After paying their respects to General Mingxuan, the three adults and one child embarked on their journey home together.
By this time, Lu Yunian had become quite familiar with Minglang and was sitting on Minglang's shoulders, jumping for joy.
This feeling was very novel to Lu Yunian, completely different from being held in his father's arms!
With her bright and innocent heart, she got along very well with the little guy who was only a few years old, chattering away the whole way without stopping for a moment.
As dusk approached, the shadows of the four people gradually lengthened under the setting sun.
They went alone as a pair, but came back as a group of four, with an extra lively little one in the group.
When the soldiers in the camp saw this, they all craned their necks to look.
Not only were the soldiers curious, but even Lu Yunian himself couldn't contain his excitement and wished he could climb onto Minglang's shoulder again to get a clearer view.
Like father, like son! General Mingxuan's son isn't afraid at all when he enters the military camp!
Perhaps worried that Lu Yunian might fall again, Minglang quickly put the little guy down on the ground, then took his little hand and walked step by step into the camp.
Wang Xiuxiu and Lu Jingze followed behind them at a leisurely pace, watching Yu Nian walk step by step into the place where his biological father grew up...
"General, who is this child? What is he doing in our camp?"
“Yes, General, we’ve never heard of you having a child outside! Could it be… your illegitimate son?” Another person who was close to Minglang chimed in with a grin.
"Get out of here! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth. This is my nephew... my great-nephew!"
"Nephew? Could it be the heir of the Prince Jing in the capital?" someone guessed in surprise.
Before Minglang could speak, Lu Yunian answered, "It's me!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present gasped in unison, their gazes instantly turning to Lu Jingze behind him, their expressions shifting to one of admiration.
The young prince couldn't have come alone; he must have gone out with Prince Jing to broaden his horizons.
These soldiers were all recruited into the Ming army after the national war.
He grew up listening to stories about General Mingxuan and Prince Jing while serving in the army.
General Ming and his men held annual ceremonies, so they were quite familiar with the occasion.
However, they had only heard of the legendary experiences of the other protagonist in that war—Prince Jing—but had never had the opportunity to witness his demeanor firsthand.
Seeing that his seasoned soldiers were all at a loss.
Minglang knew they admired him greatly, so he didn't blame them. He coughed lightly twice and said loudly, "This is Prince Jing of the current dynasty! Why don't you all come forward and pay your respects!"
Upon hearing this, everyone seemed to awaken from a dream, hurriedly bowed, and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
The voices were loud and clear, echoing throughout the entire training ground.
Lu Jingze smiled slightly, waved his hand and said, "I can also be considered a soldier. Soldiers don't have so many formalities. You all don't need to be so polite. Go and do your own thing."
Upon receiving the order, although everyone was still somewhat reluctant, they were afraid of delaying the prince's important business, so they all crowded around and left.
After the crowd dispersed, Lu Jingze turned to Minglang and asked, "Are these all newly enlisted soldiers?"
Minglang quickly clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Your Highness, they can't really be considered new. They've all been in the army for nearly three years. It's just that they were new recruits who joined after the national war ended. It's normal that Your Highness finds them unfamiliar."
Lu Jingze nodded slightly, seemingly with emotion, "It's been almost seven years since I left Lizhou."
"Yes, time flies like an arrow. This year marks the seventh anniversary of my brother's passing. Now that Yu Nian and you have come to visit him, I'm sure my brother would be overjoyed if he knew this in the afterlife."
At this point, Minglang looked at Lu Yunian, his eyes reddening slightly, and his voice choked a little.
Two burly men stood there, their faces filled with endless emotion.
Lu Yunian, watching this scene from the side, was full of doubts. He blinked his big, bright eyes and gently tugged at Wang Xiuxiu's clothes.
"Auntie, are they talking about Uncle Mingxuan?"
Wang Xiuxiu nodded slightly and replied, "That's right."
Upon hearing her answer, Lu Yunian's rosy face instantly blossomed into a bright smile, and he cheerfully called out, "Uncle Mingxuan!"
However, when the little guy uttered those three words, Wang Xiuxiu couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.
She looked down at Lu Yunian and said softly, "Yunian, from now on, please still call him General Mingxuan. General Mingxuan was brave and fearless throughout his life, and he liked it most when others addressed him as General."
Upon hearing this, Lu Yunian nodded obediently and replied crisply, "Okay!"
The little guy, who was originally full of joy, suddenly looked a bit sad.
Upon seeing this, Wang Xiuxiu asked him with concern what had happened.
Lu Yunian rested his chin on his hand, let out a long sigh, and said with the regret of a little adult, "Alas... I wasn't even born when General Ming passed away. It's such a pity. I really wanted to see this majestic General Ming with my own eyes!"
After saying that, he shook his head, looking regretful.
If it were any other day, seeing his adorable and amusing expression, Wang Xiuxiu would definitely have reached out and gently kneaded this exquisitely beautiful little dumpling.
But Lu Yunian's childlike words were also a regret for General Mingxuan.
So, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, she forced a smile and gently comforted him, "It's alright. Didn't your father say that you should stay in Lizhou for a few more months? That way, you can spend more time with General Ming in your spare time, okay?"
"Great! I can also go hunting with Uncle Minglang and bring the spoils to General Ming's sight!"
The little guy waved his hands excitedly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Aunt, let me tell you, Mother Consort has been unable to sleep for several days since she learned that I was coming to Lizhou with Father! She must be worried about me, but I'm not afraid. I'm a man! I'm not afraid even if I'm alone in Lizhou!”
"Brother Nian is really great!"
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Su Yingxue slowly opened the window.
Outside the window, the tall sycamore tree came into her view.
The spring sunshine shines on the sycamore trees, like a thin veil gently covering them.
The sycamore tree is tall and upright, like a guardian.
As time goes by, it is no longer as naive as it once was.
The trunk grew thicker and stronger, and the mottled marks on the bark bore witness to the countless storms it had weathered.
A maid standing to the side said softly, "Your Highness, the phoenix trees this year look better than in previous years!"
The tender green leaves swayed gently in the breeze, each leaf shimmering with the light of life.
Su Yingxue nodded slightly, "It is indeed better than in previous years."
After a long while, Su Yingxue stood by the window, murmuring softly as if talking to herself, "Jin Nian, they should have arrived in Lizhou by now..."
"Your Majesty, according to the schedule, we should have arrived."
Upon hearing this, Granny Li frowned and said worriedly, "Your Highness, the climate in Lizhou is harsh and the environment is difficult. Although General Minglang is stationed there, how can we send the young prince there?"
Su Yingxue gently shook her head, but her tone was firm, "It's good for him to go there. Let him see more of the world and broaden his horizons. Staying in the wealthy city of Beijing all the time will make him lose his backbone and become too pampered."
In truth, Granny Li strongly disagreed with the Princess's actions.
In her heart, her young prince was not only the darling of the royal family, but also the most noble person in the entire capital besides the princes and princesses in the palace.
Even if he never leaves the capital, his illustrious family background and status will ensure a smooth and successful future.
However, seeing the princess's resolute attitude, the words he wanted to say were swallowed back after much hesitation.
However, Granny Li could never understand why the Princess insisted on making the young prince learn those arduous and exhausting martial arts techniques all these years.
Although the prince had only made a fuss about going to Lizhou on a whim, what could a child know about the dangers outside?
She originally thought that the prince would ask the princess for her opinion, and given how much her young mistress had always doted on the prince, she would definitely refuse without hesitation.
Who would have thought that the Queen not only granted the Crown Prince's request, but also said she would leave him in Lizhou to live alone for a period of time.
Except for the time when he was born and not in the capital, since returning to the capital, Granny Li has personally witnessed the young prince grow up little by little.
Unlike caring for the young lady's upbringing, when it came to the young master, to put it arrogantly, Granny Li truly felt a deep affection that was only found between grandmother and grandson.
That's why she simply couldn't bear to see her young master suffer even the slightest bit of hardship.
Moreover, the destination of this trip is not any other place, but Lizhou, which is closest to the northern barbarians.
Whenever she thought of this, Granny Li felt extremely anxious, as if her heart was being burned by a raging fire.
In just a few days, the blisters on the corners of my mouth kept appearing and disappearing.
Su Yingxue also knew what Granny Li was thinking.
But Yu Nian is different from ordinary royal children; he is a child of the Ming family.
One should not be immersed in wealth and luxury, surrounded by endless extravagance.
He must be as resolute and courageous as his father and the Ming family.
Faced with Granny Li's stubborn ideas, Su Yingxue didn't want to try to persuade her too much, so she could only pretend not to know.
With Jingze by his side along the way, and Minglang and the Ming family army in Lizhou, Yu Nian is sure to be safe and sound.
If there was anything she was worried about, it was Mingxuan, the man she hadn't seen for seven years while he lay buried in the Ming family cemetery.
Before leaving, Lu Jingze asked her if she wanted to come along.
Seven years after Mingxuan's passing, she had never paid her respects. This trip, however, was a perfect storm of favorable circumstances for her.
But she still refused.
It wasn't due to my status, nor for any other reason.
Ultimately, it's simply a matter of not daring to.
Yes, she was afraid to see the man she longed for—Mingxuan.
She dared not see him.
She was afraid that once she saw him, she would never be able to leave him.
Over the years, she has always been dreaming.
In her dream, she danced gracefully in a field of flowers.
Beside her, Mingxuan held a flute and played it in time with her dance steps.
She didn't want to wake up; she wanted to immerse herself in this beautiful dream and forget all the pain.
However, she could never get what she wanted. She would wake up from her dreams to find herself still in reality, overwhelmed by a sense of loss and sorrow that made it hard for her to breathe.
Yu Nian needs her, the Ming family relies on her to maintain their connections in the capital, the Su family's honor and disgrace are also tied to her, and she also has the identity of Princess Consort of Prince Jing.
Once she saw Mingxuan, she couldn't care less about anything else and just wanted to stay in Lizhou with him.
She was very clear-headed, so for so many years, even though her longing was overwhelming, she never dared to see Mingxuan, and sometimes she didn't even dare to think about it.
She has too many things to worry about; she can't just go looking for Mingxuan like this.
Mingxuan, don't worry, once I've settled everything, we'll never be apart again...
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