“Yes, everything is due to the graces of the masters.” Zhi Wei’s smile became even more amiable, “It seems Prince Chu is highly favored by the emperor. Sooner and later the East Palace will be his (that’s the crown prince’s palace), once Official Xin returns to the Capital please send him my felicitation.”
Xin Ziyan looked up at her, hesitated for a moment before saying “…I won’t return to the Capital for the time being so the Grand Queen should tell His Highness personally.”
Feng Zhi Wei was slightly surprised– Xin Ziyan will also go to the battlefield of Northern Xinjiang? Ning Yi is sending his right hand man to Northern Xinjiang in order to take control of Tian Sheng’s military? But what could a scholar like Xin Ziyan do? Is he here to be the overseer?
“Official Xin is surely joking. The grassland is thousands of miles away from the Capital. Zhi Wei has no more relatives there so will not be returning there in this life. Therefore I will never have the chance to pay His Highness my respect, such a pity.”
Speaking words of regret yet her expression showed none of it. Giving him another smile, she turned around, ready to end the conversation.
Now that you are here, Xin Ziyan, very good, wait for it.
Behind her, Xin Ziyan looked at her retreating figure, opened his mouth as if he is about to blurt out something but seeing her decisively departing back, he finally stopped.
Forget it…she will find out eventually.
Not long after the Sitting Ceremony, it is Gu Zhi Xiao’s two-year-old birthday.
As of now, only Zhi Wei knows Gu Zhi Xiao’s birthdate. The luxurious gold locket that Zhi Xiao had when they found her looked like it didn’t have any carvings on it but one day while Zhi Wei was admiring it by the candlelight, she saw a line of numbers projected onto the wall.
Turns out, the locket is hollow, and only when the light shines through it would the numbers be revealed. Such clever design, even ordinary wealthy people wouldn’t be able to have something like it.
Per the customs of the Central Plains, the birth date of noble family’s children would not be revealed to outsiders in fear that bad people would use it for nefarious means. After discovering this secret, Zhi Wei took it one step further and just changed the date for Gu Zhi Xiao.
That night, on the palace grass, everyone sat right on the ground around the bonfire as the golden roasted lamb sizzled with oil. The fire reflects Gu Zhi Xiao’s red face as she smiles brightly at her dad.
Helian nudges Zhi Wei with his shoulder and wrinkles his eyebrows “I find that only when this kid sees Gu Nan Yi would she smile the prettiest.”
Replying with a bit of jealousy in her voice, Zhi Wei says “I was the one who picked her up first. What an ungrateful girl.”
“Women are all like that.” Helian sighed “I was the first one to propose to you but you have not even let me into your room.”
“You are not satisfied with me taking the initiative to enter your room?” Zhi Wei calmly sliced off a piece of lamb leg.
“You take the initiative to climb into…” Before Helian finished speaking, Zhi Wei had already stuffed a large piece of mutton to shut the muttering king’s mouth.
“I say…you really intend to…go on the battlefield… “ His mouth stuffed full of meat, Helian gurgled out his question.
Feng Zhi Wei lowered her eyes to conceal the changing expression in them and said after a long moment “Helian, the grassland should always be yours alone. Whether Wei Zhi comes back or not, it is not right it should involve your grassland, so why do you insist that I lead the Shunyi Iron Cavalry?”
“My grassland, is yours.” Helian swallowed the meat, patted his belly “I have no control over the future generations but as long as I am here then you will be protected by me.”
Zhi Wei remained silent, her eyes misty under her long eyelashes.
It is impossible for Helian to not know that once she chooses to interfere in Da Sheng’s war against Da Yue as Wei Zhi then that means she has taken the first step in returning to court politics. It means she will officially step onto the world stage to contend with Ning Yi. Whether it be life or death, there will be no turning back. As the king who loves his beloved grassland, he should have pretended ignorance and turned a blind eye to protect himself, not plunging himself into this mess.
Yet he, did it without any hesitation.
“Don’t tell me that you don’t need any protection.” Seemingly as if he is only focusing on cutting his meat, Helian pushes away Peony who wanted to sneak a piece and eavesdrop at the same time. “Don’t tell me you are not lonely, Zhi Wei. My only wish is when you have to walk through that darkest night, don’t choose to be on your own stubbornly.”
Eating a piece of meat off the tip of his knife, Helian chewed a few bites before suddenly tossing the knife aside, stood up and shouted with his arms wide open “Feng Zhi Wei, this guy will forever be yours!”
The sudden roar shocked everyone and caused the whole room to look up at him blankely. Her mouth wide open, Peony stares at her son with a line of saliva drooping down from the side of her mouth onto a piece of mutton leg bone.
“Daddy!”
Suddenly, there was another high pitch roar. The voice was small and delicate, completely different from Helian’s ground-shaking roar but it’s fierceness and determination were not inferior at all.
“Yours!”
Everyone turns their head again in unison to see that the second roar actually came from Gu Zhi Xiao. The kid who hasn’t utter a single word has spoken.
A true case of either not speaking, but once she does, it is to shock the world.
Gu Zhi Xiao, puffing out her small belly, standing beside Helian, copying his posture, with her hands out and her head raised “Daddy! Yours!”
She couldn’t say the full sentence but everyone understood instantly. She is copying Helian’s declaration.
The tall and short figure stood against the wind, solemn and sacred, the crowd looking up at them, as if they are staring at wood carvings.
Zong Chen abruptly began to cough.
In a rare sight, Feng Zhi Wei forgot to keep her perpetual cool image and stared blankly at the two figures with a piece of meat still in her mouth.
The Eight Braves have already clutched their belly with laughter as they rolled around in the back grass field.
Holding Chamutu in her arms, Peony took the opportunity to teach him “See, this is a bad example…”
Even Hua Qing who was about to give birth, moved her pregnant belly with some difficulty, hoping to prevent her baby from learning the bad example…
Only that Master Gu who raised such a surprisingly tough baby girl, is still as calm as ever. Picking up his little Zhi Xiao, wiping up the droplets of saliva on her face, Master Gu points at Feng Zhi Wei and says “Hers.”
“Yours.” Gu Zhi Xiao stubbornly insists.
Snapping out of her stupor, Zhi Wei began to cough violently, trying desperately to prevent Master Gu from saying the rest of his words. Unfortunately, Master Gu who usually ignores all hints simply turned his baby girl to face him and told her in all seriousness “I am hers, you are mine, so you are hers.”
A mouth full of water shot out of Helian’s mouth.
Feng Zhi Wei held a hand to her forehead…Please, Master Gu, can you not speak so fluently now?
Not understanding Master Gu’s words but vaguely feeling that her daddy doesn’t want her, Gu Zhi Xiao began to cry in earnest, her voice piercing and sharp.
Chamutu immediately joined in to form a duet. Feng Zhi Wei could only cover her ears amid the chaos. Under the moonlight, she saw that everyone had a smile at the corner of their lips, she saw people she cares about gathering around her, not a single one missing. (Ouch…poor Ning Yi…)
When the first ray of sunshine was about to peek through, a bleary eyed Feng Zhi Wei opened her eyes to see herself sleeping on Gu Nan Yi’s leg, Helian sleeping on her leg, Peony’s head on Helian’s belly while Chamutu is on Peony’s own belly. Droplets of tears still clinging on her face even while she slept, Gu Zhi Xiao hugged Gu Nan Yi’s waist tightly. That young man who had always distanced himself away from the crowd slept calmly among the crowd.
In the distance, there came a faint sound of horse hoofs, the clicking sounds of swords being unsheathed, the long and powerful blowing of war-horn vibrating through the whole grassland.
———————————————–
In August of the fourteenth year of Changxi, in the name of seeking revenge for the four thousand slain of their royal soldiers, the grassland sent ten more thousand soldiers into the war between Tian Sheng and Da Yue
In the same month, it was announced that Queen Shunyi is pregnant and due to the difficulty of the pregnancy will be staying put within the palace. Hearing the news, the Capital immediately sent large quantities of medicinal herbs that would be good for pregnancy.
In August of the fourteenth year of Changxi, due to the repeated defeats in the war with Da Yu, the royal court of Tian Sheng sent an overseer to the battlefront along with 20 more thousand troops to have a decisive battle at the Mountain of Baitou.
All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com
As always, many thanks for the translation!! Poor NY, when he hears FZW is “pregnant.
Wow! I hope FZW is spreading her wings. Wei Zhi is training for war. It is nice to see a woman contends for a position in a man field. I root for the day that woman is as capable as man at any field. In the novel, the protagonist are FZW and Ning Yi. In the drama, everything seems to center around NY and his relationship to the emperor, as father and son; everyone else, including FZW was to show the struggle of NY and his father.
Thank you for the translation.
Thanks for your beautiful work! Your posts make my Mondays more enjoyable 🙂
Wow, I don’t remember she was “pregnant” in the drama.
Hug from Buenos Aires \(^_^)/
FZW “pregnant”? how clever. Poor NY engaged in battle in all fronts.