Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

Shen Qiongju remained composed and accommodating, indicating with her eyes, "I'm accompanying my aunt to see the clan chief."

"Hmph!" Pei Junchan sneered, "You still have the nerve to show your face?"

Another clansman spoke up, his tone sarcastic and bitter: "If you hadn't stolen the blueprints, how could Zhi Chao have died? And how could we be suffering here?"

Pei Junlan suddenly stood up.

She was still weak and unsteady on her feet. She swayed slightly, and Shen Qiongju instinctively reached out to support her, but she waved her hand and steadied herself.

That's enough.

Her voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Everyone looked at her.

Pei Junlan's gaze swept over the clansmen, cold and calm: "Qiongju saved me. If she hadn't asked a doctor to treat me, I'm afraid I would have already suffered a headache and died in the laundry room."

She paused, then looked at Pei Jundai: "Third brother, Father survived thanks to the money she gave us to hire a doctor. Now that the Pei family is facing a great calamity, we shouldn't blame each other, but rather support one another."

Pei Jundai opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but looking at her eldest sister's pale face and her father's weak appearance, she ultimately kept her mouth shut.

Pei Junchan, however, refused to back down, her eyes red as she roared, "Mutual support? If it weren't for her, how could we have ended up like this! Zhihui wouldn't have—"

"Second Brother wasn't arrested," Pei Zhiyan suddenly said, interrupting Pei Junchan.

Everyone looked at him.

The boy's voice was exceptionally firm: "My second brother is in the prefectural city. Once he hears the news, he will definitely find a way to rescue us."

Pei Jundai's eyes lit up: "Yes...yes! Zhihui has been smart since he was little, he'll definitely have a way!"

Another clansman, as if grasping at a straw, exclaimed, "Yes! Magistrate Zhang's case was based on insufficient evidence, and the conviction was hasty. If we can hold out until the end of the month, we'll definitely be able to overturn the verdict!"

"As long as we live, there is hope," Pei Junlan said softly, as if she were speaking to her people, but also to herself.

For a moment, the oppressive atmosphere in the earthen house eased a little.

Several people whispered among themselves, talking about how Pei Zhihui was so intelligent as a child, how he had a photographic memory, and how his teacher praised him as "a literary genius descended from heaven"...

Shen Qiongju stood at the door, listening quietly.

As she looked at the faint light that had rekindled in their eyes, and at the way they comforted and encouraged each other, she felt as if something was blocking her throat.

They were unaware that Pei Zhihui had perished, and their fate was unknown.

She opened her mouth, wanting to tell them the truth, but the words stuck in her throat.

.

Meanwhile, Pei Zhihui, on whom his clan had placed high hopes, woke up in the backyard of the Wuxian County government office.

He opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar tent ceiling. His whole body ached, especially his ribs and back, which felt like they were on fire.

He tried to move his fingers, and felt excruciating pain.

"Oh, you're awake?"

A casual voice came from beside the bed.

Pei Zhihui turned his head with difficulty and saw a young man in ordinary clothes sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, playing with a jade pendant in his hand, looking at him with a half-smile.

That face...

He was the eldest son of the Shen family, who competed with him for first place at the Imperial Academy when they were young.

"What, don't you recognize me?" Shen Mo got up, walked to the bedside, and leaned down to look at him. "Young Master Pei, you seem to have a bad memory."

Pei Zhihui opened his mouth, but his throat was so dry that he couldn't make a sound.

Shen Mo poured him a glass of warm water, helped him up, and unusually gently said, "Drink slowly."

As the warm water went down his throat, Pei Zhihui took a breath and was finally able to speak: "...Shen Mo."

"Hey, I still remember." Shen Mo laughed, put him back on the pillow, and sat back down in his chair, resuming his lazy demeanor. "You know, what a coincidence that we have. I was sent to this godforsaken place as a county magistrate, and I picked up a half-dead man on the road, and it turned out I found you."

Pei Zhihui closed his eyes briefly: "What are you doing in Wu County?"

"My stepmother gave birth to a son, so I became an eyesore in the capital," Shen Mo said casually. "My father said he sent me here to gain experience, but it was really just an exile."

"And you? Why are you in such a sorry state? I heard you passed the imperial examination last year and became a scholar?"

Pei Zhihui gave a self-deprecating laugh, propped himself up to sit up, and asked, "Do you know what's become of the Pei family now?"

Shen Mo paused, sighed, and then recounted to him the results of the case file concerning Pei Zhichao in the county government and the current situation of the Pei family's exile.

Pei Zhihui's eyes flickered in the lamplight as he calmly addressed the young magistrate, "Magistrate Shen, you're newly appointed. How about I help you establish your authority with these three initial actions?"

.

On their way back from the labor camp, Shen Qiongju and Pei Junlan encountered even heavier snowfall, turning the world into a vast expanse of white, making it almost impossible to see the road ahead.

The worry that had been lingering between Pei Junlan's brows for many days had dissipated considerably. Knowing that her father was still alive and that her brothers and nephews were still together despite their hardships was a great comfort to her.

As they passed through the T-shaped camp, the two quickened their pace.

But just then, three soldiers emerged from a tent. The one in the lead was about thirty years old and, judging by his attire, should be a centurion in the camp.

He seemed to have spotted Shen Qiongju and Pei Junlan early on and came specifically to intercept them.

"Oh, aren't these the two new 'ladies' from the laundry?"

Sun Hu tilted his head, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two of them, finally settling on Shen Qiongju—his eyes were blatant, as if he were sizing up a lamb to the slaughter.

"I heard you're related to that scoundrel Pei Zhichao?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Shen Qiongju's heart tightened.

Sun Hu grinned maliciously and took another step closer: "Pei Zhichao, back then, relying on his ability to improve weapons, he flattered General Weibei and stole the chiliarch position that should have been mine!"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with years of suppressed jealousy and hatred, "Now that he's dead, the women in his family can apologize to me in his place."

The other two soldiers also joined in the commotion.

One of the tall, thin men chuckled and extended his hand to Shen Qiongju: "Commander Sun, these two ladies are truly beautiful, especially the young one. I've never seen such a pretty woman in the entire Dabao Village."

That hand was about to touch Shen Qiongju's face.

Shen Qiongju took a step back abruptly, trying to keep her voice steady: "Sir, we are from the laundry department. We were ordered to deliver clothes to Dingzi Camp, and now we have to go back to report."

She took Pei Junlan's hand and was about to leave.

Sun Hu grabbed her wrist with tremendous force, causing Shen Qiongju to wince in pain.

"What's the rush?" Sun Hu sneered. "Which of those women in the laundry can't have a drink and have some fun with the soldiers? Since you're also women from the laundry, you should know the rules."

As he spoke, he pulled out a few pieces of silver from his pocket and threw them onto the snow at their feet with a "thud".

The silver ingot hit the snow with a dull thud.

"Take it!" Sun Hu said, chin raised. "Have some fun with us tonight, and this money is yours!"

Pei Junlan's face turned pale. She tried to pull Shen Qiongju away, but was stopped by another soldier.

The man reached out to put his arm around Pei Junlan's waist, slurring, "Madam, don't leave. Although you're a bit old, your figure is still..."

"How dare you!" Pei Junlan abruptly shoved him away and shouted.

"Oh, you still have a temper?" Sun Hu sneered. "That scoundrel Pei Zhichao colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country; he deserved to die! The fact that you families are still alive is already a mercy from the imperial court!"

He leaned closer to Shen Qiongju, "If you know what's good for you, you'd better behave. Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead here!"

Shen Qiongju couldn't break free. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. "Commander Sun, I once heard my late husband say that Wang Junzheng would inspect people who violated military regulations due to drinking and women every day. Those who were caught would be punished with one hundred lashes."

Upon hearing this, Sun Hu reflexively stopped.

Shen Qiongju raised her head and met his unfriendly gaze: "Although we are serving in the military, we are on the roster. If you, sir, force me to commit violence, I will take it to the military officer."

She paused, then her voice became clearer, "I'm afraid the general is going to be in deep trouble."

Sun Hu's expression changed.

The tall, thin man behind him hesitated as well, whispering, "Commander Sun, maybe we should just let it go? What if things really escalate..."

"Forget it?" Sun Hu sneered, suddenly tightening his grip on Shen Qiongju's wrist until it ached. "A banished criminal like you dares to threaten me? Even if you make a scene, do you think anyone will seek justice for you?"

With his other hand, he reached straight for Shen Qiongju's collar!

Just then, from the shadows of the tents to the side, a piece of gravel shot out and hit Sun Hu's wrist tendon with a "thud"!

Sun Hu hissed in pain and released his grip.

Shen Qiongju staggered backward, still shaken, and looked into the shadows. A blurry black shadow flashed by, and the silhouette of the turning figure was strikingly similar to that of her deceased husband.

No, her husband is clearly dead in prison. Could it be Pei Zhihui? The two brothers look very similar.

She instinctively tried to move closer to get a better look, but Sun Hu grabbed her arm again.

"Trying to run away?" Sun Hu was enraged and exerted even more force.

"Stop!" A loud shout came from not far away.

The group turned around at the same time.

A man dressed in the uniform of a chiliarch strode in, followed by several personal guards. A sinister and menacing aura emanated from him.

Upon recognizing the newcomer, Sun Hu's expression changed drastically. "Wen... Commander Wen!"

He hurriedly released Shen Qiongju and took two steps back.

Wen Xiujie walked closer, his gaze sweeping coldly over the group before finally settling on Shen Qiongju.

Her wrists were red from being pinched, and her clothes were a little disheveled. She stood there stubbornly, as if looking for someone, but she wouldn't look at him.

"……Oh"