Chapter 37: Deliberate Obstruction by the Yamen Runners

Song Shiwei noticed the state of her family and quickly scanned them, realizing that quite a few were suffering from varying degrees of discomfort. It was clear that they had fallen ill due to being drenched in the rain the previous night and having had almost no sleep. Because the rain had flooded their shelter, the family had spent the better part of the night scrambling to deal with it, only managing to find a place to sit and doze off once the downpour had eased.

"Everyone, hold on a little longer," she urged. "When we stop at midday, we’ll brew some medicine."

No sooner had she spoken than she heard the harsh, vicious voice of Wang Laosan.

"No resting at noon! Keep walking!" Wang Laosan gripped his whip tightly. "You are prisoners, not young masters and misses out on a pleasure stroll. You will follow the rules."

Song Shiwei knew full well that he was doing this on purpose, using such methods to torture them in hopes they would fall ill or die of exhaustion. She gave him a cold, sidelong glance and said calmly, "Are you the captain?"

"Whether or not we rest at midday is not for you to decide."

With people like him, the more you tolerate, the more arrogant and demanding they become.

"Big sister, how can you be like this?" Song Shilan, ever the opportunist, seized the chance to stir up trouble. She put on an expression of deep disapproval. "By offending the guard, you’re bringing disaster upon all of us. If you won’t think for yourself, at least think of the family... ah!"

Song Mingting, despite struggling with a high fever, kicked her over. "Shut your mouth!" he scolded weakly. "Do you think no one sees through your petty schemes to sow discord?"

"Second brother, I'm doing this for the sake of the family!" Song Shilan wailed. "If big sister offends the guard, he’ll make us suffer." *Damn it, why won't these people just hurry up and die?* She loathed them with all her heart.

As Song Mingting prepared to say more, Song Shiwei stopped him. "Second brother, it's not worth getting angry." She added, "Let Song Shilan carry on. Once her hand fails to heal properly and her feet become a problem, she won't have the energy to cause trouble anymore."

Since even their father and the others had developed blisters on their feet, she didn't believe for a second that Song Shilan was spared. The crucial point was that Song Shilan’s feet had not been treated. At the mention of her feet, it was as if a switch had been flipped; Song Shilan immediately began to howl in agony.

"My feet, the soles of my feet hurt so much!" Disregarding her image, she flopped onto the ground, staring at her feet in pain. "My feet hurt so much! Father, save me!" She was certain that the wretched Song Shiwei had poisoned her; otherwise, her feet wouldn't be in such agony. Father Song, however, had no time for her.

Seeing Wang Laosan go over to check on Song Shilan, Father Song caught Song Shiwei’s eye. Now that he was ill, he had to rely on her to handle these matters. As for his three sons... he could only hope they would grow up quickly and help share the burden.

Song Shiwei understood perfectly. She told the group to pause and went to the donkey cart to search for medicine. In reality, she quietly pulled out more effective medication from her personal storage space. She was grateful that she had formed the habit of stashing all sorts of things inside it, trying to gauge its limits; otherwise, she truly wouldn't have known how to manage on this journey. After retrieving the medicine, she gave a pill to each family member, taking one herself just in case.

Hardly had she finished taking the medicine when she heard Song Shilan’s piercing, gut-wrenching scream. "My feet! The soles of my feet are festering!" Song Shilan cried, pointing at her inflamed feet. "Why are they festering? Big sister, why are you doing this to me?" She hadn't noticed anything wrong before, but the moment Song Shiwei mentioned her feet, the pain had become unbearable.

Song Shiwei rolled her eyes ungracefully and ignored her completely. She picked up a water skin to give her family a drink, preventing heatstroke. In truth, Song Shilan hadn't noticed the issue earlier because she had been too focused on scheming against her and the family, obsessively thinking about how to return to Mingdu, causing her to neglect her own physical condition.

The problem with Song Shilan’s feet wasn't just simple inflammation. "They are starting to rot," Zhang Huai remarked, standing nearby with a flat, indifferent tone. "Given the state of things, you'll have to carve away the decayed flesh before applying medicine for it to heal."

"Carve it away?" Song Shilan recoiled in terror, shrieking, "No! Don't think you can use this method to cut off my feet!" She was a woman destined to be an Empress; she absolutely could not become a cripple.

Zhang Huai looked at her as if she were a fool. "Suit yourself. It’s not me who will be suffering." With that, he walked over to the Song family. "Master Song, how is your condition?" he asked politely.

Father Song, sitting on the ground resting, felt slightly better after taking the medicine and drinking water. "A little better." He forced a smile. "I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you for the next few days, Captain."

Zhang Huai sat on the ground and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "It’s no trouble. I came to ask: when will the poison take effect?"

"Probably in a day or two," Song Shiwei said. "The poison requires a dose every few days." If she gave the antidote frequently, there wouldn't be much of a problem—but why would she do that? Zhang Huai felt much more at ease. "If that’s the case, then that’s for the best."

Wang Laosan and his men didn't believe they were actually poisoned. Therefore, only by letting them experience true pain would they realize the truth. Song Shiwei pulled an antidote from her sleeve and handed it to him. "This is enough for half a month. After that, come to me for more."

Zhang Huai thanked her and took the medicine. "What about Song Shilan’s feet...?"

"Whether they heal or worsen, that is her own choice," Song Shiwei interrupted calmly. Hearing this, Zhang Huai understood what he needed to do. "Rest assured, Miss Song, she won't be able to cause much trouble."

Yet, Song Shiwei replied, "On the contrary, it’s better if she keeps making trouble." If Song Shilan didn't stir up chaos, how could she use her to achieve her own goals? Zhang Huai didn't ask further, choosing to comply. The more secrets one knew, the faster one died.

Over there, Song Shilan was still howling, "Father, my feet! What should I do about my feet? Right, you have medicine! Father, you have medicine, hurry and treat me!"

Father Song ignored her, keeping his eyes closed as he rested.

"Get up!" Wang Laosan grabbed Song Shilan forcefully, his tone malicious. "Get up and walk!" If Song Shilan didn't keep moving, the Song family would have a chance to rest, and he couldn't allow that.

Song Shilan, in the depths of her agony, shoved him away and shouted furiously, "You low-life, get away from me! If anything happens to my feet, I will tear you into a thousand pieces!"

Wang Laosan’s expression turned sinister instantly. He raised his hand and slapped her across the face several times. "Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that? Get up and keep walking, or I’ll beat you to death."