It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

Madam Zheng's eyes were like sharp swords, fixed tightly on little Guo. Her vicious gaze seemed to pierce through her. How could just two slaps calm the rage in her heart?

She gritted her teeth, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth: "If you don't take action, I will do it myself and teach her a lesson!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Zheng propped up her frail body, waved her arm, her sleeves fluttering, and she looked like she was about to pounce on little Guo.

Little Guo retreated back in fear. Seeing Madam Zheng approaching, a shadow as dark as the night suddenly appeared. As silent as a ghost, it kicked little Guo to the ground with precision. The speed of the kick was astonishing.

It was a figure wrapped in a black robe, his face hidden in the shadows, and no one could see his true appearance.

This person was Xiaoyi, the secret guard beside Su Wanyu. Before leaving, Su Wanyu specifically ordered him to secretly protect Xiao Guo in case of any accidents.

At this moment, he rescued Xiao Guo with lightning speed.

Before Madam Zheng and Zheng Chengyan could react, Xiaoyi and Xiao Guo flew away as lightly as a swallow, leaving behind a trail of dust that drifted in the wind.

Madam Zheng's expression suddenly changed, her eyes full of disbelief: "Who is it?! Who is it?! How dare you be so presumptuous in the Marquis of Changping's mansion and snatch someone away?!"

At this time, Wang, who was standing by, was holding her three daughters in her arms. She looked furious, tears flashing in her eyes. She almost shouted angrily, "Enough! You old woman, are you still talking about the Changping Marquis' Mansion? The master has been exiled thousands of miles away, and our family has long been in turmoil and in danger of losing our lives! Don't cling to the glory of the past, think about how to live on!"

Madam Zheng was speechless at Wang's fierce words. Her lips trembled, but she could not utter a word of rebuttal: "You...you..."

Before she could finish, Wang had already pulled her daughters, turned around resolutely, and walked towards the gate of the courtyard without looking back. Every step seemed to be on the edge of a knife, but she was extremely firm.

Inside the Zheng Mansion, there was only dead silence after the search; even the flow of air seemed to be a bit heavy.

All the gold, silver and valuables in the house were confiscated. The past prosperity seemed like a dream, without even a trace left.

The spacious rooms in the mansion were filled with echoes, just like an ancient temple that had been abandoned for a long time, lonely and deserted.

Three young girls huddled on the cold ground, their crying voices hoarse and their tears rolling down like pearls from a broken string, looking extremely helpless.

Pei sat slumped aside, his eyes empty and lifeless, as if he had lost his soul.

The other concubines of Marquis Zheng leaned on each other, tears streaming down their cheeks, and they did not forget to comfort each other in their sorrow.

Just when everyone was filled with despair and helplessness, Zheng Chengyan broke the suffocating silence: "Pack your bags, we're leaving here immediately."

Although his words were calm, they revealed an irrefutable determination.

Zheng Chengyan's half-brother Zheng Chengyuan struggled to stand up, confusion and bewilderment intertwined in his eyes: "Second brother, where can we go? It's outside now..."

Zheng Chengyan's face was pale, and his body seemed to have become weak due to this sudden blow, but his tone contained a reassuring power: "The imperial decree has been issued, and we are required to leave the mansion before sunset. No matter where we are, we must leave this place first."

Hearing this, Pei cried even more sadly, her voice almost breaking down: "No! I'm not going anywhere. I don't want to live on the streets and be scorned by others!"

Zheng Chengyan's eyes fixed, his fists clenched, revealing an unquestionable firmness: "If you don't want to go, then stay and see if His Majesty will show some leniency and grant you a chance to survive!"

After hearing this, Pei finally stopped crying, feeling mixed emotions.

As the daughter of a concubine and married to a bastard, her fate can be imagined once the Zheng family collapsed.

And by going into exile with the Zheng family, there is at least a possibility of survival.

Zheng Chengyuan's idea coincided with Zheng Chengyan's. He stepped forward to help the old lady up and said in a deep voice: "Second brother is right. Let's leave here first. The world is so big and there will always be a place for us to stand."

At this moment, his eyes inadvertently fell on the only relic on the old lady's wrist - a jade bracelet.

This jade bracelet is a precious souvenir left by the old lady's mother. She always takes good care of it and keeps it by her side.

When Eunuch Jiang roughly took off the hairpin on her head, she cleverly hid the jade bracelet in her wide sleeves and thus escaped.

Zheng Chengyuan looked at the jade bracelet, and an idea came to his mind: "Maybe this jade bracelet of my grandmother can be exchanged for some silver. We can go to the west of the city and buy a small house. At least there will be a place to shelter from the wind and rain."

A glimmer of hope flashed across Pei's eyes, and Ning Yan's gaze was also focused on the jade bracelet, as if he saw a turning point in his life.

The old lady noticed everyone's gaze and quickly held the jade bracelet tightly against her chest, with an extremely determined expression on her face: "No, this jade bracelet is my mother's legacy and must not be sold. I will keep it even if I die!"

Zheng Chengyuan was anxious when he saw this, but his tone was gentle but helpless: "Grandma, I know this jade bracelet is of great significance, but now we are penniless. If we don't sell the jade bracelet, are we going to sit and wait for death and let the whole family starve to death?"

When the family was prosperous, Zheng Chengyuan always showed his gentle side, but after the family declined, his inner selfishness and reality began to surface and were no longer concealed.

Similar to Zheng Chengyan, they all began to do whatever it takes to survive.

The old lady held the jade bracelet tightly, her body trembling slightly in resistance: "No, I can't sell my jade bracelet!"

Seeing that there was no hope of persuasion, Zheng Chengyuan turned his attention to Zheng Chengyan's concubines.

Miss Seven and Miss Eight were two young girls, the older one was only thirteen or fourteen years old, and the younger one was only eleven or twelve.

Among them, Miss Seven is his sister from the same mother.

He hardened his heart, with a hint of cruel determination in his voice: "If it really doesn't work, we'll have to sell off those extra people in the family. Anyway, keeping them is just a burden."

The old lady was furious when she heard this. Zheng Chengyuan held her wrist tightly, and the pain was unbearable. She screamed uncontrollably: "You unfilial son, you actually want to sell your own sisters! Just to save a bracelet?!"

Zheng Chengyuan was enraged by the old lady's fierce reaction. He rushed forward and tried to take the jade bracelet by force: "Hand it over to me!"

"You bastard, you dare to steal my jade bracelet, I will beat you to death!"

The old lady waved her arms angrily, but because she was exhausted, she swayed a few times and almost fell down, and her vision was blurred.

This scene fully exposes the conflicts within the family and the ugliness of human nature. In this precarious moment, everyone is forced to make their own choices.

Pei, who was standing by, was extremely anxious when she saw the sudden chaos. She quickened her pace and rushed through the crowd, resolutely throwing herself into the family dispute caused by a bracelet.