Chapter 393: The Two Little Ones Return to Yingtian

The sun rose, then set again.

Day after day.

After traveling for half a month, they reached a place three thousand li east of Sa Ma Er Han.

It was a stretch of Gobi, the ground all broken stones and sand, with no end in sight.

The wind was fierce, blowing so hard that people couldn't keep their eyes open.

Zhu Biao covered his mouth and nose with a cloth, riding his horse at the front.

A few children copied him, covering their faces with cloths.

Zhu Qiong Jiong, feeling bored, tore the cloth off, and the sand‑laden wind made him cough continuously.

"Put it on…" Zhu Huanhuan glared at him.

Zhu Qiong Jiong obediently put it back on and stopped fussing.

After two days, they left the Gobi and arrived at a small town.

The town was not large, about a hundred households, the houses built of yellow earth, yet the Street was very clean.

At the town's entrance stood a stone tablet inscribed with the two characters "Dunhuang".

Zhu Biao halted his horse, stared at the tablet, and fell silent for a moment.

"Father, have we reached Dunhuang?" Zhu Xiongying spurred his horse forward.

Zhu Biao nodded.

Zhu Xiongying looked at the tablet, and an indescribable feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

He had heard his teacher speak of Dunhuang, saying it was a key hub of the Silk Road where Eastern and Western caravans met.

Now, he stood here.

The last time they came here, they passed through in a hurry; now they could take a good look.

"Father, shall we rest in Dunhuang tonight?"

"Fine."

The party rested in Dunhuang for a night.

Early the next morning, they continued eastward.

After a few more days, they arrived at Jiayuguan.

The old general guarding the pass, surnamed Wu, had once followed Xu Da to fight the Northern Yuan; now, aged, he was assigned to guard the pass.

He knelt at the gate, trembling all over.

"I, your servant, present myself before the Crown Prince!"

Zhu Biao helped him up: "General Wu, you have labored hard."

The old general lifted his head, his eyes reddened, and said: "Your Highness, I once followed General Xu to fight the Northern Yuan, and I personally saw Prince Wu break the gate of Kaiping City with three hammer blows; so many years have passed in an instant."

Zhu Biao nodded, saying nothing.

They rested at Jiayuguan for a night, and the next day continued on their journey.

After leaving Jiayuguan, the road became easy.

The cement official road ran straight east, two zhang wide, as flat as a mirror.

Zhu Qiong Jiong saw a cement road for the first time, rode his horse over it many times, and was thrilled beyond words.

"Uncle, is this the cement road?"

"Yes."

"It's much easier to travel than the road over there in Sa Ma Er Han."

Zhu Biao laughed: "The road near Yingtian Prefecture is even better than this."

Zhu Qiong Jiong's eyes brightened, and he spurred his horse faster.

After a few days, they reached Lanzhou.

In the distance they saw the railway station, its blue bricks and gray tiles much like the one in Yingtian Prefecture.

On the platform a train stood, its locomotive still smoking, and a copper plaque hung before the engine bearing the four characters "Lanzhou‑Yingtian".

Zhu Biao dismounted and led several children onto the platform.

The platform bustled with people—merchants hauling luggage, women leading children, scholars carrying book boxes.

Zhu Biao went to the ticket window and bought several tickets.

"Father, shall we take the train back?" Zhu Xiongying asked.

"Yes, quickly."

The children followed Zhu Biao onto the train.

The carriage was larger than they imagined, rows of seats neatly aligned, the windows big enough to view the scenery outside.

Zhu Qiong Jiong leaned against the window, looking outward.

"Sister, look, there's a cow over there!"

Zhu Huanhuan, sitting beside him, whispered: "I see it."

Zhu Gaochi sat at the far edge, took out a notebook, and began recording.

"In the nineteenth year of Hongwu, Lanzhou, first time riding a train."

The whistle blew.

The train started moving slowly.

Outside the window, the scenery shifted from the platform to fields, then from fields to hills.

Zhu Qiong Jiong stayed at the window, not blinking an eye.

Zhu Biao leaned against his seat, eyes closed.

He recalled the words his second brother had said.

"Big brother, when the railway is finished, you take the train here, and I'll take you to see the Adriatic Sea."

Now, he took the train back.

When the railway reaches Sa Ma Er Han, he'll come again.

Then the second brother won't need to see him off.

The train headed east all the way.

The scenery outside the window rushed backward rapidly.

Zhu QiongJiong leaned against the window, stared for a while, finally grew tired of looking, rested his head on his sister's shoulder and fell asleep.

Zhu Huanhuan lowered her head to look at her brother, a slight smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Zhu Xiongying sat beside his father, watching the scenery outside, thinking of Yingtian Prefecture.

There are the imperial grandfather, the imperial grandmother, mother, younger brother and sister there.

And also the railway that runs from Yingtian to Lanzhou.

That was brought by the second uncle.

"Father, when will the second uncle be able to return?" he asked suddenly.

Zhu Biao opened his eyes and looked at his son.

"Soon, when the railway reaches Sa Ma Er Han."

Zhu Xiongying nodded and asked no more.

The train continued eastward.

The sun rose, then set again.

Day after day.

The scenery outside the window changed from Gobi to Grassland, from Grassland to farmland, from farmland to town.

Zhu QiongJiong woke up and leaned against the window again to look.

"Sister, over there are houses, a huge stretch."

"That's Xi'an."

"Xi'an, my father said he fought battles there."

"Hmm."

Zhu QiongJiong looked at the city walls, and suddenly felt a longing for his father.

He recalled that before leaving, his father adjusted his collar and said, "When you reach Yingtian Prefecture, don't just play around; go to Dabentang and study properly."

"Sister, you think father in Sa Ma Er Han might miss us?"

Zhu Huanhuan was silent for a moment, then softly said, "He will."

Zhu QiongJiong nodded and said nothing more.

Zhu Gaochi sat at the far edge, writing a few characters in his notebook.

"Brother QiongJiong says he misses his second uncle."

Zhu Xiongying saw it and couldn't help but laugh.

"Gaochi, why do you remember everything?"

Zhu Gaochi replied seriously, "Mother Consort said, in all matters one must have it clear in the heart."

Zhu Xiongying shook his head and said nothing further.

The train kept heading east.

After traveling for several days, they finally arrived at Yingtian Prefecture.

In the distance they could see the city, its walls towering, its towers soaring.

The platform was packed with people, some seeing off, some receiving, all noisy and clamorous.

Zhu QiongJiong leaned against the window, staring at the city with wide, round eyes.

"Sister, Yingtian Prefecture is huge!"

Zhu Huanhuan looked at the city, and a vague, indescribable feeling rose in her heart.

She was born here, grew up here until ten, then followed her father to Sa Ma Er Han.

It's been three years.

Finally, she's back.

The train slowly entered the station.

On the platform stood two people.

One was Zhu Yuanzhang, dressed in dark‑red formal attire, standing with his arms crossed.

One was Empress Ma, wearing a plain‑colored palace dress, her eye sockets red.

Zhu Biao got off the train and strode over.

"Father, Mother."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him, nodded, and said nothing.

Empress Ma took his hand, examined him up and down, and said, "You've become thinner, darker."

Zhu Biao laughed, "Mother, I'm fine."

Zhu Xiongying followed behind, knelt and paid respects: "Grandfather, Grandmother."

Empress Ma helped him up, patted his face and said, "Xiong Ying has grown tall."

Zhu Xiongying grinned.

Zhu QiongJiong leapt from the train, ran to Empress Ma's front, knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times.

"Grand Empress Dowager, my father asked me to kowtow to you, saying he misses you."

Empress Ma looked at the skinny, dark‑complexioned boy, her eyes even redder, bent down and helped him to his feet.

"Get up, get up, let Grand Empress Dowager see."

She took Zhu Qiong Jiong's hand, examined him from head to toe, and, crying and laughing, said, "Just like… just like your father."

Zhu Qiong Jiong grinned, showing a mouth missing a front tooth.

Zhu Huanhuan came forward, performed a proper bow and said, "Grand Empress Dowager."

Empress Ma took her hand and whispered, "Huan Huan has grown up."

Zhu Huanhuan nodded, her eyes rimmed with red, but she did not cry.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood nearby, watching the children, a faint smile tugging at his mouth.

He turned, and strode out of the platform.

"Let's go home."

Empress Ma held the hands of Zhu Huanhuan and Zhu Qiong Jiong, following behind.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Xiongying walked at the rear.

On the platform, people came and went.

The train was still steaming.

The whistle blew.

Another train pulled into the station.

Autumn in Yingtian Prefecture was about to end.

But Zhu Yong had not yet returned.

He was still in Samarhan.

Waiting for the railway to be completed.

Waiting for the train to pass.

Waiting to go home.