Chapter 911: First Volume, Chapter 911: Adopting an Adopted Son

First Volume, Chapter 911: Adopting an Adopted Son

"What's this child's name?" Li Xiaolan asked softly.

The woman hurriedly replied: "My humble son is Niu Er."

Niu Er? Li Xiaolan smiled faintly: "Is he your second son? Where is your firstborn?"

A flicker of bitterness passed through the woman's eyes: "Life was too hard, we couldn't afford medicine—he starved and fell ill, and died…"

Learning that the woman's eldest son had perished, Li Xiaolan's gaze softened with sorrow, and she quickly asked: "What of your husband?"

The woman shook her head and sighed: "He went out to find food and was beaten to death by a local bully."

Though Li Xiaolan's eyes showed sympathy, she did not dwell on it long—after all, the lives of common people everywhere were hard, and this woman, shattered by loss, was far from the worst off.

Since becoming intimate with Qin Feng, Li Xiaolan had grown unusually sensitive to the word "mother."

After all, as Qin Feng's woman, bearing him heirs was an inescapable duty; besides, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a rat's son digs holes—if she could bear Qin Feng a son or daughter, it would surely expand the Qin Family. Alas, in the face of this sudden disaster, Li Xiaolan would likely never become a mother.

Now, gazing at the infant before her, Li Xiaolan made no effort to hide her affection—both to comfort herself and the woman, she smiled gently: "We are fated."

"If a miracle occurs tonight and we survive against all odds, shall I adopt him as my son?"

Hearing this, the woman's eyes lit up—her child encountering a noble patron was a stroke of heavenly fortune, proof that the child was blessed.

But…

The events of this night had been too terrifying, and Li Xiaolan's Tianji Camp Guards looked like demons—she feared these people might be traitors or rebels, so she hesitated.

After a moment, the woman gathered her courage and asked: "Forgive me, Miss…"

Before she could finish, she noticed Li Xiaolan's high, elaborate hairpin, and instantly understood—she quickly corrected herself: "Forgive me, Madam… what is your origin?"

Madam?

Li Xiaolan froze for a moment, then a flush crept across her cheeks.

She adored this title—but her nature was proud and cold, so she never showed it.

"Rest assured, I am not a traitor or rebel—I'm not even from your country."

At this, the woman grew even more confused.

Li Xiaolan patiently smiled and explained: "I am Da Liang Ming Yue Princess, Third Miss of the Qin Family, and Qin Feng's fiancée."

Hearing Li Xiaolan's string of titles, the woman still looked blank—she was a village woman; she had no idea who Qin Feng or the Qin Family were…

But the meaning of "Princess," she understood perfectly.

Her mouth fell open in disbelief: "You… you're the Princess of Liang?! Oh my heavens… how could someone as noble as you appear here?"

The other villagers in the Ancestral Hall also stared wide-eyed, stunned.

Princess of Liang?

To these villagers, even an ordinary Liang citizen was a rarity they'd likely never see in a lifetime—yet now, the Princess of Liang stood right before them—how could they not be shocked?

The woman was overcome with excitement—she had never dared dream her child would become the adopted son of the Princess of Liang.

She immediately knelt and bowed her head repeatedly to Li Xiaolan, weeping with joy: "My child is too young to understand—I, a humble subject, thank Princess His Highness!"

"This child must have accumulated great virtue in a past life—our Niu family's ancestral graves are smoking with fortune!"

Li Xiaolan helped the woman up and asked softly: "What is your name?"

The woman wiped away her tears and replied quickly: "I am Niu Zhang Shi."

Li Xiaolan nodded with a smile: "Don't get too hopeful yet—unless a miracle happens tonight, we will all die here."

Niu Zhang Shi shook her head firmly: "Princess His Highness, good people are blessed by heaven—we will surely overcome this peril. Even just for my Niu Er to have a better future, I will pray devoutly for your safety."

The villagers, emboldened, stared at Li Xiaolan with burning eyes and began shouting.

"His Highness is the benefactor of Wanggang Village—she will surely save us!"

"That's right! It's freezing, snow has blocked the mountains—every family here, even the richest, is worth less than one liang of silver. His Highness gave us more than ten liang each—she saved our lives!"

"Whether Princess of Liang or Princess of Da Di, if she saves us, she's a good princess!"

At that moment, deafening cries of battle erupted from outside the village.

The villagers, who had just begun to relax, tensed again—every gaze turned toward the Ancestral Hall's entrance.

Li Xiaolan rose and walked to the doorway, gazing at the dark sea of heads beyond the village, and sighed softly: "It begins."

A force of three thousand Tuntian Soldiers was now attacking the village from all sides.

Though these Tuntian Soldiers wore crude armor, and the freezing weather had damaged their fine halberds—priority having been given to elite troops—their halberd shafts were now cracked or brittle, unusable; their main weapons were thus knives, axes, and bow and arrow.

Though their equipment was vastly inferior, the enemy numbers were overwhelming.

The village entrance was the main point of assault—over a thousand Tuntian Soldiers crowded the narrow passage, charging repeatedly.

Zhang Zhenhai led a dozen-man suicide squad, wielding halberds, stabbing down the charging soldiers.

Zhang Zhenhai stood at the front, flanked by houses on either side, his squad behind him, a few Anwu Guards crouched on rooftops with bow and arrow, and before him stretched an endless sea of enemies.

Zhang Zhenhai swung his halberd constantly, knocking aside enemy weapons, then striking with perfect timing—based on his combat experience, every thrust of his halberd brought down an enemy.

"Come on! If you're not afraid of death, come forward!"

"As sons of Beixi, even in death, we'll take you with us!"

Zhang Zhenhai's roars echoed endlessly at the village entrance.

The Tuntian Soldiers surged like waves, howling with bared teeth.

"Pillar of the State's order: anyone who kills an enemy soldier gets fifty liang silver; anyone who kills an enemy officer gets five hundred liang silver and twenty mu of good field!"

"If you cut off Qin Feng's head, you get ten thousand liang silver and a hundred mu of good field!"

Great rewards breed brave men—killing Qin Feng was beyond reach, but even killing Zhang Zhenhai would make these Tuntian Soldiers rich enough to become local gentry.

These Tuntian Soldiers had near-zero loyalty to Lü Li—but their loyalty to fame and fortune was extremely high.