Chapter 4: As Long As You Live
Yu Luo felt that the person across from her was acting like a madwoman.
At this point in time—and still engaging in internal strife?
What a brainless family this is; on the road to exile, it’s going to be quite the show!
“Enough of the quarrelling! Can you all be quiet already?”
A sudden cold shout from Marquis Yu Hui of the Guo An Mansion resounded, and the Yu women, who had been chattering incessantly, shrank their necks in fright. Even Yu Yingying, who had been talking just moments ago, immediately fell silent.
Though they had not yet been exiled, life in the prison was far from pleasant.
Since today all the legitimate children had gone off to the palace banquet, their clothing was naturally thin. The most miserable were, of course, the Yu women.
In their vain efforts to outdo one another, they had spared no expense.
But after being forced into prison garb, it wasn’t long before they were shivering uncontrollably in the cold night, huddling closely together.
Just as the three of them—father, daughter, and Yu Luo herself—were tucked away in a corner trying to sleep, several pairs of hands suddenly reached out to grab their clothing. The commotion startled the three awake from their pleasant dreams!
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Looking up, they saw Yu Yingying and the two sons of the main branch—Yu Xiaoran and Yu Xiaoxuan—trying to strip the clothes off them.
“Yu Haojie, what are you doing? Hurry and take off your clothes properly! Didn’t you see we’re freezing?”
At that moment, the elderly matriarch’s haughty voice rang out in the prison, as if she still ruled over the Guo An Mansion with an air of superiority.
“Hmph, what business is it of ours if you’re freezing? Old lady, please use your common sense. What time is it? Do you still think you’re the wife of a marquis?”
Ye Jiamai was nearly laughing in anger—this so-called mother-in-law was utterly senile, as if she still believed they were the pampered illegitimate children of the second wife of old times, so easy to bully.
“Outrageous! Do you still have any respect for your father-in-law and mother-in-law?”
At Ye Jiamai’s words, the old patriarch of the Yu family trembled even more violently with rage. Feeling his wife’s fury, Yu Hui’s deep, dignified voice—reminiscent of his days as Marquis of Guo An—rang out unrestrained in the prison.
“Hmph, father-in-law and mother-in-law? Don’t you dare use these so-called elder dignities to bully us now. That so-called Guo An Mansion is already a thing of the past.”
“Old man, you’d better come to your senses. Otherwise, I’m afraid that with your frail body, you might get so worked up that you’ll die before we even reach the wild lands!”
Barely as Ye Jiamai finished speaking, Yu Luo refused to be outdone, her face full of ridicule.
When the mother-daughter pair spoke, the entire prison fell deathly silent—their tone, once so overbearing and unrestrained, now bore none of the arrogance they once had.
“Stop all this clamor! Keep it down or I swear I’ll drag you out here and whip you!”
The furious voice of Yu Hui, now trembling like the old matriarch herself, nearly prompted him to strike his rebellious daughter-in-law and granddaughter. But before he could, the sound of a whip cracking echoed through the silent prison, immediately followed by the impatient, threatening tone of the prison guard.
Hearing the guard’s voice, the Yu family finally fell silent.
“Mother, is this really okay? Aren’t we worried that instead of dying on the road to exile, they might end up killing us from sheer anger here in this prison?”
After the guard left, Yu Luo couldn’t help but, while clinging to Ye Jiamai’s arm, tease softly.
Sandwiched between her parents, even though they had deliberately changed into the thickest cotton-padded clothes, the night in this bitter winter was still freezing cold.
To keep their precious daughter from freezing, her parents huddled her close so that their warmth could be transferred to her.
“Don’t worry, daughter. As long as mother is here to protect you, let’s see who else dares bully us.”
“What are you so cocky about? Just wait until tomorrow when our maternal relatives come with food and clothes. You’ll be begging us along the way.”
Hearing the conversation between Yu Luo and her mother, the ever-arrogant Yu Yingying could no longer stand it. She lowered her voice and replied in full sarcasm. But Yu Luo and her family paid her no mind.
Finally, after what seemed like an excruciating night, the clanking of chains in the early morning woke everyone in the cell.
At the sound of the chains, the youngest illegitimate son of the main branch cried out in terror!
Young Yu Xiaoyun, only about seven years old and accustomed to a life of luxury, had never witnessed such a scene. It wasn’t until several lashes from the guard in the cell that the little boy’s mouth was clamped shut by his mother, Lan.
Soon, the guard came in to fit the Yu family with shackles. Naturally, Yu Luo’s family was not spared.
Once everything was secured, the Yu family was led out of the prison.
As they stepped out, the glaring morning sunlight shone down as if especially favoring the misfortuned Yu family. After days of gloom over the imperial capital, this rare winter sun was a small mercy.
“Father! Mother!”
Suddenly, waves of crying erupted outside the prison. Looking out, the three of them discovered that quite a few people were waiting. There was Yu Chu-Man, the married daughter of Yu Hui, now the Minister of Revenue’s wife; Yu Qiu Yun, the second daughter of Yu Zhengqing and the consort of the Second Prince; as well as relatives from the family of Chang Huilan, the main wife of the main branch—and even the relatives of Lan, the concubine of the main branch, had come!
Only, no one came to see off the three of them from Yu Luo’s immediate family.
These people in the capital still wielded some power. Even if the Guo An Mansion fell, the guards escorting them out of the capital would, if offered a bribe, surely make things convenient for them.
Seeing these people coming to bid farewell—bringing food, clothing, and even medicine—Yu Luo’s lips twitched. “Luckily, we were prepared; otherwise, on the way we’d be mocked to death.”
Ye Jiamai remained silent. With shackles on, her arms quickly grew sore and swollen.
It seemed that the original owner’s lingering will pressed down on her chest, making her feel so suffocated that she almost burst into tears.
“Yu Luo!”
Just as Yu Luo nonchalantly watched as the Yu clan’s legitimate offspring grieved their departure, a clear, bright voice suddenly sounded from afar, leaving her utterly stunned.
The pounding of hooves approached from a distance until a young man on horseback appeared.
In that moment, the exile—once unremarkable to Yu Luo—suddenly filled her with a bittersweet sense of farewell.
“Ah Bai, what are you doing here?”
The young man dismounted, carrying a heavy package in his hand, which he directly hung onto Yu Luo’s shackle.
“You are my lifesaver. I couldn’t repay you when you were in trouble, and I’ve been burdened with guilt ever since. But as long as you keep on living, I promise that one day I will rescue you from these wild lands!”
Looking into the eyes of the young man—whose face was still somewhat youthful—and seeing the red in his eyes, Yu Luo couldn’t help but shed tears.
