bastard returns

"Since you have made up your mind, then I have nothing to say. I can only do my best to help you once. You should make some preparations. After three days, I will use silver needles to perform exercises for you." Mr. Yuzhu saw Ning Yuan's expression, nodded slightly, and said nothing more.

Seeing that the other party agreed, Ning Yuan saluted gratefully before exiting the room and at the same time called Zhou Shi to his side.

Under the intentional concealment of Ning Yuan and Mr. Yuzhu, Zhou Shi only thought that Ning Yuan had a disease that needed recuperation, and did not know the real situation. After Ning Yuan explained several things to Zhou Shi, he let him He left the valley and went back to the city to stay with his family. Apart from contacting him through Xue Lihong, he didn't come here rashly. He wanted to rest in this valley for a year.

Although Zhou Shi was puzzled, he was loyal to Ning Yuan and didn't ask any more questions. He quickly left according to Ning Yuan's instructions. As soon as he left, the entrance of the valley was covered by more vegetation by Mr. Chen and Mr. Yuzhu up.

Three days later, Ning Yuan bathed and burned incense, walked into Mr. Yuzhu's room lightly, and stayed for more than two hours before coming out. Compared with when he went in, he was not only sweating profusely, but his face was also frighteningly pale , as if the whole person was extremely weak, and he returned to the room and lay down for a day and a night before recovering a little.

Zhou Shi got Ning Yuan's instructions, and never came to the valley again, but every once in a while, according to Ning Yuan's previous instructions, he would bring some medicinal materials to the mouth of the valley, and then Mr. Chen would take them into the valley.

Of course, he would also take the opportunity to inquire about Ning Yuan's condition. After learning that Ning Yuan was safe from old Chen, he would immediately go back to the city and report to Tang and others who had been concerned about Ning Yuan's safety.

Spring goes and autumn comes, and a year passes by slowly.

On this day, a simple and unusual carriage drove into the gate of Huajing City, and traveled slowly all the way to the west of the city.

This kind of carriage is very common in the streets and alleys of Huajing City. It should not have attracted much attention from others, but since entering the city, almost every time it travels, the carriage will be interrogated by a small group of patrolling guards. Four or five dials have already been encountered.

And those imperial guards didn't have the idea of ​​perfunctory at all, they actually checked the whole carriage inside and out, and only let it go after making sure that there was nothing suspicious.

Not only the imperial guards, but the bustling crowds on Huajing Street have also decreased a lot. The doors and windows of every house are closed, and many shops are also closed. It is rare to see roadside stalls on the street, even for pedestrians on the road. They were all busy on their way, passing by in a hurry, without the slightest bit of leisure in the usual way.

The man driving the carriage was a strong guy, and he didn't seem surprised by such a strange scene in the capital. Walking forward, after a while, he stopped in front of a small courtyard in the west of the city.

"Zhou Shi!" As soon as the driver jumped out of the car, the Bai sisters heard the movement and came out from the yard to greet him, and said concernedly: "But the young master is back?"

Before Zhou Shi could answer, the curtain in front of the carriage moved quietly, and Ning Yuan, who was wearing a cloak, came out.

"Master!" The two girls were overjoyed. Ning Yuan has been away for a year, not to mention Tang and the others. Step by step, as if he had discovered something strange, he looked into Ning Yuan's arms with a stunned expression.

It turned out that Ning Yuan was holding a swaddling baby in his hands exposed outside the cloak, and there was a sleeping baby lying inside.

"Ah, what a cute child!" Bai Mei didn't seem to care about the child's background at all, and she went up to look at it carefully, while Bai Tan threw a questioning expression at Zhou Shi, and found that Zhou Shi gave him a "I also "I don't know" gaze, didn't say anything, and hurried forward to take off the cloak for Ning Yuan.

"Master, go in quickly. The city is not peaceful now. Madam and Miss Xin'er are already waiting for the young master."

Ning Yuan nodded, looked at the baby in his arms, handed it to Bai Tan, and said: "Go and get some milk to cook, wait for the baby to wake up, and in all likelihood, he will be hungry."

"Where did this child come from?" Bai Tan finally asked out of curiosity.

"In the future, you will naturally know, just take good care of him now." Ning Yuan obviously didn't want to say more, and Bai Tan also shut his mouth tactfully.

A round table has been set up in the main hall, and several exquisite dishes are placed on the table. Ning Xiner, who has grown into a big girl, is sitting by the table. Although she tries her best to put on a dignified appearance, her eyes are still dull Staring at the dishes on the table and pursing his lips, Tang probably sensed her greed, a little bit offended, but also a little helpless and said: "Hold on, you can only eat when your brother comes back."

At this moment, Ning Yuan led Zhou Shi into the door.

Seeing that the child she hadn't seen for a year finally came back, Tang shi rushed forward excitedly. Ning Xiner also forgot to be hungry for a moment, and also went forward. Is Ning Yuan's health better? After all, Ning Yuan has been recuperating for a long time. The body is a reason to live outside.

Ning Yuan reassured the two of them, then looked at the food on the table, and said with a smile: "The current situation is turbulent, everyone in Huajing City is in danger, whoever has food is not hiding it, mother prepares this table Food, I think it's a lot of hard work."

"It's nothing." Tang reassured: "I don't know the situation of other people's homes. Fortunately, the second wife knows our current situation and often helps us. Concubine Shu Hui and the sixth prince always send people to send things. Not missing."

Ning Yuan nodded, "This battle came suddenly. Since I entered the city today, I have seen the situation in the entire Huajing. I am afraid that the emperor will have more headaches than us little people."

"That's right, no one knows why Daxia suddenly went to war with me. It's really a disaster." Tang echoed, and seemed to remember something, and said: "By the way, that child Zhao Mo gave it to me two days ago. A letter came, saying that I will hand over the letter to you when you come back, I have put the letter in your room, you can go and read it after dinner."

Ning Yuan nodded, asked Tang to sit down, and began to share the first meal after returning. During the meeting, Ning Yuan also asked Tang about the recent family movements, and when he learned that everything was as usual at home, he also settled down. Heart.

After the meal, Ning Yuan returned to the room, and easily found the letter Tang mentioned on the desk. The ink pad on the envelope was still intact, apparently it had not been opened.Ning Yuan opened the envelope, took out the letter paper, and just read a few sentences before frowning.

"Huyan is missing?" Ning Yuan sat down slowly, with an uncertain expression on his face.

As early as half a year ago, Ning Yuan asked Zhou Shi to bring a message to Zhao Mo, asking him to help investigate Huyan Yuanchen's situation in Daxia. The world evaporated without a trace, Ning Yuan tried to get in touch with Huyan Yuanchen through Xue Lihong, but not only failed to contact, Xue Lihong also came back with a very bad arrow wound, and it took a long time to recover. This made Ning Yuan very uneasy. Although he believed that with Huyan Yuanchen's ability, nothing would happen to him, but there was no news for a year, which was really worrying.

Especially now that he saw Zhao Moxiu's book, the word "missing" made him feel uneasy.

Since Da Xia suddenly sent troops south for no reason to declare war on Da Zhou a few months ago, Zhao Mo, as a general, has been at the forefront of the struggle between the two countries, and it is also the place where he can get in touch with Xia people the most. If there is no trace of the other party, is it really...

Ning Yuan shook his head, drove the bad thoughts out of his mind, and continued to read the letter.

The following content is nothing more than telling him that the war is not optimistic. Daxia is already strong and strong, and this time the incident suddenly caught Dazhou by surprise. In just a short period of time, the Xia army has almost occupied Yanzhou The whole territory is approaching Huajing, which is why this largest city in the Great Zhou Dynasty is so turbulent.Zhao Mo also mentioned very seriously in the letter that although they temporarily blocked Xia Jun's offensive, there is no way to guarantee that they can repel others in a short time, and even if they are defeated again, there is a high probability that Huajing will be reduced to The army is approaching the city, and for the long-term, he suggested that Ning Yuan should find an opportunity to leave Beijing to avoid disaster, and it is best to return to Jiangzhou with his family.

Ning Yuan put down the letter and heaved a sigh of relief. He didn't know that the situation was so critical. He was still in a daze for a while when he heard that the Xia people were calling in the valley, because in the last life, there was no such thing What happened, although Da Xia had a strong military force, Da Zhou was not a soft persimmon to pinch. Apart from losing both sides, he really couldn't figure out what advantage Da Xia could take advantage of.

However, looking at the menacing arrival of Daxia, it seems that he really came prepared. As far as Zhao Mo said, the reason why the Xia army was able to occupy Yanzhou so quickly was not only that it seemed to know the distribution of military camps everywhere in Yanzhou, but also from the lax defense. The places began to be defeated one by one, and the horse bandits who had been suppressed for a long time in Yanzhou seemed to have become Xia Jun's lackeys.

Ning Yuan's eyes flickered, as if he had thought of something, at this moment, a child's cry came from far to near, and then Bai Tan pushed the door in in a panic, and said to Ning Yuan: "Master, this child has been crying all the time. , and don’t drink milk, what should I do!”

Ning Yuan smiled, and could only take the baby over. It was strange to say that when the child smelled Ning Yuan's body, he immediately stopped his voice. Although his face was still flattened, he stopped crying.

Seeing this, Bai Tan gave Ning Yuan a very strange look, didn't say anything, just put a cup of milk in the other hand on the table, and stepped back lightly.

"You kid, you are so naughty, you really don't look like me at all." Ning Yuan shook his head with a wry smile, felt the temperature of the milk in the porcelain cup was just right, and fed it spoon by spoon with a special small wooden spoon. The child started to eat, and wiped the corners of his lips from time to time, the movements were very skillful, as if he did it often.

"This kid really came unexpectedly. If Hu Yan knows, I don't know what to think." Ning Yuan said to himself. He almost risked his life for half his life, and even made Mr. Yuzhu abolish all his martial arts to bring this little guy into this world. But now, how to explain the origin of this child to his family is really difficult. He made a mistake.

I'm afraid that even if Huyan Yuanchen knows about it in the future, he won't be able to accept such unimaginable things for a while.

Forget it, the boat will be straight when it reaches the bridgehead.Ning Yuan thought so, what needs to be worried about right now is not the child's affairs, but that guy Huyan Yuanchen, what happened to him, he can go without a trace for more than a whole year, he has to investigate carefully .

****

On the second day, Ning Yuan changed into an official uniform and went to the Confucian Academy early in the morning. Xu Jingan was quite surprised by Ning Yuan's sudden return, but he didn't talk nonsense, and immediately brought Ning Yuan into the school without stopping. up the palace.

Because earlier, the emperor issued an imperial decree that all officials of the seventh rank and above in Huajing City should attend today's morning court, and Ning Yuan was lucky to come, and he just happened to catch up.

There are too many officials above the seventh grade in Huajing, and the Palace of Qinzheng will definitely not be able to accommodate them, so the emperor built the place where he went to court in the large square in front of the Palace of Qinzheng. A large group of officials knelt down, all of them were dressed in official uniforms, with serious expressions.

Ning Yuan looked around secretly, and found that although there were many people here, there were obviously more than seven officials above Huajing Middle School, so he asked Xu Jingan curiously, but the answer he got surprised him a bit.

"Many people have resigned and fled. Of course you won't see them." Xu Jing'an snorted softly, as if he was quite contemptuous of those who resigned.

"The Xia people are so scared before their troops approach the city?" Ning Yuan was curious.

"There is never a shortage of people who are greedy for life and afraid of death in this world. Instead of thinking about that, why don't you think about why the emperor summoned so many officials. You must know that ordinary seventh-rank officials are not even palace officials. None are allowed in."

Ning Yuan's heart moved, and he suddenly thought of something. At this moment, amidst the high-pitched shout of the eunuch for ceremonies, the emperor wearing a dragon robe and a golden crown came out of the Qinzheng Hall with a serious face and sat down. He got on the dragon chair that had been placed at the entrance of the hall.

The emperor didn't procrastinate in his work, just after letting everyone calm down, he said that he just sent back a battle report from the front line last night, and randomly sent someone to hand over the battle report to the eunuch who was in charge of rituals, and asked him to read it aloud.

Following the eunuch's reading aloud, the expressions on the faces of the officials below changed from being silent at the beginning to joyful expressions, and they even let go, and even started whispering to the people around them.

No wonder they would do this, because the content of the battle report is very simple, the army of Dasan Zhou defeated the Xia army at Chunyuguan, [-] miles north of Huajing, not only wiped out many enemies, but also took the opportunity to recover the three cities of Yanzhou, And set up camp again, and Xiasha City, which is the most easily defended and difficult to attack, confronted Xia Jun.

Xiasha City is an important place for government agencies in Yanzhou. Being able to take it back can be said to have turned around a lot. It is no wonder that the officials who had been worried about the collapse of Huajing Huicheng were so happy.

But soon, they couldn't laugh anymore.

Because the eunuch Si Li has already read the battle report to the second half, which is different from the previous victory report. The content of the second half is that Da Xia actually proposed a truce. Of course, this truce is not unconditional, but what conditions the other party wants He didn't say it clearly, but asked Da Zhou to send an envoy to Yanjing, and the Empress Dowager Xia would tell her her conditions by ear.

By this time, no matter how confused the officials present were, they understood the emperor's intentions. He had summoned so many people and spent a long time to choose envoys.

If the two countries are at peace, I am afraid that many people will fight for the post of envoy, because it is really lucrative. In addition to the rewards given by the emperor, you can enjoy the scenery of other countries along the way, and every place where you rest , can also get the kind hospitality from local officials, it goes without saying that the food is delicious and spicy, and sometimes you can also receive red envelopes... Of course, this is only when the weather is calm. The other party's Yanjing, this is no different from sending to death. It would be great if they can reach an agreement, and both sides are happy, but if they fail to reach an agreement, it will only take a few words for the two countries to tear up the agreement and start a war again. At that time, an envoy If there is still life, I am afraid that he would have been killed with a single knife and taken to sacrifice the flag.

All of a sudden, the whole square returned to a quiet scene, and there was even silence. Everyone buried their heads low, wishing that the emperor could not see them at all.

The emperor's face was a bit ugly. Of course he knew the risks of envoys in wartime, but he originally thought that with so many loyal ministers, there would always be one or two who stood up to share the country's worries. How could it be like this? At first glance, they were all shrunken turtles, which was beyond his expectation.

But this kind of thing cannot be forced. If someone has to go because of the emperor's order, but he is worried about his own safety and runs away halfway, then the opportunity to negotiate will naturally disappear. Don't want to take that risk.

At this moment, several hurried footsteps came from Qinzheng Hall, and a woman's cry was faintly heard. The emperor turned his head in doubt, and many people below looked up cautiously, and saw The sixth prince, Sikong Xuan, rushed out from the Palace of Qinzheng with big strides, knelt down towards the emperor without thinking, and said, "Father, my son is willing to go on an envoy to relieve father's worries!"

As a result, just after Sikong Xuan finished speaking, another anxious female voice said from behind: "Xuan'er, don't mess around!" Then Concubine Shu Hui and the Queen also stepped out of the palace gate one after the other, obviously chasing Sikong Xuan all the way here , it was Concubine Shu Hui who yelled just now.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you see that I'm going to court?" The emperor was a little annoyed. Concubine Shu Hui was startled, and she also realized that she had lost her composure. She immediately bowed to the emperor to salute, but the anxious look on her face did not disappear at all. Go, a pair of eyes fell directly on Sikong Xuan who was kneeling there.The queen bent her knees and said apologetically, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The concubine did not stop my sister for a while. It was my negligence. The concubine will take my sister away." Say it, then turned to Shu and said, "Sister Hurry up and leave with me, concubines are not allowed to enter or leave the court hall."

"I..." Concubine Shu Hui's face was very ugly, and she froze there, but Sikong Xuan said again at this time: "Father, my son is willing to share the worries of the father, and go to Yanjing to listen to the Queen Mother Xia. conditions of!"

Although the emperor still had an angry look on his face, his eyes fell on Sikong Xuan from the beginning, seeing his firm expression, as if he really had such a plan, he couldn't help but relax, but he still said: "You are not old enough. Small, I'm not suitable to work for me, the right way is to go back and study hard with my husband."

"Father, my son has already grown up, so how can we start at such a young age?" Sikong Xuan was unrelenting, "Recently, because of the war between the two countries, Father cannot sleep at night, which has already affected the dragon's health. I am stupid to ask myself, I can't share my father's worries about state affairs, but this envoy to discuss matters, I can still do it!"

There was a look of relief in the emperor's eyes, as if he was very satisfied with Sikong Xuan's words, but Sikong Xuangui was the prince, and he was also a prince he liked very much recently, how could he be allowed to take such a risk, but looking at Sikong Xuan With those firm eyes, he couldn't say any words of rejection for a moment.

"Your Majesty, Xuan'er acts impulsively, so he is not suitable to be an envoy for negotiating business. I'm afraid it will be self-defeating and cause disaster to the army." Concubine Shu Hui was shocked when she saw that the emperor didn't speak, as if she was about to agree. Under the circumstances, regardless of being in court at the moment, he hastily defended Sikong Xuan.Her family is long gone, only a son like Sikong Xuan, how could he agree to let Sikong Xuan take such a risk.

The emperor felt relieved, and was about to follow Shu's words to let Sikong Xuan dispel such thoughts, but the queen suddenly interjected: "Sister, it's not right for you to say that, Xuan'er is willing to be your father. It's a great thing to be filial and loyal to the country, as his own mother, it's fine if you don't help, why do you want to suppress him like this?"

Concubine Shu Hui suddenly raised her head and stared at the queen fiercely, she was no longer as gentle and virtuous as she used to be, her eyes seemed to spew fire.

Since the two of them returned to the palace, Sikongxuan had been favored by the emperor, and the Shu family had also been favored. The two of them had already surpassed the dead concubine Yue to become the empress' thorn in the side. However, after going out of the palace before, the Shu family had been in the palace for a long time. She is quite rigorous, and her work is impeccable, coupled with the emperor's love and care, it is impossible for the empress to find any faults and do her own tricks.

The empress is quite anxious about this, if this continues, Sikong Xuan will threaten Sikong Yue's status sooner or later, and the empress can't imagine that she is worrying about how to get rid of these two mothers and sons, but Sikong Xuan draws a cover for himself Jump.

Want to go on a mission?She's really young and energetic and doesn't know the dangers involved, anyway, since Sikong Xuan is going on her own, as a aunt, why not help her out, anyway, if Sikong Xuan offends Xia Ren in the end and gets killed with a knife, it won't matter What's the matter with her queen.

For this reason, the empress finished talking about the Shu family, then turned to the emperor and said, "Your majesty, my concubine thinks it is feasible to let Xuan'er go this way. First of all, Xuan'er is a prince with a high status, and his words are more important than ordinary envoys." It is very important, and it is easy to win the trust of the Xia people; secondly, it is precisely because of Xuan'er's status as the prince, even if the two sides fail to reach an agreement, the Xia people will be wary and dare not do anything to Xuan'er, and he will definitely return to the court safely. Thinking about it this way, Xuan'er is more suitable for this trip than ordinary courtiers!"