Ever since he was trapped in the Ankang Mountain Formation and then fought his way out of the siege to form an army, Xiang Nan had lost contact with the Taiyuan Prefecture. Not long ago, he sent someone to send back the message and restored contact.
"Why did the young master leave Huazhou without saying anything?"
“Almost missed.”
The Xiang family's entourage was standing in the room with a lot of complaints, while Chen Er filled the table with a row of food and drink, and used every opportunity to introduce: This is pear pulp, this is candied haws, this is fried fish...
The entourage also took advantage of every opportunity to eat and drink. The journey from Taiyuan Prefecture to Huazhou was dangerous. They suffered a lot while avoiding the rebels and sleeping in the open. Finally, they arrived in Huazhou. They named the Xiang family in Taiyuan Prefecture. Sure enough, this place really felt like home.
As guessed, this was Nan Gongzi's territory. The soldiers, horses, and officials all treated them with courtesy. They immediately saw the leader of the Yicheng Army, the deputy general left by Xiang Nan.
The deputy general told them that Xiang Nan had left Huazhou.
The entourage complained: "When the Master wrote back, he didn't say he wanted to go home."
Xiang Nan smiled: "I received a letter from my uncle, and he asked me to go back."
The followers stopped complaining. They were Mr. Xiang's followers, but it was Xiang Yun who spoke more effectively in the Xiang family.
"Why is the young master here again?" A follower asked, "If we hadn't met the personal soldiers left behind by the young master, we almost missed it."
When they heard that Xiang Nan had left Huazhou to visit relatives, they immediately left Huazhou and chased him without taking a break. They chased him all the way to Guangzhou Prefecture without any trouble.
The reason why it's not hard is that on the road from Huazhou to Guangzhou Prefecture, rebels are not common, and there are still living people in the villages with the city open. They can stay in the city and buy food in passing villages. It's as easy as walking in the past.
It's even more comfortable to eat and drink...
They picked up the pear syrup, took a bite of the candied haws, and chewed the fried fish at every opportunity, and their complaining voices became muffled.
"Young master, it's too dangerous to run so far with only one person."
Xiang Nan laughed: "How can it be dangerous here? We are all members of our Daxia Guards."
The Xiang family's entourage swallowed a mouthful of crushed candy and sighed: "Young master, you are isolated here in the east by the rebels. You don't know how chaotic it is outside."
They did not fight against the rebels in Taiyuan Prefecture, but various confusing news came. In addition, they traveled as followers in Taiyuan and Longyou, and this time to Huazhou, and saw many things with their own eyes along the way.
The people were displaced and the city was in ruins. There were more and more rebels. Not to mention, there was also chaos among the guards.
"Over there on Henan Road, the general of a city was killed by the general of another city. The general who killed him used his brother-in-law to lead this man's troops."
Xiang Nan didn't expect it, and looked surprised: "Does the observation envoy of Henan Province not care?"
Another follower drank the last sip of pear juice and wiped his saliva and said: "Whatever, the observation envoy of Henan Province immediately comforted the murderous general, lest he run away with his troops."
The guards are no longer just the guards of Daxia. After the death of the late emperor, the guards were leaderless. The guards became the private soldiers of the generals who led the military commanders. Xiang Nan was silent. He had already thought about this kind of thing, but
I didn't expect it to be so fast, and the new emperor had already ascended the throne, but he still didn't suppress it.
"The Zhenwu Army here in Guangzhou Prefecture is very fierce." The attendant whispered, "Young master, you should be careful when you are alone."
Xiang Nan smiled and changed the topic and asked them what they had brought. The entourage ate and drank enough and started to pile up family letters, clothes, etc., their father's blame, mother's tears, grandfather's praise, relatives and friends
Their concerns were placed on the table, and then a separate letter was taken out.
"This is the eldest lady's letter." The attendant said respectfully.
Miss Li married into the Xiang family, and the Xiang family did not dare to address her as the wife of the Xiang family. Even though her surname was not Xiang, everyone in the Xiang family also addressed her as eldest miss, and no one would mistake her for the eldest miss of the Xiang family.
Not many people know that the eldest lady is the third lady. If you don't know, you can't lie. Mr. Xiang wants everyone to treat the eldest lady sincerely. Only sincerity can be replaced by sincerity.
"The eldest lady is amazing."
"After the war started, the eldest lady immediately took everyone to Zhuangzi, and the guards of the Li family also came to protect us."
"The eldest lady also took in all the people who came to seek refuge."
"Thanks to the eldest lady, everyone's life is still the same as before."
"Now everyone in Taiyuan Mansion and the surrounding areas praises the eldest lady, and everyone yearns for Taiyuan City."
The entourage was all talking about Miss Li. Xiang Nan took the letter and interrupted them: "I want to read the letter, you go and have a rest." He called Chen Er again, "Go and prepare the pen, ink, paper and inkstone."
The couple reunited after a long separation and had a lot of lovesickness to express, so don't bother them. The entourage smiled and responded, and Chen Er arranged for them to rest. When they came back after getting the pen and ink, they saw Xiang Nan standing by the window playing with the sparrows.
"Have you read the letter?" Chen Er winked. He was surprised and envious after hearing what these followers were saying about Miss Li, "You are amazing, and so is the wife you married."
He has never seen such a woman.
Xiang Nan turned around and said, "Aren't you seeing me right now?"
Chen Eryi was startled: "Are you talking about Mrs. Wu?" He immediately shook his head, "Why is Mrs. Wu so different? Mrs. Wu..."
Why is it different? He suddenly couldn't explain. He just felt that Mrs. Wu was more distant, or that she was not a woman...
"The women in this world are much more powerful." Xiang Nan said, spilling the bean dregs in his hand on the ground, and a group of fat sparrows suddenly jumped from the tree and chirped.
What does it mean for Miss Li to make gestures based on her family status? Moreover, it is a coaxing gesture. It is not to save others, but to add glory to herself. Now she wants to tempt herself to go back and add glory to Jiannan Road.
It is ridiculous to say that Taiyuan Prefecture needs him and that 10,000 soldiers and horses in Jiannan Road are waiting for his orders.
To trick him into going home, the reason given by his uncle was better, for the sake of the Xiang family.
The corners of Xiang Nan's mouth dropped. Xiang Yun said that these troubled times were an opportunity for the Xiang family to stand in front of the emperor and regain the prestige of the ancestral family. He originally wanted to do this alone, but he didn't expect that Xiang Nan would survive the disaster and lead the family.
He became a general and gained a great reputation. He was very happy, but also a little sad. He was happy that Xiang Nan was outstanding in talent, but sad that if he died, the burden of the Xiang family would fall on Xiang Nan.
Will Xiang Yun die? He thought about the letter from his father that he had just read. His father's letter was nothing more than scolding him for being a traitor. This time, it was more scolding him for not serving in Xiang Yun's army, but for running to Xuanwu Dao.
He almost died, and Xiang Yun, who had no help from his nephew or relatives, was treated like an ox and horse in Jiannan Road. He encountered assassins one after another, lost one of his arms, and almost lost his life this time...
Xiang Yun hopes that he can go back and lead the soldiers of Jiannan Road. If something happens to him in the future, Jiannan Road can help him share the burden of the Xiang family. Of course, Xiang Yun will try his best to shoulder this burden himself.
So he planned to go back, visit his family, ask about Xiang Yun's situation, and then convince his grandfather that even without Jiannan Road, the Xiang family could lead troops and establish a career.
Chen Er poked him in the back and said, "Is the sparrow so beautiful? Have you written a letter to your wife?"
Xiang Nan looked back and turned around, looking at the desk. He had already read the letter and threw it there. As for the reply...
"You write it for me." He said, flicking his sleeves and stepping out.
Chen Er was stunned: "I can't write!"
Xiang Nan had already stepped out of the house and turned around with a smile: "Then go find someone on the street to write it and tell him it is for your long-lost wife, and they will know how to write it."
Without armor or weapons, the young man in white robe was elegant and handsome. He looked back and smiled under the winter light. Chen Er felt dazzled. When he looked back, Shen Xiang Nan had already gone out of sight.
Xiang Nan did not wander around the city like he did a few days ago, but rode straight out of the city. The city was too busy, so he wanted to find a quiet place with few people.
Outside Gwangju Prefecture is fertile farmland. It is desolate in winter, but it is not wasteland.
Xiang Nan let the horse run freely while he strolled on the farmland. From time to time he bent down to grab a handful of soil. The soil was plowed and mixed with a lot of dead grass and rotten roots. This would be the nourishment for the new crops in the next spring.
Although he is not an aristocratic son who is industrious and indifferent to grains, he has never been interested in farming before. But at this moment, looking at the fertile land and thinking about what will be planted, it can strangely calm his mind.
.
The farmland is undulating, there is a village in the distance, there are woods beside the village, a river undulates beside the dense woods, and there should be a small lake over there.
The lake has not yet frozen, and I wonder if there will be fish. Xiang Nan became more interested. He lowered his head to pick up longer branches on the ground, and thought about taking off his belt and digging for earthworms by the lake.
How many fish can he catch? His brother used to do this with him when he was a child...
There was a popping sound by the lake, as if a stone had been thrown into the water. Xiang Nan stopped untying his belt, and there was someone by the lake.
Is anyone fishing too?
Xiang Nan walked over carrying the branch, wondering how the other party's harvest was.
...
...
The first person to notice someone was Li Minglou. She had a keener hearing than ordinary people, especially when living people approached. People often walked around in the fields, but she didn't care. She sat opposite and leaned against the tree with her umbrella in hand and closed her eyes.
Er gestured.
Fang Er alone would not be in danger in Guangzhou Prefecture. Large numbers of soldiers and horses would not be able to approach, and he would not be afraid of stragglers coming.
But when he stood up and saw the person approaching, he sat down.
"Xiang Nan." He moved his lips.
Li Minglou knew that he had made a mistake. The tight inspection on the outside and the tight inside of Gwangju Mansion could stop and guard against enemies with malicious intentions, but he could not prevent the old acquaintance of unloading his weapons and rushing in without any troops.
The person who can threaten her is not the murderer with a knife or gun, but an old acquaintance who can recognize her.
Knives and guns cannot kill her, but calling out her name will kill her.
It was so easy for her to snatch a life from God.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and Li Minglou said to Fang Er, "Let's go."
Fang Er hugged the black umbrella and crawled into the woods, disappearing silently in the blink of an eye.
Li Minglou took off his hat, took off his mask, took off his black robe, wrapped a few stones, stood up and threw them into the lake.
After a few pops, the robe absorbed water and the stone fell into the lake, leaving circles of ripples on the lake.
The footsteps also stopped behind him, and Li Minglou turned around.
.....
.....
Xiang Nan saw a girl in white standing by the desolate lake with cold light.
That should be a fairy.
Her hair is as black as night, her face is as white as snow, her lips are as red as blood, her eyes are like stars, her neck is slender, her hands and feet are slender, she has thin shoulders and a thin waist, she is standing by the lake
, like ice cubes carved into crystal clear and sparkling shapes.
No one could look directly at her, but no one could look away from her either.
Xiang Nan held her breath, as if she was afraid that the breath would blow her away.