I've Got This Cannon Fodder Trope Covered!

Chapter 59

Madam Jiang felt both disgust and sorrow toward her eldest brother. Seeing him in such a state made her heart ache, and she cried, "Father and Mother weren't implicated by you this time. If you still have any conscience, pull yourself together and stop making them worry. Ten years..."

At that point, she couldn't go on. Their parents were already nearing seventy.

Ten years... Who knew if the elderly couple would live long enough to see this disappointing son of theirs again?

The adults wept together, and Wei Hanzhang stood nearby, supporting Madam Jiang. Her gaze turned to her cousins, Jiang Zhiqin and Jiang Zhiqi, and she couldn't hold back her tears as well.

Her two cousins were no longer the delicate, carefree young ladies from the inner chambers they once were.

Especially her eldest cousin. Wei Hanzhang handed her younger brother over to Madam Jiang and approached the Jiang sisters.

Jiang Zhiqi rushed up and urgently grabbed her wrist, saying, "Ranran, is the Jiang family really okay?"

Jiang Zhiqin, standing nearby, also looked over with her dry, red-rimmed eyes. Even in their current situation, she still worried about the family.

Wei Hanzhang nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. The Jiang family is safe. The court has shown mercy, taking into account Grandfather's years of service and hard work..."

Only the main branch of the Jiang family was punished.

Hearing that only her branch was sentenced to exile, Jiang Zhiqi felt a mix of sadness and relief. "That's good, that's good."

As she lowered her head, she noticed the dirty handprints her unwashed hands had left on her younger cousin's sleeves and quickly released her grip, apologizing awkwardly, "I'm so sorry, I forgot how filthy I am and got your clothes dirty."

"What are you saying?"

It was heartbreaking for Wei Hanzhang to see that only a few months apart had turned her once-close cousins into strangers.

She held Jiang Zhiqi's hand firmly, reached out to hold Jiang Zhiqin's as well, and said earnestly, "I grew up in the Jiang family. The family may be going through a hardship now, but no matter what happens, you are still my sisters. Sisters need not be strangers to each other."

Jiang Zhiqin had been married only three days, supposedly the happiest time in a woman's life. But disaster struck her family, and instead of comfort and support from her usually kind husband, she was quickly divorced by her husband's family. To say she fell from the heavens to hell wouldn't even begin to describe her despair.

Hearing Wei Hanzhang's words, her eyes softened with a hint of gratitude. Her parched lips, chapped from days without water, cracked as she tried to smile.

Seeing her once-graceful eldest cousin reduced to such a state filled Wei Hanzhang with fury. "That Zhao Junsheng—he's an examination candidate, isn't he? He'll eventually come to the capital to take the spring exams, won't he? He better not cross paths with me, or else..."

"You're a young lady, and your reputation is important; don't act rashly," Jiang Zhiqin said, licking her cracked lips with her tongue. Her formerly gentle voice was now hoarse. "The Zhao family sought to avoid trouble by divorcing a newlywed bride. It may lack compassion, but for the sake of their family's future, it's not exactly wrong."

As the daughter of a convicted official, being accepted as a primary wife in the future was uncertain, and even if it were possible, her family's prospects would be severely limited. Although the Zhao family's actions after years of marriage ties were indeed despicable, they were somewhat understandable.

When it comes to family prospects, there's little room for sentiment. For families in official circles, a son who cannot enter office is as good as losing their family line.

Wei Hanzhang felt both heartache and helplessness. Even in such dire straits, her eldest cousin could still be so understanding, rationalizing the Zhao family's abandonment.

Their time together was brief, and the parting came too soon. They hadn't exchanged many words before an official at the city gate struck a gong, calling the prisoners to assemble and prepare for departure.

Madam Jiang walked alongside her brother and sister-in-law for a while before Wei Heng gently stopped her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as they watched their family members disappear into the distance. She burst into tears.

The journey to Lingnan was long and arduous, with illness and the summer heat threatening the lives of the exiled. Who knew if they would ever see each other again in this lifetime?

No matter how disappointing or frivolous he had been, he was still her own elder brother.

______

Outside the Dali Temple prison, the sun shone fiercely.

Knowing there would be a large group from the Jiang family, Wei Heng had arranged several carriages bearing the Wei family crest, bringing along his wife, young daughter, and son. The family of four stood under a banyan tree, waiting to receive Madam Jiang's father and family.

Old Master Jiang had not been implicated by his eldest son's actions, and his other two sons still retained their official status, albeit minor. This was a small blessing amid the misfortune.

Compared to other convicted officials from the Jiangnan faction, this was an extraordinary privilege. Many politically astute individuals believed that the Prince must have taken note of Mr. Jiang's years of dedicated service, allowing the Jiang family this leniency.

People who had caught the Prince's attention dared not overlook them.

Thus, unlike the main Jiang family branch, who wore prison clothes as they were exiled, the rest of the Jiang family members were released in regular clothing, having been allowed to wash and dress. They appeared clean and respectable.

Yet, when Wei Hanzhang saw her grandmother, who looked frail and unsteady after only a few months apart, her heart ached.

Madam Jiang hurried forward ahead of her, calling, "Father, Mother."

Since she married twenty years ago, Madam Jiang had not seen her parents since they moved back to Xuzhou after her father's retirement sixteen years prior.

The journey was long, and she was now the mistress of her own household. She couldn't simply travel back to her family home for a visit. Fortunately, her brothers visited the capital frequently, her nephews came for exams, and one of her young daughters was fostered at the Jiang family residence, maintaining regular contact over the years.

Otherwise, Madam Jiang could only rely on letters to ease her longing for her family.

There were still officials outside the Dali Temple prison, so it wasn't the right place to release their emotions. Suppressing her tears, Madam Jiang steadied her mother and said, "Father, Mother, let's get into the carriage. The house is ready, and we can talk once we're home."

By "home," Madam Jiang meant the Jiang family's residence in the capital.

In his day, Old Master Jiang held the prestigious rank of second-grade official as Zhongshu Ling, a prominent figure in the capital, so they naturally had an estate there, which Madam Jiang had managed over the years. When family members came to the capital for exams, they stayed there.

Wei Hanzhang helped her grandparents into the carriage, but as there was no room left, she turned to board the next carriage, where her second aunt was seated. Just then, she noticed a tall figure standing quietly in the distance, watching them.

It was Chen Zishu, the Minister of the Dali Temple.

Seeing her gaze, Chen Zishu gave a slight nod, as if greeting her.

Wei Hanzhang frowned. Was it necessary for a high-ranking official like him to personally oversee the release of prisoners?

Wei Heng and Madam Jiang had yet to board the carriage as well. Noticing his daughter's fixed gaze, Wei Heng followed her line of sight.