Chapter 507 No Old Friends West of Yangguan Pass

"I urge you to drink another cup of wine, for beyond Yangguan Pass you will find no old friends."

Some of the village's children, who were both martial arts practitioners and students, understood the meaning of the poem and lined up to offer a toast.

"Master, we can't bear to part with you."

"Master, you must remember to come back and see us."

"Master, this will always be your home..."

He Xiao was already quite drunk after drinking one cup of wine after another. His eyes, blurry with intoxication, looked at the people who came to toast him. The reluctance in his heart, like wine in a jar, slowly fermented, swelled in his chest, and then turned into tears that overflowed, making his eyes wet and sore.

From childhood to adulthood, his eldest brother was the center of the family. He never experienced fatherly love, nor did he feel motherly love. Even the only woman he loved betrayed him.

He didn't know what love was, and neither did the villagers of Dahe Village.

But strangely enough, he felt warmth here.

He cupped his face in his hands, letting the tears slip through his fingers.

Cheng Wanwan stopped the crowd who wanted to offer more toasts and said, "Xiao He is already drunk, let him go. San Niu and Si Dan, you two help Master back to rest. San Niu, you sleep with your Master tonight. Be alert in the middle of the night and pay close attention to your Master's condition."

Zhao Sanniu and Zhao Sidan nodded and helped He Xiao back to rest, one on each side.

The villagers sat around the table, still grieving the loss of their parting, and chatted until late into the night before finally dispersing.

For the next few days, Zhao Sanniu was filled with excitement about going to the capital, while Zhao Sidan was filled with envy. It wasn't until the day he was leaving that the silly boy Sanniu realized that if everything went smoothly, he might not be able to come back for two or three years.

"Mother, I can't bear to part with you..."

The young man, almost sixteen, hugged Cheng Wanwan and started crying.

Cheng Wanwan had already prepared herself mentally, but the child's crying made her eyes sting with tears.

She patted her son's broad shoulder and said softly, "When an eagle grows up, it will fly away. When a child grows up, it's time to leave the embrace of his parents and grow up. After you go to the capital, remember to write a letter home every three days... This is the seal of Lu's Money Shop. If you need money, just take the seal to get money... You must keep this seal safe. If it is stolen or lost, you will have no money to use."

Despite saying that, Cheng Wanwan still prepared many small purses for him. She sewed one into his shirt, one into his pants, two into his luggage, and even two banknotes into the soles of his shoes... She was simply a worried old mother.

Zhao Dashan came over and instructed, "When you're away from home, don't panic if anything happens. If anything happens, write back and ask your mother."

Zhao Ergou walked over with his lips pursed and handed over the seal of another money shop: "In case the seal of Lu Ji Money Shop is lost, this can be used in an emergency. However, I am not as rich as my mother. I have only saved three hundred taels of silver in total. You should spend it sparingly."

Zhao Sidan hugged Zhao Sanniu's waist tightly: "Waaah, Third Brother, I can't bear to part with you, waaaah..."

Zhao Sanniu was also crying his eyes out, almost to the point of breathlessness.

"Alright, alright!" Old Mrs. Zhao walked in and said irritably, "When your father went on a long journey, the longest he didn't come back was eight years, and we didn't cry like this... Joining the army is a good thing. You can serve the court and inherit your father's mantle! San Niu, you have to perform well when you go. Your father was a centurion when he died, so you have to be better than him."

Zhao Sanniu instantly perked up: "Grandpa, Grandma, I will never let my father down!"

Suppressing her reluctance, Cheng Wanwan said, "It's getting late, let's get going."

The people going to the capital this time are He Xiao and Zhao San Niu, and Cheng Bing is also arranged to go with them. Cheng Bing will go with San Niu into the military camp to secretly protect him. If anything happens, he can also send a message home in time.

He Xiao rode ahead on horseback, while Zhao Sanniu and Cheng Bing drove the carriage, which contained birthday gifts destined for the capital.

The three first went to the entrance of Hekou County to meet up with the Lin family. The Lin family arranged for their young master, Lin Yan, and the steward to lead the procession back to the capital. After the two sides met up, Cheng Bing would ride quickly to the provincial capital to meet up with Cheng Zhao and the others, and then they would all head to the capital together.

Yunnan Province is located in a region that is neither in the north nor the south, and it is quite far from the capital. By land, it takes nearly twenty days to reach the capital.

Fortunately, all the travelers were men, so it wasn't as troublesome as with women. They basically got up before dawn to travel and only rested at post stations at night. Because the carriages had official markings, the journey was relatively peaceful. Many students going to the capital for the imperial examinations asked to travel with them, and the Lin family naturally didn't refuse. As a result, the caravan grew larger and larger. After traveling at a breakneck pace, they finally arrived in the capital city seventeen days later.

Shen Zheng got off the carriage and stretched his limbs, exclaiming in amazement, "I thought Yuncheng was prosperous before, but I didn't expect the capital to be even more prosperous than Yuncheng. Moreover, everyone on the street is dressed in fine silks and satins. There are so many rich people."

Lin Yan continued, "Otherwise, why would anyone say that in the capital, a falling plaque could kill two officials?"

Shen Zheng casually put his arm around his shoulder: "Now that we're on your turf, we'll have to rely on you for protection."

They traveled together for nearly twenty days, with no other entertainment along the way. They spent all their time talking in the carriage, which led to a rapid development in his relationship with Lin Yan. In addition, he had a little bit of selfishness, which made their relationship even closer.

"Zheng-ge, do you see that building over there? There are lots of fun things inside, and I love cricket fighting the most." Lin Yan said excitedly, "Let's go check it out later."

"Ahem!" Butler Lin stepped forward. "Young Master, let's settle in first. After we're settled, we'll have to go and pay our respects to the head of the family."

Shen Zheng immediately became serious: "Yes, we need to pay a visit to Lord Lin, and we also need to take care of the things my godmother asked us to do as soon as possible."

He has to be serious about his work and not give people the impression that he is playful.

Cheng Zhao twitched the corners of his lips. The two of them had been talking about the food, drinks and entertainment in the capital all the way. It was good that Shen Zheng remembered his second aunt's instructions.

Steward Lin led the group to the small courtyard where the Lin family used to live. It was a three-courtyard house that looked unremarkable, but for a mere seventh-rank official to own a residence in the capital, where land was incredibly valuable, was enough to demonstrate his extraordinary family background.

After settling in, Lin Yan led Cheng Zhao and Shen Zheng to the Lin residence.

Previously, Cheng Zhao and Shen Zheng didn't know much about the Lin family, only that they were from the capital. After having a deep conversation with Lin Yan, they realized just how remarkable the Lin family was.

The head of the Lin family is the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, a first-rank official. The eldest son of the Lin family's eldest uncle is currently a fourth-rank official in the Hanlin Academy. In addition, one of the Lin family's daughters entered the palace and became a concubine. It can be said that the Lin family is already one of the most prominent families in the capital.

“My aunt is very favored,” Lin Yan said. “My mother entrusted my eldest sister’s marriage to my aunt. If my aunt takes a fancy to a young man from a certain family, she can simply ask the Emperor to issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage.”

Shen Zheng was immediately jolted awake.

Issuing an imperial decree?

A marriage arranged by imperial decree?

Does he still have hope?