Laifeng Kingdom, the 15th day of the eighth month in the 18th year of Baofeng.
In Baishui Town, Fufeng County, on the official road paved with asphalt concrete, a team of low-key and luxurious carriages slowly drove into the small road leading to Huaqiao Village.
The sun shone on the golden carriage, reflecting a dazzling light. The carriage's body was carved with exquisite patterns of flying phoenixes, and the wheels rolled forward with a dull sound.
The procession was vast and mighty, like a long winding dragon, with sword-wielding guards on tall horses leading the way and following behind, and carriages in the middle.
The curtains on the carriages fluttered in the wind, revealing the luxurious decorations inside. The coachmen, dressed in neat uniforms, drove their horses with focused expressions.
As the carriage moved forward, the road gradually became narrower, but the road surface was unusually flat. The wheels rolled lightly on the road, making a rustling sound.
Green trees lined the road, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. In the fields, golden rice paddies danced in the wind, like a golden ocean. In the distance, rolling hills echoed against the blue sky and white clouds.
The procession of carriages moved forward through this beautiful scenery like a moving scroll. People stopped to watch, marveling at the grandeur of this luxurious procession.
In the leading carriage, a bony hand gently lifted the curtain and slightly poked out a head.
He looked out at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery, feeling a surge of emotion. In his memory, the rural areas of Laifeng Country were mostly made up of dilapidated mud houses, simple and quaint, with bumpy yellow mud roads, only occasionally used by oxcarts and mule carts.
But now, on the way from the capital to Huaqiao Village, the yellow mud roads in the countryside have disappeared, replaced by wide and flat concrete roads; the mud houses in the village have also been replaced by rows of staggered cement blue brick farmhouses, which look very neat and beautiful.
Furthermore, the spiritual outlook of the people has undergone a profound transformation. Once, they lived in poverty and hardship, but now, their faces are filled with happy smiles. They have learned to read and write, understand the importance of knowledge, and have begun to pursue higher spiritual needs.
The current Laifeng Kingdom has already implemented government-run schools (basic), where students can attend for free. Even men have special schools for them to study.
As the quality of the people continues to improve, their customs are becoming more open.
Men, once confined to the inner chambers, no longer revolved around the kitchen stove, their wives, and their children. Instead, they had more choices and opportunities to realize their own life values. Some men started to engage in business, while others devoted themselves to education and became teachers, using their wisdom and talents to educate the next generation.
Of course, under the strong supervision of the imperial court, people did not lock their doors at night and did not pick up things on the road, and their sense of security and happiness was greatly improved.
The people of Yuheng County, once part of Lengyue State, were especially grateful to have become citizens of Laifeng State. Because, as a vassal state of the Laifeng Empire, Lengyue State would likely need at least fifty years to catch up with the development level of neighboring Yuheng County.
Mu Lige gently lowered the carriage curtain and said with emotion, "Qingqing, seventeen years is neither long nor short, but it's enough to change a lot..."
Upon hearing this, Hua Qingcheng held Mu Lige's hand, gazed at him affectionately, and said softly, "Brother Li, we met, got to know each other, and fell in love in Huaqiao Village. If there is a place that I love most, it is Huaqiao Village."
Mu Lige smiled slightly and said softly, "Qingqing, I feel the same way. Huaqiao Village carries too many beautiful memories." After that, he reached out and hugged Hua Qingcheng tightly in his arms, feeling the warmth and breath of his little wife.
Hua Qingcheng and Mu Lige snuggled up to each other, their faces filled with happy smiles. She knew that no matter how time passed, their hearts would always be connected, and Huaqiao Village would always be the most precious place in their hearts.
Near noon, the carriage arrived at Huaqiao Village.
The village head Hua Xiuhong and clan leader Hua Zhengfeng led all the villagers to line the streets near Huaqiao Village to welcome them.
[Hua Xiuhong: Daughter of Hua Sufen, the original village head of Huaqiao Village.]
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"
Wherever the carriage carrying Hua Qingcheng and Mu Lige passed, the people cheered.
Hua Qingcheng lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and said to Feng Qiyan and Shan Zuo, who were escorting the carriage on horseback on both sides: "Qiyan, Zuo, let the people stand up!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." The two answered in unison, and then asked the kneeling people behind them to stand up.
"I originally wanted to keep a low profile, but it ended up being so grand." Hua Qingcheng shook her head helplessly.
Mu Lige smiled, "Qingqing, you are the ruler of a country. Your safety is related to the stability of the court and the country. It is understandable that no one dares to neglect you. Moreover, you were born in Huaqiao Village, and the people here are all proud of you."
After getting off the carriage, Hua Qingcheng strolled through Huaqiao Village with her husband and six attendants, followed by their seventeen children. Also accompanying them were the Feng family, Situ Wanqing and Lianxing's wife and husband, Hua Rongsheng and Ye Maochun's wife and husband, and Hua Qingguo and Ye Ling'er's wife and husband, who had been married for only two months.
The first place the group came to was the place where Hua Rongsheng and Ye Maochun originally lived at the entrance of the village. It has now been converted into the village school, where special teachers teach the children.
From a distance, the sound of children reading aloud could be heard from the school. Nalan Zetian smiled and said, "Grandma and Grandpa's house is still full of vitality."
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