Chu Linzhang thought of something, then shook his head.
Impossible.
Even if she had done it, where could she have hidden everything?
Emptying the imperial palace, Grand Secretary Su’s mansion, the Hua residence, and the homes of so many officials… that was an enormous undertaking.
Even he couldn’t have accomplished it in a single night.
Absolutely impossible.
No matter how intelligent Chu Linzhang was, he could never imagine the existence of something like an infinite storage space.
Even if he himself possessed a plant-element ability, all it allowed him to do was control vegetation.
To him, Hua Zhiyun was either a demon or an immortal.
Judging by how ruthlessly she acted, devil woman suited her even better.
Whatever she really was, one thing was certain—she had never harmed him.
No matter how vicious or cruel she might be, Chu Linzhang would never despise her.
If not for her, he would never have learned the truth about his own identity.
The voices recorded in that conch shell clearly belonged to the Emperor and Grand Secretary Su.
That meant she had either visited Su’s residence… or the imperial palace itself.
He wasn’t sure which.
But she had definitely been to one of those two places.
Suddenly, he felt as if his own assumptions had slapped him in the face.
How could she possibly have gone there?
The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
Chu Linzhang quickly shook his head, afraid he would scare himself with his own speculation.
Fortunately, his estate had already been confiscated.
There was nothing left for anyone to steal.
It was just a pity that all the weapons he had painstakingly collected had also been seized.
After resting for a while, Hua Zhiyun was awakened by Fifth Madam Chu.
“Your Highness, please look at Sixth Brother. His fever has returned.”
Lifting the carriage curtain, Hua Zhiyun glanced at the little boy whose cheeks were burning red.
“Put him in the carriage.”
Fifth Madam Chu struggled to carry her youngest son inside.
She was about to climb in herself when Hua Zhiyun shot her a look.
Immediately intimidated, she obediently walked alongside the carriage instead.
The carriage moved quickly, and she nearly tripped trying to keep up.
Hua Zhiyun couldn’t care less about her.
The fact that she was willing to save the little brat already proved how kind and beautiful she was.
Taking out a digital thermometer, she checked his temperature.
39.4°C.
She gave him another dose of fever medicine.
After wringing out a towel, she placed it on his forehead.
She had cooling gel patches, but using them would expose technology that didn’t belong in this world.
This time, after giving him medicine, she also made sure Chu Linqing drank plenty of water.
By noon, when everyone stopped to rest, his fever had gone down considerably.
Hua Zhiyun told Fifth Madam Chu to take him away.
The exiles collapsed beneath the shade of a tree.
Some leaned against one another.
No one wanted to move.
They were so hungry they felt dizzy.
At this rate, they would die on the road long before reaching the southern exile lands.
Soon the guards distributed lunch.
Sour, watery porridge.
Blackened coarse-grain cakes so hard they could probably be used as throwing weapons.
There was no way these delicacies were edible for people who had lived pampered lives.
Those who still had hidden money could exchange it with the guards for fresh steamed buns and the same rice porridge the guards themselves ate.
Those without money?
Eat it or don’t.
If you starved to death, they’d simply bury you where you fell.
Just like Li Shi’s daughter, Chu Huaiyu.
After being bitten by the venomous snake, she died.
Her family dug a shallow grave with tears in their eyes.
After taking anything valuable from her body, they buried her without even a straw mat.
Since then, Li Shi hated Hua Zhiyun.
She hated her.
She feared her.
She only dared glare at her with venom-filled eyes, never daring to act.
Hua Zhiyun caught Li Shi staring several times.
She smiled provocatively.
Li Shi immediately lowered her head in fright.
Chen Dali carried over a bowl of porridge, two white steamed buns, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.
“Grandma… lunch is served.”
“When we stop tonight, I’ll get you some meat.”
“Hm.”
Having practically emptied the entire capital, Hua Zhiyun firmly believed that refusing free food made one an idiot.
The supplies in her space could be saved for later.
Rice porridge and steamed buns weren’t bad.
If she wanted more flavor, she could always cut up some braised pig ears or sliced pork head from her stash.
She had emptied countless kitchens.
There were plenty of spicy dishes.
Meat wasn’t lacking either.
Even the pigs, cows, and sheep raised by wealthy families had all ended up in her storage space.
If there weren’t so many eyes watching…
With all those supplies…
Her life would have been paradise.
It was all that damned map’s fault.
It insisted she follow the exile route.
She couldn’t deviate even a little.
Once she reached the destination…
The world would be her oyster.
She could go wherever she pleased.
Let’s see how that lousy map threatened her then.
Trying to wipe out her storage space?
Dream on.
Knowing Hua Zhiyun disliked being disturbed, Chen Dali prepared to leave after delivering the food.
Just then, a pigeon circled overhead.
Hua Zhiyun spotted it immediately.
“What’s so great about meat? Ever tried crispy roast pigeon?”
She swallowed unconsciously.
Chen Dali’s expression changed.
He pulled a specially made whistle from around his neck and blew it three times.
The pigeon landed on his shoulder.
Tilting its head, it looked curiously at Hua Zhiyun, apparently not recognizing her.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Your master sent you a message?”
Chen Dali no longer had any secrets to hide.
He removed the message tube and unfolded the paper.
Only three words were written on it.
Half-shaved head.
Hua Zhiyun blinked.
“Who’s that perverted? They want you to shave half your head?”
She was genuinely impressed.
Looks like she’d found a kindred spirit.
Chen Dali looked speechless.
“Not… me.”
“It’s for you, Grandma.”
Hua Zhiyun clicked her tongue.
“How unlucky.”
She casually tossed him a small dagger.
“Here.”
“Shave it right here.”
“So you can report back.”
Chen Dali didn’t even dare catch the dagger.
He leaped backward nearly ten feet.
“Please spare me, Grandma!”
“I wouldn’t dare!”
“I’ll go shave someone else’s head and report that instead.”
Hua Zhiyun gave him an approving look.
“At least you know what’s good for you.”
“Show me afterward.”
Then something occurred to her.
“What do you think of Li Shi’s hair?”
Chen Dali raised an eyebrow.
“…”
So vicious.
The woman had already lost an eye.
Lost a daughter.
Her husband had become crippled.
And Hua Zhiyun still wasn’t satisfied.
Now she wanted her hair.
He had seen plenty of heartless people.
Never one this heartless.
As long as they weren’t shaving his head…
Anyone else’s was fine.
“I’ll arrange it immediately.”
Hua Zhiyun called after him.
“You’re really not eating the roast pigeon?”
Chen Dali dropped to his knees.
“Please spare it!”
“It’s a carrier pigeon.”
“If you eat it, messages can’t be delivered.”
“The master will notice.”
Hua Zhiyun shrugged regretfully.
“I was joking.”
“Next time, get me a few ordinary pigeons.”
“When I feel like eating one, I’ll just butcher it.”
Chen Dali: “…”
Had she declared war on pigeons?
Chen Dali summoned Li Shi over.
He offered her two steamed buns in exchange for shaving her head.
She refused.
If her hair were shaved, she’d look like a nun.
She didn’t want that.
Chen Dali toyed with the razor.
“Do you think you have the right to refuse?”
Despair filled Li Shi’s face.
Clutching her hair desperately, she suddenly had an idea.
“My hair isn’t nice…”
“If you want hair…”
“Go shave the Princess Consort’s!”
“Her hair is black, shiny, smooth as silk…”
Smack!
A slap sent Li Shi crashing onto the ground, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.
Without another word, Chen Dali ordered his men to pin her down.
Then he began shaving.
“So you even know how to divert trouble onto someone else.”
“No wonder they specifically asked for your hair.”
“You brought this on yourself.”
This woman was no saint either.
Li Shi suddenly understood.
“It was Hua Zhiyun!”
“That bitch told you to do this, didn’t she?”
“You useless men, being ordered around by a female convict—”
“Shut up.”
Smack!
Another slap.
Her ears rang.
Her cheeks burned.
She no longer dared say another word.
Two slaps were enough punishment for one meal.
Soon, half her hair was gone.
One side remained.
The other was shaved clean.
The cut hair was placed inside a box and brought to Hua Zhiyun for inspection.
As for Li Shi…
Beaten until even her parents might not recognize her…
She grabbed Chen Dali’s robe as he walked away.
“My… my buns…”
Chen Dali kicked her away without hesitation.
“Couldn’t cooperate nicely?”
“And you still want steamed buns?”
“Go eat shit!”
Li Shi lay on the ground, tears of regret mixed with blood streaming down her face.
Too much.
This was too much.
May these people all die horrible deaths!
Hua Zhiyun looked at the severed hair.
Right in front of Chen Dali, she sprinkled a little powder over it.
His expression changed.
“What is that?”
“Just a little itching powder.”
“It’ll make someone itch all over for ten days to half a month.”
“Consider it a small gift for the person behind you.”
She corked the bottle and kindly warned him,
“Don’t touch it.”
“Unless you want to scratch yourself until you’re covered in bloody wounds too.”
Chen Dali barely dared breathe.
Terrified he’d somehow contaminate himself.
He quickly closed the box and had someone deliver it to the designated location in the capital.
Then he immediately went to wash his hands.
Just in case.
As for the carrier pigeon, after feeding it some grain and water, Chen Dali tied a reply to its leg and released it.
Chu Linzhang silently gave Bai Lian a look.
The next second—
The pigeon dropped straight into the trees.
A large hand reached down and picked it up.