I asked, "Who does the Kaifeng Domain belong to?" ”

"It's my fifth uncle, King Zhou." Ah Ping's brows couldn't help frowning as he spoke, obviously there was a hidden secret, and I didn't shy away from asking: "Did your Uncle Wuwang have anything to do?" Seeing that he nodded, "I was not born when Uncle Wuwang was granted the domain, and some things were learned when I learned from my grandfather. My uncle of the five princes has transferred the feudal land many times, from the rich Wu land to Fengyang and then to this Kaifeng, during which he was also withdrawn by the emperor's grandfather, because he left the feudal area to Fengyang without permission, and it took a few years for the emperor's grandfather to let him return to the domain. Although I shouldn't speak of the elders for the younger generations, I still have to worry about whether the five uncles will abandon the city again if the Northern Yuan army is killed in Kaifeng. ”

There is a precedent, which really makes people feel unreliable.

I paused, but still asked, "What is King Yan's decision?" ”

Ah Ping's eyes sank, "He has already gathered his soldiers to pursue the Northern Yuan army first, and let me stay in Mengcheng to wait for orders." ”

I couldn't help but feel strange when I heard this, Zhu Di is not a reckless person, even if he knows that his brother is in danger, he should put the overall situation first, agree on a good strategy and make a decision. Why did you lead your troops in pursuit so impulsively? Can you cope with the number of people? Obviously, what he took away must be the Yan army, but the Northern Yuan army claims to lead 300,000 troops, and all the armaments in Beiping cannot exceed 100,000, not to mention that Zhu Di will never pour out the garrison of Beiping, otherwise what if the Northern Yuan attacks Beiping? Singing the empty city plan?

After the thought, I asked Ah Ping, "Then what do you think?" Is there any good way to do it? ”

"The whole army is big in the name of the commander, so we can only wait first."

In ancient times, there were spies transmitting messages during the march, and on the second day, they heard news that Zhu Di was attacked by the Northern Yuan army on the way to pursue and was in danger. Ah Ping was very anxious, but he didn't receive Zhu Di's instructions, and he was helpless to discuss with the generals.

I really couldn't look at it, so I pulled Ah Ping to a secluded and uninhabited place and said to him word by word: "The general is outside, and the military order is not subject to it." ”

His pupils shrank, and he spoke again: "Send troops immediately!" ”

I pursed my lips and offered to go with him. He didn't even think about it and was about to refuse, and was asked by my eyes: "Did you take me out of the palace to set up a city and a mansion?" Isn't it to take me with you anytime and anywhere? What if the Northern Yuan army set a trap to lure the king into the urn, and their target is still Mengcheng? When you come back, you will see only my trampled bones, and go alone! ”

My mouth was covered, and Ah Ping looked at me in horror: "Daughter-in-law, don't let you talk nonsense." ”

In the end, he took me with him, probably because he was afraid of what I said. A carriage was also prepared, but Ah Ping did not sit in, but let me ride with Changning.

Even if the military situation is not optimistic, it is a hundred miles away, and it is impossible to fly over it for a while, so no amount of worry is superfluous. Finally, I have the bottom in my heart, and I can be sure that Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu will never die in this battle, and I don't know how dangerous and tragic the process is.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, I secretly observed Changning for a while, and I didn't know if he was hiding it well or if Ah Ping really had a way, and I found that I couldn't see that there was still half a point of anger between his eyebrows and eyes. On the contrary, he rode in the same carriage with me, and seemed to be very restrained, and he did not dare to move, so he sat quietly with his eyes down. I broke the silence: "Are you still used to this time? ”

He quickly raised his eyes when he heard this, but then awkwardly looked away for the next moment, and then replied lightly.

"Where have you been with Your Highness these days?"

Changning replied honestly: "I went outside the council hall and inside the school grounds." ”

It is indeed impossible for him to enter the hall to listen to military decisions, but what did Ah Ping take him to the school yard for? It's all soldiers training, won't they stir up the hatred in his heart? Even if he knew that the soldiers in front of him were not the ones who killed his parents, it should also cause a certain amount of pressure on his psyche.

I carefully looked at the look between his eyebrows and eyes, and made sure that his mood was calm before continuing to ask, "What did Your Highness take you to the school yard for?" Changning lowered his eyes for a moment and then raised them, still replied softly: "Let me bandage the wounds of the wounded soldiers." ”

couldn't help but be stunned, I didn't expect it to be like this, and I instantly understood Aping's thoughts.

Only by facing the cruelty of war can we truly face our hearts. Even if Changning is only twelve years old, he will be a little cruel in the face of these, but if he is not allowed to see the sacrifice under the smoke of war, how can he understand that he is not the only one in a family as miserable as him? Under the killing and hatred, it brings oneself discomfort and happiness, but pain.

I sighed lightly and asked, "Changning, do you understand what Your Highness means?" ”

I saw that he didn't turn his face, but he still nodded slightly. I said, "You are a transparent child, and I believe you should not have forgotten the scene when I met you on the street." If it weren't for my words, maybe you would have entered the barracks now, I don't dare to guarantee that you will be better than going to the barracks to be a soldier, but I hope you don't live in the shadow of the deceased, but live for yourself, this is my original intention, and it is also my hope for you in the future. ”

Changning's eyes finally had a hint of emotion, and he slowly turned his head, and his gaze fell on my face. Seeing that his face gradually showed a painful color, and tears rolled down his eyes, he sobbed and said, "I'm so sad. ”

My heart moved, I reached out and took him into my arms, patted him on the back and said softly, "Cry, cry out all the sorrow and pain in your heart." As soon as the words fell, Changning cried loudly in front of me, and his hands tightly grabbed the hem of my clothes.

Outside the carriage, Ah Ping heard the sound and opened the curtain to ask what was the matter, I shook my head at him and said that it was okay, his gaze swept over Changning and then sank and lowered the curtain. In fact, Changning witnessed his relatives being persecuted by the Northern Yuan Army, immersed in grief for a long time and couldn't extricate himself, and did not get an outlet, and the bitter crying at this time vented all the sadness and pain in his heart.

It's a good thing to cry. After the hope has cried, the past is gone, and the hatred is gone. Just be the innocence that he should be as a twelve-year-old child, and never be bothered by those sorrows again.

I am not a compassionate person, and there are thousands of casualties in the war. But at this time, there were also bursts of sadness in my heart, because in the history I predicted, the uncles and nephews who are now fighting side by side will eventually turn against each other, setting off the biggest battle for the throne since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. What will I do then? And I, who has become the second Queen Ma of the Ming Dynasty in history, where should I go? Will they all be annihilated in that fire?

There is always an end to the catharsis of emotions, and the crying of the child in front of him gradually becomes smaller, and there is only a little sobbing left. He stepped away from me, his tear-washed eyes looking particularly innocent and helpless, floating over the wet placket of his clothes in front of me. He apologized to me, "I'm sorry for soiling your clothes." ”

I smiled, "No problem. Do you feel a lot more comfortable after crying? ”

He nodded, wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and said, "I won't do this again." I raised an eyebrow: "How?" Crying? What's so shameful about that? It's good to be a true self, and you don't have to endure it. ”

Seeing that he was silent, I deliberately diverted the topic: "Who gave you your name?" Changning Changning, is it the meaning of long-term tranquility? Unexpectedly, he replied: "I didn't have that name." ”

This answer made me really stunned, I didn't ask his name when I first met, and when I brought it back, I arranged it for Yan Qi, so I really didn't think about anything else. "Who gave you Changning? Yan Qi? So what was your original name? ”

Changning replied to me: "It was given to me by Brother Seven, my original name was ......" He paused, and his voice became smaller: "Little Er." ”

Little two? How did you choose such a sloppy name?

Changning probably knew what I was thinking when he saw my face, so he said: "I am the second oldest in the family, and Daddy and Auntie took the name of the second child if they were illiterate." ”

"Do you have siblings?"

"There is a sister, five years older than me, who married last year."

I couldn't help but ask, "Then why didn't you go to your sister's house?" "He has both parents dead and is alone, shouldn't he have defected to his sister? Could it be his sister...... As soon as he thought about it, he was dispelled by the look on his face, and he said bitterly: "My sister's family left Mengcheng before the war. ”

It turns out that communication is inconvenient in this era, and you can go to a closed place without communicating with the outside world for several years.

I felt Changning's eyes on my face, and when I raised my head to meet my gaze, I heard him ask worriedly, "Can I call you brother?" ”

"Huh?" I was stunned, and then I remembered that I was dressed in men's clothes, and this kid really thought I was a man. After thinking about it, there is no need to correct him, not that he is afraid that he will go outside to talk nonsense, but that the war may also part ways in the past, after all, Mengcheng is his hometown, and he may not be willing to go back to the capital with me.

Seeing that I was silent, Changning's eyes darkened, and he lowered his head and said, "I'm just asking." ”

I hurriedly responded: "Of course you can, you can call me brother in the future." Changning is still a child after all, and his gloomy face immediately became clearer, and his teeth were bared with a smile.

But when the march was resting, trouble came, I wanted to relieve my hands, I asked Lu He to accompany me to no man's land, but Changning followed behind and shouted: "Brother, wait for me." ”

Suddenly, there were several lines of sight in the corner of his eye, Yan Qi was the most exaggerated, and he stumbled and almost fell, and then asked: "Changning, who are you calling?" Changning didn't know anything else, and stretched out his hand to me.

The corners of Yan Qi's mouth twitched, and he turned around and walked away, saying as he walked: "Don't call her brother in the future." Changning asked, "Why?" Yan Qi patted him on the head, "There is no reason, the child asks less." ”

Slightly pursed the corners of his mouth and smiled, let Yan Qi go and say that it's okay, I believe that Yan Qi has a number in his heart, and he will teach Changning.