Chapter 49: Mutual Redemption

 

**Chapter 49: Mutual Redemption**

After leaving the Xuanzhe Mansion, Ah Dian refused to take the carriage that Cui Jing had prepared for him, insisting on sharing one with Chang Suining.

Chang Sui'an was in a difficult position and was about to persuade him when he heard his sister say, “It’s fine, come on up.”

 

With the owner’s permission, Ah Dian happily grabbed his bundle and climbed in.

His tall figure seemed to fill half the carriage, making the once spacious interior feel suddenly cramped.

Xi'er and Ah Zhi looked up at him in a daze.

Feeling the carriage sink, Xi'er even worried… can two horses really pull this carriage?

Fortunately, the horses from the General's Mansion were never ones to back down—

The carriage continued to move steadily, albeit slightly slower than before.

“Do you want something to eat?” Inside the carriage, Chang Suining pointed to the snacks on the small table.

Ah Dian looked down and nodded, his eyes lighting up.

“Go ahead.”

He then reached out with both hands, grabbing a piece of lotus cake with one in each hand and stuffing them into his mouth.

“It’s so sweet!” He revealed a happy, satisfied grin.

Seeing his childlike innocence and joy, which was quite unlike the temperamental persona they had heard about before, Xi'er and Ah Zhi gradually relaxed.

As Ah Dian munched on his snacks, he gazed out the window, excitement bubbling over: “...There’s a street performer!”

“Little A Li, I saw a sugar figurine! I want a rabbit. What do you like? I have silver, I can buy one for you too!”

“Quick, look, what’s that?”

Chang Suining watched him, gently asking, “Have you not been out for a long time?”

“Yeah, they won’t let me out.” He felt a bit aggrieved at this point.

“Are they bad people?” Chang Suining inquired.

“Yes!” Ah Dian nodded emphatically.

Chang Suining looked at him.

“Not really…” He slumped his shoulders a bit dejectedly. “They aren’t bad people.”

Chang Suining nodded and asked again, “Then are they enemies?”

Ah Dian shook his head, his voice lowering: “We usually spar together and play… They’re my friends. His Highness told me that everyone in Xuanzhe Mansion is my friend.”

Chang Suining asked, “Is your blade sharp enough to point at friends?”

Ah Dian quietly glanced at the curved blade next to him, a guilty expression clearly written on his face: “I… I didn’t intend to fight them. I discussed it with them and begged them for a long time, but they just wouldn’t agree. I sneaked out, and they kept stopping me…”

After he finished speaking, he didn’t hear Chang Suining respond for quite a while, so he sneaked a glance at her.

She said nothing, simply watching him silently without any hint of reproach.

Seeing this, Ah Dian’s brows drooped down: “I know I was wrong.”

“His Highness said that I should practice martial arts and wield my blade… to protect myself and my friends.” He spoke, his lips pouting and his eyes glistening with tears. “I didn’t listen to His Highness, he must be angry.”

“But I really miss His Highness…” He looked at Chang Suining with grievance. “Little A Li, you don’t know how long it’s been since I saw His Highness!”

He stretched out both hands, spreading his fingers wide apart, as if to express that he had used all ten fingers—meaning it had indeed been a very long time.

“Chang Shu said His Highness now resides in Jing Mountain Gongling. I’ve gone many times, but I still haven’t found him…” He wiped his tears with his large hand. “Later, I overheard them say that His Highness passed away. Little A Li, do you know what ‘passed away’ means?”

Meeting his tearful eyes filled with innocent longing, Chang Suining took a gentle breath to push back her own tears, trying to sound lighthearted: “Passing away means going to a place that’s a bit far away.”

Ah Dian stared at her without blinking: “Can he come back?”

“He can.” Chang Suining nodded. “As long as there are people he cares about in his heart, he will definitely return, even if it means traveling a long distance for a long time.”

She looked at Ah Dian and said, “But he might come back changed, not the same as before.”

Xi'er inexplicably felt her eyes sting—what the girl was likely referring to was the idea of reincarnation after death.

“It’s okay!” Ah Dian’s eyes lit up again with anticipation: “No matter how His Highness changes, I’ll still recognize him!”

Chang Suining stared at him.

“Little A Li, why are you looking at me like that?”

Chang Suining blinked: “I don’t believe you.”

“Do you think I’m just bragging?” Ah Dian said earnestly. “I’m serious! I can smell His Highness’s scent!”

Chang Suining instinctively took a discreet sniff of herself—

“...What scent?”

The smell of blood from the battlefield, the stench of sweat from the training grounds?

“The scent of the sun!” Ah Dian exclaimed. “The scent of the moon!”

He continued: “And a lot of floral scents, the best-smelling in the whole world!”

Chang Suining laughed in surprise: “What kind of scent is that?”

“In short, I’ll definitely recognize it!” Ah Dian beamed proudly. “That’s our secret code between me and His Highness.”

Chang Suining smiled: “Then when you meet him and recognize the code, can you secretly tell me?”

“Sure!” Ah Dian was very generous: “His Highness must be thinking of you.”

He added, “But His Highness must be missing me more.”

After all, he was still a child. Having received the answer that “His Highness will come back,” he perked up again, picking up a piece of snack and turning back to watch the bustling street outside.

Seeing his bright, sparkling eyes, Chang Suining lifted the other side of the carriage curtain and asked her brother, Chang Sui'an, outside: “Brother, if you’re not in a hurry to go back, how about we take a trip to the West Market?”

“Not in a hurry!” Chang Sui'an immediately smiled and ordered, “Go to the West Market!”

His sister rarely wanted to go to a lively place, so he decided to postpone any important matters—even though, in truth, there weren’t any.

“Uncle, what’s the West Market?” Ah Che asked the carriage driver softly from the front seat.

The driver smiled and said, “The West Market is the liveliest place in the entire capital. In the West Market, there’s nothing you can’t buy, only what you don’t want to buy!”

Ah Che’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

At this moment, he had no idea that the largest item his sister would bring back from this trip would actually be an “old friend” of his.

...

Inside the Xuanzhe Mansion, Cui Yuanxiang had just sent Ming Nushi and her party off when he hurried to find his superior, the Grand General.

“General… let me just say it, that young man truly looks remarkably like the daughter of the Chang family, even Ah Dian the General mistook him for the same person!”

He sighed again, “However, that young man is indeed smart and perceptive. To comfort General Ah Dian, he didn’t even explain.”

Cui Jing stood by the bookshelf, meticulously cleaning the bow in his hands with a fresh cotton cloth without turning around. “After you leave Xuanzhe Mansion, turn left and go to Kang Ping Street—”

Cui Yuanxiang immediately straightened up: “General, what’s next?”

Was he to capture someone or investigate something?

Cui Jing replied, “At the end of the street, there’s a medical hall called Hui Chun Guan. The physician there is skilled in treating brain diseases.”

Cui Yuanxiang was taken aback, instinctively taking a step forward to ask in a low voice, “General… are you feeling unwell?”

“…” Cui Jing turned to glance at his hopeless subordinate, his gaze landing on his right hand: “If you dare to act disrespectfully to the daughter of the Chang family again, you will face military law.”

Cui Yuanxiang reflexively looked at his hand, his mind racing, sparks of wisdom flying— 

He suddenly widened his eyes.

“General… you… you mean that young man is the daughter of the Chang family?!”

Seeing his superior’s silence and the “think carefully about your actions” look he was giving him, Cui Yuanxiang slapped his forehead: “I’m really blind!”

“I only blame myself for reading too many military books lately…” He deeply reflected, a mix of regret and seriousness on his face: “Clearly, it was the simplest matter, yet I overthought it and made it complicated… I blame my heavy thoughts!”

Perhaps this was the saying that intelligence can sometimes lead to foolishness.

Cui Jing stared at him for a moment.

“...You should still visit Hui Chun Guan.”

...

“Lady, it’s really lively here!” 

In the West Market, Ah Che was utterly astonished by the bustling scene before him.

At that moment, a Persian merchant passed by him, making him even more wide-eyed.

“Don’t be so surprised.” Ah Dian quietly instructed him, “If you keep staring at people like that, they’ll think you’re strange!”

Ah Che quickly nodded.

However, the next moment, seeing two tall, dark-skinned servants following a merchant ahead, his eyes

 sparkled: “There are such strong men here!”

Ah Dian was instantly delighted. “Let’s go over and take a look!”

The two little ones exchanged glances, and without saying a word, they rushed ahead.

They arrived at a booth selling exotic delicacies, which filled the air with mouthwatering scents.

“Wow! It smells so good!” Ah Dian exclaimed.

There were all sorts of brightly colored snacks piled high—yellow ones, red ones, white ones… even some rare blue ones! 

Ah Dian immediately grabbed his sister’s arm: “Little A Li, buy it for me! I want to eat them all!”

“Okay!” Chang Suining responded quickly, “What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you!”

“Those blue ones, I want the blue ones!” Ah Dian pointed eagerly.

“Alright, hold on, I’ll get them for you.” Chang Suining turned to the stall owner and inquired about the price, her expression suddenly shifting slightly.

“Ten taels per piece, little girl.”

“Ten taels?” Ah Dian exclaimed, startled, “That’s so expensive! I can’t buy it!”

“It’s really cheap!” Ah Che chimed in from the side, “There are bigger blue ones; we can buy those!”

Chang Suining scratched her head, feeling a bit troubled.

Suddenly, a sound of footsteps behind them approached— 

A tall figure with a solemn expression appeared.

“Buy snacks?” Cui Jing appeared beside them, his brows furrowing slightly.

“General!” Chang Suining instinctively called out.

“General?” Ah Dian blinked and asked, “Are you here to buy snacks too?”

“Not really.” Cui Jing shook his head, looking at her: “Why are you here?”

“Uh…” Chang Suining’s mind raced, unable to conjure a suitable answer, “We’re…”

“Just out for fun.” Ah Dian interrupted, smiling brightly: “Look, I want to buy the blue one!”

“Ten taels?” Cui Jing raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased. “Didn’t you say you wanted to buy me some snacks?”

“Uh…” Ah Dian hesitated, glancing at Chang Suining for support.

“Sir!” Chang Suining rushed to Cui Jing’s side, her expression serious: “I can pay for it myself!”

“Really?” Cui Jing’s expression softened, “Do you really want it?”

“Of course!” Ah Dian cheered, eagerly bouncing in place: “I want to eat it!”

“Fine.” Cui Jing chuckled and nodded, “I’ll buy it for you.”

He glanced at the stall owner. “Get three of the biggest ones.”

After the vendor went to get them, Ah Dian exclaimed, “You’re so generous! I love you!”

“Not for you.” Cui Jing turned away, but he couldn’t hide his smile. 

Little Ah Dian’s ability to unconditionally express his feelings made his heart soften. 

In this moment, Chang Suining quietly glanced at him—what exactly did this General mean? What about herself?

Ommmmy gosh Chang Suining is the late Crown prince they know should I say she's a princess but the crown prince her twins was sick so she take the rule and disguise herself as the crown prince, just my guess 

**End of Chapter 49** 

VISIT OUR |🔴 Patreon Now

►►CLICK HERE FOR ADVANCE CHAPTERS◄◄

Next Chapter▶▶