Chapter 15: The Ferocious Bailiff

“Are you also a servant of the Wei family?”

Catching a glimpse of Qing Ying standing behind the wheelchair out of the corner of his eye, Tian Yi strode toward him.

“No, General. I was once a soldier under the Prince's command. Because the Prince once showed me kindness, and hearing of his grand wedding while I happened to be in the Imperial City, I came specifically to attend his wedding, but I did not expect... Here is my household registration certificate.”

Qing Ying was well-prepared; halfway through his sentence, he pulled out a thin piece of paper and handed it over. Although he was the commander of Wei Chengyi's personal guards, he rarely appeared in public, making him almost identical to a shadow guard. Within the Prince's manor, only Zhao Yuping and her children knew of him, so he was not afraid of others exposing him.

“Hmm.”

After taking the certificate and checking it to confirm he was indeed a commoner, Tian Yi returned it to him. “Since you are neither a member of the Wei family nor their servant, leave quickly. Do not cause any more trouble here.”

“Yes, thank you, General. I shall leave at once.”

Qing Ying bowed and scraped in gratitude. Tian Yi glanced at Wei Chengyi once more, said nothing, and turned to lead his soldiers away.

“Madam, please take care of yourselves.”

Turning back to face them, Qing Ying offered a heavy-hearted farewell.

“Yes, go. Go far away.”

Zhao Yuping nodded through her tears. At a time like this, every person who could escape was a blessing; she could not ask them to stay and face exile with them.

Seeing this, Qing Ying’s lips twitched, but he said nothing. Finally, he exchanged a knowing glance with Shen Xiangwan—a look only they understood—before turning to follow the soldiers who were approaching to urge them forward.

“General Tian, my name is Zhao Shan, and I am here to collect the prisoners.”

At that moment, a group of over a dozen bailiffs filed in. The man leading them, named Zhao Shan, appeared to be around thirty years old. He was extremely tall with a fierce countenance, quite intimidating.

“It is them.”

Nodding, Tian Yi stepped aside and pointed toward the Wei family.

“Understood.”

Responding with cautious brevity, Zhao Shan raised his hand and commanded, “Brothers, get to work.”

“Yes!”

A group of bailiffs stepped forward carrying two bundles of coarse hemp clothing. After tearing them open, they said in harsh tones, “You have fifteen minutes to change out of those clothes.”

The members of the Prince's manor usually wore silks and satins, which were quite valuable; naturally, they could not be allowed to take them. At the same time, this was to prevent them from concealing valuables on their persons.

“This...”

Looking at the soiled clothing in their hands, the already grim expressions of the Wei family members darkened further. The women could not help but sob again. In all their lives, when had they ever endured such indignity? And this was merely the beginning.

“What? Do you need me to personally help you change?”

When they failed to move immediately, one of the bailiffs sneered. Did these people still think they were members of the high nobility?

“Hurry up and change, damn it!”

“Ah!”

Seeing them still standing there dazed, another bailiff lashed his whip violently at the person closest to him. The man let out a startled cry and narrowly dodged the strike. No longer daring to hesitate, he trembled as he stripped off his outer garment and changed into the dirty hemp clothes.

With him setting the pace, the others did not dare to dawdle any longer, obediently changing their clothes one after another.

“Auntie, it hurts.”

At the very back of the line, the young child, having just changed, squirmed uncomfortably. His tender, cute little face was filled with distress. One could not blame him for being delicate; he was only a toddler of two, and not crying was already being well-behaved.

“Be good, just bear with it for now. Once we leave the Imperial City, we will change back, alright?”

Caressing his head with heartache, Shen Xiangwan knelt on the ground and whispered words of comfort.

“Okay!”

With red-rimmed eyes, the little one looked at her and then at his grandmother and the others, nodding obediently.

“An'an is so good.”

“Mm.”

As a reward, Shen Xiangwan quietly popped a milk candy into his mouth and gave him a wink, signaling him to stay quiet. The little boy was clever; he immediately covered his small mouth, his round, large eyes blinking lively and bright, looking incredibly adorable.

[End of Chapter]