Comfort and Happiness

Gu Liangzhe sighed, turned to Zhao Mingtin, and said, "Do you think I don't want to kill those two scoundrels? Think about it—Qin is a vassal state of Jin, located in the southeast, with Jin between it and Chu. If we send troops to Qin, it's as good as declaring war on Jin. Chu may have caught its breath, but it's still not strong enough to defeat Jin. Even if Jin lets Chu's army pass through, Qin has the Black-armored Qin Army and the Divine Fire Battalion! You've never seen how powerful the Divine Fire Battalion is..."

Back then, Gu Liangzhe had been tied to the city wall and witnessed the might of the Divine Fire Battalion firsthand. Those fire guns were absolute killing machines—nothing could stop them, not gods or buddhas.

Gu Liangzhe didn’t believe that Chu’s army could defeat the war god Xiao Zetian, who commanded the Divine Fire Battalion.

"So—so we just sit back and watch Qin grow stronger? If we keep doing nothing, when will my son ever become emperor of Jin?" Zhao Mingtin tugged at Gu Liangzhe’s sleeve. "Prime Minister Gu, my son calls you father. If he becomes emperor, you’ll be the Regent Father. Please, do consider his future!"

Gu Liangzhe looked at the young child in Zhao Mingtin’s arms and sighed deeply.

The entire Gu family had been wiped out, and Gu Liangzhe was no longer able to father children. He already treated Zhao Mingtin’s son as his own.

Besides seeking revenge, Gu Liangzhe also genuinely hoped his adopted son would become emperor of Jin. The position of Regent Father was simply too tempting.

"Princess, rest assured—my grudge is the same as yours, and I swear to avenge it! For now, we must keep growing stronger. The one who should be most afraid isn’t us, but Jin’s Emperor Li Yanhao. Now that Li Yanhao has fallen out with Xiao Zetian, it’s him who should worry about Qin, not us. Let them fight among themselves. When they’re both exhausted, we’ll reap the rewards. Princess, you must be patient—we both must be patient…" Gu Liangzhe said.

Both Chu and Jin were restless and anxious, but far away in Qin, Su Li and Xiao Zetian were eating well, feeling great, and in excellent spirits.

With the New Year approaching, everyone relaxed and enjoyed the festivities.

Madam Wang gave birth to a son in the twelfth lunar month, and everyone was overjoyed.

Especially Doctor Lin, who was so delighted to have a son that his smile nearly reached his ears. He pampered Madam Wang and their little boy like treasures, personally tending to his wife during her confinement. Lin Siyu was stunned, thinking, Master is truly a wife-doting maniac!

Su Li was thrilled to have a precious little brother and showered him with gifts.

Madam Wang now had both a son and daughter, a caring husband, and a life so comfortable that her past hardships in the Su family at Haizi Village felt like a distant memory.

Lin Xiaowu was also overjoyed to have a little brother, hugging him every day and absolutely doting on him!

As for Xiao Chang’an, thanks to Doctor Lin’s meticulous care, his legs showed great improvement. All those needles and hardships hadn’t been in vain. At a year and a half old, Xiao Chang’an finally learned to walk. Though he was slower than Yuan Kang, Xiao Yao, and Xiao Xue, he could walk on his own!

The first time Xiao Chang’an walked, he grinned and toddled toward Su Li with his arms outstretched. Su Li hugged her finally-walking son, crying tears of joy.

That New Year, everything was especially smooth and wonderful—truly peaceful and beautiful.