Jiang Shuyue quickly got up and walked outside, asking, "Where are they?"

"As soon as they entered the hanging flower gate, Guard Gao led them toward Shumoxuan."

"Auntie, my eldest and second uncles are here. Let's go play later."

Upon hearing the maid's message, Sui Sui excitedly dropped a sentence and ran outside.

"Sui Sui, slow down, don't fall." Du Yutong shouted at him, then turned around and looked at Jiang Shuyue with a wronged expression, "I haven't even had enough time to play with Sui Sui, and then my two uncles came and took her away."

Jiang Shuyue walked over, took Du Yutong's hand, and patted it. "No one is going to take it from you. Come to the manor more often. Su Jin and Su Nan are very nice people. You'll see when you meet them."

As Du Yutong watched the maids of the Jiang family busily greet her with courtesy, she bid farewell, saying, "That's all for today. I'll come again another day. Sister Yue'er, you go ahead with your work."

"Alright, let's get together another day." Jiang Shuyue told Lan'er to see Du Yutong and her servant out.

Seeing Du Yutong walk away, Nangong Zeyue said to Jiang Shuyue, "Please tell Su Jin and Su Nan for me first. I'll go to the carpenter's shop to find someone, and I'll come back to keep them company later."

"You should go find the people first. Su Jin and Su Nan just arrived and need to bathe and change." Jiang Shuyue waved to Nangong Zeyue and hurried towards Shumoxuan.

In the small kitchen of Shumoxuan, maids and servants were busy boiling water.

After arranging for the hot water to be prepared, Qiuju personally poured hot tea and handed it to the two young masters. "You two must be tired after such a long journey. Have some hot tea. The food will be served shortly."

"Thank you, Miss Qiuju. We've been traveling on the official road the whole way, so it's not too tiring." Su Jin took the tea and sipped it.

Su Nan took the tea and drank two large gulps. He then raised his sleeve, sniffed it, and said with a look of disgust, "Sister Qiuju, if it weren't for the fact that I'm covered in the smell of mud, I would have gone to see my sister and Sui Sui first."

"Uncle and Uncle, I miss you so much."

Before Su Nan could finish speaking, Sui Sui rushed over and threw herself into Su Jin's arms.

"Sui Sui, your uncles haven't had time to change yet, don't let the stench bother you." Su Nan said, reaching out to pry Sui Sui out of her older brother's arms.

“My eldest and second uncles don’t smell bad,” Sui Sui said, tilting her little face up and giggling.

The little dumpling in his arms was soft and cute, and Su Jin didn't care about his own smell at all. He picked up Sui Sui and lifted her up.

"Uncle misses you and sister so much too."

Su Jin lifted the person up, and Su Nan missed.

Hearing hurried footsteps outside the door, Qiuju said, "It must be Miss Du who has come after seeing Miss Du off. The two young masters can take a bath after they have eaten. I'll go to the kitchen to check."

"Thank you, Sister Qiuju. No rush, we're not hungry." Su Nan's words were as sweet as ever.

When he said he wasn't hungry, he meant the feeling of hunger in his stomach had passed. They got up and set off as soon as the sky began to lighten in the morning, and the two brothers only ate a few steamed buns and a bowl of porridge that morning.

It wasn't that they didn't have money for food; it was just that the two brothers felt an urgent desire to see their relatives as they approached the capital, so they didn't stop for lunch along the way.

Just as Qiu Ju turned around, she saw Jiang Shuyue walk in.

Qiuju said to Jiang Shuyue, "Young Master Su is in the small hall. I will go and prepare the meal."

She instructed the kitchen to prepare the ingredients, ready to cook as soon as Young Master Su arrived. The pork rib and radish stew was kept warm on the stove in the kitchen; she had arranged everything perfectly.

"Sister!" Jiang Shuyue walked into the room, and Su Nan was the first to see her. He hurriedly went to greet her and wanted to pull her sleeve, but then he remembered that he hadn't washed his hands yet, so he pulled his hand back.

"Sister, I haven't bathed or changed clothes for three days and I smell terrible."

Su Jin, carrying Sui Sui, came forward and asked, "Sister, are you alright?"

Jiang Shuyue looked at the two of them, both of whom had lost weight, and her eyes welled up with tears. She nodded and said, "Sister is doing very well. How are Uncle, Aunt, and Ahui?"

“Okay, Mom, Dad and my sister are all well, it’s just that Mom and my sister keep talking about you and Sui Sui,” Su Nan replied.

Looking at Su Nan, who was almost as small as herself.

Jiang Shuyue reached out and patted Su Nan's head gently, saying, "Our Nan Nan has grown a little taller again."

"Sister, my head smells bad too."

Su Jin rarely teased Su Nan like this, and he said with a smile, "Dad always says he's a stinky brat, and look, he really does stink after three days without washing."

“Big brother, Dad has called you a brat before. You don’t smell any better right now. Sui Sui is being suffocated by you. She’ll take a bath with Uncle in a bit.” Su Nan took Sui Sui from Su Jin’s arms when Su Jin wasn’t looking.

Sui Sui giggled and said, "Yay, Mommy, I smell bad too. I want to take a bath with Second Uncle."

Jiang Shuyue said indulgently, "Alright, alright, you'll take a bath with your second uncle in a bit. Come down quickly and let your uncle eat first."

No one knows a child better than his mother. Sui Sui didn't want to take a bath; he wanted to play in the water with Su Nan.

"Are Young Master Nangong and Uncle Lin both alright?" Su Jin asked.

Jiang Shuyue nodded, "They are all well. Nangong Zeyue went to help me with some business. He asked me to tell you that he will be home later. Uncle Lin is now the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, so he doesn't leave the palace very often."

Jiang Shuyue's sense of smell was more sensitive than that of ordinary people. She smelled the aroma of food in the air. She took Suisui from Su Nan's hands and said, "Sit down quickly, the food will be here soon."

Then she called the servant outside to bring in a basin of hot water. As soon as the servant left, Qiuju led her maid in to bring in the food.

While the two brothers were eating, Jiang Shuyue told them about the scientific expedition this year.

When the topic turned to the numerous vacancies in the imperial court, Su Jin said, "Sister, I saw a notice outside a post station along the way. This year is a good opportunity, and I will work hard."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. I guess the Emperor values ​​policy essays more than poetry this year." Jiang Shuyue's eyes flickered slightly.

Xiao Jingzhao had discussed governance strategies with him. He meant that while poetry and songs were suitable for cultivating one's character, the essence of governing a country still required strategic thinking.

Su Nan chimed in, "My brother was reciting poetry the whole way, he didn't really look at any policy essays."

"No need to look, I have gained a lot of insights from what I have seen and heard along the way. The feeling is different from the insights I have gained while sitting in the academy."

After hearing Su Jin's words, Jiang Shuyue knew that like father, like son; Su Jin was a man of great vision and wisdom, and he would surely have a place in the imperial court in the future.

Sui Sui sat obediently next to Su Nan, occasionally picking up a piece of pastry and putting it in his mouth, listening to his mother and uncle talk about serious matters without interrupting.

After Su Nan put down his chopsticks, he looked up and asked, "Second Uncle, since you're not taking the imperial examinations, can you come with me to study at the Imperial Academy?"

Su Nan shook his head: "Not just anyone can go to the Imperial Academy. Second Uncle can just find a nearby academy to study at."

Jiang Shuyue looked at Su Nan and said, "I will arrange your studies."

With Xiao Dashu around, we'll have to use him at least once.

Inside the palace, Xiao Jingzhao held a letter in his hand, his brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a fly.

He looked at Xiang Song and asked, "Is the information accurate?"

Xiang Song nodded heavily. "Absolutely true."