bayedsolid Chapter 27, Night 1: Spending the Night by the River
Chapter 27, Night 1: Spending the Night by the River
The chaotic scene gradually quieted down.
The handover procedures for Lord Zhu proceeded smoothly, and he could set off once the procedures were completed.
According to the decree of the Central State, relatives who voluntarily accompany prisoners to exile may register and accompany them, but they may not take the punishment in place of the prisoners.
Since ancient times, places of exile have been desolate and remote. Prisoners had to face all kinds of unexpected events along the way, and the journey was arduous and difficult. It was extremely fortunate to be able to reach the destination alive.
It's rare to see relatives accompany prisoners to exile, but it does happen. These people are courageous, incredibly strong-willed, and admirable.
At this moment, a dozen or so such people gathered to the side, waiting to follow.
The central government issued laws and regulations.
Elderly people over sixty years old and children under twelve years old only need to be bound by ropes on the way to exile; the rest are all put in shackles.
More than half of the prisoners were shackled this time. Even the able-bodied men were restricted in their movements by the weight of the shackles, which weighed twenty or thirty pounds. Not to mention the female prisoners, who suffered even more excruciating pain when walking.
Children who weren't bound by chains made up about a third of the group. There were over 30 toddlers under the age of five. These children were all innocent and naive; they didn't understand what exile was. In their eyes, it was just a long journey. With curious hearts, they followed the adults on their way to a distant place.
The escorting officer gave the order, "Set off."
The sound of weeping was deafening at the city gate.
Amidst cries, the prisoners, urged on by their escorting officers, embarked on an unknown journey.
As the saying goes, where there are people, there are rivers and lakes.
Even among prisoners, this was no exception.
Some criminals lingered and caused trouble along the way, infuriating the escorting officers. The officers grabbed rattan whips and sticks, and with a clatter, they beat and cursed the prisoners all the way from the front of the line to the back.
"Bang, thud."
"Always looking for trouble, causing a ruckus as soon as they set off."
"Go ahead and make a scene, I'll let you make as much as you want."
The rattan whip and stick crackled and popped, their power palpable.
"My lord, my lord, I dare not, I dare not."
Many of the troublemaking prisoners finally became afraid.
"Get out of here! Anyone who causes trouble again will receive fifty lashes!"
Under the officers' intimidation, the prisoners immediately quickened their pace.
The Wen family, numbering around twenty, were positioned towards the back of the group.
Because Wen Qilin had a serious leg injury, Wen Qikang (third uncle) and Yao Changhao (eldest uncle) supported him on either side as they walked together.
Zhou Kangyan (uncle-in-law) and Wen Chengxi (third brother) supported Wen Qiyuan (second uncle) on either side as they walked together.
The eldest and second eldest brothers were thus replaced.
They turned around, one helping the grandfather and the other helping the grandmother.
Wenwen followed her mother and grandmother with her younger brother. Looking at the thin backs of her older brothers, she felt both heartache and admiration. In modern times, they would only be high school students, their wings not yet fully grown. She never expected that they would already be able to fight on the battlefield here.
It truly proves the old saying: heroes have emerged from among the young since ancient times.
Wenwen estimated that she had been walking for more than an hour, and her feet were already aching, let alone a four-year-old child.
Her adopted brother was quite stubborn and refused to speak, so she could only squat down and say, "Brother, let me carry you on my back, get on."
My younger brother didn't say anything either, looking dejected. He had only been carrying me on his back for a short while when he started snoring softly.
Wenwen glanced at the other children beside her. Ruirui seemed to be doing well; they had only been gone a short while, and her third and fourth sisters were taking turns carrying her.
Xiaomi also took turns carrying Maisui on her back.
Fourth Brother carried Wenqing on his back the whole time.
His mentally challenged younger brother always walked by himself, and didn't say a word even when he was tired.
Sigh, it's her fault. She wasn't careful enough as the older sister.
Wenwen mentally criticized herself as she followed the others.
Before we knew it, the sun had set, and the evening glow on the horizon was fading.
The scout ahead reported, "Sir, there's a suitable place ahead."
After considering it, Zhu Chongba nodded, "Alright, let's go there. Pass it on, speed things up, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can rest."
Immediately, they spurred the prisoners forward at a faster pace.
The officials did find a suitable place to spend the night.
This place is a rocky area, and as far as the eye can see, it is empty and unobstructed.
Fortunately, there was a stream in the distance with clear water, and under the glow of the sunset, you could see the shadows of fish and shrimp.
Although it's the season of late summer heat, a slight breeze can still bring a chill to the air at night.
The officials were experienced and quickly chose a spot, started cooking, and a few even discussed going down to the river to catch fish.
Soon, the aroma of food wafted out, carried by the gentle breeze along the river for miles.
More than two hundred prisoners rested downwind, mostly in small circles around their families along the riverbank.
After walking for half a day, everyone was too tired to speak. All their complaints and dissatisfaction vanished, and all they wanted to do was eat their fill and lie down. The aroma of the food made them even hungrier, and their mouths watered.
The Wen family, numbering over twenty, huddled together, checking each other's wounds and applying medicine.
Wenwen leaned back, exhausted. The journey of half a day had left her feet aching, and she guessed her family members were in no better shape.
She looked around.
My grandparents are old, well, they're not even sixty yet, so according to the laws of Zhongzhao Kingdom they're not considered old. They're resting against their luggage, still wearing shackles, looking exhausted.
The women, who usually live a secluded life, have never traveled such a long distance. On the first day of their exile, they already seem half-crippled, and they are all massaging their legs.
The children, who were usually so clever, were all listless, hungry and sleepy, and were resting against their older sisters.
Let's take a closer look at my father and second uncle's side.
The wound on my father's right leg was shocking, and my mother was changing his dressing with a pained expression on her face.
My second uncle was blind and deaf, and his face was pale. My second aunt frowned as she took his pulse.
Third Uncle and the others were also checking the wounds of Eldest Brother and Second Brother.
The backs of the two older brothers were crisscrossed with wounds, new ones covering old ones. Especially the whippings when they got off the carriage, which left them bloodied and mangled, showed how much force the constables had used.
His two foolish older brothers were really confused for a moment. Those few lashes could have been avoided. I don't know what they were thinking at the time. It was inexplicable.
While Wenwen was worried about her family, she was also concerned about her own stomach. She had a room full of snacks, but it wasn't good to eat alone.
We can only endure it for now.
The officials were enjoying their meal, completely oblivious to whether the prisoners were hungry or not.
They didn't provide food, so the prisoners could only endure the smell and wait in hunger.
Those who were seen off by relatives and friends when leaving the city and were given food were considered lucky.
After treating Wen Qilin's wounds, Ren opened the package her mother had given her and took out the food inside.
"Mother, how should we divide this food?"
"Keep this for the kids in case of emergency. We adults can bear with it; dinner will be served soon."
Grandmother Wen stopped Ren from taking it.
The same scene was repeated by Yang and Wei, Wen Lanling (the eldest daughter of the Wen family), and Wen Lanmin (the youngest daughter of the Wen family).
Grandma Wen looked at the food, then at the group of grandchildren in front of her.
“Our family has suffered a tragedy, so let’s help each other out and get through this together. We’re keeping these for the children in case of emergency on their journey.”
“Grandmother,” Wenwen called softly.
Grandmother squeezed Wenwen's palm without saying anything more.
Before long, shouts from the constables could be heard from the riverbank.
"Listen carefully, everyone. Let's go over the rules before we serve the food."
"Two meals a day on the road, one pancake for adults and half a pancake for children."
"Tonight is the first night. Lord Zhu is considerate of everyone. Each person will have two pancakes. We can't waste food. Eat your fill and rest early. Walk quickly on the road tomorrow and don't cause any trouble for us servants."
The prisoners reacted in various ways: some were grateful, some were resentful, and some remained silent.
The Wen family followed the crowd and accepted any cakes offered.