Xie Chang'an had been looking forward to the journey back to the capital, but on the day of departure, he learned that his mother would be going back with him.

Xie Chang'an immediately lost all romantic thoughts.

He had always thought that the emperor was the biggest obstacle on his path to love, but now he realized that his parents were much more difficult to deal with than the emperor.

At least, the emperor couldn't watch him like his parents did, keeping a close eye on him and leaving him helpless!

If he had known his parents would be so difficult, he definitely wouldn't have chosen to be honest with them!

I regret it so much!

He felt as if there was a Milky Way separating him from Ye Jingchen. He was on this side of the river, longing to see Ye Jingchen, but Ye Jingchen on the other side was oblivious to him.

Therefore, Xie Chang'an's gaze towards them was particularly resentful throughout the journey.

Ye Jingchen didn't dare to meet his gaze at all, after all, Xu Jingjing was watching him intently from the side. Given Xie Chang'an's personality of taking advantage of any slight, he really didn't dare to make any move in front of Xu Jingjing.

When passing through Beiping County, Ye Jingchen stayed at the prefectural governor's mansion for a day.

Wu Zemin's term has one year left, and after that, he will definitely return to the capital.

His future development after returning to the capital, and the selection of the new prefect of Beiping, these are all things that need to be considered.

During their day in Beiping County, Wu Zemin personally accompanied them as they toured the county again, experiencing the changes that had taken place over the past two years.

Looking at the pedestrians coming and going on the street and the shouts of the vendors, Ye Jingchen had a premonition that the position of Prefect of Beiping would soon go from being unwanted to being a highly sought-after prize.

A day later, the group, carrying many local specialties of Beiping County, continued their journey.

Two years ago, when Ye Jingchen came to Northern Xinjiang, he was with a supply convoy and it took him more than a month.

On his return journey, he was accompanied only by the Eastern Palace Guards and some members of the Xie family. He traveled light and rode swiftly, making his journey much faster than the one he had taken there.

In Yongzhou, they met up with Ye Jingyan, who was already waiting there, and returned to the capital together.

For the past two years, Ye Jingyan has been staying in Yongzhou. Now that Ye Jingchen is going back to the capital, and Ye Jingyu is getting married after the New Year, she decided to go back with him.

Two years have passed, and Ye Jingyan's appearance and temperament have changed significantly.

Her features are more striking, her beauty more aggressive, and her demeanor has undergone a complete transformation. Gone is the timidity of the past; she is now confident and composed.

In order to save time, Ye Jingyan did not take a carriage, but rode a horse with them.

Her horsemanship has also improved, and she moves with agility and grace on horseback.

The group hurried along and returned to their familiar surroundings in less than eight days.

At the post station outside the imperial city, Ye Jingchen saw the crowd that was there to greet him.

Ye Jingshu was dressed in gorgeous clothes, adorned with pearls and jade pendants, looking bright and noble, while Ye Jingyan's outfit leaned towards a playful and cute style.

The princes wore the same style and embroidery, only in different colors, and each of them was tall, graceful, and had an extraordinary air about them.

Their innate nobility, coupled with their somewhat similar features, makes it immediately clear that they are brothers. However, their distinct characteristics also make them highly recognizable.

Ye Jingyu was dressed in a simple and elegant style, and she looked particularly well-matched with Gu Beichen, who was also dressed in white.

Yun Shu was already handsome and pleasing to the eye. His flowing robes made him look even more otherworldly, giving him an air of otherworldly elegance.

Ye Jingchen suddenly felt a little worried about the future of the Marquis of Zhongyong's family, after all, it was the only son of three generations.

Ye Jingchen greeted each of them, and finally it was Ye Jinghe's turn.

He stood there all alone. If the others looked like noble young masters, Ye Jinghe gave the impression of a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, its edge fully revealed.

In the emperor's words, this was a wolf cub with sharp claws and teeth, ready to devour anyone at any moment.

"Jinghe, you've grown taller, but you're too thin. Have you not been eating properly these past two years?" Ye Jingchen walked up to Ye Jinghe, looked him up and down, and felt very sorry for him.

"Brother, you're finally back!" Ye Jinghe hugged Ye Jingchen tightly, tears welling up in his eyes.

The wolf cub instantly transformed into a puppy, all traces of danger vanishing.

Seeing Ye Jinghe hug Ye Jingchen, Xie Chang'an's eyes darkened slightly. He took a step forward, but was stopped by Xu Jingjing.

"His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Fifth Prince are very close brothers. It's normal for them to hug after not seeing each other for so long. Why are you going to join in?" Xu Jingjing warned in a low voice.

Xie Chang'an lowered his head, refusing to look at the glaring scene.

He hasn't even hugged Ye Jingchen openly yet, so why can the little madman?

Although Ye Jinghe is now taller than Ye Jingchen, he still hugs Ye Jingchen in the same way he did when they were children, like a little bird nestling in his arms.

He buried his face in Ye Jingchen's neck, and as his tears fell, they landed directly on Ye Jingchen's neck, making him feel the burning heat.

Ye Jingchen was heartbroken. The child he had raised with care for ten years was bullied as soon as he left, unable to even go home and forced to wander outside, so thin that he couldn't feel a bit of flesh on his body!

"Don't cry, your brother is back. Your brother will take you home!" Ye Jingchen let go of him and gently wiped away his tears.

As a result, Ye Jinghe cried even harder, his tears flowing like a burst dam.

Xie Chang'an wasn't the only one who found this scene jarring.

"Fifth brother, you're already so old, why are you deliberately playing the victim and crying like that? Aren't you ashamed?" Ye Jingshu said irritably.

"Brother, after the morning court session this day, Father Emperor left all the officials in the Taiji Hall to await your return!" Ye Jingyu said politely to Ye Jingchen.

Ye Jinghe's tears, which he had been unable to stop, stopped abruptly. He gave Ye Jingshu and Ye Jingyu a cold glance.

Ye Jingchen took in the whole scene.

Although Ye Jinghe's eyes were unfriendly, they contained no malice.

He chuckled as he wiped away Ye Jinghe's tears and said gently, "I'll go to the palace to see Father Emperor first, and then return to the East Palace. You wait for me there."

I made plans with other people to meet up another day.

Having traveled such a long way and finally returned, he had no intention of doing anything else today except to see the emperor.

When Ye Jingchen returned this time, the emperor originally intended for him to lead all the officials to the city gate to welcome him.

His crown prince was so outstanding that he resolved the external threat of the Northern Barbarians after only two years of training in the northern frontier. Naturally, the emperor couldn't wait to show off his son.

But Ye Jingchen had no desire to be in the limelight, to be paraded through the streets, or to be surrounded by onlookers.

Moreover, he wasn't leading a large army back to the capital, so what kind of logic is there in a ruler welcoming a subject or a father welcoming a son?

He didn't want to be impeached by the censor as soon as he got back!

Seeing his strong resistance, the emperor regretfully changed the plan from leading all the officials to the city gate to welcome him to summoning all the officials to wait in the Taiji Hall. In any case, he was determined to show off this kid.