RWNEFE -Chapter 108 Still So Petty!

When the two children heard her say that, they trembled even harder than before.

“No, we’re not here for revenge!” the braver little boy hurriedly explained.

Shen Lanxi said, “I killed the pirates on the island. Among them there might have been your family members, friends, or even people who helped you. Don’t you hate me?”

Though frightened, the little boy still mustered his courage. “We don’t hate you. Grandma said everyone on the island was bad—evil people. She told us to find a chance to escape!”

“The ‘grandma’ you’re talking about—is she the one who raised you?” If there really was such a person left on the island, Shen Lanxi wouldn’t mind dropping the two children off when they made a temporary stop.

“Yes. Everyone called her the Old Madwoman. When Grandma got sick, they threw her out. Then Grandma died of her illness!” The little boy clenched his teeth; when he spoke of the pirates, hatred filled his gaunt little face.

Another child spoke up softly, pleading, “We can light fires, gather firewood, wash clothes, scrub dishes—we can do lots of work. We eat very little. Please don’t kill us…” After speaking, the child buried themself against the little boy and began to cry in fear.

The women from Liu-Zhao Village all softened. The two children were so thin they looked like nothing but skin and bones—clearly never treated as human beings.

The students from Qinglan Academy were also moved. The children’s faces, wrists, and ankles were covered in obvious scars, reminding them of themselves.

“Let them stay,” Shen Lanxi decided with a single sentence.

The women from Liu-Zhao Village took the children away to wash up. They were diligent women—yesterday, clothes stained with pirates’ blood had already been hung up across the ship to dry in the wind. Now they were scrubbing the deck again. The entire ship was spotless, not a speck of dust to be seen.

“Come inside to talk,” Shen Lanxi said, entering the meeting area first. It was a temporary study set up by the students from Qinglan Academy.

She placed several books she had brought onto the table. Cheng Zheng pointed to himself and the other students.

Shen Lanxi spoke more casually with them than with outsiders.

No matter how talented they once were, wherever they went now, they were regarded as inferior cripples. She treated them like ordinary people. If they didn’t know how to repay kindness, it would be the same as binding themselves in cocoons and cutting off their own way out.

Most importantly, these people couldn’t speak—they wouldn’t reveal her true identity.

“Has Fifth Brother and Third Brother returned?” she asked. She had sent her third senior brother to infiltrate the pirates and, taking advantage of the situation, pass news of Zhou Qiwou colluding with pirates to the Liu family.

Feng Wu brought over a plate of peaches. He had specially picked them from the island for his junior sister.

“Thank you, Senior Brother!” He still remembered that she liked peaches.

Shen Lanxi picked one up and gestured for the others to help themselves.

While sailing at sea, fruits and vegetables were the most precious. Though their lord was polite and generous, they still had to know their limits.

Seeing that none of them took any, Shen Lanxi didn’t dwell on such a small matter.

Feng Wu said, “He’s already passed the message on. He sent word saying he’s following behind us—no need to worry about him. He’s always been cautious.”

Hearing that her third senior brother had withdrawn safely, Shen Lanxi’s mood lifted, and she took a bite of the peach.

The next second, she stiffened. Without changing her expression, she chewed a couple of times and swallowed it, then reached out, picked up another peach, and tossed it to Fifth Brother.

“Fifth Brother, you worked so hard to pick these. If I eat them all by myself, I’d feel bad. You should try one too.”

Feng Wu didn’t suspect a thing. Little Ninth always treated her senior brothers like family—whenever she got something good, she always thought of them.

Mm—

One bite, and his eyebrows twisted from the sourness!

He corrected himself inwardly: this little brat was still just as petty as ever!

Feng Wu kept a straight face, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked out. The moment he stepped out of the study, his face twisted as if he’d chewed three pounds of bitter coptis raw.

So sour it nearly killed him!

Using the excuse of opening the window for some air, Shen Lanxi broke off the half she had bitten and tossed it out, then put the other half back on the plate.

She steadied herself and resumed her dignified, composed demeanor.

“Now, we begin the discussion.”

Cheng Zheng had long had a question in mind. He quickly took out what he had written and handed it over.

After reading it, Shen Lanxi nodded firmly at Cheng Zheng.

Compared to Liu Yanhui and the others’ blind trust in her, Cheng Zheng was much more clear-headed.

He had asked: What if the Liu family doesn’t attack the pirates?

Shen Lanxi replied, “How can one allow a ferocious tiger or hungry wolf to sleep soundly beside one’s bed? Even if the Liu family fears Zhou Qiwou and won’t start a war immediately, they’ll still find a way to wipe out the pirates sooner or later.”

She had solid grounds for this.

“Every year, the Liu family uses the excuse of suppressing pirates to ask the court for silver and to conscript troops. If news of Zhou Qiwou colluding with pirates gets out, what do you think His Majesty will think?”

Sang Guo quickly wrote: Zhou and Liu are related by marriage—officials colluding with bandits, embezzling silver to raise troops!

Shen Lanxi looked at Sang Guo and nodded with satisfaction.

“Exactly. His Majesty already fears military power slipping out of his control. How could he possibly allow the Liu family to deliberately raise troops?” Even if it wasn’t deliberate—so what?

When those above decide to convict, those below could grow mouths all over their bodies and still wouldn’t be able to explain themselves.

“Once the news spreads, it’ll be enough to cost the Liu family their heads!” Shen Lanxi said with certainty.

The people from Qinglan Academy nodded.

Shen Lanxi analyzed further: “This matter will become leverage for the Liu family to control Zhou Qiwou.” Holding Zhou Qiwou’s weakness was equivalent to holding the Second Prince’s. If the Liu family made use of it—

After thinking for a moment, Cheng Zheng wrote: The Liu family definitely won’t have time to pursue us anymore!

Shen Lanxi was already confident about this matter.

Seeing her nod, the people from Qinglan Academy all breathed a sigh of relief.

Though the danger of pursuit from behind had been lifted, who could guarantee there wasn’t a ferocious tiger waiting ahead?

At this moment, she didn’t want to dampen their spirits—let them be happy for a couple of days first.

“You’ve all read military manuals and experienced anti-pirate campaigns. In the next few days, summarize this campaign and write a formal report for me.”

Cheng Zheng’s eyes darted around. He naturally understood that their lord was deliberately guiding them.

What he couldn’t understand was—she was so smart already. Did she really need advisors like them, who couldn’t even speak?

After assigning their tasks, Shen Lanxi went out onto the deck to watch the women from Liu-Zhao Village practice martial arts.

This pirate-suppression campaign had yielded them quite a bit of loot. They became even more convinced that as long as they grew strong themselves, they could survive in this world even without men.

With that realization, they trained even harder.

The two children had already been cleaned up—one boy and one girl.

Over the past few days, the women of Liu-Zhao Village had spontaneously chosen a leader. She was a woman in her thirties, with somewhat dark skin, dressed neatly and efficiently. Her name was Liu Tao.

When Liu Tao saw Shen Lanxi come over, she stepped forward to report.

“The old woman who saved them was kind-hearted. To keep the little girl from being discovered by the pirates, she kept shaving her head and had her pretend to be a boy.”

Shen Lanxi never underestimated any intelligent life.

“Keep an eye on them.”

Liu Tao recalled the first thing Shen Lanxi had said when she saw the two children and immediately understood her meaning.

“Yes.”

As Shen Lanxi turned to leave, Liu Tao hesitated, then spoke up to stop her.

“Lord… can we follow you?”