Fan Zehao remained silent, fixing him with a sharp gaze. Huangfu Xian dared not truly anger him. He tossed the letter to Fan Zehao and hurried back into the house to seek help from his elder sister-in-law. At this moment, only she could manage this madman, Fan Zehao.
"Sister-in-law, I'm telling you, I went through immense effort to bring back the letters from my two nephews. You can ask Prince Xiaoyao if you don't believe me!"
Huangfu Xu nodded vigorously. "I can attest to that. It wasn't easy. We ate whatever we could find, and when we were thirsty or hungry, we almost had to survive on... well, you know."
Hearing the unspoken word, Huangfu Xian's mind immediately conjured an image of something dark and foul. His face darkened, and he shot back, "Yes, yes, that's why Prince Xiaoyao is so good. He ate it first. Once he confirmed it wasn't poisoned, he let me eat it. This brother is loyal!"
Zhao Jiaqi was utterly uninterested in the brothers' bickering. She wanted to know about her parents-in-law and her children. These two were chattering about irrelevant things.
"How are my parents-in-law? And the children? You went to Zongsheng Kingdom, didn't you? Is Junjun doing well there? Has Zonghan bullied her?"
A barrage of questions was unleashed, nearly choking the brothers with their mouthful of food.
Huangfu Xian scratched his head and answered his sister-in-law's questions one by one, ultimately summarizing everything in one sentence: they were all fine.
Whether old or young, married or not, everything was going smoothly.
With his assurance, Zhao Jiaqi's worried heart finally settled. However, without seeing them with her own eyes, a sliver of worry always lingered. It was an age-old custom to report good news and hide bad.
"Alright, let's eat. After eating, go back and wash up. It will be Lunar New Year tomorrow. You've arrived just in time. We'll celebrate the New Year together."
The brothers chuckled. Of course, they had timed their arrival to celebrate the New Year. It was better to celebrate with others than alone during the festive season. After all, they were prepared to be scolded or beaten. Their skin was thick, and they could endure it.
Fan Zehao read his son's reply. Every word felt like a needle piercing his heart, causing him to ache uncontrollably.
That night, back in their chambers, Fan Zehao became a bit petulant. "After the New Year, once things here are settled, we'll depart immediately for the inner city to see Father, Mother, and our son. It's been almost two years since we last saw them. I wonder how tall those two brats have grown, and how old Father and Mother have become!"
His words, though meant to convey longing, brought tears to his eyes. He was like a fierce tiger weeping. The last time she saw him cry seemed like a very long time ago. She stepped forward, gently patted his head, and softly said, "Okay, whatever you want. We'll leave after the fifth day of the New Year and leave those two scoundrels here to handle the remaining matters!"
Depart on the sixth?
Fan Zehao nodded eagerly upon hearing his wife's promise, his demeanor as obedient as a little girl's.
He wasn't that old, yet she felt a strange sense of him being an old child.
On New Year's Eve, the mansion was very lively. They didn't have stir-fried dishes that night; they ate hot pot. The masters had one table, the guards had two, and the maids had one.
At the dining table, even the food couldn't silence the Huangfu brothers.
Huangfu Xian exclaimed, "Delicious! It's great to be with Elder Brother and Sister-in-law. We'll never be shortchanged in terms of food here. It's nothing like when we're out; just having something to eat is good enough."
Zhao Jiaqi shook her head. If Huangfu Jintao knew his two sons were gluttons and were not ambitious enough to pursue power, she wondered if he would jump out of his tomb and curse these unfilial descendants.
"On the sixth, my husband and I will leave for the inner city first. You two stay behind to cooperate with Fang Mingjiang and resolve things clearly, then come find us."
This time, the couple decided to travel light, intending to return home as quickly as possible to visit their elderly parents and children.
This abrupt statement stunned everyone.
Leaving on the sixth? They were to stay and handle matters?
Sister-in-law was truly something. They had finally met up with her and Elder Brother, only for her to leave them behind and fly ahead.
Under their sister-in-law's stern expression, Huangfu Xu and Huangfu Xian dared not refuse. They could only nod in assent, planning to ask Fang Mingjiang later what exactly needed to be resolved.
The Lunar New Year felt heavy for Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao. They couldn't find any joy, as if their hearts had sprouted wings and flown away, leaving behind only an empty shell.
On the morning of the first day of the New Year, the prefect's family and the governor's family arrived to pay their respects to the Emperor and Empress. Fan Zehao did not wish to see them, knowing he would only utter harsh words and reprimands, which would only add to his troubles. Therefore, he sent Huangfu Xu to receive them.
In their chambers, Fan Zehao sat at the table, lost in thought. Seeing this, Zhao Jiaqi felt helpless. When a person has something on their mind, their spirit seems to vanish.
"Husband, why are we traveling by carriage? Since you miss our elders and children so much, why don't we leave tomorrow? The earlier we leave, the earlier we arrive!"
He blinked, then his mind cleared, and he immediately smiled. "Alright, I'll arrange it now. We'll depart first thing tomorrow morning!"
They had spoken of traveling light, but the carriage was filled with the favorite foods of the elderly and the children. Thus, on the morning of the second day, they set off under the falling snow, accelerating as much as possible along the way.
The Huangfu brothers, left behind, sighed mournfully. They had finally reunited, and after just three days of warmth, they were separated again.
Winter jasmine bloomed in the wind, fearless of the cold and snow. If you wanted to know if it was the beginning of spring outdoors, you could tell by looking at it.
Spring was arriving, and the earth was warming. Although it was still quite cold, the wild grasses along the roadside were gradually turning green. If one were in the mountains, tender wild vegetables would already be growing.
The people in the carriage were in no mood to appreciate the scenery whizzing by outside.
In mid-March, with only three days left until they reached the inner city, a fine rain had been falling incessantly. They had talked about repairing the road, but it had been repaired so many times, yet this section was still not done.
The carriage wheel sank into a mud pit. Several guards pushed and pulled the carriage, but they couldn't budge it. Enraged, Fan Zehao let out a pure exclamation of frustration.
He looked up at the overcast, drizzly sky, fearing the rain would not stop for a day or two. If it were just a short while, it would be fine, but continuous rain was unbearable.
He decided they should find a family to temporarily borrow some lodging until the rain stopped.
After discussing it with Zhao Jiaqi and receiving her agreement, he immediately dispatched Feng Xiao to scout the vicinity, to see if there was any place to stay in this desolate area.
Feng Xiao, clad in a straw cape and hat, galloped away on his horse.
Not long after, Feng Xiao returned and pointed into the distance. "Master, there's a small village ahead. The population isn't large. Just follow this small path, and you'll reach it."
Fan Zehao nodded. He helped Zhao Jiaqi into the carriage and instructed Shi He to escort her. "You go to the village first to shelter from the rain. I'll lead a few of them to pull the carriage out of the mud pit, and then I'll meet you."
"Alright, you take care too. Don't get wet for too long. It's unclear if there's a doctor here if you catch a cold. Don't end up with a fever and become foolish!"
She was quite worried about her husband. While his constitution was good, even the best could not withstand this chilly spring weather.