The army returned to the capital in triumph, unlike when they set out on a campaign. The journey was leisurely, allowing them to enjoy the scenery along the way.
This time, they suffered the fewest casualties in the war because they had powerful weapons that dealt overwhelming damage. Even the siege was much easier than before, and they won without lifting a finger.
Everyone was in high spirits, as if they were on a trip.
The person who received the most attention during the journey was Peng Yuan. As time went on, her belly grew bigger and bigger, and Jiang Jiuniang would take her pulse every day to make sure she was healthy.
Qin Jian dared not let her do anything. The journey was already arduous, and Qin Jian basically fed her water.
However, Peng Yuan is not the kind of person who is fussy. When she stops to rest, she will still walk around to ensure that she gets enough activity every day so that the delivery will not be too difficult.
After traveling for nearly two months, we finally saw the city gate of the capital.
It was late summer, early autumn, and the people were all dressed in autumn clothes. Jiang Jiuniang lifted the carriage curtain, looked at the bustling capital city, chuckled twice, and said, "Our Jiayuan Pavilion's new styles this year are really beautiful."
Jiayuan Pavilion mostly sells mid-to-high-end quality clothing, and only releases new styles that are affordable for ordinary people each season.
When they first started this business in the capital, not many ordinary people were willing to spend money to buy it. Most of them were wealthy families. But in just one or two years, people wearing Jiayuan Pavilion clothing can be seen everywhere on the streets.
This also shows that people's quality of life has improved, and with more spare money, they are more willing to treat themselves better.
"Mommy, it's Grandpa and Grandma!"
Gou'er also lifted the carriage curtain to look out, but he didn't pay attention to the people around him, because he immediately spotted the Lu family members who were eagerly waiting in the crowd.
Especially Sun, who was not tall, squeezed herself to the front, afraid of missing them.
Not only were members of the Lu family present, but the army's triumphant return to the capital was a major event, and the emperor attached great importance to it, sending officials to welcome them. At this time, the city gate was packed with people, all of whom came to welcome the army into the city.
Lu Baichuan and his companions rode at the front of the procession, receiving a warm welcome from the entire city. When they saw the Lu family members who came to greet them, they smiled slightly but could not greet them immediately. Instead, they dismounted and spoke with the officials who came to greet them.
Jiang Jiuniang hugged the dog and teased, "Look, Ms. Sun is starting to shed tears. She's really missed me terribly these past six months."
Her tone was clearly teasing, but there was a hint of tears in her voice. Gou'er looked up and saw that his mother's eyes were indeed wet.
Mother must miss Grandma a lot, after all, she was someone Mother loved as much as her own mother.
He deliberately said, "Mommy, I miss Grandpa and Grandma. Let's go over there first!"
Lu Baichuan and his group were the ones who needed to hand over the duties to the officials, while Jiang Jiuniang and Peng Yuan did not. Peng Yuan had been helped off the carriage by the Peng family members early on, who then offered her words of comfort and concern.
The Lu family, however, were worried about being in the eye of the storm and easily impeached, so even though they were extremely concerned, they dared not take a step forward.
After arriving in the capital, they were no longer as unrestrained as they had been in Jingzhou. They became more careful in their actions and words, and could only suppress their excitement.
Jiang Jiuniang originally wanted to support the family, but when she saw Ms. Sun wiping away tears, she couldn't hold back any longer. She got out of the car with the dog in her arms and ran towards the Lu family's location.
When Sun saw them coming, she took a few steps forward and was hugged tightly by Gou'er.
"Grandma, we're back!"
In the past six months, Gou'er has grown quite a bit taller. Sun Shi isn't very tall, so Gou'er no longer has to hug her thighs like before; she can at least reach her waist now.
He had only hugged her briefly when he noticed that his grandmother had lost a lot of weight, and he immediately felt heartbroken.
Jiang Jiuniang didn't stand on ceremony. She sandwiched Gou'er between them and hugged Sun Shi tightly. She tried hard to hold back the tears in her eyes, and her voice was a little choked up: "Ms. Sun, I'm back."
Mrs. Sun was already crying, and when she heard that familiar "Ms. Sun," she couldn't help but burst into tears again.
"I'm so glad you're back! I was so worried about you, waaaaah!"
While saying that, his hands were not idle. He patted Jiang Jiuniang's back a few times. It looked like he hit her hard, but it didn't hurt at all. It gave Jiang Jiuniang a long-lost sense of familiarity.
She sniffed and said nonchalantly, "I knew I'd been feeling unwell all over lately. Turns out I was just itching for a beating from Ms. Sun!"
Sun was crying quite sadly, but her words made her laugh. Unfortunately, she still had snot on her nose, and accidentally blew a bubble. Jiang Jiuniang laughed heartily without caring about her image, and unsurprisingly, she was slapped a few more times.
"What are you laughing at? It's all your fault!"
As she spoke, Sun took out some tissue paper to wipe her snot and tears. Although she was cursing, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
"Okay, okay, it's all my fault. Stop crying. Second brother is back, but they have to give a general report before they can go home."
She deliberately spoke louder so that Qin Shi behind her could hear her.
Qin's eyes had long been red, and she kept wiping away tears with a handkerchief from behind.
The three of them chatted and joked for a few minutes before walking hand in hand toward the Lu family's main group. Lianhua and the other girls rushed out to hug them, expressing their longing for them.
"It's only been a few months since I last saw them, and all the girls in our family have become even more beautiful and radiant. It's truly delightful to see them!"
Jiang Jiuniang pinched this person's face, then that person's face, and suddenly she experienced the pleasure of being a tyrannical ruler throughout history.
"Auntie, we miss you so much!"
Youya hugged her waist tightly, her tone full of coquettishness.
"I missed you all too! I brought you a lot of gifts this time. Come on, let's go home first and then we'll share them!"
Jiang Jiuniang smiled and comforted them, then greeted Madam Yu, Madam Qin, and Old Man Lu. After looking around, she asked, "Why didn't my parents come?"
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