Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Spring Goes, Autumn Comes, Year After Year. Year after year.
Five years have passed in the blink of an eye. If it were in her previous life, Xiao Yao could have sighed, "I finally became independent and went to college."
However, it was evident that she couldn't do that now. Looking at her two precious sons sleeping soundly in front of her, she never would have imagined that at just over twenty years old, she would already have two five-year-old kids. Clearly still in the prime of youth and full of vitality, she was already burdened with a family. It felt unfair no matter how she thought about it.
Yun Zhu came in holding a basin of water and said, "Mistress, wake up and wash your face with cold water. It's a bit uncomfortable in here with the heat."
"Yes, this year feels unusually hot," Xiao Yao agreed, taking the cloth from Yun Zhu's hand. "It seems like it hasn't been this hot in previous years."
"Indeed," Yun Zhu nodded. "This year’s Dog Days might reach forty days!"
"Forty?!" Xiao Yao widened her eyes in disbelief. "Thirty was already unbearable; forty is just too much to handle!"
"Mistress..." Yun Zhu opened her mouth, intending to stop Xiao Yao from saying such ominous words. But before she could say anything, a sleepy voice complained, "Mom, didn’t Dad tell you not to say 'die' all the time? Why are you still doing it?"
The speaker was her son He Zi'an. Rubbing his eyes, he turned over and sat up, looking at Xiao Yao with clear dissatisfaction written on his face. "Dad has changed; why haven’t you?"
"Exactly! You don't change when you're wrong! Mom isn't a good example!" The older brother chimed in as he bounced up beside him.
"..." See? This is the downside of having such smart kids. Xiao Yao immediately put on a flattering smile. "Okay, okay! I won't say it anymore. Is that alright?"
"Hmph! Mom, how many times have you promised that? And every time you break your word!" Second Brother He Zi'an crossed his arms like an adult, his bright eyes filled with skepticism.
Xiao Yao helplessly rubbed her forehead. Having such clever children was definitely not always a good thing. Just look at the older brother He Ziyi, who was so easy to deceive! Originally, He Ziyi was almost convinced by Xiao Yao's assurances, but after hearing He Zi'an, his expression immediately turned into one of accusation towards their mother. "Right! That's true! Mom never keeps her promises!"
"..." The older they got, the harder they were to coax, especially with a little fox and an overly protective older brother around.
Second Brother He Zi'an's eyes and brows indeed resemble Xiao Yao. When he is quiet, he appears gentle and calm, exuding the demeanor of a modest gentleman, but that is merely surface-level. Second Brother has essentially inherited He Yu's high intelligence and emotional intelligence traits. Studying is effortless for him; by last year, during his fourth year, he was already able to recite the Four Books and Five Classics fluently. Now, he is already browsing books in He Yu's study.
The eldest, He Ziyi, is completely the opposite—calm like a hyperactive child and restless like a madman. He cannot stay still for a moment, climbing trees, collecting bird eggs, catching bugs to scare the daughters of the Crown Prince's family, and fighting with other friends; he can do just about anything. Overall, he resembles He Yu, but according to He Yu, the eldest actually resembles General Xuanping more, as they both share a fondness for fighting.
Of course, He Ziyi also possesses a somewhat foolish tendency to easily trust those around him. After careful evaluation, He Yu solemnly told Xiao Yao, "His tendency to act foolishly is quite similar to yours."
Angry, Xiao Yao chased after He Yu and hit him several times until He Yu begged for mercy.
In any case, after this incident, Xiao Yao made promises and swore while coaxing them with snacks, finally convincing the brothers that he would not do it again in the future.
Phew... I am really exhausted...
After having some snacks in the afternoon, it was time for the brothers to enjoy their free time as usual.
The eldest went to the training ground in the front yard to learn archery and martial arts from his master, while Second Brother went to the study in the Central Courtyard to read on his own. Since these were their own interests, Xiao Yao did not intend to force them into doing things they did not like or restrict them from pursuing what they enjoyed.
In the future, as they grow up, there will be many unavoidable and uncontrollable situations. If they do not enjoy their freedom of choice when they can, they will only end up binding themselves more tightly when they grow up.
Of course, all actions must be based on reasonable grounds; matters like killing and arson are something Xiao Yao thinks should be avoided for now.
Currently, He Yu remains a leisurely prince in everyone's eyes. To outsiders, he appears to be a jester kept by the emperor to amuse him and provide entertainment without holding any serious position—just attending court occasionally and muddling through.
On the contrary, Xiao Mo Yi has now obtained a position as Minister of Rites, which is a fifth-rank official. Moreover, since the Minister of Rites is essentially a carefree position with little responsibility, he has reached this status largely due to his ancestors' blessings. Thus, with support from Xuanping Wang, Xiao Mo Yi has become an influential second-in-command and has steadily risen in rank.
When He Yu returned in the afternoon, he first strolled around the training ground in the front yard and saw several guards happily practicing with He Ziyi. Although Zhao Hezhong intended to speak up, he was stopped by He Yu, who simply said, "Let them be careful; don't let anyone get hurt."
"Yes." Zhao Hezhong replied, thinking that it definitely wouldn't hurt; the guards in this courtyard were quite capable. Besides, who would dare to harm the esteemed Eldest Son of the Xuanping Prince's Mansion?
Upon returning to the main house, he saw Xiao Yao and Yun Zhu along with a few maidservants discussing the newly delivered fabric, planning to make more clothes for He Ziyi. He Yu frowned at the sight. "Didn't he just have several outfits made? Why does he need more?"
"Don't you know how active your son is?" Xiao Yao shot He Yu an annoyed glance. "Second Brother has gone through five or six sets of clothes already. I've never seen one outfit stay on him for more than five times without getting torn or ruined. It's ridiculous!"
"Alright, alright," He Yu regretted stepping on his daughter-in-law's toes and quickly sat down with a smile, trying to comfort her. "After all, he's our son. Besides, isn't Second Brother quite well-behaved? Having both literary and martial skills is great."
"Second Brother well-behaved?" Well, he stepped on another landmine with his daughter-in-law. "If it weren't for him looking like me, I would doubt if he was aging backward. He's cleverer than I am, sharp-tongued for his age, and cunning like a fox."
"That's good; he won't suffer in the future." He Yu didn't think much of it and felt it was fine.
Xiao Yao sighed, putting down the fabric. "I'm not afraid of him being scheming or being schemed against, but I'm worried he'll end up scheming against himself. There's a saying: 'Cleverness can lead to one's own downfall.' People who are too clever often live very tiring lives."
Faced with Xiao Yao's words, He Yu fell silent. After years of being together, Xiao Yao knew what he was thinking and didn't rush him; she simply leaned against his shoulder, and they both remained silent.
"Don't worry," He Yu finally spoke after a long pause. "I won't let them reach that point."
"Yes, let's hope so." Xiao Yao nodded. For now, all they could do was focus on what they could control and do their best.
"Alright, enough of that. Is Second Brother back in the study again?"
"Yes, he's gone to read your books again; your annotations make them seem more interesting." As Xiao Yao instructed Yun Zhu to tidy up the fabric, she continued.
He Yu chuckled. "By the way, in a couple of days we will be going with the Emperor to escape the heat; you should prepare."
"Going to escape the heat? Is it Zhili?" Xiao Yao asked.
"Yes, the Emperor thinks this summer is too hot. Staying in the capital might not be pleasant, so it's better to go somewhere cooler. Oh, by the way, I have good news for you. After this summer passes, it is estimated that in August, the Emperor will embark on a Southern Tour. At that time, Crown Prince, we all need to go," He Yu said with a smile.
Xiao Yao was stunned. "August? Are we leaving directly from Zhili?"
"Yes," He Yu nodded. "This year, the canal has been successfully dug, connecting Zhili and Jiangnan. The Emperor plans to take a boat downstream to the south, reaching Yuhang. When that happens, we can ask the Emperor for leave and go back to Nanping to visit. It's been several years since we last saw Parents, and we should let those two little rascals go back and meet their grandparents."
Hearing this sudden good news, Xiao Yao didn't know how to react. Ever since five years ago when Xiao Father and Mrs. Xiao came to the capital to take care of her after giving birth and then returned home, she hadn't seen her parents again. Although they had exchanged letters frequently over these five years, it was never the same as being together in person.
Although life in Xuanping Prince's Mansion was not without happiness—having children around and being cherished by the prince—parents are still parents. Even though they were not Xiao Yao's biological parents, they were still part of her life. That instinctive bond of blood could not simply disappear; instead, it grew stronger with the passage of time.
After a long while, Xiao Yao finally cheered and hugged He Yu's neck. "That's great! Thank you, my lord!"
"There's no need to thank me," He Yu said as he embraced Xiao Yao. "This is the Emperor's decision; save your thanks for him."
Though he said that, Xiao Yao understood very well. She smiled and replied, "If it weren't for you subtly hinting at it in front of the Emperor, would he have agreed? So really, I still need to thank you."
"You're truly worthy of being my Xuanping Wang's princess; you're so clever!" He Yu laughed heartily and gave Xiao Yao a deep kiss. They lingered together for a while before He Yu chuckled softly and said, "How about we have another daughter?"
Comment 0 Comment Count