Because of his unusual appearance, Schelling suffered discrimination from a young age.
Fortunately, his surname was Xie, and the Xie family was not the kind of superstitious or shallow family.
They didn't treat him like a monster or a barbarian, but rather like one of their own.
They allowed him to be included in the family genealogy and also let him study and learn etiquette.
Schelling was extremely grateful.
Therefore, he greatly admired and respected his uncle who was in charge.
Therefore, when his uncle encountered trouble and needed someone to take the blame, Schelling stepped forward without hesitation and willingly.
However, being exiled to Lingnan was not as simple as just talking about it.
Traveling three or four thousand miles on foot, traversing mountains and rivers, enduring hunger and thirst, and even when sick, one must persevere.
On the way, Schelling fell seriously ill.
Even when he was on his deathbed, barely clinging to life, he harbored no resentment.
It was only when her three-year-old son died that Sherlin, holding his tiny, soft body, finally felt a pang of regret.
He could have used his own life to repay a debt of gratitude, but why drag his wife and children into it?
However, the choice was his own, and Schelling only hated himself, not others.
With regards to the Xie family and his uncle, Xie Lin silently said in his heart: My grudges with the Xie family are now wiped clean!
I hold no grudges, nor do I show kindness!
From now on, we'll be strangers.
If our family can reach Lingnan alive!
Yes, even Schelling at that time had no confidence that his family could survive.
Too many people die on the way to exile!
Some died of illness, some from overwork, and some took their own lives...
They were traveling together the day before, but the next day the officials dragged them to the side of the road, dug a hole at random, and buried them.
Schelling had seen too many things like this to be numb to it.
A deep sense of despair welled up inside me—I might be the next one to fall!
Perhaps God took pity on him; apart from his youngest son, his family endured countless hardships but still managed to reach Lingnan.
Schelling's luck seemed to change when he arrived in Yuezhou.
Sherin surprisingly gained the favor of the King of Yue and was sent to the King's palace by his personal guards.
In fact, before being exiled to Lingnan, Xie Lin knew that the Princess of Yue was Xie Yuan, the eldest daughter of the former head of the Xie family.
However, when Xie Ze usurped the position of family head, the heads of the other branches of the Xie family, as well as the elders, did not stop him.
Instead of seeking justice for Xie Yuan and his sister, they were left to fend for themselves under Xie Ze's rule.
Later, Xie Yuan became the Princess of Yue and was "exiled" to Lingnan.
Her relationship with the Xie clan seems to have become even more distant.
However, with Xie Ze's downfall, the Xie clan suddenly discovered that although Xie Yuan was far away in Yuezhou, she had a powerful and domineering husband who held considerable military power.
It's really hard to say what the future holds.
Some clansmen began to consider "reconciling" with Xie Yuan and his sister.
However, Yuezhou was too far from the capital, and they were powerless to help.
"...So, they 'sent' me here?"
On the road to exile, as he mechanically moved his legs to keep going, Schelling couldn't help but let his mind wander.
He himself found it absurd: he had somehow linked his exile to Xie Yuan.
If you think about it carefully, it's not exactly "delusion".
Xie Lin took the blame for Xie Hong and was exiled to Lingnan.
But Lingnan is very large, with several prefectures and counties.
Guangcheng, Luozhou, Yongzhou, Huangzhou...
Of all the choices, it had to be Yuezhou.
In Yuezhou, there is Xie Yuan, the person Xie Hong, the new head of the family, most wants to win over!
When all the clues are put together, the conclusion, though absurd, is very close to the truth.
"Hehe, Uncle is truly thoughtful and has a flawless plan!"
Schelling didn't want to think too badly of his respected uncle, but the "facts" were right in front of him.
As soon as Sherlin arrived in Yuezhou, a merchant came to help him.
If it weren't for the timely arrival of the guards from the Prince of Yue's residence, Xie Lin might have been fooled and actually believed that person to be a good person.
It was only after being summoned by the King of Yue that Schelling suddenly realized—
That person was probably sent by my uncle.
When someone lends a helping hand during his most vulnerable and helpless moment, Xie Lin will definitely feel grateful.
Then, the person can reveal the truth: I was sent by Lord Xie Hong. He didn't trust you, so he sent me to protect you in secret!
The Xie family had just arrived in Yuezhou, and being unfamiliar with the place, they felt lost and fearful.
The key issue is that he had no money left.
He wanted to send his whole family to a better place, so he needed money to bribe the officials in charge of assigning exiles.
That businessman might offer to help, lending money or providing accommodation.
Once Xie Lin accepted his help, he then revealed that he was Xie Hong's man.
Xie Lin would then have to remember Xie Hong's favor once again.
"You can't easily owe your uncle a favor!"
Out of gratitude for the early care he received, he not only served as the head manager of the Xie family for several years, but also became a scapegoat for his uncle.
The youngest son too—
If we owe another one, wouldn't we risk our whole family's lives?
"Fortunately, there is the Prince of Yue, oh no, not His Highness the Prince of Yue, but... but Princess Consort Xie!"
Sherlin had mixed feelings about this cousin he had never met.
On the one hand, as an "outlier" in the Xie family, Xie Lin envied and was jealous of a privileged girl like Xie Yuan when she was young.
On the other hand, Xie Lin knew that the Xie clan owed Xie Yuan and his siblings a debt.
Although Xie Lin was not a prominent member of the Xie family, he was still a member of the clan, yet he did not offer any help to Xie Yuan and her siblings when they were in the most difficult time.
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