The Youngest Daughter, Chang Le

Chapter 42

With matters settled, the group left to allow Zhu Changwang to rest.

As the sound of footsteps faded away, Zhu Changwang let out a sigh and leaned back in his wheelchair, closing his eyes to endure the dizzying sensation.

Zuo Qing brought over some hot tea, placing it on the table, and said softly, "I'll call someone to bring in hot water. A soak will make you feel better."

"Don't disturb anyone."

"Understood."

The door opened and closed, then opened again shortly after.

It was too quick to be Zuo Qing. Zhu Changwang opened his eyes to find his little sister already crouching in front of him.

"Are you feeling unwell? Where does it hurt?"

"I'm a bit tired. Perhaps it's because I've never ventured out this far before. My body is still adjusting," Zhu Changwang said, revealing only part of the truth. He patted the person clinging to his wheelchair armrest like a small puppy, afraid to touch him. "Zuo Qing has gone to prepare hot water. I'll feel better after a bath."

Zhu Changle lowered her head and pulled out a handful of medicines from her bosom and sleeve pockets. "I have so many rare medicines that others can't even obtain, yet I don't dare use any of them on you. The old monk said your body can't handle strong tonics, but it also can't go without. Maintaining balance is best. When symptoms appear, use the usual medicines. Don't easily switch to others to avoid disrupting your body's balance. He knows your physical condition and has seen your prescriptions. He said the doctor treating you is very skilled, and even he couldn't write a better prescription. Otherwise, I would have dragged him here long ago."

Zhu Changwang stroked her head, smiling gently, "In other families, it's the elder brother worrying about his younger siblings. In our family, it's the big brother causing worry for all of you. I'm fortunate."

This time, Zhu Changle didn't banter with her brother. She slowly put the medicine bottles back, saying, "I once asked my master why our family had to stay in that small place in the capital, fighting with others, when the world outside is so vast and interesting. Our family has money and connections; we could live however we want. Master said that the world belongs to that small place in the capital, and it has been so for thousands of years. If there are more good people in the capital, people throughout the land will have better lives. If the good people in the capital can't overcome the bad ones, and the bad ones take control, there will be many tragedies across the land. I said there were no tragedies outside now, so the good people must have won. Master didn't say whether I was right or wrong, but the next day, she took me on a journey to experience what evil and wrongdoing truly meant."

Zhu Changle looked up, her eyes bright and dazzling, "Master used reality to show me that the good people hadn't won. At that moment, I felt that our family must stay in the capital, and we must win."

"Master Zhong is a good teacher."

"Big brother, we will definitely return."

"Yes."

"We've already lost for so many years; one or two more won't make a difference."

"Mm-hmm."

"Even if we return a year or two later, things won't get worse."

So this was what she was getting at. Zhu Changwang smiled and nodded in agreement.

"So you don't need to exhaust yourself. Out of ten parts of your strength, you must save at least one part for yourself, and never use it," Zhu Changle gripped her brother's hand tightly. "No matter what happens, you must not use it. That's reserved for sustaining your life. If you deplete it, even the Almighty couldn't save you. Wait for me, big brother. Save your strength and wait for me. The big monk is close to success; he will definitely create the Restoration Pill."

"Alright, big brother will wait for your Restoration Pill."

"The big monk's furnace has already exploded, which means he's quite certain. Before, no matter how much I urged him, he wouldn't start the process, always saying it wasn't quite ready."

Zhu Changwang stroked his little sister's head again, asking as if casually, "You've been urging him for many years before he started?"

"Yes, who among those studying medicine wouldn't want to create this pill? It would make them famous for thousands of years."

"Our little Changle is using more and more sophisticated words."

"Of course, I improve every day." Zhu Changle lifted her little chin, wrinkling her nose charmingly.

"I wonder if you meant to say 'go down in history' or 'be remembered for ages'?"

"..." Zhu Changle snorted and walked away. Sometimes her big brother could be really annoying.

"Changle."

Zhu Changle turned back, "I choose neither."

Zhu Changwang smiled, "How old were you when your master took you to witness evil?"

"Eight... maybe nine, around that time. Why?"

"Changle is very impressive."

Changle looked at her brother suspiciously, "Is there a 'but' coming?"

Zhu Changwang just smiled, neither nodding nor shaking his head, and said nothing more.

Zhu Changle accepted her brother's praise with some doubt and left. He had just been picking on her mistakes, and now this. Her brother's heart was truly hard to understand!

Listening to the light footsteps fading away and the clear voice calling "Grandmother," Zhu Changwang looked down at his open palm, trying to close it tightly but failing no matter how he tried.

Nine years old, he thought. Master Zhong was truly ruthless, using the most direct method to show her what evil meant. He remembered that year was the only time Feng Gu didn't accompany her back to the capital; instead, she came with Master Zhong. Perhaps that time, Changle's stay in the capital wasn't limited to just their home.

He wanted to praise Master Zhong for her extraordinary methods, but thinking of Changle at only nine years old, his heart ached. Weighing the two, the heartache still prevailed. But if time could be turned back, he would still persuade their parents to let Changle leave with Zhong Ningmei.

No matter how difficult the process, the current Changle was exceptionally outstanding, cheerful, and lively. This result was worth everything.

Qiuli, with his exceptionally good hearing, was a bit troubled. He had no intention of eavesdropping, but this house, despite its grand appearance, had poor soundproofing. He didn't need to try to listen; the sounds automatically entered his ears. Fortunately, it wasn't anything secret.

He poured a cup of tea, lifted it to his lips, then set it down. It was truly undrinkable. Next time he traveled, he would have to bring Xin Xian along.

The advantage of a private courtyard was evident: once the gate was closed, there was no need to worry about others seeing anything. Moreover, there was a designated area for parking carriages. As dawn barely broke, Lady Zhang was already directing servants to load things onto the carriage.

Zhu Changle came out of the house, thought of something, and ran over to whisper in her ear, "Mother, let me tell you something about little Anan."

The child hadn't been given his formal name yet, so they took the auspicious character 'An' from 'Ping'an' (peace) as his milk name.

Lady Zhang understood and led her back into the room, closing the door.

"What's wrong with Anan? He's a bit frail now, but given the current situation, there's nothing we can do." Speaking of this, Lady Zhang sighed helplessly. She didn't dare hope for much now, only praying to the ancestors to protect this premature grandson from harm.

"It'll be better when we reach our destination, Mother. But that's not what I wanted to talk about," Zhu Changle said in a low voice. "We need to create a false appearance when we leave, so there can't be any noise. Adults are easy to manage, but it's hard to control children."

"For the first two months after birth, babies mostly sleep if they're well-fed. He hasn't been crying much these past few days."

"Just in case, Mother, give this to Second Brother. If the child is about to cry, let him smell it."

Lady Zhang took the tiny porcelain bottle, about the size of her little finger, with some hesitation. "Will it affect the child's health?"

"Mother, don't you trust me? If it were harmful, would I use it on my little nephew? It'll just make him sleep. It's absolutely safe."

Lady Zhang pinched her cheek, "If I don't trust you, who would I trust? I just wanted to be sure."

Zhu Changle quickly protected her face with both hands, "Alright, alright, Mother, have mercy."