Chapter 180: The First Day of Exile

Wu Heng just weighed the silver in his hand and let out a mocking laugh.
“The journey to the north is long. This amount of silver is not enough.”

Ye Jingchuan naturally knew that ten taels of silver wouldn’t cover the cost of traveling over three thousand miles easily.
He whispered, “Sir, once we’re a hundred miles out of the capital, I’ll show more respect and offer more silver. With this, besides the shackles on our hands and the leg irons, we won’t slow the journey down.”

Wu Heng patted Ye Jingchuan on the shoulder. “You’re a sensible one.”

Although exiled prisoners had no freedom, as long as they carried enough silver, they could ease their suffering a bit.
Using silver for the convenience of prisoners was a tacit agreement between the officials and the prisoners.
As long as they followed the rules when reporting to the state or county and delivered the prisoners to their assigned destinations, the officials considered their task complete.
No one cared about the details.
After all, escorting exiled prisoners was both arduous and dangerous, and if there were no benefits to be gained, who would want to do it?

So even though there were royal escorts accompanying them this time, Wu Heng didn’t hold back at all.
He stuffed the silver into his belt and ordered his subordinates to remove the shackles and leg irons from the Ye family.
Then, he had his subordinates distribute black bread and pickled vegetables to the families of the Qi, Zhao, and Ye clans.
If someone was hungry, they could take two pieces.
If someone didn’t want to eat, they could give theirs to someone in need or simply not take any.

The families of the three clans had all packed cooked food for the day, so no one took the dry, hard bread.
The officials escorting them had a better meal—beef with flatbread, filling enough to keep them satisfied.

Ye Chutang took a large bamboo tube and two water pouches from the cart.
“I’ll go get some water from the river.”

Qi Yanzhou wanted to accompany her but was refused.
“Ah Zhou, divide the meat cakes and bring out the pot. Start a fire.”

Qi He’an asked in confusion, “Second Sister-in-law, why are we starting a fire on such a hot day?”

“To make some tea to cool us down. Otherwise, walking under the scorching sun for too long, we might get heatstroke.”

“You thought of everything. I’ll go collect some dry branches.”

When Aunt Xu heard this, she immediately went to the river to collect stones to build a stove.
Qi Yanzhou took the pot from the cart and used the stones Aunt Xu brought to build a proper cooking circle.

After hearing Ye Chutang’s instructions, the others from the Ye and Zhao families began to imitate her actions.
But Aunt Su and Aunt Gao were stunned.
They had only bought daily necessities and medical herbs for external injuries, but nothing for cooling down from the heat.

The two of them thought in silence: They’d have to shamelessly ask for some when the time came.

Ye Chutang arrived at the riverbank.
The river was not deep, and the water was clear, with small fish occasionally swimming by, their silver bellies glistening.
Although there were live fish, she tasted a little of the water before drawing any.
The fresh, unpolluted river water had a faint sweetness to it, completely safe to drink.

Ye Chutang placed the two water pouches into the river, pretending to collect water but actually filling them with the spring water from her space.
After filling them up, she drank a sip.
The spring water was incredibly sweet, and her tired body instantly regained its strength.
She filled the bamboo tube with water and returned to sit under a large tree.

Ye Siyin waited until Ye Chutang had returned with the water before daring to get some herself.
The emperor, in his effort to deal with the Qi family, would not miss any opportunity. She feared she might be mistakenly killed.
But Ye Chutang was skilled in medicine, so she trusted that anything she used would be fine.

Ye Chutang noticed Ye Siyin’s cautious behavior but couldn’t be bothered to address it.
She couldn’t live her life in fear just to prevent others from “stealing her methods.”

Qi Yanzhou had already set up a stone stove to place the pot.
The two elderly members of the Qi family and Qi He’an were still gathering dry branches.
Seeing the two elders sweating profusely, Ye Chutang quickly said, “Father, Mother, that’s enough dry wood. Don’t gather more, come over and rest, and have some meat cakes.”

Old Qi waved his hand. “Tang’er, you all eat first. We’ll gather a bit more dry wood and store it.”
Though he had long been a carefree prince, in his youth, he had fought in wars with his father and had some knowledge of survival in the wilderness.
In summer, rain could come suddenly, so they needed to store dry wood in case the wet weather made it hard to start a fire.

Ye Chutang didn’t insist and took a meat cake to eat.
The cold meat cake wasn’t as crispy as it had been earlier but was still chewy, making her cheeks ache from chewing.

Qi Yanzhou noticed that Ye Chutang was eating slowly and guessed the reason.
He smiled and said, “Ah Tang, once the fire is going, I’ll roast it for you.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Chutang immediately set down the meat cake.
If she could eat something better, she wouldn’t settle for something less.
She stood up, saying, “I’ll go get the ingredients for the cooling tea.”

In ancient times, unlike today, there were a thousand and one ways to prepare cooling tea.
They typically used dried tangerine peel and perilla leaves to brew, or sometimes boiled green beans and lilies with rock candy for sweetness.
The latter was more suited for home cooking, as green beans were heavy and needed to be soaked beforehand.
So Ye Chutang had bought the former.

She took enough dried tangerine peel and perilla leaves for six people and secretly took out a grilling rack from her space. She went over to Qi Yanzhou.
He had already started the fire and was gathering branches to roast the meat cakes.

Ye Chutang handed him the rack, making up a story.
“Use this. I specially had someone make it for roasting meat.”

During exile, almost half of the journey was spent in the wilderness, where hunting and grilling were essential activities.
Qi Yanzhou took the shiny, smooth double-layered grilling rack, placed the meat cakes in the middle, and began grilling.

The fire was not as strong as charcoal, so he had to be extra careful not to burn the cakes.
His hands were constantly busy, adjusting the heat and flipping the cakes.
Soon, the surface of the meat cakes began to sizzle as the oil started to bubble, and a delicious fragrance wafted out.

“Ah Tang, it’s ready. Let it cool for a bit. It’s hot.”

Not far away, Zhao Simin, watching the attentive Qi Yanzhou, had tears welling up in her eyes, her gaze full of unwillingness.
Such a good man should have been hers!

Zhao Qingshu shifted his position, blocking Zhao Simin’s line of sight, and warned, “If you still want to restore your status as the princess, behave yourself and stop entertaining any crooked thoughts!”

It is said that one learns from their mistakes.

But his sister’s brain isn’t functioning properly, she keeps crashing into walls, yet refuses to learn!

Zhao Simin snorted coldly, “I don’t know what’s so special about that shameless woman, even the Emperor treats her differently!”

“She’s better than you in every way!”

Zhao Qingshu’s words were not out of anger, but truth.

Appearance, talent, martial arts, medical skills, character, and intelligence.

His foolish sister could never compare to Ye Chutang!

Zhao Simin, furious, kicked Zhao Qingshu.

“You… what kind of brother are you? Could it be that you have feelings for her…?”

She was terrified by the cold, piercing gaze of Zhao Qingshu and swallowed the unfinished words, then quickly corrected herself.

“Brother, don’t worry, I won’t act recklessly and ruin things.”

She was still waiting to see the expression of anger and regret on Qi Yanzhou’s face when he found out that Ye Chutang had never had any real feelings for him and had tried to kill him for self-preservation!

Zhao Qingshu put away the hostility in his expression and spoke gently, “Little sister, bear with it. I’ll help you get revenge.”

Their family had fallen to this state because of Ye Chutang!

Once they used this shameless woman to destroy the Qi family, he would take her life!

Zhao Simin clung to Zhao Qingshu’s arm and acted coquettishly, “Brother, you’re the best.”

Zhao Qingshu looked at Zhao Simin’s pitiful face and, disgusted, pulled his arm away.

“Remember to apply the medicine the imperial doctor gave you. In the future, marry a good man.”

Zhao Simin also wished to restore her beauty.

But she knew it was impossible.

The burns were too severe to be cured.

So, she hated the “ghost thief” who started the fire, and she hated her own brother, who had pushed her into the flames!

Zhao Simin lowered her head, concealing her hatred, and obediently replied, “Brother, I understand.”

By the time the two siblings had finished their conversation, Ye Chutang had already brewed some cooling tea.

The two elders of the Qi family and Qi Heran had gathered plenty of dry branches and were sitting under the tree, eating meat pies.

Ye Chutang handed a water pouch to Qi Old Madam.

“Mother, the river water is sweet. Please drink some with Father.”

The old lady refused, “Chutang, you drink. We’ll get our own water from the river later.”

On the road of exile, one couldn’t always find places to fetch water.

So, everyone had prepared two water pouches to ensure they had enough for the day.

Ye Chutang extended her hand, “Father, Mother, give me your pouches, and you can rest and eat.”

Qi Old Madam smiled, her face reddened by the sun, and said, “The sun is too harsh. Let Yanzhou go.”

After speaking, she took the two empty water pouches from Qi Old Master and handed them to Qi Yanzhou.

Qi Yanzhou was about to take them when Ye Chutang quickly grabbed them first.

“Yanzhou, go teach Third Brother how to tie the dry branches. I’ll go fetch water.”

Qi Heran: “…”

Fine, learning some survival skills wouldn’t hurt.

Ye Chutang filled the two pouches for the elders of the Qi family with spring water.

As she was about to leave, Aunt Xu approached her.

She respectfully bent her body and greeted, “Madam, if you need anything from Heran, please feel free to tell me. Although this child doesn’t know much, he is diligent and eager to learn.”

Aunt Xu was the most inconspicuous person in the Prince of Chen’s residence, but she was very astute.

She knew that if her son wanted to live well, he had to get along with Ye Chutang.

Ye Chutang smiled and reassured, “Aunt Xu, don’t worry. As long as Third Brother doesn’t slack off, we won’t abandon him.”

“Thank you, Madam.”

Ye Chutang glanced at the water pouch in Aunt Xu’s hand but had no intention of filling it with spring water.

She wouldn’t share good things with someone she hadn’t fully trusted yet.

By the tree.

She returned the pouches to Qi Old Madam.

“Father, Mother, drink some water and rest for a while. The afternoon journey will be much harder.”

Qi Old Madam took the pouch, patting the seat next to her.

“Chutang, you should rest too. Let Yanzhou make the cooling tea.”

“One pot of water is enough for half a pot of tea.”

Ye Chutang gave a few instructions to Qi Yanzhou, then sat beside Qi Old Madam, leaning against the sturdy tree trunk.

Her gaze fell on Qi Heran, who was tying the dry branches.

Qi Heran had only ever held a pen, and when it came to manual labor, he was clumsy and slow, sweating heavily.

But he didn’t ask for help, determinedly tying the scattered branches together.

When Aunt Xu returned with the water, he tied a tight knot in the rope.

She didn’t scold him. Instead, she handed him the water pouch and struggled to untie the knot.

“Heran, this is how the knot should be tied.”

After demonstrating, she untied the knot and said, “You try it yourself.”

After trying twice, Qi Heran was happy with his success.

“Mother, I got it!”

He then picked up the tied dry branches and securely attached them to the cart.

Ye Chutang closed her eyes, pretending to nap.

In her half-sleep, she heard someone arguing with the officials.

“The bushes here are sparse and low. There’s no way to relieve myself. I want to go over there.”

The voice belonged to Zhao Zhinian, Zhao Qingshu’s youngest illegitimate daughter.

She was clutching her stomach with one hand and pointing at the bushes with the other, her face flushed.

Wu Qinggang, thinking about Zhao Zhinian’s royal blood, called for his subordinates.

“Take Miss Zhao over there. It’ll only take one incense stick’s time.”

Zhao Zhinian stared in disbelief, her eyes wide open. “My stomach doesn’t feel well. One incense stick’s time is too short!”

Wu Chengang, seeing her push her luck, snorted coldly.

“Then don’t go!”

Zhao Zhinian quickly changed her tune, “Okay, okay, that’s enough!”

As she walked toward the dense shrubs in the distance, Ye Siyin shakily stood up.

“Officer, I also need to relieve myself.”

Wu Chengang pointed to a nearby thicket. “Go ahead.”

Ye Siyin looked at the thicket, which couldn’t even cover her body, and her face darkened.

“Officer, this…”

“This what? Remember, you’re not royal family or nobility, you’re a convict!”

A convict should act like one and not be picky.

Ye Siyin pressed her pale lips together.

“I’ll wait until we start the journey and then find a more concealed place.”

Wu Chengang snorted, “Go if you want, or don’t.”

Aunt Jiang, seeing that Ye Siyin was uncomfortable, took out a dark-colored cloak from her bundle.

“Siyin, go ahead, I’ll cover you with this cloak.”

Ye Siyin felt it was too humiliating and didn’t want to go.

“Mother…”

“Go, you’ll have to get used to it.”

These words reached Ye Jingchuan’s ears, and he felt a deep pang in his heart. His haggard face looked even older.

He had originally thought that after marrying Ye Chutang to Qi Yanzhou, he would be granted a title, but instead, the family had been exiled.

If not for his usefulness to the emperor, he might have been executed!

Ye Siyin couldn’t bear the thought of relieving herself in front of everyone, so she shook her head.

“I’ll wait until we start, then find a quieter place.”

Old Lady Ye, who had drunk more water, was now struggling to hold it in.

“Jiang, go help me cover for her.”

The Ye family had already lost face, so what did a little more humiliation matter? A living person couldn’t die from holding in urine!

After Aunt Jiang greeted the guards, she led Old Lady Ye to the thicket.

She chose an angle to shield her with the cloak.

The guards, listening to the intermittent sound of water, murmured unspeakable things.

Their eyes occasionally darted toward Aunt Jiang and Ye Siyin, their expressions lewd.

Ye Siyin noticed their gaze and hurriedly lowered her head, feeling panicked.

She needed to find a capable ally.

Otherwise, on this journey of exile, she would surely be harassed by the guards!

Thinking of this, she scanned the surroundings.

In the whole group of exiled prisoners, there were only four men.

Ye Siyin quickly ruled out Qi Yanzhou.

This man not only had brains but also martial arts skills, far beyond someone like her who could provoke him.

Soon, she also ruled out Qi Yun’an.

Being the illegitimate son cast aside by Qi Laoshi, he had little value.

So, she chose Zhao Qingshu and Qi He’an.

Zhao Qingshu was the only son of the Zhao family, and his position was obvious. He would definitely protect her.

But getting close to him wasn’t easy.

Qi He’an, though illegitimate, was closer to Qi Laoshi.

The key was that he didn’t seem too clever and would be easier to approach.

Ye Siyin decided to get close to Qi He’an first and test Zhao Qingshu.

If that didn’t work out, she could always choose the other one. Either way, she wouldn’t lose.

Leaning against the tree, Ye Chutang noticed Ye Siyin’s gaze.

Her intuition told her that this woman had something up her sleeve, so she needed to be cautious.

Realizing that they would be setting off soon, she stood up and went to the cart to get six bamboo cups and a spoon.

Each cup had a name on it, so there wouldn’t be any mix-ups.

“The tea has cooled down. Everyone, get up and drink some.”

As she was scooping tea into the cups, Aunt Su and Aunt Gao arrived.

“Madam, we forgot to buy summer medicine pills. We were hoping to get a cup.”

Without even looking up, Ye Chutang refused, “We only brewed enough for six people, I can’t spare any.”

Aunt Su looked at the full cups of tea and pouted.

“Can’t you just let each person have a little less to make it work?”

Qi Yanzhou coldly glanced at Aunt Su. “If the amount is less, the cooling effect will be diminished.”

Upon hearing this, Aunt Su turned around and walked off, swaying her waist.

Aunt Gao turned to Ye Chutang and respectfully asked, “Madam, do you have any cooling medicine pills? I’d like to buy some.”

Ye Chutang indeed had some, as they were provided by Manager Lin.

Although the pills were convenient to take, they had a very strong taste, not as pleasant as the cooling tea.

“Sure, they’re three times the usual price.”

Aunt Gao nodded in agreement. “Alright, how much silver?”

Ye Chutang took out a brown medicine bottle and handed it to Aunt Gao.

“Fifteen taels.”

Ordinary cooling medicine cost about one tael of silver per bottle.

What Manager Lin gave Ye Chutang was the best, costing nearly five taels.

Aunt Gao took the bottle and paid the silver without hesitation.

She and Aunt Su rested under a tree, pouring out two cooling pills and handing them to her.

“Take these. From here on, we’ll help each other out on the road.”

Being alone was hard, but when it came to scheming, one had to be hands-on.

Here’s the English translation:

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If someone shares the burden, it becomes much easier.

Madam Su understood Madam Gao’s hint and took the medicine pills.

“Right, let’s help each other.”

On the other side, after a few people had finished their summer tea, Qi Yanzhou went to the river to wash the sand pots.

Madam Qi leaned on the tree trunk to stand up, her face showing a look of difficulty.

When Aunt Xu noticed, she asked with concern, “Madam, do you want to go to the restroom?”

She had drunk too much water on the way, and now she needed to relieve herself.

Madam Qi shook her head. “The surroundings aren’t suitable, never mind.”

Even if she walked a bit farther, it would just be slightly better than the bushes in front of them.

Moreover, there were officials watching her, so she truly couldn’t…

Ye Chutang stood up. “Mother, I bought a simple latrine for you.”

She then pulled out four wooden boards from under the cart, which she had quietly hidden there after buying the materials the previous day.

The boards were about chest-high.

When assembled, they formed a small enclosure that, if used as a latrine, would block the view of anyone outside.

This was something Ye Chutang had prepared after learning they were going to be exiled.

She had secretly hidden it under the cart while shopping, so no one knew what she had bought.

Madam Qi looked at the wooden boards with satisfaction. “Tangtang, you thought of everything.”

“Mother, go ahead. We will have to leave soon.”

Ye Chutang greeted the officials, and Wu Chengang nodded in agreement.

The Qi family’s self-imposed exile was different from that of ordinary exiles. They enjoyed more freedom and respect, as long as they didn’t try to escape or leave the officials’ sight.

Aunt Xu, carrying the light wooden boards, went with Madam Qi to a more secluded area, followed by the officials.

Madam Su quickly grabbed Qi Jingyao and went to relieve herself as well.

Although the mother and daughter couldn’t use the simple latrine, the nearby bushes provided enough cover, so they didn’t have to worry about being seen by the officials.

When they returned to the riverbank, Wu Chengang shouted loudly, “Prepare to leave!”

He then instructed his subordinates to put shackles and foot chains on the Ye family.

Because of the previous restroom incident, Madam Jiang and Ye Siyin were both groped by the officials in passing.

The noon sun was scorching hot, and the heat rising from the ground was clearly visible.

Not only the Qi, Zhao, and Ye families, who had never experienced hardship, but even the officials were beginning to feel dizzy and faint from the heat.

However, the officials were accustomed to the heat and had some martial training, so they could still endure.

But most of the members of the three families were struggling to keep up.

Especially those from the Ye family, who had foot chains on.

If not for the officials’ whips threatening them, they would barely be able to move.

After slowly walking for an hour, Madam Qi collapsed, unconscious.

Her face was pale, and below her neck, it was flushed red, her body twitching.

Wu Chengang noticed that Madam Qi had suffered a heatstroke and immediately helped her to rest under a nearby tree.

“Pause. Rest.”

The task of escorting the exiles to the designated location was the officials’ duty.

Although many exiles didn’t survive the journey, if anyone died, the local authorities would need to report the exact cause of death.

If the coroner found that the exile’s death was related to the actions of the officials, they would lose their jobs and face imprisonment.

That’s why Wu Chengang immediately took action to help Madam Qi.

He called Madam Jiang over. “Untie her outer garments and pour water on her.”

Madam Jiang’s water pouch was almost empty, and she didn’t want to waste it on Madam Qi, but as she unbuttoned her coat, she muttered in frustration.

“Didn’t she take summer medicine? Why did she still get heatstroke? Could it be fake medicine?”

Wu Chengang heard this and explained, “She’s old, and her body is weak. Even with the summer medicine, the effect won’t be much.”

He then urged Ye Jingchuan to pour water on Madam Qi.

Ye Jingchuan, a filial son, immediately did as told.

He emptied his water pouch, and then he poured the remaining water from Madam Jiang’s and Ye Siyin’s pouches.

As Madam Qi’s complexion improved a little, Wu Chengang spoke again.

“Turn her over, grab the back of her neck, and scrape to cool her down.”

He had escorted exiles many times, and knew how to handle basic emergencies.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Madam Qi regained consciousness.

Her temples were throbbing, and her head felt like it was about to explode from the pain.

“What happened to me?”

Ye Jingchuan sighed with relief. “Mother, you’re weak. The heat got to you, and you fainted.”

“Chuan’er, my head hurts badly, and I feel so weak. I can’t walk anymore.”

Her words were a bit exaggerated.

She was just afraid that if she kept walking, she might not survive.

Wu Chengang looked at Ye Jingchuan. “I’ll remove the shackles for you. Carry your mother.”

The pace had already slowed enough. If they delayed any further, they wouldn’t reach the post station, 30 miles from the capital, before nightfall.

Just as Ye Jingchuan was about to nod, Madam Qi spoke again.

“Sir, my son is no longer young. If he carries me, he won’t be able to walk.”

After saying that, she greedily looked at the Qi family’s cart.