Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

"That's medicine! And all medicine has some degree of poison. If it harms our master's health, who can bear the consequences? This isn't just wishful thinking; it's outrageous and utterly despicable!"

This time it was an aphrodisiac, who knows what kind of poison it might be next time?

"The master dealt with her for two reasons. First, she had committed a grave offense: she had rebelled against her superiors and plotted to harm her master."

Secondly, it's also a way to make an example of them, to show those in the manor with ulterior motives what rules and boundaries really mean! Do they really think the Duke's manor is a place where they can do whatever they want?

Liu Wenying listened quietly, her heart churning with turmoil.

So that's how it is. The violence and cruelty she had always perceived actually had such a cause and effect behind it.

That maid not only overstepped the rules, but also crossed the line that her master could not tolerate, plotting to endanger her master's safety.

Even if she were handed over to the authorities according to the laws of the time, it would be difficult for her to be released alive.

And what about herself?

That night, she didn't mean to hit Pei Yaojun, but it was still a real offense.

If he were truly a cruel, tyrannical, and vengeful person, why would he merely suppress the matter, occasionally use it to retort to her, or even let her get into the car to avoid the wind and snow?

Perhaps Pei Yaojun wasn't the arrogant and domineering playboy she imagined.

He was unruly and unconventional, which was a headache for many, but he still had a bottom line of goodness inside.

Liu Wenying's impression of Pei Yaojun underwent a subtle change.

"My godmother is right. I misunderstood before."

Granny Tian patted the back of her hand, "You're a sensible child, it's good that you know some of the inside story."

Liu Wenying nodded, keeping Tian Mama's words in mind.

Suddenly, the carriage jolted violently and came to a sudden stop.

This time the stop was even more abrupt than the one on the way up the mountain, causing everyone in the carriage to stagger and gasp in surprise.

"What happened now? Hopefully the car broke down again this time!"

Granny Tian steadied herself and asked the question outside in an annoyed tone.

The driver did not reply immediately, but they could hear conversations coming from outside.

The people inside the car couldn't sit still any longer and lifted the curtain to look.

Not far ahead of the carriage, the once clear mountain road had vanished, replaced by a vast expanse of white snow.

Huge chunks of snow, mixed with broken tree branches, slid down the hillside above.

The road was completely buried and blocked, and at a glance, it was impossible to tell how deep or thick the snowdrifts were.

To make matters worse, the goose-feather-like snowflakes were falling heavily, showing no sign of stopping.

"The roads are blocked by heavy snow?!"

The carriage of the master in front was also forced to stop.

Soon, a steward was running back and forth to spread the word that an avalanche had blocked the road and it was impassable.

For safety reasons, everyone immediately turned around and returned to Daxiangguo Temple to take shelter until the snowstorm subsided and the roads were cleared before heading down the mountain.

When the news arrived, everyone's hearts sank.

After enduring three days of hardship, just when they were about to return home, trouble struck at this crucial moment.

Faced with the might of heaven and earth, no one dared to utter a word.

Returning to Daxiangguo Temple, the atmosphere was completely different from the relaxed feeling when I left.

The monks in the temple were also aware of the closure of the mountain path and did their best to arrange accommodation for the pilgrims.

The Duke's family naturally stayed at Yunshui Lodge.

I thought this heavy snow was just a normal winter event, and that it would clear up and make the roads pass at most in a day or two.

Unexpectedly, the snow seemed to be relentless, continuing for five days and five nights without stopping, and instead falling heavier and heavier.

The relentless blizzard transformed Yuming Mountain into a completely isolated island.

The heavy snow blocked the mountain roads and cut off all contact with the outside world.

Although the temple still has some charcoal, food, and medicine stored in it, the snow shows no sign of stopping. How long can it last if it just sits around eating away at its reserves?

In addition, the lingering pilgrims and the mixed crowd fostered and spread a sense of unease.

Initially, there was a shortage of charcoal, but the temple had ample reserves. However, the sudden increase in the number of pilgrims staying there far exceeded expectations, causing the charcoal to be consumed much faster than anticipated.

By the third night of their entrapment, the charcoal allocated to the communal sleeping area had run out.

As the last pot of charcoal burned out and was just about to go out, the temperature inside the room dropped rapidly, turning it into an ice cellar.

Liu Wenying was awakened by the cold. Even the thick quilt could not keep out the severe cold. The cold air was everywhere and went straight into her bones.

The maids and servants living with her were also gradually awakened by the cold.

"It's freezing! Where's the charcoal? Quickly, add some charcoal!" an old woman shouted, her teeth chattering.

"Where is there any more charcoal? The manager said that the charcoal stored in the temple is first given to the masters and the sick and weak. We servants can only endure it."

"Endure? How can we endure this? We'll freeze to death!" someone sobbed.

Adults can grit their teeth and bear it, but children can't.

Luo Luo nestled in Liu Wenying's arms, her little face cold and her breath faint.

Liu Wenying felt a pang of heartache and quickly hugged her tightly, warming her with all her body heat.

Remembering that he had brought spare ginger syrup with him before leaving home, he scooped a little with his fingertip and smeared it on Luo Luo's mouth, hoping to dispel some of the coldness.

The ginger warmed her up, and Luo Luo stopped trembling, but it was ultimately a drop in the ocean.

Liu Wenying was not one to sit idly by and wait for death. She looked out the tightly closed window at the hazy shadows of the trees, where branches broken by the weight of snow occasionally fell.

If there's no charcoal, why can't we gather firewood and start a fire ourselves?

The Daxiangguo Temple is built against the mountain and surrounded by forests. Even if the mountain is blocked by heavy snow, you can always find usable dead branches and leaves nearby.

"We can't just sit here and wait to get cold. There's no charcoal in the temple, so we can gather firewood and start a fire ourselves," Liu Wenying suggested.

As soon as she spoke, there was a moment of silence in the darkness, followed by several sneers and doubts.

"Gather firewood? The snow is so heavy outside, we'll freeze to death, where are we going to gather it?"

"Exactly, even if you find it, it'll be wet and won't light!"

"Nanny Liu, you're taking care of the child, so don't bother with all that. Save your energy."

Most people chose to back down, preferring to huddle together and shiver rather than go out into the wind.

Liu Wenying knew that words alone were useless; she had to lead by example.

"Okay, I'll go scout ahead first. Is there any sister who'd like to come with me? More people means more help, and we can bring back more items so everyone can stay warm."

After a moment of silence, two old women came out and agreed to help.

"Instead of shivering indoors, it's better to go outside and get some warmth!"

Cuihua also wanted to go, but Liu Wenying persuaded her not to.

"It's too cold outside. Could you please look after Luo Luo for me?"

She didn't trust anyone else to take care of the child, except Cuihua.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely keep an eye on Luo Luo."

Liu Wenying handed Luoluo to Cuihua, wrapped herself tightly in all the clothes she could wear, and plunged into the biting cold outside.

Outside, it was late at night, and the air was thick with cold.

Liu Wenying and two other servants, persuaded by her, carried a lantern that was barely enough to keep out the wind, trudging through the knee-deep snow.

The snow in the temple is shoveled every day, but no one clears it at night, and it has accumulated to this thickness in just a few hours.

At first, the group simply picked up twigs that had been blown down by the wind and were half-buried in the snow near the dormitory.

As Liu Wenying picked up the items, she carefully observed the surrounding terrain and the distribution of trees.

She remembered that there were several tall pine trees near the back wall of the temple, with dense canopies, and the snow under the trees seemed to be thinner than elsewhere.

The three of them moved toward the back wall, and sure enough, as they got closer to the gnarled old pine trees, the snow under their feet was noticeably shallower.

Layers of pine needles piled up. They brushed aside the pine needles and the surface snow, revealing many dead pine branches underneath, which were much drier than those completely exposed to the wind and snow.

The three of them perked up and quickly picked up the items.

"That's enough, that's enough! We can't carry any more!"

The three returned laden with their loot. As soon as the door opened, everyone huddled together inside, trembling, looked over.

Liu Wenying didn't have time to rest and immediately took action.

She first broke the driest pine branches and pine cones into pieces and piled them in the center of the charcoal brazier, then borrowed a tinderbox and brought it close to the pile of kindling.

With a hiss, a wisp of smoke rose, and then flames flickered, quickly igniting the surrounding twigs.

"It's on fire! It's really on fire! And it doesn't even choke you!"

The warmth, rising with the flickering firelight, began to dispel the chill inside the house.

…………