Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

Along the way, the majority of the 300,000-man army had already obeyed Prince Duan's orders and returned to their respective defenses. The only ones who ultimately returned to the capital were a few soldiers awaiting their rewards and the generals' personal guards.

Upon reaching the capital, the troops split up again. The one thousand personal soldiers of Prince Duan Chu Shiyu and the eight hundred personal soldiers of the Qin family army, who followed General Weiyu Qin Shuangyu but were nominally affiliated with Prince Changtai, each headed to their respective training grounds.

The few remaining guards and nobles who were allowed to enter the capital finally arrived at the majestic gate of the capital.

Outside the city gates, an unprecedented spectacle unfolded. Civil and military officials, the wives of the various government officials, and common people who had heard the news crowded together, lining the imperial road in descending order, eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of the army. Li Yinglian, the eunuch dispatched by the palace to announce the imperial decree, stood solemnly at the front, holding the bright yellow imperial edict, waiting for its reading, a display of the majesty of a great nation.

When this grand scene that seemed familiar came into view, Liu Rusi's mood was completely turned upside down.

When she arrived in the capital at the beginning of last year, she huddled in the carriage, covering her face with a handkerchief, fearing that she would be noticed. She only hoped to get rid of Chu Shiyu as soon as possible and return to a simple life...

"Rusi, are you in the carriage, or are you coming with me to receive the imperial edict?" Chu Shiyu asked gently, but he already knew the answer in his heart - his eyes had caught the small figure in the front of the crowd, who was being held high by his master Yue Ziqian, and was stretching his neck and looking anxiously at the carriage.

"Get off!" Liu Rusi used all her might to suppress the urge to leap from the carriage and embrace the child she longed for. She suppressed her surging emotions with worldly considerations. "If my guess is correct, this imperial decree... must include my name."

If the emperor truly intended to promote her to the position of Minister of Medicine, he couldn't have done so abruptly without any prior preparation. Even if it was only vaguely mentioned in the imperial edict at this moment, it would have been shocking enough...

The carriage door opened from the right, and the people on the right were the first to see what was inside the carriage!

A three-inch-wide wooden table separated the center of the carriage, with spacious and comfortable seats at either end, each occupied by a man and a woman. The man was tall, straight, and handsome, his presence imposing and noble; the woman was petite, with a strikingly beautiful complexion, yet her expression exuded a dignified and calm demeanor. Together, they resembled a perfect couple, a match made in heaven! Their brilliance was breathtaking!

"She is truly a fairy descending to earth! How could such a beauty exist in this world!" The crowd burst into exclamations.

"It's not just Fairy Liu! His Royal Highness Prince Duan is also like a banished immortal today!" someone echoed loudly.

However, there was a faint murmur: "Last time I also got to see Prince Duan, why is it not like this..."

A few people with insight secretly understood: this is because the two of them standing side by side are like pearls reflecting on a jade disk, complementing each other, reflecting each other, making each other look even more extraordinary!

Amidst the deafening cheers and noise, Chu Shiyu took a long step and neatly stepped over the wooden steps to the ground. He then turned around and naturally extended his arm to help Liu Rusi who was getting off the car later.

Liu Rusi paused, then raised her eyes, nodded, and smiled at him. She dodged the bony hand and walked down the wooden steps. She didn't want to cross the line in the strict and dignified Daxia, where everyone was watching. She already had enough troubles; one less was better...

Her face was as calm as water, and no one could see that Liu Rusi was nervous about the situation.

Only her concern for Qin Hao could not be suppressed. The moment she looked at the child, her almond-shaped eyes became moister. She nodded to the child who was already crying to calm down. Only then did Liu Rusi take a deep breath, maintain a dignified posture, and prepare to walk to the side and back of Chu Shiyu to listen to his orders with him.

However, Chu Shiyu was obviously very dissatisfied with her "avoidance"! He actually stopped and stood sideways, staring at her with a heavy gaze, silently but firmly indicating that she must walk side by side with him - otherwise, he would stand here and not leave!

Liu Rusi immediately understood what he meant and sighed helplessly! After a moment's thought, she decided to walk side by side with him. Between two evils, she chose the lesser of two evils. The risk of arguing with Chu Shiyu in public was obviously greater than walking side by side!

The clamor in front of the city gate subsided for a moment, the wind blew the flags rustling, making the breathing around them lighter, waiting for the bright yellow imperial edict to unfold.

Prince Duan Chu Shiyu had long been granted the emperor's blessing, exempting him from kneeling unless it was a national ceremony. He now stood as erect as a pine tree, steady and unwavering before the steps. Liu Rusi, however, was not so favored. The imperial decree demanded that etiquette be upheld. She bent her knees, about to kneel, but a warm, firm grip gripped her wrist. It was Chu Shiyu, his fingers clasped tightly together, refusing to let go.

He was too lazy to say anything more. He just turned his head and raised his chin to the strange eunuch holding the imperial edict, indicating that he should read the edict directly.

Liu Rusi's fingertips trembled slightly, and her ears instantly felt hot! This man was really used to being domineering and overbearing, without a trace of restraint! She struggled secretly, but the hand held tighter! She could only grit her teeth and forget it. She couldn't argue with him in front of the imperial edict, could she?!

The eunuch Li Yinglian, who was announcing the decree, was just about to remind Liu to kneel down and receive the decree, but his eyes inadvertently swept across the two people's clasped hands - Liu's struggle was slight, but Prince Duan's grip was tight with an irresistible support. When she raised her eyes again, she met Prince Duan's gaze. There was no emotion in his eyes, but they were like a knife tempered with ice, so cold that the back of her neck would become stiff.

Li Yinglian's Adam's apple rolled, and he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. How could a newly promoted servant like him dare to guess what Prince Duan was thinking? Well, Prince Duan was there to take care of it, so if anyone was to be held responsible, it wouldn't fall on him.

He took a deep breath, raised the bright yellow imperial edict higher with both hands, and suddenly a sharp but penetrating voice rang out, piercing the silence under the city gate:

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:

The Wala of the desert north, with their wicked ambitions, have repeatedly invaded our borders. Years ago, urgent reports emerged from the border, with the Hu horses lurking southward, and the enemy's momentum was fierce! Prince Duan, Chu Shiyu, despite his high status as a prince, braved the hardships and personally journeyed to the northwest! He defeated the stubborn enemy and secured the border. This glorious military achievement should be recorded in national history as an inspiration to future generations!

Prince Duan has always been good at judging people. He rushed to the battlefield with doctors such as Liu Rusi, a master of treating injuries, and saved thousands of soldiers of the Great Xia. When his elder brother Prince Kang was in danger and seriously injured, he ordered Liu to do her utmost to rescue him and save Prince Kang from life and death.

Prince Duan, Chu Shiyu, has mastered the art of selecting and appointing talented individuals, managing affairs appropriately, and has achieved military merit while also restoring the bonds of brotherhood. This greatly comforts me! I grant him an additional fief of 3,000 households, a thousand taels of gold, a hundred pieces of brocade, and numerous treasures in recognition of his achievements!

Now that the situation in Mobei has been pacified and the soldiers have returned victorious, I am deeply pleased. I have ordered all the generals and officials who accompanied the prince on the expedition, as well as those who returned to the capital, to come to the palace tonight for a banquet. As a father, I also owe my son, Prince Duan, a warm welcome.

Admire this! "

As the imperial edict came to an end, the crowd began to murmur, like ripples on a lake in the wind:

"Did you hear that? They actually pulled His Royal Highness Prince Kang back from the brink of death!"

"Madam Liu actually possesses such medical skills? Could it be that she is, as the rumors say, a fairy who has descended to earth, possessing magical powers?"

As these discussions drifted into her ears, Liu Rusi felt a sense of relief—this was exactly what she wanted. To have her name and achievements irrefutably etched into the minds of the people of the capital.

While officials and common people were still immersed in interpreting the contents of the imperial edict, the eunuch Li Yinglian who announced the edict was already feeling extremely anxious!

As soon as the announcement fell, a large hand reached out and snatched the imperial edict away! He was so frightened that his soul flew out of his body - how dare Prince Duan disrespect the etiquette so much?

But then he recalled the rumors circulating in the palace about Prince Duan, and he suppressed his panic. Back when this prince was still the Third Prince, he'd acted ruthlessly, once declaring, "Either kill me, or don't force me to obey rules I don't want to obey!" He'd never yield, even after being beaten and scolded countless times. Instead, he'd become even more severe with each punishment, acting as if he was ready to die with everyone else! The Emperor clearly had no intention of actually maiming or killing the Third Prince over such trivial matters. Over time, these minor matters of etiquette became oblivious to everyone's concerns...

Prince Duan took the imperial edict and ignored him. Instead, the palace guards beside him, as they did to the chief eunuch Xu Jin as usual, seemed to pass by him casually, and then stuffed a heavy object into his hand.

Li Yinglian raised his hand in doubt, and the glittering golden light almost blinded him. He immediately withdrew his hand and hid the object! His previous surprise and uneasiness at Prince Duan instantly turned into careful consideration of the gold ingot!

Chu Shiyu's handsome face didn't show much joy. His deep, auspicious eyes looked at Liu Rusi beside him with a subtle questioning look. The imperial edict did mention her, but it only listed her as an assistant, which was still a long way from the emperor's previous promise.

Liu Rusi stopped taking in and analyzing the complex world around her. Her face remained calm and dignified, yet she breathed a sigh of relief. Although the emperor had only mentioned it briefly in his edict, it was already an excellent start. As long as it was mentioned publicly, especially the "rescue Prince Kang" part, it would carry immense weight, and her future as Minister of Medicine would have an unshakable foothold.

However, what she cared about most at the moment was not fame, wealth, or status. The moment the imperial edict was read, Liu Rusi's forced composure collapsed!

She turned her head suddenly and looked eagerly at the front of the crowd!

As soon as the two pairs of eyes, one old and one young, met, the longing that had been pent up for months burst like a flood, instantly sweeping away all restraint!

"mother--!"

A child's crying voice pierced through the noise!

Qin Hao had broken free from Yue Ziqian's arms, and rushed through the crowd like an arrow, like a little cannonball with a crying voice, rushing straight towards his mother!

All the etiquette, all the dignity, all the planning and calculation, at this moment, vanished into thin air!

Liu Rusi's eyes instantly turned red. She no longer cared about her manners or avoiding suspicion, and she even ignored Chu Shiyu beside her. She lifted her skirt and trotted towards the small figure!

"Haohao!" Her voice was trembling and choked with sobs.

It’s just a few steps away, but someone is getting in the way!

A big hand grabbed it! And it intercepted this "little cannonball" steadily in front of Liu Rusi! Chu Shiyu squinted his eyes and looked at Qin Hao, whose face was already full of tears, and asked in a tone that was hard to tell: "Aren't you afraid of hurting your mother?"

Qin Hao was stunned for a moment, blinking his tearful eyes! But then he started to struggle fiercely, crying out, "I want Mom to hold me! Mom! Let me down!"

Liu Rusi was anxious at first, secretly blaming Chu Shiyu for causing trouble, but then she remembered that after he dreamed of the entanglement in his previous life, he had confronted the old Taoist priest, and deduced their original fate... Perhaps, Qin Hao was supposed to be his child.

This incomplete and cruel fate, even with other consolations, can never be completely eliminated... We can only silently lick the wound carved by regret, and slowly let it turn into a sudden but no longer painful scar.

"You only think about mother and not me?" Chu Shiyu's voice was low, as if teasing, with a bit of feigned anger, and a hint of inexplicable bitterness. He actually got serious with the child, still holding the struggling little guy.

Qin Hao saw that he couldn't break free, and his mother just looked at him with tears in her eyes, her eyes full of pity, but she had no intention of scolding her adoptive father. So she said with a wronged voice: "Adoptive father, hold me later... Haohao wants mother now... Haohao hasn't seen mother for nine months and seventeen days... Wuuwuwu..."

This answer probably just barely met Chu Shiyu's expectations. Seeing that Qin Hao was crying so hard that he could hardly breathe, and Liu Rusi's tolerance was almost at its limit, he hummed softly and handed Qin Hao to Liu Rusi.

The little guy threw himself into his mother's arms, clinging to her like a koala, hugging Liu Rusi's neck tightly, burying his little face in her neck, and crying loudly: "Mom! Haohao misses you so much! Every day I want to grow up quickly so that Haohao can go find mommy by himself!"

Liu Rusi hugged tightly the treasure that had always been in her heart, feeling the soft little body and hot tears in her arms. The worries, longings, blood and exhaustion of the battlefield rescue work over the past few months seemed to be vented and comforted in this loud crying.

She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She patted her son's back and whispered over and over again, "Mom is back... Haohao is awesome. He's been waiting for me at home for so long... It's great for me to have a good child like you..."

Chu Shiyu stood aside, looking at the mother and son hugging each other, complex emotions surging in his deep eyes - there was pity for Qin Hao, care for Liu Rusi, and some... indescribable envy.

He silently took a half step forward, and his tall figure blocked some of the overly dense gazes from the surroundings.

General Qin Shuangyu watched this scene from a distance, his weathered eyes gleaming with a mixture of relief and sadness. The little person tightly embraced by his mother was the continuation of his unwavering obsession, trapped in a foreign land, lost for half his life... Yet, a pain lingered in his heart that would never heal. If only the tall young man standing beside this mother and child was the Lie'er he had missed day and night for twenty years... How wonderful it would be...

The delicate and pretty child nestled in the arms of the beautiful woman, expressing his joy of reunion freely, while the handsome and tall man quietly protected her by her side. The three of them boarded the luxuriously carved carriage one after another and drove towards the spacious and prosperous capital city.

This scene was like a fairy tale from a play coming to life in the human world, and many people couldn't help but sigh:

"This match made in heaven, what else could it be but a family?"

"It seems the rumors are true. This child must be the long-lost flesh and blood of His Royal Highness Prince Duan!"

"Isn't it? Look at how much Prince Duan loves these two mothers. Many people wouldn't even have that kind of love for their own children!"

The grand triumphal ceremony, with the touching reunion of mother and child, brought to a most heartwarming and genuine end. Meanwhile, the imperial banquet at the palace was about to usher in another turbulent period.