The Blessed

Early the next morning, Chu Yunhan and his son were going. The whole family sent them outside the gate. Lady Wang, Wang Jinyu and other women couldn’t help having tears in their eyes. Until now, they knew they also didn’t want them to leave. The sensible Ling Wen and Ling Wu stood by their side and held their necks tightly, and those little eyes already got swelled up.

Tiewa who came following the Zhao&Han couple ran toward them crying, one hand holding Chu Yunhan’s thigh, while the other holding Yan Xiaoming, raising his little face and saying with a sobbing tone, “Uncle Chu, don’t go. I don’t want you to leave. Stay, OK? I will try hard to recite and practice my writing. I promise I won’t let Brother Yan teach me again and again. Just don’t go! Boohoo…”

“Boohoo…Uncle Chu…”

"Brother Yan..."

The little guy got sadder as he said more, finally directly held Chu Yunhan’s thigh and cried as hard as he could. With him taking the lead, Ling Wen and Ling Wu who were down enough now also cried hard burying their heads in their necks. They all didn’t want them to leave.

"Be good, don't cry. Uncle Chu will definitely bring your Brother Yan back some other day. If you miss us, you can also ask your daddy and father to bring you to the capital to find us. Be good.”

Chu Yunhan also got his eyes wetted. Although when he taught them at first, he indeed held the idea of letting Yan Shengrui owe him a big one, after a few months staying together, he had already taken them as his own sons. Now seeing that they were crying so hard because of their departure, he also felt indescribable guilty in the heart.

"Xiaowu, be good, don't cry. Brother Yan doesn’t want to leave either. I promise you, we'll meet again next year the latest."

Tightly embracing Ling Wu, Yan Xiaoming felt so sad. He liked those little brothers most, and even never said some harsh words to them. Now he made them cry like that, if possible, he really didn’t want to leave. But, they had to, not only for himself and his father, also for those little brothers. So he had to go back to the capital, making preparations to let them all go there.

"But, but...I still don't want you to leave."

Ling Wu raised his small face full of tears, pouting. He was not sure how long it was till next year. He only knew that they were leaving him now.

"I also don’t wanna go. But Xiaowu, you are going to be a general. You can’t cry like now. Be good. Next year, Uncle Sheng and Uncle Ling will bring you to see us in the capital. So stop crying, OK?”

Trying his best to force a smile, Yan Xiaoming whispered to comfort him, the hands holding his arms slightly trembling, but he did not mean to let go of him at all, after this departure, they can’t see each other at least in a year. Even if his hands would break, he still wanted to hold him a little longer.

“Really, father?”

With tearful eyes staring at his father, Ling Wu sobbed while asking. Yan Shengrui touched his head heartbrokenly, "Hmm, even if I take you to the capital next year, I will try to ask your Brother Yan to come back to see you, is that OK?"

It was not that they hadn’t expected this scene, which was also why they did not send them to the town directly, but, seeing his sons crying so sadly, he still felt heartbroken.

"No, I don't want Brother Yan to come back to see us. I’m going to the capital to see him, or he will leave again after seeing us."

"OK, OK, next year I take you to the capital."

"Father, don't lie to us!"

Ling Wu was still a little suspicious, he quietly asked Brother Yan before, the capital was far away from here. So he was afraid they wouldn’t agree.

"You silly child, when have we ever lied to you? All right, stop crying, they are going to leave.”

Ling Jingxuan knocked on his head gently, stretched out his hands to take him from Yan Xiaoming, Ling Wen looked at them back and forth, and finally obediently slid down from Chu Yunhan’s arms, "Uncle Chu, Brother Yan, promise me you’ll wait for us.”

"OK."

Seeing that, Chu Yunhan and his son also nodded with tearful eyes. Tiewa suddenly rushed before Ling Jingxuan, pulled the hem of his robes with his little hands, “Adoptive daddy, bring with me, OK?”

"Of course, how can I forget about my Tiewa? Be good, stop crying, the separation is only temporary, wait until next spring blossoms, I will take you to the capital."

Sparing a hand to touch him dotingly, Ling Jingxuan promised seriously and finally the three kids felt relieved. Seeing that, Lady Wang hurriedly took two huge bundles and moved forward, “Lord Chu, Yan’er, it’d be a long journey. I don’t have anything good for you. These are some dried meat slices, and small pot of jam. You can eat it on the way. Next year when Jingxuan and others go to the capital, I will let them send you the rice we grow ourselves. I am a village woman who is ignorant. Jingxuan said it’d be dangerous after you go back, so Lord Chu, Yan’er, take care!”

The sadness of departure covered her awe, and Ling Wang resumed her usual chatterbox image and didn’t forget to stuff the two bundles into them. Jinghan also taught her a lot about things of the imperial family. As an elder, she really cared about them.

"Hmm, thank you, Aunt Ling."

Chu Yunhan was touched, nodding, and then handed the bundles to Zeng Shaoqing. Raising his head and looking around at everyone there, finally he set his eyes on Ling Jinghan, “Jinghan, I’m expecting for the day you get listed!”

In the past few months, they were often together talking about knowledge. No one knew better than him about how talented Ling Jinghan was. Next year, the spring examination and autumn examination would be held in succession, which would only be held three years a time. If he could get listed as a xiucai, he could join the spring examination for juren (recommended man, a qualified graduate who passed the triennial provincial exam) and autumn examination for jinshi (advanced scholar, a graduate who passed the triennial court exam) . Zhuangyuan (top thesis author, the jinshi who ranked first overall nationwide.) might be a bit too difficult. But a jinshi wouldn’t be a problem.

"Hmm, I will."

Ling Jinghan firmly and confidently nodded. He could tell his brother and Shengrui wouldn’t stay in Ling village for the whole life. They might leave in a very short time. But before that, he also planned to take a position in the capital relying on his own and become his big brother’s solid back. He believed that Jingpeng should also think it this way.

"Uncle, aunt, you take care. Shengrui, Jingxuan, we are leaving.”

He even didn’t dare to look at the little buns. After saying goodbye to others, Chu Yunhan directly climbed onto the carriage. If he kept staying, he was afraid he would stay.

"Uncle Ling!”

Before leaving, Yan Xiaoming rushed back to hold Ling Jingxuan tightly, he could not bear to leave them.

"All right, hit the road early, and if you miss us, let the Men of Sacrifice who are responsible for protecting you send us a message. Be careful!"

Putting down the child, Ling Jingxuan patted on his back, with affection under his eyes.

"Hmm, Uncle Ling, take care!"

Nodding, Yan Xiaoming let go of him like making a big decision, then climbed onto the carriage while wiping off his tears. Zeng Shaoqing nodded at them and then also climbed in. In the morning, he had gotten the medicine from Ling Jingxuan, so now he didn’t feel so heartbroken since he could send them back himself.

"Yah~”

"Uncle Chu, Brother Yan!"

"Uncle Chu..."

"Brother Yan..."

The moment the carriage drove away, the little buns all broke away from their dads and chased after them crying. Yan Xiaoming also stuck his head out of the window to wave at them, tears dripping. Although the few pageboys didn’t cry hard like the little buns, they also had tears in the eyes. To them, Chu Yunhan and Yan Xiaoming were not merely their masters, but also their tutors. Because, when they taught the little masters, they also didn’t take them as servants and taught them carefully too.

"Uncle Chu!”

"Brother Yan!”

After chasing out a long way, the few little buns had to stop, shouting at the carriage at the top of their lungs, with Ling Jingxuan following behind feeling his heart broken. He buried himself in Yan Shengrui’s arms, “They’ll be all right, right?”

"Hmm."

Without saying anything more, Yan Shengrui raised his hand and gently hugged him. The carriage gradually disappeared in their sight, but the sadness of departure hovered in the air for a long time!