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“Hah! You have urgent business? Speak, and we’ll report it for you!”
The gate guards clearly didn’t believe Sheng Dehai’s words. One of them kicked him to the ground again.
“Cough… I… really… must see the Chancellor…”
Sheng Dehai spat out a mouthful of blood from the beating, but he still pleaded desperately.
In truth, he had no idea about any great secret of the main family. But this was the only way he could think of to see the Grand Marshal.
These soldiers had dealt with countless prisoners trying the same tricks. They saw through him instantly.
Without hesitation, one of them pulled out a whip and lashed it across his body.
“Stop trying to play games! I’ve seen too many criminals use this excuse to get close to the Chancellor!”
Crack—Crack—Crack—
“Agh… It hurts! Stop hitting me! I… I need to see the Chancellor…”
Crack—Crack—Crack—
“Ugh… I… I must… I must see…”
Crack—Crack—Crack—
“Wuwuwu… No… Stop… I… I won’t see anyone… I won’t see anyone…”
Sheng Dehai was beaten until his flesh was torn and bloody. Filthy water and food scraps tangled in his hair and clothes, spilling all over the ground. He lay there like a pile of rotten meat.
“Hmph! Do you still think you’re some high-and-mighty Imperial Physician? Know your place! Keep making a fuss, and I’ll make sure my whip teaches you a lesson!”
The deputy commander of the Imperial Guards had deliberately used Sheng Dehai as an example to instill fear. He struck him one last time before sweeping a sharp gaze over the people of the Qin Prince’s residence.
As expected, the nobles and servants who had been crying and shouting earlier were all silenced, too afraid to make another sound.
The grand estate of the Qin Prince fell into an eerie silence…
Just moments ago, news of a theft in the imperial palace had spread. The Empress Dowager urgently summoned the Imperial Guard commander to protect the palace.
Zheng Jichang’s carefully laid-out plan fell apart, and he ended up covered in trouble instead.
Leaving a few deputies to guard the Qin Prince’s household, he took a group of soldiers and left with a grim expression.
Those deputies had originally come hoping to extort some valuables from the Qin Prince’s estate.
However, after searching every corner of the residence, they found nothing of worth.
The walls and floors were so clean that even a fly would slip on them!
Their expressions were as dark as the night itself, looking just as miserable as the fallen Sheng family.
The Qin Prince’s household wasn’t the only place targeted by thieves that night. The Imperial Guards didn’t specifically trouble them over it.
Instead, they seemed to be acting on higher orders—skipping unnecessary steps, rushing to get the Sheng family on the road to exile as soon as possible.
After counting the people and ensuring no one was missing, the guards force-fed knockout drugs to every able-bodied man in the household.
Then, armored soldiers and stern-faced female officials stepped forward to search and change everyone’s clothes.
There was no time to torment the Sheng family further—every step of the process moved at lightning speed.
Sheng Nanxi barely had time to blink before her soft silver fox fur coat was replaced with a musty-smelling, oversized cotton-padded jacket.
Her ever-doting third brother, worried she might freeze, grabbed the biggest coat he could find and wrapped her up from head to toe.
“Achoo—Achoo—”
The rough fabric immediately chafed Sheng Nanxi’s delicate skin, leaving red marks. The musty stench from the jacket assaulted her nose, making her sneeze repeatedly.
“Oh no—did changing clothes just now make Little Sister catch a cold?”
Sheng Yichen felt the little bundle in his arms shivering uncontrollably. Startled, he didn’t even bother dressing himself properly and hurriedly threw his own cotton-padded coat over Sheng Nanxi’s head.
Sheng Nanxi: !!!
I appreciate it, really.
A moment ago, it was just smelly—now I can’t breathe at all…
Her little face turned red from suffocation. She balled up her tiny fists and pounded on Sheng Yichen’s chest.
“Ugh… Brother! I can’t breathe!”
“It’s… it’s my fault. Hold on, let me figure out how to dress you properly.”
Sheng Yichen fumbled in a panic, sweat beading on his forehead as he struggled to adjust his little sister’s clothes. Just as he was focused on his task, a sharp flick landed on his head.
“You brat! I told you to take care of your sister, and this is how you do it?!”
Princess Consort Qin, Li Zhenyi, was busy straightening her and the Old Princess Consort’s clothes, yet she still found time to scold Sheng Yichen.
Seeing the red marks on Sheng Nanxi’s neck and face from the rough fabric, her heart ached. She raised her hand and gave Sheng Yichen another flick on the forehead.
“I told you to dress your sister, not wrap her up like a dumpling! How is she supposed to move like this?!”
“Just wrap her body with the coat. If the wind outside is too strong, use your broad shoulders to block it for her!”
“…”
Under Li Zhenyi’s gentle guidance, Sheng Nanxi was finally freed from her suffocating predicament. Finding a comfortable spot, she nestled into Sheng Yichen’s arms, half-closing her eyes.
She didn’t want to keep clinging to her brother all the time. But unfortunately, this tiny three-year-old body got drowsy as soon as night fell. The earlier effort of clearing out all those estates had drained her completely.
Now, her eyelids felt like they had weights attached to them, and even standing upright made her sway.
The Imperial Guards, likely shaken by the night’s endless commotion, seemed anxious to avoid any more trouble.
To speed things up, they only gave a cursory search of the eldest brother’s wheelchair, cuffed everyone with hand and foot restraints, and let them pass.
They didn’t even find the medicine hidden in the Old Princess Consort’s inner pocket, let alone the private stash of money Sheng Yichen had cleverly hidden in his hair, under his feet, and inside the lining of his pants.
All direct relatives of the Qin Prince’s main and second branches were driven out like ducks being herded. The servants, however, were forced to stay behind in the courtyard, awaiting their fate—being taken away and sold by the authorities.
Among the crowd, a soldier reached out to push Yun Jin, the maidservant of the eldest young master. But she gracefully sidestepped, then bowed with quiet dignity.
“Greetings, officer. To be frank, I am the concubine of the eldest young master. However, due to recent events, the household has not yet had the chance to officially register me.”
Snowflakes drifted lightly in the courtyard, and while the other servants looked on with sorrow, Yun Jin stood firm amidst the falling snow.
Like a white plum blossom blooming in the dead of winter.
Unnoticed, in harsh surroundings, yet flourishing nonetheless.
“Yun Jin, what nonsense are you saying?!”
For the first time, a rare trace of anger flickered across Sheng Yuhan’s usually indifferent face as he interrupted her.
With his intelligence, he immediately understood her intention—she was using this claim as an excuse to accompany him into exile and take care of him.
According to the laws of Southern Qi, when a noble family was exiled, their servants would be resold. Many would still have a chance to be bought by a decent household.
At the very least, they would have food and shelter, avoiding the harsh journey of exile. Compared to being banished, that was a much better fate.
Now that the Sheng family had fallen, their journey to exile would not only be filled with hunger and exhaustion but also assassination attempts from their enemies.
Even he wasn’t sure if he would survive the trip. How could he bear to drag an innocent woman into this?
But Yun Jin ignored his scolding, her gaze unwavering, her tone steady—showing not the slightest embarrassment while speaking of such matters.
“Officer, the eldest young master is a man of great renown, merely too reserved to discuss matters of intimacy. That’s why he got upset with me just now.”
“I was raised under his guidance and have always believed that even as a woman, I should act with integrity and honesty. I cannot hide the truth from the authorities.”
“I belong to the eldest young master.
Please allow me to pass and join the exile procession.”