Chapter 18 Shen Congwen's Awakening!
Shen Lanxi's smile vanished, and she looked at the so-called Wei family members with icy eyes.
"The Wei family army has no military flag. Who sent you to kill and silence witnesses?"
Panic immediately flashed across the faces of Wei Jiajun's family members, who hurriedly denied it all at once: "We are just ordinary people, how would we know about Wei Jiajun's military flag? You are lying to us. What is your relationship with the Shen family? Why are you speaking up for them?"
"Don't listen to her nonsense, she's here to help the Shen family, kill the Shen family members now!"
Shen Lanxi shouted, "You don't even know that the banner of my Great Zhou Dynasty army has the character 'Zhou' on it? You are impersonating Wei family members. The Shen family has nothing to do with the theft of Wei family army funds; they have been framed. The person behind the scenes who ordered you to kill and silence you is the real culprit behind the theft of Wei family army funds!"
"You're talking nonsense! We are the families of Wei Jiajun!"
"Kill her, she's still a member of the Shen family!"
Shen Lanxi spoke with unwavering conviction: "You're scared and panicked because you don't have any Wei family soldiers' families behind you. Your actions are tantamount to treason. Who would choose to die with you instead of being a perfectly good civilian!"
Chunxue immediately shouted in support: "You are fake Wei family members, the real culprits who stole Wei family army's food and pay! I'll take you to the authorities right now!"
Seeing the panicked state of the fake Wei family army, Liu Laohu was certain that what Shen Lanxi said was true; there was no one behind them.
"Capture them and hand them over to the authorities; the government will surely reward you handsomely!"
Upon hearing the words "a hefty reward," the constables immediately drew their swords and began to strike!
The fake Wei family members, realizing their scheme had been exposed, abandoned their farm tools and ran into the mountains.
After the constables chased for several dozen meters, they were stopped by Liu Laohu.
"Don't pursue a cornered enemy; let's get going immediately!"
This matter was clearly not simple. Liu Laohu glanced at the Shen family and felt that they were a hot potato that he could neither get rid of nor deal with. He cursed loudly and immediately pulled out his whip to vent his anger on the exiled prisoners.
Shen Lanxi glanced in Shen Yuanzhan's direction. He ate her food and hers, and then he wanted to push her father out to take the blame?
When they set off again, the constables noticeably quickened their pace. Anyone who walked slowly was whipped without a word.
The wailing and crying of parents continued along the way, but fortunately, after the incident with the fake Wei family members, the Shen family members all walked forward obediently, and no one was whipped!
"Young master, what should we do with this person?" There is still a fake family member who is tied up and hasn't been dealt with.
Shen Lanxi: "Tie it to the back of the carriage, don't let it run away."
"yes!"
Under the blazing sun, after walking for more than two hours, some prisoners, parched with thirst, went to ask the constables for water. They were immediately whipped more than a dozen times. The others, not daring to provoke them, obediently took out money to buy water.
"Father, I'm so thirsty!" Shen Yuanqing said to his father, unable to contain his thirst after seeing his uncles drinking water at their homes.
Shen Congwen also saw it, and when he thought of how he had been pushed out to take the blame by the people in his third brother's room, a look of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
"The money is with your grandmother. I'll go ask her for some!"
The children nodded quickly; they were all thirsty.
No one knows what Shen Congwen said over there, but he soon returned looking dejected.
"Father, has the money arrived?" Shen Yuanqing asked hurriedly.
Shen Congwen lowered his head and remained silent.
"Father..." the younger children of the eldest son's family called out again.
Suddenly, Shen Yuanjing cried out in surprise.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
Zhou Xinrou felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, her legs went weak, and she was about to fall when Shen Yuanjing caught her with lightning speed.
"Father, Mother is burning up!"
Shen Congwen became anxious and quickly touched his wife's forehead.
"Your mother has a fever!"
The children born to the eldest son's wife were all anxious.
"Father, what should we do? Can we get a doctor here?"
"Father, shall we go and beg the constables? My eldest sister surely has a way!"
Shen Congwen looked at his wife with heartache, frustrated by his own powerlessness, and pounded his leg hard.
"What happened today has already put your eldest sister in a difficult position. The yamen runners almost prevented her from bringing us lunch at noon. We can't let her suffer any more!"
He finally understood why his daughter had to hide her identity, even when delivering meat to them, she had to do it secretly.
"You wait!"
When Shen Congwen stood up again, his eyes were resolute, and he strode towards Old Madam Shen.
When he returned, he had a water bottle, a fever reducer, and half a bag of loose silver.
"Drink up, and if it's not enough, go ask the constables for some more!"
"Father, quickly give Mother some to drink first, I'll carry her on my back in a bit!" Shen Yuanjing hurriedly said.
“We’ll take turns carrying our mother on our backs!” the other children responded.
Shen Congwen's eyes were red, and tears almost fell.
No matter how good he was to his parents and brothers in the past, when something happened, the only ones willing to help him unconditionally were his own children.
He will never be as foolish as he was in the past again!
There were no post stations at night, and after the sun began to set, the constables found a flat place to spend the night.
After receiving the order to rest, the exiled prisoners immediately lay sprawled on the ground, groaning.
Even on ordinary days, the constables wouldn't walk this fast as they do today, and some of the older constables were finding it hard to keep up.
"Brother Liu, why are we walking so fast?" the constable asked after sitting down.
Liu Laohu glanced around absentmindedly, but didn't reply.
"Brother Liu, was what that man said today true or false? If someone really killed him to cover it up, wouldn't the Shen family be innocent?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Laohu immediately kicked the speaker and sternly rebuked him: "Don't talk nonsense if you don't want to die!"
The constable who was kicked immediately trembled with fear and dared not utter another word.
"Tell the brothers to be on high alert tonight. You guys take turns keeping watch!" Liu Laohu called on a few people.
The constables also sensed the danger from Liu Laohu's arrangements, and they all became more daring.
Mother Li brought food to Liu Laohu and the others in a bamboo basket: two roast chickens, two pieces of braised beef, and a big bag of steamed buns!
If it weren't for what happened today, the constables would definitely be enjoying their food and would even praise them for their good manners. Now, none of them dare to reach out and take anything.
Looking at the fragrant braised beef, Liu Laohu snorted and was the first to reach out and grab it!
"Eat as much as you want! We can't usually afford such expensive food!" If they really wanted to do something to them, they would have done it already. After a few good meals, Liu Laohu didn't want to eat cold, hard flatbread again!
After Li's mother went back, she packed another basket of food.
"Young master, I've gone to deliver food to the master and mistress!"
Since the constables accepted the gifts she gave them, they certainly wouldn't stop her from giving them to the Shen family.
"Chunxue, take some medicine for Li Mama and send it over with her!"
Chunxue quickly went to get it.
Shen Lanxi pulled a stick out of the carriage, placed it upright on the carriage shaft, and jumped off the carriage to stretch her muscles.
We have a tough battle to fight tonight, so let's warm up in advance!
(End of this chapter)
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