Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 762 - 0715: Take Your Punishment! (2)

Listening to the voices outside the door, Mu Yuanxiu’s gaze darkened slightly, "Not good, that old woman just now is in cahoots with the temple, and she is also from the Yuwen Family, which means..."

"You all hide quickly, get into the cabinet." Wei Qiniang pushed them into the room.

The meditation room was not very large.

There was not much furniture in the room.

Apart from a small bed, a small table, and four chairs, there was also a wardrobe. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The wardrobe was about as tall as a person, barely enough to hide someone.

Wei Qiniang opened the wardrobe and stuffed Mu Yuanxiu and Li Yuzhu inside.

There were only two or three sets of clothes belonging to Wei Qiniang and the little maid inside the wardrobe, and the remaining space was just enough to hide Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu.

However, the two of them had to stick very closely together.

Li Yuzhu was afraid of hitting the wardrobe door, so she practically hung onto Mu Yuanxiu.

Mu Yuanxiu, "..."

Wei Qiniang was also worried the two might push the wardrobe door open, so she moved a chair in front of the wardrobe and let the little maid sit there to keep watch.

The little maid was very clever, grabbing a piece of cloth and pretending to do embroidery.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and the voice of the little monk said, "Miss Wei, please open the door, the abbot has something to discuss."

Wei Qiniang glanced back into the room to confirm there was no problem before answering, "Coming."

She opened the door.

An old monk, hands clasped together, stopped at the door.

He glanced inside the room and, seeing only Wei Qiniang and her maidservant, said, "Miss Wei Qi, the area around the mountain temple has been restless lately. As you are staying here, I must consider your safety. If you encounter any suspicious people harassing you, please inform us immediately."

Wei Qiniang nodded with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Master. I will remember."

The abbot took another look into the room, chanted "Amitabha," and turned to leave.

The little monk bid farewell to Wei Qiniang with a bow and left together.

When they were about ten steps away, Wei Qiniang shut the door and bolted it.

She gestured to the little maid.

The little maid stood up, moved the chair, and opened the wardrobe door.

Li Yuzhu exhaled and stepped out of the wardrobe, followed by Mu Yuanxiu.

Wei Qiniang took a string of coins from her pocket and handed it to the little maid, "Take this money and hire a carriage quickly to the Jingzhao Mansion!"

The little maid nodded.

Wei Qiniang repeatedly reminded the little maid to be careful and not to arouse suspicion from the temple.

The little maid cleverly replied, "I understand, Seventh Lady."

She listened outside the door, detecting no sound, opened it lightly, and checked left and right. Seeing no one in the courtyard, she quickly stepped out.

Wei Qiniang quickly shut the door.

The little maid carried a basket in her hand.

As she exited the temple’s mountain gate, the little monk asked her, "Where are you going?"

"Our lady asked me to buy some needles and thread." The little maid smiled and waved to the little monk, "Do you want some sweet cakes? I’ll buy some for you."

The little monk bashfully lowered his head and chanted "Amitabha," then said, "Those who have renounced the secular world should not enjoy luxuries."

"Alright then, if you won’t eat them, I’ll enjoy them myself, hehe." The little maid turned her head and walked away happily.

Upon reaching a corner in the alley ahead, she looked back toward the temple, seeing no one following, she slung the basket over her shoulder, lifted her skirt, and ran off briskly.

She ran out of the alley and onto the main street, rented a horse-drawn carriage, and quickly rushed to the Jingzhao Mansion.

Song Prefect was startled again upon hearing a report from the visitor.

Apparently, this case isn’t resolved yet.

He carefully inquired about the little maid’s account and, upon hearing that Prince Luling’s third daughter and son-in-law were still waiting at Wei Qiniang’s place, Song Prefect dared not delay and immediately gathered people to follow the little maid to the temple.

The temple in Yongyang Square wasn’t large, with only a main hall and seven meditation rooms.

There were not many people in the temple, only a sixty-year-old abbot, an old servant doing manual labor, a little monk, and a limping middle-aged fat monk, and no one else.

Song Prefect brought over twenty government officials, surrounding the temple tightly.

The little sweeping monk turned pale with fright seeing so many government officers.

He trembled, chanting "Amitabha."

The little maid jumped off the carriage and ran boldly into the temple, "Sir, it’s just ahead."

The little monk was stunned to see the little maid rushing in.

"Go in!" Song Prefect stepped down from the sedan and stormed into the temple with his men.

Two men guarded the mountain gate, and the others spread out in the courtyard to keep watch.

A few people followed Song Prefect and the little maid towards the meditation rooms.

The place was small, and with so many people coming, the abbot and the others were all shocked.

"What brings you here, sir?" The abbot chanted Buddha’s name and approached Song Prefect.

"You’ve been accused of detaining innocent women, and we’re here to investigate." Song Prefect waved to his men, "Surround them and search!"

"Here!" The little maid ran to the meditation room and knocked on the door, "Seventh Lady!"

Wei Qiniang opened the door, and seeing Song Prefect, she knelt down with a thud, "Sir, please save me!"

"Please rise, Miss Wei Qi. As a local official, it is my duty to seek justice for you." Song Prefect stepped forward and raised his hand to Wei Qiniang.

"Sir." Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu also approached.

The abbot who accompanied them changed his expression when he saw them.

"Sir, there’s another person here." Li Yuzhu pointed under the bed.

Mu Yuanxiu went over and dragged out the old woman.

When the old woman heard the voices of the government officers, she was already pale with fright.

She was trembling all over.

"Mr. Song, she is from Duke Zhongyi Mansion, this is her identification tag." Mu Yuanxiu handed over the evidence.

Song Prefect took it in hand, looked at it, and shouted to his side, "Someone, summon Marquis Zhongyi here!"

...

Fined five hundred taels of silver and ridiculed by people in the court for three days, Marquis Zhongyi had been having a rough time these past few days.

He wouldn’t go out unless absolutely necessary.

On this day, he confined himself in the backyard to cool off, listening to his concubine play melodies.

A servant hurried over, "Lord Marquis, something has happened!"

Marquis Zhongyi shouted in anger, "Can’t you say something pleasant? It’s your own father who’s in trouble!"

The servant lowered his head dejectedly, "Lord Marquis, something really happened!"

"Something really happened to your whole family!" Marquis Zhongyi jumped up from the reclining chair and kicked at the servant.

The servant was kicked to the ground, feeling even more wronged.

The concubine pulled on Marquis Zhongyi, "My lord, this servant is clumsy with words. Let him finish speaking first before you hit him."

Marquis Zhongyi flicked his sleeves, glaring at his servant, "Speak!"

The servant was at a loss from the scolding and thought to himself, should I speak or not? "L-Lord... Lord Marquis, the... the family temple is in trouble."

Marquis Yu Wenbo squinted his eyes, "What? What’s going on?"

The servant said, "The abbot... the abbot sent a message, Song... Song Prefect went to the family temple."

He stammered for fear that Marquis Zhongyi would kick him again.

The concubine, knowing who was hidden in the Yuwen family temple, quickly said, "Lord Marquis, you need to think of a way, is that Song Prefect targeting our family? Why does it seem never-ending?"

Marquis Zhongyi’s face gradually changed. He pushed the concubine away and shouted to the servant, "Hurry up and prepare the carriage and horses? Go to the family temple!"

"Yes, yes." The servant wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly ran off.

.

But this time, the Yu Wen family of Marquis Zhongyi did not escape trouble.

While Mu Yuanxiu was wandering in the temple, he accidentally discovered the secret of the Yuwen family temple.

The shroud of a woman, the birthdates of young women pasted on paper.

It turned out Marquis Yu Wenbo had great faith in fortune telling.

He strongly believed the glory of the Yu Wen Family was far from being just a minor marquis.

When his eldest son Yu Wen Song was born, the whole house was bathed in light, surely a star descended from heaven.

Lately, his second son’s future looked promising and had gained the Emperor’s trust, surely a fortune brought by the eldest son.

Now that the eldest son was to return to godhood, to find a worthy partner for the eldest, he bribed all major and minor midwives in the Capital, obtaining the birthdates of many unmarried young women.

Upon analysis, it was found that the birthdates of the Wei Family’s Seventh Lady and the eldest son were highly compatible.

Just waiting for an auspicious day to bury the two together.

To marry off the daughter from the Wei family, he had a servant deceive them into giving away the bridal gifts.

But the plan failed.

He decided not to marry and took a dark path.

As long as Wei Qiniang wasn’t found by the Wei family, on the auspicious day, if they were buried together, no one would find her again. But he never expected the youngest daughter of Prince Luling to find Wei Qiniang.

Seeing the ghost-inscribed birth dates, under the pressure and questioning of Song Prefect, the old abbot revealed Marquis Zhongyi’s secret.

Li Yuzhu and Wei Qiniang felt chills down their spines upon hearing it.

Mu Yuanxiu’s gaze became even more cold.

Wei Qiniang, her face pale as snow and fingers trembling, pointed at Marquis Zhongyi and condemned, "How could a person like you exist in this world? Selfish and vicious, you’ll die a terrible death!"

Marquis Zhongyi sneered, "If today I am defeated at your hands, then fortune has turned against me, hmph! We’ll see!"

"What? You still wish to retaliate?" Wei Qiniang sneered, "What of Marquis Zhongyi? Is a mere Marquis Mansion bold enough to act with impunity?"

"Cousin Qi, let Mr. Song interrogate him; the law will surely punish him." Li Yuzhu pulled Wei Qiniang.

"Mr. Song, I’ll leave it to you." Mu Yuanxiu bowed to Song Prefect.

"This is my duty, you all need not worry." Song Prefect nodded, waving his hand to the sides, "Take them away!"

The government officials rushed forward, arresting Yuwenbo and the crowd of monks and servants.

.

The story of Marquis Zhongyi Yu Wenbo imprisoning Wei Qiniang and intending to bury her with Young Master Yu Wen because of his own future, quickly spread throughout the Capital following the trial by Song Prefect.

The citizens of the Capital were in uproar.