That single word “Mommy” seemed to make everyone momentarily forget all the conflict and unpleasantness between them. The little princess wasn’t actually hungry—once Ziqing soothed her for a bit, she settled down just fine.
And between Ziqing and Jun Buli, things seemed to have smoothed over as well. Ziqing handed the little princess to Hongyi, personally pouring tea for Jun Buli, and for Jun Beiyue too. Among the three of them, aside from the conversation being a little sparser than usual, the atmosphere was actually quite pleasant.
Ziqing didn’t ask about Consort Li on her own, and Jun Buli didn’t bring her up either—they mostly discussed matters concerning Nanzhao with Jun Beiyue instead.
The three of them had been sitting for a while when Jue Mingzi finally arrived in a hurry. Seeing the three of them getting along so well, he assumed Ziqing and Jun Buli had fully reconciled.
He stroked his beard as he sat down, laughing. “You two, mother and son, really can stir up trouble—anyone who didn’t know better would think you had some deep, bitter feud!”
At these words, Ziqing’s hand froze, and the corner of Jun Buli’s mouth stiffened too.
Jun Beiyue, however, laughed heartily. “Perhaps we were bitter enemies in a past life, and that’s why we’ve become mother and son in this one, forever tormenting each other, isn’t that so?”
Ziqing narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, in that case, let’s not settle all our grudges in this lifetime, so we can still be mother and son in the next.”
As she spoke, she turned to look at Jun Buli, asking, “Son, don’t you agree?”
But to her surprise, Jun Buli’s expression turned deeply earnest, his bright eyes fixed on his mother as he spoke from the depths of his heart. “Mommy, I’ll always be your son, no matter what.”
At these words, Ziqing finally couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer. Biting her lip, she looked at her son, now fully grown, and found herself wanting so badly to tell him, “Son, Mommy is afraid of you growing up.”
But a thousand words all condensed into something else entirely, and even then, she said it with a smile. “Mommy can’t possibly stay by your side for the rest of your life. Mommy will be spending her life with your father instead. You, go find someone else to be with forever.”
Jun Buli’s heart trembled slightly. All the pain, all the tears he’d been holding back, he forced deep down inside. He understood what his mother meant by these words—he knew she would no longer interfere in his affairs with Consort Li, nor would she meddle in his marriage prospects anymore.
This was a good thing, surely!
But then why did he feel this sense of being… abandoned? It felt awful.
“Sigh…” Jun Beiyue let out a long sigh, deliberately teasing, “Ziqing, with those words from you, your husband can finally rest easy.”
Ziqing laughed, and Jun Buli laughed along too. “Father, don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare steal your wife from you!”
Jue Mingzi was thoroughly confused, unable to make heads or tails of the layered meanings behind this family’s words. But seeing the atmosphere had lightened considerably, he was genuinely delighted, and quickly produced a generous gift.
It was a rare, round piece of five-colored jade jewelry—pale purple, pink, goose yellow, dark green, crimson red, and pale white, flowing together like an elegant ribbon, exquisitely beautiful, with the character “Yao” (窈, meaning graceful) carved at its center.
This was clearly the name Jue Mingzi had chosen for the little princess.
“Yao?” Jun Beiyue turned the word over thoughtfully.
“‘A graceful, virtuous maiden, a fitting match for a gentleman.’ Let’s call her Jun Yao. May she one day meet a man worthy of her, who will cherish her for a lifetime,” Jue Mingzi said earnestly.
Though this name was chosen for the little princess, it likely had more to do with Ziqing herself. He hoped the little princess would grow up like her mother, finding a true gentleman worthy of entrusting her whole life to.
“Excellent!” Jun Beiyue clapped happily, pleased with the meaning behind the name.
“Jun Yao, Jun Yao… quite fitting,” Ziqing agreed as well.
Jun Buli glanced at the little princess and teased, “Here I thought we might call her Jun Buhui (Never Regret)!”
At these words, the three of them all froze for a moment, then burst into laughter together, while the little princess blinked her large eyes, looking back and forth between them, giggling along foolishly, not understanding a thing.
“What are you laughing at, Jun Yao! From now on, your nickname can just be Yaotiao—how lovely!” Ziqing laughed, taking the little princess into her arms. The baby seemed to understand what she was saying, offering her a beautiful smile, clearly quite pleased with her name.
“Yaotiao! Truly lovely indeed!” Jun Beiyue liked the name too.
“Sigh… suddenly I really wish I could be the little brother instead!” Jun Buli lamented, realizing that being famous meant being born early, while she got to be born late. As he spoke, he too produced his own gift.
It was a double-sided gold token—one side granting exemption from death, the other exemption from punishment—Da Zhou’s exclusive imperial token, the highest grade available, usable three times on each side.
No matter how grave the crime, even a capital offense, this token could grant complete exemption from punishment and guilt.
Jun Beiyue examined it carefully, a flicker of amusement crossing his eyes. He found himself thinking his son was growing more and more like an emperor every day, bestowing this kind of token upon a princess, no less!
Perhaps, having let go ten years ago, they could finally rest easy now, ten years later.
“My goodness, this is quite the treasure. Yaotiao, let’s thank your Emperor Brother!” Ziqing laughed, taking the little princess’s hand to make a bowing gesture in thanks. But the little princess wouldn’t have it, suddenly wrenching her hand free from Ziqing’s and grabbing hold of the gold token, clutching it tightly, refusing to let go, as if terrified someone might snatch it away—sending everyone into fits of laughter.
Amid all the laughter and chatter, the feast began. Though the gathering was small and hardly grand, and had even started off fraught with tension, everything had passed now, and the little family feast was filled with warmth.
Jun Buli, in truth, was an exceptionally thoughtful child. Every dish he’d prepared was something Ziqing and Jun Beiyue loved, and even the tea and wine had all been arranged according to their preferences.
The little family felt just like any ordinary household, warm and genuine, without the scheming and false pretenses of a court banquet. The little princess was still too young to remember this feast, but everyone else certainly would. Strictly speaking, this was the very first family dinner ever held at Prince Yao’s manor.
From that day forward, Ziqing seemed to have completely forgotten about Consort Li, never bringing her up again.
And Jun Buli began returning to Prince Yao’s manor regularly too, likewise never mentioning Consort Li again.
During this time, Jun Buli and Jun Beiyue continued discussing the Nanzhao campaign, and finally, three months later, they mobilized General White Tiger and deployed the Four Great Poison Beasts, launching a full invasion of Nanzhao!
Neither Jun Buli nor Jun Beiyue personally led the campaign. That once-formidable nation, which had once given them cause for wariness, now seemed utterly insignificant in their eyes.
The strong never look back at an opponent they’ve already crushed underfoot, because that opponent is no longer worth calling an opponent at all.
Half a year later, Ziqing and Jun Beiyue took the little princess and left the capital for Mobei, intending to settle there for an extended stay.
Though reluctant to see them go, Jun Buli didn’t object, instead offering his full support. He personally escorted them to the city gates, and only after watching their figures disappear from view did he finally let out a long, heavy sigh, leaning back heavily against the city wall.
He knew that Mother and Father had truly let go of him now—from this point forward, no one would ever interfere in his affairs again.
“This is good,” he said quietly to himself, calm and at peace, resolute, and turned to walk alone through the dim gate tower, step by step, further and further away.
But he hadn’t gone far when he saw Consort Li standing alone ahead of him, watching him from a distance.