"Greetings, Protector of the Nation, General Shen! Greetings, Prince Shi!" All the soldiers saluted Shen Tianjun and the handsome young man behind him with clasped fists.
The handsome young man looked at Bai Sheng with excitement. Xue Sheng was disfigured. This woman in fitted clothing wearing a veiled hat should be her.
"Uncle Shen!" Bai Sheng immediately recognized the middle-aged man. When he was eighteen, he had half of his right ear sliced off by the enemy while leading troops into battle.
"Little Snowball?" Protector of the Nation, General Shen Tianjun, asked doubtfully upon hearing Bai Sheng's voice. After all, the princess was less than six years old when she disappeared, and her voice and appearance must have changed greatly.
"Uncle Shen, it's me, I'm Little Snowball!" For some reason, tears streamed down Bai Sheng's face. This tall middle-aged man was the person who doted on her the most, besides her parents, brother, and master.
He was a close friend of her father and mother. When Qing Huang was destroyed, he held the eastern army with all his might, allowing the Qing Huang Kingdom to retain one-third of its territory.
The handsome young man looked at Bai Sheng with tear-filled eyes, suppressing the urge to rush forward and acknowledge her. It was best to wait for the General to confirm her identity. It wouldn't hurt to wait a moment longer.
When Huang Liansheng saw the General's affectionate demeanor towards Bai Sheng, jealousy flared in her eyes. Her fingers, hidden in her sleeves, clenched tightly.
From childhood, everyone favored her, treating her like a treasured pearl, calling her a chosen goddess destined to save Qing Huang from peril.
Bah! That was merely a fabricated scheme by the Grand Tutor, biased towards his disciple. A chosen goddess? As long as one had the means, anyone could become a chosen goddess. Hadn't she, Huang Liansheng, become the Saintess of Qing Huang through her own efforts?
Shen Tianjun had already been informed by the soldier who went to deliver the message that the princess had been disfigured by the people of Great Xia.
He took a few steps closer to Bai Sheng and asked a seemingly random question, "Why are eggs round?"
Bai Sheng smiled through her tears, "Because a chicken's backside is round."
"Why do flies suck blood?"
"Because they have no teeth!"
"Why do tigers eat raw meat?"
"Because they can't cook!"
...
Everyone present watched the two converse fluently, their expressions filled with surprise.
"Aiya!" The Protector of the Nation, General Shen, suddenly let out a loud exclamation. He grabbed Bai Sheng's arms and shook her vigorously, "Little Snowball, it really is you! You've grown so big!"
"Uncle Shen, it's me, I'm Little Snowball," Bai Sheng said, weeping with joy.
"Did those damned Great Xia people hurt your face?" Shen Tianjun asked with concern.
Bai Sheng nodded, "It was the Eldest Princess of Great Xia, but my master will heal it for me soon."
Shen Tianjun then remembered that the Grand Tutor was present. He looked towards the Grand Tutor, clasped his fists, and said with a smile, "Protector of the Nation, General Shen Tianjun, greets the Grand Tutor!"
The Grand Tutor also smiled warmly, "Tianjun, there's no need for such formality. It's been over a decade, and you've only become more distinguished."
"The Grand Tutor is too kind!" Shen Tianjun laughed heartily. "It is the Grand Tutor who truly remains ageless. These years, the Grand Tutor must have endured great hardships searching for Sheng'er. Tianjun thanks the Grand Tutor here."
The handsome young man standing behind the General could no longer restrain himself. He immediately stepped forward to Bai Sheng and exclaimed excitedly, "Sister Xue Sheng, do you know who I am?"
"You are—" Bai Sheng looked at the young man before her, finding him somewhat familiar.
Zuo Ye, standing behind her, suddenly said with surprise, "You are Shi Sheng! He is Da Li!"
"Brother Lu?!" Shi Sheng and Da Li only then noticed Zuo Ye standing beside them, both exclaiming in unison.
Zuo Ye smiled and explained, "Last year, I found my real family and changed my surname to Zuo."
"Brother Zuo, I never expected you to be my brother-in-law!" Shi Sheng was overjoyed.
Bai Sheng's eyes lit up, "I remember now! You are Shi Sheng, and he is the one with the smelly feet who made my camel fall over, Da Li!" The two young men had grown much taller and stronger, so Bai Sheng hadn't recognized them at first.
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Your Highness Princess, I am Da Li," Da Li said, rubbing the back of his head and chuckling sheepishly.
Shi Sheng wiped his tears with his sleeve and smiled, "Sister Bai Sheng, I never thought we'd meet again, let alone that you would be my own cousin and the princess of our Qing Huang."
Bai Sheng also dabbed her eyes, "Yes, Shi Sheng. I had lost my memory then and couldn't remember anything. My cousin's name was indeed Shi Sheng."
"But you and Brother Zuo saved us inadvertently, this is fate," Shi Sheng said with a happy smile.
"It is indeed fate. I never imagined that the Great Xia people who saved Shi Sheng, Da Li, and Lang Ya back then were you two," Shen Tianjun mused.
Granny Wu smiled, "This means heaven does not wish for my Qing Huang to perish. From the moment the Princess awakens, it is the time for Qing Huang's rise!"
"Well said!" Shen Tianjun praised heartily. He turned to face the soldiers and declared loudly, "Our Qing Huang Princess Huang Xue Sheng and Grand Tutor Nangong Ruoli have returned to their homeland. Why do you not hasten to pay your respects!"
All the soldiers present knelt on one knee and bowed in unison, "We greet Your Highness Princess, and pay our respects to the Grand Tutor. We warmly welcome the Princess and the Grand Tutor back to the country!"
Jin Shuwei and the soldiers were overjoyed, their smiles stretching from ear to ear.
Huang Liansheng knelt on the ground unwillingly, her lowered eyes seeming to drip with venom.
General Shen did not spare her a glance, his gaze falling directly on Zuo Ye, "Who is this young gentleman?"
Bai Sheng and Zuo Ye exchanged a glance, and Bai Sheng immediately smiled, "Uncle Shen, this is Zuo Ye, my husband."
"Junior Zuo Ye greets Protector of the Nation, General Shen!" Zuo Ye immediately cupped his hands in a salute.
Shen Tianjun sized up Zuo Ye with his eyes, nodding and smiling continuously. Upon hearing Zuo Ye address him as General, he frowned, "What are you calling me General for? Just like with Little Snowball, call me Uncle Shen!"
Zuo Ye smiled, "Yes, Uncle Shen."
Shen Tianjun reached out and patted Zuo Ye on the shoulder. Suddenly, he felt something tugging at his pant leg from all directions. Fortunately, his waistband was tight, or his pants would have been pulled off.
He looked down and saw four exquisitely carved little figures tugging at his pant leg, tilting their small heads to look up at him. "Oh my, whose little children are these? They're so good-looking!"
Hui Hui said in a childish voice, "We are the children of our mother and father."
Bai Sheng immediately explained with a smile, "Uncle Shen, these are my four children, quadruplets."
Shen Tianjun's eyes suddenly lit up, "I knew it! Only my Little Snowball could give birth to such adorable little cubs. Come, little cubs, call out to Grandpa Shen."
"Shen-grand-pa," the four cubs opened their mouths and shouted in unison.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Shen Tianjun's heart melted. He had no children in his life. From now on, Little Snowball would be his daughter, and these four little ones would be his own grandchildren, Shen Tianjun's!
The fourth child, Yi Yi, suddenly pointed at Huang Liansheng and exclaimed loudly, "Grandpa Shen, Uncle, this woman is a bad person. She pushed my mother from a high place, causing my mother to fall and become foolish. Moreover, she is now plotting to harm my mother. She is a bad person! A very, very bad person!"
The atmosphere instantly froze. Yi Yi's innocent childish voice struck everyone's heart, and all eyes turned towards Huang Liansheng.