Chapter 256: Ending Part 1

Five years later.

It was the coldest month of winter. Charcoal braziers were burning in all four corners of the Qingyu Palace, making the room warm. Jiang Muyu was sitting in the room watching his little son practice calligraphy.

Xia Qingchen named his youngest son Xia Jingsheng.

Sheng'er was very handsome, with a pair of auspicious phoenix eyes inherited from his ancestors, but his face was more like Jiang Muyu's, thin and pointed, with soft lines, and he looked a bit like a boy and a girl, but he was a naughty boy. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he would go crazy if he was not punished for three days, so Jiang Muyu was more strict in watching him.

At this moment, a young eunuch suddenly announced outside the door: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Before Jiang Muyu even left, Xia Jingsheng had already dropped his brush and ran out.

She followed him and helplessly said, "Sheng'er, walk slower."

Xia Jingsheng rushed to his brother's legs and looked up and shouted, "Brother, brother, did you bring me the things you promised to bring me?"

As soon as Xia Jinghe entered the room, he was embraced by him. His originally stern face softened. He touched his head, squatted down to look him in the eye, and then took out a bright red candied haws from his arms: "Here, for you."

"Thank you, brother!" Xia Jingsheng took it and smiled happily.

Jiang Muyu looked at him and said sternly, "Sheng'er is in the teething period, so it's better for him to eat less sweets."

Xia Jinghe said, "Mother, it's okay to eat a little occasionally. Besides, this is the reward I should give him for endorsing my previous answer."

"Well, you are still the most used to him."

Xia Jinghe is now nearly seventeen years old. He has grown a little taller than Xia Qingchen, about 1.9 meters according to modern estimation. He is extremely handsome and has perfectly inherited Xia Qingchen's genes, but he looks more cold and solemn.

Jiang Muyu walked over and took off his snow-covered fox fur coat and hung it on the clothes rack beside him. He asked as usual, "Have you been handling the affairs of the court smoothly recently?"

"Fortunately... Mother, I have received an assignment recently and need to go to South City in person."

Nancheng is a neighboring city of the imperial capital, but one has to cross several mountains to get there. Transportation was not convenient in ancient times, especially on a snowy day like this. It takes nearly three days to go back and forth.

She frowned slightly and asked, "When are we leaving?"

"tomorrow."

"So hasty? How long will it take?"

"At the shortest, eight or nine days, at the longest, about ten days or so. Don't worry, mother. I will be back before the New Year."

Jiang Muyu ordered Yun Yan to go down and arrange travel arrangements for him. Turning around, he saw Xia Jingsheng sitting on a small stool with sugar stains all over his mouth, so he took out a wet handkerchief and wiped it for him.

Then he told Xia Jinghe, "Be careful when you go out. Put your own safety first. Remember to bring more thick clothes when it's cold."

Xia Jinghe nodded: "I understand."

The child is already so old, Jiang Muyu was afraid that if he said too much, he would be considered nagging, so he changed the subject and asked, "Does Nanxing know about this?"

Xia Jinghe was silent for a moment, then said, "She seems to be busy with something important recently. We haven't seen each other for a few days. There's no need to tell her about this."

Anyway, she would just say "I know" at most, and she never cared about what he did.

Jiang Muyu heard some resentment in his tone, and smiled slightly, saying, "She has been staying in Changting Palace today, and you will be away for several days. I think it would be better for you to go and let her know."

Xia Jinghe did not respond. He just glanced at the rice paper spread out on the table and said, "Sheng'er's calligraphy has improved a lot recently. It's better than Tangtang's back then."

As soon as he finished speaking, the dissatisfied voice of the girl came from outside the door: "Brother, can you please speak a little more quietly next time when you say bad things about people behind their backs?"

As Xia Jingtang strode into the hall, he took off his snow-white cloak and handed it to his personal maid.

Jiang Muyu saw her coming in, smiled and waved, motioning her to sit next to him, then turned to Xia Jinghe and said, "You better be careful, Tangtang is holding a grudge now."

Xia Jingtang was twelve years old, and had grown into a graceful young lady. Her pretty face looked 50% similar to Jiang Muyu, except that her face was fuller and rounder, and her big, watery eyes were very lovely.

She pouted and hugged Jiang Muyu's arm, acting coquettishly: "What are you talking about, mother? When did I ever bear a grudge?"

Xia Jinghe touched his nose and said, "I accidentally broke a glass bottle in your room a year ago, and you still remember it. If this isn't holding a grudge, what is it?"

"That purifying bottle was a birthday present my grandmother sent me from Tiangan Country thousands of miles away. How could I not remember it if you broke it?"

She turned to Jiang Muyu and complained, "Mother, please judge. That day, my brother was upset with Sister Nanxing and came to my palace. I just teased him a few words, but he accidentally broke the glass bottle that my grandmother gave me. Do you think it was my brother's fault? Afterwards, he only apologized verbally without taking any practical action. Do you think he was too much?"

Jiang Muyu's arm was sore from being shaken by her, and he quickly comforted her: "It is indeed He'er who was wrong first..."

Xia Jingtang raised his chin and looked at him proudly.

He held his forehead helplessly.

However, Jiang Muyu then said to Tangtang, "But you are also wrong. You knew he was angry but you still added fuel to the fire. Aren't you just trying to make yourself unhappy?"

Xia Jinghe immediately became tough and said, "Mother is right. Tangtang, you should change your unforgiving temper. Otherwise, how can you get married in the future?"

Xia Jingtang said: "It's all because of your bad temper. You have to change your bad temper in the future, otherwise who will be willing to marry you in the future?"

Jiang Muyu looked at Xia Jinghe, then at Xia Jingtang, and said helplessly, "You two are already so old, one is the crown prince of the Eastern Palace, and the other is the Princess Yongle, but you are still quarreling over such a trivial matter. Aren't you afraid that it will get out and make people laugh at you?"

Xia Jingtang pouted. Although she realized her mistake, she would not admit it proactively given her temperament.

In the end, Xia Jinghe compromised first and said, "It was my fault for breaking your jing ping, and I didn't compensate you properly afterwards. I will give you a gift when I come back from South City."

"That's more like it, wait..." Xia Jingtang frowned and said, "Brother, are you going to South City?"

"Yes, my father sent me to do something, and I will leave immediately tomorrow."

"Well... okay, then when will you come back?"

"It may take eight or nine days at the shortest, or more than ten days at the longest. I can come back before the New Year to give you a New Year's gift."

Jiang Muyu smiled and said, "Then let's all stay in Qingyu Palace for dinner today. I'll ask Yunyan to call Nanxing over later."

Xia Jinghe stood up immediately, bowed and said, "I still have some matters to deal with in the palace, so I am afraid I cannot have dinner with you, your Majesty. Please forgive me."

Since he said so, Jiang Muyu couldn't force him to stay, so she said, "Okay, then when are you leaving tomorrow? I'll see you off."

"At 7:00 p.m."

"good."

As soon as Xia Jinghe left, Xia Jingtang immediately started gossiping: "Brother doesn't look very happy. Did he quarrel with Sister Nanxing again?"

Jiang Muyu tapped her forehead gently and said, "You are still so gossipy. Your brother hasn't seen Nanxing for several days."

Xia Jingtang suddenly realized: "I was ignored, no wonder."

Jiang Muyu clearly sensed the schadenfreude in her tone, raised his hand and scratched her little nose, saying helplessly and dotingly, "You are just naughty."