In the past, regardless of whether their family was rich or poor, most newlyweds would plan a honeymoon trip to enjoy their own world and be as romantic as possible.
In this life, I was already married when I opened my eyes.
While people were still confused, an imperial edict came from the sky, stripping them of their titles, confiscating their property and exiling them!
Xicang is far away from the frontier, and the journey of three thousand miles is long, which can only be completed in two months.
——I wonder if this can be considered a honeymoon trip?
Jiang Yushu wore mourning clothes and carried a bag on her back, without any jewelry or makeup. She was a resilient woman, finding joy in hardship, thinking to herself: Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. She might as well treat this as a honeymoon!
A special journey with the goal of reaching Xi Cang alive.
The officers escorting the prisoners all wore swords. The leader was named Zhang Feng and his deputy was named Liu Qing.
Zhang Feng was dark and strong. He waved his hand and ordered, "Lock them up."
"Yes!" Liu Qing, tall and thin, trotted along and shouted loudly, "According to the law, when escorting prisoners through a busy and busy city, they must be tied up to prevent them from escaping during the chaos!"
At a command, several officers immediately shook out two thin iron chains. There was a lock on the chain every foot or so, which was used to tie up the prisoners in a string.
Zhang Feng urged, "Hurry up, everyone! The rule is to travel fifty miles a day. If you exceed two months, we will be punished, and you will also be punished by the Xicang Prefecture!"
Two thin iron chains require two people to lead.
Being exiled because of his involvement in the case was already bad luck, and then being tied up with iron chains and paraded through the streets to be ridiculed by everyone was a complete disgrace.
Who is willing to take the lead?
Instantly, all the servants looked at each other in panic and dejection.
Guo Honglei stepped forward without hesitation, extending his right hand, and the officer immediately locked it with a click. Then, he turned to look at his family and calmly called out, "Fourth brother, come here, let the two of us take the lead."
"Brother, I, I—" Guo Hongxuan's face flushed, his fingers trembling, and he was extremely frightened. He was fourteen years old, at the age of being competitive. He didn't want to step forward, but he didn't dare to refuse either.
Wang had always lived a life of luxury, but now she felt humiliated and could not even lift her head. She felt sorry for her youngest son and hurriedly said, "Xuan'er is still young, so Hongzhe should be next in line! Hongzhe, go quickly!"
"Ah?" Guo Hongzhe was shocked and stammered, his face and lips turned pale. He was so anxious that he almost fell ill and didn't know what to do.
Guo Honglei stared at his two younger brothers and said comfortingly, "A real man should be able to bend and stretch. This is nothing."
"Hurry!" The officer shook the iron chain and reminded: "Leave the city quickly while there are few people here, otherwise there will be a huge crowd of people when the day breaks." The implication was that it would be even more embarrassing.
At this time, Jiang Yushu made up her mind, walked forward without saying a word, stood shoulder to shoulder with her husband, and decisively extended her right hand!
The officer was stunned for a moment before locking the door with a click.
"You——" Guo Honglei was stunned and caught off guard.
"Young lady?" Cuimei was startled. She rushed closer and said with red eyes, "Let me take the lead. Please come down quickly!"
Jiang Yushu shook her head, turned sideways, and raised her voice calmly, "Second Young Master is right. People should be able to bend and stretch. This is really nothing. Come up quickly, don't waste time, we have to hurry."
It's like this with everything. Once there's a leader, the rest will follow silently, vying for the lead for fear of being scolded.
A moment later, more than a hundred people from the Guo family were tied into two groups with iron chains and escorted by officers with swords, marching towards the city gate in a mighty procession.
All the relatives and friends who came to see him off were stopped and left to watch, their faces filled with pity. Jiang Shisen's eyes welled with tears, his beard trembling. Seeing this, his companions offered their consolation.
After walking for a while, Jiang Yushu asked softly, "How long does it take to walk from here to the city gate?"
Guo Honglei replied: "If it's fast, it will probably take about half an hour."
"What?" Jiang Yushu gasped, "It'll take half an hour just to leave the city?"
Zhang Feng, the leader of the escort, was standing nearby and casually informed them, "Don't worry, from the moment the gong sounds, every step you take counts towards the fifty li."
"That's good, that's good." Jiang Yushu breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone was afraid of losing face and walked very fast.
But no matter how fast we go, we can't stop the gradually brightening sky.
Before long, the sky was bright and people were coming and going on the street, curiously watching the rows of prisoners, with relish, or with contempt and ridicule, or commenting on them.
Guo Honglei tried his best to stand shoulder to shoulder with his wife, using his body to shield her from passersby on one side, and whispered, "Ignore those people. No matter what you see or hear, don't take it to heart."
"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of these things if I dare to stand up." Jiang Yushu looked ahead, her steps steady. Miss Jiang's heart had changed. She was not afraid of strangers. She just thought she was shopping, secretly thinking:
Look at how lively it is! The onlookers are like they are visiting a zoo, full of enthusiasm; while we are like the monkeys being visited, deprived of our freedom, and just short of being fed bananas.
But, after all, contradictions are opposites. Jiang Yushu pulled the bag on her shoulder and continued to think wildly:
People go to the zoo to see monkeys, and the monkeys stand on the rockery and look at people.
Both sides look at each other, whether they want to look or not. Humph.
Suddenly, she felt something light on her shoulders. Jiang Yushu turned around in surprise, only to see that the bag had been carried by her husband. She hurriedly said, "No need. I can carry it."
"I guess I can only help you carry it for a while," Guo Honglei said apologetically. "Once we're out of the city, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you."
Jiang Yushu thought about it, nodded, and said lightly: "In that case, thank you very much."
"You're welcome." Guo Honglei held his head high and looked straight ahead.
Gradually, more and more pedestrians came, lining the streets to watch or even follow, with discussions and laughter rising and falling in a noisy atmosphere.
Wang and her eldest daughter-in-law Wang Qiaozhen were born into a powerful and noble family. They were reserved and dignified. Whenever they went out, they had to ride in a car or sedan chair. This was the first time in their lives that they had appeared in public like this.
Being pointed at and talked about by so many strangers is a great shame and humiliation for a lady from a noble family!
With a "woo" sound, Wang Qiaozhen, who had been arrogant since childhood, couldn't help crying out loud, lowered her head, and covered her face with her left hand.
The officer frowned and shouted, "What's wrong with you? Walk properly!"
Being scolded in public, Wang Qiaozhen was so ashamed and angry that she burst into tears. In front of her was her mother-in-law, and behind her was the wet nurse holding her child.
His grandfather and father had passed away, and three-year-old Guo Yu was dressed in mourning. He was already frightened by the crowds, and now when he heard his mother crying, he burst into tears, threw himself forward with open arms, and called out in a tender voice, "Mom! Mom?"
Wang Qiaozhen was in a daze, covering her face without turning her head and staggering.
"Little master, don't cry, don't cry. Be good and be careful of the scolding from the official." The wet nurse had a sad face and coaxed the boy as she walked.
Wang was standing in front and asked anxiously, "Why is Yu'er crying? Oh, why don't you comfort him quickly!"
"I'm coaxing him. There are too many people and the little master is scared." The wet nurse was in a panic.
With their hands chained, the leaders Jiang Yushu and Guo Honglei could only look back frequently, feeling anxious.
Jiang Yushu could guess how her mother-in-law and sister-in-law felt, and said helplessly, "After a few days, everyone will get used to it. There's nothing we can do but endure it."
"There are over a hundred people in this house, and I didn't expect you to be the calmest."
Jiang Yushu glanced at her husband and praised him sincerely, "No, I don't count. You should be the calmest person. It's beyond my expectation."
"Why don't you count it?" Guo Honglei was puzzled.
Because I'm not a member of the imperial court at all. After waking up, I encountered too many troubles. I was calm on the surface, but my heart was in a mess. The future was bleak, and I was worried... Jiang Yushu didn't know where to start explaining, so she simply interrupted, "Look, the city gate!"
Finally they arrived at the city gate. Wang Qiaozhen, covered in dust, walked quickly as if she had been pardoned.
Led by the official, the young couple walked out of the city gate side by side. They turned their heads at the same time and looked at the bustling streets in the distance, with mixed feelings.
But soon after the group walked out of the city gate, Jiang Yushu suddenly heard a commotion behind them!
You pulled and I pulled, the chain suddenly straightened, tightening her wrists so much that she hurt. She took two steps back and cried out, "Ouch!"
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