Ye Jingyu narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly, "You don't remember any of the kindness I've shown you, only the times I've spanked your hands. It's not wrong to call you ungrateful."
The little dumpling, dangling from his grasp, blinked her eyes open hazily. She saw a gloomy face, then her lips drooped, and she whined pitifully, "Why are you bullying Momo~"
She was half-asleep, her voice like a kitten's, her words slurred.
Ye Jingyu frowned, "Do you know who I am?"
The little dumpling craned her head forward, reaching out a small hand to hug his neck. "Brother Yu, Momo is sleepy~ Mmm~ My head hurts~"
"Head hurts?" Ye Jingyu held her with one arm and reached out with the other to feel her forehead.
Had she caught a cold from the wind last night?
Her forehead was at a normal temperature, no fever.
Ye Jingyu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After saying a sentence, the little dumpling clung to his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, and fell back asleep.
Ye Jingyu sighed, his brow furrowed with complex emotions.
Was it because he had spent too much time with this girl? He was becoming more childish too.
Let Ye Jingkun come to find her; it was normal for the little girl to have a few friends. He didn't need to be angry.
"Alright, sleep now. I won't bother you anymore," Ye Jingyu gently patted her back and placed her on the bed.
It was indeed very early, with dawn just breaking.
"Master?" Qian Xue knocked on the door again, looking troubled. "Prince Kun says he won't leave until he sees the young lady."
The smile on Ye Jingyu's face froze, and his expression immediately soured. He gritted his teeth, "Then let him wait."
Qian Xue's head was spinning. "But Master, the young lady is asleep and cannot receive guests. You can't just hide. You also have morning court to attend."
Ye Jingyu glanced at the little person on the bed, then rolled over, kicked off his shoes, and got onto the bed. He pulled her into his arms and said stubbornly, "I'm taking leave today!"
Qian Xue: "...Alright."
As you wish.
Qian Xue had no choice but to go to the front hall again and relay his master's words to Ye Jingkun.
Ye Jingkun sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea.
He didn't drink it, his gaze fixed on the tea leaf floating on the surface. Only when the tea leaf slowly sank to the bottom of the water did he place the cup back on the table and stand up.
Qian Xue apologized profusely, "Your Highness Prince Kun, I am truly sorry. My master has some urgent matters and cannot get away. You know there have been some recent incidents at the General's Mansion that he needs to handle."
Ye Jingkun walked towards the exit, not saying a single word from beginning to end.
At morning court.
The Ministry of Justice submitted a memorial to the throne regarding the case of Ye Yuanlin, as Ye Jingyu had instructed.
After reading it, the Emperor asked for the opinions of the assembled ministers.
Some demanded severe punishment, while others felt there were doubts and the matter could not be easily concluded. In short, opinions were divided.
Emperor Ye Yao did not heed any side's opinion. Instead, after the court session, he summoned Su Qingtian to the study alone.
The two talked for a long time. By late morning, Su Qingtian left the imperial palace.
Simultaneously, an imperial decree was issued to various residences.
Bandits had invaded the northern territories. General Yongsheng was dispatched to suppress them and protect the nation's safety.
There was no mention of punishment or the Ye Yuanlin case. This was considered a way to cover up the royal scandal and intended to allow Su Qingtian to temporarily step away from the spotlight.
Compared to imprisonment, this was the best possible outcome.
The imperial decree was delivered to the General's Mansion. The eunuch who announced it conveyed, "His Majesty's intention is for General Su to depart for the north immediately today, without any delay in the capital."
Su Qingtian had already prepared himself mentally and accepted the imperial decree.
The other members of the Su family, upon hearing the news, came to the entrance of the General's Mansion to see him off.
Su Chengan, for once, adopted the demeanor of an elder brother.
"Fourth brother, who knows when you'll return from the north. Don't worry about anything at home. If there's anything Big Brother can help with, I will spare no effort."
Although His Majesty had shown some leniency this time, the decree did not specify when he could return after suppressing the bandits. Whether he would be pardoned or not was entirely at His Majesty's discretion.
"Thank you, Big Brother," Su Qingtian thanked everyone and then his gaze fell on Zhou Wanyou. "Take good care of yourself and the children."
Zhou Wanyou returned his smile, "I'll wait for you to come back."
They said nothing, yet conveyed everything.
The three brothers stood side-by-side with Zhou Wanyou, their backs straight and expressions solemn.
"Father, don't worry. We will take good care of Mother and sister."
Su Qingtian looked at the three of them, feeling as if they had grown up overnight.
Su Yunmo had rushed back to the mansion upon learning that Su Qingtian had been summoned to the palace.
Now, she held a sachet in her hand and handed it to Su Qingtian with a raised hand. "Daddy, Momo will miss you."
Su Qingtian picked her up and weighed her in his arms. "Little one, you must listen to Mother at home. Don't make her angry. When Daddy comes back, I'll bring you a gift."
He paused, then added, "After Daddy leaves, you must eat more at every meal. Daddy wants to weigh you when he returns."
This child had suffered too much hardship in the past, so it was normal for her to be underweight. Now that she had been living in the mansion for over half a year, it was not good for her to remain so light.
"Okay~" The little dumpling drew out the sound, obediently agreeing, and nuzzled his chest with her head.
Su Qing stood among the crowd, watching Su Qingtian.
He had been released that morning. With Ye Yuanlin dead, the crimes he had committed had no witnesses, and his debts had been repaid. Furthermore, this was a family matter, so the Ministry of Justice had not passed judgment.
He was covered in dirt, having rolled around in the prison cell all morning, his hair disheveled, looking like an old beggar.
He pushed through the crowd, wanting to speak to Su Qingtian.
Su Qingtian put the little dumpling down and ruffled her hair. "I'm leaving."
The procession on the street was waiting.
Su Qingtian turned and left, mounted his horse, and did not give Su Qing a chance to speak, nor did he even glance at him.
Everyone watched Su Qingtian depart, and Su Qingtian waved goodbye to them.
Su Qing stood in the crowd, but was suddenly struck by a profound sense of loneliness.
He opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing. His back seemed to curve even more, as if he had aged decades in an instant.
The crowd gradually dispersed.
Zhou Wanyou led the children back to the mansion. Some guests followed them into the mansion, while others returned to their own homes.
Su Qingtian's figure disappeared, and the street suddenly became empty.
Su Qing looked at the closed gates of the General's Mansion, regretting it more than ever.
This family, in the end, was ruined by him.
After seeing off Su Qingtian and the guests, Zhou Wanyou finally had a moment to sit down and rest.
The three brothers, with the little dumpling, entered from outside the hall, their expressions solemn as they stood in a line before her.
Zhou Wanyou poured a cup of tea and looked at their demeanor with some surprise. "What's wrong with you all?"
Su Sizhuo's usually serious face was even more meticulous than usual. "Mother, from today onwards, all household matters will be handled by me."
Su Siqi, also unusually serious, said, "Mother, I've saved some money over the years. I plan to start a small business, and the household expenses will be covered by me in the future."
Su Siyuan puffed out his cheeks. "Mother, starting tomorrow, I plan to live at the martial arts school. I will strive to master my skills as soon as possible and pass the imperial examination for martial arts, so I can achieve great deeds on the battlefield to help Father!"
After speaking, the three of them looked at the little dumpling in unison.