By 3-5 PM, all the exiles had gathered.
In addition to the more than twenty noble households that had been raided, there were also some criminals and their companions, all heading to the Place of Exile together.
Over three hundred people marched in an endless stream along the not-so-wide official road, kicking up layers of dust over and over again.
After walking for two shichen, the pace of the procession slowed down.
The sound of crying gradually emerged from the crowd, starting with just one or two people, but soon the number of people crying increased.
Women, children, the elderly, men...
The crying sounded like an undercurrent from the depths of an abyss, which once erupted, swept through the entire procession like bamboo breaking through the earth, spreading in an instant.
The government officials escorting the group were unsurprised, and immediately pulled out their whips for a bout of indiscriminate lashing.
"Lowly criminals, what right do you have to cry!"
"Don't think you're still the high and mighty nobles, remember you are criminals, criminals!"
Accompanied by the piercing sound of whips striking, the mournful screams and pleas echoed along the official road.
"My lord, please spare me!"
"My lord, have mercy, please stop beating."
"..."
Fortunately, Qi Yue had anticipated such emergencies and had specifically instructed Zhao Yonglian to stay at the very back of the group.
Otherwise, the over three hundred people would have probably overturned the cart carrying Zhao Yongzhe and his son just to evade the whippings.
The group continued walking until the afternoon, not stopping until the sun had set, when they finally arrived at the first stop on the route of their exile.
There were only about a dozen houses in the post station, and only the commander and some government officials could stay there.
Some government officials and the exiled people could only rest in the open air around the post station.
Fortunately, it was the end of summer and not cold at all, otherwise spending a night out in the open like this would lead to illness if not death.
Qi Yue found a spot leaning against the wall outside the post station and hurriedly helped Zhao Yonglian to push the cart over and settle it down.
Unexpectedly, they had ill-fated luck when it came to crossing paths—right next to them were Qi Fengzhang and his family.
The moment Qi Yue saw Bai Jiahui's face, she lost her appetite.
Bai Jiahui was no better off seeing Qi Yue, her face equally filled with resentment.
She had already married off Qi Yue, seizing her entire dowry, and even managed to connect with Consort Lin from the palace, soon she was to live the life of a lady of stature.
Who could have known that an inexplicable raid would strip her of everything.
She always felt that Qi Yue had something to do with this misfortune.
The instant their eyes met, each saw a murderous intention in the other's gaze.
Qi Yue let out a cold laugh and took the initiative to greet them.
"Auntie, uncle, it's been a long time, hasn't it? Who would have thought we were so fated?"
Qi Fengzhang had never had much fondness for this niece of his.
He even believed that Qi Yue was a harbinger of disaster.
First, her birth caused the death of her mother, then she was responsible for the death of her father, and now his entire family was exiled because of her, so he didn't want to pay her any mind and turned away with a flick of his sleeve.
Bai Jiahui, on the other hand, approached with a sinister smile.
"I say, Yueyue, why is your fate so tough? Not only do you doom us, but no sooner do you step through the door than you cause the duke to be thrown into a great prison. Your mother-in-law hasn't blamed you, has she?"
As she spoke, she deliberately raised her voice so that the Zhao Family could hear.
Qi Yue wasn't ignorant of her intention to provoke discord, but she had nothing to worry about.
If Shen Yu truly believed that the unwarranted disaster at the Marquis Residence was brought by her, then there was no need for her to protect them any longer.
She smiled faintly and raised her voice as well, "My fate has to be tough, doesn't it? Otherwise, I would have been poisoned to death by that fake woman you sent after me, right?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Jiahui's face changed color.
"What did you say?"
"What am I saying that isn't very clear to you? Or should I tell everyone so they all know?"
The long, slender eyes hidden within Qi Yue's round face were dark and gleaming with a cold light, causing Bai Jiahui to shiver at that moment.
"What, what do you want to do?"
"You should be asking what I have done," Qi Yue slightly lifted her lips, lowering her voice, "My dear auntie, how did it feel to have your family uprooted and exiled? Was it bearable?"
Bai Jiahui's eyes widened in disbelief, pointing at Qi Yue.
"You... it was you! You were the one..."
Qi Yue left her with a provocative smile, angering Bai Jiahui to the point of jumping up to hit someone.
Just then, a government official came by with a bucket of steamed buns and upon seeing this, he lashed Bai Jiahui with his whip.
Qi Fengzhang stepped forward to speak, and he too was whipped by the official.
The whole family immediately huddled together, not daring to move, and Qi Yue watched with great satisfaction.
Soon, the steamed buns were distributed to the Zhao family members, one for each person, dark and unidentifiable as to what they were made of.
Qi Yue couldn't eat it at all.
Zhao Yongzhe and Zhao Xiyan had been unconscious the whole time, clearly not in need of food.
Shen Yu, holding Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue, sat beside the carriage, clutching steamed buns and silently shedding tears.
Zhao Yonglian, having pulled the cart all day, was already starving and started to devour the bun in a frenzy.
After eating almost half, he suddenly began to spit fiercely, "ptui, ptui, ptui."
"Damn it, is this even fit for human consumption?"
Hearing this, Qi Yue broke open a dark steamed bun and saw, to her dismay, that half of its contents were fine sand.
At this moment, the always silent Shen Yu spoke up in a hoarse voice, "This is a common trick played by the escorting officials."
As she spoke, she took a silver note from her chest.
"Yueyue, I have a little money here, please go exchange it for some food for everyone."
She held Qi Yue's hand, murmured a few words, and then started to tear up again.
"Yueyue, you're the only one we can count on now."
The two younger sisters-in-law, Zhao Shuanghua and Zhao Shuangyue, also looked at her with tearful eyes and a pitiful appearance.
Qi Yue pursed her lips and accepted the silver note.
"Mother, don't worry, leave it to me."
The three women were cast from the same mold.
They were truly beautiful but indeed, seemed too delicate.
One could only wonder whether their frail bodies could withstand the countless tribulations of the journey into exile.
After comforting the three of them, Qi Yue turned and headed toward the station.
She planned to find the commander Guan Yidao.
Since the road ahead was long, and since they were seeking protection, it was only natural to look for someone with authority.
Seeing Qi Yue walk away, Zhao Yonglian weighed his words before speaking.
"Sister-in-law, I think this daughter of General Qi has much of her father's spirit. You've found a good match for Yanyan!"
He then recounted how Qi Yue had treated Zhao Yongzhe and his son that morning.
Although it was the first time Shen Yu heard about Qi Yue's medical skills, she didn't doubt it at all.
"A daughter of General Qi is naturally different from an ordinary girl; it is Yanyan who is fortunate!"
She glanced at the father and son who were still unconscious, and once again, tears began to flow.
"But Yueyue has been made to suffer."
"Indeed!" Zhao Yonglian also sighed, his handsome face clouded with worry, "I hope Yanyan will recover and treat her well in the future."
Each member of the family was burdened with their own sorrows, and no one noticed that Zhao Xiyan's fingers had slightly moved.