Chapter 9: The Exile Begins 

The Old Princess turned a deaf ear, her piercing gaze fixed solely on Shang Ruoyi. 

Shang Ruoyi froze for a moment upon hearing those words. Truth be told, from the day she married into the Royal Mansion, she had resolved to find an opportunity to divorce He Jingheng and regain her freedom. Having lived two lifetimes, all she wanted was to live unbound and unrestrained, like a bird soaring in the sky or a fish leaping in the vast sea. 

But now, with He Jingheng severely injured and unconscious, the only remaining male heir of the Dingguo Prince Residence was the cowardly He Qinian. Relying on him for care during the exile journey was nothing short of a fool’s dream. 

For these noblewomen to survive and reach the exile destination was practically impossible. 

Yet, watching loyal and good-hearted people march to their deaths—whether in her past life or this one—was something she simply couldn’t bear. 

She met the Old Princess’s gaze with unwavering determination and said, “Since I married into the Royal Mansion, I am part of this family. How could I flee for my own survival at a time like this?” 

The Old Princess’s expression softened, and a rare hint of a smile appeared. “Good! From today onward, Shang Ruoyi is my officially recognized granddaughter-in-law. If anyone dares to insult her again, they’ll have me to answer to!” 

Zhang Yiniang’s face twisted several shades at these words, but in the end, she remained silent. 

Though the Dingguo Prince Residence had been sealed and they were now prisoners, the Old Princess was still her mother-in-law—how could she dare to defy her? 

The Princess Consort stared anxiously at the lead Prison Wagon, tears streaming uncontrollably. “What will happen to Heng’er?” 

The Old Princess frowned deeply and slowly closed her eyes. 

When they arrived at the outskirts of the city, a group of soldiers stood under the shade of trees, fanning themselves impatiently. Seeing the Prison Wagons approach, one of them snapped coldly, “Hurry up! What time do you think it is?” 

Shang Ruoyi and the others were roughly pulled from the wagons. Zhang Yiniang, failing to steady herself, fell hard to the ground. 

“Aiyo, aiyo!” she wailed, clutching her leg as she sat in the dirt. 

At that moment, a soldier lashed her viciously with a whip and barked, “What are you howling about? Get up now! You think you’re still some noble lady? Let me make this clear—on this exile journey, you’re no different from them!” He pointed at the nearby prisoners, covered in filth and whip marks. “Anyone who disobeys, slacks off, or tries to escape—don’t blame me for using this whip! And if you try to run? Hmph! You’ll be executed on the spot!” 

The sight of the gleaming blade made the women of the Dingguo Prince Residence shudder in fear. 

The last Prison Wagon held the Young Princess of the Dingguo Prince Residence, He Yunyi. 

Shang Ruoyi had barely seen her sister-in-law since marrying into the mansion. 

According to the servants, the Young Princess was reclusive by nature and rarely ventured out. 

Now, as she was thrown from the wagon by the soldiers, her face was deathly pale, and she cowered timidly behind the Princess Consort. 

One of the soldiers leered at Shang Ruoyi and He Yunyi with ill intent. 

No one else noticed, but Shang Ruoyi, highly sensitive to others’ gazes, immediately detected the soldier’s lustful stare. 

She quickly formed a plan in her mind. 

On this exile journey, if the escorting officers wanted to take advantage of the prisoners, it would be all too easy. 

Ensuring they arrived safely at their destination would require considerable effort.  

Just then, two officers dragged the unconscious He Jingheng before the people of the Dingguo Prince Residence. 

One of his legs was already broken, and the other bore a deep knife wound on the calf—likely severing the tendon. If left untreated, the leg would surely be crippled.

“Heng’er!” The Princess Consort threw herself onto him, wailing uncontrollably. Seeing the wound that kept bleeding, she frantically tried to wipe it with her handkerchief but hesitated, afraid of causing him more pain. 

The Old Princess also continuously dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, her heart aching unbearably. 

Even Zhang Yiniang instinctively tightened her grip on He Qinian’s arm, terrified that her own son might end up in the same state. 

Shang Ruoyi crouched beside He Jingheng, feeling his pulse. Her brow furrowed involuntarily. 

His pulse was extremely weak, the wound showed signs of infection, and his body temperature was steadily rising. If left untreated, his life could be in danger. 

But right now, there was no opportunity to treat him properly. 

Still, she could at least give him some fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory medicine. 

The moment this thought crossed her mind, two pills appeared in her palm. 

Could it be that the items in her Dimension could be controlled by her will? 

She tested it again, and sure enough, two more white pills appeared in her hand. 

This was incredibly convenient. 

Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, she slipped the pills into He Jingheng’s mouth. 

Pressing a point on his neck, she made his throat move slightly, swallowing the pills down. 

Just as she finished, the guards shouted loudly, “Up, up! Time to move!” 

The people of the Dingguo Prince Residence were horrified—how could He Jingheng possibly travel in his current state? 

“Master Guard, how can my son travel like this?” Before the Princess Consort could finish, the guard shoved her to the ground. “I don’t care how you do it! If we fall behind schedule, I’ll feed him to the wolves myself!” 

Shang Ruoyi glanced at He Qinian and said solemnly, “Right now, you’re the only one in the He family strong enough to carry him.” 

Before He Qinian could respond, Zhang Yiniang’s shrill voice cut in, “Have you lost your mind? You want my son to carry that half-dead He Jingheng?” 

“Zhang Yiniang, how can you say such things?” the Princess Consort snapped. “Heng’er is the heir—why shouldn’t your son carry him?” 

“The Royal Mansion is gone, and so is his title! Look at He Jingheng—even if he survives, he’s crippled now. How can he carry on the He family line? The only one we can rely on now is Nian’er!” 

Zhang Yiniang’s words drew everyone’s gaze to He Jingheng’s legs, and they looked at Shang Ruoyi with pity. 

A young maiden, newly married, now doomed to a life of widowhood. 

“Even if Heng’er is crippled, he is still the legitimate heir of the He family,” the Old Princess said sternly. “Qinian, carry your elder brother at once.” 

He Qinian, who had always feared his grandmother, quickly stepped forward and lifted He Jingheng onto his back. 

Shang Ruoyi stood nearby and whispered, “Thank you.” 

“Hey, hey! You lot, ready yet?” The guard brandished his whip, though he didn’t strike. The sound of it cutting through the air still made everyone flinch. 

He Yunyi had been quietly sobbing in fear. 

Seeing this, Shang Ruoyi walked over and took her hand. “Yunyi, don’t be afraid.” 

“Sister-in-law…” 

Shang Ruoyi patted her back. “Stay close to me, no matter what.” 

Remembering the guard’s leering gaze, she added in a low voice, “Wherever you go—even to relieve yourself—call for me, understand?” 

“Yes.” He Yunyi nodded vigorously, her anxious heart finally finding an anchor. 

The exiled procession trudged along the outskirts of the city, heading into the distance.

Two figures stood atop the city wall, observing the scene below.

“Your Highness, are we just letting the He family leave like this?” The speaker was none other than Shang Ruoyi’s scumbag father, Shang Nian.

“What else would you suggest?” replied the man in purple robes, a sinister smile playing at the corners of his lips.