My sister became the empress, but I'm still growing vegetables and raising chickens

Aunt Jin was here to take Si Xingzhi home, and the sesame cakes were prepared for him. Seeing Si Muyan get off the car, she hurriedly followed. When she heard Si Muyan wanted to share the sesame cakes with the man, although she didn't understand, she still unpacked her bag and took two sesame cakes.

But this person actually recognized her?

Aunt Jin looked the man up and down, and found that he seemed familiar, but she didn't know where she had seen him.

The young man jumped up at once, his "broken" leg no longer hurt at all. He ran over happily and said, "Aunt Jin, it really is you, Aunt Jin! I'm Zizhou, Feng Zizhou! It's really like searching high and low for someone, but it's all effortless. I was just looking for news about my aunt and uncle, and I didn't expect to run into you."

Feng Zizhou and his family members.

Si Muyan knew this person. His grandfather was Shao Qin's uncle, so he should call Shao Qin his aunt, which means they were his cousin.

When they were young, they lived in Kyoto. The Feng family was a duke's mansion, and the Si family was a marquis' mansion. Because they were relatives, they had close contact. If I remember correctly, Feng Zizhou was his eldest brother Si Jingyu's follower, and he spent more time in the Si family than in his own family.

Feng Zizhou was so happy to see his relatives that he spoke incoherently while eating sesame cakes in big mouthfuls.

Aunt Jin hurriedly brought him some water to drink: "Master Feng, eat slowly. You've been hungry for how long. Eat slowly, eat slowly..."

Feng Zizhou was choking so hard that tears came out, and he barely managed to let Si Muyan understand what was going on.

The sons of wealthy families in the capital city were expected to do two things upon reaching adulthood: start a family and establish a career. As for establishing a career, if they weren't ambitious and unwilling to take the imperial examinations, they could rely on their ancestors' influence to secure a position, and if they performed well, they could gradually rise through the ranks.

Generally, the three provinces and six ministries would first appoint a low-ranking official, who would then quickly become a seventh or eighth rank official. The rest would depend on one's ability and qualifications.

But Feng Zizhou was not a worry-free person. He refused to take any of the assignments arranged for him by his uncles and brothers, no matter whether they were civil or military, and just wanted to have fun all day long.

Given the Feng family's circumstances, there was no need for their youngest son, who had been pampered since childhood, to take over. Besides, as people say, a man should be established at the age of 30, so he was still young and could start a family first and then establish a career. So the Feng family found him a girl, but he was older but not more mature, and he felt like a child, so he refused to get married.

As soon as he got married, he fled the capital without telling his family.

Feng Zizhou leaned against the wall of the carriage and ate two meat buns with water in a few bites. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve without caring about his image and looked straight at Aunt Jin: "Aunt Jin, do you have any more?"

"Still..." Aunt Jin hesitated. She still had two, but if she gave them all to Young Master Feng, what would the master do?

Si Muyan waved her hand: "Master Feng, you look like you haven't eaten for a long time. If you eat too much at once, you will feel uncomfortable. Don't eat for now. I'll ask Aunt Jin to take you home and make you something delicious."

Hearing her say this, Feng Zizhou touched his stomach, which was no longer so hungry, and nodded: "Okay. By the way, which sister of mine are you?"

"I'm Si Muyan."

"So it's my eldest sister." Feng Zizhou continued, "Are you going to get busy? Where are my uncle and aunt, and my eldest and second brothers?"

After saying this, Aunt Jin's eyes turned red and she lowered her head without saying a word.

Si Muyan said calmly, "My mother has been mentally unstable since she was exiled. She doesn't recognize most people. When she's lucid, she thinks she's still like she did in the Marquis' Mansion, and she treated Xiao An as her eldest brother. My father... is in prison, and I've been going all this way to get him out."

Feng Zizhou opened his mouth wide, and it took him a while to react. Something had happened to his uncle and aunt?

"What do you mean by changing it out? What trouble did my uncle get into?"

Si Muyan said: "We are doing business and it is an eyesore to others. Dad suffered for me. I heard that he fell ill in prison."

"Ah?" Feng Zizhou grabbed Si Muyan's wrist. "You said you wanted to exchange your uncle for someone else. Do you mean you can use yourself? How can that be? You're a girl. How can you go to a place like that? Where are your elder and second brothers? Is this their idea?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Aunt Jin burst into tears.

"The eldest and second young masters are both... gone... Now the eldest young lady is running the household."

Feng Zizhou was completely stunned: "Big Brother, Second Brother... How come they... How come they are gone? Where are the others? How are they?"

Si Muyan said: "Everyone else is fine, including my two sisters, Xiao An, they are all fine."

Feng Zizhou scratched his head, almost crying. "How could this happen? You are the Si family. Even if you were exiled, you are still the Si family, royal relatives. How could you fall into such a state? You are doing business? And you are being schemed against?"

Si Muyan smiled faintly, broke free from Feng Zizhou's hand and said, "Cousin, you're running away in such a desperate situation. Could it be that you're trying to escape to our house and seek our protection? Judging from your appearance, you must have suffered a lot along the way."

Feng Zizhou pursed his lips and said, "It was all right originally. I brought a lot of gold and silver treasures, but I got cheated on the way... My servant was very stupid and got lost on the way, so I had to come here by myself..."

"Okay, you can go home with Aunt Jin later. I'll ask my younger sister to gather some money for you and take you back to Beijing."

"I'm not going back! Besides, how can I just stand by and watch you get into trouble? I'm going to write a letter home right now, telling them about the Si family's situation and asking them to save you!"

Si Muyan held Feng Zizhou down.

He was right. The Si family was originally a marquisate and a member of the imperial family. The current Empress Dowager was Shao Qin's aunt. During the exile, the Si family was only implicated. Logically, their situation wasn't serious, and at most they would be stripped of their title and demoted to commoners. There was no need to exile them so far.

But the reality before us only shows that the struggle in the court is too fierce. Now, almost nine years have passed, and the empress dowager and the Feng family have not taken any action. Either they have no intention, or they are unable to take action.

No matter which situation it is, Si Muyan doesn't think they can put out the immediate fire with distant water.

When they arrived at the county government office, the only person who was willing to see Si Muyan was Cao Dianshi. Cao Dianshi squinted his eyes at Si Muyan, his gaze full of contempt.

"Are you Si Muyan? Haha, a mere merchant girl, yet you actually poisoned the food and tried to harm so many people! If we don't arrest you, do we really think the county government office is just for show?"

Si Muyan did not argue with him, but simply said: "Sir, I am the head of the food store, no matter what happens, I should be responsible. Before, it was only because I was seriously injured and bedridden that my father took over for me. Now that I am well, I hope that you will be fair and impartial. After all, there is no point in trying my father, right?"

Cao Dianshi sarcastically said, "You do have some courage and vision, just like your brother did in his time. However, you are like someone who refuses to take the path from above and insists on forcing your way into hell even though there is no gate!"