Chapter 211

Chapter 211

By the end of May, the two finally returned to Jizhou.

After many years, setting foot in this familiar city again felt somewhat like things had changed with time.

It felt like a weary bird returning to its nest, a wanderer coming home.

Entering the city took some time, as the line of people waiting to get in was exceptionally long. This time, Wang Ying personally felt the impact of war on ordinary civilians.

Along the way, they encountered many convoys—whole villages or clans, hundreds of people moving en masse with their families.

As one of the prefectures adjacent to the capital, Jizhou had become a refuge for those fleeing. Hence, gaining entry was extremely difficult; travel permits and household registration documents were both mandatory.

After waiting in line for nearly three hours, it was finally their turn. Huang Baiguan handed over the pre-prepared documents, and the city guard meticulously reviewed and registered them before carefully inspecting the carriage to ensure no one else was hidden inside. The scrutiny was far more rigorous than in the past.

Wang Ying couldn’t help but ask, "Is the entry process always this strict now? Is the city overcrowded?"

Hearing his local accent, the guard was quite friendly. "It’s not overcrowded, but there had been some trouble recently. Outsiders entered the city, stole things, and even committed murder. It caused widespread panic, so the authorities ordered thorough checks before allowing anyone in."

Wang Ying nodded, took out a string of coins, and handed it over. "Thank you for your hard work."

After the inspection, the group headed straight home. It had been years since they last returned, and they wondered how the elderly at home were doing.

"Whoa—" After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the carriage stopped at the doorstep. Huang Baiguan jumped down and knocked on the main gate.

Soon, the side gate opened. Chen Fang stared at the person before him in surprise. "Is that you, Brother Baiguan?"

"Brother Chen Fang, it’s been a long time."

"Oh my, could it be that the master and the young master have returned?"

"The master is busy with official duties and couldn’t make it back. Only the young master has returned, along with the little young master and Second Master Lin."

Chen Fang hurriedly opened the main gate and sent someone to report the news to the inner courtyard.

Li Shi and Chen Rong were inside when they heard the news. At first, they could hardly believe it.

"Who did you say has returned?"

The servant replied, "The young master from Shanzhou has returned."

Only then did the two snap back to reality, hurrying out.

Wang Ying and Lin Sui stepped down from the carriage with the two children. Gazing at the familiar courtyard, they were overwhelmed with emotions. Finally, they were back…

"A Ying, Sui Er, Yuanbao, Qing Er!" The two elderly women ran over, their faces filled with excitement, pulling them close to look them over.

"Why did you return so suddenly? We thought we’d misheard."

Chen Rong hadn’t seen Lin Sui in over six years. She held him tightly, sobbing. "You finally came back! Mother missed you terribly!"

Lin Sui also teared up. "I have been unfilial, taking so long to return and see you."

"Silly child, Mother isn’t blaming you. Seeing you safe and sound is all that matters."

Li Shi, with tearful eyes, held Yuanbao’s hands and looked him over. "You’ve grown so tall, almost taller than your grandmother now. Come inside, quickly!"

The group crowded into the house, taking a while to calm their emotions. "Why did you return so suddenly without sending a letter in advance?"

Wang Ying explained, "It was an emergency, and there was no time to send a letter. Fighting has broken out at the border again."

"What?!" The two were shocked. Although the news had already reached Jizhou, Chen Rong and Li Shi rarely went out to gather information and thus hadn’t heard.

Chen Rong looked at her son with concern. "You’ve returned, but what about the Marquis?"

Lin Sui bit his lip. "The Marquis must remain to command the troops and cannot return."

Li Shi also asked, "Why didn’t Qing Yan return with you?"

Wang Ying held her hand reassuringly. "Qing Yan serves as the Deputy Prefect of Shanzhou and cannot leave his post without authorization. Besides, Shanzhou is still some distance from the border. There’s no need to worry, Mother."

"How can I not worry? What if the war reaches there? Qing Yan doesn’t even know how to ride a horse…"

Wang Ying, fearing she would worry herself sick, whispered a few words in her ear. Li Shi looked at him in astonishment.

"Don’t worry. Qing Yan will be fine." Wang Ying planned to take his mother-in-law to the experimental field that night to see her son, hoping to ease her worries and prevent her from falling ill from excessive anxiety.

Li Shi immediately ordered the servants to prepare the rooms and meals. After such a long journey, everyone must be exhausted. They should eat and rest early.

After they caught up for a while, the kitchen had the meal ready. The journey had indeed been exhausting. Everyone ate, bathed, and then retired to rest, sleeping until evening.

After changing clothes, Wang Ying went to the front courtyard and saw that Chen Qingyun and Chen Qingsong had arrived. They had already heard from Li Shi about the war at the border.

"Sister-in-law, what’s the situation at the border? Is our eldest brother safe?"

"He’s fine for now. I’m not sure about the specifics of the war. You can ask him yourself tonight when you see him."

"Eldest Brother has returned too?"

Wang Ying shook his head. "Don’t ask anything else for now. Later, both of you bring Mother to my room."

Chen Qingyun and Chen Qingsong exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock and doubt. Although they had long known their sister-in-law had secrets, they had never pried. Now, it seemed she intended to share this secret with them.

Wang Ying had carefully considered this decision. Since he had already resolved to reveal the experimental field’s ability, it was better to let the elderly woman see her son first to ease her longing.

They waited until deep into the night when all was quiet. Qing Yun and Qing Song helped Li Shi to the eastern compound.

Inside the room, Wang Ying and Yuanbao sat upright on the bed. Having kept this secret for over a decade, both were nervous about revealing it now.

Yuanbao held Wang Ying’s hand anxiously. "Father, will Grandmother, Uncle, and Aunt think we’re monsters?"

Wang Ying shook his head. "No, your grandmother dotes on you the most."

A moment later, there was a knock on the door. Wang Ying stood up and opened it. Once inside, Li Shi couldn’t contain herself. "A Ying, you said during the day that you would take me to see Qing Yan. What exactly is going on?"

Wang Ying stepped forward and took her hand. "Mother, please close your eyes first."

The group obediently closed their eyes. Immediately, Wang Ying activated the experimental field, and in an instant, they were transported inside. When sunlight fell on their faces, everyone widened their eyes in disbelief.

"This… this…" Li Shi was too stunned to speak.

"What is this place?!" Qing Song clutched his chest, feeling as though his heart might leap out.

Qing Yun, the quickest to react, said, "Sister-in-law, the fresh vegetables and fruits our family sold in earlier years were grown here, weren’t they?"

Wang Ying nodded. "Yes, and the ice we sold in summer was frozen here too."

He led them on a tour of the experimental field. The area wasn’t large, and since Wang Ying had planted wheat everywhere, you could see to the edges at a glance.

"I don't know how to explain the origin of this land. It suddenly appeared after Qing Yan and I got married. At first, only the two of us could enter. Later, when Yuanbao was born, he could also come in. Now, it can accommodate up to ten people at most—not a single person more."

Yuanbao added, "Father told me that this land isn't part of the mortal world and must never be revealed to outsiders. That’s why we’ve kept it hidden from you all these years. Grandmother, you won’t blame me, will you?"

Li Shi took her grandson’s hand. "How could I blame you? It’s right to keep it hidden. If such a divine power were discovered by those with ill intentions, it could get us killed."

Qing Yun and Qing Song quickly added, "Sister-in-law, don’t worry. We will never speak a word of what happened today!"

Wang Ying naturally trusted them; otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought them in. "It’s about time. Qing Yan should be here soon." The moment he said this, Chen Qingyan appeared.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the person who had appeared out of nowhere. "B-Big brother?"

Chen Qingyan strode over, lifted his robe's hem, and knelt before Li Shi. "Mother, your son has come to see you."

Wang Ying had already discussed bringing Li Shi in with him beforehand, so Chen Qingyan was not surprised to see them.

Li Shi reached out to help him up, touching his face, still not believing it was real. "Yan'er, is it really you?"

"Mother, it’s me."

"My God... This place can actually bring someone from thousands of miles away!" After the initial shock came joy, and everyone gathered around Chen Qingyan, overjoyed.

His younger brother and sister clung to his arms like they did in childhood, talking nonstop—asking about the border war one moment and when he would return the next.

"I can’t go back yet. The border fighting is intense. Three days ago, news came that Yangguan was lost. The Marquis has pulled the troops back to Yumen Pass."

"So quickly..." They had lost a city in just over a month.

Chen Qingyan said, "I’m afraid Yumen Pass won't hold much longer now. The court’s reinforcements have been delayed, and the troops at the border alone can’t stop the Turkic forces."

Wang Ying asked anxiously, "Why aren't they sending reinforcements? Aren’t they afraid the Turkic will break through our defenses?"

"I don’t know. Perhaps those in power are still playing politics."

Chen Qingsong exclaimed, "They're playing games now? If the Turkic really break through, it could mean wiping out our people and the fall of our nation!"

Qing Yun, who knew a bit more, said, "I heard from Chang Yi that Jizhou is already prepared to send reinforcements, but the orders from above have been delayed. The soldiers are getting desperate."

As the place where Li Mu got his start, Jizhou was filled with his most loyal troops. If not for worrying about getting the Prefect above in trouble, Zheng Guang would have already led his men north to support. They were only waiting for word from the Marquis to march immediately.

Chen Qingyan asked about the situation at home. "Is everything all right in Jizhou?"

Li Shi replied, "Don’t worry about home. Everything is fine. You’re alone in Shanzhou—take good care of yourself."

"Yes, Mother, you must also take care of your health. This experimental field doesn't open whenever we want. If possible, have A Ying bring you in every ten days for a brief reunion." Chen Qingyan said this upfront to avoid putting A Ying in a difficult position.

"Mother understands. Just seeing you once is enough for me."

After talking for an hour, the experimental field’s free time ran out, and the system prompted them to start using experience points.

Chen Qingyan said, "It’s getting late. Everyone should go back and rest early. I have work to do tomorrow, so I won't say more."

Reluctantly, they said their goodbyes. Wang Ying led them out of the experimental field and back to the bedroom.

Everyone was amazed all over again. Li Shi steadied herself and finally spoke, "Yun'er, Song'er, you must never speak of this—not even to your husbands or wives, children, or anyone else. Do you understand?"

"We understand."

"Go now. Let A Ying and Yuanbao rest properly."

After his family left, Wang Ying returned to the experimental field and, sure enough, found Chen Qingyan still waiting for him.

"A Ying, the healing herbs you left have all been taken out and sent to the border."

"Will it be enough? If not, I can gather more."

Chen Qingyan said, "Not for now. Take some time to rest properly. I’ll let you know when we need more."

"Also, aside from Mother and our siblings, I’ve told Lin Sui about the experimental field. We’ll need his status to help purchase provisions. Otherwise, the silver I have won’t be enough."

Chen Qingyan nodded. "You decide."

They looked at each other for a moment, then embraced tightly. In that moment, they were not only loved ones but also each other’s only closest allies.