Chapter 166: You Are Not In Exile You Are Clearly Traveling!
Chapter 166: Opening a New World
"Take that one on the ground too!" Magistrate Tan pointed at the unconscious servant. "Drag him out and give him twenty strokes."
Though the servant had fainted, he couldn't escape the punishment awaiting him.
The main culprit was dealt with, and only...
Thud!
Boss Wang, noticing Magistrate Tan looking his way, quickly knelt down.
Although he could act arrogantly in front of someone like Li Yuanwai, in the end, he was still just a commoner. Facing an official as high-ranking as Magistrate Tan, he couldn’t maintain his composure.
"Magistrate Tan, I..."
He wanted to explain, but Magistrate Tan waved his hand, cutting him off.
It seemed that Magistrate Tan only trusted the teacher’s word. In reality, he had already inquired about the incident on the way here.
If he hadn't arrived in time, Boss Wang might have already made a move against his teacher.
However, since Boss Wang hadn’t actually harmed anyone yet, they couldn’t convict him without cause.
"Magistrate Tan, if you and the esteemed gentleman don't mind, I would be honored to host a banquet as an apology," Boss Wang quickly offered, sensing Magistrate Tan’s dilemma.
"No need!" Magistrate Tan waved it off and turned to Magistrate Chen. "I’ve already prepared a feast at my home. If the teacher and his wife don't mind, please join me there."
"How could we refuse?" Chen Yuan waved his hand.
"By the way, how do you plan to deal with this man?" Magistrate Tan, unable to think of a suitable punishment, asked for Chen Yuan’s advice.
After a moment of hesitation, Chen Yuan suggested, "How about making him serve porridge in the city so that the beggars can at least have something to eat?"
Magistrate Tan nodded. He had already addressed the beggar issue when he became the county magistrate, ensuring the locals had food. But there were still many out-of-town beggars arriving.
He could prevent his own people from becoming destitute, but there was no way to feed people from other regions.
All in all, Chen Yuan’s punishment not only settled the matter but also benefited the public—a win-win situation.
Impressed, Magistrate Tan couldn’t help but admire Chen Yuan.
Boss Wang, relieved after hearing Chen Yuan’s words, quickly agreed, fearing they might change their minds.
In his mind, however, he cursed them. What madness!
If they had such high status, why did they deliberately wear such plain clothes to test him?
Wasn’t this intentional?
What Boss Wang didn’t know was that Chen Yuan had already been stripped of his official title, leaving him no choice but to wear such simple clothes.
With the matter settled, Magistrate Tan escorted Chen Yuan and his family back to his residence.
Once they left, the crowd that had gathered breathed a sigh of relief, and discussions began to erupt.
"That man is the teacher of the county magistrate?"
"Yes, but dressed like that, you’d never know."
"I wonder what position the county magistrate’s teacher holds?"
"He must be a high-ranking official in the capital!"
In the crowd, one person wore a peculiar expression, itching to tell everyone that the county magistrate's teacher was no grand official but an exiled prisoner.
But, remembering his mission, he stayed silent.
In truth, if speaking up could solve the Chen family's problems, he wouldn’t hesitate to do so.
After all, though trained to be a death warrior, when the moment came, he still hesitated.
However, he quickly reaffirmed his resolve, blending back into the crowd and waiting for his opportunity.
Chen Yuan and his family arrived at Magistrate Tan's home, where the servants had already prepared bathwater and fresh clothes.
After they bathed and changed, they finally sat down to enjoy the banquet.
Magistrate Tan chatted with Chen Yuan, while Chen Xue and her mother focused on the delicious food.
…
"Despicable!"
Outside the city, in the exile convoy, Zhang Yiquan stared bitterly at the bowl of congee in front of him, his heart full of resentment and jealousy.
Why? Why, when they were all exiles, could the Chen family enter the city, eat and drink well, and stroll around freely, while he and his family were stuck with steamed buns and congee?
If he could, he would’ve already reported the Chen family to the authorities in the capital.
This was no exile; it didn’t even look like exile!
Too jealous to eat, Zhang Yiquan handed the congee to his son.
But come midnight, Zhang Yiquan woke up, starving, and couldn’t find any food.
He regretted giving the porridge to his son, but where could he find something to eat in the middle of the night?
Helpless, he tried to fool himself into feeling full, like the ancient trick of painting cakes. But the more he thought about it, the hungrier he became.
In the end, his mother, awakened by his grumbling stomach, dug up some tree roots for him to eat.
Though he was reluctant, he eventually gave in and took a bite. To his surprise, it tasted good, as if a new world had opened up for him.
…
The next morning, Chen Xue and her family woke up early and enjoyed a hearty breakfast.
After a good night’s sleep and a hot bath, the exhaustion from their journey was completely gone.
Though they could take a hot bath every night, the nights in the space always came with a small worry—that their secret might be discovered.
But now, in the county magistrate's home, those worries disappeared.
Magistrate Tan wanted the Chen family to rest another day, but Chen Yuan refused. The exile convoy had already been delayed, and any further delay would mean punishment for everyone.
If word reached the capital, his rivals would certainly make a fuss over it.
Understanding this, Magistrate Tan didn’t press the issue and instead loaded a cart full of supplies.
"Teacher, the journey to the southern barbarians is long. These supplies should be of some help."
Chen Yuan glanced over the cart. It wasn’t filled with silver, but food, medicine, and clothing.
Before they left, Magistrate Tan handed Chen Xue a small bag of silver. Though not much, it contained a few dozen taels—a considerable amount for someone like Magistrate Tan, who had only recently taken office and wasn’t corrupt.
"Most of my money is sent home, so..." Magistrate Tan explained, feeling a bit embarrassed. Chen Yuan shook his head and signaled Chen Xue to return the silver.
Though people called him "penniless," in truth, he wasn’t poor—his daughter had already brought all their savings.
Compared to them, Magistrate Tan still had his elderly mother, was young and unmarried, and with a modest salary, was the one who truly needed the money.
"We have enough supplies," Chen Yuan said, pointing to the cart. "Besides, we're not on a vacation; we won’t need the silver."
"But you’ll still need to grease palms along the way," Magistrate Tan insisted. While not corrupt, he knew that things didn’t get done without money, especially on an exile journey where bribes might be essential.
Chen Yuan had to mention Xie Yunshang’s name and reveal that some of his men were secretly protecting them.
With the name of General Pingwei, who in the land wouldn’t know?
Only then did Magistrate Tan relax.
When the Chen family rejoined the exile convoy, Xu Tian had already prepared the group for departure.
Magistrate Tan had hosted Xu Tian for dinner the previous evening, but Xu Tian, concerned about the convoy, had returned early. Magistrate Tan also sent bailiffs to help watch over the group.
Seeing that the Chen family seemed to come back with a cart after every outing, the others couldn’t help but feel envious.
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