There were hundreds of them, and as soon as they came in, they filled up the remaining cells.
Only then did Ling Jiheng realize that it wasn't just their Ling family that was implicated. Almost all the prominent families in Jiangnan had their property confiscated and they were exiled.
It can be said that it has changed the business landscape of the Jiangnan region.
However, fortune and misfortune are interdependent. Who can guarantee that they could have avoided floods and plagues in the south of the Yangtze River without their property being confiscated and exiled?
Maybe it was God's mercy that gave them a chance to live.
The old man was furious when he saw that the guys who had been chatting and drinking with him last night were all locked up.
He leaned against the wooden fence and asked, "Lao Chen, Lao Li, Lao Wang, Lao Han, how did you get in here too?"
"Don't even mention it. That Gao guy is such a jerk. He just let us go and then he brought people to confiscate our house. Isn't that infuriating?
The key is that they were brought in without any preparation at all." Old Master Li sighed.
"Like Lao Li, I was originally feeling sorry for your family, but then it all got involved with that Minister.
My family has been in business for generations. How could I not know if there are any officials in my branch? It’s obviously…” Old Master Han was indignant.
"Old Han, please don't say that. Trouble comes from the mouth, trouble comes from the mouth!" Old Master Chen was cautious in his words and actions.
"Is there anything worse than having one's property confiscated and being exiled?" Old Master Wang felt hopeless.
Old Master Ling was in high spirits: "Yes, he will be executed in the autumn!"
Everyone: “…”
As expected, tragedy is revealed through comparison.
Old Master Ling suddenly felt relieved when he saw his old friends, who usually competed with him openly and secretly and drank happily with him, looking dejected.
Compared to them, my family is relatively well off. At least there are fewer women, so we won't be burdened by the journey of exile.
Old Master Han: "Don't flatter yourself. If you can't have children, then you can't have children. Who doesn't know that?"
Old Master Li said, "You don't understand the joy of having many children and being blessed. Even if I were exiled, I could still live a life of ease and comfort. Do you believe me?"
Old Master Chen: "It's quite small, at most twenty-two people, not even as many as the people in my eldest son's room."
Old Master Wang: "Now that you've finished speaking, what do you want me to say?"
The man fell silent, but the woman cried even harder.
Who can accept this? From the good days of wearing gold and silver, you suddenly fall to be worse than ordinary people.
They were not well fed and clothed, and they had no right to speak out during their exile, and were bullied by officers and soldiers.
This cry made the women of the Ling family seem a little out of place. Shu Muyun hesitated for a moment and looked at everyone: "How about we cry too?"
"Why are you crying? Save your energy so you can go on your journey!" The old lady's voice was like a bell, which not only shocked everyone in the Ling family, but also made many women from other families stop crying.
Now that things have come to this, there's really no point in crying any more. Better just rest and wait for exile!
***
The exiles seemed to have been forgotten by the officers and soldiers. They were thrown into cells and given neither food nor water.
Even when going to the toilet, you have to form a wall of people, otherwise you will easily be seen by the opposite sex next door.
What were the officers and soldiers doing at this moment? Eating, drinking, sleeping, and guarding the property.
After days of traveling, they were all exhausted. If they weren't afraid of accidents, they would have wanted to just slack off and drag out the journey for ten days or half a month.
However, just two days ago, the team encountered rolling stones when approaching the Jiangnan area.
Gao Hongbin suspected that it was thieves who were causing the trouble, so he ordered the team to speed up.
That's why a group of people came to Jiangning Mansion on the day of the Ling family's wedding banquet and raided the Ling family's house overnight.
He heaved a sigh of relief when he discovered that the Ling family had not transferred any property. He then copied the rest of the imperial edict.
Gao Hongbin asked the officers and soldiers to rest, and he took a few injured people to the clinic for treatment.
"Doctor, is my foot okay?" Gao Hongbin asked anxiously.
"It's okay, you just sprained it and didn't get enough rest. I'll prescribe two medicines for you to take internally. Don't use force on your foot. It will be healed in ten days or half a month!" After the old doctor said this, he wrote down the prescription on a piece of paper.
"Oh, okay, please have the doctor take a look at my brothers again."
The old doctor nodded and went to check the injuries of the officers and soldiers.
None of them looked as serious as Gao Hongbin's, but when they opened their clothes, they found that their wounds were inflamed.
His body was also a little hot, and he was obviously in a critical moment.
The old doctor's face changed drastically and he immediately sent someone to prepare medicine for them.
Then he used a knife to cut off the rotten meat and warned the others not to get wet in the rain.
If the wound does not heal for a long time, be sure to remove all the dead flesh.
Gao Hongbin looked gloomy and sent someone to rush back to Shangjing to deliver the letter.
This time, he brought more than a hundred guards from the royal palace with him to raid the property. He thought he could complete the task perfectly, but who would have thought that the Jiangnan region was far richer than they had imagined.
It would be a good thing, as it would enrich the Third Prince's pockets. However, we don't have enough escort personnel, and we can't abandon someone's property.
So, Gao Hongbin came up with a plan: let the exiled prisoners escort the property along with the officers and soldiers, and when they were almost in Shangjing, the royal guards would take over.
This letter was to explain his plan and request manpower to meet him in Yingtian Prefecture.
After that, they returned to the inn to rest. After traveling for more than ten days, they were already exhausted.
Set off tomorrow and recharge your energy tonight.
***
The jailers brought food to everyone in the evening: a black steamed bun, two pickled vegetables, and a bowl of porridge so thin you could clearly count the grains.
The Ling family had been hungry for a whole day and night, and they were very sensible. They received their meals in order and gobbled them up without caring about the taste.
The other families were not in such a good situation. They cried and begged for fish and meat.
The jailer was annoyed by the noise and cracked his whip on the wooden fence: "Don't want to eat? Then you can starve!"
The jailer who came to deliver the meal took the steamed buns and said with some regret: "Do you know that this meal was bought by my eldest brother with his own private money?
Do you really think you are still the wealthy Jiangnan people, living a life of luxury? Ordinary people should be thankful to have black-faced steamed buns.
There's still a long way to go, and who knows, this might be your last full meal. You're really ungrateful! "
Chi Xingyue raised an eyebrow, not believing that there would be such a selfless person.
Ling Jiheng explained, "Merchants in Jiangnan often deal with the government, and more or less, they have given benefits to the yamen runners. Besides, everyone has relatives."
This makes sense.
I broke the steamed bun in my hand and smelled it, and it didn't smell sour.
Chi Xingyue broke off a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. Hmm, it was not bad. It was obvious that the yamen runners had put a lot of effort into it.
After finishing the steamed bun and drinking two mouthfuls of porridge, Chi Xingyue felt her stomach bloating. Blushing, she asked Shu Muyun and Ge Jinglan to block it for her while she took care of a personal matter in the filthy toilet. Then, holding her breath, she came to the fence.
She leaned head to head with Ling Jiheng, whispering in his ear. However, after just a few words, she fell asleep. Her snoring was deafening and completely unpresentable.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
