Wang Qing was seen clutching his lower body, kneeling on the ground and howling in pain, though no one knew what had happened.
Ling Yun hid behind Xue Shi and threw away the stones in his hand.
Xue Shi watched the stones roll near her feet, her mind racing before she sneered, “Most likely bitten by a snake.”
They were now in the outskirts of the capital, where the roadsides were overgrown with wild grass and trees, making snake sightings not uncommon.
The crowd glanced briefly but paid no further attention, gritting their teeth and pressing on.
The procession was filled with continuous cries, curses, and foul language.
Xue Shi’s expression was grim, her eyes fixed straight ahead, neither submissive nor arrogant.
By noon, the guards showed no intention of letting them stop.
Someone asked, “Officer, it’s midday. Aren’t we going to eat?”
A soldier in the escort sneered, “Oh? Still expecting a meal? Do you even have anything to eat?”
“Listen up, you must reach the posthouse in Sun Family Town before dark, or you’ll all be sleeping on the road.”
“Not only that, but no food until we arrive. Instead of whining, why not hurry up?”
Su Nuan overheard this. Having lived through the exile journey in her past life, she knew exactly what to expect.
Exiled prisoners were required to cover at least thirty li per day, with only two coarse corn buns a day. If they failed to reach their destination within six months, even the escort officers would be punished.
Those who lagged behind and slowed the group down would be killed and reported as having died of illness.
She wanted to give Xue Shi some pastries but feared Ling Yun, the fool, might make a fuss, leaving her in a dilemma.
Suddenly, Ling Yun shouted, “I need to pee!”
A nearby soldier scowled in disgust and said, “Go, go, over there. Finish quickly and come back. Anyone trying to escape will be executed immediately.”
Ling Yun broke free from Xue Shi and ran toward the roadside bushes.
Seizing the opportunity, Su Nuan slipped two red bean cakes to Xue Shi. “Mother, eat quickly.”
Xue Shi looked surprised. She hid one cake in her sleeve and stuffed the other into her mouth.
Tuan Tuan noticed their discreet actions but wisely said nothing.
Su Nuan handed her a cake. “Eat quickly.”
Tuan Tuan hesitated for a moment before taking it and eating it secretly.
The elderly lady had a loyal servant named Cui Yi, the daughter of her former maid who had accompanied her as part of her dowry. After being widowed, Cui Yi came to serve the elderly lady, sparing her from being sold off by her in-laws.
Cui Yi supported the elderly lady, both showing signs of exhaustion.
Su Nuan approached them, slipped each a pastry, and then retreated.
The two exchanged glances, their expressions filled with shock. How could she hide pastries right under everyone’s watchful eyes? She was bold and meticulous.
The elderly lady watched as Su Nuan carried her eldest grandson on her back and held little Tuan Tuan in her arms. Her expression finally softened, and she ate the pastry concealed under her wide sleeve.
Although the soldiers provided no food, each person was given a water pouch—one pouch to last the entire day.
The elderly lady took a small sip, not daring to drink more.
Ling Yun returned from his bathroom break, clinging to Xue Shi’s arm and whining, “Mother, bug bite.”
Xue Shi sighed helplessly. “You’re a boy. Don’t be so delicate.”
She quickly shoved the pastry into Ling Yun’s mouth and followed it with a sip of water to help him swallow.
A flicker of understanding passed through Ling Yun’s eyes, but he soon resumed his whining. “Mother…”
Xue Shi covered his mouth and said, “If you’re a fool, act like one. Behave, and you’ll get good things to eat.”
“Mhmm…” Ling Yun nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice.
Indeed, no one knows a son better than his mother. Xue Shi had already noticed Ling Yun’s unusual behavior.
Su Nuan spotted some mint by the roadside and plucked a handful of leaves, handing them to Xue Shi.
“Mother, crush these and apply them to mosquito bites—it’ll provide some relief.”
Xue Shi asked in surprise, “You know medicine too?”
Su Nuan nodded. “My maternal grandfather was a physician. I learned a bit from him as a child and can treat minor ailments.”
Xue Shi was so overwhelmed by this wonderful surprise she felt dizzy. Having someone who knew medicine in their group was like gaining an extra life.
After all, the journey was long, and who could guarantee they wouldn’t fall ill? Even a minor cold could be fatal without medicine.
Tuan Tuan piped up in her milky voice, “Is sister-in-law a fairy? Tuan Tuan is so lucky to have a fairy sister-in-law!”
Su Nuan found it amusing but didn’t contradict her. Children were easier to fool—she’d just give her more treats later and let her believe she was a fairy.
The procession continued moving. Most could still keep up, but a few had fallen behind, collapsing by the roadside unable to rise.
The soldiers armed with blades and spears didn’t dare actually cut them down, but the captain showed no such restraint, lashing them one by one with his horsewhip. The sound of wailing filled the air.
Su Nuan whispered, “Mother, things will be better when we reach Sun Family Town. They should have donkey carts there—we’ll buy one then.”
Sun Family Town was located exactly thirty li from the capital. The entire town was built in a “return” shape, with high walls surrounding the perimeter and the posthouse at the center—making escape impossible for prisoners.
This was their first stop, and the only town where exiled convicts were permitted to spend money on supplies.
In recent years, the national treasury had been emptied by the foolish emperor, so property confiscation and exile had become frequent occurrences. Thus, Sun Family Town became the place to extract the first payments from those being exiled.
Xue Shi shook her head. “Although we have silver notes, they won’t be easy to spend. Have you ever seen exiled convicts riding in carts?”
Su Nuan merely smiled without replying, yet that smile gave Xue Shi great encouragement.
Guilt surfaced in Xue Shi’s eyes. “Good child, I’m truly sorry for this.”
Su Nuan quickly shook her head. “No, no, don’t worry. I won’t let any of you suffer along this journey.”
Xue Shi chuckled, her gaze full of maternal affection. “Silly girl, I should be the one saying that. The Chongxi marriage was already unfair to you, and now you have to endure exile and hardship with us. Rest assured, as long as I have food to eat, you will never go hungry.”
Su Nuan nodded. She knew Xue Shi’s character well—in her previous life, when they reached the exile destination, they encountered a blizzard. Everyone was cold and starving.
Xue Shi had received food but gave it all to her instead, starving for five days until she died of hunger.
Remembering this, Su Nuan felt an intense ache in her heart—she owed Xue Shi a life.
To conserve energy, everyone fell silent after that.
Just before sunset, the procession finally arrived at the posthouse in Sun Family Town. However, with so many exiles this time, there weren’t enough rooms in the posthouse.
Everyone crowded into the courtyard, while those with money used silver to secure sleeping spots inside the buildings.
After setting down Ling Cang and Tuan Tuan, Su Nuan said, “Mother, please watch little sister. I’ll be right back.”
She found the captain and the posthouse official in a south-facing room.
The captain was a middle-aged man with a stubbly beard, while the posthouse official was an elderly man with a face as pale and round as a steamed bun.
Su Nuan walked in confidently and bowed. “Honorable sirs, this humble woman has an impertinent request.”
The captain glared with bullish eyes and said impatiently, “Want to sleep inside? One tael of silver per person.”
Su Nuan loosened her hair bun before the two men and retrieved a pearl from within. “I offer this pearl to you, sir. Please allow the legitimate female members of the Ling family to be exempt from wearing leg irons.”
The captain took the pearl and toyed with it, saying with a mocking smile, “But I saw you receive a thousand taels in silver notes.”
Su Nuan calmly secured her hair again and replied steadily, “If the legitimate line of the Ling family cannot reach the exile destination safely, it would reflect poorly on your duty, sir.”
The captain’s expression darkened at the implied threat. He realized he was dealing with a shrewd young woman.
He chuckled and asked, “So what do you propose?”
Su Nuan curved her lips into a smile. With bloodstains still unwashed from her face, the expression was rather unsettling.
“Sir, I can give you five hundred taels, but I need a donkey cart for my family to take turns resting during the journey.”
The captain’s mouth twisted in amusement. “Oh, that can be arranged. But what if I refuse? What will you do then?”