Published at 7th of January 2026 7:54 am

Chapter 1995: Warm Daily Life (Jingkong Extra)

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The three children were also tired from playing.

Xiao Cong was the first to fall asleep in the arms of Duke Anguo, while Little Xiao Xuan, held by Shangguan Yun, was also dozing off, nodding like a little chick pecking at rice.

Xiao Yang still wanted to light a few more firecrackers, but unfortunately, she was already out of energy. She dragged her little body weakly to Gu Jiao’s side.

At this moment, she really couldn’t walk any further, so Gu Jiao picked her up.

Duke Anguo said gently, "Let’s first send the children back to sleep. Your Majesty should also rest."

Shangguan Yun nodded, affectionately glancing at Xiao Cong, who was sleeping soundly in her arms, and tightened the cloak around him, "It’s freezing, it’s time to go back."

In fact, the dragon and phoenix twins are usually very robust, seldom getting sick from the wind or rain, except for Little Xiao Xuan, who is physically weaker and requires constant care.

"Your Majesty, let this old servant take him." Wu Sixi was ready to take the child from Shangguan Yun’s arms and send him back to Xiao Heng and Gu Jiao’s Sleeping Palace.

The drunken Shangguan Qing suddenly put down his wine jug and strode over to them, "Alright, alright, I’ll do it, you accompany my mother back."

Shangguan Yun looked doubtfully at her son, quite worried that his drunken state might cause him to drop her precious darling.

Shangguan Qing had a unique constitution, getting drunk quickly and sobering up just as fast; otherwise, how could he have taken out a whole table of relatives and friends with his drinking at Xiao Heng and Gu Jiao’s wedding back then?

"Rest assured, I won’t drop him; I don’t have any children, so I’m hoping he’ll take care of me in my old age!"

Shangguan Yun glared at him again, "After the New Year, you must choose a proper consort!"

Shangguan Qing reluctantly rubbed his nose.

Speaking too much after drinking, mentioning the ones he shouldn’t.

He chuckled and said, "Alright, alright, I’ll choose, I’ll choose, all according to your wishes, dearest mother! I’m the most obedient one!"

Shangguan Yun knew he was just placating her and shook her head helplessly, "I should have knocked you out with a stick and thrown you into some mountain valley, to see if you’d have the fortune of your brother and be picked up by someone else’s daughter-in-law."

Shangguan Qing:... Mother, you’re not serious.

Shangguan Qing carried Xiao Cong in one hand and Little Xiao Xuan in the other, sending them back to Zhaoyang Palace.

Gu Jiao, holding Xiao Yang, escorted Duke Anguo to the Palace Gate.

Duke Anguo could now move freely, looked at Gu Jiao and the little one resting on her shoulder, and sighed, "I told you not to accompany me, and yet you braved such a strong wind, what if Yangyang catches a cold?"

Xiao Yang lifted an eyelid, "Grandfather, I don’t catch colds."

Duke Anguo laughed.

Xiao Yang was the strongest among the three children and the most energetic; she indeed seemed to have never been sick since childhood.

Yet he didn’t dare to be careless.

"Just see me off here; I shall take my leave."

"Goodbye, Grandfather." Xiao Yang waved a small hand from her mother’s embrace.

Duke Anguo smiled indulgently and turned to board the carriage.

Gu Jiao looked down at the little one in her arms, "Alright, let’s go back——"

Just before she finished the word ’palace’, Xiao Yang shut her eyes and started snoring, quickly falling asleep.

Holding on till now was really not easy.

Gu Jiao’s lips curved slightly, finding children truly delightful.

She carried Xiao Yang back to the palace.

Meanwhile, Shangguan Yun also returned to her Sleeping Palace.

She sat before her dressing table, and a little palace maid stepped forward to untwist her hair.

She gazed at herself in the bronze mirror and massaged her sore temples.

Wu Sixi approached considerately and asked, "Your Majesty, are you tired?"

Shangguan Yun replied with a laugh, "Getting old, not like when I was young. I remember back at the Imperial Mausoleum, Qingqing always found new ways to stay up and before you knew it, it was the morning of New Year’s Day."

Wu Sixi quickly said, "Look at you, you’re not that old yet, are you?"

Though she was over forty, Her Majesty’s natural bone structure was superior, showing not a hint of age, but instead an elegant charm, with eyes both sharp and clear.

Shangguan Yun smiled. As one holding the power of life and death, she didn’t care about her appearance.

Wu Sixi hesitated but said nothing further.

"What is it?" She saw Wu Sixi’s expression through the bronze mirror.

Wu Sixi grinned awkwardly and glanced at the little palace maid undoing Shangguan Yun’s hairdo, saying, "Let this servant handle it."

Shangguan Yun raised her hand gently.

The little palace maid understood and respectfully withdrew.

While removing the beads from Shangguan Yun’s headdress, Wu Sixi chuckled, "Lord Yun Shan... has sent his New Year gifts again. Would you like to review them, Your Majesty?"

In fact, as early as the year Shangguan Yun ascended the throne, Lord Yun Shan voluntarily requested to relinquish his royal status. The letter had been languishing in the Cabinet for several years, with Shangguan Yun never approving it.

As for why he was not allowed to speak, outsiders were unaware of the inner story. Wu Sixi, being a confidant of Shangguan Yun, understood a bit more.

This Lord Yun Shan is not of the royal family of Dayan. He is the child of the late Empress Dowager and a Turkic. The late Empress Dowager was not the biological mother of the former Emperor, so he has no blood relations with His Majesty.

The thoughts of Lord Yun Shan were not understood by him for the first two years. He naturally considered it to be the bond between uncle and nephew that grew up together from childhood with His Majesty and often sent letters and gifts.

Until one time...

He unintentionally bumped into Lord Yun Shan visiting His Majesty in the Imperial Palace.

Lord Yun Shan pinned His Majesty against the desk, gazing at him deeply and said, "Shangguan Yun, I told you, next time we meet, I would no longer be your royal uncle."

Good heavens, he just wished he were blind and deaf, accidentally stumbling upon this, fearing they might silence him.

Fortunately, His Majesty was merciful and didn’t mention killing him.

Later, His Majesty did push away Lord Yun Shan, but whether it was because of the disturbance or His Majesty had no feelings for Lord Yun Shan, he did not know.

"No need, put it in the warehouse." Shangguan Yun said calmly.

Wu Sixi opened his mouth: "Ah... this..."

Shangguan Yun coldly looked at him through the bronze mirror: "What about this? Just do what you’re told."

Wu Sixi was at a loss as to what to do when Shangguan Qing arrived.

Wu Sixi felt as if he’d been granted amnesty!

Shangguan Qing stepped inside: "I’ll talk to my mother for a moment. Go make me a bowl of Sobering Soup!"

"Yes! Yes!" Wu Sixi hurriedly withdrew.

No one was there to help undo her hair, so Shangguan Yun had to do it herself.

Shangguan Qing hooked a stool over with his foot, sat beside her, tilted his head, and smiled at her: "My mother is just beautiful! Those women out there can’t compare!"

Shangguan Yun replied indifferently: "Do you even need to say it?"

Shangguan Qing pouted, quite clever of her.

"Is Congcong asleep?" Shangguan Yun removed the pearl flower from her hair.

Shangguan Qing responded with a hum.

Shangguan Yun said, "Then why did you come to my palace so late at night? Drank too much and ended up in the wrong sleeping palace?"

Shangguan Qing spoke directly: "I heard Lord Yun Shan sent you New Year gifts again; I wanted to see."

Shangguan Yun calmly stated: "If you want to see, go and look for yourself."

Shangguan Qing abruptly changed the subject: "He’s quite nice, you know."

Shangguan Yun paused in removing her earrings and looked at her son through the bronze mirror. Shangguan Qing was admiring his new official boots.

She didn’t ask how Shangguan Qing knew. Although he seemed careless, he was actually quite clever, and many things couldn’t be hidden from him.

"Are you worried that if I find a stepfather, I might not like it? That’s unnecessary; I’m already grown up. Whether or not there’s a stepfather doesn’t affect me. Furthermore—"

He paused and said, "Lord Yun Shan has been very good to me, and some things he wouldn’t let me tell you. I think I should let you know, not to force you to accept anyone’s feelings, but so you understand the full truth and treat your decisions carefully."

"When I was young, I always liked to escape the Imperial Mausoleum to explore outside. Although the guards followed, I always liked to venture into dangerous places, and a few times, I narrowly escaped death thanks to Lord Yun Shan."

"He often was not in the Capital City. People assumed he loved traveling and sightseeing. In reality, many times he was looking for me, but he couldn’t say it, fearing Grandfather would find out and suspect you of colluding with him."

He took out a wooden dagger from his chest.

There were teeth marks on it, made by a woman in labor at the bottom of Ghost Mountain.

"He made it for me when I was seven."

"Also, when you were dealing with the Crown Prince, many messages from the Crown Prince’s residence were conveyed to your palace maids by him."

"So, if you’re worried about me and that’s why you won’t accept him, you can set aside that concern."

...

The next day, Xiao Hen paid for cleansing the void, waking up with back and waist pain.

That kid was really heavy!

He used to be small, always looking a year younger than his peers, but he had grown so much!

Thirteen years old, taller than Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun who were fifteen!

Gu Jiao sat up, looked at him, and said "With so many guards, you insisted on carrying him yourself; it must hurt, right?"

"Doesn’t hurt!" Xiao Hen immediately put down his hand from rubbing his waist, sitting upright with great pride.

Gu Jiao pursed her lips, holding back a smile, and gently pulled back the quilt behind her, revealing three pairs of bright black eyes.

The three of them blinked at him.

Xiao Hen was stunned, hearing Gu Jiao mischievously say, "Did you hear that? Just now father said it doesn’t hurt, so we can go climbing today."

Xiao Hen: "...!!"

Share