After returning from the villa, Qin's mood was obviously much better, but unfortunately her good mood only lasted for more than two months, and then she became nervous and irritable again. The reason is because the youngest son once said that he and King Jing would never go to the northwest for more than half a year, and they would definitely come back within half a year.

Now that the half-year deadline has arrived, Xiao Jingyan not only did not come back, but even cut off contact with his family.

The Qin family either frequently sent people to look outside the gate, or went to various temples to worship the Buddha, there was no longer the first day of the new year and the fifteenth day, anyway, the temples around Kyoto were all worshiped by her.

Seeing that his old wife was almost collapsing, General Xiao thought about it again and again, changed into an official uniform and entered the palace to ask for a saint.

"Your Majesty, General Xiao is asking to see you outside the palace." The great eunuch Chen He walked up to the emperor who looked down at the excerpt and whispered back.

After a moment of silence, the emperor sighed, closed the fold in his hand, and nodded to signal Chen and Xuan Xiaohu to enter the imperial study.

"Chen Xiaohu see the emperor."

"Xiao Aiqing is flat, Chen He, you go outside to guard, don't let idle people approach."

"The minions obey."

"Xiao Aiqing is here for Ling Lang to go to the northwest and haven't returned for a long time!"

"The emperor is wise, and the minister is worried that if there is no news of the dog, the inner son may be abnormal, and there is really no way to think that the minister can only ask the emperor for help."

"Xiao Aiqing said it bluntly, since this is the case, I will not hide it from you, King Jing is still second to the northwest to suppress bandits, he is actually doing another thing for me, and now he is in some trouble, and he can't get out for the time being, so the return date will be postponed for a while.

I will send additional men to support them, and I am sure that King Jing and Ling Lang will return in triumph soon. The emperor comforted Xiao Hu with such words, and also comforted himself, he hoped that his younger brother could return safely, not only because he had to rely on the evidence in his hand to bring down the Han family, but also because in a place like the palace, where family affection was indifferent, their brotherhood for each other was too valuable.

According to the secret report just received, everything went smoothly when King Jing arrived in the northwest, and he secretly investigated the Han family's hoarding of grain and grass and the purchase of war horses while suppressing bandits.

Just when there was some clue about the matter and some evidence was in hand, someone on King Jing's side actually reported to the son of King Qingguo, and the Han family wanted to steal back the evidence at first, and then drove King Jing back to Kyoto. How could King Jing be at their mercy, from that time on, the two sides fought openly and secretly, you come and go.

King Jing wanted to grasp the evidence as soon as possible, so that he could take the Han family, at least the Qingguo Mansion, in one fell swoop; The Han family has been in business for many years, how can they easily admit defeat. At present, they are in the confrontation stage, King Jing is trapped in a small county town, it is not easy to return to Kyoto, the Han family only dares to stand in the dark and make some unsightly means, but I don't know how long this stalemate will last.

"The minister is willing to welcome King Jing back to Beijing."

"I believe that Xiao Aiqing has this strength, but I want to wait, you go back and tell Mrs. Zun, and say that I guarantee that Xiao Shilang's life is worry-free, and he will definitely return safely."

"Emperor Xie, with your words, Neiko will definitely feel at ease, and the minister will retire." Xiao Hu withdrew from the imperial study, he kept walking towards the palace gate, his mind kept recalling the emperor's words, it seems that King Jing is in trouble now, and even the people who went with him are trapped somewhere and cannot return to Kyoto.

What could make the emperor send his own brother? Who is the opponent who dares to be the enemy of the prince, it seems that things are by no means as easy and simple as the emperor described, what happened?

General Xiao's face was light, and his heart was surging, while remembering the safety of his youngest son, he was still thinking about his rhetoric to see how to appease his old wife after he went back.

After returning home, General Xiao went directly to the upper room, Chunye quietly pointed to the Buddha Hall, Mrs. now spends most of the day here, the old lady who used to like pleasure, now can kneel in the Buddha Hall for a morning or an afternoon.

"Go and tell your wife, and say that there is already news of the fourth master."

"Master, is there really any news from Brother Yan?" Before Chunye could go in to report, the Qin family had already walked out of the Buddhist hall quickly, and compared to some time ago, her whole person looked much thinner.

"You promised me to eat well from now on, rest well, and not enter the Buddha hall for more than an hour every day, and I will tell you the news of Xiaosi."

"You're not coaxing me, are you, there's really news of Brother Yan, aren't you?"

"I just entered the palace to face the saint, and the news came from the emperor, do you think it will be fake?"

"Say it quickly!" Qin asked eagerly.

"I can only tell you one thing first, he is safe now, if you want to know anything more, then go back to Ninghetang to use some supplements, take a rest, and tell you the rest of the news after I have changed my clothes."

"Okay, the concubine will go back, and I'll go back right away." After Qin finished speaking, he left, leaving General Xiao and Chunye behind.

"Hey! If I lose it one day, she won't be in such a hurry! The abandoned General Xiao learned to be a resentful woman, and looked at the back of his old wife with amazement.

"The old lady must care about you the most, but the fourth master is away from home now, and the old lady is just thinking about it more." Haruka tried his best to make up for his master.

"You've been serving Madame for a few years." General Xiao asked.

"Since Sister Chunlan got married, the slave maid has entered Ninghetang, and she has been serving the old lady for two years."

"No wonder." No wonder you would say such a thing, it seems that the days of entering Ninghetang are still short, and you can't even figure out who your own master cares about the most.

Thinking of his favorite, General Xiao naturally thought of his granddaughter Ping'an, the meat of his heart. Recently, I've only been concerned about comforting my old wife, and I haven't been with my two granddaughters for a long time. No, you have to quickly appease the old wife, and then coax the babies, but don't let them break up with you.

General Xiao changed his clothes and returned to Ninghetang, where Qin had already freshened up, made tea for her husband, and prepared soft snacks.

"The emperor knows that you are worried about Xiao Si, so he specially asked me to tell you, so that you can rest assured that Xiao Si is very good now, and the emperor guarantees that he will return safely."

"When will Brother Yan come back?"

"The emperor said that the matter of suppressing the bandits has been completed, and now King Jing is collecting antique calligraphy and paintings for the palace, and I believe it will not be long before he can come back."

"Amitabha, Bodhisattva bless, Brother Yan is blessed at first glance, and he will definitely return safely." With the emperor's promise, the big stone in Qin's heart finally fell to the ground.

"Why didn't Brother Yan write a letter to his family?" Qin remembered that his son hadn't sent a letter back for a long time, and asked again.

This is really not easy to fool, General Xiao racked his brains to think about how to answer the old wife's question.

"Do you think, they collect antique calligraphy and paintings for the emperor, they are all valuable things, they must be carried out secretly, and the fourth child knows these best, I am afraid that he is only busy with the tasks assigned by the emperor every day, so he naturally has no leisure time to write letters."

"Is that really the case?" The son is reused, and he may be promoted when he comes back, Brother Yan is young and promising, and it seems that the future is bright! The more Qin thought about it, the brighter his heart became, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

General Xiao, who is not good at lying, feels that he has finished all the lies of his life today. The guilt of his old wife and the worry of his youngest son made him feel worse the more he talked, but he still had to keep his face calm and natural, which was really embarrassing.

"Wait quietly at home, until your son returns with honor, and earns greater glory for you." I still have something to do, I want to go out for a while, you go to the room to rest and rest, remember not to think nonsense from now on. ”

"Go get busy, the concubine will never think about it anymore."

After appeasing his old wife, General Xiao felt physically and mentally exhausted, and felt much more tired than going to the battlefield to fight, maybe he should really wipe his armor and swords and guns, and depending on what the emperor means today, he will definitely send someone to the northwest to pick up King Jing. Now the generals in Beijing, he and General Yuan are the most suitable to lead the troops, and the most suitable of the two is himself.

First, I have been stationed in northern Xinjiang for many years and have some understanding of the northwest; Second, his own division is famous, after all, King Jing's entourage includes the Xiao family, and it is easy to find excuses. Now it depends on whether the emperor trusts himself and whether he has confidence.

"Tell the gatekeeper that if the eldest and second masters come back, let them go to my study."

"Yes," General Xiao's entourage dodged away.

General Xiao sat alone in the huge, empty study thinking about his thoughts, and I don't know how long it took, Xiao Jingkang's voice sounded outside the door: "Father, we are back." ”

"Come in."

Xiao Jingkang and Xiao Jingtai walked into their father's study together.

"Father, my son heard that you entered the palace today." Xiao Jingtai asked straight to the point.

"Yes! That's why I'm here for you. ”

The brothers looked at each other, but neither understood the meaning of their father's words.

"The emperor told me......," General Xiao briefly described the process of entering the palace and confronting the saint and his own speculation about the subsequent development of the matter.

"Are you saying that the emperor intends to send someone to the northwest, and this candidate should be between you and Uncle Yuan?" Xiao Jingkang was shocked by the news.

"Father, if the emperor asks you to go to the northwest, my son is willing to go instead of you." It will be his father's sixty-fifth birthday in ten days, Xiao Jingtai can't bear to travel far away at his father's age, so he decided to replace his father.

"Have you been to the Northwest? Have you ever led troops into battle? You're not at the point where you can't ride a horse or carry a gun, and it's not your turn to rush to the front. "The emperor's will has no room for bargaining for courtiers, but his son's filial piety still moved him very much.

"It's all the fourth, it's okay to go to the northwest! When there is no peace, he doesn't do what he should do, and he is everywhere he shouldn't be done. "I didn't get married, and I also delayed the marriage of my nephews, and I and my daughter-in-law are still waiting to hold our grandchildren!

"Don't worry, when he comes back, he will let him marry his daughter-in-law, and my old man is still waiting to hold his grandson!

Xiao Jingkang and Xiao Jingtai nodded together, yes! Yes! It's been a long time since I wanted to be a grandfather!