Chapter 56: Interception

"Nothing. Like you, I'm worried about how Wei Yao is doing on her journey. I've already paid extra money to arrange for the delivery, so it should be delivered smoothly... It's just that the place of exile is remote, and I don't know when we'll see each other again..."

Cheng Ying sighed softly. He said he was sending some things, but in fact they were all rice, flour, grain, oil, clothes, cloth and other practical supplies. Given the current situation of his family, he was really short of silver and jewelry.

Even if we take a step back and ask someone to deliver it, after all the frauds along the way, it is likely that only one in ten will actually reach Cheng Weiyao's hands.

"So, my husband is studying harder, hoping to ask for mercy and rescue me one day, right?"

Mother Cheng saw through her husband's plan at a glance. Ever since he moved out, his behavior had changed and he had started to have some interactions with people in the court. If it were in the past, he would have disdained this.

"At least there's hope. I should give it a try. I didn't fight for it before because I was afraid of being jealous of the first and second wives. Now they've even forced my only daughter to leave the country. I can't even make a living, but I still have to fight for my dignity!"

Cheng Ying couldn't help but tighten his grip on the scroll, and his brows were furrowed tightly into a "川" shape. As soon as he finished speaking, a pair of gentle hands rested on his shoulders and gently squeezed them.

"Husband, please don't be angry. Continue to review your studies. Our Wei Yao is blessed with good fortune and will surely be safe..."

But what Cheng's father and mother didn't expect was that the person who gave Cheng Weiyao a lot of silver to deliver the gift left Cheng Ying and knelt in front of Cheng Weining.

"So the Cheng Ying couple sent you to send these things to Cheng Weiyao? You didn't hide anything, did you?"

Cheng Weining sat in the small pavilion in the Duke's Mansion's garden. With a look of disdain on his face, he reached out and gently touched the simple bundle on the table, feeling a little suspicious.

There really wasn't a single penny of gold or silver. Didn't the Third House accuse the Second House of stealing the treasures from the palace? She saw that their lives were worse than those of ordinary people...

"My dear Miss, it's really gone. If I dare to hide it, or tell even a single lie, I will strike you down with lightning..."

The escort took a few steps forward with a pug-like look on his face. When he knelt at Cheng Weining's feet, he looked at the tip of the embroidered shoes that was visible through the hem of her skirt, and couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

It would be extremely difficult for someone of their status to get in touch with such a big shot in the Duke's Mansion. Originally, considering the huge amount of silver, he really intended to send it to Cheng Weiyao.

But he didn't expect that he would receive an invitation from the Duke's Mansion before he even set off. The one who came to see him was a top-notch beauty, and he had long forgotten about his moral principles.

"Wei Ning? What are you doing? Meeting with a man in broad daylight like this? It would be disastrous if your grandparents saw it!"

Cheng Li had already left the court and was planning to take a walk around the house to relax. He saw the scene in the pavilion from afar, hurried over, and kicked away the bodyguard who was kneeling in front of Cheng Weining.

He had gone through so much trouble to keep this daughter alive, hoping that one day he could use her marriage to further his career and his family's advancement. If word got out that she had been secretly having affairs with a man, and it ruined his reputation, wouldn't his already diminished power over the family be in vain?!

"Father, I know what's going on...Okay, okay, it's gone, okay? Leave the things here and you can go."

Cheng Weining comforted Cheng Li with a gentle and generous smile. He caught a glimpse of the escort sitting on the ground rubbing his chest and gave him a slight wink.

The maid who was serving Cheng Weining stepped forward sensibly and helped the escort leave. Before leaving the house, she did not forget to stuff a silver ingot into his pocket as hush money.

Cheng Li's expression softened slightly. He was just frustrated at court, and he was venting his frustration by kicking the escort. He caught a glimpse of the simple bundle on the table and raised his brows, "What kind of shabby guy is bringing this stuff into the palace?"

"Father, you're right. This is some supplies that Cheng Ying sent to Cheng Weiyao."

Cheng Weining was amused by his father's apt description. Everyone in the Prince Qingping's Mansion was exiled to the wilderness, and the second branch was also kicked out of the house. Didn't they make the whole family a ruined family?

She didn't care about these things at all, but she also knew that these ordinary items were precious travel expenses for the exiles, so she decided to keep them.

"Cheng Ying? He's certainly made a name for himself recently, but he's still a little naive to think he can get ahead of me in the imperial court! He still wants to send supplies to that damn girl? No way! Someone, burn these junk!"

When mentioning his second brother, Cheng Li's face darkened again. Ever since the warehouse was stolen, Duke Cheng ordered that each room should be responsible for its own income and expenditure.

He had always been the head of the eldest house, and over time, he naturally developed a habit of spending lavishly. Now that Sud asked people to tighten their belts and go on a tight diet, Cheng Li had no choice but to set his sights on the officialdom.

After all, there were many people who wanted to curry favor with the Duke's Mansion, and they used their own money to do some insignificant things as a way to supplement their family income. However, every time, Cheng Li would appear nearby like a ghost. Although it didn't ruin the good things, it was still scary.

"Of course. My father has been in the imperial court for many years. How could a petty official like Cheng Ying influence him?"

Cheng Weining was a master at soothing people. With just a few words, he managed to cheer up Cheng Li from his gloomy mood. However, beneath his smiling face, he was secretly cursing Cheng Ying, hoping that he would be exiled to the wilderness like Cheng Weiyao...

Cheng Weiyao, who was far away in Pingyuan, had no idea that the little supplies her family had painstakingly saved were snatched away by the eldest wife in a fire. Instead, she was doing very well in Pingyuan.

The purpose of exile is to make the exiles do hard labor along the way. The plains are mostly inhabited by nomadic peoples. For the imperial court, these herdsmen are tall and strong, good at riding and shooting, and they need to be appeased.

Therefore, the officials stayed in the plains for a relatively long time, and the exiles' labor projects changed from farming and building bridges to herding and guarding at night.

"Little one, look at that Central Plains guy, he's so clumsy, he's not even as good as me at herding..."

The boy who was speaking was called Taru, a herdsman's son. He was tall and dark-skinned, and his skills were beyond reproach.

"People go to higher places, water flows to lower places. Why don't you compete with my brother?"

Wen Chengming sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes fixed on Wen Chengyun, who was grazing. His brother's appearance when riding a horse and whipping it was no worse than these herdsmen...

"That man is your brother? I remember him. I think his name was something like Prince Qingping, right? He's really good. It turns out you people in the Central Plains also have such a great guy. But he's not as good as my father..."