Everlasting Longing

Quiеtlу lеtting gо of her sistеr's hаnd, shе trеmblinglу caressеd his сheek.

"Yоu!" He quiсklу grаbbеd hеr smаll hand.

Remоving the cork from her mouth, shе sоftly sаid, "I lovе уоu! Yеlü Lie."

Нis еуеs wеre fillеd with shock, emоtiоn, and disbеlief, then he еxprеssed his eхсitеmеnt in а fiеrсe tonе:

"Wоman, if уоu dоn't foсus on giving birth, nо mаtter how muсh I lоve уou, the first thing I'll do аfter you'rе dоnе is give уou a goоd sраnking!" Hе stuffеd thе соrk bаck intо hеr mouth.

Whаt follоwed was аn evеn lоngеr labоr, timе sliррing away in рain... as if endless...

Yet, thе deep, аffectiоnatе gаzes thеy exchanged were the wellspring of mutual support during the prolonged agony.

※ ※ ※

The next morning, at the break of dawn, after Jun Qiluo had endured eight hours of pain, two beautiful and healthy baby boys finally decided to stop tormenting their mother and politely emerged from her womb, landing in their father's hands.

The little ones, who had exhausted four adults, still cried loudly and greedily to announce their arrival. Jun Qiluo half-sat up; the pain after childbirth was far more bearable than during labor, and her spirits had somewhat recovered. She cradled her two sons in her arms, letting them suckle.

The two babies looked exactly alike, the only distinguishing feature being that the one with blue eyes was the elder, and the one with black eyes was the younger.

"Thank you!" He gently stroked her sweat-dampened hair.

"Lie... you once said that a child with blue eyes is the legitimate heir, right?" Jun Qiluo struggled to shake off her exhaustion. She had to discuss something with him, and he absolutely had to agree.

"Yes." He stared at her with his blue eyes.

"Then, can we leave the younger, dark-eyed brother for the Jun family?"

"No!" He glared at her with a dangerous look. "My sons must grow up in Great Liao."

"Fine! Then you take the children back, and I'll stay."

"You?" Good heavens! This woman was about to provoke him again!

She bit her lower lip, reluctantly looking down at her two beloved children. The elder was still greedily suckling, while the younger had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep.

"How could I bear to abandon my own flesh and blood? But the Jun family cannot be left without an heir. My father is getting old, and my brother-in-law is just a scholar. With no one to carry on the family, it was originally decided that my child would take over. But then you came; I wanted to go with you, to spend my life with you. Besides, though the children are born of the same womb, fate has already determined that only one can become king. What about the other? What can he do in Great Liao? When he grows up, will he envy his elder brother's natural status? Will he resent us, his parents, for being unfair? For not even giving him a chance to compete? But in the Jun family, he would have everything, he would have his own responsibilities. Call it my selfishness, but I want to marry you while also preserving the Jun family's legacy. If you refuse, then as a daughter, how can I selfishly abandon my elderly father to go off and enjoy happiness alone?

I..."

"Qiluo..." He frowned, pulling her into his embrace, also gazing at the two children.

"I never beg anyone, but, Lie... I beg you, can we let the younger son stay?""Could your Great Song tolerate a child with Liao blood? If one day he is discovered; or if one day he takes to the battlefield against Great Liao... Qiluo! He is my son!"

Jun Qiluo looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

"It won't happen! We will make him understand that Great Liao never had ambitions to conquer the Central Plains. The wars between our nations began because Great Song could not bear to see 'external threats' grow strong. There will surely be wars in the future, but I will have him focus on commerce. I will not let you or our son lead troops to attack Great Song. If you truly wish to marry me, you must accept this understanding. You may fight any other country, or better yet, not fight at all; but you cannot attack Great Song. You must not!

And our child must not either! Also, from now on, I must return to Great Song once every year to see the child. You have the ability to come and go freely, so we can return to see the child, can't we?"

He sighed softly and murmured, "You know, your tears are my fatal weakness in this lifetime!"

Her concerns were justified. As such an intelligent woman, coupled with a merchant's shrewd mind, she had already made the best arrangements for everything. She placed emotional matters second. Her first priority was to position everyone appropriately, and it was truly difficult for her to maintain such rationality.

"Thank you, thank you, Lie..." She raised her head to kiss him deeply, yet could not hold back the flood of tears...

※ ※ ※

One month later, Yelü Lie set out westward with his wife and son. He entrusted their younger son Jun Shuo and a long letter to Jiang Juan, asking her to deliver it to her father before departing. As for the future heir of the Yelü family, Yelü Chu—a Liao-Song mixed-blood child born to be king—he would naturally return to grow up in the world destined for him.

Arriving at Hengcheng meant they were about to leave the territory of Great Song.

Yelü Lie reined in his horse and, together with his wife, looked back at the path they had traveled. The Twelve Riders who served as their escort also joined them here.

They were about to leave Great Song! This departure meant she would forever become one of the Liao People, no longer a citizen of Great Song.

She sighed and nestled closer to Yelü Lie; he held her tightly, understanding her reluctance.

"We will set foot on this land again."

"And yet I will already be one of the Liao People," she whispered.

"Don't worry, Duoluo Qi will protect our child well." He smiled, then without further hesitation turned his horse and resolutely galloped out of Hengcheng; before them stretched the vast world outside the border!

Farewell, Central Plains!

Jun Qiluo dared not look back, letting her tears flow into her husband's embrace...

※ ※ ※

The story should end here!

However, it must be mentioned that Duoluo Qi's actions were "using public duty for private gain." He did not return to Great Liao with Yelü Lie. Instead, he requested official leave, staying in Great Song with the Jun family under the pretext of guarding the young master. In truth, his private motive was to seize the opportunity to win the heart of a certain young lady.

But that young lady, using the reason of educating the Jun family heir, vowed not to marry; unless a man was willing to live with her in the Jun family—not as a live-in son-in-law, but as her husband who would reside in the Jun family until the heir was capable of shouldering the family's responsibilities.

Thus, Duoluo Qi decided to spend his time with that young lady, joining her in guarding the growth of the Jun family heir.And he vowed to win that beauty's hand in the shortest time possible. In the future, perhaps ten or twenty years from now, he would return outside the border with his wife and a whole brood of children!