"How can that be?" Before he could continue to pester, Zheng Rui quickly interrupted him, "My imperial mother asked me to ask you one thing: what role did you play in the downfall of the Zheng family?"
"What role could I have played? Your mother thinks too highly of me." Yang Zhongqing was caught off guard by the sudden question, feeling flustered.
"She suspects you now. You can explain to her when you see her again." Zheng Rui clearly knew something, but he couldn't say it in front of his father, so he decided to let it go.
Yang Zhongqing watched his son's departing back. This time, he didn't cling on but knitted his brows. He didn't know why Wu Caiwei would suspect him. However, walls have ears. She was now the Empress, and he was just a commoner. If she wanted to suppress him, it would be as easy as flipping a hand. He hurried home and, under his mother's astonished gaze, began to pack his belongings.
"Didn't I ask you to have a good talk with my eldest grandson? As long as he forgives you, we'll have good days ahead. What are you doing now?" Yang Mu asked in surprise, watching him rush about.
"Mother, don't ask anymore. Hurry and pack your things to escape for our lives. It's my fault for making you wander around in your old age. Some things can't be explained in a few words. Trust me, and you won't go wrong." Yang Zhongqing said as he quickly pushed her towards the door, signaling her to pack her own luggage.
Yang Mu stamped her foot, not understanding what had happened, but knowing it was not beneficial to their family.
Soon, they hired a carriage and rapidly headed south. After traveling a hundred li away from the capital, Yang Zhongqing breathed a sigh of relief. They should be safe from pursuit. From now on, they would go to a small mountain village and live in obscurity. The imperial court should not notice them.
Alas, he was happy too soon. Not long after, more than twenty bandits emerged from the grass on both sides of the road. Without a word, they started snatching their baggage.
This was all their worldly possessions. How could Yang Zhongqing abandon it? He quickly took out his weapon and tangled with them. He didn't believe that he, a former great general, couldn't defeat these rabble. However, he was soon proven wrong. When he was beaten to the ground, with a knife at his throat, he realized that bandits were not to be underestimated. He felt disheartened, thinking that he couldn't do anything right in his life.
After the bandits took what they wanted, they quickly left. The coachman, who had barely escaped with his life, was relieved. After the robbery, it was clear that his employers were penniless. He hesitantly reached out, "Master, Madam, our journey together ends here. Facing such great misfortune, to save you some money, I must part ways. However, after traveling with you for more than a day and enduring such a scare, could you perhaps give me my fare?"
Yang Zhongqing touched his empty sleeves and said to him with some embarrassment, "I was once a great general. Even if I'm not reinstated, I can still work as a guard. I'll have money. Could you take us a bit further? Being in this desolate wilderness, the thought of us walking alone makes me shudder."
The coachman became angry. Not only would he not get paid, but he was also asked to take them further. He wasn't a fool. They had hands and feet and could walk to the next town.
Yang Zhongqing watched as the coachman turned his horse around and galloped away, feeling a mix of frustration and annoyance. How had he fallen to this state? Let alone others, he himself looked down on himself.
Yang Mu picked up the flatbreads and pastries scattered on the ground, tears streaming down her face. She knew her son well. If she hadn't intervened, he would have surely stayed with Zheng Nian'er until they grew old, and this disaster would never have happened.
Unfortunately, it was too late to say anything. They could only limp away from this place of trouble. After living a life of luxury for so many years, the old lady couldn't bear it. Every step she took was met with sighs or unbearable pain. Unable to endure it any longer, she sat down on the ground, giving up, "Don't mind me, hurry and leave. Mother is old, and if I die, I die."
Yang Zhongqing, who had not complained at all despite the hardships and exhaustion along the way, finally broke down at this moment, crying uncontrollably, "It's my fault, son, for making you suffer so much at your age."
"No, it's all my fault. If I hadn't stopped you from being with Zheng Nian'er back then, perhaps you two would still be loving each other. Wu Qingzhi is shameless, a true troublemaker..." Listening to his mother curse Wu Qingzhi wildly, Yang Zhongqing felt no stir in his heart. Truthfully, in his heart of hearts, he harbored some resentment towards his mother, but as a son, he couldn't speak ill of her. He could only bury all his thoughts deep within.
Silently, he picked her up and moved forward with difficulty. They would rest when tired and continue when rested. From midday to the moon hanging high in the sky, the sounds of wild beasts occasionally echoed from the distant woods. Yang Mu, walking in the wilderness for the first time, was terrified.
If her son hadn't told her that their movements were too loud and might attract fierce beasts, she would have screamed out loud to alleviate her fear.
As the sun just began to rise, they finally arrived at a small town. Neither of them showed any joy. Even though the town was bustling and prosperous, with food, drink, and lodging, they had no money.
Swallowing the dry rations they had brought, while the aroma of delicious food wafted from nearby, Yang Zhongqing felt that this couldn't continue. Standing on the street, he carefully observed the passing crowd.
He soon found his target. He told his mother to wait there and said he'd be right back.
When Yang Zhongqing returned, he brought his mother to a small tavern and ordered two small dishes. Yang Mu kept tugging at his sleeve from below. After the waiter left, she eagerly asked, "We have no money. Aren't you afraid people will say we're eating and running?"
Yang Zhongqing remained silent. He took two taels of silver from his sleeve and placed them on the table. Yang Mu's throat seemed to seize up. Recalling her son's recent actions, it was obvious where the money came from. In the past, she would have disdained such behavior, but times had changed. They were almost at their wits' end. Were they to sleep on the streets?
Seeing that his mother was only stunned for a moment before accepting it well, Yang Zhongqing felt relieved. He knew that he wouldn't be able to hide his spending of money from now on, so he decided to be honest. He had hesitated for a long time before doing it, but after doing it, he realized it wasn't that bad.
After they had their fill, as they came out of the tavern, Yang Zhongqing unconsciously touched his sleeve and was startled. He felt it over again carefully, but there was nothing. He had clearly taken twenty taels of silver from that person and spent two, so there should be eighteen left, but the money had vanished.