With the help of an old man, they were saved from a desperate situation.

A biting north wind whipped up heavy snow, completely covering the prison cart. Su Yunqing's cough grew louder, her body burning with fever. In her dazed state, she could only barely stay awake by clutching Shen Qingci's clothes. Shen Qingci was frantic with worry; her wrists, raw and bleeding from the chains, could only repeatedly wipe her face with melted snow water, softly calling her name.

Just then, an old but powerful voice came from the back of the prison van: "Young man, your wife has caught a cold. If she is not treated quickly, she may not make it through the night."

Shen Qingci looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man with white hair and beard huddled in the corner of the prison cart. Although he was wearing prison clothes, his back was still straight, and his eyes revealed a sharpness that came from years of battle. He was Qin Cang, the former deputy general of the Zhenbei Army. Because he refused to submit to Li Linfu, he was falsely accused of embezzling military pay and exiled to Ningguta. The soldiers in the army all respectfully called him "Old Cang".

"Senior, please save her!" A glimmer of hope ignited in Shen Qingci's eyes, her voice filled with pleading.

The old servant pondered for a moment, then pulled a small cloth bag wrapped in oiled paper from inside his prison uniform and handed it over through the bars: "Here are my treasured ephedra and licorice, which can reduce fever and stop coughing. Boil them with snow water and give them to her." He paused, then added, "I learned some rudimentary medical skills in the army when I was young. If you do as I say, you might be able to save her life."

Shen Qingci quickly accepted the cloth bag, his heart overflowing with gratitude. Taking advantage of the change of guards, he secretly dug a small pit in the snow with a shard of porcelain, placed the medicinal herbs in it, poured in melted snow water, and shielded himself from the cold wind, using the faint daylight to simmer the herbs. After the decoction boiled, he carefully blew on it to cool it, then cupped it in his hands and fed it to Su Yunqing.

Su Yunqing drank the medicine in a daze, and soon her cough subsided and her body temperature slowly dropped. Shen Qingci breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply to the old servant: "Thank you for saving me, senior. I will never forget it."

The old servant waved his hand, looking at him with a complicated expression: "You must be Shen Qingci, the newly appointed top scholar? I've heard of you in the army. You fought against the Xiongnu on the border, and you're a responsible young man. It's a pity that treacherous officials are in power, and loyal soldiers are wronged." He lowered his voice, "The reason why the Zhenbei Army has suffered repeated defeats is not because the soldiers are incompetent, but because that traitor Li Linfu embezzled military pay and sold off weapons. The soldiers can't even get enough to eat, so how can they fight?"

Shen Qingci was startled and quickly asked, "Senior, do you have any evidence?"

A fierce glint flashed in the old servant's eyes. He took out a small bamboo tag from his hair, covered with densely packed small characters: "This is a list of embezzled military equipment that I secretly recorded, along with the signature of the captain who was in charge of escorting the grain supplies back then. As long as this is presented to His Majesty, it will surely expose Li Linfu's true colors!" He handed the bamboo tag to Shen Qingci. "I originally intended to take it to Ningguta and find an opportunity to send it out, but now it seems that you have a better chance than I do to bring down that traitor."

Shen Qingci gripped the bamboo plaque tightly, his fingertips trembling slightly. This small bamboo plaque bore the weight of countless soldiers' grievances, and also his hope of clearing his name. He solemnly said, "Senior, rest assured, if I survive this journey, I will expose Li Linfu's crimes to the public and avenge you and all those who have been wronged!"

Just then, several constables suddenly walked over, staring at Shen Qingci with hostile eyes: "What are you muttering about, kid? Are you up to something?" One of the constables reached out to snatch the cloth bag from Shen Qingci's hand.

"Stop!" The old servant suddenly stood up. Although he was old, he was still imposing. "These are just some life-saving herbs. You want to steal them? Have you lost your conscience?" He had been highly respected in the army when he was young. Now, his angry glare made several officers take a few steps back.

Enraged, one of the constables drew his sword: "You old fool, you dare to meddle in other people's business? Believe me or not, I'll kill you with one stroke!"

The old constable sneered, advancing instead of retreating: "I'm just an old man, my death is nothing to me. But if you dare lay a finger on Supervisor Shen and his wife, one day when Supervisor Shen's name is cleared, I will make you pay for your crimes in blood!" He glanced at the constables, "You're nothing but Li Linfu's lackeys, do you really think he can protect you forever?"

The officials exchanged glances, a sense of dread creeping into their hearts. Although they were acting under Li Linfu's orders, they feared being silenced if their plan was exposed. After a moment's hesitation, they reluctantly sheathed their knives and walked away, cursing under their breath.

With the crisis temporarily averted, Shen Qingci thanked the old servant again. The old servant sighed, "Ningguta is a harsh and desolate place. We exiles are nothing more than lambs to the slaughter. If we want to survive and seek revenge, we must support each other." He looked at Shen Qingci and Su Yunqing, "From now on, I will do my best to protect you. When the time is right, we will find a way to escape from here and present the evidence to His Majesty."

Shen Qingci nodded, a warm feeling welling up inside him. In this desperate situation, the old servant's appearance was like a ray of light, illuminating his path forward. He looked at Su Yunqing, who was gradually waking up beside him, and then at the bamboo token in his hand, secretly vowing: no matter how difficult the road ahead, he would lead Yunqing and the old servant out of Ningguta alive, and make that traitor Li Linfu receive the punishment he deserved!

The wind and snow continued, and the prison van continued its journey north, but the atmosphere inside the van was no longer one of despair and death, but rather one of warmth, mutual support, and a shared determination to fight.