After feeding the exiled criminals, she was forced to reveal herself

Chapter 7 The first night in exile camp

Nearing the end of the day, the handover procedures were completed and we immediately set off on the road.

If other relatives of the sentenced prisoner voluntarily accompany him to the border areas, they can accompany him according to the Daliang law, but they are not allowed to interfere with or replace the prisoner's daily punishment.

Leaving one's hometown to go to a barbarian land, the dangers and tortures on the road are no less than the death penalty. Historically, only four out of ten people who have been exiled can reach their destination safely.

There were not many relatives willing to go into exile with the prisoner, but a dozen people gathered together and followed him with their luggage.

Except for the elderly people over sixty and young children who walked with ropes, the other criminals were all in shackles, with twenty or thirty kilograms of torture instruments weighing heavily on their bodies, making their movements slow and inconvenient.

When the team first set out on the road, the prisoners were complaining, chaotic and noisy. The escorting officers were not used to it at all. Carrying water sticks and waist knives, they started from the front of the team, beating and scolding them all the way to the back.

Many of the prisoners who made trouble were beaten until they screamed and screamed.

"Hurry up and go! Whoever dawdles again will be careful with the vine whip!"

The prisoners' feet immediately moved much faster.

Twenty or so members of the Xie family were at the front of the team. Because Xie Yuchuan was seriously injured, the brothers from the side were afraid that he would not be able to bear the strength, so they supported him along the way.

He had some impression of one of them.

"Are you Hezhi?" He was not sure.

A smile bloomed on Xie Wuying's young face.

"It's me, Brother Six!"

Xie Yuchuan's eyes were slightly surprised, "Shouldn't you be studying in your hometown in Huaiyang? Why... I'm hurting you."

Xie Wuying smiled naively, "What are you talking about, Brother Six? I, Wuying, am also a descendant of the Xie family. The Xie family will suffer both prosperity and loss. Even in my hometown in Huaiyang, I am afraid that I will not be able to escape. I think this is good." , I can still protect the old lady and everyone on the road."

Xie Yuchuan nodded slightly.

He looked to the right and saw that the other person was a little shy and introduced himself to his family.

"Xie Wenjie, named Huaizhang. He went to the capital with Hezhi and stayed at the Duke's Mansion until next spring." His voice paused slightly, "Brother Hezhi and I have the same thoughts."

The lineage of Duke Zhongguo in Beijing is the pinnacle of the Xie family. If the imperial court cannot even accommodate Duke Xie's family, what future will they, the descendants of the Xie family, have in the future?

Xie Yuchuan nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He just said: "Since we are together, we will be a family from now on."

Xie Wuying and Xie Wenjie looked at each other and nodded in unison.

"Listen to Brother Six."

Most of the female members of the Xie family were in front. They had lived in boudoir for a long time, but they had never gone through such a difficult road. The female members of the Xie family supported each other and encouraged each other to not fall behind, lest some bad-tempered official next to them rush over and whip him.

Xie Yuchuan's indifferent eyes swept around him, and he secretly memorized the voices and looks of all the escorting officers without leaving any trace.

"The journey this time is nearly three thousand miles. The government has given us two months to reach the place of exile before the dead of winter. So the escorting officers will definitely have to drive us away, at least fifty miles a day. I'm afraid it won't be easy. ah."

In the team of prisoners who were traveling together next door, there was actually someone who had the leisure to settle scores.

Unfortunately, no one answered him.

A large group of people walked unknowingly for most of the day until the glow began to rise.

Tu Hua, who was concentrating on her work in the study room on the second floor, did not notice that the sky outside the window changed from day to night. After finishing a small section of composition in the middle, when I got up to rest, I suddenly remembered that Xie Yuchuan didn't seem to have looked for her all afternoon.

When I walked to the balcony, I was faced with a gust of cool breeze, and I couldn't help but gather up the long sweater on my body.

The escort officers seemed to have found a suitable place to spend the night.

Tu Hua searched for a long time under the moonlight before she saw Xie Yuchuan.

He was resting against the tree trunk with his eyes closed, looking very tired.

Tu Hua thought for a while and did not disturb him.

After coming out of the villa and walking all the way to the exile team, no one noticed the existence of "her" until she stood in front of Xie Yuchuan.

Due to lack of energy, Tu Hua, who could only temporarily maintain the "invisible state", felt very safe.

The ancient nights were quiet and refreshing.

Especially the place they had chosen for the official election. It had no village in front of it, no shop in back, starry sky above its head, and wasteland under its feet. It was very primitive.

However, there is a small river in the distance, flowing slowly, and the sound of gurgling water can be heard in the quiet night. Tu Hua saw several people wearing "bad" uniforms rolling up their trouser legs and catching fish in the river.

When the officers were resting, they naturally chose the best place to bury the pot and make rice. The fire was lit. In the cold night, many officers and soldiers soon gathered around the bonfire. The food was slowly simmered in the boiling water, and soon released bursts of aroma, which made the exhausted prisoners around them drool with saliva and scream with their internal organs.

Unfortunately, the officials turned a deaf ear.

Most of the prisoners rested in the lower area. More than a hundred people gathered together and walked for half a day. Everyone was too tired to speak.

Many people who are accustomed to living a wealthy life are suddenly so depressed that it is unbearable both physically and mentally.

In the quiet night, Tu Hua could hear many suppressed cries.

Even the Xie family members who were leaning against her to keep warm, there were also several female family members who silently wiped away tears.

"Ugh--"

It's heartbreaking to watch.

Xie Yuchuan, who was catching up on his sleep, suddenly heard a sigh in his ears. He opened his eyes in a daze, thinking he heard it wrong.

"what happened?"

Mrs. Zhou next to her saw her son suddenly woke up and thought he was not feeling well.

As soon as Zhou opened his mouth, everyone else looked at Xie Yuchuan worriedly.

Tu Hua, who heard the voice, couldn't help but look back at Xie Yuchuan.

The distance between the two was only four or five meters. Under the moonlight, Xie Yuchuan's face looked paler than during the day.

"It's okay, I'm used to marching."

"If you feel uncomfortable somewhere, don't hide it."

Zhou frowned and looked at her son, feeling very uneasy.

"Mom, don't worry, I won't die yet."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhou glanced at him and said, "Drink some water."

"Not urgent."

He stopped his mother and glanced around inexplicably. For some reason, he always felt like someone was looking at him.

Thinking of some possibility, he lowered his expression and looked around cautiously.

Tu Hua looked at him and found that the scabbed wound from the past few days had cracked again.
He took out his mobile phone and said:

"Your wound is suppurating. Why didn't the anti-inflammatory medicine I gave you work?"

A familiar voice sounded in Xie Yuchuan's ears.

His eyes suddenly changed, the original sharp aura disappeared instantly, and the tense nerves immediately relaxed.

Tu Hua: "Are you out of medicine? No, I can give you some more."

I think I still have a few boxes at home.

Xie Yuchuan: "There are still some, but they were inconvenient to use in the first two days, but now they can be used."

Tu Hua understood. In the prison a few days ago, Emperor Longqing's people were watching him closely. If there were any special changes in his body, it would easily make Xiahou Jie suspicious again.

She reminded him: "It's not good to have pus. Don't make the wound serious."

If the inflammation doesn't go away, what's the next step?

Xie Yuchuan was moved.

"Thank you God for reminding me."

"Ah."

She observed the condition of the Xie family. The twenty-odd people walked for most of the day, and their condition was not very good. Mrs. Xie was old, and after walking for half a day, her body and bones were exhausted, and she was tiredly leaning on her luggage to catch up on her sleep.

It was only the first day of exile, and she felt that most of the people were already half disabled.

(End of this chapter)