The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

The day of departure arrived quickly.

To welcome Zhao Yi to the capital, the imperial family dispatched a magnificent honor guard and escort troops.

The huge procession stretched from Tong Huaqiong's door all the way to the village entrance.

There was a guard every three steps.

Tong Huaqiong remarked that the security measures were so strict that not even a fly could get in.

Early in the morning, all the villagers came to see him off.

Suddenly, Aunt Qin broke through the guards and grabbed Zhao Yi's hand, stuffing two pairs of shoes and some steamed buns she had made herself into his hands. She cried and said, "When you get to Shengjing, don't forget the people of Qinghewan. If you rise to a high position in the future, you must treat us people well, just like your father did, and make sure we have enough to eat."

Qin Da Niang didn't care whether the former crown prince was a traitor or not; all she knew was that he had made sure she was well-fed when he was acting as regent.

Everyone says that the old emperor took Zhao Yi back because his other sons were too incompetent and didn't care about the people.

The former crown prince introduced a series of policies to allow the people to recuperate and recover, which benefited countless farmers.

The people of Qinghewan are able to eat their fill, thanks to the benevolent rule of the Crown Prince.

Having enough to eat is the greatest and most basic wish of ordinary people.

The guards who were hit were terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.

Careless.

Seeing that Su Chengmin didn't seem to blame her, she felt relieved and was about to let Aunt Qin leave.

Zhao Yi glared at the guard, who then stopped in his tracks.

When the villagers of Qinghewan heard what Aunt Qin said, their eyes welled up with tears.

"Your Highness, please take good care of yourself when you arrive in Shengjing."

"Don't forget the people of Qinghewan."

"From now on, you must be a wise king so that the people under your rule can have enough to eat."

Like Aunt Qin, the villagers expressed their most basic wishes.

The last sentence was spoken by the village chief. He was afraid that with so many guards, someone might spread the word to the emperor, making him think that the people were inciting the crown prince to rebel.

The old emperor is still alive, and he represents the people of Qinghewan in hoping that His Highness the Crown Prince will be a wise and virtuous king without any suspicion of rebellion.

Zhao Yi picked up a steamed bun and bit into it; it was filled with dried green beans and pork. Aunt Qin knew he liked it, so she made it especially for him.

Zhao Yi swallowed the steamed bun, looked at the people around him, and said, word by word, "Thank you for Grandma Qin's guidance, and thank you all for your advice. I will keep it in mind."

Aunt Qin's tears streamed down her face.

Seeing this scene, Tong Huaqiong couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

After this brief incident, Zhao Yi was ushered into the carriage.

Su Chengmin rode a tall horse and stood guard beside him.

Tong Huaqiong, Tong Pandi, Chen Sufen, Zhao Shi, Gu Baishuang, and others were arranged to ride in the subsequent carriage.

As soon as Tong Huaqiong got on, she exclaimed that it was indeed a royal carriage, spacious and soft, with even the backrests designed to be ergonomic.

Once everyone was settled, the group began to move.

The villagers stepped back to both sides of the road to make way for the villagers.

"May the Crown Prince have a safe journey."

May Mother of the Great Heat have a safe journey.

"Please let us know you have arrived safely in Shengjing."

"Master Su's students will definitely study hard."

The villagers and children said their goodbyes.

Tong Huaqiong lifted the sedan curtain and waved goodbye to acquaintances.

I don't know when I'll be back after this trip.

Qinghewan was where Tong Huaqiong first came into this era, and after so many years, she has long regarded it as her hometown.

Suddenly being thousands of miles away from home, one naturally feels extremely reluctant to leave.

The group moved forward at a leisurely pace, and soon Qinghewan was left behind.

Tong Huaqiong suppressed her sadness at parting and became extremely tense. The Emperor had several sons; Tong Huaqiong simply couldn't believe he had no objection to his high-profile reunion of the Crown Prince.

Tong Huaqiong was afraid that the Crown Prince's uncles might ambush and kill her on the way.

During the break, Hua Qiong quietly expressed her concerns to Su Chengmin.

“Even if they were stupid, they wouldn’t ambush someone on the road. If the Crown Prince were to be harmed on the way, none of these princes would escape suspicion. Not only would they not ambush him, they would also clear obstacles and ensure his safe arrival in Shengjing,” Su Chengmin said.

Tong Huaqiong understood.

The old emperor was employing a system of checks and balances.

Discovering that several princes harbored great ambitions, they began recalling the crown princes from the common people, wanting to see who would step forward.

Whoever steps forward will be eliminated.

I'm afraid the Crown Prince's uncles would rather hide in the shadows, while also having to guard against other princes jumping out to assassinate him and then shift the blame.

In that case, there's nothing to worry about on this journey.

Tong Huaqiong completely relaxed and ate and drank in the carriage.

With Chen Sufeng, Tong Pandi, and Zhao Shi by her side, along with Man'er and Yaozu, Tong Huaqiong didn't feel bored at all.

Because the emperor issued an edict to the world exonerating the crown prince and announced the welcome back to the capital for the grandson of the crown prince, the commotion was so great that officials were there to greet him wherever he went.

Grandson Zhao Yi was extremely annoyed and finally ordered Su Chengmin to decree that no officials should greet him wherever he went, which finally calmed things down.

Zhao Yi felt incredibly lonely and bored sitting alone in the carriage, so he ordered the carriage to stop and got into Tong Huaqiong's carriage.

Originally, Tong Huaqiong wanted to persuade the Crown Prince to go to his own carriage so she could have some peace and quiet. However, when she thought about how the Crown Prince would be surrounded by servants after entering the palace, she felt reluctant to let him go on the journey, as it would probably be his last moment of freedom before he ascended the throne.

Having grown up amidst palace intrigue and power struggles, the Crown Prince naturally knew what he would face on his journey to Shengjing. Therefore, the further north he traveled, the more attached he became to Tong Huaqiong and Chen Sufen.

The little boy leaned his head against Tong Huaqiong, ate snacks with her, and read storybooks to her. Anyone who saw him would think he was just an ordinary child.

Shengjing is located to the north of Ningcheng.

First by horse-drawn carriage, then by waterway, and after the waterway journey, we returned to land and switched to horse-drawn carriage again.

After a month's journey, we finally arrived in Shengjing.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites and high-ranking court officials were already waiting at the city gate, and the ceremony to welcome the Crown Prince into the city was extremely grand.

The Crown Prince calmly led Tong Huaqiong and Chen Sufen off the carriage.

They entered the city together.

According to regulations, Tong Huaqiong, Chen Sufeng, and others were not allowed to enter the palace.

However, the old emperor wanted to meet the family that had adopted the crown prince, so Tong Huaqiong, Chen Sufeng, and others were invited into the palace.

Upon entering the palace and arriving at the Golden Palace, they saw a yellow figure sitting there. Without daring to look closely, they began to perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony.

As Tong Huaqiong kowtowed, she cursed the old emperor in her heart, feeling that she had kowtowed twice in her life.

"Long live my emperor."

When Tong Huaqiong heard the trembling in Chen Sufeng, Zhao Shi, and Tong Pandi's voices, she wondered if she herself was like that.

Who wouldn't be nervous when meeting the emperor? After all, one wrong move could cost you your head.

"Yi'er, come here, let your grandfather take a look."

The old emperor's voice trembled, tinged with a sob.

Tong Huaqiong pressed her forehead to the ground, observing everything in front of her out of the corner of her eye. Zhao Yi, who had already changed into royal attire, walked towards the old emperor.

"Grandfather."

"My good grandson."

The two began to portray royal family affection.

It's unclear how much of this is genuine.

"How have you been these past few years?"

"My grandson has suffered."

Tong Huaqiong thought to herself, "You dog emperor, if you want to care about your grandson, can't you at least make us commoners rise first?"

So you just don't care whether they live or die, huh? (End of Chapter)