Butler Li recounted everything he had heard and seen. He himself didn't feel much; the previous head of the family, though not executed along with his entire clan, had his property confiscated and was exiled.
"Butler Li, let's just listen to this and move on. After all, it involves people above us, so let's not get involved in the discussion."
Let's not go to the teahouse these next few days; let's close up shop and have a few peaceful days.
Jiang Shuyun didn't know why the Maochang Marquis's family had been convicted, and it wasn't something an ordinary citizen like him could concern himself with.
The empresses and concubines in the palace are too far removed from them; they should be careful not to get caught in the crossfire.
Jiang Shuyun and her two servants reached a consensus and waited for Jiang Shuwen and the other two to return so they could give them the instructions again.
After noon, Jiang Shuwen and the other two returned, their faces pale.
"What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"
"Second brother, that was terrifying, really, so terrifying..."
Jiang Shuwen was quite frightened, and Jiang Qin and Jiang Shuhai were even more so, their eyes wide with confusion.
"Did you see the Maochang Marquis's mansion being ransacked?"
"Yes, we got there today and were strolling around the street when we saw a group of people coming at high speed. It was quite frightening."
We were trapped against the wall not far from that mansion, unable to move forward or backward. After a while, we heard cries and screams coming from inside, which made our hearts race with fear.
Later, the gate opened, and a group of people dressed in fine clothes were led out, their hands bound, some chained; men, women, and children were all there. The sound of children crying and adults shouting sent chills down one's spine.
Jiang Shuwen shuddered at the thought. Uncle Jiang Qin and Jiang Shuhai, who were standing nearby, were also terrified, feeling as if their bodies were about to tremble.
They were in Jiangjia Village. When conflicts arose among the villagers, they would only exchange a few words or, at most, push and shove each other. They had never seen anything like this before.
Those soldiers, with large swords at their waists, drew them with a whoosh, and I felt a cold, gleaming light flash past—it was terrifying.
"It's alright now. We'll stay home for the next few days. With such a major event happening in the capital, we don't know how things will unfold or how many families will be implicated."
Jiang Shuyun spoke quite seriously, and everyone else nodded in unison; they were truly terrified.
For the next few days, apart from Butler Li going out to buy groceries a few times, everyone else really stayed indoors and didn't even step out of the courtyard.
Jiang Qin now truly understands his father's good intentions: to let them come out and see for themselves that the capital is teeming with imperial relatives, powerful families, and incredibly capable people.
Even if Shuyun passed the imperial examination with flying colors and became a Jinshi, it would still be insignificant in the capital. These clansmen should not be arrogant and cause trouble, as Shuyun would be unable to help them and might even implicate him.
Looking at the huge house and the displaced crowd, it's clear that they, too, were once high and mighty.
The events at the Maochang Marquis's residence left a deep impression on the Jiang family, filling them with dread.
Two days later, Butler Li returned from the street with a smile on his face.
"My lord, the streets are back to normal now. I heard from people in the market that the Marquis of Maochang's family has committed the crime of treason, and the evidence is conclusive. They have already posted notices."
"Really? I'll go out and take a look in a bit."
Jiang Shuyun couldn't truly ignore everything happening around her and only focus on her studies. Living in the capital, there were still some things she needed to be mindful of.
Sometimes, ignorance is also a mistake.
In the afternoon, Jiang Shuyun took Li Li and the others out. The notice was posted very prominently, visible from afar, and there were several people gathered around it.
Jiang Shuyun walked over and glanced at the notice: The gist was that the Maochang Marquis's family had colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country; all male members of their three clans would be executed, and the female members would be forced into prostitution. Those within nine clans beyond the three clans would be exiled to the frontier.
After they finished looking around, Jiang Shuyun led everyone back to the rented courtyard.
"Shuyun, you really did exterminate nine generations of your family. I thought it was just talk. It really is a case of punishing nine generations of your family, without any hesitation."
Uncle Jiang Qin also saw the notice: the male members of the three clans were to be beheaded, and the female members... This was beyond their comprehension and was truly terrifying.
"There are many such things, it's just that we haven't come into contact with them before. Our Jiang family lives a peaceful life in a remote corner, although it is a bit hard, at least it is very stable."
In the future, more and more members of the clan will leave Jiangjia Village and go to more distant places. The outside world is not only full of opportunities, but also full of temptations and dangers.
All we can do is stay true to our original aspirations and not lose our bottom line, otherwise we'll end up harming ourselves and others.
Jiang Shuyun has already said what she needed to say; the rest is up to the clansmen themselves.
Although the events at the Maochang Marquis's residence were shocking, new events quickly overshadowed the old. Aside from the occasional sigh, who else, unrelated to the matter, would remember them?
The Jiang family members gradually recovered from that incident, but occasionally they still couldn't sleep at night, and the thought of it would send chills down their spines.
The main streets of Beijing are already decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers in preparation for the Chinese New Year.
Every household has started preparing for the New Year, and the streets are bustling with people.
Butler Li also began preparing for the New Year. Although he was far from his hometown, he couldn't miss the proper rituals, not for any other reason than to bring good luck.
Jiang Shuwen, along with Uncle Jiang Qin and Jiang Shuhai, began to wander around again, looking for things in the capital that they didn't have back home.
The three dressed plainly and acted cautiously. Even when they saw injustices, they remembered Shuyun's words and decided not to meddle.
Once, they even encountered a girl selling herself to bury her father. The girl was crying pitifully, and they felt sorry for her. But before they could do anything, the girl suddenly hugged a richly dressed young nobleman who was passing by, accompanied by a group of servants and guards. They seemed to understand something.
From then on, the three of them remembered to mind their own business and not to stand up for others.
As the New Year drew closer, Jiang Shuyun began to miss home. That night, she had a rare dream about her parents from her past life.
They continued to travel and live a carefree life. Occasionally, they would take out their phones, look at his photos, and hug each other to comfort each other's sadness.
Jiang Shuyun called out to his parents loudly, trying to tell them that he was doing well. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make a sound until he woke up.
At that time, I would feel very disappointed.
Most of the time, Jiang Shuyun thought of Yi'an, the woman who had gone through these unbelievable things with him.
During holidays, I miss my family even more. I wonder how they are doing and whether I have received any letters from them to let them know they are safe and sound.
For the others, this was their first time leaving home to spend the Lunar New Year away from home, and besides feeling homesick, they also felt a bit uneasy.
Mu Yi'an and her friends, who were far away in Xinyuan County, also missed the people who went to the capital.
But there are many things to do at home, and sometimes, when I'm busy, I really can't take care of much else.
Not long after Jiang Shuyun and the others left, Jiang's parents had a deep talk with Jiang Shuheng and his wife, and some changes were made to the Jiang family's old house.
Raising a child means worrying about them until you're 100 – this is a common experience for most parents.
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