Li Si’s words seemed to be reprimanding the convicts, but anyone with a discerning eye could hear that he was actually inciting them, suggesting they go and directly snatch what they wanted.

The members of the Lu family were furious. Just a moment ago, these officials had stood by, coldly observing, and now they were fanning the flames. It was clear they, too, had their sights set on the treasures bestowed by their ancestor.

Lu Xingyao was so angry that he wanted to step forward and argue, but was held back by Lu Xingyan, who shook his head, signaling him not to act rashly.

Someone in the crowd caught on to what Li Si was hinting at, and suddenly shoved the person in front of them, rushing towards the Lu family. “Everyone, let’s go together! If the Lu family won’t give it, we’ll take it ourselves!”

“They’ve hoarded what the gods gave us!”

“Let’s take back what’s ours!”
The officials following Du Hangwu immediately rushed forward to subdue the convicts, their whips cracking down on anyone they could reach. A few times, the whips nearly hit members of the Lu family.

Li Si’s face showed a smug grin, waiting for the situation to escalate further so that he could seize the Lu family’s treasures. Du Hangwu might be too timid to act, but Li Si was ready to get the job done.

Surrounded by his family, Lu Qing clutched his cane, anxiety gnawing at him. He urgently asked his ancestor for guidance on what to do.
Gu Xingzhao frowned, preparing to intervene. If Du Hangwu didn’t step up, she would.

At that very moment, Du Hangwu suddenly turned, raising his hand, and with a swift motion, his blade flashed. Before Li Si could even react, his head thudded to the ground, blood spraying in all directions.

“Ah-Ah!” A scream erupted from somewhere in the crowd.

Everyone looked over, stunned. Li Si’s body was still standing, but his head was gone. His body fell heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

The scene went dead silent. The women in the Lu family turned pale, some too frightened to look. The entire crowd froze in terror. The accomplices who had sided with Li Si were dumbstruck, unable to move, their feet glued to the ground in fear.

No one had expected Du Hangwu to be so ruthless, beheading his own colleague without hesitation. The sheer brutality of the act sent chills down everyone’s spine.

Gu Xingzhao hadn’t anticipated that Du Hangwu would kill Li Si so directly. It was bloody and brutal-such a waste of a perfectly good head. She sighed, feeling that her lightning strikes were much cleaner-quick, efficient, and without all the blood.

Du Hangwu scanned the crowd with cold eyes, his voice a harsh proclamation from hell: “Whether convict or not, if anyone dares cause trouble again, this will be your fate.”

His every movement exuded an aura of absolute authority.

The other officials, especially those who had worked with Li Si, dropped to their knees, begging for mercy.

“Boss, it was all Li Si’s doing!”
“We didn’t mean to cause trouble! He forced us!”

Especially the subordinate who had followed Li Si earlier. He lay flat on the ground, spilling everything Li Si had said, “Li Si even said he wasn’t afraid of things getting out of hand! He thought you wouldn’t do anything to him because you’re from the same village!”

Gu Xingzhao gave that subordinate a side glance-what a complete betrayal of Li Si. This man clearly wasn’t anyone of good character.

Fear gripped the crowd. They could almost feel their heads teetering on their necks, ready to roll away at the slightest provocation.

Du Hangwu smirked, giving the Lu family a meaningful glance before ordering his men to bury Li Si’s body. He announced that the group would rest here for the night and continue traveling at dawn.

He then turned and left, leaving behind only the heavy stench of blood on the cold wind.

Just moments ago, the crowd had been loud and chaotic, but now it was eerily quiet.

Gu Xingzhao was deeply impressed by Du Hangwu’s actions. If he had only targeted the troublemaking convicts, it wouldn’t have been as effective. By killing Li Si, Du Hangwu had set an example that terrified everyone.

The convicts were now convinced that Du Hangwu was a ruthless man- someone who would kill his own colleagues without hesitation. There was no way they would dare stir up trouble again.

For the other officials, Li Si’s execution was a grim reminder that Du Hangwu wouldn’t show leniency, even to a fellow villager. They quickly fell in line, keeping any schemes or complaints to themselves.
As the disturbance settled, the Lu family found a place to rest, far from the rest of the group. After what had happened tonight, they wanted nothing to do with the others.

Princess Shunyu had seen the entire incident unfold and was shaken by how easily a life had been taken. She was also surprised to see that even Du Hangwu seemed to be acting on the Lu family’s behalf.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, she stepped down from her dilapidated carriage.

The horse pulling her carriage had died a few days ago, and since then, her former attendant had been pulling the carriage by hand. The poor man was already exhausted. Seeing the princess step down, he hurried to stop her, “Your Highness, it’s too cold outside.”

Shunyu waved him off, speaking firmly, “You and Caihe have served me since childhood. Now that Caihe is gone, only you remain.”

Tears welled up in the attendant’s eyes, his throat tightening with emotion. Without a word, he followed her as she approached the Lu family.

Though her frame was still slight, the attendant couldn’t help but notice that something had changed in her demeanor. Princess Shunyu had grown up-she was no longer the sheltered royal who needed constant protection.

At this moment, Gu Xingzhao opened her storage compartment and began pulling out the compressed down jackets. She had bought them in black, and in the dark of night, they were barely visible as they blended into the shadows.

The first to receive the down jackets were the elders of the Lu family. As they held the soft, light garments in their hands, they marveled at how different they felt compared to heavy cotton coats.
Some of the other family members received the jackets but hesitated to wear them. They couldn’t bring themselves to put on something so luxurious, especially when it still carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. They feared their own grime would ruin the fine clothing.

But, without access to water to wash up, they could only sigh, clutching their precious new coats.

The children were less concerned. It was New Year’s, after all, and Lu Youtang was thrilled with the comfortable, warm jacket. She clapped her hands excitedly, urging her mother, “Mom, you should wear yours too!”
Mrs. Xu smiled but shook her head, “Mother isn’t cold. I’ll wear it later.”

Lu Yang’s jacket was much larger than the others, but he didn’t care about the scent or his own smell. He was the first to put his jacket on.

At first, he only noticed how soft and comfortable it was, but soon he felt the warmth spreading through him. Pulling the hood over his head, he realized even his face was shielded from the biting cold. The wind no longer chilled him at all.

Lu Yang was thrilled, “!!!”