When Qingyu found Xiao Hei in the city inn, Xiao Hei had already rented the small courtyard behind the inn and was quietly watching his sister write.
Qingyu looked at him and shook her head, and said softly: "The City Lord's Mansion doesn't only have that courtyard, so why do you need to move out and spend money?"
Xiao Hei raised his head and looked at her and smiled: "I'm afraid of trouble, my two younger sisters are also afraid, and the old shopkeeper is even more afraid. After thinking about it, I might as well forget it."
Qingqing looked at her brother obediently and laughed.
In her opinion, as long as she is with her brother and sister, it is no big deal even if she lives in a cave in the wild.
The old shopkeeper, who was lying under the eaves and basking in the sun, didn't care even more. He originally came from the wilderness, and his mission was to protect the two little guys.
Not to mention, the trouble Xiao Hei mentioned was exactly the trouble he wanted to face that he didn't want to face.
Sitting down at the table, Qingyu said softly: "The Northern Qi army evacuated the general camp I don't know how far back. It must be ten or eight miles away."
Xiao Hei thought for a while and said: "There is no war, which is a good thing for you."
Qingyu hummed and then added: "In a few days, General Yuwen from the Imperial City will come to Dingzhou City with reinforcements and food."
Xiao Hei replied: "When they arrive, I will return to the imperial city."
Yan'er, who was writing, couldn't help but ask: "Brother, are we going home? Can we see my eldest brother and sister?"
Xiao Hei touched her head and smiled: "When I go back, I will ask my brother and sister to teach you how to practice swordsmanship. You must not be afraid of hardship."
Qingqing laughed when she heard this, squinted her eyes and said with a smile: "My sister can't even hold a sword, how can she practice swordsmanship?"
Upon hearing this, Yan'er was so anxious that she hugged Qingqing's little hand and took a bite.
This impatience restored the little wolf's temperament.
Although the bite didn't hurt, Qingqing was furious. He glared at her and lectured her: "Sister, you are a human now and no longer a little wolf. Don't bite!"
Qingyu looked at the two sisters and couldn't help but giggle.
Xiao Hei shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "I will ask my brother to cut a bamboo sword for you two. From now on, you can use the bamboo sword to practice."
Qingyu was dumbfounded when he heard this, and asked in disbelief: "Bamboo sword? Bamboo sword can also be used for sword practice and cultivation?"
"Why not? My brother still practices with a bamboo sword, and so does my sister Shuzi. I am the only one who has switched to an iron sword."
Xiao Hei looked at his two sisters and said softly: "It's normal for you two to practice using bamboo swords for ten or twenty years from now on."
When Yan'er heard that her brother's brother wanted to teach her how to practice swordsmanship and sharpen a bamboo sword, she was a little unhappy at first.
Because her sister laughed at her for not being able to hold an iron sword.
Just when she heard that her brother's brother was still using the bamboo sword, she suddenly became quiet.
My brother is already so powerful, so Shuzi sister and eldest brother should be even more powerful.
Thinking of this, the little girl let go of Qingqing's hand and giggled: "Then Yan'er will practice sword practice with her brother and sister."
Xiao Hei laughed: "We are back to the Imperial City. It is really lively. You are not allowed to be lazy."
When Qingqing heard this, she couldn't stop laughing. She giggled and said, "Qingqing suddenly has two more brothers and one sister. From now on, you won't have to spend my brother's money when shopping."
Xiao Hei laughed when he heard it: "That's right, Brother Xiaohu and Sister Shuzi are both rich people."
Qingyu glanced at him with disgust and said with a smile: "How can you teach your sister like this? You only want to spend other people's money."
Xiao Hei shook his head and corrected seriously: "They are not others, they are Xiao Hei's brother, sister and brother."
Yan'er smiled and said: "Well, then they are Yan'er's brothers and sisters."
Qingqing pinched her fingers and counted them: "Doesn't it mean that from now on we will call you eldest brother, second brother, third brother, and sister?"
…
Dazhou's reinforcements did not keep Qingyu waiting too long.
At noon on the third day after Xiaoheihuo burned the Northern Qi camp, the army came from the west, and tens of thousands of troops entered Dingzhou City.
Qingyu was busy greeting the general, while Xiaohei took his two sisters around the city and bought some food for the road.
Back at the inn, the old shopkeeper had already asked the waiters to prepare meals.
Looking at Xiao Hei holding the hands of his two younger sisters, the old shopkeeper asked, "Are you ready?"
Xiao Hei nodded and said with a smile: "We have rented a carriage and will set off early tomorrow morning."
"Do you want to inform Qingyu?" The old shopkeeper didn't care. He also wanted to leave Dingzhou as soon as possible. The imperial city was where he wanted to go.
"No, we'll talk about it when she comes."
Xiaohei asked Qingqing to take his sister to wash her face and hands, and he sat down at the table.
He murmured to himself: "She wants to greet General Yuwen who is coming from the imperial city. I just want to leave quietly."
The old shopkeeper didn't expect that Xiao Hei and Li Xiuyuan had developed a mentality of being indifferent to fame and fortune after spending a long time together.
In his opinion, maybe Xiao Hei has such a mentality that deserves his master's attention, right?
Or is it because Xiao Hei is Li Xiuyuan's younger brother?
The four of them had a quiet lunch. Xiao Hei wiped the mouths of Qingqing and Yan'er and ordered: "Take my sister to bed. We will leave here tomorrow."
When Yan'er heard that he was finally leaving, she was so happy that she held the old shopkeeper's hand and said with a smile, "Grandpa, Yan'er has never been to the imperial city of Zhou Dynasty."
The old shopkeeper laughed: "When we get to the Imperial City, grandpa will let you go shopping."
All the money Xiao Hei has earned over the years and from opening the shop is with the old shopkeeper. He is not short of money to spend.
Seeing the two sisters leaving, Xiao Hei sighed.
He smiled bitterly and said: "Northern Qi and Great Zhou have already started a war. I guess I won't be able to stay in this world for long."
Seeing Xiao Hei make his words clear, the old shopkeeper no longer hid it.
While cooking the fire, he smiled and said: "Your brother and I have some chance. When you leave, it is also the time for me to leave, right?"
Xiao Hei nodded: "In this case, I feel relieved."
After a while, he said: "Qingyu, Princess Beiqi, and the old Taoist priest from Qingniu Mountain, I will give them a chance to ascend. As for their whereabouts, it is up to my brother to arrange them."
The old shopkeeper poured the spirit tea into the pot and said with a smile: "Qingyu and the princess are really lucky to have met you in their three lifetimes."
Xiao Hei disagreed and replied quietly: "In the final analysis, this is the opportunity brought to them by Yan'er."
In Xiao Hei's opinion, if Yan'er hadn't wanted to transform, he would not have met the white fox Bai Ling who had left. If Bai Ling hadn't taken him to the secret realm, where would he have gotten the elixir?
At most, the matter of Yan'er's transformation was left to her brother, but in this way, Qingyu and the others missed the elixir.
The old shopkeeper sighed and smiled lightly: "That's true. Thinking about it, these two little guys have brought me a lot of joy."
The two of them were holding a cup of tea spirit, each thinking about their own thoughts.
After a long time, Xiao Hei smiled bitterly and said: "With my brother's ability, I'm afraid he won't be able to take his two sisters with him when he leaves."
The old shopkeeper had never thought about it. For him, separation didn't seem to need to be considered.
The master has arranged everything.
Thinking of this, the old shopkeeper couldn't help but reply: "Maybe fate has its own arrangements, and it's not time for you to worry about it yet."
If the old Taoist priest doesn't come, he doesn't know what the final arrangement will be.
In his opinion, as long as he does everything in front of him, he will naturally return to where he came from in the end. As for the whereabouts of Xiao Hei and Li Xiuyuan, he cannot control them.
Just like two little girls.
Xiao Hei thought for a moment and said, "For this matter, I can only let my brother trouble the old Taoist priest."
About to leave, Xiao Hei has no nostalgia for Dingzhou City, and neither does the old shopkeeper.
Until it was time to turn on the lights at night, until the old shopkeeper asked the two little girls to wash their faces and feet and climb into bed to dream.
Xiao Hei, who was guarding a solitary lamp, waited for Qing Yu who arrived belatedly.
Qingyu didn't expect Xiao Hei to be sitting alone in the living room, so she couldn't help but smile: "Are you sure that I'm going to come to you?"
Shaking his head, Xiao Hei replied: "No, I will leave Dingzhou City early tomorrow morning, whether you come to see me or not."
Qingyu was silent for a moment.
After a while, he asked: "Do you want to tell General Yuwen about that?"
The two were about to confront each other, and Qingyu had to express her doubts in front of Xiao Hei.
Xiao Hei reached out and poured her a cup of spiritual tea. He raised his eyebrows and said, "What if General Yuwen disagrees? What are you going to do? Come back to the imperial city with me in tears?"
Qingyu was stunned for a moment, then looked at Xiao Hei and was speechless for a moment.
This matter involves the Hongfu Temple in the city. I'm afraid that General Yuwen can't make the decision. In the end, I have to ask the emperor and the empress, after all this time, is there any secret?
Xiao Hei looked at her and smiled: "You make up your own mind about this matter. If you believe me, sooner or later the empress will attack those monasteries that own thousands of acres of fertile land and privately support monks and soldiers."
Qingyu, who originally had some hesitation in her heart, suddenly gained a lot of confidence upon hearing this.
Since the empress has to do this sooner or later, it is better to let her open this shady curtain in Dingzhou City first.
In this way, the emperor and empress could be forced to take action as soon as possible to get rid of these bad habits one by one.
Taking a sip of the spiritual tea in her hand, Qingyu sighed: "It would be a pity if you don't become a general. I guess the empress thinks so too."
Xiao Hei took a spoonful of well water and put it into the pot, and said softly: "I am not a citizen of Dazhou, and this is not my destination. You know this, so..."
"So what?"
Qingyu smiled bitterly and said: "No more, I will leave with the master sooner or later, let alone you."
Xiao Hei nodded with satisfaction: "Remember, when you return to the imperial city, don't drag me into the muddy water of the palace. I don't want either the good or the bad."
Qingyu thought for a moment and asked, "What if your life is threatened?"
Xiao Hei waved his hand and said with a smile: "Isn't there still you? Don't forget, you are now a great monk, not to mention you have a powerful master."
Qingyu did not argue with Xiao Hei. In her opinion, as long as Xiao Hei did not refuse in person, everything was possible.
Xiao Hei looked at her and smiled: "I'm just leaving for a few days. When you come back, you can come find me at No. 47."
Qingyu heard this and blurted out: "I will bring my junior sister with me when the time comes."
That night, Qingyu sat until Hai did not leave.
The moment he walked out of the living room, he looked back at Xiao Hei and said, "You may not have noticed, but tomorrow is the beginning of summer."
…
"beginning of summer……"
Xiao Hei, who got up early, called his two younger sisters to get up and wash up, and called the old shopkeeper to get up and eat porridge.
Holding eggs in her hands, she peeled them for Qingqing and Yan'er and put them in bowls, while muttering to herself: "It turns out, summer is really here."
There were two little girls laughing and talking inside the house, but the expected heavy rain outside the house had not yet come.
After breakfast, Xiao Hei held their hands and left the inn.
The carriage was already waiting outside the inn door, and the old shopkeeper followed behind and said, "I'm afraid it's going to rain today."
When the driver heard this, he smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. The rain in summer is easier than the snow in winter. At most, we will have to travel less."
After carrying his two sisters into the carriage, Xiao Hei turned back to the coachman and said, "It's a long way to the imperial city, but we should go slowly. I'm not in a hurry."
The wheels rumbled on the bluestone slab, and the carriage slowly headed towards the west city gate.
In the city lord's palace, a guard came to report. He looked at General Yu Wenxian and said, "Report to General, the Northern Qi army is advancing outside the city gate."
Yu Wenxian was shocked when he heard this, and then ordered: "Gather all the generals to go to the North City Gate."
After speaking, he looked at Qingyu beside him and asked, "General Qingyu, do you want to come with me?"
Qingyu shook her head and replied quietly: "I am in the city lord's palace, waiting for the good news from the general."
Yu Wenxian nodded and hurriedly left with two guards. The city lord Chen Wendao glanced at Qingyu and followed him towards the north gate.
At this time, Xiao Hei and his two carriages had already left the west gate of Dingzhou City.
The carriage had not traveled ten miles when there was a rumble in the sky, and the first heavy rain of summer came as promised...
