"If you return to the grasslands, how can I explain this to the Emperor? My concubine is neither in the manor nor in the capital; instead, she has gone back to her parents' home and will never come back?"

Yinzhen raised an eyebrow and threw the question away.

"That's easy. I can change my clothes, dress up as a man, and I'm good at martial arts. I can sneak out without anyone knowing."

Looking at Meng Guqing's innocent yet foolish appearance, Yinzhen felt helpless. If she ran out like this, wasn't she afraid of being killed by thousands of guards outside as an assassin?

With a mind like that, can she really take charge of Ujumchin?

Yinzhen felt this was a thorny issue.

First, we must use an iron fist to seize territory, take stock of our troops, and firmly suppress those who are restless. We must also continue to outwit and outmaneuver our subjects, win their support, and maintain good relations with the capital and the Qing Dynasty.

Can Meng Guqing really handle such a complex situation?

Yinzhen stared straight into Meng Guqing's eyes, his expression more serious than ever before.

“Meng Guqing, do you know how dangerous this journey is? You could very well lose your life here. If that happens, your Borjigit branch will be wiped out. If you come back to the capital with me, you can still live a life of wealth and comfort.”

Meng Guqing's eyes were filled with an extremely resolute expression, radiating a captivating light. At this moment, she resembled an eagle about to spread its wings, poised to take flight.

"Yes, I've made up my mind. No matter what I encounter on my way back, I will be fearless. I live for Ujumchin. Even if I die, I will stand with Abu Eji to protect Ujumchin. Those uncles and brothers are incompetent and greedy for pleasure. If they take control, there will never be peace!"

"Good!" Regardless of the circumstances, Yinzhen admired her courage and boldness.

A few days later, Changning and Feiyanga met Fengsheng'e at the palace gate. The child seemed to have adapted well after staying in the palace for a few days. He was holding the small gift given to him by Consort De and said goodbye to his other cousins ​​before leaving.

The Fujin (principal wife) also sent carriages from the manor to pick up Honghui, but she had to go to the estate for an inspection, so she couldn't come today. She missed her son terribly and was very worried. So she had to trouble Changning to help her pick up the child.

Changning readily agreed. Picking up the kids wasn't a big deal, and it would be convenient to pick up both kids on the way. Besides, the two brothers seemed to be getting along quite well, standing close together.

Fei Yanga had already run up and hugged his brother's leg, excitedly shouting, "Brother! Brother! Why did you take so long to come back! Come on! I'll make you something delicious!"

Feng Sheng'e was also very happy to see his younger brother. He tugged at his little hand and greeted Chang Ning first: "Mother, your son is back."

Honghui was also very polite, like a little adult, he bowed and said: "Greetings, Chun'e Mother, I hope you are well."

Changning showed no arrogance towards the children, and replied with a smile, "It's all good, it's all good. The Fujin had some business to attend to at the estate today, so I came to fetch you. Don't worry, the Fujin will be back after noon. Hot water has been prepared in the courtyard, waiting for you to wash up. I also specially asked the eunuchs in the kitchen to prepare deep-fried lamb chops. There's no limit to the amount you can have today, eat as much as you want."

"Yay! Yay!"

All three boys smiled happily.

They've long been dissatisfied with eating bland, tasteless dishes.

Children this age especially love meat, but the rules in the front yard are the same as in the palace: the amount of meat children eat is controlled, and they are absolutely not allowed to eat as much as they want, especially rich meats like deep-fried lamb chops, for fear of upsetting their spleen and stomach. Lamb is considered "heaty," and this dish also has fragrant and crispy chili pepper pieces, so there's even more concern that it might cause them to have a sore throat or other heat-related issues.

The boys loved to eat, but they could never get enough, so they rarely ordered food to avoid making her crave it. Fortunately, Changning was generous and, thinking of their hard work studying in the palace, had the kitchen prepare a large plate of food. To prevent them from getting too much internal heat, she also specially ordered chrysanthemum tea to be served.

The three boys, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, chattered incessantly, not stopping even while sitting in the carriage.

Honghui and Fengsheng wanted to ride horses, so Changning let them have their way. In ancient times, they were already considered big kids, so riding a horse was no problem for them.

As for Fei Yang'a, he also wanted to go with his two older brothers.

Changning glanced at his short legs and decided to keep him by her side. This time, he was unhappy. He pouted and looked at his two older brothers riding big horses in front of him, looking so proud. He was incredibly envious and thought to himself that he should drink more milk when they got back.

Upon returning to the manor, Changning prepared a separate feast for the children and also invited Hutuli and Yierha over, allowing the five siblings to strengthen their bond.

Yierha was still as gentle and sensible as before, behaving obediently and affectionately towards Changning. However, she was now twelve years old, a young lady, and Yinzhen and his wife were already looking for suitable husbands for her.

Changning still hoped that she could marry into a good family, and through Yierha, she thought of Song Gege.

She was a loving mother at the time. Although she and her daughter could not see each other, she must have been very gratified to see her child grow up to be such a beautiful young woman.

Lately, the women in the inner courtyard have become increasingly oblivious to everything. Of course, this refers to Qingzhi Courtyard. Changning no longer goes to the main courtyard to pay her respects to the Fujin (principal wife). And the women in the inner courtyard wouldn't dare to bother her at all.

These days are quite comfortable.

Changning left the space to the children and returned to Qingzhiyuan.

She originally wanted to go back and rest for a while, but recently, due to her pregnancy, her body has become increasingly susceptible to fatigue, and she is particularly sleepy.

But before she could even close her eyes, Tingfeng rushed in, looking flustered. Granny Zhang glared at her fiercely; this wretch was becoming increasingly oblivious. Didn't she see her mistress was about to rest?

Tingfeng understood Zhang Mama's subtle hints perfectly well, but she was indeed very anxious, which made Changning's heart pound with worry.

"What's wrong? Has something happened to Prince?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it's not the Prince, it's Consort Qing." Tingfeng hurriedly reported, "News has come that Prince Ujumchin has passed away. Consort Qing was overwhelmed with grief, her blood rushed to her head, and she has already passed away from shock and anger!"

"What?!"

Changning was incredulous. How could this be? Meng Guqing was such a strong woman. Apart from being love-struck, she had an incredibly strong heart. She still had her tribe to protect. How could she leave so easily?

She quickly got out of bed, and Granny Zhang, very worried, rushed over to help her.

Changning took out the jade and wooden hairpin from her dressing case. The pattern on it was clear and the carving was exquisite. It was left to her by Meng Guqing.