Yun Jiuqing was momentarily stunned. She had mentioned yesterday that she had a way to help Nangu Ying escape its predicament, though it might bring danger to Xie Ciyuan and his group—and indeed, she had done it.
But because all those characters appeared in the sky, everyone assumed Heaven had opened its eyes and manifested a miracle to bear witness for Xie Ciyuan. Not a single person connected it to Yun Jiuqing—except Xie Ciyuan.
Yun Jiuqing said, somewhat surprised, “Such an extraordinary phenomenon is surely Heaven-sent. Why would the Prince think this was my doing?”
Seeing Yun Jiuqing deny it, Xie Ciyuan did not press the matter, speaking only to himself, “I do not know how you managed to restrain Wang Jingkang and make him so wary of you.
However, this man stops at nothing. Even with your leverage, you must not push him too far, or he will strike you a fatal blow in ways you cannot anticipate.
Moreover, we are in the open while he is in the shadows. If he seeks revenge, you cannot defend against every move.”
Wang Jingkang’s attitude had shifted so obviously that it would have been strange if Xie Ciyuan hadn’t noticed. Thus, his warning did not surprise Yun Jiuqing.
She merely replied calmly, “I know. That’s why I haven’t said anything, haven’t I?”
She raised the dry ration in her hand toward Xie Ciyuan, then remembered he couldn’t see, so she straightened her expression and continued, “People like them may seem arrogant, but in truth, they bully the weak and fear the strong.
If we yield every time, they’ll only escalate. We can compromise on trivial matters, but food and adequate rest are non-negotiable.
I know what I’m doing, and he knows it too. It won’t bring trouble upon us.”
Besides, when she had received the dry ration, she had already asked Xuan Lie—this was indeed what exiled convicts were given.
Aside from cutting costs, the intent was to keep the prisoners in a state of neither full nor starving, ensuring they survived the journey to their place of exile while lacking the strength to escape.
This also invisibly lightened the burden on the escorting officers.
For Yun Jiuqing, however, she had a whole dimensional space full of food; she had no need to worry about provisions.
As long as Wang Jingkang wasn’t deliberately making things difficult, she was satisfied.
She casually took two bites, looked at the more than half-eaten ration, tore off the edge she had bitten, and handed the rest to Steward Mo. “Uncle Mo, I’ve got some left here. If you don’t mind, could you help me finish this?”
Steward Mo looked over at her words. She gave an awkward little smile. “I didn’t react in time just now. Sorry, Uncle Mo. Next time, I’ll break off a piece for you before I start eating.”
Steward Mo waved his hands repeatedly. “We’re already exiled—what room is there for such fuss? But this ration is scarce to begin with, and the Princess must not give it to others.
The taste may not be good, but at least it fills the stomach. If the Princess doesn’t eat, over time, she won’t have the strength to walk.”
Steward Mo was a veteran retired from the Zhenhun Army, well-versed in travel. He refused Yun Jiuqing’s offer while urging her to eat.
Yun Jiuqing smiled obediently. “I know, Uncle Mo. But I have a small appetite—I can only eat this much. This time, please help me out. Next time I’m hungry, I won’t give my food to anyone else.”
Steward Mo didn’t take her seriously at first, but seeing her earnest expression, he asked one more time with concern, “Is the Princess truly not hungry?”
“Not hungry.” Yun Jiuqing nodded firmly.
“Then this old servant won’t stand on ceremony.”
Steward Mo took the ration from Yun Jiuqing and walked straight ahead to hand it to Doctor Ning. After a few whispered words, Doctor Ning suddenly turned to look back at Yun Jiuqing.
The moment their eyes met, Doctor Ning smiled at Yun Jiuqing with gratitude. Yun Jiuqing returned a knowing smile, signaling her to accept it without worry.
Turning her gaze to the roadside ahead, she saw quite a few trees. She quickened her pace, walked up, and casually snapped off several thick branches.
In summer, the willows were in full lush growth, and snapping even one branch made no small noise. Yun Jiuqing went crack-crack-crack breaking them off, making it impossible for Wang Jingkang to pretend he hadn’t noticed.
He could only stride over and bark gruffly, “What do you think you’re doing? We didn’t put you in cangues to speed up the journey—are you trying to start a rebellion?”
Branches that thick would absolutely serve as weapons, and Yun Jiuqing had snapped off several in a row. Accusing her of rebellion wasn’t entirely off the mark.
But Yun Jiuqing was unabashed. “Can’t you see these women and children can barely walk? Is there a problem with breaking off branches to use as walking sticks?”
“That’s right, Officer. We can’t walk anymore. A few branches won’t trouble you gentlemen—just let us keep them!”
Old Madam Ning was the most open-minded among all the exiles. She had sat and watched the Ning family’s tall towers rise, and sat and watched them topple. Since her husband and sons and grandsons had departed one after another, nothing in her eyes was a big deal anymore.
From yesterday’s exile until now, the Third Madam had been complaining endlessly, Ning Ruobing had caused trouble several times, and Doctor Ning and the Second Madam had wept silently—she had acted as if she saw none of it.
Only this once did she speak up in support of Yun Jiuqing, which drew a curious glance from Yun Jiuqing.
Third Master Ning merely looked at Wang Jingkang with a questioning gaze, not sparing her even a single extra glance.
The other women also looked at Wang Jingkang with anticipation, for they were all quite tired, and having a walking stick to support themselves would make things much easier.
Wang Jingkang seized the opportunity to make his demand. “You want walking sticks? That’s fine. Whoever can tell me what’s going on with those things in the sky won’t just get a walking stick—I’ll even allow them to eat with us every day!”
The officers’ meals were provided by the relay station. There were no delicacies from land or sea, but compared to what the prisoners got, it was certainly far better. For prisoners who had already gone hungry for a day and didn’t know whether they’d even get enough to eat in the future, that was a tremendous temptation.
But his question left everyone stumped.
Even Second Mistress Ning, who rarely spoke, replied blankly, “Isn’t that a heavenly omen? What else could it be?”
The others chimed in as well, “Exactly. How could we possibly explain things in the sky?”
Third Master Ning seized the moment to speak up. “Come to think of it, even heaven itself bears witness that we’ve been wronged. Shouldn’t the court reconsider our case? Captain Wang, why don’t you consult with the Ministry of Justice on our behalf…”
Third Master Ning genuinely held out hope, for the Great Chu royal family did place considerable importance on celestial phenomena.
But before he could even finish speaking, Wang Jingkang cut him off. “Consult? Consult what? Do you not know what crimes you’re charged with? Consult on your behalf—are you trying to get me killed?!”
As he spoke, he swung his whip at Third Master Ning. Third Master Ning had trained in martial arts for years and was actually far more skilled than Wang Jingkang.
But having barely eaten for two days, and with Wang Jingkang striking without warning, Third Master Ning dodged promptly and nimbly yet still caught the whip on his arm.
“Wang, don’t you go too far!”
Third Mistress Ning immediately rushed forward, shoving Third Master Ning behind her as she cursed furiously, “You can’t complete the task your master gave you, so you take it out on us?
If you’ve got the guts, go blindfold everyone in Chu Jing!”
First her son had been beaten, and now her husband—Third Mistress Ning was beside herself with rage, speaking without any restraint.
Second Mistress Ning also joined in. “Exactly. You can’t find the person behind these strange happenings, so you vent your anger on us?
We’re nothing but the most ordinary women. Whoever could produce such a phenomenon must be no ordinary person.
And since everyone in the ducal manor and the prince’s manor knows each other well, we can all swear none of us has such ability…”