The Emperor’s final verdict was delivered: Lu Zhi was to be exiled to Shuofeng Ferry.
Shuofeng Ferry is located at the windy gateway of the northern frontier. With the north wind howling year-round and sand and stone flying through the air like the wails of restless spirits, the common people call it the "Ferry of Souls." The harshness of the environment is well-known.
Lu Zhi not only fell from grace to become a commoner, but the Lu family was also barred from the imperial examinations for three generations, never again allowed to set foot in the imperial court. All the scholars involved in the incident were similarly stripped of their qualifications for the examinations, effectively ending their political careers for life.
Chapter 126