One of the most yearning places for almost all the people in the Great Xiao Dynasty was absolutely the Capital City. Xu ChangAn had lived in the Capital City since childhood, but his most yearning place was Feng Province, which he could only heard from his mother’s mouth in childhood. Perhaps because the live was not what she wanted, Yang Shi was all the more fondly recalled the days she spent in the boudoir waiting for the right man to marry. When Xu ChangAn was a child, she would often talked about her hometown in her son’s ear, about the delicious food and scenery there, as well as her parents and brothers who loved her at home.
From the moment the carriage entered Feng Province's city wall, Xu ChangAn could not help lifting the curtain of the carriage. He was anxious to see what the place he had longed for so long was like.
“This fellow young master, you are from the Capital City. How come you have the appearance of never seen the world before, just like a rural folk first coming to the city?” Xiao QingYan was amused by Xu ChangAn’s appearance. Ah, what was that appearance of his? He looked interested in seeing everything new. Was his father imprisoned him in the house all day long when he was in Xu Family's home?
“This is the place where my mother grew up. I'd once heard her say that Feng Province's weather is like spring all the year round and many wonderful sceneries and delicacies; I'm curious. Ah right, I don’t know the address of my grandparent’s home yet, but I know the names of my grandparent and several uncles. The Yang Family is a rich and influential household here. We should know by inquiring about them to people.” When he was a child, Xu ChangAn was only curious and yearning when he heard his mother mention all things at her home, but when he grew up a little more sensible, he was full of questions. His mother was well born and neither looked like a fool, but why did she and her parent's home never contacted each other because of Xu Yongnian?
Xiao QingYan had not only made a clear inquiry about Xu Family, but also Yang Family in Feng Province a long time ago. Yang family was a scholarly family, and many of their ancestors became the high officials in the Imperial Court. However, in recent years, Yang Family had no promising offspring, and now the highest position in the government was only a prefecture magistrate.
“Did you want to come home because of your mother?” Except for this, Xiao QingYan could not think of any other reason. ChangAn’s mother, Yang Shi was buried in a small farmstead by Xu Yongnian. Although it belongs to Xu ChangAn now, when ChangAn went to pay her New Year's greeting, how could he look at her tomb with all his heart?
When he married into the Imperial House, of course he could not interfere too much in his mother's afterlife. He could only earnestly hope that his mother would be buried in her family's ancestral tomb.
Xu ChangAn did not expect that Xiao QingYan could guess it himself; when he had never in the slightest reveal anything to him. Xu ChangAn did not go looking at Xiao QingYan’s expression; he just nodded his head lightly.
Xiao QingYan knew that this must be the case, confirmed with Xu ChangAn positive answer, but he felt a little strange. He totally felt that ChangAn’s response just now looked as if he had some guilty conscience.
–
As Xu ChangAn expected, his maternal grandparent Yang Family's social situation this Feng Province City had been for hundred years, almost all the people in the city knew Yang Family. They casually asked a few street passersby, and they soon arrived outside the door of Yang Residence.
Yang Residence's high gate courtyard was quite different from the Capital City's residence. The structure was more like that of forest gardens in the south of the Yangtze River, which it was not comparable to the wealthy and influential family in the Capital City. The whole Yang house occupied almost a dozen li of land. [roughly 6km]
“What did your mother see in your father in those days?” Considering that Xu ChangAn usually preferred all kinds of vernacular folk stories, Xiao QingYan had a ridiculous idea in his mind; could it be that Yang Shi’s story was like a rich young lady being brainwashed by the poor scholar? –“Mother didn’t tell me anything about that, but she was probably a girl who didn't know about the world and was deceived by a jackal in the name of a talented man.” In fact, Xu ChangAn also thought about why his mother later would be treated like that. Perhaps it was the thought that what you get and make use of was actually your own missed encounter, and it was somewhat hard to smooth out the gap in the heart.
Mother’s family background was not bad, but after the happy marriage between father and mother, mother’s family cut off their relation directly. But without mother as the daughter, the source of it, father who rose steadily depending on mother’s home would naturally not be able to accept it.
“Let’s go.” Xu ChangAn knew clearly that if the maternal grandparent's home had taken a little care of his mother, Xu Yongnian would not have dared to do such a despicable thing towards mother. However, he did not resent his grandparent’s whole family.
How could mother harbor grudges against her parents when she herself did not know people clearly? What was more; the maternal grandparent’s family had done their best! They did not agree with the daughter’s marriage, but they still gave her a grand marriage and a good dowry. After the daughter got married, how could they possibly have to even take care of her?
“Old man, we are the old friend of your home's Third Young Lady from the Capital City, coming specially to pay a visit.” The seniority of siblings in Yang Residence was different from that of other families. There was no distinction between men and women. Xu ChangAn’s mother was the oldest daughter in the family, but there were also two older brothers closely related by blood on top. From childhood to adulthood, all people in the residence called her Third Young Lady instead of Eldest Young Lady.
“You are… Third Young Lady's child?” The old servant of the Yang Family, who had been in the Yang Family for decades, had watched Yang Shi grown up. Now, when he looked at Xu ChangAn’s face, which was very similar to his mother’s, and also Xu ChangAn claimed to be from the Capital, he subconsciously thought like that.
Xu ChangAn had never thought he would be recognized at a glance by an old servant. Xu ChangAn’s heart was not without difference, but actually even happier!
The residence's old servant could remember his mother's appearance, so grandparents and the several uncles should also have some camaraderie with his mother ah!
“Youngest Master, come in, come in! This old servant will bring to meet the Old Master!”
They just barely walked in a short distance from Yang Family's gate but Xu ChangAn could not help raising his doubt. His father, Xu Yongnian, used what means in those years to have the ability to make a young lady born in such a household fell in love with him and insisted to marry him?
Having been accustomed to the riches, honor and dignified of the wealthy influential families everywhere in the Capital, he much preferred the leisurely and elegant garden in front of him.
Although they had already entered the gate of the Yang Family, Xu ChangAn and Xiao QingYan had walked a long time before they finally met Xu ChangAn’s grandfather and the several uncles. Compared with their calmness and unperturbed, the few men across from them were obviously more flustered. The expression on each person’s face was difficult to ascertain, but it was not disgust, which made Xu ChangAn relaxed a little.
“ChangAn paying respect to maternal grandfather and uncles…”
“Civilian Yang Yuande, civilian… paying respect to His Highness Xian Wang.” Of course, the fluster of Xu ChangAn’s maternal grandparent’s family was not for the arrival of the grandson, but for the person who accompanied him. Although Feng Province was far away from the Capital, the Yang family still had a son occupying the seat of current prefectural magistrate, who knew unlikely knew nothing about Imperial Government's affair. In fact, from the beginning of the fall of the arrogant Xu Family, they began to guess that perhaps the only daughter's son in the family would go home. Xu ChangAn did not know how they knew Xiao QingYan’s identity. Xu ChangAn saw that they had not acknowledged his greeting, instead after his greeting, they paid respect to Xiao QingYan first. Xiao QingYan did not come here as Xian Wang. Naturally, he would not be too awkward to assume his own identity in front of them, but he did not show much enthusiasm for them. He just said 'no need to be in ceremony' in a dull tone.
The Great Xiao followed the principle of respecting Heaven, Earth, monarch, parent and teacher. Xu ChangAn knew that even if his grandparent and uncles were elders, they were not qualified to request Xiao QingYan to perform ceremony as the younger generation for them. Xu ChangAn himself did not want Xiao QingYan to be inferior in front of others because he was a descendant of the royal family, who was raised as a prince since small. Therefore, there was no need to put on a play in front of the relatives who did not care much about him.
“Although this Wang travel afar on imperial order this time, but after all, traveling without great fanfare. You do not have to be on ceremony, this Wang does not want too many people to know my trip with Wangfei.” Humph! It was even said that the family was a scholarly family, but there was not a bit of resembling to a scholarly people. What’s the matter of cold shouldering the Wangfei at the side when you know how to salute the Wangye? Xiao QingYan said that there was no need for ceremony, but that expression was totally different. He also specifically mentioned Wangfei at his side. It was his words that the Yang Family in front of him had reacted. Now the person standing in front of them was not only their grandson and nephew, but also the Xian Wangfei of the Great Xiao Dynasty.
Xu ChangAn stared at Xiao QingYan next to him. Since he said he wanted to keep a low profile, why did he have to flatly using 'this Wang' and 'Wangfei'? For fear that others would not know their status?
“It’s this civilian who is rude! However, Wangye and Wangfei should have a hard time coming from afar. Let's go have a good rest first. Civilian will at once let the servants prepare the courtyard.”
“Grandfather doesn’t have to be polite. In the future, you can call me QingYun directly.” Xiao QingYan thought that the name had finally come into use, and he didn’t want the old man to call him by Wangye because they had to stay here for a few days.
“Civilian dares not!”
“Grandfather, you are an elder, there is nothing wrong to call His Highness’s name. I don’t think you know my name yet. My name is ChangAn. You’ll call me that way later on.” In the end, there was still some disappointment Xu ChangAn's heart. He met these relatives of his, but there was no sense of intimacy. He thought maybe it was because of his mother.
Although he knew that his mother’s fate and end were all her own choice, but in the end, he still had some resentment towards the maternal grandparents, who were really heartless to arbitrarily ignoring his mother. Now that they met, they did not seem to have some feelings towards him, and the disappointment in his hearts soon could not be concealed anymore.
–
He stayed with Xiao QingYan in a courtyard which seemed to be specially prepared for them. After all the servants left, Xu ChangAn discarded his good-natured face and showed a slightly disappointed face.
“Don’t be upset, your father is even more unreliable, and you still expect much from the estranged family who hasn’t asked for you?” Xiao QingYan knew that his words might make him hurt and sad, but this was the fact, which was also the fact that he wanted to make him understand. “There are too many people in the world; even kinship is a tool to gain benefits. Speaking of them, there is nothing we ought to invest[1] in them.” Was Yang Shi broken away with her home during that time a good thing? That's why it led towards following end! Yang Family's background was good, as long as they showed a little interest after Yang Shi's marriage once in a while, then Xu Yongnian would never dare to treat Yang Shi and ChangAn without the slightest scruple.
“Your Highness. I seem to be…” always too naive. He thought there would be a maternal grandparent’s home after he left Wang Residence, even thought he had arranged mother’s matter well and had relatives to depend on in Feng Province. Now it seemed that he really thought too much about it!
“It doesn’t matter, that's alright.” Xiao QingYan believed that the Yang Family would not and dared not refuse if they put forward with their request. As long as Yang Shi’s matter was done properly, the he would give the Yang Family a little benefit at will.
Although the Yang Family was a scholarly family, there had not been a high official for several generations. How long could the pride of gifted scholar be maintained when nobody cared about them in the government? As far as he knew, even today’s Yang Family could not be compared with the Yang Family of 20 years ago. If the Yang Family had no more outstanding people in officialdom in the future, perhaps their good days would come to an end.
“Your Highness, in fact… I’m no different from my mother.” Xu ChangAn knew his weak side perfectly well. He even hated himself for being so cowardly. He was different from his mother; he was a man, but why should he think of depending on someone? Even without the maternal grandparent's home or Xiao QingYan, he should be able to live well ah!