Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Shame, they really can't face anyone...
Fortunately, the shop owners in Lin County wanted to make money and were more reasonable. They ignored the people from Huaizhao County and sold their food, cloth and other items as usual.
When the caravan was returning, they once encountered some people who blocked their way and made unreasonable demands, threatening to throw all the things they had bought to the bottom of the cliff.
Fortunately, the caravan was accompanied by guards and there were also highly skilled secret guards protecting them in secret. Seeing this, they took action and forced them back.
The head of the caravan shouted, "If you do this again, we will report you to the authorities." If such road-blocking behavior is reported to the authorities, they can be treated as robbery.
Even if the officials turned a blind eye to the people's provocations and oppression of the Su family, they were still worried that it would lead to banditry and would not really let it go.
The people were afraid of being sued, and even more afraid of being mistaken for robbers and thrown into jail by the government, where their lives would be in danger. This is why they stayed quiet for a while.
However, what the government and the people did not know was that Xuan Wensheng always taught the caravans to be prepared for any eventuality, and the supplies in the house were enough for them to eat for several years.
The caravan painstakingly crossed the mountains time and again, just to confuse the local people. This was to prevent them from being pushed too far and then, with the help of someone with ulterior motives, gathering together to besiege the Su family.
The Su family is not afraid of rumors or assassinations, but they are unwilling to hurt these deceived people.
The Su family would not mention these things to Su Guanzhang and Xuan Jinyu in the letter.
However, when Xuan Wensheng was writing letters, he would occasionally let out a word or two when he was angry.
The couple pieced together some information and had a general idea of the Su family's life outside, but they still felt uncomfortable.
Now that they know that their grievances have been cleared and they can return to Beijing, and no longer have to waste time here with the people he exploited, how can they not be happy?
After the imperial edict came down, the people of Huaizhao County learned that they had been wrongly treating loyal ministers and generals in the court for the past six months. They couldn't express how guilty they felt. However, the Su family had already packed their luggage and valuables.
"Grandma, are you really not going back to Beijing with us?" Su Guanyu squatted down in front of Old Madam Su. The smile that always seemed welded on his face disappeared, revealing a sincere look underneath.
Madam Su patted her eldest grandson's head and said, "Zhang, Jinyu, and Lanjie are still trapped at the bottom of the cliff. We don't know when they will be able to get out. If we all go, leaving them behind, I won't be able to bear it."
"With the secret guards here, they won't be short of supplies." Su Guanyu continued to persuade.
Not only that, since they have to continue to hide the existence of the family of three at the bottom of the cliff, the guards who go into the mountains to search every day cannot withdraw.
The secret guards and bodyguards are all from the Su family, so their loyalty is naturally beyond doubt; they are also reliable enough and will definitely not restrict the lives of their younger brothers.
Although he was also reluctant to let her go, his grandmother was old after all, and she had fallen last year. How could they feel at ease leaving her alone with his mother to take care of her?
How could they rest assured about the two lonely women, no matter how skilled they were, being protected by secret guards?
Madam Su's tone was very kind, but very firm. "No need to say more, Grandma wants to stay."
She turned to look at Xu Yu Niang, "You don't have to stay with me. Go back to Beijing with the children! The family can't do without you."
Xu Yu Niang is the wife of Duke Su and is in charge of the household affairs. She has been absent from the Duke's Mansion for more than a year and needs the help of the mistress of the house.
But Xu Yu Niang still insisted, "My mother and I will stay here. We have Second Aunt and several daughters-in-law at home! Why should I worry about anything?"
Especially since Xu Xuanniang was the prince's wife, she had been married for ten years and had been helping her take care of the household chores for ten years. She had also handled many important household affairs on her own under Xu's guidance.
Even if Xu Xuanniang is the only one, she can take care of the internal affairs of the Duke's Mansion.
Xu Yu Niang has nothing to worry about.
Old Madam Su couldn't persuade her eldest daughter-in-law, so she took her hand and patted it, which meant she agreed.
Su Guanmian was also a little hesitant at this time, "How about the children and I stay here to accompany Grandma and Mother?"
She was originally a daughter who married out. If she had not heard about the wolf attack and was worried about her family, and worried that the new emperor would implicate the four of them, she would not have had to rush all the way from Tongcheng to Huaizhao County.
Now that she was here and had finally reunited with her family, she really couldn't bear to be separated from her mother.
Xu Yu Niang was somewhat helpless. "You've been out for so long. Even if you don't return to the Duke's Mansion, you have to go back to Tong Cheng, right?"
She has been away from Tongcheng with the children for more than half a year, and her son-in-law is left alone and has to stay in the military camp. Isn't it pitiful?
"My son-in-law has to face an empty mansion every day. I heard that he doesn't want to go back to the city. You should at least feel a little sorry for him." Xu Yu Niang said.
She looked at her three grandchildren and said, "The children haven't seen their father for more than half a year."
Old Madam Su also agreed and advised her to go back with him.
Su Guanmian didn't insist anymore.
Just before leaving, when they were about to board the carriage, it was Second Aunt Su's turn to hesitate. She turned back to look at her mother-in-law and asked, "How about I stay and keep my mother company?"
Madam Su hit her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? The second son has finally returned safely. If you don't want to wait for him in the capital, you can go to Mobei to find him. What's the point of staying here with me?"
The second son's wife worried about her husband's life or death for as long as he had been missing. Even if she didn't show any signs later, who could fail to see it after so many years of living together?
I just didn't dare to mention it, for fear of making Aunt Su even more worried and sad!
The slap that Old Madam Su gave her was neither too strong nor too weak, but Second Aunt Su didn't dare to say anything else, so she had to look back every few steps as she got into the carriage.
The women and children all boarded the carriage. Just as Su Sheng and the three brothers were about to mount their horses, they saw Xuan Wensheng bow to them and say, "Thank you very much!"
The Su family was all startled. Su Guanwen, who was standing next to him, hurriedly helped him up and asked, "Why are you so polite, brother-in-law?"
When Xuan Wensheng stood up, his eyes were a little red. He just nodded slightly and didn't say anything else.
He knew that even though the imperial edict had been issued, the Su family didn't have to obey it. The reason the family was going to the capital at this time was simply for his grand plan.
Especially Su Sheng and his three brothers, I have to rely on them to take care of my affairs along the way.
If not for this, their family would not have to be separated.
He kept this kindness in his heart.
As the carriage rumbled on, the figures of Madam Su, Xu Yu Niang, the secret guards, and the imperial guards standing in front of the mansion gate gradually became smaller until they disappeared from sight.
The people who had been standing on both sides of the wide official road for who knows how long knelt down timidly when they saw the Su family appear before them.
"Get up!" Su Sheng got off the horse, and the three brothers Su Guanyu who were riding on the horses also turned over and got off the horse.
Su Guanyu personally helped up the leading old man and smiled gently, "Old man, talk to them. Everyone, get up!"
The old man burst into tears and said, "We have let you all down in the past six months."
Just kneeling down couldn't dispel the uneasiness and guilt in their hearts.
The general and his family who were defending their country ended up in a situation where they had no rice or vegetables to buy in Huaizhao County, and they were even almost "robbed" of their rice - but they did not succeed.
If this matter were to get out, the people of their county would have to live under the spit of others.
Think about it again, they have gone so far as to destroy their lives, but the Su family still did not do anything to them, only threatening them with words and reporting them to the authorities.
They were so ashamed that they couldn't face anyone.
Su Guanyu was still smiling as he wiped the old man's tears. His smile was very contagious. "Old man, you're overthinking it. We were indeed guilty at the time, and you were just instigated by others. It's understandable. Don't take it to heart."
Isn't that a crime? Disobeying the Emperor's orders!
Until the family had gone far away and the sound of horses could no longer be heard, a group of people surrounded the old man.
"Clan leader, it seems that His Majesty's imperial edict did not say that the Su family was collaborating with the enemy and committing treason?" A man dressed as a scholar spoke first.
The old man recalled and said, "Indeed not."
Not only that, "Even if the Su family didn't go south to Guangxu Prefecture, His Majesty also received a verbal order from them, sympathizing with their grief over the loss of their loved ones, saying that the exile would continue after they calmed down."
Over the past six months, except for the two days when the mountain was blocked by heavy snow and no one could enter, the guards of this family never stopped going into the mountains to look for people.
Even the male members of their family went into the mountains in batches with the guards.
After thinking this through, the old man frowned, his eyes showing the calmness of someone who had experienced a lot in the world. "We were taken advantage of by someone with ulterior motives."
He ordered, "Sixth son, go find the family at the village entrance who we're staying with and see if they're still there."
As expected of the head of the clan, once he came to his senses, he acted decisively.
"Old Five, go to the county and ask who was the first person to mention not selling rice and flour to the Su family."
"Boss, the man who proposed to block the caravan from returning to the city, go and see if his shop is still in the county."
…
At noon, a group of people found a shady place and cooked.
The weather was so hot that the men on horseback were all wet.
Qi Ge'er fanned his grandfather and father, then suddenly asked, "Grandfather, Father, why were you so polite to the people this morning?"
It was obvious that they were not good to their family. If the third uncle of the Xuan family had not been prepared, their family, along with a group of secret guards and bodyguards, would have starved to death in the house.
Hearing this, the other children who were busy fanning their grandparents, fathers, and uncles also looked over.
Seeing this, Su Sheng raised his hand and asked the children to sit next to him.
"Do you all think the same as your big brother?" he asked the other nine children in a gentle voice.
The children looked at each other, and soon, they all nodded.
The youngest boy, Mu Ge'er, didn't understand anything. Seeing his older brothers and sisters nodded, he nodded too.
Su Sheng pinched his cheeks, watching the child's face wrinkle, before letting go. "Those people were just being taken advantage of. They thought our family was no good, so they did that."
The children were all young, so he explained it in a very simple and easy way. "It's like if you were a rice vendor, you could decide for yourself whether to sell rice to someone or not. One day you met a group of bad guys, and they wanted to buy rice from you. Would you sell it to them?"
"Not for sale." The children said in unison.
"Yeah." Su Sheng nodded, "That's the truth."
Xu Xuanniang brought over the cooked mung bean soup and said, "Have a bowl, everyone, to cool off!"
After the children had finished their mung bean soup, Su Sheng continued, "Remember, we, the Su family, can only point our swords, spears, and halberds at the enemy, and never at unarmed civilians."
Their Su family has been prosperous for hundreds of years and has been respected by the government and the people for many years.
The honor was not earned because of their loyalty to the emperor; on the contrary, the Su family was not blindly loyal.
They remain safe and sound every time a dynasty changes, simply because they understand the principle that a new emperor appoints new ministers.
What they are loyal to forever is this vast land and the people living in this beautiful land.
"Do you understand?" Su Sheng asked Qi Ge'er gently.
He didn't ask the other children because he could tell from their tightly furrowed brows that they didn't understand.
Qi Ge'er shook his head and said, "Grandfather, I didn't understand everything."
The example Su Sheng gave at the beginning was easy to understand, but he didn’t quite understand what he was talking about loyalty or disloyalty at the end.
I only vaguely understood why my grandfather and father easily forgave the people of Huaizhao County who tried to starve them to death in their house.
Su Sheng touched his eldest grandson's head and said, "It's okay, you will understand it in the future."
In July, the water level of the hot spring behind the mountain wall began to drop, and within a few days, dark gray rocks were exposed.
At first, when the water level dropped, Xuan Jinyu, who was bathing in the bathtub, was startled.
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