Happy Spring Every Year

Chapter 178 Mother's Embrace

The night was as dark as ink, covering the palace.

The long palace road stretched forward, with tall and majestic palace walls on both sides. The eldest princess walked in it, her clothes swaying gently.

The palace maids in front and behind held lanterns in their hands, and the orange light tore a corner in the darkness, the light and shadow swayed, and the wind carried the fragrance of plum blossoms.

The journey was silent, with the eldest princess' steps firm and calm. However, if you look closely, you can see the sadness in her eyes.

Thousands of miles away from home, she missed her home day and night. When it was out of reach, every brick and tile in the palace was constantly pondered and missed by her. Gradually, all that was left was the beautiful things.

But once they returned, they found that the bloody storm of the past had not changed at all, except that the fighters had changed one after another.

The bricks and tiles in the palace have long been mottled and old, no longer as bright as they were in memory, and have lost the last bit of human touch.

A few years ago, Ji'er said this to her in a letter:

"Aunt, it's a beautiful day today. The sunlight is like golden threads, shining through the mottled leaves on the wall, and falling like stars on the palace path, so bright and intoxicating."

In the final analysis, “If you have Buddha in your heart, everything you see is Buddha.”

Ji'er, I feel so sorry that I didn't come back a few years earlier and didn't see you with my own eyes, like the bright moon and the gentle breeze.

The eldest princess' eyes were slightly wet, but her steps were still steady as she walked into the Cining Palace.

The food in the hall had already been removed. Hearing the footsteps, Tuoba Ning hurried over with a bright smile.

"Khatun, grandma was just telling Ning'er about the embarrassing things that happened when Khatun was a child!"

As Tuoba Ning spoke, he held the eldest princess' hand tightly.

The princess smiled sweetly and gently returned the handshake, saying with a smile, "Khatun has been naughty since childhood. If I were to tell you embarrassing stories, I'm afraid it would take a whole day and night to finish."

When Tuoba Ning saw the eldest princess' smile, he finally felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief without making a sound.

Now, except for Nanny Xiao who is beside my grandmother, the others serving in and outside the palace don't dare to trust her at all. They won't do anything bad, but they are worried about being seen and heard.

Concubine Rong sat still at this moment, but her eyes were fixed on the eldest princess. It was not until she saw the hidden interaction between the mother and daughter that she breathed a sigh of relief.

The three of them chatted and laughed in the hall for a while, and as the night grew deeper, they went to bed.

The eldest princess saw Concubine Rong get on the bed with her own eyes, and then she left with peace of mind and went to the side hall to sleep with Tuoba Ning.

It was so quiet all around that the movements around me were especially clear.

The princess hadn't heard Tuoba Ning's even breathing for a long time, so she turned over and gently held Tuoba Ning's hand.

Tuoba Ning seemed to have been waiting for a long time. He immediately turned around and squeezed into the eldest princess's arms.

"Khatun——"

Tuoba Ning cried out in a muffled voice.

The eldest princess showed a tender look on her face. She gently touched the back of Tuoba Ning's head and held her close.

After a long while, the eldest princess uttered in a low voice: "Ning'er, it is Khatun who has wronged you."

Tuoba Ning hurriedly shook his head, then raised his head from the pillow, only to see that the eldest princess' eyes were full of vicissitudes of life and her eyes were slightly red.

"Ning'er, women in the deep palace...are like birds with broken wings. They may look glamorous, but they can never fly again."

"When the news of your grandmother's selection for the imperial palace and her stay there for the family spread back to Yangzhou, the whole family celebrated and felt honored."

"And this... is what your grandmother spent her whole life to get. A good girl in her twenties, now she's sixty, and even—"

The princess paused, some things seemed difficult to say in front of Tuoba Ning, and changed the subject:

"And as women of the royal family, it's not easy for us either."

"The glory of the royal family is like the scorching sun, dazzling yet also scorching. We enjoy splendor and wealth, but behind it lies endless responsibilities and constraints."

At this point, tears welled up in the eldest princess' eyes. She held Tuoba Ning's hand tightly, her voice filled with endless apology.

"Ning'er, you are the princess of Yue State and the princess of Sheng State. This is your pride and your mission."

"Now, the fate of Yue State is closely related to us. Your elder brother's position as Khan also requires the support of Sheng State."

"Your second brother is frail and cannot endure the fatigue of the journey, so Khatun can only send you to the capital of the prosperous dynasty."

"Ning'er, it's Khatun who has wronged you. He has made you walk the same path as Khatun. Whenever you think about the fact that Khatun and Ning'er will be thousands of miles apart from now on, Khatun's heart breaks."

Even a princess as strong and resilient as she is couldn't help but burst into tears at this moment.

When Tuoba Ning heard this, his eyes turned red and his tears soaked into the pillowcase, making it wet.

"Khatun——"

Tuoba Ning shook his head, reached out to wipe the tears from the eldest princess's face, and smiled.

"You just said it, this is Ning'er's mission. Ning'er grew up carefree until she was seventeen, clothed in fine clothes and fed with delicious food, with a daughter of a wealthy family. What could she not be satisfied with?"

"If the friendship between our two countries and the well-being of the people require Ning'er, then Ning'er will do her duty."

"Khatun, Ning'er's lifelong wish is to become a great woman like Khatun."

When Tuoba Ning said this, he leaned into the eldest princess's arms like a spoiled child and changed his tone to a playful one.

"Unfortunately, it seems impossible in this lifetime."

"When Khatun came to our Yue Kingdom, he was in a very dangerous situation. He fought his way out step by step over a long period of time."

"Ning'er never told Khatun that in fact, Khatun is the most powerful female warrior in Ning'er's heart. It's not her martial arts or strength that counts, but her wisdom and tenacity."

"But Ning'er has food and drink in Shengjing. She is here to enjoy a good life."

As Tuoba Ning spoke, her expression became more relaxed, not wanting the princess to see any hesitation in her heart.

"Besides, the young man Khatun chose for Ning'er is handsome and elegant. He looks like someone who will be easy to get along with. Ning'er's life will be much easier in the future!"

How could the princess not see Tuoba Ning's intention? He was pretending to be relaxed because he was afraid that she would worry.

The princess did not want to disappoint Tuoba Ning's kindness, so she pretended to be attracted by these words, burst into laughter, and whispered:

"Ning'er, Khatun thinks the time is almost right. Are you truly satisfied with the young master of the Ji family? If it is decided, Khatun will choose a day to tell your uncle the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ning recalled the few times they had met, his brows curved, and he nodded generously.

The young master of the Ji family kept saying "Princess, you can't do that" all the time, but when he was pushed, he replied "Princess, please respect yourself." He pulled down his sleeves, and his face turned as red as if he had put on rouge, which was very funny to watch.

The most important thing is that he has a good temper and is very considerate, but he is too thin-skinned. I'm afraid he will force her to have sex with him on their wedding night, right?

The princess lowered her eyes and saw a genuine smile on Tuoba Ning's face, and her eyebrows curved involuntarily.

The young master of the Ji family was also chosen by her after careful selection.

Firstly, the mansion of the Earl of Loyalty and Bravery is not very prominent, so it can stay away from conflicts. Secondly, people from military families act decisively and their families are simple.

Thirdly, the young master of the Ji family is a man of letters, gentle in nature, and handsome. Most importantly, he is the youngest in the family, so he has no burden on his shoulders and lives a more comfortable life.

The only concern is that Ji Wan, the daughter of the Earl of Zhongyong, is the wife of General Shen.

This was not a problem originally, but Jiang Xun had a relationship with Miss Shen, so she did not dare to mention this marriage to her brother easily.

But tonight in the imperial study, she unexpectedly achieved something. Since her brother the emperor already knew that she favored Ji'er and Ye'er, she no longer had any worries.

For Ning'er, as a mother, she must fight for it no matter what!

Thinking of this, the princess felt relieved. She stroked Tuoba Ning's back and said in a gentle voice with emotion:

"As long as Ning'er is satisfied, life is so long. Being able to walk with the one you love day and night until dawn is truly an incredible blessing."

I only hope that from now on, the frosty blades of time and the storms of the world will all stay away from my Ning'er, so that she can always keep her childlike heart and be happy year after year.

The eldest princess raised her lips slightly, just like when Tuoba Ning was young, she patted her back with great cherishment and affection, and said softly:

"Ning'er, go to sleep."

Tuoba Ning responded softly and nestled in the eldest princess's arms. After a moment, he could indeed hear the sound of even breathing.

Mother’s arms are always the most reassuring place in the world.