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Outside the city of Chang’an, the Qin family and their entourage were walking laboriously.
One of the servants was driving a horse-drawn carriage at the front, carrying their bedding, food, and cooking utensils.
Following closely behind were Qin Zhao wearing shackles, his wife Nie Yunniang holding onto his arm tightly with one hand and leading their two daughters Qin Zhen with the other.
Qin Heng, also in shackles, carried their belongings that they had packed up in the prison, with his son Qin Han and daughter Qin Jia holding onto the sides of his clothes.
The third son of the Qin family, Qin Yu, followed behind Qin Sheng.
Old Madam Qin (She was also sometimes referred as Madam Qin/Lady Qin) held her newborn granddaughter, while Lu Songli supported her, occasionally taking turns to hold the baby.
They all walked forward slowly and cautiously.
Several guards were scattered around them, keeping watch.
Lu Songli noticed that the road at this time was really difficult to traverse, with uneven terrain and snow accumulation making it hard for the adults to walk, let alone the children.
This was still on the official road near Chang’an City, and as they continued further, the road would only get more challenging.
Furthermore, being out in the wilderness, the biting cold wind was unbearable. Fortunately, they were all dressed warmly to protect against the wind; otherwise, they would likely fall ill after just half a day.
Thinking about the next three to four months of traveling ahead, Lu Songli felt a sense of dread, but thankfully, she had made some preparations; otherwise, the days ahead would be truly tough.
Another fortunate thing was that the severe cold of the 24 solar terms had passed, and the next term would be the beginning of spring, with the weather gradually warming up.
After leaving Chang’an City and walking about seven or eight miles, Xu Zheng saw that the women and children of the Qin family could no longer walk, so he found a sheltered slope for them to rest temporarily.
Once they stopped, Xu Zheng gave them some dry rations. They had no water, so they were preparing to melt some snow to drink.
Lu Songli handed the baby back to Nie Yunniang to feed her on the side, while Old Madam Qin naturally went to help.
Qin Sheng looked around and walked to the side.
“Where are you going?” Lu Songli asked.
“I’m thirsty and want to eat some snow,” he replied, hesitating, “Do you want some?” If she did, he would dig up a clean piece for her.
Lu Songli looked at him speechlessly. Putting aside the issue of cleanliness, eating something so cold might upset their stomachs. However, she also knew they had no other choice now.
After asking, Qin Sheng remembered his mother’s words that women should not eat cold things, so he furrowed his brow.
Drinking water was indeed a problem, and Lu Songli glanced over at Xu Zheng.
Qin Zhen was a five-year-old girl. Upon hearing Qin Sheng’s words, she asked softly, “Mother and Father, I’m thirsty too. Can I eat snow?”
As soon as she spoke, the other children couldn’t help but lick their lips, clearly also feeling thirsty.
The children were all sensible and did not ask for hot water or anything else.
“Don’t eat yet, wait for me.” Lu Songli said, walking towards the officers.
Lu Songli found Xu Zheng and other clerks and officers, “Gentlemen, could you please remove the shackles from my husband and my two uncles? We promise not to run. In fact, there’s no place for us in Chang’an anymore. And it’s been icy and snowy all the way. Where could we run to?”
“They’re three grown men with leg shackles. They won’t run. If they ran, wouldn’t we leave the women and children behind?”
“If you take off their handcuffs, they can help carry more luggage, and we can walk faster. Don’t you agree, gentlemen? If you’re not comfortable, then remove the shackles during the day when we’re on the road, and put them back on at night when we rest.”
As she spoke, Lu Songli handed the silver to Xu Zheng.
This silver was given to her by her father when he left the city. She wasn’t sure if anyone saw it. Now she gave it all, not keeping a single tael. It’s better to get rid of it than keep it and attract trouble.
Besides, the plan she made earlier would soon come into play. The people from Yang Wei Escort Agency were surely waiting ahead to meet them.
Now, the most urgent thing was to see if they could remove the shackles from the three of them. If they couldn’t, she could at least gauge the situation and see if there were any officers who harbored ill intentions towards them. This would help them be more cautious in the future.
She dared to make this request because she had a basis.
The exile system had certain written standards. First, with Chang’an city as the starting point, it was divided into three levels according to distance. These three levels were 2,000 li, 2,500 li, and 3,000 li.
The Qin family was exiled to Pingzhou, which is present-day Liaoyang City in Liaoning Province. Chang’an is about 1,700 kilometers away from Pingzhou, exceeding 3,000 li for exile. This means the Qin family was exiled at the highest level.
The officers who escorted prisoners also had a time limit. They had to escort the prisoners to their destination within a specified time, completing the task, or they would be punished. Almost every dynasty had a clear written regulation for this. They had to walk 50 li every day.
Walking 3,000 li, those with weak bodies would definitely not be able to endure it and would fall. The prisoners wore shackles and leg chains, making it extremely difficult. Ordinary people would die before reaching their destination.
Lu Songli believed that these clerks had requirements for the survival rate of the prisoners.
So she guessed that later, when the prisoners couldn’t handle it anymore, the clerks and officers would relax the restrictions somewhat, such as allowing the prisoners to remove some of their restraints.
Because under such circumstances, the prisoners had no chance of escape. The terrain was complex, and walking would also be hindered. Of course, those who committed heinous crimes and were extremely vicious, or those with high martial arts skills, would not be considered for removing their restraints.
Xu Zheng flipped his hand, letting others see the silver.
“Go back first, we need to discuss this.”
“Okay, okay, thank you, gentlemen. If you can’t remove the shackles, we understand your difficulties. But in that case, gentlemen, could you give us some hot water?”
Before Xu Zheng could speak, a young officer under him said, “Chief, let’s give them some hot water?” He was eager to help, all because the other party was so understanding and spoke in a way that made people feel comfortable.
Xu Zheng nodded, “Okay, you take care of this.”
So the young officer took a porcelain basin they used themselves and poured half a basin of hot water for Lu Songli.
Lu Songli estimated it to be about three jin. She thanked him and carried the water back.
Xu Zheng glanced at her and looked away. His third brother’s wife’s younger sister was truly good at handling things. She built bridges and ladders, making many things happen naturally without making him feel awkward. Their relationship as relatives was also well hidden.
Lu Songli wasn’t stupid. It was obvious that the judge was on their side. Would it benefit them if she exposed their relationship?
After Lu Songli left, Xu Zheng divided the silver, “You all heard what she said. I think she makes a good point. I agree to remove the handcuffs from the three of them. It’s better to let them walk faster during the day, and lock them up again at night. What do you think?”
“Chief, we have no objections.” Several officers took the silver and chuckled.
Zhao Long weighed the silver in his hand, his eyes scanning the Qin family, especially Lu Songli, his main target of investigation.
Noticing his ill intentions, Qin Sheng’s eyes darkened. He pulled Lu Songli behind him, using his body to block the other’s view.
Zhao Long raised an objection, “I disagree!”
Xu Zheng’s face darkened, “Why? Don’t forget we have a time limit for this trip! We have to escort them to Pingzhou within two and a half months. If we’re late, are you responsible?”
“The three Qin brothers are all martial arts practitioners. If you remove their handcuffs, what if they escape?”
After all, if they lost the prisoners, they would face extremely cruel punishments upon returning to the yamen.
But Xu Zheng said, “Zhao Long, you’re really overthinking. They are three grown men, it’s true, but don’t forget they’re still wearing leg shackles. Plus, there are six of us. Can’t we handle three sickly elderly women and five children? As long as we hold a few of them hostage, they won’t dare to move.”
The two groups were not far apart, and their voices were not low, so the Qin family could hear everything clearly.
The three Qin brothers all lowered their heads slightly, thinking dismissively, If we really have to fight, the six of you might not win.
But at this moment, they also saw something. This officer Xu Zheng had a problem. He was a bit biased towards them.
Lu Songli and Qin Heng each had a backup plan, neither of which they told the other. First, there was no time. From their marriage to the news of Qin Yue’s death, to the emperor’s passing, to the Qin family being confiscated and imprisoned, everything happened one after another. Second, the fewer people who knew about these backup plans, the better.
“No matter what you say, I just disagree.” Zhao Long stuck to his point.
“Zhao Long, don’t be unreasonable. We’re not all first-timers escorting exiles. We all know what happens in the end, whether we loosen the shackles for the prisoners. Now, we’re just doing it a little earlier. It’s the New Year, and we have to go on such a long trip. It’s not easy for anyone. I believe everyone wants to safely deliver the prisoners and return safely. At this time, giving them a little convenience will save us some trouble.”
“Yes, Deputy Officer Zhao, Officer Xu is right. We only have two and a half months, and time is actually tight. Now, we’ve been on the road for half a day, and we’ve only walked seven or eight li. It’s too slow.”
“Zhao Long, you don’t need to say more. Let’s just say this, if the prisoners are lost, I’ll take responsibility, okay? Now answer my question. You refuse to let them loosen their handcuffs during the day. If we can’t deliver them to Pingzhou on time this trip, can you take responsibility?” Xu Zheng pressed him.
Zhao Long still remained silent.
“If you say you can take responsibility, then don’t loosen them. If you can’t take responsibility, then listen to me. If you don’t say anything now, I’ll assume you can’t.” After Xu Zheng finished speaking, he ordered someone to remove the shackles from the three Qin brothers.
Those who could go on this trip had been bribed beforehand.
He was a chief officer, with a deputy officer and four other officers. He had already arranged with the four officers, but this deputy officer named Zhao Long was stubborn. He originally wanted to find a way to replace him, but he found that it was impossible. Now, he could only find opportunities and reasons to suppress him.