Zhujiagou in the early morning.
Xiaoman walked quietly to the door and asked in a low voice: "Did you not sleep last night?"
Mo Xiang, who had a hard time dealing with Xiaoman before, looked tired and had dark circles under her eyes.
"Madam, madam..."
"come in."
Xiaoman opened the door and went in. Zhu was already up, staring out the window with dull eyes.
Ever since Li Shan left Beijing, Zhu often had sleepless nights. When the battle report came that most of the Hebei provinces had fallen, Zhu became even more worried.
Yesterday, King Li Daoxuan of Huaiyang was defeated in the army. Zhu happened to go to Wang Renbiao to inquire about the news. After returning to the village, he worried for a long time before falling asleep. However, he was awakened by a nightmare not long after, his forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he could no longer sleep.
On the surface, Zhu did not object to or even encouraged his son to serve as an official in the military, but what mother wouldn't worry about her son going to the battlefield?
There were footsteps outside, and Zhu Wei came in with a complicated expression. Before he could speak, Mrs. Zhu suddenly asked, "Is there any news?"
"As I said yesterday, King Qi has stopped moving forward and has not yet entered Hebei Road." Zhu Wei said with a forced smile: "Da Lang must be fine."
"You didn't return to the village until late last night." Zhu's eyes were like needles piercing Zhu Wei's face, "You came here early today just to say this?"
Zhu Wei coughed twice. He was tossing and turning that night and couldn't sleep. He got up before dawn and walked here unknowingly.
"Okay, if you don't tell me," Zhu said sternly, "Then I'll ask my eldest brother!"
"Dalangjun also wants to meet you..." Zhu Wei was a little anxious and whispered: "Actually, the old things are all gone, but you are afraid that the Hedong Pei family will treat Dalangjun... But it is not appropriate to meet at this time, I said. Just listen."
"Say!" Zhu's eyebrows were raised. She was just making assumptions. She didn't expect Zhu Wei to actually find out the information.
Zhu Wei said softly: "At the beginning of the month, Shaanxi Province escorted grain and grass to Hebei. Dalang went north with the army because he was good at arithmetic, and did not return to Shaanxi Province after that."
Zhu felt dizzy and swayed, holding on to the clothes hanger on the side to barely prevent herself from falling. Zhu Wei quickly asked Mo Xiang and Xiao Man outside the door to come in and help her.
"Go prepare the car!" Zhu pushed Mo Xiang away.
"Where are you going?"
"Enter the city!"
"It's not a good time to meet..."
"Go to the Wang family..." Mrs. Zhu braced herself, "No, although Wang Xiaoqing is a descendant of the Wang family in Taiyuan, she is not well informed. Go to the Li family!"
"Xiaoman, bring Dalang's post!"
Zhu Wei really couldn't stop him, so he could only ask people to prepare, and privately told him not to let Zhu appear at will in the city.
Zhu Wei knew well that Li Shan followed Li Qianyou in the army, and Li Dewu, as a county captain, had probably met Li Shan.
Li Dewu entered the East Palace to prepare for the crown prince Qianniu. Zhu Wei knew the news the next day, but never informed the Zhu family.
Zhu Wei has been vigilant for the past half month since Li Dewu returned to Beijing. There are hidden sentries in and outside the village, day and night.
She was ruthlessly abandoned by her husband, and her only son was gone forever... Such a plot made Li Keshi's wife Changsun almost cry.
"Silang is back." Changsun saw a figure flashing outside, it seemed to be his fourth son Li Kai.
As soon as he came back, he was called to the backyard. Li Kai walked in ignorantly and immediately saw the rather haggard Zhu.
"Meet my aunt." Li Kai bowed and hesitated before speaking.
Changsun whispered softly, "Li Langjun is neither a lieutenant in the army nor an official on this expedition, so he should be fine, right?"
The conversation at the banquet in the Mingde Hall of the East Palace last night... had been leaked out long ago, and it didn't cause any waves, but someone who was interested found out the name Li Shan.
For example, Zhu Wei, such as Li Kai.
Li Kai probed cautiously, "Aunt, I heard that King Qi set foot in Wuling, Shaanxi Province, but he has not yet entered Hebei."
"Mrs. Zhu knows that Li Shan escorted grain and grass to Hebei, so she came to find out." Changsun could only address Zhu in this way.
Hearing his mother's words, Li Kai frowned, then relaxed, "Xingzhou has not been lost yet!"
Zhu's expression remained unchanged, "Qi Shanxing, the general manager of Xingzhou, I heard he is Dou Jiande's old department?"
"Although the General Manager of Qi is from Dou Jiande's old department, he defected to the Tang Dynasty after the battle of Hulao Pass and gained the respect of His Highness the King of Qin. Before the expedition to Hebei at the beginning of the year, he was the second guard on the left of the Qin King's Palace." Li Kai deliberately spoke in a clear and clear voice, showing full confidence, "Absolutely not Vote for Liu Heita!"
Although the Changsun family is a woman in the backyard, she was born in Luoyang Perak Hall. She is not an ordinary woman without knowledge. After thinking about it, she advised: "After Liu Heitao breaks through Shenzhou and Jizhou, he may not attack Xingzhou..."
"No, we must attack Xingzhou!" Zhu said categorically: "Not to mention that a large amount of grain and grass were just transported to Xingzhou. The previous dynasty set up granaries in Hebei. The first was Liyangcang, and the second was in Xingzhou."
"Besides, Xingzhou is just north of Luozhou. If Liu Heitai doesn't take Xingzhou, will he go around and attack Luozhou?"
Changsun sighed slightly and was also a little surprised. Although she had heard from her son that Madam Zhu was quite knowledgeable, she was familiar with military formations, well versed in geography, and even knew the distribution of granaries of the previous dynasty...
"Auntie, you really don't have to worry." Li Kai said with a smile: "Before leaving, I, the eldest grandson Dalang, and the Dalang of the Gao family all asked her to bring letters. Some of them were for Zuo Chengyu, the Shangshu of Daxingtai in East Shaanxi Province, and some for the bachelor. Dual managers in Dingzhou, and general manager Wei Zhoutian..."
"Master Yu is in Luoyang, and the manager of Shuangshiluo is far away in Dingzhou. If Brother Li has not returned to Shaanxi Province, he must have gone to Weizhou."
Changsun explained: "Yu Xueshi, Shuang Shiluo, and Tian Liu'an are all under the command of the Prince of Qin."
Zhu's expression gradually relaxed, and then he frowned and whispered, "Why doesn't Dalang want to go back to Shaanxi Province?"
Changsun and Li Kai looked at each other. The former stood up, helped Zhu sit on the couch, and whispered: "More than a month ago, Li Dewu became an official and served as the captain of Chang'an County, and then followed the army southward..."
"What?!" Zhu raised his head suddenly, "That is to say..."
In other words, Li Dewu may have met Li Shan. This possibility is very high. Li Dewu is Li Qianyou's subordinate, and Li Shan was summoned by Li Qianyou to join the army.
In other words, it was probably because of Li Dewu's presence that Li Shancai was unwilling to return to Shaanxi Province and insisted on staying in Hebei.
Zhu's face instantly became ferocious, her hands and feet were trembling, and she wanted to go straight to the door with a knife.
"Mrs. Zhu." Mrs. Changsun held Zhu's hand, "Li Dewu returned to the capital half a month ago. The prince favored her and prepared for the prince Qianniu."
This is to remind Zhu not to do stupid things.
"Li Langjun must have gone to Weizhou. Tian Liu'an is highly valued by the King of Qin, and Weizhou is on the bank of the Yellow River. Even if it is not low, he will be able to cross the river if there is a letter of recommendation."
Li Kai lowered his head and remained silent. He had a vague suspicion in his heart, although there was no evidence...
Half a month ago, Li Dewu suddenly returned to Beijing and entered the East Palace to prepare for the prince Qianniu.
Also half a month ago, Li Shan, who was supposed to be taking care of the accounts at the rear, was suddenly assigned to escort grain and grass northward to Hebei Road.
Although it is difficult to connect, Li Kai always feels a little weird.
After a while, Mrs. Zhu finally controlled her emotions, and Mrs. Changsun personally sent her out of the inner courtyard.
"Mother, Brother Li..."
"Ji people have their own destiny." Changsun sighed longly, "Everyone regards Liu Heita as a native chicken and a dog. Who would have thought that the King of Huaiyang would be so vulnerable..."
Li Kai looked a little painful, because he was the one who personally delivered the letter written by Princess Qin to Li Daoxuan to Li Shan.
After all, Li Dao
