Chapter Twenty-Two: Private Matters

Officer Chen sat high atop his horse, maintaining command of the situation as he called out to the gathered crowd.

"I am well aware of your longing to see your kin, but we are at the gates of the capital, beneath the very feet of the Emperor, and we bear grave responsibilities. I ask for your cooperation; allow me to escort these prisoners to a more open area, and you may then reunite and share your farewells there. How does that sound?"

The crowd, though reluctant, was orderly. Hearing Chen Shan’s words, they followed the long procession, trailing past the queues of people waiting to enter the city gates and the small stalls of vendors outside, until they reached an open space further ahead. Only then did they signal the procession to halt.

As the gong sounded, the bailiffs swiftly shifted into formation, standing at close intervals with their blades drawn and pointed outward. Having secured the prisoners behind them, Officer Chen, still mounted, raised a hand and gestured toward the kin who had followed them.

"Though I may look fearsome, I am not a heartless man. You are departing, and it is unlikely you shall return to the capital in this lifetime. For the sake of the time we once served together as colleagues, I shall show mercy. I grant you one stick of incense worth of time to bid your farewells. Say what you must, but do not dawdle. Once the time is up, we depart immediately."

The prisoners, accustomed to being high and mighty, looked down upon low-ranking officials like Officer Chen from the bottom of their hearts, feeling he was unworthy of their company. However, being in a precarious position, they had to bow their heads. Moreover, seeing their long-awaited relatives and friends in the crowd, they had no leisure to argue with Chen.

As the bailiffs opened a gap in their ranks, the relatives who had secured permission to enter rushed toward their loved ones. To the utter shock of Chaozhao and Li Zelin, who were busy trying to convince Qiuxiang to leave, they were suddenly surrounded by a throng of people.

"Young Mistress!"
"Young Mistress, Second Master!"
"Young Mistress, we have finally found you!"

The father and daughter were left speechless with astonishment. The people before them were none other than the servants from their own courtyard whom Chaozhao had released before their departure.

"Sisters, Nannies, why have you come?"

The four maids—Qin, Qi, Shu, and Hua—wiped away tears as they stepped forward. "The Young Mistress is in distress; how could we not come?"

The other servants and maids also wept. "We were spared only because of the Young Mistress’s great kindness. Now that you and the Second Master are suffering, it is only right that we come to see you off."

"Young Mistress, I have nothing of value, only my craft. You and the Second Mistress were always fond of the shoes I made. The journey to the far north is thousands of miles long, so I... I specially made a few pairs with thick soles for you and the Second Master. I hope you will not despise them." It was the nanny from the Zhaohui Courtyard who was skilled at needlework, offering a bundle of shoes and socks.

"Young Mistress, I have no way to repay your great kindness, and I do not know what is needed now. I heard the far north is bitterly cold, so these are two sheepskin coats my father found in the village. Please, Young Mistress and Second Master, do not refuse them." This was a young maid who had done chores in Chaozhao's courtyard; she had been purchased from the outskirts of the capital. It was unexpected that she would be so thoughtful.

"Young Mistress, these are the cloaks I rushed to make according to your and the Second Master's measurements. I made them a bit larger and added extra cotton. On such a long journey, these will not only block the wind but can also serve as blankets."

"Young Mistress, this is what I prepared..."
"Young Mistress..."

A dozen people stood before them, each holding carefully prepared gifts. Seeing these people and their offerings, the father and daughter were deeply moved. As the saying goes, it is easy to add flowers to brocade, but hard to provide charcoal in the snow. Even though the daughter had shown them kindness previously, in such a fearful time, the mere act of them coming at such great risk was a kindness in itself.

Li Zelin’s eyes reddened. "I, Li Zelin, thank you all."

The crowd retreated from his bow, repeatedly curtsying. "Second Master, please do not demean us so."

While Chaozhao shared a tender moment with her former servants, the rest of the Li family looked on with sour expressions. Aside from those like the Third Branch who had no kin in the capital, almost everyone else had someone to see them off. The concubine-born Fourth Branch had the mother’s family of Lady He to bid farewell; the Second Branch, despite having no maternal family, had servants bringing bundles; even the three concubines of the First Branch had relatives present. Only the First Branch...

Watching the Second Steward of the Luo household approach, sweating and leading two young servants carrying thin bundles, the Elder Lady Luo sneered repeatedly. Beside her, Li Wenxin, who had been waiting expectantly, saw that her maternal grandfather and uncles—whom she often spoke of—were absent, while others were enjoying joyful reunions. Her heart ached with bitterness.

"Mother, where are Grandfather and the Uncles? Why didn't they come to see us off?"

The Elder Lady Luo glanced at the matriarch, who sat with her eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to everything. She then turned a sharp glare at her daughter for bringing up such a sore subject, before fixing her gaze on the late-arriving, obese Second Steward.

"Where are my father and brother? Why didn't they come? Are they looking down on the Earl’s Mansion now that it has fallen, and refusing to acknowledge their own kin?"

The steward wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly explained, "Please, Old Mistress, Mistress, Young Lady, do not be angry. It is not that the Master and the Young Master did not want to come, but something happened at home. They were detained and could not leave..."

"Detained? Could not leave? Could it be that my brother has offended some respectable family again and been beaten to his doorstep?"

The fat steward thought to himself that the Lady was indeed sharp. Seeing the steward’s obsequious attitude, Lady Luo understood everything.

"My brother is truly... Now that the Earl is gone, the mansion is no longer what it once was, and our Luo family is no longer the rising force it used to be. My father and brother are so reckless, how can they be so brainless!"

"Hehe, well, hehe, Mistress, you know the Master and Young Master’s temper; we servants could not stop them!"

"Enough. Since they could not come, did they leave any instructions?"

The steward gestured to the two servants behind him, who immediately offered the thin bundles they were carrying. "Old Mistress, Mistress, this is what the Master and Young Master asked me to prepare. The household is not well-off these days; I hope you will not find it too little."

Lady Luo took the bundles; they felt light as air. Thinking of the past affection her father and brother had for her, she assumed they were bank notes and said nothing more. The Elder Lady Luo, seeing only the steward and not her own brother or nephew, sighed—knowing the true nature of her family all too well—and closed her eyes, not even bothering to acknowledge the steward or the bundles.

Lady Luo, fearing her mother-in-law would be disappointed, wanted to defend her father and brother, but at that moment, the gong for departure sounded, and the bailiff’s voice rang out.

"Alright, alright, the time has come! Relatives, step back! Prisoners, return to the ranks! We depart at once!"