The days passed in a flash, and in a blink of an eye, it was March.

The war in the northwest did not end, and the Tartars launched several attacks with great strength, but they were all stopped by Fang Qi outside Pingxi Pass. The Fang family was brought to the forefront through several holy decrees. Queen Fang was very steady, and the eldest lady handed the fold into the palace several times, but was refuted by the queen, and asked Gonggong Lin to bring a letter and say, "The situation is not stable", just these four words made the eldest lady panic while being full of joy.

"The queen has always been steady, and the inner and outer women have always been distinct, I know this. But my brother is still working hard in the northwest, and whose eyes can we provoke when our sisters support and comfort each other? The eldest lady sat at the bottom left, and she didn't dare to contain resentment in her tone, but she could hear the obvious incomprehension.

He looked at Mrs. Tai, who was leaning on the cushion, pursed her lips, and said: "My brother has been assigned to the position of general of the world's military horses, and even Brother Huan has been given the position of a hereditary four-rank commander, can I see that the Fang family is cooking oil with fire and flowers?" But I always have worries in my heart, and Master Hou doesn't tell me in detail, and I have no place to talk, so I can't talk to Ah Yu and Brother Jing, right? You can't talk to the second lady, can you? Your body is still raised, and I don't dare to trouble you."

After listening to the words of the eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Tai had always known that the Fang family was a heartless and soft person, if she didn't know, I was afraid that she would think that she had made Qiao in front of her mother-in-law!

"Is the queen smart or are you smart? Should you listen to the queen's words, or should you listen to your words? Mrs. Tai said lightly, raising her eyes to look at the eldest lady. He also said: "Fang Qi is working hard in the northwest, not for the two younger sisters to show off their power in Dingjing. Think for yourself. Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which military general has not been impeached? The higher you go. The more you have to be a man with your tail between your legs, you should learn from the queen. ”

The eldest lady was speechless, so she had to nod her head, so she finally hid her thoughts, and finally she was able to tell someone.

In March, Rongshoutang is quiet and refreshing, with gray walls and blue bricks, red bars and vermilion paint, and the slightly warm and cool light in early spring shines through the towering ancient cypress in the courtyard, casting a mottled shadow on the green brick floor. It was mixed with a light as bright as water.

Since Mrs. Tai's health was not good, and when she experienced the turn of spring and winter, except for showing up to go to Pingyang Palace, she closed her doors to thank guests, and even managed very few matters in the mansion. In the matter of the Northern War, Xingzhao did not dare to rashly send someone to Rongshoutang to report the news, but in the end, Mrs. Tai still understood the matter thoroughly and thought a little deeper than others.

"If you really can't be idle, go to Min's house. Anyway, in the letter, he and Fang Qi fought side by side in the northwest, and Mrs. Min was not the one who couldn't hide her words. Mrs. Tai said again, but she secretly said in her heart that such a big thing as the second prince's choice of concubine made way for the northwest. So far, no one has come out. It is rare for the emperor to remember that he was rewarded with an errand to protect the army, and this is the emperor promoting the Min family.

The eldest lady and the eldest lady are talking. That Xingming and Xingzhao were also whispering in Huaishanyuan.

"Xingxiao came to the East Cross Courtyard to say that he was with me to say goodbye, and he also brought his own embroidered handkerchief and purse. I was so shocked that I didn't even sit still. "Xingming is getting older, and it is rare to be let out of the courtyard by the second lady. I had a stomach to say, and I was about to speak, but I saw the hydrangea on the high table in the corner of the wall, and changed my mouth halfway: "This hydrangea is beautiful, right?" ”

Xingzhao smiled again and again: "It looks good!" As soon as you send it, I will put it on the high table, it is fragrant and beautiful. After the praise, she replied to her previous sentence and hastily said: "If you have a disease, the whole person will be more sensible." He asked Xingming again: "The second aunt detains you all day long, whether you want to read the account books, or become a female celebrity, and even Mr. Chang doesn't allow you to go, what's wrong?" ”

"What else" Xingming pursed his mouth, looking very unhappy, but his face was red all over.

Xingzhao suddenly remembered that after the second lady took Xingming back to her parents' house last time, several ladies from the Zhongshan Hou Mansion came to the He Mansion very frequently

Xingzhao covered his mouth and smiled, but he didn't say anything.

Xingming leaned over as if he had suddenly come to the interest, and quietly attached himself to Xingzhao's ear and said: "Last time, my mother was still asking if the eldest aunt Fang's brother Huan was fourteen years old, and said that he was married, but he was scolded by his father."

Xingzhao was stunned, and then laughed, the second lady's heart was no less worried about Xingming's marriage than her mother's heart!

When the eldest lady came back from Rongshoutang, He Yan was already waiting in the main courtyard, and it was rare to call all four juniors out for dinner.

As soon as He Xingxiao saw Xingzhao, he hurriedly curled his knees.

Xingzhao raised his eyebrows, and didn't say anything more, just asked someone to help her up, and never looked at that side again - even Xingming knew how to please and sell well, but he didn't see any movement on Huaishanyuan, which shows that He Xingxiao was convinced of that dream, and was sure that the branch of the main courtyard would be like a flower in a dream, just a flash in the pan.

Eat a meal with each heart, the scene is few words, the line is cautious, the line is cautious, the line is good to please and sell well, and the line is always wordy.

Seeing that He Yan put aside his chopsticks, the others didn't dare to eat and drink anymore. When they dispersed, He Yan called Xingjing and Xingzhao, and said softly to Xingjing: "I was still very diligent some time ago, although I still ran to Mr. Ming every day recently, but after I came back, I didn't read books and looked at the map instead?" ”

Xingjing hung his head and did not speak.

The eldest lady came forward to play a round: "Isn't his uncle fighting in the northwest?" Brother Jing'er is worried about it. ”

He Yan frowned and wanted to speak, but he was stunned, frowned and waved his hand, and simply let Xingjing go back. asked Xingzhao in a warm voice: "After playing around for a winter, Mr. Chang has started class, can he still hold his heart?" ”

Is this family fun? Xingzhao suddenly felt a little nauseous, no profit can not afford to be early, if the Fang family fails to make a name for itself in the northwest and reverses the decline, where can He Yan endure his temperament and ask one by one

I was thinking about it in my heart, but I still nodded lightly on my face, found an excuse, and was about to retire: "Mr. Chang has arranged ten red drawings, and he hasn't finished writing them yet." He Yan smiled and let her go back.

The night is deep, the stars and the moon are gradually rising, the twilight is thick, the lights of the Lin'an Hou Mansion are extinguished from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard one by one, except for a few little maids in the verandah who carry the sheep's horn palace lamp to shuttle among them, leaving the sound of rustling, you can only hear the sound of the breeze "whirring".

In the silence, there was a sudden sound of horses' hooves outside the Jiujing Hutong, the sound of "trampling" was getting closer and closer, getting louder and louder, whistling from the corner of the alley, the paper lanterns hanging high on the pole were swaying in all directions, and under the swaying candle flame, a man wearing silver-gray armor and carrying a red tassel gun on his back could be faintly seen leaning over the horse, and the placket had been wet with red blood.

There are street vendors squatting in the corner of the wall who have not yet closed their stalls and are startled by the sound of horses' hooves, and they look at the people who have gone away in a daze, and muttered in their mouths while cleaning up their things: "It's so late, how can anyone still ride in on horseback when the city gate is curfew" and looked inside, and saw that the person stopped in front of the door of the Lin'an Hou Mansion, and the hawker couldn't help but sigh: "If it is really a relative of the emperor, the regulations set by the emperor can be broken if they are broken."

After a short time, the lights of the He Mansion were lit one by one, from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard at a very fast speed.

"Girl! Girl! ”

Xingzhao was startled, sat up from the bed, propped himself up, looked at Lianyu who looked anxious in front of him, suffocated his chest for no reason, raised his chin, and motioned for her to continue.

"The girl Pingxi Pass is broken!" Lianyu's voice was so sharp for the first time, with a crying and hoarseness, as if it had soared into the sky.

Xing Zhao leaned forward, frowned and asked her, "What did you say?" ”

Lianyu's eyes were very red, and she couldn't help crying and stepped forward to support Xingzhao's shoulder, gritted her teeth desperately, and said word by word: "The Pingxi Pass guarded by my uncle is broken." Just now someone came to shoot the gate of our house, and was brought to the main courtyard, Hou Ye and the eldest lady were awakened, and Wang's mother went to ask Huang's mother, only to know that Pingxi Pass was lost last night, and the Tartars had attacked Cangnan County. My uncle was alone, and he went west with 3,000 elite soldiers, and now his life and death are uncertain."

Xingzhao felt as if his head had been hit three times by the drum bell in the temple, and when he heard Lianyu's voice, he felt buzzing and panicked.

After a few quick breaths, her hand was clasped in her palm, and the pain of piercing the flesh made her brain sober up instantly, looking at Lianyu, whose face was flushed, and she wanted to cry but didn't dare to cry, she gently patted the back of her hand and whispered: "Don't panic!" Then he looked around at the frightened people in the room, and with solemn faces, he commanded in a deep voice, "Get dressed!" Go to the main courtyard! ”

The He family was curfew, and the doors of the courtyards had been tightly locked, but no one stopped Xingzhao along the way.

Xingzhao lifted the hem of his skirt and walked forward quickly, always feeling that it was not enough, so he simply trotted up, panting and turning the corner, the main courtyard was already brightly lit at this time, there was no expected noise, no sobbing of the eldest lady, and no He Yan's sharp questioning, only a weak voice seemed to be talking with all his strength: "The Tartars attacked at three o'clock in the Shen hour yesterday, first attacking with arrows, and then attacking with fire."

"Tens of thousands of Tartars are approaching, and the lookouts and soldiers stationed there can't see it? I don't know? This is the sound of He Yan sinking into the earth.

"The sky in the northwest has always been dark early, and the general also specially ordered people to stand on the Eagle Eye Terrace, and they are not allowed to leave half a step!"

spoke concisely and clearly, although it was obvious that it was a big injury, but it was still sonorous and powerful, word by word.

This is my uncle's Fang Jiajun cronies.

Xingzhao forced himself to sober his head, and still found useful information from the clues. (To be continued......)