When Shang Shaoyan was twenty-six, he decided to travel incognito to Jiangnan, taking Qiao Xiuyu and Shang Yihuan with him. The family of three happily prepared to leave Luoyang.
Shang Yunlan was very dissatisfied with this: "Why are you making me regent again? I want to go and have fun too."
Shang Shaoyan offered a perfunctory reassurance: "I'll definitely do it next time, I'll definitely do it next time."
Then he turned around and left.
Along the way, Shang Yihuan looked around curiously. She was four years old now, and Shang Shaoyan was raising her as the crown prince, but he did not overly restrict her. Therefore, Shang Yihuan had a very happy childhood.
Shang Yihuan, tired of admiring the scenery outside, shrank back into the carriage, looked at Shang Shaoyan, and blinked: "Mother, are we going to see Uncle?"
Looking at Shang Yihuan, who resembled Qiao Xiuyu, Shang Shaoyan's expression softened: "Yes, Uncle is alone in Suzhou. Let's go see him."
Shang Shaoyan and Qiao Xiuyu traveled incognito without bringing many people with them. They looked like ordinary officials, but the two were so good-looking that they attracted a lot of attention.
After switching from horse-drawn carriages to waterways, they arrived in Suzhou not long afterward.
Tao Ying is now the prefect of Suzhou and the third female official after Li Langhuan and Bai Lu. Many other young women have entered officialdom since then, all thanks to Shang Shaoyan's reforms.
Tao Yingshi greeted Shang Shaoyan and his family at the city gate of Suzhou. The group walked towards the prefectural government office, chatting and laughing along the way.
After touring Suzhou, Shang Shaoyan remarked, "You have governed Suzhou very well."
Tao Yingshi blushed slightly: "Your Majesty flatters me."
Shang Shaoyan laughed and said, "You don't need to be modest—you were the first female top scholar after the implementation of the imperial examination system, which is not something that can be achieved by mere words."
Tao Yingshi smiled and said, "Then, Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. I will do even better in the future."
Shang Shaoyan nodded: "That's more like it."
The next day, Shang Shaoyan and his family of three left the mansion early in the morning and headed towards the outskirts of Suzhou.
There is a huge garden on the outskirts of Suzhou. The background of the garden's owner is a mystery. He is the most popular private tutor in the Suzhou countryside. However, his noble air cannot be hidden, so people always try to find out more about him.
Upon seeing the visitors, an elderly man living nearby kindly reminded them, "Mr. Qiao rarely sees people. Unless you have something important to discuss, he won't see you."
Qiao Xiuyu smiled and said gently, "We are his family."
The old man was somewhat surprised, and even more so when he saw Qiao Yu come out to greet him personally—it turned out that Mr. Qiao had family.
...
Qiao Yu led the three of them deeper into the garden. After Shang Yihuan greeted them politely, she became restless and wanted to wander around and see what was going on. Shang Shaoyan didn't restrain her and asked a few people to accompany her. Then, he and Qiao Xiuyu went into Qiao Yu's study together.
Qiao Yu looked Qiao Xiuyu up and down, and after a while nodded, saying, "He's become much more composed than before."
He then looked at Shang Shaoyan and said with a smile, "This is the first time I've met you, sister-in-law. Although you have everything you need, as your older brother, I still prepared a gift for you."
As he spoke, he took out a pair of jade bracelets: "These bracelets were made from the Imperial Seal of the State, and they have extraordinary significance."
Shang Shaoyan accepted it generously and immediately put it on his wrist.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Qiao Xiuyu asked, "Brother, could you let me and An'an meet that young lady you mentioned in your letter last time?"
This is the biggest reason why Qiao Xiuyu wanted to come to Suzhou—his brother, who was like an iron tree, had finally blossomed and found a girl he liked.
He just wouldn't say much in the letter. Qiao Xiuyu was anxious and worried for a while. Shang Shaoyan couldn't bear to see it, so he said he would come to Jiangnan to take a look.
Qiao Yu raised an eyebrow: "Of course."
After a pause, he slowly said, seeing the sudden brightening in the couple's eyes, "Let's eat first."
Shang Shaoyan and Qiao Xiuyu: "..."
The two of them absentmindedly followed Qiao Yu to the dining room, but after taking their first bite, they immediately forgot about what had just happened.
The reason is simple: the food was excessively delicious, almost as good as what you'd find in the palace.
The couple ate at a good pace, yet maintained an elegant demeanor, which was already quite remarkable. To make matters worse, they had a good relationship and would often take turns serving each other food with their chopsticks. Even so, they finished their meal in just fifteen minutes.
Qiao Yu: "..."
He looked at his bowl, which still had half a bowl of rice left, with some shock, and couldn't help but ask, "How come you guys eat so fast?"
Shang Shaoyan rinsed his mouth elegantly, and while drinking tea, he sighed, "It's just that I'm too busy on weekdays. Eating faster means I can work a little longer."
Qiao Yu: "..."
He was somewhat amused and exasperated, and was about to say something when Qiao Xiuyu spoke up: "Brother, we've finished eating, where is that young lady?"
Qiao Yu smiled and asked instead of answering, "Are these dishes delicious?"
Shang Shaoyan and Qiao Xiuyu nodded vigorously.
Qiao Yu nodded, a little smug: "This is the food that young lady made."
Shang Shaoyan and Qiao Xiuyu remained silent, stunned in place.
Qiao Yu's heart sank.
The reason he refused to specify the details of his beloved girl in the letter was because he feared that, given the current situation—Yuan'er being a cook—his younger brother and sister-in-law might find it a bit...
Qiao Yu was feeling down, but she still forced herself to say, "I..."
Unexpectedly, Shang Shaoyan interrupted him: "Brother, what a blessing you have!"
Qiao Yu: "...?"
Qiao Xiuyu added, "What are you still hesitating about with such a wonderful girl? Shouldn't you bring her home in a grand wedding procession and treat her like royalty?"
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