Cuando regresemos

Capítulo 38

On the sixth day of the fifth month, the young emperor personally officiated at the road-crossing ceremony to send her off to war. However, on this day, You Tong began experiencing morning sickness, vomiting uncontrollably at home, her legs too weak to leave the house…

On a summer morning, the rosy dawn shone through the thin mist, painting the capital city in a pale gold hue, with tiny fragments scattered across the rooftops of varying heights. Xu Wei, clad in military attire, glanced one last time at the high platform behind him, but did not see the person he longed for. A flicker of disappointment and worry crossed his eyes, which he quickly concealed, his gaze sharpening instantly.

With a wave of his hand, the vast and orderly procession began to march forward, and he finally turned around resolutely.

As the afterglow finally faded and the world became clear, those resolute figures finally disappeared at the far horizon.

82. Fetal movement

"Knock knock—" A soft knock sounded on the door. You Tong, who was leaning against the window and dozing with a frown, slowly opened her eyes and looked over. When she saw Madam Xu personally bringing in a plate of pickled radishes, she quickly got up and greeted her, "Mother, why did you come in person?"

Madam Xu didn't reply to her. Instead, she looked her up and down seriously. Seeing that she seemed to have lost even more weight, she couldn't help but shake her head worriedly and said, "How can you keep not eating? Qiaoqiao, you've gotten even thinner. Even if you don't care about yourself, you have to think about the baby in your belly. Other pregnant women get fatter and fatter, but you've gotten several sizes thinner."

You Tong said with a bitter face, "It's not that I don't want to eat, it's just that I have no appetite and can't eat." Everyone else experiences morning sickness in the first three months, but she dragged it out until the fourth month. She vomited everything she ate, and now, she doesn't even need to eat; just the smell of food makes her nauseous.

Madam Xu, having been through similar experiences, knew how painful this was. She stepped forward, took Youtong's hand, and helped her sit down, saying softly, "I had the kitchen make some sweet potato porridge. I loved it when I was pregnant with Wei and his brother. This was specially sent over from the estate; it had been buried in the cellar for over half a year before being dug up. It's not even sold in the capital." She then used a toothpick to pickle a small piece of pickled radish and handed it to her, saying, "Madam Gao had someone send this over this morning, saying it's sour and spicy, good for stimulating the appetite and stopping nausea. You should try some."

You Tong couldn't bear to refuse her kindness, so she reached out and took it, taking a small bite. It was indeed different from the pickled cabbage she usually ate. It was sour with a refreshing spiciness that strongly stimulated her taste buds, causing her mouth to water. This time, she didn't spit it out as usual.

Seeing this, Madam Xu said happily, "It seems this stuff is indeed good. If you like it, I'll ask the Gao family to send some more." She then quickly called in a maid and instructed her to go to the Gao family. A little while later, the kitchen brought in some porridge. Whether it was because the pickled radish she had just eaten whetted her appetite or because Madam Xu was watching, Youtong actually drank a large bowl of porridge without any trouble. Madam Xu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The two talked for a while, and You Tong hesitated several times before speaking. Madam Xu knew that she was worried about Xu Wei's safety, but she was no different. Ever since Xu Wei went to the battlefield at the age of fifteen, she had suffered from insomnia every night before each campaign, and even now, nearly ten years later, she still hadn't gotten used to it.

“This isn’t Wei’er’s first time in the Northwest; he knows it very well. That Xiongnu Chanyu always suffers defeats at his hands, and this time will be no exception. Don’t worry, just focus on your pregnancy. Wei’er will definitely be back by the time you give birth.” Although she said this, Madam Xu had no confidence whatsoever. For so many years, Xu Wei had always been fighting in the Northwest, often going years without seeing him. This time, the Xiongnu had launched a large-scale invasion; the war wouldn’t be over in just a few months. She feared that by the time he returned, their son would already be able to speak.

Even Madam Xu could think of this, so how could You Tong be unaware of it? But she preferred to believe her words and wishfully thought that in a few months, the child's father would return in triumph.

It's unclear exactly when, but the morning sickness suddenly disappeared, and You Tong's appetite gradually improved. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, all sorts of soups and broths were brought into You Tong's room in various ways. Before long, her face finally regained its usual color.

Xu Wei's letter finally arrived at the end of May, a thick envelope overflowing with longing. It detailed his journey westward, sometimes hastily sketching a few lines during breaks in the army's rest, sometimes meticulously writing down his yearning word by word in the quiet of the night…

"We've arrived at Liuxian Town," Madam Xu said. Liuxian Town is now the location of the Northwest Camp. It was originally just a small town under Jing County. Only because the front lines suffered repeated defeats did the army have to retreat to this place to set up camp.

“But it’s not too late yet,” Xu Cong said, having entered the room at some point and overhearing Madam Xu’s words. He couldn’t help but say, “Didn’t the army retreat to Xingcheng County four years ago? But they were eventually driven back by the army led by my elder brother.”

Xu Cong did not go to war this time. The Xu family only has two sons, and someone has to stay by their parents' side to serve them. Even if something were to happen to Xu Wei, the Xu family would still need a young man to support them.

"Why are you back so early today?" Madam Xu looked at Xu Cong with a loving expression and asked in a low voice. Perhaps because Xu Wei was not around, Madam Xu's love was all directed at her second son. In the past, she would often scold him for being impetuous and unsteady, but now she always had a smile on her face and spoke in a gentler voice.

Xu Cong bowed to Madam Xu to greet her, and then smiled and said, "The yamen wasn't busy today, so I came out for some fresh air. I happened to hear that my elder brother had written, so I rushed back to see him." Since Xu Wei left, Xu Cong seemed to have grown up a lot overnight. Before, he always had a bit of a mischievous childishness, but now he was becoming more and more like Xu Wei, reserved and steady.

Madam Xu already knew about his affair with Ya Zhu. At first, she couldn't accept it, but then, she didn't know what Xu Cong said to her, but she gradually showed signs of softening. Half a month after Xu Wei left, Madam Xu relented and sent someone to the Gao family to sound them out. It seemed that the Xu family would soon be bustling again.

"Your elder brother's letter to you is in the study. What are you doing here? Do you want to see the letter for your sister-in-law?" Madam Xu joked. Xu Cong blushed, an awkward expression appearing on his face. He lowered his head and said shyly in a low voice, "Um, Ya Zhu asked me to bring some tonics to my sister-in-law." As he spoke, he quickly produced a small wooden box from behind his back and placed it on the table. Then, he turned around and darted out as if fleeing.

"That brat!" It turned out he had gone out for some fresh air and ended up at the Gao family's place. Madam Xu stomped her feet angrily and said resentfully, "I haven't even agreed to this marriage yet, and look at him, he doesn't have even half of Wei-ge's composure." Little did she know that Xu Wei had done something even more outrageous for You Tong back then.

Seeing that although Madam Xu had a stern face, there was no anger in her eyes, You Tong knew that Madam Xu just wanted to scare Xu Cong. So she smiled and said, "Second brother is a true man, straightforward and honest. It's rare for him to meet someone he likes, so he cares a lot about her. Ya Zhu is a good girl, kind, gentle, knowledgeable and reasonable. Mother will definitely like her when she sees her."

Madam Xu, seizing the opportunity, shook her head and said, "Look at Cong'er's attitude. If I don't agree to his demands, he'll surely cause a scene at home. I'm just trying to have some peace and quiet. Whether it's good or bad is another matter, as long as the girl behaves herself, that's fine."

That evening, Youtong replied to Xu Wei's letter. She'd lost count of how many times she'd written to him. Whenever she had something to say, she'd write a few lines. In just one month, she'd filled ten or so pages. Sometimes it was neat, elegant small regular script—meaning her expression was serious when she wrote; when she was in a good mood, it was casual running script; and when she was depressed or uneasy, it was unrestrained cursive script…

"...The pomegranate blossoms in the yard are blooming beautifully; Mother says they'll surely bear a full tree of fruit this year. I wonder if you'll be able to return when the pomegranates ripen..."

She dipped her brush in ink, intending to write a few more lines, when suddenly she felt a movement in her abdomen. In an instant, a wondrous sensation spread rapidly from her lower abdomen throughout her entire body—a throbbing of life she had never experienced before. Inside her, a brand new life was being conceived. Although she had known this for some time, it was only just now that she truly and deeply felt its presence. That slight, almost imperceptible throbbing, that connection of life and blood between her and Xu Wei, made her feel an irresistible urge to shed tears.

You Tong put down her pen and gently placed both hands on her lower abdomen, wanting to feel it again, but after waiting for a long time, there was no reaction. When Wen Yan came in, she saw You Tong holding her stomach without moving and assumed she had a stomachache, so she became nervous and started calling for people outside.

Since Huiying and Huiqiao left, Youtong hadn't had any servants by her side. At first, it was fine, but now that she was pregnant, Madam Xu naturally wouldn't allow her to be so carefree anymore. She insisted on transferring her two capable head maids, Yun Chu and Yun Lei, to serve her. These two maids knew that Youtong didn't like anyone around her, so they usually waited in the outer room, only coming in when they heard someone calling them from inside.

Hearing Wen Yan shouting, the two assumed something had happened to You Tong inside and turned pale with fright. But when they entered the room and saw her sitting there unharmed, they both breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance, and gave each other a helpless, bitter smile.

Seeing that You Tong also had a look of bewilderment, Wen Yan realized that she had made a fuss again. Feeling a little embarrassed, she rubbed the corner of her clothes and said shyly, "When I saw you not moving, I thought—oh dear, ptooey!" She quickly slapped her own mouth and said angrily, "Look at my mouth, talking nonsense."

You Tong smiled and said, "It's alright, you've come at the right time. Come and touch it, the baby just moved."

"Wow!" Wen Yan's eyes lit up immediately. Overjoyed, she walked over to You Tong, squatted down, and carefully placed a hand on her stomach. She listened intently for a long time, until her legs ached, but there was no movement from her hand.

Seeing this, Yun Chu finally couldn't help but laugh and said, "Young Madam, the young master is still young, and he probably doesn't like to move around much right now. He'll start moving around more when he's six or seven months old."

"Ah—" Wen Yan withdrew her hand in disappointment, pouting, "This little guy is bullying me. I've waited for so long for nothing, and he didn't even say hello. When he comes out, I'm going to teach him a lesson. Ninth Sister, you'd better have a son. He's tough, so I won't feel bad hitting him. If you have a daughter, I'm afraid I won't be able to bring myself to do it."

These words made not only You Tong laugh, but even the two maids couldn't help but chuckle.

83. Northwest

At the end of June, the eldest son of the Shen family returned to the capital in triumph and was appointed as the Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Although it was an honorary title, it greatly relieved the entire Shen family. The day after the eldest son returned to the capital, he sent people to the Northwest, supposedly to collect the remains of Shen San—who had died in battle and still had not been buried. There were even rumors that his body had been burned by the Xiongnu.

When You Tong heard this news, he couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart. In the end, all his emotions turned into a sigh. He had gone to great lengths to fight on the battlefield and make a name for himself, never imagining that his achievements would be followed by countless bones. All his hard work had only resulted in him being buried in a foreign land. How tragic.

Days passed, and You Tong's belly grew larger. By November, when she was about to give birth, Xu Wei still hadn't returned. In the past few months, Xu Wei's letters had become much less frequent, and the battle reports from the frontier seemed less than ideal; several battles had ended in mixed results.

Although Youtong had anticipated this outcome, she was still disappointed. Fortunately, Madam Xu stayed by her side, so she wasn't too lonely. In mid-November, Youtong finally gave birth to a healthy daughter with a loud cry, which delighted Mr. and Mrs. Xu. Since Xu Wei was not present, Mr. Xu couldn't directly name her, so he gave her the nickname "Abao".

Abao was very well-behaved and obedient, never causing any trouble. Most of the time, he slept peacefully with his eyes closed, only making lamb-like bleating sounds when he was hungry. Even Madam Xu said he was the most well-behaved baby she had ever seen. After a month, Abao gradually opened up, and his features seemed to resemble Youtong's, but his ears were exactly the same as Xu Wei's—although Youtong didn't think so. In her opinion, all babies who had just turned one month old looked pretty much the same.

By May of the following year, the baby was six months old and had grown into a beautiful little girl, looking just like You Tong. She loved to smile and would reach out to hug anyone she saw, showing no shyness whatsoever.

But You Tong gradually became uneasy. Since late April, she had not received any letters from Xu Wei. Moreover, it seemed that everyone was hiding something from her, and the atmosphere at home was very strange.

Unless something had happened to Xu Wei, no one would deliberately keep it from her. Once she realized this, You Tong's heart felt like it was being roasted over a fire. But she didn't rush to ask Madam Xu for clarification. Instead, she waited until the day she went to the temple to offer incense and then summoned Yun Chu in for a thorough interrogation. Only then did she learn that news had come from the Northwest a few days ago that Xu Wei had died in battle.

Although there were no official documents from the frontier, and the news might just be a rumor, You Tong's mind was already in a state of confusion upon hearing it, leaving her with no ability to discern the truth. By the time Madam Xu returned that evening, she had already packed her valuables and secretly left the Xu residence.

You Tong didn't take A Bao with her on the journey. Although she was extremely reluctant, she knew in her heart that leaving the child at the Xu residence was the best choice. The journey to the Northwest was long and treacherous. She could manage on her own, but how could she let her infant daughter suffer with her?

When Youtong left the manor, she took a horse from the palace and rode westward after leaving the city. Fearing that someone from the Xu family would chase after her, she abandoned the horse and took a carriage when she reached a nearby town. Coincidentally, there was a merchant caravan going to the northwest in the town, and she paid two taels of silver to get a seat in the carriage.

The caravan was quite large, with several hundred people in total. They also hired more than a dozen bodyguards to accompany them, so the journey was relatively peaceful. After traveling for more than half a month, the caravan finally arrived at its destination, Xingcheng County, which was only a little over a hundred miles away from Liuxian Town, where the main army was located.

Along the way, You Tong heard many people talk about the situation in the Northwest, and naturally, Xu Wei's story was inevitably mentioned. Some said he had died on the battlefield, while others said he was just bedridden. But in any case, one thing You Tong was certain of was that he had not shown his face for a long time. Otherwise, he would not have let the rumors spread to this extent without any reaction.

It was getting late, so You Tong decided to rest in Xingcheng County for the time being and set off again early the next morning.

Because this place is close to the frontier, in addition to the Han people, there are many other ethnic groups in the city. Their appearance and speech are obviously different from those in the Central Plains. It is rare to see a delicate and slender young man like You Tong. So when he stayed at the inn, the innkeeper asked him a few more questions, such as where he came from, what his name was, and what he was doing here.

You Tong answered each question half-truthfully, only saying that she had come to join the army, and mentioning the name of General Liu, Xu Wei's adjutant, saying that he was a relative of hers. After hearing this, the shopkeeper did not ask any further questions.

After a hearty dinner and a quick shower, I went to bed early to rest. If I set off early tomorrow morning, I could reach the camp before dark. Once I got to the camp, I could figure out what was going on.

Perhaps she was too tired from the journey, for she fell into a deep sleep as soon as she lay down. It wasn't until she heard the noisy commotion outside that she suddenly opened her eyes and jumped out of bed. At the same time, the door was kicked open with a "thump," and five or six soldiers in military uniforms, wielding long swords, rushed in.

"General Liu, this is it—" The innkeeper stood at the door, peering into the room, muttering to himself, "I felt something was off when this lad checked in this evening. He even went so far as to claim he was your relative, trying to fool me, but that one sentence gave him away. Everyone knows you were the only surviving orphan from Niulan Village back then—"

"Get out of here right now!" General Liu had just reached the door when he spotted You Tong standing by the bed with her sword drawn, and immediately recognized her. He couldn't help but feel secretly glad that she was dressed properly; if he had barged in while disheveled, how would he explain it to Xu Wei?

General Liu saw the soldiers in the room looking at each other, seemingly still not understanding what was going on. He grew impatient and angrily shouted, "Come out! What are you all standing there for? Don't look!" As he spoke, he rushed into the room and dragged the soldiers out.

Upon seeing his posture, the shopkeeper realized he had probably mistaken him for someone else and quickly slipped away. The soldiers, seeing him run off, wisely chased after him, no longer daring to linger at the door.

"Young Madam." General Liu stood at the doorway, not daring to go any further. He bowed respectfully to her and said with a forced smile, "What are you doing here?"

"Where is Xu Wei?" You Tong didn't answer him, but asked directly, "What happened to him?"

"Huh?" General Liu was taken aback at first, but then he immediately realized what was going on. He slapped his thigh hard and exclaimed in realization, "I was wondering why you suddenly came. It turns out that the news had already reached the capital. The General had forgotten about that."

Seeing that Youtong was still staring, General Liu quickly explained, "Young Madam, you misunderstand. The General is in good health. Those rumors are all false and are just trying to fool people."

You Tong, however, did not believe it. She had heard so many rumors along the way, all saying that Xu Wei was in grave danger. If he was really safe, why had he not shown his face for more than a month?

“There are too many people here, let’s go back to Qixian Town first, and I will tell you about it slowly when we get back.” General Liu knew You Tong’s stubborn nature, so he quickly lowered his voice and whispered, “Madam, don’t worry, this is all part of the General’s plan. I just didn’t expect the news to reach the capital so quickly. If the General knew that you had come, he would be overjoyed.”

You Tong carefully observed him without showing any emotion. Seeing that his expression did not seem feigned, she thought for a moment before nodding. General Liu, seeing that she had agreed, immediately beamed with joy and hurriedly went out to call his subordinates to prepare a carriage so they could rush back to Qixian Town that very night.

The carriage traveled all night, finally arriving at Qixian Town at daybreak. General Liu did not take her to the camp, but instead found a small courtyard in town to settle her in. After dismissing all the servants, General Liu explained with a serious expression, "There are spies in the army. For your safety, Madam, it is best not to move around too much, lest the news leak out and the Xiongnu attack you."

Seeing his serious expression, You Tong's heart sank. Back home, she had heard Xu Wei talk about things on the battlefield before, so she knew that it was common for both sides to send spies to gather information. But judging from General Liu's words, the trouble caused by this spy was probably quite serious.

"At first, I didn't think much of it. I only knew that this war was going very poorly. It wasn't until the Xiongnu discovered our plans several times in a row, resulting in the loss of several hundred men, that the general began to have doubts. But these were all brothers who had shared life and death with us for so many years, and it was impossible to doubt anyone." General Liu's face was filled with anger and grief as he spoke. He simply couldn't believe that one of his closest comrades had betrayed his country and his brothers.

"That general—"

General Liu shook his head and said with a wry smile, "We tried to probe several times, but ultimately came up empty-handed, and we were afraid of alerting the enemy. Until later, an unexpected incident occurred." He paused here, a strange expression appearing on his face, and continued with a half-smile, "That general loves painting, so he had a few paintings hung in the town's art gallery. Somehow, they ended up in the hands of the Xiongnu Chanyu, who happened to be quite fascinated by them. He even secretly sent people to the town to gather information. The general, seeing this, decided to play along, and he himself—" He hesitated, glancing furtively at You Tong's face. Sure enough, she was gritting her teeth in anger, stamping her feet and shouting, "He just delivered himself to their doorstep?"

General Liu said with a mournful face, "I have also tried to persuade him, but the general said that nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides, the Chanyu has never seen him before and would not recognize him."

The Chanyu hadn't seen him, but did that mean no one else had? You Tong was furious, her lungs were about to explode. This Xu Wei, this Xu Wei was far too audacious. He had ventured into the lion's den alone; if something went wrong, she wouldn't even have anyone to help her. If the Xiongnu discovered her identity—You Tong didn't dare to think any further.

"Madam, please don't be anxious," General Liu said, seeing her expression and fearing she might become agitated. "The General is wise and brave, and no one would have recognized him. Otherwise, he would have been recognized long ago, more than a month has passed. How could it have dragged on until now?"

But how could You Tong not be anxious? After angrily cursing Xu Wei in her heart, she suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask, "The general has gone to the enemy camp. How are military affairs being handled? These rumors are flying everywhere. Haven't the Xiongnu used this as an excuse to attack?"

General Liu became quite pleased with himself upon hearing this, saying happily, "Madam, you misunderstand. The rumor of the General's death didn't come from the Xiongnu; the General himself made us spread it. This is what you call creating a false impression. Besides your subordinates, only Commander Zhang and Commander Chen knew about the General's trip to the enemy camp. They were both rescued by the General from a bloodbath and are the most trustworthy. Currently, the three of us are handling military affairs. Sometimes the General also sends out messages. Just the other day, we raided the enemy camp and burned a lot of the Xiongnu's supplies; that was a message sent by the General."

"You still have contact with him?" You Tong's eyes lit up, and she immediately had an idea.

Wudu City

Xu Wei sat upright on the low couch by the window, staring blankly at the scenery outside, clearly lost in thought. The maidservant who was serving him had come in to check on him several times, and seeing that he remained motionless, she was afraid that something was wrong, so she quickly reported it to the servants.

In the afternoon, the Xiongnu Chanyu arrived. Without exchanging pleasantries, he asked directly, "Mr. Li, are you not used to staying in the mansion?" When Xu Wei was invited here, he was using the alias Li. Because of his excellent painting skills, he was highly valued by the Chanyu, who specially arranged for him to stay in the mansion so that he could not only create more paintings but also teach his sons to paint.

"No...no..." Xu Wei quickly stood up and replied, but his face showed an embarrassed expression as he avoided the Chanyu's gaze.

“Mr. Li, we Xiongnu people are different from you Han people. We speak directly and never beat around the bush. If you have any questions, please speak to me directly, please don’t shy away.” The Chanyu’s sharp gaze was fixed on him, and Xu Wei seemed unable to bear it, trembling slightly. He lowered his head and murmured softly, “It’s nothing serious, I just suddenly thought of my—”

Before he could finish speaking, someone came to report, "Shanyu, someone from Dongyue Gate has come to report that a woman is causing a ruckus at Jiuzhenzhai, insisting that the painting of flying apsaras was painted by her husband, and even mentioning Mr. Li's name."

With a series of "thump, thump—" sounds, Xu Wei stood up in a panic. He was so dizzy and unsteady that he bumped into the table and bookshelves several times, causing the items on them to fall to the floor with a clatter. "This...this...no way!" Xu Wei looked like he was about to cry, and said weakly, "How could this be found?"

Seeing the Xiongnu chieftain looking at him with amusement, Xu Wei quickly concealed his troubled expression, coughed twice, puffed out his chest deliberately, and chuckled dryly.

The Chanyu asked casually, "Mr. Li, you were already married? How come I never heard you mention it before?"

Xu Wei swallowed hard, rubbed his hands nervously, and smiled awkwardly. "It was arranged by my parents. My wife... she... she's not very gentle..."

84. Rendezvous

"You heartless bastard Li Changgui, you think you can get away with this? I won't be able to find you!" You Tong, dressed in a dark red brocade robe with large floral patterns, stood in the center of the courtyard. As soon as she saw Xu Wei, she rushed over in a flurry, grabbed his ear, and cursed, "I've worked so hard to take care of the housework and the children for you, and you ungrateful wretch, leaving behind so much debt, and then you just ran away without a word! Are you even human?!"

Xu Wei immediately let out a pig-like scream, crying out in pain while begging for mercy, "Gently, gently, my wife, my ears are about to break."

"It's better that it's broken!" You Tong cursed, but her hand loosened, and she stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, continuing to berate him fiercely: "Li Changgui, Li Changgui, you've made it big now, acting all high and mighty, don't you even recognize your own mother anymore! Back then, you were penniless, and I brought a whole cartload of dowry when I married into your family, took care of the household chores, bore your children, and had someone wholeheartedly paint those worthless paintings. And what did you do? You squandered it all outside, racking up a mountain of debt, forcing me to sell my dowry to pay it off. What have I done to deserve this—" With that, she sat down on the ground and began to wail loudly. Even the Chanyu was dumbfounded, and no one dared to approach her.

"Don't cry, don't cry." Xu Wei quickly nodded and bowed, apologizing profusely. "My wife, please don't cry. It's my fault. I came out to earn money to support the family. This... this gentleman invited me here to paint, so it's inconvenient for me to go back. If you don't believe me, come back to the house with me and see. The money is all saved up properly, and not a single penny has been wasted."

You Tong ignored him and howled at the top of her lungs.

Xu Wei was so anxious he was jumping up and down. Finally, he remembered something and quickly asked, "My wife, aren't you pregnant? Why did you go out?"

You Tong jumped up from the ground and angrily cursed, "I got pregnant at the beginning of last year, and now the baby can almost walk. Am I still pregnant? Do you think I'm pregnant with Nezha?"

"It's born!" Xu Wei's face immediately lit up with excitement. He asked joyfully, "Is it a boy or a girl? Have you named it yet? I...I..." He was so happy that he could hardly speak. He had lost all his usual composure, which made everyone stare in disbelief.

Fearing that talking too much would give him away, Xu Wei usually deliberately maintained the airs of a junior painter and didn't like to talk to people. Others thought he was just a bit aloof and unyielding, but they never expected that the "truth" was like this. Not to mention the servants in the room, even the Chanyu (Xiongnu ruler) was speechless for a long time with his mouth half open.

After the couple had put on a lively show, the Chanyu finally remembered something and asked, "Isn't Mr. Li named Changhe?"