Zhao Jiaqi turned her head and asked Pingting with suspicion, "What's wrong with your husband? He was fine a moment ago, and now he's crying. Children change their faces faster than him!"
Pingting chuckled and shook her head at her. "He's just a sensitive soul. He feels that he's in his own fiefdom with no close relatives, and his parents aren't coming. He's feeling down, but now that he's back and sees his family all here, he's overcome with emotion. Let him cry, he'll be fine in a while!"
What was said carelessly, was heard with deep feeling!
Indeed, no matter how glorious it was to be a prince in his fiefdom, it was still lonely without his closest kin.
Especially during festivals and holidays!
"As a prince, there are many things beyond one's control. When our Cangyi Continent is peaceful, we won't be so tired, and we won't have to guard our fiefdoms!"
Pingting gave a wry smile. When would the Cangyi Continent ever be peaceful?
She dared not ask this question, for it would yield no answer!
"Sister-in-law, I now truly understand why you and Eldest Brother are so resistant to the throne, wishing to cast it far away. That position is truly a troublesome matter. Whoever sits on it, dies quickly!"
Zhao Jiaqi chuckled helplessly. This woman, a mother of four, still spoke without thinking. What could be done?
"Don't speak nonsense. Your brother Xian and brother Xu have already pushed the throne away. Your Eldest Brother and I are considering selecting a Crown Prince from the Huangfu clan, which includes you and your children. We treat males and females equally!"
Hearing about selecting the future emperor, and that their family was included, Fan Xudong immediately stopped crying. Perhaps he was scared, and even hiccuped.
Sobbing intermittently, he refused, "Si... Sister-in-law, please don't... scare me. Our family doesn't... doesn't want to be emperor. You can choose whoever you like... choose... choose whoever, we don't care, but please don't involve us, or we'll just move in with you and never leave!"
Seeing his expression change, Zhao Jiaqi playfully teased him, "What if I let Huangfu Pingting be the Empress?"
"Don't even think about it!" The husband and wife's faces changed simultaneously, and they said in unison!
This was perhaps the first time they had so unanimously refused something!
Zhao Jiaqi didn't tease them further, lest they get angry and leave.
"Look at you two, you can't even take a joke. Your faces are longer than a donkey's!" Zhao Jiaqi, still chuckling, turned serious. "However, we do need to select a child from the clan to inherit the throne. We don't want to be retired emperors; being princes in this fiefdom is good enough. So, Pingting, help me think. Which young master in the clan has the most responsibility, conscientiousness, and intelligence!"
Huangfu Pingting squeezed her teacup, pondered for a moment, and then sighed, "I'm not very close to them. However, my mother mentioned that the heir of Prince Heng, Huangfu Xi, is very intelligent. He was even praised by the late Emperor since childhood. He is a low-key person, said to be skilled in both literature and martial arts, brave and strategic. I've only met him a few times at banquets, and he is quite handsome. I don't know anything else!"
Huangfu Xi, the only legitimate son of Huangfu Heng!
This name was imprinted on Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi's hearts. After their mother's birthday, they would send people to investigate him. If he was as Pingting described, he would be the best candidate for emperor!
They talked until late at night. Pingting's eyelids were drooping with fatigue. Finally, Fan Xudong carried her back to sleep. As for the children, they had played so hard, with the older ones leading the younger ones, that they had no idea what fatigue felt like!
Steward Wang watched the children play until their faces were red and they were laughing heartily, once again sighing that youth was indeed a wonderful thing!
The next day, Xudong and Pingting both appeared in the Eldest Uncle's courtyard. This greatly excited Fan Biao. He slapped his thigh, laughing until tears streamed down his face, his old eyes wet with emotion!
At noon, Yao Jingyun's carriage also arrived. Seeing her in-laws, her joy was evident. The elders sat together, while the children played around them. This was the simplest form of happiness.
Zhao Jiaqi smiled seeing this. It was good indeed. An elder in the family was like a treasure, and their family had many elders, thus even more treasures!
The next day, the first day of the tenth lunar month!
As the eastern sky just began to lighten, the prince's mansion was already bustling. Breakfast was being prepared on small stoves in the kitchen. Outside the kitchen, clay ovens were being built, and chefs were starting to place marinated meats inside.
In another area, grills were set up for barbecuing. Throughout the entire back kitchen courtyard, there were six or seven such ovens, large and small. It was fortunate that it was late autumn; if they were to roast things like this in the summer, who knew if the food would be cooked, but people would certainly be roasted!
Shortly after breakfast, the prince's mansion received visitors.
Murong Sheng, with his wife and children, arrived with a servant carrying a box of gifts. He smiled at the steward, "These are gifts for Eldest Madam. Please take them first. I will lead my wife and children to pay our respects to Eldest Madam."
He treated the prince's mansion as his own home. However, today was different. He was formally visiting, so he naturally informed the steward first.
Steward Wang smiled and gestured for them to enter, "Master Murong, Madam Murong, Young Master Murong, Miss Murong, please come this way. The old madam is in the garden playing with the children. When she ate earlier, she said that you would be the first to arrive today, and indeed, the old woman's prediction was accurate."
Murong Sheng chuckled, "The old madam treats me like her own son. She always thinks of me when there's something good to eat. Today is her birthday, so I must be the first to arrive!"
Steward Wang merely nodded without speaking. In the years when the prince was away, Murong Sheng had often come to pay his respects. When the old madam was ill, he had stayed by her side to care for her. The old madam truly cherished him as half a son.
In the garden, Yu Meng was teaching Pingting's two youngest children basic horse stance. The remaining little ones were chattering and interjecting. Before Yu Meng, as their teacher, could fully enjoy herself, she was driven mad by her two younger brothers and two younger sisters, who chased her with sticks!
This made everyone burst into laughter, their merriment carrying far. Hearing this joyous laughter, Murong Sheng's lips also curled into a smile.
Passing through the moon gate and stepping into the garden, he saw her, dressed in dark purple with embroidered dark peonies, wearing a jade hairpin, ruby earrings, and dressed more simply than other elderly women.
At this moment, she was sitting on a cushion, watching the children run around, her eyes crinkled into a smile.
"Old Madam, Sheng'er has come to see you!"
Zhang Cuihua turned around and saw Murong Sheng with his wife, children, and daughter. She waved him over, beckoning him to sit beside her, her face full of affection. "What have you been doing recently? I haven't seen you for almost a month!"
She looked at Murong Sheng more closely, her brow furrowing slightly. "You've lost weight. You've lost quite a bit since summer."