Xili City.
The bitterly cold night was stretched endlessly by sadness. Yan Qinghuai raised his head and looked up at the sky. It was pitch black with no light at all.
"Third brother, how many people will...treason..."
His voice was trembling when he asked this question.
Having lived in the imperial city for a long time, everything he saw was rich and prosperous. After hearing Yan Fuguang say that the imperial court had not paid salaries to the officials here for five years, Yan Qinghuai could not say any more accusations. He just felt very complicated.
The court's indifference is the main culprit. I don't know if a situation like Xili City will happen on the long border.
The temperature dropped sharply, and any places on the road that were wet with water were covered with cold hard ice. If you stepped on it, you would accidentally fall.
Yan Fuguang helped the staggering Yan Qinghuai and said helplessly: "I don't know how many people can be found."
He didn't have the ability to predict everything, but in Yan Fuguang's heart, there was nothing that couldn't be solved.
After finding out, kill those who deserve to be killed and keep those who deserve to be kept.
The biggest difficulty at hand is not the number of people who have rebelled against the country, but the Lan people who are eyeing them on the other side of the Nanlan Mountains not far outside Xili City.
I don't know if they have gotten the information sent back by Xiaozuo, or if they have made a careful combat plan based on the secrets leaked by Dayan.
Everything is in the fog.
The manpower he brought was not enough, so Yan Fuguang wrote a letter back to the capital, asking the court to send someone to Xili City as soon as possible.
At the same time, he also sent a message to Baihe City in the northwest, asking the troops stationed there to prepare for timely support.
A small number of people is inefficient. Yan Fuguang didn't want to give other officials extra time to react. He roped in Yan Qinghuai and personally went to find out those officials who colluded with the Lan tribe one by one.
In the thick darkness, the smell of blood mixed with the sound of pleas filled the quiet night.
**
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Ning Huayue couldn't wait to embark on the road back to Ning Mansion.
After meeting Queen Xu, Mrs. Ning often sat alone in a daze. When she saw Ning Huayue, she couldn't wait to ask: "Yue'er, did your aunt ask you to enter the palace? What did you say? What did you say?" Did you promise her anything casually?"
This is what Ning Huayue wants to complain about.
"The queen's aunt asked me to go home and help persuade grandpa to speak well to the eldest prince in front of the emperor. How could I agree to this!"
Mrs. Ning confirmed again: "You really didn't agree?"
Ning Huayue was a little annoyed, and she snorted: "Mother, do you really think I'm stupid? What good will it do to us to have grandpa say those words in front of the emperor?"
Mrs. Ning was finally relieved. She patted her chest fearfully and lowered her voice: "Actually, when I think about it, I don't think I have that much affection for the Queen. In the end, the Queen still likes us." The Ning family can be their support."
However, this seemingly win-win cooperation collapsed with the incident of the deposed prince.
"Don't be so heartless. If you treat someone as your aunt, they may not really treat you as their niece."
"...Huh? It shouldn't be the case..."
"Why not!" Seeing that Ning Huayue didn't believe what she said, Mrs. Ning was so angry that she poked her forehead, "You kid, will your mother harm you? If nothing else, your brother was killed by the prince. Did the Queen have any intention of helping to solve this problem in the capital? Didn’t she just watch with cold eyes?!"
Mrs. Ning became angry when she mentioned this matter: "Your brother still hasn't been able to return to Beijing this year! If he doesn't come back, we can only meet our mother and son if I die!"
Ning Huayue knew that she was in the wrong, and Ning Huaian was implicated by her. She quickly gave Mrs. Ning some mercy and said carefully, "Mother, I know I was wrong, and I won't be so heartless in the future..."
As soon as she admitted her mistake, Mrs. Ning couldn't bear to blame her, so she immediately comforted her: "It's not all your fault. Your situation in the house was not good at that time. I can't blame you."
"Mother, if we help the prince, the prince will not be ungrateful, and then my brother will be able to return to Beijing."
Mrs. Ning was happy just thinking about it: "Yue'er, what you said is good, but as for your grandfather, I'm not sure whether he will listen to what we said."
Elder Ningge is the one who calls the shots in the Ning family. If he doesn't say anything, others don't dare to take sides casually.
Ning Huayue had been prepared to take her time before she came. She said: "Don't worry, grandpa is not a stubborn and rigid person. We insist on saying good things to the prince in front of him. I believe grandpa will be shaken."
It was Grandma Wang who said that she couldn't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Yan Fuguang had many shining points, and there was no reason why Mr. Ningge couldn't see it.
Ning Huayue thought that this was indeed the case. After chatting with Mrs. Ning for a few words, she went to Mr. Ningge's yard to talk about Yan Fuguang's glorious deeds.
Mr. Ning Ge silently raised his tea bowl and drank tea, hiding the smile on his lips.
Jinwangfu, Jinxiyuan.
Ning Huayue and Chen Qingzi both returned to their parents' homes. Lu Qing had no home to return to, so she slept with her three children until three o'clock in the morning.
Brother Lan sat up in a daze, rubbed his eyes and asked, "Mother, what time is it?"
Lu Qing yawned delicately, pushed away the two pieces of calfskin candy that stuck to her, and replied, "It's time."
"ah?!"
Lan Ge'er ignored being pushed away and looked at his brothers aggrievedly, climbed out of bed nimbly, and was about to run outside with bare feet.
"It's too late, it's too late..."
Lu Qing hurriedly chased her out and asked, "Why is it too late? Don't go barefoot, you will catch a cold!"
Lan Geer said with a grimace: "If you are late, you will be scolded by Master..."
Lu Qing hesitated: "...Brother Lan, there is no need to go to school today, Master has gone home to celebrate the New Year."
Brother Lan suddenly realized it. He blushed and whispered: "I forgot..."
With that said, he ran back to the inner room and put on his shoes in front of the bed.
Lu Qing laughed softly a few times, and then came back in after laughing enough.
"Okay, get up soon and let's have a meal. After sleeping for so long, we should be hungry."
Brother Lang was thinking about his homework, so he went into his study to study after lunch.
Lu Qing hugged Brother Jiu and sighed: "I will be as diligent and studious as my brother in the future."
Brother Jiu stared at Lu Qing with a smile, a string of glistening drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. Seeing his playful smile, Lu Qing pretended to bite his little face fiercely.
"Giggle..." Ninth Brother laughed heartily, not afraid at all.
After a while of fussing, Brother Yu also drank the milk and pushed it into Lu Qing's arms.
Lu Qing was in an extremely good mood with her two fat babies in her arms.
When she saw Ji Qin frowning, she stopped smiling and said, "What's wrong?"
"The Queen fell ill last night and hasn't woken up today. The princess asked you and Concubine Chen to accompany her to the palace tomorrow to visit."
Queen Xu is sick? Is it that serious?
Despite the slander, Lu Qing still nodded helplessly: "Okay, I understand."
