RWNEFE -Chapter 96 Grandmother Shen Gets Beaten!

“What if the Third Princess’s people don’t come?” Liu Yanhui asked.

Shen Lanxi pulled out the sixth piece of intelligence.

“Zhou Qiwu’s in-laws are Liu Binglin, the Admiral of the Jinmen Naval Forces.”

Liu Yanhui took a deep breath: “Zhou Qiwu really found a good match for her daughter!”

Shen Lanxi said with certainty: “Zhou Qiwu hates the Shen family too deeply. She will definitely have the Liu family send troops to pursue us!”

Liu Yanhui and Wei Dongzhu looked at the thick stack of intelligence and realized she wasn’t speaking lightly.

“It’s only a matter of time before the Liu family catches up,” Shen Lanxi stated firmly.

The three nodded.

Shen Lanxi looked at Liu Yanhui: “Are you sure about this?”

Liu Yanhui gritted his teeth and said firmly: “I’m sure!”

Shen Lanxi: “After sailing for two more days, our ship will slow down. Then you take a few people and surrender first on Tongluo Island.”

Liu Yanhui: “Understood!”

“Decide among yourselves who goes with Liu Yanhui. Now, get ready!” Shen Lanxi glanced at the ship behind them. Once the three left, she arranged with the ship’s captain to take a small boat to the other ship.

~

“Fifth Brother, how are they?” she asked, referring to the people brought back from the Princess Mansion dungeon.

Feng Wu: “Two are dead, three are in critical condition, the rest barely alive.”

“Most of them are students from Qinglan Academy. Zhou Qiwu and Wang Mingru don’t get along; these students were collateral damage in their power struggle.”

Feng Wu sighed: “Their tongues were cut, some had legs crippled, some hands disabled. Even if they survive, they’re ruined for life.”

He managed the assassination division—killing was always quick, never torturous. Zhou Qiwu clearly derived pleasure from tormenting others. Facing someone like her made him itch to act.

If someone paid him to kill Zhou Qiwu, even at a low price, he would take the job.

“If they hadn’t been locked in the dungeon, they could have been the future pillars of the Great Zhou!” Some people enjoy torturing the talented to assert power; these students were outstanding in the academy, full of potential.

“Fifth Brother, do your best to save them!”

Feng Wu smiled faintly: “I knew you’d say that. The best medicines are already being used on them.”

Their Guigu Valley had some ties with Medicine King Valley; the medicines were from Medicine King Valley.

Shen Lanxi knew Fifth Brother’s temper—tough on the outside, soft on the inside, and especially protective. These were people she had approved to save; he would take care of them thoroughly.

After briefing Fifth Brother on the next steps, she checked on the women from Liu Zhao Village before returning.

Previously, Liu Laohu had said the prisoners would go hungry for three days—but in reality, it was only one day. This morning, the prepared cornbread had already been distributed.

Most of the exiled prisoners were from the capital, and over half were inexperienced with boats. The women, having only ever gone on leisure trips, had been on the boat at most an hour.

Yesterday, hunger hadn’t shown; today, after eating, seasickness hit. One by one, they collapsed in the cabins, vomiting all the cornbread they had just eaten.

“Mother, I don’t want to stay in the lower cabin!”

“Grandmother, I’m dizzy… I feel terrible… am I going to die, please save me…”

Over half of the Shen family were seasick. The other exiles weren’t much better. The cabins reeked of vomit.

“Doesn’t the Shen family have influential supporters? Tell them to let us out!” the refugees complained.

“We’re suffering because of the Shen family! If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be shackled or chained. Maybe we could even be in the rooms above, eating well and sleeping comfortably!”

“Yeah, it’s all the Shen family’s fault. They kept causing trouble, afraid of dragging us down. Meeting them has been the worst luck imaginable—they’re just jinxes!”

“Better get us out now, or don’t blame us for being rude!”

Hearing the threats, the Shen family recalled yesterday’s beating. They couldn’t understand how their family had fallen into this mess.

“It’s all that old witch’s fault! If she hadn’t rushed out screaming, we wouldn’t have been thrown down!”

“Yeah, she offended the constables. Beat her!”

Grandmother Shen panicked, backing away. A porcelain bottle in her arms dropped with a clatter.

A nearby exile’s eyes lit up, and he lunged to grab it.

“That’s mine!” Grandmother Shen tried to snatch it back, but the man kicked her away.

“Nonsense! If I got it, it’s mine! Come any closer, and I’ll kill you!” the prisoner threatened, fists raised.

Grandmother Shen stumbled back, slipped on the vomit, and fell flat!

Madam Miao, standing closest, got splashed with vomit, turned pale, and began retching.

“Mother…” Shen Congwen, ignoring his own seasickness, rushed to help his mother up.

Grandmother Shen could no longer endure and buried herself in her son’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“That old witch only knows how to cry. What good does that do? Will it get us out?”

“If I hear you wailing again, I’ll smash your face!”

Shen Congwen’s face was full of anger, glaring at the prisoners.

“You guys are going way too far!”

The prisoners sneered: “So what if we are? Who’s going to help you?”

“Ha! If anyone were going to help them, would they still be stuck down here with us?”

“Some people just can’t face reality. They rely on old prestige, offend everyone, and then complain!”

Grandmother Shen refused to believe that her freely moving children and grandchildren could not defeat a few shackled prisoners.

“Congwen, all of you, beat them hard! Take revenge!” Grandmother Shen pointed at the person who had shoved her, glaring.

Unfortunately, only Shen Congwen stood up. The others didn’t move.

Seeing only Shen Congwen rise, the prisoners laughed contemptuously.

“So much talk, and you’re all cowards!”

Without the men stepping in, female prisoners each kicked and subdued Shen Congwen.

“That old witch dared let someone hit my man—everyone, attack her!”

A group of female prisoners rushed in, kicking and punching Grandmother Shen.

“Stop! Please stop!” Shen Congwen, in pain, crawled over to shield her.

Grandmother Shen was terrified. The women, afraid she’d yell, shoved a shoe into her mouth, which smelled and felt disgusting with unknown grime.

These ingrates had never appreciated them. Watching her get beaten, no one intervened.

Only her eldest child tried to protect her. She sobbed, regretting favoring her other sons—she should have favored her eldest…

Back on the ship, Shen Lanxi returned to her reading. Occasional cries came from below, but after Liu Yanhui’s warning, even catching a big fish no longer brought cheers—only hushed whispers.

Buckets of fish were occasionally brought to the deck. After finishing her fill, Xiao Xue flapped her wings and flew away.

Nearby, Chun Xue and Qiu Shuang finally relaxed, relieved that the giant eagle had finished killing the fish and was no longer staring at them with predatory eyes.