Song Mingyuan and Lu Peifeng had not only emptied the emperor's private treasury but had also spared neither the Imperial Household Department nor the Imperial Kitchen. The gold, silver, and treasures they had gathered, along with fine clothing and quilts, were too numerous to count.
Venison, bird's nest, bear paw, shark fin, wild game, and seafood—delicacies that ordinary families could hardly ever hope to taste—were everywhere to be seen, while chicken, duck, fish, and mutton were available in abundance.
One could say that all the rarest delicacies and choicest foods were gathered here.
Not only that, but the fresh vegetables and fruits stored in the icehouse—oranges, winter dates, black grapes, and other seasonal fruits—had all been swept clean by her as well.
If not for the fact that the Liuli Palace in the Spatial Dimension was a Magic Artifact whose size could be freely adjusted, the goods would likely have spilled out into the open.
Having searched so many mansions and shops, and having emptied half the imperial palace as well, one could only imagine the terrifying quantity of goods stockpiled within.
Not to mention being able to keep the Zhenguo Jiangjun Mansion well-fed and prosperous through the six months of exile—even surviving several lifetimes with it would be more than sufficient.
It was only when the Old Matriarch sent someone to look for them that the two returned to the Jiangjun Mansion without further incident.
Changyun was pacing about frantically. The moment he saw his master return, he said urgently, "Master, someone has come from the palace! His Majesty has summoned you for an audience."
Lu Peifeng's gaze turned slightly cold, though he was not surprised.
He set Song Mingyuan down from his back. "Wait here for me to return. As for your identity, I will explain it myself to the elders of my family."
The elders of the Lu family still did not know that Song Mingyuan had taken Song Mingyan's place in marrying into the Jiangjun Mansion. To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings between both sides, this matter could only be mediated by him.
Having said this, Lu Peifeng left the courtyard in haste with Changyun, who had come to report. Only Song Mingyuan remained, staring with bleary, confused eyes at the young servant boy in the courtyard.
The servant boy: …
Although the woman before him was a fake, she had managed to climb onto the Young General's back!
The Young General's back!
Was that something just anyone could climb onto?
He immediately bowed. "Greetings, Young Madam!"
Song Mingyuan yawned, so sleepy she could barely focus. "Hello. May I ask, where is the person your master brought back?"
Although she was very sleepy, this was not the time to rest. If nothing unexpected happened, once Lu Peifeng entered the palace, the imperial decree would likely come down before long. She needed to arrange things for that little girl as soon as possible.
The servant boy hastily replied, "Young Madam is too kind. You need only give your orders—this servant will take you there right away."
Xing'er had been placed in a spare room in Fuqing Courtyard. A faint smell of medicine lingered in the room, and an empty bowl sat by the table—she must have already taken her medicine.
The little girl was lying on the bed at the moment, awake.
The instant she saw Song Mingyuan, all the anxiety and fear she had felt since waking vanished. She couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
"Miss!"
Xing'er's eyes brimmed with tears as she leapt off the bed and threw herself at Song Mingyuan. "Wuwuwu, Miss, this servant thought she would never see you again, wuwu…"
"They had ill intentions, wuwuwu—this servant heard them say the Jiangjun Mansion was about to fall!"
"This servant wanted to tell you, Miss, but they locked this servant in the woodshed, and this servant never got the chance to send you word, wuwuwu…"
Thinking of how the Taifu Mansion had conspired together to push her young miss into a pit of fire, Xing'er felt furious.
My poor miss!
She wiped away her tears, clinging tightly to Song Mingyuan as if afraid she might disappear. "Miss, although it's said that a wife follows her husband's fate whatever it may be, right now the chickens have flown and the eggs are broken, and the dog is desperate enough to jump the wall. We should run!"
"Don't worry, Xing'er would risk her life to protect you! Even if it means fighting dogs for scraps on the street, that's better than losing our heads with the General's Mansion."
The young general had carried her all the way back and even found her a physician—she was deeply grateful for that. But for her young lady's sake, she could only betray the young general's kindness.
Song Mingyuan could never bear to see tears. Watching Xing'er's eyes well up, she nearly agreed on the spot, but she hadn't completely lost her senses yet.
Remembering why she had come, she gently patted Xing'er's back to soothe her. "We won't lose our heads—at worst, we'll be exiled. If you don't want to endure such hardship, I can give you a sum of money, enough to live out your days in comfort. You can live the life you wish for."
At that, Xing'er's tears could no longer be held back. She was more terrified than when Madam Xu had locked her in the woodshed.
"Miss, please don't send me away! The life I wish for is a life with you—I'm not afraid of hardship!"
She trembled with anxiety, her voice shaking as she spoke: "Don't abandon me, miss. I want to go with you!"
Xing'er couldn't imagine what life would be like without her young lady. If not for her, she would still be a little beggar, perhaps already starved to death or beaten to death.
No one in this world truly cannot live without another, but Xing'er could not live without her young lady!
Seeing Xing'er about to kneel, Song Mingyuan caught her by the arm, a hint of helplessness in her expression. "I never said I wouldn't take you—I just think you should have the right to choose for yourself."
She helped Xing'er stand upright, then paused to think for a moment before saying, "Since you insist on coming, then come. But you can't stay at the General's Mansion now—it's about to be raided, and all the servants will be sold off. Just wait until tomorrow, when we're escorted out of the capital for exile, then follow along in the name of the Taifu Mansion."
For families condemned to confiscation and exile, if the female relatives' natal families cared enough, they would secretly provide support and send servants to accompany them, so they might suffer less on the road to exile.
The escorting officers generally wouldn't offend such well-connected women—as long as they were properly bribed, they would turn a blind eye to such arrangements.
Xing'er didn't ask how Song Mingyuan knew so certainly that everyone in the General's Mansion would be escorted away tomorrow. Knowing her young lady hadn't planned to abandon her, she was overjoyed. As long as her miss didn't leave her behind, she would do anything!
She nodded eagerly in agreement.
Song Mingyuan called for a servant boy to see Xing'er out. Remembering that she was still ill, she took out some silver from her person, along with a thick coat, a hand warmer, and the two packets of medicine on the table, and had her bring them all.
She instructed, "Find an inn to stay at tonight. Don't bother preparing anything—I've already taken care of everything. The capital isn't safe these past few days, so don't wander around."
Hearing this, Xing'er abandoned her plan to rush out and buy supplies. "Xing'er will remember that. Rest assured, miss!"
Watching Xing'er leave the courtyard, Song Mingyuan returned to the bridal chamber. She went to the side hall and placed the dowry she had brought along yesterday into the Spatial Dimension.
Though she was merely a substitute, she was still going in under Song Mingyan's name. Fearing that the General's Mansion might see through the ruse and refuse her entry, Song Panshan had put on a show with the dowry.
What should have been a single token palanquin load to fool people had instead become seven or eight loads—though they were mostly worthless items. Two of the chests were even filled with cotton quilts.
Song Mingyuan didn't mind, simply treating it as something she'd gotten for free.
No sooner had she put the items away than Changyun, who had just left with Lu Peifeng, returned.
"Young Madam, I am Changyun. My master instructed me to deliver this to you."