Chapter 197 [VIP]

Chen Qingyan voluntarily submitted his application for a posting to a post outside the capital to the Ministry of Personnel. Because the application was for a posting to Shanzhou, the official document for the posting was issued on the same day.

He rose two ranks from his original position as a seventh-rank compiler to become the sixth-rank Tongpan of Shanzhou, in charge of grain transport, family farms, water conservancy, and litigation. This position was equivalent to a deputy mayor in later times, a position that ordinary people could hardly hope to achieve even after a lifetime of hard work.

However, his colleagues at the Hanlin Academy thought Chen Qingyan had gone mad! Those were places usually only visited by those who had been demoted, and he had actually gone there on his own initiative—what else could it be but madness?

Chen Qinghuai was the first to hear the news. After finishing his shift, he rushed to his elder brother's house, "I heard you were transferred to Shanzhou?!"

Chen Qingyan was packing his things in the study when asked, he replied, "Yes, the Ministry of Personnel has approved it, and I'll be leaving this month."

Chen Qinghuai paced back and forth anxiously, "Didn't we agree to stay in Kyoto? How could you go to Shanzhou?"

"What's wrong with it?"

"Shanzhou is bitterly cold, and once I'm sent away, I'm afraid I'll never be able to return to the capital!"

Chen Qingyan laughed and said, "Isn't it great to have an external job? Didn't you want to have one before?"

“We’re different. I have no interest in court politics, nor do I intend to get involved in the struggle between aristocratic families and the literati, which is why I wanted to take a post outside the capital to avoid trouble. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and I was left behind. But you are different…”

"It is precisely because I am different from you that I have to leave Kyoto."

Chen Qinghuai was a smart man and immediately understood the reason. "No wonder... then why choose Shanzhou? Jizhou, Laizhou, Yanzhou, and Songzhou are all better than that place."

Chen Qingyan explained what he had said yesterday again, "It's not bad that we can still benefit from Fourth Uncle's influence when we arrive in Shanzhou."

"Sigh... Once you all leave, I'll be all alone in Kyoto, and I won't know who to talk to if anything happens."

"Talk to your sister-in-law properly. Don't underestimate your wife. If it weren't for your sister-in-law, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Okay, I understand."

Chen Qingyan patted his arm and said, "If you work hard in Kyoto these next few years, maybe we'll be able to rely on you when we come back."

"I'm just a seventh-rank official, brother, you're making things too difficult for me."

The two brothers looked at each other and smiled bitterly. Those who wanted to leave couldn't, and those who wanted to stay couldn't. Such were most of the regrets in the world.

Two days later, other colleagues also came to visit, including Li Bin, Liu Junshan, and Li Lang, with whom he had previously gotten along well.

"I heard you're getting a public address."

"Yes, he'll be appointed as the Vice Prefect of Shanzhou, a higher rank than all of you."

Li Bin patted him on the shoulder and said, "Stop messing around. Why would you be so foolish as to go there? You should at least go to Yangzhou or Nanjing."

"I'd rather go to Shanzhou and make something of myself than be a lazy official there."

Liu Junshan said, "Brother Qingyan has great ambitions, and I think so too!" He was also transferred to a post outside the capital this year and will soon be going to Zhengzhou to serve as the Transport Commissioner, a sixth-rank official position, which can be considered as starting from the bottom.

Li Bin sighed, "Sigh, I thought Qingyan could stay in Kyoto. Once you all leave, there will be far fewer people to gather with."

Li Lang, who was standing nearby, said, "It was Xu Wei who stayed behind. I heard that he got into the Ministry of Personnel through the Shen family's connections."

People generally look down on this person. He used to be arrogant and aloof, criticizing everyone and everyone else.

Before a year had passed, he was won over by a powerful family and couldn't wait to join them. Now, thanks to the Shen family, he has gained a lot of benefits. A while ago, he bought a three-courtyard house on Chang Le Road in Qinglong Street, which cost at least ten or twenty thousand taels of silver.

People looked down on this kind of person, and after leaving the Hanlin Academy, he never went anywhere else.

After seeing her friend off, Wang Ying said, "I need to tell the Liu family about Yuanbao. I'll take some gifts and go over there later. After all, I studied at their house for two years, and now that I'm leaving, I need to make sure I'm treated with proper etiquette."

"I'll go with you."

After packing up and taking the gifts, the two visited the Liu family again.

Seeing that the two women were carrying quite a few things, Madam Liu asked, "Why did you bring more things?"

"Qingyan's transfer order has come down. We'll be going to Shanzhou in a few days, and we probably won't see each other often anymore. Yuanbao has caused you trouble these past two years with his studies."

"What trouble or not, they're all family, there's no need for these formalities."

Wang Ying said, "It is also our sentiment. Qingyan has received a lot of guidance from Uncle over the years."

Madam Liu said, "I don't understand the affairs of the court, let them do what they want. But now that you're gone, I don't know when we'll meet again."

The two had gotten along well over the years. Because of Yuanbao, Wang Ying would come over from time to time, especially in winter when she would send someone over every few days to deliver fresh vegetables. This made Liu's grandmother gain weight and her health improve a lot.

We'll meet again.

Meanwhile, Liu Yaozhi already knew that Chen Qingyan was going to take up a post in Shanzhou. He gave him a few instructions on what to do when he got there: "Although the border has been peaceful on the surface for the past few years, the Turks have been eyeing us covetously. They are just waiting for an opportunity to reignite the war. So you must make preparations as soon as you get to Shanzhou."

Chen Qingyan's heart tightened. "Uncle, have you heard some news?"

Liu Yaozhi nodded slightly. "I can't tell you the specifics, but remember what I said."

"Nephew understands!"

Chen Qingyan had been feeling uneasy ever since he left the Liu residence. Wang Ying noticed something was wrong and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Lord Liu just said that there might be another war on the border. Shanzhou is so close to the border, I wonder if this choice was right..."

Wang Ying grasped his hand and said, "Brother Sui and the Marquis are still on the front lines. What do we have to be afraid of? Besides, if Shanzhou falls, the Turks might march all the way south and conquer the Central Plains. Don't worry, there are people more anxious than us."

After returning home, the two began preparing for their trip. They didn't know how long they would be gone before they could return. Wang Ying planned to rent out their house in Kyoto, since they were just sitting idle anyway, and renting it out would earn them some money.

They packed everything they could carry into the experimental field, which didn't take up much space. After packing everything up, they only had three or four packages left, and they set off lightly in two horse-drawn carriages.

Wang Ying knew she wouldn't be back for at least three years after her trip to Shanzhou, so she decided to change her route and go to Jizhou to see her mother-in-law before leaving, otherwise the old folks would definitely worry.

Because the trip was quite rushed, the family set off at the end of August.

As they left Kyoto, Yuanbao leaned against the car window, looking out with a somewhat forlorn expression.

Wang Ying touched his hair and said, "You can't bear to part with him?"

Yuanbao nodded. "The Master said he would teach us to read the 'Correct Meanings of the Five Classics' at the end of the year, but unfortunately we won't be able to continue learning it."

"Once we get to Shanzhou, I'll have your father find you a tutor."

"Okay, I can't fall too far behind Yoonseok!"

The wooden wheels rolled out of Kyoto. Wang Ying looked out the window at the city that had stood for centuries. Who knew how many years it would be before she could return...

*

On the tenth day of the ninth month, Wang Ying and her party returned to Jizhou.

My return this time was so sudden that I didn't even have time to write in advance.

When the carriage stopped in front of the house, Li Shi didn't even know they had returned.

Chen Ju knocked on the door. Chen Fang opened the side gate and stared at him for a long while before saying, "Brother Tian, ​​you're back!"

Chen Ju chuckled, "I've changed my name. I'm called Chen Ju now. Open the door quickly, the master and the young master are back."

"Hey, hey!" Chen Fang rushed to open the door, forgetting to send a message inside.

Inside the main room, Li and Chen Qingyun were making cotton-padded clothes for the children. The weather was getting cooler day by day, and they needed to prepare winter clothes in advance. Qin Furong had already found a shop to make clothes for the children, but Li was still worried, always feeling that clothes made by outsiders were not thick enough and that the children might get cold.

"I wonder how tall Yuanbao is now. I was thinking of making one for him too, but by the time it gets to Kyoto, it will probably be too cold."

Qingyun said, "Make it bigger, so we can wear it next year if we can't wear it this year."

Li nodded, "That's right, then let's make one."

As the two were measuring the fabric, they heard a flurry of footsteps coming from the courtyard. Li thought it was Chen Rong bringing the child over. "It's perfect timing to have your third aunt help with the cutting. She's more confident in her skills than I am."

When the door opened, it turned out to be gold ingots.

Li was stunned for a long time and couldn't say a word. It was Qingyun who exclaimed in surprise, "Yuanbao, why are you back!"

"Grandmother, Aunt!"

"Oh, my goodness!" Li ran over excitedly and hugged Yuanbao, tears streaming down her face.

"Where are your father and your grandfather? Why are you all alone?"

"Father and Father are getting something in the yard."

Li pulled Yuanbao up and down, looking him over carefully. He was her youngest son and eldest grandson, the old lady's lifeblood. Besides, Yuanbao had grown up by her side since he was little, how could she not miss him?

"Yuanbao has grown so tall in just over two years! Are you cold? Are you hungry?"

Yuanbao smiled and shook his head, "I'm not hungry, I ate something on the way."

"Your grandmother was just saying she was going to make you a cotton-padded coat. Now that you're back, we can measure it out and make one that will definitely fit!"

Yuanbao entered the house and looked around. He hadn't seen the place for three years, but it was still the same as when he was a child. He walked to the vase by the windowsill, moved a flowerpot, and sure enough, there was a small wooden horse hidden underneath. He had left it there before he left.

Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan came into the house carrying their things. "Mom, we're back."

"Come and sit down! Why did you come back so suddenly without even writing a letter beforehand? It's both surprising and delightful!"

Wang Ying said, "Qingyan's official duties have changed somewhat; he has been transferred to Shanzhou as a sub-prefect."

Qingyun and Li Shi exclaimed in unison, "To Shanzhou?!"

Chen Qingyan nodded, "Going to Shanzhou this time was my own request, Mother, don't worry."

"Oh dear, why are you going to such a far place? Your fourth uncle spent several years in Shanzhou before, and his hair turned white from exhaustion. I never thought you would go too."

Qingyun chimed in, "Yes, didn't Qingsong say you would stay in Kyoto? Why were you suddenly transferred to Shanzhou?"

Chen Qingyan couldn't explain the situation in the court to them, so he just said, "Staying in the capital to accumulate seniority has been too long. Being sent to a post outside the capital will lead to faster promotion."

“But you’ve gone to such a far place…when will you ever come back…” Li said, tears welling up in her eyes again.

Wang Ying quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, we'll come back to see you whenever we have time."

Li hugged Yuanbao and said, "My dear grandson, you won't recognize your grandmother next time you see her."

Yuanbao choked up and said, "Grandmother, don't be sad. Yuanbao recognizes you."

Seeing that everyone was in low spirits, Chen Qingyun quickly tried to lighten the mood, "Could you stay home for a few more days?"

Chen Qingyan said, "We can only wait five days. The imperial edict must be delivered to our post in October."

"Then I'll go back and call Changyi, and while I'm at it, I'll also call Auntie, Brother Qiu, and the Qin family girl over."

Wang Ying said, "It's a good opportunity for us to meet our younger brother and sister-in-law."

A note from the author: