Chapter 181: Going to the Capital
Both Magistrate Xu and Su Wan only came a few days after the incident, probably letting them process their grief. After all, the guards led by Xiao Yuanwei yielded no result during their search.
Yet, the news that they received was incredibly shocking.
"We still haven’t decided whether we want to stay in the Capital yet," Zhou Anran muttered, completely showing the grief of a mother who had lost her child. "But we will head there in a few days."
Their preparation was almost complete.
They couldn’t possibly leak out the news that they already knew about Xiao Yuyan’s whereabouts. It was best for less people to know about Xiao Qingya and Xiao Jingran’s ghost seeing ability.
Magistrate Xu and his steward seemed to be lost while Su Wan was excited.
"Great, that’s great!" Su Wan clapped excitedly. "I can meet you often once I return too!"
In contrast to the young woman’s joyful expression, Magistrate Xu and his steward looked at each other in dismay.
"Mrs. Zhou, are you uncomfortable with staying here...?" Steward Xu carefully asked.
They could offer her and her family members better lodging if she thought that her current place wasn’t good enough. They still wanted to keep Zhou Anran with them.
Zhou Anran shook her head. "It’s not like that, Magistrate Xu."
Right at this moment, Zhou Wenzhi opened his mouth. "Our family members in the Capital have been inviting us back. We think that it’s the best time to return there now."
Magistrate Xu suddenly remembered the rumor about the Zhou family, the fallen noble from the previous dynasty. They were exiled for offending a crown prince during that time.
The dynasty finally had changed and stabilized. It was indeed a good time to return to their previous place in the Capital.
He nodded and didn’t persuade them to stay anymore. "I wish your family a smooth journey to the Capital."
After that, he bought all the excess paddy rice that both families couldn’t bring with them. As for the fields, the Zhou family and Xiao family also let Magistrate Xu to rent them.
"I will deliver the money each a few months to the Capital," Magistrate Xu decided. He could do that through Merchant Yang who was now trying to build his shops there.
They all nodded, and after Magistrate Xu left, it was only Su Wan present besides their family members.
Zhou Wenzhi had asked Guo Tianliang, and the latter agreed to go with them to the Capital.
Fields in the Capital were much more expensive, but they were sure that they could buy and obtain more money from their harvest.
Yes. After they arrived in the Capital, they would still farm there. After all, the Zhou family in the Capital also was no longer a noble household.
They were merely common people. Their grandfather was the brother of Zhou Wenzhi’s late grandfather.
"I will still stay here for a while," Su Wan muttered. "But once I arrive in the Capital, I will definitely try to find you, Sister Anran."
In a few days, their preparation was finally complete. The family boarded the horse-drawn carriage and started their journey to the Capital.
Zhou Wenzhi had sold all the livestock since no one would take care of them. Magistrate Xu also ended up buying them.
Before they started their journey, Xiao Qingya had given the horses a few sips of spring water, and so they remained energetic for a long time.
Guo Tianliang was acting as the coachman in one horse-drawn carriage, and Xiao Fenghao took care of the other.
One carriage was filled with people while the other had their baggage.
"The journey will take several months, approximately two months to three months. Don’t wander around..." Zhou Wenzhi advised his grandchildren.
They all listened attentively, and nodded in seriousness.
***
At this moment, Su Wan was sighing in her courtyard. The day when Zhou Anran and her family left their county finally arrived, and she had just bid them farewell.
All of a sudden, she heard a commotion in a courtyard close to hers.
"Physician, where is the physician?!" A guard shouted in panic. "Master has collapsed again!"
The guards stationed outside immediately went to the medical building to fetch their imperial physician. A moment later, an elderly man in white hair ran until his face was all red, heading to Xiao Yuanwei’s chamber.
"Elder Brother’s headaches have gone away lately, why does it start again?" Su Wan muttered in worry, biting her nails.
She hurriedly got up and headed to Xiao Yuanwei’s place.
The imperial physician had just gotten inside, examining his condition. Su Wan paced back and forth outside his room, unsure what she should do.
Not long after, the imperial physician got out of the room, ordering something for his medicine boys.
"Is there still no news of the physician who cured that plague? We recently received intelligence that he should be here in the south," Su Wan asked Han Tingxun, who had just walked over with hurried footsteps.
Han Tingxun could only shake his head. "He is really good at hiding his whereabouts, Your Highness. We still can’t find him."
After Su Wan let out a disappointed sigh, she turned to the imperial physician, asking about her elder brother’s condition.
"His Majesty’s condition..." he hesitated a bit. "His Majesty has relapsed again. Is there something that triggered his condition?"
Su Wan thought about it for a moment and couldn’t find any such incident. For the past few days, Xiao Yuanwei had been staying at the mansion.
He was still as healthy as ever even when he returned from the search. His condition had been so good lately that they thought he was going to recover soon, but...
Today, he suddenly relapsed again.
There was a sound of a painful man’s groan from inside the chamber, and the imperial physician hurriedly snatched the medicine box from his medicine boy.
At this moment, Su Wan heard someone’s name come from her imperial brother’s mouth.
"Ah Ran..."