The mule cart was not as fast as the horse carriage, and it took most of the day to travel back and forth between the county town and Xining Town. When Miao Wan and her family arrived home, it was already dark.

Miao Wan brought enough silver with her family for a trip. She said she was just going for a stroll, but in fact she bought a lot of things. The mule cart at home was not enough, so she hired one from the county town.

As soon as everyone got off the car, the two families came out to greet them, each directing the people to carry in the things they had bought.

The people sent by the General's Mansion to keep an eye on the situation saw the commotion and looked around carefully, but didn't find anything unusual.

It was very cold after dark, so they all pulled in their necks and continued to hold the copper stove in the corner to avoid the wind.

Therefore, they did not notice that there was a horse-drawn carriage following behind them that was obviously better than the mule-drawn carriages of the Qiao and Zhang families, and the people inside also got out to help move things.

When the hired mule cart left, the carriage moved aside, blocking most of the horses' heads, and also left.

The stalker only managed to vaguely see half of the horse's butt in the darkness, and couldn't help muttering in his heart, "This mule's butt is so fat."

Miao Wan was not allowed to work while holding Taotao. Even Qiao Rui, who wanted to help carry her new clothes because she was thinking about her new clothes, was sent into the main room to drink something hot to warm herself up.

Therefore, no one noticed the presence of two extra people for a while.

The main reason was that it was too dark. Even with a torch, he couldn't see as clearly as in the daytime, and he was not very familiar with the guys.

The first one to discover it was Qiao Shengwen. After all, he had been in the court for more than ten years. He did not dare to stare at the Saint all the time, but he was familiar with the eunuch Sun beside the Saint.

Even though both the master and the servant had disguised themselves and blackened their faces, their outlines could still be seen.

Qiao Shengwen was so frightened that he almost knelt down on the spot. Fortunately, he remembered what Adun said, that when he went out to collect firewood before dawn, he saw a stranger nearby. He pinched his palms to tense his expression, nodded to Eunuch Sun, and went back to the house calmly.

Eunuch Sun followed the saint cautiously, and in accordance with the saint's love of joining in the fun, he helped to unload all the goods, and then followed the servants into the Qiao family in a swagger.

After the Qiao family closed the door, the saint smiled. He didn't expect it to be so easy to get in. He happily took the eunuch Sun into the house.

Miao Wan was feeding Taotao after she finished her meal. The little one was so excited on the mule cart that she didn't even eat the egg pancakes prepared for her. When she came back and smelled the aroma of the braised pork, she started to think about the braised egg custard, which had just been steamed.

"Huh? Why are you in my house?" Qiao Rui was also eating egg custard. When she looked up, she saw Mr. Jia from the daytime coming in with a smile.

Miao Wan turned her head and looked over. "Master Jia?"

Taotao opened his mouth but was not fed egg custard. He looked over with dissatisfaction, his round eyes wide open. Recognizing the person from the daytime, he clapped his hands and echoed his mother, "Bad guy! Pervert!"

Eunuch Sun: "..." Looking at Qiao Shengwen kneeling on the ground, he didn't know whether he should shout out the word "bold" in his throat.

After all... if you shout at a little kid who is less than two years old, whether she understands or not is secondary. It would be bad if she starts crying and attracts the attention of outsiders.

Geng came in with her and Miao Wan's dinner and heard her granddaughter's voice outside. She wanted to ask something, but when she entered the room, she saw her husband kneeling on the ground and a master and servant standing at the door blocking the way.

Just as she was about to speak, Qiao Shengwen kowtowed and said, "I greet the Saint. My family members and young granddaughter are ignorant and have offended your majesty. I beg for forgiveness!"

With a "pop" sound.

After Miao Wan understood what her father-in-law said, confusion flashed across her face, and she thought, is this the sound of her broken heart?

She called the saintly old man a villain and a pervert? And she left him speechless?

To put it in perspective, this is the head of state, and she is just a small-time commoner...

Woohoo! Qiao Bailao, please come back soon! Your wife is going to be buried again!!!

The Saint heard the commotion behind him and saw Geng also kneeling down. "Saint, please forgive me. It is because I failed to discipline myself properly that I have committed the sin of offending the majesty of Heaven. I beg for your punishment!"

Miao Wan took a deep breath and thought that she couldn't hand the initiative to the leader holding the switchblade.

So when the Saint was about to ask the people to stand up and forgive their sins, Miao Shiren muttered softly, "I'm right! The Saint just doesn't act like a human being."

Qiao Shengwen and his wife:!!!

You were saying ignorance is not a crime before, but what are you trying to do now? Do you think your death isn't fast enough?

Miao Wan suppressed her trembling heart and patted Taotao's head, "Baby, tell me, I said Taotao is not a human. What's next?"

Taotao immediately responded, "Taotao, fairy, come down to the mortal world!"

Miao Wan knelt behind her father-in-law, feeling wronged. "So I wasn't wrong. I felt that this Young Master Jia was extraordinary, but because I was so ignorant, I couldn't put my finger on what was so extraordinary. The people in the northwest are so tough, so I thought the worst. But who would have thought that he was the true dragon emperor who had descended to the mortal world? Anyone who dared to think that must be mentally ill."

Everyone: "..." You actually made it come back? ?

The saint laughed out loud at this, and suddenly he felt like teasing someone. "Okay! That makes sense, but it's my fault."

"Of course not." Miao Wan climbed up the pole. The highest level of flattery is sarcasm. She stuck her neck out and made sense. "It would be strange if immortals didn't do anything wrong when they came down to earth. After all, they came from heaven. But the emperor came down to earth and didn't care about the random speculations of mortals. He even left politely. That proves the magnanimity of a saintly and benevolent monarch!"

Eunuch Sun exclaimed in his heart, "Wow, this flattery is even better than what he has done professionally for decades. Looking at the increasingly intense smile in the saint's eyes, you can tell that the saint is very happy to be flattered."

I have learned a lot. I will have to ask the daughter-in-law of the Qiao family for advice in the future.

The saint had no intention of making a fuss. He was young and lively by nature. Seeing that he had almost finished teasing people and was feeling very comfortable with the flattery, he personally helped Qiao Shengwen up.

"Uncle and aunt, please get up quickly. Yue An came unexpectedly and didn't ask the secret guards to inform him in advance. It's a good thing that my cousin is on guard against others."

Qiao Shengwen hurriedly said that he dared not. Qi Wangshu was just a concubine, not the queen. The Qiao family really did not deserve the saint's call of uncle and aunt.

The saint waved his hand and said, "Wangshu and I are in love, so don't worry about the rules of addressing him as uncle in private. I came to the Qiao family this time to wait for Zicheng to return."

Miao Wan was holding Taotao and was about to sneak out to avoid the big Buddha, but upon hearing this, she immediately stopped and looked at the saint eagerly.

The saint felt uncomfortable being stared at by the mother and daughter, and couldn't help laughing in his heart. As Wangshu said, Qiao Zicheng really married a wife who was devoted to him and capable.

He didn't keep anyone in suspense. "Zicheng was seriously injured at Goddess Peak. He should be back in a few days. But there are too many people watching him. I can't go directly to him. I can only hide in the Qiao family and wait."

Geng's eyes reddened upon hearing this. "May I ask, Your Majesty, where is Ruichen injured?"

Miao Wan also listened carefully. As long as it wasn't the kidney or the third leg, it would be fine.

The Saint received the news from the secret guards and secretly inquired with the doctor. He knew that "someone had stabbed him through the chest three inches above. Fortunately, there were no injuries to the bones. He will recover and continue to practice martial arts."

Geng and Qiao Shengwen both secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although they still felt sorry for Qiao Ruichen, at least his life was safe. As parents, they were satisfied and only hoped that their son would come back soon.

Miao Wan didn't know how she got back to the house. Geng made a meal for her and her daughter, and after the meal everyone went to bed early.

Miao Wan woke up in the middle of the night again, touching her shoulders, but couldn't find her for a long time.

When she cuts her fingers while cutting vegetables, it hurts a lot, so what does it mean to cut through them?

Her husband must be in so much pain, eh… The most important thing is, when he comes back, how can she order him to do things?

My longing tonight is particularly deep, like the howling north wind outside the window. If you listen to it for a long time, it sounds more like sobbing.

The next day, Miao Wan got up and ordered Uncle Geng, A Dun and Aunt Geng, who didn't have to go to Qianjinlou, around.

Ginseng and angelica chicken soup can replenish qi. If you don’t have good ginseng and angelica at home, buy some!

Duck blood and pork liver porridge can replenish blood. If you don’t have rice at home, go buy it from the traveling merchant!

My arm is injured and I can only lie on my side and can't turn over. The multi-functional pillow for pregnant women can be improved. Do it!

The Saint and Eunuch Sun were arranged to stay in Qiao Rui and Taotao's rooms. These were the only two rooms that were carefully decorated and rarely lived in.

It’s not that Qiao Shengwen doesn’t want to leave the main room empty, but there are too many people coming in and out, and they will definitely be suspicious when they see them. Anyone who says a few more words will easily be heard.

Fortunately, the saint was not a very particular person, and the master and servant spent every day in the house dealing with the memorials and intelligence sent by the secret guards at night, and they were quite content.

When they were tired, the master and servant would gather on the kang by the window and watch Miao Wan tossing around the house.

Taotao had already put on a thin brown down jacket. Like a red ball, he jumped behind his mother, holding onto his mother-in-law's stroller. From time to time, his mother would stuff a piece of milk into his mouth, and he would happily chew on it for a long time.

The Saint understood what Miao Wan was doing and said with a hint of jealousy, "Zicheng's wife is worried about her husband, right? Why doesn't Concubine Jin know how to feel sorry for me?"

Eunuch Sun kept his mouth shut and thought to himself, what kind of person is Qiao Zicheng? He can protect his family in the palm of his hand. It's normal to reap what you sow.

What kind of personality do you have? You and Concubine Jin are both crueler than each other. You are willing to take action against others and yourself. How can you expect me to be gentle?

This sour feeling became even more sour after Chen Wu sent Qiao Ruichen back.

Qiao Ruichen came in lying down, Qiao Shengwen's face was full of worry, and Geng was so heartbroken that tears fell from her eyes.

However, Miao Wan and Taotao, mother and daughter, one with red eyes and tightly pursed lips, remained silent, while the other looked confusedly into her father's arms, wanting to know where the delicious food was hidden.

The sage even whispered to Eunuch Sun at the time, "Yes, she looks timid, but like Wangshu, she can hold back her tears and keep her composure. She is worthy of being the mistress of the Qiao family."

Eunuch Sun also nodded. He knew that in the saint's mind, the Qiao family would definitely become a lord in the future, and it would not be easy to be the mistress of a lord's family.

After Chen Wu was sent away with profuse thanks, it was finally dark and the Saint, along with Eunuch Sun, couldn't wait to go to Qiao Ruichen's room.

As soon as I reached the door, I heard the ups and downs of crying coming from next door.

"Ew...why are you injured so badly? My heart breaks just looking at you. It's like being struck by lightning." When Miao Wan was changing the bandage on Qiao Ruichen, she couldn't stop crying as she looked at the wound.

"Wow—does it hurt? Wuwu… If anything were to happen to you, we, an orphan girl and a widow… not only the old couple… but also my sister-in-law… and my adoptive parents and their families… and my two uncles and their families, how would we survive?"

The Saint Master and Servant: "..." It sounds like it would be quite lively with or without your husband?

Qiao Ruichen looked at Miao Wan greedily. His wife, whom he had been thinking about in his dreams for half a year, was now sitting in front of him so vividly, sobbing. He could not feel the pain in her wound, and his heartbeat made him dizzy.

Miao Wan was still crying, "Wuwuwu... You don't know, I dreamed that you were hacked to pieces, and I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night. When have you ever seen me suffer from insomnia when you sleep well? If you don't sleep well, you will lack energy, and if you lack energy, you will easily become weak. You are trying to kill me!"

"By the way, a few days ago, when I learned that you were injured, I dreamed that you were being served by another young lady. You forgot that you had a wife. I was so angry that I couldn't sleep for half the night. Woo woo woo...it was even more terrible."

Qiao Ruichen discovered that although he had not seen his wife for a long time, he did not feel any unfamiliarity with this small landlord. He could even extract some key points from her incoherent and completely illogical crying.

"It's my fault that I can't send the message. I have a lot of work waiting for me, right? I promise to get better as soon as possible and won't delay the work you asked me to do."

"You're so tired you don't know how much time has passed since you died. I'll remember all of this and serve you like a slave from now on. Okay?"

"Don't cry. Although you look beautiful when you laugh or cry, your smile is in my dreams every night, and I feel heartbroken when you cry. No other young lady can get close to me, except those in our family."

The saint's master and servant stared outside the door with wide eyes, and even looked at each other, their eyes full of disbelief.

Is this still the silent and aloof Commander Qiao? Can he still speak sweet words?

Now the saint believed it. There was absolutely no relationship between Qi Wangshu and Qiao Ruichen from childhood to adulthood. Otherwise, with Qiao Ruichen's eloquence, what would Si Hongxuan have to do with him!

But the saint didn’t know that even Miao Wan was so frightened that she almost forgot to cry. Oh my God, did her husband go to kill the enemy, or was he caught in a fox den?

After not seeing each other for a few months, his cheesy love words have improved so much that they all touched her heart!

Miao Wan cried for a long time and felt a little thirsty. She thought Taotao would not be able to stay in the main room any longer, so she stopped crying.

She whispered to Qiao Ruichen, "Remember what you said. Get well soon. There are so many things waiting for you to do. No one is as capable as you."

After a pause, she thought that it would be better to hang the carrots a little, so she said more quietly, "It's all over the kang and below the kang."

Sage: "..." Even more resentful, Wangshu had never praised him like this!

Eunuch Sun just lowered his head deeply, pretending to hear nothing.

Qiao Ruichen subconsciously glanced out the window, took a breath, and squeezed Miao Wan's hand firmly, "Okay, I will definitely get better soon."

When Miao Wan went out to make porridge for him and feed Taotao, the saint walked into Qiao Ruichen's room with a complicated look in his eyes.

Qiao Ruichen's injuries had actually mostly healed, at least he could move around without any problems. It was only to paralyze Chen Sixu that he asked Chen Wu to bribe the doctors and make it look like he was still seriously injured.

After the saint entered the room, he wanted to get off the kang and pay his respects.

The saint quickly stopped him and snorted with a half-smile, "Don't come down here. Your wife will think I'm not a good person the moment she sees me. If she comes in and sees me torturing you, she'll probably think I'm not a good person even more."

Qiao Ruichen spoke up for his wife without hesitation, "She thinks I'm not a good person, and she herself isn't a good person either. In her opinion, good people don't live long."

Eunuch Sun almost laughed out loud. It seems that His Majesty should thank you for cursing people and cursing their longevity?

The saint was so jealous, "Why do I feel like you've become a completely different person after not seeing you for more than two years?"

Qiao Ruichen smiled slightly, "I now have a wife and daughter, so things are naturally different now. Your Majesty, on the other hand, remains the same as before."

Sage: “…” This guy is definitely implying that he and Wangshu have no children!

He felt even more jealous of Qiao Ruichen. Didn't he want to have a child?

The question is how many people will be waiting to kill his child.

Even whether they could give birth was a problem. Even Concubine Chen and Concubine Xian could not guarantee that they could give birth.

He snorted coldly, "I just hope Zicheng doesn't become a sentimental, indecisive person."

Qiao Ruichen said that was impossible. "If it weren't for my wife, I wouldn't be able to complete the task entrusted by His Majesty so quickly. It would have taken at least ten years of hard work. Marrying such a wife is truly a great blessing for the Qiao family."

saint:"……"

The saint doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. He can’t compare to his parents, his wife, or his children... Let’s get down to business.

"Where's the evidence?"

Qiao Ruichen's expression became much more serious. He broke off a piece of wood from the stretcher that carried him in, and then took out... a pair of underwear from it.

The saint's face turned green, "What is this?"

Qiao Ruichen quickly said, "This isn't mine. It was just an emergency at the time, and with other soldiers present, I had no choice but to hide the evidence of their dealings. It was hidden by a brother of mine who had fought for my life. He was afraid someone would find it, so he sewed it in here."

The saint's face turned even greener, so if it was a letter, he would definitely not dare to wash it, otherwise he would not be able to see anything. The smell of this evidence was really too challenging for people to bear.

It was Eunuch Sun who took the underwear with a bitter face, took out a dagger and opened the underwear. There were two letters inside.

The saint held his breath and leaned over to look at what Eunuch Sun was doing. The more he looked, the colder his expression became.

In fact, it was not Chen Wu who sent someone to call Qiao Ruichen over, but after Chen Wu discovered the movements of the Xiban people, he immediately told Qiao Ruichen, and Qiao Ruichen secretly went over to investigate first.

Others didn't know that he could understand the Xiban language, so when those Xiban people said they would follow Chen Sixu's orders to launch a surprise attack on Xining Town, kill a few women to silence them, and rob the goods of the Northern Mongolians, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

If Chen Sixu discovered what the Qiao family was doing, it would be understandable to kill the Qiao family or the Wuliangha clan, but why did he kill several women?

He continued to listen, and only heard that the other party planned to make a bigger fuss, kill more Han people, and steal more things to take back to survive the winter.

Someone reminded them not to kill the wrong person or miss anyone, otherwise the governor would definitely blame them when they returned, and then they took out a letter.

There was actually not much written in this letter. Instead, there were two paintings with only the features of the women marked next to them. The top was in Chinese and the bottom was the translation into Xifan.

Chen Wu came at this time. Qiao Ruichen helped him secretly. After Chen Wu was defeated and sent people out, he first stole the other party's letter, and then calculated the time to come out to help Chen Wu.

Later, when the killing was almost complete, Qiao Ruichen quickly searched the bodies of those people and found another letter, which was asked by the Protector General of Xifan to deliver to Chen Sixu.

It said that Xifan had suffered a disaster last year, and the livestock were not well fed this year, making it difficult for them to survive the winter. They asked Chen Sixu to allocate them territory so that they could hunt and spend the winter in peace.

"Since the Protector General of Western Regions described the demarcation of land, burning, killing, and looting as such a common occurrence, it must not be the first time. Moreover, I have carefully observed the handwriting of everyone in the General's Mansion. This handwriting belongs to Chen Zhisheng, the adopted son of Chen Sixu. Without Chen Sixu's instructions, Chen Zhisheng would never dare to do such a thing."

The Saint's face was very unhappy. "Even so, with the Queen Mother and Duke Chen's Mansion protecting him, I can't do anything to him. If there is no other evidence, the most I can do is ask Chen Zhisheng to take the blame."

Qiao Ruichen also understood this. "That's how it is. I've been wondering for a while why he went to so much trouble to have the Xiban people kill Awan's aunt and cousin instead of attacking the Qiao family. Then I suddenly remembered that Awan seemed to have told me that her second aunt, Da Li, was from Yangzhou Prefecture in Jiangnan."

The saint was shocked and his eyes turned cold. "What do you mean?"

Qiao Ruichen glanced at Eunuch Sun, who nodded, went out and stood at the door, using his internal martial arts to listen to the movements around him.

Miao Wan and Taotao were in the kitchen, their chattering and noisy sounds filled the air with warmth.

Qiao Shengwen and Geng discussed how to take good care of the saint and their son.

A'dun was muttering to himself, calculating when a certain thing called chili pepper would be ready for harvest.

The yard is not very quiet, but it makes people feel peaceful.

Sun Nei Shi couldn't hear the rustling noises of the people stalking outside clearly, but they didn't come close, and that was enough.

He lowered his eyes, trying his best to block out the chilling conversation inside, and just tried to listen to all the movements around him to ensure that nothing went wrong.

The saint's voice was hoarse as he asked Qiao Ruichen again, "What did you mean just now?"

Qiao Ruichen sighed and his voice became much softer. "When I was talking to my wife just now, she told me about what happened at home recently. Someone attacked Qianjinlou. They didn't kill anyone, but were just looking for someone, and they were looking for her aunt and cousin's wife."

He looked up at the stunned and speechless Saint, "Awan said that her aunt, the eldest Li, had her entire family exterminated. They said it was an enemy who came to compete for business. But for a long time, no one had woven cloth using the Li family's unique method, and no one was selling it outside."

"Later, my second aunt secretly had the spinning wheel and Li's unique technique spread. I asked around and it should have happened in the second year of your reign."

Needless to say, the saint also remembered Qiao Ruichen. That year, Duke Chen claimed to be seriously ill and went to Jiangnan for recuperation for half a year before returning. Because his complexion was still not good when he came back, he did not doubt it.

"The most important thing is..." Qiao Ruichen said with increasing difficulty, "I remember when I was a child, you told me... that the Holy Mother Empress Dowager is not actually the legitimate daughter of the Yao family."

In fact, Concubine Yao should be a concubine's daughter of the Yao family. Because the legitimate daughter was unwilling to enter the palace to escape the marriage, the concubine was registered under the name of the legitimate mother to enter the imperial city on behalf of her legitimate sister.

Fearing that the late emperor would blame them if they knew about it, the Yao family insisted that the death of Concubine Yao meant the child was a legitimate one. After the two families died, no one knew about this matter anymore.

The Saint's voice was dry. "I'm just guessing. Mother never mentioned it, but Mother never looked at the goodies the Yao family sent. Only occasionally did they send some less valuable things, which Mother treasured like treasures. I think they were mostly cloth."

Qiao Ruichen's expression became more serious. "Do you still have any relics left by the Holy Mother Queen Mother? Just let my second aunt see it and she will know."

"So you're guessing that it was the Duke of Chen's Mansion who killed my mother, used me to gain the throne of Empress, and then became Empress Dowager to control the government?"

The saint clenched his fists and said in a bitter tone, "And Xifan is the escape route they left for themselves?"

Qiao Ruichen knew that when it came to ingenuity, the saint was no worse than anyone else, so he remained silent.

The Saint took a deep breath and called Eunuch Sun in. "I have always carried the purse with the Ruyi pattern on it. Send someone to take it off the person and bring it to me immediately."

Eunuch Sun: "Yes!"

The saint sat beside Qiao Ruichen, trying to regain his composure. It was not that he did not want revenge, but the Queen Mother's grace in raising and supporting him was like a sword hanging over his head.

If he is not careful, he will become an unfilial and incompetent monarch. If the Queen Mother and the Regent join forces, it is not impossible to depose him.

So the more times like this happen, the calmer he needs to be.

He asked Qiao Ruichen, "What do you think?"

Qiao Ruichen had thought about this problem long ago. "The Duke of Chen's Mansion and the Empress Dowager's lineage have formed many factions within the court. They cannot be underestimated over the past few decades. Chen Sixu has also accumulated considerable prestige in the northwest over the years. Therefore, the key is to act quickly. We cannot give them a chance to react. We must immediately gather all the evidence, have the Empress Dowager imprisoned, and present the evidence to the royal family."

As long as the saint is quick enough, the queen mother killed the saint's biological mother, and General Dingbei colluded with foreign enemies, the saint could kill the entire lineage of Duke Chen.

In order to move fast enough, the Saint had to sacrifice something, because this matter could not be achieved without the support of the Regent's faction.

"I'm afraid it will be hard work, Your Majesty!"

"I'm afraid Zicheng will be wronged!"

The two men spoke in unison, worthy of being half-brothers who had studied together since childhood. They knew exactly who to blame as soon as they opened their mouths.

The saint's heart, heavy and stuffy, suddenly felt better. He glared at Qiao Ruichen and said, "If you marry the regent's daughter as your co-wife and give birth to a child, it will not be a threat to the country. But if I let my virtuous concubine give birth to a prince, it will be uncertain who will own the country."

Qiao Ruichen refused to give in. "It's not like you haven't had luck with other concubines. Just make Concubine Xian pregnant. Whether she can keep the baby is up to her own ability. Before the birth, with your Majesty's ability, without the burden of filial piety, it won't be difficult for you to curb the Regent."

He paused, raised his head and told the saint very bluntly, "Forget about having a child, and even taking a concubine. If I dare to take a concubine, I will have to mourn for her the moment she enters the house. My wife said she won't tolerate any injustice and won't divorce me, but she can be widowed."

The saint was shocked. How could this seemingly weak young lady be even more ruthless than Wangshu?

If that were true, it would be difficult for him to ask Qiao Ruichen to marry a concubine.

Wangshu didn't mind him going to other people. Even if he made a big fuss, she would pretend to be sick and push him to other people. It was he who didn't want to go to other people.

But if he had to be forced to do it, at least Concubine Jin never said that she would have to be a widower. With this comparison, the saint felt that he had won.

The saint's mood improved a little, and he stopped making fun of Qiao Ruichen. His expression became more serious.

"As long as your second aunt can confirm that your mother's relics are indeed from the Li family, I will have Sun Cheng bring my seal and mobilize troops from the Guannei Road to escort Chen Sixu directly back to the capital."

After a pause, the sage tapped the low table and said thoughtfully, "I need to discuss this matter with my uncle. The current evidence alone is not sufficient. Let's see if there is any other way to thoroughly uncover evidence of the Chen family's collusion with Xifan."

Qiao Shengwen had been prepared for this, and he produced the evidence he and Wuliangha had collected. "Chen Sixu has been using the name of his adopted son to interact with the Xifan people. If my guess is correct, he should have used a Xifan concubine in Chen Zhisheng's mansion to pass on information.

That humble concubine is the daughter of the Protector General of Xifan. As long as we capture all of Chen Sixu's adopted sons before we capture him, and search their residences at the same time, we will definitely find evidence of Chen Sixu's collusion with the enemy."

Although they are in a relationship of adopted sons and adoptive fathers, most of the twelve adopted sons may be loyal to Chen Sixu, but there is always a plan. In order to avoid being pushed out to take the blame, which is a serious crime punishable by the death of nine generations of the family, there will definitely be someone who will leave behind a handle to hinder Chen Sixu.

What we are fighting for now is a time difference, and speed is of the essence in war.

So, before the autumn harvest, when everything was settled, Chen Sixu was writing a letter home to Beijing in his study when he was escorted to prison by Qiao Ruichen and his men.

"I guessed right, you are indeed a smart person, but it's a pity that you are not from my Chen family." Chen Sixu looked at Qiao Ruichen, he suddenly looked much older, and his voice was a little vicissitudes of life.

Qiao Ruichen had a blank expression on his face. "My Qiao family is loyal only to His Majesty. It's you who doesn't understand the humble family."

Chen Sixu nodded, smiled bitterly a few times, and said nothing more. The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. There is nothing much to say.

"We must keep a close eye on them and not make any mistakes." Qiao Ruichen instructed the secret guards.

The secret guards nodded to show that they understood. As long as they captured this man and sent him to the capital safely, it would be a huge achievement. All the secret guards knew this very well. Even if they didn't sleep, they had to keep a close eye on him.

Only when the prison became quiet did Chen Sixu close his eyes to hide the coldness and madness in his eyes.

No one knew that the soldiers from Guannei Dao had just broken into the residences of all his adopted sons, and Chen Zhisheng's residence was right opposite the Wu family's rouge shop.

As luck would have it, after Su Rina left, Yu Maocai bought the shop next to her and opened a restaurant not long after. Of course, he remembered Chen Zhisheng.

He also knew Qiao Ruichen, Zhang Sanzhuang's brother-in-law and the husband who caused him to lose his job as a bitch in a restaurant on the street. He would recognize him even if he turned into ashes.

It clearly had nothing to do with him, but Yu Maocai still remembered how he had escaped like a stray dog, and he also understood that no matter how much money Qianjinlou made now, it should have been his money!

Yu Maocai gritted his teeth and ran to General Dingbei's mansion to report the news.

Even Chen Sixu had not expected that an unintentional act that could barely be considered a good deed could actually bring hope of a turnaround for the Chen family.

Chen Sixu even believed that God was blessing their Chen family in the dark.

But when Yu Maocai came, he knew that Qiao Ruichen was too fast and it was too late, so he could only surrender.

Originally, Chen Sixu wanted to ask an insider to help him leave, so he sent people to pick up all the people in the Duke of Chen's Mansion and take them to Xifan.

But when he was brought to the prison, Chen Sixu, who had been a general for so many years, suddenly found something wrong.

The reason why he surrendered was because it happened too quickly. Only one month had passed since Qiao Ruichen was seriously injured and sent back to Xining Town.

The problem is that it's too fast.

Whether it was dispatching troops or searching for evidence, even Qiao Ruichen was able to lead the troops, if he was still the deputy commander of the Yulin Guard, it would not be a big deal.

But he has been exiled to the northwest. If he wants to resume his position, he must have an imperial edict, and the imperial edict should not come so quickly.

Even if the imperial edict was sent here and the troops were dispatched all the way through the pass, his people should not have received any news, unless... every word of the person who gave the order was an imperial edict, and he was waiting here. The people around the saint were watching, and no one dared to delay.

Chen Sixu figured it out on the way, and he almost laughed out loud in the cage where he was imprisoned.

The saint was still too naive. Even though he believed in speed, he still underestimated his many years of management in the northwest. There was always a loophole.

If the saint had died in the northwest, everything would have been different.

The person who delivered the food quickly brought in the steamed buns with the note on them. Then, when he delivered the steamed buns the next time, the note written in glutinous rice soup was taken out again and delivered to Yu Maocai's restaurant without attracting anyone's attention.

Yu Maocai didn't even dare to look at the note. He followed the general's instructions before he left the house and delivered the note to a private house in Liu'an Lane in the county town.

In places where no one could see, countless inconspicuous little people in Xiping County quickly started to move. Some went to Xifan, some went to Beimeng, and some went to Xining Town.

At the same time, the saint was discussing the future matters with Qiao Shengwen and his family.

"Now that Chen Sixu has been captured, no one is allowed to enter or leave the palace of the Empress Dowager and Concubine Chen. But I dare not underestimate the arrangements they have made in the palace over the years. I can't stay away for too long and must go back as soon as possible." The saint mainly said to Qiao Shengwen.

"Rui Chen will need to stay in the northwest for a while. After returning to the capital, I will immediately send General Cheng's son, Cheng Shao, to the northwest to take over the position of Grand General. Uncle and Aunt, please come back to the capital with me first."

Qiao Shengwen didn't care. He only looked at Geng, who then looked at Miao Wan. Even Qiao Ruichen looked at Miao Wan.

Seeing that the whole family listened to the young lady, the saint remembered Qiao Ruichen's powerful words about his widowhood and began to pay more attention to Miao Wan.

He smiled and asked Miao Wan, "Does my cousin have any suggestions?"

Miao Wan hesitated. "How about Dad and Mom go back with the Saint first? I'll take Taotao and my husband to stay in the northwest for a while. After all, all the business still needs to be handed over, and there are arrangements with the Zhang and Ruan families. We also have to make plans for our land."

She really didn't expect it to happen so quickly. She had been in the Northwest for less than two years, but it took more than ten years in the novel.

So when she knew she had to return to Beijing, she wanted to slowly let go and arrange her business, but not so quickly.

It just so happens that Qiao Ruichen will be in charge of the northwest for a while, and someone is needed to take over. As long as it is not a forced march, just like they were exiled here, it will take at least several months on the road, right?

The weather was cold by then, so she would definitely have to wait until after the New Year and spring when it was not so cold before setting off. About half a year would be enough for her to arrange everything.

By then, she would be able to go to the capital comfortably with her five-digit savings, and maybe she could earn even more money.

As for the Jingyang Marquis' Mansion, it's time to deal with them.

Geng was worried about Miao Wan looking after Taotao, so she thought for a moment, "How about you go back with His Majesty, and I'll stay and take care of Awan and Taotao. They're both probably busy, so someone has to take care of all the household chores."

Qiao Shengwen was a little dumbfounded. "So I won't be busy anymore? I'll be able to take care of all the household chores? I'll be able to take care of myself?"

He smiled bitterly and bowed to the Saint, "Your Majesty, how about our whole family stay in the northwest? If there are any unusual movements in the Gubei Army, Ruichen will have someone to discuss it with. After General Cheng arrives, our whole family will return to the capital together."

The Saint nodded. "That's fine. The Ministry of Revenue is now under the control of the Regent's men. When you arrive in Beijing, I should be able to reinstate my uncle. I'll be waiting for you in Beijing."

After saying this, the saint should have set off immediately. The sooner he returns to Beijing, the less trouble he will have.

Unexpectedly, at this time, A Dun shrank his neck and stood at the door, not daring to come in, but he looked like he had something to say.

"Adun, what's wrong?" Miao Wan asked immediately when she saw him.

Adun whispered back, "Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wu are here. They said the peppers are ready to be harvested. I'd like to know when you'll be harvesting them. Also, good quality fields can absorb fertilizer better than medium quality fields. We've had a bumper wheat harvest this year, and the beans are almost ready to be harvested too..."

Miao Wan was very happy when she heard that the chili peppers were cooked.

The sage was a little interested when he heard Adun talking about the things in the fields. For the emperor, whether the people could have enough to eat was also a very important matter.

As Adun mentioned, people in the surrounding areas also used manure, and the harvest seemed to be better than last year. Everyone was waiting for news from the Qiao family.

The Saint's heart moved, "I wonder if I can go with you to take a look?"

He hadn't had time to see the experiment on Huangzhuang when he came to the Northwest. Since there was a ready-made example, the Northwest