Shen Xingmian was so tired that she went outside to check. Seeing that there was nothing wrong, she simply went to sleep in the space.

She took a hot bath, cleaned herself up, and then went back to bed for a comfortable sleep.

This was the first time she had slept in a bed since arriving in ancient times. She was so comfortable that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, without even having a dream.

However, she didn't wake up naturally. Shen Zhiheng estimated the time and, seeing that it was time to go out, woke her up.

The moment Shen Xingmian woke up, she was in so much pain that she didn't want to move at all. She even thought about giving up and taking everyone to the deep mountains and forests to die.

She also took a moment to think of the classmate who complained about her mother calling her to dinner. For the first time, she felt no envy, but instead deeply understood the other person's pain and frustration.

Being woken up while you're sound asleep is truly maddening!!!

However, she couldn't blame anyone, because she really had to go out.

Otherwise, if they were discovered, it would be very difficult to explain, and it would be difficult to take any action later in the night.

After all, nighttime security is not very strict now, precisely because the prisoners are relatively well-behaved and have not made any attempts to escape.

If the officials discover something amiss and start keeping a close watch on them, it will be troublesome.

Shen Xingmian resignedly accepted the second layer of "unbearable pain"—the dirty clothes she had worn for several days...

She just washed herself clean!

Waaaaah.

When she went outside, she felt like she had lost her soul; it was so painful!

She threw herself onto the mat, stared blankly at the sky for a while, then closed her eyes and fell asleep again, oblivious to everything else.

Shen Zhiheng, who had returned to the donkey cart, felt extremely guilty about it.

If it weren't for the confiscation of his property and exile, his precious child would be living a life of luxury now, instead of not even being able to change into clean clothes or get enough sleep. Sigh.

The mere mention of this only fueled his hatred for the emperor.

Guai Bao said that his family members are good at protecting the country and there is no problem with them. If their merits are too great and they threaten the emperor, it is because the emperor is too useless and can be easily intimidated. What face does he have to be the emperor?

So don't always reflect on whether you are wrong or not. The other party is so obviously wrong, just scold them and that's it. Why blame yourself?

Although Guai Bao's words were somewhat rebellious, they were indeed a wake-up call for a family like theirs who had always been loyal to the emperor and loved their country.

It was as if a resounding bell had been struck on his head, making him much more awake.

No matter how many people had cursed the "dog emperor," Shen Zhiheng had never uttered the curse himself. But when he thought of his beloved child's agonizing state just now, he wished he could curse him a thousand or ten thousand times to vent his anger for his child.

With extremely mixed feelings, Shen Zhiheng slowly fell asleep.

The other two people huddled in the donkey cart also had very mixed feelings.

When Xiao Yanyue first heard that General Shen had been called away by his granddaughter, she wasn't too worried, and Xu Ce didn't take it seriously at all.

As time passed and the two showed no sign of returning, Xu Ce began to worry. His anxiety manifested in him constantly turning over in bed, making it impossible for Xiao Yanyue to pretend to be asleep.

The two dared not speak, fearing that someone outside might overhear them, and could only wait anxiously.

They were relieved when they finally heard footsteps returning.

Although they didn't ask aloud, they were both quite curious about what the other two had been doing in this desolate place for so long.

Could it be that she really went to boil water for a bath?

Hmm...

But both of them wisely refrained from asking any questions. They were relieved to see the person back, closed their eyes, and fell asleep peacefully.

When Shen Xingmian woke up again, her vision was blurry.

She finally woke up naturally this time. Feeling refreshed and in a good mood, she didn't feel scared even when she realized something was wrong.

Looking around, she quickly realized that she was in a donkey cart, with her grandfather and child beside her.

It seems Xu Ce has left, giving her the position.

Hmm, this person is quite sensible and considerate. He's worthy of the attention of the noble ladies in the capital. He has excellent character and knows how to care for others.

Shen Xingmian gave the elderly woman and the young girl a sweet smile and greeted them, "Hehe, good morning~"

"It's getting late. My little darling, your aunt specially saved some porridge for you, but it's already cold."

Shen Xingmian frowned slightly upon hearing this, her delicate brows furrowing in a pained expression.

"Grandpa, I'm so sick of drinking porridge every day! I really don't want to drink it anymore, sob sob sob. No, I have to bring back more delicious food to improve your lives!"

"Your Highness, please bear with it a little longer. When your sister comes back, I promise you'll have a good, full meal." With that, she took the bamboo tube, closed her eyes, and began to drink.

The elderly person and the child in the car didn't correct her nonsensical way of addressing people. Since they were going to live together in the future, it was fine to be casual.

Shen Xingmian finally didn't want to drink anymore and felt that forcing herself to drink was too painful, so she got off the donkey cart and, when no one was paying attention, poured the remaining porridge into the pig trough.

It neither wasted food nor wasted my aunt's feelings, nor did it cause her any more suffering. How can it not be considered a win-win situation?

She happily put away the bamboo tube, secretly glancing at the time. Because she had woken up late, the shopping trip she had been looking forward to all night should be starting soon.

Sure enough, she hadn't walked far when, after turning a corner, she saw the town not far away, and the group slowly came to a stop.

A whistle blew ahead, and several prisoners quickly walked forward. Shen Xingmian called out to her family and then hurried forward as well.

The operation involved a relatively small number of people: six officials and ten prisoners, all of whom had many family members.

"The boss is being exceptionally lenient by letting you come along this time. Go and buy the things honestly, and come back as soon as you're done. Don't cause any trouble for the officers, and don't even think about running away, or else... hmph."

With their families in the other party's hands, these prisoners naturally understood what the other party meant and quickly nodded to indicate that they would not cause any trouble.

After making the threats, the officers used keys to unlock the prisoners' shackles and chains, cramming them into two donkey carts while they themselves rode in two other carts, and together they headed towards the town.

The driver of Shen Xingmian's donkey cart happened to be an acquaintance—the young man who had dealt with wild boars. He had specially arranged for her to sit on the right front edge of the cart so that she wouldn't have to sit next to a group of big men.

Shen Xingmian smiled at him to express her gratitude and decided to buy him a small gift later.

After all, this person showed her kindness without receiving any benefit in return, so it was worth giving her something in return.

As for the half-wild boar, it's all in the past now; she hasn't taken it seriously for a long time.