Though she said so, Xu Wan was still deeply anxious.
Only now did she realize that after countless days and nights together, she had already co to cherish these young boys as her own children—unrelated by blood or status, simply out of pure affection for them.
The heavy rain finally stopped by noon.
Xu Wan ordered the carriages and horses to be prepared and set off back to the capital via the official road. Though it was a longer route, the road was well-maintained, allowing for faster travel.
But halfway through the journey, they overheard passersby saying, "This morning, part of the official road collapsed! It took nearly two hours to repair."
"I heard a carriage was going too fast and crashed into the pit. Several people were injured, including children."
"Oh heavens, how awful! Did they survive?"
"Not sure, but it seed like they were fine. The authorities quickly sent people to take them away."
Xu Wan couldn’t sit still upon hearing this—carriage, speeding, children—all details that matched Jin Cheng and his companions. She lifted the carriage curtain and said to Cui Liu, "Go ask what the carriage looked like."
"Yes, madam."
Cui Liu returned after questioning the bystanders. "Madam, those people were just repeating rumors and didn’t know the exact appearance of the carriage. But I don’t think it was ours. With the Grand General and Buyan there, they wouldn’t let the carriage get into an accident."
Xu Wan’s breathing grew rapid with tension. She took a deep breath, reassuring herself, "Right, it couldn’t be them. Zong Zhao and Buyan are both reliable. They wouldn’t let such a thing happen. Let’s keep going."
Despite her words, without absolute confirmation, Xu Wan’s heart remained unsettled. Even if Zong Zhao and the others hadn’t been in the accident, the road repairs had still delayed them for hours. If they had left early in the morning, they would have been stuck on the road all this ti.
They couldn’t be far ahead now.
At three quarters past five in the evening, Xu Wan’s carriage arrived at the city gates. Due to the storm, the sky had darkened completely, and the gates had already been closed early for the night.
Cui Zhi whispered from outside, "Madam, the gates close based on the sky’s darkness. We won’t be able to enter the city today. Should I send soone to find lodging nearby and rest for the night?"
Xu Wan replied, "Fine, it doesn’t matter if we get in or not. As long as Jin Cheng and the others made it inside."
"The young masters must have already entered. Don’t worry, madam. I’ll have Shunzi and the others look for a place to stay."
But before Cui Zhi could take more than a few steps, she suddenly gasped, "M-Madam… I think I see the Grand General’s carriage. They… didn’t make it inside the gates."
"What?!" Xu Wan felt as if the sky had fallen. She flung open the carriage curtain and stepped out, imdiately spotting the familiar carriage in the distance.
Zong Jincheng, seeing her, ran over excitedly. "Mother, you’ve arrived too!"
The other young masters also hurried over, calling out in unison, "Auntie!"
Xu Wan asked anxiously, "Why didn’t you enter the city? Didn’t you leave early? Even with the road delays, you should have made it in ti!"
Zong Jincheng pouted. "The rain was too heavy, and the road was in terrible condition. It collapsed in several places. The one you heard about was the longest delay, but there were others too."
He Zheng added, "The sky darkened too early today. By late afternoon, it was already hard to see. The gates closed before we could reach them."
Shen Yibai fud, "Those gatekeepers are outrageous! They refused to let us in, even when I ntioned my grandfather. They wouldn’t listen!"
Xu Wan felt her heart clench with worry. She turned to Zong Jincheng. "Where’s your father?"
Zong Jincheng said pitifully, "Father was also stopped. It seems because of Uncle Luo, they wouldn’t give him face either. He went to write to Uncle Luo, and just now, he got a reply. I don’t know what it said, but he went back to respond."
"Because of Uncle Luo?" Xu Wan was puzzled.
Zong Jincheng reminded her softly, "The City Patrol Office… belongs to the Crown Prince’s faction."
Xu Wan: "…"
Indeed, the Crown Prince and Luo Jingfeng were like fire and water. In their eyes, Zong Zhao had betrayed the Crown Prince by siding with Luo Jingfeng. It was no surprise they wouldn’t give him any courtesy—they might even take pleasure in obstructing him.
"Just when it rains, it pours…"
Wei Xinglu suddenly called out, "Uncle Zong is back!"
The Little Demon King ran over. "Father, what happened? Will they let us in now?"
Zong Zhao shook his head and said to Xu Wan, "Once the gates are closed, they won’t reopen without urgent military orders. The examination hall isn’t far from here. We’ll stay nearby tonight and take them there tomorrow."
Xu Wan pressed, "There won’t be any more mishaps, right? What if the gates still won’t open tomorrow?"
Zong Zhao reassured her, "They will. Tomorrow is the Autumn Examinations. Even if it’s still dark, the gates will open. I’ve already sent word to Pri Minister Shen. The Ministry of Rites will oversee the gates’ opening."
Shen Yibai cheered, "Grandfather! My grandfather knows!"
Zong Jincheng grinned. "Of course! The exams are a big deal. Since you didn’t return, he must be worried."
Zong Zhao nodded. "The Wei family has also been inford. They’ll escort you to the examination hall tomorrow. So don’t worry—rest well and prepare for the nine-day exam."
"Yes!"
The boys, heartened by the thought of so many loved ones watching over them, felt their earlier fears lt away.
anwhile, at the Protector Duke’s residence…
Luo Jingfeng smashed several vases and kicked chairs to splinters, roaring, "Those damned City Patrol dogs! How dare they keep my Cheng’er outside the gates! Do they have a death wish?!"
General Xiaofeng fanned the flas. "Your Grace, this is the Crown Prince’s faction deliberately provoking us. Otherwise, with Grand General Zong there, they wouldn’t have dared refuse entry. You should never have relented in pushing for the Crown Prince’s removal—then the City Patrol’s ten thousand n would already be under our control!"
"The Crown Prince…" Luo Jingfeng gnashed his teeth. "That brat is my lifelong nesis!"
Cheng’er still called him "Your Highness" with reverence, treating him like a treasure—yet even unconscious, the Crown Prince was still blocking his path.
Luo Jingfeng slamd his fist on the table. "Mobilize the troops. If Cheng’er can’t take the exams tomorrow, I’ll make sure the entire Chu family loses their throne!"
General Xiaofeng’s eyes glead. "At once!"
Finally—finally, the day they had been waiting for was here!
"Your Grace, Grand General Zong has sent another ssage," General Pang announced as he hurried in, shooting a disdainful glance at General Xiaofeng.
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