After Xu Ling finished speaking, several people at the banquet couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Liu Mingzhi also breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the once again filled wine glass and silently moved it towards his mouth.
Duan Dingbang stared at his mother in excitement for a moment, then suddenly stood up, walked out of the table, knelt down in front of his mother Xu Ling, and kowtowed.
"My son, Duan Dingbang, thank you, mother, for fulfilling my child's long-cherished wish."
Xu Ling turned to Liu Mingzhi and smiled twice, quickly stood up and walked out of her seat, stretched out her hands and tried to help Duan Dingbang up with a little force.
"Good boy, what are you doing? Get up quickly."
"Hey, my dear, thank you, mother."
Duan Dingbang looked at his mother in front of him and nodded happily, then slowly stood up from the ground with his mother's support.
"Mom, my baby thanks you again. When you were silent for a long time, my baby thought that you would -"
Xu Ling looked at her second son who was excited in front of her, with a hint of helplessness in her eyes.
"Bang'er, your temper is more like your father than that of your eldest brother and sister. My mother knows very well what kind of person your father is.
It is precisely because of this that my mother knows better than anyone else that I can't stop you from joining the army. Since I can't stop you, I might as well fulfill your wish.
Otherwise, even if you don't say anything on the surface, you will always blame me for being your mother in your heart."
"Mother, I won't do that. Even if you don't agree with me joining the army this time, I will never blame you, mother.
The child will only look for opportunities to convince mother again until you agree."
"Bang'er, please stop talking. Mother understands. Mother understands everything in her heart."
"My dear, thank you, mother, for your understanding."
Xu Ling let out a faint sigh and looked at her second son in front of her with the brilliance of maternal love.
"Bang'er, you must agree to do something for your mother, okay?"
Duan Dingbang looked at his mother's somewhat sad expression and nodded without hesitation.
"Mother, tell me, no matter what happens, my child will agree to it."
Xu Ling's apricot eyes couldn't help but condense with a faint mist, and she raised her jade hand to caress her son Duan Dingbang's cheek for a moment.
"Bang'er, I promise that as my mother, I must come back alive.
Mother, your eldest brother, and your sister, we will all be at home waiting for your safe return, waiting for you forever."
Duan Dingbang nodded heavily and gently patted the back of his mother's hand twice.
"Okay, I promise my mother that I will come back alive and bring my brothers who went on the expedition with me alive."
After Xu Ling got her son's promise, she couldn't help but raise a smile on her lips. After she wiped the corners of her eyes without leaving a trace, she turned around and saluted Liu Dashaofu.
"Your Majesty, I have lost my temper. I hope Your Majesty will not blame you."
Liu Mingzhi put down his wine glass and waved his hand with a smile: "It doesn't matter.
As the saying goes, a mother is worried when her son travels a thousand miles. I am also a person with children. At this moment, I can naturally understand the affectionate mood of my sister-in-law.
Madam-in-law, you have already told this guy Dingbang what you should say, the dishes are almost cold, please take a seat."
"I thank you, Your Majesty."
Xu Ling calmly walked to her seat, and Liu Mingzhi raised his eyes and glanced at Duan Dingbang in front of the desk.
"Dingbang, you kid, stop standing and sit down."
"Yes, I obey."
After Xu Ling, Duan Dingbang, mother and son took their seats again, Liu Mingzhi raised his glass with a chuckle.
"Sister-in-law, it's rare for us to get together today, so we won't talk about some sad topics. Let's just eat and drink.
I’ll have another drink with you, cheers.”
"I'll offer a toast to Your Majesty."
After three rounds of wine and five tastes of food, the weather has become a bit late.
Liu Mingzhi drank the last glass of wine and put the wine glass in his hand on the table. He drunkenly glanced at the people sitting on both sides.
"Madam, you should have eaten and drank enough, right?"
Xu Ling, who had already put down her bowls and chopsticks, immediately stood up and gave her a blessing: "Back to Your Majesty, I have had enough wine and food. Thank you for your hospitality today."
"It's good to have enough food and wine. Madam-in-law, if you are satisfied, I will feel relieved."
"Duan Rui, Hong Ling, Dingbang, where are you three brothers? Have you had enough fun?"
"Reporting to your Majesty, I and the other three have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Thank you very much for your hospitality."
"Brother?"
"Your Majesty, I am very happy for my brother."
"That's good, just have fun. I'm a little too drunk and want to go back and take a rest.
It’s getting late, so you should go your separate ways and have a rest.”
When Song Qing and others heard Liu Mingzhi's farewell words, they immediately stood up and bowed.
"We will send you your majesty's greetings. Long live, long live."
Liu Mingzhi stood up and picked up the jade fan on the table, and gently glanced at Xiao Chengzi who was serving beside him.
"Little Chengzi, the roads in the imperial garden are complicated and it's easy to get lost. Don't forget to send my eldest brother, my wife, and the others out of the palace."
"Old slave, I obey your orders and will respectfully send you off to Your Majesty."
Liu Mingzhi looked back at Qi Yun and the other three beauties with a faint smile, and slowly and unsteadily hurried towards the harem.
"Yun'er, Yan'er, Sister Ya, let's go back."
"Hey, my sisters are coming right now."
The three Qi Yun sisters gave blessings to Song Qing and the other five one after another.
"Brother, Madam-in-law, please go slowly without seeing me off."
"Don't dare, don't dare. You three queens, just go and accompany your majesty. I'll take my leave first."
The three Qi Yun sisters smiled coquettishly and nodded their heads. They turned around gracefully and chased after their husband, who had already walked dozens of steps.
In less than a minute, Liu Mingzhi and the others could no longer see each other.
Liu Mingzhi stood under the palace corridor and glanced at the figures that had disappeared in the imperial garden. The hazy drunkenness in his eyes disappeared in an instant and returned to a faint and bright appearance.
"Husband, why don't you leave?"
Liu Mingzhi casually threw away the jade fan in his hand, turned to look at the charming and confused Qi Ya and smiled lightly.
"Nothing, I just want to stand here and enjoy the scenery of the palace for a while.
Yun'er, Yan'er, Sister Ya, look up at the haze in the sky, it's so pleasing to the eye and so beautiful!"
Qi Ya looked at her husband's calm and bright eyes and rolled her eyes angrily.
"Smelly husband, when you walked just now, your steps were swaying and frivolous. My sisters thought you were really drunk!"
"That's right, it turns out that husband, you are pretending to be drunk again. You really act like one!"
"I was thinking about what tonic I should put in the hangover soup when I get back.
Now, go back and drink your cold water."
Liu Mingzhi laughed happily as he looked at the three beauties' coquettish looks.
"It's just a small banquet, how can your husband really drink too much!
Besides, the real purpose of my husband’s banquet today is to reunite Madam-in-law and Dingbang and their family, and it’s not just for drinking, so it’s fine if you don’t want to.”
"Yes, yes, whatever you say is your truth."
"Yun'er, Yan'er, Sister Ya, what do you three think of this kid Dingbang?"
"I think he is a man with great ambitions."
"A young man with great ambitions and a talented young man."
"He is a talented person who can be put to great use."