Chapter 180: Return to the City
Chapter 180: Return to the City
Prince Qing was tickled into laughter by Mr. Hanshuang. He sighed helplessly, "I don't pity anyone, I'm just worried about the methods he used and that others will follow suit and harm innocent people."
Mr. Hanshuang shook his head at this, "Don't you trust me, Your Highness?"
Prince Qing waved his hand, "Not at all."
Seeing his reaction, Mr. Hanshuang smiled, "Then please rest assured, Your Highness."
Prince Qing couldn't get anything else out of him, but his curiosity got the better of him. After much thought, he still couldn't resist asking, "What kind of method was it? I'd like to know too."
Mr. Hanshuang smiled at him, "It's a common method, often seen in rural villages."
Prince Qing: ...
In the end, Prince Qing couldn't get any more information out of him, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he thought about it and then discussed with Mr. Hanshuang the matter of giving Suishu gifts, "That child has just arrived in the capital and has nothing with her. I still owe her a debt of gratitude, so I should give her some gifts to boost her confidence."
At the time of the mountain collapse, Mr. Hanshuang had already taken the prisoner and returned to the capital ahead of them.
It was only later that he heard about what had happened from his subordinates.
Now that Prince Qing had brought it up, Mr. Hanshuang nodded, "Indeed, we should send some gifts to express our gratitude. I'll accompany you, Your Highness, in selecting them. Only gifts chosen personally show true sincerity."
Prince Qing was naturally pleased to have someone help him with this.
At that moment, Suishu, the child who had been on their minds, was already running wild with excitement.
She ran through the mountains and fields, picking countless wildflowers.
Song Kuan's craftsmanship was indeed excellent, and he wove a beautiful flower crown for Suishu to wear.
Although she hadn't looked in the mirror, the wildflowers of different colors woven together looked delightful.
Suishu took off all the little hats she liked and replaced them with the flower crown, then twirled around happily.
After twirling for a while, Suishu thought that since Song Kuan had made her a flower crown, she should pick more flowers to give to him as well.
With these thoughts in mind, Suishu ran even more eagerly.
Here and there, everywhere she went, at first, she only picked the most beautiful flowers, but later, she stopped being picky and picked every flower she saw.
The two children ran wildly for an entire afternoon and were eventually too tired to do anything but be carried down the mountain.
After dinner that evening, they just washed up briefly before going to sleep.
Suishu didn't even have the energy to wait for a bedtime story.
It was even more impossible for her to wake up in the middle of the night to listen to a story.
She even snored very lightly, and when Princess Qi, who was sleeping next to her, heard it, she couldn't help but want to laugh, "This child is tired. Alright, let's get ready for bed too."
After a good night's sleep, the next day was another clear day.
The weather had been a bit gloomy the day before, and they had thought it might rain.
But it didn't, and today the sky cleared up.
Princess Qi was quite pleased to see this.
She got up early in the morning and started packing, as today they would return to their mansion. Along the way, they would also stop by Song Mansion to visit relatives and introduce Suishu to them.
As they still had to rush back to the city, the group packed up and left the mountain after breakfast.
Song Kuan had played for an entire afternoon the day before and was still quite happy about it.
However, when he thought about going back to attend classes with the teacher, the young boy felt a little deflated.
Don't be fooled by his gentle and refined appearance; he was actually a dunce.
Nevertheless, when he found out that he would be riding in the same carriage as Suishu on their way back, Song Kuan was delighted again.
The carriage swayed and rocked its way down the mountain, into the city, and it was already nearing noon when they finally reached Song Mansion.
The Song Mansion was located on Xuanwu Street, not far from the Zhuque Street where the Qi Wang Manor resided.
Having received news earlier that the Princess of Qi would be returning to the manor, Mother Song, Madam Xie, had made early preparations.
Upon receiving word of their arrival, Madam Xie personally led a group to welcome her daughter back to the manor.
After the Princess of Qi, accompanied by Sui Sui, and Zhou Shi, with Song Kuan in tow, had dismounted from their carriage, Madam Xie stepped forward and respectfully greeted them before the Princess of Qi returned the greeting. They then made their way into the manor.
Once seated, the Princess of Qi, noticing the dark circles under her mother's eyes, gently inquired with concern, "Mother, have you not been sleeping well these past few days?"
In response, Madam Xie sighed softly, "Recently, your father has been occupied with matters at the Ministry of War. He hasn't returned home for two days, and I worry about his aging body and whether he's managing."
Song Fu, being the Deputy Minister of War, intended to retire and pass on his duties to others during these two years. Thus, he was currently in the midst of a series of work transitions and handovers, in addition to tending to other official matters.
Of course, Song Fu's age was also a factor, as he was well over fifty.
So, it was only natural for Madam Xie to feel concerned.
After the Princess of Qi offered a few reassuring words and smiled, Madam Xie nodded with a smile and shifted her gaze towards Sui Sui.
Madam Xie was incredibly curious about this child.
When Sui Sui had first arrived in the capital, the Princess of Qi had sent word back to the manor, mentioning that she would be adopting another child. At the time, Madam Xie had been curious about this child.
While the message from the Princess of Qi didn't reveal much, Madam Xie hadn't wanted to pry further or risk being accused of gossiping.
Now that she was seeing the child in person, how could she not be curious?
Looking at the little girl's round eyes, Madam Xie's expression froze for a moment, and her heart skipped a beat.
She wanted to ask questions, but fearing that her words might upset the child, she quickly adjusted her demeanor and smiled, "So, this must be Sui Sui. Come closer and let your grandmother have a good look at you."
Although Madam Xie's expression had shifted momentarily, she quickly regained her composure, and there was no malice in her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Sui Sui looked up at her royal mother and, receiving her nod of approval, she walked over obediently. Her voice was soft and tender as she spoke, "Grandmother, I'm Sui Sui."
The softness of her voice, coupled with her round eyes and adorable expressions, instantly melted Madam Xie's heart.
Despite any previous suspicions, she now instinctively felt that it was impossible for this child to be anyone else.
Madam Xie raised her hand and lovingly caressed Sui Sui's head, asking with a loving smile about her recent meals, sleep, and play, showing genuine care and interest.
These were all routine inquiries about a child's daily life.
Sui Sui obediently answered each question.
After a while, Madam Xie signaled for someone to bring out a box filled with gifts and presented them to Sui Sui.
Sui Sui dared not accept the gifts and instinctively turned to look at her royal mother.
Seeing the slight panic in the little girl's eyes, the Princess of Qi smiled at her and spoke in a reassuring tone, "These are gifts from your grandmother. Take them, Sui Sui."
Zhou Shi, standing by, also chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! Gifts from your grandmother! Take them! Your second aunt has also prepared gifts, and so has your first aunt..."
Speaking of the first aunt, Zhou Shi hesitated for a moment and then smiled as she explained, "Your first aunt isn't feeling well. She'll come to visit and play with you another day when she's feeling better. How does that sound?"
(End of Chapter)
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