Chapter 51 Confiscating Property and Exile (3)
The second and third branches of the Xiao family vented their confusion about the unknown exile and their fear of death on the eldest branch.
The eldest son's family knew they harbored resentment, but they didn't know that the eldest son wished they were all dead.
This is what they call a family.
When their family was at its peak, they promoted their children quite a bit.
Hearing them curse her father and brother, saying things like they deserved to die and why they didn't just die, Xiao Xiuning's eyes reddened with anger. "Stop cursing! You can't curse my father..."
Xiao Xuanwu gripped the wooden stake with both hands, trying to squeeze through and hit them, but the gap was too small to squeeze through. He could only shout in rebuttal, "My father did not collude with the enemy or betray the country. He is not a traitor."
From a young age, the three children had heard that their grandfather, father, and uncles were all great heroes. In their childish voices, they retorted, "They weren't traitors, no, they weren't..."
Yang felt utterly heartbroken. She shook her head helplessly and closed her eyes in anguish. To outsiders, they were all family, and arguing across the prison cell would only make them a laughingstock.
The more the eldest son's family members refuted them, the more enthusiastically they cursed.
"The person is dead, but their spirit still lingers and haunts the world. It was your eldest son who took the silver, and you're blaming us for it."
"Return the silver immediately! How will our whole family survive on the road to exile without it? Are you trying to drive us to our deaths?!"
The dim firelight in the cell stretched their shadows and reflected their faces, contorted with the insults.
Yun Zhaoxue, who was sitting in the corner, couldn't stand it anymore. She walked to the corner, pulled back the straw, picked up a few rats, and threw them at the other side.
The people opposite were shouting and cursing with their mouths wide open when they suddenly saw several black things flying towards their faces. Afraid that they would fly into their mouths, they quickly closed their mouths, and the claws of rats scratched their faces.
Terrified, he frantically slapped himself in the face, "Slap slap slap!!!"
"Aaaaaah!!!"
"A rat! There's a rat..."
"Squeak squeak squeak..."
They were used to living a life of luxury in the inner quarters and had rarely seen rats. Even if there were rats, the servants were responsible for catching or driving them away.
The first time a mouse crawled on them, they screamed in fright and threw their coats on the ground.
They scurried around the cell, and the rats were terrified, jumping up and down. Someone stepped on a rat's tail, and the rat squeaked and screamed in agony, then ran back to the other side in a panic. Xiao Xuanwu picked it up and threw it back.
The cell across the street was in complete chaos.
Ye Hongying's family was poor when she was a child. They lived in the countryside and would go hunting in the mountains. She was not afraid of large prey, let alone a few rats.
Seeing the second and third wives running around aimlessly like headless flies, he frowned and shouted, "Everyone, stop shouting! The rats have long since disappeared!"
The group of people then stopped.
Ye Hongying stepped forward and said, "Princess, the rats in the prison may carry the plague. Are you trying to kill us all by throwing them directly at us? You are too vicious."
As he spoke, he glanced at Xiao Xuance in the cell diagonally opposite.
Yun Zhaoxue leaned against the prison wall, a cold smile playing on her lips, casually toying with a piece of withered grass between her fingers.
He nonchalantly admitted, "Yes, everyone in the capital knows it. It's not like you just found out today. You're so high and mighty, but you think it's not malicious for your two families to curse us to die? If you dare to curse us again, we won't just smash an ordinary rat, but this one."
As she spoke, she wrapped a rat in straw and threw it outside the cell opposite.
This rat had festering sores and red eyes, which may have carried the plague or other diseases. In ancient times, with poor medical conditions, being bitten by a rat could be fatal.
Yun Zhaoxue suspects that someone wants to kill them and warns them to be careful on their way to exile.
Ye Hongying: "Everyone be careful not to get bitten by him, it can kill people."
"Oh no! It's coming this way, what should we do?"
As Ye Hongying spoke, she backed away, saying, "Quickly stomp it to death, don't let the blood splatter on you."
The second and third wives knew she knew martial arts, and seeing her, they also retreated and pushed her forward together.
"Hongying, you are skilled in martial arts, kill it quickly, hurry up!"
Ye Hongying was also afraid. She had heard that some people had their skin ulcerated, their bodies burning with fever, pain, and vomiting after their blood was splashed on their skin, and they died within a few days.
She's afraid of dying too; she doesn't want to go.
She was pushed forward by a group of people, her pleading eyes falling on her husband, Xiao Xuanjing, hoping he would go or say a word for her.
Instead of speaking up for her, Xiao Xuanjing advised her, "Hongying, you are highly skilled in martial arts. Dealing with a sick rat is no problem for you. Hurry up and kill it."
Ye Hongying had no choice but to quickly stomp down. The sick rat struggled twice and then stopped moving. Blood splattered and intestines spilled all over the ground, a disgusting sight that was hard to bear.
She quickly took off her shoes and threw them away.
Just then, two jailers walked over. "What's all the noise about? Shut up!"
Hearing the commotion, he lashed the whip in his hand hard against the cell pillar, "Crack!"
It leaves a mark on the pillar; if it hits a person, it would tear their skin and flesh.
The group of people trembled and shrank back in fright.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Aunt Wu complained, "They threw rats over there to try and get us infected with the plague. They want to kill us. You should kill them right away."
Wu pointed her finger at the right one, and the commanding tone made the coffin very unhappy, so she lashed out at her with the whip again.
"Smack!"
Wu shrank back quickly, and the wooden stake provided some cover, but the whip still grazed the back of her hand, leaving a bloody welt. She cried out in pain, "Ouch!! It hurts, it hurts so much..."
The jailer sneered, "You're ordering me around? Who do you think you are? Don't forget who you are now—prisoners!"
The jailer glanced at the dead rat on the ground, his eyes sweeping over the main cell before turning and leaving.
The second and third wives were warned and have kept quiet ever since.
Yang and the eldest son's family continued to reminisce with Xiao Xuance across the prison cell.
“Ce’er, Mother… I heard you were seriously injured, you’ve lost all your martial arts skills, and your hands and feet are crippled…”
“My son is fine. He may have lost his martial arts skills, but he can still move his hands and feet. Mother, please take care of yourself first and don’t worry about your son.”
Xiao Xuanwu looked at his third brother, whom he had admired since childhood. He was highly skilled in martial arts and went to the battlefield at the age of thirteen. In his memory, he should be riding a tall horse and galloping wildly, wielding a long spear and fighting bravely against the enemy on the battlefield.
He fought for the country for nearly ten years and made great achievements. He did not die at the hands of the enemy, but was tortured by his own people until he was only half alive. He lost his martial arts skills and his hands and feet were crippled.
Her eyes immediately reddened and her voice choked, "Third Brother..."
Xiao Xuance tugged at his chapped lips and shook his head slightly, "Fifth brother, don't cry, third brother is fine."
Yun Zhaoxue did not participate. She sat alone in a corner, pondering the probability of the Emperor exiling the Third Prince. She guessed it was ninety percent.
A short while later, a noisy commotion came from the entrance again.
A low, hoarse roar could also be faintly heard.
"Release me! Do you know who my son-in-law is? I am the father-in-law of the Third Prince."
"When the Third Prince arrives, I will definitely have him cut off your heads..."
The jailer lashed his side with his whip and warned, "Behave yourself!"
Wu clung to the pillar and saw the Marquis of Yunyang being escorted to the front. She gloated, "Marquis of Yunyang? The Marquis of Yunyang has been imprisoned too. Hahaha, Yun Zhaoxue, your family is finished too. From now on, your family and your husband's family will accompany you on your journey to exile. No one will help you or support you. Let's see how you make it to the place of exile while pregnant."
Yun Zhaoxue, "..."
It's as if the Marquis of Yunyang would have supported and helped her if he hadn't been exiled; it would be good enough if he hadn't kicked her while she was down.
The Marquis of Yunyang and his family were imprisoned in the cell next to Yun Zhaoxue's.
"Marquis of Yunyang, what are you doing here? Did you get caught up in this wicked woman, Yun Zhaoxue?"
When the eldest sister-in-law Xie Wanyun and the second sister-in-law Song Mingyan heard this, their faces turned pale. Would a married daughter's crime implicate her family?
Oh my god, they and their children are barely able to protect themselves. What will happen if their family members are also exiled?!
Marquis Yunyang didn't know why, but the soldiers rushed in and arrested them without saying a word.
They guessed it was because of that rebellious daughter Yun Zhaoxue, and were about to curse her.
Yun Zhaoxue said, "Don't bark like a dog. I have severed ties with the Yunyang Marquis's Mansion and will not implicate you. Perhaps it is Yun Jiaoyue who is implicated."
Madam Wang immediately retorted, "Impossible! My Yue'er is the Crown Prince's consort, how could she implicate the Marquis's mansion? Even if the Marquis's mansion is implicated, Yue'er will definitely come to save us, sir, let's wait a little longer..."
Yun Zhaoxue pointed towards the entrance and said, "No need to wait, let's see who's over there?"
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