Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 492

Chapter 492: 492

The surrounding darkness was so dense that one could not see their hands in front of them. It did not look black, but rather like a vast void.

Shen Wenchen curled himself into a ball, letting the darkness swallow him whole.

While the rain had stopped after two days in Yan City, it was still pouring heavily in Kyoto.

All the civil and military officials were trapped in the palace, waiting for the four forces to determine a winner before their fates were dealt with.

Shi’er had thinned considerably, and they had been confined in the Main Hall for nearly half a month.

Daily meals consisted of only two steamed buns and half a bowl of cold water brought by palace maids. The concept of bathing and changing clothes had been long abandoned, and they had to queue up for a turn to use the chamber pot stationed behind a screen.

Their days consisted of sleeping on the ground and using clothing as blankets.

The older officials were all haggard and emaciated, their official robes stained and filthy. Their present image was a stark contrast to their previously dignified appearances when entering the palace.

Listening to the torrential rain outside through the window, Shi’er secretly hoped that Shen Miaomiao and the others were safe on their journey.

Perhaps through some marital connection, Shen Miaomiao in the carriage suddenly felt a strong thumping in her chest.

"Miaomiao, what’s wrong?"

Seeing her daughter looking ill, Aunt Guihua immediately reached out to touch her forehead out of concern.

"I am feeling a bit uneasy."

Shen Miaomiao put her hand to her chest and told the truth.

She had made a total of three thousand tael in the few months she had spent in Kyoto.

Unfortunately, she was a few days late and could only buy two thousand jin of grain. She used the rest of the money to buy more medicine and some seeds.

There was no telling when they would be able to return to this place. But remembering Shi’er’s words, Shen Miaomiao could only hold back her tears and refrain from looking back at the towering mountains behind them.

Behind those layer upon layer of mountains was the bustling capital, Kyoto, where her loved one resided.

She couldn’t risk the safety of everyone to take chances, all she could do now was heed Shi’er’s advice and stay away from that place, so as not to give him a legitimate reason to worry about her.

In the freezing weather, with a constant drizzle of rain, their caravan was moving slower than usual.

Shen’s third son had regained some spirit recently, perhaps being in a new place had helped him forget the troubling matters. He looked like a lively old man now.

However, compared to Lin Shougui, he seemed to have less muscle mass.

Seeing him looking out through the window, Shen Miaomiao expressed her worry, "Father, be careful not to catch a cold."

"Don’t worry, my body is quite strong."

A cheerful Shen’s third son reassured her, before obediently closing the window.

He was after all not a child, and did not wish to cause distress for his daughter.

"Madam, the road ahead is blocked."

The speaker was one of the bodyguards Shi’er had hired. The caravan was halted, and he rode his horse up to Shen Miaomiao’s carriage.

"What’s the matter?"

Shen Miaomiao was puzzled. This was an Official Road, there should be no obstruction.

"Madam, the road ahead is piled high with bones which have frozen over due to the rain. Our carriage cannot pass through them. I’m afraid we have to take a detour."

The expression of the bodyguard was complex. Just thinking about the scene he had just witnessed made him sigh internally.

Whether it was a natural disaster or man-made catastrophe, in the end, it was always the common people who suffer.

He wondered if they would reach their destination safely.

The youngest corpse among those he had seen appeared to be only a few years old. These corpses had been reduced to mere frameworks, their bodies seemingly drained of blood, leaving only thin, dried skin that wrapped tightly around hollowed, withered facial features.

Shen Miaomiao found it hard to believe what she heard and lifted her carriage curtains to investigate.

Accompanied by her maid who held an umbrella over her, they moved towards the front of the caravan, only to be taken aback by the sight before them.

The flat and spacious Official Road was now littered with a multitude of skeletal remains. Whether it was due to attack by wild animals or some external force, there were debris and remains scattered all over.

Thick ice encased the skeletal remains making them look even eerier. Looking out from a distance, the gruesome sight seemed endless.

"Madam..."

The maid, unaccustomed to such a sight, turned deathly pale. But remembering her etiquette, she mustered a small, trembling voice to call out to her mistress, despite being terrified.

"We will take a detour."

Unwilling to witness more of the horrifying sight, Shen Miaomiao returned to the carriage with her maid.

Seeing her daughter’s further distressed state after stepping outside, and the scared expression of the young maid who accompanied her, Aunt Guihua was puzzled.

What was happening outside?

"Miaomiao, what’s going on?"

Aunt Guihua softly patted her hand and asked gently.

Physically, Aunt Guihua was weaker compared to Shen’s third son.

The incident involving Shen Zhong proved to be a great blow to her, a mother. Whilst she maintained an outward appearance of coping, once they hit the road to Yan City, she seemed to become as fragile as a silkworm which had lost its silk.

"Mother, it’s nothing serious. The road ahead is blocked. We have to take a detour.

The bodyguard said that with the detour, we may be delayed by another five days."

"As long as it’s not a problem. As long as it’s not a problem..."

Murmuring these words to herself, Aunt Guihua resumed her seat and stared blankly out of the window.

Shen Miaomiao’s heart was not at ease. She had seen skeletons and dead bodies, even more terrifying sights.

But she had never seen a scene like this before.

The skeletal remains were not only of human beings, they also included horses and mules.

Bundles of broken pieces were scattered on the ground, making it seem that they had been abruptly attacked.

What on earth had happened here?

The caravan backed away before turning in a different direction, choosing to take the eastern detour.

The carriage window loosened a crack due to the wind, letting the chilly rain drizzle into the carriage and land on Shen’s third son’s leg.

The caravan leisurely made its way east, leaving behind the ground littered with remains.

Shen Yuntian bid farewell to his brother and sister-in-law, and embarked on the journey back to Yan City with the grain and medicine he had purchased.

Parents alive, journey afar not. Now that both his parents were gone, and his brother and sister-in-law had their own livelihoods to take care of, it was time for him to return.

Thinking of Hexiu in Yan City, and wondering how she was doing, filled him with indescribable worry.

Knowing that Shen Yuntian was leaving, Xu Tianci was reluctant to say goodbye. Since his own family had also encountered some difficulties, he had been busy helping his father. Initially a pampered young master, he had grown up considerably over the period.

Before his departure, Xu Tianci arranged for a boat to transport him, and although Shen Yuntian did not want to trouble him, he agreed to it in order to return as soon as possible.

Knowing his dilemma, Xu Tianci didn’t make it hard for him and sent over a small cargo ship manned by a few of his men.

As they moved further north, the weather grew colder. Seeing the thick layer of snow on the riverbanks made Shen Yuntian worry.

He was afraid that they would soon hit an impassable point in the waterway as they continued north.

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