The Duke Mansion was grand and majestic, with two stone lions standing at its entrance as house guardians.

There was an open space in front of the gate, spacious enough for arrivals and departures, leaving no concern for where to park the carriages.

Unlike the bustling downtown area, this place was inhabited by noble families, offering a serene and pleasant environment.

It remained quiet unless something significant happened.

Xie Yunzhen and Ji Mingzhu’s return to the capital was such a significant event.

Not just the people of the Duke Mansion were waiting for them, but also some officials and their families from the court, eager to visit.

They had sent out servants to stand by the roadside and keep an eye on things.

They wanted to gauge the situation before deciding when to pay their visit.

The carriage slowly came to a stop at the mansion gate.

The two young children were curious about everything in the capital, peering around as soon as they entered the city.

Therefore, the curtains of the carriage were raised.

Through the window, one could see two fair little faces, with round heads, looking adorably cute.

The carriage hadn’t even fully stopped when Princess An He eagerly went to greet them.

"Zimu..."

"Zishan..."

"Let grandmother hug you both quickly."

The old madam wanted to embrace her great-grandchildren too, but as Princess An He moved, the attending maids followed her.

With the ladder next to the carriage and the limited space remaining, she couldn’t get close enough to hug her great-grandchildren.

The old madam stopped angrily where she was, secretly cursing Princess An He for her lack of consideration.

The elder was still present, yet she hurriedly rushed forward.

Completely senseless, such an uncivilized person!

Mrs. Guan also wanted to hug the siblings, but seeing the old madam’s displeased expression, she had to suppress the impulse to step forward.

"Mother-in-law, once we enter the house later, the two little ones still need to kowtow to you, so please cheer up and don’t scare them into tears."

The old madam snorted, "I’m not an old witch to scare them into tears, am I?"

"The children are young and shy with strangers."

Giving the old madam an out, Mrs. Guan’s face gradually softened.

Her cloudy eyes lingered on the carriage.

Having not seen clearly before, she needed to take a closer look at whether the two little ones resembled Ah Zhen.

Unconsciously, the old madam took a step forward.

In her sight, the two little ones first stepped out of the carriage.

Pushed gently by Ji Mingzhu, they laughingly ran into Princess An He’s embrace.

"Grandmother."

Their childish voices fell softly into Princess An He’s ears, sounding melodious.

Holding their small, milk-scented bodies, Princess An He’s heart softened immeasurably.

As long as they were happy, she was willing to give them anything!

Having been pampered all her life, Princess An He, surprisingly found the strength to lift the two children off the carriage at once.

Reluctant to let go, she led them slightly away to prevent them from being kicked by the horse.

Then, unconcerned about her image, she crouched down in front of them, meeting their gaze.

Zimu and Zishan inherited the best features of Xie Yunzhen and Ji Mingzhu, looking similar to Ji Mingzhu in their eyes, but their contours were more reminiscent of Xie Yunzhen.

At a glance, anyone would know they were their children.

Especially Zimu, she was a spitting image of Xie Yunzhen when he was young.

The saying that daughters resemble their fathers was indeed true.

Looking at her, Princess An He saw the childhood visage of her own son.

How could she not be elated?

Being this close to her grandchildren, being able to hold their little hands and kiss their chubby little cheeks, brought a sudden ache to Princess An He’s eyes.

This day, she had been waiting a long time for, the emotions buried deep in her heart erupted all at once.

She couldn’t help but hold them close and cry.

Zimu and Zishan exchanged glances, both feeling a bit clueless.

They had never been held and cried upon by their parents.

This situation, they didn’t know how to handle.

Zishan grabbed onto Princess An He’s clothes with his small hands, wanting to offer comfort but not knowing what to say.

He could only gently pat her and look to his sister to speak.

Zimu, eloquent in front of familiar people, was now a bit shy.

But thinking that the one holding them was their grandmother,

And remembering that grandmother often sent things for her and her brother, her shyness dissipated instantly.

"Grandmother, have you missed my brother and me too much? Mother said we should accompany you well. We won’t go anywhere in the coming days, just stay at home with you, alright?"

Princess An He disliked crying people, but listening to her granddaughter’s tender voice of comfort only made her heart ache more, and her tears were harder to control.

She gently patted her granddaughter’s back, "Grandmother was just caught by the wind, making my eyes uncomfortable."

"Then I’ll cover them for you, so it won’t hurt."

Zimu rubbed her small hands together until her palms were warm, then placed them over Princess An He’s eyes.

Her little hands were soft and small.

Perhaps because children have more body heat, her small hands were especially warm. Covering the eyes, indeed, they felt a bit comfortable.

Princess An He was amused by her gesture, breaking into a smile through her tears.

Their little Zimu truly knew how to care for others!

So young and already able to say so much, indeed Xie Yunzhen’s child, just like him when he was little!

At this moment, Princess An He was sure that Ji Mingzhu hadn’t spoken ill of her in front of the kids.

The issues she worried about hadn’t emerged.

The children were well-taught, so considerate, and so caring.

They were truly good children!

The old madam watched enviously, glaring intently at Zishan, discovering he more closely resembled Ji Mingzhu.

But he was a boy, and even if he resembled Ji Mingzhu, the old madam felt no aversion, thinking he was perfect in every way.

Looking again at the girl so similar to Ah Zhen, her fondness surged, almost matching that for her precious great-grandson.

"Zimu, Zishan, come to your great-grandmother."

Princess An He hadn’t yet indulged enough in the children’s affection when she was suddenly interrupted, a flicker of irritation passing through her eyes.

This woman had so many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, what was there to compete with her for!

She couldn’t show her anger in front of the children, afraid of frightening the siblings.

Suppressing her displeasure, she guided them towards the old madam.

"Go quickly and kowtow to your great-grandmother. The old madam is aged and low on energy, once you’ve done this, she’ll be able to return to Crane Dance Hall to rest."

The old madam secretly shot a glare at Princess An He.

People in joyous events are spirited, and she was full of energy, capable of playing with Zimu and Zishan all day!

In recent years, although the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law coexisted peacefully, past grievances had not disappeared because of it.

Princess An He harbored resentment towards the old madam for the deceit that made her share her husband with other women, those women who bore children to compete with her Ah Zhen for the family inheritance.

The old madam hadn’t forgotten why her son died.

For the sake of peace within the residence, both women shared the unsavory matters only in secret.

From time to time, Princess An He still paid respects to the old madam at Crane Dance Hall.

But in private, they didn’t spare malicious thoughts for each other.

At this moment, Princess An He’s intentions were apparent to the old madam.

Zimu and Zishan bore the Xie surname; the Duke Mansion wasn’t a place for an outsider to boss around!

Intentionally provoking Princess An He, after Zimu and Zishan finished kowtowing, the old madam held each by a hand and wouldn’t let them return to Princess An He.

She was the elder; who could snatch them from her hands!

"Dear little ones, great-grandmother will take you home. This is where your father grew up, your true home. You must take a good look. If you like it, stay in the mansion, allowing your parents to have more time to give you siblings."