Chapter 58
It was February again, and the vast fields were full of green. The once barren southern land was now thriving with life. Everywhere you looked, there was a magnificent expanse of emerald green. Xie Qinghong was led by Pei Du as they slowly walked along the ridges of the fields. When she heard a bird chirping overhead, she looked up.
Pei Du sighed helplessly, "Watch the road."
Xie Qinghong deliberately took two quick steps and bumped into Pei Du's back, but Pei Du didn't budge.
However, Pei Du remained silent for a moment, then very astutely gasped and clutched his chest, saying, "It hurts so much."
Xie Qinghong asked suspiciously, "I didn't bump your chest, why are you covering there? Besides, I didn't even use any force."
Pei Du wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her up slightly to avoid a broken section of the drainage outlet on the ridge. He put her down once they reached a flat area. As soon as he put her down, he saw Xie Qinghong staring at him. He was used to playing the victim, so he said, "It's an internal injury, isn't it? It's been so long and you're still not fully healed."
Xie Qinghong was speechless: "Your internal injuries haven't fully healed after all this time? Your father will beat you if he hears this."
Pei Du remained expressionless: "I was fully recovered, but he beat me, and my injuries worsened." He would stop at nothing to play the victim in front of the madam.
Xie Qinghong's feelings were very complicated. There was no need to say it like that. As far as she knew, the Prince of the South would indeed throw books at him, but Pei Du would dodge them.
She had heard that the Prince of the South was rebellious and did not listen to the Prince of the South. Now she realized that the father and son were truly enemies. One was sarcastic and the other was sarcastic. They would restrain themselves when she was present, but fighting behind her back was common.
Thinking of this, she muttered to herself with worry, "No, I can't let you take care of the children in the future."
Pei Du was taken aback and looked to the side somewhat embarrassed. The guards were all far away and couldn't hear their voices. He then coughed and said, "Ahem, don't talk about this kind of thing in broad daylight. It's not good if someone hears us."
Xie Qinghong: "?" This person's thinking is really a bit problematic. No wonder the Prince of the South often wants to throw books at him; she would too.
Xie Qinghong said irritably, "What are you thinking about?"
Pei Du then realized what was happening, and surprisingly, he wasn't embarrassed at all. He was even more ashamed than when he had misunderstood her earlier. He immediately went along with her words and replied, "I think what you said makes sense. The children can be raised by your parents in the future. If it's a boy, he can be raised like your older brother, and if it's a girl, she can be raised like you."
After he finished speaking, he thought it was a great idea. Compared to the Xie family, the Xie family was obviously more experienced in raising children. Putting aside Xie Qingzhou, that troublemaker, their other son and daughter were the typical children of other families. The father had wondered countless times in secret how the Xie family raised their children.
On the other hand, his father has only raised one child over the years, and he raised him to be like this—it's not that he thinks he's bad, but he wants to prove that his father's parenting methods are wrong, and he himself is the most convincing example.
The idea was wonderful, but the north was still in the midst of war. Emperor Xingde went mad when he heard that the Hu people were marching south. Within a few months, he ordered the killing of many palace maids and servants, and even killed several ministers who advised him. The once-powerful Duke of Qin's mansion was already showing signs of decline, and now everyone in the court was in danger.
The Xie family was no exception. Xie Wen and Xie Qingya were still in the court, while Xie Qingzhou was in the north fighting against the Hu people. A slight mistake could mean death. The Hu people were single-mindedly focused on conquering the Sheng Kingdom, and had even allied with other tribes outside the pass. Now, after months of stalemate, they were not retreating, seemingly determined to burn their bridges.
The noble ladies still in Wangjing occasionally gathered together, and inevitably the current situation came up. Suddenly, someone mentioned Xie Qinghong: "It seems that Qinghong is the most at ease now. I heard that things are still normal in the south, and many refugees have settled down there."
Some disagreed: "The South is normal, but Qinghong probably isn't very comfortable there, is she? I heard that the Prince of the South treats her very coldly. If she doesn't have a child to rely on, what will she do in the Prince of the South's mansion? If you ask me, we'd be better off."
Upon hearing the familiar name, Zheng Yingluo was momentarily dazed, then smiled and interjected, "You've been hearing about this for so long. I've heard that even the Prince of Nan's private treasury is managed by Qinghong."
As soon as she spoke, the other noble ladies fell silent. They had only heard that Zheng Yingluo and Xie Qinghong were at odds and had some grudges between them. They didn't know if she was being sarcastic or ironic, so the atmosphere froze for a moment.
Zheng Yingluo broke the silence and said softly, "I envy her." In her previous life, she was confined to the inner quarters of the Qin family and thought that Xie Qinghong's life must be even more miserable after marrying far away to the south. Now that she thinks about it, Xie Qinghong never let herself suffer.
The girl who had disagreed earlier also lowered her head. Who wouldn't envy her? Xie Qinghong was the apple of the Xie family's eye. She had beautiful handwriting, was pretty, and had a good personality. Her only setback was probably marrying a cold and tyrannical prince of the South when everyone else was avoiding her.
Now, even that prince who could kill seventy or eighty people in one night can no longer be considered her setback. Thinking about it carefully, that Prince Pei is handsome and he and Xie Qinghong look quite like a married couple, so their child should be very beautiful.
——
Xie Qinghong and Pei Du sneezed at the same time. Pei Du adjusted the cloak on her shoulders and led the people to the grass, where the Prince of Nan and the Princess were already waiting.
Today is a rare outing and gathering for the Nanwang family. The south is thriving and the government is efficient. The Nanwang has finally been relieved of some of his burdens and plans to take his wife on a spring outing. However, just before leaving, the wife suddenly sighed: "Ayao is lonely at home. Let's take her with us. The Shangsi Festival is in a few days. We can go fly kites."
The Prince of the South complained, “With Adu here, how could she be lonely? Tell him to take his wife out to play. It’s no fun for her to come with us on a spring outing.”
Princess Nan hesitated: "If spring outings aren't interesting... then I'll go fly kites with A-Yao instead. A-Yao has wanted to fly kites for a long time, and we finally have some free time, plus the weather is nice."
The Prince of the South: "?" For some reason, he felt that his daughter-in-law was someone he had married for his own princess. It had been several months, and they still weren't over their lovey-dovey phase! Even Pei Du and his wife weren't as affectionate as they were as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law!
Then, filled with resentment, the Prince of Nan could only watch helplessly as the two burdens went out together, signaling to Pei Du with his eyes: Keep an eye on your wife.
Pei Du naturally understood. These two months had also made it clear to him that his mother truly liked Xie Ayao. If he hadn't firmly upheld his position as the "official wife," they probably wouldn't even be able to sit together at the dinner table.
However, he didn't show any weakness to the Prince of Nan. His father couldn't hold onto his mother, but his love for A'yao was unbreakable, and even if his mother wanted to interfere, she would never find an opportunity. He was very confident. For example, at this moment, he could hold Xie A'yao's hand, while his father and mother were just standing there, showing no signs of intimacy.
Xie Qinghong and Pei Du approached, and upon seeing the two of them, the Princess of the South smiled and said, "Why did it take you so long to come over? Are your hands cold, A-Yao?" As she spoke, she stepped forward to touch them to see if they were cold.
Pei Du stepped forward without making a sound, blocking half of her hand before saying, "It's not cold, I've been warming her hands the whole time. Mother, haven't you launched your kites yet?" He subtly mocked his father.
Princess Nan looked on with regret as Pei Du took the baby Ayao. Unable to touch the little hand, she could only sigh softly. Upon hearing this, she said, "We're waiting for you. It would be more interesting to put them together."
The Prince of the South wore a smile, but it wasn't very sincere; he was merely echoing what the Princess had said: "I'll wait for you all to come together."
Xie Qinghong truly loves kites, and this time, it was her idea that Pei Du made the kite himself. It was a wild goose spreading its wings, decorated with a few water droplets around it, so that when it flew in the blue sky, it would look like it was on the sea.
So the family of four split into two teams to prepare to fly their kites. Xie Qinghong was in charge of holding the spool and controlling the line, while Pei Du ran a short distance with the kite in hand, using the wind to launch the kite, and then returned to Xie Qinghong's side to help her control the line.
On the other side, the Southern King's team wasn't doing so well. The Southern King's wife wasn't focused on the kites either, glancing at the side every now and then. The Southern King muttered to himself, "Why are you staring at them? Doesn't it hurt your eyes? We should have gone to Lingan Mountain to see the sea of clouds and sunrise; it would have been much quieter there."
Princess Nan suddenly grabbed his hand, her face full of dissatisfaction: "What's wrong with A-Du? A-Yao's cloak is about to come loose, and he didn't even tie it tighter. Be careful not to catch a cold in the wind. Oh dear, the hem of her skirt should be stepped on, but A-Du doesn't lift it up."
The Prince of the South looked back and forth suspiciously. They should only have had one son, right? Pei Du should be that son, not his son-in-law, right?
He coughed lightly to remind them, "That's your son and daughter-in-law. Besides, Adu treats his wife like the apple of his eye. Why do we, as parents, need to interfere? Look at our kite, it's about to take off."
He made this kite himself, and he couldn't let that brat outdo him!
A gentle breeze was blowing, and Xie Qinghong was a little thirsty after playing for half a day. Pei Du immediately gave her a water pouch to drink. After she finished drinking, she curiously examined the water pouch. Seeing her interest, Pei Du explained to her in detail the use of the water pouch, which he often used when marching and was very durable.
This was the first time Xie Qinghong had met him. Hearing him talk about the march, she couldn't help but think of her elder brother, who was still on the battlefield, and her mood became somewhat somber. Her brother had written to her saying that the Xie family was willing to die for their country, and that it was all his choice. The once fearless and rebellious troublemaker had finally learned to shoulder the responsibilities of his family.
Pei Du noticed her change in mood, turned his head and saw that his father and mother were talking in hushed tones and had not noticed them. He pulled Xie Qinghong's hand and walked into the forest, coaxing her as they walked, "There are many interesting things to do on the march. I can also roast pheasants. Let's go catch one now."
After the Princess Consort finished speaking with the Prince, she turned around and saw that the two children had disappeared. The Princess Consort panicked for a moment, but when the guards reported that they had gone hunting in the mountains, she breathed a slight sigh of relief. However, the Prince felt uneasy. Would the Princess Consort also ask to go hunting in the mountains?
Fortunately, Princess Nan did not make any unreasonable demands. She simply sighed and said, "Adu is still better than you were when you were young. He is truly sincere towards Ayao and has even changed his temper. I only hope that they will stay together for a long time. The way Adu used to be, I would have thought that he never wanted to get married in his life."
When the past was mentioned, the Southern King couldn't help but feel guilty. He was reckless in his youth, and would only try to take away girls he liked. In the first few years after their marriage, the Queen completely ignored him. Later, Pei Du was born, and he was not prepared for this little brat, nor did he know how to raise him. At that time, he was the only one left in the Pei family who had just ascended the throne and was too busy to know what to do. In fact, the little brat was raised by the Queen.
However, the Princess Consort of the South was also stubborn at that time. She didn't really like the child and wasn't very good at raising children for the first time. As a result, she raised Pei Du into a cold and ruthless young boy. Later, the relationship between the Prince and the Princess Consort grew better and better. Pei Du's personality had already taken shape. After going to the battlefield and seeing blood, he had the air of a cold and ruthless villain from a novel.
Princess Nan always felt guilty whenever she saw this, realizing that her skills in raising children were really lacking. Now that she was finally looking forward to her son's marriage, and since she didn't have a grandson yet, she decided to raise her daughter-in-law first. In comparison, her skills in raising her daughter-in-law were quite good; she felt that A-Yao had gained some weight recently.
The couple reminisced about the past, and then they heard cheerful laughter coming from the mountains and forests. They wondered what Pei Du had done to make the little girl so happy.
Xie Qinghong watched as Pei Du stepped into the pit. The pheasant he had been holding seized the opportunity to frantically flap its wings. Pei Du naturally wouldn't let go, and ended up with a head full of feathers, including a brightly colored tail feather that landed right on Pei Du's crown.
Xie Qinghong couldn't help but laugh, because he had never seen Pei Du look so disheveled. Where was the dignity of a prince in such a state?
Pei Du wasn't angry at being mocked. He calmly came out of the pit, casually pulled a vine, tied the pheasant's wings and claws together, and threw them aside. Then, he slowly raised his hand and took off the tail feathers from the crest.
Xie Qinghong smiled and stepped forward to brush away the other small chicken feathers on his head, then straightened his comb, and casually praised, "You're so amazing! You caught this pheasant with your bare hands even though it was running so fast."
Although he frequently received Xie A'yao's sincere praise, Pei Du was clearly not used to it. Every time she praised him, he would blush, not realizing that catching a pheasant was considered a skill. Xie A'yao was really too good at it.
He thought to himself, but couldn't resist his masculine instinct to boast: "It's nothing to brag about, I can also catch wild rabbits."
Xie Qinghong's eyes sparkled. She tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek, then continued to whistle, "I knew you were the best! Are you going to go catch a wild rabbit? My legs are tired. Can you carry me up?"
Pei Du's face flushed even redder. He silently squatted down, expressing his feelings through his actions. The mountain path was difficult to walk on. Xie Qinghong lay on his back, calling him to look at anything new and interesting. They walked for a long time without catching any more rabbits or pheasants, only listening to the two chatting idly along the way.
The guards scattered in the woods couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. The Crown Prince and his wife were such a perfect match. No matter what the Crown Prince's wife said or what question she asked, the Crown Prince could answer it immediately.
After walking for a long time, Pei Du suddenly asked, "How many copies of the Xie Family Notes are there now?"
Xie Qinghong was stunned, then lowered her eyes guiltily: "Not many, only about thirty."
"Didn't you say you liked me the most? I can't help but record everything you do, so how come there are still only thirty or so entries after all this time?" Pei Du concealed the dark glint in his eyes. "I don't believe it. Xie Ayao, I answered all the questions you asked earlier. Shouldn't you answer the questions I asked truthfully as well?"
Xie Qinghong sighed, "I really can't do anything with you." She then rummaged through her small handbag, which her mother had made for her. It was exquisite and beautiful, and very convenient for carrying things when going out. However, Pei Du had been carrying the handbag all day.
She took out her "Xie Family Notes" and read it to him while lying on his back: "Article 40: Pei Du scolded me for being stupid and didn't speak to me for a whole day."
Pei Du was stunned: "When did I call you stupid?"
Xie Qinghong angrily slapped his shoulder: "Just the other day when you were making kites, you complained that I was clumsy! And you still won't admit it?"
Hearing this, I remembered that Xie Ayao really didn't have much talent in woodworking. Seeing him making kites, she couldn't help but want to try it herself. She followed along for an hour, but her fingers were pricked by splinters several times. In a moment of panic, he said, "Clumsy," and felt sorry for her so much that he never let her touch it again.
As a result, Xie Ayao secretly held a grudge against him.
No wonder she snorted and turned her head away after I showed her the kite I made; she was going to stay away from me all day. But Pei Du was still confused: "She didn't talk to me all day? It seems like she started talking after an hour."
Xie Qinghong smiled shyly: "Because I like you, I want to talk to you when I see you."
A surge of heat rushed to his face and his ears, leaving Pei Du momentarily at a loss. No matter how much time passed, Xie A'yao's straightforward and passionate words would always captivate him. With his back to the girl he loved most in this life, he said firmly, his face flushed, "I love you too."
Don't try to argue with Xie Ayao, because Pei Du will always be the one at a disadvantage.
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