Jinyi Spring

What Qin Wang didn't say was that the future of General Ming and his mother was up to them. If they were willing to spend the rest of their lives together, he would sincerely wish them well.

In this world, perhaps only someone like General Ming could wholeheartedly protect my mother. And only by marrying General Ming could my mother find happiness.

If they are both willing, Ming Changqing will "die unexpectedly" in two years, and then the two will live happily ever after.

Only after Emperor Jianzhang's death and Qin Wang's succession to the throne could they secretly return to the capital for a reunion.

Of course, I can't comment on Xiao Wan and Ming Changqing's arrangements. Xiao Henian will tell Ming Changqing when she returns.

Chen Qingrui knew in her heart that the safest place for her was the west.

As for Ming Erge, she closed her eyes; she had never thought of rekindling her relationship with him.

Time has washed away her youth, and she is no longer the Xiao Wan of yesteryear. She has also given birth to two children, and her body and life are no longer pure.

But Ming Erge was so good, as good as the first snow melting on the branches in March, as good as the brightest star in the late autumn night... so far away that she couldn't reach him.

He deserves a young, beautiful, talented, and innocent woman to stand by his side, bear his children, and grow old with him.

These thoughts surged through her mind a thousand times.

Chen Qingrui nodded calmly, her face showing no emotion or embarrassment.

"Mother will follow her son's arrangements."

Qin Wang and Feng Chuchen both knew what their mother was thinking, and they knew that she had kept those thoughts to herself.

As children, some things don't need to be said outright; some things can wait for another day.

In fact, Feng Chuchen longed for life in Xiqing Prefecture, where the sky was high and the land was wide, there were few rules, and even women could ride horses and whip their whips.

Chen Qingrui then spoke to Qin Wang about the hope of having many children as soon as possible.

Qin Wang laughed and said, "I have good news for you. Lady Xie is pregnant."

If the biological mother is "dead," the son and daughter-in-law cannot have any "entertainment activities" for a year.

When Xie became pregnant, Chen Qingrui, who was eagerly awaiting a grandchild, was overjoyed.

Feng Chuchen was also happy, "Congratulations, elder brother and sister-in-law."

Chen Qingrui then said to Feng Chuchen, "Go and invite Shanyue in."

Feng Chuchen got up and walked to the door, lifted the curtain and smiled, "My mother invites you in."

Ming Shanyue entered the room and bowed to Chen Qingrui with clasped hands.

After chatting for a while, dinner was brought in.

The four of them ate at one table, and Qin Wang and Ming Shanyue even drank a little wine.

After the meal, Qin Wang and Ming Shanyue chatted for a while before getting up to leave.

After seeing off her son and "son-in-law," Chen Qingrui remained somewhat downcast.

Feng Chuchen smiled and leaned closer, "I heard that Mother plays the piano very well, but it's a pity that it's not convenient here."

Chen Qingrui looked down at her hands. "It's been sixteen years since I last played. I really miss it."

Feng Chuchen sat down next to her. "When I was young, I had the same dream several times. In the dream, there was an extremely beautiful older sister playing the piano, and the music was melodious and beautiful. There was also a little baby lying on the bed next to her, only one or two months old, with a cinnabar mole on her forehead just like mine. That older sister kept playing and playing until I woke up. I memorized that piece of music and hummed it to my mother."

In a video on my phone from a past life, my mother played many guqin pieces, one of which was the most special.

Grandpa said that it was a piece Mom composed herself, called "Autumn Waters," which won a national gold medal. The melody is like a gentle stream, clear and pure, and like the fragrant aroma of tea, soothing and refreshing.

Grandpa once said with great sorrow, "What a pity for that child. If she hadn't married your father, she would have been the most outstanding guqin player in the country..."

Feng Chuchen hummed softly.

Chen Qingrui was instantly captivated by the melody. When she hummed it a second time, she found herself humming along involuntarily.

As she hummed, she suddenly stopped and looked at Feng Chuchen in disbelief. "It's so strange, why does this tune sound so familiar to me? It's like it's etched into my bones."

Feng Chuchen did not answer. She got up, went to the inner room, took out a piece of paper, unfolded it, and handed it to her mother.

The paper depicted a woman with long, slightly wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, gentle features, and a warm smile. Her features bore a striking resemblance to Chen Qingrui in her youth.

Chen Qingrui took it and became increasingly alarmed as she looked at it. "This...is this Mother? But Mother isn't a Hu person, and her hair isn't curly. Why did Chenchen draw Mother with this kind of hair?"

She paused, then murmured, "How strange, Mother also dreamed that her hair turned like this."

"Mother, I painted this two years ago."

"Chenchen hasn't seen her mother since the year before last."

Feng Chuchen hugged her arm and smiled, "The sister who played the piano in my dream had this hairstyle. I not only memorized the piece, but also drew the person in my dream. These past two days I've been thinking—if people have past lives and present lives, the scene in my dream must be our past life. That sister is my mother, and that little baby is me."

Chen Qingrui listened in a daze, then raised her hand and gently touched the cinnabar mole between Feng Chuchen's eyebrows, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Chenchen is right, we must have been mother and daughter in our past life."

She paused, her gaze somewhat unfocused, as if she were looking at a very, very distant place—a figure falling from a great height.

“My daughter was so young when her mother left her. I’m so sorry. I don’t know how hard your life was in that life… Fortunately, God has eyes. In this life, we have met again and are still mother and daughter.”

She pulled Feng Chuchen into her arms, resting her chin on the top of her daughter's head, and gently stroking her hair with her palms, as if soothing an infant.

"In this life, I will never be so selfish again. No matter what the future holds, I will live well."

Her voice was soft, but it carried an unprecedented certainty: "Even if I can't see my daughter every day in the future, as long as I know that my daughter is doing well, I will be content and satisfied."

Now, in her heart, her son's place has quietly receded somewhat.

It's not that I don't love him—it's that the child who grew up in the deep palace is strong enough to face the storms alone.

And this daughter she had lost and then found again—she owed her so much.

With this mindset, Chen Qingrui doted on Feng Chuchen to the core.

Every night, she would wait until Feng Chuchen fell asleep first. Knowing she wouldn't be able to get up in the morning, she would carefully think about what clothes and hair accessories her daughter would wear the next day before going to sleep. She would take them out of the closet one by one, fold them neatly, and arrange them before she could go to sleep with peace of mind.

During the day, she would unconsciously hold her daughter's hand. The way she looked at her daughter was as tender as melted honey, filling the entire room.

Feng Chuchen felt really embarrassed by the stares and would sometimes look away, saying, "Mom, please don't look at me like that. I'm all grown up now."

Chen Qingrui smiled, offering no explanation, but instead gripped her daughter's hand even tighter.

At noon on the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, a fast horse came galloping up and stopped in front of the Feng residence.

The newcomers were Ming Shanyue's personal guards sent to protect Wang Tu.

He dismounted and headed straight for the west courtyard, whispering a few words to Uncle Qian, who was guarding the gate. (End of Chapter)