Chapter 80, the main text ends here.
In front of the Zhaoming Hall of the Imperial Palace in Jinling, there are ninety-nine stone steps.
With each step Yunzhu took up a stone staircase, she looked up and felt one step closer to the magnificent golden hall.
So this is what the imperial palaces of the Central Plains were like. So this is what the so-called "every inch of land is worth its weight in gold," where even the floor tiles were made of jade, was like in Nanjing.
Yunzhu gripped Mu Zhaozhi's hand tightly, and together they walked up the ninety-nine white marble steps.
The people waiting at the end of the stone steps were not Xiao Mingzhang, but Wu Qi and Yu Zhouling, who came to meet her. The two stood on either side, responsible for leading Yunzhu and Mu Zhaozhi to the emperor and the crown prince.
Yes, the emperor and the crown prince.
Yunzhu had heard countless people recite these two titles along the way, but only when she stood before the Zhaoming Hall did she realize so deeply the weight these two words carried.
That not only represents Xiao Mingzhang's victory in this war, and not only Xiao Mingzhang's safety, but also means that from now on, she and Mu Zhaozhi will live in this capital city filled with the aura of gold and jade. This is the place where she and Mu Zhaozhi will stay for the next few decades.
"Mother, will we be living here from now on?"
The feeling of standing in front of the palace and looking down at the scenery below was completely different from when she was standing below just now. Mu Zhaozhi was wearing a small cloak today, her face buried in the fluffy goose feathers that were being blown by the wind. As she looked up, her little hand scratched Yunzhu's palm.
Even the youngest child, who may not understand the Prince Huan's Mansion or the Crown Prince's Consort, will still be understood by the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
Yunzhu leaned down to look at her daughter, nodded calmly, and said, "Not necessarily, we'll have to wait a while to find out."
"Please, Your Highness."
After exchanging only a few words, Wuqi and Yuzhou Ling couldn't wait any longer and took Yunzhu to continue to the Qinzheng Hall behind them.
The Zhaoming Hall was where the emperor and his officials held morning court sessions. It was also often used to host palace banquets when necessary. The Qinzheng Hall behind the Zhaoming Hall was the emperor's study and resting place.
Xiao Shao and Xiao Mingzhang are now waiting in the Hall of Diligent Governance, awaiting the arrival of Yunzhu and their daughter.
Yunzhu gripped Mu Zhaozhi's hand tightly, then looked up and gestured for them to lead the way.
As they passed through Zhaoming Hall and arrived at Qinzheng Hall, they happened to hear a quarrel coming from inside the open hall. The argument was made without any attempt to conceal it from outsiders and was clearly audible to Yunzhu.
"Who said that woman was chosen as the Crown Princess? Have you even considered how I am supposed to face my ministers after issuing such a decree on my own?"
"The Crown Princess is my wife. If Father Emperor does not want the Crown Princess, then he also does not want me, his son. I have said this many times."
"You bastard! Are you taking advantage of me because you think I won't dare to take your place?"
"Alright, alright, how long have you two been arguing! You haven't even seen her yet, and you're still arguing! Let me see my granddaughter first..."
Inside the hall, Xiao Mingzhang and Xiao Shao were arguing fiercely. Madam Ying had been mediating between the father and son for who knows how long. Impatient, she got up and went outside the hall to find out what was going on.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Ying stepped out of the palace gate, she saw Yunzhu, who had already walked outside.
They hadn't seen each other for more than three years.
Upon seeing Yunzhu again, Ying was once again shocked by her appearance, just as he had been when they first met.
She stared blankly at Yunzhu, gazing at her appearance, which hadn't changed in the past three years, and at her calm eyes. Suddenly, as if struck by a flash of inspiration, she lowered her head and looked down at the little girl beside Yunzhu.
"You are...A-Zhi?" Ying hurriedly squatted down and cupped the soft, chubby face of the little girl in front of her.
She looked Mu Zhaozhi up and down. Before today, she had imagined her granddaughter's appearance countless times.
Yunzhu and Xiao Mingzhang were both exceptionally good-looking, and Mu Zhaozhi, being their daughter, would certainly be no less so. She thought she would have eyes that resembled Yunzhu's and a demeanor that resembled Xiao Mingzhang's.
She should be lovely and charming, sophisticated and eloquent, and playful and lively.
She imagined many things Mu Zhaozhi might look like, and many things she might have in terms of personality, but she never expected that she would be even cuter than the cutest person she had ever imagined.
The little dumpling's skin was so delicate it was almost translucent, with a rosy glow. Her small face was full of exquisite features, and her big eyes were like grapes from the Western Regions, glistening with dew. When she blinked, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings.
After leaving the palace, Ying fell silent. Xiao Shao and Xiao Mingzhang sat in the hall for a while, and having grown tired of each other, the father and son decided at the same time to go out and look for her.
They walked out of the palace gates together, but upon seeing the scene outside, they both froze in place.
“Yunzhu…” Xiao Mingzhang walked towards Yunzhu first.
“Azhi…” Ying Shi was still squatting on the ground, holding Mu Zhaozhi’s face in her hands, almost bursting into tears of joy.
She wanted to hug her granddaughter, but Mu Zhaozhi struggled a few times, broke free from her control, and hid behind Yunzhu.
She grabbed Yunzhu's hem, her round eyes observing everything around her.
Ying was pushed away by her own granddaughter. In a daze, she looked at Mu Zhaozhi several times in disbelief. She wanted to ask why, but immediately realized that she was not close to her at the moment. So she got up rather unwillingly and went to face Yunzhu first.
“We’ve finally arrived. We’ve been waiting for you for quite a while. Did you have any difficulties on the way?” she asked.
"No." After three years apart, Yunzhu showed no emotion when facing Ying.
Her eyes were indifferent as she looked at her daughter hiding behind her.
From childhood to adulthood, Mu Zhaozhi was almost a girl who wasn't afraid of strangers. Whether she took the initiative to approach others or others took the initiative to approach her, after the kidnapping incident, Yunzhu could see that Mu Zhaozhi always had some inexplicable resistance to people who weren't actively seeking her out.
She patted her daughter's head and said softly, "This is your grandmother, it's alright."
grandmother?
Mu Zhaozhi blinked, naturally understanding what "grandmother" meant. Back in Hanze Town, many of her friends had grandparents, but she didn't.
Her dark, round eyes scrutinized Ying Shi.
Ying was finally met with her granddaughter's gaze once again. She hurriedly tried to bend down and get closer to the little girl, but a rough voice unexpectedly rang out behind her.
"This is Mingzhang's child?"
Dissatisfied, Ying turned around and glared at the person.
Xiao Shao acted as if he hadn't seen her, his eyes still fixed on Mu Zhaozhi.
Unlike Ying Shi, Xiao Shao had never had any expectations for Mu Zhaozhi before. She was just a child born to a woman from the Western Regions, and a girl at that. In Xiao Shao's view, she was not worth any hope.
But it was one thing for him not to expect it, and quite another when he actually met his granddaughter and observed her closely.
Even if Xiao Shao was blind, he couldn't bring himself to say that Mu Zhaozhi looked ugly or disgusted.
After looking him over for a while, he finally coughed lightly and said, "Alright, now that we're here, let's not stand here in the wind anymore, let's go inside."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and went into the house first.
Yunzhu and Xiao Mingzhang exchanged a glance; Xiao Shao's reaction was basically within their expectations.
Unlike Ying's dislike for her, her father-in-law's dislike for her was truly from the bottom of his heart.
He loathed that she was a woman from the Western Regions, loathed her bloodline, loathed the obstacles she posed to the Huan Prince's Mansion and Xiao Mingzhang's throne, and loathed her children as well.
These cloud beads are all understandable.
But she doesn't intend to accept it.
This time, Xiao Mingzhang begged her to come back. She was unwilling to lower herself even a little bit, even if the other party was the current emperor.
Therefore, after Yunzhu entered the room, she did not bow to the current emperor.
She only took a few steps in front of Xiao Shao before leading Mu Zhaozhi to sit down next to Xiao Mingzhang.
Ying actually wanted her granddaughter to sit next to her, but Yunzhu had already taken her seat with the child, so she had to give up.
After everyone was seated, before a single word was spoken, several light footsteps were heard, and soon, Yunzhu's figure, whom she hadn't seen for three years, appeared before her again.
It's Xiao Ming'an.
The former Princess of Qingyuan County has now become Princess Qingyuan, adorned with jewels and jade pendants that jingle, and the childishness on her face has long since faded.
Xiao Ming'an was slightly out of breath, looking at the woman in front of him in disbelief.
In just a few moments, her eyes reddened, revealing her malice.
"Ming'an, why are you so late? Come and see your little niece!" When Ying saw her daughter arrive, she immediately stood up again, pulling Xiao Ming'an along, wanting her to go see Mu Zhaozhi.
Xiao Ming'an stood there motionless.
She stood stubbornly in front of Yunzhu, staring intently at her.
“Ming An…”
In the past, Yunzhu could be hard-hearted towards anyone in the Huanwang Mansion, but she knew she couldn't be heartless towards Xiao Ming'an.
Her departure back then was based on Xiao Ming'an's trust in her, and Xiao Ming'an's presence also provided her with much joy when she had little fun in the Prince's mansion.
Perhaps they weren't friends at first, but by the time she left, they were definitely friends.
Facing Xiao Ming'an's gaze, Yunzhu neither dodged nor avoided it, her eyes clear yet filled with apology.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Xiao Ming'an asked Yunzhu with tears welling up in his eyes for a long time before finally choking back sobs.
She must have been the last among all the people in the Prince's mansion to know that Yunzhu was still alive.
Previously, Ying and Xiao Shao came to Jinling, and Xiao Mingzhang went to Liangzhou. For a long time, Xiao Ming'an was the only one in the Prince's Mansion in Yunzhou.
Her father and mother said they would bring her to Jinling when the time was right. She didn't know when the right time would be, so she kept waiting and waiting until a month ago when the time they had mentioned finally arrived.
She arrived in Jinling, and only then did she learn that Yunzhu was still alive and had given birth to a daughter.
If there is anyone in this world who, like Yunzhu, will never forget what happened on the day she left the palace, besides Ayan, it must be Xiao Ming'an.
Xiao Ming'an will always remember that day when he and she went to Fangjue Temple. There were two of them when they went, but when they returned home, she was all alone.
Yunzhu has disappeared without a trace.
They said she ran away.
Not long after, they said she was dead.
Xiao Ming'an wasn't unaware of Yunzhu's desire to escape the Prince's mansion, but she still felt that she needed a reasonable apology.
She was once the proud Princess of Qingyuan of the Huan Prince's Mansion, and now she is the incomparably noble Princess of Qingyuan in the eyes of the world. Because of Yunzhu's faked death, she felt guilty for three whole years. She wanted an apology, and she believed that it was not unreasonable.
Yunzhu naturally didn't think she was going too far.
"Ming'an, I'm sorry, I've hurt you all these years." She stood up and stood in front of Xiao Ming'an, speaking to her sincerely.
Xiao Ming'an pursed his lips.
Princess Qingyuan, a woman of great dignity, did not like to cry, but the moment she heard Yunzhu apologize, tears still streamed down her face and fell onto the back of her hand.
She finally stepped forward and hugged Yunzhu tightly.
The apology she wanted was fake, and the fierce look she was giving her was fake too. What could be more exciting than a dead friend coming back to life?
The moment she saw Yunzhu, she wanted to hug her immediately, overjoyed at her return.
"You must never do that again!" she cried, wiping her tears all over Yunzhu's shoulder.
Yunzhu chuckled. Three years had passed, and she had thought that Xiao Ming'an was no longer as youthful and naive as she appeared. However, she hadn't expected that his personality hadn't changed at all.
"Yes, I will listen to the princess!" she coaxed her.
Xiao Ming'an was satisfied.
She stopped crying and making a fuss, let go of Yunzhu, and finally went to see the little niece that Ying wanted her to see, who was Yunzhu's daughter.
"A-Zhi..." But she only murmured her name to her little niece, and Xiao Shao, who was sitting at the head of the table, seemed to be unable to sit still and coughed again.
"Alright, this is the Hall of Diligent Governance. What kind of behavior is this, crying and shouting? Since you're here, sit down and let's discuss the future together!"
Xiao Ming'an nodded.
She had never been valued by her father, and she knew it herself. Since Xiao Shao had said so, she dared not disobey him any longer and sat down next to Ying Shi.
What Xiao Shao wanted to say was actually quite simple: Yunzhu's identity after her return. They also needed a suitable reason to explain why she had been living away from home with her child for so many years without ever returning. And, incidentally, the matter of Mu Zhaozhi's name.
The first issue is that Xiao Mingzhang and Xiao Shao have been arguing about it for a long time. Now, everyone he sent to contact Yunzhu only calls Yunzhu "Crown Princess".
But Xiao Shao refused to acknowledge it.
He always believed that the bloodline of the Central Plains royal family should not be confused. If Yunzhu became the Crown Princess, and if she gave birth to another son in the future, he would inevitably become the new master of the country.
How could the bloodline of the emperor of the Central Plains be so tainted? Even if he agreed, a bunch of old ministers in the court would object.
"Leaving aside the court officials for now, my attitude has already been made clear. If Father Emperor is unwilling to acknowledge this only daughter-in-law, I will take Yunzhu and leave Jinling. It doesn't matter where you go. You and Mother can have another son who can inherit the throne and will not be tainted by foreign blood. In my opinion, it is still not too late."
"You bastard!"
Just a few incense sticks ago, Xiao Shao was so angry with Xiao Mingzhang that he was blowing his beard and glaring at him. Now that the old case has been brought up again, he is once again so angry with Xiao Mingzhang that his veins are bulging.
"Alright, alright, father and son, stop talking!" It was Ying who had to step in to mediate.
She glanced at both of them a few times, and when her gaze swept over Xiao Mingzhang, it inevitably swept over Yunzhu and Mu Zhaozhi sitting next to him.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally said, "In my opinion, Yunzhu should indeed be the Crown Princess."
“You too…” Xiao Shao’s eyes widened.
"Your Majesty, please hear my explanation," Ying said logically. "Leaving aside Yunzhu's status as a princess of the Western Regions, making her the Crown Princess reflects our attitude towards the Western Regions. When the late Emperor was alive, Yunzhu was the Crown Princess bestowed upon Mingzhang by him, and she was already his principal wife. Now that Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, there are many rumors circulating in the court, and many words of inhumanity, injustice, disloyalty, and filial impiety have emerged. If we follow the late Emperor's decree and let Yunzhu continue to be the Crown Princess, perhaps we can silence some of those who spread such nonsense."
I think you're the one talking nonsense.
Xiao Shao didn't care at all about what Ying said. In his view, what was called unrighteousness, disloyalty, and filial impiety was nothing more than the criticism of the victor by the loser.
Yes, he did not receive the late emperor's handwritten edict that he wanted, to be named crown prince and then ascend the throne, but that was all because of the final uprising by the Prince of Qi and the He family.
When the late emperor heard the news on his sickbed, his already weak breaths stopped abruptly, and he didn't even have time to do anything.
The controversy surrounding him in the court today stems from the stubbornness of a few old ministers who have always been loyal to the late emperor. As long as those old stubborns keep their mouths shut, who would dare to say another word against him?
"What attitude do countries that have sought peace after being defeated have to show?" Although he thought this in his heart, Xiao Shao only muttered this sentence when he was refuting it.
Upon hearing this, Madam Ying scoffed. She had long known Xiao Shao's weakness: no matter what the matter, as long as the late emperor was mentioned, he would always hesitate. And as he hesitated, it was only a matter of time before he backed down.
She glanced triumphantly at Mu Zhaozhi again, and looking at her little granddaughter, Ying said, "Now that things have come to this, speaking of status, shouldn't we change our Azhi's surname? Although the name Mu Zhaozhi is nice, it is not a royal surname after all."
"That's true." When Madam Ying brought this up, Xiao Shao also became concerned about the matter.
The name Mu Zhaozhi was given to her daughter by Yunzhu in Hanze Town. Although the name was indeed nice, and one could tell it came from the Li Sao, "Fragrance and luster are mixed together, but the bright quality is still intact," as a legitimate child of the royal family, it was one thing for her to have been wandering outside for three years, but to take her mother's surname was absolutely unacceptable in Xiao Shao's eyes.
He had to give Mu Zhaozhi a new name that would fit the Dayong royal family.
"Yunzhu and I have already discussed the name. If Azhi is willing to change her name, she will be called Xiao Ying." Xiao Shao was just about to rack his brains to give his first granddaughter a grand and auspicious name when Xiao Mingzhang suddenly spoke up, interrupting his thoughts.
"Xiao Ying?" Xiao Shao squinted.
The Dayong imperial family usually did not have any rules regarding the names of girls; they could just choose names that sounded nice. However, for boys, once the emperor bestowed a given name, any children born after that must strictly follow the order of names arranged by the imperial family.
For example, the "Ming" character in the names of male members of Xiao Mingzhang's generation was bestowed by Xiao Shao's grandfather, and all male members had to have this character in their names; and in the next generation, the previous emperor had also bestowed characters on the male members, which had to contain the "sun" radical.
Xiao Ying's name happens to contain the character "sun".
It was bad enough that he wanted to make Yunzhu the Crown Princess, but he also wanted to include the character "sun" in the name of her daughter. Xiao Mingzhang had been able to lie low for three years before taking over military power from him and then announcing Yunzhu's matter to the world. Xiao Shao thought he would never underestimate his regard for Yunzhu again, but now it seems he still underestimated her.
"Is this the word you agreed on?" He confirmed with Xiao Mingzhang again.
"Yes, as bright as the sun and moon shining upon the world, reflecting the darkness and yellow of heaven and earth, your son and Yunzhu are very satisfied with this name."
"Hmph." Xiao Shao snorted coldly.
They were naturally satisfied. Xiao Ying, it seemed, had changed all his previous names, but the meaning behind the name and his expectations for his daughter were much greater than before.
"She's just a girl..."
“Father, this is my first child, my eldest daughter.”
Xiao Shao was about to speak again, but Xiao Mingzhang's emphasis silenced him abruptly.
Xiao Shao frowned, slightly dissatisfied. So what if she was the eldest daughter? She was still a daughter. Xiao Ming'an was able to share a name with the males only because she was born on the very day the late emperor ascended the throne. What did Mu Zhaozhi have that made her special? Was it because she had a beautiful appearance like her mother?
Just as Xiao Shao was about to speak again, a childish voice interrupted him once more.
"Mother, I don't want to change my name!"
Xiao Shao looked in the direction from which the sound came and saw the chubby little baby.
Mu Zhaozhi was very serious, tugging at her mother's sleeve.
“Azhi…” Yunzhu heard Mu Zhaozhi’s voice and was pleasantly surprised, but she had to suppress her emotions in front of everyone and pretended to be calm. “This name was indeed thought up by your mother and father together, but whether you want to change it or not, your mother and father will listen to you.”
Ever since she decided to return with Xiao Mingzhang, Yunzhu had guessed that Xiao Shao and the Ying family might want Mu Zhaozhi to change her surname.
After all, in their eyes, Xiao was the most common surname of their Central Plains royal family, and royal children who wanted to be included in the family genealogy had to have the surname Xiao.
However, Yunzhu really didn't want Mu Zhaozhi to change her surname or her name, so on her way to Jinling, she kept thinking about how to refuse this request.
Halfway there, Xiao Mingzhang learned of her concerns and suddenly gave her an idea.
He said they could come up with another name with the surname Xiao and give it to Azhi, then Mu Zhaozhi could choose for herself.
If she truly prefers the surname Mu, then she should tell her grandparents herself, so as not to make things too awkward.
Yunzhu accepted his idea and came up with another name for her that was very meaningful: Xiao Ying.
Mu Zhaozhi turned her head to look at the old man sitting on the dragon throne.
Mu Zhaozhi instinctively disliked this old man.
Based on the current situation, she could roughly tell that this person was her grandfather, but he looked really fierce and never gave her and her mother a kind look.
The palace here is very large and magnificent, but Mu Zhaozhi felt that she did not necessarily have to live here, dependent on others and at their mercy.
She then said, "Mother, I don't like this place. I want to go back to Liangzhou, back to Hanze."
"How can this be!" Upon hearing that her granddaughter wanted to return to a place like the border, Madam Ying was the first to disagree.
She quickly got up and went to Mu Zhaozhi, coaxing her, "Azhi, Liangzhou is too far away and cold. We won't go back there anymore. You have to get used to living in Jinling. Jinling is your home, and the palace is your home."
“But I don’t like this kind of home! The people in Hanze Town also have grandfathers and grandmothers, and their grandfathers and grandmothers are very kind and gentle, they don’t have fierce faces. The grandfathers and grandmothers here are not good, I don’t want grandfathers and grandmothers like this!”
"Ah Zhi!"
Although children speak without thinking, and Yunzhu didn't care how her daughter made a scene in front of Xiao Shaotong and the Ying couple, she was still somewhat surprised by such harsh words and pulled her daughter back.
She gently stroked Mu Zhaozhi's back, afraid that she would get angry.
"Mother..."
After venting her anger on Xiao Shao with a stubborn expression, Mu Zhaozhi felt much better.
She opened her big, innocent eyes to look at her mother.
She could both scold and act cute. What could Yunzhu say to Mu Zhaozhi? She immediately hugged her and patted her daughter's back for a while before remembering Ying Shi, who was still squatting in front of Mu Zhaozhi.
Ying's face was cut open, and he looked extremely injured.
At her age, no one would not want grandchildren. After Yunzhu really died, she had been trying to arrange for Xiao Mingzhang to remarry, hoping he would have children soon so she could enjoy family life. However, all the women she chose were rejected by Xiao Mingzhang on the grounds that he was too busy with official duties.
Ying knew that Xiao Mingzhang still had Yunzhu in his heart and couldn't forget that woman. So be it, she wasn't in a hurry to force him. She thought that as time went by, he would naturally understand.
But she didn't expect that as time went by, Yunzhu came back to life and brought back a granddaughter she had been longing for. This granddaughter was beautiful and lovely and had a sharp tongue. How could she not love her?
"Azhi..." Ying wanted to explain the current situation to Mu Zhaozhi, but she couldn't help but turn around and glare at Xiao Shao, who was still sitting upright at the head of the table.
If it weren't for him, why would Mu Zhaozhi have such a bad impression of Jinling?
She said to Mu Zhaozhi, "Grandmother never meant to be mean to you, and your grandfather only seems fierce. In fact, we all have high hopes for you..."
"What's there to expect from a little girl?" Not only did he not help to coax the child, but Xiao Shao sat calmly at the head of the table and added another sentence when Ying Shi was explaining.
"..." Ying finally couldn't explain anymore. She left Mu Zhaozhi and decided to have a serious talk with Xiao Shao.
However, Xiao Shao did not pay any attention to her; he only focused on Mu Zhaozhi, the girl he considered unworthy of his attention.
He looked at Mu Zhaozhi's expression, and saw that although she didn't speak again while looking up, there was no fear in her eyes at all.
Her eyes were clear and bright, naturally exuding the fearlessness of a newborn calf.
Xiao Shao had a premonition that she wouldn't be able to hold it in.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Mu Zhaozhi withdrew her gaze from him and looked at Yunzhu, as if asking if she could continue speaking.
Yunzhu naturally allowed her daughter to continue speaking.
She gave Mu Zhaozhi the right to choose her own name, and at the same time, she gave her the right to object to Xiao Shao. In any case, before coming to Jinling, she had already considered all possible outcomes. No matter what the outcome, she and Xiao Mingzhang would take responsibility for Mu Zhaozhi.
After receiving her mother's affirmative instructions, Mu Zhaozhi faced Xiao Shao again and instantly regained much more confidence.
She immediately said to Xiao Shao, "Yes, since the little girl has nothing to look forward to, then I will trouble you to arrange a carriage and send me back to Hanze immediately. I am not the granddaughter you want, and you are not the grandfather I want. In that case, it's better for us to separate!"
It's still too straightforward.
Although she didn't have high expectations for her daughter's answer, Yunzhu couldn't help but laugh when she heard Mu Zhaozhi's words.
She had always liked Mu Zhaozhi's personality, but there was one thing about her: no matter what she said, she was frighteningly blunt.
This personality trait can be very convenient at times, but at other times, it can be quite frustrating.
Thinking that the conversation would end there, Yunzhu tugged at Mu Zhaozhi's small hand, intending to signal that she could rest for a while longer. However, just before she looked up, Xiao Mingzhang quietly grabbed her wrist again.
Yunzhu turned around and saw Xiao Mingzhang also gesturing to her to look at Xiao Shao.
Why go see Xiao Shao?
Yunzhu was puzzled, but she did as she was told.
The emperor, who had previously looked fierce and disdainful of Mu Zhaozhi, now leaned back on his dragon throne, his expression towards Mu Zhaozhi now showing a hint of appreciation.
Appreciate it? Yunzhu wasn't sure, so she looked at it several more times.
Then Xiao Shao said, "If you want to go back to Hanze, why do you want me to send you back? Did I invite you to Jinling? Who brought you here? You should ask whoever brought you back. You are now in my home, and I haven't asked you for money. I'm already being polite."
"I charge you for every word I say in Hanze, so it's only polite of me not to ask you for money for wasting my breath on you!"
"You charge money for talking? What kind of work do you do?"
"I'm a storyteller!"
The child, who was just about three years old, could not only keep up with so many words, but also did so without stammering, leaving the child speechless.
After Xiao Shao realized what she was talking about, he immediately burst into laughter.
Ying was completely bewildered, not knowing what had gotten into him, and was about to step forward to argue with him when Xiao Shao suddenly made a decision, saying, "Fine, whether you return to Liangzhou or not, I agree. You are your father's eldest daughter, and from now on, your name will be Xiao Ying!"
"No, I don't want to be called Xiao Ying, I want to be called Mu Zhaozhi!"
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Author's Note: There should be only one last chapter left to complete the main story. I'll update in a few days.
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