"Rou Niang".
Mo Bei turned around and quickly walked forward.
"Where have you been all this time? Do you know how much I've missed you? I thought you were dead!" Li Rouniang cried out in anguish.
Yes, she told everyone, including herself, that Mo Bei would come back.
But rationally she had also concluded that Mo Bei was dead, and now this person was standing right in front of her alive!
All the hardships of the journey south, all the frights and grievances, burst forth in that instant.
She first burst into tears, and then wailed loudly.
"Alright, Rou Niang, I'm back. I'm sorry I'm late." Mo Bei hugged Li Rou Niang and coaxed her. Everyone quietly withdrew, leaving the two of them some space to talk.
After Li Rouniang had finished crying, Mo Bei pulled her to sit down. He wiped her tears for her. Li Rouniang, a little shy, took the handkerchief and wiped her own eyes.
Then he asked, "How did you become a general? Where have you been all this time? What happened?"
"That's a long story. The day we parted, I went to town to find Hua Ruyi, but I unexpectedly encountered Xiyue soldiers at the town entrance. We fought, and they outnumbered me, so I was injured."
But I still managed to get into the town. However, I couldn't find Hua Ruyi. The teahouse where Hua Ruyi lived was already deserted.
I missed my target, and when I tried to leave again, I encountered a group of Western Moon soldiers. That time I was seriously injured and thought I was going to die.
I didn't want to be rescued. I was unconscious for three days and three nights. When I woke up, I wanted to find you, but my body wouldn't allow it. I rested for more than half a month, and when I returned to the village, it had been burned down. I couldn't find you.
At that time, I thought you had all met with misfortune, and I even felt like dying. Just then, the imperial court was conscripting soldiers, so I went. I thought that I would use the rest of my life to kill as many Xiyue people as possible to avenge you.
However, I encountered the Mo family army. I saw General Mo, whom I thought was long dead, who was Xiaoshan's father. He led us, fighting the Xiyue people without giving them a chance to fight back.
After that, he reorganized the court, and with our support, he became the new emperor, and I was appointed a general.
That's when I learned that Zhao Youtian had led his villagers south. I thought you might still be alive, so I kept inquiring about you until recently, when I finally received news of you. I rushed over immediately.
Mo Bei briefly recounted what had happened during this period. Although it was only a few words, it was full of thrilling and dangerous situations. Li Rouniang couldn't imagine it, but she knew it was definitely not as easy as he described.
It was probably an experience of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
As the saying goes: "One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand."
He has climbed over countless corpses to get to where he is today.
"Rou Niang, I'm sorry I came back late and made you suffer so much." Mo Bei apologized sincerely.
Li Rouniang shook her head; it was best that he came back.
It was only then that she realized everyone else was gone, so she quickly got up and called them over.
Mo Bei knelt down before his father, saying, "Father! Your unfilial son has returned."
My father's hands trembled as he reached out to stroke it. "It's good that you're back."
The four children came to Mo Bei's side and called him "Dad".
Mo Bei touched each of their heads and looked them over again: "You've all grown up, and you've gotten much taller. That's great!"
"Mo Bei, this is Liu Niangzi. She taught me how to make pastries. This is Zhang Niangzi, who is now Erni's godmother. Zhang Sange is Erni's godfather and Zhang Niangzi's husband. This is Li Sige, who is my neighbor's brother."
Li Rouniang introduced Mo Bei to each of them, and Mo Bei greeted them one by one.
The general appeared so approachable at this moment.
"Since you're all reunited, we won't disturb you. You two have a good chat," said Madam Liu, understandingly.
So Zhang Niangzi and her husband, along with Li Si, all left one by one.
The children surrounded Mo Bei, chattering excitedly about his experiences since they parted ways on the journey, and what they had gone through during that time.
Mo Bei listened patiently to their conversation. Old Man Mo felt much more at ease looking at his son. He knew that his health was deteriorating and he probably wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. Now that Mo Bei was back, he could finally relax and let go of both Rou Niang and Xiao Shan without worry.
There was still a slight awkwardness when they went to bed that night, and in the end, they slept separately. Mo Bei felt that although they were engaged, they had never actually had a wedding, and it might not be appropriate for them to be together.
Li Rouniang also felt a little shy. So Mo Bei tacitly went to Xiaoshan's room and slept with Xiaoshan.
In the dead of night, Xiaoshan suddenly said, "Father, I heard Grandpa tell me about my background."
Mo Bei didn't expect Old Man Mo to tell Xiao Shan so quickly. How old is Xiao Shan?
Even without saying it, once he returns to the capital, Xiaoshan's status will be extraordinary; he is the only son currently in power. He will be the crown prince in the future, and the dynasty will be handed over to this young boy.
Suddenly I understood this, and Xiaoshan looked different from when I first met him. At first, I thought of him as that small, toddler who had just learned to call me "Dad."
Now that the boy has grown taller, grown up, and become much more sensible, he suddenly feels that this child no longer belongs to him, but is now the royal prince with a distinction between ruler and subject between them.
"Father, do you think the new emperor can clear my mother's name? I want to study hard and one day pass the imperial examination with top honors. Then I'll write my story in blood and present it to the current emperor. Do you think my plan is feasible?" Zhao Xiaoshan had been pondering this matter in his mind for a long time.
However, he didn't mention it to Old Man Mo, fearing he would worry. He also didn't mention it to Li Rou Niang, because he didn't know how to bring it up. After all, his mother had only just returned and didn't know he already knew about his origins. He wondered if, if he told her, she would still treat him like a son. Would it create a rift between them? He couldn't bear to lose this bond between mother and son, so he hesitated to speak.
But things are different now. Mo Bei is back. Although he had a lot of contact with Mo Bei, he didn't have much memory of his childhood. But perhaps because he was often held in Mo Bei's arms when he was little, he felt a natural closeness to Mo Bei as soon as he saw him. He knew that the person in front of him would do everything he could to help him. They were one. So, when no one was around to talk to him in the middle of the night, he said what he had been thinking about for a long time.
Mo Bei was very gratified. Although Xiao Shan was in his current situation, he still did not think about a comfortable and stable life. He just wanted to make a living. He had not forgotten his biological parents, which was a comfort to General Mo and his wife.
“Xiaoshan, you don’t need to write a blood oath. The current emperor is your father.”
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