Chapter 1882: Chapter 937: First Update
Liao Chen had no objections to this; he had long wanted to visit the Sword Smithy, and also take revenge for the old grudges against the Shadow Division.
—It was definitely not to escape the pursuit of that bull-nosed person.
"By the way, where’s my daughter-in-law?" Xuanyuan Qi suddenly asked.
Liao Chen: "..."
...
On the other side, Empress Dowager Zhuang also returned to the palace.
She glanced at the old sacrificial wine who had hitched a ride in her carriage for who knows how many times, her glare sharp as daggers.
The old sacrificial wine said without changing his expression, "I suddenly remembered, I have urgent matters to report to His Majesty."
After a pause, under the cold, steely gaze of Empress Dowager Zhuang, he said, "My carriage broke down."
Empress Dowager Zhuang couldn’t be bothered with him, hugging her jar of candied fruits, and closed her eyes to rest.
The candied fruits for today were made by Gu Jiao herself, and Empress Dowager Zhuang cherished them dearly.
After entering the palace, Empress Dowager Zhuang glanced sideways at someone’s eyes, saying, "Not getting off yet?"
"Ah, are we here already? So soon." The old sacrificial wine grumbled discontentedly, mumbling twice and reluctantly got off the carriage under Empress Dowager Zhuang’s sharp gaze.
The carriage moved towards Renshou Palace carrying Empress Dowager Zhuang, while the old sacrificial wine silently watched it depart, until a member of the Imperial Forest Army on duty walked over, saluted him, and said, "Lord Huo, the palace gate is about to be locked. Do you have any matters to report to His Majesty? Shall I have them wait a moment?"
"No need, it’s nothing." After speaking, the old sacrificial wine brushed his broad sleeves, placed his hands behind his back, and strode out of the palace.
This left the Imperial Forest Army soldier standing there, scratching his head, bewildered: "Did you come into the palace in the middle of the night just for moon watching?"
...
Xiao Hen and Gu Jiao returned to the Princess Residence, first going to pay their respects to Princess Xinyang, only to be told that the princess was not there.
A maid reported, "There was an incident at the Military Camp today, and the marquis went there and hasn’t returned since evening. The young lady cried her heart out wanting her father. The princess had no choice but to take the young lady out to enjoy the lanterns."
As she spoke, she looked around and whispered, "Actually, she went to find the marquis!"
The whole residence knew it clearly, but who would dare to expose Princess Xinyang’s face? Are you looking for death?
Xiao Hen couldn’t help but laugh and cry. After being the great queen of the residence for so many years, who always had her way without any objections, Princess Xinyang was now completely wrapped around the finger by a little brat.
Indeed, more capable than her two brothers.
The young couple returned to the Orchid Courtyard.
Xiao Hen carried Little Jingkong back into the room, gave him a bath. Little Jingkong slept like a log and didn’t wake up despite being moved around by the troublesome brother-in-law.
When Xiao Hen was about to change him into sleepwear, he suddenly noticed that Little Jingkong’s sleeve cuffs and trouser legs were both a bit short.
It was at this moment that Xiao Hen truly realized the little guy had grown bigger.
Jingkong was taken home by Gu Jiao from the mountains at the age of three. In these three and a half years, on the surface, it seemed like Jingkong clung more to Gu Jiao because he kept calling Jiaojiao repeatedly, but in reality, he spent the most time with Xiao Hen.
First of all, they slept in the same room, which automatically took up a third of the time.
Secondly, when Gu Jiao set out on expeditions, she couldn’t bring him along, and when he went to Yan Country to find Gu Jiao, the little guy was always by his side.
Previously, he hadn’t raised any kids nor had experience dealing with any, and since Gu Jiao brought him back, he decided to accept him.
But along the way, through ups and downs, trials and battles, they have clearly become indispensable parts of each other’s lives.
Xiao Hen squeezed the shortened sleeve cuff and clicked his tongue: "Starting to grow taller, now we’ll have to make new clothes again. You really are not fabric-saving!"
Little Jingkong mumbled in his dreams, seemingly complaining about his muttering.
Xiao Hen returned to the main room, where Gu Jiao had already washed, wearing cool silk sleepwear, and was sitting at the table organizing the medicines in the first aid kit.
Seeing her, Xiao Hen felt a sense of peaceful stability, a tranquil life; he smiled, "I’ll go take a bath first."
"Oh, okay." Gu Jiao continued to focus on organizing the medicines.
When Xiao Hen came out of the bath, she was still busily organizing, and her expression was quite strange.
"What’s wrong?" He came over to her and asked.
"One, two, three." Gu Jiao counted the anti-inflammatory drugs she had returned to the kit and turned to Xiao Hen, saying, "Did you notice, it seems to have gotten a bit bigger?"
"The first aid kit?" Xiao Hen looked at it carefully.
Gu Jiao said, "Previously, this compartment could only fit two boxes side by side, today I put in three."
He had no detailed memory of the internal structure of the first aid kit, only knowing that though it appeared small, it could hold a lot. As Gu Jiao put it, it had a different dimensional space inside.
As for the case itself—
Xiao Hen looked at it for a moment, then measured the length, width, and height with his fingers: "It seems to have grown an inch."
Gu Jiao widened her eyes and said, "Right? I just discovered it today."
The main reason was the recent busyness with the big wedding, and after the wedding, all sorts of staying shamelessly close, leaving hardly any time to organize it carefully.
The first aid kit was too mysterious, and Gu Jiao had yet to fully understand it, only confirming it came from a sophisticated civilization, not a product of this dimensional space.
Xiao Hen sat down beside her and asked, "How did you get this kit in the first place?"
"My godfather gave it to me," Gu Jiao answered truthfully.
Regarding her origins, Gu Jiao had been candid with Xiao Hen, saying she came from another space-time; using terms Xiao Hen could understand, her soul occupied this body.
However, she seldom mentioned specific experiences of that space-time.
"What is a godfather?" This was a new term for Xiao Hen now.
Gu Jiao explained the market meaning of a godfather to Xiao Hen, but in the organization, it wasn’t meant as father, more as a form of respect for the leader of one’s group.
In fact, the Godfather is not much older than her.
She clearly remembers when she was eight; her only caregiver, her grandmother, also passed away. She sat all alone under the muddy eaves, drenched to the skin by the pouring rain.
She shivered, thinking she would freeze to death there. Then a pair of shiny black military boots stepped through the mud toward her.
The rain was too heavy. She looked up, trying to see his face but couldn’t open her eyes due to the downpour.
All she remembered was that when she lowered her head, a cold, pale, slender hand, seemingly devoid of warmth, extended before her.
It was the most beautiful hand she had ever seen.
"Who, who are you?"
"King. From now on, call me Godfather."
A sixteen-year-old boy, his voice low, deep, calm, and cold-blooded.
Gu Jiao was deep in thought as Xiao Hen stared at her unblinkingly. This was the first time he heard from her about another man related to her.
"You care for him greatly."
He said.
It was a tone of certainty.
"Yes." Gu Jiao nodded candidly, "Without him, I wouldn’t be who I am today."
If Godfather hadn’t taken her in, she would have already frozen to death in that storm.
All the skills she had were taught by Godfather.
But now, some memories of him seemed uncertain.
In the past, she didn’t feel this way. She couldn’t pinpoint when it started, but recently, she felt she might have forgotten something significant.
"Dear," Xiao Hen said calmly, "I’m jealous." The kind that can’t be soothed.
"Hmm?" Gu Jiao looked at him in confusion, "Why?"
The Jealous King Xiao blankly confessed, "You’ve never cared for me like this."
Gu Jiao: "..."
...
The moon was dark, and the wind high.
A carriage traveled along the wide official road.
"You little troublemaker, do you have to go find your father?"
Inside the carriage, Princess Xinyang cradled the little one in her arms with a face full of grievance.
At this hour, other children were already asleep. Yet, her precious daughter had her gem-like eyes wide open, with not a hint of sleepiness.
"Turn the carriage around," Princess Xinyang instructed Yujin.
Yujin ordered the coachman.
As soon as the carriage turned, the once-quiet Little Yiyi clenched her fists and began to wail!
Princess Xinyang stamped her foot in frustration.
The carriage eventually stopped near the Military Camp.
At this hour, the civil officials were long off duty, while the military officers were slightly later. Many carriages were parked on either side of the road. Princess Xinyang deliberately chose an inconspicuous spot, and for a moment, no one noticed anything unusual.
Little Yiyi nestled obediently in her mother’s arms, waiting for her father.
Finally, Xuanping Marquis came out.
"It’s the Marquis!" Yujin peeked through the gap in the back curtain, "It seems there’s someone with him? Is it... General Qian?"
General Qian was a military officer in the court, originally the subordinates of the old Marquis, recently transferred to the Western Camp of the Capital City.
"Wait a moment," Princess Xinyang said.
She didn’t want anyone to find out she came looking for Xiao Ji.
The two chatted amiably, saying a lot until General Qian suddenly invited Xuanping Marquis to Ruanxiang Pavilion to listen to some tunes.
Ruanxiang Pavilion is a famous brothel in the Capital City, on par with Xianle Inn, with beautiful girls one after another.
"Recently, a lot of beauties have arrived at Ruanxiang Pavilion, so I dared to invite the Marquis to listen to some tunes," General Qian said, smiling broadly.
Yujin glanced at her princess calmly, and Princess Xinyang’s expression showed no change.
She whispered, "Princess."
Princess Xinyang confidently said, "He won’t agree. He still has to go back and soothe Yiyi."
Then Xuanping Marquis boarded General Qian’s carriage.
After the two left, Yujin didn’t dare to make a sound.
"Back to the residence!" Princess Xinyang said coldly.
"Aren’t we, aren’t we going to take a look?" Yujin asked in a small voice.
Princess Xinyang retorted crossly, "What’s there to see? If he wants to frequent the brothel, how can I stop him? He can go wherever he wants; it has nothing to do with me!"
Little Yiyi, presumably feeling her mother’s anger, obediently remained still, not crying to find her father.
Half an hour later.
Princess Xinyang’s carriage stopped at the entrance of Ruanxiang Pavilion.