Chapter 1565 - 1412: Fake Commandery Princess 22
The imperial envoy who delivered the decree was very polite, for this was a family much admired and favored by the Emperor. Despite being exiled, they were highly esteemed by the Emperor, and it was clear they would someday regain their status; offending them now would be unwise.
Along with the decree came four hundred taels of gold, all in ingots of ten taels each. Ye Shuangshuang promptly handed one silver ingot to the imperial envoy as a token of gratitude.
This was a customary practice, and the imperial envoy accepted it with a beaming smile. He then spoke two sentences to Ye Feiying and Ye Fangchen, "Old General Ye, General Ye, the Emperor still has both of you in his thoughts.
On my departure, the Emperor instructed me to remind you of two things: the road of exile is arduous, travel at a slower pace; if you encounter wind, frost, rain, or snow, refrain from proceeding, be cautious all the way, don’t lose heart, the future is long."
With this, the Emperor has clearly expressed his protection, and Ye Feiying and Ye Fangchen were moved to tears.
Ye Feiying, in particular, knelt on the ground crying, bowing toward the Imperial City, "I have failed the Emperor, the Emperor’s grace weighs heavily on my conscience!"
Ye Fangchen, too, knelt with red eyes, bowing toward the Imperial City. Their display of feelings was genuine; they truly felt indebted to the Emperor.
Ye Shuangshuang watched, with a touch of lament in her heart; this Emperor truly was greatly kind to the Ye family, but unfortunately, his life was short. In a few years, he would die, and the new Emperor would have no affection for the Ye family.
If the Emperor had lived a few more years in her past life, the Ye family would have had no worries about opportunities to regain their position. Unfortunately, after the Emperor’s death, the Ye family was forgotten by the new Emperor in Nanzhao and was never remembered again.
Logically, the Emperor wasn’t old, having just turned forty, and his health was excellent in daily life; his sudden death was a bit unusual.
Sadly, in her past life, during the chaotic years after the Ye family’s exile, Ye Shuangshuang decided to sever ties and become a nun, by which time the Emperor had already died, and the new Emperor had ascended the throne.
In this life, due to the Emperor’s favor toward the Ye family, Ye Shuangshuang planned to arrange the Ye family well first, then find a way to visit the Capital City to see if the Emperor’s death could be prevented.
However, these concerns were still distant for the Ye family. Ye Shuangshuang merely pondered them fleetingly, knowing her immediate priority was the exile, especially now with winter coming and the weather growing colder.
In ancient times, the weather was distinctly seasonal. In times without pollution or global warming, the world was naturally much colder than today. Moreover, much of the south was wet and cold during winter.
In modern society, there is a joke that northerners endure winter by staying indoors, since it is warm inside and manageable. However, there is no escape from the damp cold of the south, where even indoors can be colder than outside.
Hence, southerners often say they rely on inner righteousness to withstand winter; if all else fails, they just shiver their way through.
Situated in a northerly location, the Capital City is quite cold in winter. With their current pace, the distance they’ve covered is less than the ten-day journey of a typical exile.
Speeding up, however, was out of the question due to Ye Fangchen and Ye Jingyi’s physical limitations. They could only maintain their current pace to keep things manageable.
At such a pace, they were sure to be outstripped by the cold weather’s arrival. Therefore, acquiring necessary warm materials was essential.
Fortunately, Ye Shuangshuang was already free to leave the escorting team at will, to buy things, and to collect herbs or hunt.
More importantly, the Emperor had given four hundred taels of gold, less the ten taels given to the imperial envoy; she still held gold equivalent to three thousand nine hundred taels of silver.
Although this amount was just a drop compared to the Ye family’s previous wealth, it was more than sufficient for the Ye family to live comfortably now, more than enough to be well-off local gentry.
Upon receiving the funds, the first thing Ye Shuangshuang did was purchase three carriages. While carriages couldn’t accommodate passengers, the two existing carriages were insufficient for carrying the belongings of over thirty people.
With three additional carriages, everyone had more space. Ye Shuangshuang bought blankets and two sets of cotton clothing, both thick and thin, for everyone, including the government officers.
She also bought a lot of fabric to strengthen the tents with an extra layer, so it wouldn’t be too cold even if forced to camp out at night.
Beyond that, she bought plenty of rice, flour, cooking utensils, and spices, storing these in one carriage for easy access.
All in all, Ye Shuangshuang spent two hundred taels of silver on these purchases. This expenditure was worth it, as everyone felt much more comfortable after returning to the road.
Since the roadside grass had started to yellow, collecting herbs became increasingly difficult. Thus, Ye Shuangshuang purchased enough herbs from a medical hall for use along the way, allowing her to prepare prescriptions at any time for treating illnesses.
Originally a small country, Nanzhao had caused unrest on the border, prompting the Grand Ancestor of this dynasty to deploy troops for its annihilation, subsequently transforming Nanzhao into Nanzhao State.
Regrettably, in addition to being remote, Nanzhao’s language barrier and xenophobic locals made governance difficult, and it was thus consistently regarded as an Exile Land, seldom sought after.
The Ye family traveled from cold to warm climates, taking half a year to reach Nanzhao. Only upon arrival were they able to reclaim their freedom by registering with the local government to annul their case, enabling them to move freely.
The Emperor did not value Nanzhao, which was merely Nanzhao State, with its Prefecture City being the Nanzhao Prefecture. Upon case annulment, the Ye family bid farewell to the officers who had escorted them on their journey.
Both sides were slightly reluctant to part, as for the officers, this escort mission was the most relaxed one they had ever undertaken.
For the Ye family, these officers had thoughtfully cared for them throughout the journey, allowing them frequent rest, ensuring none of them succumbed to serious illness, and safely reaching their destination.
In gratitude, Ye Shuangshuang considerately gifted them three carriages, leaving her family with only two. This allowed the officers to travel by carriage on their return, no longer needing to escort prisoners.
Beyond the carriages, Ye Shuangshuang also supplied them with medications for treating potential illnesses they might encounter on their way back.
These officers were deeply appreciative of the Ye family, with many showing tearful eyes as they reluctantly bid farewell.
With the officers’ departure, Ye Shuangshuang began to worry about finding a place to live, as Nanzhao was located in the region around Dali and Erhai, but this area hadn’t been developed yet.
Here, the minority ethnic groups gathered, each with its own language. They resided within mountains and were quite exclusionary, making the area known as Seven-Colored Yunnan unfriendly to outsiders at this time.
What once was Dali City had yet to emerge; presently, it was just Nanzhao Prefecture, though this era didn’t completely align with the historical accounts Ye Shuangshuang remembered.
At least, the current dynasty Taian was one she knew had never appeared in history.