Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 113: Exile

Days passed, one after another, in the damp darkness of the Imperial Prison’s depths.

Su Ming was held on the lowest level. Aside from being brought up for interrogation once a day to be asked trivial questions, all that remained was endless waiting.

Outside, Xu Qing was engaged in the most desperate running-around of his life.

First he went to the Ministry of Revenue and sought out his direct superior, Director Li.

He knelt before Director Li and placed all his salary and savings on the table.

“Director! Please! Su Ming is absolutely innocent! He… he wouldn’t dare kill even a single chicken! How could he collude with corrupt merchants and endanger military supplies!” Xu Qing’s voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot.

Director Li looked at the messy pile of silver and copper coins on the table, sighed, and pushed the money back.

“Xu Qing, you’re a promising young man, but you’re too young.” Director Li lowered his voice, a trace of helplessness on his face. “Do you think this is an investigation? This is a purge. What the Yongchang Marquis Manor wants is not the truth, but an explanation.”

“That military report was handed in by the Marquis himself. The Censorate’s censor was personally named by the Marquis’s men. If you try to save him now, you’ll make enemies of the entire military merit faction!”

“If you want to live, distance yourself from him. Begging now will only drag you down with him!”Xu Qing was driven out by Director Li and walked numbly down the Ministry’s corridor.

He did not give up.

He went to the Hanlin Academy. He tried to see Reader Guo but was turned away.

He tried to petition those upright censors, but each response was the same—avoid and refuse to meet.

“Who wants to touch a scapegoat that the military merit faction has its eye on? Whoever does will get unlucky!”

Xu Qing finally understood that Su Ming had been made the sacrificial pawn in this political struggle.

He returned to his official lodging, stared at the lone lamp, and was filled with powerlessness and despair.

He remembered Su Ming’s words in the courtyard: “You and I should not meet privately anymore.”

Su Ming had foreseen everything long ago.

The last thing he could do was follow Su Ming’s instructions, pull himself out, and not become another leverage against Su Ming.

Meanwhile, Liu Wenyuan’s residence remained as silent as a tomb.

He did not even go to the Censorate to defend Su Ming.

He was simply waiting.

......

Ten days later.

A charcoal worker responsible for delivering fuel to the Imperial Prison stealthily approached Su Ming’s cell.

The charcoal worker looked gaunt. He stuffed a charred lump of coal under Su Ming’s stone bed.

“Compiler Su, this… this was ordered by Lord Liu for you. He told me to bring it so you can keep your fire burning, don’t freeze,” the worker said, then turned and hurried away as if pursued by ghosts.

Su Ming casually reached beneath the bed and his fingertips touched the chunk of coal.

Two tiny lines of characters were carved on its surface.

“Endure, preserve for useful days.”

“Northern Frontier, Blackwater Camp.”

Su Ming’s heart leapt.

Wenyuan, indeed, had

Frontier, Blackwater Camp,” Su Ming mouthed

that he had negotiated to the best of his ability and arranged for exile rather than execution, and had specified the exile destination—the Blackwater Camp in

Dynasty’s

frontier warfare was most intense and where

you a chance to turn

accept, and it’s the

Lin Yu said. “Compared to the imperial capital—the mortal power center—it’s better for our Way of

out to be a gain,” Su Ming

the powder

Three days later.

in the capital, fanned by the Yongchang Marquis Manor,

Su Ming colluded with corrupt merchants and embezzled

disciple is a

of frontier soldiers bled to death because of inferior leather

vividly embellished Su Ming’s

Ming, once an obscure child from a humble household, overnight became the city’s

Bin and the others discussed Su Ming’s

Review. At minimum he’ll be exiled three thousand li

be executed

a corner and gazing at the snow-covered world outside, wore

up at the Ministry of Personnel, while that “coward” he

how Su Ming had done it, but he knew Su Ming’s “weakness” had

In the afternoon.

Imperial Prison were opened

for interrogation, but

holding the golden imperial edict, entered

chief examiner and the officials from the Censorate

of his cell and forced to kneel on the cold stone floor, head bowed, seeing only the hem of

eunuch unfolded the edict and his thin voice rang out in the empty

in study and careless in conduct, involved in the military supplies corruption case, allowing inferior leather armor

eunuch’s voice rose sharply,

li, to the bitterly cold

“Let it be so!”

Censorate officials

Ming knelt, his body

Exile! Blackwater Camp!

exactly the outcome Liu Wenyuan

an explanation—removal and exile enough to

upright faction a sliver of hope—his life was spared,

and summarized, “The Emperor plays this balancing act very cleverly. Frankly, in his eyes you’re expendable material, something to balance two rival factions. So, disciple, don’t fool yourself with talk of boundless imperial benevolence. The only

deeply, his voice choked as he offered a ritualistic “thanks for the grace,” concealing

and glanced over Su Ming with an almost imperceptible

know that you surviving is

atone by meritorious service to repay this imperial benevolence,” Su Ming replied with

eunuch said no

prison officials exhaled

one wanted to

to his cell; his leg irons were

escorted and depart. Prepare yourself well,” the chief examiner

fell back

against the wall and breathed out a

.......

seven days, two special visitors came to

first was Liu

the pretext of “Censorate interrogation,” Su Ming

the table. He looked at Su Ming with a faint, hard-to-notice approval in

his voice still cold but carrying a

Liu for saving me,” Su Ming immediately rose and