The young girl pulled and tugged at Shen Ying, causing the gold and silver treasures she had brought out from the palace to scatter all over the ground.
“Where did you steal these from!”
Without giving Shen Ying any chance to explain, the girl began shouting loudly. “Come quickly! Catch the thief! Hurry and seize this intruder who has stolen from our household!”
A cold glint flashed across Shen Ying’s eyes. She made her decision instantly, picked up a gold hairpin, and drew it swiftly across the girl’s neck.
It is a law of nature that those who do not act in their own interests will be abandoned by heaven and earth.
Shen Ying understood perfectly well that the young girl was entirely innocent.
But could the same not be said of herself?
The concept of human rights was a privilege that only existed in times of peace and stability.
Shen Ying struck with speed, precision, and ruthlessness. When she gathered her belongings and prepared to leave, she also took the girl’s official travel documents and identification papers.
It was only after she had blended into the crowd of refugees crowding the city streets that she learned the girl’s name was Liu Ruxie.
She had often heard Third Concubine call her Liu’er, a familiar and affectionate nickname.
The number of displaced people was so great that every shop and business in the area had closed its doors and suspended all operations. Yet Shen Ying managed to make her way out of the city, moving against the flow of the crowd.
The land outside the city walls was even more desolate and barren. Beggars and travelers passing through had stripped the land bare, eating every wild plant and stripping the bark from every tree. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but dry yellow earth and withered branches, creating a scene of utter bleakness and decay.
“Little Prince, let us head south. Perhaps along the way, we will still be able to find and reunite you with your remaining family members.” Shen Ying had given this much thought. With urgent work ongoing to build and maintain water control projects, the imperial court had dispatched large numbers of laborers to the southern regions. After what had happened to the family of Imperial Consort Wan, if any of them had managed to survive, it was highly likely that they were now in the south.
During the days she had spent in the household of Master Chen, she had learned that Imperial Consort Wan had indeed passed away tragically, and her remains were not permitted to be buried within the imperial mausoleum.
As for Qianxi, no one in the household seemed to know who she was, so Shen Ying had not dared to ask questions about her for fear of drawing unwanted attention.
However, it appeared that the coachman who had been tempted by greed had likely confessed everything he knew. As a result, government forces had been sent westward in pursuit, which had bought Shen Ying valuable time and space to make her own escape.
Shen Ying deliberately tore several large holes and rips in her clothing, and stored her gold and silver inside a worn, tattered carrying pouch.
Yet even with these disguises, moving against the stream of travelers still drew frequent and curious stares from the refugees around her.
Those hostile and ill-intentioned gazes felt as though they intended to tear her flesh from her bones and drink her blood, giving her the terrifying sensation of being trapped deep within a den of wolves.
Shen Ying knew clearly that she needed to find someone to act as her protector. At the very least, having a strong man travel alongside her would greatly improve her sense of safety and security.
But she could not simply choose just anyone at random, and offering money to hire someone was even more unrealistic. In this harsh and dangerous environment, if anyone caught sight of even a single valuable item in her possession, these desperate and ruthless refugees would tear her apart limb from limb in an instant.
Deciding on her next move, Shen Ying headed straight for the places where free porridge was being distributed. At the official government porridge stations, the crowds were so dense that people were packed together tightly, making it impossible for anyone to move an inch.
Yet the porridge being handed out was so watery and thin that it offered barely any nourishment at all.
Shen Ying was not there to receive food. She had come here specifically to find people—to select those with good character and sound principles, and then win their trust and loyalty so that they would work for her.
The refugees fought fiercely over every small amount of food, coming to blows and leaving each other bleeding and injured just for a single bowl of thin porridge.
Suddenly, she noticed a particularly strong and sturdy man in the crowd. With a single movement of his arm, he knocked two aggressive men to the ground. His voice boomed like thunder as he shouted out in warning. “Anyone who refuses to follow the rules can go hungry! If you are willing to abandon your dignity and humanity just for a mouthful of food, you might as well be thrown into a cooking pot and boiled up to feed everyone else—at least that way you would serve some purpose!”
It was the middle of winter, yet he wore no shirt or upper garments. His skin was a deep bronze color, and his body was covered in well-defined, powerful muscles, giving him the imposing presence of a large brown bear.
Shen Ying had found the capable and strong ally she had been looking for in this gathering of people. She was already planning how to push her way through the crowd and strike up a conversation with him when the man turned around and their eyes met directly.
In an instant, the fierce and stern expression on his rough features softened completely, as if he had just made an incredible new discovery. “Sister Yingying!”
Shen Ying was taken aback by this greeting. The original owner of her body had entered the palace to work as a servant when she was only seven years old, and most of her memories were filled with the hardships and struggles she had endured within the imperial grounds.
She had absolutely no recollection of ever having met this large, sturdy man before.
“It’s me! Your cousin, Wei Jinhu!”
The man pushed his way forcefully through the crowd until he stood right in front of Shen Ying. He was more than a head taller than her, towering over her by a significant margin.
Shen Ying looked up at Wei Jinhu, who was grinning broadly with a simple and honest expression on his face, yet she still felt completely confused and uncertain.
“Don’t you remember?” Wei Jinhu continued. “Toward the end of last year, you were supposed to return to your hometown to prepare for your marriage, weren’t you? They sent your portrait to the county government office, and I was the one who went there to collect it!”
Hearing this, Shen Ying realized that he really was related to her by blood.
“Then how did you end up here as well?” Shen Ying stepped back slightly, putting some distance between themselves and the dense crowd of people.
The hometown of the original owner of her body was located more than eight hundred li from the capital city along official roads, and it was also quite far away from the southern regions. The devastating floods should not have affected that area at all, so there was no reason for anyone from there to flee all the way to the capital seeking refuge.
“That place called Rong County is no place for ordinary people to live in peace and safety. Government officials all protect and cover for one another, and they form corrupt alliances with wealthy merchants for their own gain. It is truly a good thing that you never went back there. If you had returned, there is no telling which powerful family might have seized you and forced you to become a concubine or servant.”
Wei Jinhu spoke with deep contempt and anger in his voice. From his words, Shen Ying understood that the terrible events surrounding Imperial Consort Wan had not yet spread or become known in their hometown.
Her cousin also had no idea that she had just escaped from the imperial palace and was now a fugitive from the law!
Shen Ying thought to herself that the imperial government was currently too busy dealing with its own crises and problems to pay any attention or concern to someone as seemingly insignificant and unimportant as herself.
“Sister Yingying, this child you are carrying… Where did he come from?”
As Wei Jinhu asked his question, he also leaned forward and reached out his hand to gently touch and stroke the little prince’s face.
Shen Ying immediately turned her body slightly, instinctively moving to shield and protect the child. “He is the son of a dear friend who has passed away.”
After speaking, she deliberately adopted a cold and distant manner, turned around, and began walking steadily toward the south.
Wei Jinhu followed closely behind her, holding a chipped and broken porridge bowl in his hands. “Sister Yingying, the capital city is behind us. Where exactly are you heading now?”
Shen Ying continued walking without stopping and did not answer his question. She moved forward at a fast pace, covering a considerable distance in a very short time.
“Sister Yingying!”
Seeing that he was being left far behind, Wei Jinhu stopped in his tracks looking discouraged and lost. Only then did Shen Ying turn her head to look back at him. “I am going home.”
“What? But it is more than eight hundred li away!”
In reality, it was far more than eight hundred li. To travel all the way to the southern regions, they would have to cover an additional five hundred li beyond that distance.
“My parents passed away when I was still very young. When I sent my portrait back to Rong County, I also entrusted two hundred taels of silver to the government officials there. Did none of the messengers or officials ever mention this to you?”
Shen Ying made up this story on the spot, and upon hearing it, Wei Jinhu clenched his large fists tightly in anger, his teeth grinding together with rage. “Those low-down, good-for-nothing scoundrels! I knew it from the very beginning—there is not a single honest or decent person among them!”
Now there was no need for Shen Ying to urge him to continue their journey. Wei Jinhu strode forward with long, powerful steps, leading the way ahead of her. “How dare they embezzle and steal money that was sent back from within the imperial palace! They are going to pay for this with their lives!”
Qianxi had always said that Shen Ying possessed eyes that noticed every small detail and observed everything with great care and precision.
With just a single glance or expression from Imperial Consort Wan, Shen Ying could immediately understand her feelings, needs, and intentions, and she always carried out her duties and tasks perfectly and appropriately.
From the words Wei Jinhu had spoken and the way he had behaved just moments earlier, Shen Ying had already clearly identified his true nature and feelings. He held nothing but deep hatred and resentment toward the government and all those who served as officials.
To harbor such hatred, and yet still have the courage and determination to travel such a great distance all alone, leaving behind his home and everything he knew to seek a new life elsewhere… There could only be one explanation for his actions: he had committed some serious offense or crime in Rong County and had been forced to flee.
Shen Ying’s guess was extremely close to the truth. She had deliberately placed the blame and responsibility for this fictional theft upon the officials of Rong County, all with the intention of giving him a clear target for his anger and a reason to believe that he still had the chance to seek justice and revenge.
Without having to use any resources or take any risks herself, she had gained a powerful and capable bodyguard to protect her along the entire journey.
As they continued walking, the number of people around them gradually decreased. Lying along the sides of the road were the bodies of the elderly, the weak, women, and children who had collapsed and died from exhaustion, hunger, or illness.
Before leaving the city, Shen Ying had purchased a large supply of dry food and provisions. Now, she acted with kindness and generosity, giving away most of what she had bought to those in need.
“Sister Yingying, what does the Emperor actually look like?”
“Is it really as impressive and prestigious as everyone says it is to work and serve within the imperial palace?”
“I have heard that if you choose to remain in service there for your whole life, you can eventually rise to become a senior matron with great authority and influence. You would hold such high status and power. Why on earth would you ever give all that up and choose to return to that poor, remote, and backward place called Rong County?”
Wei Jinhu continued talking nonstop, asking one question after another, while the little prince reached out his small hands and began tugging gently at the hem of Shen Ying’s clothing.
Shen Ying allowed the child to play and hold onto her clothes as he wished, and she also let Wei Jinhu remain full of curiosity and unanswered questions, choosing not to reply to any of his inquiries.
Before they knew it, they had traveled far beyond the boundaries of Jichuan Prefecture. When they turned back to look at the distance they had covered, they could still see the outline of the city walls, appearing small and distant like faint stars twinkling in the sky. They also noticed that three or four refugees had quietly begun following behind them, keeping a short distance away.
“Miss… do you… do you still have any food left?”
An elderly woman with hair as white as snow stretched out her thin, withered hands toward Shen Ying, her eyes filled with deep hope and pleading.
“Yes, I do.”
Shen Ying took out all the remaining food and provisions she had stored away. If they walked for just a few more li, they would arrive at Songxi County, which fell under the jurisdiction of Jichuan Prefecture. Once they reached that place, they could rest, gather their strength, and plan their next steps carefully.
The elderly woman accepted the flatbreads and food from Shen Ying and immediately divided them between a young girl and a small boy standing right behind her.
As Shen Ying turned to continue her journey, the elderly woman’s legs trembled beneath her and she slowly knelt down on the ground in deep gratitude. “Miss, could I possibly entrust these two children to your care? I am old now, and my body has grown weak and frail. I can no longer walk far enough to reach the official porridge stations, and for days I have had to survive by eating nothing but clay and earth. I cannot allow these innocent children to simply starve to death alongside me.”
Her voice was trembling and filled with sorrow and despair. The rags she wore offered almost no protection against the freezing cold weather, and it was clear to see that she would not be able to survive the harsh winter ahead.
The arms and legs of the two children were exposed to the elements, and their skin had turned a deep purple from the cold. Their bare feet were covered in thick layers of mud and dirt.
The young girl appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old, while the boy was likely seven or eight years of age.
Shen Ying turned to Wei Jinhu and asked him calmly, neither agreeing nor refusing the request immediately. “Should we help them?”
Wei Jinhu swallowed hard, looking deeply conflicted and uncertain about what the right choice should be.
He himself had become a refugee, and he knew all too well how difficult it was just to find enough food to feed himself each day. How could he possibly take on the heavy responsibility of caring for two more children?
“I do have some money and resources saved up to ensure we have enough to eat along the way,” Shen Ying added.
“In that case, we will help them!”
Wei Jinhu made his decision with a firm nod of his head. “We will return to our hometown with you, Sister Yingying, and make all those corrupt and evil officials pay for every wrong they have done. Besides, these two children are still young, and they will not eat very much at all.”
Shen Ying stepped forward and gently helped the elderly woman back up to her feet. “Granny, he will take good care of these two children for you. You can rest assured and have no worries on your account.”
The elderly woman expressed her endless gratitude and thanks again and again. Shen Ying had made this decision with clear thought and careful calculation.
The journey ahead was long, difficult, and full of dangers. Having more people traveling together meant greater strength, security, and confidence.
Moreover, she would need people around her to help with various tasks and responsibilities. These two children, though still young, were old enough to be useful and assist with many different things.
The reason she had asked Wei Jinhu to make the decision and agree to this arrangement was to ensure that he would also take responsibility for their safety and well-being, effectively binding their fates and interests closely together.
Shen Ying was not acting out of simple pity or compassion for people she had only just met. She firmly believed that anyone who could be of use or benefit to her was worth having by her side. With that in mind, she turned away from the elderly woman and continued forward on their journey.
Together, the group of five people formed a temporary team, bound together by shared goals and circumstances.
Songxi County was now clearly visible in the distance, drawing closer with every step they took.