The entire courtyard fell silent upon hearing this.
Jiang Sheng stared wide-eyed, speechless. Zheng Ruqian frowned, Fang Heng seemed thoughtful, and Wen Zhiyun looked bewildered.
No wonder Xu Mo didn't dare to respond before, choosing instead to stay in Fengjing City and keep Chang Yan company.
It turned out that he had made preparations all along, intending to become the governor of Anshui County.
"But why?" Changyan pursed her lips, her face full of grievance. "Big brother, are you going to abandon us?"
The others looked up at the same time, their expressions puzzled.
“Of course not.” Xu Mo smiled bitterly. “Now that the Emperor is bedridden and power is concentrated in the Crown Prince’s residence, your place should be more important. But with Sun Xiaosheng and Qi Huai’an Jun here, you can hold up half the sky.”
“I received news a few days ago that the current prefect of Anshui County has been imprisoned for corruption and bribery. It will take some time for the new prefect to take over, so I’m thinking of going there to temporarily take over for a while.” He looked towards the northeast. “There are some things that need to be resolved as soon as possible.”
We can't let bad guys get away with it for too long!
We can't let our deceased loved ones... forever rest in the mountains of a foreign land.
Chang Yan sensed something was amiss and suddenly stood up. "Alright, then, brother, go and come back soon."
They all felt sorry for the boy, and they all wanted to help him stand up for himself.
"Don't worry, Xiao Wu. Your older brother will come back on the day you ascend the throne. He will be there to watch over you and accompany you as you are crowned." Xu Mo reached out and ruffled his younger brother's hair, just like when they were children.
Chang Yan grinned, her smile damp with tears, tinged with a hint of reluctance.
No, it's just like that... that's how it's been agreed upon?
Jiang Sheng stared in disbelief, speechless for a long time.
Her eldest brother is going to separate from her fifth brother. What should she do? What should she do? What should she do?
“I want to go with my elder brother.” Unexpectedly, Fang Heng’s tone was firm. “I also have things to take care of in the distant Anshui County.”
“The BRICS deal is a done deal, so I’ll just go to Anshui County to do some new business,” Zheng Ruqian said, not wanting to be left behind. “And while I’m at it, I’ll check on my green beans.”
“I still have a clinic, but without Doctor Wu’s care, I don’t know how it is doing,” Wen Zhiyun pondered.
When it was Jiang Sheng's turn, she glanced at her elderly grandmother and then thought of her retired father. Her hands trembled and trembled.
It's even more frustrating than picking up a whole piece of pork knuckle skin with a chopstick.
Tan Yue suddenly cleared her throat beside her, "Oh, Madam, I heard you visited Anshui County when you were young. Would you like to revisit it?"
"Yes, you're right." Madam Jiang nodded. "I'd really like to see the land that nurtured my daughter for seven years."
Jiang Sheng finally let go of her worries and became excited. "The food in Anshui County is especially delicious. There's a place in Shili Town that makes particularly delicious candied hawthorns. I've been in Fengjing for so many years, but I've never had anything exactly like it."
"And the uncles and elders in Shilipu Village, they are all very kind. Sometimes they will give me some food or a piece of old clothes to wear."
"On the contrary, the people in the town are more vicious, and those in the county are even more ruthless; they hit really hard..."
Amidst the girl's fragmented reminiscences, several carriages were packed up and were about to return to their hometown.
Madam Jiang's entourage was quite large; besides gold, silver, and valuables, she also had a retired son.
Xu Mo was a bit special; he dug out two handfuls of soil from the mountaintop and put them into the box on behalf of his friend.
Fang Heng was the most imposing, with eight pieces of ginger lined up behind him, looking both proud and excited.
Wen Zhiyun carried a small medicine box, still looking thin and frail.
Jiang Sheng held onto Zhang Xianglian reluctantly, repeatedly reminding her not to sever ties with the pork stall owner, as she wanted to eat braised pork knuckle when she got back.
Only a long banquet.
The tall, slender young man stood in the corner, feeling the courtyard turn from bustling to desolate. At that moment, he fully understood the loneliness of being a ruler and the meaning of "the higher you climb, the colder it gets."
A group of people met by chance for various reasons and then headed to Fengjing together.
Now they are going back, leaving him all alone, guarding this vast city and this boundless territory.
"Xiao Wu." Wen Zhiyun suddenly jumped off the carriage shaft and rushed to her side in a few steps. "Don't be too sad, we will all come back."
“Yes, Fifth Brother, we will be back as soon as possible.” Jiang Sheng poked her head out.
Chang Yan finally managed a smile and waved to the convoy.
"It won't be long," he murmured to himself.
"It won't be long," Jiang Sheng assured her parents, "at most a month."
Starting from Fengjing, just like on the way here, we passed through Huangshan, Huizhou, Danyang County, and finally Anyang County, arriving at Anshui County.
It took exactly one month, no more and no less.
My homeland, which I've been away from for four years, remains the most cherished place in my heart even after witnessing all its splendor.
The dazzling array of flowers in Fengjing may dazzle the eye, but it cannot confuse a pure and clear heart, or a straight and unyielding spine.
Holding the letter of appointment as prefect, Xu Mo paused at the west gate where he had said goodbye years before.
Wang Mingyu, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed forward, his words turning into sobs and unspeakable grievances.
"Brother Mingyu," Xu Mo said, supporting his arm, "has any news come from Fengjing?"
“No, I intercepted all the letters from the eldest son’s family. They don’t know about my cousin’s death.” Wang Mingyu wiped away his tears. “My uncle has been particularly arrogant lately. He has threatened to take over my control of the family several times. Fortunately, my cousin had a backup plan, so he didn’t succeed.”
Xu Mo nodded. "Brother Mingyu, don't worry. I'm here to help you this time, and no more villains will be arrogant and smug."
"That's good, that's good." After composing himself, Wang Mingyu suddenly asked hesitantly, "Was it only Lord Xu who came back this time?"
Of course not.
Zheng Ruqian, who had been holding back for a long time, lifted the carriage curtain and called out with a smile, "Mingyu."
Wang Mingyu was startled and then overjoyed. After a long while, he finally found his voice, "Ruqian, welcome back."
Your friend has finally become a decent human being.
A group of people rode in horse-drawn carriages, strolling through the streets of Anshui County, marveling at the low prices in this remote city, and savoring the delicious flavors of their hometown that they longed for.
Passing by the entrance of Youranju, Manager Hao was pulling a chubby girl and talking about something. He seemed both helpless and angry, and when he reached out to slap her, all he could do was land on his own leg.
Jiang Sheng couldn't help but peek out and finally managed to hear the gist of it.
“My dear daughter, it’s been so many years, why are you still thinking about that boy? He went to Fengjing and he’s not coming back.” Manager Hao was on the verge of tears. “If you keep going like this, you’ll really become an old maid.”
“So what if I’m an old maid?” Hao Xiangxiang said firmly. “Who said he won’t come back? What if he does?”
Yes, what if?
Jiang Sheng glanced at Zheng Ruqian, who was chatting and laughing with his friends on the carriage shaft, and Fang Heng, who had a serious expression on his face, on horseback. Suddenly, a mischievous thought came to her mind, and she leaned out and shouted, "Brother!"
Startled, the Hao father and daughter turned around at the same time, one revealing surprise and the other ecstatic joy.
Jiang Sheng clapped his hands and turned away, concealing his merits and fame.
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