Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Outside Chang'an City, flags fluttered, and the guard of honor stretched for miles, coming from afar in a mighty procession. The people lined the streets to welcome them, and the cheers shook the sky. In the crowd, Dou Qing was dressed in plain clothes, but it was hard to hide her heroic appearance. She looked at the familiar figure in the distance, and a gentle smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

Qian Xu rode a tall horse in a military uniform, looking even more majestic and tall. He returned triumphantly, but his face did not show any arrogance, but rather a sense of humility and calmness.

"Welcome the triumphant general!"

"Congratulations, general, congratulations, general!"

Amid the deafening cheers, Qian Xu dismounted from his horse, walked straight to Dou Qing, gently held her hand, and said softly, "I'm back."

Dou Qing's eyes moved, and there was joy in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows. "As long as you are safe."

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

That night, the Qian Mansion was brightly lit and filled with joy. The news that Qian Xu was named the Great General of the Nation by the Emperor spread throughout Chang'an City, and people came to congratulate him in an endless stream.

Qian Xu and Dou Qing did not indulge in glory and celebration. They knew very well that the safety of the people was the most important thing.

On the second day, they traveled light, dressed incognito, and went among the people to understand their sentiments.

In the fields, they chatted with farmers and asked about their harvests; in the streets, they talked with vendors and people to learn about prices; in poor families, they asked about their health and sent doctors and medicines...

Wherever they went, Qian Xu and Dou Qing listened patiently to the people's voices and tried their best to solve their practical difficulties. The people affectionately called them "Qian Qingtian" and "Dou Nuxia", and their deeds were widely praised.

The backyard of the Qian Mansion was peaceful and tranquil. Under the warm spring sun, a peach tree was lush and leafy, with pink petals falling in the wind and spreading all over the courtyard.

In the corridor, Qian Xu was teaching his son martial arts, each move was vigorous. His son was only five or six years old, but he already had some heroic spirit. Not far away, Dou Qing, wearing a simple dress, held her daughter in her arms and hummed a nursery rhyme. The daughter was still in her cradle, her big black eyes looked at the world curiously, and she giggled from time to time.

"Qing'er, look, our son will definitely become a hero like you and me in the future!" Qian Xu looked at his son, his eyes full of pride and expectation.

Dou Qing smiled and walked forward, gently stroking his son's head, "It's good to learn martial arts, but you must also remember that benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness are the foundation of life."

"Don't worry, mother. I understand!" the son replied respectfully.

Qian Xu looked at the scene in front of him, his heart filled with happiness and satisfaction. He had fought in the battlefield and made great achievements, and now he has retired and returned to the countryside, enjoying ordinary happiness, which is the most precious thing to him.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it is the Mid-Autumn Festival again. The Qian Mansion is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the atmosphere is joyous. Qian Xu and Dou Qing ordered their servants to set up a banquet in the square in front of the mansion early, inviting the people of the whole city to enjoy the moon and have a reunion dinner together.

As night fell and the lights came on, the square was crowded with people and bustling with activity. Qian Xu and Dou Qing, dressed in their best clothes, walked hand in hand into the square to express their festival greetings to the people.

"My fellow villagers, thank you for coming to our banquet. Tonight, let's not go home until we are drunk!" Qian Xu raised his glass and shouted.

"Cheers!" The people responded by raising their glasses, and cheers resounded through the sky.

During the banquet, there was singing and dancing, clinking glasses, and laughter. Qian Xu and Dou Qing moved among the crowd, chatting cordially with the people and sharing the joy of the festival.

Looking at the joyous scene before them, Qian Xu and Dou Qing were filled with emotion. They knew that the current peaceful and prosperous times were hard-won, and they would do their best to protect this hard-won happiness.

The moon is at its zenith, and its silver light shines on the earth, adding a bit of peace and beauty to this joyful night.

Qian Xu held his son's hand, Dou Qing held her babbling daughter in her arms, and the family of four strolled leisurely on the street in the warm sunshine. There were shops on both sides of the street, and the hawking sounds were heard one after another. The dazzling array of goods was dazzling. The children were curious about everything, and were attracted by the candy figures on the roadside, and chased the flying kites. Their cheerful laughter was as clear and pleasant as silver bells.

Looking at the innocent smiles of the children, Qian Xu and Dou Qing also had happy smiles on their faces. They enjoyed the hard-earned peace and tranquility, and their hearts were filled with beautiful visions for the future.

"Dad, look, what is that?" the son asked curiously, pointing to a place in front of him where there was a crowd of people.

Qian Xu looked in the direction of his son's finger and saw a high platform with a wonderful acrobatic performance on it. He smiled and said, "That's acrobatics. Come on, Daddy will take you to see it."

The family of four squeezed into the crowd and watched with great interest. The artists on the stage were agile, tumbling and jumping, performing various difficult movements, which attracted rounds of applause.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion in the crowd, and someone shouted: "Catch the thief! Catch the thief!"

Qian Xu and Dou Qing were startled and quickly protected the child, looking around vigilantly. They saw a thin figure dashing around in the crowd, trying to escape. Behind him, a burly man was chasing him closely, shouting loudly as he ran.

"Qing'er, you protect the child. I will go to help catch the thief!" Qian Xu handed his son to Dou Qing, then rushed out without hesitation and joined the ranks of those chasing the thief.

Qian Xu was agile and quickly caught up with the thief. He rushed forward and stretched out his hand to grab the thief's collar. Unexpectedly, the thief was very cunning. He turned around and threw a bundle in his hand at Qian Xu. Qian Xu was unable to dodge and was hit by the bundle.

"Daddy!" The son cried out in fear when he saw this scene.

Qian Xu didn't bother to check his injuries and was about to chase him again, but suddenly he felt a black screen in front of his eyes, his body swayed a few times, and then he fell straight down...