As soon as the Yamen opened the seal, Mu Yan was so busy that he disappeared.
Often come home late.
Sometimes he felt that the smell of blood on his body was too strong, so he didn't go back to the yard and just planned to spend the night in the study. Huo Xi would look for him.
In this way, no matter how late it is, he will wash his hair and cleanse his body. When his body is refreshed, he will go back to his room to sleep with his wife and children.
Huo Xi was drowsily asleep, and a body behind her pressed against her, "Significant?"
"Well, it's me."
Huo Xi felt relieved and turned around to get into his arms. Mu Yan hugged her tightly and smelled his wife's body fragrance. The warm fragrance of soft jade in his arms warmed his heart.
He stroked her hair, kissed her face, and couldn't put it down.
"Sleepy." Huo Xi muttered.
Mu Yan paused and said, "Then I won't bother you, just go to sleep."
Huo Xi found a good position in his arms and fell asleep.
The nephrite was warm and fragrant in his arms, and he could do nothing. Mu Yan smiled helplessly, raised his head and looked inside again. His son's small body was covered under the quilt, his breathing was slow, and his belly was bulging.
Mu Yan smiled again and hugged Huo Xi to sleep.
A few days later, Mu Yan came back early, had dinner with his wife and children, played games with his son for a while, put his son to sleep, and talked quietly with Huo Xi.
"In a few days, I will go to Annan with my father-in-law."
Huo Xi was startled and stood up from his arms: "Why are you going with me?"
Mu Yan pulled her back into his arms, "Don't worry, believe in your husband's ability."
Seeing Huo Xi waiting for his answer, he said warmly: "Every time Annan quells a rebellion, most of the troops used are soldiers from the southwest. The Yunnan Guards Force is almost full of troops. My father-in-law is the chief military officer, and he is the assistant."
Huo Xi knew who Mu Yan was talking about.
There is probably some resentment between the father and son. It may be that when he was young, Mu Yan wandered on the edge of life and death several times, and could not get any warmth from his biological father, and gradually his heart grew cold.
"He lost the war with Annan years ago. The emperor was a little dissatisfied and ordered me to assist my third uncle and lead the Yunnan soldiers to assist my father-in-law."
Huo Xi couldn't help but sigh.
As her de facto father-in-law, as the second son, she had an excellent eldest brother in front of her since she was a child, so she never thought that he could inherit the title. The old Marquis never taught him how to manage Yunnan affairs during his lifetime.
affairs.
When he was young, Mu Sheng loved to read and hang out in the circle of literati. Unexpectedly, after the death of his father and brother, the late emperor abandoned Mu Yan as his biological son and handed over the title to Mu Sheng to inherit.
Mu Sheng has been trying to catch up, but he has been stumbling over the years to maintain success, and other things have been a bit difficult.
The couple was silent for a long time.
"How long will the war last?"
"I don't know yet. But I have analyzed it with my father-in-law, and he estimates that the war will be over in a few months to half a year, just like the previous times."
If the Tatars and other tribes on the grassland were a thorn in the back of the Wei Dynasty, Annan was also a worry for Emperor Yongkang.
As a vassal state, Annan challenged the Wei Dynasty's national authority from time to time and had a very disrespectful attitude towards the Wei Dynasty. It first deceived the Wei Dynasty in order to obtain a title, and then killed the country's leader three times to usurp his throne.
Later, he repeatedly invaded and plundered small neighboring countries, so that the neighboring countries repeatedly sent envoys to the Wei Dynasty to accuse Annan, "several of their incursions and plunders."
He also repeatedly raised troops to invade Siming Prefecture, Luzhou and other places in Guangxi. "In the past year, Annan repeatedly raised troops to invade and occupy them," and also captured Mengman and other seven villages under the jurisdiction of Ningyuan Prefecture, Yunnan.
"Baiduan" led to local officials in Guangxi and Yunnan constantly submitting petitions to Wei Ting for help.
Annan's many actions seemed to be a serious provocation to the status of the suzerainty of the Wei Dynasty. Moreover, the long-term infringement of the Wei Dynasty's border violated the Wei Dynasty's border policy of "protecting the vassal and solidifying the border."
Emperor Yongkang was a man who couldn't bear to rub dirt out of his eyes, so he sent troops several times to quell the rebellion.
"How could you be sent to the army by the Emperor if you weren't busy with the secret affairs assigned by the Emperor during this period?"
Mu Yan moved his hands around her body, "My father-in-law said that the emperor might want to use me. The Yunnan border has been quite uneven in the past two years, and he was unable to secure the border, which made the emperor dissatisfied. My father-in-law analyzed that the emperor might want to take the opportunity to inspect my territory.
With my military ability, I guess they want to send me to Yunnan to help secure the border."
"What? Go to Yunnan to help guard the border? Doesn't that mean you have to stay there?"
Huo Xi was very surprised. How could this solidification of the border be achieved overnight? Wouldn't it mean that the husband and wife and the father and son would be separated?
"No matter where I go, I will take you mother and son with me. We will never be separated." Mu Yan said firmly.
This is not what he wants to do.
Huo Xigang wanted to ask, but he blocked his lips and tongue, and attacked the city repeatedly, so he had no chance to ask him for a while.
Early the next morning, when I thought about asking him, my pillow was already cold and he had already gone out.
"Where's daddy?"
Xiao Yu'er has not seen his father for several days. He finally looked forward to seeing his father yesterday and had fun with him. When he got up early in the morning, he looked for his father, but he was nowhere to be seen. Even though his father was going to bed today.
"Daddy has gone to the military camp." Huo Xi washed her son herself, pinched her son's soft little face and couldn't put it down.
Xiao Yu'er's eyes lit up, "Daddy is going to be a general! Xiao Yu'er is going to be a general too!"
"Okay, Yu'er will also become a general. After washing his face, he will go to my aunt, Yanzhi and the others to play with some soldiers and generals."
"Okay! Play with some soldiers and generals!"
As the day of the expedition approached, Huo Xi and Mu Yan took Xiao Yu'er back to the British palace and stayed with Zhang Fu and Huo Nian for a long time. During this time, the two were also busy in the military camp and no one was seen, and they had not returned to the palace for a long time.
.
"Maoer will also go?" Huo Xi was a little surprised.
Zhang Mao nodded, "Father said that I have achieved some success in studying military strategies over the years, but I have always been inexperienced in talking about military strategies on paper, so he asked me to follow him to the battlefield to practice." There was a cheerful look in his words.
Huo Xi couldn't help but laugh: "How happy are you to be on the battlefield?"
"Happy. I'm happy to follow my father and brother!" Zhang Mao smiled, happy to have found something he likes to do, and happy to finally be able to follow his father and brother to the battlefield to serve the imperial court.
"Sister, don't worry, we will all come back safely." Huo Nian came up and hugged her arm, rubbing against Huo Xi's arm like he did when he was a child.
Looking at his younger brother who was much taller than him, Huo Xi felt soft in his heart, "It's a good idea to follow your father. Listen to his words and don't be greedy for success. Safety is the most important thing." He glanced at Zhang Mao and said, "The same goes for Mao'er."
They both nodded in agreement.
Seeing Huo Xi nagging, Huo Nian couldn't help but say, "Hey sister, you are the one nagging. Look at Gu Yu and Fang Qi. Our family knew they were going to follow us to the battlefield, so they didn't even say a word."
"Fang Qi and Gu Yu are also going?"
Huo Nian's two classmates and friends were very close to Nian'er. Later, they went to the Zhang clan to study. Will they go with Nian'er now?
"Yes. Their family is still very happy. They are looking forward to their return after making meritorious service."
Huo Xi glared at him, "How do you know they don't nag at home? Don't you worry? When you grow up, why don't you listen to your sister nagging more?" You still think she is annoying. You brat.
"I got it, sister, don't worry. I have a lot of personal guards around me. Why don't you worry about me being with my father?"
Seeing that he had a plan, Huo Xi said no more.
The next day, I went back to Huo's house with Huo Nian to have a meal with Yang and Huo Erhuai. I heard the couple chattering to Huo Nian. Seeing Nian'er's obedient look, I couldn't help but laugh.
In mid-February, Zhang Fu was appointed commander-in-chief and Mu Yan was appointed general Qianfeng, leading 100,000 troops to the southwest border.