Shen Mingjiang dismounted, his gaze sweeping over the various tents, and asked Xue Shen, "Which tent is Zhaozhao in?"
Before Xue Shen could answer, the tent flap was suddenly flung open, and Shen Youying, ignoring Liu Yun Fu Cui's attempts to stop her, ran out of the tent, stopped, and looked at Shen Mingjiang with teary eyes: "Father!"
She stood there dressed in thin clothes, and if you didn't see her six-month pregnant belly, she looked just like when Shen Mingjiang left home.
But now, as she stood there with her pregnant belly and teary eyes, looking at Shen Mingjiang, she made his heart ache even more than when she was a child and she was being aggrieved and spoiled.
His daughter, petite and frail, and pregnant, traveled a great distance to find her father and brothers.
Then even a tough man like Shen Mingjiang couldn't help but have tears well up in his eyes. He strode towards Shen Youying, gently pulled her into his arms, and said in a hoarse voice, "Zhaozhao has suffered. Father is here."
Shen Youying nestled in her father's arms as she had when she was a child, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
She choked up for a long time before she was finally able to speak: "Father came to Tibet without leaving a word. I was worried about him for a long time in the capital."
Shen Mingjiang felt guilty. Although his original intention was not to burden his daughter and son-in-law, he still felt apologetic when he heard his daughter crying. He said, "It was my fault. I apologize to you. I made you worry."
Shen Youying sniffed, belatedly realizing there were other people around. Not wanting to continue acting like a little girl, she wiped away her tears and stepped out of her father's arms, smiling through her tears as she said, "I thought I wouldn't be able to see Father until the baby was born. Thank goodness."
Fortunately, she insisted on coming along.
Shen Mingjiang looked at her overly protruding belly, reached out to touch it but was afraid of hurting her with his clumsy hands, so he withdrew his hand and asked, "If you count the days, it should only be a little over six months, but your belly looks like you're about to give birth. It's much bigger than when your mother was pregnant with you."
Shen Youying's mother had suffered a physical injury during childbirth, and Shen Mingjiang paid close attention to this when she became pregnant with Shen Youying again.
Seeing that Shen Youying's belly was even bigger than when his wife gave birth, Shen Mingjiang's expression became worried.
Upon hearing this, Shen Youying lowered her head and looked at her swollen belly. She gently stroked it with her palm and explained, "The doctor said that I am very likely carrying twins, which is why my belly looks bigger than others."
Shen Mingjiang's expression changed upon hearing this, and his voice trembled slightly: "Twins?"
His expression was a mixture of joy and worry: "Twins are good. If it's a boy and a girl, it would make a perfect 'good' family. But having one child is already like walking through the gates of hell. Can we really handle having two?"
Shen Youying pursed her lips, glanced at Xue Shen, and said, "Your Highness is also worried that my childbirth will be difficult, so he has already had the doctor start to prepare my body for delivery."
Upon hearing his daughter's words, Shen Mingjiang gave Xue Shen an appreciative look, his expression even more amiable than when Xue Shen had rescued him from his predicament.
"Okay, okay, take good care of yourself. I'll find you anything you need."
Shen Youying grasped his hand and shook it, then smiled and said, "I have nothing to lack, Father, so you don't need to worry. I had Liuyun prepare a welcome feast early on, and it can be heated up and eaten now. Father, please come inside with me to rest for a while and have some wine and dishes?"
Shen Mingjiang glanced at the sky and shook his head, saying, "The Prince and I still have things to discuss. We'll set the food out here so as not to disturb you inside. You're pregnant, so you don't need to pay attention to us. Go and rest early."
But if Shen Youyin had been obedient, she wouldn't have waited until late at night. She pulled Shen Mingjiang into the house and said, "Father and the Prince are discussing matters in the outer room. I can't sleep either. I'll go inside to rest when I'm tired."
Shen Mingjiang couldn't persuade his daughter otherwise, so he could only helplessly go into the house with her.
Shen Youying instructed Liuyun and Fucui to set out the food. Shen Mingjiang had indeed not had a proper meal in the past two days. Seeing that Shen insisted, he stopped refusing and discussed the next arrangements with Xue Shen while eating.
Shen Youying sat to the side, resting her chin on her hand as she listened to their discussion, a completely relaxed and satisfied smile on her face.
While talking to Shen Mingjiang, Xue Shen kept an eye on Shen Youying's condition.
As they were talking, they saw Shen Youying next to them propping her chin up and nodding her head.
He abruptly stopped talking, gestured for Shen Mingjiang to be quiet, and then pointed to Shen Youying, who was dozing off to the side.
When Shen Mingjiang saw his daughter dozing off, he also fell silent, and his usually serious and stern face softened with a rare tenderness.
Xue Shen mouthed to him, "I'll carry Zhaozhao to the bed to sleep first."
Shen Mingjiang silently mouthed, "Go ahead, I'll wait for you outside."
After settling Shen Youying in, Xue Shen had Liu Yun and Fu Cui come in to clear the table before tiptoeing out.
Outside, Shen Mingjiang was drinking with his other guards. He waved to Shen Mingjiang when he saw him come out.
Just as Xue Shen arrived, Shen Mingjiang threw a wine jar at him.
He caught it deftly, and Shen Mingjiang raised the wine jar in his hand and shook it at him: "I was a little worried about entrusting Zhaozhao to you at first. But now it seems that I was overthinking it. You take very good care of Zhaozhao, better than I am as her father."
As he spoke, he made a toasting gesture and said to Xue Shen, "This jar of wine is offered to you not as a father-in-law, but simply as a father to thank you for taking such good care of Zhaozhao."
Xue Shen's expression shifted, and he broke the wine seal and drank heartily, saying, "This is what I should do. It's too much of a formality for my father-in-law to come and see me."
Shen Mingjiang laughed heartily, put his arm around his shoulder and patted him hard, then solemnly introduced him to his personal guards who had followed him for many years.
*
The next day was a rainy day. Shen Youying slept late and woke up late. She was awakened by the sound of pattering rain and reached out to find the person next to her, but found nothing.
She opened her eyes; the other side of the bed was cold—Xue Shen wasn't there.
Shen Youying was stunned for a moment, almost doubting that the family reunion last night was just a dream.
She hurriedly called Liu Yun in to help her wash and change. When she saw Xue Shen also come in with Liu Yun, the inexplicable panic that had welled up inside her suddenly subsided. Shen Youying asked with a slight reproach, "Where did you go?"
"I thought your return with Father last night was just a dream."
Xue Shen took the wooden comb from Liu Yun's hand and stood behind her to comb her hair: "This morning, someone discovered that the old man guarding the gate had been murdered, and four merchants had also mysteriously disappeared. The tribe is in a state of panic and chaos, so I went to take a look."
He had arranged for the old gatekeeper to be killed and the merchant to be kidnapped, but to avoid arousing suspicion, he naturally had to show his face at this time.
Shen Youying understood, and looked up at him: "Have you and Father decided on your next move? When are we going to find my eldest brother?"
Xue Shen pinched her cheek, handed the comb back to Liu Yun, and asked Liu Yun to style her hair.
"It's raining today, so it's not a good time to travel. Someone died in the tribe today, and when the weather clears up tomorrow, many people will surely leave this place. We'll go together with them."
"However, my father-in-law might stay here."
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