This battle in the northwest is indeed difficult to fight this year.

Last year, the Beiban did not invade on a large scale because they were beaten enough the year before last and injured their muscles and bones, so they could only recuperate. However, a wolf is a wolf after all, and after recovering from his injuries, he is about to bite again.

"After the beginning of spring this year, there will be less rain ......" Shen Shu stood in the study, looking at a map of the northwest hanging on the wall, this map is not as detailed as the one in the Dingbei Hou Mansion, but it is enough to see clearly, "It is said that there are several rivers on the grassland that have been cut off." ”

There is not much rain in the northwest, and if the people in the northwest say that there is little rain, it is a drought. The northwest is dry, and the grasslands of the northern barbarians can't run. The people of the Central Plains need water to farm, although the Northern Barbarians do not farm, but the cattle and sheep also have to eat grass and drink water, how can their lives be better when the drought starts? What's more, water conservancy is also built in the northwest, and if every household does not have a well, they will build dry wells to store water, but the northern barbarians do not have these facilities, so this year's drought is even more difficult on the grassland than in the northwest.

However, for the Northern Barbarians, it is already their nature to plunder, what if they don't eat or drink? Grab it!

Therefore, it was only autumn, and the northwest border city had been invaded by several small groups of northern barbarian soldiers, and the number of people was increasing, disturbing everywhere, and in September, it was even more frequent, so that the defenders of the border city were a little tired to deal with.

"Although my uncle is strict in governing the army, but this year's ......" This year, there are many people with different intentions in the Northwest Army, although Dingbei Hou has been prepared, but there are 100,000 soldiers and horses in the northwest, and there are many people, so it is inevitable that some people will have different hearts, which will make people's hearts float.

Shen Shu's face was a little gloomy: "Originally, it was common to have less rain in spring, and it was always the case in the northwest, but I didn't expect that there would be less rain in summer, and this year it seems that there will be a fierce battle." "A hungry wolf is always very hard at biting people.

Speaking of fighting, Taohua thought of the bloodshed she experienced in the ambulance team that year. As a doctor, she has seen too many injuries and deaths, but the hospital is always different from the battlefield, those hot blood, hideous wounds and fresh life can always give people more shock and impact.

"Do you want to go back to the Northwest?" Shen Shu grew up in the northwest, he has the fierceness and courage of the northwest people in his blood, and he has a love for his homeland in the northwest.

Shen Shu looked at Taohua with some hesitation. Brother Xu sat on his shoulder, and when he saw that his parents only cared about talking and snubbed him, he suddenly became reluctant, and pulled Shen Shu's hair with his little hand: "Dad-"

"Brother Xu, come down." Taohua got up and hugged him, "Daddy has something to say, is it okay for Brother Xu to go out to play?" ”

Brother Xu hasn't sat on his father's shoulder enough. The nurses and maids in this game didn't dare to play with him at all, only the little girl named Sanqi used by his mother would carry him around the garden like this. However, Sanqi did not come to the garden often, and the maids said that he was an errand boy in the front yard and could not always come to the backyard.

He didn't understand this, but Sanqi's shoulders were neither as wide as his father's nor as high as his father's, and it wasn't very enjoyable to sit on, and he could only play happily when his father came back. However, he hadn't had enough of today, and his mother was going to ask him to go out.

"Alright, my mouth is so pouting that I can hang an oil bottle." Taohua pinched her son's pouting little mouth, and then remembered that he didn't know what an oil bottle was, so she changed her words, "Like the horse in the front yard, do you want to hang a halter for you?" ”

Ma, Brother Xu knows, Shen Shu took him to see it, and it was indeed a long mouth sticking out, and then putting on a halter. Although the horse doesn't seem to care very much, Brother Xu always feels very uncomfortable like this, and he can't even open his mouth if he wants to eat, right? Thinking that he had to put such a thing on his mouth, maybe he couldn't even eat the custard, so Brother Xu immediately covered his mouth with both hands: "Don't!" ”

"Then go out and play." Taohua kissed him on the door of the head, "When Daddy finishes talking to his mother, I will ride a big horse with you." ”

The so-called riding a big horse is to carry Brother Xu on his shoulders and run laps, only Shen Shu dares to do this, and even Sanqi does not dare to run with the little master, for fear that if he trips, he will fall and fall into his own small matter, and if he falls the little master, he will not be redeemed. Therefore, as soon as Brother Xu heard that he could ride a big horse, he immediately behaved, and honestly asked the nurse to lead him out.

After sending away the son, the husband and wife can finally sit down and talk in detail.

"What does the emperor mean?" Now the soldiers and horses of the five cities in the capital are led by the Marquis of Jinghai, this person is a neutral faction, and he is only loyal to the people on the dragon chair, so there is no need to worry. It doesn't matter if there is an emperor in the forbidden army. But in the two battalions outside the city, Shen Shu has only been messing around in the past year, but he knows that there are quite a few people in it who are speculators, accustomed to seeing the wind and steering the rudder, just looking at which side is strong, which side will fall. The emperor himself does not know how to lead troops, and when it comes to a critical juncture, he still has to count on Shen Shu.

"I haven't consulted with the emperor yet." Shen Shu's brows furrowed, "But the northwest matters." If something happens in the northwest, and the northern barbarians rush into the pass, the people will suffer heavy casualties. "The terrain in the northwest is flat, and the northern barbarians are all cavalry, if they break through the city pass, then the back is simply a flat river for them, and they will burn and loot at will.

Taohua sighed: "It's just this year's ......" When the emperor was about to clean up Yu's house, the Beiban came to make trouble. Speaking of which, it was also Yu Ge Lao who used a Yu Rui to delay the time, and finally dragged it until the Northern Barbarian invasion, and the emperor couldn't take care of him. This trick is really successful.

"Count him lucky." Shen Shu said coldly, "In any case, the most important thing is to fight against the Northern Barbarians, otherwise the city pass will be broken and the lives will be ruined." ”

"Then you go and ask the emperor for his life." Taohua saw his determination, "I'll pack up and go with you." ”

"You're going too?" Of course, Shen Shu knew that Taohua was going to preside over the ambulance team, but what about his son, "Brother Xu can't go!" ”

"Send him quietly to his father." Taohua instantly made up her mind, "I only said to the outside world that I took him to the northwest." "In the Northwest War, it is true that you can't take Brother Xu there, although it is inevitable to be separated from your son, but it is better than taking him to the place where the battlefield is. To put it mildly—in case the Northwest Pass is broken—this kind of thing has not happened before, at least my son is safe in the capital.

"Tell the nurses to take their babies and leave them in the area before they go to the northwest." The children of the two nurses are about the same age as Brother Xu, which comes in handy at this time. There are really not many outsiders who have seen Brother Xu, and it is no problem to dress up the two children.

"Actually......" Shen Shu wanted to say that Taohua didn't have to go. The conditions in the northwest are far inferior to those in the capital, not to mention that they have to save people day and night in the ambulance team.

Taohua waved her hand: "Husband and wife are one, naturally I will go wherever you go." ”

"Taohua-" Shen Shuyi grabbed his wife's hand, his lips moved, but he didn't know what to say, and finally said, "I'll go see the emperor." ”

At this time, it was dark, and there was about to be a curfew outside, so it was said that it was no longer suitable to enter the palace, but the military situation was urgent, and Shen Shu didn't want to wait any longer, so he immediately ordered people to prepare horses and go out.

Mama Zheng ordered dinner in the kitchen, and was about to enter the house to ask if she wanted to pass the meal, when she saw Shen Shu go out, she was surprised and said, "Where did the prince go, no need for dinner?" ”

"Put it on the stove and warm it first, I'm afraid that the prince will come back very late." Now Brother Xu can't ride a big horse, Taohua thought about losing faith in her son, and couldn't help but feel a little weak, "Bring my brother over, let's eat first, and clean up after eating." ”

Mama Zheng asked someone to pass the meal, and said suspiciously: "What does the princess want to clean up?" ”

Taohua roughly said a few words about the urgency of the war in the northwest, and said: "I want to follow the prince, but Brother Xu can't walk such a long way, I thought, Yuzhu and Mint will go to the northwest with me, and Mama and Kikyo will take Brother Xu and live quietly with my father." ”

Speaking of which, this is also just in case. She and Shen Shu are not here, and it is difficult to guarantee that no one will fight Brother Xu'er's idea. Yuzhu and mint are the big girls she serves closely, if she is not around, she will attract people's eyes and ears, Mama Zheng is older, if she says that she will not go to the northwest, no one will doubt it. As for the bellflower, because he always takes care of Jiang Bohua when he comes to live in the county palace, he is relatively less around her, and if he goes back to Jiang's house at this time, it is reasonable and not eye-catching.

Mama Zheng was taken aback: "The prince still wants to go back to the northwest?" "She has seen a lot of intrigues and intrigues in the palace, and it is not that she has never seen dead people, but those intrigues are completely different from the swords and soldiers on the battlefield. To be honest, she followed Taohua to the northwest that year, which was really thrilling, and even scared half of her old life. Later, Taohua set off to return to the capital, she was sick and couldn't walk together, and it is difficult to say that it was not because she was frightened.

"The princess is going to follow?" Mama Zheng had to admit that in terms of guts, she really couldn't compare to the princess, and she couldn't even compare to the girl in Dieyi, who dared to follow the ambulance team to the battlefield to pick up the dead.

"Of course I want to be with the prince." Taohua was already thinking about what to pack and take to the northwest. Shen Shu is in a hurry at this time, he must want to be light and simple, so he can't bring too much luggage. However, some things are easy to buy in the capital, but they are not easy to get in the northwest, so you still have to prepare some, even if you let people escort the car slowly.

Mama Zheng didn't know what to say: "But my brother is still young," she kind of wanted to stop Taohua from going to ......the northwest. The prince will definitely not be able to stop it, but if the princess also goes, the county palace on this side of the capital will have no backbone. If it was at another time, she dared to say that she could hold the county prince's mansion, but now there is an idea that Prince Cheng is beating Brother Xu, and there is a queen in the palace who is said to have a more domineering and eccentric temperament recently. If something happens, I'm afraid that the emperor won't be able to save her, and she won't be able to live with the princess.

"Because he's small, I can't take him to the northwest." Momoka sighed. This time I went to the northwest, let alone separated from my son for half a year, Brother Xu has never been separated from his father and mother when he landed, and I don't know what he is going to cry about.

"Mother-" said Cao Cao Cao arrived, Brother Xu rushed in from the outhouse like a small cannonball, pounced on Taohua's legs, pouted, "Dad went out......" Didn't you say that you wanted to accompany him on a big horse, why did you disappear again.

Taohua hugged her son and kissed and kissed: "Dad has something very important to do." I went to the palace. ”

Brother Xu knew what it meant to enter the palace. Taohua also told him that there was an emperor's uncle in the palace, as well as the queen mother's grandmother. But whenever the father and mother want to enter the palace, there are very important things. But the palace is not a good place, he is a child and cannot protect himself, so his father and mother never take him there.

Brother Xu has a kind of vigilance in the palace. He didn't quite understand what it meant to protect himself, and according to Momoka, it was as if he would fall and hurt if he ran fast, which didn't seem to be a big deal, because the pain would pass after a while. However, every time the nurse and the maids talked about the palace, they looked very nervous, as if there was something more terrible in the palace than the pain of a fall waiting for him. After talking too much, Brother Xu felt that the palace was a terrible place, and when he heard that his father was going to enter the palace, he immediately became worried: "Daddy, will it hurt?" ”

Now even Taohua doesn't know how her son's thinking works, why when he talks about entering the palace, he asks if it hurts, so he can only say vaguely: "Daddy is an adult, he won't fall." ”

This was a mistake, and Brother Xu suddenly understood why adults could enter the palace, because they wouldn't fall. Indeed, he had never seen his father fall.

Taohua listened to her son's strange brain hole that broke through the sky, which was both funny and sad. When he and Shen Shu go to the northwest, his son can't see his father, will he be so lively? Otherwise, even Brother Xu will take him to the northwest together? No, it's too dangerous! If you are scared, what psychological shadow will you leave? But if you don't take it, the child's growth before the age of three, parents are extremely important to him, if there is something wrong because of the missing, what should I do?

Taohua was so worried that her heart was turned upside down, so she heard a movement outside: "What's wrong?" ”

Yuzhu came in and said: "I talked back and forth on the first day of the new year, saying that the prince was afraid that he would not be able to come back for a while." The head of the palace has just broken into the assassin, disturbing the queen mother, and is searching the palace. ”

"Assassins?" Taohua felt unbelievable, how many years had nothing happened in the palace, where did the assassins come from now?

The expression on Chu Mian's face was also very strange: "It was said that he entered the Shouxian Palace." The Queen Mother was recuperating in the house and was so frightened that she fainted. The palace people screamed desperately, and the assassin fled. At present, the palace gate is closed and the palace is searched, and I am afraid that the palace gate will not be opened for a while, and the prince will not be able to come back. ”

Taohua immediately became vigilant: "As soon as the prince entered the palace, he said that there were assassins?" "Is this intended to trap Shen Shu?

Chu Yi hurriedly said: "From the point of view of the hour, no one expected the prince to enter the palace today, so this matter should not be directed at the prince." ”

He, like the princess, felt that something was wrong when he heard this, what kind of assassin, eight out of ten to nine times out of ten was a play written and acted by the Queen Mother, but now I don't know who it was aimed at. However, Shen Shu's entry into the palace at this time was a temporary intention, and the Queen Mother should not have expected it, so it should not be for Shen Shu's idea. However, now that the palace gate is closed, he doesn't know what is going on inside, so he asked Fifteen to guard the palace gate and come back with a flying horse to report the news.

Although Chu Yi said this, Taohua was still not at ease: "Since the Queen Mother is frightened, I should go and take a look." ”

"Princess!" Chu Yi hurriedly stopped, "Don't say that the palace gate will not be open at this time, even if it is open, the prince is inside, and the princess will go in again, then ......" The entire Anjun Royal Mansion is equivalent to being locked up in the palace.

When he said this, Taohua couldn't help but stop. It's not that she's worried about herself, but if Shen Shu is controlled, she can always think of a way outside. But if she doesn't enter the palace now, Shen Shu is killed in a place she can't see, so what?

The Anjun Palace's palace is worried here, but the palace is in chaos at the moment. The guards on duty, as well as the palace attendants, were all organized, carrying lanterns to search all over the palace, making a mess everywhere.

Brother Hui was woken up and lay on the bed with his eyes wide open. Lu Ying walked in lightly, thinking that he was still asleep, but found that he had woken up, and couldn't help but be a little worried: "Brother Hui'er is scared?" ”

"I'm not afraid." Brother Hui expressed it very clearly, and then asked, "Is the concubine afraid?" "The night in the palace is always quiet, and occasionally he wakes up at night, and he can hear the palace people in the outhouse walking very lightly, for fear of a little movement. Now all of a sudden, there must be something going on. Since the concubine asked him if he was scared, it must have been that the concubine herself was a little scared.

"The mother is not afraid." Lu Ying sat on the edge of the bed and held her son in her arms, "A stranger ran in the palace and was looking for him." I'll be fine after a while. ”

This Brother Hui doesn't know very well, but he often sees strange palace people and chamberlains, how can he tell who came in later? However, there was one thing he knew: "The palace is so big, can you find it?" "The Autumn Cool Hall alone is very big, not to mention the garden outside, and other palaces, he can't see the end at a glance.

On weekdays, he occasionally plays hide and seek with the palace people, and it is difficult to find it when he hides in the courtyard of the Qiuliang Palace, if it is the whole palace, where do you have to find it?

"I can find it." Lu Ying smiled lightly, "A lot of people are looking for it." Of course, you have to say this to your son, otherwise what if you say that no one is found and scare the child? However, no matter how stupid she was, she knew that most of the time this assassin would not be found.

Assassin? Where did it come from? What to do in Shouxian Palace? Assassinate the Queen Mother? But who will assassinate the Queen Mother? If you want to talk about assassination, the assassination of the emperor is the most valuable, right? Go to Shousengong - don't say it's the Assassin who went the wrong way.

Could it be that the Yu family wants to push this matter to Zhao Chongyi again, and take the opportunity to rectify the Zhao family? However, even the Zhao family has no reason to assassinate the Queen Mother at all? Even if it is said, this is not credible, why is the Queen Mother making this scene?

"Niangniang—" Cherry walked in, "Supervisor Dunei sent an apprentice to ask if there was any surprise in our palace." "Du Neijian's apprentice came and said that his master asked him, but in fact, he came to ask on behalf of the emperor.

"Look, my father is worried about you." Lu Ying hugged Brother Hui and shook it, "Du Neijian is the person next to your father." ”

Brother Hui nodded sensibly, and suddenly asked, "Will my father be afraid?" ”

Lu Ying pursed her lips and smiled: "Your father is not afraid." ”

Cherry whispered: "King Anjun is with the emperor." ”

"King Anjun?" Lu Ying was stunned, "Why did King Anjun enter the palace?" Could it be that Sister Tao has something to do? ”

"Don't worry, mother." Cherry hurriedly said, "Princess Jun didn't hear anything about it, and I'm afraid that King Anjun entered the palace because of this." "Even if something happens, how can King Anjun enter the palace to ask for help? The first two big Buddhas in the palace are not bad if they don't fall into the well.

"You go and take a look-" Lu Ying was still not at ease in the end, "Ask Xiao Luzi, do you know why King Anjun entered the palace?" I don't have to know, I just want to ask the princess if there's something wrong. ”

Xiao Luzi, one of Du Neijian's most clever apprentices, quickly brought Lu Ying's words back to the emperor.

The emperor had just led someone to search the garden of Shouxian Palace, and when he heard this, he couldn't help but smile at Shen Shu beside him: "Look, my Xiuyi has been thinking about your princess." ”

Shen Shu bowed: "Brother Taohua thanks Xiuyi for his care." ”

"Come on." The emperor waved his hand casually, "Your princess is not less worried about the Lu family. I heard a few words from the Lu family, when she entered the palace for the draft, the cost in the palace was still given by the Jiang family. No wonder Lu Ying kept thinking that the Jiang family had indeed helped her a lot.

"It's also the kindness of Xiuyi, so I always remember this incident." Half of Shen Shu is humble for Taohua, and half of what he said is also true, there are many white-eyed wolves in this world, you have helped him, but he may not remember your benefits, maybe he will bite you when he turns back. Taohua has been in the capital since she came to the capital and has treated many patients, but isn't there a lot of white-eyed wolves like the Queen Mother?

The Emperor smiled and looked at the night dotted with countless lanterns with his hands behind his back: "In your opinion, can this assassin find it or not?" ”

"Most of the time you can't find it." Shen Shu didn't look ahead at all, "Brother Chen just looked in the inner hall, and the footprints were wrong. "There were man's footprints on the ground, but the distance between them was so small that it looked like a woman stepping on a man's shoes, especially on the windowsill—if he had to climb through the window, he would never have stepped on it.

The emperor smiled again: "According to me, this Jin Wuwei commanded the envoy, Fang Qian couldn't sit still. ”

Fang Qian is the one who took over as the commander after Yu Rui competed with Shen Shu in Xiyuan and lost a Jin Wuwei commander. In recent years, his prestige has grown, and although he has not yet been able to command the twelve guards, the emperor has handed over all the defense of the palace to him. Now that there are assassins in the palace, of course, he is the first to be responsible, which cannot be escaped.

Shen Shu was slightly surprised: "They mean this in the Inner Palace!" "To put it bluntly, it is intended for the emperor. Fang Qian was promoted by the emperor, and he had to be brought down first, so that there would be a gap in the inner palace.

In this way, Shen Shu hesitated: "That brother ......" He was thinking about the northwest, and he couldn't wait to put on his wings and fly away. However, there are also people in the inner palace now...... The emperor and the people of the northwest had a difficult choice.

The emperor smiled contemptuously: "Forgive them for not daring to do it now, but let's arrange it first." If you are thinking about the northwest, you should go. It's just that you really want to bring the Jiang family with you? ”

"Taohua said that he is one with his brother and wife, ......" When Shen Shu said this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but smile.

The emperor glanced at it by the light of the lantern, and a complicated look flashed on his face: "Yes, husband and wife are one, you are so blessed." Go ahead, just let her watch out for it, don't be too reckless. Speaking of which, if you go to the northwest, I will feel more at ease over there. Now it seems that I am afraid that I am about to be exhausted. ”