On the Difficulties of Escape in Ancient Times

Chapter 483 Extra Palace Change 2
How to relieve worries in the hot summer?
The reservoir behind the charity hall is definitely a good place to escape the summer heat.

Xiao Xiao dug a reservoir, raised fish, and planted some lotus roots in the shallow area beside the reservoir.

In mid-June, the lotus leaves are endless green, and you can take a boat to pick lotus or swim in the water. In addition, this place is at the foot of the mountain, so the cool breeze will completely relieve the summer heat.

Therefore, when it was too hot in the past two years, the women from the Shangshu Mansion would come and stay for a while.

Like this year, before Xiao Xiao mentioned this matter, her two daughters and nephew were taking a month's farm leave at the academy, and they urged her to come and escape the summer heat.

All the family members came except the four male masters.

They play mahjong in the house during the day and come out to eat barbecue and drink iced juice in the evening. The women take a stroll on the boat and can also go swimming with the maids and old women watching over them.

These days are so carefree and comfortable.

Xiao Zhou was somewhat concerned about her husband: "Mother, when are we going back?"

Her eldest son, eleven-year-old Li Haohan, became anxious upon hearing this and rushed to say, "Mother, we have only been out for five days. It's too hot in the mansion. Should we wait until the beginning of next month before going back?"

After that, she gently pushed her brother who was still eating the skewers and threatened him in a low voice: "Mother is going to take you back. Go and ask grandmother to let you stay."

Li Haofeng immediately stuffed the skewers into his eldest brother's hands, rushed to Madam Li, hugged Madam Li's arm and acted coquettishly: "Grandma, let's not leave, okay? Tomorrow I will catch fish for you to eat. Feng'er is filial to you."

Er Er's full name is Li Wanqing, Xiao Xiao's second daughter. She is six years old this year, chubby and originally drinking watermelon juice. After hearing what her little cousin said, she came to her eldest sister and whispered, "Sister, should I also go and ask grandma not to leave?"

Although Mrs. Li had always been dissatisfied with her eldest son out of wedlock, her own daughter-in-law later gave birth to the eldest grandson, and then the second grandson a few years later, she never gave her a delicate and gentle granddaughter.

However, there were two granddaughters in the eldest son's house.

The eldest granddaughter was smart and sensible, and the youngest granddaughter was delicate and cute, which made her unable to help but feel a little bit of love for her.

Yi Yi reminded her silly sister: "Even if Grandma and Second Aunt want to go back, we can also say that we want to stay and help, right?"

Er Er didn't know that her sister thought she was stupid. She looked at her sister with admiration and said softly, "Yes, why didn't I think of it?"

Yiyi, the child, only thinks that she is the eldest sister and likes to act mature. Upon hearing this, she patted her sister's head and coaxed her: "Don't worry, wait a few years, when you are as old as your sister, you will understand."

Although Xiao Xiao was far away, she was particularly sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. She found what the children said funny, but did not say much.

Old Madam Li was reluctant to go back. Using the ice jar was indeed cool, but it was not as comfortable as the mountain breeze with the fragrance of lotus flowers. In addition, her grandson pestered her to stay, so she agreed: "Okay, okay, stay a few more days."

But he didn't agree to wait until early next month to go back.

Even though she is over fifty years old this year, she still cares about her husband very much. Therefore, this time she came out to live in the villa of the charity hall for a while while her husband was sent out by the emperor to take charge of the rear.

She will definitely go back when her master comes back.

As it got dark, the breeze felt a little chilly, so Xiao Xiao urged everyone to go back.

It was three o'clock in the night and Xiao Xiao was sleeping soundly when she was woken up by someone.

Xiaohua was so anxious that she almost cried: "Master, please wake up, the master is coming."

When Xiao Xiao heard Xiao Hua's words, she suspected that she was dreaming: "What did you say? Li Yan came here at this time."

Xiaohua's voice was a little shaky, and she spoke incoherently: "A lot of people came here together. Fortunately, we had someone guarding outside. After we found out, we realized that it was the old man who came." Xiao Xiao felt that something had happened, so she immediately got up and changed into a clean and neat Hu costume, which was what she wore every morning when practicing archery.

While changing her clothes, she also instructed: "Xiaohua, go wake up Yanzhi and the others first, and ask them to bring bows and arrows and come to me."

"Please ask the old lady and the second lady to stand up and repeat what you said to me to them."

"go quickly."

"Yes." Even though Xiaohua was originally very scared, after hearing her master's arrangements, she turned around and went out as she instructed.

Perhaps she felt reassured by her master's calmness, and was not as panicked as before.

Xiao Xiao also took his own bow and arrow, strode out, and rode his horse to investigate the situation.

Before her second daughter was born, Da Zhou had already reminded her implicitly that the two emperors of the north and the south would rise up in rebellion sooner or later.

Xiao Xiao also thought about it carefully, and took the opportunity to make an example of a few little girls in the charity hall when they ganged up to bully their companions, and then carried out management similar to that in the military.

In addition to developing their military strength, we also take the opportunity to instill in them some ideas of obedience and management.

These children were able to have enough food and clothing only after Xiao Xiao took over the charity, so they naturally obeyed Xiao Xiao's words.

In the past few years, Xiao Xiao often brought her own children to train with them. She encouraged when she should, praised when she should, and criticized when she should, which made the little girls more obedient.

Of course, the charity has also taken in nearly a thousand abandoned babies over the years.

Some were secretly placed at the door of the charity hall, while some abandoned babies were thrown by their parents at the doorsteps of other people's homes and were brought to the charity hall by the people who found them.

Throughout the ages, the idea of ​​favoring sons over daughters has been deeply rooted, and those who are abandoned are, without exception, daughters.

Xiao Xiao calculated in her mind that, excluding those under the age of eight and those who really had no talent, she could only use about two thousand people.

It looks like a lot, but if they really go against the soldiers, they have no chance of winning.

After all, the soldiers have all seen blood and risked their lives to survive.

Although these girls knew some basic martial arts and archery skills, they had never fought desperately.

Xiao Xiao comforted herself again, thinking that she was probably overthinking it. It was possible that Li Yan came here because he felt lonely after returning to the mansion.

But it's impossible to come here in the middle of the night?
She had already arrived in front of the charity hall on horseback, just in time to see a large group of people surrounding the emperor and the empress as they got off the carriage.

Xiao Xiao no longer had any hope of luck, and immediately dismounted and greeted: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

"No need for formalities." The emperor glanced at the empress.

Da Zhou immediately understood that the emperor felt ashamed to flee in such a hurry and was too embarrassed to talk to Xiao Xiao, so she said, "The crown prince has rebelled and forced the emperor to abdicate. The emperor and I are hiding here for a while, waiting for the generals to come and protect him."

Xiao Xiao blurted out in shock: "The emperor is so good to the prince, how could the prince do such an unruly and unfilial thing."

She said this on purpose. She wanted the emperor to feel that it was not shameful for him to escape. It was the emperor who trusted the prince too much and it was the prince who let the emperor down.