Chapter 146 Exile to Lingnan
Six hundred miles after leaving Chang'an, Yang Wei told Xu Zheng that they had eaten up a carriage's worth of food, and now there was an empty carriage in which they could let the elderly, women, and children with limited mobility sit, so that they could go faster.
Xu Zheng asked the remaining four officers, "What do you say?"
The officers looked at each other in bewilderment. What the hell! The convicts even got on the carriage!
"Boss, you are the boss. We have no objection to whatever you say!" No matter what you ask them, they don't dare to have any objection!
"Okay, then I'll make the decision." Xu Zheng waved his hand, and the women and children of the Qin family all got on the carriage.
Next, because they were no longer burdened by children and female relatives, Xu Zheng and other bailiffs and runners took the three Qin brothers and traveled a hundred miles a day.
They had lunch outside that afternoon. The soft steamed white flour buns and a bowl of hot broth were truly satisfying.
After eating and resting for a while, everyone prepared to set off.
Lu Songli was a little full and didn't want to ride in a carriage, fearing that her stomach would be shaken, so she walked with them. Everyone walked in groups of three or four along the official road.
Qin Zhao looked at someone's back and sighed meaningfully, "A Sheng, I heard that pigeon soup is also very nutritious."
Qin Sheng was busy on his way and didn't bother to pay attention to him, humph.
A few days ago, he said that fish soup is very nutritious, especially for the elderly and women.
He became interested in it, and when passing by a frozen river, he picked a place and made a hole in it. The fish in the river jumped out one by one, and soon he had picked up a basketful of them.
There were more than 50 people in their group, and they all drank the fragrant and delicious fish soup, which also contained some frozen tofu. The taste was really delicious.
His mother and wife didn't say anything, but his third brother praised it highly and kept saying how delicious the fish soup was.
If he believed him again, he would be——Qin Sheng hadn't finished muttering in his heart when he heard his wife speak.
"Pigeon soup is indeed very nutritious." Lu Songli nodded in agreement.
Qin Sheng turned his head and looked at her. Are you serious? "Really that good?"
Lu Songli nodded, "Yes, it nourishes yin and kidney, replenishes qi and blood, and is especially good for postpartum women and those with weak constitutions and heat, and can accelerate wound healing."
Got it! So Qin Sheng looked up at the sky.
Lu Songde also looked up and saw two white pigeons flapping their wings and flying in the sky.
Qin Zhao quickly looked up, then his eyes widened. He was completely shocked. Would these two white doves fall down?
While he was looking up at the sky in shock, Qin Sheng was already chasing the pigeons in the sky with the bow and arrow he borrowed from Zhou Da's companion.
Everyone thought that he would not be able to catch up, after all, running on the ground could not compare to flying in the sky.
But not long after, Qin Sheng came back with two white doves that were pierced by arrows.
Qin Zhao:......
"Wait, there seems to be something tied to the pigeon's leg." Lu Songli pointed at the letter.
Qin Heng took it off, looked at it, and handed it to Lu Songli, "Sixth sister-in-law, take a look."
When Lu Songli was reading the note, Qin Sheng came over and leaned against her shoulder.
Lu Songli glanced at him and moved the note between the two of them so that he could read it together.
After reading it, Lu Songli handed it to his third uncle Qin Zhao.
After Qin Zhao finished reading it, he handed it to Qin Sheng.
Qin Sheng didn't take it and turned his head away, "I've seen it." He had just seen it with his wife's hand, there was no need to see it a second time!
The note in Qin Zhao's hand moved with him.
Qin Sheng frowned, "What?"
Qin Zhao made a swallowing motion.
"Go away! Eat by yourself!" Qin Sheng gave him a contemptuous look and walked away.
Qin Zhao shouted at him, "Xiao Liu, you can't be like this. When you were in Dali Prison, you ate without changing your expression."
Qin Sheng only left him with the back of his head. Who would want to eat that dried-up thing? Do you think you are her? How dare you demand the same treatment as her!
In the end, Qin Zhao could only eat it himself to destroy the body.
Nie Yunniang looked at the pair of dead pigeons and asked, "Are these carrier pigeons? Will it be okay if they are eaten?" She was a little worried.
"What does it matter? A Sheng shot it down." Qin Zhao stepped forward and picked up the pigeon.
Qin Heng also said, "Yes, eat it with confidence."
These two carrier pigeons were bound for the northern border. The messages on them weren't particularly urgent, so losing them would have a certain impact. Besides, this was his Song family's kingdom, not the Qin family's. He wasn't in a position to interfere in other matters.
Finally, the two pigeons were stewed with ginger, wine, goji berries, angelica, and red dates. Bringing it to a boil over high heat, then simmering it over low heat, only resulted in three bowls of soup: one for Qin's mother, Nie Yunniang, and Lü Songli.
While the Qin family was happily heading to their place of exile, the Xie and Zhao families were not having a good time in Chang'an City.
Zhao Bin died. On the seventh night after he entered the prison, someone covered his mouth and nose and beat him to death, as he was unable to move. He did not resist, and it is said that he died with a smile on his face, which made him look quite handsome.
All the valuables on him were taken away, including his thick clothes, leaving him only with a single piece of clothing.
Zhao Bin was carried out by the jailer.
The Zhao family looked on indifferently.
Because no one took care of it, the jailers could only carry him on a tattered mat and throw him into the mass grave!
The jailers worked while cursing. It was Chinese New Year, and they had to carry a dead body. What bad luck! The most important thing was that they didn't even get a red envelope to dispel the bad luck!
Then, under Xie Zhan's operation, the Xie and Zhao families were eventually exiled to Lingnan.
On New Year's Eve, when lights were on in every house, members of the Xie and Zhao families slowly and staggered out of Chang'an City, being whipped from time to time by the bailiffs and runners.
In reality, the Xie and Zhao families had lost many men and women during their time in prison. Due to torture, cold, poor food, and insufficient clothing, the dead were carried out almost every day. Most of those carried out were elderly or children; the young were better off, with fewer deaths.
Nowadays, there are not many elderly people and children in their team.
Because there were so many prisoners, four bailiffs and twenty runners were assigned to the group. To avoid trouble, all the adult men from the Zhao and Xie families were shackled.
During the New Year, the bailiffs and runners still had to escort the prisoners to Lingnan, and they were all in a bad mood.
These officers were not good people. Unlike the ones who escorted the Qin family, they were all selected by Xu Zheng through secret visits.
Many of the officers escorting the exiled prisoners from the Xie and Zhao families weren't originally assigned this mission, but were forced upon them by their superiors. They were forced to work overtime without any overtime pay. It was obvious, judging by the Xie and Zhao families' expressions, that there wasn't much to gain, so it was strange they were in a good mood.
"Master, why did we choose the South Stream instead of the North Stream?"
Ahem, Xie Zhan has lost a lot of weight recently. He wrapped his worn rat-skin coat tightly around him and answered his cousin's question in a low voice, "Dunhuang County, Ximei County, and Liangzhou area belong to the northern border. The Qin family has been stationed in the northern border for many years. We will not end up well if we are exiled there." It is difficult to subdue those forces and use them for one's own benefit.
Xie Zhan paused for a moment and said, "The Qin family has already gone to Pingzhou and Lelang County."
During his time in prison, he had been reflecting on his failure. He was too arrogant, thinking that no one could see through his plan, but in the end, Lv Songli attacked him halfway, and he was caught off guard and had no chance to fight back.
After this heavy fall, he realized that she had been waiting for an opportunity, which was why she chose the perfect moment to strike. He had underestimated the heroes of the world.
Therefore, during his time in prison, he reflected deeply and decided to maintain his previous attitude towards Lu Songli and the Qin family, not provoking them and pursuing their own development strategy. Dali was so large that they could each control the north and south and develop independently.
Therefore, the Xie family would not go to Pingzhou or even Lelang County!
If they also go there, it will be like two tigers on the same mountain. The land over there is so small. Both sides will definitely compete openly and secretly for development and resources.
Capable people are powerful. With the Qin family exiled to Pingzhou, Lü Songli likely considered the entire Pingzhou area his own. Anyone who came up short would be seen as a predator, and they would not stop until they had killed him.
He found that he didn't understand his opponent Lu Songli very well, and it was very dangerous to fight him like this.
For the Xie family, the most important thing now is to survive.
Therefore, he chose to avoid the enemy's attack, using time and space to develop and strengthen himself. This was a good opportunity to see what the opponent was capable of. They would rematch in the future.
"The southwest region has many ethnic minorities and is mountainous, which is not conducive to future development."
"The southeast region will be better, whether it's economic development or terrain and customs." Although there are many clan forces there, he is confident that he can resolve these problems.
"Besides, we have only a few clothes and little food. If we go north, who knows how many more people will die before we reach the exile place. The south is relatively warmer, so more people can survive."
After Xie Zhan said this, he looked into the distance with a distant gaze.
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