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墨書 Inktalez
Today marks the arrival of the Ninth Prince from the Cloud Nation in the Capital of the Departed Nation.
Today is also the day Ouyang Zixin leaves the imperial capital.
The arrival of the Ninth Prince is well-known. Starting from the Palace Gate, a welcoming procession has been arranged. The valiant and upright guards have donned their new ceremonial attire, their swords polished to a bright sheen, lining up all the way to the entrance of the imperial capital. Although the Sovereign does not personally greet a prince from another nation, most of the nobility in the capital have gathered, led by none other than Third Prince Nangong Tuo.
In stark contrast to the lively atmosphere throughout the imperial capital, a sense of sorrow envelops the carriage procession at Xuan Shi Mansion. Led by Madam Ouyang, three rows of farewell attendees stand, all from Xuan Shi Mansion, with little exchange of pleasantries among friends and relatives, which slightly alleviates the sadness.
The servants only know that the young lady is going out for a while and are unaware that her return is uncertain. They do not feel much reluctance towards this kind-hearted young lady, as she will eventually come back.
Looking at Madam Ouyang, she has been holding onto Ouyang Zixin tightly since early morning but dares not show her emotions, fearing that others might speculate. She endures without shedding a single tear, her eyes merely reddened.
"Mother, don't worry. I will take good care of myself," Ouyang Zixin's voice is choked with emotion; it is only at this moment of parting that she realizes how hard it is to say goodbye—something she could hardly imagine before.
"Madam, please don't be sad. Xin'er will return after some time," Lin Ma gently comforts her from the side. She is one of the few who knows that this departure has an uncertain return date, making it particularly difficult for Madam Ouyang.
Ouyang Hao glances at the sky and knows they cannot delay any longer; otherwise, they might run into Yun Tianmo's group and be delayed even longer. He steps forward to remind them.
"Mother, take care of yourself. I'm leaving now." After hugging Madam Ouyang tightly, Ouyang Zixin climbs into the carriage without looking back.
"Woo woo, my Xin'er..." Madam Ouyang can no longer hold back her tears, gripping Lin Ma's hand so tightly that it nearly draws blood.
Seeing his wife on the verge of collapse, Ouyang Hao wishes he could immediately comfort her in his arms. However, he knows he cannot do so. Gritting his teeth, he mounts his horse and calls out to command the convoy to set off.
To avoid encountering the welcoming party, Ouyang Hao did not take the main road but instead led the convoy through some narrow alleys that could accommodate the carriages. The streets of the Capital of the Departed Nation were still quite wide, and even the alleys had enough space for a carriage to pass through comfortably.
"Miss, Miss, wait for me..." Just as the convoy from Xuan Shi Mansion was about to reach the city gate, the sound of hooves and Liu Lvy's voice came from behind.
The convoy came to a halt, and Liu Lvy quickly reached the front. Ouyang Zixin suddenly remembered that Liu Lvy had gone to the Study Room early in the morning to help her find books and had not returned. She had completely forgotten about it; if Liu Lvy hadn't rushed over, she would have been left behind in the capital since only Ouyang Hao knew the route of the convoy.
Liu Lvy arrived at the carriage, panting, muttering under her breath about how could the miss forget her, which was truly heartbreaking.
Just then, Ouyang Zixin lifted the curtain and overheard Liu Lvy's complaints. Acknowledging her oversight, she smiled and scolded lightly before taking the book from Liu Lvy's hands and ignoring her further.
Feeling disheartened, Liu Lvy dared not delay the convoy any longer. She remounted her horse and rode alongside the carriage. She shot a glare at Liu Ying on the other side, thinking how annoying it was that she didn’t remind the miss.
Liu Ying merely smiled without speaking. This silly girl, how could she really abandon her? If they were about to leave the city and Liu Lvy hadn’t arrived yet, she would naturally remind Ouyang Zixin. She just wanted to see how flustered Liu Lvy looked; that expression of panic was quite amusing.
The small prank between the two girls went unnoticed by Ouyang Hao and Ouyang Zixin. Soon after, the convoy arrived at the city gate. The guards responsible for inspections recognized Ouyang Hao at the forefront and promptly allowed them to pass without even a routine check.
It would be ridiculous to inspect carriages belonging to one’s true superior.
The Xuan Shi Mansion convoy was not large; it consisted of only three carriages: one carrying Ouyang Zixin and two loaded with goods. Accompanied by twenty guards, with Liu Ying and Liu Lu as their only maids, they quickly passed through the city gate and left the capital.
Meanwhile, as Ouyang Zixin departed from the capital, Yun Tianmo's team also arrived at the eastern city gate. Unlike Ouyang Zixin's light convoy, Yun Tianmo's entourage was grand and imposing; it would likely take half an hour for all of them to pass through the gate.
One group entered while another exited; east met west. Ouyang Hao’s choice proved wise; had they encountered Yun Tianmo’s team, they would have been delayed in leaving until well into midday.
If Ouyang Zixin saw Yun Tianmo's entourage, he would probably be astonished for a long time and then reflect on how being born into the right family is a skill in itself, especially when looking at the imposing presence of royal relatives.
Not only would Ouyang Zixin be surprised, but even Nangong Tuo, who was responsible for security and reception on behalf of the Sovereign, was nearly left speechless. The nobles who came to greet them also felt uneasy; what was the Cloud Kingdom Prince trying to do with such a display? Did he want to enter the imperial capital or not?
Although countries had rarely interacted in recent years, there were limits on the number of people allowed in the entourage entering the Imperial Capital of the Li Nation. What was going on with Yun Tianmo's seemingly endless procession? As the Cloud Kingdom Prince, the number of people allowed to accompany him into the Capital of the Departed Nation should not exceed two hundred.
"Prince Mo, I represent the Exiled Nation in welcoming your arrival, but is your entourage really..." Nangong Tuo said, peering behind Yun Tianmo. His eyesight wasn't exceptional, but it wasn't bad either; how could he not see the end of it?
"There are two hundred people in my entourage," Yun Tianmo replied, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. His purple robe billowed without wind, and his tall figure exuded an air of authority just by standing there.
"Are you sure you only brought two hundred people?" Are you treating us like fools? With such a long line, how could you claim there are only two hundred?
In fact, the number was just an estimate and didn't need to be precise. As a distinguished guest, bringing along a few extra people wouldn't be an issue; he could easily overlook it. However, in broad daylight at the city gate, there were at least dozens of people welcoming them. With so many eyes watching, it was obvious that this oversized entourage exceeded two hundred!
Yun Tianmo! What exactly are you trying to pull? Nangong Tuo was nearly driven to madness by this man who was speaking nonsense right before his eyes.
"The carriages are just a bit longer," Yun Tianmo said casually.
"A bit longer?"
What does that even mean? If that’s just a bit longer, then what would be considered long?
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