Xiao Yunjing saw them talking and sent a servant to inform Gu Qingli and Xiao Han. He then went to Xiao Yuling’s bed to pick up his son.
Upon hearing that Xiao Ce had returned, Gu Qingli was quite surprised. She also brought her little baby to Xiao Yuling’s place.
Xiao Han and his brother arrived before her. They sat next to Xiao Ce, their eyes filled with tears, looking incredibly wronged.
"Father," Gu Qingli called out.
Xiao Ce nodded and then noticed the child in her arms. He looked at the child in Xiao Yunjing’s arms and exclaid in surprise, "Two of them?"
Xiao Yunjing touched his forehead. "Father, they are triplets—three little rascals."
"Ah?" Xiao Ce didn’t even speak to Xiao Yuling before moving to hold the little one in Xiao Yunjing’s arms.
Xiao Yunjing said disdainfully, "Father, you should clean yourself up before holding them."
"Yes, yes, Yunjing is right. Big Brother, look at yourself! Don’t get my grandson dirty." Xiao Yuling also shot Xiao Ce a sidelong glance, her face full of disdain.
Xiao Ce looked down at his disheveled state, glared grumpily at the mother and son, then stomped off to wash up. The originally somber atmosphere instantly lightened.
Xiao Yuling winked at Xiao Yunjing and Gu Qingli.
Gu Qingli pursed her lips and smiled. This mother-in-law is becoming more and more like a mischievous girl, she thought.
"Xiao Han, you two have seen your grandfather. Go to the backyard for now," Xiao Yunjing instructed the two boys, telling them to practice first and that they would talk more in the evening.
After kissing the babies’ faces, Xiao Han and his brother ran to the backyard.
Watching their lightened steps, Gu Qingli felt a sense of relief, as if they had regained their pillar of support. For the past few days, the two boys had been very somber.
"My dear son," Xiao Yuling muttered after Xiao Han and his brother left, "calling your uncle ’Uncle’ and then also ’Father’... What a confusing relationship this is!"
Xiao Yunjing sat down beside her and gently patted her. "We’re already used to it, aren’t we?"
"You cheeky brat!" Xiao Yuling swatted him playfully.
Xiao Yunjing chuckled.
「In the evening」
After dinner, Xiao Ce asked Xiao Han about so matters before heading to Xiao Yunjing’s study, looking sullen.
SIGH! Xiao Ce entered, let out a long sigh, and then sat down.
"Why the sigh, Father?" Xiao Yunjing asked.
"If you call ’Uncle’ and then ’Father,’ your mother will kill !" Xiao Ce exclaid. "Earlier at dinner, when you called ’Father’ again, Xiao Yuling glared at fiercely and even stomped on my foot a few tis. I didn’t dare to respond." Sigh, what a way to be a father, he thought.
"Then just call Uncle. It’s not that different from Father, anyway," Xiao Yunjing said, walking over to sit across from him.
"Uncle, what’s the situation with Eldest Brother now?" Xiao Yunjing asked after sitting down.
Xiao Ce sighed again. "As for him... he was ill when I left. From the looks of it, he also regretted killing your elder sister-in-law. Sigh! It’s his own doing, really. He shouldn’t have taken that position as Emperor."
Xiao Yunjing felt little upon hearing this; he had already let it go.
He said, "Uncle, don’t think that way. It’s said that a soldier who doesn’t aspire to be a general isn’t a good soldier. If he didn’t want to be Emperor, he wouldn’t be a good general, especially when that position was right there, within his grasp. I don’t dwell on this matter. As long as my eldest and second brothers, and you and Mother—oh, Aunt—can live prosperous and comfortable lives, what reason would I have to be unwilling? Our initial goal was for everyone to live peaceful and happy lives. So, Uncle, please don’t keep brooding over what Eldest Brother did. It’s already a fact and cannot be changed."
If a country changes its Emperor as frequently as changing clothes, what would beco of it? Moreover, it would easily lead to instability, and other nations would surely take advantage of the situation, Xiao Yunjing thought.
He then continued aloud, "There isn’t much happening here. In a few days, you all should return to Beijiang. If you need people, I can lend you so from here. Eldest Brother’s current situation is likely not good, so Uncle, please consider this carefully. Of course, if you don’t want to go back, you’re welco to stay here at ho."
"Are you really not bothered by it?" Xiao Ce asked. "Actually, I never wanted your eldest brother to be the Emperor in the first place. Being an Emperor is different from other positions; you need the ability to take the throne, the ability to defend it, and even more, the ability to ensure its continuation."
Xiao Ce hadn’t expected Xiao Yunjing to view Xiao Yunfeng’s occupation of Beijiang and declaration as Emperor in this light. He had always assud Xiao Yunjing would be against it. Otherwise, why would he have withdrawn his people, even his dical Clinic, from Beijiang? Xiao Ce mused. Moreover, being an Emperor is no child’s play. It’s not a role you can take up or abandon whenever you please by simply walking away. The most difficult part is defending the throne. As the saying goes, conquering a territory is easy, but defending it is hard. With the Xiao Family’s ager strength, holding onto Beijiang is an incredibly daunting task. If Xiao Yunjing were still present, it would be sowhat better; they could leverage his influence. But what about decades later, when Xiao Yunjing is no longer around?
"I was a little bothered at first," Xiao Yunjing admitted honestly, "since my original intention was to establish that place as my main base. But I later ca to terms with it, considering it repaynt for your kindness in raising and for the hardships you’ve endured over the years."
He was telling the truth. He was no saint, nor a hypocrite. Even he wouldn’t believe himself if he claid he wasn’t bothered at all.
Hearing this, Xiao Ce felt a complex mix of emotions: relief at Xiao Yunjing’s magnanimity and a sense of sha regarding Xiao Yunfeng’s selfishness and arrogance. All three children were raised and taught the sa way, yet as they grew, their personalities and actions diverged completely, he thought. Little did he know that Xiao Yunjing had lived a whole other life; his vision and breadth of mind were far beyond anything Xiao Yunfeng could compare to.
Xiao Ce said, "Well then, Uncle will consider it, and we’ll discuss it later."
"Alright," Xiao Yunjing nodded. "You’ve had a long journey, so please go and rest early. Your room has been prepared."
With complex emotions, Xiao Ce left the study and followed a servant to the room readied for him.
After attending to his affairs, Xiao Yunjing also returned to his bedroom.
"Are the boys asleep?" Xiao Yunjing asked.
"They’re asleep," Gu Qingli replied. "So, how did it go? What did Uncle say?" She still felt a little awkward suddenly calling Xiao Ce ’Uncle’.
Xiao Yunjing undressed, climbed onto the kang bed, and pulled Gu Qingli into his embrace. "Uncle has never approved of Eldest Brother becoming Emperor. I just spent so ti persuading him, suggesting they should return to Beijiang. He said he’d consider it."
"I think they should go back," Gu Qingli said. "Xiao Han is, after all, the crown prince of the Beijiang Kingdom. He won’t learn much of what he needs here. Of course, you can teach him certain things, but you can’t set aside all your own affairs just to ntor him."
Otherwise, our own plans would be delayed, she thought. That nacing Qingchen lurking outside still hasn’t been dealt with, and our own crucial matters are currently in progress and cannot be interrupted. So, it really would be best for Xiao Ce and his two grandsons to return to Beijiang.
"They probably will go back," Xiao Yunjing said. "Previously, Uncle was mainly worried about my stance on the matter. Tonight, I made my intentions clear, so their concerns should be dispelled now."
Worried that I might one day raise troops to reclaim Beijiang? That’s sothing I would never do. Frankly, Beijiang doesn’t hold much importance in my eyes anymore. I now control the three commanderies of Beijing, Huayang, and Qiyang, which are by no ans inferior to Beijiang. The only difference is that Beijiang has an established regi ready to use, whereas these territories don’t yet. I’ll either have to build my own or seize Daqian.
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