200. They have no connection with Duke Anguo.
Gan Fanggui looked at Li Yuniang, then at Xie Wenling and Qu Zijin, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
She stepped forward, curtsied to Li Yuniang, and said with a guilty voice, "Sister, thank you for taking care of this family all these years. Now... now we are doing well, but you have to suffer along with us. We are so sorry for you."
Lin Lingrong also bowed: "Auntie, I'm sorry. If it weren't for... if it weren't for me..."
"Let's not talk about this anymore," Li Yuniang interrupted her, forcing a smile. "I'm relieved that you don't have to suffer along with me. In the capital, take good care of yourselves and don't get involved in these things anymore."
Qu Zijin looked at the scene before him and felt a pang of unease. He stepped forward and said softly, "It's getting late. You should pack your things as soon as possible. You must leave the capital before noon tomorrow. If you're late, there might be trouble."
"Although the property in the mansion will be confiscated, His Majesty has granted you permission to take some clothing and everyday items with you, which is more than enough."
Gan Fangui and Lin Lingrong nodded, but did not leave immediately. They simply stood aside, watching Li Yuniang and Lin Fuman.
Although they were able to stay because of the divorce papers and the certificate of severance of ties, they still felt bad seeing their former family members about to leave.
Lin Fuman grabbed Li Yuniang's hand, crying and demanding an answer: "Auntie, what about Father? How is Father?"
"Father has been exiled..." Li Yuniang hugged Lin Fuman, tears finally streaming down her face. "Fufu, be good, let's leave this place and live a good life from now on, okay?"
Seeing this, Xie Wenling and Qu Zijin did not linger any longer. They cupped their hands in greeting to the crowd and turned to leave the main hall.
As I stepped out of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, the sun had already set, casting golden rays on the plaque, but it had lost its former grandeur.
Qu Zijin sighed, "I never imagined that the Duke of Anguo's mansion would end up like this. It's truly a cruel twist of fate."
Xie Wenling replied, "The crime of treason deserves this fate. It is already His Majesty's grace that women and children have been spared the death penalty. We only need to do our own thing and not worry about anything else."
-
The residence of the Marquis of Beiding.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop, the little boy saw his mother and two older brothers standing at the door, craning their necks to look in this direction, their faces full of anxiety.
"Mother! Big brother! Second brother!" The little dumpling rushed over like a bird returning to its nest.
Jiang Xiyue pulled her into her arms and picked her up, frantically checking her for injuries. Her voice was trembling with tears as she said, "My Yue'er, you're finally back! When your mother heard the news, her heart was in her throat, and she was so afraid that something might happen to you!"
Marquis Beiding also got off the carriage, followed him, and gently patted the little dumpling's head, full of heartache: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
Jin Qizhi was also very distressed: "Little sister, eat something quickly, you must be starving. I've had someone prepare a meal."
The second brother bounced around, eager to see his sister's expression, and had a different opinion: "Little sister is really brave, daring to go to the palace to find His Majesty. But next time something like this happens, you must tell me first, and I'll go with you!"
The little dumpling returned home and was no longer panicked or scared: "Mother, Yue'er is alright! Brother Bai protected Yue'er, and the Grand Tutor also helped Yue'er! Brother Xie is alright too, but the Duke of Anguo has been arrested!"
Seeing that she still had the mind to talk about these things, Jiang Xiyue was both angry and amused, and tapped her forehead: "You're quite proud of yourself, aren't you? I heard that you and Young Master Bai secretly ran away and even dared to run around in the palace. What if you ran into bad people?"
"Moon isn't afraid!" The little dumpling puffed out her chest. "Moon wants to save Brother Xie. We can't let Duke Anguo bully him!"
Jiang Xiyue looked at her daughter's serious expression and felt quite helpless.
They're like a newborn calf that's not afraid of a tiger.
Marquis Beiding spoke up at the right moment: "Alright, stop standing at the door and come inside. It's windy outside, don't let the moon be blown by the wind."
As the group entered the house, the maidservants quickly served them hot meals.
The little dumpling sat between her parents, eating her meal while recounting what had happened.
However, what was once so scary and frightening has now become just a few minor hardships.
She waved her little fists, her chubby face beaming with pride, emphasizing how brave and fearless she was in this matter, defeating one powerful enemy after another, and finally saving her brother Xie from dire straits.
"Later, Brother Xie even praised Yue'er for being brave!"
Jiang Xiyue's first reaction after hearing this was that she couldn't let Xiao Tuanzi and Jin Lizhi hang out together anymore; the two children were becoming more and more alike.
She's such a cute and adorable little girl, she can't be like this little rascal.
Hearing the little dumpling's description, the second brother's eyes lit up with excitement: "Wow! My little sister is amazing! She's practically the number one female knight-errant in the martial arts world! She has my style!"
Jin Qizhi listened with trepidation, interrupting her from time to time to ask if she had been wronged or scared.
He frowned, and after listening, he said in a deep voice, "The old prime minister is really audacious, daring to place Uncle Xie under house arrest. Fortunately, you are quick-witted, sister, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Marquis Beiding nodded in agreement: "We need to be more careful from now on. Although Duke Anguo has been arrested, his cronies may still be around. We must not let Yue'er be in danger again."
Jiang Xiyue felt even more helpless when she saw that the father and his two sons did not doubt the truth of her daughter's story about a beauty saving a hero.
She put down her chopsticks, looked at the little dumpling, and said in a gentle but serious tone: "Yue'er, you did very well this time, you were very brave, but you must remember that if you encounter something like this again, you must protect yourself first, and then ask an adult for help, okay? You are the precious child of your father, mother and brothers, we cannot lose you."
The little dumpling looked at her mother's serious eyes and nodded vigorously: "Yue'er knows!"
Seeing that she was obedient, Jiang Xiyue finally felt relieved and put a piece of braised pork on her plate: "Eat up, eat more, it'll help you recover. You must not have slept well yesterday, go take a nap after you finish eating."
After dinner and a bath, the little dumpling, dressed in soft pajamas, was carried to bed.
Jiang Xiyue sat on the edge of the bed and told her a bedtime story.
Soon, the little dumpling yawned, slowly closed its eyes, and had a sweet smile on its lips.
-
The next day.
Because of the fright she experienced yesterday, Qu Zijin gave Xiao Tuanzi a day off so she could rest properly.
The little boy rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up, hearing his parents' voices coming from the yard.
She ran barefoot to the window and clung to the windowsill, trying to peek at what her parents were whispering to each other.
Jiang Xiyue's voice carried a hint of regret: "...Have you heard? The people from the Duke of Anguo's mansion packed their things early this morning and are waiting at the city gate to leave the capital right now."
"I heard that neither the legal wife nor Lin Lingrong were punished, one was divorced and the other had her father-daughter relationship severed."
"Although the principal wife was divorced, she was not at fault according to the law. Therefore, she could receive a large sum of money from the Duke of Anguo, and the mother and daughter would be able to live a worry-free life for the rest of their lives."
"It's just that Li Yu's mother was truly pitiful. She had a bad fate. She almost went to jail for taking the imperial examinations because she was a woman. When she returned home to do business, her parents died and she was almost wiped out. She married into the Anguo Public Security Bureau, but after only a few years of stability, her family's property was confiscated, and all the shops she had painstakingly built up over the years were reduced to nothing..."
"Alas, now she has been banished from the capital with her young child, Lin Fuman. I wonder how much suffering she will endure there."
Marquis Beiding sighed: "There's nothing we can do about it. Duke Anguo committed the heinous crime of treason. It's already a mercy from His Majesty to spare their lives. Cousin Xie has also gone to the city gate, saying he wants to give them a few more words of advice to prevent any mishaps on the way."
"Alas, what a grand Duke's mansion, reduced to this state..." Jiang Xiyue's voice gradually faded.
The little dumpling got a little anxious when it heard this.
It's one thing for Shining Bean Prince to leave, but why are Big Sister and Sister Fufu leaving too?
I haven't told her yet!
She no longer cared about eavesdropping and shouted, "Mother! Mother! Yue'er wants to go to the city gate! Yue'er wants to see Sister Fufu and Big Sister!"
Hearing the commotion, Jiang Xiyue and Bei Dinghou rushed into the house and saw that the little dumpling's face was flushed red and she was so anxious that tears were about to fall.
"Oh dear, my Yue'er, don't worry, don't worry," Jiang Xiyue quickly stepped forward to help her straighten her clothes. "If you want to go to the city gate to say goodbye, your father and mother will take you there. Don't panic."
Marquis Beiding also said, "It just so happens that I also want to go see Wenling. Let's go together."
The little dumpling finally breathed a sigh of relief, letting her mother help her get dressed and put on her little shoes. She then grabbed her parents' hands and ran outside.
The carriage was already prepared, and the group boarded it and sped off towards the city gate.
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