In the blink of an eye, entering Layue, Xiao Yiran's family has been in Bianliang for a year. By the end of the year, the news that the Liao State in the north was going to invade the border of the Great Song Dynasty spread far and wide, and almost every street was discussing this matter.

Xiao Yiran didn't pay much attention to this. After all, there are memories of two lifetimes, and in the memories of that life in the distant future, Xiao Yiran knows very well that the Northern Song Dynasty has just begun, although the north has been harassed by the Liao State and the Western Xia, the first few decades of the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty, or even nearly a hundred years, were still very safe.

The only thing Xiao Yiran was worried about was the entanglement from the third prince Zhao Heng, that is, the future Song Zhenzong. In order to avoid Zhao Heng, Xiao Yiran almost turned down all kinds of invitations, including the invitation of Princess Yinghui, but Xiao Yiran turned it down on the grounds of physical discomfort.

Occasionally, Xiao Yiran would only come forward when Lin Chen came to Xiao's Mansion, but it was only limited to the living room in the front yard and saw each other in a hurry. He never went to the palace to meet Mr. Di at Lin Chen's invitation. Naturally, Xiao Yiran had no chance to return that Fang Jinpa to Zhao Heng.

Since the last time Xiao Guoliang and Sun planned to buy two more girls for Xiao Yiran, it didn't take long for the housekeeper Cai Xu to do it. When the two little girls stood timidly in front of Xiao Yiran, Xiao Yiran looked at it seriously for a moment, and felt that the two little girls should be two different personalities. Among them, the little girl named Xiang Qing, with apricot eyes and raised eyebrows, looks like the kind of strong character, and the other one, with a shrunken head and shoulders, has a very soft face, and should be a very soft character. Xiao Yiran looked at Xiang Qing in front of him, and couldn't help but think of Baoyu's girl Qingwen in "Dream of Red Mansions", so he pointed at Xiang Qing a little mischievously:

"From now on, you'll be called Qingwen."

Then he pointed to the shy-looking girl and said:

"Your name is Musk Moon."

"Yes, miss."

The two agreed together.

"Sister Xiaoxi, anyway, you are pregnant now, don't do specific things, let Qingwen and Musk Yue follow you, learn more."

"Leave them to me, and Miss can rest assured."

Xiaoxi said, and turned her head to ask Qingwen again.

"How old are you?"

"Eight."

"What about you?"

Xiaoxi asked Musk Yue again.

"Eight years old, too."

The sun rises and the moon sets, time flies, Xiao Yiran almost stays at home in Xiaofu, and in the blink of an eye, winter goes to spring, it is the sixth year of Taiping Xingguo (981), and Xiao Yiran is already ten years old. Because the provincial test is only held every three years, there is no spring siege in the spring of this year, and Xiao Guoliang's days are relatively leisurely. The days of Xiao Mansion gradually became calmer, Xiao Yiran read, practiced the piano, and learned to paint. It's just that chess skills need an opponent, and Xiao Mansion does not have anyone who is proficient in chess skills, so Xiao Yiran occasionally has itchy hands, and has to go to Lord Wang's Mansion to find Mr. Di, which is not only to learn, but also to learn. As for other people's invitations, Xiao Yiran still tried to push them down.

On the tenth day of the first month of March, it happened to be the day when Xiao Guoliang was resting, and the family of three had long planned to go out. Therefore, after breakfast in the morning, let Xiao Qing prepare the car, for a long time, since the Xiao family came to Bianliang City, they have not had the opportunity to walk outside the city. Just as the family was packing up and was about to wait for the car to go out of the city, suddenly the housekeeper Cai Xu hurriedly came from the porter.

"Master, madam, miss, Gonggong Li from the palace is here."

"Grandpa Li? Hurry up and please. ”

Xiao Guoliang knew that Gonggong Li was the most favored father-in-law around Shengshang, and he guessed in his heart Gonggong Li's intentions, so he asked Sun and Xiao Yiran to avoid it first, and hurriedly greeted him towards the door of the mansion.

"Father-in-law Li is here, but Xiao doesn't know, and he hasn't greeted him from afar."

"Lord Xiao doesn't have to be so polite, the Sprinkle family is here to spread the word of the saint."

Seeing that Xiao Guoliang was about to kneel on the ground, Gonggong Li hurriedly stopped:

"Just stand and listen to the announcement."

Xiao Guoliang stood in the courtyard as he said, listening to Gonggong Li's proclamation of the saint.

"The Holy Lord's decree, Xiao Guoliang, the servant of the Propaganda Department, will enter the palace immediately."

"Obey the Divine Commandment."

After receiving the emperor's command, Xiao Guoliang invited Gonggong Li to the living room for tea, but Gonggong Li said:

"Lord Xiao should hurry up and go with the Sprinkle family, the Holy Lord is waiting for Lord Xiao in the imperial study."

"Father-in-law, I don't know why the saint urgently recruited Xiao into the palace?"

"Lord Xiao, I don't know about the Sprinkle family, let's go, won't you know when you arrive?"

Xiao Guoliang couldn't do it, turned around and went back to the room, said a word to Sun's mother and daughter, and hurriedly followed Gonggong Li into the palace with trepidation.

Since Xiao Guoliang was transferred to the ministry, it has only been a year now, and in addition to meeting the emperor at the court meeting, this is the first time he has been announced to the palace to see the driver. Under the guidance of Gonggong Li, he soon came to the outside of the imperial study.

"Lord Xiao wait a minute, and the Sprinkle family will report."

After a while, Gonggong Li came out and beckoned to Xiao Guoliang.

"Lord Xiao, please."

Xiao Guoliang walked into the imperial study lightly, and saw the emperor sitting behind the imperial case, with one person sitting on each side, one was Zhao Pu, the prime minister of the court, and the other was the secretary of the ministry, that is, his top boss Lin Lidao. Xiao Guoliang took two steps closely, came to the front of the imperial case, prostrate on the ground, said long live, and saluted the emperor.

"Excuse me, give me a seat."

Father-in-law Li moved a chair, and Xiao Guoliang sat on half of his buttocks. The corner of his eye glanced at the two Shangshu, looking at the expression, it shouldn't be a bad thing.

"Xiao Aiqing, do you know what I announced why you came?"

"Back to the saint, the minister doesn't know."

"Li Aiqing, tell me about it."

"Lord Xiao, now that the situation in the north is unstable, the imperial court is preparing soldiers, horses, grain and grass, presumably Lord Xiao has also heard about this."

Xiao Guoliang nodded.

"Therefore, the Holy Lord and Prime Minister Zhao deliberately chose a good official to go to Yanshan Mansion Road first, and make all preparations before the battle."

At this time, Prime Minister Zhao Pu interjected:

"Yanshanfu Road is close to the sixteen states of Yanyun, bordering Liao in the north and Xixia in the west. It has always been a battleground for soldiers, and for the Great Song Dynasty, Yanshan is not only a place for soldiers to receive food, but also a gateway to the northern border. Therefore, the saint intended to send Lord Xiao to Yanshan to serve as the prefect of Yanshan and the official residence. ”

Hearing this, Xiao Guo's conscience tightened, and he quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and said:

"Holy Lord, the minister is a scholar, I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to be qualified for this job."

"Xiao Aiqing doesn't have to be humble, although Xiao Aiqing has been an official for a short time, he is also a rare good official. When the imperial court is employing people, it also hopes that Xiao Aiqing can be loyal to the country. Go back and prepare, and the will will come. ”

Xiao Guoliang knew that the emperor had said everything about this, and if he wanted to resign, he would have disobeyed the decree. I had to kowtow to thank you, quit the imperial study, and turned back to Xiao Mansion with a lot of heart.

Since Xiao Guoliang was announced to enter the palace by Li Gonggong, Sun and Xiao Yiran have been waiting in the living room in the front yard. The tension and apprehension in his heart are no worse than Xiao Guoliang.