The Vice Minister from the Ministry of Justice was Di Chenghua, a middle-aged man who seemed easily frightened, trembling even as he walked.
Di Chenghua was indeed very nervous. Generally speaking, the position of Vice Minister of Justice was already quite high. Anyone meeting him outside would have to respectfully address him as “Lord” or “Excellency.”
But the problem was, who else was standing beside him today?
Two of the Four Great Generals, the Chancellor, and even Her Majesty the Empress herself were here. It was impossible for him not to be intimidated; he only hoped to remain completely inconspicuous.
In fact, Di Lingwei paid no attention to Di Chenghua. After glancing at Mu Fuwan, she simply said, “To Hedai Village.”
The group followed Di Lingwei respectfully.
As a village near Phoenix Capital, Hedai Village hadn’t developed particularly well. It was somewhat remote, and the mountain path leading in was rough and uneven. Still, it was a village that could sustain a normal life.
Looking from a distance, one could see houses built one after another. Though low, they were neatly arranged, giving a sense of harmony.
The village itself wasn’t sparsely populated; people came and went, creating a lively atmosphere. A group of children could be seen playing at the village entrance.
The farmland outside the village was divided into plots, with adults currently laboring within them.
…
The appearance of Di Lingwei and her group caused some unease among the villagers. Judging by their clothing and bearing alone, these were clearly people of wealth and status. Naturally, the ordinary villagers felt both curiosity and apprehension.
However, they didn’t enter the village directly but walked along the edges of the farmland. The villagers, seeing them, didn’t dare approach or disturb them.
The villagers of Hedai knew that Phoenix Capital was not far away. It was a place where many important figures lived, not somewhere small folk like them could afford to offend. The first rule upon encountering outsiders was to keep their heads down.
As they walked, Di Lingwei stopped.
“Mu Fuwan, come here,” Di Lingwei said without turning her head.
Mu Fuwan, shackles still on her wrists and ankles, was brought forward by two female Imperial Guards holding her arms on either side.
Having left the prison, Mu Fuwan was no longer wearing the conspicuous prison garb but had been changed into a plain, jade-green dress. The chains on her hands and feet were somewhat concealed by the wide sleeves, making them less visible.
As Mu Fuwan reached her side, Di Lingwei gestured ahead. “Look over there. How many people do you see?”
Mu Fuwan raised her head and looked forward. There was a vast expanse of farmland stretching to the foot of the distant mountains. The fields were a verdant green, dotted with many farmers at work.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, there are sixteen people in total,” Mu Fuwan answered, retracting her gaze.
She didn’t know why Her Majesty was asking this, but she still gave an answer. Standing beside this Heavenly Mandate Empress, she always felt immense pressure and instinctively became deferential.
Di Lingwei’s tone was flat, but the words that followed made Mu Fuwan’s pupils constrict: “Which two of those sixteen do you think are your parents?”
Hearing Di Lingwei’s words, Mu Fuwan involuntarily looked up again at the dozen or so people laboring in the fields. Their ages varied. Those too young or too old to be her parents were immediately ruled out. Among the suitable candidates, only one elderly couple looked like a married pair, working in the same field and occasionally exchanging a few words.
Di Lingwei followed Mu Fuwan’s gaze, looked over, and remarked with praise, “It seems you have identified them very precisely. I can tell you with even greater certainty that those two are indeed your parents.”
Mu Fuwan stared blankly at the two people over there.
“Go and bring them here,” Di Lingwei ordered one of the Imperial Guards.
Upon hearing this, Mu Fuwan’s expression changed. She turned her head, her tone growing somewhat urgent as she asked, “Your Majesty, what are you doing? They’re just ordinary farmers. They don’t know anything.”
Di Lingwei clasped her hands behind her back and said indifferently, “What? Do you believe Zhen is the type to vent anger on the innocent?”
“That…”
Mu Fuwan opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words for a moment.
Under the Imperial Guards’ “invitation,” the couple not far away walked over with great unease. They didn’t know why these people, who clearly seemed important, had summoned them. But since it was the demand of important people, they naturally dared not disobey.
The two quickly stood before Di Lingwei and Mu Fuwan.
They were clearly honest and simple farmers, with no trace of cunning or guile.
Facing Di Lingwei and the others, these two plainly dressed elders were extremely nervous and ill at ease, not knowing what to do with their hands.
Mu Fuwan gazed deeply at the two of them. Her eyes traced the wrinkles etched on their faces, swept over their patched clothing, and lingered on their hands, still smeared with mud from their farm work.
She looked very carefully, as if trying to deeply imprint something in her mind.
“How many years have you two elders lived here?” Di Lingwei asked in a casual, conversational tone.
“We’ve lived here since we were little. I can’t even remember how many years it’s been,” the man said sheepishly.
“At your age, you must have children, right?”
“Of course, we have two sons and two daughters.”
“With both sons and daughters, your life must be very happy.”
“It’s not bad, I suppose. Our demands aren’t high. As long as everyone lives happily, that’s enough.”
When talking about their children, both elders smiled sincerely. It seemed they were quite satisfied with their offspring.
“Do you prefer daughters or sons?” Di Lingwei asked again.
“We like both, but if we had to choose, perhaps daughters. After all, girls are more considerate,” the old man said with a chuckle.
“Then what about another daughter?” Di Lingwei gestured to Mu Fuwan beside her. “How about I give her to you as a daughter? Would you want her?”
Mu Fuwan’s eyes flickered slightly at these words, but she remained silent.
The old couple looked at Mu Fuwan and quickly shook their heads.
“That wouldn’t do. This young lady has such delicate, fair skin. We’d raise her rough.”
“Yes, yes. How could we ever dare to hope for a daughter like this?”
As they spoke, they seemed vaguely self-deprecating, completely unconvinced they were worthy of having such a daughter.
She was far too beautiful, far too fair. This was clearly a young miss from the city.
Di Lingwei glanced at the dazed Mu Fuwan after hearing this and continued chatting with the two elders for a while. During the conversation, she made an effort to appear more amiable, so the two elders were gradually able to speak more comfortably.
From their exchange, she also learned that the two elders weren’t actually that old, just approaching sixty. However, years of hard labor had made them appear much older than their actual age.
