On the eighth day of the lunar month, the old lady and wife of the Yuan family arrived in Beiping City.

It really took them a lot of time to get here. In addition to the distance of 500 miles between Zhending and Beiping, the cold weather and heavy snow for two days were also important reasons for slowing down their trip. Mrs. Yuan is not young anymore, and her health is not very healthy, and Mrs. Yuan will definitely not be able to take a carriage in order to take care of her mother-in-law's body. Except for the time delayed on the road due to the weather, they were able to reach Beiping in Laba, which is already very fortunate. Many people thought that they would need to spend another two or three days on the road before they could appear in the city.

When Xiao Rui talked to Xie Mulin about this incident, he also felt very lucky: "If they are delayed on the road for two more days, it is difficult to say how many days they can be reunited with Yuan Xie." Yuan Xie definitely can't spend the New Year in Beiping, if he can't take advantage of the fact that he hasn't set off to the capital now, get together with him for a few more days, and wait for him to come back again, I'm afraid that he will have to wait for half a year. ”

Xie Mulin listened and hurriedly asked: "So, the matter of entering Beijing to sacrifice prisoners has been decided?" ”

Xiao Rui nodded: "It's settled." Early this morning, the envoy from Beijing went directly to the palace to announce the decree. They arrived overnight. The father-in-law in charge of the decree was in his fifties, and he rode all the way to come day and night, and it was such a cold and snowy weather, and people were so tired that they were about to lose their breath, and they had just finished announcing the decree, and they didn't even have time to drink the tea, so they fainted. ”

Xie Mulin was a little surprised when he heard this: "This father-in-law Gao came quite quickly, but it was really hard to rush like this." It doesn't matter to his body, right? Can you continue on your way? If the palace sends someone to escort the prisoners of war to Beijing, will Gonggong Gao also have to go back with him? ”

Xiao Rui smiled: "This is natural, he came on an errand by the emperor's order, and he has to go back to restore his life." He was also a big eunuch in the imperial palace, but he was not as conspicuous as those who waited in front of the palace every day, and he also served as a supervisor in his early years. The emperor sent people to deliver instructions to his father several times, but he was sent by him, and he was familiar with the way, so he would continue to send him this time. The emperor seemed to be a little anxious, looking forward to the ceremony of sacrificing prisoners during the New Year's Day, and then go to the Taimiao Temple to worship his ancestors. Just doing that, the time is too rushed. The father and son of the enemy country are not in good health, and if there is a good one on the road, he can't even survive the prisoner sacrifice ceremony, wouldn't it be a disappointment?

The queen mother didn't want her father to be punished for this matter, but she had to be punished for the mistakes made by the prisoners of war in their hurry, so she persuaded the emperor to change the day of the prisoner sacrifice to the time of the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. After half a month, our palace sent people to Beijing, and the itinerary was a little more relaxed. At present, the condition of the great general Wang is still a little recurrent, and the candidates for the officers and soldiers to escort him into Beijing have not yet been decided, and he can barely squeeze out three days in the middle, just so that Gao Gonggong can recuperate. The princess has sent a doctor in the palace to check the pulse of Gao Gonggong every day, and try to make him some medicinal food to nourish his body for three meals a day, so as not to make him fall ill again on the way back to Beijing. ”

Three days, that is to say, the time for the two wives of the Yuan family and General Yuan Xie to get together this year is only these three days. It is impossible for Xiao Rui, the future prince of Yanwang, who needs to "keep secret" his background for the time being, to participate in such a matter as entering Beijing to offer prisoners, but the number one hero Yuan Xie must not be absent. After he enters Beijing, he will definitely be rewarded, and the emperor and the queen mother may want to see him and get to know him better, so as to determine whether he will give him a decree to marry him and Zhu Pei, the lord of Yanwang...... When he returns to Beiping, it will probably be the bright spring season in March. If he were to delay a little longer in the capital because of such and such things, it was difficult to say whether he would stay outside for half a year.

No wonder Xiao Rui was glad that Mrs. Yuan and Mrs. Yuan arrived in Beiping in time, and they had time to get together with General Yuan Xie for two more days.

Xie Mulin figured out this truth, and immediately reacted: "The time is too short, even if our family wants to invite the daughters of the Yuan family to a banquet, it is impossible to invite General Yuan Xiao to attend the meeting, right?" ”

Xiao Rui smiled: "This is nature. The banquet in our Yanwang Mansion is tomorrow, but we have time to invite several masters of the Yuan family. When it comes time for the chief officials of your major yamen to be the host, not to mention Yuan Xie, who will definitely have already set off for Beijing by then, I am afraid that even Old Madam Yuan may not be able to invite him. The old man is old, the weather is cold, it is not good to go out often, if there is a headache and brain fever, it is not good. At that time, most of them can only invite Mrs. Yuan, right? I'm afraid not every family can invite her to a banquet. ”

Xie Mulin understands that the Yuan family is now prosperous again, and they are about to marry the prince and county lord, so they don't have to cater too much to those official eunuchs. Mrs. Yuan only needs to go around the banquet hosted by a few people who can count the number of people, and she can count the number of gifts, and there is no need to entertain all the people who have made the invitation. Yuan Xie's future positioning is mainly to lead the army in the army, and his character is like that, taking the route of long-sleeved and good dancing, he works hard by himself, and the Yuan family works hard, and it is not much good for his future, so it is better to save some effort.

Xie Mulin also thought: "The two ladies of the Yuan family have just traveled five hundred miles, and they must be very tired. Tomorrow there will be a banquet in the Yanwang Mansion, and they will definitely attend. Although this banquet is mainly to give the palace and the Yuan family a chance, the two sides sit down to discuss the matter of the county lord and General Yuan Xiao's marriage, there are not many places that will tire people, but how many years have the daughters of the Yuan family not appeared in the social circle of Beiping? Socializing with those old and new relatives and friends must be indispensable for hard work. After that, the two ladies had to hurry up and get together with General Yuan's legion, and then they were going to see him off. There is no reason to tire the guests, and it is not good to rush the time too much, so let them rest for a few more days. I asked my father to go to the yamen of their political envoy to find the old gentleman who can watch the sky, find a sunny and slightly warmer weather, and then post to the two ladies of the Yuan family. ”

Xiao Rui nodded, and said with a smile: "The two ladies are widows, the banquet doesn't have to be too extravagant, if Old Madam Yuan can't get used to it, her old man has to speak up, and it's not good to make everyone unhappy." Besides, Mrs. Yuan is from the south, and I heard that she also likes to listen to a play or something, but the Yuan family has not had this kind of thing for many years now, and it would be good if your family could arrange someone to sing two southern operas. I can ask Yuan Xie and ask him what kind of drama his mother likes, preferably the one that his grandmother doesn't hate either. ”

Xie Mulin hurriedly smiled and got up and gave him a look: "Then it will bother the little prince." Little Wangye, you must help me inquire clearly. At that time, the family will definitely have to post to the little prince. What kind of dishes and snacks does the little prince like to eat, you can order it, I must have instructed the cook to make it carefully for you! ”

Xiao Rui laughed when he heard this, and couldn't help but reach out and scratch her nose: "The little princess has a heart, the little princess is very satisfied!" ”