"What? The Heavenly Book? Oh goodness, I woke up late this morning and missed it! You found one? What does it say? Tell me all about it!"
"I did find one, but I can't read! Still, I heard the scholar in our alley say it claims the new emperor's claim to the throne is illegitimate, which is why the imperial palace collapsed. And it says the new emperor and the late emperor's Noble Consort Li... tsk, tsk, tsk! He also said the fire in the palace wasn't heaven's wrath, but the late emperor's fury!"
The onlookers nearby listened with rapt attention. "Go on, tell us more! I brought melon seeds!"
...
Luo Xueyao smiled faintly, lowering her head to conceal her achievement and anonymity.
The so-called Heavenly Book was actually a piece of trashy mother-son fiction she had typed out on her computer in the Spatial Dimension last night. After converting it to traditional Chinese characters, she used a printer to run off several hundred copies, which she distributed across the streets and alleys of Shengjing before dawn.
In truth, she had merely stated facts, but when several facts were stacked together, people naturally began connecting the dots regarding cause and effect.
Luo Xueyao was only responsible for planting a seed; as for what kind of sprouts that seed would produce in the future, she was ready to wait and see.
Since the new emperor refused to act like a decent human being, she would simply lend him a hand, stoking the fire so it burned fiercely and left him stranded on a tiger's back.
...
Scandalous rumors about Murong Fu and Noble Consort Li were flying thick and fast through the capital. The female protagonist of the scandal had already been locked away, while the male protagonist, after riding a donkey for an entire day, stood before the empty Longevity Garden and roared at the sky, "Murong Jing, you even stole the grass roots! Have you no shame at all?!"
...
Through her intelligence network, Mengmeng learned of Murong Fu's miserable plight and immediately recounted it to Luo Xueyao with great theatrical flair.
Poor Luo Xueyao had to suppress the urge to laugh out loud on the inside while maintaining a completely indifferent expression on the outside.
It wasn't just the Longevity Garden; last night, riding Mengmeng, she had swept through every single royal garden and imperial estate. Just as she had emptied the imperial palace, she had stripped these grounds bare, leaving not even a single blade of grass behind.
The throne Murong Fu had inherited amounted to nothing more than an empty national treasury and a few desolate plots of wasteland.
...
Today was the first day of exile, and also the easiest day of travel.
Exiles were required to cover fifty li a day, and their destination today was a post station on the outskirts of the capital.
Although the road was easy, the exiles had spent the past few days eating moldy food and had set out on empty stomachs this morning. They hadn't even covered five li before some of them could no longer walk.
The men of the Luo family shielded Luo Xueyao and the three children in their midst. Luo Xueyao took meat buns and the tea eggs prepared by Xia Lan out of their bundle to distribute to everyone, then drew a water skin from the Spatial Dimension so they could all share a drink.
Even with a protective barrier shielding them from injury, marching fifty li a day was still a grueling ordeal.
Over the past few days, Luo Xueyao had been giving the Luo family spiritual spring water to enhance their physical stamina; otherwise, they would never have been able to endure this.
The other exiles had also received bundles earlier, but their packs either contained no food at all, or else had food they were reluctant to eat on the very first day, so they were still holding out.
Only the Luo family truly acted as if they were out on a spring outing, eating as they walked and occasionally chatting in low voices.
Murong Jing watched the Luo family quietly, his eyes gradually filling with fury.
He had assumed that once these people had food, they would bring it to him first out of filial respect, never expecting that the members of the Luo family wouldn't even look back, caring only about stuffing their own faces!
To think the Luo family boasted of generations of high officials and nobility—was a fallen prince no longer a prince? Had all their notions of loyalty and the Way of the Sovereign and Minister been fed to the dogs?!
A rather faint sound of a growling stomach came from Murong Jing.
Others might not have heard it, but Lin Zhiyan did.
She knew Murong Jing was hungry, and in truth, she was hungry too.
Normally, Lin Yue doted on her most of all and had always wanted her to marry Luo Qingcai to make their ties even closer.
Seeing the Luo family eating just now, she had been waiting for Lin Yue to proactively turn around and call out to them, never imagining that this heartless, ungrateful family would completely ignore them!
Lin Zhiyan swept her gaze over Murong Jing, then secretly glanced at the three members of Lin Zeng's family behind her. Biting her lower lip, she pointed at the ground with a look of feigned puzzlement and said, "Strange, where did these eggshells come from?"
The wound on Madam Wan's chest was still bleeding, leaving her dizzy and faint with pain. Since Lin Zeng refused to support her, she could only lean on Lin Hongcai's arm and slowly shuffle forward.
Hearing mention of eggshells, Madam Wan instantly opened her eyes. "Is someone eating? I told you I smelled meat just now—have they served the rations?"
Seeing that Murong Jing still said nothing, Lin Zhiyan deliberately stretched out her neck, looking all around as she murmured, "It's not the rations... It looks like my aunt's family is eating... I suppose the bundle Uncle Zhong threw over earlier must have had food in it?"
Hearing that the Luo family ahead had food, Madam Wan immediately reached out to grab Lin Zeng's arm. "Old man, look at that! Your sister truly has no conscience! She's up there living the high life while she lets you, the sole continuation of the Lin family's line, starve! Isn't she afraid of facing her parents in the underworld?"
Lin Zeng was equally furious. "A married-off daughter is like poured-out water! How could my sister still remember she's a Lin? Her heart is filled only with that useless crooked official, Luo Jingran!"
Seeing that they kept missing the point, Lin Zhiyan couldn't help feeling anxious. If they dragged this out any longer, the food would all be eaten up, and then what was the point of all this effort?
"If you ask me, Aunt's family has a large and small household to look after, so it's only human nature that they won't give us any. But His Highness is still hungry! The Way of the Sovereign and Minister is paramount—how can they let His Highness starve while they stuff their own faces... Brother-in-law is truly muddle-headed!"
Murong Jing had grown up deep within the palace; Lin Zhiyan's little tricks were child's play in his eyes.
She wanted to use him as a spear?
Murong Jing curved the corners of his lips and smiled seductively at Lin Zhiyan. "You're thoughtful, at least."
Lin Zhiyan hurriedly returned to Murong Jing the smile she had practiced in secret countless times, believing it to be her most beautiful.
Murong Jing reached out a finger to hook her chin, bringing his lips within two inches of hers.
At this distance, they could clearly hear each other's heartbeats, and their breaths intertwined.
Lin Zhiyan's face flushed red, her body trembling with excitement, yet she still clenched her fists to keep herself calm, fixing Murong Jing with a gaze that was both affectionate and lingering.
"Since you're so thoughtful, why don't you go find His Highness something to eat?"
"What? Me? But..."
Lin Zhiyan froze. This wasn't the script she wanted!
Shouldn't Murong Jing be the one to step forward, demand food from the Luo family, and then share it with her?
Yet now, in order to ingratiate herself with the Second Prince, Lin Zhiyan had no choice but to gather up her skirts, walk to the back of the Luo family's procession, gently tug on Lin Yue's sleeve, and whisper, "Aunt..."
Gu Fang stepped forward, slapped Lin Zhiyan's hand away, and snapped with displeasure, "Your Lin family's group is in the back. What are you doing coming over to our side?"
Lin Zhiyan's eyes instantly reddened. She bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, a few strands of hair fluttering against her cheeks in the breeze, her two little hands clutching her clothes in a helpless, frail manner, as if she were being bullied by the Luo family.