Inside the carriage, both Jun Wan and Consort Yi heard the person outside speaking.
Consort Yi glanced around the cramped interior. Jun Wan was still in her postpartum confinement, and little Jingchen was only a newborn. There truly was no room for anyone else.
She had briefly considered asking Nanny Lin to get out, but Nanny Lin was holding the baby, and more importantly, she was Jun Wan’s wet nurse. Jun Wan would never agree to send her away.
Nanny Lin had also understood what Consort Yi was thinking. However, her princess was still recovering after childbirth, and she did not trust anyone else to care for her. Pretending not to notice, she quietly continued holding little Jingchen.
Consort Yi hesitated.
The entire journey ahead would be made up mostly of women. They would inevitably have to rely on help from her own family, so she could not afford to offend them.
Turning to Jun Wan, she said gently,
“Wan’er, how about we squeeze in a little?”
Afraid that Jun Wan might refuse, she quickly added,
“We’re all women traveling together. We’ll have to depend on your maternal grandfather’s family to look after us along the way.”
Jun Wan wanted to say that she had no need for their assistance.
But since Consort Yi had put it that way, she did not want to embarrass her. After all, Consort Yi had always treated her well and had given her many gifts.
“You can decide as you see fit. It’s just that Linglan has to drive the carriage outside. Besides her, only one more person can sit on the driver’s bench. As for inside…” she glanced around, “…even if we squeeze together, we can only fit one additional person.”
Consort Yi immediately understood what she meant.
This was already as crowded as it could possibly be.
“All right. I understand.”
She instructed Linglan to invite Lü An and his wife, Madam Kong, over and explained the situation to them.
Only then did Lü An’s expression improve.
After Lü An and Madam Kong climbed aboard—the former sitting outside with Linglan while the latter entered the carriage—Madam Kong’s eyes first widened at the sight of the quilts spread inside.
Then her gaze landed on Nanny Lin.
Her brows immediately furrowed.
A mere servant had the right to ride in the carriage?
Everyone noticed the look of disdain she directed at Nanny Lin.
Jun Wan’s face instantly cooled.
However, for Consort Yi’s sake, and since Madam Kong had not actually spoken any insulting words aloud, Jun Wan chose not to argue with her.
Consort Yi silently sighed.
Their position was weak now, and she only hoped that Jun Wan would not take offense.
At that moment, the imperial guards completed the handover with the escort officers and departed.
The officers responsible for the exile convoy began counting heads.
Seeing that Consort Yi and the others had boarded the carriage as well, they simply pretended not to notice.
If the new emperor had allowed the War Princess Consort to ride in a carriage, then surely the War Prince’s mother and grandfather could do the same.
Once the count was finished, the leader of the escort officers raised his voice.
“Listen up, everyone! My name is Zheng An. My brothers and I are responsible for escorting you all to Dian City.”
“The journey is long, so I expect all of you to behave yourselves. Otherwise…”
He did not finish the sentence.
Instead, a savage expression spread across his face as he swung the whip in his hand down with all his strength.
Crack!
A deep groove appeared in the ground.
Everyone present shivered in fear.
Seeing that his display had achieved the desired effect, Zheng An’s expression softened somewhat.
“There’s no need to be afraid. As long as you don’t cause trouble, my brothers and I are reasonable people.”
He swept his eyes over the crowd before shouting,
“Move out!”
Several officers led the way at the front, and the long procession of exiles slowly passed through the city gates, heading north away from the capital.
Linglan flicked the reins and guided the carriage after them.
Within the line of prisoners, Princess Huai’an, Mo Lian, turned around to look at the carriage behind her, her face full of resentment.
She did not want to walk either.
She wanted to ride in the carriage.
Why couldn’t that servant girl get down and lead the horse while she took her place?
The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt.
She was too embarrassed to ask Jun Wan herself, and she did not want to ask her either.
But why hadn’t her own mother suggested it?
She was her mother’s biological daughter.
The delicate-looking concubine noticed the expression on Mo Lian’s face.
A faint smile appeared at the corners of her lips.
Quickening her pace, she walked up beside the princess.
“Princess, you must be tired. Let this humble concubine support you.”
As she spoke, she took hold of Mo Lian’s arm.
Mo Lian frowned slightly but said nothing.
Her feet were indeed beginning to ache.
Besides, she recognized the woman.
She was Concubine Ding, one of her brother’s women from before he married Jun Wan.
After Jun Wan had married her brother, he had left the capital the very next day. Since then, Consort Yi had forbidden those concubines from entering the front courtyard.
Especially after learning that Jun Wan was pregnant, she had even ordered Uncle Zhang not to let them approach Jun Wan, fearing they might harm the War Prince’s child.
Concubine Ding sighed softly.
“The Princess has lived a life of luxury since childhood. How could you ever have suffered like this?”
She lowered her voice.
“Your sister-in-law is really too much. She would rather let two servants ride in the carriage than let the Princess ride. Could it be that you’re not even as close to her as two servants? You’re the Prince’s own younger sister.”
Mo Lian’s face darkened even further.
Seeing the effect of her words, Concubine Ding wisely stopped talking.
She quietly supported Mo Lian as they continued forward, but a calculating gleam flashed across her eyes.
The people in the exile convoy had once traveled everywhere by carriage.
After walking seven or eight li in one stretch, they were utterly exhausted.
Fortunately, the farewell pavilion was now within sight.
Seeing the carriages waiting there, everyone, no matter how tired, quickened their pace.
Suddenly—
“Ouch!”
An elderly voice cried out from the crowd.
Everyone turned to look.
It was the old Madam Shi, the mother of Shi Wenqing.
She had fallen to the ground, dizzy and disoriented.
The women of the Shi family hurried forward to help her up.
Panting heavily, the old lady gasped,
“I… I can’t go on. I really can’t walk anymore.”
“Mother, get up!”
Shi Wenqing looked anxiously as one of the escort officers approached.
Unfortunately, with the heavy cangue around his neck and shackles on his feet, he could do nothing to help.
Before the Shi family could pull the old woman to her feet, the officer’s whip lashed out.
“You old hag! We’ve barely started and you’re already holding everyone back! I think you’re tired of living!”
The whip struck Madam Shi, causing her to cry out in agony.
Several of the Shi family’s women were also grazed by the blow.
Terrified, they immediately withdrew the hands they had stretched out to help her.
Seeing this, Shi Wenqing quickly pleaded,
“Sir, please show mercy! My mother is old and truly cannot walk anymore. She isn’t doing it on purpose. I’ll have someone help her.”
Hearing that, the officer decided not to waste more time over the matter and let it go.
Shi Wenqing instructed his daughter to help the old lady to her feet, and together they slowly made their way toward the farewell pavilion.
Upon arriving, the exiles did not even stop to catch their breath.
Instead, they immediately searched the crowd of well-wishers, hoping to find family members who had come to see them off.
Likewise, those who had come to bid farewell hurried toward their loved ones.
In such a setting, every heart was weighed down with grief and sorrow.
Some people even burst into loud sobs.
But none of this had much to do with Jun Wan or Consort Yi.
One was a princess from a foreign kingdom whose family was far away.
The other’s entire maternal family had been exiled alongside her.
Neither had expected anyone to come and see them off.
Madam Kong, Lü An’s second wife, also lifted the carriage curtain and looked anxiously outside, searching for members of her own family.
Meanwhile, her son and daughter-in-law had already found the latter’s relatives.
Seeing that Madam Kong had been holding the curtain open for quite some time, Nanny Lin spoke up with concern.
“Old Madam, why don’t you get down and look for them instead?”
She was worried.
Her princess and little Jingchen should not be exposed to the cold wind any longer than necessary.
If they could avoid it, they should—otherwise, it might leave lasting health problems for her princess in the future.