Chapter 203: Tianjin Prefecture

Chapter 203: Tianjin Prefecture

The Hall of Self-Restraint was the emperor's residence, a heavily guarded area within the palace, and one could not stay for long. After staying for less than fifteen minutes, Azure Phoenix Lord gave a light cough, reminding Qiu Huanian that it was time to leave.

Qiu Huanian gathered his composure and followed silently beside Azure Phoenix Lord, step by step leaving the dimly lit hall.

Only after boarding the carriage did Qiu Huanian finally come to his senses. Phoenix Roost looked at him and sighed.

“What did Sixteen tell you at the end?”

When Azure Phoenix Lord signaled that it was time to leave, Qiu Huanian still didn't want to go. He and Sixteen were at a standstill until Sixteen said something, and only then did Qiu Huanian finally agree to leave.

“Never mind, don’t tell me,” Phoenix Roost chuckled. “If I don’t know, then I don’t have to worry about it. Whatever you do has nothing to do with me.”

Qiu Huanian said seriously, “Thank you, Your Highness, for your indulgence.”

Phoenix Roost shook his head, lifted the carriage curtain, and looked at the sky above the imperial city. “No need to thank me. I don’t know if what I did was correct or not. I just don’t like hesitation.”

“Whether it succeeds or not, taking action is always better than waiting around.”

Qiu Huanian leaned against the jostling carriage, his eyes distant, and let out a long sigh.

The last thing Sixteen told him was, “Go to Tianjin and wait for me.” Qiu Huanian could tell that Sixteen was very hesitant when he said this. If it weren’t for his fear that Qiu Huanian, Wen Huiyang, and others might do something irreversible, he would never have said such a thing.

This was Sixteen’s biggest compromise. Qiu Huanian couldn’t let Azure Phoenix Lord share the risk, so he could only choose to trust Sixteen.

He didn’t know how Sixteen planned to leave the imperial city and come to Tianjin to find him. Sixteen only told him to wait.

Qiu Huanian sighed once more. He could tell that Sixteen wasn’t just dismissing him or lying to him. He surely had his own plan.

Qiu Huanian only hoped that the day of reunion would come sooner, and that it would be easier and safer.

...

The day of departure for Tianjin was quite hurried. Qiu Huanian had barely sent people to Tianjin Prefecture to prepare the official residence before he himself had to leave. Tianjin was near the capital, so the people and essential luggage went ahead first, while other things could be fetched later.

Among the items to be packed, the most crucial were those for Gu Gu and Yang Yang. The two children were already seven months old, very healthy, and not so likely to die young, but they still needed to be handled with great care.

After all, the farthest the two little ones had ever gone was their own garden, and this time they would be traveling for a whole day to another prefecture.

The wet nurse’s family lived in the southern part of the city and had no plans to accompany them to Tianjin. The wet nurse came to say goodbye to Qiu Huanian, who generously gave her a bonus and packed many silk clothes, fabrics, and pills that the family no longer wore. The wet nurse gathered her courage and asked if she could also request a dowry gift from the County Princess for her daughter.

The wet nurse did this to give her daughter some confidence for her future marriage, as the title of Qishu County Princess was highly respected among ordinary families.

Qiu Huanian pondered for a moment and gave her a set of beginner’s books, including two volumes on basic arithmetic, as well as a set of white jade jewelry he had received as a gift. The quality was beyond what an ordinary family could afford, but it wasn’t excessively luxurious—just perfect for the wet nurse’s daughter.

After the wet nurse left, Uncle Putao had also departed the previous month. The mansion in the capital needed someone to stay behind, and there was a shortage of household staff.

Fortunately, the official residence in Tianjin Prefecture had dedicated government servants, so there was no need to hire new people.

Before departing, Qiu Huanian consulted Bing Qi, Bing Ba, and Wei Li at the estate. They still had some unfinished business at the estate and wouldn’t go to Tianjin for now. They would wait until everything was settled before making the move.

When Bing Qi met Qiu Huanian, it seemed like he had something to say, but in the end, he said nothing. Qiu Huanian was too busy to pay much attention to this minor anomaly.

He noticed that the relationship between Wei Li and Bing Qi was growing closer, and the difference was almost immediately apparent. Bing Qi had spent years waiting patiently, and finally, the snail-like young man had quietly poked his head out.

Qiu Huanian glanced at Bing Qi, then at Wei Li, his eyes filled with amusement. “Next time we meet, I hope to hear good news.”

Bing Qi was stunned for a moment, and his resolute face instantly turned red. Wei Li had already turned away, pretending to be very seriously inspecting the items prepared for the County Princess to take to Tianjin.

On the morning of June 15th, Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse, having packed their belongings, left the familiar capital with their family, heading towards a new chapter in their lives.

The carriages of the Qishu County Princess and the third-rank official, Du Yunse, were both spacious, padded with soft cotton and fur for comfort, with windows covered in light gauze for ventilation.

This summer was not particularly hot, and with children on board, Qiu Huanian did not prepare ice containers, opting instead for lighter clothing.

Half of the carriage was converted into a crib with railings, where Gu Gu and Yang Yang crawled around fearlessly, sometimes clapping and laughing at the sound of the carriage.

Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse sat beside the children. Due to limited space, they didn't bring any servants.

After crawling for a while, Yang Yang stopped moving, lying on the bed like a little turtle, with short limbs, blowing bubbles, utterly adorable. Gu Gu tried to pull his brother up to play but ended up falling backward.

Qiu Huanian couldn't help laughing, and Gu Gu looked confusedly at his laughing father, momentarily forgetting to cry.

Du Yunse picked up both children, sat them against the crib railings, and fed them.

Babies need to eat several times a day, unlike adults who can manage with three meals.

Although males can temporarily produce milk after childbirth, it is not as much as females. Seven months after giving birth, Qiu Huanian's body had nearly returned to normal, with almost no milk left.

Fortunately, seven-month-old babies can eat solid food. Qiu Huanian had goat milk concentrated, dried into powder, and mixed with rice flour to make infant formula, and various fruit and vegetable purees mixed with egg yolk, baked into soft finger biscuits for the babies to grab and eat.

Gu Gu and Yang Yang were very well-behaved during meals, requiring little attention from adults. After drinking their formula, they each held a biscuit to munch on. With only two lower front teeth, white like little bamboo shoots, it took them a long time to finish a biscuit.

By noon, the carriage had entered the newly established Tianjin Prefecture, where the group stopped to rest. Many local gentry and officials wanted to pay their respects to Prefect Du and Qishu County Princess, some even bringing heavy gifts. To focus on their journey, Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian declined all of them.

Now they were undoubtedly seen as the golden ladder and powerful figures in everyone's eyes. The more this was the case, the more cautious Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse became, as only by doing so could they go further.

As the sun set, the convoy finally arrived at the gates of the former Hejian Prefecture, now Tianjin Prefecture.

The plaque above the city gate had been replaced, with the majestic characters "Tianjin" personally written by Emperor Zhaoxin. The "Tian" in Tianjin refers to the "heaven" of the emperor, indicating the newly enthroned emperor's expectations and importance for this newly established direct-controlled prefecture.

Knowing that the new prefect would arrive today, all the officials of Tianjin Prefecture were waiting outside the city gate. Qiu Huanian looked out through the gauze window and judged from their expressions that they must have been standing there since morning.

It was easy to infer their mindset.

No one knew the specific temperament of the new superior. The other party had become famous at a young age, passing six levels of imperial examinations, and was a third-rank official deeply trusted by the emperor at a young age, married to the renowned Qishu County Princess. Anyone with such conditions would be arrogant, and no one wanted to offend him on his first day in office.

Qiu Huanian laughed, their actions were nothing but a form of flattery. Unfortunately, Du Yunse was going to "disappoint" them. Young Master Du was definitely not someone to be easily fooled, and those who underestimated him would surely suffer.

Du Yunse straightened his clothes and stepped out of the carriage to meet the officials waiting outside the city gate, his attitude neither cold nor warm, only showing a bit of closeness when speaking to Wang Yinzhi.

After that, he declined all invitations and gestures of goodwill, only saying that he would start official business three days later, and then dismissed everyone, heading straight into the city.

Qiu Huanian sat in the carriage watching Du Yunse, his lips unconsciously curving. Du Yunse's demeanor was becoming more mature and powerful, always inadvertently making his heart beat faster.

When Du Yunse returned to the carriage, Qiu Huanian's gaze had not yet shifted. He was startled, then suddenly leaned down and pecked Qiu Huanian's lips.

Qiu Huanian's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively turned his head. In the crib, Gu Gu and Yang Yang were already asleep, their chubby little faces pressed into a shape that made one want to pinch them.