After eating and drinking her fill, Gu Xingzhao finally remembered that when she had first arrived, Lu Qing had been sighing deeply, as if something was troubling him. She felt a little embarrassed—her mind had been entirely preoccupied with the food, especially since it had been ages since she’d had a good barbecue, and her cravings had gotten the best of her.
“Oh, right. Earlier, when I arrived, you seemed like you wanted to tell me something. What was it?”
Lu Qing: “…”
He hadn’t expected the ancestor to ask again, especially after he’d decided to keep it to himself. However, since she asked, he repeated what he had mentioned earlier, this time with more detail and clarity.
Gu Xingzhao fell silent for a moment. She recalled that in history, it took less than two years for Prince Su to rebel, take over the capital, and crown himself emperor. She had assumed that his rebellion would happen in a year or two, but it seemed things were unfolding much sooner than expected.
Gu Xingzhao couldn’t think too far ahead and decided to focus on the present situation with the Lu family. “Will this affect you guys much right now?” she asked.
Lu Qing replied, “Not much.”
Currently, Prince Su believed that the Lu family was on his side, although only a few people knew this. Even if Prince Su’s plans succeeded, it wouldn’t happen within the next few months, and the Lu family still had time to prepare. The worst-case scenario would be Prince Su’s defeat, which would implicate the Lu family and give the emperor an official reason to eliminate them.
But the emperor had already sent people secretly to watch the Lu family, so whether it was sooner or later, the Lu family would bear the burden of rebellion at some point.
Lu Qing had thought of all this, which was why he planned to send his relatives in the capital to the northern regions, taking advantage of Prince Su’s network for protection. It was necessary, whether to guard against the emperor or against Prince Su.
After hearing Lu Qing’s analysis, Gu Xingzhao felt more at ease. She was glad to see the old man regain his vigor so quickly. The aura of the former court elder, who once dominated the political scene, seemed to be returning.
Thinking that even the old man was so energized, Gu Xingzhao decided she shouldn’t slack off either. “What are your plans once you reach the northern region?” she asked.
Lu Qing sighed lightly, barely noticeable. “Once we arrive in exile, those of us convicted will have to serve three years of hard labor. However, anyone under the age of fourteen, over the age of seventy, or women will be exempt. Those with official titles or academic honors can also be exempt. After three years, we’ll be free to return home.”
Gu Xingzhao was surprised. “You can return home after serving your sentence?”
She had always thought that once someone was exiled, they’d be stuck there for life unless pardoned by the emperor. She hadn’t realized they could return home.
Lu Qing nodded, “Only those marked with tattoos on their faces are sentenced to lifelong hard labor.”
The hardest part of exile wasn’t the labor itself, but the 3,000-mile journey to the exile site. Surviving the journey was already a rare feat. After that, enduring the hard labor was no small challenge either. Of the few who survived both, only about five in a hundred made it back home after their term was over.
Recalling all the details of the exile system, Lu Qing couldn’t help but remember that it had been he who had suggested these changes to the late emperor. Many court officials had opposed it, and it had taken three years to incorporate the amendments into the Great Jin law. Before that, all exiles, regardless of age, gender, or status, had to serve ten years of hard labor with no possibility of returning home without a special pardon.
Lu Qing never imagined that the leniency he had once advocated would now benefit his own family.
Gu Xingzhao smiled, “That’s good, then. When you reach the northern region, let me know if you need anything. I’ll get it for you.”
Since they hadn’t arrived yet, she wasn’t sure what the situation would be like there. All she could prepare in advance were daily necessities. By informing Lu Qing now, he could let her know what they needed once they arrived, and she would be able to provide it quickly.
Lu Qing felt a bit embarrassed. Initially, he had only mentioned these things to test whether the ancestor would offer help, and now that she had, his old face was flushed with guilt. He still couldn’t match his grandson’s thick skin.
However, he knew there would be many more times when he would need to swallow his pride, including now.
Clearing his throat, Lu Qing hesitated before asking, “Thank you, Ancestor. Would it be possible for you to provide some paper, ink, and brushes?”
Gu Xingzhao was surprised, “Is it for Youtang and the others?”
She had already prepared water-writing cloths for Lu Youtang and Shunyu, thinking paper and ink would be inconvenient while traveling. She had bought regular paper and ink a while ago but planned to send them once the family reached the northern region. She hadn’t expected they’d need it now.
Lu Qing quickly explained, “No, Ancestor. I need to write letters to my relatives in the capital, requesting they leave for northern Huaibei.”
Only then did Gu Xingzhao understand. Lu Qing had mentioned earlier that he wanted to send letters to his relatives and have them escorted north by Prince Su’s men.
“Wait here. I’ll go get it for you now.”
After feeling the ancestor’s warm care again after half a month, the Lu family’s spirits were lifted once more. Those who had previously been worried about their relatives enduring hardships in the north were now determined to bring everyone together as a family. With the ancestor on their side, they felt they had nothing to fear.
Soon, Gu Xingzhao returned with paper, ink, and brushes, handing them over to Lu Qing, who distributed them to his family members to write letters.
Curious, she asked, “How will you send these letters to the capital, and how long will it take?”
Lu Qing replied, “We can hire couriers. If they ride fast, it should take about eight or nine days to reach the capital.”
If they had more silver to hire better couriers, the letters could arrive in six or seven days.
Gu Xingzhao was stunned. That was still a long time—eight or nine days by fast horse, and even longer by slower methods. A lot could happen during that time.
She offered a suggestion, “How about this? Once the letters are ready, give them to me, and I’ll deliver them to the capital myself. I can even find someone to personally hand them to your relatives. How does that sound?”
Lu Qing was deeply moved. “If you could help us with that, Ancestor, it would be wonderful. Thank you!”
The backend system showed that the offering value had increased again, indicating how crucial this matter was to the Lu family.
Gu Xingzhao initially wanted to tell him that after all this time, there was no need to be so formal with her. But then she thought about the offering points and decided it wouldn’t hurt to let Lu Qing thank her a bit more. “I’ll come by tomorrow morning to pick up the letters. Make sure they’re ready by then.”
Lu Qing, filled with gratitude, responded, “Of course!”
After Gu Xingzhao left, Lu Qing found his eldest son and daughter-in-law and reminded his son to write a letter specifically to his granddaughter, Lu Youtiao. His granddaughter had always been very filial, and when the Lu family had been implicated, she had just finished reporting good news.
When they had left the capital for exile, they hadn’t seen Lu Youtiao, likely because she was considering her husband’s position and was also pregnant at the time. He didn’t know how she was doing now.
Lu Qing’s daughter-in-law, Song, was taken aback when she heard her father-in-law’s instructions to write to their daughter. Why write to their daughter at such a critical time when the letter should be to their family members?
“Do you want to persuade Youtiao to come to the northern region?” Song asked, puzzled.
After all, their daughter was still pregnant, and her husband held an official position—how could they possibly ask her to come to such a harsh place?
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