March in the capital was still somewhat chilly. The grass was growing, orioles were flying, and peach and pear blossoms were blooming in profusion, but the road of exile looked somewhat desolate.
Madam Wen dragged her heavy shackles along, turning her head every few steps to gaze at the bustling splendor of the capital.
Wen Zhirou, who had been supporting her all along, tried to persuade her.
“Mother, stop looking. We are criminals now. Everyone is avoiding us.”
“Yes… Even your maternal uncle…”
The unspoken words needed no explanation. They all understood each other perfectly.
At Ten-Mile Pavilion, not a single person had come to see them off. After something happened to Marquis Wensu's Residence, not even Madam Wen’s relatives had sent a single copper coin or added a piece of clothing to their provisions. People’s hearts were truly cold and fickle.
On the road of exile, they had to walk fifty miles every day.
Chen Shiyi did not mind. In the past, she had risen early and worked late every day, doing all kinds of labor.
But these pampered madams and young ladies were different.
Before they had even walked ten miles, they had already begun groaning and complaining, finding the journey unbearably difficult.
The guards who regularly escorted exiles showed no mercy. Anyone who slacked off would receive a lash. Once injured on the road, there was only one possible outcome: death.
From their conversations, Chen Shiyi learned that the man who had previously held a knife to her neck and forced her to take the blow was Wen Zhiheng, the Marquis's Heir. If the marquis had not gotten into trouble, Wen Zhiheng would have been the next marquis.
He held considerable power.
Even after the family’s decline, he remained neither servile nor overbearing and showed great concern for his family. Only Chen Shiyi, the maid who had defied him, was constantly subjected to his threatening gaze.
Chen Shiyi thought that no matter how much he threatened her, it would be useless. She had received more than enough contemptuous looks throughout her life.
He wanted her to serve the entire family against her will, and he had even used her to save his own life. He could forget about it.
By the time they finally completed the fifty-mile journey, the sky had already darkened.
Under the dim blackness of night, the guards lit a campfire.
The several members of the Marquis's Residence gathered around the warm fire and collapsed onto the ground, completely devoid of their usual decorum.
Dinner consisted of a blackened steamed bun and a bowl of thin gruel.
Everyone was famished, so they hurriedly stuffed the food into their mouths without caring whether it tasted good or bad.
Chen Shiyi sat a considerable distance away from them. She dragged her shackles along, gathered some firewood, and made a separate fire for herself.
With a night this cold, the evening would only become harder to endure.
She took off her shoes and socks. The soles of her feet were slightly red.
That family must be suffering even more.
Sure enough, when Wen Zhiheng saw that the skin on his mother’s feet had been rubbed raw and that they were still oozing blood, he could no longer sit still.
Still wearing his stocks, he hurried over to the guards to ask for medicine.
The guard looked at him as though he were an idiot.
“You’re exiles. You don’t get such treatment. Having food to eat is already good enough. You still want medicine? How naïve!”
Wen Zhiheng had always been high above others. When had anyone ever looked down on him like this? But with his current status, how could he show any authority? He could only leave helplessly.
He walked over to Chen Shiyi and ordered her, “Carry my mother tomorrow. The soles of her feet are blistered and split open.”
Chen Shiyi lowered her head and immediately refused.
“I won’t.”
Wen Zhiheng let out an angry laugh.
“You dare refuse?”
“Why wouldn’t I dare?”
Wen Zhiheng glared at Chen Shiyi, who was impervious to both persuasion and intimidation. Then his tone softened.
“Help me carry my mother. I’ll do anything you want.”
Chen Shiyi looked up at him and shook her head.
“You can carry her yourself.”
“I’m wearing stocks. Why else would I be asking you?”
“As if you’re the only one wearing shackles. Besides, there are two young women on your side. They’re older than I am.”
Wen Zhiheng slowly closed his eyes and sighed.
“They… Forget it!”
After that, he no longer asked Chen Shiyi for help.
Chen Shiyi looked at the group from afar in silence for a while, then felt her way toward the darkness.
Wen Zhiheng watched helplessly as their legs and feet became swollen and red. He felt terrible.
When had they ever lived through such a life of sleeping outdoors and eating whatever they could find? They had only just begun to suffer, yet they were already injured like this. What would they do if something went wrong?
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him.
Chen Shiyi tossed the fleabane weeds she had just gathered in front of them.
“Pound these weeds into juice and apply it to the wounds. They can reduce swelling and stop the bleeding!”
With that, she dragged her long chain away.
Madam Wen called after her, “Thank you, little girl.”
The next day, their legs and feet were indeed much better. Walking was no longer as painful—at least, it was bearable.
Seeing that everyone was in slightly better condition, Wen Zhiheng felt somewhat relieved. He slowly approached Chen Shiyi.
“Thank you.”
Chen Shiyi kept her head down and continued walking. Hearing the young master speak, she answered timidly, “That medicine was worth three eggs!”
Wen Zhiheng was stunned for a moment before realizing that the maid was asking him to pay her.
“All right. I’ll owe you for now. Once we reach our destination, I’ll repay you.”
The spring rain fell without end, turning the road into a muddy mess. The four-year-old child slipped and fell several times, landing hard on his bottom each time. He cried loudly, his body covered in muddy water.
The Wen family felt terribly distressed, especially Madam Wen, whose tears streamed down her face like a flood.
The Second Young Madam was a delicate woman who could barely care for herself. Chen Shiyi had once brought her nourishing beauty soup. Now, for a frail woman like her to carry a child while traveling into exile was exceedingly difficult.
The Wen family were not the only ones suffering. All the other exiles were also complaining bitterly, and the guards escorting them were having a terrible time as well.
The muddy road was simply too difficult to walk. Their shoes were caked with mud, and each time they lifted a foot, it felt heavy and burdensome. They were both exhausted and weighed down.
Chen Shiyi rested with the others on some dry wild grass.
She pulled up several handfuls of the grass and braided them into long cords, wrapping them around her shoes to prevent slipping and keep the mud off.
After finishing, Chen Shiyi looked up and saw the Marquis's Heir standing in front of her, his eyes burning with intensity.
“Wrap grass cords around everyone’s shoes. I’ll give you ten eggs.”
Chen Shiyi blinked. Did he even know what he was saying?
“Ten eggs are too many. We won’t be able to finish them, and they’ll spoil.”
Wen Zhiheng asked patiently, “Then what do you want?”
“I want you to stay farther away from me.”
Wen Zhiheng’s face turned pale with anger, yet he could do nothing about it.
This maid was impervious to both persuasion and intimidation. It was obvious that she had no intention of helping them.
Even offering her eggs was useless.
When he returned to his original spot, only a short while had passed before he saw the maid following him. She crouched beside Rui'er and wrapped grass cords around his feet.
Rui'er’s eyes shone brightly. He grinned, and faint dimples appeared on his cheeks.
“Thank you, Sister.”
Hearing the child’s soft, sweet voice, Chen Shiyi’s eyes curved into a smile.
After resting for a little while longer, the group of exiles set out again.
Rui'er was careful not to fall anymore, saving the Wen family a great deal of trouble.
Seeing that Chen Shiyi’s method worked, they wanted to make grass cords themselves, but they could not figure out how to do it and had to give up.
The sky grew increasingly dark, its oppressive weight making it difficult to breathe.
Across the vast land, there was hardly a traveler in sight. Only this group of exiles moved slowly onward.
Chen Shiyi was getting somewhat tired as well.
Even with the grass cords keeping her shoes from slipping, the shackles on her feet and the chains on her hands were too heavy. They rubbed her hands and feet raw with pain.
Many people could no longer endure it, yet they had completed only half of the day’s required journey.
Most of the guards did not have horses either. They were walking on foot just like the prisoners and were beginning to struggle as well.