Proofread by Claire.KK
Suddenly, a burst of crying broke their conversation. Lu Minglan quickly went to pick up the little princess. While she was trying to quiet her small daughter, Lu Minglan sat down in front of Lu Zhishan and said to him with a warm smile, "Prince, it seems that our little princess has a natural interest in getting close to you. The first time she met you she would not like to let you go. It"s really obvious that you are true families."
A smile curved Lu Zhishan"s lips when he heard the words. He pointed slightly at the small baby"s cheek with his forefinger. The dark black eyes of the little princess were as bright as gorgeous jades. Fixing her sight on Lu Zhishan, she instantly bit his finger. Feeling the temperature on his fingertip, Lu Zhishan burst out laughing and uttered to Lu Minglan, "Let me cuddle her."
Lu Minglan then softly placed her little daughter into his arms. Feeling the little heavy thing on his hands, Lu Zhishan had a special feeling in his heart. He held her in his arms so carefully as if he was holding a priceless treasure. He saw the cute, small baby rolling her eyes and sticking out her tongue, which made his heart quite soft. The next time Lu Zhishan uttered his voice had already changed into a really tender one. "What"s your name?" asked Lu Zhishan gently.
The little princess stuck her tongue again and turned her face. Then she grasped him by the front of his robe and continued her babbling.
"King has gave them two names of Northern Di. But I still want them to be named in our own way." Lu Minglan touched the little baby"s face and said to Lu Zhishan, "But I"m just a woman. I know well how slight is my talent so I"m not be able to give good names to them. Luckily, now you are here, prince. Would you like to give names to them?"
Lu Zhishan got a bit surprised and then replied, "You must be kidding, aunt. We are of the same generation. As their cousin, how could I have the right to give them names?"
"Of course you can. I have never expected that you could take the risk to come here to visit me. Prince, you can"t imagine how grateful I am now. But I"m afraid that I would have no chance to see anyone else from Dali Empire. Certainly, I will have no chance to go back Dali," said Lu Minglan as she turned around. After a while, she continued her words. "If you give names to them today, I can tell them their cousin has ever visited them at their first birthday. Though their mother was humble, there is still someone caring about them in Dali Empire."
Lu Minglan was pretty sincere when she said these words. As a prince who was married to another country, she was clear that it was impossible for her to return her motherland. The only result for her was dying at this place. If she was lucky enough, her skeleton would be sent back to Dali. But it was more likely for her to be buried at an unknown place of Northern Di."
All of a sudden they lapsed into silence. Only the baby"s babbling could be heard in the room. Lu Zhishan lowered his head and saw the baby turn her head and put her face to his chest. After that, she s...o...b..red, making his gray robe soaked in dribble. Then she just fell asleep in Lu Zhishan"s arms.
"Call her Nanzhi," Lu Zhishan suddenly said, gazing at the fluffy hair of the little girl.
"The barbarian horses need the winds of the north, and the birds of Yue nest in the branches of the south. Nanzhi just means the branches of the south. It"s really a good name." Lu Minglan smiled and said. Her tears dropped on the cheek of the little baby. "My girl, Nanzhi is your name now."
"The prince could be called Nanshan, which means Mountain in the south." Lu Zhishan carefully put the little princess on the bed, looked at the little prince who was sleeping sound and said.
"Put all weapons into the armory, and set the horses free on the Mountain in the south." Tears gradually fell down from Lu Minglan"s face. She was such a beautiful young girl who was only twenty four years only. She looked really piteous when she cried silently. "If Northern Di and Dali can be peaceful for all generations and people could live a happy life, I will feel no pity for wasting all my life here," uttered Lu Minglan.