The woman's scream not only startled the people in the east wing, but also brought Qi Yanzhou rushing in immediately.
Close behind him came the Imperial Forest Army, carrying lanterns.
The lanterns illuminated the east wing.
The female family members immediately wrapped themselves in their quilts to prevent being seen in a state of undress by the men from outside.
Qi Yanzhou entered the inner chamber and immediately caught the scent of knockout incense in the air.
He raised a hand to cover his nose, held his breath, and pushed open the window.
Before the Imperial Forest Army entered, he closed the bed curtains, shielding Ye Chutang, who was only in her inner garments, from view.
Even before entering the inner chamber, the Imperial Forest Army soldiers detected the faint smell of knockout incense.
"What happened here?"
Ye Chutang spoke: "Sir, you should ask Qi Jingyao that. Ask her why she used knockout drugs on me, and what her intentions were?"
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Forest Army soldiers held their breath and entered the inner chamber.
Qi Jingyao was clutching her kicked stomach, rolling back and forth on the floor, wailing incessantly.
She wore only her inner garments, which had become somewhat loose from rolling around, revealing pale skin and a pink undergarment.
The sight stirred the blood of the Imperial Forest Army soldiers; their eyes were glued to her.
One soldier stepped forward and helped Qi Jingyao, who was drenched in cold sweat from pain, to her feet.
Although a concubine's daughter, Qi Jingyao had been raised delicately.
Her figure was slender, soft and boneless.
The soldier felt that a little more force would crush her arm, and he couldn't help but stroke it repeatedly.
"Miss Qi, what just happened?"
Qi Jingyao was in too much pain to stand steadily and had to lean against the soldier.
She felt disgusted but lacked the strength to push him away.
Sensing the man's lecherous gaze, she endured the pain and pulled her open garment together.
"Sir, I heard movement in the inner chamber and caught a faint whiff of knockout incense. Worried something had happened to my second sister-in-law, I came to check. But as soon as I reached the bedside, I was kicked down."
Listening to Qi Jingyao's twisted version of events, Ye Chutang sneered.
"Are you saying the officers are just for show, incapable of detecting if someone broke into Prince Chen's Mansion?"
Having somewhat adjusted to the stomach pain, Qi Jingyao pushed the soldier away with disdain.
Her eyes were red, her face a picture of pitiful grievance.
"Second sister-in-law, I didn't mean that. I was worried the intruder might have been the 'Ghost Thief'."
Ye Chutang never imagined that one day, someone would use the "Ghost Thief" to corner her like this.
She laughed in anger.
"Sir, if you want to know if Qi Jingyao is lying, you only need to smell her mouth.
When I discovered someone was blowing knockout smoke into the bed curtains through a bamboo tube, I quickly blocked the opening with my finger."
With the smoke unable to escape, it would flow back, leaving its scent on the perpetrator's mouth.
Qi Jingyao had thought her story was flawless, never expecting Ye Chutang to find this loophole.
Her mind worked quickly, and tears instantly streamed down her face.
"Second sister-in-law, I was only in the inner chamber because I was worried about you. If you won't appreciate that, fine, but why must you falsely accuse and humiliate me?"
"I would rather die to prove my innocence!"
After this tragic declaration, she threw herself headfirst against the wall.
Ye Chutang immediately parted the bed curtains and leaned out.
She saw Qi Jingyao sliding down the wall to the floor.
The impact was forceful.
Her forehead was broken, blood flowing down her cheek into her mouth.
The smell of blood masked the scent of the knockout incense.
Yet the impact was also light.
It only broke the skin on her head, not enough to cause concussion or be life-threatening.
The Imperial Forest Army soldiers were startled and immediately took out the external injury medicine they carried, applying it to Qi Jingyao's wound.
The powder sprinkled on the wound caused a piercing pain.
Qi Jingyao trembled all over from the pain, emitting pitiful whimpers that could soften hearts.
At that moment, Concubine Su, draped in an outer coat, entered the inner chamber.
She hugged her blood-covered daughter, wailing as if the sky were falling.
"My poor daughter! How could you be so desperate, so cruel as to want to leave your mother behind!"
Anyone unaware would think Qi Jingyao had already died.
"Sir, you must uphold justice for Yao'er! She cannot suffer this wrongful accusation and humiliation!"
The Imperial Forest Army soldiers glanced at the "unconscious" Qi Jingyao, then at the sneering Ye Chutang.
Now, there was no evidence to prove Qi Jingyao was telling the truth, nor evidence to prove Ye Chutang was lying.
They could only muddle through.
"This is your Qi family's internal matter. Handle it yourselves."
With that, the Imperial Forest Army soldiers picked up their lanterns and left.
The oil lamps in the east wing had long been lit, making the room bright.
Qi Yanzhou coldly watched the weeping Concubine Su and asked Ye Chutang,
"Ah Tang, how do you want to deal with these two?"
Ye Chutang said, "They're a bit noisy. Knock them out and throw them out."
"Alright. Ah Tang, there's still one hour until dawn. Get some more sleep."
Concubine Su, seeing Qi Yanzhou approach, shrank back in fear.
"Madam, do you want to drive us mother and daughter to our deaths?"
Ye Chutang's eyes were cold and sharp. "Yes, hurry up and die. You're annoying me!"
After speaking, she closed the bed curtains.
Qi Yanzhou used a knife-hand strike to knock out Concubine Su and Qi Jingyao, then threw them into the courtyard.
The main door of the east wing was closed.
Old Madam Qi said, "Lights out. Rest."
The lights were extinguished, but Concubine Xu and Concubine Gao felt no sleepiness at all, both looking towards the direction of the inner chamber.
They had gained a new understanding of Ye Chutang, and a sense of fear sprouted in their hearts.
Truly worthy of being the one who cut ties with family and brought ruin to the Ye household—ruthless and cold enough!
Ye Chutang couldn't be bothered with how others saw her and soon fell asleep.
One hour passed quickly, and dawn broke.
The Imperial Forest Army roused the Qi family.
They were told to wash up, eat, and pack quickly, as they would depart promptly at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM).
Concubine Su and Qi Jingyao also woke up.
Having lain in the courtyard for an hour, not only were their bodies aching all over, but they were also covered in mosquito bites.
Knowing no one would help or pity them, they dared not cause more trouble and hurriedly got up to pack.
The hour of Chen.
The officers tasked with escorting the Qi family into exile arrived at Prince Chen's Mansion.
There were fifty of them in total.
Their gait indicated formidable martial skills; they were certainly not ordinary escort officers.
Qi Yanzhou hadn't seen these men before and guessed they were Dragon Guard.
The Dragon Guard was even more mysterious than the Emperor's Shadow Guards, specifically handling matters beneficial to the state but unsavory for the Emperor.
Such as eliminating the Qi family, who had "rebellious intentions"!
Of course, the Dragon Guard would not take any action until they were far from the capital.
The ten members of the Qi family, under the escort of the officers, left the capital.
Qi Yanzhou drove the donkey; the cart appeared even more packed as it now carried several extra quilts.
Concubine Su and Concubine Gao also had quite a lot of belongings, each pushing a small cart, walking behind.
Qi Jingyao's forehead was bandaged, with traces of blood seeping through, making her look frail and pitiful.
Many commoners stood by the roadside, seeing off Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang, offering them gifts.
The couple declined everything, using the cart's inability to hold any more as their reason.
Outside the imperial city.
Zhao Mingxu's family and Ye Jingchuan's family were both detained at the city gate, waiting for the Qi family to join them for the journey north.
The escort for these two families was also sizable, totaling sixty people.
Fifty of them were Dragon Guard, and ten were the official exile escort officers.
The head escort officer, named Wu Chenggang, briefly explained the situation and arranged the formation.
"It's getting late. Let's move out!"
Zhao Mingxu's family walked at the very front.
He was a philandering man. In the past, besides his principal wife, he had also married two secondary wives, taken over a dozen concubines, and had countless intimate maids.
However, his principal wife, Zhu Rong, was very skilled in managing the inner household. Aside from his legitimate sons and daughters, he only had three illegitimate daughters born to concubines.
When the imperial decree confining them to Dingzhou arrived, all the concubines who had failed to bear children were divorced.
Now, only ten people were heading to Dingzhou.
Zhao Simin hated Ye Chutang to the core, glancing back at her from time to time, two small flames of fury burning in the depths of her eyes.
Her face, scarred by fire and left untreated after imprisonment, was hideous and terrifying.
The Qi family walked in the middle.
Ye Chutang met Zhao Simin's gaze, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips as she provocatively grinned.
This journey into exile certainly wouldn't be boring!
The Ye Jingchuan family, shackled with cangues and leg irons, walked at the very back.
The Ye family was now sparse in number.
There were only Ye Jingchuan and Old Madam Ye, Concubine Jiang and Ye Siyin.
When the imperial guards surrounded the Minister's residence, Concubine Liu knew disaster was imminent.
She used a thousand taels of silver to buy a letter of divorce.
Concubine Jiang had previously received fifty slaps from Ye Chutang, leaving her face disfigured. It was still covered in scabs, a pitiful sight.
Like Zhao Simin, Ye Siyin had been spared imprisonment by the emperor and was accompanying her family into exile.
She was often bullied in prison, not only having lost a great deal of weight but also being covered in wounds.
After walking only a short while, her face turned as pale as paper, looking utterly weak and on the verge of collapse.
But as she stared at Ye Chutang's back, hatred fueled her strength, and she stubbornly refused to fall behind.
Among the three families, aside from Ye Chutang and Qi Yanzhou, none had ever suffered hardship. They usually traveled by sedan chair when going out, and even when walking, they would take one step and rest twice.
Coupled with the sweltering heat, after walking two li, their pace slowed considerably.
Zhu Rong panted like an ox. "Officer, could we rest for a moment? I really can't go on."
The wounds on Zhao Simin's face hadn't fully healed, and the sweat stung terribly.
"Officer, let's stop for some water."
Wu Chenggang snorted coldly. "You're already moving slow enough as it is. What rest? Fifty li a day is the requirement. If you want to travel day and night, I'm not having it!"
With that, he cracked his whip on the ground, sending dust flying.
"If you don't want a beating, behave. I'll let you rest when it's time."
Zhu Rong and Zhao Simin didn't dare say more, gritting their teeth and continuing.
The Ye family had it the hardest.
Burdened with the cangue and chains, they were not only encumbered but also restricted in movement.
Their necks and ankles were already rubbed raw and bleeding.
After walking for about half an hour, Old Madam Ye could no longer hold on and collapsed.
"Aiyo, this is the death of me!"
Seeing most people looking pale, Wu Chenggang said, "Rest here for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."
Then, he addressed the Ye family. "Apply medicine quickly, wrap your necks and ankles with cloth, or the wounds will get worse."
In the hot weather, wounds could easily become infected and cause illness. If not handled properly, losing one's life was a common occurrence.
Ye Jingchuan, who had never suffered such hardship, nodded with a pallid face.
"Thank you for the reminder, Officer."
After speaking, he helped Old Madam Ye up and had Concubine Jiang come over to apply the medicine.
The old madam grabbed Ye Jingchuan's hand and whispered, "Chuan'er, can we use some silver to bribe the officers and have these shackles and chains removed? Otherwise, your mother surely won't last two days."
"Mother, don't worry. Once we're a hundred li from the capital, I will try."
They were still within the capital's territory. Even if the escorting officers wanted to earn silver, they wouldn't dare.
The Ye family finished tending to each other's wounds and bandaging them up just in time before setting off again.
From the imperial city to the Ten-Mile Pavilion, walking should take no more than an hour.
But for this group of pampered people, it took a full hour and a half.
It also made the relatives seeing them off at the Ten-Mile Pavilion wait for a long time.
"They're here!"
Someone shouted, and everyone craned their necks to look towards the direction of the imperial city.
Jun'er was too short to see anything.
He tugged on Song Jingning's sleeve and asked, "Teacher, do you see my elder sister?"
Song Jingning, tall and long-legged, watched the slowly approaching procession, his gaze settling on the middle.
The distance was too great to make out who was who.
But he inexplicably felt that Ye Chutang was there.
As the escort party drew nearer and he saw his guess was correct, he couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"I see her. In the middle, wearing a straw hat, not getting sunburned."
Jun'er stood on tiptoe, looking towards the spot Song Jingning indicated.
But he could only see the escort officers forming the outer layer.
Fortunately, the exile procession soon arrived.
Wu Chenggang announced, "Rest here for a quarter of an hour."
With that opening, the relatives knew he was in charge and swarmed forward to slip him silver.
"Officer, please be accommodating. I'd like to bid my daughter farewell."
Everyone who offered silver said something similar, though the person they wished to bid farewell to differed.
Wu Chenggang openly accepted the silver and nodded.
"Go ahead. Keep it brief, don't delay our journey."
"Thank you, Officer."
The relatives hurried towards their loved ones.
Song Jingning led Jun'er to stand before Ye Chutang.
"Madam Qi, I never imagined our next meeting would be at the Ten-Mile Pavilion."
Ye Chutang looked at the handsome and elegant Song Jingning and smiled. "Indeed, life is so unpredictable."
Then, she took off her straw hat, crouched down, and looked at Jun'er, whose eyes were rimmed with red.
"A real man doesn't shed tears lightly. Hold them back."
Jun'er nodded vigorously, forcing the tears back and wiping the corners of his eyes.
"Elder Sister, when I grow up, I will go to Tianshan County to find you."
"Good, I'll be waiting. You must eat properly, study hard, practice martial arts diligently, and take good care of yourself."
Jun'er felt like crying again. He lifted his head, struggling to hold it in.
"Jun'er will remember Elder Sister's words."
Then, he took out all his savings and gave them to Ye Chutang.
"Elder Sister, Jun'er can't help much, and the silver notes aren't much either, but you must accept them all."
Ye Chutang smiled and tapped Jun'er's nose, then tucked the silver notes back into his clothes.
"This little money is beneath your elder sister's notice. You can give it to me when you've earned a hundred thousand taels."
Watching their interaction, Song Jingning felt an inexplicable pang of jealousy.
His hand, hanging by his side, clenched slightly, suppressing the impulse to pat Ye Chutang's head.
Jun'er knew Ye Chutang wasn't looking down on his silver notes; she was concerned for him, afraid he'd have no money to spend.
"Jun'er will work hard to grow up, work hard to earn silver, so Elder Sister can live a good life!"
"Alright. I'll write to you when I have time."
After saying this, Ye Chutang gave Jun'er a few more instructions.
She straightened up and looked at Song Jingning.
"Master Song, thank you for bringing Jun'er to see me off. I'll trouble the Song family to look after him from now on."
Song Jingning looked at Ye Chutang's face, flushed from the heat, and his handsome brows furrowed slightly.
"Jun'er is a student of Huating Academy. It's only right to care for him."
Then, he handed over the bag from his shoulder.
"This contains some preserved fruits and nuts that keep well, as well as food and herbs to reduce internal heat and relieve summer heat. They're not worth much, but please take them."
Hearing this, Jun'er quickly added,
"Elder Sister, Teacher picked out the very best, and he also bought some snacks only available in the capital."
He had wanted to pay, but Teacher wouldn't allow it.
Song Jingning felt a bit embarrassed by Jun'er's words and gave a light cough.
"The journey of exile is arduous, so one must eat well."
After Ye Chutang took the bundle, he took two banknotes from his sleeve and handed them to her.
"This is a token of my father's regard. It's not much, but please, Madam Qi, do not refuse."
Although there were only two banknotes, each had a face value of five thousand taels.
Ye Chutang naturally would not accept the Song family's money.
"Please keep these banknotes, Young Master Song. They can be used when building the academy in Tianshan Prefecture later."
"The Song family has funds for building the academy. If you, Madam Qi, do not take these, I will have no way to explain to my father and might get a beating."
With things put this way, Ye Chutang had no choice but to accept the banknotes.
"Please trouble Young Master Song to convey a message to the Song Family Head: for these ten thousand taels, I will ensure he gets more than his money's worth."
"Good, I will certainly deliver it."
After saying this, Song Jingning called Jun'er over to the pavilion.
"Time to work!"
"Coming, Teacher."
Ye Chutang was puzzled and looked towards the empty pavilion.
The pavilion was on slightly higher ground, surrounded by many trees, so she couldn't see clearly what Song Jingning and Jun'er were doing.
Soon, she saw Jun'er using a tray to distribute cut watermelon pieces to the escorting officers.
To each person, he would say, "My elder sister is Ye Chutang. Please look after her."
Watching Jun'er busily carrying watermelon back and forth, Ye Chutang's eyes curved with a smile.
This little brother was not spoiled in vain!
She withdrew her gaze and looked at the other relatives who had come to see them off.
The group seeing off Zhao Mingxu's family was the largest.
After all, he was the Emperor's blood brother, and who knew, one day the house arrest might be lifted and he could return to the capital.
Besides, seeing someone off didn't cost much silver.
Thus, the families of his wives and concubines had mostly come, making it quite lively.
In contrast, the Qi family's send-off was much quieter.
Everyone knew the Emperor wanted to destroy the Qi family, so it was unwise to get too close and risk being implicated.
Apart from someone from Old Madam Qi's maternal family, only Qin Muyun had come.
Qin Muyun's injuries were not fully healed; he was thin and his face pale.
Knowing Qi Yanzhou lacked nothing, he hadn't bought gifts but instead pressed some banknotes into his hand.
"Ziqian, I am also leaving the capital."
Qi Yanzhou was somewhat surprised. "Huaixuan, what made you change your mind so suddenly? Is Grand Tutor Qin no longer forcing you to marry?"
"I wish to establish myself before starting a family. After kneeling in the ancestral hall for two days, I gained my grandfather's consent."
"That is excellent. For the sake of the Qin family, you have idled away over ten years. It is time for you to go out and make your mark."
Qin Muyun glanced at Ye Chutang, a faint smile touching his features.
"Someone once told me that family is very important, but I should not let it confine me to one corner of the world, wasting what remains of my life."
Everyone was moving forward, so naturally, he could not stay stuck in place forever.
This wretched world was about to change, and he wanted to contribute his part.
Qi Yanzhou placed a hand on Qin Muyun's shoulder and offered a solemn apology.
"Huaixuan, regarding A'tang, I am sorry."
Qin Muyun lightly punched Qi Yanzhou's chest.
"Miss Ye already clearly refused me long ago. There's no need for you to apologize. I am genuinely happy for you that she chose you. Treat her well, don't let her down."
No matter how many people he might meet in the future, there would never be another "Ye Chutang."
"Rest assured, even if I were to betray all under heaven, I would never betray her!"
Hearing this, Qin Muyun remembered the letter his master had sent him yesterday.
He leaned closer to Qi Yanzhou and whispered in his ear, "My master used the 'Back-to-Back Diagrams' yesterday to divine the nation's fortune."
Qi Yanzhou's expression turned serious, his sword-like brows slightly furrowed.
"Is your master alright? What was the result?"
"Judging by the handwriting, my master is not well, but he forbade me from seeking him out. The result is that within ten years, the Beichen Kingdom will surely fall, and a new Imperial Star has already taken form."
"Who is it?"
"My master sent me a secret letter. Perhaps fearing it might be intercepted, he didn't write it clearly, or perhaps he couldn't deduce it himself.
Ziqian, you know that divining a nation's fortune violates a major taboo of the mystical arts. To know the details would likely cost one's life!"
If a person dies, knowing more is meaningless as it cannot be spoken aloud.
Due to his frequent contact with Qin Muyun, Qi Yanzhou was quite knowledgeable about divination matters.
"Huaixuan, tell your master to take care of his health and await a time of national peace and prosperity."
"Alright. Take care!"
"You too. When traveling far from home, protect yourself."
Just as he finished, Wu Chenggang shouted loudly, "The quarter-hour is up! Prepare to depart!"
Seeing that every escorting officer had received watermelon, Song Jingning gave the remaining two pieces to Ye Chutang.
"Time is short. You can eat these on the road."
"Alright. May we meet again if fate allows."
Ye Chutang put on her straw hat and set off with the procession.
The seeing-off relatives waved, their faces full of reluctance.
Half was pretense, half was genuine.
The Ye family had no relatives in the capital. The one who came to see them off was the divorced Concubine Liu.
It wasn't out of sentiment for their shared past, but to deliver the one thousand taels of silver for the divorce settlement and retrieve her deed of sale.
As the exile procession moved further away, the relatives gradually left.
Song Jingning and Jun'er were the last to depart.
As he left, Song Jingning felt a sense of loss, his mood turning heavy.
Jun'er was the same, head bowed, sullen and unhappy.
Ye Chutang, who had departed, was unaware of their feelings and followed the procession at a leisurely pace.
Qi Yanzhou, worried she might tire, said with concern, "A'tang, let me carry you on my back."
"No need. I'm not some delicate young lady from the inner chambers. Walking won't tire me out."
"But your health..."
"If I truly cannot walk anymore, I will tell you."
Although Ye Chutang said this, she had no intention of letting Qi Yanzhou carry her.
The earth was beneath her feet; using her earth-based ability made walking effortless.
Seeing that Ye Chutang wasn't just being stubborn, Qi Yanzhou nodded. "Alright, don't overexert yourself."
As noon passed, everyone grew hungry and found it increasingly difficult to walk.
Wu Chenggang said, "Another two li ahead, there's a river. We'll eat and rest there for half an hour."
If these were ordinary exile convicts, he wouldn't be so accommodating.
He would have long been driving them on with his whip.
But today's group were all "money gods" from whom he could skim profits, so there was no need to push too hard.
As long as they covered the required daily distance, it was fine.
Upon hearing Wu Chenggang's words, those who could barely walk suddenly found some strength.
Two quarters of an hour later, they reached the river.
There were many trees by the river, lush and green.
Stepping into the shade, they immediately felt cooler.
Ye Jingchuan promptly slipped some silver into Wu Chenggang's hand.
"Officer, for future rest stops, could you remove the cangues and let us catch our breath?"
