"I love it." Baojie's voice was crisp and clear, with a naturally loud voice: "Uncle, I've missed you so much!"
Yan Chao laughed heartily and reached out to hug Bao Jie, saying, "Bao Jie, your uncle promised to give you a grand wedding procession, as precious as a treasure."
Although Baojie was a bit dark-skinned and thin, a closer look revealed her delicate features and bright, clear eyes. She would surely grow into a beautiful young woman once her skin turned white: "I believe in my uncle. I've been waiting for my uncle and father to come and pick me up!"
The capital city had just experienced war and appeared somewhat desolate. Baojie rode on her horse and looked around. Many people were kneeling on both sides, and they lowered their heads as they passed by. Baojie looked at all this but did not ask anything. Yan Chao saw Baojie's behavior and liked his niece even more. He felt that his niece was as steady as him.
Yan Chao rubbed Bao Jie's head and asked, "Are you scared?"
“I’m not afraid.” Baojie answered without hesitation, her eyes shining: “Grandma said that this is something that Uncle and Dad risked their lives for. Uncle and Dad saved everyone and allowed people to survive, so this is the honor that my family deserves.”
As the brothers' power grew, they heard countless flattering words, but none of them moved Yan Chao as deeply as Bao Jie's simple words. He laughed out loud, "Good, as expected of my Yan family's Bao'er." But as he looked towards West Street, his eyes were filled with coldness.
Although Yan Chao had not yet become emperor, he moved into the palace without any courtesy. Although the palace had experienced war, it could still be lived in after a little tidying up. As for the concubines of the last emperor of the previous dynasty, if anyone claimed them, their families would take them back for burial. If no one claimed them, they would be thrown into a mass grave. Those who did not die were locked in the cold palace and were guarded.
Chen Qiu and her entourage waited at the palace gate early in the morning. When she saw her mother-in-law, her eyes reddened and she knelt down. The old woman hugged her eldest daughter-in-law tightly. Their relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had always been very good. When the old woman was very ill, Chen Qiu took care of her at her bedside. She almost died from phlegm in her throat, and Chen Qiu helped her suck the phlegm out without any disgust.
Chen Qiu had initially wanted to stay and take care of the old woman, but the old woman refused and allowed her to stay with her eldest son and her child.
The old woman, her eyes red, looked at the people behind Chen Qiu. They were all unfamiliar women, dressed in fine clothes. Two of them, standing in front, had children with them. After looking them over, the old woman asked, "Where's Jiawang? Where's my eldest grandson? Is he busy somewhere?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qiu could no longer hold back her tears and burst into sobs. Even Yan Chao and Yan Zhili looked rather grim.
Yan Chao said, "Mother, let's go inside and sit down to talk slowly."
Looking at the unfamiliar people and then at her aunt, Baojie had a bad feeling. Her cousin was the most sensible and was very close to her grandmother; there was no way he wouldn't come to pick them up.
The beautiful woman stopped looking at her husband. Her lips trembled and her face was pale. She searched carefully but couldn't find her sister-in-law's son. She then looked at her husband, as if waiting for him to tell her the answer.
Yan Zhili stepped forward to help her mother, saying, "Mother, we..."
"Where is my Jiawang? Where is my eldest grandson?" The old woman ignored her son and pressed on, "Where is Jiawang?"
Yan Chao's eyes reddened, and he beckoned the three children who had been standing behind him to come over: "This is your grandmother, call her grandmother."
Also present was a woman standing next to the child. One of the older women spoke first: "Brother Xu, Sister Zhen, quickly call her Grandmother."
The other woman, who was also very beautiful, looked rather displeased and said with a pursed lip, "Call her grandmother."
The old woman wasn't having any of it. She stared at her eldest son, her voice sharp: "Where is my grandson? Where is my family's honor?"
Chen Qiu looked at her mother-in-law and said, "Mother, we... I'll take you to see our home."
The old woman had already realized what was happening; she probably guessed it the moment she didn't see her eldest grandson, but she was unwilling to admit it: "Jiawang... Jiawang is gone?"
Her voice was soft and trembling: "My eldest grandson is gone?" She looked at her eldest son, then at Chen Qiu, insisting on an answer, "Gone?"
Baojie was a little scared. She reached out and hugged her younger brother. The little boy was also sensible. He wrapped his arms around his sister's neck. Compared to his father, whom he was meeting for the first time, he was closer to and more dependent on his sister. However, he did not understand what had happened: "Sister, where is the older brother you said would take me to play? I even brought him some things."
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