Chapter 953: Chapter 6: Finale

Song Jin only wrote home after arriving at the Western Border, and after Wen Wan read it, she couldn’t help but laugh, "This brat has finally come to his senses."

Zhao Xunyin frowned, "Your family and the Su Family, are you really going to become in-laws?"

Wen Wan corrected, "It’s not that I insist on becoming in-laws, but the young lady from the Su Family has been longing for many years. If I break up the pair, she would certainly hate me."

Zhao Xunyin calculated carefully, "But why does it seem to me that your family and theirs have mismatched generations?"

Wen Wan knew long ago that upon following Empress Su, she and her husband and the Su Qing couple were not in the same generation. "Anyway, there’s no direct blood relation, so let’s each consider our own."

A few days later, Wen Wan received a letter from Ningzhou, written by Mo Bao. The little guy particularly liked reading, and his handwriting was even more beautiful. In the letter, he said he missed his father and mother and that he would work hard. When he grows up, he wants to take the imperial exams to come to the Capital and become a high official like his father.

Wen Wan looked at the letter paper and fell into prolonged silence.

That evening, when Song Wei returned, he saw her in a daze and couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong?"

"Mo Bao sent a letter." Wen Wan was sitting on the small couch, her voice carrying an indescribable weight. "You can see for yourself."

Speaking, she handed the letter to Song Wei.

Song Wei looked at the neat and beautiful handwriting on the letter paper, easily imagining how much hope that child had poured into writing this letter.

"Husband, what should we do?" Wen Wan said, "We’ve spent so little time with this child from birth to now. He’s seven years old now, and only just has a hope. We can’t directly tell him he can’t take the imperial exams, can’t come to the Capital, can we?"

Song Wei carefully folded the letter paper and gently said, "I’ll retire early."

"Retire?" Wen Wan was taken aback.

Song Wei nodded, "He wants to come to the Capital because his older brother and sister are all in the Capital, only he is left in the countryside. If I retire and go back to accompany him, he won’t have these thoughts anymore."

"What about the court duties?" Her husband was the Imperial Tutor, shouldering significant responsibilities; retiring at this age would surely cause political turbulence.

"Yuanbao has already come of age, and over the years, the imperial exams have selected many emerging talents. In the worst case, there are still those old ministers from Bei Yan who have surrendered; with them around, it’s enough to assist Your Majesty in governing the realm."

Wen Wan suddenly felt stuck; she recalled the year Mo Bao had just learned to walk when she returned to Ningzhou once. When leaving, the little guy chased after her, running, crying, and shouting, "Mother, mother..."

Even though he wasn’t her biological child, seeing him cry so heartbreakingly, Wen Wan’s heart felt as if it was stabbed.

As he grew older, whenever Wen Wan went back to see him, he would ask, "Mother, is it because you don’t like Mo Bao that you’re not taking him to the Capital? Mo Bao doesn’t kick off the quilt when sleeping, doesn’t snore, doesn’t make noise when eating, Mo Bao will be very good."

He always thought his parents didn’t like him, so he tried hard every day to make himself better.

Even when writing a letter, every word was particularly cautious, fearing he might upset her and Song Wei, even to the point they wouldn’t visit him during the New Year.

...

Song Wei entered the palace to meet the emperor.

Upon hearing Song Wei propose retirement, Zhao Xi couldn’t believe it, "Isn’t it too early for Teacher to retire at this age? There are seven positions in the Cabinet, Mr. Wang just retired not long ago, I was planning to move you into it."

Song Wei shook his head, "Now the realm is peaceful, the people are content, Your Majesty’s governance skills are becoming more mature, and I have not failed the late Emperor’s trust. For the remaining years, I don’t want them all spent in court."

Zhao Xi suddenly realized something, "Is it because of that child?"

Song Wei did not deny, "He has lacked parental affection and companionship since childhood; this is the negligence of both myself and my wife."

Zhao Xi massaged his brow, "Teacher, return for now, allow me more time to think."

After Song Wei left, Zhao Xi no longer had the mind to read memorials and went to Yikun Palace to talk about Song Wei’s retirement plans with Dong Han.

Dong Han froze for a moment, "Is there a special reason for Mr. Song?"

Otherwise, court officials rarely retire so early, especially when Song Wei has sat in the position of Imperial Tutor; if it were someone else, they’d wish to stay until their death.

"It’s because of that child," Zhao Xi said.

Upon hearing this, Dong Han’s heart was wrenched.

Since the child was sent to Ningzhou, she had never seen him again, only occasionally meeting Wen Wan in the palace and casually asking about him, learning that the child is almost identical to the Crown Prince, gentle and obedient, which brought her some comfort.

"What does Your Majesty think?"

Personally, Dong Han certainly hoped Song Wei and Wen Wan could always be by that child’s side to make up for the love that she as the biological mother could not provide.

But officially, Song Wei is the Imperial Tutor, a pillar of the court; his departure will definitely impact the entire court situation, and the influence is significant.

Zhao Xi did not answer but asked, "What would you think if I continued to keep him in the court?"

Dong Han lowered her lashes, "Mr. Song is Your Majesty’s teacher, influential; keeping him in court to continue assisting Your Majesty in managing the realm after the fusion of three countries would naturally be good."

"It’s good, but you may not necessarily like it," Zhao Xi concluded directly.

Dong Han was greatly shocked, "Your Majesty, I..."

"If you don’t like it, let him return then."

Dong Han turned pale, "That wasn’t my intention."

Just one "don’t like" would lead to the Imperial Tutor’s retirement; if this were to spread, rumors would certainly fly, branding her as a wicked empress who damages the country.

Moreover, Your Majesty’s attitude was very strange; usually, when faced with such matters, he would make the decision himself, but this time he even came to ask her opinion, as if as long as she said she didn’t like it, he would follow her wishes.

This made Dong Han feel somewhat unreal.

...

In the year Song Wei turned forty-seven, he retired, leaving behind two grown sons and returned to his ancestral home in Ningzhou with his wife and daughter.

Mo Bao, who eagerly awaited his parents’ return every day, was astonished to see his parents and sister suddenly appear in front of him, initially thinking he was dreaming, stunned for quite a while.

After entering the house, Mo Bao sat on the round stool, looked at Wen Wan, then at Song Wei. In the past, it was always his mother who visited him, always saying his father was busy. Now, not only did he see his mother, but also his father and sister, he increasingly felt like he was dreaming.

Wen Wan placed a piece of braised meat in his small bowl, "Eat quickly, let’s talk after the meal."

The little guy had excellent manners; he did not say a word at the dining table. After washing his hands post meal, he sat next to Wen Wan and asked, "Mother, is father not busy this year?"

"Not busy anymore," Wen Wan nodded, "He will stay home with you now, not going anywhere."

Once settled, Song Wei resumed his enthusiasm as a teacher, continuing to open enlightenment classes for the children at the village school, with Mo Bao rising before dawn every day to go to the village school together with Song Wei.

Wen Wan, with nothing to do, would carry a lunchbox to the village school daily to deliver meals to the father and son.

Another autumn arrived; along the road to the village school, the sorghum had matured with red tassels. When Wen Wan passed by, she paused at a certain spot, focusing on the ground, not knowing what she thought, suddenly smiling and shaking her head.

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