My spirit appeared on the road to exile, and I was treated as an ancestor.

Chapter 4 Exile Three Thousand Miles

The next day, the moment Gu Xingzhao opened his eyes, he was so frightened by the crowd surrounding his bed that he almost rolled off the bed.

She wiped away a cold sweat, realizing that seven days had passed and the projection was far too realistic.

The dense crowd chattered, and the prisoners in their uniforms had their hands and feet shackled. Some prisoners were escorted directly from the imperial prison in prison carts, and they would be dismounted once they left the city. Lu Qing was among them.

This time, it wasn't just the Lu family who were exiled; there were also many others whose homes were confiscated for other crimes. Not far away, a woman was with a four- or five-year-old girl, her eyes filled with tears.

"That's strange. Isn't that Liu's wife? She's with a child. The Liu family was all raided and exiled. How come she's alright?"

"What Liu family daughter-in-law? She was already divorced a few days ago."

"I heard that the day before Imperial Censor Liu was to be flogged and sentenced to death, this young master Liu had already divorced his wife. By some twist of fate, he escaped this calamity."

"Why were you divorced?"

"If a couple has been married for seven years and still can't produce a son, shouldn't they be divorced?"

"I heard they can't even go back to their parents' home. These two are going to have a tough time from now on."

The man in prison clothes had his fists clenched so tightly that his fingertips were white and his nails were digging deep into his flesh. His eyes were fixed on his wife and daughter who had come to see him off in the distance, as if he wanted to etch their faces into his mind.

"Censor Liu died a truly unjust death..."

"Shh! Don't talk nonsense. This Imperial Censor Liu dared to rebuke His Majesty in front of all the officials in the Golden Hall for the sake of the Lu family. It is already a blessing that the Liu family and their nine generations are safe and sound. Be careful with your tongue!"

"But the Liu family has always been at odds with the Lu family, so why would Imperial Censor Liu risk his life for the Lu family?"

Hearing the murmurs from inside the prison van, Lu Qing's expression changed drastically, filled with disbelief.

Gu Xingzhao shifted her gaze from the mother and daughter to the old man in the prison cart. In her memory, the Lu family and the Liu family had no private dealings.

Although they served in the same court, Lu Qing really couldn't get along with that stubborn old man Liu Chengye. The two old men would argue every time they met in court, and Lu Qing even fell ill from anger. Whenever they met on the street, he would blow his beard and glare at Liu Chengye.

Even Lu Qing himself probably didn't expect that after the incident, his former political enemies in the court would fight for him, even at the cost of their lives.

At this moment, Lu Qing clenched his tattered sleeves, his cloudy eyes glistening with tears. Liu Chengye... that stubborn old man who had to walk with a stoop and never gave anyone a kind look, was beaten to death... by the court?
Absurd... Utterly absurd!
Gu Xingzhao was worried that Lu Qing would be blinded by resentment and speak up for Liu Chengye at this moment. After all, they were still on the emperor's territory, and they couldn't afford to cause any more trouble.

"Lu Qing, as long as the green hills remain, there is hope."

No matter how much injustice you feel, you can only make a difference if you live.

Upon hearing the ancestor's reminder, Lu Qing covered his face with his sleeve, his thin body trembling uncontrollably.

Gu Xingzhao sighed. Actually, the two old men still respected each other, but unfortunately, they never had a proper conversation in their lives.

The Lu family members in the exile procession looked around, and when they finally saw Lu Qing, dressed in tattered prison clothes, being led off the prison cart, their eyes reddened, and the family members exchanged glances, tears streaming down their faces.

The eldest son, Lu Zhou, said in a deep voice, "When something happens at home, I tell Xingyao to send a message out immediately. If the Lu family is in trouble, just protect yourself."

Lu Xingyao, the eldest grandson of the Lu family, is twenty-two years old and has a well-known reputation for talent. If it weren't for the trouble that happened to the Lu family, he would have participated in the imperial examination this year.

Gu Xingzhao suddenly realized why no one had come to see the Lu family off. She looked over and saw a young man in his early twenties, full of vigor and vitality, who still stood up straight despite the great change.

Lu Qing nodded. "You've always been steady and thoughtful in your actions." "Cough...cough...cough cough!"

A muffled cough drew everyone's attention. It was the youngest son, Lu Xingyan, his face pale, a clear sign that he had been having a hard time in the cold, dark prison cell.

Lu Qing felt guilty. Having a son late in life should have been a blessing, but his youngest son had been in poor health since childhood. He had been taking care of his health with medicine in the mansion for more than 20 years, but this time he was implicated by his father. How could he bear the long road of exile?

He wanted to raise his hand to pat his young son's shoulder, but his hands were still shackled. "It's my fault as your father that I've dragged you into this..."

Looking at the varying shades of blood on his father's body, Lu Xingyan's throat tightened. "Father, you're too kind. How can we, as a family, be implicated?"

The second son, Lu Yang, chimed in, "That's right, as long as our family is together, what does it matter if we're tired or not!"

The eldest daughter-in-law, Song, had reddened her eyes and secretly wiped away her tears.

Seeing Lu Qing's injuries, and recalling what he had heard along the way about his father being starved for several days in prison, Lu Zhou frowned, unable to hide his worry, "Father, can your injuries hold up...?"

Lu Qing: "I took medicine in prison, so my injuries are nothing to worry about."

He had medicine and food given to him by his ancestors, and since no one would carry out the execution in the next two days, he could hold on for now.

But when the Lu family's children and grandchildren heard this, they thought the old man was just comforting them, and they felt even more upset and resentful. How could the imperial prison, which was known for its ruthless and cruel treatment of people, possibly heal the old man?
Lu Qing sighed inwardly, thinking how good the medicine of his ancestors was. He had been in pain and unable to move properly, feeling dazed and as if he were just hanging on by a thread. But after taking just a few pills these past few days, he felt as if he had come back to life.

I don't know how that medicine was made, but it's so effective. If it could be passed down, I wonder how many people suffering from illness it could benefit. If I could obtain such a good medicine for my young son, perhaps...

But at this moment, he could not think about it anymore. The road to exile was fraught with danger, so he immediately instructed the younger generation in front of him, "Listen to what I have to say first."

"There are many people on this journey, and the road is long. Do you know how many members of our Lu family are involved in this exile?"

Lu Zhou was taken aback, "I haven't counted them yet... I'll go now!"

"Give the order that everyone should recognize each other, stay together, and not separate."

Lu Qing gave his second son and two wives some other instructions, and even gave his eldest grandson some instructions. Only after he had finished explaining everything did he feel a little relieved.

With the pillar of the family back in place, the more than twenty members of the Lu family, young and old, finally felt a sense of security.

Just then, people from the Song and Xu families, relatives of the Lu family by marriage, arrived. The Song couple looked at their daughter with eyes full of heartache.

Moved and remorseful, Song asked through teary eyes, "Father, Mother, didn't I tell you not to come?"

If people find out that the Song family is also involved with the Lu family, who knows what kind of trouble they will suffer.

Father Song was always straightforward, and at this moment he didn't care about anything else. "Your father is just a teacher. At worst, I'll just pack up and go back to the countryside. I'm not afraid!"

Madam Song tidied her daughter's disheveled hair, her voice choked with emotion, "After today's parting, I don't know if we, mother and daughter, will ever see each other again in this life. How could I not come to see you off?"

This touching scene brought tears to the eyes of many.

Gu Xingzhao's gaze was drawn to the Xu family members standing to the side. The Xu couple, dressed in fine clothes, were talking to the official in charge of the handover. After a while, they came over to look at their daughter, speaking in very low voices, as if afraid of being overheard.
On the second day after the new book was updated, no lovely readers were following along, no lovely readers were voting for it, no lovely readers were voting for it with monthly tickets, and no lovely readers were commenting or urging me to update. My heart is breaking online...

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(End of this chapter)