Chapter 97: Finally Back in the Capital

Chapter 97: Finally Returning to the Capital

The Marquis of Changyang humbly said, "This is all due to His Majesty's favor."

Once the officials had dispersed, the Marquis returned to his office and raised an eyebrow with a smile.

Word of Zheng Shanci's achievements spread like wildfire through the court, and even the Hanlin Academy scholars became aware of it. The top scholar held the position of a sixth-rank compiler, while the second and third scholars were seventh-rank editors. They were required to serve in the Hanlin Academy for three years, during which they would compile national histories, draft documents, observe governance in the six ministries, and wait for their appointment to the six ministries after three years.

Xiao Gaoyang couldn't help but eavesdrop as Hanlin scholars buzzed about Zheng Shanci.

"This Zheng Shanci is a Third-Ranked Jinshi, yet he has jumped three ranks to become a Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue. It's said that his significant contributions in combating the plague earned him this promotion, along with his outstanding political achievements, leading His Majesty to directly promote him."

"Who is this Zheng Shanci? He's quite remarkable."

"His promotion was even smoother than that of the top three scholars," one Hanlin Academy scholar said with a hint of envy. He was a Second-Ranked Jinshi who had been stuck in the Hanlin Academy for eight years without any promotion. The Hanlin Academy, though prestigious, was a modest institution, and officials lived frugally. The cost of living in the capital was exorbitant, and many from humble backgrounds, even those from scholarly families, couldn't afford to buy houses in the capital. Though Hanlin scholars appeared glamorous, their lives were marked by poverty.

"Let us not speak in such a manner. Zheng Shanci is a truly capable man. Now his rank is even higher than most of us here. When we see him in the future, we'll have to bow and greet him as Lord Zheng," another Hanlin Academy scholar said calmly.

"Lord Xiao, what do you think?" someone asked, noticing a spark in Xiao Gaoyang's eyes. Xiao Gaoyang was from the same cohort as Zheng Shanci and was the top scholar.

"I still have much to learn from Lord Zheng's example," Xiao Gaoyang replied with a subtle smile.

Noticing that the top scholar remained tight-lipped, the others found the conversation uninteresting. Xiao Gaoyang quietly gathered his documents and retreated to his desk, organizing his papers without getting involved in the discussion.

After work, Xiao Gaoyang returned home, where his father comforted him about Zheng Shanci's success. Xiao Gaoyang smiled faintly, "Father, we in the capital have not experienced locust plagues or epidemics. Lord Zheng protected so many people, and I can only feel admiration. However, I don't feel inferior to him. If I were a local official, I would also do my utmost to protect the people."

Hearing his son's mature perspective, Lord Xiao stroked his beard and smiled, "You truly are the pride of the Xiao family."

After Xiao Gaoyang left, Lady Xiao teased her husband, "You used to worry that Yang'er was too unstable. You underestimated him."

While Xiao Gaoyang remained calm, many others were unsettled. For example, the Jinshi scholars in the Shuchang Hall. The Shuchang Hall served as a training ground for new Jinshi scholars and was considered a talent pool for the court. Following each imperial examination, the Hanlin Academy selected approximately twenty new Jinshi scholars to study in the hall for three years. Those selected were called Shujishi, and after three years, they would take an examination. The outstanding ones would remain in the Hanlin Academy or serve in the court, while the rest would be sent to local governments as county officials.

Most of the Shujishi in the Hanlin Academy were Second-Ranked Jinshi. When they heard about Zheng Shanci, their faces betrayed a mix of emotions.

Once the lecture concluded, a small group gathered to chat, and the conversation inevitably shifted to Zheng Shanci.

"Zheng Shanci's name sounds familiar."

"Isn't he the one connected to the Marquis of Changyang..."

With that, they remembered.

"He was praised by His Majesty and jumped three ranks, becoming a Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue. Even if we were to serve in the six ministries, we'd only be sixth-rank officials, and we might not even stay in the capital."

"Why worry about not staying? Just perform as well as Zheng Shanci, and you'll return to the capital."

The Shujishi smiled bitterly, "It's not that easy. My family background isn't prominent, and my abilities aren't that great."

"We'll see if Zheng Shanci is truly capable when he arrives in the capital."

Some couldn't hide their resentment toward Zheng Shanci, claiming that he relied on his in-laws for political achievements. Others sourly remarked that if they had such in-laws, they could achieve the same.

After Emperor Wuming issued the decree, it would take over two months for the edict to reach Xin Feng County. By that time, spring planting was already underway in Xin Feng County. This year, they were planting medicinal herbs, but after last year's disaster, they had reserved half of the land for wheat. Every household had the habit of storing grain, and even the wealthy families in the city had their servants stockpile food as a precaution. Xin Feng County had not suffered as much as Lan County, but the memory of Lan County's fate was still fresh, so they prepared thoroughly.

Fan Ping delivered the medicinal seeds and some flower seeds, and Zheng Shanci received him.

"Lord Zheng, these are the items your county office requested," Fan Ping handed over the goods.

Zheng Shanci instructed the accounting office to verify the goods, and after confirming there were no errors, he gave Fan Ping the payment.

Fan Ping used the silver notes to buy perfume, chili sauce, and liquor. After chatting with Zheng Shanci for a while, Zheng Shanci said, "In the future, when doing business with the county office, you can contact Lord Ding or Lord Jiang."

Fan Ping agreed.

Only a magistrate with average performance would stay in one place without moving. Fan Ping rested at the inn. After his subordinates bought the goods, he stayed in Xin Feng County for three days before returning to Qingzhou.

The medicinal seeds Fan Ping brought were of good quality, and Zheng Shanci sold them to the people at the cost price.

After handling official duties at the county office, Zheng Shanci took some time to exercise. As long as the weather remained favorable this year, the people could make a profit again. He calculated that the account still had a significant amount of money left. He made a plan: most of the money could not be touched, but a small portion of it would be used to build a school.

Xin Feng County was located in a remote area, and none of the four major towns had public schools. Teaching was only available through private academies or private tutors. In some economically prosperous areas, wealthier towns would have public schools. Zheng Shanci was not overly ambitious; he only wanted to build one public school.

Since he wasn't as familiar with the four major towns as Scribe Jiang and Tan He, Zheng Shanci sent Wang Fu to invite them.

Upon entering, Scribe Jiang and Tan He greeted him respectfully.

"I want to build a public school. Which town do you think would be the best location?"

Scribe Jiang asked a clerk to bring a map. After some thought, he said, "Let's build it in Wu Town. Wu Town is located between Jinxing Town and Dong'an Town, somewhat distant from Hua Town. However, Tan He had already built a concrete road, making the journey from Hua Town to Wu Town about an hour."

That would be two hours.

Upon learning that Zheng Shanci wanted to build a public school, Tan He was deeply impressed.

"Lord Zheng, a public school is akin to a county school, meaning it would be government-run."

Zheng Shanci nodded, "The public school will mainly teach fundamental subjects. I'm still considering tuition and cafeteria fees, and I also plan to build dormitories. Some children may reside too far away and can live in the dormitories. If they are hardworking, they can even take on part-time jobs during breaks."

Zheng Shanci's idea was not spur-of-the-moment. He had this idea after visiting the county school, but back then, the county office lacked sufficient funds. Now that the roads and water channels had been built, and the channel had been named 'Moon Channel' by the construction team, the county office no longer needed to spend money on water channels and roads. He could allocate the funds to build a public school.

Zheng Shanci always believed that education was of utmost importance. Whether or not one passed the imperial exams, reading more books would help people understand county notices, grasp life's principles, and gain basic literacy and arithmetic skills, opening doors to jobs like accounting or letter writing. If the lack of educational opportunities prevented people from learning, Zheng Shanci wanted to bridge this gap.

Their future studies would be their own responsibility, but providing the opportunity to learn by building the public school was the county office's duty.

The next day, Zheng Shanci sent the construction team to Wu Town to select a site and start construction.

Zheng Shanci also invited Jiaoyu Liu to ask for his advice on setting appropriate tuition and cafeteria fees.

Jiaoyu Liu bowed to Zheng Shanci and asked, "May I ask if the county office's treasury is well-funded?"

Zheng Shanci nodded.

Jiaoyu Liu said, "Then I suggest setting the tuition at one tael of silver. As for the cafeteria pricing, I dare not comment."

Zheng Shanci agreed.

For the cafeteria, Zheng Shanci set the prices low, with the cheapest option being a bowl of rice and a bowl of vegetables for two coins. He also established scholarship rules to encourage students to study and to better support them in their daily lives.

At noon, Zheng Shanci had lunch in the cafeteria and then returned to his room to rest.

The Yamen Runners chatted among themselves, "I saw the construction team heading out again."

"I heard they're going to build a public school."

"Really? Are we going to have a public school in our county?" one Yamen Runner exclaimed in delight.

"I saw them heading toward Wu Town. The school will be built in Wu Town."

Several Yamen Runners from Wu Town looked pleased.

"I remember your child is just three or four years old, and can be sent to the town school when the time comes. The town school is a government-run school, and the tuition is much cheaper than private tutoring."

"I will discuss it with my wife tonight," said the Yamen Runner, already planning to save more money for his child's schooling. Besides tuition, there are other costs for schooling, and without saving more, it would be unaffordable.

After his shift, Zheng Shanci returned home. Yu Lanyi was changing clothes in the house. Zheng Shanci pushed the door open and entered, hearing rustling from the bedroom. He also had to change.

After Yu Lanyi finished changing, Zheng Shanci went to the inner room to change.

Yu Lanyi said, "I heard the door open; you came in but didn’t say anything."

Zheng Shanci, changing into his official robe, replied, "I didn’t want to startle you."

"If that could scare me, I must be really timid," Yu Lanyi lingered in the inner room, watching Zheng Shanci change.

Zheng Shanci: "..."

The two came out of the inner room. Yu Lanyi was sitting with his legs crossed, looking at the account book. Zheng Shanci saw this and said, "Crossing your legs isn’t good for you."

Zheng Shanci went out and got a small stool from Jin Yun, placing it under Yu Lanyi's legs, "If you can’t resist, rest your legs on this."

Yu Lanyi stopped crossing his legs and placed them on the small stool, glancing sideways at Zheng Shanci, "You’re too thoughtful, Zheng Shanci. Do you treat everyone like this?"

Zheng Shanci: "Why do you say that?"

Yu Lanyi stepped on the stool, "Today at the tavern, several men said that since we’ve been married so long without children, they’re worried. If you’d take them as concubines, they would be happy to bear children for you."

Yu Lanyi was so mad he gritted his teeth.

Zheng Shanci: "There aren’t many men in our yamen to mingle with."

His gaze fell on Yu Lanyi’s belly, "You’re all I need."

Yu Lanyi’s ears turned red.

That night, Zheng Shanci lifted Yu Lanyi’s legs onto his shoulders.

Yu Lanyi had long, pale legs, and he covered his belly.

...

Xinfeng County returned to its usual calm. The townsfolk bought seeds and planted herbs at the yamen. After spring, they were busy, and by summer, a man returned home, scooping water from the family water jar with a gourd. He had just come back from the fields, shirtless, wearing a thin vest, with his pants rolled up and mud stains on the cuffs.

After drinking a mouthful of water, he felt relieved. He had been called over by the village head to talk while in the fields. Each household was to send one person to listen. It was said that there was a town school in Wu Town, with tuition only one tael of silver, and the cheapest meal only two coins. If interested, they could send their children to study.

His mother and wife had gone up the mountain to gather firewood and pick mushrooms and would probably return later. The man first went to cut grass for the chickens with a basket on his back. When he returned, his mother and wife had also come back from the mountain.

"Mother, wife, don't start working yet," the man told his mother and wife what the village head had said, "If the grades are not good within two years, they will be dismissed. After all, the yamen cannot support people indefinitely; this is a place for studying."

The woman said, "Do you want to send our second child to study?"

The man nodded, "The eldest is too old, but the second is just the right age to go to school. I've earned a lot of money for the family by working on the road with Mr. Tan. Mother, do you think we can send the second child to study?"

His mother was indifferent, "Wait until your father and brothers come back to discuss."

The wife and mother went to the kitchen to cook. By evening, they had prepared the meal, and everyone in the family had returned. There were four siblings in the family, the youngest sister had married into the neighboring village, leaving three brothers at home, he was the middle one.

The mother told the family about his idea.

The father took a puff of his pipe, "What do you say, eldest son?"

The eldest son said, "If Second Child is going, then our family's Ox Child should also go to study."

The third son was even more dissatisfied, "If both nephews are going, my child should also go."

Calculating this way, they would have to pay three taels of silver a year, which is not cheap for farmers. The father took a puff of his cigarette, "Let's just forget about it and focus on farming well. What does studying have to do with our family? Farming steadily can also earn money."

"Father, mother, Second Child is at the right age, and I have contributed a lot of money to the family by working on the roads these past two years. Let Second Child go to study. Father, just give me six taels of silver, and we will support Second Child's studies ourselves from now on."

"Since the second brother wants to support Second Child's studies himself, why does he still ask father and mother for six taels of silver? If he has the ambition, he shouldn't ask for money from father and mother," the eldest brother's wife said sarcastically.

Only the second son was chosen to work on the roads, while the eldest and third sons were not. The second son contributed money to the family, and it was unclear how much he had kept for himself, otherwise he wouldn't be talking about supporting Second Child's studies.

Why should studying favor one over the others? If they are to study, each family should send one child to study together.

The second son was seething with anger, and the dinner ended unhappily.

The second son went home and thought about it. Fortunately, he had been careful not to give too much money to the family, and there was still some left. He had earned the most money in the past two years and only wanted to send Second Child to study in town, but even six taels of silver was not enough.

The second son's wife coaxed her parents-in-law outside before coming in. Seeing the second son, she patted him, "Who told you to speak like that? Saying you would support Second Child's studies makes it seem like we have a lot of private savings, which upset father and mother and offended the eldest and third brothers. Choose your words carefully."

In the end, Second Child still went to study, with father and mother contributing three taels of silver. Second Child's schoolbag was freshly made by his mother using fabric she bought in town. The shoes on his feet were made by his eldest aunt, and he also had a sleeve cover made by his third aunt, to prevent him from dirtying his clothes.

The second son's wife looked at Second Child. Today, they were sending him to Wuzhen for the first time, and it was the first time she and her husband personally took him there. The family of three took an ox cart to Wuzhen, and at the town school, they saw many adults sending their children to study.

The second son patted Second Child's shoulder, "Study hard, this opportunity is not easy. Your older brothers wanted to study but couldn't. When you succeed in your studies, remember to treat them well, understand?"

Second Child nodded, "Father, mother, I understand. I will listen to the teacher and study hard."

"Alright, Second Child, go in. The teacher will show you the way in," the second son's wife touched her son's head.

After the couple watched Second Child enter and disappear into the crowd of children, they turned back. The second son's wife had brought some money and dragged her husband into a pastry shop to buy some pastries.

"These pastries are too pricey; we can't afford them," the second son said.

"These pastries are for the nephews. The eldest and third brothers are still unhappy. But look, the eldest and third sisters-in-law still sent shoes and sleeve covers, showing they still care for Second Child. Don't be so blunt, don't think that just because you earned some money from working on the roads, you can be at odds with the eldest and third brothers."

The second son thought about it, "Wife, you're right."

Second Child was led by the teacher to the class, which was mostly filled with children his age. Second Child didn't glance around, just placed his schoolbag on the seat and swung his legs as he sat on the chair, waiting for the teacher to come in.

At noon, he could have free cabbage soup in the dining hall. He bought a meal with a side of vegetables, which was stir-fried carrots with plenty of oil. Second Child thought it tasted better than the carrots cooked at home.

Some town children didn't stay in the dormitory and went home after school. Second Child stayed in the dormitory, where there were four children in one room. In the evening, a kind aunt came to chat with them, and after chatting, she let them sleep.

Second Child covered himself with a small quilt, tears filled his eyes. He wiped his tears with his small hand, missing home, his parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and his two brothers—one his own and one a cousin.

Second Child made new friends at the town school, which lifted his spirits.

...

In the hot summer, Dr. Song had broken Zheng Shancheng's leg and he was recuperating at home. He couldn't get out of bed. If he wanted to sunbathe, he had his attendants carry him out.

Zheng Shancheng's spirits were still good, his leg wrapped in white bandages, half of his body immobile.

"Dad, eat melon!" Zheng Tongchu was starting to say a few simple words. Lin Geer was helping him learn to walk, but Zheng Tongchu would stand for a while and then fall to the ground, as his balance was still poor.

The melon was a chilled melon, which Yu Lanyi also liked. Xin Feng County had no ice, so they cooled the fruit by placing it at the bottom of a well, making it cool to eat.

Yu Lanyi took a hearty bite, leaving a large gap in the chilled melon. The chilled melon was transported from Lan County for sale, and many families liked to buy it, chill it in the well, and then eat it.

He also enjoys osmanthus jelly, a refreshing dessert made from osmanthus flowers and a gelatinous base. In the hot summer weather, he eats two bowls of it. The jelly is delightful, especially with rice wine and crushed peanuts, making it even tastier.

"Summer’s the best time to chill on a chair under a tree, enjoy some jelly, and nap when you feel like it," Yu Lanyi said, comfortably lounging on a reclining chair.

While Yu Lanyi was enjoying himself, Zheng Shanci was still at the county office. At midday, Zheng Shanci instructed the canteen to prepare mung bean soup for the staff to cool down.

After finishing his work, he gulped down some water, finally feeling less thirsty.

A commotion outside caught his attention, and Zheng Shanci heard someone mentioning "Yu." He focused, pushed the door open, and indeed saw Yu Lanyi, along with five cartloads of watermelons.

Yu Lanyi waved, "Zheng Shanci, I've brought you some watermelons."

Seeing the watermelons, Zheng Shanci had the canteen staff cut them up and distribute pieces to everyone. Yu Lanyi and Zheng Shanci then went to his office, which was sweltering.

Yu Lanyi noticed the room had no shade, with the sun blazing in.

"This place is like an oven," he remarked.

Wang Fu, the servant, brought in the sliced watermelons.

Zheng Shanci ate a piece, his face softening, "It’s hot in here, have some water."

Yu Lanyi declined the water, instead picking up another piece of melon to eat.

"Don’t overdo it, or you’ll end up with a stomachache," Zheng Shanci warned, recalling a time when Yu Lanyi ate three watermelons in one day and suffered from stomach pain.

Yu Lanyi replied, "I'll just eat this one piece and won't have any more when I get back."

He took a big bite, leaving a crescent-shaped bite mark on the melon.

"It’s nice of you to visit me, Yu Lanyi."

Yu Lanyi smirked, "That’s because I care about you."

Zheng Shanci: "..."

"So you don’t stick out too much, I bought five cartloads of watermelons so your subordinates could also enjoy them," Yu Lanyi said, suddenly showing a sense of social grace. "I used my own monthly allowance (a stipend) for this, didn’t draw any money from the treasury."

Zheng Shanci was about to offer to reimburse him, but Yu Lanyi quickly added, "But it’s no big deal, it didn’t cost much, not even as much as a duck dinner."

Zheng Shanci stayed quiet, thinking that a duck from the capital would be in a league of its own.

Yu Lanyi sat in a chair watching Zheng Shanci handle his official duties, complaining about the heat but more interested in watching Zheng Shanci.

After quickly finishing his work, Zheng Shanci walked over and kissed Yu Lanyi. Yu Lanyi looked around, thinking that if someone came looking for Zheng Shanci, Wang Fu would inform them. He then relaxed. As a young master from a prestigious family, being kissed by Zheng Shanci in such a situation made him feel quite shy.

"Why did you just come over and kiss me without saying anything?" Yu Lanyi said awkwardly.

"Couldn’t help it, I’ll be more careful next time," Zheng Shanci said, pinching Yu Lanyi's nose.

"Be more careful around people," Yu Lanyi said, reaching out to pinch Zheng Shanci's ear, pulling him closer and biting his ear.

Zheng Shanci's ear first hurt, then as Yu Lanyi slowly ground his teeth, it turned as red as a chili pepper.

Scribe Jiang was nibbling on a piece of melon while reviewing documents. A clerk (a low-ranking official) entered, saluted, and said, "Lord Jiang, someone from the imperial court (a high-ranking official) is at the city gates."

"Go tell Lord Zheng right away," Scribe Jiang said, alarmed.

"A clerk has already gone to inform Zheng Shanci."

When Scribe Jiang Zheng arrived at the entrance of the county office, Ding Xuan, Archivist Zhu, and the rest of the county office staff were all present, with Yu Lanyi standing beside Zheng Shanci.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the county office, and the imperial envoy stepped out holding the imperial edict, ready to announce Emperor Wuming's decree.

Zheng Shanci and the others knelt down, while Yu Lanyi felt a surge of excitement.

"By the decree of Heaven and the mandate of the Emperor, it is proclaimed: ... Zheng Shanci is hereby appointed as the Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue, of the fifth rank."

A fifth-rank official! This was even higher than Yu Lanyi had expected, and moreover, it was a position in the Ministry of Revenue. Zheng Shanci had become an official in the capital! "I can finally return to the capital!" Yu Lanyi was thrilled.

"Lord Zheng, please accept the decree and express your gratitude."

Zheng Shanci replied, "Your humble servant thanks the Emperor for his great benevolence."

Zheng Shanci received the imperial edict.

The imperial envoy then announced, "There is another decree: ... Ding Xuan is appointed as the Magistrate of Xinfeng County, Jiang Zheng as the Deputy Magistrate of Xinfeng County, and Tan He as the County Scribe of Xinfeng County."

"Your humble servant thanks the Emperor for his great benevolence."

The imperial envoy handed the edict to Ding Xuan, "Magistrate Ding Xuan, you should also thank Lord Zheng for this."

Zheng Shanci had Wang Fu prepare a purse for the imperial envoy. Feeling the weight of the purse, the envoy's smile deepened. "Since I have delivered His Majesty's decree, I shall take my leave now."

After seeing off the imperial envoy, Zheng Shanci breathed a sigh of relief. He held the edict in his hand, his palm slightly warm and damp with sweat.

"Thank you, Lord Zheng, for your promotion and kindness," Ding Xuan said with a bow.

"Thank you, Lord Zheng, for your promotion and kindness," Jiang Zheng and Tan He quickly added.

Zheng Shanci helped the three men rise, "This is only right. You have all done well, and your promotions are well-deserved. I only hope that you will continue to govern Xinfeng County well and ensure that its people live prosperous lives."

The three men nodded solemnly.

Ding Xuan and Jiang Zheng left, but Tan He remained behind. He didn't know what to say, afraid that he might stumble over his words. He had never held any official position before, and now, suddenly becoming the County Scribe, he felt both excited and uneasy.

Zheng Shanci patted him on the shoulder and said gently, "You have done well."

Tan He was a provincial graduate, and he had single-handedly overseen the road construction in Xinfeng County. Becoming the County Scribe was a natural progression for him.

Tan He's heart calmed, and he stepped back.

Yu Lanyi, holding the edict, restrained his excitement, knowing they were still in the county office. But once they reached Zheng Shanci's office, Yu Lanyi leaped up, wrapping his legs around Zheng Shanci's waist and his arms around his neck, kissing his face.

Zheng Shanci immediately held him by the waist.

"This is wonderful! We can return to the capital, and we'll be returning with our heads held high," Yu Lanyi said, his heart filled with joy. He tugged at Zheng Shanci's official robe and kissed his face.

"Zheng Shanci, you've really made me proud," Yu Lanyi said, kissing his forehead, cheeks, and lips.

Zheng Shanci smiled as well.

"You're still on duty, so I'll go back first and have them start packing for our return," Yu Lanyi said, releasing Zheng Shanci and walking away briskly, holding the edict.

He came in a rush and left just as quickly.

Zheng Shanci was also feeling restless. He stood up and paced, deep in thought about his new role as Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue. This position involved assisting the Director of the Ministry of Revenue in managing the nation's household registration, land, money, grain, tributes, and forced labor. He would also be involved in planning state finances, overseeing the collection of taxes, managing state warehouses and supplies, and auditing financial documents and accounts from various regions.

It was a position with genuine authority.

Among the six ministries of ancient times, the Ministry of Revenue was the most coveted.

Before, Zheng Shanci was a nobody in the capital, not even having laid eyes on the emperor. Now, he would appear in court in the Golden Luan Hall and meet the emperor. Back then, he was a Third-Ranked Jinshi in the capital, with no wealth or status, and few people paid him any attention. After marrying Yu Lanyi, he didn’t stay long in the capital before relocating to Xinfeng County.

Zheng Shanci had not yet seen the entirety of the capital. Three years had passed, and now he was headed back to the capital.

...

"Brother, sister-in-law, Zheng Shanci has been promoted! He’s now a fifth-grade Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue. We can start packing and get ready to relocate to the capital!" Yu Lanyi rushed in, holding the imperial edict.

"Shanci got promoted!" Zheng Shancheng was surprised but mostly delighted.

"Shanci is incredible, so now he’s an official in the capital, and we’re leaving Xinfeng County for the capital?" Lin Geer spoke of the capital with a sense of awe.

"Yes, brother and sister-in-law, pack your things. We’ll be leaving in a few days. Let’s take our little nephew with us and all go to the capital together," Yu Lanyi said, beaming with joy.

When Zheng Qingyin returned from the textile factory, he was also told to pack up.

After Zheng Shanci returned, everyone was excitedly packing up, preparing to return to the capital. The servants in the house had all come from the capital, and now they would be returning with their young master.

Yu Lanyi finished packing up.

Zheng Shanci hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"Lanyi, are we in such a hurry?"

Yu Lanyi raised an eyebrow, "Do you have anything else to take care of? Or do you need the wealthy families and subordinates in the city to bid you farewell?"

Zheng Shanci wasn’t one for such formalities. He just felt it was all happening too fast, so fast that he hadn’t even had time to think before his belongings were already packed.

Two days later, Zheng Shanci handed over the seal of the Xinfeng County Magistrate to Ding Xuan and completed the handover of official duties. Wealthy families from the city came to congratulate him, and Zheng Shanci received them politely.

Yu Lanyi also went to see Xu Geer and Mr. Xia. He got straight to the point, "Zheng Shanci has been promoted, and we’re returning to the capital. If you ever need anything in the future, write to the Zheng residence. I’ll give you the address."

Xu Geer looked at Yu Lanyi with some reluctance but smiled upon hearing his words. Whether their initial meeting was genuine or not, they had developed a sincere bond over time.

Mr. Xia sighed and said, "I haven’t yet congratulated Lord Zheng. I wish you a safe journey. May Young Master Yu and Lord Zheng both be well."

Yu Lanyi smiled brightly, "If you ever come to the capital, I’ll take care of your food and lodging and show you around."

Xu Geer gave Yu Lanyi some rare trinkets, "These are just small things, not worth much, but they’ll help pass the time on your journey."

Yu Lanyi accepted them with care.

Mr. Xia gave Yu Lanyi a luminous pearl, which Yu Lanyi also accepted. His nose tingled with emotion, "If there’s a chance, we’ll meet again."

Xu Geer smiled, "We’ll meet again if there’s a chance."

Yu Lanyi looked back three times with every step, feeling heavy-hearted as he returned home.

Seeing him upset, Zheng Shanci comforted him softly, "Maybe we can leave in a few more days."

"Since we're going to be sad anyway, it's better to cut the knot quickly. Our Yu family has always been this resolute."

Zheng Shanci could only hold him and comfort him.

By the next morning, their belongings were already packed. Lin Geer went to Dr. Song to get some medicine and a prescription, and thanked him earnestly.

The sky was still hazy, with only a few people walking on the streets. Zheng Shanci and his group left the city gate. Zheng Shanci lifted the carriage curtain and saw the three big characters "Xinfeng County," he sighed inwardly.

He still remembered the first time he came to Xinfeng County, all he saw was sand and dust, and the people here were filled with sorrow. Now everything is better, and that’s all that matters.

He was indeed meant to slip away unnoticed.

"Voices calling him!"

"Lord Zheng!!"

"Lord Zheng!!!"

Outside the city gate were the common people, dressed in simple clothes, holding baskets filled with red eggs and cabbage, eggplants, bean sprouts... an assortment of produce. In front of them were Ding Xuan and Jiang Zheng, as well as Tan He, Archivist Zhu, Yamen Runners, Clerks, the Works Department, the Household Department, the Military Department, the Penal Department... so many people that the road was completely blocked.

Zheng Shanci was taken aback.

"Lord Zheng, thank you. You are a good official. We wish you a bright and prosperous future!"

"Lord Zheng, safe travels!"

"Lord Zheng, these are red eggs from my home. Take them for the road."

"Lord Zheng, thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for us. We’ll never forget you!"

"Lord Zheng..."

"Lord Zheng, take care..."

"Lord Zheng, thank you for giving us a stable life. Thank you for allowing my child to go to school. Thank you. You are a good official!"

Zheng Shanci looked at these both familiar and unfamiliar faces. His throat choked up, and his eyes filled with tears.

"I, too, want to thank you all." His voice alone couldn't overpower the many voices calling "Lord Zheng." These words were carried away by the wind, in the dust of Xinfeng County.

Ding Xuan handed the Umbrella of Ten Thousand Names to Zheng Shanci. "Lord Zheng, we made this overnight. The names of the people are written on the umbrella. Some couldn't write, so they pressed their fingerprints."

"Lord Zheng, safe travels!"

"Wishing Lord Zheng a bright and prosperous journey!"

...

The carriage crept along the road, gradually leaving the people of Xinfeng County behind. Zheng Shanci cried.