"Greetings to the Crown Princess."
Lord Shen and his wife were quite happy to see their son and daughter-in-law. Although they were a little afraid of their daughter-in-law, she had taken care of their son for a long time and was now pregnant. How could they not be happy to see her?
Just as Madam Shen was leading the sword into the house, a child suddenly darted out from behind them. It was obvious to everyone who saw him.
She has the exact same face as her mother; in today's terms, she's a perfect copy-paste of her childhood self.
"Get up."
Huo Qitian was dressed in casual clothes today, and he stood there with a dignified air. With a wave of his hand, he told the Shen couple to rise.
No matter how young the child is, he's still small. He's been making a fuss all morning, and we've already run out of food.
The little dumpling's stomach rumbled.
She looked at the sharp sword, tugged at the hem of her skirt, and said:
"Sir, I'm hungry."
"Then let's eat."
Li Jian looked at Madam Shen and said:
"Mother, the Crown Princess is hungry. Let's eat first."
"good."
Madam Shen was accompanied by Pipi, a small white dog that looked very much like the one from Xiangxiang's godmother's family.
Huo Qitian liked it and wanted to reach out and touch it.
Huo Pan saw the sword but did not stop it, which made Madam Shen quite nervous.
My dog is usually very well-behaved and doesn't bite, but if it barks at the young lady today, it'll probably be dead.
"Woof!"
Pipi doesn't give its owner any face at all.
"It has a temper, and I like that!"
Huo Qitian has always liked unique personalities. She picked up Pipi and held it in her arms. Sitting next to her husband, she looked at the table full of delicious food. The struggling puppy stopped moving and drooled onto the girl.
"If you wag your tail at me, I'll give you some meat to eat."
The little tail wagged like a windmill, which made Huo Qitian happy, but the Shen couple thought it was disgusting.
Is this the Crown Princess?
The dog eats by itself, sometimes switching chopsticks when it remembers, but not when it doesn't.
Huo Pan didn't care about the sharp sword. When she was little, she would snatch food from the dog's mouth. Besides, the chopsticks were just thrown on the ground and didn't touch the dog's mouth.
"Pipi, will you come back to the palace with me? The palace has everything..."
"no."
Upon hearing this, Madam Shen was truly prepared to reluctantly part with her beloved child. The Crown Princess liked it; this was Pipi's good fortune.
Who knew that the daughter-in-law would immediately say no.
Having been a noble lady in the capital for so long, which tutor would dare to speak to a prince or princess like that, especially since this is the Crown Princess?
Unexpectedly, Huo Qitian pouted, grunted twice, and sat back down in his original seat, saying:
"Well... alright, I'll do as you say, sir."
That's it?
What happened to the precious jewel that the entire Great Yan court cherished?
That's all?
"Well... I'd like to come see it again tomorrow."
Huo Panlijian knew that Huo Qitian simply didn't want to go to class, and the veins on the woman's head started throbbing again.
"Your Highness, please listen to me. Tomorrow my mother will bring Pipi to the palace to see you."
"ah?"
Huo Qitian twisted around a couple of times, being very understanding, and said:
"That would be too much trouble for the elderly, that's not right."
Huo Xiaolong and Lan Tingche really wanted Huo Qitian to hear what they were saying. Yesterday, this kid said he wanted to replace the characters for "civil official" in the imperial court with "grandpa" and "grandma."
Lord Shen didn't say a word at the dinner table, watching his son serve food and water to his wife, busying himself with the mannerisms of a dutiful wife.
He had long forgotten what he had hoped for Shen Qinghe back then, but that was fine too.
Men and women are not born in a certain way.
"Scholar Huo," Lord Shen called out.
It was afternoon, and Huo Qitian was sleeping in a rocking chair next to Li Jian, holding Pipi. The sunlight made Li Jian feel warm and sleepy.
"Father-in-law." Li Jian lowered her head slightly, without getting up. Her hand was being supported by Huo Qitian, and it was a little numb.
Lord Shen sat down next to Li Jian and slowly said:
"You've taken good care of Qinghe these past few years by your side."
"It's not hard work. Qinghe takes care of me most of the time."
Lord Shen was visibly taken aback upon hearing this.
Yes, it's because Shen Qinghe takes care of Li Jian more. Putting aside the fact that he is a few years older than Li Jian, the two of them can only see each other once a day when they go to sleep at night.
Li Jian seems to be constantly by Chen Yunsong's side. How could a prime minister be so idle?
She had to learn everything about the Six Departments.
Shen Qinghe taught at the Imperial Academy every day and didn't have much to do.
After class, he would go back to the astrology hall. If Li Jian didn't return by night, he would go directly to her, bring her some food, and give her a shoulder massage.
“The Great Yan is different from before.”
“You are right. Women take the imperial examinations, women go to school. A woman can be a mother, a daughter, and also a teacher.”
“A woman who has seen the world can influence three generations of her family. Before, it was my father-in-law who was short-sighted.”
Li Jian lifted Huo Qitian onto her lap. For some reason, the child was as strong as Huo Xiaolong, and his grip on her hand made her fingers ache.
The woman smiled and said:
“My lord is certainly the best, but it’s not my father-in-law’s fault.”
"Minzhi is a very bright child. I will entrust him to my father-in-law from now on."
Li Jian was implying that Lord Shen should teach his younger sister more, since they were all family.
"I have something else to discuss today, and it concerns your sister."
"Father-in-law, please speak."
"Don't call me father-in-law yet, call me father instead."
Lord Shen could accept Shen Qinghe marrying into the family, but that didn't mean he wasn't heartbroken. Huo Panli's repeated calls of "father-in-law" were like rubbing salt into his wounds.
"What's the relationship between your Minzhi and Li Yuanyuan...?"
Lord Shen should stop here; to say anything more would be disrespectful to the young lady.
Huo Panlijian, Hua Luan's apprentice, couldn't possibly be unaware of the feelings between her younger sister and Yuanyuan that went beyond friendship.
But she didn't say anything.
What happened?
My sister is very tall, a top scholar, brave and resourceful. What's wrong with her marrying a wife?
What's wrong?
Her sister is the current Grand Tutor.
She grew up on the same street as the current emperor.
She was held and played with by Huo Xiaolong since she was a baby.
Why can't I get married?
“Our relationship is very close, more than just friends. Let the young people take their time. If they really do get married, I, as her elder sister, will personally sing her a wedding hymn.”
"They are both women!"
Lord Shen had long lost his former sharpness; he was simply stating the fact to Li Jian.
"What about women? What about men?"
"It's just that the person I like happens to be that gender."
Lord Shen made a shushing gesture, indicating that Li Jian should not say these things in front of the Crown Princess, as the child is still young and is most likely to imitate what she has seen.
If you or I raise the Crown Princess to be like this, we will be committing a grave sin.
Li Jian raised his leg and nudged Huo Qitian in his arms. The little girl was clearly pretending to be asleep, just like her mother!
"Hehe, sir."
"Get up, wash your face, play for a while longer, and then go back to the palace."
"Yes, sir!"
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