Chapter 50: The Trouble Begins

Bai Bohan held Cui Jing in utter contempt. This scoundrel would go around proclaiming how deeply he loved Song Shiwei, yet at the same time, he got entangled with Princess Anying to frame and harm Shiwei.

What was most sickening of all was that once the Song family's estate was confiscated and ruined, Cui Jing put on a show of having been coerced, spouting hypocritical nonsense about helping to clear the family's name.

True to form, he was a genuine member of the treacherous Cui clan.

"Princess Anying has been punished, and she will undoubtedly vent her fury upon Cui Jing. Do you understand?"

Yang Hu caught the underlying meaning immediately. A malicious, knowing grin spread across his face as he chuckled, "Rest assured, Your Highness, this slave knows precisely what must be done."

He would make certain Cui Jing thoroughly enjoyed these upcoming days of torment.

"Your Highness," the estate steward announced, arriving just then.

He offered a respectful bow and reported, "The Emperor and several other princes have sent a generous assortment of amusing novelties, along with six young women, claiming they are gifts for Your Highness's amusement."

A flash of cold, sharp light crossed Bai Bohan's eyes, but he rose smoothly to his feet and said, "Let us go, then. It is time we entertained these fair maidens. Furthermore, have all those playthings delivered straight to my private courtyard."

His Imperial Father had suddenly deigned to remember his most inconspicuous and neglected son, most likely because the scandal surrounding Princess Anying had aroused his suspicions regarding all the imperial princes.

Sure enough, the steward's next sentence confirmed his suspicion.

"Your Highness, every prince and princess has received rewards," the steward continued. "The greater the favor they currently enjoy, the more lavish the bestowals."

Bai Bohan narrowed his eyes slightly and issued an order, "Steward, conduct a thorough, covert search of the entire manor as a precaution against any contingencies. Moreover, Yang Hu shall accompany me to the Pleasure District tonight; I intend to reside there for the near future."

It appeared that peace and tranquility would elude him for some time to come.

While Bai Bohan amused himself within his manor, Princess Anying, having been returned to her own palace, learned of Cui Jing's treacherous restlessness from Ruyi.

"Your Highness, you cannot imagine—Minister Cui has secretly been bribing members of the princess's estate in an attempt to smuggle goods to that cheap wench Song Shiwei."

Having suffered punishment for the very first time in her life, Princess Anying felt acutely humiliated and enraged, and learning of Cui Jing's betrayal only poured fuel on the fire.

"Bring Cui Jing before me at once to wait upon me!"

Suppressing the searing pain in her body, her fury soared to new heights. "Tell him that if he dares to disobey me in the slightest, I shall immediately dispatch assassins to murder Song Shiwei!"

"Why should Your Highness continue to spare Song Shiwei's life?" Ruyi suggested smoothly. "It would be far better for Your Highness to send men to finish off Song Shiwei and bring back her severed head. Once Minister Cui gazes upon her head, he will surely never dare to oppose Your Highness again."

Hearing this, Princess Anying decided it was a splendid idea.

Previously, she had orchestrated the Qin family, the Cui family, and the local magistrates to eliminate Song Shiwei, yet the wretched girl had somehow managed to cling to life and even dared to seduce her Cui Jing.

"Ruyi, make the arrangements. You must ensure Song Shiwei is eliminated in the shortest possible time, and bring her head back to me."

This time, she wanted to see whether Cui Jing would still dare to defy her when he looked upon Song Shiwei's severed head.

Immediately afterward, she issued a second command: "Pass down the word as well—I intend to launch my uprising as soon as possible and seize everything that rightfully belongs to me."

She had previously considered allowing her father to live out his natural days, purely because he had been somewhat compliant thus far. Now, however, she was determined that he would meet a wretched, agonizing end.

Ruyi was startled.

Masking her inner turmoil swiftly, she lowered her head and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

Prior to this moment, she had assumed the princess was merely venting idle threats. Only now did she realize that the princess was entirely serious about staging a rebellion.

What was she to do?

Rebellion led down a path of absolute destruction with no escape. She did not want to die! She had to devise a foolproof strategy to preserve her own miserable skin and secure a comfortable future.

While Princess Anying was recuperating from her injuries and plotting her turmoil, the various imperial princes were making their own calculated moves.

Some chose to lie low, others continued to vie fiercely with their brothers for supreme authority, while still others secretly maneuvered to win over officials of the imperial court.

A man like Bai Bohan, who spent every waking hour lingering in the Pleasure District, reveling and making merry with courtesans day in and day out, was the one who afforded Emperor Wen the greatest peace of mind.

...

Late one afternoon, Song Shiwei and her entourage made camp near a small mountain village.

Originally, Madam Song and Song Shilan had stubbornly insisted on lodging inside the mountain village, claiming the conditions there would be vastly superior. However, Master Song had flatly refused.

Sitting by the campfire, Song Shiwei cast a detached, apathetic glance toward the sullen-faced Song Shilan, then at Madam Song, whose haggard expression could not conceal her simmering resentment, and sighed softly inwardly.

Days had passed, yet her mother had still not purged her anger nor been humbled by the harsh realities of their fall from grace. If this continued, there was no telling what kind of catastrophe she might cause.

Withdrawing her gaze, she placed a pot upon the iron stand, poured in some water, and prepared to boil a simple pot of gruel. Simple white porridge was still within her culinary capabilities.

Aside from Madam Song and Song Shilan, who stubbornly refused to lift a finger, everyone else was occupied with tasks.

Several bailiffs were patrolling the perimeter while foraging for wild berries and firewood. Song Mingting and Song Mingxuan had gone in search of a water source. Song Mingyu and Song Yue were gathering kindling nearby. Aunt Chun and the others were busy preparing the evening meal.

A simple meal consisting of one meat dish and one vegetable was already remarkably luxurious along the grueling exile road.

The donkey cart was tethered securely to a sturdy tree trunk, the beast calmly lowering its head to graze on the grass, remarkably docile.

Master Song sat beside Song Shiwei, holding a slender twig and sketching patterns in the dirt while muttering to himself from time to time.

After murmuring for a moment, he spoke in a low voice to Song Shiwei, "Shiwei, I've calculated our pace. If we march for another half-month, we should reach Huecheng."

Collecting her thoughts, Song Shiwei lowered her gaze to trace the crude map in the dirt. "Does Father wish to settle down in Huecheng?"

She possessed zero knowledge of any place outside the capital and its surrounding territories.

Master Song cleared the dirt markings away with his hand before replying, "We have already been enduring this exile for nearly a month. Another half-month's journey will place us at a distance not too far from the capital, yet close enough that should any unforeseen circumstances arise, it will make escape far more convenient."

He had to weigh every possible factor for the sake of the family to ensure a calamity like the confiscation of their estate never happened again.

Song Shiwei pondered this carefully for a moment before nodding slowly. "Father, what is the situation like in Huecheng?"

Master Song frowned slightly. "I am not intimately familiar with Huecheng, only that it boasts a major freight port where numerous cargo vessels frequently dock and trade."

Hearing this, Song Shiwei summoned Zhang Hu over.

"Does Captain Zhang happen to be familiar with Huecheng?" she asked directly.

Without prying into improper matters, Zhang Hu answered, "I know a little of it. Whenever we escort prisoners via waterway routes, we occasionally pass through Huecheng and stop there to regroup and resupply."

Motioning for him to continue, Song Shiwei weighed his words in her mind.

Zhang Hu went on, "Compared to other remote regions, Huecheng is considered quite prosperous, with a massive volume of travelers coming and going constantly. Moreover, the entire county magistrate's office there is replaced every three years—sometimes even every year or two. It is said this is done specifically to prevent corruption or unrest from taking root in Huecheng."

While Song Shiwei gathered intelligence regarding Huecheng, Song Shilan finally seized an opportune moment to slither over to Madam Song's side.

"Mother, you have suffered terribly."

Putting on a consummate display of deep heartache for Madam Song, she choked out between faux sobs, "Just looking at your haggard and emaciated appearance breaks my heart into pieces."

The members of the Song family had been marching for nearly a month, and every single one of them had lost weight. Had they not possessed such abundant provisions, many of them would likely have fallen ill or perished from exhaustion long ago.

Madam Song held her in utter disdain and replied coldly, "What scheme are you hatching now?"

Song Shilan sighed softly, feigning grievance. "Mother, you misunderstand me. I was merely thinking that since I am now of age, I wish to ask Mother to help me find a good and proper match so that I might also be of some assistance to Eldest Sister."