Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands Chapter 625: Episode 0582 Baili Rui’s Identity (1)

Baili Rui looked at her, pursed his lips, and said nothing.

Li Yuzhu laughed, "Guoguo, you can’t just ask him to call you mom casually."

Li Jing said, "But I call Aunt Chai mom."

Li Yuzhu replied, "That’s different. Aunt Chai married your dad, so Aunt Chai is now mom. Baili Rui’s parents haven’t separated; they both acknowledge Baili Rui."

Li Jing listened, confused and unable to comprehend.

Guoguo blinked at her, saying nothing.

Li Yuzhu rubbed her forehead, as if she said sothing but it was useless.

.

Although Baili Rui was separated from his biological mother near Qingyang County, Li Yuzhu did not put up notices for claiming him.

She was worried soone might impersonate.

Baili Rui had been deceived once, there was a possibility he might be deceived again.

Such a young child can’t resist bad people at all.

Li Yuzhu thought about it and decided to let Sister-in-law Chai and her husband, along with Li Xing’an, help inquire.

Their shop receives custors from various places every day.

In conversations with custors, they might gather information.

Sister-in-law Chai and Li Xing’an both thought this was a good idea.

The next morning, when Li Yuzhu went to visit the County Magistrate’s Wife at the County Magistrate Mansion, she also agreed to help inquire.

Later that morning, Li Xingmao got the mule cart ready, loaded all the purchased items into the cart, and took Li Yuzhu and the three children back to the village.

With so many children in the cart, the mule cart didn’t move fast. When they returned to the Li Family, Nanny Jiang was already cooking dinner in the kitchen.

Hearing the sound of the cart wheels and the cheers of the children, Uncle Gui ca out and saw Li Xingmao had returned. He imdiately called Mu Yuanxiu and Li Xingsheng to help move things.

Everyone was surprised to see an unfamiliar child and looked towards Baili Rui in awe.

Uncle Gui asked, "Dallang, Third lady, whose child is this?"

Baili Rui blinked, "I’m from the Baili Family."

Uncle Gui laughed, "Oh, a clever little one."

"Grandpa Gui, his na is Baili Rui," Guoguo said.

"He’s four, got separated from his mom," Li Jing added.

Li Xingsheng patted Baili Rui’s shoulder as a welco, "Welco, welco."

Mu Yuanxiu squatted in front of Baili Rui, took his small hand, "Baili Rui, I’m Mu Yuanxiu."

"Brother Rui, you should call him Uncle Yuanxiu," Guoguo introduced.

Li Jing corrected, "He’s the younger uncle, we have three uncles."

Baili Rui looked at Guoguo and Li Jing, followed them, and called Mu Yuanxiu, "Younger uncle."

Mu Yuanxiu laughed, patting his back, "Go play with Guoguo and Jingjing."

"Co on, let’s go play," Guoguo grabbed Baili Rui’s hand.

Li Jing took his other hand.

The two kids, one on each side, pulled Baili Rui running into the house.

With Li Xingsheng and Mu Yuanxiu moving things together, Li Yuzhu didn’t have to worry. She followed the three children.

Li Jing and Guoguo, pulling Baili Rui, happily ran to the South Courtyard House.

The children’s laughter startled Chai Eying inside the house.

Chai Eying, holding her son, walked from the bedroom to the outer room, seeing Guoguo and Li Jing pulling an unfamiliar child running over.

The unfamiliar boy was wearing Li Jing’s clothes.

"Mom, he’s Baili Rui," Li Jing shouted loudly.

"Mom, do you like Brother Rui?" Guoguo’s legs were the shortest, running and puffing.

Chai Eying sat down on a chair, examined Baili Rui, then smiled and said, "I like him, whose child is he?"

"Don’t know," Li Jing shook his head.

Li Yuzhu followed in, "Sister-in-law, he got separated from his mom, he said he’s not local, got separated near the county while passing by, can’t find his relatives temporarily. After discussing with Brother, we decided to bring him ho to settle first. I have an empty house on the mountain, I’ll take him to stay on the mountain later."

Chai Eying liked children, "Let him stay below the mountain, let him live with Jingjing."

Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "I’m worried too many children will disturb Sister-in-law’s rest."

Chai Eying just laughed, "How could it be? I like having many children, when the sun is nice during the day, I even carry Xiao Yu to the neighboring school to listen to the children read."

Guoguo tugged Baili Rui’s hand, "Brother Rui, this is my mom."

Baili Rui looked at Chai Eying, and straightforwardly called her "Aunt."

Chai Eying freed a hand and stroked his head, "Good boy, settle down here."

Everyone treated him kindly, and the cautious expression on Baili Rui’s face gradually relaxed.

Chai Eying placed the baby in the cradle and brought snacks and dried fruits to entertain Baili Rui.

Li Yuzhu explained Baili Rui’s situation to Chai Eying.

Chai Eying looked at her son who had just turned a month old and began to worry about Baili Rui’s mother, "That lady from the Baili family lost her son; she must be very anxious."

"The Lord County Magistrate has sent a ssage to Liangzhou over there to inquire; hopefully, they’ll be able to find soone," Li Yuzhu said.

"I hope they find him," Chai Eying said worriedly.

Li Xingmao, having moved the luggage, entered the room.

Chai Eying imdiately went to greet him, "Have you returned, my husband?"

Li Xingmao walked over to the cradle, looked at the baby, and pushed Baili Rui in front of Chai Eying, apologetically saying, "Eying, without discussing with you, I brought this child ho."

Chai Eying patted Baili Rui’s head with a smile, "There’s enough room in the house, and we’re not short on food. Having one more child is no matter; he’s about the sa age as Jingjing; he can stay and beco a companion."

Li Jing pulled Baili Rui and ran outside, "Co, let’s see my grandparents; I’ll show you my room, and we can stay together tonight."

Guoguo also ran after them.

"I’ll watch over them," Li Yuzhu said and went after the children.

Inside, there was only Li Xingmao and Chai Eying, along with a small baby who understood nothing.

The couple had been apart for several days, and they talked intimately.

Li Jing led Baili Rui and rushed into the North Courtyard Main House.

Shortly afterward, Li Yuzhu arrived carrying the slower-running Guoguo.

"Grandfather, grandmother, we’re back," Li Jing’s voice ca before he entered the house.

Inside, Prince Luling and his wife were chatting idly; seeing Li Jing co in with an unfamiliar child, they looked on curiously.

"Jingjing, who is he?" Princess Consort Luling asked with a smile.

"He’s Baili Rui," Li Jing replied.

Li Yuzhu put Guoguo down and explained Baili Rui’s situation.

Baili Rui followed Li Jing and called out to grandfather and grandmother without much fear.

"When my big brother and I found him, although he was covered in dust, his clothes were of good quality, resembling the attire of a noble family’s child, and his writing wasn’t bad, either, indicating his elite upbringing," Li Yuzhu said.

Well-dressed, well-spoken, and good at writing—these are the hallmarks of a child taught by a privileged family.

Prince Luling stroked the tip of his beard, pondering, "From Liangzhou? A noble nad Baili? I have heard of such a family."

Princess Consort Luling said, "Husband, speaking of the Baili family from Liangzhou, I recall soone. Isn’t the Envoy from Liangzhou also nad Baili?"

Prince Luling nodded, "That’s exactly the family I’m thinking of. Old Master Baili wanted to pass on the position of Envoy to his second son, but the person from the palace wouldn’t allow it. Old Master Baili ca to , telling his eldest son is incompetent and would ruin Liangzhou’s military affairs if given the position of Envoy. He wanted to pass it to the second son, and I helped by advocating on their behalf at the palace."

Listening to her parents chat, Li Yuzhu said, "I rember, this Envoy is responsible for military defenses and affairs at the border, and can be inherited. If Baili Rui’s father is the Envoy, it won’t be hard to find his family."

The Envoy is a high-ranking official established at the frontier, equivalent to a frontier governor, a third-rank official.

The frontier has a complex population; in peaceti, the Envoy manages civil affairs and taxation, while in warti, the Envoy is a commanding general.

An Envoy must be skilled in both literature and martial arts.

Frequent replacents of personnel can destabilize the borders, so Zhao Country changed the previous dynastic laws, allowing the position of Envoy to beco hereditary.

As long as the family doesn’t break any laws, the son takes over when the father retires, and the grandson when the son retires.

Generation after generation can sit in this role.

To choose a successor, the acting Envoy submits a petition to the court for the Emperor’s approval.

In remote locations far from the Emperor, although the environnt is harsh, the power is imnse, and almost every Envoy is a local tyrant.

Prince Luling drew Baili Rui close to him, "What is your grandfather’s na? Do you know?"

Li Yuzhu ntioned Baili Rui’s father’s na, but given Baili Rui’s young age, his father likely wasn’t very old either, and Prince Luling didn’t have any impression upon hearing it.

But Prince Luling knew more about elder nas, so he asked Baili Rui his grandfather’s na.

Baili Rui said, "My grandfather’s na is Baili Wenji."

"Baili Wenji?" Prince Luling said, puzzled, "I have not heard this na before. Are you sure your grandfather is called by this na? Does he have any other nas?"

Baili Rui shook his head, "No other nas, he’s just called Baili Wenji. I heard people call him that, so call him Mr. Wenji, and others call him Brother Wenji."

Prince Luling said disappointedly, "Not the Envoy’s Baili family? An elder in the Baili family nad Baili Ao, but not Baili Wenji."

Li Yuzhu said, "Father, Baili Rui is young and may not rember all his grandfather’s nas. It’s possible his grandfather has other nas, so let’s keep inquiring."

In this era, many people of status had multiple nas.

Besides a given na, they also had courtesy nas, and sotis more than one.

It’s a difficult task for a four-year-old to rember all of his grandfather’s nas.