Chapter 26: Departing the Capital ◇

◎ Cease your clapping, they have long since left. ◎

As dawn broke, a veil of gray mist still veiled the sky, except for a golden rim that emerged from the east.

The once-renowned East Yuan Marquis's residence, now the humble Hu Mansion, stood wide open. Several carriages, loaded with people and goods, discreetly made their way towards the city gates.

The gates had just creaked open, and the soldiers on duty were still rubbing their eyes to awaken themselves. The streets were sparsely populated, save for a few diligent vendors setting up their breakfast stalls, steam rising in white clouds from their wares.

The identical twins, Hua Yan and Hua Xing, perched on the carriage window sill, peering outside. Upon catching sight of the steamed bun shop, their mouths watered, and they rubbed their bellies, claiming hunger.

"Grandmother..."

The elderly lady kept her eyes closed, ignoring them.

The twins then turned to plea with Yu Lian, "Sister-in-law..."

Half of their bodies leaned out, but Yu Lian pulled them back with one hand each, "Didn't you just have a meal? Weren't you full?"

Hua Xing, the younger brother, was even more mischievous than his older sibling, complaining, "It's all your fault for waking us up so early and urging us to eat quickly. I didn't even get to have two bites before you rushed me into the carriage."

The elder matriarch opened her eyes, displeased. "How dare you speak to your eldest sister-in-law like that? The boat has a strict schedule; it'll depart on time. If we don't leave the city sooner, we'll miss the boat, wasting not only the fare but also having to take the longer land route, doubling our travel time. Your eldest sister-in-law was merely doing me a favor by waking you up. Who asked you to sleep like little piglets, oblivious to everything? In my opinion, you two should just stay here. Your father, mother, eldest brother, and sister-in-law can go on without you."

To their surprise, the two young troublemakers clapped their hands in agreement. "Then no one will be able to boss us around. We can play however we want."

In a hurry to continue their journey, the adults in the carriage didn't indulge the misbehaving children. Yu Lian distributed steamed buns and pancakes she had brought from home to the twins, encouraging them to eat. The twins happily accepted, but to their dismay, their sister-in-law laughed and called for the coachman to stop, asking him to remove them from the carriage.

"Go find your parents."

The twins were left speechless.

With the troublesome children gone, the carriage regained its tranquility, and Yu Lian heaved a sigh of relief.

The elder matriarch chuckled. "Lian'er is clever, knowing how to send these two troublemakers to give your parents a headache."

Yu Lian replied, "You mentioned being concerned about disturbing Father's rest, so when we got on the carriage, I had Yan'er and Xing'er join us. But in my view, it would be beneficial to let them create some noise and liveliness. Father seems so lifeless these days. If they can stir even a fraction of his vitality, then their mischief would serve a purpose."

The elder matriarch hadn't considered this perspective. Reflecting on it, she agreed. "Lian'er truly thinks things through. I only thought of your father's lack of energy, but I overlooked the fact that it's a matter of his heart. Perhaps diverting his attention might help."

The carriage rumbled towards the city gates, occasionally catching the curious glances of early risers along the way.

However, as it was a hired carriage without any insignia of a noble household, and its occupants remained inside, no one could identify to whom it belonged.

Some did recognize the twins as they climbed into the second carriage, yet they couldn't quite place which family they were from.

Amidst the bustling capital, situated at the feet of the emperor, travelers and horse carriages entered daily. Yet, such a grand departure from the city was a rare sight. Intrigued, a few spectators, still holding their breakfast buns, followed the carriages from a distance.

Upon reaching the city gates, soldiers stopped them for routine identity checks, requesting that the passengers step down.

It was then that the onlookers learned whose family this was.

Yu Lian assisted the elderly lady out of the carriage, while Mrs. Chen, Lady Mei, exited the following carriage with her three children. As Hua Zhan was too ill to descend, he lay within, and the soldiers lifted the curtain to inspect him.

They had prepared travel permits two days prior, paying a small sum for them. After examining the carriage loaded with luggage, the soldiers looked surprised but waved them through.

The East Yuan Marquis's residence? Who didn't know it? The East Yuan Marquis was a renowned military general, and several of the ten guards at the gate, including the one in charge of clearance, had been under his command.

A passerby recognized Yu Lian and rushed over, asking loudly, "Excuse me, might you be Young Lady Hua? Why is it that today your entire family is leaving the capital?"

Yu Lian was assisting the elderly lady to get into the carriage when she heard this and paused, turning back with a smile. "Thank you for your concern, Elder Sister. My grandmother, my mother-in-law, and I are indeed leaving the capital."

A group of about ten curious onlookers had followed them, and with many people passing through the city gate, someone shouted Yu Lian's identity. Even those who didn't recognize her stopped, and soon more people gathered around.

Another elder asked, "You're really leaving? Where are you going? Oh, those damned nobles, pushing people out of the capital even in such dire circumstances. It's a tragedy."

Everyone in the capital knew that high-ranking officials were manipulating matters behind the scenes, preventing tooth brokers from selling houses to the Hua family. Despite some citizens, urged by Li Xiang, offering to guarantee the sale of the house to the Hua family, nobody had seen any members of the Hua family inspecting the property since that day. Thus, people instinctively wondered if these officials were up to their old tricks again.

The crowd chattered, bitterly criticizing the anonymous official, and encouraged Yu Lian not to be afraid. They declared that the capital was the Hua family's home, so why should they have to leave?

"If anyone troubles you again, just shout in the streets, and we'll come to your aid. Officials may have power, but we outnumber them. They couldn't fill the entire Jingzhao Prefecture and Criminal Ministry prisons with us. There's no need to fear him."

This was the first time the elderly lady had witnessed such a scene. She had only heard Yi Po mention that her granddaughter-in-law had an excellent reputation among the common folk, who adored her. Witnessing their eagerness to support Yu Lian and their promise to stand by her, she realized how much her granddaughter-in-law was truly loved.

Yu Lian replied, "I've always known that you all have kind hearts. Thank you once again, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters. However, my husband is absent, and my father-in-law is seriously ill. My grandmother and I plan to take him back to our hometown to ease his worries, hoping it might improve his condition."

"It's getting late, and we're afraid we won't make the boat. I won't delay any longer. Yu Lian bids farewell to each of you and thanks you all for your care."

She bowed to the crowd as she spoke.

At that moment, an elderly lady rushed over and handed her a warm bag of baked flatbreads, saying with a smile, "Take these with you for the journey, dear. Don't let yourself go hungry on such a long road."

Her gesture prompted others to follow, rushing forward to stuff whatever edible items they had in their hands into the group's possession. Yu Lian refused to accept them, so they were piled onto the twins, who, being hungry and young, readily accepted without hesitation. In no time, they were surrounded by a heap of food, with some even being placed inside the carriage before the donors scurried away.

The corners of Yu Lian's mouth twitched slightly as she surveyed the assortment of provisions - steamed buns, rolls, pancakes, chestnuts, peanuts, and even fruits and cucumbers.

As she prepared to board the carriage, she caught sight of Little Guo'er standing timidly by another carriage, looking their way with reddened eyes. Yu Lian felt a pang of compassion and waved her over to join her in the same carriage. Seeing their sister approach, the twins also wanted to follow, grumbling, "Mother keeps crying, it's so annoying."

"And she won't even let us talk."

Yu Lian offered the twins a sisterly smile before assisting the elderly woman into the carriage and lifting the little girl aboard. Taking one last look at the capital city and its concerned citizens, she climbed in and drew the curtains.

The twins were furious but, with their arms full of food, couldn't manage to climb into another carriage. They had no choice but to join their parents in theirs.

With a crack of the whip, the carriage creaked and rolled forward, and the people watched them depart.

The wheels rolled steadily along the road, gradually disappearing from sight. The onlookers glanced at each other, feeling a sense of melancholy. Was that it? They were really gone?

"It's such a pity. I still remember how grand the East Yuan Marquis' residence was just a couple of months ago. In the blink of an eye, heir Hua Ji is gone, and they had to leave the capital in disgrace. Who would've thought?"

"Someone must have forced them. Don't be fooled by Young Lady Hua's claims. They must have received some sort of threat behind closed doors. They've made many enemies with their past arrogance. Plenty would be more than happy to kick them while they're down. But it's rather cruel to push them out of the capital. Saying that the Marquis is too ill and wants to return to the countryside for fresh air is just an excuse. Think about it, the Marquis grew up in the capital, it's his hometown. Would he really long for his ancestral village?"

"You have a point. I mainly feel sorry for Miss Sixth. Regardless of the Hua family's right or wrong, this outcome is their own choice. Miss Sixth is innocent. She only entered the family because of Prince Hua Ji. Her love for him is unwavering; otherwise, she wouldn't have had to suffer."

"How can life in the countryside be any good? Miss Sixth leaving with her family, old, weak, and sick, will surely face more hardships ahead."

"Why do good people never get rewarded?!"

The townsfolk sighed in sympathy. An old man carrying a basket of vegetables into the city chuckled, "That's not entirely true. You only see what's before your eyes but forget that one's happiness depends on themselves. A foolish person can squander even the greatest fortune, while someone capable and virtuous can rise from the mud and clean themselves up, building a house and digging a stream beside it. Miss Sixth is full of affection and righteousness. Her actions and behavior are commendable. Perhaps she'll truly uplift the family in the future. It can't possibly get worse than it is now."

"A wise wife brings blessings to the family. The Hua household might still have a bright future."

By the time the sun rose, and the streets began to buzz with activity, the news of the Hua family's departure from the capital to return to their ancestral village had spread throughout the city. Even officials returning from court had heard about it.

A commotion erupted at the Wei Duke's residence: "Oh no! Miss Sixth has left the capital! She took the entire Hua family with her to live in the countryside!"

This uproar startled everyone in the Wei Duke's residence. The matriarch had just woken up, while her three daughters-in-law and over ten young ladies were in her courtyard paying respects and attending to her. As usual, the group of women chatted over breakfast, subtly jabbing at each other. The shocking news left everyone stunned and unable to sit still.

The old lady was even more incredulous. She turned to Third Madam, "You're Sixth Son's mother. What's going on here? Explain it to us."

"I did send you to the Hu household to persuade Lian'er to remarry, and you did go. These past few days, I've seen Li Xiang visiting the Hu residence frequently, even defending Lian'er in public. I thought everything was settled. Now, what's happening?!"

Yu Niang was stunned, nearly fainting on the spot. She muttered blankly, "I don't know either, Lian'er, my Lian'er!"

With that, she rushed outside.

A young maid brought Erya in, bumping into the lady of the house. The maid quickly explained, "Madam, this is a servant girl from the Hu family. She's here to deliver a message for Miss and give you a letter."

Yu Niang hurriedly stopped in her tracks.

The old lady and the others emerged as well.

Erya took out the letter that the young mistress had entrusted to her and gave it to the young mistress's mother. "This is from the young mistress. She says she and her grandmother, as well as her husband's parents, have left the capital to return to their ancestral countryside. She asks you not to worry about her. By the way, there's also this one thousand taels of silver. The young mistress said housing in the capital is expensive, and they originally planned to buy a house, but now they won't need it. Properties in the countryside are cheaper, so she has the audacity to accept half of it, returning the other one thousand to you."

Tears were already streaming down Yu Niang's face. With trembling hands, she opened the letter. This time, the letter was thick, consisting of two and a half pages.

After skimming through it hastily, she was sobbing uncontrollably, her voice barely audible.

The old lady never expected the situation to escalate to this point. Her granddaughter had left the capital with her family without a word, truly regarding herself as a member of the Hu family.

After Yu Niang finished reading the letter, she instructed her young maid to prepare the carriage. She was determined to chase after her daughter! This silly daughter of hers had already caused her enough worry by refusing to marry into the Hu family, but at least she was still in the capital. Whenever she worried or missed her, she could send someone to inquire about her well-being or find an excuse to visit and lend a helping hand.

Now, however, her daughter had run off to some far-off rural area. In the future, when she yearned for her daughter, it would be difficult to meet her, let alone keep track of her news. She wouldn't know how her daughter was living, if she was hungry or poor, or if anyone was bullying her. As a mother, she felt utterly helpless.

Tears streamed down her face as she scolded her daughter for her recklessness and foolishness.

Erya also felt saddened. While her mistress' family had moved away, their household had returned to its original status, settling in the outskirts of the capital. She thought Yu Niang was being too selfish, but not knowing what else to do, she could only help Lady Hu with one last task.

Seeing Lady Hu weep uncontrollably, Erya panicked and didn't know how to console her. She tried to reassure her, "Don't worry, Lady Hu is very capable. She'll be fine. She even mentioned that she enjoys the simple life of working from dawn till dusk."

She also discouraged her from chasing after them, "You shouldn't go either, it's too late now. Lady Hu left before dawn. She specifically asked me to come with the news only when the sun was high in the sky. By now, the carriage must be far from the capital, and Lady Hu might have already boarded a ship."

Upon hearing this, Yu Niang's legs turned to jelly, and the maid had to support her. She lost all concern for her image and sat on the ground, weeping.

The old lady felt a mix of emotions, causing her head to ache. Initially, she wanted to say something, but she lost the desire, allowing the nursemaid to help her back to her room. She dismissed all her daughters-in-law and granddaughters.

The first wife and second wife helped Yu Niang to her feet. From their perspective, they were actually relieved. The Hu family was like a ticking time bomb in the capital. No matter what Yu Lian said about severing ties with the Wei Duke's residence, it remained her maiden family. They always feared that any trouble there would inevitably affect their own family.

Now that she's gone, it's for the best. The Emperor will no longer see the Huas, and thus, they won't be implicated.

But she couldn't bear to watch the spectacle. They all had daughters, and seeing her sister-in-law weep uncontrollably, she couldn't help but try to console her, urging her not to cry.

"Xiao Liu deliberately asked the servant to report later, surely out of concern for your feelings. Why are you crying so much?"

"It's too late to catch up with them if they've taken the water route. The boats come and go, drifting away. Since it has come to this, quickly send someone to inform Third Uncle."

Yu Niang wiped her tears and rushed back to her courtyard.

Lady First and Lady Second stood where they were, shaking their heads. "Xiao Liu has always been beautiful since she was young, like a national treasure. We thought she would have the best marriage among all the ladies in our household. Who would have thought it would end up like this? Life is truly unpredictable."

"When she was betrothed to the East Yuan Marquis's heir, Third Sister-in-Law held her head high with pride for an entire year. Now, look at her situation."

"Big Sister, don't say that. Xiao Liu used to be arrogant, not even sparing a glance for us, her aunts. It was as if she had already become a phoenix. Now that things have turned out this way, it's her own doing. No one else can be blamed. Fortunately, none of our other young misses were implicated by her."

Lady First gave her a glance. "In this state, try not to be too harsh with your words. While I don't agree with Xiao Liu's choice, her actions have benefited the reputation of our young misses. Outsiders now know that the ladies of the Marquis's household value loyalty and affection. There has been increased interest in our young misses' marriages. Don't tell me your legitimate and illegitimate daughters haven't gained anything from this?"

Lady Second replied awkwardly, "Not to that extent."

Observing the First Lady's departure, the Second Lady spat on the ground in disdain. What pretense! She only bothers to be kind when she sees no threat. Why didn't she do this before?

Erya, witnessing this, stormed out to chase after Young Lady's mother, fuming with anger.

Young Lady's aunt from her father's elder brother's side and the one from the second brother's side were both despicable individuals.

In the palace, the emperor received a report from a eunuch. "Your Majesty, this servant has learned that the family has left the capital."

"And where are they heading?"

"The rumor is that they're returning to their ancestral village in the countryside. I've checked with the local authorities, and their travel permit does indeed indicate Yuzhou. They took a water route, transferring to land at Yanzhou. The ship departed at a quarter past dawn, and it's already gone. Should we send someone to intercept them?"

The emperor paused his writing, rising to gaze out the window.

"No need," he chuckled softly. "They are quite clever."

"From now on, there's no need to keep spies on them."

His tone shifted as he continued, "Send someone to Yanzhou. Once they disembark, find an opportunity to make your move. Remember to disguise yourselves as bandits – do not let anyone recognize your true intentions."

"I'll grant Hua Ji's favor and give them three chances. If they survive the three attempts on their life, I'll let it slide. If not, it's their destiny."

Yu Sanlang was occupied with work when a servant from his residence rushed in, reporting that there was an emergency at home. His wife had summoned him urgently.

After seeking permission to take leave from his superior, Yu Sanlang returned home to find his wife weeping bitterly, her eyes swollen and red, crying even more than the day their daughter left the mansion.

The servant had already informed his master about Miss on the way. Yu Sanlang sighed inwardly and approached, saying, "This is Lian'er's choice. She has grown up and understands the consequences of her actions. Besides, going back to the countryside isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least she'll be away from the Emperor's watchful eye and out of harm's way. In the future, she will be free to do as she pleases without constraints. Isn't that better than living here in the capital?"

"Lian'er doesn't crave wealth or power. I am relieved that she made this decision."

"You always talk about your principles of being a noble gentleman and having integrity, but have you considered that Lian'er was pampered since childhood? She has never experienced the hardships of the countryside. There's no fine food or luxuries there, nor fashionable clothes to wear. It's all rough fabrics and simple attire. Can she endure such a life? Spending every day under the sun in the fields, how will her delicate skin cope?"

"Plain tea and meager meals, coarse grains that scrape the throat, bland dishes with little oil – how can she possibly stomach that?"

"She even sent back one thousand taels of silver! This foolish child! My lord, you must send someone to bring Lian'er back. Go to Salt State, I've already inquired. The merchant ship she was on docked there, and she'll continue her journey by land. Hurry and retrieve our daughter."

While Yu Sanlang logically agreed with his daughter's choice, emotionally, like any father, he couldn't help but worry. Seeing his wife's tears, he reluctantly consented, "But we no longer hold military authority, and as a sixth-rank official, I don't have anyone to command. Whoever goes after her should be skilled in horseback riding, physically strong, and preferably proficient in martial arts. In that case, I'll hire two bodyguards from a security agency to track her down."

"That's a good idea. Spend whatever it takes to make them travel day and night. Don't worry about the cost of the horses; I'll cover the expenses."

On the other side, Li Xiang had stormed back after being angered by Yu Lian the previous day. When he calmed down, he realized that he had been initially drawn to her because of her feelings for Hua Ji. How could he give up on her because of this? Hua Ji had just died, and Yu Lian still held him in her heart. He decided to be patient, believing that with time, she might eventually forget about Hua Ji. With this mental preparation, he bounced back the next morning, ready for action after breakfast, and rode his horse straight to the Hua residence.

Upon arrival, he saw the official seals of the government affixed to the Hua family's gates, with people outside pointing and discussing.

Li Xiang rushed over to knock, but a civilian told him, "Don't bother, they've already left."

Startled, he asked, "Where did they go?"

"Oh, you haven't heard? Right after the city gates opened this morning, Young Lady Hua took her entire family out of town. They hired several carriages to carry their belongings, saying they were returning to their ancestral village. She mentioned that her father-in-law is gravely ill and wants to breathe the fresh air of the countryside. In our opinion, they were probably forced to leave."

Li Xiang was utterly stunned, unable to absorb what he was hearing. Return to their ancestral village?

He racked his brains trying to remember where East Yuan Marquis's ancestral home was, but drew a blank. He then rushed to the Jingzhao Prefecture office to search through the records, only to discover that they were from Yuzhou.

Yuzhou was a remote, small region overseeing around half a dozen counties. To the capital, it was an isolated and barren land, a distant place that could take tens of thousands of miles to reach, so far away that an imperial order might not even reach them for ten days or more.

His heart shattered. He raced out of the office and pursued her on horseback, all the way to the canal dock, but not a single boat was in sight.

At this moment, Li Xiang was overwhelmed with regret. Why had he stormed off in a huff yesterday? He should have clarified why she didn't want to see the house and seemed intent on moving.

There was clearly something amiss in this situation.

Yet, she chose not to divulge it.

Meanwhile, in a secluded residence somewhere in the capital, a letter also arrived: "Young Madam has taken Lady Elder, Lord, and Lady to their ancestral home in Yuzhou. They boarded the ship at dawn."

Update for tomorrow before 11 PM.

Upcoming ancient novel: "Conquering the Minister's Wife"

The emperor, who had lived a simple life for many years, took an instant liking to the foster daughter-in-law of the top scholar.