Goose-feather-like snowflakes are falling in the sky, and the bleak north wind is blowing. The trees still covered in green are swaying in the howling north wind, which have become white and bloated, as if they want to remove this layer of trees.

The skin that Bai Xue gave her was shaken off, revealing the greenness that should have been inside, showing her strong and vigorous vitality.

In the backyard, in the courtyard where Minglan and Mrs. Sheng live, there is only a thin layer of snow in the courtyard, the doors and windows are closed, and a charcoal fire is burning in the house. Minglan and the old lady sit beside the stove.

In his hand, he was peeling an orange that was radiating heat.

Mrs. Sheng is getting older. In such a cold winter, she cannot eat too cold food. Even delicious oranges can only be eaten if they are heated.

"Grandma, eat an orange!" Minglan handed the neatly picked and smooth oranges to Mrs. Sheng next to her, awakening Mrs. Sheng from her meditation.

"Grandma, birth, aging, illness and death are human nature, so don't be too sad!" Minglan said obediently.

Mrs. Sheng rubbed Minglan's head, broke off a piece of orange, and put the orange into Minglan's little mouth like a kitten.

"I just feel a little emotional. Maybe he is getting old and can't bear to see this kind of separation!"

The eldest old lady is lying on the bed now, her face has become more and more haggard. The doctor has already come to see her. The old lady just suffered from the cold, but she is too old, has old diseases in her body, and her body is too weak.

An illness is like a mountain collapsing. It gets worse day by day. In just a few days, most of the Qi has dissipated. Even if Hua Tuo is reincarnated, it will be difficult to cure him.

I invited several doctors one after another, but they all said that there was no way to save my life and I could just prepare for the funeral.

Everyone in the Sheng family has looked sad these days, with sadness in their brows.

There was also a bit of sadness on Minglan's little face. Although she didn't get along with this old lady for a long time, she could feel the care and love from the heart of this kind and kind old lady.

"My old sister-in-law suffered a lot in the first half of her life. In the second half of her life, she has children and grandchildren around her and her family is reunited. It's a pity that her body..."

Within seven days, the eldest lady of the Sheng family passed away and passed away forever. Before she closed her eyes, she thought about all the things she had done when she was young, and she did not forget to curse Sheng Wei's biological father, and promised to go to the Temple of Hell under the Nine Springs to pray for her.

His daughter, who died innocently and in vain, seeks justice.

The Sheng family immediately hung up white flags, invited Taoist priests, decorated the mourning hall, chanted sutras and prayed for salvation. Everyone in the Sheng family wore sackcloth and wore mourning to send the eldest lady on her last journey.

Although she had been prepared for it, Mrs. Sheng was still quite sentimental for a moment.

A few days after the death, Changsong also rushed back to Youyang from Quanzhou. Along with Changsong, there were Gu Er and more than twenty of his personal followers.

After offering incense to the eldest lady, Gu Er went to see Old Madam Sheng and Minglan. Old Madam Sheng ordered someone to serve tea and received them in person.

After some pleasantries and personally handing over the letters from Wang Zhong and Lady Wei to them, Gu Er said: "Nowadays, the rebels are making trouble, the situation is unstable, and bandits are everywhere. What Zi Hou means is that it is better to be still than to move. Let Lao

My wife and Miss Six will stay in Youyang for now, and then they will consider returning to Beijing after the rebellion has been put down and the situation has stabilized."

"I heard a while ago that the Wuwei Army on Huainan West Road was defeated. Even the coach was captured by thieves and had his head chopped off. I wonder what the situation is now?" Mrs. Sheng is not a reckless person and knows her priorities.

Gu Er cupped his hands and said in a deep voice: "Now the rebels have ravaged the Huaihe River area. Many mountain bandits and water bandits have followed suit and attacked the prefectures and counties. The momentum is getting bigger and bigger. Nowadays, water and land are not safe."

"So serious? Huainan East Road has been affected?" Even the Wuwei Army was defeated. Mrs. Sheng had already expected the seriousness of the situation, but she did not expect it to be so serious.

Gu Erdao: "The whole territory of Haozhou has fallen long ago, and the rebels have marched towards Suzhou and Sizhou on Huainan East Road. They seem to intend to encroach on the canal and hinder water transportation."

As soon as Gu Er said these words, even Mrs. Sheng fell silent, "You are just a rebel, but you dare to get involved in water transportation?"

Water transport is the basis for connecting the north and the south. The south of the Yangtze River is a land of fish and rice, rich in grain, and the Huaihe River is the salt field of the Song Dynasty. Whether it is grain or salt, if you want to send it to the north, you rely on water transport. If the water transport is blocked, the court will

To put it bluntly, it’s really a stretch.

Gu Erdao: "It's just a junior's guess at the moment, but this group of rebels is so bold that even the clan dares to hunt them down. They may not have the guts to get involved in water transport."

"What about tomorrow's marriage to Zihou?" Mrs. Sheng couldn't help but ask.

Gu Er said: "Zihou should mention it in the letter."

Old Mrs. Sheng was busy entertaining Gu Er, and before she had time to read the letter, she hurriedly opened the letter after hearing this. After reading it carefully, she held the letter and frowned: "You want me to get married tomorrow from Youyang?"

"Grandma!" Minglan stood up and bowed to Mrs. Sheng: "Extraordinary things, extraordinary things. My granddaughter thinks brother Zihou's proposal is good."

"Nowadays, rebels are rampant and bandits are wreaking havoc everywhere. From here to Bianjing, we are thousands of miles away, and the mountains and rivers are far away. Who knows what will happen. If it is just a small group of bandits, we can still resist one or two, but if we encounter

With the large number of rebels, wouldn't we become fish on the chopping board and have no choice but to be slaughtered by them?

It's fine if it's just my granddaughter, but my grandma is so rich and noble, how can I put myself in danger? Even my eldest uncle and eldest aunt will not agree to our return to Tokyo at this time."

Mrs. Sheng looked at Minglan with affection in her eyes: "Isn't this wronging you?"

If Minglan got married in Bianjing, she could certainly have a grand wedding. But in Youyang, the old lady had just passed away, and Minglan's wedding was only a few months away. Naturally,

It's not easy to do anything big.

Minglan grabbed Old Mrs. Sheng's hand and said with a smile: "Grandma, what's wrong with you? You live your life yourself, not for others to see. As long as brother Zihou treats me well, it's nothing more than a pomp.

Are you honest?"

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Hey!" Mrs. Sheng looked at Minglan's calm face and saw that there was no false sincerity in her eyes. Knowing that this was what she was thinking, she didn't

He hesitated again, shook his head, sighed and then smiled on his face, patted Minglan's hand gently and said: "You are right, living your own life is really more important than anything else."

Gu Er, who was standing next to him, listened to Minglan's words and saw his grandfather and grandson so quiet and soothed. He couldn't help but feel a bit envious in his heart. At the same time, he felt a vague feeling of emptiness, as if something important had left him.

Same thing.

Minglan continued to say next to him: "Now that brother Zihou has become famous, the granddaughter is just a concubine. To marry brother Zihou is already a high achievement. If the momentum is more grand, even though she will be in the limelight, she will not be able to keep it.

It will make people jealous and cause a lot of trouble.

It would be better to just let the granddaughter marry quietly in Youyang, so that outsiders would think that brother Zihou didn't pay much attention to his granddaughter, but he married his granddaughter just because he was grateful for his father's support.

, maybe people outside see that my granddaughter is pitiful, and if they meet her in the future, they will take care of her in turn."

Old Mrs. Sheng laughed out loud at Minglan's words. She raised her hand to scratch Minglan's nose and said happily: "You little bastard!"

Gu Er next to him looked at it and couldn't help but smile on his face.

Gu Er spoke again and reminded: "Although the rebels have not harmed Youyang now, the situation is too chaotic now. The imperial court has deployed troops from various places to suppress the rebellion. Although the rebels are powerful, they are just a mob. Sooner or later they will be

If we are going to lose, if we can't protect everything, there will be rogue bandits escaping, so the old lady and the sixth girl must make preparations in advance."

After hearing this, Mrs. Sheng nodded cautiously and said, "We should have considered it earlier!"

The total number of archers and servants in Youyang County Government is only over a hundred. It is neither an important route from south to north, nor is it a big city with developed commerce and a prosperous economy. But the key is that it is not far from Haozhou, and there is a real possibility of rogue bandits escaping here.

.

"I heard from Zihou that Wang Erxi is in Youyang?" Gu Er said suddenly.

"Girl Ming and I are escorted by Wang Erxi and his men when we go south this time!" As she said this, Old Madam Sheng couldn't help but talk about the group of water thieves we encountered in Huaiyin. Thanks to Wang Zhong's preparations, he sent Wang Erxi and his men to escort us.

, and arranged in advance for people from the Cao Gang to pick them up, so that the two of them, the grandfather and the grandson, could arrive in Youyang safely.

Gu Er said: "Wang Erxi has been with Zihou for many years. The old lady can ask Wang Erxi to select tall and strong men from his own family, and train them a little to serve as guards. If they encounter thieves, they can also resist them."

After some pleasantries, Gu Er did not stay at Sheng's house for long. After having a meal and resting for a while, he left Youyang with his people.

Mrs. Sheng immediately wrote a letter, explaining the current situation in the Huaihe River and her concerns, and finally revealed her real purpose. Now that the wedding was approaching, if she risked returning to Tokyo, the risk would be great, so she simply let Minglan

After getting married from Youyang, the dowry will be sent to Minglan after the situation is calmed down in the future.

It was already the middle of the twelfth lunar month when Sheng Hong received the old lady's letter.

Minglan and Wang Zhong's wedding was scheduled for February. It was too late to wait for the letters to come back. Moreover, Sheng Hong was more concerned about the safety of Old Mrs. Sheng. After all, Old Mrs. Sheng was Sheng Hong's aunt. If Old Mrs. Sheng

On the road, he encountered danger, something happened, and he accidentally lost his life. He, Sheng Hong, asked Ding You to keep his filial piety for three years. Now that the official family is getting older, who knows if they can last another three years. If they sit on the throne,

The person on the bed was replaced by another, and when everything was settled, Sheng Hong didn't know where to cry.

The time was too short, so Mrs. Sheng naturally did not write this letter to discuss with Sheng Hong, but just to tell Sheng Hong her decision.

As soon as Mrs. Sheng sent the letter to Sheng Hong, Minglan took Wang Erxi to find Sheng Wei. Today, Sheng Wei's business is spread all over the country, and even overseas. Jihai Trading Company is now the largest trading house in Quanzhou. Naturally, his knowledge is far from what he originally had. After listening to Minglan's words, he was convinced that he even asked Changwu to select tall and strong men from his own family and handed them over to Wang Erxi for unified training, and also stuffed Changwu into Wang Erxi's army. Let Changwu learn from you.

Wang Erxi didn't understand the art of arranging troops. What he knew was Wang Zhong's method of military training, which was derived from the company training methods contained in the "New Book of Ji Xiao" written by Grandpa Qi, a famous anti-Japanese general of the Ming Dynasty. Practicing the military posture formation allowed the nursing staff to develop a tacit understanding among each other, and then they practiced the art of fighting and stabbing. Finally, they cooperated to form a castrated version of the mandarin duck formation.

Minglan and Pinlan were bored in Youyang, so the two sisters invited each other every day and ran to Zhuangzi to watch Wang Erxi and Changwu train the servant Ding to protect the courtyard. Seeing that Shulan was bored at home alone, the two sisters sent Shulan away. Lan also pulled over.

Shulan was raised by Shuwen, taught by the Li family, as a hostage, and she was like a lady, but Pinlan was completely on the other extreme. She had been taken care of by the old lady since she was a child, and she was free and free. She could play polo whenever she wanted. I have done everything from beating pills to beating pills, climbing mountains and climbing trees to dig out bird eggs, swimming in rivers and catching fish, and my skin is just like that of a little monkey.

Ever since Pinlan learned about Minglan and Xiaotao's martial arts skills, she showed great interest and wanted to learn martial arts from Minglan all the time. Minglan's kung fu was all taught by Wang Zhong. It was not some secret that was not passed on to Minglan. He was not stingy and taught Pinlan.

It was just that Pinlan didn't want to learn the Zhanma Zhanzhuang Kung Fu, and was willing to learn those fancy and beautiful routines. Minglan let her go and taught her a gorgeous sword dance with optimized movements. However, Pinlan had never learned martial arts at all. The practice was stumbling. I have been studying with Minglan for several months, but I can only remember all the routines.

"This is too difficult to practice!" In the courtyard, Pinlan said angrily, waving the unopened long sword in his hand.

Minglan smiled and comforted Pinlan and said: "Sister, don't be discouraged. Martial arts are not achieved overnight. When I first learned this set of swordsmanship, it took me more than half a year!"

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Shulan next to her looked at her angry sister and couldn't help but want to laugh: "You are so stubborn that you are still learning swordsmanship from sister Minglan! How long have you been practicing? Are you impatient?"

"Sister, you don't know, this swordsmanship is too difficult to practice!" Pinlan said aggrievedly.

Shulan was a little unconvinced and said: "Is it difficult to practice? When I was in Quanzhou, I often saw Sister Qian from Mrs. Li's family. She was a few years younger than you and Minglan, but she was proficient in swords, guns, swords and halberds. It’s no problem to bend a bow and set an arrow!”

"How many years younger than me?" Pinlan asked in surprise: "How is that possible?" Then she looked at Minglan.

Minglan said: "Sister Qian has been practicing martial arts with brother Zihou since she was a child. She practices Sanjiu in the winter and Sanfu in the summer. She is very diligent. Sister, despite her young age, if she really starts to take action, even my Xiaotao will not be able to do it. Where is Sister Qian’s opponent?”

After all, Xiao Tao only received some guidance from Wang Zhong. Unlike Wang Qian'er, she had been taken by Wang Zhong to teach her personally in the past few years. Minglan had watched Wang Zhong compete with Gu Er and knew that Wang Zhong was highly skilled in martial arts.

It's unpredictable, Wang Qier is Wang Zhong's niece, so it's not surprising that she has a higher talent.

"Xiao Tao?" Pinlan couldn't help turning her head to look at Xiao Tao who was holding a plate of snacks and eating, and asked Minglan curiously: "Is Xiao Tao very powerful?"

Minglan said: "My Xiao Tao is much better than me. The kung fu I learned were mostly fancy tricks, just to look good. What Xiao Tao practiced was the martial arts that can really fight with others. Usually two or three men can do it."

You can't get close to Xiao Tao."
To be continued...