Spring of the eleventh year of the reign of Emperor Fuxi of the Qian Dynasty.
Spring arrived much earlier than usual in Lizhou this year.
Even before the snow had completely melted, clusters of wild grass could be seen sprouting new shoots underneath.
The business at the freight yard is back on track, and just a few days ago, she even met with Dorron.
He told himself with a grin that he had come specifically to buy wedding supplies, as he would be marrying Wuyunzhu when he got back.
Wang Xiuxiu even specially chose a wedding gift for him to take back.
Wu Yunzhu also wrote to say that she really liked the gift she chose.
Originally, Wang Xiuxiu planned to personally go to the Northern Border to attend their wedding.
But the people in the capital are pressing her hard, and she will be setting off for the south in the next few days.
Before leaving, she went to see Minglang.
"General Ming, the Princess Consort had something to ask of me before she came, and I hope you will..."
Before she could finish speaking, Minglang interrupted her, "Let's go, I'll take you there."
Wang Xiuxiu was stunned for a moment, then followed behind him.
With Minglang ahead, Wang Xiuxiu followed at a distance.
The two walked over a small hill and came to a flat area.
Looking at everything before her, Wang Xiuxiu felt a lump in her throat.
"Go in," Minglang said, opening a small fence gate.
Wang Xiuxiu blinked, hiding her tears, and continued to follow behind him.
The vast area was densely packed with graves.
This is where generations of Ming family members who devoted themselves to the country are buried.
Minglang led Wang Xiuxiu to a not-so-new grave.
"This is it."
Wang Xiuxiu stared at the four characters "Ming Family Mingxuan" engraved on the monument, remaining silent for a long time.
Minglang, however, sat casually to one side, tidying up the weeds around him.
After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Sister Yingxue told you about her and my brother, right?"
Wang Xiuxiu pursed her lips and nodded.
Minglang sighed, "Actually, I really feel bad for Your Highness about this. I only held that brat Yu Nian once when he was born, and I haven't seen him since."
Sensing the regret in his tone, Wang Xiuxiu said, "He's doing very well, in excellent health. The Prince supervises his training every day, and he doesn't hold back when beating up the other children at the academy! He's also doing very well academically; he even received an award from the academy's teacher before I came."
Upon hearing this, Minglang burst into laughter.
"This lad! He has the spirit of our Ming family!"
After hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu was speechless.
The bright and cheerful man was quite pleased with himself, and he analyzed with smug satisfaction, "In terms of academics, I guess he took after Sister Yingxue! But in terms of physical constitution, he must have inherited it from my brother. My brother is very ruthless when he hits people!"
After chatting for a while, Minglang patted the mud off his hands and stood up.
"I'm going to wash my hands."
Wang Xiuxiu knew he was just making an excuse to leave, and she was grateful for his kindness.
Wang Xiuxiu squatted down, gazing at the tombstone before her. "General Ming, my sister Princess... no, my sister Yingxue asked me to come and see you. She's doing well in the capital, and Jinnian is doing well too. He's a little man now, but he's always worried about being so chubby. My sister told me that you personally named Jinnian. Don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of them, mother and son..."
After talking for a while, Wang Xiuxiu finally stopped talking, raised her head and looked around, trying to find Minglang's figure.
After searching everywhere without finding anything, his gaze was suddenly drawn to two figures, one large and one small, not far away.
Wang Xiuxiu's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with disbelief.
While she was still in a daze, the small figure broke free from the adults' restraints like a wild horse and rushed towards her at lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, he rushed to Wang Xiuxiu, hugged her arm tightly, and shook it incessantly.
"Auntie! Auntie~ Auntie~"
The clear, sweet calls reached Wang Xiuxiu's ears, instantly softening her heart.
She bent down slowly, somewhat incredulous, and gently pinched the chubby little face of the child. "Jin Nian, how did you end up in Lizhou?"
“I came with my father! Aunt, have you missed me?” Lu Jinnian blinked her big, watery eyes and looked at Wang Xiuxiu expectantly.
"Of course I miss you! Of course I miss you, Auntie!" Wang Xiuxiu replied quickly, her eyes involuntarily revealing a deep affection.
As she spoke, she tried to pick up the little one.
Try it again and again.
Okay, I really can't carry it.
Looking over there, Lu Jinnian was waiting with his eyes closed, looking quite content as Wang Xiuxiu picked him up.
Seeing this, Wang Xiuxiu gritted her teeth and used all her strength to lift the person off the ground a few centimeters.
The chubby boy seemed to sense something was wrong, opened his eyes, and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Wang Xiuxiu naturally wouldn't give him a chance to question, so she quickly squatted down, pulled the little guy into her arms, and gently patted his back, coaxing him as she always did.
"My dear, your aunt has been gone for so long, have you still been practicing martial arts?"
"Of course I practice!"
The little guy raised his chubby little face and excitedly replied, "I practice horse stance for half an hour every day, and then I practice martial arts for another half an hour! Auntie, do you think I've grown taller?"
After he finished speaking, he blinked his big eyes and looked at Wang Xiuxiu with a smug expression.
That little face of hers was as adorable as a kitten waiting for its owner's praise.
The little one was just past her waist when he left, but he's grown quite a bit now.
Wang Xiuxiu naturally wouldn't spoil his fun. She patted the little guy's head and praised him, "Our Jinnian is really amazing! He's so persistent in practicing martial arts. He'll definitely become a great hero in the future!"
Hearing his aunt's praise, the little guy jumped for joy.
Just then, a steady, powerful footstep sound came from afar.
Wang Xiuxiu looked up at the sound and saw Lu Jingze walking over.
As he approached, Lu Jingze stopped and looked at the two people in front of him with a smile.
Wang Xiuxiu stood up and looked at him with a smile, "Why did you two come here?"
Lu Jingze nodded slightly, "I came to see you. Jin Nian missed you and insisted on coming too."
"Oh? Is it only Jin Nian who misses me?" Wang Xiuxiu teased Lu Jingze deliberately, her beautiful eyes revealing a hint of playfulness.
Upon hearing this, Lu Jingze's handsome face flushed slightly, and he coughed awkwardly. "Yingxue also misses you very much, but she is too busy with the affairs of the Prince's Mansion to get away, so she had me convey her feelings of longing to her."
"Oh dear, you're making it sound so reluctant. You don't really want to see me at all, do you?" Wang Xiuxiu said, hands on her hips. Though her words were accusatory, a slight smile crept onto her lips.
Lu Jingze was momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond, so he decided to change the subject and asked, "Has everything been handled properly in the Northern Border?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu nodded first, then hesitated for a moment as if she had remembered something, and said, "You didn't bring any bad news on this trip, did you?"
Lu Jingze asked in confusion, "What bad news?"
Seeing his reaction, Wang Xiuxiu finally felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. "Since you didn't come to urge me to return to Beijing, did you really come here specifically because you miss me?"
Lu Jingze hadn't expected that after talking for so long, the topic would somehow circle back to where it started.
He paused for a moment, then tried to steer the conversation away again.
"The journey to the southern city is long and arduous, and the roads are mostly unexplored mountain paths, making it even more dangerous than the northern border. Therefore, I have been ordered to escort you to the south."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu nodded slightly to indicate that she understood, and then asked, "What about the young master?"
“Yu Nian will stay here for a while, and when General Ming returns to the capital to report on his duties, he will take him back to the capital.”
Just then, Xiao Nian, who had been standing quietly to the side, smiled and grabbed Wang Xiuxiu's hand, whispering in her ear, "Auntie, I don't have to go to school anymore!"
After saying that, she covered her mouth and chuckled to herself with a smug look on her face.
Judging from the expressions of the father and son as they spoke, Wang Xiuxiu knew that they had gotten along very well during her absence from Beijing!
"Yu Nian, look over there." Lu Jingze raised his hand and pointed to the figure not far away. "That's the tall guy. He's Uncle Minglang from the Northern Border. Haven't you always wanted to meet him?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yunian, who had been tightly holding onto Wang Xiuxiu's legs, instantly let go, his big eyes widened, and he took off running towards Minglang.
Seeing Lu Yunian run off in a flash, Lu Jingze's lips curled up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile.
Then, without hesitation, he stepped forward, stretched out his arms, and gently pulled Wang Xiuxiu into his embrace.
"If I don't come to see you, will you forget that there are people waiting for you at home in the capital?"
Lu Jingze gently rested his chin on Wang Xiuxiu's head, his voice sounding somewhat low, seemingly mixed with a hint of undisguised grievance.
"No way, I've just been too busy to get away from here. Didn't I write you a letter? Why do you make it sound like I'm so heartless?"
"How dare you say that! At first, it was fine; you could send a letter back to the capital at least once a month. But think about it carefully, how long has it been since you last sent a letter?"
Wang Xiuxiu touched her nose guiltily.
I've been busy with handover matters lately, so it's been quite a while since I sent any letters home.
Fortunately, Wang Xiuxiu showed a good attitude in admitting her mistake, and Lu Jingze was not one to cause trouble, so he quickly coaxed her back to her senses.
Lu Yunian was nowhere to be found, having been led away by Minglang. The two sat together, chatting idly.
"Why did you suddenly decide to bring Yu Nian to the northern border?"
"He heard from somewhere that I was coming, and he kept clamoring to come in the manor. Yingxue even brought out the family rules, but this brat still wouldn't listen," Lu Jingze said quietly.
"After all, they're still just kids."
Lu Jingze nodded. "However, I actually wanted to bring him along too."
"Um?"
Lu Jingze explained earnestly, "Yu Nian is of the Ming family bloodline. The capital city is prosperous and wealthy, but it can also easily make people arrogant and lose their backbone. Ming Lang is his uncle, who grew up in Lizhou. He has a righteous and resolute character. The more time the two of them spend together, the more beneficial it will be for Yu Nian's growth."
After hearing these words, Wang Xiuxiu stared at Lu Jingze, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
I was moved by his painstaking efforts and also deeply impressed by his broad-mindedness.
He was a man of royal blood, yet he was willing to risk the crime of deceiving the emperor to raise a child who was not related to him by blood.
He even planned to let this child inherit all the power and status he possessed.
Wang Xiuxiu's eyes were filled with admiration for Lu Jingze as she gazed at him intently.
Lu Jingze seemed a little embarrassed by her gaze. He gently reached out and softly ruffled her hair, a doting smile playing on his lips. "Look at you, so silly!"
Then, Lu Jingze suddenly remembered something and asked, "When did Yingxue tell you about this?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu was taken aback at first, then she put on an innocent and naive look, blinked her eyes, and pretended to be stupid.
"When? What time?"
Looking at her cute yet mischievous appearance, Lu Jingze shook his head helplessly, but still couldn't help but reach out and gently tap her head with his finger.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly casual blow caused Wang Xiuxiu to cry out in pain. She immediately covered her head with both hands and lay motionless on the ground.
Upon seeing this, Lu Jingze was startled and quickly knelt down to check on her condition. "How are you? Are you hurt?"
Just then, Wang Xiuxiu, who was lying on the ground "groaning in pain," suddenly lit up her eyes. Taking advantage of Lu Jingze's unpreparedness, she sprang up from the ground with lightning speed and pounced on him like a nimble little monkey.
Caught off guard, Lu Jingze was pinned down by her.
After succeeding, Wang Xiuxiu laughed triumphantly, "Hehehe! Just kidding!"
Lu Jingze was both annoyed and amused. He really didn't know what to do with the quirky Wang Xiuxiu.
After a while of commotion, the two finally picked up the topic that had been interrupted earlier.
"It was after that Mid-Autumn Festival that Sister Yingxue told me about it."
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