Half an hour later, four swift horses set off on schedule.
Two post station attendants hid in a corner. "What should we do? Should we report to the Crown Prince that Prince Rui has left the army and is heading to the capital alone?"
"Report what? Didn't you see they are returning at the speed of an urgent dispatch? By the time our message reaches the capital, they might have already rested and recuperated." Delayed news is useless; at best, they won't be punished, let alone rewarded.
Situ Yan and the others rode hard. A journey that normally took seven and a half days with an urgent dispatch was completed in just six.
Upon seeing the city gate, Ouyang Wen almost burst into tears. "Quick, quick, tell the post station to prepare water for a bath. After meeting the Emperor, I'm going to sleep for three days and three nights!"
Situ Yan, however, said, "You go if you want. I need to go back to my mansion first."
"Are you crazy? When an official returns to the capital, the first order of business is to report to the Emperor. You want to see your wife first?"
"If you don't say, and I don't say, who will know I'm back?" Going to the palace means a pile of trivial matters that won't be finished in a few hours, and the Emperor might even ask him to stay for dinner on a whim.
Since they were already in the capital, of course, he had to see his wife first.
He waved his hand casually. "You find a place to rest. We'll meet again in an hour." With that, he spurred his horse into the city.
In broad daylight, the four of them were not in official attire. The guards at the city gate asked a few more questions but let them pass.
Ouyang Wen watched his retreating figure, gritting his teeth in anger. Such a friend-abandoning scoundrel, acting as if he were the only one in the world with a wife.
Thinking this, he turned his horse and rode towards the west city.
For over two months, he had been extremely busy in Shanxi, but he still managed to find time to write two letters to Cheng Jiaojiao. Unfortunately, the replies he received contained little substance. It seemed they were still just friends.
East wealthy, west noble. The noble families always disdained going to the west city.
But upon arriving here, one would discover that the opulent residences with their carved beams, painted pillars, and flying eaves were far more luxurious than the mansions of many common gentry.
Ouyang Wen, familiar with the way, found the Cheng family residence. The guards standing outside, tall and upright, clearly trained martial artists, made him hesitate. He was skilled in lightness kung fu, and it would be no problem to scale the wall without alarming them. But what about after he got inside? This mansion was clearly not small, and how would he know where Jiaojiao lived?
As he was racking his brain, he suddenly saw a young maidservant coming out of the door.
His eyes lit up. Wasn't this the maidservant who always accompanied Jiaojiao? What was her name? It seemed to be Qing'er.
Qing'er was out buying silk thread today. As soon as she turned a corner, a person appeared before her. Dusty and with a stubbled beard, she instinctively wanted to cry out, but then she heard the man call her name, "Qing'er, where is your young lady?"
The voice sounded somewhat familiar.
She blinked and looked closely. "Heavens, Young Master, what happened to you? Were you driven out of the house by Old Madam again? Why didn't Physician Ji take you in?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm passing through on official business today. Hurry and call your young lady out. I have a few words to say to her."
Qing'er knew her young lady's mind well. Although she found it strange, she didn't dare to delay. Whether to meet or not, such matters were for the young lady to decide herself.
So, half an hour later, Cheng Jiaojiao met the person she had been thinking of for over two months in the back alley of her own house.
Ouyang Wen sat on the ground, his long legs casually stretched out, his head resting against the wall, happily snoring. With his disheveled appearance, if Qing'er hadn't warned her beforehand, Cheng Jiaojiao would have mistaken him for a beggar on the street.
Qing'er grumbled, "How exhausted must he be to fall asleep like this? But to come find you while so tired, Young Lady, Young Master's heart..."
Cheng Jiaojiao's cheeks flushed slightly. She chided, "Be quiet. Find two people to carry the Young Master to the guest room."
"Ah? Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Are you suggesting he sleep here?"
"He said he had something to tell you."
"Let him sleep first. Look at the bruises under his eyes; he might have been up for days."
Qing'er looked again and thought, it's different when it's someone you care about. Young Master is so grimy, yet Young Lady can still see the dark circles under his eyes. She herself couldn't see anything.
Ouyang Wen was carried to a guest room in the Cheng residence and slept even more comfortably.
Situ Yan, who had returned to the capital for his duties but did not go to the palace immediately, quietly entered his own courtyard, avoiding the servants. He did not find Lu Nianfu in the main room but heard the cries of a baby.
Soon, the crying stopped.
He froze. His hand moved faster than his mind. Following the baby's cries, he pushed open a room door. Inside, the wet nurse had just finished changing the baby's diaper. When she looked up and saw Situ Yan, her hand trembled, and she almost dropped the child. Hong Shao, who was standing guard, reacted quickly and knelt down. "This servant greets Your Highness."
Strange, why wasn't the Prince's return announced?