Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

Once he finds out who did it, he will surely take the thief's head to vent his anger.

Gu Nanzhi, who was on her way to exile: "..."

She wants to see how you manage to take her head. Emperor, go ahead and investigate. You can search the entire capital city and you still won't find anything. You little brat, I'll make you miserable.

At this moment, under Commander Wang's escort, the exiled procession had already entered Zhengyang Street and was heading out of the city.

At this early hour, the streets of the imperial city were bustling with activity for the first time today, and the main reason for this bustling activity was undoubtedly two pieces of news.

One reason was the downfall and exile of the Yanwang Mansion and the Zhongyong Marquis Mansion.

Secondly, he saw rumors about the current emperor's actions that morning.

Passerby 1: "Alas, this King Yan was once extremely powerful, but now he has ended up in exile. And the Marquis Zhongyong, that family is also a pity. They were accused of treason and were exiled to such a place as commoners. The sons of that family will never have a chance to rise again."

Passerby 2: "Yes, yes, who would have thought that Prince Yan and Marquis Zhongyong would plot a rebellion? Especially Prince Yan, look at his condition, he must have been flogged on the back. Dragging his body like that, he probably won't even make it to his place of exile."

Passerby 3: "How pitiful. And those guards around King Yan look like they were beaten pretty badly too. Whether they're stupid or loyal, they're still willing to go into exile with him. Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Passerby 4: "As the emperor's younger brother, it's understandable that Prince Yan, who holds military power, might have rebellious intentions. But how is Marquis Zhongyong, a general who was granted the title by the late emperor, involved in rebellion?"

Passerby Five: "How could that not be? The Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion is the family of the Prince Yan's maternal grandfather. They're conspiring to rebel, how could it be false?"

Passerby Six: "What a pity, the Great Zhou will lose a valiant general in the future."

Passerby Seven: "It's not just one; all the men of the Qi family are exceptionally talented, yet they'll only be able to live as slaves in exile."

Passerby 8: "Hey, do you guys think these rumors about the current emperor might be related to the Prince Yan's rebellion? His family was just being raided, and this morning these rumors started appearing."

Passerby Nine: "Yes, it's really strange. Just last night, the Prince's mansion was raided for treason, and then news of the Emperor embezzling from his own residence spread throughout the capital..."

A passerby said, "Watch your mouth! Be careful what you say! Don't speak so loudly, or you'll lose your head!"

"..."

The whispers of the common people reached the ears of the exiles, especially the sons of the Qi family, who were filled with resentment and injustice. Their family had been so loyal and brave in guarding the frontier, yet all they received in return was the emperor's suspicion and fear—a truly chilling thought. The cold shackles on their hands and feet seemed like a mockery of their unwavering loyalty to the nation.

Aside from their indignation, they were also astonished by the faint rumors circulating among the people about the emperor. If they weren't being watched and hurrying on their way, they would have loved to pull someone aside and ask them about the specifics of the rumors.

After all, judging from the snippets of conversation among ordinary people, the rumors weren't pleasant at all. Looking at the shackles in his hands, he even felt a touch of schadenfreude.

The Qi family, a large household of men and women, young and old, numbering several dozen, walked ahead, while the Yan Prince's mansion appeared sparsely populated in comparison.

Because of Jun Yanchen's leg ailment, the authorities took pity on him and gifted him a cart. Jun Yanchen was placed on it and climbed onto it while Zhou Cai pulled him forward, while Butler Li supported Cang Ling as they walked behind.

Last to arrive were Gu Nanzhi and Xia He. Of course, Gu Nanzhi was also the most leisurely and carefree among the entire exiled group.

The way she kept looking around made you think she was out shopping; she didn't look like an exile at all.

As she walked through the streets, she overheard many conversations among the locals.

In particular, the discussions surrounding the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence were entirely understandable.

In a monarchical society, which emperor wouldn't be wary of ministers who wield significant military power and enjoy popular support? This is what is meant by "merits overshadowing the ruler."

Even without Jun Yanchen's connection, the Emperor would still harbor suspicions about a family like the Marquis of Zhongyong's household. This was likely a scheme to kill two birds with one stone, eliminating the problem at the same time.

Another point is that historically, when emperors ascended the throne, they dealt with ministers of the previous dynasty and supported their own factions.

However, none of this mattered to Gu Nanzhi anymore.

Along the way, I don't know if it's because this society doesn't have that custom or because of the rumors about the emperor increasing taxes, but I didn't see the rumored behavior of people throwing vegetable leaves and rotten eggs on both sides of the road.

Gu Nanzhi was very satisfied with this, otherwise it would have been too distressing.

However, before their group could even reach the city gate, men on horseback galloped after them.

"Step aside"

"Step aside"

The man was wearing a different uniform than the officers and soldiers escorting them, indicating they belonged to different units; Gu Nanzhi didn't need to understand these details.

The man finally caught up with the escorting group and shouted, "Commander!"

"Commander"

His shouts successfully brought the escort team to a halt.

Commander Wang and the other officers and soldiers, along with the people being escorted, and the onlookers on both sides, were all curious about the purpose of this person's pursuit.

Could there be a change in the matter of exile?

"What brings Commander Zhao here?"

Commander Wang rode back to the very end of the column, brought his men before him, and after recognizing their identities, asked them questions.

He recognized this person; he was on duty in the palace, and his arrival must have been sent by the palace.

He couldn't help but wonder if something had changed regarding his exile.

Knowing the matter was of great importance, the visitor did not dismount, but simply raised his hand in a salute from his horse before explaining the situation.

"Commander Wang, this humble general has come on the Emperor's orders. The Emperor has commanded you to return to the palace immediately to report."

Commander Wang had heard the rumors circulating among the people along the way, and even though the red characters on the wall of Zhengyang Street were obscured by the crowds, he still managed to see half of them from his horse.

However, due to his previous duties, he could only suppress his doubts and wait until he returned to the palace after completing his mission to report back.

But then the Emperor sent someone, disregarding the matter of Prince Yan, ordering him to return to the palace immediately. Could it be...?

"Has something happened in the palace, Commander Zhao?"

Since this incident should not be publicized, and even though the visitor knew the cause, he did not reveal it at this time.

But he still lowered his voice and gave a subtle reminder.

"Commander Wang, this matter is not convenient for me to explain openly. You must have heard some things as you walked through the streets. I hope you will return to the palace immediately. I am willing to take on the escort mission in your stead."

Gu Nanzhi, who was already at the end of the procession, naturally didn't miss this scene. Judging from the expressions of the two people, she guessed that the emperor must have discovered that the national treasury was empty.

I really want to see what kind of expression Huan Di, who holds the highest position in the land, will have when he finds out that all his wealth has been taken away.

It's going to be amazing!

With this reminder, Commander Wang understood immediately and raised his hand in a salute.

"Thank you very much, Commander Zhao. I will give the order to return to the palace immediately to report. The escort mission is of great importance, and I will trouble Commander Zhao to make the trip."

Their escort mission wasn't far; they only needed to take the prisoner to Shili Pavilion outside the city and hand him over to the official in charge of escorting exiled prisoners.

The long journey to their place of exile would then be none of their concern.

"Commander Wang, you're too kind."