Chapter 406 Xue'er, I'm back. I missed you.
Upon seeing Yang Shi walking ahead, Xiao Xuance and his brother immediately dismounted and knelt on one knee. "Mother, we have been gone for three years and have not been able to fulfill our filial duties to you. Please forgive your unfilial sons."
"Get up quickly. You've worked hard fighting on the front lines. I'm content with having three daughters-in-law and a daughter by my side to take care of me." Madam Yang pulled on one of her sons' arms with each hand, urging them to get up.
She saw that her third son had a stubble beard and looked much older than before, but he was only twenty-six and looked like he was thirty.
That's normal, though. After working so hard, it's no wonder people look worn out. It's just that I feel I'm not good enough for my third daughter-in-law.
She also wanted to ask him about the woman who had come back with them.
Before she could speak, Xiao Xuance walked past her and strode towards Yun Zhaoxue.
"Daddy, Daddy, you're finally back..." Erbao thought he was going to come and hug him, so he ran towards him with his short legs and opened his arms. But the tall figure quickly walked past him.
The man's usually sharp phoenix eyes softened completely at this moment, and the corners of his lips lifted up before he restrained himself and pursed them down.
He gazed at her intently, her beautiful face reflected in his eyes. His dark eyes seemed to be filled with starlight, and intense emotions welled up from them.
He was looking at her, and Yun Zhaoxue was sizing him up. He had a dark stubble on his chin, his skin was tanned to a bronze color, and his armor was covered in sand, looking travel-worn.
It's obvious he suffered a lot abroad. He drove out the enemy; he's a hero. I silently told myself, "Don't despise him, don't despise him."
As long as the foundation is still there, it can be salvaged and reused.
The man could no longer contain his excitement and pulled her into his arms. "Xue'er, I'm back."
Yun Zhaoxue raised her hand and placed it on his back, comforting him, "It's good that you're back."
Xiao Xuance hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, "Xue'er, I missed you so much."
I think about her every day, and now I don't care that we're outside, I just want to hold her, to merge into my body, and never be apart again.
A large crowd of people had gathered at the entrance, all watching them.
And his armor, so hard and stiff, hurt her.
She gripped his shoulders with both hands and pushed him away slightly, but the man who was holding her remained standing still, trying to stay close to her.
She could only take half a step back.
Xiao Xuanze felt that his wife was no longer close to him. They exchanged letters once a month, and he always said in his letters that he missed her very much.
She occasionally thought to herself that she missed herself, so why did she feel so distant?
After three years apart, we must have grown distant. A hug will make it all better.
Thinking this, he took a half step forward, wanting to pull the person into his arms again.
"Xue'er..."
“There are so many people watching, and there are children too. You can hold them when you get back. Erbao keeps talking about you. You should hold both of them.” Yun Zhaoxue felt that he was even more clingy than her son after he came back from his trip.
Da Bao stood beside her, looking up at his father with longing eyes.
But the other party didn't even glance at him.
The second child even went up to him wanting to be held, but he didn't hold the second child.
Although Erbao was disappointed, he hugged his mother, so she forgave him.
Xiao Xuance squatted down and picked up one of his sons in each arm.
His two sons had their arms around his neck.
Erbao called out affectionately, "Daddy, Daddy, you're finally back! Daddy has to play with me from now on..."
"Father, welcome home."
"Okay, let's go home."
Xiao Xuance felt that his two sons had changed; they were no longer as mature as before and had become the naive and innocent people that people their age should have.
That's good. He was worried that his two sons were too precocious and didn't behave like normal children.
He wanted to put his arm around his wife but couldn't free his hands. If only he had three hands, he could only slow down and walk side by side with his wife.
Yang and the others watched the warm moment of the family of four without disturbing them, and all gathered around Xiao Xuanwu to ask about his well-being.
This departure lasted for more than a year.
Xiao Mingshu looked at her younger brother, who was almost two heads taller than her, and said, "Xiao Wu, you've grown a lot taller this year, and you've gotten tanned. You look more mature now."
He doesn't look seventeen at all; he looks like he's in his early twenties, having transformed from a naive boy into a mature man.
"In the army, it's either training or fighting every day. It's very tiring, so I have a good appetite and eat a lot every day." Xiao Xuanwu scratched his head and chuckled. Despite his tall stature, he still felt like a child.
Zhuiying stared intently at Lüzhi, his eyes overflowing with affection. He kept staring at her, making her feel embarrassed.
Hongzao glared at him and then turned her head away.
The family walked into the house.
Xiao Xuance greeted Madam Yang, saying he would pay his respects to her formally later. Madam Yang understood and waved to him, "Go ahead, go ahead. Paying respects isn't a big deal. There's no rush. I'm happy that you've returned safely. Spend these next few days with Xue'er and the two children. They miss you very much."
They have been married for six years, but have only spent one year together. It hasn't been easy for the young couple. It's a good thing that they have a good relationship. They hope that their daughter-in-law will give the Xiao family two more granddaughters.
There are four boys among the grandchildren, and only one girl, Xian'er. There are too few girls.
If there are no granddaughters, grandsons will do. The Xiao family has been military generals for generations, and they face death nine times out of ten on the battlefield. They don't have many sons, so they would probably have died out long ago.
She knew her third son would not take any more concubines, so she could only hope that her third daughter-in-law would have more children.
Upon hearing his mother's words, the man gazed at his wife with deep affection. His eyes suddenly lit up, his lips tightened, but an irrepressible light shone between his brows, spreading out in delicate, fragmented patterns.
He knew his wife missed him too.
Yun Zhaoxue blinked. She really didn't. No matter where she went, she was busy making money. When she had free time, she had to spend time with her two sons. She didn't have much time to think about him. Oh well, let him misunderstand. As long as he's happy.
Before they even got back to the yard, his two sons refused to be held by him anymore because his armor was uncomfortable.
"Father, the armor is so hard, it hurts."
Xiao Xuance could only put the people down, take off his armor, and intend to hug them again.
Yun Zhaoxue grabbed his collar and said to her two sons, "Dabao, Erbao, go outside and play for a while. I have a few questions for your father."
"Yes, Mother." The two sons obediently went to the outer room, leaving only the two of them inside.
Xiao Xuance thought his wife wanted to be alone with him, and in his haste, he reached out to hug her.
Yun Zhaoxue raised her hand to block his chest, preventing him from getting closer, and pointed to the stool beside him, saying, "Sit!"
Do?
Couple having sex? Now?
He had traveled a long way, and the day before he arrived in Lin'an, he had bathed and changed clothes at an inn, but he was covered in dust from the journey.
She's so clean, yet she doesn't mind; my wife truly loves him.
He pointed outside and said in a low voice, "Xue'er, the two children might hear us from outside. I could either have someone take care of them, or I could have someone take them to their mother's place and let them look after them for half a day... a few days, so that my husband and I can have some alone time to strengthen our bond."
They had been married for six years, and he had only been unfaithful twice. Once was due to medication and happened against his will.
To be precise, there was only one time when he didn't want to hold his sweet and soft little wife in his arms.
Once, when Lu Xiao's private collection of erotic pictures was confiscated, he casually flipped through them a couple of times, and from then on, he frequently had those shameful dreams.
Yun Zhaoxue pressed him down into a chair. "Sit down first. I have a few questions for you."
He actually thought he was going to have sex with him in broad daylight?
If she couldn't even wait half a day, and was really that thirsty, she wouldn't need to wait for me to come back; she could just go to a brothel and have some fun with a male prostitute.
Xiao Xuance was forced to sit down, and only then did he realize he had misunderstood. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly in his embrace.
"Xue'er, ask me anything you want to know, and I'll tell you everything."
"Who is that woman sitting in the carriage in your triumphant procession?"
"What woman?"
The man was somewhat absent-minded and hadn't reacted yet. His handsome face was buried in her neck, which aroused her reaction. It was the same fragrance, but it seemed even more fragrant than before.
He was completely captivated by his beautiful wife the moment he held her in his arms, oblivious to all other women. His wife was slender, delicate, and had skin as white as snow.
Their intertwined fingers made his bronze skin stand out even more.
Why did he get so dark-skinned?
It was even darker than when I was working in the fields in Lingnan.
Will his wife dislike him?
He quietly took her hand and hid it below her head.
When Yun Zhaoxue heard his perfunctory answer, her heart skipped a beat. The ancients were right; most men were creatures who couldn't control their lower bodies. Besides, this was ancient times, where men could have three wives and four concubines, and he was a prince and a marshal.
When in love, you can give your life to the other person without it bothering you, or you can take their life.
The man's face brushed against her neck, then moved down intentionally or unintentionally.
Yun Zhaoxue held a sharp dagger in her hand, used it to lift his chin, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she said, "I heard it's a concubine you brought back from outside, is that right?"
Xiao Xuance felt the coldness on his jaw and grasped the hand holding the knife. "Concubine? What concubine? Xue'er, who told you that? I don't have any concubines at all."
Yun Zhaoxue said coldly, "I heard that there is a pregnant woman in the entourage this time, and some people are saying that she is your concubine, Marshal Xiao."
Da Bao and Er Bao, who were outside worried about a fight, heard the sound of a knife being drawn and rushed in, only to see their mother sitting in their father's lap.
The two didn't fight at all; it was more like...flirting?
Not suitable for children.
Da Bao quickly pulled Er Bao away.
Erbao didn't want to leave. He wanted to know if his father had another woman outside the marriage, or if he had a new child with that woman and didn't want them anymore. If so, he wouldn't acknowledge this father anymore and would find himself a better and more powerful stepfather.
Da Bao said, "Let's go. Dad isn't that kind of person. Let's go out and play for a while, and let them talk things out."
Only then did Erbao agree to leave.
Xiao Xuance: "Who said that? That's utter nonsense. I don't have any concubines at all. The one in that carriage is Princess Furou. When the capital was captured, she was taken away by the enemy along with the royal family. She escaped after we conquered Youzhou."
I suspected she might have been deliberately released... a spy, but she didn't do anything, and she was even pregnant.
I heard she secretly asked the military doctor if she could have an abortion, but the fetus was already six or seven months old, and the doctor said that if she had an abortion, it would be very dangerous for the mother, so she had to keep the baby.
When Xiao Xuance was a child, he was the young master of the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion. He often accompanied his father to banquets in the palace, or saw her when he participated in royal polo matches and royal hunts.
"She said she was close to you and even attended our wedding banquet, but I had forgotten about it."
On the night of his wedding, he led his army into battle. He barely remembered what his wife looked like, let alone who the guests were.
The past cannot be retrieved; what's gone is gone. He only needs to cherish the present.
"Is she carrying the child of the enemy?"
If she could start over without the child, it would be too cruel for a woman to be reminded of those humiliating days in an enemy country every time she saw that child.
"Yes, Wanyan Zonglie's child. I'm worried that it will cause dissatisfaction among the soldiers, so I'm not letting anyone spread the word. Not many people know about it yet."
"She looks somewhat like you. I heard from the prisoners that Wanyan Zonglie has already taken her as a concubine. On the way back, the spies from Dajing tried to abduct her."
He had just brought Zhao Furou to the palace to pay his respects to Zhao Xuan, and she was already staying there; she was no longer under his jurisdiction.
Princess Zhenrou was brought into the palace and nearly killed. Furou's life in the palace was probably not easy either; it would be better for her to be free and unrestrained outside the palace.
If Zhao Furou knew what Zhao Zhenrou had gone through in the palace, she probably wouldn't have chosen to return.
Xiao Xuance had already done more than enough by rescuing the person and sending them back to their homeland. He couldn't care less about the rest; all he wanted was to hug and kiss his wife.
He nestled his face against her neck and rubbed against her gently, saying in a muffled voice, "Wife, I'm heartbroken that you doubt me. Shouldn't you give me some compensation?"
Yun Zhaoxue's exposed neck skin itched from his stubble, and she shrank back, pushing the head away from her arms. "It itches. Clean yourself up tonight, shave your beard, and wait for this princess to favor you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com