One or two events were all happy occasions, but the ones that happened to Wushuang herself were not so joyful.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ling Guangwei was going out of the capital to handle a case, and Chu Yao naturally had to go with him.
The two had never been apart since their marriage, and Wushuang was very reluctant to part with him. But this was a serious matter, and she couldn't stop him from going.
Wu Shuang could only sulk, her little mouth pouting for a long time, but she still didn't forget to help Chu Yao pack his things.
As the weather grew colder, she ordered Qiqiao to bring out five newly made cloaks.
Then, considering that Chu Yao had mostly ridden horses along the way, he instructed Chaohua to put a few more pairs of trousers in the box.
In this way, she was afraid that Chu Yao wouldn't have enough to replace, so she packed two large boxes of everything.
When Chu Yao returned from the yamen in the evening, he saw two camphor wood chests lying on the floor of the side room, already filled to the brim. He raised his eyebrows and stared blankly for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.
"Is Shuangshuang planning to come with me?" he asked.
"Is that alright?" Wushuang's listless face suddenly lit up. She jumped off the couch and ran into the inner room without her feet touching the ground. "I'll go pack my clothes right now."
Chu Yao stretched out his arms and lifted her back into his arms: "Aren't these two boxes your clothes?"
"Of course not." Wushuang was very comfortable in his arms and obediently remained still, letting Chu Yao carry her to the couch and sit down. "These are all yours."
She raised her chin and earnestly recounted all the considerations she had made while packing her luggage, counting on her fingers.
"...You said the matter was of great importance and might be somewhat troublesome, so your return date was uncertain. I was thinking, what if we don't come back even when winter comes? Although the south is warmer than the capital, who knows what the weather will be like, so I packed three more cotton-padded coats in with me..."
Chu Yao felt a warm glow in his heart as he listened.
He had never received such tender care from a close female relative.
Perhaps because he was a man, and the heir to the royal title, the old princess was unwilling to spoil him too much in his daily life, and never cared about things like the cold winter or the heat summer.
The old prince always kept her by his side while he was alive, but as a father, he taught her by word and deed how to read and be a good person, and did not pay much attention to things like taking care of a woman's basic needs.
When she was reborn into this life, her father had already passed away, and her mother was still traveling and had never seen her since. Chu Wan was too young to even take care of herself, let alone take care of her older brother, Chu Yao.
Although he was a prince, he still had his moments of refinement.
In both his past and present lives, whenever Ling Guangwei went out on official business, he would only carry a bundle containing a few changes of clothes.
If they encountered wind, frost, rain, or snow outside and the clothes they carried were inadequate, they would go with their guards to purchase warm clothing locally.
Firstly, it allows for simple travel, making it extremely convenient to go whenever you want.
Secondly, getting along well with the ordinary guards in such trivial matters and narrowing the distance between them can also strengthen the cohesion of the entire yamen.
Just now, Chu Yao had intended to persuade Wushuang to take all those clothes back, and just pack a few changes of clothes as he used to do.
But looking down at her upturned face, her slightly furrowed brows, and her earnest and concerned expression as she pondered what else he might need that she hadn't considered, he realized she was still thinking about it.
Chu Yao's heart melted completely, and he couldn't bear to go against her wishes in the slightest. He said gently, "Shuangshuang is so thoughtful. No one ever considered these things for me before. If I went out on business and encountered wind, frost, rain, or snow, I could only make do with what I had at the local clothing store. It was neither well-fitting nor comfortable. Now that I have you, I won't have to suffer like that anymore."
Encouraged, Wushuang became even more motivated. Her eyes sparkled, and she smiled broadly as she said, "Then I'll think about it some more. I also plan to mark each box with what's inside, so you won't have trouble finding it later."
"Alright," Chu Yao readily agreed. "I'll leave this matter entirely to you."
On the day of departure, Chu Yao rode in front, followed by two carriages, which for the first time ever, carrying three large camphor wood chests.
The guards couldn't help but chuckle to themselves.
Some even boldly stepped forward to tease, "Your Highness has a virtuous wife, which makes you different from us bachelors. Look how carefully the princess has taken care of Your Highness's luggage."
Of course, there's something else I dare not say: it's probably even more fussy than what a pampered young lady would wear when she goes out.
Chu Yao was so shrewd; how could he not have guessed what they were keeping hidden?
However, he showed no annoyance at all, letting them tease him. Whenever he heard their teasing, his lips would curl up and his eyes would be full of smiles, making him even more spirited than on his wedding day.
Meanwhile, Wushuang reluctantly bid farewell to Chu Yao. Although she felt somewhat lonely, she was fortunate to have her sister-in-law Chu Wan in the palace for company, so she wasn't too lonely. In addition, Qiao Sheng, who was now her future sister-in-law, would often come to visit, making things lively. She then put the sadness of being separated from her husband to the back of her mind and completely regained her usual cheerful demeanor.
After about half a month, one afternoon, she suddenly received a message from the Marquis of Runan's residence, saying that her cousin Yang Tiange had arrived in the capital and asked Wushuang to go back to her parents' home to see him.
Wushuang was startled upon hearing the news.
In my previous life, my cousin Yang had not come to the capital at this time. Now that he has suddenly arrived, could it be that something has happened in my maternal grandfather's family?
They summoned the messenger and asked him a few questions, but he was just a young boy, not someone anyone in the family valued. Apart from the message Jun Shu had given him, he knew nothing else. He hadn't even seen Yang Tiange in person, and when Wushuang asked about her cousin's expression, whether he looked worried, she received no answers.
Although the Yang family remained perfectly fine until Wushuang's death in her previous life, many things had changed in this life, so Wushuang dared not be too certain. She was worried and didn't even have time to rest at noon. She hurriedly asked Qiqiao to help her wash her face and change her clothes, and immediately set off for the Marquis of Runan's residence.
No sooner had he stepped out of the side gate than he saw a procession of carriages turning in from the alleyway.
The most eye-catching carriage in the procession was draped in green silk and emerald canopy, exuding both magnificence and elegance, and bearing the emblem of the Prince of Ying's Mansion.
But it was clearly not a carriage belonging to the Prince of Ying's residence.
Wu Shuang was stunned. Could it be that something had happened to Chu Yao? Had he hastily hired a carriage to come back?
But she quickly remembered the experience of being taken to Mo City by Chu Yao when Chu Yao was on official business during the Lantern Festival that year.
At that time, the carriage that Chu Yao rode in either did not have any markings, or if it did, it only had the markings of Lingguang Guard.
Thank goodness it wasn't him.
Wushuang patted her chest. If something happened to her maternal grandfather's family or Chu Yao, she really couldn't bear it.
However, Chu Wan was taking a nap at home and did not go out. Besides the three of them, who else could ride in a carriage bearing the insignia of the Prince of Ying's residence?