Chapter 120: The Fifth Lady

Chapter 120: The Fifth Lady

The wind blew over the grasslands, revealing herds of cattle and sheep.

An Qing and her group set out from the Imperial City, heading straight for Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner. After several stops along the way, they finally arrived at their destination after half a month.

Seeing the familiar scenery before her, An Qing's mood instantly brightened.

"Mother, is this your hometown? It's so beautiful." Xiao Bao, with his big round eyes, leaned against the carriage window, gazing outside in wonder. He felt like his eyes couldn't take it all in.

An Qing couldn't help but laugh at her son's naive expression. "Of course, I've told you many times that Mother's hometown is beautiful."

This was actually the little one's first visit to the grasslands. Since he was born, various delays had kept them from coming. The Mulan hunt usually happened every other year, and this year there wasn't one. In previous years, she and Yinqi had been unable to join the entourage due to various reasons, so the little one never got the chance to come.

The carriage traveled a bit further, and An Qing saw the figures of her parents in the distance.

"Ama, Mother!"

As soon as the carriage stopped, she couldn't wait to lift the curtain and jump out, startling Yinqi, who quickly rushed to support her.

"Take it easy, don't fall," he reminded her.

Xiao Bao also poked his head out of the carriage, looking disapproving. "Mother, you always say I'm too fidgety and not dignified, but look at yourself."

An Qing didn't have time to argue with the two of them; she just acknowledged their words and ran towards her parents.

It had been four years since she last saw them, back when she was pregnant with Xiao Bao.

Xiao Bao shook his head, acting old beyond his years. "Ama, did Mother forget about us?"

They had agreed on the way that once they met her parents, Mother would introduce them. But now, seeing her mother's excitement, it seemed she had forgotten about them.

Yinqi's eyes showed a hint of guilt. "It's Ama's fault."

When they parted ways at Mulan, he promised to bring her back as soon as possible, but it took four years. It was no wonder she was so excited to see her family again.

Xiao Bao, unaware of the circumstances, sighed silently. His Ama really spoiled his Mother too much.

As Yinqi led Xiao Bao over, An Qing was still hugging her parents tightly.

Xiao Bao, seeing his unreliable mother, tugged at her sleeve to remind her. "Mother, you forgot to introduce me to Xiao Bao."

At his voice, An Qing hadn't reacted yet, but Deb and Princess Naren looked down at him, their faces full of affection.

"Oh, this must be Hong Zhi," said Princess Naren, releasing her daughter's hand and squatting down to meet Xiao Bao's eye level.

Deb also squatted down, looking at his unseen grandson.

Xiao Bao, unafraid, confidently introduced himself. "Grandfather, Grandmother, hello. I am Mother's son, Hong Zhi. My nickname is Xiao Bao. You're family, so Mother said you can call me by my nickname. So, you can call me Xiao Bao."

Princess Naren melted at his cuteness, holding his hand and calling him 'good grandson.'

Deb, usually stern-faced, also smiled warmly.

Thanks to growing up around Concubine Yi and the Empress Dowager, Xiao Bao knew exactly how to make elders happy. With just a few words, he had both of them smiling broadly.

An Qing, seeing her son steal all the attention, looked at Yinqi with a pout.

Wah~ she was no longer her Ama and Mother's most beloved treasure.

Yinqi smiled and held her hand, silently comforting her, as if saying she still had him.

Wuritu, seeing an opening beside his aunt, quickly brought his sister Duo Lan over. They both called out together, "Aunt, Uncle!"

An Qing turned around and was surprised to see Wuritu, who was taller than her, and Duo Lan, who had grown to her waist height. How fast these children had grown!

But then again, children grow quickly, especially in four years.

Seeing her niece and nephew, she forgot about Xiao Bao stealing the attention and started examining them closely.

Duo Lan, the little girl, was getting more and more charming. At seven years old, she looked more and more like her eldest sister-in-law, with the unique spirit of a Mongolian girl from the grasslands.

As for Wuritu, the fifteen-year-old boy was tall and strong, no longer the little boy who used to follow her around. However...

"Wuritu, what happened to your face? It's so dark!"

He wasn't that dark before, but now he was almost as dark as his Third Elder Brother.

Duo Lan chimed in, "Aunt, you don't know. This summer, brother has been running wild on the grasslands. Ama and Mother couldn't stop him. And he never takes me with him, saying I'm a bother."

An Qing laughed and patted the little girl's head. Clearly, the last part about 'not taking her' was the real complaint.

"Wuritu, you should be careful. Don't get as dark as your little uncle," she teased.

Wuritu waved his hand dismissively. "Aunt, little uncle said that we Mongolian men are different from those in the Forbidden City. Being a bit darker doesn't matter; we can still find wives."

Duo Lan seized the opportunity to tease him. "Brother, you're shameless, thinking about finding a wife."

An Qing and Yinqi also playfully looked at him. The little rascal, despite his young age, was already thinking about finding a wife.

Wuritu realized his mistake and scratched his head, giving them a bashful smile. "I didn't think about it; little uncle said it. I was just repeating it."

Duo Lan, however, wasn't letting him off the hook. "No matter, you said it, so you thought about it. Tomorrow, I'll tell Mother to find you a wife."

Wuritu couldn't let that slide and immediately chased after the little girl, creating quite a commotion.

An Qing's older brother and second brother returned late that night.

Her elder brother is now handling the affairs of Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner, and he's busy all day long. Her second brother has completed his assignment of teaching farming techniques to the Mongolian tribes, and because of his outstanding results, Kangxi awarded all the officials who took on this task some time ago. Her second brother was even granted the title of Duke of the State by Kangxi.

Now her second brother has taken on the task of improving the poor land in the Mongolian tribes. If he performs exceptionally well in the future, it wouldn't be a problem for his title to be raised further.

As for her Third Elder Brother, he is still around the Qingshui River area. It's almost harvest time, and he's there with some of the tribe members waiting to harvest the crops; he won't be back anytime soon.

However, after this autumn harvest, An Qing plans to take her Third Elder Brother away, as she has important tasks for him to do.

The family had finally reunited, so naturally, they wanted to celebrate. Moreover, it was Yinqi's first visit as a distinguished son-in-law, so Deb held a grand banquet that night in the tribe, inviting all their relatives.

An Qing stayed with her mother, her elder sisters-in-law, watching Yinqi being surrounded by the tribe members, drinking. She couldn't help but sigh silently.

Although Yinqi could hold his liquor quite well, he couldn't withstand so many people surrounding him. As a son-in-law, he couldn't refuse the relatives, and thus, he kept getting poured more and more drinks.

Mongolians were known for their drinking prowess, and this wasn't going to end well. Just as An Qing was thinking about how to help him out, Turen Princess suddenly made a move.

She directly instructed the maid beside her, "Go tell Altan and the others not to force Beile Fifth to drink. He has important matters tomorrow. If they delay his business, I'll whip them!"

Altan was An Qing's second uncle's son, also her cousin, two years younger than her. He was famous in the tribe for his drinking ability and was the most enthusiastic one among those forcing Yinqi to drink.

The maid didn't dare to delay and hurriedly ran over to convey Turen Princess's words. Altan and the others indeed calmed down.

"No wonder they say mothers-in-law love their sons-in-law. Little Sister hasn't said anything yet, but Mother, you're already worried," An Qing's second sister-in-law teased with a smile.

Turen Princess glanced at her and said, "A few days ago, Second Brother was just granted the title of Duke of the State. When you went back to your maternal home, your cousins didn't spare him much either, and I heard your mother even whipped them."

An Qing's elder sister-in-law also chimed in with a smile, "Exactly, Second Sister-in-Law, you shouldn't be like that. Why can only your mother worry about her son-in-law? Our mother can too. That's what they say: every mother worries about her own son-in-law."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh at this.

Back in a familiar place, An Qing finally relaxed completely, drinking a lot of fruit wine with her mother. She initially thought the fruit wine had little alcohol content, but she ended up feeling a bit dizzy.

Yinqi finally managed to break free and walked over. Seeing her cheeks flushed, he was stunned, "Are you drunk?"

An Qing waved her hand and replied, "Not drunk, just a bit dizzy. Don't worry, I'll be fine if I rest for a while."

Seeing that she spoke coherently, Yinqi felt relieved.

He thought for a moment and pointed to a nearby grassy slope, "Let's go blow some wind over there and look at the stars."

An Qing was delighted. She hadn't seen the stars on the grassland in a long time and missed it.

But then she looked at Xiao Bao, who was running around with Duo Lan, "Should we bring Xiao Bao over?"

The stars on the grassland were so beautiful, and the little guy hadn't had a chance to appreciate them properly yet.

Yinqi glanced at his son and his gaze deepened, "No need. He's having fun right now. Let him enjoy himself."

An Qing agreed. The boy wouldn't want to stop playing until he was fully satisfied. If they called him over, he might not be happy, and it would ruin her stargazing mood.

With a mutual understanding, they left their son behind and went to see the stars together.

The night on the grassland was as beautiful as ever.

Instead of going to the grassy slope near the banquet, An Qing led Yinqi to her favorite spot for stargazing, which was a bit farther from the camp. Being away from the noisy crowd allowed them to focus entirely on the stars.

Yinqi spread out the cloak he brought, and An Qing lay down contentedly on it. He followed suit and lay down beside her.

They quietly watched the stars without saying a word.

After a while, An Qing suddenly pointed to the stars and began telling him some legends about the stars on the grassland. Gradually, she moved on to recounting some childhood stories.

Perhaps due to returning to a familiar place, many memories resurfaced, some of which she had almost forgotten. But now, they all came back.

Yinqi listened attentively, occasionally responding, but mostly just listening, gradually building a picture of her past through her descriptions.

One spoke while the other listened, and they didn't know how long they had been there when An Qing suddenly felt dizzy. The alcohol must have kicked in. She tried to stay awake but eventually succumbed and leaned against Yinqi's shoulder, falling asleep.

Moonlight gently shone down, adding a hazy beauty to the night on the grassland.

Yinqi slowly turned his head and kissed her forehead, looking at the sleeping figure on his shoulder with tenderness in his eyes.

The banquet had long ended, and only a few bonfires remained burning on the grassland, scattered here and there, blending with the stars above.

Yinqi noticed the late hour and didn't want An Qing to catch a chill outside. He carefully got up, picked her up, and headed back to the camp.

Perilla saw Beile carrying their mistress and quickly opened the tent flap.

Yinqi whispered instructions to prepare some hot water and towels, then carried An Qing into the tent. However, as he approached the bed, he saw Xiao Bao sitting there angrily, glaring at him.

"Ama, where did you and E'na go? Why didn't you take me with you!"

Yinqi looked at him disapprovingly, "Keep your voice down. Don't disturb your E'na's rest."

The little one seemed to notice his Ama holding his E'na and quickly covered his mouth, moving aside obediently.

Yinqi placed her on the bed and helped remove her shoes and outer garments.

Just then, Perilla entered with the water, "Beile, let me handle it."

Yinqi nodded lightly, gave her some instructions, and led Xiao Bao out.

The little one had been holding it in for a while and immediately complained, "Ama, I heard Aunt Perilla say you went to see the stars. How could you leave me behind?"

Yinqi glanced at him, "When did we leave you behind? You were the one who was playing crazily. I haven't even scolded you yet. How did you watch over your E'na? You didn't even notice she was drunk."

Xiao Bao exclaimed, pointing inside, "E'na wasn't sleeping, she was drunk?"

Yinqi lightly affirmed.

Xiao Bao felt a bit short of confidence for a moment; his grandmother had indeed instructed him to watch over his mother that night. He hadn't performed his duty well, so he couldn't really grumble about being excluded from their stargazing.

"Alright, it's getting late. Go to your tent and sleep," Yinqi said.

Xiao Bao pursed his lips. "Ama, can I sleep with you guys tonight?"

Without hesitation, Yinqi replied, "No, you toss and turn in your sleep and might end up pressing down on your mother. Go sleep by yourself."

Xiao Bao responded with a soft "Oh," feeling quite dejected as he called over the nanny beside him and obediently went to the neighboring tent to sleep.

There was no alternative; his grandmother was adamant on this matter. If it had been his mother, he might have been able to wheedle his way around by acting cute and stubborn.

Unfortunately, his mother was drunk at the moment, and the little boy's departing figure carried a hint of melancholy.

The next morning, when An Qing woke up, her head still felt a bit dizzy. Thankfully, Yinqi had woken her up last night to drink a bowl of sobering soup, which helped alleviate her discomfort.

After breakfast, An Qing felt much better, thankfully not delaying any important matters.

She had already discussed with her Second Elder Brother the previous night that they would join the officials who had been teaching agricultural techniques to the Mongolian tribes to visit some nearby salt-affected pastures today.

An Qing and Yinqi were considered reinforcements sent by the court to help address issues like grassland degradation.

When they arrived, Sibuteng Duolji had already gathered everyone.

An Qing wasn't very familiar with these people. Back at Mulan, Kangxi had only summoned her Second Elder Brother, Third Elder Brother, and Lord Huang Mao due to the winter vine cultivation technique. At the time, she had met Lord Huang Mao a few times.

Hmm... But now, she could barely recognize him; how did he get so tan!

"Lady Wu, it's good to see you again," Huang Mao greeted with a smile.

An Qing paused. "Good to see you too, Lord Huang."

Tsk~ The former Grand Secretary had turned into a tanned old man, showing the power of the prairie sun.

Tsk tsk~ Thinking about it, she used to run wild on the prairie every day and remained fair-skinned. She must be naturally beautiful.

After indulging in her vanity for a moment, An Qing got down to work. They first rode to the salt-affected pastures within Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner and then visited several nearby tribes.

Their Horqin Left-wing Rear Banner had always been diligent in pasture maintenance. Thanks to her efforts over the years, the salt-affected areas were not extensive and had been effectively controlled, preventing further spread.

However, other tribes were not as fortunate. In response to the Qing court's call, they had cultivated many pastures, but lacking experience, they ended up over-cultivating and over-exploiting, leading to grassland degradation and salinization.

Fortunately, the situation was not yet severe, and timely management could restore the greenery of the prairie.

Their final inspection was of the Yirgenjueluo tribe's pasture. Coincidentally, they encountered a familiar face there.

"What a coincidence, Prince Muren," An Qing smiled.

Since the Mulan Autumn Hunt in Kangxi's thirty-seventh year, they hadn't seen each other. It was unexpected to meet here today.

Muren greeted everyone and replied with a smile, "Not a coincidence, I heard you were coming and waited specifically for you."