Yu Meng watched her parents whispering softly, no longer angry. She skipped forward, rubbing her hands, wanting a hug.
"Mom, can I raise Xiao Hui Hui from now on? When it grows up, I'll release it back into the forest, okay, Mom?"
The child looked at them pleadingly. Zhao Jiaqi thought for a moment and returned the wolf cub to her. "Raise it well, and no bullying or beating, understand!"
Yu Meng nodded heavily. "I understand. I'll treat its cub like Er Lang."
Her casual remark surprised Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao.
Er Lang had been released back into the mountains and forests many years ago. The child was very young then, and she didn't expect Yu Meng to remember Er Lang.
Perhaps, this was destiny.
During dinner that evening, Fan Zehao acted like nothing had happened, challenging Fan Lao Er to a drinking contest. The brothers downed cups of wine, reminiscing about the past.
Fan Xudong was moved. "Brother, ten years have passed in a blur. Now that the war is finally over, and we are far from the capital, what are your plans for the future?"
Fan Zehao wiped his mouth, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "No plans yet, at least not for now. We'll take it one day at a time."
"That won't do. You are our backbone. If you have no direction, what will we do?" As he spoke, Fan Lao Er took another large gulp of wine.
In times of peace, his bones felt like they were falling apart. He ate and slept all day, and slept alone. Life was dull.
Now, he sought excitement and no longer wanted to live in a daze.
Fan Zehao turned to look at his wife beside him. He nudged Zhao Jiaqi with his chin. "Wife, what are your plans for the future?"
Zhao Jiaqi looked at the two men and sighed. "Aren't the people sitting next to you the perfect opportunities?"
The two men looked at each other, then glanced to the side. At the dinner table, only Helian Jinli and Baili Fengge were strangers.
Did this mean these two were their opportunities?
Helian Jinli and Baili Fengge were also confused. How had they become opportunities?
Before they could ask, Zhao Jiaqi continued, "Prince Helian sells medicine in exchange for grain, and Prince Baili exchanges fruit for silk, cloth, and other daily necessities. For now, maintaining good relations between our three kingdoms is the goal. Understand?"
After her explanation, both brothers understood, and even the other two princes immediately got it.
Speaking of business, Baili Fengge was very eager to experience the cuisine of the inner city.
He said, "I've long heard that the food in the inner city is extremely delicious. All the food sold from the inner city is snapped up, and everyone says the inner city is very prosperous."
"Many people say that the capital has many officials, and the inner city has a lot of money. I am now very eager to visit the inner city."
Fan Zehao chuckled. "I fear that Prince Baili will be greatly disappointed when he reaches the inner city. Our place is small, and the common people are all ordinary folk. Don't laugh at us after you see it."
Baili Fengge quickly replied, "Why would I laugh? As long as the common people are prosperous and have enough to eat and wear, that is already remarkable."
Then, a smile spread across his face. "Besides, I am also a common person. Otherwise, why would immortals need to eat? Don't you agree?"
"That's true," said Prince Xian, raising his wine cup. "Come, let's all have a toast. Rest well tonight, and we'll set off tomorrow. I will definitely prepare a good meal to welcome the two princes."
Everyone raised their cups, and the lively atmosphere continued until late at night.
The next day.
The group woke up early, had breakfast, and set off on their journey back.
Normally, Yu Meng disliked being cooped up in the carriage, but ever since she got Xiao Hui Hui, she was happy to sit in the carriage, taking meticulous care of the little creature. Its food and drink were even better than her own mother's.
Visibly, Xiao Hui Hui had gained a considerable amount of weight in the past two days.
Zhao Jiaqi felt that if the little thing continued to be fed like this, it would eventually become a ball, which was not good for a wolf.
"Meng Meng, wolves are strong animals. If you feed it too much, how will it hunt in the future? If it can't catch prey, it will starve to death. So, you need to feed it reasonably. After ten days to half a month, you need to let it exercise appropriately, understand?"
Yu Meng didn't fully understand but could imagine the scene. Besides, her parents had raised wolves before, so she didn't reject what her mother said.
She nodded obediently. "Okay. When it gets bigger, I'll take it to exercise and make it a proud wolf king."
That was a bold statement, and the wish was good, but becoming a wolf king would require a period of brutal fighting, and only the victor would be qualified.
However, she didn't tell her daughter this, so as not to dampen her enthusiasm.
As they passed through prefectures, counties, and villages, they were a beautiful sight.
There were nearly twenty carriages in front and behind, with over a hundred guards accompanying them. Some of these guards even wore distinctive uniforms, clearly not locals.
They had intended to travel discreetly, but they still attracted the attention of some government officials. However, without Fan Zehao's summons, these officials dared not approach them rashly.
Having followed Fan Zehao for many years, if he didn't summon you, it meant you were safe. But if he called your name, you had to think carefully about whether you had done something wrong, or you wouldn't even know how you died.
The carriages stopped briefly in a bustling prefecture before continuing on.
As Helian Jinli and Baili Fengge traveled, they observed carefully everywhere they went.
It was evident that after entering Fan Zehao's fiefdom, the contrast between what was before and after was stark, and it could be felt immediately.
In the areas governed by the Yun Kingdom, although the common people's clothing was not particularly fine, it was relatively clean, and there were few patched clothes.
The roads were uneven, and there were beggars by the roadside. Old beggars leaned against walls to bask in the sun, while young beggars went out to beg and would share some food with the old beggars when they returned. This, in their eyes, was quite heartwarming.
However, upon entering the fiefdom, the first thing that caught their eye was the city gate, over ten zhang high. The soldiers on the city walls were all spirited.
The city gate was heavy, and it would take at least ten men to push open the main gate. Soldiers guarded both the inside and outside of the city walls, their sharp eyes scanning everyone entering and exiting.
Inside the city, on the streets, you wouldn't see a single commoner wearing patched clothes. The streets were bustling, with crowds gathered around stalls, selecting goods.
Shops were filled with people coming and going; it was impossible to tell which shop was the most popular or the worst. Even the ground was several meters wide, and on the clean streets, not a single beggar could be seen.
Not even a beggar could be spotted. Walking through the prosperous streets, one could even hear scholars reciting poetry, a scene of prosperity.
For this reason, Helian Jinli and Baili Fengge held even greater expectations for this place.