Shen Dingzhu wanted to refuse, but she was afraid of getting into trouble. After she came to Beiliang, she was extremely cautious and rarely left Xu Mansion.
But if there is a problem, Xu Huaisong usually refuses for her, probably because he is afraid of causing trouble. This time he offered to let her go with him, which seemed to be no big deal.
Shen Dingzhu nodded: "Okay, you can leave now."
Xu Huaisong glanced at her twice, with a cold expression on his face, a hint of helplessness.
"Go and change your clothes. Dress more simply."
Shen Dingzhu lowered his head silently and looked at his clothes. They were made of blue fabric and had the most common flowing patterns. The old ladies who cooked in the mansion also wore them like this.
But after Xu Huaisong said this, she took the initiative to change into a dark maroon dress. As soon as she came out of the house, she found that Xu Huaisong was standing at the door of the yard waiting for her.
He stood in the sun and shook his head slightly: "It should be the same one just now."
Shen Dingzhu rubbed his eyebrows: "Okay."
Whatever the employer says is what she says, and he has already given her a reward of one hundred and fifty taels.
The yellow powder smeared on her face reached the carriage. Xu Huaisong looked at her twice and felt that it was not enough, so he took out the Luodai pen he had prepared in advance.
"Make your eyebrows thicker."
Shen Dingzhu looked at the brand new Luodai and was embarrassed to accept it. This one cost thirty taels of silver in the city.
"Use it, I originally planned to give it to you. This Mid-Autumn Festival you helped me preserve three ancient paintings that were eaten by insects and ants. I said I wanted to thank you at the time, but I always forgot." Xu Huaisong looked at her and said calmly explain.
Shen Dingzhu took it and said, "Thank you, uncle." It would be better to change it to silver next time.
There was no mirror in the carriage. She originally wanted to draw based on her feelings, but Xu Huaisong took advantage of the situation and took out a hand-held bronze mirror from a small cage on the side.
"Use it, Madam left it last time."
Shen Dingzhu sighed at Xu Huaisong's attentiveness. After thanking him, he bent down and held a mirror to draw his eyebrows.
At the same time, an inconspicuous carriage, hung with a blue cloth, passed by their car.
A long and slender hand lifted the corner of the car curtain, and his deep eyes looked at the surrounding street scene. After just one glance, he looked away.
Xiao Langyan was wearing a black and purple robe, his normal clothes were ordinary, but when it fell on him, he looked powerful. His cold eyebrows and thin eyes under his crown were even more dark and breathtaking.
Chen Heng sat opposite him: "Sir, we must leave the city before dark. The spies have received news that the city guards of White Lion City have ordered that the city gates be sealed after tonight to prevent outsiders from entering or exiting."
Xiao Langyan was playing with a piece of pink satin in his hand. After being touched countless times over the past year, it had gradually become loose, but he still couldn't put it down.
It seems that if you grab it, you can catch a little trace of Shen Dingzhu.
He frowned and said with displeasure: "I came here and stayed for a month, only to realize that Beiliang Jinxiu is outside and a bunch of straw bag inside. White Lion City is in such a mess. If outsiders are allowed to come in and out with fake identities, how can they resist my tiger and wolf army."
After speaking, he asked Chen Heng: "Is there any news about Shen Dingzhu here?"
Chen Heng shook his head: "The spies have been lurking in the city for three or four months, but they have not found a woman with the empress's appearance, and no one is selling calligraphy, painting or embroidery."
Xiao Langyan's tall body leaned against the car wall, slowly closing his thin eyes and letting out a long sigh.
In the past few months, he had searched everywhere in the Huai River, and even found Qi Jingxi's drowned body, but not Shen Dingzhu's. Xiao Langyan was willing to believe that she was not dead.
If the Jin Dynasty couldn't find it, he would knock down Beiliang and look for it. If Beiliang couldn't be found, he would turn around and destroy the Changliu Kingdom.
In short, no matter how much he searches under the sky, he can always find traces of her. Even if he can't find her again, at least he is always on the road and will not be overwhelmed by strong thoughts.
As long as he doesn't die, he will not give up searching.
"Leave the city now. Instruct Shen Lan to have the men ambushing in White Lion City ignite the gunpowder in advance in three days. I don't want to give them a chance."
"yes."
Chen Heng nodded.
The reason why the Jin Dynasty was invincible on the battlefield was because it held the secret recipe of gunpowder. This thing, which was comparable to divine power, was buried under the White Lion City in large quantities this time, enough to raze the entire city to the ground.
The people of Beiliang killed his wife, and he wanted them to pay with blood from all over the country.
Shen Dingzhu and Xu Huaisong arrived at the largest restaurant in White Lion City, and the most spacious private room by the window on the second floor had been reserved for them.
As soon as she reached the second floor, she found many guards standing with cold eyes.
Look at the swords they hold in their hands, each hilt is inlaid with sapphires.
Shen Dingzhu's heart sank, she knew that in Beiliang, only the Jianshan guarded by the nobles could wear sapphires.
Xu Huaisong led her through the door. As soon as she entered, she heard a burst of hearty laughter.
"Huaisong, you've made it." The person who came was in his thirties, with thick black eyebrows and slightly tanned skin. He was tall and well-dressed. The bright jade and thumb rings he wore were extremely valuable.
Shen Dingzhu stood behind Xu Huaisong, lowering his head and saying nothing.
Xu Huaisong stepped forward and exchanged greetings with a chuckle: "Cousin, long time no see."
He turned around and introduced Shen Dingzhu: "This is the girl Xibao who helped you restore the painting. She is an expert in calligraphy and painting."
Shen Dingzhu suddenly felt that the man's interested eyes fell on her.
She raised her head slightly, revealing a face with thick eyebrows and yellow skin. Although she was beautiful, the man couldn't help but frown.
I just feel that these eyebrows are too thick and dark, like unbearable ink spots on a beautiful painting.
"See you, sir." Shen Dingzhu said.
Xu Huaisong smiled faintly: "I forgot to tell you that he is not an adult, but the fourth prince of the current Holy Emperor. You can just call him His Highness."
Shen Dingzhu's heart skipped a beat before she realized that Xu Huaisong had just called this man his cousin!
So...she suddenly remembered that the Queen of Beiliang was named Lin, and the fourth prince was born to Queen Lin. Xu Huaisong was a distant relative of Queen Lin? !
It seems that there is a reason why the Xu family's business is so big. It is a treasury from which the queen can draw money at any time, and it relies on the queen's power to develop the power of her mother's family.
The fourth prince laughed and asked them to sit down. He poured wine with his hand wearing a gem ring and said: "Miss Xibao is true to her name. I fell in love with you as soon as I saw you. Come, let's have a drink when we meet for the first time."
Xu Huaisong pressed down the wine glass he handed him: "Cousin, Miss Xibao is not good at drinking. She just got sick recently."
"Oh?" The fourth prince raised his eyebrows with an incomprehensible look in his eyes, joking, "You are good at taking care of others, but I remember that you have been a dull gourd since you were a child, and you actually love women, haha——"
He said that he had a drink first and did not force Shen Dingzhu to drink.
Shen Dingzhu raised his head slightly and said calmly: "The eldest uncle and eldest lady are kind-hearted and have always been very considerate and caring for the common people. This time the painting has been repaired, thanks to the appreciation of the Fourth Highness, this glass of wine should be like a treasure to you."
As she spoke, she took the initiative to lift the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
The smell of wine was hot and slid down her throat. When the fourth prince saw her like this, he even clapped his hands and applauded: "This is one of his own!"
As he spoke, he took out a piece of gold from his pocket and put it on the table with a bang: "I'll reward you."
Shen Dingzhu thanked him and accepted it without hesitation.
Seeing this, Xu Huaisong asked her to sit down temporarily, and he started talking to the fourth prince.
"My cousin came here on a patrol this time, but for the war?"
Talking about the battle, the fourth prince sighed and even cursed: "The Jin Kingdom keeps attacking fiercely, and my father is also having a headache. More importantly, King Changsheng is also old and confused now, and is far worse than before. He has died two more times." Although my son, Cai Jin, is in the hands of Emperor Jin, my teeth are itching with hatred, but what can I do?"
The fourth prince clinked glasses with Xu Huaisong, took a sip of wine, and then continued to explain: "I will leave tonight, Huaisong, and you and your family should evacuate as soon as possible. I have received news that the general leading the army of Jin has almost taken Bai The Lion City is surrounded.”
Xu Huaisong nodded: "We are getting ready and will leave with my family tomorrow night."
Shen Dingzhu was listening to them quietly. At this moment, she felt a line of sight falling on her.
She looked up inadvertently and saw a personal guard behind the fourth prince, looking at her with cold eyes.
Shen Dingzhu was confused at first. She didn't show anything weird, right?
However, after she recalled it carefully, she suddenly broke into a cold sweat.
A year ago, when she was still pregnant, she took a carriage back to the palace from her parents' home and saved a comatose man on the way. It was him!
This man was half-conscious at the time and might not have seen her face clearly, but he must have remembered her voice!
what to do? Will he tell the fourth prince?
A layer of cold sweat formed on Shen Dingzhu's back. At this moment, Xu Huaisong touched her shoulder lightly: "Si Bao?"
She suddenly came back to her senses, her eyes a little flustered, but it only took a moment before she stabilized.
"Uncle, looking at a table of delicacies, Xibao lost his temper."
The fourth prince laughed loudly and pointed at the dishes: "I was negligent. Miss Xibao looks thin. You should eat more and use your chopsticks."
Shen Dingzhu tasted like chewing wax. She lowered her head to eat, not daring to raise her head again.
But at this moment, the fourth prince suddenly asked: "Where is Miss Xibao from? Her accent is so melodious. I would not expect that she is from Beiliang, but she looks a bit like Jin."
