Chapter 95 Yao Shanlai!

Li Xiang went to find Liu Min on the morning of the second day after Liu Min was imprisoned.

The jailer opened the door for him, and as soon as he went in, he pouted and started to cry.

Why are you crying, you grown man? Aren't you ashamed?

He not only lost face, but also brought shame upon those around him.

Liu Min suffered greatly from this.

This friend has been embarrassing him all along; he really misjudged him and shouldn't have bothered with him.

Fortunately, this won't happen again; he can't let himself be implicated anymore.

Thinking of this, Liu Min forgave him, and looked at him as he slowly smiled, with a sense of relief and peace after seeing many things.

He could still laugh.

Li Xiang cried even harder.

“I know everything…” he sobbed, wiping away his tears. “Don’t be afraid. What’s wrong with the Grand Secretary? Qi Guang’s aunt is Her Majesty the Empress! He’s already in the palace, and the Empress dotes on him. He has influence. Don’t worry, we will definitely clear your name…”

“No need.” Liu Min shook his head at his friend. “I’m not innocent. I killed the person.”

What nonsense are you spouting?

Even if Wu Hao had the audacity to mess with the Minister's son, Liu Liansi, you're not stupid. How could you have caused someone's death? You were clearly framed! Everyone knows your stepmother, Madam Le, is pregnant again! They're trying to harm you so brazenly, and you actually took the initiative to defend yourself. Have you lost your mind?

He's not stupid.

The jailer said that only Minister Liu had come last night.

His father must have forced him to do this!

His father abandoned him for his wife and a promising future.

Sure enough, once you have a stepmother, even your biological father becomes your stepfather!

Poor Liansi, with no one to protect her, could only be kneaded and molded like dough...

That's precisely why I can't give in! You're all alone anyway, what can a barefoot person like you be afraid of someone wearing shoes? Go ahead and cause trouble! Why be a coward! At worst, we'll both suffer losses, why swallow this humiliation?

"Why should I make a scene? What good would it do? I'd rather repay the favor."

Li Xiang then fell silent.

He knew this friend; he never celebrated his birthday. Such a loyal and righteous person—it was impossible for him to turn his back on someone after receiving a favor. Even if that person was the indirect murderer of his mother, he couldn't do it. He was a gentleman, a person with a conscience.

Those who have a conscience suffer, and the more conscience they have, the deeper their suffering.

They must be very tired.

But……

Even if there's a reason to repay debts, you shouldn't sacrifice your entire future! You read so many books, getting up early and going to bed late every day, always with a book in your hand...

You can't!

We must find a solution.

"Shanlai! Think about Shanlai! If you become a criminal, what will happen to her? You can't not think about her!"

Because of Qiu Qingfang's incident, Li Xiang learned about Shan Lai's identity. Although he hadn't verified it, he was certain because he had never seen Liu Min love anyone else. He only ever loved Shan Lai, loved her deeply, and loved her so much that he was afraid others would look down on her, so he always hid her status as a concubine. Every time he went out to play, she was always by his side. He didn't like playing at all; he was playing only to be with her...

"What will happen to her if something happens to you?"

"She's already gone..."

Compared to Li Xiang, his voice sounded too hollow.

She is at peace.

Once you leave, you won't get stuck in this mess.

I know you're doing this for my own good, and I'm doing it for yours too.

He couldn't protect her at all; he was completely powerless.

"She's gone?"

“I told her I wanted to marry her… she wanted me to marry someone else… for my future, she left…”

Where did she go?

"have no idea……"

I can't help but wonder, where is she now? What is she doing? Are there flowers blooming around her, and is the air filled with their sweet fragrance...?

She deserves a good life.

only.

I never imagined that we would never see each other again.

"I will find her! I will find her and have her come to save you! You wait for me! Please wait for me! Don't admit it! I beg you..."

Liu Min did not live to see Li Xiang bring Shan back to rescue him.

The matter has become quite a big deal.

There has never been a case of students fighting and causing death at the Imperial College in our dynasty, nor in any previous dynasty. What kind of place is the Imperial College? How could anyone dare to commit a crime there?

The perpetrator was even the son of a high-ranking official and the grandson of the Grand Secretary.

It's appalling.

The Imperial Censor prepared a memorial and submitted it to the emperor, impeaching not only the Minister but also the Grand Secretary, the most important person under the emperor. He cited extensively from ancient times to the present, and wrote a lengthy memorial of 1,521 words, showing his sharp edge. He also openly challenged the Grand Secretary during the court session, causing Grand Secretary Yue to lower his head and not utter a word. Minister Liu was ashamed and dared not speak in defense.

Despite the commotion, Liu Min was not sentenced to beheading, but instead exiled 2,500 li and sentenced to two years of penal servitude.

Perhaps out of consideration for Grand Secretary Yue's hard work and great achievements, or perhaps because the young master had genuinely shown some leniency by crying in the palace, Liu Min would not die, but would only be exiled to Wuyunhai.

Wuyunwei, 2,500 li away from Xingdu, is an extremely harsh and cold place. In the border posts there, people either farm or mine. After two years, they can return to their freedom.

It's only two years. As long as Liu Min is lucky enough to survive neither on the road nor in the garrison, he can be reborn in two years.

This is already a very good result.

On the day of departure, only Wei Ying came to see him off.

"Don't worry, the Governor-General of Kwantung is a relative of my aunt. I have already sent someone to deliver a letter to him. He will definitely take care of you. Liansi, don't be discouraged. If you can adapt, you can stay there and make a name for yourself. You won't have to worry about not being able to come back with your head held high in the future. If you can't adapt, don't worry. Rest assured, we are your friends and will never abandon you."

After saying that, he handed over two heavy bundles.

At the same time, he handed something to the escorting officials, which startled the two constables, who repeatedly said they dared not.

"Please take good care of me on the road, especially in terms of food and supplies. Don't be stingy with money. You can come and find me after you've completed your mission. I will definitely reward you handsomely."

The two constables became increasingly flustered, and later even made a solemn oath, telling the young master to rest assured that they would never fail in their trust.

As more and more people appeared on the road, Wei Ying dared not say anything more, for fear of embarrassing Liu Min.

"Have a safe journey, and I'll be waiting for the day we meet again."

Liu Min nodded, smiled, and said thank you. He added, "It's a pity I couldn't see Ah Huan, otherwise I could have thanked him in person. Please pass on my message to him, Qi Guang. Also, please tell him... Shan Lai, Yao Shan Lai, the young master spoke to her, remember? That day at Huixian Residence, you asked her where she was from. Now she's missing, and we don't know where she is. I would like to ask Ah Huan and you, Qi Guang, to take good care of her for me..."

Yao Shanlai, Wei Ying remembered this person.

"Since you've said it, how could I not do my part for you? Don't worry."

Liu Min hummed in agreement and then fell silent.

"It's getting late, let's go!" he said with a sigh.

"I'm going now, take care."

Take good care of yourself too.

And so, Liu Min left Xingdu.

He also still remembers the scene when he first arrived in Hindu.

The autumn wind is crisp and refreshing, but my chest feels heavy, as if a suffocating cloud of turbid air is lurking there. Back then, I was not without worries about the future. Now, it is also late autumn, and the future is even more uncertain than before, you could even say it is bleak, but I feel relaxed and at ease.

He has indeed shed the heavy burden that had weighed on him for many years, and now he feels completely light.

It's only two years. If he can get through these two years, he can come back. If Shanlai doesn't mind him, they can rekindle their relationship and never be separated again.

He would never die on the road or in the garrison; no matter how difficult things got, he would persevere.

Exile, by all accounts, requires wearing a cangue, but Liu Min had the young master's protection, so he didn't have to wear one. The cangue was carried by two yamen runners, and even the two bundles Wei Ying gave him weren't hung on him; the yamen runners did all of that. He only had to walk. Later, the two yamen runners even brought a carriage so he wouldn't have to walk. They made sure he had everything he needed, and even when they spoke to him, they called him Young Master Liu. Even when they were walking in a deserted place and there wasn't enough water, the two of them would endure their own thirst to squeeze out water for him to wash his face every day. Of course, he disagreed. He talked about it and made a fuss, but they wouldn't listen at all and still wouldn't let him suffer the slightest injustice.

Even so, he still gradually lost weight.

Even though you travel by car every day, covering fifty li (approximately 25 kilometers), and don't have to exert your legs, you're still tired from being on the road every day. Moreover, the further north you go, the colder it gets. Even if you're wrapped in leather, you'll still wake up from the cold at night, and you haven't even covered a thousand li yet.

If it's like this for a thousand li, what would it be like for two thousand five hundred li?

The previous ease vanished, leaving only deep anxiety.

Perhaps he really will die on the road, or at the garrison...

what to do……

One of the two constables had escorted prisoners to Wuyunwei a couple of years earlier. He said that the weather was different this year, and it seemed to be getting colder earlier and much colder than the previous two years. So he discussed with him whether it would be more strenuous to travel dozens of miles a day so that they could arrive earlier. When the harsh winter came, the cold wind could freeze off a person's ears and toes.

He readily agreed, not daring to be spoiled at all. He even learned to drive and drove very well. From then on, the three of them took turns driving, not daring to stop for even a moment longer, just to get to Wuyunwei as soon as possible.

However, it was truly a matter of bad luck.

It snowed heavily in September.

The snow, as heavy as goose feathers, fell thick and fast, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Along with the heavy snow came strong winds.

Sand and stones flew, destroying everything in their path, and for a time people shouted and horses neighed.

"We can't leave here! We have to wait for the snow to stop! Let's find a sheltered place first!"

They had barely settled down when they heard a great deal of noise coming from afar, heading straight towards them.

One of the constables went out to scout and came back saying that it seemed to be a caravan, with many people, and they looked like they were coming. Another constable said, "Young master, get into the carriage first and stuff more things into your clothes. If anything goes wrong, just jump out of the carriage and run. If you run away, we can run away ourselves. But remember not to get lost. We'll meet up here again."

They remained vigilant throughout the journey, fearing that someone might be pursuing them. This was also Wei Ying's instruction. He had even arranged for people to protect their safety in the vicinity, but they hadn't seen anyone there since things had been peaceful.

The sound was getting closer and closer, and gradually the voices became clearer.

Liu Min nestled inside the carriage, straining his ears to listen carefully, not wanting to miss a single sound.

First someone said, "Gentlemen, could you please do us a favor and let us stop here to rest? The situation is really pressing..."

The two constables naturally agreed.

Then came the rising and falling cries of voices, everywhere, people calling out for this and that.

Only one voice stood out from the rest, shouting and calling incessantly, repeating itself without stopping for a moment.

The voice, initially indistinct, became clearer, and it was calling out:

"Yao Shanlai! Yao Shanlai!"