Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

Now that his physical abnormalities had subsided, Qian Laosi had no choice but to obey. Having received her consent, he dared not say anything more, fearing that the woman might change her mind. He quickly ran away in the dark.

Damn it, I'll have to be more careful around this woman from now on;

Once she was sure the person had left, Gu Nanzhi stretched and picked up her water pouch again, preparing to return to the camp. However, after walking through a patch of grass, she slipped into her spatial dimension, drank a bowl of the prepared medicine, and then slowly made her way back to the camp.

Gu Nanzhi hadn't returned for a long time. Even when Zhou Cai and the others came back from washing dishes by the river, they still saw Madam sitting by the river.

But they've been back for so long, and it's gotten completely dark, and they still haven't returned. I was starting to worry, but thankfully they've come back now.

"Madam, you're finally back! If you hadn't returned, we would have been searching for you by the river."

"Oh, it's nothing. I just sat by the river for a while longer; it's more comfortable there."

Faced with others' concern, Gu Nanzhi casually offered an explanation, while also exchanging a glance with those undeniable eyes in the firelight, before walking to the side and sitting down.

Xia He quickly came over to check on her young mistress. Although she sensed that her mistress didn't like being followed, she was always worried sick when her mistress went out and didn't return for a long time.

"Miss, you're finally back! It's already dark. Please don't stay out so long next time, it's too dangerous. I was scared when I didn't see you."

One should always be gentle with such an obedient little girl. Gu Nanzhi raised her hand and ruffled her hair.

"Don't be afraid, your young lady will be fine. Xia He, let me tell you, the reason I'm away for so long is because I've found herbs in the wild that can detoxify me. So don't worry, your young lady is already detoxifying herself, and she'll be better in a few days."

Gu Nanzhi had already told Xia He about the poisoning, and she was already taking medicine to detoxify. Gu Nanzhi didn't hide it from her; otherwise, knowing how shrewd that girl was, she would ask questions later.

It's better to let her know now. Anyway, this little girl is easy to fool, and she can come up with any excuse. It will also save her from worrying every time she leaves the camp for a long time.

Sure enough, upon hearing that their young mistress was searching for medicine to detoxify, her previous worry vanished instantly, replaced by excitement and joy.

"Really? Miss, you've found the medicine? Have you started the antidote treatment yet?"

"Don't get excited, don't get excited, really, really, so just be a good girl and listen to me,"

"Yes, yes, that's great, Miss. I'll be good, I'll be good. You're so amazing, Miss!" Xia He's mind was filled with the joy of seeing her young mistress recover quickly and no longer be sickly.

"Miss, you're amazing now! We used to go hungry on the estate, but even though we've been exiled, you still manage to get meat every day."

"Miss, it's all my fault for being so stupid; I couldn't help you at all."

"What are you saying, little girl? Just be a good girl and listen to me. I told you, I'll treat you to all sorts of good food and drink from now on. I'll never let you go hungry."

It's truly pitiful. Was the original owner's life with this little girl so difficult before? Even when there was plenty of food, they didn't have enough to eat. That makes sense, after all, the entire Minister's Mansion was controlled by Aunt Zhao, and the estate was no exception. If they couldn't accommodate the original owner, how could they let her have a good time in the estate?

However, you can rest in peace now, original owner. The one who harmed you has already avenged you. It's just that you'll have to wait a while before you can meet again in the underworld.

If you meet in the underworld, be assertive, or you'll get bullied again.

The Minister's residence must be quite lively!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After two days, the Minister's residence, having built up its foundation over the past few years and received some fertile land as a reward, was now empty of its contents.

But they still have a manor and a few shops, so they're not really starving. But even if they can eat, what good is it?

In just two days, the Gu family had become the laughing stock and the talk of the town. Their misfortune had spread throughout the capital, especially Gu Jiaoyue, who was once known as a talented woman of the capital, becoming the subject of much amusement.

And then there's Gu Wenxuan, who used to only indulge in debauchery and is now rumored to be impotent;

What talented woman? Overnight, she's fallen into hell. Rumors abound: she's become mute, her limbs have been crippled, she's disfigured, and so on.

This news greatly pleased the aristocratic young ladies of the capital who usually looked down on Gu Jiaoyue's pretentious and affected manner; they were overjoyed.

What kind of so-called talented woman is she? All she knows is how to be pretentious and affected to attract those young men to fawn over her. It's disgusting to look at.

Even Gu Jiaoyue's close friends, who usually got along well with her, did not care about her after hearing about her ordeal. Instead, they stayed away or even gloated.

Of course, there were also those who still had some genuine feelings who would come to visit, but how could Gu Jiaoyue be seen by anyone in her current state? So they were all turned away.

However, not everyone in the Gu family who deserved punishment received a severe punishment. One exception was the troublesome old lady, who, under Gu Nanzhi's special care, only received a minor punishment.

It wasn't that Gu Nanzhi was kind; rather, it was because the old lady was so selfish and capable of causing trouble that she wanted to give Aunt Zhao as many heart-wrenching things as possible during her last month of life.

For example, wouldn't a selfish and troublesome old lady, upon learning that her only grandson was crippled and unable to carry on the family line, be eager to give Gu Honglang a second chance at life?

We cannot let the Gu family fall apart under her watch.

Aunt Zhao fought for half her life, hoping that getting rid of the original owner would allow her to sit in that house, but in the end, she died without ever becoming the mistress of the house or being allowed into the Gu family ancestral hall.

Even her children didn't have a good end. Just thinking about the resentment she felt when she closed her eyes makes me feel at peace!

And the old lady, let her run wild for a while. After she's done all that, and finds out that the Gu family line has ended in her hands, will she be so furious that she vomits blood on the spot and kowtows to the Gu family ancestors to apologize?

After all, older people are most susceptible to emotional fluctuations, especially with Gu Nanzhi's instigation.

Gu Nanzhi is kind enough. She didn't leave any sons behind, but she did leave a daughter for the Gu family. Look at that daughter born to Aunt Wang—she's perfectly fine. Gu Nanzhi didn't harm her at all, since the mother and daughter had no grudge against the original owner of this body.

However, it depends on whether Gu Honglang can come to terms with it.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Without the dense shade of the trees, the moonlight became a little brighter. Having experienced the first night, I wondered if I had gotten used to it or resigned myself to it the second night.

On this night, with the sky as their blanket and the earth as their bed, there were far fewer complaints. People snuggled together in twos and threes, unable to resist their exhaustion, and fell asleep.

While preparing to rest, Gu Nanzhi openly threw some fresh green weeds into their fire right in front of everyone.