The exile convoy left the capital trailing a foul stench.
Even after they had departed, people continued chasing after them, hurling stones and clumps of mud.
Thanks to her Reflection ability, Hua Zhiyun remained completely unharmed.
The others weren’t nearly so fortunate.
Chu Linzhang, confined inside the prison cart, suffered especially badly.
The cart quickly filled with rocks, mud, dung, and broken pottery.
One stone struck his forehead, raising a large lump.
As for the rest of his injuries…
There were simply too many to count.
The other exiles fared no better.
Every one of them was bruised and battered, with barely an inch of uninjured skin left.
When they reached Three-Mile Pavilion outside the capital, many friends and relatives had gathered to bid the exiles farewell.
They carried bundles of clothing and food.
Some also brought purses of silver, hoping the prisoners could use the money to bribe the escort officers for better treatment along the journey.
Food and water, meanwhile, were for the prisoners themselves.
To Hua Zhiyun’s surprise…
Someone had come to deliver a bundle for her as well.
The woman was unfamiliar.
Although Hua Zhiyun had inherited the original body’s appearance, she hadn’t inherited her memories.
Seeing the elderly maid walking directly toward her, she simply remained calm.
The maid bowed respectfully.
“Princess Consort.”
“The journey ahead will undoubtedly be difficult.”
“Master was afraid you would suffer, so Madam prepared these things for you.”
“Here’s some silver for expenses.”
She placed a heavy money pouch into Hua Zhiyun’s hand.
Judging by the weight, it contained fifty or sixty taels of loose silver.
The maid then handed over a bundle.
“Madam also prepared clothes, shoes, and socks.”
“There are steamed buns, mantou…”
“And your favorite osmanthus cakes.”
She deliberately unfolded the oil paper wrapping.
Inside were fragrant, soft, glutinous osmanthus cakes.
Having gone the entire night without eating, Hua Zhiyun’s eyes lit up slightly.
Only someone who had survived the apocalypse truly understood…
How precious food was.
She picked up a cake and took a bite.
Something…
Was wrong.
She didn’t spit it out.
Instead, she caught the gleam that flashed through the maid’s eyes.
The corners of her lips curved upward.
“Madam prepared these?”
“Yes.”
The maid nodded.
“Madam was worried Your Highness would go hungry.”
“She specifically ordered the kitchen to make them.”
“If you can’t finish them, perhaps you could let His Highness have some.”
“After all…”
“You’re husband and wife.”
“I see.”
Hua Zhiyun picked up another cake.
“Nanny, you’ve worked so hard.”
“You must be hungry too.”
“Why don’t you have one?”
She held the cake to the maid’s mouth.
The maid’s face immediately changed.
“W-We’re servants…”
“How could I possibly steal the princess consort’s food?”
“No need to be polite.”
Hua Zhiyun smiled brightly.
“I’m rewarding you.”
“Eat.”
The maid desperately shook her head.
Before she could refuse again—
Hua Zhiyun forcefully stuffed the cake into her mouth.
“Mmmph! Mmph!”
“You don’t need to be shy.”
“I’ve already fed you.”
“Don’t refuse my kindness.”
She force-fed the maid exactly as though she were fattening a goose.
Whether the maid wanted to eat or not…
She had no choice.
Two cakes disappeared down her throat.
Immediately afterward, the maid struggled wildly, trying to vomit them back up.
Hua Zhiyun held her firmly.
There wasn’t the slightest chance of escape.
After retching for a long while without success, the maid finally cried out,
“Princess Consort!”
“Why are you harming me?”
“Because I wanted to.”
Hua Zhiyun laughed.
“What can you do about it?”
“If you wanted to poison me…”
“You should’ve first asked whether you were capable.”
The maid’s eyes filled with hatred.
“It was Master’s order!”
“You ate some too!”
“If I die…”
“You’ll die with me!”
“Why?”
Hua Zhiyun genuinely wanted to know.
The Hua family had barely been mentioned in the novel.
They weren’t part of the main cast.
Earlier, while looting corrupt officials, she had intentionally spared the Hua estate.
Now…
She regretted that decision.
The Hua family had never intended to let her survive the journey into exile.
The poisoned cakes had been sent specifically to kill her.
Since death was inevitable, the maid no longer concealed the truth.
“The Hua family cannot have criminals.”
“You’ve been sentenced to exile.”
“You’ve disgraced the family.”
“Master and Madam cannot tolerate someone who shames our household.”
“I see.”
Hua Zhiyun narrowed her eyes and glanced toward the distant capital.
It looked like…
She wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
The maid had expected to see heartbreak.
Despair.
Betrayal.
After all, the eldest young miss had always cared deeply about her father and stepmother.
Although Madam Hua was merely the second wife…
She had always treated Hua Zhiyun as though she were her own daughter.
The two had appeared as close as mother and daughter.
Yet now…
There was no sorrow.
No anger.
No unwillingness.
The maid couldn’t understand it.
Before she could ask another question—
A sharp pain twisted through her stomach.
She clutched her abdomen and crouched on the ground.
Hua Zhiyun waved toward the servant who had accompanied the maid.
“Nanny doesn’t look well.”
“Hurry and take her to a physician.”
Seeing the maid’s deathly pale complexion, the servant dared not delay.
After apologizing to Hua Zhiyun, he helped the maid into the carriage and hurried away.
Inside the carriage…
The maid suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
She collapsed.
And never got up again.
The poison inside the osmanthus cakes wasn’t especially potent.
It was a slow-acting toxin.
Normally, it would only take effect after someone finished the entire box.
Eating one or two pieces wouldn’t cause any problems.
That was…
If Hua Zhiyun hadn’t secretly added another poison.
Could she?
Of course she could.
The cakes she’d fed the maid had been enhanced.
One piece—
Death within two hours.
Two pieces—
Death within the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
The maid never even made it to the clinic.
When the servant finally pulled back the carriage curtain…
He found her staring wide-eyed in death.
He was so frightened he fell backward onto the ground.
Before long…
Master Hua and Madam Hua learned that the maid had died.
After hearing she had eaten the osmanthus cakes, Madam Hua frowned.
“Those cakes were prepared for the princess consort.”
“Why did Wang Nanny eat them?”
“The princess consort fed them to her.”
The servant answered truthfully.
Master Hua and Madam Hua exchanged a glance.
They dismissed the servant.
As for Wang Nanny…
They would simply spend a little money to bury her.
Once the servant had left, Madam Hua asked,
“Do you think she discovered the poison?”
“Impossible.”
Master Hua shook his head confidently.
“The poison I obtained is colorless and odorless.”
“As long as none of us says anything…”
“She could never know.”
“Wang Nanny wasn’t greedy.”
Madam Hua knew her personal maid well.
She had specifically instructed Wang Nanny to place the cakes directly into Hua Zhiyun’s hands.
She had even reminded her to encourage Hua Zhiyun to share them with Prince Chu.
Someone higher up had already given the order.
Neither Prince Chu nor his wife was to reach the place of exile alive.
“If she wasn’t greedy…”
A smiling voice suddenly sounded behind them.
“…then what kind of person was she?”
Master Hua and Madam Hua froze.
Hua Zhiyun casually removed an invisible raincoat.
It was one of the treasures stored inside her dimensional space.
In the apocalypse, wearing it rendered its user invisible to zombies.
It worked equally well on humans.
Thanks to this invisible raincoat…
She had quietly slipped away from the exile convoy.
And returned to settle accounts with her scumbag father and vicious stepmother.
Master Hua and Madam Hua spun around.
The moment they saw Hua Zhiyun standing there, they turned deathly pale.
“Y-You…”
“Weren’t you sent into exile?”
“How are you here?”
Hua Zhiyun smiled.
“I received Father and Mother’s thoughtful gift.”
“I was deeply touched.”
“So I came back…”
“…to thank you personally.”
She took out the remaining twelve osmanthus cakes.
“They taste wonderful.”
“I ate one.”
“Wang Nanny ate two.”
“The twelve left over…”
“You two can split them.”
Master Hua shouted,
“Guards!”
Hua Zhiyun laughed.
“Don’t bother.”
“I already knocked them all unconscious.”
“No one’s coming.”
Fear flashed across Master Hua’s face.
Madam Hua hurriedly spoke.
“L-Listen to Mother…”
“It was all Wang Nanny’s idea.”
“We didn’t poison the cakes.”
“She did.”
Hua Zhiyun sneered.
“You think I’m that easy to fool?”
Without another word…
She reached behind her—
Or rather, into her dimensional space—
And pulled out a three-year-old boy.
Pinching his cheeks open, she held a cake to his mouth.
“If you won’t eat…”
“How about letting your precious son eat instead?”
The cake was just about to enter the child’s mouth.
Madam Hua immediately dropped to her knees.
“No!”
“He’s your younger brother!”
“You can’t do this!”
“My mother only gave birth to me.”
“I have no brothers or sisters.”
The original Hua Zhiyun’s mother had died in childbirth while trying to have a second child.
Both mother and baby had died.
Only six months later…
The current Madam Hua entered the household.
She was the original wife’s paternal cousin.
People always claimed the sisters had been exceptionally close.
Now that Hua Zhiyun thought about it…
The original wife’s death seemed highly suspicious.
“He’s your father’s son.”
“You share the same father.”
“How is he not your brother?”
Master Hua had fathered the boy late in life.
He treasured him immensely.
“I don’t acknowledge him.”
Hua Zhiyun smiled coldly.
“Enough talking.”
“So…”
“Are you eating these cakes or not?”
Master Hua refused.
Without hesitation, Hua Zhiyun shoved one cake into the little boy’s mouth.
Instinctively, the child began swallowing.
Madam Hua screamed in terror.
“I’ll eat!”
“I’ll eat, all right?!”
Filled with maternal desperation, Madam Hua wolfed down the six cakes that belonged to her.
She wasn’t worried.
She had the antidote.
After finishing, it was Master Hua’s turn.
Seeing him hesitate, Madam Hua whispered anxiously,
“Eat.”
“We have the antidote.”
The last three words were spoken so softly that only the two of them could hear.
Master Hua’s eyes brightened.
Relieved, he quickly swallowed one cake after another.
Hua Zhiyun read every word from their lips.
She sneered inwardly.
An antidote?
Sorry.
It no longer exists.
The poison inside the osmanthus cakes…
Had already been upgraded.