Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Escort? Or escort? ...

“Ouch~”

The horse in front stopped a few steps away from the crowd. Xi Fang dismounted, and more than 50 imperial guards behind him also dismounted.

Su Guanzhang slightly turned sideways to block the dust that was floating over for Xuan Jinyu beside him.

"The journey is long, and His Majesty is worried about you, so he specially sent fifty imperial guards to escort you to Guangxu Prefecture." Xi Fang explained his purpose.

Except for Xi Fang and the imperial guards, everyone's expression changed.

The Su family has only sixteen people in total, including the old and the young. Originally, the Ministry of War sent thirty-five officers and soldiers who were supposed to be escorting them. Now they want to add fifty more imperial guards?

Xifang said "escort", but the children didn't understand. Did they not understand? This is the real escort.

Your Majesty is worried?

Is the emperor worried that the Su family will escape or something else?

Su Guanzhang held Xuan Jinyu's hand tightly.

I guess the new emperor knew that there were problems with the imperial edict he wrote, and he didn't dare to add any more, fearing that people all over the world would continue to laugh at him. So he openly sent people to "escort" it to show his great grace and make up for his previous omissions?

Xi Fang just came to deliver a message, and after delivering the message, he left quickly.

The imperial guards were led by a captain named Wang Hu; the previous military unit was led by a deputy captain named Chen Yang.

The two of them made the handover in front of everyone.

"Captain Wang, why did His Majesty suddenly change the original arrangement?" Chen Yang asked, checking the roster with Wang Hu. "I remember that additional personnel would be assigned only after we arrived at Yu'an Mansion."

"Once we arrive at Yu'an Prefecture, local officers and soldiers will join the escort... Oh no, the escort team." The honest-looking Wang Hu nodded in confirmation.

He said with great embarrassment, "That was the original arrangement. But after Minister Liang of the Ministry of Justice came to the palace, His Majesty changed his mind and sent our Imperial Guards."

The new emperor clearly didn't trust the Su family, and this attitude must have caused some resentment towards the Minister of War, Yue Feng. But Yue Feng was just following the rules, so what if the emperor made a mistake and implicated his ministers?

Chen Yang was from the Ministry of War, and his eyes changed when he looked at Wang Hu after hearing what he said.

Wang Hu smiled bitterly and pretended not to notice.

The conversation between the two fell into the ears of everyone, and for a moment everyone had their own thoughts.

Those present were either officials in the court or family members of officials. Who could not understand the wit and profound meaning of this?

The women of the Xu and Chang families stepped forward, hugged Xu Yu Niang, Xu Xuan Niang, and Chang Mei Yan, and then quietly took off their valuable bracelets, jade pendants, and other jewelry, and handed them over through the cover of their sleeves. They had already given all the banknotes they had brought with them, as this was for emergencies.

Lin Qingwan, who was standing by, held Xuan Jinyu's other hand that was not held by Su Guanzhang with heartache, but did not take off her jewelry - her second son Xuan Wensheng had asked the caravan entering Beijing to bring a letter three days ago, saying that he would meet his daughter and others at Yu'an Mansion.

She simply thought about how her daughter would have to walk a long way to get there. She wondered how she would feel about the suffering her daughter would endure. She had been mentally preparing for half a month, but she still couldn't help but worry and feel distressed.

"Also," Wang Hu's expression became increasingly awkward, as if he was having trouble speaking, "the higher-ups said that a military exercise is about to begin, and these horses need to be sent back to Beijing to participate."

He never mentioned who said this to him, but who was the fool?

Up there? Who else could be up there?

The officers escorting the exiles did not have horses themselves, so how could the exiles feel comfortable riding in the carriage?

The new emperor has a good plan.

Xuan Zhao couldn't help laughing.

"Captain Wang, I had no idea the Great Sheng was so impoverished that even the horses already assigned to errands had to be returned. Do you think the army is actually short of just a few dozen horses?"

He was the current Minister of Finance! Who dared to fool him with finances?

Wang Hu recognized Xuan Zhao and lowered his head slightly in embarrassment. He could no longer repeat the excuse made up by his superiors.

It would be even more embarrassing if it was exposed!

The group was in a stalemate for a moment, and it was Wang Hu who broke the silence.

"Deputy Captain Chen, I have brought several good horse trainers with me. Let them take all these horses back to the capital!" He was carrying out the emperor's order, and no matter how guilty and embarrassed he felt, he had to carry it out. This matter was not up to him at all.

As for the Minister of Revenue's question, he simply pretended not to know. Besides, his silence just now was already his answer.

The people in higher positions were fighting with each other, and he didn't want to be caught in the middle, so he just wanted to do his job well.

Chen Yang looked at the sky and realized that if they delayed any longer, they would have to sleep in the wilderness tonight. Originally, the Su family had planned to ride in a carriage while they rode horses, and they could even stay at the nearest post station.

But now, the horses have been taken back, and the carriage is unlikely to attract attention anymore, so the group has to walk. However, there are many people, including the elderly and the young, and there is also a pregnant lady. How long will it take to reach Guangxu Mansion?

"Captain Wang," Chen Yang was also troubled, so he spoke frankly, "According to the law, an exile of 4,500 miles must reach the place of exile within three months. Now that the horses have been taken back, and the road is mountainous and difficult, I'm afraid it will take at least a year or two to reach the destination."

His Majesty's decree to exile this innocent man had already put the Ministry of War in a difficult position, and they had finally come up with a plan. Minister Yue sent them to escort the Su family and send them off in a carriage, thus fulfilling His Majesty's sentence of exile without causing public criticism.

In this way, neither His Majesty nor the people in the court will be offended, and the Su family, who have been innocent, will not suffer great hardship or punishment.

But suddenly changing it to this, isn't that forcing people to die? Which child or pregnant woman can endure the pain of walking 4,500 miles for three months?

His Majesty saved his imperial dignity by not issuing a subsequent imperial decree to convict the Su family. But if the Ministry of War really followed the rules and forced the Su family to death, wouldn't that be their fault?

Wang Hu looked honest, but he wasn't the naive or clueless type. He naturally understood Chen Yang's concerns. Hearing this, he said, "That's fine. His Majesty has ordered that Madam Xuan Xiaoshao is pregnant and shouldn't be jolted. If necessary, we can board the carriage when the terrain is flat."

What are you talking about?

Can a pregnant woman be carried on a journey for a year or two without being jolted by a carriage? Wouldn't they want her to give birth on the way? If she were born in the wilderness, with no village or shop nearby, with no midwife or doctor to be found, wouldn't that be like sending her to her own death?

Is this Madam Xuan Xiaoshao really the sweetheart of His Majesty?

Most of the other officers and soldiers in the Ministry of War didn't understand the recent exchange between their superior, Chen Yang, and the commander of the Imperial Guard, Wang Hu, but they understood what he said. They all glanced sideways, watching the Imperial Guards' faces change.

Contempt, disdain, and blame.

The sight of a group of grown men staring at the imperial guards in the rear with such direct and unconcealed eyes made the hairs on their backs creep out. It was clearly a sunny day with the warm sun shining overhead, but why did it feel like a cold wind was crawling on their backs?

"In that case," Chen Yang could only agree after the conversation had come to this point. He signed his name and stamped his hand on the roster. "I'll ask Captain Wang's men to take these horses back to the Ministry of War. I'll also ask your men to pass on a message to the Minister."

Wang Hu also finished checking, signed his name, and affixed the Imperial Guards' seal. He then motioned for the others at the back to come forward. "You will take Deputy Captain Chen's message to Minister Yue!"

Su Guanzhang looked at these people with a serious look in his eyes, and with a few words he settled their matter, suppressing the anger in his heart.

Even though he knew while he was in the death row that Xuan Jinyu was to be exiled on foot, after hearing the imperial edict in the morning, he thought he could still exploit the loophole that the imperial edict did not convict them so that Jinyu would suffer less.

I didn't expect the new emperor to be so bold as to endure the criticism and ridicule of the world just to annoy them.

If he just went crazy and didn't care about the emperor's face at all, and insisted on convicting the Su family and then issued an imperial edict...

Su Guanzhang's eyebrows and eyes were as frosty as ice, and his aura was as sharp as a sword.

Xuan Jinyu noticed this obvious change instantly.

At this time, it was easy to guess what he was thinking. He was just worried that she would have difficulty walking because she was pregnant, so she smiled at him and said, "It's okay." The court doctor said that she was in good health!

And isn't it true that pregnant women should move around more? It's good for childbirth!

and……

She gave Su Guanzhang a malicious smile, his expression much gentler.

He wasn't done hiding someone in his heart! There were so many people on the road, she couldn't argue with him. But she was pregnant, so if she bothered him on the road, she wouldn't have to find an excuse, wasn't that perfect?

The handover at the front is coming to an end.

"Leave these six horses here for emergency use," Wang Hu instructed.

Thus, there were four carriages in the team, and six horses, not counting the ones pulling them. Ten horses, more than enough.

Chen Yang nodded without saying anything more.

Soon, several imperial guards left the team and set out on the return journey with a mighty group of eighty horses.

A group of people moved away from the huge cloud of dust.

Su Sheng waited until the official road was calm again before speaking, "Captain Wang, may I ask what is happening at Duke Su's Mansion? Has the imperial guards withdrawn?" He asked very politely.

Wang Hu shook his head. "The affairs of the Duke's Mansion are personally handled by Lord Xi, and I don't know about it. But before we left Beijing, the Duke's Mansion's imperial guards had not withdrawn." There was nothing he couldn't say, so he told the truth.

Su Sheng nodded and said "thank you".

"Your Excellency is very polite."

The new emperor treats the Su family so well that he doesn't even bother to cover it up. It seems that big changes are about to happen in Shengjing City.

However, it has nothing to do with their Su family.

Su Sheng noticed Wang Hu calling him "Duke" and felt relieved. He didn't say anything else. He just nodded to his worried uncle Xu to indicate that everything was fine.

Wang Hu also acknowledged that he was Duke Su, which meant that the higher-ups didn't want to retract the original imperial edict, which would only cause trouble and laughter. That meant that, on the surface, their Su family was still safe.

After all, the imperial edict in his hand only said that the entire family of direct descendants would be exiled. It did not convict anyone, nor did it say that their property would be confiscated and their titles would be stripped away.

I think, at this moment, the new emperor just wants to let the matter of him issuing the wrong imperial edict pass as soon as possible, and will not rashly do anything to the Duke's Mansion without its master.

Duke Su's mansion had been under siege for over half a month, and none of the servants were allowed to leave. Once they left, even if the palace didn't recall the imperial guards, the other officials would have to petition for their withdrawal.

Since the Su family's mansion is still there, the servants in the family have a place to live. Most of them will stay quietly in the mansion without a master, so they have no worries in Shengjing City.

Many people have figured this out.