The Marquis of Quling lifted his head weakly. “Sir, I really don’t know anything. I had no idea about Yaowen’s actions!”
“Don’t know?” the lead official sneered. “Search! I want a thorough search! Dig three feet deep if you have to—find the silver!”
The imperial guards began ransacking the mansion again, overturning boxes and furniture, turning the Marquisate upside down.
Shen Shuangshuang lay pressed against Xiang Meimei, watching them secretly, her heart filled with joy.
The silver was already gone—good luck finding it in the space!
After a full hour of searching, the officials were sweating profusely, yet found nothing.
The lead official kicked a table in frustration. “Damn! How is this Marquisate cleaner than a poor scholar’s house? Did the silver sprout wings and fly away?”
Lady Zhou suddenly pointed at Xiang Meimei, shouting, “It’s your Third Branch! You must have hidden the silver! You knew the household was about to be confiscated, so you moved the wealth!”
The official’s eyes lit up. “Bring them over! Interrogate them carefully!”
Shen Yaozong quickly protested. “Sir, our Third Branch is the poorest! Look at our clothes and our courtyard—where could we hide silver? Lady Zhou is slandering us!”
Xiang Meimei wept. “Sir, I’m pregnant. I’ve been lying in bed all day, haven’t even stepped out into the courtyard. How could we hide silver? If you don’t believe us, search us!”
The officials frisked Shen Yaozong and Xiang Meimei, finding only a few taels of small change.
They searched the Third Branch courtyard again—still only some broken bowls.
The lead official cursed, “Worthless! Not even as good as a pauper!”
Lady Zhou tried to argue but was kicked aside. “Shut up or you’ll be thrown in prison!”
Terrified, she stayed silent, lying on the ground and crying.
At that moment, hoofbeats sounded outside. A eunuch rode in, shouting, “The Emperor has issued a decree! In the embezzlement case of the Marquis of Quling, the principal offender Shen Yaowen shall receive fifty lashes; the rest of the family shall be exiled three thousand li! By imperial order!”
As soon as the decree was read, the entire Marquisate fell silent.
Shen Yaowen’s legs went weak, collapsing to the ground. “No! Your Majesty, spare me!”
Lady Zhou fainted on the spot.
“Take them away!”
With the command, the imperial guards brought out shackles and restrained all the men.
The women were tied together in a line.
Xiang Meimei, heavily pregnant, was not bound, but someone was assigned to watch her.
“Mother, don’t worry,” Shen Shuangshuang whispered. “I have a plan for the road.”
Shen Yaozong nodded, signaling her to stay calm.
The group was escorted out of the Marquisate. Crowds of onlookers filled the streets.
“So this is the Marquisate of Quling? I heard they embezzled a lot of money.”
“Serves them right! If officials don’t serve the people, they might as well go sell sweet potatoes!”
The chatter reached Shen Shuangshuang’s ears. She kept her head low, pretending fear, while secretly calculating how the exile and looting were unfolding—and wondering when the flood would come.
Not far along, heavy rain began to fall.
The guards cursed, looking for shelter, and herded the family into a decrepit temple.
“Behave! Move anyone, and I’ll break your legs!” the lead official shouted, finding a dry spot to sit.
Shen Shuangshuang glanced at the temple’s leaking roof, her heart skipping a beat.
This rain was unnatural.
It didn’t just fall continuously; it brought a damp heaviness, as if it could soak the entire city.
She moved closer to Xiang Meimei and whispered, “Mother, this rain feels wrong… I have a bad feeling something’s going to happen.”
Xiang Meimei gripped her hand, her fingertips icy. “I thought the same. Back in my old village, before floods, it rained like this for three days and nights, and eventually, the whole village was submerged.”
Shen Yaozong frowned, glancing toward the temple entrance. Outside, sheets of rain formed a dense curtain.
The roads were already submerged, leaving only a murky expanse of water visible.
“This temple isn’t in a low spot, but if the rain continues, we could be flooded. We need to stay near the entrance so we can escape quickly if the water rises.”
The family of three cautiously shifted closer to the door, huddling together.
Shen Shuangshuang pulled out life vests and swimming rings from the space, hiding them under her clothes.
These were originally stocked for seaside fun—now, they would serve their purpose.
Soon, hurried footsteps approached. A group of officials escorted a cluster of men and women into the cramped temple.
The lead official shouted, “Damn this weather! If it keeps raining, my horses will be ruined!”
Shen Shuangshuang looked up: the new arrivals wore fine silk and satin, though disheveled, still exuding a refined air—they too were victims of household confiscations.
The small temple quickly became overcrowded with over a dozen new people.
“Move aside! Everyone, squeeze over!” a middle-aged man in a cyan robe shouted.
His wife covered her nose, glaring at the muddy floor. “What kind of place is this? No place to sit!”
The officials kicked him. “Shut up! Even now, you dare act like a magistrate? Hurry, find a spot to squat!”
The man’s face turned red with anger, but he dared not argue. He sulkily crouched in a corner.
Shen Yaozong whispered to Shen Shuangshuang, “This is Li, former Deputy Minister of Rites. He was being investigated for taking bribes from exam candidates.”
Shen Shuangshuang nodded silently. She had no interest in these officials; her mind was fully on the flood.
Half an hour later, the temple was so crowded people could barely stand. Outside, the rain intensified, punctuated by occasional thunder.
“Waaah… all my jewelry’s gone! How will I survive now?”
A young girl in a pink dress cried, while her mother hugged her, also sobbing. “Xue Ning, my child… it’s all my fault for not protecting you!”
Xiang Meimei glanced at them and told Shen Shuangshuang, “This is Madam Lu of the Weiyuan General’s household and her daughter Lu Xue Ning.”
“Mother, you know them?” Shen Shuangshuang asked curiously.
“Of course I do,” Xiang Meimei sneered. “Before I married your father, I was mortal enemies with Madam Lu, Xu Zhenzhen. Our fathers were both fifth-rank officials, but she always liked to compete with me. I’d wear a new outfit, and the next day she’d wear something more expensive; I’d wear a new hairpin, she’d buy a gold one immediately.”
Shen Yaozong added, “After your mother married into the Marquisate, though I was a concubine-born, it was a noble household. Xu Zhenzhen quieted down for a while. But after marrying General Lu, when he was just a minor officer, she felt resentful and spread rumors about your mother. Only after General Lu became the Weiyuan General did she become arrogant again, often embarrassing your mother at banquets.”