Disembarking in Huang Yuzhou Prefecture, they transferred to a carriage. The group traveled for three days, intending to take a shortcut and reach the capital by sunset.
However, plans rarely kept pace with changes.
A light rain delayed their journey, causing them to miss the post station and any villages. With no other option, they made do with a night on the small road.
Their provisions were meager, so they retired early.
A bonfire crackled around the carriage, and two adult wolves lay by Fan Jiaqi's carriage.
Just past midnight, the two wolves suddenly rose, their eyes fixed intently on the woods.
They let out low, suppressed growls, and then paced anxiously on the ground, their paws scraping at the carriage.
Vigilant Fan Zehao had already alighted from the carriage at the first wolf howl.
Following the wolves' gaze, he saw nothing, but he trusted that his wolves would not give such a warning without reason.
"What's wrong, husband?" Zhao Jiaqi also alighted, asking Fan Zehao.
He shook his head, unsure of the cause, but he could faintly smell blood.
"Wife, you stay in the carriage, do not come out. I will go and see!"
After instructing his wife, Fan Zehao took the larger wolf and left, leaving the second wolf with his wife. Should anything happen, the second wolf could hold them off for a while, buying his wife time to escape.
As soon as they entered the mountain, the scent of blood grew stronger, and he could faintly hear the clash of swords.
The large wolf beside him grew restless, running a few steps before looking back at Fan Zehao, urging him to hurry.
"Boss, look what that is, its eyes are glowing green!"
The man turned and saw it was a wolf!
Encountering such a creature in the mountains was troublesome. If it couldn't be killed in one blow, it would bring endless problems. This beast was too vengeful; one howl could summon wolves from all around.
The man turned and glared at his intended target. "I'll let you off today, but you won't be so lucky next time. Let's go."
As the man spoke, three figures withdrew from the woods.
One man remained, his leg and arm injured, leaning against a tree trunk and smiling wryly.
He, the noble Prince Xiaoyao, was about to fall prey to wolves today.
Fan Zehao emerged from behind the large tree after the men had left. His foot stepped on the grass, making a slight sound that startled him.
Prince Xiaoyao, Huangfu Xu: "Who is it!"
"It's me, not the one who harmed you." His hoarse voice spoke in a low tone.
Fan Zehao saw that his injuries were not severe, but running or jumping would be difficult.
"It's too dangerous for you to be in the mountains like this. I'll carry you down the mountain."
Few words were spoken, yet they brought Huangfu Xu a long-lost warmth. One dared to carry, and one dared to follow.
After descending the mountain, Huangfu Xu learned that the person who saved him was the Emperor's new favorite, the Grand General of Cavalry, who had achieved military merits but insisted on personally escorting his wife back. He was a man of the people.
He didn't know whether to laugh or feel pathetic, and he sighed softly.
"Brother Zehao's life-saving grace, I will surely repay it someday. Farewell." Huangfu Xu said, and then limped away without lingering.
He didn't leave his name, but Huangfu Xu knew they would meet again in a few days.
The night passed without incident. As dawn broke, the group began their journey, and these sharp individuals said nothing of the previous night's events.
Entering the capital, the city gates were under extremely strict inspection.
Travel permits, people, and luggage, even the carriages, were searched. Finding nothing suspicious, they were allowed to pass.
This thorough inspection took an hour.
"As expected of the capital, its prosperity is undeniable. Judging by the entrance alone, the security here must be top-notch!"
Fan Zehao chuckled, "That's not necessarily true. There have been instances of young masters from noble families causing trouble in the capital. As long as no one dies, it won't reach the higher authorities; they just bite each other behind closed doors!"
Her husband's words made perfect sense. She looked at him in surprise. His transformation since joining the army had been too great.
He seemed to understand everything. She asked, "Not bad, you know quite a lot. Who taught you? What else do you know?"
Praised by his wife, he awkwardly scratched his head. "I don't know much, just what the Crown Prince often mentions. I've picked up a little."
So it was the Crown Prince!
Zhao Jiaqi smiled and shook her head. Her husband was a typical fool with good luck. She just didn't know what the outcome would be now that he was stepping into the imperial court!
Lifting the carriage curtain, Fan Zehao gazed at the street scenery and explained to her, "In the capital, there's a saying: 'East is rich, West is noble, South is poor, North is humble.'"
"The East Street is filled with large shops, and three or four-story restaurants are everywhere."
"The Imperial Palace is located in the west, and the important ministers of the court all live on the West Street. It's relatively quieter there, but it's where the high officials and nobles reside, so the west is called the place of nobles."
"The people living in the south are mostly officials of the court, with lower ranks. Of course, some are merchants who live there as well."
"The north is where the common people live, similar to our village, doing odd jobs to support their families."
Zhao Jiaqi understood. The capital was divided into different social strata, and where one lived could signify their status.
Passing through the bustling East Street and arriving at the quiet West Street, the contrast between the two streets was stark.
The West Street was much easier to travel on, wide, quiet, and each house had a grand entrance. One had to walk a long distance to see the next shop sign.
Alighting from the carriage, they saw the gilded plaques under the sunlight, shining brilliantly.
The Grand General's Residence.
"Wife, this is the residence bestowed by the Emperor. This will be our home from now on!" Fan Zehao looked at the large house with a touch of pride.
He was happy now that he had the means to provide a good life for his wife.
Zhang Cuihua, standing behind them, trembled with excitement.
She had never imagined in her life that she would come to the capital, let alone live in such a large house.
She had also never expected her son to become an official. Now, she felt as if she were dreaming, hugging her granddaughter Yumeng and grinning foolishly at her. "Your father is amazing now, are you happy, Mengmeng!"
The baby, only a few months old, couldn't understand her grandmother's words. She thought she was being played with and let out crisp giggles, waving her little hands and occasionally blowing bubbles from her mouth.
The residence was fully equipped, but there were no servants.
After settling everyone in, Fan Zehao went to the palace to report.
Wang Zhaodi handed Xueyao to her mother. She and Zhao Jiaqi began tidying the house together, but there were too many rooms, so they could only clean enough space to live in.
"Sister-in-law, I won't lie to you. I thought the house you built in our village was large, but I never expected the Grand General's Residence to be so enormous. I see several courtyards!"
Wang Zhaodi was curious about everything, like a country bumpkin in the city.
"This is called having a house within a house. There are many places in the capital better than ours, countless ones." Although Zhao Jiaqi hadn't seen much, she wasn't uneducated.
She still adhered to her principle of acting low-key while living a high-profile life.