The prince is more stable

Chapter 700 Couple Reunion
Several months later, Zhao Xiaoqian finally returned to the Prince's Mansion in Zhen Ding City.

It was Niao Niao who bought this Prince's Mansion. When she bought it, Zhao Xiaoqian only regarded it as a temporary residence. After all, people follow their official positions. He led his troops to fight on the front lines for many years. After buying the Prince's Mansion, he hardly ever lived there.

However, later, Di Ying and other women came to Zhen Ding City and moved into the Prince's Mansion. After Di Ying took over the internal and external affairs of the mansion as the Princess Consort, for some reason, Zhao Xiaoqian no longer regarded it as a temporary residence.

His woman lives here, and his children will be born in the future. For a man, this can no longer be called a temporary residence.

It is this man's home.

Di Ying and Jiang Miaoxian helped Zhao Xiaoqian down from the carriage. As soon as his feet touched the ground, a round ball pounced on him.

"What is this?!" Zhao Xiaoqian was shocked.

Looking down, he saw a larger, thicker version of Niao Niao clinging to him tightly, her swollen belly pressing against his stomach.

"Niao Niao?" Zhao Xiaoqian called out uncertainly.

Niao Niao burst into tears, sobbing, "My lord, my lord... I was so worried about you!"

Then, Niao Niao looked Zhao Xiaoqian up and down, and said tearfully, "My lord, how are you? Are you still in pain?"

Zhao Xiaoqian reached out and gently stroked her belly, feeling the connection and resonance between their bloodlines, his heart filled with happiness.

“My lord is alright, he’s lucky to be alive.” Zhao Xiaoqian touched her face again and said, “This time I’m coming home to welcome the birth of my child, our child.”

Niao Niao's face was much rounder than before, and her arms and legs had also gotten thicker. It seemed that Di Ying had been taking good care of her these days.

Niao Niao sobbed, “My lord, there’s no need for this. Even if I can’t witness the birth of our child, I can take the child to Xijin Prefecture to see you in the future. Why should you drag your seriously injured body through this arduous journey of hundreds of miles?”

“No, this is my first child, so we have to have a proper ceremony.” Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and ruffled her hair.

"I've done so much for my family and descendants. If I'm so busy with so-called important national affairs that I can't even see my child when he's born, what's the point of all this?"

The couple lingered outside the Prince's mansion for a long time. Zhao Xiaoqian looked around at his wives and concubines and felt a sense of satisfaction. What more could a man ask for in life than this?

"Let's go back to the manor. Today, husband and wife are reunited, so let's have a good meal!" Zhao Xiaoqian said in a very down-to-earth manner.

The women around him showed delight and looked at him with doting and affectionate eyes.

Niao Niao was still happy, but she subconsciously glanced at Di Ying.

Di Ying said coldly, "Don't look at me. No matter what, you must walk slowly for an hour after meals, not a moment less. Even if my husband goes home, he can't save you."

Niao Niao immediately looked distressed, and grabbed Zhao Xiaoqian's arm with both hands, pleading, "My lord..."

Zhao Xiaoqian coughed and said, "Listen to your sister, don't let her get hurt..."

"Madam, this is for your own good. Childbirth is like stepping into the gates of hell. Only by exercising more during pregnancy, strengthening your body, and expanding your pelvic cavity can you have a smooth delivery and ensure the safety of both mother and child. If you slack off now, the doctor and midwife will ask me whether to save the mother or the child during delivery..."

Zhao Xiaoqian whispered in her ear, "Given your sister's character, she'll definitely choose to save the younger one."

Niao Niao's pretty face stiffened for a moment, then she gritted her teeth and said, "My lord, I will definitely make more trips around. I absolutely cannot entrust my life to someone else's decision!"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled. Look at this family, how happy and harmonious they are, with their wives and concubines completely at ease with each other.

Under Di Ying's management, the Prince's Mansion immediately held a banquet.

Inside the main hall of the Prince's Mansion, Zhao Xiaoqian sat around a table with his wives and concubines. The table was laden with delicious food and the family was having a lively time together. However, no wine was served.

Firstly, his wives and concubines did not have a great fondness for alcohol, and secondly, Zhao Xiaoqian was still recovering from his injuries and could not drink alcohol.

Di Ying treated Zhao Xiaoqian like a useless person who couldn't take care of himself, and she personally fed him the food, almost to the point of helping him digest it.

“My lord, Niao Niao is about to give birth. I’m considering whether we should bring her to Zhen Ding City so that we sisters can serve her together and let her experience the joy of having a grandchild. What do you think, my lord?” Di Ying asked.

With his mouth full of food, Zhao Xiaoqian mumbled, "No need. Before long, we might go back to Bianjing to live permanently. There's no need for my mother to go through all this trouble."

Di Ying opened her eyes wide and asked, "Why? Does the court not intend to continue the Northern Expedition after recovering Yan and Yun?"

Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly fell silent. After a long while, he sighed and said, "My mission will be over once I recover Yan and Yun."

The women were even more puzzled, but Di Ying's expression changed, and her face turned pale.

No one in the room knew the plot better than her.

Her grandfather, Di Qing, also experienced the same fate, which led to the Di family's decline for decades.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian's expression, Di Ying quickly understood what was going on.

“My lord, could it be that His Majesty has feelings for you, for you…” Di Ying ultimately couldn’t bring herself to say such a sensitive and taboo thing. Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, “Don’t overthink it. My fate is different from your grandfather’s. After the recovery of Yanyun, Song and Liao have entered a temporary period of peace. During this period, it is impossible for a subject like me to continue to hold the military power of 100,000 troops. That would be too taboo. Therefore, it is time for me to relinquish my military power.”

Di Ying said in a trembling voice, "If my lord relinquishes his military power and returns to Bianjing, will the Emperor...?"

"No, as long as I don't command troops, there will be no danger. I can live a carefree life as a wealthy prince without any problem," Zhao Xiaoqian reassured him with a smile.

Di Ying's mood did not improve, and she hesitated before asking, "Is that really so?"

Her grandfather, Di Qing, was in the same situation. Even after he relinquished his military power, the court officials still did not let him go.

Back then, Bianjing was flooded due to torrential rain. Di Qing, who was then the Privy Councilor, simply took his whole family to the Xiangguo Temple to escape the flood. However, he was impeached by the censors and was later demoted and sent to a remote place where he fell ill and died.

Who would believe that the dignified Privy Councilor, merely seeking refuge from the flood at the Great Xiangguo Temple, would suffer such a fate as if he had broken a divine law?

Was it really just to escape the flood? Even a fool could see clearly that this was a case of the emperor and his ministers being suspicious of Di Qing and deliberately finding a pretext to kill him.

Di Ying is terrified, fearing that her husband will suffer the same fate after relinquishing his military power and returning to the capital.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat down beside her and felt her trembling body. He gently took her hand and gave her a bright smile.

“Madam, my fate will not be left to anyone to decide. Remember my words.”

Di Ying raised her eyes and gazed deeply at his face. After a long while, she smiled and said, "No matter what, we are husband and wife, and we will live and die together. Please remember my words, my lord."

The women present exchanged bewildered glances. Apart from Di Ying, the others were all from humble backgrounds and had no idea of ​​the dangers of the court. However, seeing the grave expressions on their husbands' and sisters' faces, the women probably understood that if their husbands were summoned back to Bianjing, the outcome would likely be dire.

The previously cheerful and lively atmosphere suddenly fell silent.

A moment later, Jiang Miaoxian suddenly said, "I will live and die with you, my lord."

Then all the women said in unison, "We are the same, willing to live and die with you, my lord."

Zhao Xiaoqian was bewildered: "What's going on? What are you trying to do? Isn't this my welcome-back banquet? Why are you making it seem like I'm celebrating my seventh-day memorial?"

Pinching his face, Zhao Xiaoqian was a little confused and muttered, "Could it be that my soul has flown back, and I'm actually already dead?"

"That's not right either. You should have cooked all this delicious food for me. Why are you eating it yourselves?"

Di Ying chuckled, pinched him angrily, and said, "Pah! My husband has just returned, can't you say something auspicious? I've never seen anyone bring bad luck upon themselves. From now on, you're not allowed to say anything about life or death!"

After the couple joked around for a while, the atmosphere at the table was finally filled with laughter again, and the women relaxed.

After the banquet, the women were reluctant to leave and gathered in the main hall to chat with Zhao Xiaoqian.

Di Ying inquired about Zhao Xiaoqian's leadership of the royal army in battle against the Liao army, and how he forced the Liao Kingdom to sign an alliance and withdraw from Yanyun, among other things.

These things are too complicated to explain, and women might not understand them anyway, so Zhao Xiaoqian could only gloss over them in a few words.

"Just remember this: your lord is awesome," Zhao Xiaoqian said solemnly. "As for why I'm so awesome, you don't need to go into the details."

Di Ying rolled her eyes at him, then suddenly said in a sour tone, "Yes, my husband is really amazing. Even when he's away on campaigns, he doesn't forget his love for his wife. He's so busy with military and national affairs, yet he still manages to pull the Liao princess into his bed. This is a skill that ordinary people can't learn."

Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback, then slapped his forehead: "The Liao princess? Damn, I almost forgot about her."

Turning his head to look at Di Ying's sour expression, Zhao Xiaoqian asked, "How's Yelü Nanxian doing lately? Did you throw her in the well?"

“I have no romantic relationship with her. If you throw her into the well, she would be the most wronged princess in history.”

Di Ying's face turned ashen and she hadn't spoken yet when Niao Niao next to her burst out laughing. The laughter grew louder and louder, followed by a series of goose-like clucking sounds, as if she had remembered something particularly funny.

Di Ying blushed and glared at her with a warning look in her eyes.

"The princess is fine. I haven't even laid a finger on her. On the contrary, the servants in the manor have sent her a lot of money, food, and drink. She's living a very comfortable life," Di Ying said irritably.

After a pause, Di Ying's pretty face turned cold again, and she said, "I believe that you and that princess are innocent. She wouldn't even look at you..."

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes widened, and after a long silence, he suddenly exploded.

"She looks down on me? Ha! She looks down on me?" Zhao Xiaoqian laughed angrily. "I'm giving her too much credit. How could such a handsome, dashing, and accomplished hero look down on me?"

Di Ying curled her lips and said coldly, "She told me to my face that I should keep a close eye on my husband and tell him not to look at her with such lustful eyes anymore."

Zhao Xiaoqian clutched his heart and sat down, saying softly, "Quickly call a doctor, my internal injuries seem to have flared up again..."

(End of this chapter)