Zhao Ger handed Gungun to him. "Hold him more often. Back in the village, the women used to say that babies bring good fortune. Hold them enough, and maybe next year you'll be expecting too."
Xie Xiaoyu didn't really believe that, but he knew Zhao Ger meant well. He smiled. "Then I'll hold them plenty. Gungun, you have to bless your godfather so he can have a little brother next year!"
Gungun babbled and waved his little fists as if promising to do just that. Then he kicked his chubby little feet and gave Dandan a nudge. Dandan promptly waved his fists in return.
Xie Xiaoyu found it hilarious. He held one baby, then the other, and by evening he didn't want to leave.
When they passed through towns with inns, they stayed overnight. When they had to camp in the wilderness, the guards pitched tents and slept around the fire.
Fang Zichen always returned to the carriage at night. Given the circumstances, Xiao Feng couldn't stand on ceremony either and slept inside with them.
The Yu Ger siblings were split between two carriages, but the compartments were small, and with all the bedding piled up, there was barely any room left.
Before they left, Shi Nianqi had advised Zhao Ger to leave Xiao Feng behind. Xiao Feng was older now and diligent in his studies, but there was so much he still needed to learn—not just some knowledge of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but also needlework. Xiao Feng had no aptitude for any of that and had only learned embroidery for a little over a month. If he went to Hezhou, where would they find a momo to teach him?
And even if they did, a Hezhou momo probably wouldn't know the etiquette and standards of the capital. If he stayed away for five years, he'd be sixteen by the time he returned—too late to learn, and then it would be hard to find a good match for marriage.
Although Xiao Feng wasn't Zhao Ger's biological son, the Zhao family certainly wouldn't mistreat him. Zhao Ger spoke with Xiao Feng and relayed Shi Nianqi's concerns. As Zhao Ger had expected, Xiao Feng chose not to stay.
This child truly regarded them as family—and Zhao Ger felt the same. Even though he knew it would be better for Xiao Feng to remain in the capital, he brought him along anyway.
A family shouldn't be separated.
Fang Zichen had overheard the whole conversation and remarked, "What Sister-in-law said is rather amusing. You didn't know how to do any of those things either, and you still found a catch like me. Granted, men like me are rare in this world, but that's no problem. If he can't find a husband, I'll just send him to a nunnery—no big deal!"
The moment he finished speaking, Fang Zichen was chased all over the courtyard by Xiao Feng.
---
Fang Zichen lay sideways in the carriage, and even then it was crowded. Guaizai had to sleep on Fang Zichen's stomach—thankfully the little guy hadn't grown much, or he would have crushed him.
Winter nights were bitterly cold, with howling winds that cut like knives. Everyone huddled together under one quilt, which kept them warm enough.
After traveling for over a month, they finally reached Xiayang, marking more than half of the journey completed. Since they were in a hurry to take up the post, they hadn't made any stops to look around the towns they passed along the way. Today, however, the babies had run out of diapers, so they needed to find an inn to wash and dry them. But just as they entered the city, a squadron of soldiers blocked their path.
They hadn't even reached Hezhou yet!
Was someone already picking a fight?
But it didn't look like that—the men wore military uniforms.
A burly man came forward and asked respectfully, "May I ask if you are Lord Fang?"
His tone was certain—he clearly recognized him. Fang Zichen didn't bother denying it. "That's me. And you are?"
"This humble one was sent by Old General Qin of Hengyang."
As soon as the news of Fang Zichen's reassignment spread, the Qin family had sent word to Hengyang.
Old General Qin knew exactly what kind of place Hezhou was. Some areas had notoriously fierce locals. Not long ago, the magistrate of a nearby county had been ambushed in the middle of the night, and his entire family was beaten.
Old General Qin simply couldn't rest easy. No matter how skilled Guaizai was with his fists, if a farmer swung a hoe at his head, that big head of his might very well split open.
After much deliberation, Old General Qin sent his men.
The Qin family troops were divided into two types: state troops and private troops—but the number of private soldiers was strictly limited and could not exceed the cap.
Currently in the capital, aside from the Emperor, the left and right chancellors held the most power. Yet even they could not recruit private troops—only the Qin family had been granted this special honor.
The Qin family already commanded a massive army and still enjoyed such privilege—a clear testament to the Emperor's trust.
This time, fifty men had been dispatched. Since they couldn't make it to the capital in time, they had waited in Xiayang.
Fang Zichen didn't quite know what to say. He wanted to express his thanks, but he also felt that Old General Qin was seriously underestimating him.
Am I scared of a few unruly commoners?
Absolutely not!
With eight carts of goods, plus the passenger carriages, the convoy stretched into a long, magnificent procession. As they entered the city, a guard shouted and ordered a search. Fang Zichen didn't even have to step in. Zhang Quan rode forward, flashed his badge, and the guard immediately dropped to his knees before the carriage.
"So it's you, my lord. This humble one was rude just now—I beg your lordship to forgive me."
Fang Zichen lifted the carriage curtain to take a look, then patted Guaizai. "Son, see that? Your father looks pretty impressive now, doesn't he?"
Guaizai played along: "Father is the best!"
"Of course," Fang Zichen said. "Once we get to Hezhou, your father will be the big boss there. When that happens, I'll get you an official waist badge too, so you can show off. If anyone's dumb enough to stop you, just do what Zhang Quan does—got it?"
"Mm!" Guaizai's eyes sparkled. "Guaizai is an official's kid now! Guaizai is the best, super awesome! Whoever stops Guaizai, Guaizai will flash the badge and scare the pants off him."
Zhao Ger coughed. Fang Zichen immediately tapped Guaizai on the head. "But you mustn't bully others or throw your weight around, understand?"
"Pfft," Guaizai said quickly. "Father, doing bad things is wrong—Guaizai knew that ages ago! Guaizai would never do bad things. Guaizai is a good kid, a super-duper good kid."
Zhao Ger saw Guaizai standing with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out as if about to touch the sky, and couldn't help but find it amusing.
The convoy rested for a day in Xiayang. They replenished their dried provisions, everyone got a chance to bathe—a busy flurry of activity.
Throughout the journey, Zhao Ger's biggest worry had been the children. Guaizai was fine—tough as nails, didn't seem to mind anything, and even ran outside from time to time to ride with Fang Zichen. The only issue was that without chicken, his meals just weren't appetizing—whether from some childhood obsession or genuine love for the bird, the boy simply couldn't enjoy his food unless there was chicken in it. Fang Zichen doted on his eldest son so much that at every town stop, he'd buy a few chickens to keep, having them heated up at night just for Guaizai.
As for Gungun and Dandan, they gave no trouble either. Physician Li often came to check on them, and after taking their pulses, he'd declare that these two children were sturdy as oxen—they barely cried during the whole journey, and instead of losing weight, they'd actually gotten chubbier. Not an ounce lost—truly tough little bones!
Zhao Ger figured it was because he'd eaten well during pregnancy, which had made the two children strong from the start.
By the end of the first lunar month, the New Year had arrived. The city was bustling with liveliness and excitement.
The inn was mostly empty at this hour—everyone was at home celebrating the New Year. Zhao Ger asked the innkeeper to bring out some fine wine and dishes. The guards had escorted them all the way from the capital, enduring wind and rough meals, so they deserved to be well hosted. The Qin family soldiers also needed to be properly entertained, especially during the festival season.
They had about a hundred people in total, which meant at least ten tables. Most of the inn's staff were off at home for the New Year, so there likely wasn't enough manpower. But the innkeeper didn't dare complain—this group was clearly far from ordinary. Everyone rode horses, wore swords at their waists, and was flanked by imperial guards and soldiers. Their luggage filled seven or eight carts—these must be big shots! Not wanting to offend them, he hurried to the neighboring inn to borrow their cooks and waiters for the day.
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