Feng Zexuan slept straight through till late morning.
She rolled over and groggily grabbed her tablet.
The screen lit up, displaying the time: 10:30 AM.
【Holy crap?! I overslept?!】
She bolted upright.
Her beautiful hair was a complete bird’s nest.
At the same time, Shen Sangsang slowly woke up inside the bridal chamber as well.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she called out internally:
【Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling, what time is it now?】
“10:30.”
Shen Sangsang froze on the spot.
【Weren’t they supposed to come confiscate the estate early in the morning?】
【It’s practically noon already — why hasn’t anything happened?】
Barefoot, Feng Zexuan ran to the control console and opened the plot surveillance feed, only to discover an urgent new video clip.
She tapped it open.
Good lord.
In the video, the Emperor was so furious that the veins on his forehead bulged as he swept every memorial off the dragon desk in one motion!
“Outrageous! A bunch of parasites feeding off the nation!”
“One day, my empire will be ruined by these giant rats!”
Several trusted ministers knelt below him, drenched in cold sweat as they stared at the evidence inside the sandalwood box.
The box contained not only overwhelming proof of the corrupt officials’ crimes, but even more shockingly…
Secret correspondence showing their collusion with the Seventh Prince in a plot for rebellion, along with ironclad evidence that the Shen family had been serving as the Seventh Prince’s financial backer!
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger…”
“Calm down?!”
The Emperor let out a cold laugh.
Murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
“Fine! I’ll ‘calm down’ properly then!”
He violently flicked his sleeve.
“Transmit my decree! The Duke Zhenguo Manor, the Seventh Prince’s residence, the Shen residence, and every official involved on this list — confiscate them all!”
“All family members are to be exiled to Yazhou together. Not a single one is to be left behind!”
After watching, Feng Zexuan clicked her tongue in amazement.
【Hahaha, just as expected — joy is better when shared.】
【This emperor’s pretty ruthless. He wiped them all out in one sweep. The exile journey’s going to be lively now.】
She turned to Shen Sangsang.
“Don’t panic. The confiscation squad is already on the way.”
“Our mission is to accompany the male lead through exile, help him ascend the throne, and conveniently max out his affection level to 100%. Then we can clock out and go home.”
Shen Sangsang clenched her fists, full of fighting spirit.
【Mm-hmm! With you around, Xiao Ling, this all feels super easy!】
“Exchange this first.”
Feng Zexuan pulled up a wheelchair from the system shop.
“A must-have for transporting a vegetable on the road. Makes it easier for you to push Xiao Zhanfeng around.”
“Not expensive. Just 3,000 points.”
【Deal!】
Shen Sangsang exchanged for it without hesitation.
A sleek, futuristic-looking wheelchair materialized out of thin air. The wheels could even be set to auto-drive mode.
Unhurriedly, she washed up, ate the brunch delivered by the maids, then brewed a pot of fragrant tea using spirit spring water and enjoyed an elegant afternoon tea with delicate pastries.
Just as she dabbed the corner of her mouth with a silk handkerchief—
A chaotic flurry of footsteps came from outside.
“Young Madam! This is bad!”
A little maid stumbled into the room in panic.
“People from the palace have arrived with an imperial decree! Soldiers have surrounded the entire manor!”
Shen Sangsang gracefully set down her teacup, utterly calm.
“I understand.”
She rose to her feet, skillfully lifted Xiao Zhanfeng into the wheelchair, and calmly pushed him toward the main hall.
In front of the Duke Zhenguo Manor’s main hall, a sea of people knelt on the ground.
Madam Zhou’s face had gone deathly pale. Xiao Qingqing’s eyes were swollen red from crying, while Xiao Zhanyun clenched his fists so tightly they trembled.
The second and third branches of the family, along with all the younger generations, were shaking like sieves.
Shen Sangsang slowly pushed the wheelchair to the edge of the crowd.
“Receive the decree—!”
The eunuch’s shrill voice sliced through the oppressive silence.
Supporting the wheelchair, Shen Sangsang knelt calmly.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees—”
“Xiao Zhanfeng, Duke Zhenguo, as a high-ranking court official, has engaged in corruption, abused the common people, and committed unforgivable crimes! Effective immediately, his ducal title is stripped, his property confiscated, and the entire family exiled to Yazhou! Thus is the decree!”
The instant the words fell, the entire courtyard plunged into dead silence.
Two seconds later, cries, curses, and pleas exploded all at once.
“What?! Exile?!”
“Heavens! We didn’t do anything!”
Madam Zhou rolled her eyes back and fainted on the spot.
Seeing nobody step forward to receive the decree, Shen Sangsang simply accepted it herself.
Feng Zexuan inwardly mocked:
【Corruption? They couldn’t even confiscate a single copper coin. Corrupted with what, exactly?】
【The emperor’s charges are even more random than the lies I make up.】
Xiao Zhanfeng’s inner thoughts echoed as well:
【Damn it… Why would the Emperor issue such a decree…】
【Sangsang, I’m sorry. I dragged you into this…】
Eunuch Liu waved his hand.
“Men! Confiscate the estate!”
The soldiers surged into the manor like wolves, overturning chests and cabinets.
Yet half an hour later, the leading officer ran back drenched in sweat.
His expression looked worse than if he’d swallowed a fly.
“Eunuch Liu… the treasury… the treasury is empty!”
“Forget gold and silver — there isn’t even a single copper coin!”
Eunuch Liu’s eyes widened.
“Useless fools! How can such a massive Duke Zhenguo Manor have no money?!”
Before long, another soldier rushed in from outside, nearly in tears.
“Eunuch Liu! Bad news!”
“We just received reports — fifteen estates were searched, and not a single coin was found anywhere! It’s like seeing ghosts!”
Eunuch Liu: “…”
He turned toward the kneeling Xiao family members and barked:
“Speak! Where did you hide everything?!”
The entire family looked utterly confused, shaking their heads repeatedly.
“Silence!”
Eunuch Liu’s face shifted from pale to green.
“And you still dare play dumb with me?! Search again! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to!”
Another hour passed.
The soldiers even pried up all the paving stones in the front courtyard.
Aside from dust, they found absolutely nothing.
Eunuch Liu completely lost his temper and could only grind out the order through clenched teeth:
“Forget it! Escort them out first!”
“Men! Put shackles on every male! Strip anything valuable off them!”
The soldiers swarmed forward. Xiao Zhanyun had barely tried to resist before getting kicked to the ground.
Clank.
Heavy shackles locked around his ankles.
The women’s jewelry, the men’s jade pendants and money pouches — everything valuable was stripped away.
Shen Sangsang had prepared long ago, leaving only a few insignificant copper coins on her.
Once the looting was finished, the massive procession was escorted out of the city.
Half an hour later, at the city gates—
More than a dozen exile groups converged there. Hundreds of people crowded together, crying loud enough to shake the sky.
What a “lively” scene.
At a glance, Shen Sangsang spotted Minister Wang of Revenue, Minister Li of Justice…
All familiar faces that Xiao Ling had “visited” the night before.
【Hahahaha, this is killing me!】
After drinking spirit spring water that morning, Shen Sangsang was bursting with energy.
Pushing the wheelchair with brisk steps and rosy cheeks, she looked completely out of place amidst the surrounding atmosphere of misery and despair.
【Wow! Getting to experience mass exile after transmigrating into ancient times — what incredible luck!】
Listening to the whispers and curses behind them, Feng Zexuan raised an eyebrow.
“Hey, your mother-in-law’s looking at you kinda strangely.”
Shen Sangsang turned around just in time to meet Madam Zhou’s cold gaze.
But the moment Shen Sangsang looked over, Madam Zhou instantly switched to a concerned expression.
She stepped forward.
“Sangsang, are you alright? It must be hard pushing Zhanfeng around…”
Before Shen Sangsang could reply, Xiao Qingqing suddenly shrieked:
“What’s so good about it?!”
“If this jinx hadn’t married into our family, how would we have suffered such a disaster?!”
Pointing at Shen Sangsang’s nose, she sprayed insults everywhere.
Shen Sangsang was so angry she nearly laughed.
【What kind of lunatics are these? Your family got raided for treason — what the hell does that have to do with me, a newlywed bride?!】
Madam Zhou frowned and scolded in a low voice:
“Qingqing! Don’t be disrespectful to your sister-in-law!”
Glared at by her mother, Xiao Qingqing didn’t dare continue shouting.
Still, she rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath:
“So unlucky anyway…”
Shen Sangsang felt thoroughly disgusted by the whole family.
【Xiao Ling, can I start cursing them out now?】
“Don’t rush,” Feng Zexuan lazily advised.
“Wait a few days. Then you can become their daddy.”
Shen Sangsang took a deep breath.
【Fine.】
The convoy continued onward.
After walking for roughly two hours, they stopped to rest at a roadside pavilion.
Right then, another group approached from the distance, also shackled and disheveled.
The man leading them wore dusty luxurious robes, yet still carried an arrogant edge between his brows.
It was the Seventh Prince, Li Chengyu.
Beside him closely followed a woman in white with delicate features.
Shen Ruoyun.
Feng Zexuan clicked her tongue.
“There they are. The original male and female leads got packaged together for delivery too.”
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