The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

When Niu Pan’er received the imperial decree, she was teaching her son to swim with Song Zhiyu at the stream pond in the Prince Mansion. Upon hearing the Emperor’s decree, she promptly got up to leave.

”Are you just going like that? Those refugees forming an army must be fierce. Are there not enough men in the capital? And yet they want you to go,” Song Zhiyu said somewhat gloomily.

Niu Pan’er replied helplessly, ”This is the Emperor’s decree, and it shows his regard for me, don’t make trouble.”

Song Zhiyu opened his mouth, hugged his son, and pressed his lips tightly.

Niu Pan’er saw this and couldn’t help but sigh. She crouched down again, patted his head by the bank, and said, ”I’m just going to suppress the refugees and support that army; there won’t be any danger. You stay well in the mansion. If you feel bored, why not go back to the Prime Minister’s Mansion to stay with your mother for a few days?”

”I’m not going; Third Brother’s wife just gave birth to a son, and Qi girl has also just had a child, it seems the whole mansion echoes with the cries of babies, like the wild cats in our back mountains in heat, it’s maddeningly noisy.” Song Zhiyu turned his head.

Niu Pan’er couldn’t help but laugh and said, ”Newborn babies only cry a few times, they sleep after eating their fill, you’re just finding an excuse to sulk.”

Song Zhiyu snorted heavily.

”Be good,” Niu Pan’er looked at her son with warm eyes and said, ”Shen’er, take good care of your father.”

”Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t cry.” Niu Honghong slapped his father’s head: ”Dad, you can’t cry either, it’s embarrassing.”

Song Zhiyu: ”...”

Lousy brat, can’t he fix him?

He pinched the boy’s bottom, and Niu Honghong cried out in pain, hugging Song Zhiyu’s neck and flailing his arms and legs. In a place where his father couldn’t see, he waved his little hand to signal Niu Pan’er to leave quickly.

Amused by the little rascal’s street-smart antics, Niu Pan’er smiled, got up, and left.

For a moment, Song Zhiyu said, ”Alright, stop fooling around, your mother has no heart, she’s gone.”

Niu Honghong looked at the redness in his eyes and said, ”A real man does not cry.”

”You can save it, when you start stringing sentences together instead of just spurting words, then you’ll be a little man.” Song Zhiyu spat at him, looked towards the direction of the courtyard news, sighed, and hugged his son tightly: ”We father and son must depend on each other again.”

Niu Honghong buried his head in his father’s neck and nuzzled him, his dad is like a child who never grows up, even more attached to mom than he is, it really makes the kid worried.

With his wife leaving on a mission, Song Zhiyu had no heart to linger in the water. He emerged from the creek, tidied himself up, and thought for a moment before deciding to take his son back to the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

Song Zhiyuan had just returned from the palace, and hearing his younger brother had arrived, he let him in. Unsurprisingly, he immediately started asking if Niu Pan’er’s task was dangerous and how long she would be gone.

”Rather than worrying about the danger of the task, why not think about the Emperor’s intention, whether it’s trust in the Commandery Princess or a test?” Song Zhiyuan’s voice was slightly lowered: ”Since the Commandery Princess returned in recent years, she has basically served as a drill instructor in the army. Now with this appointment, let me ask, has Prince Dingbei sent any letters, and what did he say?”

Song Zhiyu was stunned for a moment and shook his head: ”Father’s last letter was at the beginning of June, saying old injuries have resurfaced, but it’s not serious. Big brother, is there something to this?”

Song Zhiyuan rubbed his fingers and sighed: ”The Emperor’s thoughts are hard to guess these days. Prince Dingbei’s health is likely not just old injuries resurfacing. It’s possible that Pan’er will return to the Northeast, and the Prince will return.”

Song Zhiyu’s expression became grave; if Niu Pan’er returns to the Northeast, what about him and his son?