Chapter 1: A family of loyal heroes, the whole family was raided

The north wind howled, and the snow flew wildly.

The sound of the imperial guards' boots hitting the hard bluestone floor was like the sound of gold and iron breaking, cutting through the evening twilight.

At the end of the street, people gathered at both ends, making it impossible to get through. There was a loud buzzing sound, with people talking and wondering what was happening.

A loyal minister and a capable general who defended his country, his entire family was convicted and their property was raided today.

The people were in a state of shock and confusion. Some read the yellow paper notice and cursed loudly, while others argued loudly and disagreed. Their cries were drowned out by the wind and snow, and were suddenly drowned out by the sound of loud horseback riding.

The guards split into two lines and rushed along the mansion to encircle it. The gate was knocked open and the soldiers rushed in like wolves and tigers.

The leading general sighed, waved his hand, and gave orders in a loud voice.

The mansion he had once entered with such admiration was suddenly in ruins.

There were cries, shouts, screams, running sounds, mixed with the howling of wind and snow. In an instant, everything was in chaos.

Sinking into the dusk.

…

Even in the coldest month of winter, there is still heavy snow.

According to the imperial decree, all male members of the Xie family were executed.

The family members were punished by being exiled to the frontier as soldiers, and were transferred from the Gate Prison to the prison outside Tiekan Temple that day. The matter was settled.

Everyone, big and small, women and children, had their hands tied with a long hemp rope, tied together in a chain, and driven out along the long street.

As soon as Gu Guan stepped on the ground with her thin-soled embroidered shoes, a chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to her internal organs, making her shiver with cold.

The children couldn't bear it any more and burst into tears. From the eldest sister-in-law to the third sister-in-law, they all picked up their children, hugged them tightly, and wiped their tears. Their sobs were broken in the wind: "...Don't cry, baby. If you cry any more, your face will be chapped."

It will be even more uncomfortable then.

When Gu Wan saw her third sister-in-law, she suddenly put the child down and struggled hard with the knot. She pulled her hand free and ran to the corner of the street with the child, "Dad! Mom! Save us, save Wan'er, save Wan'er——"

The howling wind and snow obscured the sound, making it difficult to hear clearly. All I could see was the middle-aged man and woman with silver hair crying. The woman covered her mouth and knelt down, her sobs coming through the wind intermittently. "...my parents can't do anything," "The imperial decree...convicted," "The case is supervised by Commander Liang Mingjing..."

Any more and I won’t be able to hear clearly.

The capital has been in a state of panic for the past half month. More and more families have been involved in this case, having their homes confiscated, their titles stripped, and thrown into prison. The case has even affected the streets. Now even the households on both sides of the street dare not open their windows. The entire long street is silent, with only the roaring of wind and snow. It is extremely rare that my third sister-in-law's family dared to come secretly to see her off.

The officer stood there for a while, then stepped forward and forcibly separated the two parties.

The cries echoed throughout the long street and soon dissipated in the wind and snow. A group of people stumbled and were pulled by a long rope, step by step to the prison outside the Tiekan Temple outside the city. With a "creak", the door opened and they were thrown in.

…

The Outer Prison of Tiekan Temple is located on the east side of Yungang Tiekan Temple. It was converted from the old military training ground of Yingyangwei. Rows of half-worn barracks like honeycombs have now become prison cells. The good thing is that they have walls and kangs. Although it is cold, it can at least protect against wind and snow.

Perhaps it was the young officer's intention, but the small cell had a tattered curtain. Gu Guan pulled it down, shook off the dust, thought for a moment, and finally sighed. He split it in two, draping one half on her mother-in-law, Madam Xun, who was already over fifty years old, and the other half on her third sister-in-law, Zhang, who was holding her two-year-old niece. "Wrap Niuniu with it."

She was also very cold, but as a young person, she couldn't wrap herself up.

This is the situation now.

The whole family is loyal and upright, and many of them have become generals or ministers. The Xie family is a descendant of the famous founding general Xie Guanshan, and was granted the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, and the title has been inherited from generation to generation.

The original owner knew that every generation of the Xie family was worthy of the words loyalty and bravery. The head of this generation, Xie Xinzhong, had been stationed at the border for thirty years, and had saved many foreign crises. He had also traveled thousands of miles to quell the "Miliang Rebellion" that had swept the country ten years ago. He had saved the country and protected the people, and had made great military achievements. Finally, the Ministry of War recommended him to be promoted to Duke Zhongyong.

The second uncle of the Xie family died in battle at the border, as did the third uncle. Now the eldest and second sons of the Xie family have joined the army and have been stationed at the border and guarding the imperial city with their father for more than ten years. The third son studied literature and passed the imperial examination as the top scholar. He followed the honest and upright teacher Pei Shangshu and was just appointed as a Shujishi.

He was the only one in the Xie family who was engaged in literature. That night, his father took him to the ancestral hall, made him kneel on a cushion in front of the ancestors, and warned him not to occupy an office without doing anything, and not to be corrupt and neglect his duties. Since he was an official, he should serve the people wholeheartedly.

Xie Sanlang kowtowed and responded solemnly.

But in the blink of an eye, everything withered and shattered.

The current emperor liked to take elixirs in his later years. In the middle of the year, he suddenly felt unwell while attending court and was bedridden for several months. This immediately triggered open and secret struggles among the princes and factions, and the entire capital was in turmoil.

The Xie family was loyal to the king. The Eastern Palace served as regent several times and had obeyed the orders of the crown prince many times. Later, due to the situation, they were personally arranged by the current emperor to support the Eastern Palace. Whether subjectively or objectively, they were regarded as part of the Eastern Palace faction.

Now the kings' parties have risen up to attack the crown prince, the emperor is seriously ill and his attitude is ambiguous, and the crown prince is forced to abandon his car to save himself.

It was clearly the emperor's will at the beginning, but now it has become a point of suspicion. Once the "Lantian treason case" was revealed, it swept across the entire capital border. Countless civil servants and military generals were dismissed, and the entire Zhongdu prison was overcrowded.

The Xie family was at the center of the storm.

After being falsely accused, the whole family was imprisoned and the three courts held a joint trial, and after half a month, "the evidence was conclusive."

The emperor was furious and issued an imperial decree in court, confiscating the property of the Duke of Zhongyong and stripping him of his title, executing all the male members of the family, and exiling the rest to the border as soldiers.

As for why Gu Wan knew it?

Because the original owner was reborn.

…

Mrs. Xun, who was sitting on the edge of the kang with her little grandson in her arms, was a good person.

She was the daughter of an old friend of the Xie family. Her father and brother were captured, and her mother and sister all died, leaving only an orphan. She hid in a haystack and escaped the disaster, but was found by Xie Xinzhong, who was a young general at the time.

The Xie family was grateful for their old friendship and did not forget the trust in the letter, so they made a marriage arrangement. Xie Xinzhong felt sorry for her hardships and doted on her for more than 30 years. The mother-in-law grew younger and younger and lived a happy life.

So when her cousin encountered misfortune and traveled thousands of miles to come to her to entrust her with her orphan, she accepted her without hesitation.

The original owner was the granddaughter of the Princess of Yongjia County. Unfortunately, her grandfather was implicated in the Mi Liang Rebellion, and his title was stripped and his entire family was executed. Her father divorced his wife, and her mother took her to live with her relatives. Fortunately, her relatives were very kind. Madam Xun thought about herself and treated her as her own daughter. She did not despise her background at all. After she came of age, she married her to the fourth son of the right age as promised in her early years, so that she would have a support for her throughout her life.

You must know that the arranged marriage was just a joke and not even a token of love was exchanged.

Unfortunately, just half a month after the marriage, her husband's family was involved in the "Lantian Collaboration Case", their property was confiscated, their titles were taken away, her father-in-law was beheaded, and her entire family was exiled.

Her newlywed husband died of illness in prison. She traveled thousands of miles, but had to remarry her brother-in-law several years later. When her husband's family finally received the edict of exoneration from thousands of miles away, it was time for her to "die of illness".

Good people don't always get rewarded.

The Xie family had been loyal and brave for generations, but all the men in the family were charged with treason and sentenced to beheading. When their heads fell to the ground, the whole city cursed them.

Sitting over there was the eldest sister-in-law of the Xie family. She was crying uncontrollably, and the twelve-year-old boy beside her was trying to suppress his grief and comfort his mother.

The twelve-year-old child was already sensible. His father had already died, and he didn't want to be without a mother again.

Unfortunately, during his exile, the child was kicked into the river by a yamen runner while secretly going to get clean drinking water for his family. After returning, he caught a cold and died on the road because there was no medicine to treat him.

Xie's eldest sister-in-law has gone crazy.

The second sister-in-law of the Xie family comes from a military family and is a strong woman. It's a pity that as a woman confined to the border for a crime, she has to endure too many hardships.

She worked hard to support the family, but unfortunately one day her fourteen-year-old eldest daughter suddenly disappeared. When she was found again, this girl, who had a rough appearance but good genes and was just beginning to blossom, appeared on an old bed in a small side room of the headman's house in the military village. Her clothes were torn, her body was bruised, and she died with her eyes open.

Juntuntun was over forty years old, with a face full of flesh and a mouth full of yellow teeth. His wife was extremely fierce. She dragged the naked girl out of the door while cursing. With a "bang", the two doors closed in front of the anxious Xie Ersao.

That night, Xie Ersao took out a sword she had hidden, climbed over the wall into the yard of the military village chief, broke down the gate, and hacked to death all thirteen members of the military village chief's family.

She herself was shot to death by arrows.

The third sister-in-law of the Xie family was born in a noble family. She was gentle and elegant. She sacrificed the most for the Xie family. There was a reason why there were many noble ladies who would rather die than suffer in that Junhutun Town where it rarely rained a year. The pampered and smooth-skinned ladies from noble families were no different from the Jiaofangsi when they went to such a place.

A phoenix without feathers is no better than a chicken. When it comes to such a place, the more glorious it was in the past, the more difficult its end will be. Ever since the commander Zhu Mingyou was replaced, the situation of the Xie family has suddenly become extremely bad.

In the end, this situation ended when the third sister-in-law walked into the small outer house with two courtyards purchased by the new commander Yan Shichong.

Even Mrs. Xun, who is over 50 years old but still has a well-maintained, fair skin and graceful figure, has been molested.

As for the original owner.

Someone came outside to deliver food. A yamen runner came over from the end of the two long rows of cells carrying a large bucket, and threw down a wooden tray with a "clang". He scooped a spoonful of unknown thin porridge into it, lifted the low window at the bottom of the wooden fence, which was just big enough to pass through the wooden tray, pushed it in, and threw down a bag of a dozen vegetable cakes.

A boy about ten years old stood up and ran to pull the wooden basin and old cloth bag over and placed them in front of his mother, sister-in-law and nephew.

This is the late-born son of Xie Xinzhong and Madam Xun, Xie Jiawulang. I don’t know if it’s because his parents are old or they held back too long when giving birth, but this child looks a little stupid compared to his father and brother, but he is a brave child.

Because he was protecting the original owner, he was hit on the back of the head and fell into a coma.

Mrs. Xie called a doctor for him, who diagnosed him as "catalepsy" - the so-called catalepsy is the modern vegetative state.

At that time, the original owner was getting older and had many admirers, making it difficult for him to make a living. Xie Wulang needed someone to take care of him eating, drinking, going to the toilet, and cleaning and turning him over all the time.

The original owner finally remarried to Xie Wulang.

It is forced and voluntary.

Five years later, a new emperor ascended the throne and the Lantian case was reopened, and the Xie family was cleared of their grievances.

When the imperial edict arrived in the north.

The Xie family was in tears.

Mother-in-law Xun bought some arsenic and first fed a cup of it to her youngest son who was unconscious in bed.

Then, four cups were poured on the square table.

"Drink it, let's drink it and go to the Xie family's ancestral tomb together."

Mrs. Xun said with tears in her eyes.

Amidst the wind and snow, only these few people are left in the Xie family, four women who have experienced so much and are beyond recognition.

They finally waited for the day when Xie was cleared of all charges.

But he did not want to bring shame to the Xie family and be ridiculed by all kinds of eyes when he returned to Beijing.

Let them wash away the stains with blood, put them neatly into the coffins, and then reunite with their husbands and children!

…

Gu Guan wiped his face.

Every step is a bloody one.

She had already experienced the hardships of ancient exile in the original owner's memory.

As for escaping, forget it. If they could escape, the Xie family sisters-in-law would have run away with their children long ago. They may not live, but they would rather exchange their lives for their children's.

During the exile, people were called to roll call every day, and the collective responsibility system was used, which would implicate the clan members' families.

Moreover, there were many experienced escorts on the road to exile, and it was absolutely impossible for these women and children to escape easily.

Even if one or two people really escape, the rest will suffer greatly. No one in the Xie family is willing to let their family members suffer as scapegoats.

And most importantly, the Daqing Dynasty only updated its household registration book last year, and the household registration management system was quite strict. At least it was not something that Gu Guan, a newcomer to the inner house, could easily obtain.

Anyone found without household registration or travel permit would be punished with caning, and regardless of gender, they would be sent to the mines as slaves.

If he is a fugitive, he will be executed on the spot.

...Those who were sent to work as slaves in the mines had their names tattooed and their ears cut off.

That's worse than a military settlement or a military town. Being exiled to the military is just a military household registration. You have to work hard and are not allowed to leave without permission. You are also given land.

Gu Guan touched the wooden basin, which was still a little warm. She sighed and got up to get a few old wooden bowls stacked in the corner. She scooped some porridge into them and handed them to the children. She then stuffed a vegetable pancake into each of them and said, "Eat first. Fill your stomach first, no matter what."

Otherwise, everything will be completely cold and there will not be even a trace of warmth.

If not for yourself, at least for your children.

The Xie family then wiped their tears, fed the child, and stuffed the biscuit into his mouth.

Gu Guan also picked up a vegetable cake and sat on the straw pile with his knees hugged to chew it. The half-worn straw that had not seen the sun for a long time had a rotten smell, and the chill could not be stopped from running through his body from his buttocks.

Gu Guan wanted to shout to the sky, what a mess!

But being alive is better than being dead.

After being hit, she cherishes her life very much.

But the question is, what to do about this dilemma?

After much thought, Gu Wan didn't think that escaping was much better than exile. At least, by following the original trajectory, he could still tell who was the good guy and who was the bad guy.

She touched her messy bun.

Well, probably, it seems that her only way to save herself is to have her "husband" who is said to be the best in the Five Tombs, a young man with bright clothes and furious hair, famous in Chang'an for his literary and martial arts skills, but who is actually about to die.

The subsequent tragic fate of this large family was partly due to the women and children being left alone and helpless. If they had had an adult male family member by their side, even if they were exiled to a military town, their situation would have been much better.

Many families were exiled to the frontier as military households and settled there.

Hiss, so, he can’t die of illness no matter what!

The author has something to say:

Ah Xiu is finally back!!!

I miss you guys so much~ So excited, two chapters are released today! (*^▽^*)