Yan Cigui.

In the inner hall, almost all the waiters left, leaving only the nanny.

Lin Yunyan glanced at the imperial concubine's expression.

Although the empress took the initiative to call her here and really wanted to say something to her, it was obviously too complicated and she didn't know where to start.

Lin Yunyan gave a smile and said: "Did you prepare these candied fruits in the small kitchen? There is a shop specializing in candied fruits on East Street outside the palace. It is sweet and not greasy. I often buy some. If the empress likes it, I will buy it. I’ll bring you some to try when I return to the palace.”

The depression in the imperial concubine's heart was suddenly released, and she burst into laughter.

Have a look.

Ning'an is still interesting.

Don't ask about medicine, don't ask about illness, just talk about sweetness.

"Then give me something," the imperial concubine said. "They all say that I am tired and sick. It's all nonsense. I am always tired."

Once the first sentence comes out, the subsequent words will become much easier.

"The Holy One was recuperating at my place a while ago. When I said that I was waiting for you, I was just talking a few words. The people below were all busy, so how can I be considered tired?" The imperial concubine sighed, "In addition to saying a few words to the Holy One, Nothing happened.

Besides, the Holy Father didn't talk to each other in those few days.

That is to say, the border military report was sent to let the Holy Emperor show his face a little, otherwise he would have to keep his face down.

So the princess must have heard about it, right? Fu Guogong won another great victory. "

Lin Yunyan nodded and said: "I am not being humble for the Duke, nor is he the one who sat in the pass and fought out of Yumen to fight with Xiliang."

In border wars, it would always be late for Beijing to receive the news, but once it was won, it would spread all over the capital.

Victory inspires people and calms the people.

Lin Yunyan loved hearing this.

In addition to the news her father brought her, she would also go to several teahouses and listen to the stories told by tea doctors.

I won’t say whether it’s true or false, and it’s also necessary to embellish and exaggerate, but it makes people feel excited and interesting.

After Gu Yue suddenly withdrew his troops, Xiliang failed to deploy its defenses in time, suffered a defeat, and had to retreat two hundred miles.

They were considered to have rich experience, and they quickly stabilized the morale of the army and set up camp again, hoping to wait for subsequent reinforcements and then give Dashun a try.

Dashun did not give the Xiliang people such a chance.

Dingbei Hou ordered his troops and once again went out to pursue them. The remaining soldiers of Xiliang struggled to resist, but they also knew that the situation was over. There was nothing they could do this winter and they could only continue to retreat.

"I heard from the Holy One," the imperial concubine pursed her lower lip, "If everything goes well, this time we can recover all the passes that Yongjia lost in the past eight years."

Lin Yunyan clenched her fist subconsciously.

The eighth year of Yongjia was the year when Xu Jian went on his first expedition.

Yumen was broken, and countless people died in the battle at General Anxi's Mansion. It was Lao Fuguo who asked Ying to take command, and fought from the beginning to the end of the year before regaining Yumen Pass.

The fight was brutal but also firm.

They recaptured Yumen, but were unable to advance westward and regain the remaining lost territory.

Because Xu Mang was injured, the situation between the DPRK and China did not support continued fighting.

Xu Mang recuperated while Xu Jian stayed in Yumen. Throughout the ninth year of Yongjia, Yumen Pass was rebuilt and soldiers trained in order to fight out as much as possible.

Unfortunately……

In the spring of the tenth year of Yongjia, Xu Jian, who had just finished arranging his grandfather's death affairs in Beijing, returned to Yumen. Soon after, Li Shao visited Yumen on behalf of the emperor...

Lin Yunyan's heart ached dullly just thinking of this.

She and Xu Jian talked about many topics, and sometimes they talked in depth. In the past, Xu Jian would avoid the content of border defense, but in this life, they actually talked about it a lot.

When Xu Jian told the story, his tone was calm and as usual, but Lin Yunyan could hear that he was passionate and regretful.

He passionately wanted to take back the lost pass outside Yumen Pass, but regrettably he could not go into battle in person.

Even if Xu Jian went to Yumen this time, he also gave her a promise: he would not rush out to fight.

Even though Lin Yunyan never made a request.

Because Xu Jian was calm and sober enough.

It was this calmness and sobriety that made Lin Yunyan regretful every time she thought about it.

"Recovering lost territory is the long-cherished wish of many soldiers," Lin Yunyan paused after saying this, and then decided to open up and talk to the imperial concubine, "If it hadn't been for what happened in Yongjia ten years ago, the Duke would not have been stationed in the pass. He also had I promised my grandfather that I would fight out the Xiliang people with my own hands.

I know that being there is a merit, but you also understand that compared with the so-called merit, it is better to do it yourself. "

The imperial concubine's eyelashes trembled, and after a while, she said, "Yes, who would want to be a garrison soldier if they can ride a horse and wield a sword?"

Lin Yunyan was slightly startled.

She thought that she seemed to hear that the imperial concubine was feeling sick.

"Is this the reason why your Majesty was more attracted to His Highness before?" she asked.

The imperial concubine curled her lips and finally said: "Your Highness, he is different from His Highness the Second and Third Highnesses when he is here with me.

And no one calls me "mother". It's better for me to follow the Holy Spirit than to sing the opposite.

Furthermore, Your Highness should be more stable, and the harem should be calmer, so that they don't have to jump up and down in my Bihua Palace, you come and I go, they are not tired, I look tired.

All I ask for is peace and peace of mind. "

Lin Yunyan understood.

This is also the reason why the imperial concubine "betrayed" Li Shao.

Because Li Shao is becoming more and more unstable, Taiping Shengxin is far away from the imperial concubine. Even if Li Shao comes back, she will probably not have a good life as the imperial concubine.

Therefore, for the sake of the green bamboo handkerchief, the imperial concubine gave Lin Yunyan a gift.

Now, Li Shao has gone crazy, the emperor has become seriously ill because of this, but the imperial concubine's heart disease cannot be resolved.

"Do you know why Your Majesty often comes to Bihua Palace?" the imperial concubine asked, but she didn't ask Lin Yunyan to answer, and kept talking to herself, "Because other concubines have serious thoughts, and I am the only one who can see clearly and accept it relaxedly.

My place is the place where the Holy One seeks purity.

He came here to recuperate for the sake of purity.

You know what I mean, right? As long as the emperor is with me, no one in the harem will make a fuss or cause trouble.

why? Don't I know what those concubines are thinking? I know it all too well.

I'm not a threat at all, and I don't deserve their elaborate schemes.

I am getting old. I have no son and cannot have a son. "

At this point, the imperial concubine's eyes were already red and her voice was trembling.

She stood up and walked up and down the inner sanctum, talking incessantly.

"From the day I was named the imperial concubine more than ten years ago, I will not have any children."

"Look at His Highness and His Highness, they are more than ten years apart!"

"Even if there are three princes and others later, I can't have a son because I am rich enough. My great-grandfather was the chief minister, my grandfather was the emperor's master, and my father is still the envoy of the two lakes. Let me have a son. , what should your highness do?"

"They are far inferior to me, so they can do it. No matter how many children they have, they will not be able to surpass the former crown prince."

"Oh, there is another Concubine De, but how did Concubine De get the position of the fourth concubine?" "If his grandfather, father, uncles and brothers had not all died at Yumen Pass, and the coffins were carried back to the capital, the capital would have been "It's snowing in June, can she be the fourth concubine?"

"In other words, her son was born early enough, but a few years later, when the fourth concubine was born, she would not be able to give birth to a son."

"Now, it's time for the Holy Emperor to find a new candidate. After he recovers from his illness, anyone in the harem can have a son, but I can't. At my age, this life is over!"

"Isn't it annoying to me? It's been more than ten years, and I still haven't recognized the reality? I'm used to it and accepted it. I just want to be my royal concubine. There aren't too many things. I don't have to get involved in those intrigues. Please give me a favor. Peace.”

"But what about now? Things are about to get lively. I can't eat melon seeds and watch the opera yet. I have to accompany them on stage to sing in the opera. They drag them around and blow the pillow for their son!"

A long series of words brought tears to the eyes of the imperial concubine, and she was so exhausted that she threw herself back on the imperial chair.

She had been holding back these words for too long.

No one can say.

But holding it all in will break her sooner or later. She is neither stupid nor stupid, so there is no reason for her to become depressed and crazy, so she has to find someone to talk to.

After thinking about it, Ning An was the only one who could listen to her complaints.

Lin Yunyan listened very carefully, but she just listened without any comments.

"Princess," the imperial concubine said dejectedly, "There is a difference between having choices and not having choices."

In the past ten years, it is true that she has been peaceful and stable, and it is true that she is happy to be so, but as time passes and the situation changes, the entanglement and struggle are also true.

Lin Yunyan quietly finished a pot of tea with the imperial concubine.

When grandma saw that the teapot was empty, she went to get a new one.

Lin Yunyan thought for a long time before whispering softly: "I have been thinking about whether I should say something to you.

I have been silent before because I know that you don't actually need my opinion, you just need someone to listen and stop you from being too bored.

Furthermore, your predicament cannot be solved by me. I can't help you, and nothing I can say is weak.

But what you said at the end touched me. "

The imperial concubine raised her eyes, thought for a while, and said: "'There is a difference between having a choice and not having a choice.' Is this the sentence?"

"Yes," Lin Yunyan nodded, "You made your choice by telling His Highness the secret, because you were sure that if he ascended to Dabao in the future, you would not be able to enjoy any peace or peace.

You took the initiative to eliminate a big risk in the future, but you still have no worries.

While you can still choose, choose the most stable one, otherwise, all the previous efforts will be in vain. "

The imperial concubine's eyes sank and she looked deeply at Lin Yunyan.

Hasn't she thought about it?

Of course she had thought about it, but she just wasn't willing to do it.

Are you willing to let her really give birth to a son? Is she really willing to have a son and join the Chang family to fight for the throne?

To be fair, she was not that decisive.

At the same time, after so many years, she has accepted to be a stable imperial concubine. Is it not Chang's idea?
After all, it is not a wise choice to make big losses just for the sake of temporary motivation, but it is also necessary to arrange more escape routes for yourself.

The imperial concubine thought for a long time, and her tone became much calmer: "It's not that I dislike other people's eyes as they are not eyes, and their noses as noses. Your Second Highness is introverted and not generous. Your Third Highness is also soft. Not that seedling, let alone your Fourth Highness. Or A baby with milk, who knows what will happen in the future..."

Even if she wanted to choose one, she couldn't choose randomly.

If she chooses someone like His Highness, she will be in trouble.

"I was mixed up in it, dragged along by them, and it was difficult to stay out of the excitement," the imperial concubine sighed, "You and Duke Fu, there will be many people watching you, and when his army returns to Beijing, there will be a lot of excitement. "

Lin Yunyan smiled.

Xu Shi felt depressed after saying this, but the imperial concubine's spirit improved a lot.

After Lin Yunyan left, grandma sent someone back and said to her: "If you really have an idea, please ask the imperial doctor to take care of you..."

The imperial concubine shook her head: "No need, I was panicking for a moment, it will be fine after this period."

When grandma saw this, she stopped trying to persuade her.

After all, the empress is indeed too young to work so hard.

It’s midway through November, and the previous haze is gone in the court hall.

Border relations were successful one after another, and military reports were delivered one after another. Until the end of November, all the passes that Yongjia had lost in eight years were regained by Dashun.

Marquis Dingbei's command was outstanding, and there was no longer any suspicion of treason, and the guards outside the Marquis' mansion were lifted.

The Ji family set off firecrackers, and the alley was covered with red paper.

At the same time, the Holy Master also decided to return to the court.

In the twelfth lunar month, Lin Yunyan received a letter from Xu Jian's family.

There are two letters in total, one is for her and the other is for Mrs. Xu.

Lin Yunyan went to the backyard.

Mrs. Xu was surprised and happy when she heard that it was a letter from Xu Jian. She even washed her hands before removing the wax paint and taking out the letter paper.

A-Jian wrote her a short letter. She reported that she was safe, asked about her and A-Ping's health, and said that she would be able to arrive in Beijing before the end of the year.

It was very simple and ordinary. Even so, it made Mrs. Xu's eyes moist.

"I can't quite remember what the last letter from my family was," Mrs. Xu cleared her throat, "It's been too long. When I was still unmarried, my father wrote to me when he came back from the station.

His handwriting is very big, and he can write it on several pages. In fact, there are only a few sentences, and he is not good at writing this.

I haven't received it since. "

She married Liu Jing, and her father went on military expeditions several times but did not return home with any letters.

She asked her later, and what her father said was, "Your husband is an official in the government, and he knows everything about it, good or bad, so why should I write about it?"

Her father didn't want to write, so she couldn't force him.

In the following years, my family members were all in Beijing, so there were no letters from home.

Now, many years later, Ah Jian wrote this letter as concisely as her father did back then, but it made her full of emotions.

"I arrived in Beijing years ago, so that's not too long." Mrs. Xu curled her lips.

In comparison, the letter Xu Jian sent to Lin Yunyan was much thicker.

Xu Jian wrote about the war situation, the changes in the capital that they had received, his worries, and Yu Chengan.

Catching Cheng Xi is an achievement, and several escapes are also merit.

With his achievements in hand, Yu Chengan kept talking about "not coming in vain" and "having the honor to return to Beijing."

"But we have to borrow our place and invite people to say a few words."

This person, of course, refers to Zhu Xian.

Lin Yunyan looked at the letter and couldn't help laughing.

This person Xu Jian...

He was writing that Yu Chengan was thinking about Zhu Xiang, but in fact, it was him who was thinking about her. (End of chapter)