Chapter 9 Miss Xiao will change her face
"Hurry up!" The officer swung the whip in his hand. The Xiao family members protected Xiao Jiuyue. She was about to speak when she heard the sound of horse hooves.
"You bastard blocking the road." Jun Lie, riding on a chestnut horse, kicked the whipping official to the ground.
Xiao Jiuyue looked up. Jun Lie, whom she had just met, seemed even taller now. The Third Prince was truly a brave and righteous man!
"Your Highness, please forgive me." The official was kicked over, but he didn't dare to get angry at all. Instead, he knelt on the ground and said, "I didn't mean to block the way. It was the Xiao family..."
Xiao Jiuyue interrupted him and said, "Third Prince, I just wanted to see my family off, but the official wouldn't allow it. Could it be that after being exiled, I can't even give my family a final farewell?"
Xiao Jiuyue sighed, lowered her eyes, wiped them with a handkerchief, and said, "If you can't even fulfill the most basic filial duty, how can I explain it to my grandmother and the others when I go back?"
Jun Lie looked at her flower-like face and thought: Miss Xiao can change her face.
"Father, the Emperor ruled the country with benevolence and filial piety. Why has filial piety to our ancestors become inappropriate?" Jun Lie dismounted, his clothes billowing in the wind. He said, "Guo Sheng, go back and ask if there's any law prohibiting exiled people from having their families see them off."
"Your Highness, you may see me off. You may see me off." The official knelt before the Third Prince, feeling bitter in his heart. It was not easy to earn money from the Second Prince.
Xiao Jiuyue said gratefully, "Thank you, Third Prince."
"It's okay, Your Highness. Thank you for what you did today." Xiao Fu clasped his fists in thanks.
"Sir Xiao, I just don't want anyone to ruin my father's reputation for governing the country with benevolence and filial piety." Jun Lie pursed his lips and stood aside, his eyes meeting Xiao Fu's. He thought of ten years ago. If it weren't for Xiao Fu, who was still an editor in the Imperial Academy at the time, Jun Lie would have long since disappeared from this world.
"Daddy." Xiao Jiuyue looked worriedly at the whipping Xiao Fu had just received. The new and old wounds were shocking to look at. She anxiously poured the hemostatic medicine she had brought and carefully poured it on the wound.
"It's okay, just a minor injury. Why are you here? Where's Song Mingyuan?" Xiao Fu comforted his daughter. He had only seen Chief Steward Jin, and now seeing Xiao Yue alone, he frowned and asked, "Could it be that the Song family didn't fulfill the engagement?"
"That shameless bastard from the Song family dares to break the contract? That's not what he said when I rescued him from the snow and ice." Old Master Xiao was so angry that he wanted to roll up his sleeves and fight with the Song family.
Old Master Xiao's scolding was very fierce, but it made Xiao Jiuyue feel warm in her heart. She said, "It was me who canceled the Song family's marriage. I plan to go back to the old house in Hongdu with my grandmother."
"The old house in Hongdu is deserted. I haven't been back for over ten years. How can anyone live there?" Xiao Fu looked at his daughter distressedly and said, "Although the Song family is not worth anything, at least they can protect you..."
"Dad, if I leave, what will happen to Grandmother and Mom? Besides, the Song family doesn't want this marriage at all." Xiao Jiuyue could clearly feel Xiao Fu's concern for her. She whispered, "It was exchanged for five thousand taels."
When Xiao Fu heard this, he felt even more distressed.
"This is your cotton-padded jacket to keep warm. The weather is getting colder, so don't rush to wash it." Xiao Jiuyue distributed the cotton-padded jackets. When he handed it to his eldest brother Xiao Jialing, he was once so excited and hoped to get top three in the autumn examination. But now he was so thin that he looked unrecognizable, with a scraggly beard. Where was the handsomeness of the past?
"Brother, your health is your capital. Without a healthy body, how can you talk about your future?" Xiao Jiuyue stuffed the cotton coat into his arms. She turned around and handed the tea to Xiao Fuqian: "Dad, this is the tea Jiayuan personally stuffed for you. Drink it slowly."
Xiao Fu paused, and immediately understood what she meant, and said, "Yuer." He had originally thought of the Xiao family sending someone over to give them proper instructions and take good care of the old lady, the lady, and the young lady, but when he saw Xiao Jiuyue, he couldn't say anything more.
Xiao Jiuyue smiled and said, "Dad, as long as there is green mountain, there is no fear of running out of firewood. You must live well in Lingnan. We are all waiting for your return in Hongdu."
"Okay." Xiao Fu had a thousand words to say, but in the end he just said, "Take care."
Xiao Jiuyue nodded with a smile and said, "Take care, Daddy and Grandfather too."
Time passed little by little, and the officer said with a stiff upper lip: "It's time to get going."
"Sir, Lingnan is infested with snakes, insects, rats, and ants. I've prepared some herbal sachets. Thank you for your hard work on this journey." Xiao Jiuyue took out the last package and said, "Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. Things change. When my father is rehabilitated, I will definitely thank you for your care."
Xiao Jiuyue spoke with a smile, and his words were also reminding the officials that the Xiao family would be vindicated one day.
The officer weighed the herbal sachet, felt the small change inside, then looked at the Third Prince and said with a smile, "No problem, no problem."
Xiao Fu held the sachet and smelled the fragrance of the herbs. He clenched his hands tightly. His daughter was not defeated, so as a man, he should cheer up.
…
"Third Master, I've already arranged for the officials." Guo Sheng followed the Third Prince out and, standing on a high vantage point, watched the Xiao family gradually disappear onto the official road. He said, "Miss Xiao is quite courageous, bringing only one person to see them off. If it weren't for His Highness's willingness to help, she would have returned empty-handed."
"Third Master, you're helping the Xiao family so much. Could it be that you're attracted to Miss Xiao?" Guo Sheng finished speaking and suddenly said, "Miss Xiao is truly outstanding in appearance. She's quite different from the average lady from a wealthy family."
The Third Prince glanced at him and said, "Lord Xiao has done me a favor."
"Third Master, Miss Xiao..." Guo Sheng changed his words under the Third Prince's stern gaze, "Where are we going now?"
"Pick osmanthus flowers." As soon as the third prince finished speaking, he turned around and ran away, leading his horse.
Guo Sheng hurried over and shouted, "Your Highness, it's only the beginning of August, the osmanthus flowers haven't bloomed yet!"
…
At the East City Gate, Xiao Jiuyue stopped when she saw the Xiao family's carriage.
"Yuer, is your father okay?" As soon as the beautiful mother saw Xiao Jiuyue and mentioned her husband, tears were about to flow again.
Xiao Jiuyue hurriedly helped her onto the carriage road: "Mother, you get on the carriage first, I'll go see grandma."
Xiao Jiuyue coaxed the beautiful mother into the carriage, then turned and went to the front carriage. Old Madam Xiao looked at the East City Gate, and she did not look away until Xiao Jiuyue got on the carriage.
"Grandma, the wind is strong." Xiao Jiuyue took a cushion for Old Madam Xiao to lean on and said, "Grandpa and Dad are all fine. I have already arranged for the escort officers and given them enough money. They will definitely not make things difficult for Dad and the others on the way."
"We've prepared the medicine for the cold, too. They'll definitely make it to Lingnan safely." Xiao Jiuyue reported only good news and not bad news. She didn't mention that her grandfather's hair had turned completely white, his body had become hunched, and he looked ten years older. She also didn't mention that her father had become emaciated and had been whipped...
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