Eunuch Su, Eunuch Su!

Three months later, Huiming and Su Jin really went to Jiangnan.

They didn't take many people with them. Apart from a dozen or so essential guards, none of the servants they were used to at home were seen. Even Bailan was not taken, let alone the dozen or so maids in Su Jin's room. He rewarded them with silver and asked the family to rearrange their duties.

The reason for this was naturally because these servants, who had grown up in the manor since childhood, had more or less ingrained the habit of judging people by their appearance and stepping on those who were down. It wouldn't matter if Su Jin took them with him, but he didn't want Huiming to be wronged.

As for Bailan, although she was calm and sensible, the family had already arranged a marriage for her. Su Jin and Huiming didn't know when they would return after this trip. Bailan was already nineteen years old and was about to get married. Su Jin didn't want to delay her any longer.

As a result, apart from a few rough servants, Su Jin only brought Yuanbao with him.

Yuanbao was actually a servant of his cousin. His grandmother was a maid who came with his grandmother. His family was also somewhat respectable in the Zhen Guo manor. In fact, they had already been released from slavery and were considered commoners. However, they were unwilling to break off their relationship with their old master. The intelligent children in the family were sent to study well, and the most well-behaved and sensible Yuanbao was sent back to be a servant again.

The reason why such a family was able to thrive outside was actually mostly because of the Zhen Guo manor's face. Once the Su family fell, although Yuanbao's family were commoners and were not sold, they were later retaliated against and gradually declined until they finally had to move their entire family away. Because Yuanbao was not tolerated by his stepmother and did not want to be a burden, he was sent to the palace when the palace was recruiting people. That was how he became a master and disciple with Su Jin.

Because of this, Su Jin thought that Yuanbao's parents were so unkind that even if they didn't fall this time, they would definitely be the ones who would be treated unfairly in the future. It would be better to follow him so that he could be more at ease. So he simply went to his uncle's place and asked his cousin for him with two boxes of exquisite gadgets. He planned to take Yuanbao to the academy to study together first. If he could pass the imperial examination, it would be best. If not, he would arrange a family business and find a livelihood for him.

However, in this way, their group was really small and weak. If not for the fact that the old master and old madam were worried and gave him half of their private property, and the Empress in the palace also specially rewarded him with palace guards, others would really think that the eldest grandson of the Zhen Guo manor had committed some serious crime and was driven out.

Even with this, similar rumors still spread outside.

Fortunately, Su Jin didn't plan to come back for a long time after he took Huiming away. He didn't care much about these rumors. He just seriously bid farewell to his grandfather and grandmother, his family, and asked Huiming to meet his family. Even the Seventh Prince in the palace, because Huiming was worried, asked Su Jin to ask Empress Su to send Yugan, who was still in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to the little prince. He also asked the Crown Prince to take more care of this younger brother in the future. Only then was he relieved.

After putting aside all the trivial matters in the capital, Huiming also changed into a set of light clothes that were convenient for walking. First, they took a carriage, then a boat. They swayed all the way, not in a hurry, and it took them more than a month to reach the Jiangnan water town.

According to what he had said before he left, after Su Jin arrived in Jiangnan, he chose to study at the Bailu Academy, which was located at the foot of Qiulu Mountain and had pleasant scenery.

He was not the only one who went to study. He specially prepared a household register with the identity of a distant relative of the Su family for Huiming and entered the academy together.

Huiming was only ten years old. Children of this age, if one didn't look at their clothes, didn't really have any obvious gender differences. Not to mention that Huiming's head had been shaved. In three months, her hair had only grown an inch or two long. Su Jin only said to the outside world that this was his cousin who had been raised in a temple because of poor health since childhood and had recently returned home after returning to secular life.

With that said, no one really doubted him anymore. Su Jin didn't have much interest in the Four Books and Five Classics, which he had already read thoroughly. He only shared the same classroom and table with Huiming. Seeing how far Huiming had learned, he followed suit, just a little bit better than Huiming. When the teacher was teaching above, he only stared at Huiming's side profile, his face full of indulgence and gentleness. It was also fortunate that his surname was Su and he was a relative of the emperor. When he entered the academy, he also held his grandfather's letter of recommendation. The teachers turned a blind eye to this. That was why he wasn't taught a lesson or punished.

At first, some people privately laughed at the two young masters of the Su family. They were not young, but their knowledge was only slightly better than that of a child's enlightenment. It was simply a disgrace to the Zhen Guo manor. But gradually, they were overwhelmed by their demeanor and conversation, which were different from ordinary young children. In addition, although Huiming's starting point was low, his progress was rapid. In just one year, he had been promoted from Class D to Class B. Such discussions gradually disappeared. Not only did they gain the admiration and friendship of many classmates, but even a few teachers saw the potential of the two of them, especially Su Jin. They intentionally or unintentionally persuaded him that at such a young age, he should still concentrate on his studies and take the imperial examination as his top priority. He should not indulge in childish emotions all day long and delay himself. It would also harm his young and ignorant cousin, Song Huiming.

That's right, paper couldn't contain the fire. Not to mention that Su Jin and Huiming went in and out together every day and didn't hide it at all. After a long time, the fact that the two "brothers" were actually lovers became an open secret.

However, to the teachers' disappointment, their earnest teachings did not awaken Su Jin. Instead, it made him even more passionate. In the third year, the two of them no longer paid much attention to their serious studies. Instead, they spent a lot of effort studying the "unorthodox" arts of calligraphy, painting, riding, and archery. In their spare time, they often went to various poetry and literary gatherings, as well as brothels, and gained some "fame" that was not elegant.

After another year like this, the teachers persuaded them to take the imperial examination. Su Jin was fine, but Huiming was a woman. Even if there was no problem with her knowledge and identity, if she took the examination, she would be exposed once her body was searched. Naturally, she immediately refused. Seeing that Huiming couldn't take the examination, Su Jin also politely declined the teachers' persuasion.

At this time, Huiming was no longer interested in the stereotyped writing and meanings of the imperial examination. In addition, as she grew older and her figure became more prominent, it was also very inconvenient for her to stay in the academy.

Seeing this, Su Jin discussed it with Huiming. Because they didn't want to hide it for the rest of their lives, they held a private banquet and invited seven or eight close friends. Huiming also changed back into women's clothes and appeared in front of everyone. She explained everything to them, confessed her sins, and said that the two of them planned to travel around the country. After the crowd was surprised, they all laughed and relieved. They came to see them off and congratulate them. After making a ruckus for a while, they came in high spirits and returned drunk.

The two of them left the academy and were about to set off when they received a letter from the capital. It said that the Empress in the palace was getting worse and worse. Before she left, she wanted to see her nephew again. When Su Jin saw the letter, he rushed back home with Huiming.

As early as before Su Jin went to Jiangnan, Empress Su had learned about Su Jin's background and past from the old master. Otherwise, she would never have agreed to let her most beloved junior leave for so many years. It was not until this moment, when her body really couldn't hold on any longer, that she missed Su Jin and was grateful for all the plans he had made in his life to protect the Su family and the Crown Prince. She also felt sorry for him for disregarding his future for Huiming and still being a commoner. After Su Jin came back, she summoned the two of them once. The next day, she asked the Emperor for a decree, saying that she liked Huiming at first sight and wanted to take her as her adopted daughter, confer her the title of Princess, and marry her to the Su family.

Emperor Xuande and Empress Su had a deep relationship because they had shared hardships. Not to mention that Empress Su was on her deathbed. Naturally, he agreed to such a small matter. He immediately issued a decree to confer Song Huiming the title of Princess Duanhe and Su Jin the title of Marquis Consort. He also bestowed jade belts, fur clothes, and ten thousand taels of silver. Because Empress Su was worried, she ordered the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court to prepare day and night and held their wedding a month later.

Just three days after Su Jin and Huiming's wedding, Empress Su passed away without any worries.

After Empress Su passed away, the Crown Prince was deeply saddened. After that, he obeyed his mother's order and insisted on observing mourning for his mother for three years according to the ancestral system. He no longer asked about worldly affairs and only stayed in the East Palace, living a simple life and studying behind closed doors. In this way, the Emperor praised him for his filial piety, and the relationship between father and son became closer.

Until the 33rd year of Xuande's reign, the Emperor suddenly fell seriously ill and was bedridden. The Crown Prince stayed by his bedside and served him with all his heart. The Emperor was touched by his sincerity. After hearing the imperial physician's report that this illness could only be cured by rest and not by overwork, otherwise, it would endanger his life, a year later, he took the initiative to abdicate in favor of the Crown Prince and changed the era name to Chengqian.

At this time, Su Jin and Huiming were already on their way to the northern grasslands. The couple traveled around to various scenic spots as they pleased. If they found a place they liked, they would stay there for a short period of time. They either attended banquets and invited famous people, or they concealed their identities and experienced the customs and practices of the common people.

The two of them had two children in their lifetime, a son and a daughter, both of whom were intelligent and clever. During the few years when they had to return home to recuperate because of pregnancy and childbirth, the couple had nothing to do. On a whim, they decided to compile their travel experiences over the years into a book.

One book, intermittently, took more than thirty years. After many revisions and additions, it was not until the two of them were nearly sixty years old that a "Duanhe Travelogue" was finally completed. Because the two of them did not publicize it widely, the response was mediocre at first. But after a long time, it gradually spread widely. Many girls from wealthy families read it carefully. They not only looked at the scenic spots and local customs of various places, but also admired the love and affection that could be seen everywhere in the book. Such a loving couple also left behind a good story in later generations.

"Eunuch Su, Su the Eunuch" / Xiao Yao, The End.

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