Chapter 419 - 417: Sons of the Military Family (1st Update)

Chapter 419: Chapter 417: Sons of the Military Family (1st Update)

Duke Liang Mansion in the Western Capital.

No matter how chaotic it was outside, the heavily guarded Duke Liang Mansion always gave a sense of ironclad security.

However, despite this, the old and young women inside the mansion spent a restless night filled with anxiety.

Madam Cen spent the entire night kneeling in her small Buddha hall, praying for the Zhao Family men who were quelling the rebellion outside. It wasn’t until the next morning when her two daughters-in-law excitedly ran to her, informing her that the battles in the Capital City had subsided, that her heart eased slightly. With the careful assistance of her maid and her daughters-in-law, she was gently helped up.

Mrs. Pei noticed the dark circles under her mother-in-law’s eyes, frowned slightly, and said, "Mother, the battle has finally paused for now, and you haven’t slept all night. Why don’t you go rest in your room?"

The Yang Family also chimed in, "Yes, in your current state, if your sons return, they will feel distressed and might blame us daughters-in-law for not taking good care of you."

Madam Cen looked at them lovingly, shook her head gently, and said, "Ah, you’re still too young. I’ve been with the Lord for over thirty years now and have experienced more than just this one battle. Although I don’t have to go to the battlefield like the Lord, as the matriarch of the Zhao Family, during the day, I need to manage every aspect of the household to ensure the Lord has no worries, and at night, I must go to the Buddha hall to pray for him. Back during King Wu’s rebellion, the situation was even more critical, and I didn’t sleep for three whole days and nights.

But after King Wu’s rebellion, Great Chu has been stable for nearly ten years. Xu’er and the others have grown up and can share the burden with the Lord. The Lord spends more and more time at home these years, and I find myself almost forgetting that pressing urgency when battles are imminent."

Hearing this, Mrs. Pei and the Yang Family couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy in their hearts.

It was indeed their first time experiencing such a major conflict since they married into the family.

Mrs. Pei, born into a military family, had better endurance, but the Yang Family’s eyes reddened slightly, saying, "Mother, what does imminent battle mean? I thought... I thought after last night’s battle subsided, things would be over..."

"You forgot? The soldier who reported just now said that Duke Xing and several Lords from the Jiang Family had successfully escaped the Western Capital."

Mrs. Pei sighed softly and said, "Last night’s chaos was just the appetizer before the great war, and it will get even more difficult in the future."

The Yang Family bit her lip and asked, "Will my husband... will my husband have to go to the battlefield?"

Madam Cen looked at the Yang Family, lightly patting her hand, and said, "Daiwen, Zhao Family men never ask if they should go to the battlefield; they only ask if the battlefield needs them. If needed, they must go, even if it means facing the worst dangers.

This is something you should have been aware of before marrying into the Zhao Family."

The Yang Family’s face immediately turned slightly pale.

Madam Cen knew that this daughter-in-law had a softer temperament, sighed softly, and shifted the topic.

As the women were speaking softly, Qingyu suddenly came in and said, "Madam, Vice Minister Xiao and Mrs. Xu are here to pick up Young Master Xiao."

Madam Cen paused slightly, then smiled, saying, "They’ve finally come. If they didn’t, even as well-behaved as Chang Xiao is, he would probably start causing a fuss."

Mrs. Pei also said, "Chang Xiao’s temperament is more mature than other children. Last night, when Commander Xiang hurriedly sent him over, he already looked like he was on the verge of tears. Yu was still carefree, clamoring to play with Chang Xiao. I said, ’Chang Xiao is in no mood to play with you now.’

As expected, after dinner, Yu went to find Chang Xiao. No matter how much he tried to cheer him up, Chang Xiao just sat there in a daze, occasionally glancing at the door. Seeing that look pained my heart."

Madam Cen, having stayed in her Buddha hall after dinner and unaware of the events afterward, couldn’t help but feel distressed upon hearing this and said, "Poor thing, in wartime, it’s truly the children who suffer the most. Though we have a large family gathered together, making it lively and providing mutual support, Chang Xiao is often left alone at home, or sent to other families to be looked after. It’s not easy.

Go, call Chang Xiao out, I’ll personally send him over."

However, when Madam Cen led Xiao Huai’an by the hand to the front hall, upon seeing Xiao Yi and Xu Jing inside, she raised her eyebrows slightly, acutely sensing something amiss.

The young couple sat apart on the chairs on the right side of the front hall. From afar, one could see Xu Jing holding a teacup, sipping tea slowly, while Xiao Yi, sitting to her left, kept looking at her, his expression seemingly... tinged with faint helplessness.

Even though they sat together with no verbal or physical interaction, a natural aura surrounded them, betraying their relationship status to those perceptive enough, let alone to someone savvy like Madam Cen.

As she pondered over this, the little one she was holding couldn’t contain his excitement, broke free from her hand, and dashed over, shouting, "Dad, Mom!"

Hearing the little one’s voice brought the two out of their reverie. Xu Jing immediately put down the teacup in her hand, catching the little one who rushed over, her face finally breaking into a slight smile, "Were you well-behaved at Madam Cen’s place? Did you cause any trouble for others?"

The little one instantly retorted, "Chang Xiao was very good! He didn’t cause any trouble for anyone!"

At this moment, Madam Cen came over and chuckled gently, "Chang Xiao was indeed very well-behaved, but he was worried about you two. Though he didn’t say anything, we could all see that he was waiting for you to take him home."

Xu Jing’s heart stirred, and she gently patted the little one’s small head and said, "Thanks to Mrs. Cen, it’s us who haven’t fulfilled our parental duties."

"What are you saying?"

Madam Cen glanced meaningfully at her and Xiao Yi beside her, smiling, "To Chang Xiao, as long as both of you are well, that’s his greatest happiness. He’s waiting for you to give him a few younger siblings."

Xiao Huai’an’s eyes immediately lit up.

Xu Jing, however, couldn’t help but secretly scoff.

Ha, younger siblings? Better keep dreaming!

On the surface, she just smiled faintly, and deflected the topic by saying, "In any case, thank you to Mrs. Cen. When I have the time, I’ll come to thank her properly.

We’ll be heading back now."

After saying that, she took Chang Xiao to bid farewell to Madam Cen and politely declined her offer to see them to the door before turning to leave.

Throughout, she never once looked at Xiao Yi beside her, allowing him to follow her lead, whatever she did, he followed suit.

Seeing Xu Jing leading Chang Xiao out first, Xiao Yi turned back with a sigh, glancing at them one last time before striding out to follow them.

As soon as their family of three left, Madam Cen grabbed her youngest son, who was just about to slip away, and frowned slightly, "Ming’er, what exactly happened between Yanci and Jing?"

"I don’t know either!"

Zhao Jingming, tired from a night of work and then subjected to the morning chill from those two, was exhausted and yearned to return to his room for some rest. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but jump up and say, "This is how they were when they came out of their room this morning. Jing looked as if Yanci had secretly taken ten or eight concubines behind her back. I’m beginning to suspect she’s finally realized Yanci’s dull and boring nature and regrets marrying him again!"