Chapter 486 Cherish

Zhou Boxu heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that Yu Lan was fine, but then he was full of self-blame and heartache.

He wanted to see Yu Lan immediately, but was worried about waking her up, so he patiently waited for Yu Lan to wake up.

"You're back, but is the battle of Yicheng over? Where are Zheng'er and Jiang Shu?" asked Concubine Yu Gui.

Zhou Boxu said, "The battle of Yicheng was a great victory, so they traveled slower in the carriage."

"That's great." Concubine Yu Gui's face lit up, and at the end she asked, "Is Zheng'er injured?"

Zhou Boxu thought, "He was slightly injured, but he has recovered."

"Nothing serious is good." Concubine Yu Gui was completely relieved and asked Zhou Boxu to go wash and change clothes.

The palace maids had already prepared hot water, and Zhou Boxu washed himself carefully twice before putting on clean clothes and coming out.

Back in the main hall, the emperor received a report.

"Father." Zhou Boxu bowed his hands in greeting.

The emperor waved his hands while holding the child, motioning him to sit down and talk.

"I did not see you first after entering the palace, please forgive me." Zhou Boxu knew that he was wrong. The emperor

glanced at him and said, "Hold the child first."

Just now, from Concubine Yu Guifei, the emperor knew about the victory in Yicheng, and Yu Zheng and his men were on their way back, so other things were not so urgent.

Zhou Boxu took the child from Madam Zhou, and was as careful as if he had received a treasure.

The emperor said at the top, "The names of the two children are very good."

Previously, Zhou Boxu had discussed with Yu Lan in the letter what the names of the children would be. If there is a boy and a girl, they will be named Shi Yu and Shi Ran.

Zhou Shi Yu, Zhou Shi Ran.

Humble and sensitive, take and give with moderation. Prosperous and gentle, cherish time like a treasure. They are all beautiful names.

The happiness of their family of five is hard-won and should be cherished.

"Thank you, father, for your praise." Zhou Boxu looked kind and whispered to the child in his arms.

"Shiyu."

Zhou Shiyu fell asleep and could not hear his father's gentle call.

The emperor called the palace servants and took Zhou Shiran in his arms to Zhou Boxu.

Zhou Boxu handed Zhou Shiyu to Madam Zhou beside him and took his daughter gently.

According to Concubine Yu Guifei, Zhou Shiran was born later and was a whole circle thinner than her brother Zhou Shiyu. She was a little weak and needed to be well nurtured.

Madam Zhou looked at Zhou Shiyu, then at Zhou Shiran, and said with a smile: "At first glance, the two children look very much like you, but if you look closely at their eyebrows and noses, they look like princesses."

"It's good to look like their mother." Zhou Boxu stroked Zhou Shiran's little face.

Maybe his fingers were a little rough, Zhou Shiran felt uncomfortable being touched and moved in his arms.

Zhou Boxu quickly withdrew his hand, not daring to touch again, just staring at her intently.

After watching for a while, Zhou Boxu gave the child to the palace maid and went to the study with the emperor.

"What are the details of the Yicheng battle?" the emperor asked.

Zhou Boxu reported in a serious voice, with every detail.

When the emperor heard that he and Yu Zheng counterattacked and captured the two cities of Nanyan, and exchanged 40,000 troops and two cities for 15 million taels of silver, he was shocked.

He asked them to fight and defend the city, but they actually made him such a large sum of money. It was really unexpected.

"Well done." The emperor could not suppress his excitement and said, "With this money, the crisis in Dazhao can be resolved. You two have made great contributions."

Zhou Boxu said calmly, "Serving the country is the duty of a minister. It is mainly the credit of the prince."

The emperor said with a bright look, "Don't be humble. I know your ability. Your contribution is indispensable."

Zhou Boxu pursed his lips and said nothing.

"When they come back, we will reward them together." The emperor slapped his thigh and said excitedly, "Tell me more about how you..."

"Knock knock--"

The emperor was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door before he finished speaking.

"Come in." The emperor was slightly displeased.

After the palace maid came in, the emperor asked, "What's the matter?"

The palace maid said, "The princess has woken up and wants to see the prince consort."

Zhou Boxu heard this and immediately stood up and wanted to leave.

After taking half a step, he remembered that he had not obtained the emperor's permission, so he stopped.

"Go." The emperor waved his hand to let him go.

"Thank you, father." Zhou Boxu walked very fast, and he had stepped out of the study when he finished speaking.

Seeing him so anxious, the emperor shook his head and laughed, and got up to see Yu Ziyou.

Earlier, Yu Ziyou was taken to Yu Garden by Chu Yu and the palace maids to play, and he should be back now.

The spring sun was setting in the west, and Zhongling Palace was quiet, peaceful, warm and lively.

Zhou Boxu entered Yu Lan's room, and when he saw Yu Lan who woke up and sat on the bed, his emotions instantly surged.

"Husband, you're back." Yu Lan's eyes were slightly red, and she stretched out her hand to Zhou Boxu with a happy smile.

"Princess, I'm back." Zhou Boxu ran to the bedside and sat down, holding Yu Lan's outstretched hand.

Immediately afterwards, he pulled Yu Lan into his arms.

Feeling each other's body temperature and heartbeat, both of them were excited and entangled.

After a long while, the two separated slightly and stared at each other closely.

"You have suffered." Zhou Boxu kissed Yu Lan's forehead lightly.

Yu Lan smiled with tears in her eyes and said, "Have you seen the children? They are very cute, and everything is worth it."

Zhou Boxu nodded and said, "Their eyebrows and nose are very similar to yours."

"Don't cry, crying during confinement will hurt your eyes and your body." Zhou Boxu raised his hand to wipe away the moisture from the corners of Yu Lan's eyes.

Yu Lan was surprised and asked, "How do you know?"

Zhou Boxu said with a serious face, "My mother told me."

When Zhou Boxu was holding the child and talking to Zhou's mother in the main hall, Zhou Boxu asked a few questions about the precautions of confinement.

Yu Lan put away his emotions and smiled, "My mother went to the palace yesterday and has not returned yet. My father must be very worried at home."

As soon as Yu Lan got angry yesterday, Concubine Yu Gui immediately sent someone out of the palace to deliver a letter to the Zhou Mansion, and Madam Zhou immediately entered the palace.

As for Grand Tutor Zhou, he was a man from outside the palace, so it was not convenient for him to come to Zhongling Palace, and he could only worry at home.

Although Yu Lan gave him the good news after giving birth to the child, he had not seen the child in the end, and did not know the specific situation.

"I will go back with my mother in a while." Zhou Boxu put the hair on Yu Lan's face behind her ears.

Except for the emperor, other adult men are not allowed to stay in the harem.

Yu Lan was reluctant to leave after hearing this.

Zhou Boxu said gently, "When you feel better in a few days, I will take you and the child back to the princess's mansion. I will bring Yan'er to see you tomorrow."

Zhuang Yan was in school and had a child, so he couldn't do much in the palace. Yu Lan didn't tell him when she gave birth yesterday.

"Okay." Yu Lan agreed softly.

They had endured such a long separation, so a few days wouldn't matter.

The two talked in the room. Assuming that Zhuang Yan would soon finish school, Zhou Boxu stood up, said goodbye to the emperor and Concubine Yu Guifei, and left the palace.

"Alas, I haven't seen enough." Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the mansion, Mrs. Zhou looked reluctant.

Once they left the palace, they could only wait until Yu Lan returned to the princess's mansion to visit her.

Zhou Boxu said comfortingly, "There's a long way to go."

That was all they could do.

After sending Mrs. Zhou back to the house, Zhou Boxu didn't get out of the car and went directly to the Imperial College to pick up Zhuang Yun.

The servants of the Zhuang family were also waiting outside the Imperial Academy and were very surprised to see Zhou Boxu.

Not only that, all the officials who were picking up the child in the court were surprised when they saw Zhou Boxu, and they all gathered around him and asked questions.

Zhou Boxu's return means that the war in Yicheng is over.