Chapter 16: The Exile Procession Was Grand, But Zhizhi Was Missing

The emperor’s thoughts were not unwarranted. After all, the only true master of the General’s residence was Xie Zhizhi, with everyone else being servants. Even if they had a hundred times more courage, they wouldn’t dare to move so many valuables.

Who else could have moved all that stuff right under the noses of the Imperial Guards?

Only the Imperial Guards themselves!

The more the emperor thought about it, the more convinced he became. He even wondered if some of Xie Zongyi’s followers had infiltrated the Imperial Guards, staging an elaborate plot to steal everything from the General’s residence. Was this an act of revenge against him?

Damn it, and they still hadn’t found the Five Kingdoms map.

That day, the emperor, in a fit of anger, stormed through the palace, ignoring memorials and seeking solace in the company of his concubines.

As he was about to leave, he glanced up at the sky and noticed how unexpectedly dark it had become. He thought it might rain, which only worsened his mood. His brow furrowed deeply. “Someone, bring me an umbrella! Take me to Concubine Shu!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The eunuch quickly rushed to fetch an umbrella.

The weather did indeed feel strange. The air was hot and suffocating, making the emperor uneasy.

---

Meanwhile, Zhizhi encountered Jing Er on her way to the palace.

Jing Er couldn’t see her. Still dressed as a woman, carrying a basket of eggs, she blended in with the common people, watching as the Xie family’s branch members, shackled with foot chains and handcuffs, were paraded through the streets.

The long procession seemed endless.

Was Jing Er looking for her?

Zhizhi overheard the whispers of the onlookers, shaking their heads sympathetically.

“Such a pity! They’re being exiled to barren land, eight thousand miles away!”

“They won’t even make it halfway; they’ll die from exhaustion or hunger. One illness, and they’re gone.”

“Better to die than suffer like that!”

“At least if they die, it’s over.”

“Good riddance! Xie Yuwen abused his father’s position as the Imperial Censor to rob so many women!”

“How could the General do such a foolish thing? A once-great general, just like this…”

Some of the people hated the Xie family’s eldest son, who was the General’s cousin, and they threw rotten vegetable leaves and eggs at them in a fit of rage.

“Enjoy this while you can! You won’t be seeing eggs anymore, so lick them up now!”

“Bah! You’re lucky we’re not throwing worse things!”

Xie Yuwen, drenched in the rotten egg liquid and egg shells, had never experienced such humiliation before. His eyes burned with fury as he turned to his father, Xie Xiaohu, who remained silent. The two exchanged a glance, swallowing their anger in silence.

Xie Zongyi’s cousin, Xie Mengcun, a third-rank military officer, was in his forties and managed the recruitment of military officials. He had always lived a life of power and wealth. Never had he imagined he would be exiled in such a manner. His face darkened with rage, gritting his teeth in the face of the public insults.

Xie Xiaohu and Xie Mengcun silently waited for the two prime ministers to come to their rescue, but for now, they kept their silence.

What they didn’t know was that the Xie family, with hundreds of people, was equally helpless. They hadn’t received any warnings and hadn’t packed anything. From this moment on, they would be forced to live on river water and stale bread as they fled into exile.

The women couldn’t hold back their despair and began to wail.

“Injustice!”

“It’s not our fault!”

“Quiet down! Keep making noise, and we’ll send you to the army as military prostitutes! If you don’t want to die, shut up!” The lead officer glared at them sharply.

The fear of becoming military prostitutes silenced the women immediately.

The Xie family’s entire clan, along with their servants, trudged down the gravel road, their faces pale, leaving the imperial city as they headed toward the desolate land.

No matter how much they cried out in protest, the fate was sealed.

The onlookers expressed their hatred for them, and the number of officers escorting the procession was double the number of exiles. The officers pushed them forward with harsh, threatening gestures, carrying black rods.

Zhizhi, seeing the long line of exiles, noticed the General’s household servants and guards trailing at the end, along with the elderly butler.

In less than three days, if there was an opportunity to awaken their powers, they should be capable of resistance. It wouldn’t be necessary for her to rescue them, as they might be able to manage on their own. Right now, it was too peaceful, and trying to save them would only put them in greater danger.

Inside her space, she wrote a message with the brush and ink she had recently acquired, controlling the space to move it near Jing Er.

As Jing Er looked ahead, Zhizhi quietly placed the note at her collar. Then, she used the space to leave the scene.

Jing Er’s keen senses immediately detected something unusual at her neck. Her instincts as a dark guard made her naturally touch her collar, where she discovered the note. After clearing her throat to cover up her movements, she quickly distanced herself from the crowd and opened the note in a secluded alley.

[Second Sister, meet at the small house at the time of Xu.]

It was from the young lady!