Chapter 31 – Awakening

Chapter 31 - Awakening

Having achieved her goal, He Zhiran was no longer ambiguous.

"Very well, I'll help Lord Peng detoxify now."

With that, she walked over to the herbs she had gathered the previous day and picked out a few at random before returning.

She handed the herbs to Zhou Laoba. "Lord Peng, these are the herbs we collected yesterday. Boil them for Lord Peng to drink. Within seven days, the remaining toxins in his body will be completely cleansed."

Zhou Laoba was somewhat skeptical. "Are you being truthful?"

"Certainly," He Zhiran replied confidently.

The combination of herbs she had chosen only possessed properties to alleviate heat, promote urination, cool the blood, and detoxify.

Although they would not have a significant impact on Peng Wang's health, they would still provide some assistance.

At the very least, they could alleviate his current symptoms temporarily.

After all, there was no lingering poison left in Peng Wang's body; he just needed time to recover.

Seeing the confident look in He Zhiran's eyes, Zhou Laoba's doubts lessened significantly.

"Boss, you rest on the wooden cart first. I'll go and prepare the medicine."

Surveying the limited space beside the wooden cart, Peng Wang had no choice but to squeeze together with Mo Jiuye – he was the one seeking help, after all.

Due to the time it took to boil the medicine, their departure was delayed by almost an hour.

Before they set off, Zhou Laoba scrutinized the convicts. He noticed that two burly men from the He family were among them.

Naturally, these two became the main force behind pushing the wooden cart.

Upon seeing Mo Jiuye lying on the cart, they were filled with resentment.

If not for the presence of the bailiffs, they would have wished to tear apart Mo Jiuye, the culprit who brought ruin upon the He family and displacement to their clan.

However, when they met Peng Wang's warning gaze, the He brothers immediately lost their bravado.

Resigned to her fate, she propelled the wooden cart forward on their journey.

He Zhiran's action once again drew admiring glances from the Mo family's womenfolk.

Especially Mo Hanyue, who, right from the start of the journey, chirped nonstop around He Zhiran.

"Ninth Sister-in-law, you're incredible! Not only does Ninth Brother not have to get off the cart, but we also have free labor. Now things are much easier for us."

He Zhiran merely smiled at her sister-in-law's praise, taking it in stride.

She didn't think there was anything remarkable about doing these tasks; they were simply experiences she had honed in her previous life and a reflection of her personality.

Mo Hanyue's enthusiasm grew as she looped her arm through He Zhiran's.

"Ninth Sister-in-law, my Ninth Brother is so fortunate to have married such an amazing wife."

As they spoke, Mo Hanyue spotted some herbs they had gathered the day before in the roadside bushes.

Excitedly pointing at the plants, she exclaimed, "Ninth Sister-in-law, there are herbs over there. I'll go pick them."

As she finished speaking, Mo Hanyue was about to dash towards the roadside when He Zhiran caught her by the arm.

"Little Sister, there will be other opportunities to gather herbs. Holding up the group could lead to punishment from the officials," He Zhiran reminded.

Mo Hanyue was an innocent and naive girl who hadn't considered these matters thoroughly. It was only after He Zhiran's reminder that she realized they were on a journey of exile.

Mo Hanyue's small face scrunched up in displeasure.

"I understand, Ninth Sister. I'll be more careful next time," she said.

The Mo family members, having had a full meal, could keep up with the pace of the officials. The others weren't as fortunate. They'd been fed black steamed buns for two consecutive meals, which were unpalatable and insufficient to fill their stomachs.

Moreover, they were accustomed to a life of luxury. Within less than an hour of setting off, some began to fall behind the main group.

The officials showed no mercy. Anyone lagging behind would be beaten with whips.

As a result, the rear of the procession was filled with groans and cries.

The two strong men from the He family, who were in charge of pushing the wooden carts, also found it unbearable. They repeatedly begged Peng Wang for some food.

Peng Wang wasn't completely heartless. Knowing that these two needed their strength, he was just about to order someone to bring over two steamed buns when disaster struck.

The cart carelessly collided with a large rock, almost toppling over.

Sitting on top of it, Peng Wang was thrown off balance by the impact and landed on Mo Jiuye's body.

By coincidence, Peng Wang's weight fell precisely on Mo Jiuye's most severely injured area.

Mo Jiuye, caught off guard, instinctively let out a muffled groan.

Before he could scold the two cart pushers, Peng Wang's first thought was that Mo Jiuye had regained consciousness. He hurriedly called out to He Zhiran, "Come quickly and see if your husband has woken up."

Although he was accustomed to seeing prisoners die on the road, Peng Wang still held a certain level of respect for Mo Jiuye.

Especially when He Zhiran intervened in the dispute between the officer and Xie Fang, her words had left a deep impression on him.

Regardless of any mistakes Mo Jiuye might have made, it couldn't erase the fact that the men of the Mo family had sacrificed their lives for their country.

Similarly, not long ago, the streets of the capital were abuzz with news of Mo Jiuye's triumphant return.

For such a person, Peng Wang genuinely hoped from the bottom of his heart that he would survive.

Of course, this was merely an unconscious thought. If anyone from the Mo family dared to cause trouble on the road, he would not hesitate to teach them a lesson.

He Zhiran was unaware of Peng Wang's thoughts. Upon hearing him call out to her, she hurried over.

"Magistrate Peng, you said my husband has woken up?"

She deliberately feigned shock while mentally preparing for any possible developments.

Peng Wang shifted his body to one side.

"I might have accidentally touched his wound just now. Not sure if it was because of the pain or something else, but he let out a low groan."

He Zhiran signaled for the He brothers to pause, then she ceremoniously took Mo Jiuye's arm to feign taking his pulse.

Her true intention was to grant Mo Jiuye some time.

She wasn't sure of his plan—would he awaken now or wait a bit longer?

Mo Jiuye was also calculating his next move.

Although he appeared to be unconscious, sprawled across the carriage, he remained vigilant in reality.

Since early morning, he had been aware of his surroundings, discreetly observing when others weren't looking.

From his observations, no danger seemed imminent.

After much deliberation, Mo Jiuye decided it was time to regain consciousness.

Just as He Zhiran was concentrating on her pretense, he let out a faint groan.

Peng Wang pointed at Mo Jiuye again and said, "Look, isn't he really awake?"

He Zhiran withdrew her hand from Peng Wang's pulse, feigning delight as she said, "Yes, my lord, you've awakened."

Upon hearing this, Lady Mo and the other ladies of the household hurried over, their expressions of concern appearing genuine.

One could say that their acting skills were impeccable.

He Zhiran took a water pouch from her waist.

"My lord, how do you feel? Have some water to moisten your throat first."

Mo Jiuye cooperated fully, exerting effort to lift his head slightly and, with He Zhiran's assistance, drank two sips of water.

Peng Wang kindly reminded, "His body is weak now, so dry steamed buns wouldn't be suitable for him. It would be best to give him more water to soothe his throat."

Though it was a reminder, his tone conveyed his usual impatience.