"He must be scolding you again for being useless, that General Su,"
"Let him scold. It's not like he's thought highly of me for just a day or two."
"You really don't plan to let General Su know?"
"I don't. Compared to a son who serves Prince Ding and might die at any moment, I think a son who messes around aimlessly is more suitable for the Su family!"
He said this without a ripple in his eyes, indicating it was a well-thought-out decision.
Yang Zhao patted his shoulder. Su Cheng's grievances were probably the greatest among them.
After all, he could operate in the open, but Su Cheng could not.
Therefore, he sincerely hoped that if they ever managed to clear out these parasites, Su Cheng could walk openly under the sun and tell General Su that this was his proud son.
But for now, they had to continue to hide in the shadows to turn passivity into initiative.
The moon hung high, and the night was deep.
The weather in late May was no longer cold, and the Feng family was very busy that night.
After tossing and turning for most of the night, Madam Wen finally gave birth to a daughter just before dawn.
Her features were delicate, her cries were loud, and her physique was even sturdier.
Feng Jinxu already had two sons, so he had always hoped for a daughter this time. Now that his wish was granted, he naturally poured all his paternal love onto this little infant!
Madam Feng, holding her plump granddaughter from the midwife, was also overjoyed.
"This child looks so much like A Yao when she was just born!"
It was common for a niece to resemble her aunt, and Madam Wen, after looking, agreed.
"It's a good thing she resembles A Yao. Look how beautiful she is. Our little granddaughter will surely be a beauty in the future."
She said this while playfully teasing the child's cheeks.
The child was sturdy but gentle in temperament, lying obediently in the brocade quilt, not crying or fussing.
The wet nurse, who had been prepared long ago, took the baby from Madam Feng's arms to feed her.
The whole family was busy brainstorming good names for the child.
"Let's call her Feng Yunluo."
After Feng Jinxu said the name, others hadn't reacted, but Madam Wen's heart was in sync with his.
"'Looking from afar, she is as bright as the morning sun rising through the rosy clouds; observing closely, she is as radiant as a lotus emerging from green waves.' This is from 'Ode to the Luo River Goddess.' Is that what you mean, my lord?"
"Yes."
Feng Jinxu looked at Madam Wen. Although she was weak, her spirits were good. It was thanks to Doctor Zhang's medicine. Otherwise, if she had continued to be nourished as before, she might not have made it to today, let alone mother and daughter being safe.
"Good, good, this is a wonderful name. Our Luo'er's beauty will surely be no less than the Luo River Goddess in the future."
Madam Feng liked it, and Madam Wen also liked it, so the name was decided.
"You've worked hard, Madam. You must rest well during your confinement and recover your health."
Feng Jinxu did not have the idea of having many children for blessings. Moreover, with two sons and one daughter, it was enough. Therefore, his hope for Madam Wen to recover her health was sincere, not for the sake of having more children in the future.
During this time, he had stayed by Madam Wen's side, so Madam Wen understood him in her heart.
She squeezed Feng Jinxu's hand, nodded, and smiled with relief and serenity, "I understand."
Seeing them like this, the others did not want to disturb them further and left under the pretext of seeing Feng Yunluo.
Zhu Jin brought some food, but Madam Wen did not want to eat. She was very tired and just wanted to sleep well.
"Sleep. I'll stay here with you."
Feng Jinxu had also been awake all night, but looking at Madam Wen sleeping peacefully, he felt a deep sense of contentment.
For some reason, their meeting and knowing each other over the years, and then their forgetting and fading away, all passed through his mind.
He held her hand tightly. For all the past, he could only apologize. He had to make amends one by one in the future.
Later, he even unconsciously leaned by the bedside and fell asleep. After Zhu Jin and others tidied up the bed and room, they retreated.
Leaving only the two of them in a warm embrace.
The Ninth Prince slept off his hangover. When he woke up again, the plaque at the entrance of the mansion had been changed. The words "Prince Li's Mansion" made everyone outside know that he was currently favored by the Emperor.
The first person he saw upon waking was the Duke of Wei.
"Your Highness should drink less, lest it harm your health," the Duke of Wei said as soon as he saw him.
The Ninth Prince, whose mind was still a bit hazy, frowned at him upon hearing this. However, the Duke of Wei was no ordinary person and was not afraid of his demeanor. In the end, it was the Ninth Prince who was frustrated.
So he muttered in a low voice.
"I know."
Seeing him like this, the Duke of Wei did not want to pursue the matter further and got straight to the point.
"I heard that the generals who accompanied Your Highness were all burned to death in Liangzhou?"
Mentioning this, the Ninth Prince's face also turned grim.
"I don't know why, but the lightning struck the General's Mansion instead of other places. Coupled with their usual excessive drinking, they couldn't escape."
The Ninth Prince concealed some of their absurd actions, fearing the Duke of Wei's anger.
After all, their behavior was indeed improper, and it would not be glorious if it were exposed.
This matter, in the Ninth Prince's eyes, might have been an accident, but in the Duke of Wei's eyes, it was a complete conspiracy.
"Someone must be trying to frame Your Highness, deliberately severing your arms. Fortunately, you returned in time. If you had stayed in Liangzhou any longer, it would have been unfavorable!"
"What does my maternal grandfather mean?"
"This matter is either the work of Xiao Ji, or there is a hidden mastermind behind it."
"Xiao Ji?"
The Ninth Prince was somewhat incredulous. In his opinion, Xiao Ji, who could even give away his merits, was just a blockhead. How could he dare to lay a hand on him, a prince? Moreover, after his incident, Xiao Ji was the first to arrive.
Whether in Ganzhou or Liangzhou, Xiao Ji had never done anything improper.
Seeing his confusion, the Duke of Wei stated directly.
"The great victory in Liangzhou, on the surface, brought the most praise and rewards to Your Highness. However, in reality, it was the Northwest Army who truly benefited. Regardless of Xiao Muqian's promotion, many of the people following him received rewards. Yet, none of those we brought with us survived. posthumous titles, even if they were conferred as Grand Generals of the State, are useless. Therefore, Your Highness must put in some effort and see if there are suitable candidates to push into the positions we want to fill. Only then will the military power firmly remain in our hands."
After hearing his words, the Ninth Prince finally understood.
He had only focused on his own military achievements and forgotten about those behind him.
So, he respectfully said to the Duke of Wei again.
"My maternal grandfather's considerations are indeed thorough. I will arrange everything according to your instructions."
The Duke of Wei nodded. He was already accustomed to the Ninth Prince delegating power.