Chapter Ninety-Five: Migration

  Didn't sleep all night.

  She couldn't believe it no matter what, she was really going to leave the palace.

  She got up before dawn, washed and went to the kitchen to help. The stove emitted a faint smoke, and the smell of burning straw was not unpleasant at all.

  At breakfast time, Chun Mo also looked haggard, but his two eyes were exceptionally bright. He only drank two mouthfuls of porridge and put the bowl down.

  "Have some more." Chao Sheng picked up a flower roll for her.

  "I can't eat." Chun Mo's palms were sweating, sticky, she wiped them hard on her handkerchief: "I've been in the palace for so many years, but I've never seen what it's like outside... In my dreams, I often dream of myself going out, but there's no one on the street, empty and deserted, from head to toe, from inside to outside, as if only I'm left in this world..."

  Chao Sheng ate four flower rolls and drank a large bowl of porridge.

  No kidding, today is a physically demanding day. Without physical strength, how can you move house?

  It turned out that Chao Sheng was indeed very farsighted.

  All princes came to see him off, Eighth Prince was tearful, pulling Fourth Prince's collar and refusing to let go.

  "Fourth brother...... Waaah, don't move away...... What if I won't be able to see you again in the future......"

  This child is making such a big fuss, as if it's a matter of life and death.

  The fourth prince moved, in order to please the leader, everything followed the old example, naturally not allowing any crying sounds. But the eighth prince didn't care about you three seven twenty one, he wasn't happy and wanted to cry, and what he said sounded like it was for a funeral rather than a farewell, very unlucky.

  But the eighth prince is indeed pitiful.

  Lost his mother, and his father didn't want to see him. His brothers didn't take him seriously either. He lived with the fourth prince for two or three years, who taught him to read books, recognize characters, and whenever he got something, he would always remember to give him a share. He even took him to fly kites, fish, and pick willow branches to plant, and unexpectedly, he actually survived.

  It can be said that all of Eighth Prince's reliance and dependence on family affection are placed on Fourth Prince.

  But this brother is leaving.

  The fourth prince comforted him for a long time, but the eighth prince still refused to give in. As time was running out, Wei Gonggong came over to urge them on, and the eighth prince's wet nurse also arrived to take the eighth prince away.

  The fourth prince held his younger brother's hand and said softly, "Why don't you come with Fourth Brother?"

  The eighth prince was stunned, and the people around him were also stunned.

  "Huh?"

  "Go with Fourth Brother and take a look at his new house."

  The eighth prince was so excited that his little face turned red, nodding desperately, as if he was afraid the fourth prince would regret it. Just now he was pulling him not to let him go, and now he was pulling him to go out: "Let's go, Fourth Brother, let's hurry up."

  The fifth prince frowned: "Fourth brother, isn't this inappropriate?"

  "There's nothing wrong with that, Wei Zhong. Send someone to report to the Emperor and tell him that Eighth Brother is going with me to pay a visit somewhere, and by evening I will send someone to escort him back properly."

  Wei Gong hastily responded with a "yes" and sent someone to report.

  The Fourth Prince has already taken the Eighth Prince out of the house.

  Cháo shēng tāmen gēn zài hòu tóu.

  Translation: Chao Sheng and the others followed behind.

  Just like Chunmo, she also felt very unreal.

  Is this goodbye? Are you really leaving?

  Cháo shēng rěn bù zhù huí guò tóu qù.

  English Translation: Chao Sheng couldn't help but turn his head back.

  The palace gate of Yiqiu Palace, she had gone in and out countless times, but now looking at it this time, the feeling in her heart was so different.

  It's like being freed from something, yet also losing something.

  It's not entirely a joyful departure from the palace, but also with a strong sense of melancholy.

  Although the palace is a prison that devours people, in this era, the only place she was familiar with was within these palace walls.

  What is the outside world like? Will her future be smooth and peaceful after leaving here?

  Coral is even more restless.

  But more exciting.

  Maybe it's because they haven't been in the palace for long and haven't experienced any hardships, so they won't think as much as Cai Sheng did when encountering things.

  They might be thinking about whether the new house is big or small, whether it's spacious to live in, and whether they can become a leader in the future...

  Chunmo and Chaosheng got on a bus.

  Both of them were very silent.

  The cart moved forward, the wooden axle making a creaking sound, monotonous and rhythmic. Chunmo lifted up a corner of the curtain to look outside, while Chao Sheng just lowered his head to gaze at his bundle.

  The bulky items were all packed into boxes and trunks; they brought only a few personal effects with them.

  As they exited the palace gate, the carriages slowed down and passed through one by one. The carriage curtain was lifted, and Chao Sheng raised his head to see the gleaming armor of the Imperial Guard officer, which seemed to reflect a person's shadow. He confirmed that it was two palace maids and didn't take another look, then put down the curtain.

  The car didn't delay again and moved forward once more.

  "We're from the Yin Han Gate..." Chun Mo said in a low voice.

  The tides were born and could not be distinguished from which door, in her mind, all the palace gates were equally tall and majestic, the gate holes were long and narrow, passing through from below, just like walking through a passage leading to another world.

  Just like...

  She had seen Spirited Away before.

  Beyond that door lies a strange and perilous world. To return, one must go back through the same door from which they came.

  Tide Sheng did not know that inside and outside the palace gates were two worlds, which one was more dangerous?

  The car is moving at a moderate pace. Because there are people and things, it's not much faster than walking. The surroundings gradually become less quiet as before, and other sounds begin to emerge.

  Human voices, car sounds, horse neighs, hawkers' calls, and the distant sound of gongs and drums...

  These sounds are so ordinary, yet they have been absent for so long.

  Tears welled up in his eyes——

  She couldn't help but feel a surge of passion and could only turn her face away.

  It turns out that this world is like this...

  It is true.

  She is really alive ——

  She left the palace alive.

  The tide was born and never knew the hustle and bustle of these city sounds, but it sounded so familiar, so warm, more pleasant than any other beautiful sound she had ever heard before.

  When she calmed down and looked at Chun Mo again, there were still tears in the corners of Chun Mo's eyes.

  Haha, it turns out everyone is the same.

  Two people, you look at me, I look at you.

  Some things don't need to be said, and both parties can understand each other.

  Before they arrived, the six items were already in place. Rice, water, bowls, chopsticks, and stoves had all been moved in at an auspicious time and placed in specific locations. Only then did they enter the house. The fourth prince also brought a lump of earth from their old home to be placed in the new one.

  Chao Sheng and the others were busy with the move, and now Chao Sheng's wisdom was evident - she had eaten enough in the morning and still had energy, and wasn't even hungry.

  Others, like Chunmo, didn't fare well. Originally already nervous, didn't eat much for breakfast, busy until half afternoon, no time to even drink a sip of water.

  After finishing the main house, Chao Sheng also saw a new study room.

  This study is much larger than the one in Huaye Residence, and the Fourth Prince has many more books. In the past, there was not enough space on the shelves, so they had to be stored in boxes. The study couldn't hold all of them, so some were picked out and piled together with other miscellaneous items. Now these books can finally be proudly placed on the bookshelves. Chao Sheng carefully considered where to place a vase and where to hang a lamp - for now, it's just a rough arrangement, but after the Fourth Prince takes a look, there will naturally be some adjustments made.

  The eighth prince was excitedly running back and forth under the corridor, just like a bird out of its cage, finding everything fresh.

  The kitchen hadn't started cooking yet, so all they could offer the Fourth Prince and his companions were some snacks to fill their stomachs. Fortunately, there was still hot water available.

  The fourth prince took a piece of cake, turned his head to look at Chao Sheng, and handed the cake to her: "You also have some, there's still something to do later."

  Chao Sheng could only receive it with both hands and thanked him before eating the cake in small bites.

  "Fourth brother, this house is really big." The eighth prince said: "Isn't there a garden in the back? I've heard that the garden here is very large."

  "You want to take a look, wait for someone to take you there later, just don't run around by yourself."

  "I know." The eighth prince nodded, his hand holding a pastry with some crumbs on it. Chao Sheng hurriedly took out a towel to wipe his hands for him.

  "Fourth brother, when I grow up and can leave the palace, I'll ask Father Emperor to assign a house close to yours for me, so I can come live here with you every day."

  The fourth prince smiled and said: "Good."

  By dusk, everything was roughly collected. The fourth prince led the crowd in worship, with soup, fruit, wine and dishes on the table, as well as incense candles. After the hungry crowd finished worshipping, they took the golden paper money to the door of the new house and burned it, which was considered the end of the ceremony.

  Thank goodness, I can finally eat a full meal.

  No matter how many ideas everyone had, at this moment each and every one of them was so hungry they were almost fainting, and so tired they were half dead. Some people hadn't even eaten dinner before collapsing onto their beds fast asleep.

  Chao Sheng also felt that his waist was almost straight.

  She also thought she was in good physical condition.

  She was even more miserable than Chunmo. A mouthful of rice was stuffed into her mouth, and she swallowed it hastily without chewing.

  "By the way, did you notice?" Chun Mo said: "The people in that courtyard over there, when I was helping out just now, I saw two of them were sent by the Imperial Censor."

  "Uh-huh, I see you, but I'm busy and can't talk."

  Chun Mo poured the tea into a bowl and, while eating, finished his rice in two or three mouthfuls: "They should also have arrived today, but they came earlier than us. Logically, they should come to me first to report."

  "Maybe I was busy today and didn't have time."

  "Hmm..." Chun Mo said: "Tomorrow, if I'm not busy, you go ask her. Their name list should have been sent over, just assign some tasks temporarily, don't let them idle and cause trouble."

  Tide nodded and said: "Good."

  Chun Mo had finished eating and still had to go serve the Fourth Prince, while Chao Sheng returned to the kitchen to help out.

  Auntie Li adapted to the environment too quickly, not a moment was wasted, and she had already completely occupied this new territory, directing a group of people who were busy running around. From large pots, pans, stoves, vegetables, rice, grains, firewood, to small things like oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, all were sorted out one by one, assigned in an orderly manner. The kitchen was busy but not chaotic, and the smoke from cooking rose up gently.

  The familiar scent of rice straw smoke wafts through the air again, night falls, and on the sky, the moon is like a thin piece of paper cut out, stuck to the top of my head.

  The tide was born busy finishing the work in his hand, and sat down on the stone brick at the door of the kitchen.

  Is it really out?

  Yes, it's out.

  ＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋

  Everywhere was burning wheat straw when harvesting wheat, now everywhere is burning rice straw...

  It irritates the eyes, nose and throat.