Li Xiang and Li Ban were also anxious, so they hardly slept the entire night. When they got up early in the morning, their eyes were slightly dark. Upon seeing Princess Hongnong with a solemn expression and Fu Xuan looking relaxed, the two of them exchanged a glance silently and then turned their faces away.

The post station wasn’t far from the city gate. Although their procession was long, it took only an hour to reach.

They set out at Chen hour, and before Si hour, they already saw the gates of Luoyang City.

The city gates of Luoyang were bustling early in the morning. The people queueing to enter the city were divided into two lines: one without goods, simply dressed for entry, and the other composed of merchant caravans carrying goods, extending the queue out for hundreds of meters.

Li Xiang and Li Ban were dumbfounded as they watched. In Shu, due to the frequent small wars, such bustling scenes were rare.

They were once proud of being from Cheng Country, knowing that although Shu was not yet unified, it was much better than the outside world.

If the people of Shu lived in dire straits, then the people outside of Shu lived in purgatory.

They wished to help the people of Shu escape their difficult circumstances and felt they had seen some success, so they were proud compared to the rulers and ministers of the Jin Dynasty.

But now, looking at the dilapidated yet vibrant city walls of Luoyang, and glancing over the smiling faces, Li Xiang and Li Ban began to question their previous beliefs. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Wasn’t it said that life outside was as insignificant as grass, and the Jin court neglects people, allowing the Xiongnu and Jiehu to massacre and loot the Han people?

Wasn’t it said that outside there was a barren expanse, and famine like a desert?

Why did it not seem like it at all?

"Your Highness, the Great General of the Jin Court has personally come to welcome the envoy."

Li Ban snapped back to reality and looked ahead.

A road had already been cleared by the guards, and at the end of the road stood a group of people, among whom was a graceful woman with a gentle smile, one hand on her hip.

Li Ban didn’t know why he thought she was graceful because her posture wasn’t delicate; what kind of woman stands with one hand on her hip?

Yet he just felt that she exuded an aura of elegance.

Li Ban liked refined people, so he also smiled. From a distance, he got off his horse and led Li Xiang forward quickly to pay their respects.

Meanwhile, in the carriage behind them, Princess Hongnong also lifted the curtain and stared dazedly at this familiar yet unfamiliar city of Luoyang.

The sound of Li Ban dismounting startled her, and her gaze involuntarily drifted forward, immediately spotting Zhao Hanzhang.

She saw Zhao Hanzhang smiling and lowering her hand from her hip, taking two steps forward to meet Li Ban. As he was bowing, she extended her hand, motioned to support him, and then immediately stepped back a pace, solemnly bowing in return.

Princess Hongnong watched in a daze. Indeed, seeing her treat him so courteously, Li Ban was moved to tears as he began to converse, and Li Xiang’s expression improved considerably.

She had seen many powerful officials who controlled the court. During the War of the Eight Princes, she personally witnessed six princes, and when Prince East Sea attacked Luoyang, she had already taken refuge in Chang’an, temporarily uninvolved.

However, she had heard of his arrogant deeds. No powerful official acted as humbly and courteously as Zhao Hanzhang.

If there were such officials, perhaps the empire would not have remained under the Jin Dynasty for long.

So...

Princess Hongnong fixed her gaze on Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang seemed to sense her gaze, glanced over with gentle, tolerant eyes, met her gaze with a radiant smile, then spoke a few words to Li Ban, turned, and raised a young man as she approached her.

Princess Hongnong watched Zhao Hanzhang draw nearer step by step, only then settling her gaze on the young man she was holding.

Seeing the familiar yet unfamiliar face, Princess Hongnong was slightly stunned. This is... Changrong?

Zhao Hanzhang, holding Fu Tinghan, walked to the side of the carriage and, smiling, saluted the people inside, "Princess Hongnong, Prince Consort, we have come to welcome you."

The maid beside Princess Hongnong, Ren Hui, promptly opened the curtain, smiled at Zhao Hanzhang, then looked inside the carriage.

Only then did Princess Hongnong, supported by Ren Hui’s hand, lowered her head and alight from the carriage. She lifted her eyes, looking down at Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan from above.

Her son’s face was tightly drawn, unsure if he was still sulking or nervous, while Zhao Hanzhang, with a smiling expression, did not feel intimidated by her silence, even personally stepping forward, extending a hand as if to support her on the other side.

Ren Hui’s heart leapt, fearing it would not look good if Princess Hongnong rejected her. Unexpectedly, Princess Hongnong naturally placed her hand on hers, using it to descend from the carriage.

She said, "The Prince Consort is in the carriage behind."

Fu Xuan was not someone who made a fuss, and upon hearing Zhao Hanzhang and the others, he woke up from his nap, and opened the curtain himself to get off the carriage.

Upon suddenly seeing his son, now a grown man, Fu Xuan also froze for a moment. Thinking back, they hadn’t seen each other in five years.

The changes in five years were so significant?

Zhao Hanzhang stepped forward to pay her respects and also lightly pulled Fu Tinghan.

Fu Tinghan followed her side in saluting, making it seem as if he was meeting Zhao Hanzhang’s elders rather than the other way around.

National affairs and private matters, naturally national affairs were more important. Zhao Hanzhang knew how to prioritize them, so she had to meet with Li Ban and Li Xiang first.

But she was also concerned about Fu Tinghan, so she asked him, "Do you want to go with me?"

She intended to bring him back to see Princess Hongnong and Fu Xuan after handling national matters.

She also noticed that Fu Tinghan was very uneasy facing both of them, and the atmosphere between Princess Hongnong and Fu Xuan was also somewhat strange.

Fu Tinghan glanced at his parents and shook his head, "No need. I will escort them back to Fu Mansion."

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him, "Can you manage alone?"

Fu Tinghan nodded, "Rest assured, I am not without the courage to face them alone."

In reality, he was truly nervous when facing both of them by himself. After escorting them back to Fu Mansion, he had food prepared for them and then sat nervously opposite them, not knowing what to say.

He and Zhao Hanzhang had both confirmed that they could not go back. Even if they could, they were unwilling to leave everything here to return.

Therefore, he was destined to inhabit this body.

Unlike Zhao Hanzhang, who always had a goal and contributed to the Zhao Family, Fu Tinghan’s connection to the Fu Family was weak.

Before the appearance of Fu Xuan and his spouse, his only connection to the Fu Family was Fu Zhi.

He felt he had only accepted Fu Zhi’s kindness and naturally would only repay him.

But now, as Fu Xuan and his spouse sat before him, he realized that even if he never interacted with them after entering this world, he inherently owed them.

He wondered whether the young man died in front of the gates of Luoyang five years ago or went to his world?

No matter the case, living in his body now and thus achieving many things he wanted, being with Zhao Hanzhang, Fu Tinghan was grateful to him.

Princess Hongnong carefully scrutinized him and after a moment said, "You seem more obedient than five years ago. Has your sense of duty matured?"

Fu Tinghan looked up at her in surprise.

Fu Xuan slightly furrowed his brow and asked Fu Tinghan, "When is your wedding date set?"

Fu Tinghan replied, "Grandfather chose a date for us, the twenty-fifth of the twelfth lunar month, saying that it aligns with our Eight Characters."

Fu Xuan nodded slightly and asked, "How are the wedding preparations coming along? How many betrothal gifts are there? Do you need us to add some?"