Exile? A mad, wicked woman empties the national treasury to escape famine.

Xie Moyao drew the map very carefully and meticulously. She could understand it at a glance. The clearer she saw it, the more she frowned.

The place they were in was essentially a plain. The further northwest they went, the worse the environment and weather became, especially the road conditions. The roads were either steep cliffs or involved crossing rivers, which were quite wide, with the narrowest sections being tens of meters wide.

Moreover, they are now in a strategic location. If they want to go northwest, they must cross the river. No matter which route they take, crossing the river is unavoidable.

This awful weather is making so many of them cross the river. How are they going to get across?

The river water is so cold, it's practically killing people!

The only option is to climb a towering cliff. The mountain is very high and the temperature is extremely low. In such weather, there is snow all year round. Going up the mountain without adequate preparation is tantamount to suicide.

Ji Yunshu bit her lip, her brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly. She knew the road ahead would be difficult, but she hadn't expected it to be this hard. If Xie Moyao hadn't drawn the map, she would have had no idea what the situation would be like.

No wonder I'd heard that very few exiled people ever made it to their place of exile alive.

It turns out that the journey was so difficult. After all that trouble, those who managed to reach the place of exile alive were truly blessed.

No wonder the dog emperor exiled everyone in the palace; he was certain they wouldn't survive the journey.

"What's wrong?" Xie Moyao asked, noticing her unusual behavior.

Ji Yunshu snapped out of her thoughts, a slight smile playing on her lips, and tucked the map into her sleeve.

"It's nothing. I just didn't expect the road ahead to be even more difficult. But it's okay. Now that we're a family together, we'll face any difficulties together and overcome them. Things will be better once we reach the place of exile."

I looked at the map you drew. Although the journey was a bit treacherous, once we reached the northwestern exile area, apart from the climate difference, there wasn't much else to worry about.

"Yes, indeed. From now on, the journey to the place of exile is actually the most difficult. Once we get through this part and reach our destination, we can live a peaceful life."

Xie Moyao comforted himself with this thought: a peaceful and stable life was what he longed for, but he didn't know if some people would be willing to let them go.

Ji Yunshu didn't say anything more. After telling Xie Moyao to take care of himself, she left the room.

Before leaving, she took out a few hard wooden planks from the corner of the room and raised the mattress a little higher.

To prevent the water level in the house from rising suddenly and flooding Xie Moyao, who was lying in bed.

When Ji Yunshu came out, Zhang Lizheng, Old Zhao, and the villagers were still sitting there with worried expressions.

Zhang Lizheng was still trying to persuade everyone. Ji Yunshu glanced around and found that many people had already left, while the remaining people sat together with troubled expressions.

She didn't say anything more, turned around and went outside, then said to Xie Lin and Xie Mohuan,

"Load the things onto the carriage, and we'll set off immediately. The road conditions and weather are bad right now, and it's dark, but I have something in my carriage that can provide light, called a flashlight."

I bought a lot of flashlights when I was in Yuncheng. With them, I can see better on the road, but the road conditions are complicated, so I still have to be extra careful.

After she finished speaking, she called Xie Lin over, took out the map Xie Moyao had drawn from her sleeve, and the two began to discuss which route to take.

Xie Mohuan and Xiao Lan didn't join in the fun. Instead, they consciously followed Ji Yunshu's instructions and slowly began to move their bundles onto the carriage.

When I rested here before, I thought I would stay here for several days, so I brought a lot of luggage with me.

Unexpectedly, we set off in less than one night. Fortunately, the bundles hadn't been unpacked yet, so we just loaded them onto the carriage, which was quite convenient.

Both of them were quite strong, and while Ji Yunshu and Xie Lin were discussing, Xie Mohuan and Xiao Lan loaded all the bundles onto the carriage.

When they returned, Ji Yunshu and Xie Lin had already made their plans.

One road leads downstream, the other upstream. After discussing it, the two decided to go upstream.

Downstream from where they are located is the confluence of two super-large rivers. Although the road downstream is easier to travel, the rainy season is approaching, and both the river crossing and the water level have risen significantly.

The village is already flooded like this; the downstream areas will only be flooded even more.

If the rain continues to fall and the water level keeps rising, they won't be able to find their way downstream.

Once they had decided which route to take, Ji Yunshu told them to wait there while she went back to the carriage to get flashlights for everyone.

It's raining now, and apart from a flashlight, there's really nothing else to provide light. As for a torch, it would probably get soaked as soon as I took it out.

At times like these, you have no choice but to bring out a flashlight.

Meanwhile, not far away, Xiao Wu and the others kept an eye on the situation. The rain kept falling, and they were all soaked and shivering from the cold. They each found a place that could provide some shelter from the wind and rain and prepared to rest.

Upon seeing the commotion inside Zhang Lizheng's house, Xiao Wu immediately perked up.

Ignoring whether the eldest prince was asleep, he quickly ran to the prince's carriage and gently knocked on the door.

"Your Highness, there's some commotion at Zhang Lizheng's house. I saw Xie Lin and Xiao Lan loading their bundles onto the carriage. It looks like they're preparing to set off."

Chu Jinsheng was half asleep when Xiao Wu woke him up. He was still angry and hadn't even uttered a curse when Xiao Wu told him that Ji Yunshu and the others were preparing to set off.

His face turned cold, and he abruptly lifted the carriage curtain to look towards Zhang Lizheng's house.

Just then, a figure jumped off the carriage, carrying a bunch of things in his arms. Judging from the figure, it should be Ji Yunshu.

"Are you sure they loaded all the bundles onto the wagon?"

"Your Highness, I'm certain! I saw it clearly just now. Xiao Lan and Xie Mohuan were carrying things, while the Princess and Xie Lin were discussing something. Judging from the direction they were pointing, they were probably discussing which way to go."

Xiao Wu was feeling uneasy. He was really curious about what Xie Lin and the princess were discussing.

He suddenly felt a little scared, afraid that the princess and the others had really left quietly, leaving them and the eldest prince alone in the village.

Xiao Wu didn't know where this feeling came from, and he was quite depressed.

Chu Jinsheng stared straight at Zhang Lizheng's courtyard without saying a word for a moment. Xiao Wu also remained silent. The atmosphere was quiet, with only the sound of raindrops pattering on the carriage and leaves.