On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, when it was ugly in the early morning, Gao Qiuniang was suddenly awakened by the shouting outside the window, and heard Cai Wei shouting outside the window: "Lord Lang, Lord Lang." ”

Gao Qiuniang asked, "Cai Wei, what's the matter with calling Lord Lang?" ”

Cai Wei replied: "Mastermother, it is rumored in the outer courtyard that Sun Chang in the palace has come to the mansion and has something important to ask to see Lord Lang. ”

Gao Qiuniang said: "I know, you go and let the outer courtyard pass on the affairs of the good life, and the lord of Lang will go over after a while." ”

At this time, Changsun Sheng also woke up and said to his wife: "Lady have a good rest, I'll go see what's going on." ”

Then got up, dressed neatly and went to the outer courtyard, the eldest Sun Sheng understood that Sun Changshi must have happened when he came to the house in the middle of the night, and he didn't dare to slack off at all.

Sun Changzhi was waiting in the hall of the outer courtyard, and when he saw the eldest Sun Sheng enter the house, he put down the ginger tea in his hand, stepped up to greet him, and said with a crossed hand: "Daizhou is eight hundred miles in an emergency, and the Turks have committed border jams again, and the Supreme has summoned the general into the palace to discuss matters." ”

The eldest grandson Sheng knew that the matter was urgent, and he didn't care about changing his court clothes, so he asked the servants to bring the horses, get on the horses and gallop straight to the palace.

Before leaving, he said to the servant: "Go and report to the mistress, say that I have something important to enter the palace, let her not worry." ”

When they arrived at the gate, the night ban was not removed, but the guards were already waiting at the door, and hurriedly opened the door to let them pass.

On the way, Changsun Sheng was thinking in his heart about how to deal with the emperor.

After Changsun Sheng left, where could Gao Qiuniang still sleep, and the people in the palace in the middle of the night didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse, and her heart was in her throat.

When he went to the outer court, it was rumored that the emperor had passed on Lord Lang to enter the palace to discuss matters, and the Lord Lang did not explain what was discussed. Gao Qiuniang couldn't help but complain in her heart that her husband didn't explain it clearly, saying that she didn't want to worry, but can she not worry about entering the palace in such a hurry?

Gao Qiuniang was worried in her heart, anxiously waiting for dawn, and didn't blink again. As soon as the night ban was removed, someone was arranged to go to the palace gate to investigate. The person who came back reported that there was nothing abnormal in the palace, and Gao Qiuniang was a little relieved.

Around the end of the day, the eldest grandson Sheng returned from the palace, dismounted outside the gate, handed the horse to the servant, and saw the eldest grandson Wuxian waiting at the gate of the mansion, and did not stop.

Changsun Sheng arranged as he walked: "You immediately notify all your entourage to assemble, pack your bags, and prepare to return to Dali City today." Then tell your sister-in-law, second brother and sister-in-law, and your wife to go to the front hall of the inner courtyard in a while. Then invite your uncle\uncle and uncle of the Gao family to the study in the outer courtyard. ”

Without waiting for the eldest grandson Wuxian to reply, the eldest grandson Sheng walked straight to the inner courtyard.

The eldest grandson Wuxian knew that there was an emergency, and hurriedly ordered someone to make separate arrangements for what his father had explained.

Seeing that Changsun Sheng came in from outside, Gao Qiuniang, who was sitting on the Luohan bed, was in debt and asked, "Husband is back, what happened?" ”

Changsun Sheng also sat down on the Luohan bed, looked at his wife and said: "Eight hundred miles in the north of the Saibei was rushed to report to the military department last night, and on the twelfth day of the first month, the Turkic Bujia Khan committed the fortress, defeated Han Hong, the governor of the prefecture, in Heng'an, and plundered 60,000 heads of various livestock. ”

"The Supreme summoned me to discuss countermeasures, and ordered me to set off and return to Dali City on the same day, so that the Qimin Khan could be prepared, and after I met with the Qimin Khan, I would lead the troops to pursue and suppress the Bujia Khan, and explore the Bujia Khan's lair and destroy it in one fell swoop."

Hearing that Changsun Sheng was going to leave Beijing on the same day, Gao Qiuniang's expression was gloomy, holding the stove quietly in her hand, she didn't speak, and looked at Changsun Sheng with stunned eyes, and she didn't know whether she was sad or disappointed.

Changsun Sheng was full of guilt, he couldn't bear to look at the helpless eyes of his young wife, he had promised to stay at home for a few more months and accompany her to give birth to a child, but now he wanted to leave her alone in this complicated home, and face childbirth, he really couldn't bear it, and he didn't feel at ease. But the emperor's order was hard to disobey, and he had no other choice.

Changsun Sheng took his wife's hand across a few cases and comforted: "Don't worry, lady, everything at home will be arranged before I leave." ”

Gao Qiuniang is also a knowledgeable and reasonable person, and she knows which is more important, so she said softly: "Husband, don't worry, you are often not at home, and I already know how to deal with everything at home." ”

After speaking, he avoided Changsun Sheng's gaze, and his eyes looked at the roof opposite, glittering with tears.

Changsun Sheng understands that any consolation at this time is superfluous, and if the lady can't figure it out herself, it will be difficult to untie her heart knot even if she speaks thousands of words. Even if the lady figured it out herself, it would take some time to heal the wounds in her heart. Everything can only rely on herself, no matter how sad the lady is, can he not leave? No.

Changsun Sheng got off the Luohan bed, walked to the opposite side of his wife, took out a handkerchief to help her wipe her tears, held her beautiful face, and said affectionately: "I made the lady sad again, you won't blame me, right?" ”

Gao Qiuniang smiled and said, "How can I complain about my husband? I just blame God for letting the two of us stay together for too short. ”

At this time, Cai Wei replied at the door: "Lord Lang, the master mother, several Lang Jun and the lady have already arrived in the front hall. ”

Changsun Sheng said: "Got it." ”

Changsun Sheng wiped his red eyes with a handkerchief again, and said, "Let's go to the front hall, I have some things to arrange before leaving." ”

Gao Qiuniang nodded.

Changsun Sheng carefully helped his wife out of the Luohan bed, then took a cloak from the hanger and draped it over his wife, and the two walked along the verandah to the antechamber together.

The eldest grandson Sheng and his wife sat down on the couch in the middle of the front hall, and also instructed their sons and daughters-in-law to sit down, and told everyone about the emperor's urgent call in the early morning and his order to leave Beijing on the same day.

Everyone had just heard the eldest grandson Wuxian roughly explain the situation, so they were not very surprised, knowing that their father had something to explain before leaving, they all listened carefully with bated breath.

Changsun Sheng looked at everyone in the hall and said, "I'll see your uncle and uncle before we set off, and I have a few things to explain before leaving." ”

"First, your mother's health is inconvenient, and the eldest lady must assist her mother in taking care of the middle feed, and she can't let her mother work too hard. Erlang and Saburo must obey my mother's arrangement in everything after I leave, and the most important thing is to ensure that my mother is safe and sound, and if there is any mistake, I will never forgive me when I come back. ”

Hearing his father's tone of voice so heavy, the eldest son Zhen and the eldest grandson Wuxian felt a great responsibility.

"Second," said Changsun Sheng for a pause, his gaze coldly sweeping over everyone in the room. Seeing that Cai Wei and a few other slaves and maids were still waiting at the door, he ordered: "Cai Wei, tell them to step down." ”

Cai Wei shouted as she said, and the slaves and maids waiting at the front and back doors retreated to the south room.

Then, Changsun Sheng lowered his voice, but said with a stern expression: "Second, there have been a lot of things in Beijing recently, and you can't be careless in your interactions. No one is allowed to associate with the royal relatives and nobles privately, and they must abide by their duties, and do not think about climbing the high branches, because if the high branches are broken, they will fall to pieces. ”

Speaking of this, his eyes looked around again, lowered his voice, tapped a few cases with the fingers of his right hand, and said word by word: "Even the Prince's Mansion can be inserted into the eyeliner, don't think about what you do and no one knows." ”

Suddenly, he raised his voice and asked, "Do you remember what I said?"

The son and daughter-in-law replied, "Follow your father's teachings." ”

In the end, Changsun Sheng added: "Erlang, Sanlang, if you can't make up your mind, you have to ask your uncle and uncle for advice, and you can't make your own opinions. Da Lang lady, if you encounter a tricky matter in the inner courtyard, you can go to the long room and ask the eldest lady to preside over the solution, do you understand what I mean? ”

The eldest grandson Wuyi and the eldest grandson Wuxian nodded, and the Zhen family seemed to have understood, and replied with a bow: "Daughter-in-law understands." ”

Changsun Sheng turned to his wife: "What do you have to tell the lady?" ”

Gao Qiuniang smiled slightly: "It's all up to the husband's arrangement." ”

Changsun Sheng looked at his wife and said, "So bothering the lady to pack up for me." ”

He said to the eldest grandson Wuxian, "San Lang, arrange for the chief manager to prepare dry food and coils." Let's disperse. After speaking, he got up and walked quickly out of the inner courtyard to the outer courtyard study.

In the study, Changsun Chi, Changsun Chang and Gao Jian had already arrived, sitting on the Luohan bed and talking.

Changsun Sheng did not enter the room politely, sat down next to Changsun Chang, and introduced the relevant situation as it was, and several people felt that the military situation was urgent and could not be delayed, even if the Qimin Khan had received the battle report and was prepared, he could not be negligent. If Qimin Khan suffers another big loss, Changsun Sheng will be to blame.

Changsun Sheng told the three of them the two things that he was most worried about, one was that his wife was about to give birth and was worried about her safety. The second is the discipline of the three sons, afraid that after leaving, Erlang and Sanlang will have an accident.

In the end, several people agreed that Gao Qiuniang's affairs, the eldest lady Du Shi and Xian Yu Niangzi, came and went around more, and the eldest lady Du Shi was in command when she was about to give birth.

Erlang and Sanlang are under the control of the eldest grandson, and if there is any deviance, the family law will punish them. Everything was arranged, and Changsun Sheng was relieved.

The eldest grandson Sheng got off the Luohan bed and said to the three of them: "Brother and brother-in-law will wait for the time being, and I will leave after saying goodbye to my wife in the inner courtyard." ”

Gao Qiuniang and Changsun Wuji were watching in front of the front hall, and when they saw Changsun Sheng turn back to the inner courtyard, they knew that the outside had been arranged and the time for departure had arrived.

Changsun Sheng walked up to his wife, and did not return to the front hall, but stood in the courtyard and put his right hand around his wife's shoulder and said, "Lady, I'm leaving, you have to take care." ”

Gao Qiuniang held back her tears and said with a smile: "Don't worry, husband, I will take care of myself, and you have to take care of yourself." ”

The eldest grandson Sheng bowed his head again and said to the eldest grandson Wuji: "Wuji, you have to remember to listen to A-Niang's words, and you can't make A-Niang angry." ”

The eldest grandson Wuji nodded again and again: "The child knows." ”

Changsun Sheng said to his wife again: "Lady, I'm leaving." Then he instructed Yuhan: "Help the master mother to go back to the room." ”

The eldest grandson Wuji knelt down and kowtowed three times, Gao Qiuniang bowed with Yuhan's support, and then reluctantly turned around and walked to the front hall.

When she arrived at the door, Gao Qiuniang turned to look at Changsun Sheng again, Changsun Sheng waved her hand to let her into the house, and Cai Wei opened the door curtain and helped Mrs. in.

Changsun Sheng walked out of the inner courtyard quickly and walked out of the mansion with the three of them.

Outside the gate, the people and horses have been assembled, and the four of them took the reins from the hands of the servants, turned over and led everyone to move forward slowly, out of the north gate of Yongxingli, and headed east towards Tonghua Gate.

Out of the city gate, everyone dismounted, everyone cherished each other, the eldest grandson Wuyi, the eldest grandson Wuxian knelt down and kowtowed.

The eldest grandson put on a riding hat and a mink cloak, and bowed deeply to the two brothers and brothers-in-law, and the three of them also bowed deeply in return.

Changsun Sheng held the reins of the horse and hugged his fist and said "cherish", then he admitted to move the saddle and got on the horse, shook the reins and urged the horse to gallop away, and more than 50 followers also raised their whips and urged the horses to follow closely, and a puff of smoke and dust suddenly rose on the official road.