Because of his fierce appearance and the terrifying long whip he always carried, aside from meal distributions, none of the prisoners dared approach Big Beard under normal circumstances. They feared that a single misstep would earn them a lashing.
Big Beard was absolutely certain that at the time, only this ugly woman was pushing her cart beside him—everyone else kept at least a meter away. The ugly woman was short in stature, and without meaning to belittle her, even if she stretched her stubby legs with all her might, she probably couldn’t reach the woman’s trouser hem.
“You wretch! Are you itching for a beating, looking for death?” He suddenly raised his long whip, glaring viciously at the woman.
At the sight of the cold, menacing whip, the woman’s face turned pale with fright.
“No, no, no… I really was stepped on by this ugly woman!” she stammered, clutching her injured foot. “I just walked over from the other side of the road.”
Sun Shi, who had been walking at the front of the procession, turned back as soon as she heard the commotion behind her involved Shen Wan. Ignoring her exhaustion, she hurried over to join the scene.
“Sister, don’t be angry,” she said, putting on a sympathetic expression as she swayed her plump, slender waist forward to help the woman up. “My sister-in-law here was abandoned in the military camp since childhood with no one to teach her manners, so it’s no surprise she lacks propriety. If she’s done anything wrong, I, as her sister-in-law, apologize on her behalf.”
As she spoke, Sun Shi shot a reproachful look at Shen Wan. “Look at you—what’s the big deal? It’s just a matter of stepping on someone’s foot. Wouldn’t an apology settle it?”
Her words drew widespread praise from the onlookers, who commended her for her virtue, understanding, and dignified demeanor. In contrast, the Xiangyang Hou Manor’s illegitimate daughter seemed rather petty—no wonder even her own father had disowned her.
Shen Wan paid no attention to Sun Shi. Instead, she feigned surprise as she looked at the woman. “Really? Just how itchy was your foot? Did you come all the way over here just to have me step on it?”
Hearing this, the woman was so enraged she nearly burst. “Do I have a death wish, asking you to step on me for no reason?” she shrieked in retort.
Shen Wan narrowed her eyes at the woman and sneered sarcastically, “If your foot wasn’t itching, then you must have done it on purpose. How bold of you! Even if the officer whipped you a few times before, you can’t go framing him like this!”
The woman’s face abruptly changed. Gnashing her yellowish teeth, she snapped, “Nonsense! What does this have to do with the officer?”
“Still denying it?” Shen Wan’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold tone. “If you don’t believe me, everyone, come take a look!”
She set down the cart and pointed at the ground. After a day of rain, the wheel tracks on the ground were exceptionally clear, with even the tread patterns visible.
“Look, everyone—I was walking in a straight line just now. Given the width of this cart, there’s no way I could have stepped on her unless she deliberately stuck her foot in the way.”
Her words caused an uproar among the crowd.
The woman’s face grew increasingly grim. Her eyes darting nervously, she instinctively glanced toward the crowd. “Even if I veered off course, that’s normal! How does that amount to framing the officer? Forget it—it’s not a big deal. I won’t make an issue of it!”
She wasn’t afraid of offending Shen Wan, but she feared the grim-faced Big Beard.
If we offend him, our future days will likely be difficult.
Seeing the woman's changed expression, Sun Shi could guess the general situation.
However, she didn't regret it, as she had gained a good reputation from this matter.
"You might not care, but I do!" Shen Wan's eyebrows shot up as she suddenly raised her voice. "Let me ask you, if I had tripped over you just now and the cart overturned, what would have happened if my husband had rolled down from here?"
"You attempted to harm my husband and frame the Yamen runner—your crime deserves death!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions changed involuntarily.
The hillside was long and steep, with many scattered stones along the path.
If someone were to collide with them, the consequences would be unimaginable.
With evidence right before them, even if the woman were silver-tongued, it would be useless.
"Don't you dare drag the Yamen runner into this!" The woman hardened her heart and cast a venomous glare at Xie Mubai. "I did this for revenge!"
"If it weren't for your Xie family, I would still be an esteemed lady envied by all. How could I have fallen to this wretched state, neither human nor ghost?"
Harming someone out of personal vengeance would, at most, earn a few lashes—after all, no one had died.
But intentionally framing a Yamen runner would carry a much heavier penalty.
Shen Wan sneered coldly upon hearing this. "Who said this has nothing to do with the Yamen runner?"
"My husband is the principal offender in this exile group. If he were murdered right after leaving the city, the authorities would surely investigate."
"By then, a mere deduction of salary would be the least of it. The Yamen runner could even be imprisoned for dereliction of duty!"
Hearing this, Big Beard's face darkened as if it could wring out water.
A few deaths on the exile road were not uncommon, but the murder of the principal offender was a different matter altogether.
The other Yamen runners already held a grudge against him. Given this opportunity, wouldn’t they seize it to destroy him completely?
Even if the higher-ups didn’t investigate, those people would never let him off.
"Guards!" he said with a grim face, his voice chillingly cold. "Since this woman finds that foot superfluous, cut her Achilles tendon."
The woman turned ashen with terror upon hearing this.
She knelt on the ground, kowtowing frantically like a pecking chicken, and begged, "Spare me, Yamen runner! I swear I’ll never dare again!"
"Cutting my tendon is one thing, but delaying the journey is another!"
Big Beard remained unmoved, his expression cold as he said, "If the journey is delayed, you won’t need to live either."
Before his words faded, he waved his hand decisively.
Two Yamen runners immediately dragged the woman away.
Soon, a piercing scream cut through the sweltering air.
Several timid women collapsed to the ground in terror upon hearing it.
Sun Shi’s face turned even uglier. If she had known this would happen, she would never have pleaded for the woman.
"Did you all see that?" Big Beard’s sharp gaze swept over the crowd like a blade, his voice carrying the frigid chill of hell. "From now on, anyone who dares to play tricks under my watch—this will be their fate!"
With Big Beard’s example of making an example of someone to warn others, the prisoners became much more compliant along the way.
They deliberately kept their distance from Shen Wan, afraid of getting into trouble.
"Thanks to you for today’s matter," Xie Mubai said with a slight frown, his tone indifferent. "But you’d better be careful. I suspect there are accomplices among the crowd."
That woman had been glancing into the crowd earlier, surely looking for her accomplices.
He had followed her gaze but found nothing.
Shen Wan didn't care: "What's there to fear? When soldiers come, we have generals to block them; when floodwaters come, we have earth to cover them!"
She clearly remembered that many people died during this exile, but since both the original host and the major villain had survived to reach the Great Northwest, she had nothing to worry about.
Seeing this ugly woman so carefree, Xie Mubai couldn't help but feel speechless.
Feeling the urge to relieve himself, he picked up a bamboo tube from the cart and turned slightly sideways under the cover of a banana leaf.
Shen Wan's eyes darted around, and she deliberately whistled.
Xie Mubai's face darkened, nearly wetting his hand in surprise!
Another uphill slope came.
Though Shen Wan had good stamina, even the best couldn't endure such a long trek without strain.
Despite her efforts to persevere, bean-sized sweat droplets streamed down her dark face like a small river.
Seeing this, Xie Mubai felt a pang of sympathy in his heart.
But however much he pitied her, he was powerless to help.
Just then, a man in blue approached.
Without a word, he voluntarily helped pull the cart up the slope.
As Shen Wan was about to thank him, the man went to drink from the roadside ditch, not even glancing her way.