"Lord Gong?" Pan Rui frowned, slowly adjusted his official hat, and straightened his official robe.
Pan Kui looked over in surprise, and suddenly felt a little worried. He asked knowingly, "Is that the prefect? Is he also a relative of yours?"
Guo Honglei couldn't help but frown, thought for a moment, and slowly replied, "He's the son of a family friend. I haven't seen him in years."
"Oh." Pan Kui rolled his eyes and thought silently.
Today, Liao Xiaodie was wearing a light red dress, without any makeup, and riding in a sedan chair. She looked pale, weak, and dying; Gong Yipeng was walking, walking quickly towards Guo Honglei.
As they came down the steps to greet him, Pan Rui was the first to bow, his face beaming with enthusiasm. "Your humble servant greets the prefect. What a coincidence! We just met at the government office this morning, and now we meet again! I'm sure you're here to inspect the prisons. It's so hot out here, so please come into the hall and have a cup of tea to cool off."
Guo Honglei's face was calm. He bowed slightly and said, "Brother Shi, it's been a long time since we last met."
"Lord Gong." Pan Kui saluted solemnly.
Gong Yipeng returned the greetings one by one. There were many captains in the army, so he didn't know Pan Kui. After patting Guo Honglei on the shoulder to show his comfort, he said to Pan Rui, "What a coincidence! Why is Magistrate Pan here?"
"Oh!" Pan Rui pointed at his cousin and explained, "This is a captain from the Heqin Guard. He's been ordered to come to the prison to receive new convicts. As you know, the Northern Jie bandits often raid the south. I'm escorting tens of thousands of pounds of grain back to the county. To avoid being robbed, I've agreed to travel with the soldiers so we can look after each other."
Gong Yipeng agreed, "Okay, you're right. We must ensure that the crops are planted without any problems. Otherwise, the affected villagers will have nothing to grow."
"Your Excellency is absolutely right." Pan Rui said respectfully.
Gong Yipeng looked at them carefully and asked confidently, "Are you two relatives?"
"Your Excellency has good eyesight!" Pan Rui replied with a smile, "We are cousins."
"I see."
After exchanging a few pleasantries with his subordinates, Gong Yipeng couldn't wait to call Guo Honglei aside and asked apologetically, "Honglei, are you waiting impatiently? Oh, I'm really sorry, something happened at home today, and I was busy and confused, so I didn't come to visit you until now."
Since the topic was brought up, Guo Honglei couldn't help but ask with concern, "I wonder what troubles have occurred at home, brother? Has it been resolved?"
Gong Yipeng's expression flashed with joy, but then he concealed it again and explained carefully, "This morning before I went to the government office, I handed the document to your cousin. I felt ashamed that we couldn't get the Guo family into the Border Army Weaving Bureau, and she felt even more guilty. She rushed here with the document to arrange for my aunt and others to go to the suburbs to farm. Who knew she got heatstroke on the way?"
"What? What does my family have to do with the 'Border Army Weaving Bureau'?" Guo Honglei was stunned and confused for a moment.
Gong Yipeng was immersed in joy and said to himself, "Your cousin fainted from the heat and was sent home by the servants to rest. We hurriedly sought medical attention, and the doctor said she was over three months pregnant! Due to recent travel fatigue, she had a miscarriage. Fortunately, she took the medicine in time and was able to recover."
"If it's so dangerous, why does my cousin dare to go out? She should stay at home and recuperate." Guo Honglei was confused and doubts arose.
Gong Yipeng, however, believed his wife completely and replied helplessly, "Xiaodie values friendship and often speaks of the old lady's kindness and care. She's been worried ever since the incident at the Marquis of Jingyang's mansion. She wasn't feeling well today, but she insisted on following me, saying she wanted to personally escort the old lady to the farm outside the city."
Guo Honglei calmed himself down, thought for a moment, and said apologetically, "I'm truly sorry that the Guo family has caused you two so much trouble." Then he changed the subject and asked in confusion, "But I don't know why you mentioned the Weaving Bureau, brother?"
Gong Yipeng sighed and explained, "Alas, this is all your fault, brother. His Majesty ordered the Guo family to be exiled to Western Cang. As soon as we heard the news, we began to consider a place for you. Following Xiaodie's suggestion, I wanted to arrange for your aunt and others to work in the weaving bureau, weaving, sewing, and needlework, to avoid the hardships of the wind and sun in the fields. However, I was unable to get the prefect's approval! In desperation, I can only let your aunt suffer. I have now handed the military farming documents to the prison for review. I will send someone to take them to the farm on the outskirts of the city later."
Guo Honglei's mind flickered, and he asked in surprise, "Was it my cousin who suggested arranging for the Guo family's elderly, weak, women, and children to work in the weaving bureau?"
"Yes. She was always worried that the old lady was too old and frail to endure the hardship of farming."
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Guo Honglei was incredulous. He straightened his body, bowed, and solemnly stated, "The Guo family is in trouble. Thank you, brother, for your unwavering support. I will always remember this kindness! But we have become exiles, infamous, and we must strive to atone for our sins. We have never considered escaping the hardships of exile or farming. Therefore, even if you successfully obtain the official documents for the textile bureau, I dare not accept them."
"Ah?" Gong Yipeng was stunned.
Guo Honglei said calmly, "Exile is a punishment, meant to make the prisoner suffer. If the Guo family's elderly, weak, women, and children were to enter the weaving bureau to enjoy leisure, firstly, their reputation would be further infamous, and secondly, it would affect my brother's official reputation and career. Why bother? This is absolutely inappropriate."
"To be honest, I understand it's not right, but—" Before Gong Yipeng could finish his words, Liao Xiaodie urged the servants to bring the sedan closer and apologized weakly, "Honglei, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."
"It's okay, cousin, you don't have to apologize." Guo Honglei remained calm, his expression full of doubts. He said politely, "I heard you weren't feeling well, but you still insisted on coming to visit me. It's really troublesome."
Liao Xiaodie smiled bitterly, her lips pale as she spoke in a hoarse voice, "The Marquis of Jingyang has been kind to me, but unfortunately I can't help you now. I'm really useless."
"Where?" Guo Honglei's eyes sparkled, carefully observing the other person's expression. "When the Guo family was in trouble, we were fortunate to receive help from all our relatives and friends. We are deeply grateful."
"This is what Brother Peng and I should do." Liao Xiaodie pursed her lips at being looked at, and couldn't help but feel angry, "Honglei, you are always so reserved!"
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Gong Yipeng used his wide robe sleeves to shade his wife from the sun. His lips curved up, his eyes full of love as he said with concern, "You're not feeling well. Don't stay out in the scorching sun. Go see the old lady."
"Yeah." Liao Xiaodie and her husband did not witness Guo Honglei's visit to Pan Kui, and obediently took the sedan chair to meet Wang.
She did it all on purpose!
Despite the years of living under someone else's roof, Liao Xiaodie was never satisfied. She was proud and greedy, but unfortunately, her fate was not as good as others', her family was poor, and her parents were both deceased. She was eager to find a suitable husband with the help of the Marquis's Mansion.
However, although Wang was willing to take her in, she was unwilling to help her marry into a powerful and noble family, and finally hastily picked Gong Yipeng, a seventh-rank official, for her.
Moreover, Wang Qiaogui was the wife of the Crown Prince back then, and she was high and mighty, and overbearing. Liao Xiaodie had often been subjected to cold faces, cold stares, and sarcastic remarks. Out of jealousy, she hated him to the bone, and was full of anger, waiting to take revenge on her enemies!
Guo Honglei seemed to be lost in thought. After watching his cousin leave, he said seriously, "Brother Shi, I have something important to tell you."
"Oh? Come on, tell me."
Guo Honglei turned to look at the Pan brothers nearby and said gently, "Since there has been no response for a long time, I mistakenly thought that my brother was stuck and unable to obtain the documents for the military farm outside the city, so he had to find another place. In fact, I have already served under the captain of the Heqin Guard. At 4:45 pm, the Guo family will follow Master Pan north to first send the elderly, the weak, women and children to seek refuge with Master Mu in Changping County, and then go to Heqin."
"What?"
"How can this be possible?" Gong Yipeng was horrified and immediately retorted, "Honglei, you can't go to Heqin, and the elderly, the weak, women and children don't have to go to Changping! Wait a moment, I will immediately have someone give the documents to the prison warden for review, and send my aunt and the others to the farm outside the city as soon as possible!"
Guo Honglei shook his head and said calmly, "A gentleman's word is as good as gold. A man should never go back on his word. I have already discussed this with my family and cannot go back on my word. I hope you will forgive me, brother Shi."
"You are too impulsive, alas!" Gong Yipeng was caught off guard, sweat broke out on his forehead, his brows furrowed, and he said angrily: "My guess is that the captain saw that you were young and ignorant of the world, so he deliberately coaxed you to follow him." After he finished speaking, he strode towards the Pan brothers without waiting for the other party to answer.
Guo Honglei hurriedly said, "Brother Shi, you misunderstood! In fact, I took the initiative to vote."
Pan Rui smiled respectfully, his demeanor calm and composed. Pan Kui spoke righteously and loudly, "Guo Honglei, you're new here, so I'm afraid you don't know Heqin well. Let me tell you: Heqin is located in the northernmost part of Xicang, right next to Yongzhou. It's rife with war and extremely dangerous. Have you considered carefully before you offer to surrender? If you're just acting on impulse, I won't accept you."
"I have thought it through carefully. Please take me in!" Guo Honglei gritted his teeth and said without hesitation, following military etiquette, he knelt on one knee again.
Pan Kui suppressed his smugness and held onto him, saying, "No need to be so polite. Get up. Well, if you've really thought it through, then hurry up and pack up. It's getting late and we'll be leaving soon. Hurry back and report."
"Yes!" Guo Honglei stood tall and straight, full of heroic spirit.
Gong Yipeng was stunned. "Honglei, you, you——"
Pan Rui, trying to smooth things over, praised, "What a courageous young man! Our Dagan Nation's territory needs young men like him to defend it."
The other side
Jiang Yushu stood with her hands hanging down, her voice clear and clear as she reported, "Madam, many of our family members have volunteered to go to Heqin. After careful consideration, I've chosen Cuimei, Xiaotao, Nanny Pan, and four of Honglei's regular servants: the brothers Peng Changxing and Peng Changrong, as well as Lin Qin and Zou Gui. That's seven people in total. What do you think?"
"Why did you only pick seven? How can they be enough?" Wang sat leaning back in an armchair. She was old and sick, and her eldest daughter-in-law helped her comb her hair.
Jiang Yushu explained, "The Guo family is no longer what it used to be. I dare not take too much away. After all, you are in charge of a large family and need more manpower. Moreover, in my humble opinion, Heqin is in chaos and war. Even if you bring a few hundred servants, it will be useless and will only attract the attention of the locals. If they really are in trouble, they should request protection from the government and the garrison."
"Well, you have some truth to it." Wang rubbed her temples, thought for a moment, and then instructed, "But seven is really too few. So, take Zhou Yan and his wife and Fang Sheng with you, so that we have ten."
Wang Qiaozhen paused in combing her hair and asked in surprise, "Fang Sheng? He's the only doctor in our family."
Jiang Yushu was greatly surprised and said hurriedly, "Only Doctor Fang is familiar with Third Brother's illness! Old Madam, let him stay in Changping. If he has a headache or fever, he won't need to go out for medical treatment. Don't worry, Heqin will definitely have a pharmacy and a clinic."
"Well—well, forget it. Then we'll add Zhou Yan and his wife, and leave Fang Sheng behind." Wang was exhausted and said worriedly, "Azhe's illness is such a headache! Even with the wealth of the Marquisate before, it couldn't be cured. Now that he's in trouble, it's even more troublesome."
Wang Qiaozhen said nonchalantly, "There's no point in worrying. Just take care of him. As for how long he can live, it all depends on his luck."
Jiang Yushu frowned as she listened. Just as she was about to speak, she heard her mother-in-law mutter, "We're about to leave for Changping, but Xiaodie and Yipeng are still nowhere to be seen. What happened?"
"Auntie, why are you so confused?" Wang Qiaozhen slammed her comb down and asked in confusion, "At this point, you're still counting on Liao Xiaodie? In my opinion, neither she nor that Gong guy are good people! If you really want to help, even if you can't, you should at least give us a response, so we don't get anxious and wait in vain."
Wang immediately frowned and warned unhappily, "Times have changed, Qiaozhen. You must change your outspokenness!"
"There's no one in the room, what are you afraid of?" Wang Qiaozhen was furious and said contemptuously, "Have you forgotten? Liao Xiaodie is too cunning. She has caused chaos in the Marquis' Mansion twice. First, she coveted the prince, and then seduced my second brother. She is shameless and sweet-mouthed—"
Wang was impatient and interrupted with a wave of her hand, "Enough! It's all old news, why bring it up?"
Jiang Yushu had no time to listen to the old chatter. She cleared her throat and interrupted, "Actually, I think the Guo family should stay away from the capital."
"What do you mean?" Wang rubbed the Taiyang acupoint repeatedly.
Wang Qiaozhen sighed softly and said wistfully, "In Xicang, the capital city is the most prosperous and stable."
"Sister-in-law, you're wrong," Jiang Yushu said bluntly, reminding them, "In the past few days, the letters sent by the Guo family to Changping have fallen on deaf ears, and the few people who took bribes to gather information have also never returned. It's obvious that someone is secretly tampering with us, leaving us isolated and helpless."
"Damn it! Which despicable villain did this?" Wang Qiaozhen gritted her teeth.
Wang speculated, "Could it be Magistrate Wan? He has absolute power in Xicang, so he has both the reason and the ability to punish the Guo family."
"Hmph, it was clearly the enemy soldiers from the Northern Qiong who killed his son and his family. Every grievance has its perpetrators. No matter how sad he is, he shouldn't vent his anger on the Guo family endlessly, right?" Wang Qiaozhen was filled with anger.
Jiang Yushu wiped the sweat off her face and said crisply, "No matter who it is, someone is definitely against the Guo family! As the saying goes, 'It's easy to dodge an open spear, but hard to guard against an arrow from the dark.' As a fugitive, we can't afford to offend the powerful, so we can only avoid them. Let's go to Changping and seek refuge with Mu Shibo."
As soon as the voice fell, the maid respectfully reported: "Old Madam, Miss Liao is here."
"Ah?" Wang's eyes lit up and she said in surprise, "Hurry and ask her to come in!"
Wang Qiaozhen's face turned pale and she angrily asked, "She dares to come?"
Now that the Guo family had found a place to stay, Jiang Yushu was no longer anxious and drank her summer-cooling tea calmly.
Liao Xiaodie was supported in by two maids. She was too weak to straighten her back and walked slowly. Before she even reached the front, she said apologetically in a hoarse voice, "Xiaodie is late. I deserve to keep the old lady waiting for so long."
Wang squinted her eyes and looked carefully, then asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Are you...sick? Sit down quickly."
Liao Xiaodie sat down, clutching her belly and shaking her head. Her maid understood and informed her, "Madam, this morning, while our mistress was rushing here with the documents, she suffered from heatstroke and passed out on the way. She went home to seek medical attention. The doctor, upon taking her pulse, confirmed she was over three months pregnant and experiencing some fetal distress. She took some medicine to stabilize the pregnancy, which helped her recover. That's why she arrived so late."
"Oh, I see!" Instantly, Wang's heart knot was untied. She was filled with anticipation and fear for Changping, and had no time for deep thought. She sighed, "You've been married for so long, and now you're finally pregnant. You shouldn't worry about it. Alas, we're leaving for Changping County soon. We say goodbye today, and we don't know when we'll meet again. Take care of yourselves. When the baby is born, remember to send a congratulatory letter so we can be happy too."
Liao Xiaodie was stunned for a moment, then suddenly straightened up, her mouth hanging open in surprise. After a while, she asked in a hushed voice, "Changping County? Madam, you said the Guo family is going to Changping?"
"That's right." Wang held up her palm-sized diamond-shaped mirror, looked left and right, and adjusted her hair. After all, having been a marquis's wife for most of her life, even if she couldn't be surrounded by silks and jewels, she would still do her best to keep her clothes and hair clean and tidy.
Jiang Yushu looked at the other woman's belly curiously and said gently, "My cousin is pregnant, but she still came to visit me. It's really precious."
"Oh, you're more than three months old, and you didn't notice anything before? It's been summer for a long time, and the heat is oppressive, but you didn't faint in the morning or evening, but happened to faint today due to heatstroke?" Wang Qiaozhen lazily paced closer and bent down, forcing the man to shrink into the armchair.
Liao Xiaodie understood the man's personality and was prepared. She explained weakly, "It was too hot. I had no appetite this morning and only ate half a cake. I was sitting in the carriage, hot and hungry, when suddenly everything went black and I passed out."
Wang Qiaozhen was amazed, her eyes wide open as she exclaimed, "Oh my god, a woman suffering from heatstroke and a miscarriage actually had the energy to rush to this noisy and filthy prison? I'm so impressed!" After she finished speaking, she tilted her head, clapped her hands vigorously, and said with a smile:
"Hey, cousin, you are really not an ordinary person!"
Jiang Yushu's face was tense, and she held a mouthful of summer-cooling tea in her mouth. She couldn't swallow it, nor could she spit it out. She clenched her teeth and tried hard to hold back her laughter.
Bitch!
You are no longer the noble wife of the Crown Prince, yet you are still so sarcastic, mean, and hateful...
Liao Xiaodie was so angry that her chest felt tight, but she could only hold it in and said softly, "My cousin is joking again. Alas, how can I feel at ease if I don't personally take the old lady out of the prison? Old lady, Changping is remote and chaotic. You must not go there. Please stay in the capital. Yipeng is working on the paperwork. You can reach the farm on the outskirts of the city before dark and stay safe."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yushu quickly swallowed her summer tea and said sternly, "Thank you, cousin and brother-in-law, for your help, but we've been waiting for good news for a long time without success, so we've decided to go to Changping and will leave shortly. I'm truly sorry for letting you two down."
"Why do you suddenly want to go to Changping? It's so far away, how can you get there?" Liao Xiaodie pretended to be confused.
Jiang Yushu stared intently and replied with a smile: "Thanks to the help of a noble person."
"Tsk, although the provincial capital is nice, it's a pity that there are so many villains. We dare not stay here." Wang Qiaozhen curled her lips.
Wang sighed deeply and said wearily, "I am old and ill, so I can only leave the important matters of the family to my son, Honglei. He is stubborn by nature and will not change his mind easily. I don't have the energy to persuade him. Let him make his decision and go to Changping."
"But..." Liao Xiaodie's voice was hoarse.
Wang turned around and ordered, "Have you packed your luggage? Hurry up and don't waste time."
"yes!"
I painstakingly planned and forced you into a state of utter despair. My original plan was to swoop down at the critical moment, rescue the Guo family from their dire straits, and earn their trust and gratitude so I could plot my next revenge. Unexpectedly, after intercepting that letter, you were still able to go to Changping?
In an instant, Liao Xiaodie was thrown into disarray and hesitated to speak several times.
The next moment, Wang Qiaozhen suddenly asked, "Xiaodie, is the two thousand taels you took last time enough?"
Liao Xiaodie poked her palm with her sharp nails, forcing herself to calm down. She said angrily, "Don't mention it. These past few days, I've been scouring the city, sending jewelry, jade carvings, and old ginseng to the prefect's wife. She greeted them with a smile and accepted them all, but she's actually been unyielding. It's really infuriating."
"Really?" Wang Qiaozhen sneered, hinting, "Taking the benefits but not doing the job is shameless and greedy. Sooner or later, you'll get your comeuppance."
Liao Xiaodie froze, and nodded in agreement.
Jiang Yushu had seen enough of the excitement and stood up and said, "You guys chat, I'll go back to my room and take a look."
At this moment, Guo Honglei strode over the threshold with his head held high and said in a loud voice, "The paperwork has been completed. Master Pan and his companions are about to depart. Let's catch up!"
At four quarters after noon, the scorching sun sets in the west.
Tens of thousands of kilograms of grain seeds were loaded into a long line of horse-drawn carriages. Pan Rui rode in a small carriage, while Pan Kui and his men rode on horses.
Among them, the injured and sick, the elderly and the weak of the Guo family and the drivers sat on each side, sheltered from the sun and enjoying the breeze, which was quite comfortable.
Jiang Yushu held her bag and waved goodbye to Liao Xiaodie and her husband. "I'll see you again someday."
"Goodbye!" Guo Honglei clasped his fists towards Gong Yipeng and jumped onto the carriage.
Jiang Yushu asked with amusement, "So you can actually drive a car?"
Guo Honglei, whose injury had not yet healed, held the reins with one hand and replied cheerfully, "If you can ride a horse, you can drive a carriage. What's the difficulty?"
Pan Kui led the way, whipping his whip into the air with a "crack" and shouting, "Move on!"
Soon, the sound of horse hooves could be heard, and the carriages loaded with grain and seeds creaked, kicking up dust, as they headed north.
Gong Yipeng was sweating profusely, feeling depressed and guilty, and shouted, "Old Madam, take care!"
Wang leaned against her bundle, gazing at the dilapidated prison gate. A mixture of emotions washed over her. She secretly congratulated her second son on his courage. She heaved a sigh of relief and cheerfully replied, "You two can go home. See you another day."
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Not long after, a large group of people left the Xicang city gate and hurried north.
The border is vast and the scenery is magnificent.
Jiang Yushu was enjoying the summer breeze, feeling relaxed. Suddenly, she had an idea and turned around to touch the potatoes, each of which was distinct. She felt extremely happy, and her face was filled with joy and a smile on her face.
Guo Honglei glanced at it and asked helplessly -
The author has something to say:
嘤嘤嘤o（╥﹏╥）o Today I mustered up the courage and decided to participate in Jinjiang's daily 10,000-word event. Who knew that even after trying my best, I still couldn't reach 10,000 words before midnight... Although I have finished coding 10,000 words now, I am too sleepy. I can only publish it tomorrow after fixing bugs and formatting. [Snail Spring Tears, Apologies More Than Hart]
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