"Have you any news of your father?"
Lele shook his head, which made Yang Chuxia somewhat anxious.
She wanted to go out and take a look, but was in a hurry to go back inside to pack things.
"Lele, at dawn, let Ye Er take you back to the Capital City. You are the treasure of your father and me; you cannot stay here."
Upon hearing this, Lele looked at her resolutely, "But mother, I am also a Prince of the Great Zhou. If I leave now, I will become a fleeing minister. Now I am young, the court officials might not say anything, but when I grow up, if anything happens, everyone will bring this matter up."
"Mother, neither you nor father have left, why should I?" Lele continued, "Besides, is there anything safer than staying with the army? If the army retreats, we retreat; if the army stays, we stay. If the army falls, how long can Great Zhou remain stable? By then, the ministers of a fallen nation will live worse than ordinary people. So I wonāt go! And who knows, I might even be able to come up with some ideas."
Always knowing that this child had his own ideas, at this moment, Yang Chuxia was left speechless.
Yang Chuxia remained silent, watching the west from the courtyard, where the flames flickered, extinguished, and then reignited.
Finally, the sound of a horn echoed again, though this seemed different from the others.
"The Great Qiās army has retreated!" Lele exclaimed, "This horn sound, one long, two short, thatās Great Qiās."
Lele then added, "Mother, we should have won."
If they had lost, the entire Liao City would have already been occupied.
"Yes, go back to your room and sleep now." Yang Chuxia patted his head, "As for returning to the Capital, I will discuss it with your father."
Yang Chuxia thought, since he refused to leave, Ye Ziāan would have to intervene to persuade him; despite his noble status, he is still just a child and shouldnāt bear so much.
Ye Ziāan didnāt return until the afternoon, his white robe splattered with blood.
"How did you end up like this? Where are you hurt? Ming Lan, quickly call for a doctor." Yang Chuxia was startled by his disheveled appearance.
"No need, Iām not hurt." Ye Ziāan waved his hand to stop Ming Lan.
"If youāre not hurt, how did you end up in such a state?" Yang Chuxia suddenly thought of something, "Did you go to the battlefield?"
"Yes, watching the soldiers fiercely fighting, I couldnāt resist; that feeling was truly exhilarating." Ye Ziāanās eyes sparkled, full of enthusiasm, clearly relishing the thrill of battle.
Yang Chuxia twitched her mouth, initially wanting to scold him, but gave up on the idea.
"Xiaxia, if I could live my life again, I wouldnāt take the Cultivated Talent exam, but join the army instead." After a pause, he continued, "I finally understand why Xiao Er was so determined to become a General; guiding the nation on the battlefield is far better than eloquent speech in the court."
"So Xiao Erās persistence in wanting to be a soldier comes from you." In the end, Yang Chuxia couldnāt help but nag, "You know, unlike your uncle, you have no battlefield experience. Youāve never been there, yet you charged forward. On the battlefield, knives have no eyes; what if you were injured?"
"Itās nothing, Ye Liu and the others were around me." Ye Ziāan smiled and then said, "Actually, itās not just my first time on the battlefield. According to uncle, some soldiers under the command of a few centurions are also experiencing their first battle. If they arenāt afraid, why should I be? I have protection around me, and Iām more skilled than them."
Upon hearing this, Yang Chuxia couldnāt think of anything else to say.
"Rest for a while, Iāll have someone prepare some water for you to wash up and eat something."