Yuwen Chu, startled by the scream, trembled with his fan and sympathetically asked Mingzhu: “Do you hear her crying like this every day at home?”
“No, no.” Mingzhu shook her head, looking very pleased: “She often cries so much that she gets tired of crying and just goes to sleep when she’s unhappy. Today is really eye-opening; this girl needs some stimulation.”
“What kind of mother are you, watching your child cry without comforting her, and enjoying it?” Although Yuwen Chu was reproaching Mingzhu, he didn’t go to comfort Millet either but watched with interest to see what Zhuangzhuang would do.
Zhuangzhuang went up to pat Millet’s face to comfort her, but Millet was determined to cry hard this time and ignored him. Zhuangzhuang frowned, hesitated for a moment, then secretly took out a small piece of snack from his sleeve and handed it to Millet. Millet immediately stopped crying, stuffed the snack into her mouth quickly, and called out “Brother” unclearly.
Seeing Millet smile, Zhuangzhuang also laughed and clumsily imitated Mingzhu’s actions, hugging Millet’s head and giving her a kiss. He looked around cautiously and took out another piece of snack from his sleeve to eat himself.
Mingzhu laughed heartily and proudly said to Yuwen Chu: “Your Highness, our child is great, isn’t he?” The joy of raising a child lies in this; every day you can see new progress and receive new surprises from them.
Yuwen Chu was naturally very satisfied. Such a young child, knowing to hide snacks when he couldn’t compete with older children, yet willing to share and comfort his younger sister, was very commendable. However, children this young don’t have many playmates, and those who dare to snatch things from him are limited to the Fu family’s Little Stone and Millet. So, where did he learn the trick of hiding snacks?
Yuwen Chu looked at the wet nurses standing nearby. Wet nurse Lin was calm, but wet nurse Tang’s face was pale. It was clear that the children had learned this from watching the wet nurses secretly hide and take things.
How could he allow someone who sneaks around to stay by his children’s side? It was clear they took advantage of his frequent absences and Mingzhu’s kind-hearted and somewhat careless nature. Yuwen Chu was about to react angrily, but Mingzhu, smiling innocently, gently tugged his sleeve and whispered, “Say nothing, pretend you don’t know. I’ll find a proper reason to dismiss her later. No need to upset Zhuangzhuang.”
So she wasn’t unaware but chose to pretend ignorance for the sake of the children. Yuwen Chu couldn’t help but re-evaluate her, realizing she had a gentle and considerate side beneath her seemingly careless exterior. He softly and obediently replied, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
Someone shouted, “The food is here!”
The workers cheered and lined up for their meals. Ye Xiu handed Yuwen Chu a note from the capital. Yuwen Chu read it and asked, “Has the envoy arrived yet?”
Ye Xiu smiled: “He has, just one person, unharmed. I saw him as I left, but I ignored him and rode past.”
“Let him wait until dark,” Yuwen Chu said, inviting Ye Xiu to sit and eat with him, indicating he had tasks for him.
Seeing this, Mingzhu took the two children aside to eat, giving Yuwen Chu and Ye Xiu space. After Yuwen Chu and Ye Xiu finished discussing matters, Zhou Shuyi arrived with some unfamiliar people, and Yuwen Chu turned the place into his temporary study.
The children, sleepy after their meal, were taken by Mingzhu to the carriage for a nap. The carriage was parked under willow trees by the roadside, next to a large lotus pond in full bloom. The gentle breeze and fragrance were more pleasant and cool than being in the manor.
Mingzhu slept well until Yuwen Chu woke her by splashing cool water on her face. She scooted over to make room for him: “Your Highness, are you done with your work?”
“Yes,” Yuwen Chu said, telling her about the day’s events in the capital while observing her expression. “I didn’t want to tell you, thinking you might not like me clashing with the Great Empress Dowager, but it’s better than you hearing it from someone else.”
Mingzhu listened calmly and said seriously, “Yes, no matter what it is, getting accurate news from you and not being the last to know is most important to me.”
Yuwen Chu kissed her hand: “There are things you might not like to know, so I won’t tell you unless you want to. You can ask me anytime.”
Mingzhu asked, “Anytime?”
“Anytime.” Yuwen Chu kissed her lips softly. “Of course, if I’m in the middle of a meeting, you’ll have to wait a bit.”
Mingzhu hugged his neck: “Okay.”
The two of them laid together for a while, and Mingzhu softly said, “If that day comes, give her a dignified death.” She no longer hoped Yuwen Chu would spare the Great Empress Dowager’s life. She could once understand that the Great Empress Dowager took a different path with different ideas and positions, but now the Great Empress Dowager was almost insane, willing to sacrifice the country’s interests and innocent lives for her own selfishness, even harming her own kin. Mingzhu couldn’t understand or forgive this.
Yuwen Chu replied softly, “I won’t kill her.” Letting someone already at death’s door, bent on self-destruction, suffer the torment of illness and despair seemed a more fitting end. Besides, he didn’t want Mingzhu to think of the Great Empress Dowager and associate her death with him, avoiding unpleasant memories between them.
The sound of frogs croaking from the lotus pond filled the air. Yuwen Chu smiled and changed the subject: “There will be rain tonight; the drought will finally be alleviated.”
“That’s great,” Mingzhu responded cooperatively. “Did you notice those children just now?”
“Those playing with Zhuangzhuang and Millet?” Yuwen Chu quickly understood Mingzhu’s intention. “You want to pick playmates for him?”
Mingzhu smiled and said, “Yes, Zhuang Zhuang is growing up, and I don’t want him to be surrounded only by maids and wealthy children. Children from farming families are sturdy and not pampered, simple and honest. They can be playmates when young and trusted attendants or stewards when older. I think it’s a good idea.”
“When he gets a bit older, we will still need to select excellent young men from various noble families to be his companions. I’ll handle that; you can handle the rest,” Yuwen Chu said with a smile. “You have taught him well. Despite his young age, Zhuang Zhuang is already clever and considerate.”
Mingzhu proudly replied, “Of course, who do you think I am?”
