Chapter 837: I Haven

A few days later, in front of the Ning Prince's Mansion.

A wide carriage drawn by four fine horses stopped at the gate, and Xiao Er was carefully inspecting its frame.

The carriage body was a subdued deep blue, without any ornamentation, and the curtains were plain clean indigo cotton.

Seven or eight members of the Xuanwu Guard, dressed in brown short uniforms, acted as assistants leading the horses and waited nearby.

Chu Yuan, clad in a Daoist robe, stood quietly at the entrance.

Eunuch Cheng, Xiao Ran, and Chen Hao were together whispering something.

"Master! Oeng Oeng! Ninth Brother! Chen Hao!" Tuan Tuan burst out of the mansion, her two little legs kicking wildly.

Chu Yuan caught her with one hand: "You, can't you run a bit slower? What if you fall?"

"I won't, Master!" Tuan Tuan clung to his leg, turned her head toward Xiao Ran, "Ninth Brother, why aren't you going with us? Sister Luo must miss you a lot!"

Eunuch Cheng looked at Xiao Ran with a puzzled expression: "Ninth Prince, who is this Sister Luo that the princess mentioned?"

"That's not true!" Xiao Ran's face flushed red: "Little one! Could you stop bringing it up?"

"You ask why I'm not going?" he hurriedly changed the subject, "I actually want to go!"

"But Father Emperor said Seventh Brother can go, and this is my nature," he mimicked Xiao Jieyun's tone, "You stay here in Jingcheng to study hard! Don't think about wandering around!"

Tuan Tuan giggled.

Chen Hao couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Xiao Ran glared at him: "You're still laughing!"

He pulled several oil-paper packets from his pocket and shoved them into Tuan Tuan's arms: "Inside are jerky and candied fruit, all your favorites; eat them on the road."

"You, once the journey starts, you either eat or sleep."

"The carriage is stuffy! Thank you, Ninth Brother!" Tuan Tuan took them, "Second Uncle, help me put them on the carriage."

"Alright!" Xiao Er came over and took them.

Eunuch Cheng pressed his sleeve to the corner of his eye: "Princess, His Majesty ordered this old servant to see you off. His Majesty said, please eat well all the way, and don't become thin."

"Got it! Oeng Oeng! When I return I'll bring you some Taiyuan specialties!"

Eunuch Cheng shook his head: "This old servant doesn't need specialties; I just want the princess to be safe and sound."

"Tuan Tuan! Don't run so fast outside." Cheng Ru'an came over, reached out to tidy her clothes: "Listen to your brothers, don't be mischievous."

"Got it, Mother!"

"Xiao Yueyue!" Tuan Tuan saw Gongsun Yue running out: "Take good care of Xiao Feifei and the others!"

Gongsun Yue looked at the pearl hairpin on her head: "Mm, I'll definitely feed them well, won't let them lose a speck of weight."

Princess Consort Yun stood beside Cheng Ru'an, smiling: "Since the princess isn't going to war this time, my heart feels much steadier."

"Indeed," Cheng Ru'an stroked her daughter's hair, "I feel the same."

Xiao Yuanhang came over and lifted his daughter: "Don't just play, listen to your brothers."

Tuan Tuan clutched her father's neck: "Mom just said, Daddy, when are you coming?"

Xiao Yuanhang kissed her little cheek: "Daddy will set out for Quanzhou in ten days."

"You're going to procure things, Daddy, maybe I'll arrive before you do."

A stream of hoofbeats grew louder from afar.

"Hoo—!" Xiao Ze spurred his horse forward, dismounted with a flip, and walked over.

He smiled at the send‑off crowd: "Everyone, rest assured, I'll take good care of Tuan Tuan."

Xiao Yuanhang nodded.

The three brothers walked up to him.

Xiao Ningyuan clasped his fists and said, "Father, rest assured, on this trip to Taiyuan, I will watch over all the accounts."

Xiao Yuanhang nodded.

Xiao Ningxun laughed, "Big brother's accounting skill, the fierce nation fears none can match it; this time doing business, with big brother here, I'm not worried at all."

Xiao Ningyuan gave a smug smile: "Indeed, in trade, if I'm second, no one dares claim first."

Xiao Ningchen glanced at the sky, flipped onto the red cloud horse and said, "Let's go, the time is about right."

Xiao Ze scooped up Tuan Tuan and slipped into the carriage.

Xiao Ningyuan and Xiao Ningxun followed closely behind.

Xiao Ze lifted the carriage curtain and called to the Ning Prince: "Prince, see you in Quanzhou."

Xiao Yuanhang nodded: "Your Highness, take care."

Tuan Tuan stuck out her little head: "Wait, someone's missing! Where's Feng Zhou?"

Xiao Yuanhang patted his daughter's little head: "He has an errand, left a few days ago; when you reach Quanzhou, you'll naturally meet him."

"Oh, Daddy, you and Mother go back, we're leaving!" Tuan Tuan was just about to lower the carriage curtain.

"Wait for me!" A figure hurried out of the alley.

Everyone turned back together.

Lu Qi appeared in a plain short uniform, with a small bundle slung over his shoulder.

Xiao Er's eyes lit up, his face full of surprise: "Brother Lu? Why are you here?"

Tuan Tuan shouted joyfully: "Uncle Seven!"

Lu Qi walked to the carriage front, clasped fists toward the Ning Prince and Princess Consort: "Prince, Princess Consort, the miss is traveling far; I'm uneasy, so I came to see her off."

Xiao Yuanhang glanced at his attire: "What do you mean, when do you plan to see her off?"

Lu Qi grinned: "Naturally, until the miss returns safely."

Tuan Tuan was overjoyed: "Uncle Seven, you're so kind! We can play together again!"

Lu Qi looked at her, his smile gentle: "Hold on tight, miss!"

After saying that, he leapt onto the carriage shaft and sat beside Xiao Er: "Brother Xiao, let's go."

Xiao Er felt delighted; the good brother who had shared life-and-death with the young lady could now travel together again.

He patted Lu Qi's shoulder, gave the reins a light shake: "Giddy-up."

The carriage slowly drove away from Ning Prince's Mansion.

Tuan Tuan waved hard at everyone: "Dad and Mom! Xiao Yueyue! Grandpa! Ninth Brother! Master! Aunt Yun! Wait for me to come back!"

Cheng Ru'an waved his hand, Xiao Yuanhang stood with his hands behind his back, a smile playing on his lips.

The carriage turned the corner, and the gate of Ning Prince's Mansion gradually disappeared from sight.

Tuan Tuan shrank back into the carriage, picked up the oil-paper parcel Xiao Ran had given him, opened it and began to divide: "Eldest Brother's, Third Brother's, Third Elder Brother's, mine."

She munched happily: "Where should we go first?"

Xiao Ningxun replied with a smile: "Straight to Jiangzhou."

"Great! I want to see Sister Luo! Grandpa! And also Uncle Luo from the Canal Gang!" Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands, eyes sparkling: "I haven't seen them in ages!"