Chinese New Year

Chapter 649 Family
After the New Year, Shao Xun turned thirty years old, and this fact brought about subtle changes in his mentality.

It’s outrageous. I was 29 years old a few days ago. I didn’t think anything of it then. But now I know that I’m already in my thirties. I suddenly feel a sense of urgency, so much so that I can’t fall asleep after the cock crows - wait, where does the cock crow?
Shao Xun sat up speechlessly.

The Liang Palace was still desolate. There was no wall, but there was a gatehouse. There was no door on the gatehouse. Outside the empty gatehouse was the army stationed outside. There were chickens and ducks raised nearby...

"Want to sleep a little longer?" A pair of beautiful arms wrapped around his waist.

Shao Xun lay back, covered himself tightly with the quilt, and held Pei Lingyan's soft body in his arms.

"When you were in the army, the fighting was strict and lasted all night long, but weren't you used to it? Why are you so anxious these two days?" The woman asked, gently tapping his frowning brows.

Shao Xun relaxed his brows and said, "It's just a momentary feeling."

The woman looked into his eyes, as if searching for the source of his anxiety.

Perhaps because she had been searching for a long time and had not found it, she adjusted her posture, snuggled into his arms, and said, "Sometimes, things in the world seem unsolvable, but suddenly they come to fruition. In fact, there is no need to be so anxious. You are impatient, but isn't Liu Cong even more impatient? Your achievements are already great, and even the sons of the nobles have to kneel down at your feet. What else do you have to worry about?"

"Liu Cong..." Shao Xun said after pondering for a moment.

"Liu Cong has been scared by you." Pei Lingyan whispered softly in his ear, "What he has done in the past two or three years can be summed up in two points: he wants to avoid you, but he is unwilling to see you gain power. He is so hesitant, obviously he is confused. If he is hit hard one or two more times, he may not be able to hold on. Sooner or later, this world will be yours. Or maybe it's not Liu Cong you are worried about?"

Shao Xun tightened his hands subconsciously.

"I'm yours too." Pei Lingyan said softly.

Shao Xun hummed.

How could the biggest enemy today be the Huns?

After the ownership of Hebei was determined, it was no longer the same.

The biggest enemy came from within. They were close to him, very close, so close that there was no distance.

Hua Nu is really a very smart woman.

"To do some things, you need prestige." Pei Lingyan said: "I am a woman. You are the only one I can rely on. I only think of you. Our children also rely on you."

Shao Xun completely relaxed, grabbed her hips hard a few times, patted them gently, and said, "You sleep a little longer, I'll get up and practice martial arts."

"I'm not going to sleep anymore." Pei Lingyan also sat up and said, "I want to take a shower."

There was still a dried lump between my legs from last night, which was a bit uncomfortable and the smell was a bit strong.

After Shao Xun came to the outer room, the cool air refreshed his mind.

After practicing martial arts for a while, I felt refreshed.

It was still dark at this time, and Shao Xun walked towards the side hall where his parents lived.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Fu Bao wearing a Huasheng hat and squatting in the corner.

"Fu Bao, what are you doing?" Shao Xun asked with a funny look on his face.

"I am a flower and I cannot speak." Fu Bao said seriously.

The hairpin on her head was shaped like a flower, and from a distance it looked like a blooming peony.

"Come here and let grandpa hug you." Shao Xun stretched out his hand and said.

"I am a flower," Fu Bao insisted.

Shao Xun shook his head and laughed, saying, "The vegetable soup is here."

Fu Bao sniffed, his expression showing some hesitation, and it seemed that he didn't want to be a flower anymore.

"The vegetable soup is here." Mother Liu said with a smile, holding the plate.

The maids followed nervously behind, not knowing whether to persuade her or not.

The old man just likes to cook by himself, especially when his son is at home.

Father Shao Xiu came out of the house, looked at his son whom he only saw a few times a year, and said, "What's going on in your heart?"

Shao Xun smiled and said, "As the ancients said, 'At thirty one should be able to establish oneself.' It's time to do something."

Shao Xiu was silent for a while, then said, "Come in and talk."

The father and son then sat down at a high table.

The mother brought vegetable soup and complained, "Last year there was no war, and I didn't go home for many days throughout the year. I relied on Wenjun to accompany me. I went home before the New Year, but I was drunk most of the time. I really don't know how you got the title of Xiaolian."

Shao Xun was a little embarrassed.

In this world, perhaps the only people who could criticize him so mercilessly are his parents.

As power grows, fewer and fewer people have the say.

He has become accustomed to telling insincere lies, making empty promises, and guessing what others are thinking.

But in the eyes of his parents, he is just a "little bug", no matter whether you are Duke Liang or King Liang.

"Didn't you scold Shi Le before? You said he was disobedient. In my opinion, you are even worse than Shi Le." Liu continued to scold him.

Fu Bao sneaked in and climbed up Shao Xun's thigh.

Shao Xun put down his bowl and chopsticks, hugged his daughter, and stopped her from moving. He said, "Mother, have you also read the manifesto?"

"Mother is illiterate, how can she read the proclamation? I heard it from Wenjun." Liu said, "Wenjun comes twice a day, let alone being selected as a filial and honest official, she is already a scholar."

Shao Xun laughed when he heard this.

Fu Bao also started laughing, and no one knew what he was laughing for.

This little brat accompanies his grandparents every day, sometimes even staying overnight, and is very much loved by them.

In addition, Yu Wenjun may not be very sensitive in politics, but she is very good at taking care of her uncle and aunt, and is a traditional good wife and mother.

"Every time there is a war, he steals other people's women. Have people become stupid because of so many wars? I heard that Zhang Fang likes to eat human flesh, and Gou Xi has got himself thousands of women. What do you want?" Liu came over, picked up Fu Bao, and pushed the bowl in front of Shao Xun.

"Are all of you warriors like this?" Liu pushed Shao Xiu again and asked.

Shao Xiu was also dumbfounded.

I was scolding my son, why did it end up targeting him?
"Mother has heard a lot of things in the past few years." Shao Xun took the bowl and ate with relish.

Shao Xiu finished eating before him. He picked up the tea bowl, rinsed his mouth, and then sat there.

"If you take it back, treat it well." Liu said, "He's thirty years old--"

Liu said this, sighed, and said nothing more. Her son was thirty years old and had conquered a large territory.

She was not very clear about her son's current status. She only knew that the famous daughter of Langya Wang from Xuzhou often came to accompany her.

But to be honest, among all the women her son had, her favorite was Yu Wenjun.

Wenjun's heart and eyes were full of little bugs. Because she loved the little bugs, she treated them well as well.

Sometimes she couldn't sit still and would take care of some fruits and vegetables. When Wenjun saw this, she would often come to help.

Pei also has a son in her eyes, but she would not do these things.

The Queen Yang was very polite and courteous in her words. She sent them many precious medicinal herbs to nourish their bodies and invited famous doctors to treat them. But to be honest, she still acted like a noble lady and was not very close.

Liu knew that they had no bad intentions, and she even wanted to please the old couple, but their backgrounds were very different after all, so it still felt a little awkward.

Liu Ye, who had just given birth to a daughter a few years ago, was a straightforward person, which was very much to Liu's liking.

Liu also felt sorry for her. She was Shi Le's wife, but was taken home by the damn Xiao Chong and forced to become a concubine.

I don't know what kind of spell was cast on me, but now I am obsessed with following Xiao Chong. When I was pregnant, I helped them make pickles while asking about Xiao Chong's past.

What a sin! In fact, they are all good women, and the worst one is Xiao Chong.

"I won't rob anymore." Shao Xun finished his soup, rinsed his mouth, and said, "Mother, I am the Lord of Liang after all, with tens of thousands of soldiers under my command. No one will disobey my orders. You——"

Liu rolled her eyes at him and said, "Do you have to keep a straight face and act majestic all day long just because you are Lord Liang? When you were little, your mother told you the story of Emperor Gaozu of Han meeting Lord Liu."

Shao Xun was speechless.

All the stories about Liu Bang were widely circulated around Xuzhou.

In fact, this is not bad.

Liu Bang never had any red tape with his father. Liu Taigong was just a farmer, old and not very used to these things, and the two sides still got along with each other as the old father and son. He even specially named him the emperor to prevent his father from bowing to him.

In order to make her father happy, she moved all her old neighbors here so that her father could see the lively scenes of his hometown instead of the deserted palace.

This is an emperor with human touch. Perhaps only the founding emperor can laugh, scold and get angry like this. The king who maintains the status quo cannot learn it.

His own parents didn’t seem to take him seriously—it was heartbreaking.

My father had fought in wars and had seen the world. He had been in the military for most of his life and had a deep understanding of power. After all, the military itself was a place with the strictest hierarchy. Therefore, his attitude towards himself actually changed slightly because he understood.

His mother didn't quite understand and still scolded him out of habit. She might not be able to adapt to a life of luxury, just like Liu Taigong, who liked to grow vegetables in the imperial garden...

This is fine, this is fine. Shao Xun doesn't want to be involved in intrigues with others all day long. After being scolded by his mother, he actually felt better. This is amazing.

After talking for a while, the mother carried her somewhat impatient granddaughter out for some fresh air.

Shao Xiu finally came to life, cleared his throat, and asked, "Are you going to war again?"

"Yeah." Shao Xun nodded.

"Who else can make you worry now?" Shao Xiu asked.

He had participated in the battle to pacify Wu and was no stranger to fighting on the battlefield.

When Shao Xun was stationed in Liang County, all the soldiers who were able to fight were withdrawn one time. Shao's father asked people to find armor, swords and guns, and he almost went into the battlefield to guard the rear.

In his opinion, as long as his son did not act recklessly, it would not be a problem to eliminate the enemies one by one.

What is he worried about?
"It's just a few minor things." Shao Xun smiled and said, "I always feel that the enemy is within, not outside."

Shao Xiu fell silent after hearing this.

After a long while, he said, "Did you know that your uncle became the team leader a long time ago?"

"Oh? I don't know how early it is?" Shao Xun asked with interest.

"A long time ago." Shao Xiu said, "Probably in his early twenties, I can't remember clearly. He was also an expert in archery and horse riding back then. Who in the surrounding area hasn't heard of his name? He became the leader of the team very early, and then - until you sent someone back to pick him up, he was still the leader of the team. He was not as lucky as you, and did not catch up with the chaotic times. But it's hard to say, what's the difference between a team leader and a tower leader? When they lined up to fight, thousands of arrows were fired at once, and he was gone in the blink of an eye."

Shao Xun didn't know what to say.

"So..." Shao Xiu looked at him and said seriously, "Do you know how great a favor it is that you helped Wu Ren get promoted? When you lived in Liang County before, you often visited Wu Ren's home. How about now? How many years have you not been there?"

Shao Xun was silent.

"Listen to their ideas." Shao Xiu stood up and said, "If you listen more, you won't worry anymore."

A carriage drove up outside the side hall.

Yu Wenjun, supported by her maid, slowly walked down. When she saw Shao Xun, her eyes lit up and she said, "Husband."

Shao Xun walked over, took her hand, and said, "You're pregnant for more than seven months. Take a good rest at home."

"Come and see my uncle and aunt." Hearing Shao Xun's caring words, Yu Wenjun narrowed her eyes happily and said, "Just now on the way, the child turned over and scared me."

Shao Xun deliberately leaned over to listen to see if there was any movement, and Yu Wenjun was so embarrassed that she raised her hand and hit him.

Shao Xun laughed.

Being with family not only makes you feel cheerful, but also helps cure the warrior syndrome caused by long-term war.

"Don't come again tomorrow. I can't afford any mishap." Shao Xun held Yu Wenjun's hand and said, "When I return from the battle, I will be able to see my son."

"When will my husband go to war?" Yu Wenjun was a little unhappy.

"Let's wait until the first month of the lunar year." Shao Xun said.

Yu Wenjun said "oh".

"Just stay at home and take care of your pregnancy. Such a vast empire has to be inherited by my son." Shao Xun said again.

Yu Wenjun raised her head, looked at her husband, and felt much better.

Shao Xun raised his head and looked at the sky covered with lead-gray clouds.

He remembered what Hua Nu said, he needed prestige, the more the better.

Family is just a stopover for him when he is tired. He can enjoy it but not indulge in it.

It's time to go out and move around this year, he turned and looked towards the north.

(End of this chapter)