons, Zhao Zhi and Zhao Weiyi. Trailing behind them was his concubine, Feng Yuemadam. Chen Suyun yanked Zhao Yongxin fiercely, pushing him forward. ¡°Quick, hurry and speak nicely to your niece-in-law, big brother and sister-in-law.¡± Zhao Yongxin staggered and fell to his knees in front of the carriage with a ¡°thump.¡± ¡°Big brother, I was wrong. Punish me! I shouldn¡¯t have listened to this woman and cut ties with you.¡± ¡°Big brother, I regret it. Please let me come back!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you always look after me when we were at home? Please, look after me one more time!¡± Zhao Yongxin cried, tears and snot flowing, clutching the carriage frame. Qi Yue figured that he hadn¡¯t even cried this much when their father, the old Duke, had died. Following this, Zhao Zhi and Zhao Weiyi also rushed forward, each grabbing a handle of the carriage. ¡°Uncle, please show some affection to your nephew! I haven¡¯t had a full meal for ten days!¡± ¡°Uncle, let us go with you!¡± Qi Yue glanced at the bundles behind them and tugged at the corner of her mouth. With all their bags, it seemed they were really planning to latch on. She was curious to see how the Zhao family would deal with these ungrateful relatives. If they indiscriminately played the good card, they couldn¡¯t blame her for stepping aside. Chapter 20 With her abilities, protecting a person like Zhao Xiyan would be a breeze. Once they reached Longnan Ridge, who would care whether he lived or died with a divorce paper in hand? It¡¯s just a pity to lose such a good voice. But she suddenly remembered that there seemed to be recording equipment in her space. It looked like she needed to start preparing early. Besides, in this vast world, was he the only one with a pleasant voice? Zhao Xiyan had long noticed Qi Yue keeping her arms crossed, hiding away to one side as if watching a farce, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a tightening in his heart as he watched this large group of people. Seeing Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s face filled with an unwillingness to bear, his heart turned cold. It seemed his father hadn¡¯t suffered enough! ¡°Dad!¡± Zhao Yongzhe turned around, following his son¡¯s gaze, he met Qi Yue¡¯s seemingly amused face, causing a shock to his own heart. This daughter-in-law, indeed a General¡¯s daughter, was born with an intimidating aura. Maybe he was too old, but for a moment, he could hardly bear it. ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t agree to them. They¡¯re no longer our kin!¡± Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue stepped forward to speak out. ¡°Dad, you didn¡¯t see, when you fainted earlier, they left us to die without lifting a finger to help!¡± Zhao Shuangyun also stood up, puffing up with anger. ¡°Exactly, uncle, Shuangxue and I knelt on the ground begging them to save our elder brother, but they ignored us and even said they had cut ties with us long ago!¡± Zhao Shuangxue, standing nearby, also nodded vehemently, recounting the nefarious actions of Zhao Yongxin and his son. Shen Yu had always been a delicate beauty, and even now, her face was filled with indignation. ¡°Husband, from the day we cut ties, our family no longer had such relatives!¡± Zhao Yongzhe was silent for a long time before finally heaving a sigh. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just that after so many years, I¡¯ve grown accustomed to tolerating their mistakes, accustomed to being the head of the Zhao Family¡­ah¡­¡± His words made the people of the Zhao Family somewhat anxious. Shen Yu and Zhao Shuangyun and others looked expectantly at Qi Yue. They all hoped Qi Yue would stand up and speak, driving these leeches away. But Qi Yue seemed uninvolved, which made Zhao Shuanghua and the others even more anxious. Chen Suyun, however, tugged at her lips in a smile. She looked at Qi Yue with satisfaction, feeling as though she had turned the tables and become the mistress of the house. What was a General¡¯s daughter worth? Once married into our Zhao Family, she was a member of the Zhao Family. No matter how powerful she was, once she returned to the Zhao Family, she would still be at their beck and call! Chen Suyun sashayed forward, shoving her two sons ahead. ¡°Xiyan, what are you dilly-dallying for? Quick, get the carriage. Zhiyan, support your uncle properly, we¡¯re heading to the inn¡¯s room!¡± Chen Suyun happily made the arrangements as if she were the lady of the house! ¡°Hold on!¡± Zhao Yongzhe suddenly shouted, ¡°When did I ever agree to let you come back to the Zhao Family?¡± Chen Suyun¡¯s smiling face stiffened. ¡°Big brother, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re accustomed to being the head of the Zhao Family? We are also part of the Zhao Family!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Zhao Yongzhe¡¯s short mustache bristled with his extreme anger! ¡°The day we broke ties, Zhao Yongxin¡¯s name was already removed from the Zhao Family genealogy!¡± ¡°Additionally, I have an announcement to make. From this moment onwards, the Zhao Family matters are to be handled by my daughter-in-law Qi Yue. All decisions shall be made by her!¡± ¡°What?¡± Zhao Yongxin¡¯s eyes bulged, ¡°Big brother, you can¡¯t do this? You can¡¯t abandon me!¡± The Zhao Family¡¯s second branch was yelling and crying, but Zhao Yongzhe paid them no attention, even closing his eyes! The situation took a sudden turn, leaving Qi Yue taken aback as well. She really hadn¡¯t expected this¡ªthe old Zhao had played his cards well. He had actually trapped her. ¡°Fine, considering he looks like his dad, let¡¯s leave it at that for now.¡± ¡°At the very least, we must escort them to the Place of Exile!¡± When the crowd heard that Zhao Yongzhe actually handed over the authority of the household to Qi Yue, they all started discussing. ¡°The Zhao Family is really lucky, to have married such an outstanding daughter-in-law like the Miss Qi.¡± ¡°Now, they have a house to live in and food to eat.¡± Some busybodies started to tease Qi Fengzhang. ¡°Qi Lao Er, Qi Yue is from your family. Aren¡¯t you going to ask for some benefits?¡± ¡°Exactly, I heard that your woman was the matchmaker for this marriage. You¡¯ve really lost out big time!¡± ¡°No kidding, enjoying the goodness of the relay station¡¯s housing should include you, especially since Qi Yue is calling the shots now!¡± The instigation from the crowd made Qi Fengzhang forget the scene where he had been kicked flying before, as he grabbed his son, Qi Yuanhao, and rushed forward. ¡°Scram, scram, scram! What are you worth? I am Qi Yue¡¯s family!¡± The Qi family members seemed to be generally strong, as Qi Fengzhang and Qi Yuanhao pushed the people from the Zhao Family¡¯s second branch aside with each of their hands. ¡°Niece, let your brother pull the cart! He¡¯s strong and can keep it steady!¡± Watching Qi Fengzhang¡¯s shameless smiling face, Qi Yue could hardly stand it for even a second. ¡°Get lost!! Even if I needed someone, it wouldn¡¯t be you.¡± Hearing this, the busybodies felt like they had a chance and surged forward. ¡°Miss Qi, pick me, I¡¯m strong, and I can pull the cart steadily!¡± ¡°Choose me, I¡¯m tall!¡± ¡°Pick me, I¡¯ve trained in martial arts, I¡¯m strong!¡± Qi Yue laughed. Her round face shook as she laughed, looking somewhat fierce. ¡°Pulling the cart, is it? Where were you earlier? I didn¡¯t see any of you lending a hand along the way, did I?¡± The crowd looked at each other, and for some reason, they felt they still had a chance, so they immediately started making claims. ¡°Miss Qi, I¡¯m an old acquaintance of the General, for the sake of your father, you should take care of us.¡± ¡°Exactly, Miss Qi, the General loved his people like his own children; you should learn from him.¡± ¡°Miss Qi, can¡¯t you see? We¡¯re not just wanting to pull the cart, we want you to help us. After all, we¡¯re old friends ¨C can you really watch us starve without doing anything?¡± ¡°Miss Qi, when the General was here, he loved his people like his children, with a heart as compassionate as a Bodhisattva!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Qi Yue¡¯s face grew colder and colder. She hadn¡¯t expected that, even in this world, she would still be subjected to moral blackmail. Initially, she had thought about telling Guan Yidao after arriving at the relay station with the Zhao Family to exchange everyone¡¯s steamed bread for kinds without sand. But now it seemed unnecessary. The bit of kindness in her heart shattered in an instant and disappeared without a trace. She looked coldly at Qian Faliang. ¡°You damn dog, if you are useless, don¡¯t blame me for burying you!¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± Qian Faliang rolled his beady eyes, flicked the whip in his hand, and started beating the crowd blocking the way without mercy. Amidst screams and howls, a path cleared in the horse shed. As she left the horse shed, Qi Yue saw a woman taking shelter from the rain. The woman¡¯s face had thinned to that of an eucalyptus leaf, with hollow eye sockets, yet her eyes were black and luminous. She was looking up at the sky, her expression one of hope, as if pleading for the rain to stop soon. What stood out most was her swollen belly, bulging prominently. The roof of the horse shed was short, and although she tried her best to take shelter, half of her body was still exposed to the rain. A gust of wind blew, sending a shower of rain onto her shoulder, and she quickly covered her stomach with her hand, bowing her head nervously. Qi Yue couldn¡¯t help but stop in her tracks. ¡°Who is she?¡±