On the day they left the capital, the grand convoy loaded with luggage consisted of a full ten carriages.
Young Song Anhao waited for Xuetuan to get into the carriage before turning his head to look back at the gates of the Song Manor, feeling more dejected than ever before.
His memories of their time living in the capital were the deepest. He had even made several good friends at the Dongfang household. Knowing they were leaving, he had been sad for days.
"Sister, can we still come back?" Song Anhao looked up with eyes full of reliance, his large eyes welling with tears.
Song Jinzhao bent down and scooped him into her arms, his warm breath brushing against her face.
"Of course we can. By the time we return, you will have grown up."
Some endeavors took three to five years just to get off the ground. With four years left before Gu Zhongxun retired, they definitely wouldn't be returning to the capital anytime soon.
Song Anhao turned and wrapped his arms around Song Jinzhao's neck, burying his face against her. "Ah You said Suining is very far away, and it will be hard to meet. What if I miss him?"
Song Jinzhao carried him into the carriage and set him down, affectionately stroking her younger brother's hair.
"You can write letters to him. It's about as far as going back to Song Family Village."
The convoy consisted of over a hundred servants and guards, most of whom were relatively young.
They flanked the carriages, longswords equipped at their waists, their vigilant eyes constantly scanning the surroundings to prevent any assassinations.
As they passed the official road leading to the farmstead, Manager Chen Fu, along with the Qu and Guan families, had already been waiting at the intersection for quite some time.
Despite all his calculations, he never expected Song Jinzhao to take Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan to the southwest. Ever since Chen Fu found out the day before yesterday, his mood had been incredibly complicated.
Even as the wives and children of Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan boarded the carriages, Chen Fu couldn't help but admonish the two men one last time.
"Work hard by the County Princess's side, and absolutely do not cause trouble. Don't forget there are still so many people back at the estate."
The former subordinates of the Wu Family Army were no ordinary people. These two were considered relatively able-bodied, but if they angered the County Princess, Chen Fu feared it would implicate the other tenant farmers on the estate.
The moment Guan Nianshan, who hadn't ridden a horse in over twenty years, swung himself into the saddle, memories of leading troops into battle in his youth instantly surged into his mind.
He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, then said to Chen Fu, "Rest assured, Manager Chen, we know our limits."
Beside him, Qu Ya's gaze swept over each of the guards.
They uniformly possessed broad shoulders and narrow waists, with well-built, muscular limbs that exuded strength.
Regardless of gender, their straight backs were like taut lines. When they walked, their strides seemed precisely measured by a ruler; their center of gravity fell on their heels, yet their footsteps were incredibly quiet.
These people had undoubtedly undergone rigorous training. County Princess Linghui had such high standards for her guards that they could already compare to the Wu Family Army's most formidable Black Armored Cavalry from back in the day.
This time, Song Jinzhao took all the horses raised on the farmstead with her.
Each of the over one hundred guards had a horse, and even the kitchen maids rode on horseback in the middle of the formation. Their overall speed wasn't exactly fast, but they didn't dawdle on the road either.
On the afternoon they left the capital, upon hearing a eunuch's report in the imperial palace, Xiao Chengjing looked up in surprise.
"County Princess Linghui also went to Suining?"
Zhao Yande nodded. "It seems she was worried about Prefect Song going to Suining alone. The County Princess took her other two younger siblings and went as well."
Ink smudged the writing as Xiao Chengjing put down his brush with a hint of displeasure.
"They truly have a deep bond as siblings, to actually be willing to move the whole family to Suining to suffer."
Zhao Yande smiled but said nothing.
How could he not see through the Emperor's thoughts?
It was nothing more than wanting Song Jinzhao to stay in the capital while letting Song Qiming go suffer in Suining Prefecture alone.
County Princess Linghui possessed excellent medical skills. Although there were imperial physicians in the palace, keeping her in the capital was always a good precaution. What if she was too far away when an emergency arose?
Xiao Chengjing pondered for a moment before picking up his brush again.
Let her go, then. He was in good health and wouldn't need her for the time being anyway.
With her martial arts skills, her presence in Suining might even intimidate the foreign tribes in the southwest. Fewer disturbances would bring more stability to the imperial court.
