The Great Wan Kingdom followed the tradition of the previous dynasty, with small pavilions every five li, large pavilions every ten li, and post stations every thirty li.
The large pavilions had always been places for farewells, and now there were quite a few people waiting there.
Zhu Maonian's fall from power was unexpected by everyone, but as a core figure of a faction, his influence wouldn't fade so quickly.
The spring rain fell incessantly. In the misty rain, a carriage came into view, swaying back and forth. Everyone in the large pavilion stood up, and Zhu Changmin was about to lift her skirt and go forward to greet them, but Wu He quickly held her back.
"You can't. You've just given birth and your body is still weak. You can't catch a cold."
Zhu Changmin looked haggard. She had wanted to return to her parents' home to see them off, but her mother said it would be enough to meet here briefly. She was so afraid. What if her parents never came back? What if they fell ill? The best doctors were all in the Capital City...
"Don't worry. Not to mention your father's own abilities, even my father and the others will certainly find a way to bring him back," Wu He glanced at his father and comforted his wife in a low voice. He knew well that this setback was equivalent to cutting off their most important arm, and for their own sake, they would certainly be united on this front.
Zhu Changmin shook her head, "No matter how good the outcome, my parents and grandmother still have to suffer this hardship. No one can replace them in this. They will be hurt, they will be in pain. Even if they achieve great wealth and honor in the future, it can't make up for this. If they fall ill..."
"Don't think too much."
How could she not overthink? Zhu Changmin covered her face, her voice choked, "My eldest brother's health might not even be as good as grandmother's. How can I not worry? My second sister-in-law is still heavily pregnant... Those people, those people will surely face retribution!"
Wu He patted her back. This was the world of officialdom, where the victor becomes the king and the loser becomes the outlaw.
In the few moments they spoke, the carriage had stopped. Zhu Changning was the first to jump down from the carriage to help support his father.
Zhu Maonian stepped into the large pavilion and cupped his hands in a salute to everyone. Compared to the solemnity of others, he seemed somewhat more relaxed.
"Father!" Zhu Changmin called out, her voice choked with sorrow. Wu He followed with a "Father-in-law," his hand never leaving his wife's.
Zhu Maonian saw this and felt somewhat reassured. The marriage between the two families was not just about matching status. His second son had gotten along well with Wu He, and it was only after they happened to meet and took a liking to each other that the marriage was arranged. Now it seemed that this arrangement was more reliable than a marriage purely decided by parents.
"Changmin, go find your mother. She has something to tell you."
"Yes." Zhu Changmin didn't dare delay. She wiped away her tears and ran to the carriage. Seeing her mother, she burst into tears before she could speak.
"Now is not the time for tears." Lady Zhang lifted a square box and handed it to her. The weight almost made Zhu Changmin drop it.
"Mother, what's this?"
"All of the Zhu Family's assets." Facing her third daughter's shocked gaze, Lady Zhang explained, "To make a long story short, all the things we moved out are in that three-courtyard house in South City. All the keys to the storerooms are in this box, along with details of all the Zhu Family's shops, estates, both known and hidden."
Lady Zhang pressed her hands on the box, the added weight making Zhu Changmin's arms sink a little. She exerted some strength to steady it, looking at her mother in disbelief. She had never heard of such a thing as entrusting the family business to a married daughter!
"I've brought all the money we could carry. You don't need to support us financially for now. Changmin, you need to manage these well for me, for the Zhu Family. If we need anything, I'll write to you. Except for your grandmother, father, and brothers, don't trust anyone's words. I've written lists of the servants we've let go, those coming with us, and those left for you to use. You need to be cautious, even with those who have served the Zhu Family for many years."
"Mother..."
"I don't want to hear anything else." Lady Zhang lifted the curtain and looked outside. Just out of the Capital City, countless eyes were watching. Her husband wouldn't stay long. "You just need to tell me, can you manage this household well for me?"
Zhu Changmin hugged the box tightly, steeled her heart, and nodded firmly, "I can, Mother. Your daughter can do it!"
"Mother trusts you. We all trust you." Lady Zhang smiled with satisfaction. "You need to be clever. Even if the Wu Family shows some retreat, you need to understand. Don't be stubborn. No matter what, always take care of yourself first. Do you remember?"
"Yes, daughter will remember carefully."
"Go now, don't get caught in the rain."
Zhu Changmin knelt with the box in her arms in the narrow carriage and kowtowed to her mother to bid farewell. When she lifted the curtain, she saw her younger sister waiting outside.
Zhu Changle first took the box and helped her down, then handed it back to her. "Third Sister, don't worry. You have me! Once we're out there, it's my world. There's nothing I can't handle!"
Usually, upon hearing such boastful words, Zhu Changmin would have scolded her for being shameless. But now, hearing them gave her some peace of mind. Changle had been out in the world for so many years, traveling back and forth with only Aunt Feng accompanying her since she was five or six years old. For this long journey, compared to her parents and her elder brother who had never left the capital, she trusted Changle more.
Resting her head on her little sister's shoulder, Zhu Changmin whispered, "Changle, I entrust our family to you."
"Mm, leave it to me." Zhu Changle gently pushed her third sister towards Wu He, who was coming over with an umbrella, and asked with a smile, "Brother-in-law, do you know why my father was able to defeat so many people and become the top scholar?"
Wu He was taken aback. He hadn't interacted much with this little sister-in-law, but he had heard of her mischievousness. So he cautiously replied, "It must be because Father-in-law is wise."
"Yes and no," Zhu Changle watched her father bow in farewell, preparing to return. "It's because he had to come back here, to teach a lesson to those Zhu Family members who had bullied him and grandmother. You've seen the result - who in the Zhu Family dares to disrespect my grandmother these years?"
Waving to her father who looked over, Zhu Changle spoke softly, "And this time, he's no longer alone. In scholarship, we have Zhu Eldest Brother and Zhu Second Brother. In martial arts, we have me. Inside, we have my mother. Above, we have grandmother overseeing. Tell me, will we be able to return?"
Zhu Changle walked past the couple to support her father. "Father, are we ready to leave?"
"Yes." Zhu Maonian looked at the couple, patted Wu He's shoulder, and got into the carriage. He didn't say a single word of entrusting anything to them. After floating in the sea of officialdom for so many years, he had long lost the naivety of placing hope in others.
The carriage started swaying again. Watching his little sister-in-law wave from the lifted curtain, Wu He realized what had just happened. Was she... warning him? This warning was much more effective than any threat.
"I think Changning misjudged her. She's not just mischievous."
Zhu Changmin laughed through her tears. Her second brother and Changle had always disliked each other. She could imagine her second brother's expression as he said those words.
Seeing his wife like this, Wu He also felt relieved. He looked at the large box in her arms and reached out to take it, holding the umbrella in one hand. The unexpected weight caught him off guard, and he had to use his thigh to support it before he could hold it steady. "Why is it so heavy? What is it?"
"Husband."
"Yes?"
"Will you stop me from supporting my parents' family?"
"Of course not. Don't worry, I'll explain it to mother for you."
Zhu Changmin rubbed her hand back and forth on the box. "This contains everything of the Zhu Family. Mother entrusted me to manage it."
Wu He was greatly surprised, and then delighted by his in-laws' trust in the Wu Family. This showed more than any verbal praise that the Wu Family was upright and trustworthy.
"Do whatever you want to do. I will definitely stand by your side."
Tears fell from Zhu Changmin's eyes again. It seemed that she was working for her parents' family, but weren't these things also the foundation of her status in the Wu Family? No matter how much she did for her parents' family, she wouldn't be using a single copper from the Wu Family. They could gain a good reputation without any cost. The Wu Family wouldn't mind having more of such opportunities. In the future, her parents-in-law would only value her more. Her mother must have considered all of this.
