"I know them! Of course I know them!"
Qingnu laughed and decided to settle down in Pingyang County.
While out one day, she saw Wei Ao grieving again. Qingnu stood behind her with her hands behind her back and cleared her throat.
Wei Ao was startled and hurriedly turned around.
Seeing Qingnu dressed in noble attire, she lowered her head and greeted her timidly, "Greetings, noble lady! Are you here to visit my lord marquis?"
"Lords or masters, I care not for them. I am here for you."
Qingnu shook her head and stepped closer to Wei Ao.
Wei Ao was taken aback by Qingnu's sudden proximity and instinctively stepped back. She hadn't realized there were steps behind her and nearly lost her footing. If Qingnu hadn't been quick enough to catch her, she would have fallen straight to the ground.
"Thank you, noble lady!"
Wei Ao hurriedly bowed to thank Qingnu.
Qingnu asked, "I saw you crying here last time. Why is that?"
Wei Ao hesitated, not daring to answer.
Qingnu patted her shoulder and was about to speak when three young girls ran out from the gates. They hugged Wei Ao and looked at Qingnu timidly.
The snake girl blinked, looking a bit confused.
"Are these... your children? What are their names?"
Wei Ao pulled the three children close and replied, "To answer the noble lady, the eldest is Junru, this one is Shao'er, and the youngest is Zifu."
Qingnu squatted in front of the youngest girl, a light shining in her eyes. "You are... Wei Zifu?"
The little girl, Wei Zifu, nodded shyly. "Yes..."
"With these three adorable, jade-like children, you should be happy. Why are you so gloomy?"
Qingnu looked up at Wei Ao.
Wei Ao looked embarrassed. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, "I will not hide it from the noble lady. It is because... I am pregnant again! But this child's father is not the same as their sisters'. He is a fellow servant in the Pingyang Residence."
Qingnu made no judgment regarding her personal life or morals.
She only knew that the child in Wei Ao's womb was Wei Qing!
Qingnu stood up suddenly with a smile on her face. "Actually, I can read faces! Your features are auspicious; you will surely find wealth and honor in the future!"
"Bird sister, isn't that right?"
Hongluan stood on Qingnu's shoulder and replied reluctantly, "Yes."
Wei Zifu and her sisters looked at Hongluan in astonishment.
"The bird! The bird spoke!"
Wei Ao's eyes widened in even greater surprise, but she soon managed a strained smile and sighed. "Please do not tease me, noble lady! I am but a servant of a marquis's residence. What wealth or honor could there be for me?"
Seeing her lack of self-esteem, Qingnu thought for a moment and came up with a plan.
"How about this? When the child in your womb grows up, let him study under me. What do you think?"
Wei Ao froze, then her eyes widened in shock. "Truly?"
"Absolutely!"
...
After ten months of pregnancy, Wei Ao gave birth to a baby boy.
She should have named him herself, but Wei Ao kept Qingnu's promise in mind and insisted on waiting for her to name the child.
Qingnu naturally did not pass up the opportunity and named the little boy Wei Qing!
From a young age, Wei Qing displayed a steady and composed character.
Qingnu was in no rush to teach him.
It wasn't until he was seven or eight years old that Qingnu took him to Mt. Tai.
Mortal men always possess a mysterious longing for riding the clouds and mists, and young Wei Qing was no exception!
"Teacher! Can I learn such immortal methods?"
Wei Qing looked at Qingnu with burning eyes.
Qingnu waved her hand and said, "If you could live for several centuries, perhaps you could learn it! However, I didn't bring you here today to learn how to fly! Come, kneel and kowtow first."
Kneel and kowtow?
Wei Qing was stunned. He saw an ancient-looking burial mound ahead.
The tombstone was wordless; it was impossible to tell who rested there.
Wei Qing asked in confusion, "Teacher, why must I kowtow to this nameless grave?"
Qingnu was taking out a military treatise from the jiao-snake pearl. Hearing Wei Qing's question, she cleared her throat and said, "This is the grave of Han Xin. Do you know of Han Xin?"
Wei Qing's eyes lit up, and he looked at the mound in shock. "I have heard of him! The Great General Han Xin. Is this his grave?"
"Indeed."
Qingnu nodded.
She spread out the military treatise, her fingers tracing the calligraphy. She spoke slowly, "Rather than saying I am your teacher, it is more accurate to say he is! I am merely accepting a disciple on his behalf. He was the Great General of Han; in the future, you should also be a Great General of Han!"
"He helped Emperor Gao establish the Han; you shall fight to carve out a true world for the Han people!"
"Wei Qing, kneel!"
Qingnu's voice grew more serious.
Without hesitation, Wei Qing knelt immediately and solemnly kowtowed to Han Xin's grave. "Wei Qing shall never dishonor the legacy of the Great General!"
Qingnu handed all the military treatises written by Han Xin to Wei Qing, telling him to study them day and night.
The boy spent his days engaged in strategic planning and military simulations with Qingnu.
But how many years had Qingnu lived?
She had seen countless variations of the battlefield. Using only the contents of the military books, let alone defeating Qingnu, even achieving a stalemate was a luxury.
Wei Qing grew stronger with every setback, his fighting spirit burning bright!
Qingnu would also occasionally bring good things for the Wei family. With her presence, even though Wei Ao remained a servant of the Pingyang Residence, the Wei family's life was much better than before.
After Liu Qi passed away, Liu Che ascended the throne. The Han army rode through the streets to announce the mourning period.
Qingnu decided to leave Pingyang County.
Learning that she was leaving, the Wei family members were even more loath to see her go.
Seeing that Wei Zifu was about to cry, Qingnu comforted her helplessly, "Oh, it's not like I'm never coming back. This life is long; you'll have many chances to see me!"
"Wei Qing, you must study the military treatises I gave you well. Do not be idle."
Wei Qing hurriedly asked, "Then when will Teacher return?"
"In a few years. When the time is right, I will naturally return. It is a matter of time and fate; it cannot be forced."
Qingnu spoke as she calculated the timing.
Wei Qing took a deep breath and said seriously to Qingnu, "Teacher, rest assured! I will certainly study the art of war well and will not fail your expectations! When Teacher returns, I will surely give you a surprise!"
"Good! Then I shall look forward to it!"
Qingnu smiled, waved to Wei Ao, put on her bamboo hat, and drifted away.
From Pingyang County to the southeast, within the city of Shouchun, pedestrians bustled about.
Liu An, the King of Huainan, had three thousand retainers. After years of effort, they compiled the book Huainanzi, which contained the teachings of various schools of thought. Now that it was completed, Liu An was overjoyed. He exempted the taxes within the Kingdom of Huainan and announced the news to the world to celebrate this achievement!
The clouds in the sky were vast, and the people on the ground were numerous.
It seemed even the heavens approved of the completion of this book.
The land of Huainan enjoyed favorable weather and smooth harvests!
Qingnu slipped into the royal palace and took a scroll from the library. The myths and legends she had told were recorded within, and even she was mentioned.
"Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens..."
Qingnu raised her hand and gently brushed over those four words.
Suddenly, the doors swung open. Liu An, now middle-aged, stood at the entrance and bowed to Qingnu.
"Our Lady the Jade Maiden, this king has finally seen you again!"
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