Chapter 16: Exile

By the time they had changed their clothes, the bailiffs brought out ropes. Starting from the front, they began binding one foot of each person. There were two types of exile: the exile of criminals and the exile of commoners. The former were not only required to wear stocks, but the principal offenders also had tattoos branded onto their faces. Even upon reaching the place of exile, they were not free; they had to perform hard labor in the exile camps until death.

The latter only required one foot to be bound to ensure they would not run away. Upon arrival at the place of exile, the government would register them for residency, and from then on, they would be considered locals of that place.

Fortunately, the Wei family belonged to the second category—exiled commoners.

"Waaaah..."

Before long, the group was organized into sets of ten, bound together like strings of zongzi. They truly realized that they were about to be exiled. The sobbing of the women rose and fell in waves, while the men, like defeated roosters, all hung their heads in dejection.

"Move out."

With a wave of his hand from Zhao Shan, over a dozen bailiffs drove the crowd away from the Prince's mansion.

"The Prince of Weiyang's mansion was a house of loyal subjects; how could they be exiled?"

"Not just the Prince of Weiyang's mansion—I heard the Prime Minister's residence was also exiled."

"Did the Emperor make a mistake? The old Prince and the Heir Apparent's generations have all died on the battlefield. The current Prince also retired due to poisoning on the battlefield. How could they possibly rebel?"

"Shh, stop talking! Do you want to live if someone hears you?"

"How could the Emperor make a mistake? Who knows what they were really like behind closed doors..."

As the procession left the mansion, it immediately drew a large crowd of onlookers. Some could not understand; the Prince of Weiyang had guarded the borders for years with illustrious military achievements, fighting so well that the enemy dared not cross the border by a single step. How could they plot rebellion? Others firmly believed in imperial authority and questioned their character. The members of the Wei family had never been stared at like this before.

One by one, they kept their heads low, their faces flushed with shame. The only one seemingly unaffected was likely Shen Xiangwan, who was holding a small infant in one arm. As she walked, she occasionally looked around at the surrounding architecture; it didn't feel like an exile, but rather like a stroll, appearing almost entirely carefree.

"Old Zhao, over here!"

After finally reaching the city gate, they saw several bailiffs waving to Zhao Shan from a distance. Behind them followed anywhere from dozens to over a hundred people, all with one foot bound—clearly others being sent into exile as well.

"So many people?"

Jogging up to them, Zhao Shan frowned impatiently; several hundred people was no small number.

"You know as well as I do—the Prime Minister's residence was also raided. They are all being exiled to Chenzhou. This trip is going to be hard work for you."

One of the bailiffs said as he reached out to pat his shoulder. The people behind them included members of the Shen family and the branch families of the Wei family, totaling several hundred.

"What on earth did you do?!"

As they drew closer, the members of the Wei branch families immediately became agitated. Everyone's eyes were wide with fury, as if they wanted to glare holes through them.

"..."

Facing the interrogation from the branch families, the Old Madam and everyone from the second and third houses couldn't help but shrink back. Zhao Yuping and her children opened their mouths several times, but not a single word could escape. If they could, they also wanted to know: what exactly had they done, and why were they suddenly raided and exiled?

In contrast, Shen Xiangwan appeared much more relaxed, acting as if none of this concerned her, but...

"Shen Xiangwan?!"

From another part of the crowd, a young girl with eyes red from crying suddenly glared at her and screamed. The men and women with her also looked at her with eyes full of disdain and loathing.

[End of Chapter]