boyutpedia Chapter 268 Family Happiness
Chapter 268 Family Happiness
In the royal garden of the Nanzhao Kingdom's palace, the warm sunlight shone down, draping this land in a golden veil.
Colorful flowers bloom freely, a gentle breeze blows, petals fall softly, and the air is filled with a sweet fragrance.
Xiao Nanyi was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a bright yellow jade belt tied around his waist.
A small, exquisite jade pendant hung from it, moving with his light, quick steps.
The jade pendant emitted a clear and melodious sound.
Xiao Nanyao wore a light pink silk skirt with delicate lotus flower patterns embroidered on the hem. With each step she took, she resembled a lotus flower swaying in the wind.
At this moment, Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao are carefully pushing a beautifully crafted stroller, inside which their younger brother and sister are sleeping peacefully.
My little brother, Xiao Nanxuan, has chubby cheeks that are rosy like a ripe apple.
Her little hands waved occasionally, as if she were having a sweet dream.
Little Nan Yue, the younger sister, quietly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes casting soft shadows on her eyelids, her little mouth slightly pouting, looking incredibly cute.
"Brother, let's hurry, Grandpa and Grandma must be getting impatient." Little Nan Yao said as she quickened her pace, her eyes full of anticipation.
Xiao Nanyi smiled and nodded: "Okay, but be quiet, don't wake your younger brother and sister."
Before long, they arrived at a pavilion in the Imperial Garden. Inside the pavilion, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli were sitting on a stone bench, their faces beaming with happiness, waiting for the children to arrive.
"Grandpa Emperor, Grandma Emperor, we're here!" Little Nanyao called out joyfully from afar.
Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli quickly got up and went to greet the children.
"My dear grandson and granddaughter, I've been waiting for you to come!" Gu Liuli said with a smile, her eyes full of love.
Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao pushed the stroller into the pavilion. Xiao Nanyao couldn't wait to run to Gu Liuli's side and hug her leg: "Grandma, I missed you so much!"
Gu Liuli gently patted Xiao Nanyao's head: "Grandma misses you too. Has Yao'er been behaving well lately?"
"I'm very obedient, and I even help take care of my younger siblings," Xiao Nanyao said proudly.
At this moment, Xiao Jingchuan walked to the stroller, looked at the sleeping Xiao Nanxuan and Xiao Nanyue, and a gentle smile appeared on his face: "These two little ones are sleeping so soundly."
Xiao Nanyi also came over and said, "Grandpa, my little brother and sister are so much fun. Sometimes they smile at me."
"Really? Then let's play with them together when they wake up," Xiao Jingchuan said.
Xiao Nanyao suddenly remembered something, and took Gu Liuli's hand, saying, "Grandma, shall we play a game together? I want to play hide-and-seek."
Gu Liuli smiled and nodded: "Okay, but since we're bringing my younger siblings along, let's play something simple, like riddles."
"Yay! I love riddles the most!" Xiao Nanyao jumped up excitedly.
So everyone sat around the stone table and started playing riddles.
"I'll start," Xiao Jingchuan cleared his throat and said, "There's something born strong, busy weaving a web every day. After finishing weaving, it sits quietly, waiting for mosquitoes to bump into it. Guess the animal."
Xiao Nanyao tilted her head, her eyes darting around a few times, and suddenly exclaimed, "I know, it's a spider!"
"You got it right, Yao'er is so smart." Xiao Jingchuan praised with a smile.
Next, it was Xiao Nanyao's turn to ask a question: "A winding vine climbs the trellis, strings of pearls hang from it. Guess what it is?"
Xiao Nanyi thought for a moment and said, "It's grapes."
"Brother is awesome!" Xiao Nanyao said happily.
Just then, a soft cry came from the stroller; it was Xiao Nanxuan waking up. Xiao Nanyue was also awakened and started crying as well.
"Your little brother and sister are awake." Xiao Nanyi quickly went to the stroller, gently rocking it and saying, "Be good, little brother and sister, don't cry."
Gu Liuli also came over, picked up Xiao Nanxuan, and gently coaxed, "Little Xuan, are you hungry?"
Xiao Jingchuan picked up Xiao Nanyue and said gently, "Don't cry, Yue'er, Grandpa is here."
Xiao Nanyao also came over, looked at her younger siblings, and said, "Younger siblings, let's play together."
With everyone's comforting words, Xiao Nanxuan and Xiao Nanyue gradually stopped crying, opening their round eyes and looking around curiously.
"My younger siblings seem to be curious about everything," Xiao Nanyi said with a smile.
“Yes, at this time, they are full of desire to explore the world,” Gu Liuli said.
So everyone started teasing Xiao Nanxuan and Xiao Nanyue. Xiao Nanyao held a rattle drum and shook it in front of them, making a clear sound, which made Xiao Nanxuan and Xiao Nanyue giggle.
Xiao Nanyi held a small ball and rolled it in front of them. The two little ones' eyes followed the ball closely, filled with curiosity.
Looking at the children's innocent and adorable appearance, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli were filled with happiness.
"It's such a blessing to have you kids around," Xiao Jingchuan said with emotion.
Gu Liuli nodded and said, "Yes, watching them grow up day by day, I really wish time could slow down."
Before we knew it, the sun was gradually setting in the west, and the sky was dyed orange-red, making the scenery in the Imperial Garden even more enchanting.
"It's getting late, we should head back," Xiao Jingchuan said.
Although Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao were a little reluctant to part, they nodded sensibly.
"Grandpa, Grandma, let's play together again next time," said Xiao Nanyao.
“Okay, let’s play together again next time,” Gu Liuli said with a smile.
Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao pushed the stroller, waving goodbye to Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli. However, they hadn't gone far when Xiao Nanyao suddenly stopped, a worried look on her face.
“Brother,” Xiao Nanyao tugged at Xiao Nanyi’s sleeve, “I’m a little worried that our younger siblings will encounter danger in the future, just like what we’ve been through before.”
Xiao Nanyi paused for a moment, recalling the difficult days of the past, and his expression became solemn. He patted Xiao Nanyao's head and comforted her, "Don't worry, with Grandpa and Grandma here, and with us, we will always protect them."
At this moment, Xiao Nanxuan, who had been in Gu Liuli's arms, suddenly stretched out his little hand and babbled, seemingly responding to his older brother and sister. Gu Liuli looked at Xiao Nanxuan, a thought struck her, and said, "Children, come here."
Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao pushed the stroller back to the pavilion. Gu Liuli placed Xiao Nan Xuan on the stone bench, made him sit down, and then said seriously, "Yi'er, Yao'er, your grandmother understands your worries. This world has never been peaceful. Your younger siblings may face many challenges in the future, but this is also part of growing up."
Xiao Jingchuan continued, "From now on, your royal grandfather will teach you more knowledge and skills, not only to protect yourselves, but also to safeguard the people of Nanzhao."
Xiao Nanyi's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Really? Grandpa Emperor, I will definitely study hard!"
Xiao Nanyao nodded quickly, "I want to learn too. I don't want to be a burden to my younger siblings."
Gu Liuli smiled and said, "How could Yao'er be a burden? You are all the best children. However, studying is not an easy thing, and you will encounter many difficulties. Can you persevere?"
"Yes!" Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao answered in unison, their eyes filled with determination.
In the days that followed, Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao embarked on their learning journey. Every morning, they would rise early and go to the Imperial Study to learn about governance, history, and culture from Xiao Jingchuan. Xiao Jingchuan would tell them about the rise and fall of the Nanzhao Kingdom, analyze the gains and losses of past rulers, and teach them how to become responsible and wise individuals.
In the afternoon, they would go to the training ground to learn martial arts from the palace's martial arts instructors. Xiao Nanyi was very interested in swordsmanship; he wielded his longsword with impressive skill, each move showing promise despite his youth. Xiao Nanyao, on the other hand, preferred light footwork; she leaped and darted gracefully across the training ground like a nimble little deer.
During their studies, Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao encountered many setbacks. Once, when Xiao Nanyi was practicing swordsmanship, he couldn't master a particular move and became very frustrated. He threw his sword on the ground and sat down to sulk.
Xiao Nanyao walked over, picked up the sword, and handed it to Xiao Nanyi, saying, "Brother, don't be discouraged. We'll definitely be able to do it if we practice a few more times. Didn't Grandfather say that as long as you persevere, there's no difficulty you can't overcome?"
Looking into Xiao Nanyao's determined eyes, Xiao Nanyi felt a surge of strength within him. He took the sword, stood up, and said, "You're right, let's continue practicing."
After continuous efforts, Xiao Nanyi finally mastered the move. He ran happily to Xiao Nanyao and said, "I did it!" Xiao Nanyao was also happy for him, and the two cheered together.
As time went by, Xiao Nanxuan and Xiao Nanyue grew up a bit. They started to learn to walk and talk, following behind their older brother and sister every day, calling out in their baby voices, "Brother, sister." Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao loved their younger siblings even more. They would take their younger siblings to play in the Imperial Garden and teach them to recognize various flowers, plants, and trees.
One day, Xiao Nanyao took Xiao Nanxuan and Xiao Nanyue to the garden to look at butterflies. Xiao Nanxuan pointed to a butterfly and said excitedly, "Sister, a butterfly, so beautiful!" Xiao Nanyue echoed, "Beautiful, beautiful." Xiao Nanyao smiled and said, "When you're a little older, how about I take you to catch butterflies together?" The two little ones nodded quickly, their faces beaming with innocent smiles.
While Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao were learning their skills, the Nanzhao Kingdom was also undergoing some new changes. Trade with neighboring countries was becoming increasingly frequent, and Nanzhao's culture and goods were spreading to farther places. Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli were busy handling government affairs, hoping that Nanzhao could develop steadily in this changing era and create a better future for their children.
Xiao Nan Yi and Xiao Nan Yao gradually understood that everything they were learning was not only for themselves and their families, but also for the prosperity of the Nanzhao Kingdom. They studied even harder, hoping that one day they could contribute their strength to the country and the people, just like their royal grandfather and royal grandmother.
On a sunny day, Xiao Jingchuan and Gu Liuli brought the children to the top of the palace tower. They looked down upon the entire capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, where the streets were bustling with activity and the people lived in peace and contentment.
Xiao Jingchuan said earnestly, "Children, this is our Nanzhao Kingdom, and its future is in your hands."
Looking at the scene before them, Xiao Nanyi and Xiao Nanyao were filled with a sense of mission.
They clenched their fists and secretly vowed to study hard, protect this land and its people, and ensure the eternal prosperity of the Nanzhao Kingdom.
Although Xiao Nanxuan and Xiao Nanyue didn't quite understand what the adults were saying, they sensed a solemn atmosphere and obediently stayed close to their older siblings, looking around with curiosity.