Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 802: Chapter 802: Di Yelei’s Thunderous Fury! (9)

“His Majesty is personally going to welcome Ye Lei?” Liu Sisi exclaimed with great surprise!

The chase last night had left a considerable shadow on Liu Sisi’s heart, and at the moment, upon hearing that His Majesty intended to leave the imperial court to welcome Di Yelei’s grand army ten miles outside the capital, she instinctively felt anxious.

“Don’t worry, we court ministers later dissuaded him from this idea, and His Majesty finally abandoned the thought. However, he did order an early feast in Zichen Hall to welcome back the generals returning to court,” Prince Luo said with a smirk as he glanced at Liu Sisi.

Liu Sisi’s face turned hot: “It’s good that he was persuaded. If he had really gone out, wouldn’t it have led to a huge commotion?” Who would bear the responsibility if something happened?

Prince Luo laughed heartily: “Princess, you need not worry, even though I’ve been honored with your address as ‘Imperial Uncle,’ I will make sure he comes to no harm.”

One had to admit that Prince Luo’s ability to read people and situations was very strong.

...

Liu Sisi stood up and gave a serious curtsey: “In that case, I leave the safety of my husband in the capable hands of Imperial Uncle Luo.”

“Of course, of course!”

Prince Luo gently helped her to rise, then suddenly lowered his voice: “There’s news from the palace that the Empress has been placed under house arrest by His Majesty, and Commander Yang has been sidelined at home too. The major households in the capital are likely to make big moves soon. Relative to that, Princess, you needn’t worry about your own safety anymore.”

Liu Sisi nodded. She had never worried about her own safety; those people targeted her only because their true goal was Little Little. As astute as Prince Luo was, he surely saw the crux of the matter, yet he never mentioned it. He must have his own considerations.

“With this, I thank Imperial Uncle Luo deeply.”

The next day.

Colorful flags fluttered along the ten miles of pavilion.

Heavy troops guarded the stretch from the ten miles of pavilion to the imperial court.

Di Yelei led his army through the West City gate, and the common people lining both sides of the avenue pointed and commented on the procession marching down the middle of the road.

“Look quick! The Great General is coming! He’s coming, let’s watch!” The crowd jostled into a tight mass.

The little maid Little Spring Peach also squeezed into the throng, craning her neck to look toward the central avenue, while also listening to the crowd’s murmurs about General Di.

The entire army was mounted on tall horses, striding along from the end of the avenue all the way to the Resting Horse Terrace in front of the palace gates.

“The one at the very front is the bloodthirsty Hell King Di, they say he’s built like a bear and strong enough to quiet crying children at night. See him? On that tall horse, decked in general’s armor?”

“Which one are you talking about? He does look robust, but didn’t everyone say he’s nine feet tall with a frightening face and horns, equipped with three heads and six arms? How is he different from the rumors?”

“Hey! He’s not a monster. Where would he get three heads and six arms? He’s just like us, with a single head and a pair of hands!”

“Nonsense! Everyone’s been saying he goes into battle with disheveled hair and a face covered by a copper mask smeared with fresh blood, often leading the charge at the forefront. Wherever he goes, he’s unstoppable, racking up countless military achievements in these years of warfare against the barbarians. How could he be an ordinary man?”

“Exactly! This one definitely isn’t Hell King Di. Maybe he hid himself, afraid he’d scare the people.”

“…”

The buzz among the civilians on both sides of the road grew wilder and more fanciful. A young officer who was following close to Di Yelei couldn’t help but snicker and urged his horse forward a couple of steps to reach Di Yelei’s side.

“General, did you hear that? These civilians are all discussing you, saying you have arms and legs as if you had three heads and six arms. How come we haven’t seen any of that?”

Di Yelei glanced back at him and said nothing. Instead, he lightly kicked the horse’s belly and hastened forward a few steps, dodging the other man’s question.

Beside him, Zhang Peng hurriedly scolded, “Nonsense! Back off. If someone sees this lack of manners, you will inevitably be reported to His Majesty once again. Return to the ranks immediately.”@@novelbin@@

“What does it matter? There’s no one here who recognizes us anyway.”

Though the young general spoke carelessly, he still slowed the reins, returning to his original position as told.

Di Yelei’s lips were tightly pressed, his feelings on the matter ambivalent. Only the occasional murderous glint that flashed across his eyes was chilling to the bone.

Inside Prince Luo’s Mansion.

Thirteenth Luo was casually chatting with Liu Sisi, and out of concern for her unfamiliarity with the capital city, had even gone so far as to have someone invite Gan Miaoruo to the mansion, enjoying the company of Xiao Feng and playing together, which finally eased Liu Sisi’s tension.

“Prefecture Princess, he’s here, he’s here, General Di has arrived!”

The little maid Little Spring Peach laughed joyously as she rushed up the small house.

“Prefecture Princess! Princess, the people in the streets are all abuzz, saying General Di has entered the city and is heading down the main street. He’ll soon pass by our front intersection. Many sisters from the mansion have run to watch.”

“Are you sure? Did you get a good look?”

Thirteenth Luo was so startled that she could no longer sit still, rising from her chair.

Although she had long known Di Yelei to be a bold and skilled warrior, his hasty departure from the city just before daybreak last night still made Thirteenth Luo sweat with anxiety! Thankfully, it was a close call without incident.

“Prefecture Princess! I saw it clearly indeed. Not just I, but also Sister Chun, Sister Dong Xiang, and… several sisters all saw him,” the little maid reported.

Little Spring Peach spoke with an especially nimble tongue, “As soon as we reached the street, everyone was talking about Great General Di. They said…”

Listening to Little Spring Peach’s vivid descriptions, Liu Sisi breathed a sigh of relief!

She too wished to personally welcome Di Yelei back to the capital, but everyone was concerned for her safety, disagreeing with the idea! Considering they had just met the night before and reasoning that seeing each other wasn’t urgent, she reluctantly suppressed her inner restlessness.

“Mom! Is it our Dad who’s coming back?”

The eyes of three little ones gleamed as they stared unblinkingly at Liu Sisi, and the one who asked timidly was Niuniu.

“Yes, your Dad is back! He’s back, Niuniu, Chou Chou, and Xiao Xiao, do you miss your Dad?” Liu Sisi asked, her face breaking into a smile.

Beside her, Xiao Xiao was noncommittal, while Niuniu and Chou Chou nodded vigorously like chicks pecking at seeds, “Yes! Mom, when will Dad be back? Does he have to go to the palace, and will he be chased like we were?” Niuniu struggled to comprehend.

“Don’t worry, Niuniu, your Dad is a true man. He’ll be back once he’s taken care of his duties,” Liu Sisi reassured, tenderly stroking Niuniu’s head. The children’s world should be colorful; it would be better to delay contact with such dark matters.

While everyone was happily talking, another little maid ran in with a flurry, “Prefecture Princess, General Di has already led more than a dozen generals across the main street and has arrived at the Resting Horse Terrace, preparing to enter the palace to meet with His Majesty.”