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A few boats were not far apart, so the couple naturally knew everything that happened on the front boat clearly.
"Why are you sulking while playing? Who are you showing that to?" Xiao Yao muttered unhappily. He Yu smiled and leaned down to whisper to his wife, "You know, he is a prince, and many people are watching."
"Pfft..." Xiao Yao couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He Yu, with a bright smile, wrapped his arms around his daughter-in-law and walked toward the cabin's room. Upon entering the room, Xiao Yao was startled to find their two sons and two big cats inside! He Yu then explained, "I had the two rooms on this boat connected so they would have a larger space to move around."
"That's great." The room was furnished with soft mats, and Xiao Yao sat on the floor interacting with the two big cats while He Yu sat nearby, casually testing their sons' homework. Clearly, Second Brother was doing much better in his studies, while the eldest was just passable. However, when it came to Military Strategy, the eldest answered confidently, proving that his hard work over the past days had not been in vain.
Rubbing his head against the dark cloud, he smiled and said, "One civil and one martial, both are brothers; as long as you can truly trust each other, your future will definitely be invincible."
"Exactly." He Yu agreed with Xiao Yao's sentiment.
Their two sons fell into contemplation due to their parents' words.
Xiao Yao didn't mind them; after all, this was something they would have to understand sooner or later. Telling them early wouldn't do any harm.
The boat traveled southward; it wasn't too arduous of a journey. After navigating for about two or three waterways, they would reach a town where various officials would attend to them well, staying at the royal Palace Post House. Therefore, traveling with high-ranking leaders meant no hardship; everywhere they went was like a seven-star service experience—definitely enjoyable throughout the process.
Finally, after more than twenty days, the boat docked at Jinling City.
Jinling was very close to Nanping. He Yu planned to accompany the emperor in Jinling City until he had enough time before sending him off and then taking Xiao Yao back home. Naturally, Xiao Yao had no objections to this proposal; as long as they could return home, it was just a matter of time.
Here, He Yu also received permission from the emperor. However, he discussed with Xiao Yao about sending their two children back first and bringing Wu Yun and Liu Jin back to Nanping as well to avoid them hiding away.
After all, they were children; even if they left for a while, it wouldn't make much difference. With this thought in mind, He Yu wrote a letter and sent it overnight to Nanping City.
Sure enough, the next morning Xiao Moxian personally arrived with people and carriages. As one of the highest-ranking princes accompanying them besides a few others, He Yu naturally had his own independent courtyard. He instructed Xiao Moxian to drive the carriage through the back door into the courtyard to load Wu Yun and Liu Jin onto the carriage and let their two sons accompany them.
Xiao Yao noticed the worried expression on Xiao Moxian's face and comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, big brother. These two big cats have grown up playing with the children; they are very well-behaved."
"That's good to hear." Upon hearing this from Xiao Yao, Xiao Moxian felt relieved. He Yu patted Xiao Moxian on the shoulder and said, "There's no time for small talk. In a few days, when Yao Yao and I return, we can have a good drink together!"
"Sure! I have a few jars of good wine hidden away. I will invite the prince to taste it with me then." Xiao Moxian felt much more relaxed around He Yu compared to a few years ago.
Mainly because in the past two years, Xiao Moxian had seen how much He Yu truly cared for Xiao Yao. Additionally, with Xiao Mo Yi's career progressing well, Xiao Moxian began to consider expanding his business to the capital and started traveling there more frequently.
Xiao Yao was initially worried that He Yu would disagree, but to her surprise, He Yu welcomed the idea. He said, "If the business develops in the capital, both you and your Elder Brother can take care of things. Moreover, this not only makes it convenient for your family to reunite but also indirectly helps Xiao Mo Yi and myself."
"How so?" Xiao Yao asked, puzzled.
He Yu smiled. He hadn't originally planned to tell Xiao Yao about these matters; he felt it was better for her not to know about the various harsh realities involved since they weren't exactly pleasant news. Seeing that He Yu was reluctant to elaborate, Xiao Yao didn't press further.
In truth, she had an inkling of what was going on. After all, with Xiao Mo Yi's smooth career path, He Yu's influence was certainly a factor, along with Xiao Mo Yi's own efforts and talents—Xiao Yao would never deny that. However, she understood that these alone were not enough.
After all, in the capital, who among those in power did not require some form of connection? He Yu was indeed the First Non-Surname King of the Capital, but until now he was merely a leisurely prince without any official duties. Aside from attending court and coming up with ideas for banquets for the emperor's entertainment, he didn't engage in any serious work.
Thus, within official circles, knowing that Xiao Mo Yi was He Yu's Brother-in-law meant merely avoiding offense.
Relying solely on one's abilities would be impossible. In the complex political landscape of the capital, having ability is merely an embellishment; after all, making things look good for one's superior and cleaning up after them naturally earns favor. However, connections are also essential.
Although Xiao Yao did not know specific figures, she understood that this money was certainly not a small amount.
If her brother could establish a business in the capital while He Yu and Xiao Mo Yi provided necessary business conveniences for the Xiao Family, then naturally the Xiao Family would also provide some financial support for both Xiao Mo Yi and He Yu. Furthermore, Xiao Yao speculated that perhaps He Yu would entrust part of his business to Xiao Moxian to manage; this way, the business would be legitimate.
Unavoidably, Xiao Yao had indeed guessed correctly about this part.
Xiao Moxian's frequent trips north, although not every time allowing her to see her sister, have made her increasingly familiar with He Yu, and consequently, more at ease.
In this situation, He Yu naturally did not hold back with Xiao Moxian. After getting the two children and Cloudy Golden Flow onto the carriage, she unceremoniously sent Xiao Moxian away. Xiao Yao reproached, "You should let Big Brother have some breakfast."
"It's early in the morning and no one is paying attention; it's safer to leave early," He Yu replied. "After all, if someone sees this big carriage and reports me to the Emperor for conspiracy, it would be a loss."
That made sense. Hearing He Yu's words, Xiao Yao decided not to dwell on it any longer.
After breakfast, He Yu took Xiao Yao to find the Emperor at Jinling City, the location of the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau.
This was quite a lucrative position; all the fabrics and silks for the palace came from here. Moreover, it was not just a simple Weaving Bureau; almost all kinds of news from the south would be relayed from this place to the higher authorities.
However, this was something only He Yu and Xiao Yao knew; most people would not be aware of it. The seemingly inconspicuous Weaving Bureau held great significance—it essentially served as the Emperor's eyes and ears in Jiangnan.
Naturally, the head of the Weaving Bureau had to maintain a particularly close relationship with the Emperor; otherwise, how could trust be established?
Every time the Emperor went on a Southern Tour, he stayed at the head of the Weaving Bureau's residence, Peng Residence. This shows just how close their relationship was. Several princes also stayed with the Emperor at Peng Residence, while He Yu and Xiao Yao resided at the Royal Post Station.
However, Xiao Yao preferred this arrangement. "It's much more comfortable outside; staying in someone else's house feels strange no matter how you think about it."
He Yu chuckled but wholeheartedly agreed with her sentiment. "That's right; it's much more relaxed for us to stay outside!"
Noticing that it was still early, He Yu suggested, "How about we go out to see the streets and have breakfast there?"
"That's a great idea!" Xiao Yao's eyes lit up. "But we need to come back later to change clothes; otherwise, we'll definitely smell."
"Of course," He Yu said with a smile as she playfully pinched Xiao Yao's nose. The couple happily held hands and set off for the streets.
The morning market was already bustling, with the aroma of food wafting through the air. Thanks to the construction of the canal, the dock was now in full operation, and the porters had to rise early for work, prompting the breakfast vendors to start their day just as early.
The sounds of vendors calling out their wares filled the air.
Xiao Yao looked at the steamed buns from Jinling and said to He Yu, "Shall we eat those?"
"Sure," He Yu replied without hesitation and led Xiao Yao over. However, just as they took a step, Xiao Yao was suddenly bumped into. "Ah!!" She nearly fell backward, and if He Yu hadn't quickly caught her, she would have landed flat on her back.
"What bumped into me?" Xiao Yao said, rubbing her stomach. Looking up, she saw a dirty boy standing in front of her, his eyes surprisingly fierce. Xiao Yao couldn't help but laugh in anger; she tugged at He Yu, who was glaring at the boy, and pointed at him. "Look at that! He clearly bumped into me and now he’s glaring at me."
At Xiao Yao's teasing, the boy, who had been defensive and braced for a fight, froze for a moment. Confusion flashed in his eyes but quickly turned into panic as he turned to run away. However, He Yu grabbed him by the collar like a chicken cub. "What? You bump into someone and want to run away without apologizing?"
The boy's eyes grew increasingly frantic. In his panic, he reached out to scratch at He Yu's eyes. Xiao Yao gasped, while He Yu reacted even faster, twisting the boy's hand behind his back. Xiao Yao, still shaken, held He Yu's face with concern and looked around. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. This kid doesn’t look very old but is quite ruthless when he strikes; he didn’t hesitate at all," He Yu gritted his teeth.
"At such a young age and with such a vicious style, that's quite something," Xiao Yao raised an eyebrow and was about to say more when she suddenly heard loud shouting not far away.
A few burly men then appeared before Xiao Yao. In that instant when she looked up, she caught a glimpse of despair in the boy's eyes.
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