Chapter 70 Yunzhu, Today is My Birthday
Yunzhu stayed temporarily in the commander's mansion.
The conditions she offered Xiao Mingzhang were so difficult that Xiao Mingzhang had no reason not to agree.
Life at the Commander's Mansion wasn't as unbearable as she had initially imagined. The mansion was quite large, much like the former Prince Huan's Mansion. She could stroll through the gardens, admire the scenery, and if she had nothing else to do, she could go out for horseback riding and shopping.
Now that the entire Liangzhou is under Xiao Mingzhang's control, Yunzhu has no need to worry about anything happening to her in Liangzhou.
For his daughter's education, on the second day after Mu Zhaozhi arrived in Liangzhou, Xiao Mingzhang hired a professional female tutor to teach her at home.
After Yunzhu accompanied her daughter to a few lessons taught by the female teacher and concluded that the teacher was competent, she let her teach Mu Zhaozhi instead, thus freeing herself up.
As for Xiao Mingzhang, Yunzhu had not seen him since the first day she arrived in Liangzhou.
The doctor had ordered him to only be allowed to get out of bed and move around for a very short time each day. However, since his movement on the first day had exceeded the doctor's permitted range, Yunzhu heard that for the next few days, the doctor ordered him to remain confined to the bed.
It is said that news from all sides was delivered directly to his bedside every day.
Yunzhu had nothing to say about it. She felt no guilt whatsoever because of Xiao Mingzhang's illness, and only hoped that he could continue to live peacefully with her like this.
But this is ultimately just wishful thinking.
After being ordered by the doctor to rest for three more days, Xiao Mingzhang's wounds finally healed to almost the point where his body was able to support him to stay in bed for two or three hours.
As soon as Yunzhu stepped out of the room, she saw Xiao Mingzhang sitting in the courtyard.
Mu Zhaozhi was sitting in front of him, with a chessboard between them. There were only a few chess pieces on the board, and the black pieces had completely surrounded the white pieces, leaving them with nowhere to make a move.
Mu Zhaozhi held a white piece in her hand, her face full of worry as she looked at the chessboard in front of her.
Xiao Mingzhang watched his daughter leisurely for a while before saying, "This is Go. Our Central Plains Go is profound and extensive. If Azhi is interested, your father will have plenty of time to teach you in the future."
"Xiao Mingzhang!" Yunzhu had wanted to see what the father and daughter would say when they were alone, but when she heard Xiao Mingzhang's words, she couldn't help but rush up and interrupt their conversation.
Xiao Mingzhang and Mu Zhaozhi turned around at the same time.
"Mother!" As soon as Mu Zhaozhi saw Yunzhu, the worry on her face turned into a sweet smile. She dropped the chess pieces and ran towards Yunzhu, who caught her steadily in her arms.
“Yunzhu…” Xiao Mingzhang also slowly got up.
"Xiao Mingzhang, what are you saying to the child?" Yunzhu hugged Mu Zhaozhi and didn't go forward. Instead, she stood there and questioned Xiao Mingzhang.
Xiao Mingzhang smiled warmly, and soon he knew that Yunzhu was once again concerned about how she referred to her child.
If they were still in Hanze Town, Xiao Mingzhang would have immediately apologized to Yunzhu and vowed never to do those things that she found disgusting again. But things are different now; they are in Liangzhou.
Xiao Mingzhang didn't rush to explain to Yunzhu, but instead said to Azhi, "Azhi, your father and mother have some things to say. Why don't you go play with someone else for a while, okay?"
“…Alright.” Mu Zhaozhi thought for a moment and agreed to Xiao Mingzhang’s request.
In just a few days, she became very comfortable in the commander's mansion, and basically learned the structure of the mansion and all the maids and servants.
Heeding Xiao Mingzhang's words, she quickly said goodbye to Yunzhu and temporarily left Yunzhu's sight.
Yunzhu clicked her tongue, looking down at her daughter's figure. She didn't know when she had started listening to Xiao Mingzhang's words.
She was full of confusion, but was finally brought back to her senses by Xiao Mingzhang calling her "Yunzhu" again.
Yunzhu turned to look at Xiao Mingzhang.
Xiao Mingzhang then said, "Let's sit down and talk."
Although he could get out of bed, Xiao Mingzhang's body still couldn't stand for long periods of time. Yunzhu wasn't an aggressive person, so when he said to sit down, she sat down with him.
The two sat facing each other, and Xiao Mingzhang let out a long sigh and said, "Yunzhu, we are now in Liangzhou, no longer in Hanze."
Yunzhu lifted her eyelids, listening intently to what he would say next:
"Now that you and Azhi are both in Liangzhou, by my side, one of you is my Crown Princess, and the other is destined to be my daughter. I know you don't like me guiding Azhi this way, but now, Azhi must call me father, she must live openly and honestly in the eyes of the world as my daughter, right?"
"..." Can Yunzhu say something is wrong?
Her slightly trembling eyelashes revealed her thoughts, and Xiao Mingzhang continued calmly, "Don't worry, I've agreed to everything you said the other day. As for the title 'Father,' it's just what I call myself in front of Azhi. I won't force Azhi to call me Father. I'll wait until Azhi is truly willing to say it herself."
"I'm afraid you'll never live to see that day," Yunzhu said, throwing cold water on his enthusiasm without any mercy.
Xiao Mingzhang was not annoyed. Upon hearing Yunzhu's words, his smile became even wider: "Whether or not we can wait until that day, Yunzhu, I just want you to know that I respect you now, and I also respect Azhi. I will not force you to do anything. You really don't need to be too wary of me."
That's not necessarily true... Yunzhu thought to herself. Xiao Mingzhang's words sounded nice, but who knew what the reality would be like? Behind the scenes, which she didn't know, who knew what he had actually done?
Yunzhu sized up Xiao Mingzhang, and soon she remembered what Ayan had mentioned a few days ago. Having not seen Xiao Mingzhang for the past few days, she hadn't had a chance to inquire about these matters…
Just as Yunzhu was pondering how to begin, Xiao Mingzhang said, "Oh, right, there's something else I might have to tell you myself."
"What is it?" Yunzhu asked.
Xiao Mingzhang then said, "It concerns the peace talks with the Western Regions..."
It turns out that although the Central Plains and the Western Regions have recently ceased hostilities, they have never signed a proper ceasefire agreement. Now that the climate is getting colder and colder, the Western Regions have always suffered from food shortages and a lack of supplies every winter, and this year is even more severe than in previous years.
This is why the Western Regions frequently invaded the Central Plains and actively provoked wars, because they needed the land of the Central Plains and a stable supply of food and harvests to ensure their survival each year.
But now, after three years of fighting without any result, the Western Regions have come to realize that they have no chance of winning. The severe shortage of supplies this winter has forced them to seek peace with the Central Plains and discuss a long period of tranquility.
They intended to send an envoy to discuss the matter in detail, and the chosen envoy was none other than Mu Chenxiao, the second son of the current Western Regions Barbarian King and Yunzhu's biological elder brother.
Yunzhu took a deep breath. Upon hearing the name Mu Chenxiao, her mind was filled with the scene from three years ago when she encountered her brother in Liangzhou City, only to be told that she could not return home.
She was so close, just a tiny bit away, to go home and return to her own grassland.
But she never managed to go back.
Xiao Mingzhang observed Yunzhu.
Xiao Mingzhang knew that Yunzhu had the opportunity to return to the grasslands, but he never knew why she ultimately chose not to return and instead settled down in a border town in the Central Plains to live her own quiet life.
Even though she returned to the grasslands, where she would be a princess admired by all and the most dazzling pearl on the grasslands, she was willing to stay in the Central Plains, living in seclusion in a small town, just an ordinary person with no name.
Over the years, Xiao Mingzhang has pondered this question countless times, yet he still cannot find an answer.
“Yunzhu, if you want to meet this person then, I can arrange it for you. The Western Regions are currently short of food and supplies, so he has to beg us to negotiate peace. We have many conditions to propose, and everything can be done slowly. The initiative is in our hands.”
"No need."
Just when Xiao Mingzhang thought that Yunzhu would definitely want to meet Mu Chenxiao, he was surprised to receive a calm and indifferent reply from Yunzhu.
Xiao Mingzhang paused, then heard Yunzhu say, "I haven't been back to the Western Regions for a long time, and I've forgotten most of the local dialect. I can't speak it fluently anymore, so let's not see him."
The teacher who was teaching students in the local dialect in a small town not long ago now says that he doesn't speak the local dialect well.
Xiao Mingzhang stared intently at Yunzhu, and after a moment, nodded and said, "Alright, then I will go to see him. Although they started the war, the people of the Western Regions are innocent. I will try my best to consider the people's needs, whether it's winter supplies or the food they need..."
"You don't need to make too many concessions for me." Yunzhu suddenly stood up and looked down at Xiao Mingzhang with a superior attitude. She said, "Xiao Mingzhang, they started the war. The people of the Western Regions are innocent, but the people of the Central Plains are also innocent. You should do things your own way. There is no need to make any concessions for me. I am no longer in the Western Regions. Even if you make concessions for me in these places, I will not appreciate it in the slightest."
Xiao Mingzhang has now witnessed firsthand just how ruthless Yunzhu can be.
He stared blankly at Yunzhu, his lowered brows seemingly pondering what had happened to her that made her so indifferent to her former motherland.
But while he was still pondering, Yunzhu had already lost patience to listen to him talk about the Western Regions any longer. She turned to leave, but Xiao Mingzhang jolted awake and suddenly stood up to grab her.
Yunzhu turned around and looked at Xiao Mingzhang.
Because of his sudden standing up, Xiao Mingzhang now looked somewhat disheveled.
He leaned over most of the stone table before finally managing to grab Yunzhu's hand. His back was bent, and the wound on his body was suddenly squeezed, feeling as if it were being cut by knives, each inch of his heart being ripped out.
He wanted to speak, but it took him quite a while before he could utter a sound.
“Yunzhu…” Xiao Mingzhang said.
Yunzhu frowned: "Is there anything else?"
Xiao Mingzhang's lips gradually turned pale, but fortunately, his wounds had now scabbed over and would no longer bleed suddenly.
He looked into Yunzhu's deep eyes, and seeing that she truly didn't remember, he said somewhat dejectedly, "Today is my birthday..."
Yunzhu was taken aback.
Xiao Mingzhang quickly recovered on his own.
He then smiled and asked Yunzhu, "I've had someone prepare a feast for dinner in the flower hall. Would you and Azhi do me the honor of having dinner with me? It's just the three of us, the family of three."
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