The sun had been hidden in the thick clouds for days, and the northerly wind was blowing across the endless plains, bringing a chill in the wind. Autumn in the north is dry and cool, just like the straightforward character of the northerners, not as humid as in the south, and there is still the sultry heat of midsummer, as well as the sweet smell.

The autumn breeze is not slow, blowing through the calm neck lake, setting off a circle of ripples. In the spring, the snowmelt from the Xuanlong Mountains rushes into the Shu River and flows here, where the churning dark green surface of the lake sets off waves several feet high and violently beats the rocks and dikes along the shore. It's like a hand turning over the clouds,* permeating the wonders of nature. It was an unforgettable sight.

Long Dailan loves Neck Lake, a slender lake that wraps around the outer walls of the Golden Fort and stretches all the way to Jinning Avenue. She remembered the first time she walked on Jinning Avenue when Yu Jian escorted her from the royal capital dragon to Jinbao in the autumn of three years ago.

The wide, straight avenue, paved with cobblestones, and the high embankment on the side of the avenue, full thirty feet, made her feel very shocked, and it must have taken a lot of manpower and material resources and a long time to build such a high embankment. Qin Shuo, the little giant who ran to the road of the virtuous king to pick her up, told her that after the embankment was the Neck Lake. "Don't look at it as if it's usually quiet, as if it doesn't exist, you think this levee is redundant. It's scary at high tide, and if it weren't for this embankment, the city wall wouldn't be able to stop its waves, and our Golden Castle would have turned into a water castle!"

This is the origin of the famous Qin joke "Water Castle". In fact, even without this embankment, the Golden Fort would not have become a water fort. Not to mention the walls of the towers, the walls of the outer city alone exceed the embankments in height. This is not because the walls are higher, but because of the topography of the Golden Castle.

In short, from the first day, Long Dailan was full of a peculiar affection for Neck Lake. A little close, because it reminds her of the familiar Spear River, and a little afraid, because of its tide, and even a strange sense of dependence, this strange city, a strange province, and the Neck Lake are the first "friends" she has ever seen. Although she likes the little giant very much, likes the smart and clever little sister Qin Yu, likes the humorous guard captain Yang Chong, likes the fat old housekeeper Qin You, and likes the stable manager Qin Shi, they are not the "first".

However, the most important reason is the neck lake itself. It's calm, and it's angry. The calm neck lake contains an amazing energy that is revealed to the world when it is angry. This is quite similar to the truth taught to her by her father and Gu Sheng. They often say that civilians, even vagrants, have a power to be reckoned with, hidden in their humble appearances, in their tattered clothes, in the depths of their poverty and misery. "If you want their support and trust, it's better not to make them angry, that would be counterproductive. That's what my father told him.

She thought so.

Therefore, during her three years at Golden Castle, she remained the same as she did when she was in the dragon: to close the distance between the commoners, especially the vagrants, and to solve practical difficulties for them. "Let them see you and feel your presence. You are a living person who will stand in front of them and help them, rather than hide in the depths of the tower, the mysterious and unknown queen who will ignore them. That's what Teacher Gu Sheng told her.

Doing such a thing didn't embarrass her, she only felt happy. She loved to hear the heartfelt cheers of the people, and she loved to see their dirty and tired smiling faces, and it was all because of her. They loved her and respected her because so did her.

She doesn't want to and won't be their king. But her husband would, and her son.

On the day Yu Jian went to the Clover Outpost from Golden Fort last month, Qin Ming returned from the Oak Sentry with the latest movements of the barbarians, as well as their children.

Finally, they had children.

It was a night of passion like any other night in the past three years. Soon after Qin Ming set off for the front line again, she suddenly showed signs of pregnancy, and her mother-in-law, Mu Rong, impatiently summoned a doctor to confirm that she was pregnant. Later, Mu Rong invited a monk from Kongo Temple who could screen the sex of the fetus and confirmed that she was a boy in her womb.

They hugged each other excitedly and cried happily. It's been three years, and it's not easy.

Even the always serious father-in-law Qin Wei was overjoyed and smiled, and when he led the army to Palm Forest City, he left with a smile on his face. If her father could know the news, he would be very happy, and once her mood improved, her body would recover faster. Therefore, as soon as she learned of her pregnancy, she sent a messenger carrying the good news, rode the fastest horse, and rushed to the royal capital.

The next week was quite busy. Qin Ming lit a green fire in Palm Forest City, and Qin Wei led his army to the front line. But preparations for the celebration were not delayed in the slightest.

"Even if the nomadic tide breaks out, we will celebrate it in a big way!" "Rejoice to Your Majesty!" Qin Wei said to Mu Rong as he was leaving, "Let the whole country know how happy Jinbao is to get the dragon vein, this is the pride of our Qin family, madam, I will glorify you on the battlefield, you can't make me embarrassed at home!"

So the stewards and servants were busy procuring food and drink, and hiring bards, acrobatic troupes, magicians, opera singers, and fireworks people. The fast horses set out from the stables one after another, rushed to various towns, and informed the vassals of the Qin family to come to the Golden Castle to celebrate this great event, although many of the heads of the family followed Qin Wei to the front. The pigeons that flew to other provinces were also released, and it would take some time for the governors of the southern provinces to come, but most of them would not have come in person, and sent an envoy.

The entire Golden Fort was extremely excited, and the Qin family finally had a dragon vein again. Although Long Nianen, the last princess who married into Jinbao, gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl, she unfortunately died one after another due to nomadic tide and black fire. However, the dragon god favored the Golden Castle, and his piety finally paid off.

Long Dailan felt a little uneasy about the overly prosperous and lively scene, and she was also afraid of the war that had broken out, but the joy still overwhelmed everything. She kept imagining what her child would look like when he was born, imagining what she would do to educate him, and when he grew up, he would become the king of the golden horse, rule over his subjects, and lead his army to defeat the barbarians.

He also has the blood of the Holy King in his body, and he must be a wise governor. He must have a bright and great future.

A few days ago, an urgent message came from the front line, the barbarians had conquered Palm Forest City, and Qin Ming, who was defending the city, led the people and the remnants of the army to retreat to the Wind Valley, where Qin Wei's army met him. Her husband was unharmed, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

This is the first time since the reign of his father that the kingdom has lost its territory. However, Tempest Valley doesn't need to worry too much. It was a well-defended city, and it was garrisoned by the main army of the Golden Castle. Since Long Dailan married to the Golden Castle, she has witnessed how disciplined and heroic the soldiers of the Golden Ju are, they are well-equipped and well-trained, and Qin Wei, who has experienced the last nomadic tide, has never relaxed for a moment. "The food reserves of the golden horse are enough for us to fight for five years, and the barbarians can't last half a year. "Qin Wei learned the bitter lesson of the last nomadic wave, the frontline towns only stored a fixed amount of surplus grain, did not promote farming, and at most only planted a few crops with high economic value, so that even if they were lost, the barbarians could not get the support of continuous warfare. He set up several grain lanes to support the frontline towns from well-harvested fortified cities, and strengthened the scout network to ensure timely access to and relay information about the movements of the barbarians.

So Mu Rong said to her: "Child, don't worry about war. The red fire was ignited, just to inform the news that the golden horse was capable enough to deal with the attack of the barbarians. We continue to prepare for the celebrations at the Golden Castle, which in times of war will greatly boost the confidence and morale of the population. ”

In the process of preparation, the news from the front is encouraging. The army of the Wind Valley repelled the three attacks of the barbarians, and launched a powerful counterattack, driving the barbarians back into the Palm Forest City, and Qin Wei arranged a pinch defense to cut off the barbarians' way out. The size of the barbarian army this time did not exceed that of the last nomadic wave, about 100,000 people, while Qin Wei's total strength on the front line reached 120,000. The rear can still mobilize 50,000 troops at any time, and if enough time is given to prepare, this number can be doubled again.

The golden foal is prepared and good enough to deal with, even if it is a nomadic tide. Long Dailan could only pray: bless her family and the warriors of the Golden Pony with a great victory, and fewer casualties and losses for the people.

On October 23, when representatives from the Hammer arrived at the Golden Castle, it was time to celebrate the pregnancy of Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess. The guests invited by Jin Ju all arrived within a week, the envoys from other provinces came a little later, Luo Xun, the governor of Beimo Province, sent his second son Luo Guang, You Hao, the governor of Chishan Province, and Gan Changsheng, the governor of Lengquan Province, personally came, Yuan Dawei of Baihua Province sent his daughter Yuan Fangfang as a representative, Xue Yun, the governor of Nanshui Province, the messenger of his younger brother Xue Nan, accompanied by Xue Nan's sister Long Suyun and his wife, Xicheng Wang, the governor of Donghu Province, chose his eldest son Xicheng Kang, and Chen Mingyuan, the governor of Giant Hammer Province, was the most sincere among the southern provinces, bringing his wife, Long Muxia, the fifth sister of Long Jun, and brought two younger daughters。 Although the carrier pigeon to the province of Xizer was sent, but after receiving the news of the general's southern expedition, Golden Castle decided to give up waiting for them, at this juncture, Bian Li and his sons could not go to Golden Castle, and then Golden Castle sent another carrier pigeon, wishing the southern war a smooth and will try to reunite at the right time.

The number of delegates from the royal capital Julong was the largest, and the major cabinets sent their children or subordinates to attend, and other important ministers of the imperial court attended the meeting in person and entrusted their wives. In addition to the fifth aunt Long Muxia, the other uncles and aunts are also in place: the second uncle Long Chengtian and the third uncle Long Yingtian sent their children because of the troops in Xize, and the fourth uncle "Miancheng King" Long Shuntian, the sixth aunt Long Yiyu, the seventh uncle "Micheng King" Long Qitian, and the eighth aunt Long Fengzhu all came in person. For a time, the Golden Castle gathered almost all the magnates and families of the magnates of the Xianglong Kingdom, and it was so lively. The boxers originally had a saying of "Chongxi", and Long Jun was seriously ill and needed this kind of celebration to expel bad luck and bring good luck.