In the northwest of Youzhou, there are many hills and steep mountains in the upper valley.

After the winter, the weather in the north turns cold sharply, the bare hills stretch, occasionally the rare sunlight extends into the distance, since the outbreak of the war between the secluded and Hebei, the entire traffic road from the south to the north is blocked, the business travelers walk in the mountains to and from the grassland trade, along the way looking at the desolate and majestic mountains in the north, after all, there is no other way to go.

Since the end of the war in Jizhou with the death of Gongsun Zhan, at the insistence of Li Ru, troops were sent to directly occupy Jundu Mountain, separating Shanggu County from Youzhou, cutting off the passage of trade routes, and at the same time connecting Juyong, Zhuolu, Xialuo, and Pan County, on the other hand, Xu Rong of Yanmen County and Gao Gan's Bingzhou soldiers and horses fought several times, so that they could not get out of the pass, which meant that one-third of the counties and counties in Bingzhou were cut out, and the heavy troops occupied the pass to the north, cutting off the trade traffic from Bingzhou and even the entire Central Plains to the north.

The only remaining way, take Lucheng through the Flying Fox Road and then to Zhuolu or Sanggan to the grassland, but the merchants seek profits, the cost of crossing the mountains and mountains and the time of delay, converted, so that many families who support the interests and trade of the entire north suffer huge losses, Li Ru's hand, the wind and waves set off are more than the battlefield in Jizhou to make countless people scratch their bald heads.

In the second year of the first peace, in winter, the Xiongnu and Xianbei mutual markets only traded in Shanggu County, and the herds of cattle and sheep, furs, and horses made a large number of merchants smell a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity...... This has made countless people's calculations fall through again.

Naturally, more questions were put on the desk of Cheng Dongfang Sheng of Shanggu County, and on the other side, the army that had been out for nearly two months finally arrived in the middle of the year, and it was only four hundred miles away from Shanggu County......

……

In late autumn and early winter, the seasons alternate, and the cold makes people uncomfortable. Cai Yan lazily woke up from the blanket of snow-colored colors, outside the window was a rare morning light shining into his eyes, hearing the movement, the footsteps outside the house stepped on in a series of steps, the door squeaked and carefully pushed open, and the stout women who came in one by one to wait began to carry water, twist towels, dress, and dress up in an orderly manner......

Outside the door, Xianglian's immature voice sounded chattering and reprimanding.

"Be smart, who is the master's family, but not the gentleman who only had money to serve you at the beginning... But... Forget it, you don't understand it... But there is one thing, didn't the servant's clothes be given to you, why don't you wear them? Wear this crumpled old garment, be careful to let the steward see it, and you will have to beat your butts...... I tell you, but the steward has come out of the palace, and if you are disobedient, you will all be sent to him...... Move... Not...... Tune ......"

The whole backyard slowly woke up in the words of the little maid, the woman stood in front of a huge bronze mirror and looked at the bulging belly, exhaled deeply, and then was helped out of the room, heard the sound of stammering under the eaves, and reminded with a smile: "Training." ”

On the other side, the little maid nodded hurriedly: "Yes, it's training, you have to be careful...... Yes...... Madame came out. Immediately, he waved to the sixteen or seventeen-year-old maids: "Hurry up, go and go and get busy with you." Then, he trotted towards this side with an innocent smile, but his tone was a little complaining: "...... Madam, these maids who have been here for two months, why are they still stupid, when Xianglian came into the house, she was very good at doing things in less than half a month. ”

"No shame and shame little girl......"

Xianglian puffed out her cheeks, and her small eyes glared at a stout woman who was joking over there, and the latter suddenly turned back sharply, so frightened that the little maid hurriedly hid to Cai Yan's side and stuck out the tip of her tongue at the other party.

"Madame is too accustomed to Xianglian, and it will be difficult to go out to find her in-laws in the future."

"I won't look for it, so I'll follow Madame and be angry with you."

A group of women laughed without scruples, and even Cai Yan next to him chuckled and rubbed the maid's bun. After breakfast, Cai Yan read a book in the study for a while, since she was pregnant, her husband forbade her to touch anything sharp, not even a piano with a slightly sharp corner.

Thinking of that person...... She gently stroked her bulging lower abdomen.

"I don't know where my husband has gone......"

The leisure time passed quietly, close to noon, the sky was overcast again, and the two people in the front yard were coming towards this side of the mansion, both of them were wearing the robes of the scholars, but the neckline was fluffy, and a layer of single clothes with material was also placed inside, and they talked and walked away in black and white.

“…… Confucianism comes up with ideas are OK, but don't dare to go over, the official body is still by the leader himself, the merchant can be condensed, but not too dependent, since ancient times businessmen seek profit, the means are all the best, in fact, Shanggu County is scarce in resources, Confucianism can only set the convenience of the Xiongnu and Xianbei to help me prosper the Han land......"

"Brother Wen You is not afraid that in the future, businessmen will form a group and become upside down, but they will come to blackmail the government?" The one-armed figure looked at each other.

The other side just smiled, and walked away.

“…… It doesn't matter, if the merchants form a group, they will have no swords and soldiers in their hands, and then how can those big families see them become bigger, after all, these merchants...... As long as there is a big profit, it will also become mad, what family, if you can't say it, you will also use dirty means, let's just watch the show. ”

Dongfang Sheng stopped, and his tone hesitated: "At present, the merchants are too scattered, so if the leader opens the mouth of promising an official position, the world will ...... I'm afraid I'm going to push Ueya County to the cusp. ”

"I've killed all the emperors...... Is imperial power useful? Li Ru swept his robe and looked at the door plaque in the backyard: "In front of the leader, those things don't work, either follow the rules here, or go back with your head...... You say, don't you? ”

The one-armed scholar smiled and nodded, "Okay, let's go in and meet Madame, so that you don't need to say these angry words, so as not to surprise the little leader." The words fell, and he walked in with Li Ru.

The two talked and laughed easily, in fact, Shanggu County at this time may not be struggling on the blade, and the raid on Jundu Mountain was also a strong attack launched after making no sense, and after taking it, Dongfang Sheng lobbied the rest of the counties to stabilize the general trend.

After all, after the news of Gongsun Zhan's death came, Gongsun Zhi was still in the mountains, and the only thing in the city that could stabilize everyone's hearts was the lady in the mansion.

It makes everyone dare not despise it, of course, part of the reason is the unborn life in the womb.

Turning over a roll of bamboo slips, Xianglian's voice outside sounded and said that Jun Cheng and Li Ru came to visit, Cai Yan put down the bamboo slips and smiled: "Let them in." ”

"Yes, ma'am!" The little maid answered.

After a while, the door was gently opened, Dongfang Sheng and Li Ru came in one after another, probably talking about some recent government affairs, after exchanging views, when talking about the mutual market of Shanggu County, Cai Yan shook his head: "In this matter, the two gentlemen decided immediately, but I heard that the husband is already on the way back, and it is estimated that he will be able to come back in a few days......"

Talking in the house, Xianglian walked around outside boringly, after all, this kind of negotiation will last for a long time, and there are many strong women around to guard and control, one by one the shoulder knife is very strong, and she will not be used, her eyes purred, and then she wanted to slip away softly for a while, recently she found that the guard called Su Ren on the side of the palace was particularly interesting, and the other party said that they were very good at killing Xianbei people on the grassland......

"You're lost again?" Xianglian walked through the corridor and found a maid hesitating on the side of the study, which had been many times, she waved her hand: "You are not here, go back, go back through the door at the back and go back to where you should be, don't run around, be careful that I break your legs." ”

Xianglian squeezed her small fist to drive the maid away, and then turned her head to think: "What's wrong with the new maids recently...... Stupid, always going wrong......"

After I couldn't figure it out, I simply didn't want to think about it, and happily went to the front yard to listen to the story.

……

In the study, the continuous conversation continued.

“…… Since the death of my father-in-law, a puzzling news came from the grassland, and a person from the king of Gongsun appeared on the Xianbei side of Liaodong...... Claiming to be from the family of General Baima, he went around recruiting the displaced people of Beiping to attach to him in the past, and in this matter, we must step up the investigation......"

Cai Yan looked at the two of them, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "It's best to disappear the other party without using a knife, so as not to tarnish the reputation of my father-in-law and my husband." ”

"Yes! Madam. ”

After sending the two of them away, Cai Yan looked at the gloomy sky, sighed slightly in her heart, rubbing her bulging lower abdomen, and soon after, she will be a mother.

The husband is coming back soon, and the concubine can finally take a rest.