Wish You All the Best - Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Ci'er’s eyes were wide and round, gazing at Jiafu as he waited for his mother’s answer.

Jiafu said, "The capital is very far from here; it takes many days of travel to reach it. There is a great building in the city with a roof covered in glazed tiles that sparkle when the sun hits them. The Emperor lives inside. He manages the people and affairs of the entire world, and he is different from ordinary people. For his birthday, it is my duty as a subject to make him clothes. As for your father..."

She faltered, still thinking about how to explain it to her son, when Ci'er’s eyes lit up. "I know! Father is unhappy because he is worried that Mother worked too hard!"

Jiafu had stayed up for several nights to finish that longevity robe, and Pei You'an had indeed been deeply concerned, becoming increasingly unhappy about it.

Ci'er was only three years old. He didn't usually talk much, but he was very bright. Jiafu suspected that Pei You'an must have been just like his son when he was young, and he wasn't easy to fool. She was racking her brains on how to answer the question about why his father was unhappy when she suddenly heard footsteps at the door. Pei You'an had entered.

Ci'er had been leaning in Jiafu’s arms, but seeing his father arrive, he hurriedly climbed up and called out, "Father." Pei You'an nodded, sat down to the side, and asked about his morning practice. Ci'er sat perfectly straight, answering one by one. His voice was childish, but he looked at his father with an expression of great seriousness.

Pei You'an said, "Father went to check the arrow target earlier. Ci'er shot well, and you shot more than twenty arrows. However, Ci'er, you have only just begun to learn. There is no need to overdo it; each time, you only need to focus on shooting twenty arrows well. Do you remember?"

Ci'er idolized his father. In the eyes of this little boy, this man was omnipotent, like a mountain to be looked up to. Upon receiving praise, joy filled his eyes, and he nodded vigorously.

Pei You'an smiled, patted his son’s little head, and went to a bookshelf against the wall to flip through a book.

Jiafu pulled her son back, continuing to feed him snacks. She held the spoon to his lips; Ci'er took it into his mouth and swallowed. Seeing his mother about to feed him again, he seemed a bit shy. He secretly glanced at his father’s back, leaned to Jiafu’s ear, and whispered softly, "Mother, my hand isn't sore anymore. I’ll eat by myself. Father said that since Ci'er is three, I should eat on my own..."

Jiafu knew his hand was sore from archery, which was why she had been feeding him herself. Seeing her son reach out and ask for the spoon, she had no choice but to pass it over.

Ci'er scooped the little snacks from the bowl, opening his mouth wide to eat bite by bite. He finished every last bit, with some juice stained on the corner of his mouth, which Jiafu wiped away for him.

Pei You'an came over and told Cui Yinshui to take their son outside.

Jiafu knew he must have something to tell her, so she didn't object. She helped Ci'er put on his shoes and added a thick little cloak over him. She watched as Cui Yinshui led him out and closed the door, then turned to complain, "Ci'er is only three. Look at how you restrain him! As soon as you arrive, you act like a little teacher. I just fed him a bite of rice, and he was already afraid you’d scold him! Is that how you act as a father?"

Pei You'an laughed, sat down beside Jiafu, and gently tapped her head with his book. "A doting mother makes a spoiled child! It’s enough that you spoil him; I know what I’m doing." As he spoke, he glanced at the empty bowl Ci'er had left behind and pulled her onto his lap. "I’m hungry, too. You only have eyes for Ci'er; you don't care about me at all! I’ve been in here for so long, and you’ve only focused on feeding your son. I haven't heard you ask if I’m hungry once."

Jiafu shot him a sideways glance and pushed him away, saying, "Yes, yes, it’s my fault. Magistrate Pei, just wait; I’ll go get you something to eat right now. If your hand is sore, I’ll feed you myself..."

She tried to climb off his lap, but as soon as she turned, her waist was seized. She let out a soft cry as she was laid flat on the chaise longue.

Pei You'an pressed down over her.

"A beautiful sight is appetizing enough. I’ll just eat you instead..."

Jiafu was pinned beneath him; she struggled for a few moments before turning submissive.

After a while, Pei You'an finally let her go and mentioned something serious. Tomorrow, after the Spring Fair opened, he would set out for his spring patrol of the border.

As the weather warmed, he would inspect the border defenses in person every year at this time to guard against the Hu people taking advantage of the warming spring to raid. The Longyou region under his governance had many prefectures, and the border was winding and long; a round trip took at least half a month.

As expected, when Jiafu asked and learned he wouldn't be back until the middle of next month, she felt deeply reluctant to part, yet she knew this was his duty. After urging him to go early and return soon, she got up to pack his luggage. Pei You'an didn't go out again that day, staying in the estate the whole time to accompany Jiafu and their son.

That night, Pei You'an was at his desk by the lamp. Jiafu had bathed Ci'er and brought him to sit on the daybed, taking out a chess box to play with him.

This chess set was a third-birthday toy Pei You'an had given his son. There were thirty-two pieces in total: two mounted generals, two lions, four chariots pulled by horses, four horses, four camels, and sixteen small, sitting figurines acting as soldiers. They were all carved from wood, life-like and simulating a battle between two sides. Ci'er liked it very much and kept it like a treasure. After learning the rules from his father, he became obsessed with it and wanted to play every day. Sometimes he asked Jiafu or Cui Yinshui to accompany him; other times he would fiddle with it by himself for an hour or two, and if Jiafu hadn't interrupted him, he wouldn't even have eaten. At first, Jiafu could still win when playing with him, but recently she had started to struggle, and one slip of attention meant she would lose.

After a while, a servant in the house needed her for something, and Tanxiang called Jiafu away. She told Pei You'an to take her place for a moment and reminded him that if she wasn't back by the middle of the Xu hour, he should send their son to bed.

Pei You'an put down his documents, walked over, stepped onto the daybed, and sat across from him.

Because Pei You'an was busy, he hadn't accompanied his son much recently, aside from teaching him and playing a few times during the first two days. Ci'er seemed quite excited. He knelt on the daybed, his little body straight as an arrow, staring at the chessboard with a serious expression, looking just like a master player.

Pei You'an finished one game with his son, and it was nearly the time Jiafu had mentioned. Just as he was about to tell him to go to his room to sleep, he saw his son looking at him eagerly, as if he hadn't had enough. His heart softened, so he played one more game with him. Halfway through, the former staffer surnamed Yang—who was now employed by Pei You'an—came to ask him something. Pei You'an put down his chess piece, told his son to wait, and went out. When he returned a moment later, he found that his son had fallen asleep on the table, one small hand still tightly gripping the mounted general piece.

Pei You'an removed the piece from his son’s hand, picked him up, and carried him to the small adjoining bedroom. He placed his son on the bed, gently removed his outer clothes, and tucked him in. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a muffled, childish voice behind him: "I still want to play chess with Father; we haven't finished yet—"

Pei You'an turned his head and saw his son trying hard to open his sleep-heavy eyes, rubbing them as if he wanted to climb up. He hurriedly returned, lay down on his side next to him, and gently patted his back. "Ci'er, it’s time to sleep. Father remembers that game; I’ll play the rest with you next time."

Ci'er closed his eyes. After a while, he opened them again and whispered, "Father, don't worry. Ci'er will take care of Mother."

Pei You'an met his son’s bright gaze, and a warm current slowly flowed through his heart. He lowered his head and gently kissed his son’s forehead—in front of his son, he had always been reserved as a father. Ever since Ci'er could remember, he only recalled his mother loving to kiss his cheeks, while his father had never kissed him once. Tonight was truly the first time. He couldn't help but feel both happy and shy, and he rested his little head on his father’s shoulder, not moving a muscle.

Pei You'an kissed his son’s forehead again and said softly, "Your mother loves to cry. Father is leaving her in Ci'er’s care. While Father is away, you must make Mother happy and don't let her cry."

Ci'er murmured, "Ci'er will protect Mother and won't let her cry."

Pei You'an smiled, pulled his son’s little body closer to him, and gently patted his back, coaxing, "Sleep now."

Ci'er closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep in his father’s embrace.

Pei You'an stared at his son’s sleeping, innocent face, lost in thought for a moment before snapping back to reality and climbing out of bed on tiptoe.

The next day, Pei You'an left the Jiedushi estate with a squad of soldiers and departed Suye City, leaving Yang Yun and two other capable deputies in the city to maintain order at the Spring Fair and guard the estate.

With her husband gone and not returning for some time, Jiafu naturally felt reluctant to part, but this wasn't the first time. Thinking that half a month would pass quickly, and with her son to care for, the sense of loss in her heart soon dissipated. The next day, she accompanied her son as he practiced calligraphy in the room. When he finished a page, Cui Yinshui, who was serving by his side, praised the young master’s excellent handwriting.

Three years ago, Jiafu had only agreed to keep Cui Yinshui until the warm spring. Later, after Ci'er was born, Pei You'an had been busy caring for Jiafu’s health and had no time to deal with Cui Yinshui. Cui Yinshui did everything, great and small, and served with utmost meticulousness. By the time spring arrived, he begged in every way possible, almost pledging his life to stay. Jiafu couldn't bear to drive him away by force, and Pei You'an couldn't win against her. Plus, Cui Yinshui’s skin was as thick as a city wall, so Pei You'an begrudgingly turned a blind eye, and that was how he stayed.

This eunuch was as meticulous as a hair, taking excellent care of Ci'er. Jiafu noticed that his care for Ci'er was genuine, and as time passed, she noticed nothing suspicious, so she gradually stopped blocking his proximity to her son. Now, three years had passed in a flash, and Cui Yinshui had long since become Ci'er’s personal attendant.

"Mother, it’s so lively outside. I’ve finished my writing, can I go out to play for a while?" Ci'er pleaded with Jiafu.

Jiafu saw her son looking at her with wide, expectant eyes. Thinking that this was the only time in the year the city was this lively—usually, outside the city, there was only wilderness, yellow sand in the summer, and ice and snow in the winter—how could she bear to refuse him? She nodded in agreement.

Ci'er leaped off his chair, bouncing around with joy. Cui Yinshui hurriedly went to prepare the carriage. Jiafu called for Tanxiang, Muxiang, and Nurse Ding, who had come to help. Hearing they were going to the market, they were all delighted and changed their clothes. Since Yang Yun was not in the estate today, Jiafu summoned two guards to accompany them. The group left the Jiedushi estate and headed to the market, walking and stopping to buy many things. Jiafu also took Ci'er to see the magic tricks, and it was only at noon that they returned, their fun fulfilled.

On the way back, Jiafu sat in the carriage with Ci'er, with Cui Yinshui accompanying them to the side.

Ci'er was still captivated, especially by the magic tricks he had just seen. He leaned in Jiafu’s arms and said, "Mother, Cui attendant said that the markets in the capital are even livelier than ours and are open every day. He also said that the magic tricks there can make birds fly out of nowhere and fish swim in the water. Mother, when can we ask Father to take us to the capital? I want to see what the capital looks like."

Jiafu glanced at Cui Yinshui.

Cui Yinshui smiled sheepishly. "I just said a couple of things casually, and the young master took it to heart..."

Jiafu pulled her son onto her lap. "Later, when your father has free time, we will take you to the capital, okay?"

Ci'er’s eyes showed longing as he nodded. The group returned to the Jiedushi estate. After their meal, Jiafu felt a bit tired from walking around for half the day. Seeing that Ci'er was still playing with the toys he had bought at the market and wasn't sleepy at all, she told Cui Yinshui to take him to play while she went back to her room to close her eyes for a while. She woke up after the Wei hour, called for Tanxiang, and as Tanxiang came in to help her comb her hair, Jiafu noticed her strange expression, as if she were hesitating to speak, so she asked her about it.

Tanxiang whispered, "After noon, someone from the capital suddenly arrived at the estate—it’s that Eunuch Li from the palace. I wanted to call for you, Madam, but Eunuch Li wouldn't let me, saying I should let you rest. He is still outside right now."

"Eunuch Li? Li Yuangui?"

Jiafu was startled.

"Yes. Cui Yinshui calls him Godfather."

Jiafu’s heart skipped a beat, and her hair stood on end all over her body.

She never imagined that with the Emperor’s birthday approaching, Li Yuangui would come here at this time. She hurriedly asked about her son and, upon learning that Cui Yinshui had taken Ci'er to the front, she panicked. She immediately ordered Tanxiang to help her finish her hair, hurriedly changed her clothes, and walked quickly to the front. The moment she stepped into the front hall, she actually saw Li Yuangui standing there. He was wearing ordinary clothes, stooped over, and was talking to her son. She didn't know what he had said, but he appeared to be acting with great respect, with Cui Yinshui standing nearby.

Seeing her son was still there, Jiafu sighed in relief and called out quickly. Ci'er turned his head and, seeing his mother had arrived, ran over quickly. He held Jiafu’s hand and pointed at Li Yuangui, saying, "Mother, he said he knows Father and Mother. He also said Ci'er has a Royal Grandfather who lives in the big house in the capital you told me about. The Royal Grandfather misses Ci'er very much and is sick. He wants to take Ci'er to see him."

"Mother, is what he said true? Does Ci'er really have a Royal Grandfather in the capital?"

Ci'er looked up at Jiafu and asked.

Jiafu looked up and saw Li Yuangui walking toward her with a smile. She hugged her son tightly and retreated a few steps quickly. Suddenly, seeing her son’s confused expression, she realized he must have sensed her tension. Fearing she would scare him, she steadied herself, crouched down, and smiled. "Mother has a few words to say to him. Ci'er, go back to your room with Auntie Tanxiang first, and Mother will come find you later, okay?" She then ordered Tanxiang to take Ci'er away.

Ci'er nodded, looked back at Li Yuangui, and left, looking back every three steps.

"Eunuch Li, why have you come?"

As soon as Ci'er was gone, Jiafu didn't care about etiquette. She had been truly frightened by what her son had just said, so she asked directly.

Li Yuangui bowed to Jiafu with a look of reverence. "Madam, do not worry. The purpose of my trip is exactly what the Young Master just mentioned. His Majesty’s fiftieth birthday is approaching, and he misses the Young Master deeply, so he sent me here to invite you, Madam, to bring the Young Master to the capital. If it is convenient, could we set out today? Please rest assured, Madam; arrangements for the journey have been properly made. Everything will be for the comfort of you and the Young Master."

Jiafu looked at Cui Yinshui, who hurriedly lowered his eyelids, hanging his head and not daring to meet her gaze.

Jiafu said, "I must inform Ci'er’s father."

Li Yuangui’s manner grew even more respectful as he bowed. "Magistrate Pei has matters to attend to, and I fear he has no time to spare right now. Please rest assured, Madam; once Magistrate Pei finishes his border patrol, I will inform him of the whereabouts of you and the Young Master."

Jiafu understood perfectly.

Li Yuangui had calculated that Pei You'an would be away, which was why he had come directly to "invite" her and her son to the capital. Even if Pei You'an hadn't happened to be away on patrol, he surely would have used some other method to have him called away.

"Eunuch Li, Ci'er’s father is not here, and I fear it is not convenient for me and Ci'er to enter the capital."

Jiafu stared at the high-ranking eunuch opposite her and said.

Li Yuangui bowed again. "His Majesty misses the Young Master truly. I ask you, Madam, not to make things difficult for this servant."

The Emperor not having Li Yuangui directly produce an imperial decree was perhaps, for him, a gesture of enough courtesy.

Jiafu was silent for a moment and said, "I understand. Eunuch, make the arrangements."

Li Yuangui let out a sigh of relief, his face showing gratitude. "Thank you for your understanding, Madam."

Jiafu got into the carriage with Ci'er and said that she would take him to the capital first, and when his father returned, he would follow.

Ci'er was then relieved. He hugged the chess box he had brought along tightly and said, "Mother, once we see the Royal Grandfather, I will teach him how to play chess, and his illness will get better."

Jiafu looked at her son’s innocent and guileless eyes, suppressed the tumultuous emotions rising in her heart, smiled slightly, and nodded.