An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

Xu Zize then straightened himself, resting his hands on his knees and said, "Xiao Kang came to tell the old lady the good news as soon as he left the court. The battle report was received in the early morning."

His voice was clear, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "The Tatars were already in disarray and had no power to fight back. Then the Rouran joined our army in attacking from both sides, catching them completely off guard."

He picked up the blue and white teacup and took a sip of tea, his Adam's apple rolling slightly.

When he once again met the old lady's expectant gaze, his voice unconsciously rose a few notes: "The battle report states that they have surrendered. As long as they agree to the compensation terms, the two generals and Prince Hong will be able to return to the court soon."

When he said the words "return to the capital", his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Jing Chunxi. Their eyes met briefly in the air and then quickly separated.

"Good! It's faster than I expected." The old lady clapped her hands in exclamation, and the jade bracelet on her hand made a crisp sound when it hit the table.

"Did you hear that? You will be able to see your father soon." She laughed and looked around, her face glowing, fearing that her granddaughters had not heard this great news.

"That's great, our daddy is coming back." Jin Jie'er and Mingzhu, who were standing at the back, hugged each other tightly. Mingzhu's tears had already burst out and fell on Jin Jie'er's clothes.

If there were no outsiders around, they would definitely jump up and down, but now they could only suppress their joy and pinch each other's arms to make sure they were not dreaming.

Responding to the old lady's gaze, Jing Mingyue and Jing Chunxi exchanged glances, tears welling in their eyes. Mingyue's lips curled up slightly, while Chunxi bit her lower lip to hold back tears.

The two hands were clasped together, one on the left and one on the right. Chunxi's slender fingers were pinched by her cousin so hard that it hurt. The clear pain made her sure that this was real and not another dream.

The ceasefire is finally coming!

In other words, in this life, all members of my grandparents' family have changed their fate and survived safely, and their lives will only get better and better.

Seeing the eldest prince and his niece's anxious eyes locked with joy, the old lady's eyes flashed with a smile, and she believed even more in what the eldest prince had promised them before.

Well! If the eldest prince treats her sincerely and protects her sincerely, the deep palace is not necessarily a cage. Looking at Sister Xi'er's expression now, she is naturally willing. So what reason do they have to break up the couple?

She turned to the little girls, who were so happy that they didn't know where they were, and said, "Why don't you go and tell your mother and aunts quickly? Mingyue, go back too and tell them to make your mother happy too."

Although her tone was gentle, it was an unquestionable order to leave. She waved her powerful hand lightly, and the jade bracelet on her wrist jingled with the movement.

Jing Mingyue immediately stood up, not forgetting to make a playful face at Jing Chunxi, her pink tongue flicking out. Then she turned around and gave a standard bow to her grandmother and the eldest prince, saying gracefully, "Then I will take my sisters back first."

Jin Jie'er, who didn't want to leave, moved her steps reluctantly, but she didn't dare to disobey her grandmother. She pouted her lips and kept looking back as she followed Mingzhu's steps.

There aren't many people in the mansion right now, and her mother is in Qingshan Villa. It would take two days for her to report back, so she doesn't want to leave. Hasn't cousin Xi left yet?

Passing by Jing Chunxi who was still sitting quietly, she secretly tugged at his sleeve, her eyes full of reluctance and mischief, and it was unclear whether she understood or not.

"Madam, Xi'er, I'm really sorry about what I told you and the old general earlier—"

As soon as he said this, Xu Zize bowed, his sleeves rising slightly with the movement, and the dark dragon pattern embroidered with silver thread flashed in the candlelight.

The sisters' laughter still seemed to be lingering on the eaves. Jing Chunxi was not about to fall into the deep well with just a "sorry". Her hanging legs swayed for a bit, but when she saw her grandmother's expression changed, she had to quietly retract her toes to the edge of her skirt.

The old lady's heart suddenly tightened at the eldest prince's words, and she almost knocked the teacup on the table. She looked up at Jing Chunxi, and the maid looked down at her embroidered shoes, looking heartless.

The old lady then turned her gaze back to Xu Zize. Her voice was very low, but it couldn't hide the slight trembling in it: "Should we... let Xi'er go out first?"

Jing Chunxi looked up suddenly, the fine hairs on her temples gilded with a pale gold by the light. She stared at Xu Zize with wide eyes, a finger pressed against her chest, the tip of her finger practically digging into the silk thread of her apricot-red lapel—the silent question clearly asking: Do you want me to leave?

"No need," Xu Zize shook his head slightly, his voice like a stone pressing down on him, "Since this is a matter concerning Xi'er and Xiaokang, Xi'er must stay."

His expression at this moment was very similar to the sandalwood screens in the imperial study—cold, straight, and without a single wrinkle. Jing Chunxi blinked, and suddenly felt that he couldn't understand him like this.

Seeing the old lady's fingertips trembling slightly, she felt that something might have happened, so she quickly stood up, tapped her embroidered shoes on the blue brick floor, and walked around to the upper seat.

He passed his hands through the old lady's hair, and his fingertips, moistened with a little jasmine hair oil, gently landed on her temple, the force as gentle as the breeze on a spring night.

But she glared at the person opposite her with a hint of anger in her mouth: "Why are you so serious, Brother Xiaokang? If you scare Grandma, Xier will never forgive you."

"Xi'er, don't be rude!" The old lady's voice suddenly rose, like a thin blade cutting through an embroidered curtain.

Her face turned even more frosty, and when she turned to face Xu Zize, the last trace of the arc at the corner of her mouth was wiped away. "It's okay, Your Highness, just say it. I can bear it."

Xu Zize hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply to the ground. A few strands of hair fell down in front of his forehead, hiding the tiredness between his brows. "Old Madam, Xiaokang didn't mean that. Nothing has changed—" He paused, his voice low but clear, "It's just that the marriage... has to be postponed. I'm sorry Xi'er."

"Xi'er, don't feel wronged," Jing Chunxi said quickly, her voice crisp. "If I could be like my cousin Mingyue, waiting to be married until nineteen, I would be more than happy to do so!"

Two thoughts were running through her mind: one was that the golden tiles and red walls of the imperial palace looked like a cage covered with gilded gold foil in her eyes, and the later she got to enter, the better; the other was that Pu Ge'er was only eleven years old, and would have to rely on her for support after he established his own mansion, and she would have to look after everything inside and outside the mansion.

My mother and stepfather are about to have a new brother and sister-in-law, so they naturally don’t have time to take care of Pu Ge’er too much, unless he moves there again.