Chen Mingyu certainly didn’t want to die. She knew the somewhat frightening, rough man before her was right—if they left, she and the Chen grand-aunt would surely die. Consort Fan’s first strike had missed its mark, so there would definitely be a second and third attempt. Since she had already made her move, even if Chen Mingyu were in her position, she couldn’t possibly give up halfway and leave behind such a threat.

She bit her lip, knowing she couldn’t get half a word out of these people. Her fear intensified beyond measure. Staying by the Chen grand-aunt’s side, she cried her heart out.

Ma Changjiang and Ma Wangkun had no mind to care whether she cried or not. After discussing matters, they hired a carriage and immediately arranged to set off—if Consort Fan discovered her plan had failed, she would certainly send more people. They had to leave this place as quickly as possible. After traveling for two days, having switched from the waterway to the land route, no one would know where they were.

The Chen grand-aunt woke up in the carriage. Due to excessive blood loss, her lips were pale, dry, and devoid of color. Chen Mingyu’s only remaining source of emotional support was the Chen grand-aunt. Seeing her awake, she immediately wept tears of joy. Turning to receive water from Rushuang, she personally fed the grand-aunt bit by bit.

The grand-aunt had, after all, eaten several decades more meals than Chen Mingyu. After drinking the water, she asked Chen Mingyu what exactly had happened. Chen Mingyu fell silent for a moment, then roughly told the grand-aunt everything.

The grand-aunt fell into a long silence. After a considerable while, she sighed deeply. “This is a case of the lowly being no match for the noble.” She looked at Chen Mingyu and took her hand. “Don’t blame your grand-aunt for being blunt, but this matter—I’m afraid it wasn’t the work of river bandits.”

Chen Mingyu’s tears fell immediately. She nodded repeatedly. “I thought so too. What kind of river bandits could be this formidable? They chased me demanding something, but when I gave them gold and silver, they said that wasn’t it.” She couldn’t help sobbing uncontrollably, gripping the grand-aunt’s hand tightly. “Grand-aunt, they came for the marriage contract, didn’t they?”

The grand-aunt thought the same. Otherwise, there was no way to explain why they kept demanding something but refused so much gold and treasure. She stroked Chen Mingyu’s hair, closed her eyes to ease her dizzy head. “Nine times out of ten, that’s it. This is the only special thing on you. It’s just… Consort Fan is truly too vicious. If she didn’t intend to go through with it, she shouldn’t have agreed to your grandmother in the first place. To agree and then pull this trick afterward—it’s truly chilling.”

Silencing witnesses by death. A woman in the depths of the palace, yet her reach extended this far. The grand-aunt felt a chill run through her and gripped Chen Mingyu’s hand with some worry, reminding her, “It would be better if we had died. But since we didn’t, I’m afraid Consort Fan won’t let this rest. She’s leaving us no way out at all.”

Indeed. Chen Mingyu’s face twisted with bitterness, nearly ready to cry again. Her hatred for Consort Fan was beyond words. Again, the same thought—she would rather Consort Fan had never agreed to this marriage in the first place. But having agreed, to then try to kill her was truly too despicable. Chen Mingyu made up her mind, lowered her head, and laughed coldly. “When I reach the capital, I’ll report this to the authorities.”

Consort Fan clearly wasn’t leaving her any way out, so she might as well expose everything—let everyone be ruined together! Chen Mingyu’s expression was grim, her eyes carrying a hint of ruthlessness and madness, her features somewhat distorted. She truly didn’t want to experience this feeling of instantly falling from heaven to hell ever again.

The carriage jolted severely. The grand-aunt’s breathing was somewhat labored. After easing for quite a while, she tried to dissuade her. “What foolish talk is that? By the time you make it to the magistrate’s office, who would dare accept your complaint? If you dare to block the road and obstruct someone’s procession, you’ll get a hundred strokes of the威棍 威 staff first. Besides, what evidence do you have? Even if you have evidence, officials have two mouths.”

In the past, such darkness had always been kept from Chen Mingyu’s view. What she couldn’t see, she treated as unknown. But now, with these dark realities laid bare before her eyes, she finally understood how hateful those four words “powerless to act” truly were.

Her face was bitter. With just a bit of force from her teeth, her lips broke open again. “Then should I just wait for death? Grand-aunt, I’m not resigned to this.” I’m not resigned—I could have had a better future, I thought I could stand up again, but now in the blink of an eye, I’m about to fall back into the mire.

The grand-aunt patted her hand and, covering her wound, propped herself up slightly to look at her. “These people who saved us—they’re not simple.”

Chen Mingyu’s eyes turned back to the grand-aunt. She blinked, then glanced outside. A moment later, she nodded. “I also think they’re not simple. To be able to follow us for so long, and then force all those people into a desperate situation where they committed suicide…”

The grand-aunt breathed heavily. “Since they came for us and saved us, regardless of anything else, they bear us no ill will. Even if it wasn’t to save us, it was to oppose Consort Fan.”

That’s right. Since these people had no grudge against them yet still extended a helping hand, perhaps they were Consort Fan’s enemies. Chen Mingyu’s thoughts immediately drifted far. Her heart stirred—could they be people from His Highness the Grand Heir? Thinking of this, her heart immediately began pounding like a drum.

The grand-aunt didn’t know her thoughts had already wandered so far. She held her hand to comfort her. “Let’s just observe quietly for now. If they’re truly after Consort Fan, then no wonder they saved us. They want us to help them.”

Mentioning Consort Fan made Chen Mingyu grit her teeth. She laughed coldly, almost squeezing the words through clenched teeth. “If they’re truly after Consort Fan… then I’ll certainly help them.”

Otherwise, how could she be worthy of Consort Fan’s such ruthless hand? Consort Fan thought herself high and mighty, able to casually abandon their alliance and send people to kill her. She pinched the red string around her neck, feeling somewhat lost yet somewhat hopeful. She truly hoped these people were indeed Consort Fan’s enemies—best of all if they were actually people from His Highness the Grand Heir.

If she couldn’t live, she wouldn’t let Consort Fan continue her life as someone above others either. Consort Fan wanted her dead—then she would make Consort Fan pay the price! Previously, she had been afraid these people had ulterior motives. Now she was afraid they didn’t have ulterior motives. She said softly to the grand-aunt, “Grand-aunt, I’ve only dragged you down.”

The grand-aunt, pale-faced, shook her head at her. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch falling from the sky. Nine times out of ten, these people came for Consort Fan. They probably want us to serve as witnesses. You should be mentally prepared.”

Chen Mingyu was already mentally prepared. There was no such thing as unconditional kindness in this world. These people had expended such great effort to save them—naturally, they couldn’t have no agenda. She nodded.