frightfiction Chapter 10 The Reasons for Exile
Chapter 10 The Reasons for Exile
Ning Xiaoxi placed the large teapot on the table. If anyone else wanted some water, there were a few simple teacups on the square table. Whether they would lower themselves to go and get some was up to them.
The family of four ate the flatbread simply with hot water, which warmed their bodies and brought some color back to their pale faces, which had been pale from fear and cold.
Ning Xiaoxi looked up at the hole in the roof. No more snowflakes were drifting in. She wondered if it would be even colder after the snow. She just hoped that the journey tomorrow wouldn't be too arduous.
Looking at the rest of the people in the room who had already climbed into bed to rest, I thought to myself, these people are really good at enduring things. Even in this situation, they still can't let go of their pride and would rather go hungry and thirsty than drink the water.
Ning Ziqing, however, didn't care about others. He added a few more pieces of firewood to the stove, glanced around, and saw a wooden bucket full of water in the corner of the room. He picked up the bucket, intending to add some more water to the large teapot so he could put it on the stove to boil.
"Brother, wait a moment." Ning Xiaoxi handed a water bag to Ning Ziqing. "Fill the water bag first, you can keep it by your side as a warmer."
Ning Ziqing nodded and deftly poured the remaining water from the teapot into the water bag, filling it just enough to fill one bag.
After taking it, Ning Xiaoxi quickly placed the water pouch into her mother's arms.
"Mother, come here, hold this to keep warm." Ming Luoying nodded with a smile as she accepted her little daughter's gift. Even in this situation, she felt very comforted.
Ning Ziqing put the large teapot, which had been refilled with water, back on the stove, and then started making the bed with her younger sister.
The dormitory bed at the post station was just a bare, hard wooden plank. The two first spread their bundles out on the bed planks, then placed a cotton-padded coat on top, followed by two cotton-padded trousers, leaving the coat as a cover-up.
Although the brother and sister had never done such work before, they completed the bed-making task efficiently because Ning Xiaoxi had given them an idea and Ning Ziqing wanted to speed things up so that her sister wouldn't have to work too hard.
"Father, Mother, Little Sister, you should lie down and rest first. I'll watch the stove, and I'll fill it up as soon as the water boils." Ning Ziqing glanced at the teapot that was already steaming, raised his hand to touch his sister's head, but then saw the handcuffs on his wrist. It was inconvenient; he couldn't even touch his sister anymore, so he could only regretfully lower his hand.
The younger sister, whose eyelids were already drooping, lowered her head and rubbed against her brother's hand, squinting at him.
Ning Ziqing smiled slightly; this was the first smile he had shown today.
Although Ning Xiaoxi was strong and healthy after receiving the big gift package, her body was still young, and after a day of travel, she was finally exhausted. Without being polite to her brother, she smiled and quickly dragged her shackles onto the bed, and soon fell asleep.
In her drowsy state, Ning Xiaoxi felt a warmth in her arms. Her slightly cold hands quickly embraced the warm embrace, and she turned over and continued to sleep.
Ning Shi looked at his sleeping little daughter, her delicate face etched with exhaustion. "Madam, Xiao Xi has had a truly tiring day!" Tonight, seeing his children maintain such an optimistic attitude in these circumstances, and clearly knowing how to survive, made him even happier than if he had done it himself. This way, at least in such harsh conditions, they had a better chance of survival.
Ming Luoying gently stroked Ning Xiaoxi's shoulder with affection, "Xiaoxi has always lived a secluded life in her boudoir, and we have tried our best to keep her away from these things. We thought that with our family's circumstances, we could at least guarantee that Xiaoxi would have a smooth life without any disasters or hardships. Unexpectedly, man proposes, God disposes, and Xiaoxi still went through this ordeal."
Ming Luoying turned to look at Ning Shi, "Husband, we haven't had time to talk, nor have we had a chance to ask you why we've been through all this."
Ning Ziqing also came closer. He had been taken away from the academy that day, and he still remembered the curious, disdainful, or gloating looks his classmates gave him when the officials took him away. The embarrassment and dejection he felt at that time were truly unforgettable.
Ning Shi took Ming Luoying's hand, looked at his son who was leaning closer, and said in a low voice, "We were implicated."
The usually dignified, composed, and elegant lady now had disheveled hair, and traces of fear-filled tears lingered at the corners of her eyes. The usually neat, clean, and unambitious son now had his headdress fallen off, and even his best efforts to conceal the worry and fear in his eyes could not hide it. How could he remain unmoved as his usually pampered, quiet, and gentle daughter shouldered such a heavy burden on her frail shoulders?
Ning Shi steadied himself, lowered his voice, and almost whispered, "Today at court, the Third Prince's case of the sorcery was exposed, and we were implicated in this case."
"A demonic Gu?"
"A demonic Gu?"
Ming Luoying and Ning Ziqing exclaimed in surprise at the same time, then as if they had thought of something, they both shut up and never mentioned the word again.
Demons are no secret in this world. As demons are enemies of humanity, the only response people have is extermination. The Great Xia Dynasty was established on the foundation of a demon-infested dynasty. The king and the Celestial Masters of the Celestial Masters Pavilion have always considered it their mission to eradicate demons. After hundreds of years of arduous struggle and tireless efforts, they finally restored peace to the world. Although demons still occasionally cause trouble, they can no longer cause major upheavals, and the common people can at least live in peace. Therefore, when it comes to matters involving demons, it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.
"The Third Prince?" Ning Ziqing frowned. "Father has never been related to the Third Prince, so why is he being implicated?"
"Shh!" Ning Shi turned to look at the people in the room who were already fast asleep, snoring softly. Although they were all implicated in this matter, they wanted to avoid it if possible. "Let's not discuss this anymore. The king is furious and doesn't care about anything. We're lucky to have escaped beheading and only been exiled. When has anything related to demons ever been considered reasonable?"
Ning Ziqing gritted his teeth, knowing that saying anything more would be useless. He had studied diligently since childhood, hoping to enter the court and serve the king through his own efforts, not his father's influence. But he never expected to be implicated in the demon case. Although he was learned, he was clueless about worldly affairs. Seeing his sister busying herself with the matter today, he realized his incompetence.
Even his parents, even he himself, were caught off guard when faced with this sudden predicament, yet his young sister shouldered the burden single-handedly. His sister, pampered with daily reading, embroidery, poetry, and music, carried the weight on her frail shoulders. It seems he must work harder in the future to ease his sister's burdens and to do his best to care for their parents as well.
Looking at her son's pale face, Ming Luoying suppressed the helplessness and bitterness in her heart and gently patted his shoulder. "Mu-ge'er, don't think too much. This is no one's fault. Since we can't escape this fate, let's accept it. Fortunately, we are all together as a family. No matter what difficulties we face, we can overcome them together."
Ning Ziqing's grief and indignation gradually subsided after hearing her mother's gentle words. She looked up at her mother, who had also been living in fear all day, and nodded heavily with tears in her eyes.