Chapter Fifty-Eight: You Must Have Milk Now (Bonus Chapter)

Only then did Liu Ling’er come down, and Liu Rufen nodded. He had originally thought his daughter marrying the Virtuous Prince would be a tragedy, but seeing her rosy cheeks, it seemed she was living well.

At that moment, a beautiful woman approached Liu Ling’er. “Who is the child in the Princess’s arms? Could it be the Master’s grandson? Oh, the Master’s grandson has grown so big, let me hold him.”

Liu Ling’er frowned, glanced at the overly familiar woman, then looked at Liu Rufen. “Father, who is she?” Liu Rufen scratched his head, embarrassed. “Well, um, she’s one of the concubines I recently took.”

Goodness! Isn’t that a stepmother? Liu Ling’er felt a pang of imbalance. Aside from being a bit more plump, she looked young enough to be her sister, yet her status suddenly outranked hers.

Xiao Shuangshuang bit Liu Ling’er’s ear. “Sister Ling’er, who is this sister?”

Liu Ling’er put on a stern face. “Xiao Shuangshuang, this is where you’re wrong. You can call me Sister Ling’er, but she’s like my mother, on the same level as grandmother. At the very least, you should address her as mother.”

Tan Cai’er, who had reached out for the child, twitched her face at Liu Ling’er’s introduction. Fortunately, Liu Ling’er placed the little bun in her arms, or else she would have died of embarrassment.

She thought holding the child might ease the awkwardness, but the little one in her arms was a clever troublemaker—a ticking time bomb that began to explode.

Xiao Shuangshuang looked at Tan Cai’er, speaking softly, “Sister Ling’er said you’re grandmother, but also that you’re mother. I’m confused! Maybe I should call you milk-mother.”

Tan Cai’er looked to Liu Rufen for help, but Liu Rufen was watching Bai Li Xian. It was his first time seeing Bai Li Xian without a mask and he hadn’t recognized him yet, so he didn’t notice Tan Cai’er’s plea.

Ignored by Liu Rufen, Tan Cai’er felt miserable: To think, as a princess of Xi Wei, I was married off to Dong Chu—a foreign land—already miserable enough. I thought I’d marry an emperor or at least a prince, but ended up with a widowed general. Now, barely two days after marriage, I’m being teased by a child. I want to go home.

Liu Rufen was no help, and she couldn’t provoke the child in her arms, so Tan Cai’er forced a smile and spoke gently to Xiao Shuangshuang, “You can call me whatever you like, darling. Cai’er doesn’t mind.”

Xiao Shuangshuang’s moist eyes sparkled. “Really? I haven’t eaten since morning. Since you’re my milk-mother, you must have milk. Shuangshuang is hungry. I want some milk~~”

Crash! Everyone in the General’s Mansion was struck as if by lightning, their eyes popping out in shock, stunned inside and out. Especially Tan Cai’er, who nearly lost her composure and almost dropped Xiao Shuangshuang.

Oh my god! Your ‘milk-mother’ is not that kind of milk-mother, okay? I just got married, how could I have milk for you? Besides, I’ve never heard of a talking child still nursing!

Liu Ling’er looked speechlessly at Bai Li Xian, hurriedly moving away from Xiao Shuangshuang, praying no one would know she was acquainted. One hand covered her face—every time she heard Xiao Shuangshuang demand milk, she felt mortified. The embarrassment was so great it reached her maiden home.

Luckily, the wet nurse from the Virtuous Prince’s Mansion arrived, or else Tan Cai’er would have been at a loss. Even so, she was so humiliated she ran off in tears, hiding in her room and not daring to come out.

The more Liu Rufen looked at Bai Li Xian, the more he felt something was off. Why did he look so much like the emperor? He quickly pulled Liu Ling’er aside. “Daughter, who is this pretty boy? He looks so much like the emperor. If he’s wandering around like this, people might misunderstand.”

Liu Ling’er was surprised. “Father, are you confused? He’s Bai Li Xian, the Virtuous Prince! He and the emperor are brothers. If they didn’t look alike, that would be strange.”

“What? He’s Bai Li Xian!” Liu Rufen was completely stunned. Wasn’t the Virtuous Prince always wearing a mask? Why wasn’t he wearing it today? Had the sun risen in the west?

Perhaps his exclamation was a bit loud, for Bai Li Xian walked over and greeted Liu Rufen respectfully. “Your son-in-law greets Father-in-law.”

Not knowing the man before him, so like the emperor, was the Virtuous Prince, Liu Rufen had been calm, joking with his daughter. Now he quickly helped Bai Li Xian up. “Ah! You’re the Virtuous Prince. There’s no need for formalities with me. I’m a rough man, just don’t mistreat Ling’er in the future.”

Bai Li Xian, ostracized by Bai Li Hai, rarely attended morning court. As Liu Rufen and Bai Li Xian spoke in the hall, Liu Rufen realized the Virtuous Prince was not only superb in martial arts but also brilliant in talent—versed in both literature and warfare, a perfect son-in-law. The more they talked, the more Liu Rufen admired him.

Liu Ling’er listened as they discussed national affairs and border wars, nearly dozing off. She quietly slipped away to wander around the General’s Mansion.

By chance, she ran into Xiao Shuangshuang, who was exploring for new things. The maid watching Xiao Shuangshuang, seeing Liu Ling’er, quickly slipped away, leaving Liu Ling’er no choice but to become Xiao Shuangshuang’s babysitter.

Sitting on a stone bench, Liu Ling’er wondered whether to recover her inner strength first or reclaim the Heavenly Law authority entrusted to her by Ma Ling’er. As her thoughts drifted, a cry for help suddenly rang out, startling Liu Ling’er. She jumped to her feet.