Zuo Ye took Bai Sheng’s hand and teased, “Your husband, Zuo Ye, respectfully obeys the orders of his empress, my dear treasure. From this day forth, I shall flatten mountains and rivers for you, secure the borders, and guard our home.”
Bai Sheng chuckled, “Thank you, husband.”
Seeing this, Prince Yu immediately showered her with praise, “I, Bai Li Jing Yu, am willing to follow the Empress, serving at your side and fighting in all directions, always ready for your command!”
“Thank you, Cousin Yu!” Bai Sheng suppressed her laughter.
Granny Wu and Consort Mei also put on a show, declaring their loyalty to Empress Xue Sheng, pledging to expand her territories and rebuild their homeland.
After they finished speaking, everyone erupted into hearty laughter.
Du Min and Zuo Hua went to the stables to look after the four cubs. Upon seeing Bai Sheng, the cubs were overjoyed and rushed towards her on their little legs, shouting, “Mama! Mama!”
Du Min and Zuo Hua were also very happy to see Bai Sheng awake and hurried over with the cubs.
Hua Hua ran forward and hugged Bai Sheng’s leg, asking in a childlike voice, “Mama, why are you wearing a veil?”
Everyone exchanged worried glances, fearing how Bai Sheng would answer.
However, Bai Sheng showed no intention of hiding. She squatted down, took Hua Hua’s small hand, and said gently, “Hua Hua, Mama was ambushed by bad people, and the蛊 (gu) curse backfired, disfiguring me. I’ve become very ugly, and I’m afraid of scaring everyone, so I’m wearing this veil.”
Hua Hua’s bright, shining eyes instantly welled up with mist. She pouted and said aggrievedly, “Mama isn’t ugly, Mama doesn’t scare people. No matter what Mama looks like, Hua Hua will always love Mama.”
Ye Ye, panting from running, furrowed his little brows and gasped, “Mama, when I grow up, I’ll get revenge for you! Whoever hurts my Mama, I’ll hurt them back!”
“Mama, I want to become the strongest man. If anyone bullies you, I’ll smash them with one blow!” Rui Rui scrunched up his face and clenched his small fists.
The fourth cub, Lao Si, rushed into Bai Sheng’s arms, his eyes glistening with tears, and asked, “Mama, does your face hurt a lot?”
Looking at her four cubs, Bai Sheng’s heart melted. She felt truly blessed to have given birth to three little knights and one little padded jacket. Her life was truly happy.
Bai Sheng opened her arms and embraced all the cubs, her voice trembling slightly, “My dear little ones, Mama doesn’t hurt. With you all, Mama doesn’t hurt at all. Mama loves you all very much too.”
Consort Mei clicked her tongue and sighed, “Look at my four god-grandchildren, they’re so unbearably cute. They make me want to have more babies.”
Prince Yu, filled with jealousy, chimed in, “Mother, wasn’t I very cute when I was little?”
Consort Mei waved her hand helplessly, “Too bad you’re not cute at all now, you’re so big.”
Prince Yu: …
Third Uncle, who had just seen his elder sister and brother-in-law, walked over. Upon hearing Mei Qing’s words, he immediately said with a smile, “Qing’er, once we reach Qing Huang, I’ll marry you, and we’ll have a few more cute little ones.”
Mei Qing blushed, a rare sight, “You—are you still capable?”
“Capable! I’m very capable! How about we try tonight?” Third Uncle patted his firm chest. Both he and Qing’er were getting old, and if they wanted to have children, they needed to hurry. Moreover, he couldn’t wait to prove to Qing’er that he was very capable.
Consort Mei looked at everyone and chided with a smile, “Bai Li Rong Mo! What nonsense are you spouting? Who wants to ‘try’ with you?”
Third Uncle chuckled, “Alas, it’s all my eldest nephew’s fault. After spending so much time with him, my rough mouth has become sweet.”
Zuo Ye’s mouth twitched in protest, “Third Uncle…”
He felt wronged; he wasn’t this greasy. The sweet words he spoke to his dear treasure were romantic, beautiful, and full of class.
Third Uncle chuckled at Zuo Ye, “Little Ye, Third Uncle here… isn’t it just that I want to find you an Aunt soon?”
“Bai-li-Rong-Mo!” Mei Qing glared.
Third Uncle immediately stopped talking and shuffled step by step to Mei Qing’s side, looking at her with a foolish, simple smile.
Consort Mei put her hand to her forehead. This big idiot was too much to bear!
Bai Sheng looked at Prince Yu and said gleefully, “Congratulations, Cousin Yu. You’ll soon have many younger siblings who are over twenty years younger than you. If you don’t hurry up and get married and have children, you’ll be left to help them babysit. How tragic.”
“Ah—so scary!” Prince Yu wailed and fled.
Even the animals like Heng Heng flinched at the commotion.
Everyone burst into laughter.
After everyone had retired for the night, Granny Wu went to the alchemy room to prepare a medicinal bath for Gu Cang Lan.
Sheng’er’s spatial realm was very helpful for healing. Gu Cang Lan’s wounds were healing quickly, and his complexion had become much more rosy.
The same destiny蛊 (gu) would not be undone in a day or two, but other toxins could be gradually expelled. A month’s time would be sufficient.
Granny Wu held his well-defined, slightly gaunt hand and rubbed it against her cheek.
For over thirty years, she had believed he was truly dead. She never imagined they would meet again.
However, Granny Wu would not let the stolen thirty-plus years pass without consequence. She would definitely make Yu Zi pay dearly!
The next day at noon, when the family members awoke, they found themselves lying in carriages. Over twenty carriages were arranged in a large circle in the desert.
Those who knew of Madam’s teleportation illusion remained calm.
Those who didn’t know were stunned for a while, trying to recall when they had departed, how they had traveled, where they had passed through, and how they had suddenly found themselves at the border of the Great Xia Kingdom upon opening their eyes.
However, their doubts were no match for the aroma of food. Six large pots were set up, filled with steaming hot dishes. Three pots of white rice, one pot of braised pork ribs, one pot of stewed chicken with mushrooms, and another pot of superior broth with fresh greens.
Besides the dishes, a small wooden table nearby held several bowls of fresh, succulent fruits.
Good heavens, this was not an escape, this was a luxurious vacation!
Everyone was famished and their mouths watered.
Du Min banged loudly on a pot lid with a ladle and shouted, “Dinner is served!” The people, with their legs feeling weak, orderly took large bowls from the bamboo baskets to get their food.
“Take as much as you’ll eat! Eat until you’re full, no wasting!” Consort Mei yelled with her hands on her hips.
While others’ bowls were truly bowls, Lu Huo’s bowl should have been called a ‘basin’. He held a basin packed tightly and piled high with rice, poured a large ladle of chicken soup over it, and began to shovel the rice into his mouth.
The mighty way he ate made the food seem even more delicious.
Lu Yu, being small and not having a large mouth, still ate as fast as Lu Huo.
The others also buried their heads in their food, not even lifting their eyelids.
In a flash, the only sounds were the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, the slurping of rice, hurried chewing, swallowing, and satisfied groans…
The more than one hundred hungry individuals devoured their lunch with the grandeur of a storm and the speed of a whirlwind.
The three pots of rice were completely emptied, the pots of dishes were licked cleaner than clean, and even the basket of fruits vanished with a few greedy gulps.