Chapter 109

In addition to the men from the Commandant's Office sent by the emperor, there were also servants from the general's household. Seeing the banner of the Northern Ping General from afar, the party at the city gate welcomed them in.

Huo Jilin handed his name plaque to the Commandant's Office guard and told him he would go to the palace the next day to thank the emperor.

They were worn out from the journey, and it was only proper to wash up and look presentable before entering the palace to meet the emperor. This was what Lord Liu had instructed before they set out—the capital was not like the countryside, and the imperial palace had far more rules.

Sure enough, when the Commandant's personal guard heard this, he escorted them into the city and then hurried ahead with Huo Jilin's plaque to report the good news at the palace.

The group entered the city gate.

This was the outermost city gate of the capital.

Outside the gate, travelers and merchants made for a lively scene, and inside the city there were even more people.

People stood by the wall reading notices, others pushed carts loaded with goods, some were leaving the city, others entering—it had all the signs of a bustling metropolis.

Chen Jue sat on his horse and looked around at the capital.

After living in Pingshan Village for over a year and getting used to Dongling County, the capital now struck him as grand and impressive.

The city walls were a full meter taller than Dongling County's, and the streets were wider—four carriages could travel side by side.

The shops along the streets were also much tidier and more luxurious, with a greater variety of goods.

All kinds of shops—cosmetics, silk and cloth, teahouses, restaurants—were on a higher scale than those in Dongling County. They already looked like the sets of period dramas from later generations, though of course far more real and substantial than any backdrop.

This was the real ancient world.

The carriage wheels rolled along the smooth, time-worn official road, making a rhythmic sound.

This was the city of Beijing a thousand years ago.

Chen Jue couldn't put into words what he felt—having traveled across history, he found he couldn't describe this era in just a few phrases.

In the end, he just said to Huo Jilin, who had lifted the curtain to look out, "The capital really looks great."

Huo Yu had finally fallen asleep after tearing up cabbage the entire trip, and Huo Jilin was holding him in his arms in the carriage.

Huo Jilin also looked around and nodded. "Better than Dongling County."

Chen Jue smiled. "This is the capital city."

Huo Jilin smiled too. "The capital, huh."

They both knew what that meant.

Chen Jue looked inside through the window. "Xiaoyu's asleep? Not going to wake him up to take a look?"

Huo Jilin waved his hand again and again. "Don't wake him up, whatever you do." He showed Chen Jue the basket of cabbage Huo Yu had torn up; if it weren't for that basket, the boy wouldn't have sat still in the carriage at all. Now that he'd finally fallen asleep, let him sleep a bit more.

Chen Jue looked at the basket full of shredded cabbage and laughed. "Perfect, we can stir-fry it when we get home."

Huo Jilin smiled. "Good."

They had gotten used to living like commoners, and habit made them think of everyday things like rice, oil, and salt.

But they knew that once they got back to the marquis's mansion, the meal would already be prepared.

He probably wouldn't get the chance to cook himself again. After all, he was a marquis now, right?

When Huo Jilin saw they had reached the central avenue, where the noise was deafening, he pulled the curtain shut so as not to wake Huo Yu.

This street led straight to the imperial palace—it was the central avenue and the capital's central axis. Those who believed in feng shui would know this street was incredibly auspicious, which was why the shops here were the most luxurious.

The windows of the finely carved two-story buildings were full of people, let alone the shops on both sides of the street.

Luckily, the men from the Commandant's Office cleared the way ahead, and Chen Jue's group passed through without obstruction at a slow pace.

Chen Jue sized them up, and they sized him up right back. He could even hear people whispering: "Is that the Northern Ping General personally appointed by the emperor? They're entering the capital today?"

"What's the story behind this emperor-appointed Northern Ping General? The procession doesn't look all that grand."

"He's a general granted by the emperor—the Huo family's general. I hear he's been away in the provinces all these years and is only now getting to return to the capital."

"No wonder. So few people—what marquis household doesn't have more servants than this? Even the outer gatekeepers at the Liang Mansion outnumber this lot."

"But that General Huo at the front is pretty handsome—I've never seen such a good-looking man. I heard he led the troops to beat the Northern Yuan Tartars last year. Don't know if it's true."

"That's probably fake—last year it was the Grand General of Valor who returned in triumph!"

"Forget it, let's drop it. We're just common folk—no point worrying about these big officials. Every official in the capital outranks us..."

Since they had reached the busy commercial street, the carriage moved even slower, and Chen Jue could hear the vendors' chatter on both sides.

They weren't shy at all—they didn't even bother to lower their voices when talking about them.

From this, you could tell the capital had no shortage of high officials and noble families—they were all used to it.

The Northern Ping General's Mansion was on North Street. The carriage passed through the central avenue, turned onto North Street, and, led by the waiting servants, arrived at the very middle of North Street.

The Northern Ping General's Mansion was the old Huo family residence, and it hadn't fallen into decay. Marquis mansions like this were all granted by the emperor. After the Huo family was demoted, it was taken back and given to other nobles. Now that the Huo family was coming back, it was granted to them again.

It was a case of "an iron-clad Northern Ping Marquis Mansion, a revolving door of generals."

That was fine too—it had been well maintained. The compound walls, over ten meters tall, were neat and uniform. Through the diamond-shaped lattice windows, you could see all kinds of flowers and trees inside. Even in late autumn, the plants were neatly trimmed. The garden inside must be nice—this was the standard of a marquis mansion.

Before they even reached the gate, they could see the plaque reading "Northern Ping General's Mansion." The large clerical-script characters gleamed like ink in the sunlight, the brushwork vigorous and forceful, as if carved with knives and swords.

The stone lions at the entrance were also majestic.

Chen Jue first took in the surroundings, then looked at the people waiting at the gate to greet them.

The one in front was probably the steward, wearing a dark blue robe with a ginger-brown sleeveless jacket over it.

Behind him were dozens of male servants, maids, and older women. The male servants wore deep blue robes with dark brown jackets; the maids' clothes were brighter—light blue dresses with emerald green jackets.

But without exception, their clothes were whole, with no patches.

The capital really was more prosperous. On the whole trip, they hadn't seen anyone on the streets wearing patched clothes.

Chen Jue's thoughts drifted a bit—this was the first time he'd had so many servants, and as a modern person, he felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing all these people waiting to bow to them.

This was different from after the plague ended, when many commoners had bowed or kowtowed to him in gratitude. Those people thanked him because he had saved their lives, and in his previous life, he'd had plenty of family members like that too.

This time, it was different.

Third-rank Marchioness.

Chen Jue was afraid these people would all shout that name together in a moment—that would be his embarrassing story.

He cleared his throat lightly, signaling Huo Jilin to step up and take charge.

But before the carriage even came to a stop, just as Chen Jue had expected, the steward at the lead, along with the servants, maids, and matrons, stepped forward in unison and bowed to Chen Jue and the others: "We welcome the Marquis and Marchioness home!"

The voices were loud and perfectly synchronized, and Chen Jue sat there on his horse, not knowing how to get down.

The steward came forward again to hold his horse's reins: "The Marquis has had a tiring journey."

Chen Jue thought he might be seeing things, but he felt the steward's look at him held a hint of disappointment.

When Chen Jue tried to get a better look, it was gone—the steward smiled appropriately and extended his arm toward him, back straight, neither humble nor overbearing, not crouching down for him to step on like they do in TV shows. Chen Jue sighed in relief, didn't take his arm, and jumped off the horse using the stirrup.

"Marquis, shall I also ask the Marchioness and the young master to come down from the carriage? I have prepared a banquet to welcome the Marquis and the Marchioness..."

The steward's words trailed off as Huo Jilin lifted the carriage curtain. The steward stared at Huo Jilin, his words dying in his throat.

Chen Jue, standing beside him, could feel the steward's lips trembling—clearly way more worked up than when he'd seen Chen Jue.

"Mar... Marchioness?" the steward managed to say.

Chen Jue couldn't help chuckling, letting Huo Jilin taste his own medicine.

Huo Jilin, holding the sleeping Huo Yu, also glanced at the steward. The two exchanged a silent glance for a second before Huo Jilin finally spoke: "Steward Su, is that right? I'm Huo Jilin."

The steward hadn't given his surname, but upon hearing Huo Jilin call out his family name, he became even more agitated, his arm reaching out to him, trembling slightly: "...Mr. Huo?"

He seemed to catch himself and quickly corrected: "So you're Marquis Huo—Marquis... I've finally been waiting for you..."

His gaze drifted from Huo Jilin's face down to the sleeping Huo Yu in his arms. Huo Yu was still asleep, his cheeks flushed pink. The steward, who appeared to be only in his thirties, had a look of tenderness that didn't match his age: "This... must be the young master, right?"

He reached out with both hands to take Huo Yu, but Huo Jilin smiled at him: "I've got him. Steward Su, lead the way. I'll make the introductions."

After Huo Jilin got down from the carriage with Huo Yu in his arms, he stood beside Chen Jue and introduced him to everyone: "This is my husband."

Before the steward could call out "Marchioness," he corrected the title: "You can just call him Doctor Chen."

Doctor Chen was also a title given by the emperor.

Chen Jue was more comfortable with this name.

The steward, now beaming with a touch of emotion, looked at Chen Jue: "Welcome home, Doctor Chen."

Chen Jue naturally noticed the shift in his expression, and also Huo Jilin—seemed like Huo Jilin knew this man.

Huo Jilin would explain later, so Chen Jue didn't say anything and followed everyone into the residence.

The steward looked pretty young, but he handled things in an orderly way. Before long, he'd gotten the soldiers settled, had Huo Jilin and Chen Jue change clothes, and freshen up.

By the time they sat down to eat, Huo Yu had just woken up. He hadn't expected to open his eyes and go from a carriage to such a fancy, carved and painted room, and he was very curious.

After all, Huo Yu was still a little country kid, having always lived in a stone house back in Pingshan Village, never having seen such a luxurious place.

He slid off Huo Jilin's lap, touched the folding screen, then the fancy table and chairs, his little legs trotting around to check everything out.

The steward followed him with small steps, hands out, afraid he'd fall. But even though Huo Yu was small, he was already steady on his feet—he wouldn't fall unless he ran too fast.

Huo Yu first checked out the dining room in the main hall, then the courtyard outside, which was even bigger. He stood at the doorway looking for a bit, but his little legs couldn't get over the threshold, so he got ready to climb. The steward hurried over to pick him up, but Huo Yu wouldn't have it. Instead of climbing, he turned around and trotted back to Huo Jilin: "Dada, go..."

After learning to call people, the second word Huo Yu picked up was "go." He loved riding horses the most, was used to the view from horseback, and liked being outside.

Huo Jilin smiled at him: "Eat first. You hungry?"

Besides loving to play outside, Huo Yu was also a little foodie at heart. The dishes on the table were super fancy, but there wasn't much a kid his size could eat, and he'd never had them before, so he wasn't interested.

Hearing Huo Jilin say that, he hummed: "Food."

Huo Jilin took the wet towel from the maid beside him and wiped his hands. The steward stepped forward and brought out the goat's milk and egg-and-meat porridge that had been kept warm, smiling at Huo Jilin: "Marquis, want me to feed the young master?"

Huo Jilin nodded: "Alright."

Huo Yu wouldn't let the steward hold him, but he was okay with being fed. His eyes kept darting to Chen Jue as he sipped the goat's milk, then ate the egg custard after.

In the new place, Chen Jue didn't change his diet, worried he might not adjust.

So he ate well.

He was easy to feed—Uncle Liu and Zhang Xiuer had done a good job raising him. Once he could eat solid food, they added meat paste, fish paste, vegetables, and tofu to his meals, and he wasn't picky at all.

The steward feeding him had sparkling eyes, shining with a kind of tender light.

Chen Jue glanced at him, thinking he probably genuinely loved children, and felt at ease eating his meal.

If you counted the decades of glory from over twenty years ago, the Beiping Marquis's residence could be called a distinguished noble family.

So whether the servants were serving dishes or just standing nearby, they were all very proper, not a single one making a sound.

Chen Jue and Huo Jilin didn't chat much either. When Huo Yu started eating like a little adult, they accompanied him in silence, since he ate quickly and might choke if he talked while eating.

After the meal and tidying up, the steward called everyone to the main hall for the formal introduction of the master and assignment of duties.

The steward first introduced himself: "Marquis, my name is Su Hetang. I was assigned to this residence last year and have been managing it ever since, all in anticipation of your arrival."

His voice choked up a bit toward the end.

Tears glistened in his eyes. Steward Su didn't want to be so emotional—he had been sixty-one in his previous life—but looking at Huo Jilin, he couldn't help it.

He had also come to this world after the plane crash with Huo Jilin, over a year ago now. But his identity was that of a steward whose indenture was held by someone else, unable to wander around searching for Huo Jilin.

He thought that if he stayed here, he would eventually wait for Huo Jilin. If he had survived falling into this world, then Huo Jilin must be alive too. It was just that the wait had been over a year.

Throughout that year, there had been no news of Huo Jilin at all. He had begun to think... he might never see Huo Jilin again.

Then, when the previous owner of this residence was transferred to another province and couldn't bring so many people, leaving some behind, Steward Su seized the opportunity to retrieve his indenture.

Just as he was about to take his indenture and go search for Huo Jilin, this residence changed hands and reverted to its original name, the Beiping General's Mansion, saying they were to welcome the new General Huo—Huo Jilin.

Steward Su couldn't describe how he felt at that moment. With excitement in his heart, he stayed at this residence, waiting for the day Huo Jilin would arrive.

So when he had waited over two months and saw Chen Jue on horseback, his expression was hard to hide his disappointment.

His own appearance had reverted to his younger self, but even if Huo Jilin had become younger, he couldn't have changed so drastically.

After all, Huo Jilin was someone he had raised since childhood.

Luckily, it only took a split second for disappointment to turn to surprise when Huo Jilin lifted the carriage curtain.

He not only saw Huo Jilin, whom he had raised since childhood, but also Huo Jilin's child.

No one could possibly grasp how thrilled Steward Su was.

In his previous life, Mr. Huo's child had died at birth, and the mother passed away too—both lives lost.

Now, Mr. Huo had a wife and a child of his own.

As he spoke, Steward Su could barely hold back his emotions and bowed deeply to Huo Jilin.

Huo Jilin quickly reached out with both hands to support him, saying, "Steward Su, don't stand on ceremony. Just treat us like family."

Hearing that, Steward Su's tears flowed freely down his weathered face.