Jun Jingluo glanced at Leng Ruoli's expression. Her purple eyes rolled again, looking incredibly innocent. She then shook her head repeatedly and said softly, "Mother, Luo Luo really didn't do anything?"
Leng Ruoli looked at the miniature version of herself and recalled a dream she had when she gave birth to this child, where an old man with white hair entrusted something to her.
"Really nothing? Then Jun Mohan, you tell me."
"Luo Luo, two days ago, you gave her maternal grandmother (Xia Wan'er) a perm using an ancient method. After seeing her brother cause trouble, she ran to Changshou Palace to please her great-grandmother and insisted on giving her great-grandmother an ancient perm as well. As a result, she almost burned off her great-grandmother's hair. Fortunately, Gong Mama reacted quickly and put out the fire on her great-grandmother's head."
Jun Mohan found it amusing as he recounted the incident.
"What???"
"Luo Luo, you little rascal!!!"
Leng Ruoli was so angry with her daughter that she didn't know what to say.
The ancient perm she had given Xia Wan'er that day was done using heated iron rods. If one didn't know how to control the heat of the iron rods or how to cool them down before using them on someone's hair, the consequences were truly unimaginable.
At this moment, Jun Jingluo pouted her small lips and said aggrievedly, "Mother, Luo Luo knows she was wrong. Luo Luo just wanted to give great-grandmother a beautiful hairstyle. She never intended to harm great-grandmother. Luo Luo has already apologized to great-grandmother, and great-grandmother doesn't blame Luo Luo."
Leng Ruoli swept her gaze over the siblings and chided them helplessly, "Alas, Jun Jingluo and Jun Jingyan, you two are something else. One dared to set fire to the Empress Dowager's head, and the other dared to burn the Emperor's imperial garden. You two are probably the only siblings in this world with such boldness. And you're still alive and well. If it were anyone else, their heads would have been removed long ago."
"Mother, we truly know we were wrong this time, and we'll never dare to do it again."
Both children knelt before Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan, lowering their little heads and apologizing sincerely.
Jun Mohan, watching the two mischievous children kneeling on the cool floor, felt a pang of sympathy. Jun Jingyan, being a boy, was sturdy; a beating and then a day of kneeling would be nothing to him. But his Luo Luo was a girl, and her health had been delicate since birth. Moreover, it was autumn now, and the weather had cooled down. The floor was a bit chilly, and Luo Luo couldn't endure kneeling for a long time, or she would fall ill. He needed to find a way to appease Li'er.
"Li'er, let it go. I've already disciplined them in the palace, so that should be enough. Father Emperor and Imperial Grandmother haven't blamed them either."
Jun Mohan suddenly extended his arm to embrace Leng Ruoli's slender waist and persuaded her in a gentle tone.
But he was quickly met with a glare from Leng Ruoli, "You two are spoiled into being lawless by all of you!"
Jun Mohan: "..."
"Alright, alright, wife, it's all my fault. Please don't be angry anymore. I have something important to tell you."
Jun Mohan could only try to divert Leng Ruoli's attention with a different topic.
At this, Leng Ruoli's expression softened slightly. She said faintly, "What is it? Go ahead."
"Let the children leave first, so we can talk alone."
Jun Mohan made the request.
Hearing him, Leng Ruoli's delicate eyebrows furrowed. She knew Jun Mohan wanted to protect the siblings again. After a few seconds of thought, she glanced at the two mischievous children kneeling before them and finally nodded.
Seeing this, the two naughty children were overjoyed. They immediately stood up, thanked the Cold King and his consort, and like two little magpies, flitted away, disappearing from the sight of the King and his consort.
Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan watched the retreating figures of the two naughty children and shook their heads helplessly.
"Jun Mohan, the children have left. What is it you need to say?"
"Li'er, a letter has arrived from Beichen Kingdom. Murong Lichen and Bameisi are to be married. Father Emperor has assigned us, as a couple, to be envoys to Beichen Kingdom to congratulate them on their wedding."
"That's quite surprising. Murong Lichen used to dislike Bameisi intensely. Even after they reconciled, Murong Lichen only treated Bameisi as a friend. Are they really getting married of their own free will?"
"They should be willing. Not long ago, the King of Beichen Kingdom handed over the reins of state power to Murong Lichen. Now, there is no one in Beichen Kingdom who can force him to marry someone he dislikes."
"Oh, I see. However, Murong Lichen and Bameisi's wedding is a joyous occasion. Why didn't you let Jun Jingyan and Jun Jingluo know?"
"Uh, Father Emperor and Imperial Grandmother said that our journey from the capital to Beichen Kingdom is a long one, and we will encounter low temperatures and blizzards. They don't want Yan Yan and Luo Luo to accompany us. They want us, as a couple, to go out and have fun and travel around. So, they told us not to tell Yan Yan and Luo Luo yet."
Leng Ruoli: "..."
"Are they not afraid those two mischievous children will tear down the imperial palace?"
"Father Emperor said that even if they do tear down the imperial palace, it's fine. Anyway, their mother has money, so she can repair it."
Upon hearing Jun Mohan's words, Leng Ruoli almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Damn it, so it's all coming down on me. No wonder! Alas, this is infuriating!"
"No, if they cause more destruction, I won't pay to repair it. You tell them to handle it themselves. Otherwise, we'll take the siblings with us. Jun Mohan, send someone to the palace right now to inform Father Emperor and Imperial Grandmother."
Hearing this, Jun Mohan helplessly raised his hand to touch his nose and thought to himself: Years have passed, and his wife, while more mature and womanly, possessing more charm than when they first married, had become increasingly protective of her wealth. Apart from spending generously on schools to cultivate talents in medicine, agriculture, and various technical fields, she was stingy with anything else she deemed meaningless. Even the troubles caused by their own children due to their mischievousness were made to be compensated with their own money.
"Alright then, I'll have Ye Ying go to the palace now to remind Father Emperor and Imperial Grandmother."
Jun Mohan, unable to contend with his wife, could only do as she wished.
At night, after Ye Ying returned from the palace, he relayed a few more words.
"Your Highnesses, the Emperor still does not wish for you to bring the young prince and princess to Beichen Kingdom. The Emperor said that if the siblings truly tear down the imperial palace, they will pay for the repairs themselves."
Ye Ying immediately relayed the Emperor's words to the Cold King and his consort.
Leng Ruoli raised her eyebrows and replied, "That's more like it! Otherwise, we'll take Yan Yan and Luo Luo to Beichen Kingdom with us, so they won't see each other for at least two months. Hmph!"
"Then, Li'er, we have to depart tomorrow. The wedding date for Murong Lichen and Bameisi is set for the sixteenth of this month. Today is already the second day of the beginning of the month. We have a little more than ten days to reach Haoying Capital in Tianwu Kingdom. The journey is very rushed, and we need to travel at breakneck speed."
"Okay, since we don't need to bring anything else with us when we leave, let's set off first thing tomorrow morning." Leng Ruoli agreed.