Sending a four-year-old child into the deep, fathomless palace walls, forcing her to live a constrained life forever, always watching others' expressions—not even her own father Ashina Suwu could bear it, let alone Xiao Jin Yu, who couldn't harden his heart to do so.
But if a Turkic princess were to stay in his residence, whether or not she became his daughter-in-law, the day war broke out again, he would have to deal with all the messy complications in the imperial court...
If this had happened two years ago, weighing the pros and cons, Xiao Jin Yu might have coldly refused and washed his hands of the matter. However, since Qing Ping was born, he could no longer bear to see any child suffer, regardless of whose child it was.
Xiao Xiang, having long resided in the deep palace, was naturally more aware and sensitive to matters like political marriages than anyone else. But in Chu Chu's mind, even after several lifetimes, she would never come to think of such things.
Xiao Jin Yu didn't expect Chu Chu to understand this matter either. "It's just... Ashina Suwu is afraid I don't trust him, so he sent his daughter to our residence as a prospective daughter-in-law. If he dares to go back on his word, I can spank his daughter."
Xiao Xiang stifled a laugh. In all her life, this was the first time she had heard of a political marriage being handled this way.
"That's great!" Chu Chu smiled, looking at Qing Ping in her arms, who was gazing at her intently as if understanding a little. "This way, Ping'er will have someone to play with in the future!"
Xiao Jin Yu sighed silently. A princess of the Ashina clan from the grasslands—he wondered if his own frail and sickly son could even keep up with her...
☆ 115. Manhan Banquet (VII)
As soon as Xiao Xiang left, Xiao Jin Yu sat down at the table and began sifting through the case files he had brought back last night.
"Wang Ye..." Chu Chu placed Qing Ping back in the cradle and moved closer to him. "Why are you investigating this case again?"
Xiao Jin Yu took a stack of letters from one of the case file boxes, spreading them out one by one on the table. Then he laid out the letters brought by Ashina Suwu on the other half of the table, his brow slightly furrowed. "Back when the Turkic Khan came to negotiate peace, he presented a stack of treasonous letters to the Daozong Emperor. After comparison by multiple investigating officials, it was confirmed to be the handwriting of Ning Jun Wang Xiao Heng. But Xiao Heng never admitted it, even to his death... If someone could imitate Xiao Jue's handwriting so well that even he couldn't tell it was fake, perhaps someone could also imitate Xiao Heng's handwriting."
Chu Chu was taken aback. "Wang Ye, do you suspect this Ning Jun Wang was wrongly accused?"
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head gently. "It's still unclear... Xiao Heng and Xiao Jue's handwriting styles are completely different. Imitating either would be difficult, and if both were imitated by the same person, it would be even more challenging..."
Before Xiao Jin Yu could finish speaking, a sharp, violent pain suddenly seized his stomach. He gasped sharply, gripping the edge of the table to steady his trembling body.
Chu Chu quickly helped him lean back in the chair, fetched two pills for him to take, and pulled his tightly clenched hand away from his stomach, slowly massaging it for him.
Xiao Jin Yu took several deep, ragged breaths before the churning in his stomach subsided. By the time the pain eased, he was drenched in sweat as if he had been pulled out of water.
It had been a long time since Xiao Jin Yu had suffered such a severe stomach episode. Chu Chu was so frightened her face turned pale. "Wang Ye, are you still in pain?"
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head slightly. "It's nothing... I drank too much..."
He hadn't felt anything after three drinks yesterday, but after having a few more cups with Ashina Suwu today, his body couldn't handle it anymore...
Perhaps he had been overly optimistic about his physical condition.Chu Chu carefully helped him lie down on the bed, then turned to go prepare some medicine for him. As she glanced unintentionally toward the cradle, her soul nearly fled in fright.
Somehow, Qing Ping had managed to pull himself up by holding the edge of the cradle and was standing unsteadily, staring dazedly at Xiao Jin Yu lying pale as snow on the bed. "Daddy..."
Chu Chu, terrified he might fall, was about to rush over and pick him up when she suddenly realized something. She stood frozen in place, staring blankly at their son. "Wang... Wang Ye, Ping'er can stand!"
Xiao Jin Yu, ignoring the lingering pain in his stomach, gritted his teeth and struggled to prop himself up halfway. "Hold him... help him down..."
Chu Chu went over and lifted Qing Ping out of the cradle, carefully supporting him as he stood on the ground. The moment she let go, the little one toddled unsteadily toward Xiao Jin Yu, making it all the way to the bedside before seeming to exhaust his strength. Just as he was about to fall, Chu Chu caught up and scooped him into her arms, then handed him to Xiao Jin Yu, whose face had turned ashen with fright.
Once Qing Ping caught his breath, he used his warm little hands to rub the spot where Chu Chu had just massaged Xiao Jin Yu. Tilting his small face up, he looked at the still-stunned Xiao Jin Yu. "Daddy, no hurt, no hurt..."
Their son's first determined steps had been taken out of concern for him...
It wasn't until a drop of water fell on Qing Ping's forehead that Xiao Jin Yu realized he was crying.
Qing Ping's small hand struggled to reach Xiao Jin Yu's slightly cool cheek. "Daddy good, no hurt now, no cry..."
Xiao Jin Yu pressed a deep kiss into the small palm. "Daddy's not hurting, not hurting anymore..."
Chu Chu stood to the side, wiping her tears while smiling. "Wang Ye, he's so wonderful!"
"Yes... Ping'er is the best child, the very best..."
Before dinner, Ashina Suwu indeed brought his daughter along.
Chu Chu took an immediate liking to the four-year-old girl dressed in sky-blue Han clothing. Walking beside Ashina Suwu, her rosy little face showed no trace of fear. Flanking her tall nose bridge, a pair of large amber eyes curiously scanned their surroundings. When she blinked, her thick eyelashes fluttered like tiny fans, making her as beautiful as a painted doll.
"Wulan, pay respects to Prince An and Imperial Concubine An."
Ashina Wulan performed a proper kowtow toward Xiao Jin Yu and Chu Chu. After getting up, she stared directly at Xiao Jin Yu's wheelchair and asked in childish, halting Chinese: "Prince An, why does your chair have wheels?"
Ashina Suwu clearly hadn't expected his daughter to open with such a question, looking somewhat embarrassed. Before he could speak, they heard Xiao Jin Yu reply calmly, "For convenience in handling cases."
Ashina Wulan looked at Xiao Jin Yu with skeptical eyes. "Then... is it because you sit in such a chair that you're so amazing?"
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