Su Ci felt frightened, but she didn't have time to think about it, because she immediately got busy - she spent the whole day preparing water and food. No matter whether it was people or horses, they ate and drank as much as they wanted. Then she filled all the containers and bags that could hold water, and dried all the food and carried it on their backs. Hundreds of military horses were put to great use. Even though they were very thin, they still had good leg strength.

They set out before dawn the next day and headed east. It took them twelve full days to finally get out of the worst-hit area.

There was finally more green along the way. Although it was dusty, gray and dry, the trees still retained some green. The endless yellow scenery was finally left behind them.

Then they went to Yizhou and stayed there for half a month.

It was almost October and the wind was already a little chilly, but the air was still dry. Su Ci fanned herself with a bamboo fan and sat on the railing with her sister, looking down at the garrison soldiers standing solemnly and motionlessly on the flat slope below.

The army was in good order, orders were obeyed, and the morale of the troops was completely different from before.

Su Ci finally understood why Yang Yanzong did not return to Suiping directly, but chose to turn around and stay in Yizhou temporarily.

Including the twelve days on the road, it took him nearly a month, and thousands of garrison troops were ready to move at his will.

This group of garrison troops have truly become his people.

To put it in the further future, one day the six kings will manage to get these thousands of garrison troops back to their original positions, and the military garrison will also be in the hands of Yang Yanzong.

In addition, another purpose is probably to get the news back to Suiping first, right?

Of course, all of the above are just Su Ci's guesses. At most, she whispered them to her sister in private. It is unknown whether they are true or complete.

Anyway, one day in late September, when Su Ci removed Yang Yanzong's stitches and observed that the tendon had healed well and could enter the rehabilitation period, Yang Yanzong stood up, buttoned up his leather cuffs, slowly moved his right wrist, and said, "Get ready. We'll leave for Suiping tomorrow."

…

Suiping is an important town in the north of Daqing and one of the satellite cities of the secondary capital Yangyi. The emperor is currently in the secondary capital Yangyi.

The old emperor has been in Yangdu for nearly two years. It all started when the Northern Rong invaded the border again the year before last and the emperor decided to lead the army in person. Later, the Northern Rong were temporarily repelled, but the emperor was injured by a stray arrow and fell off his horse. It was said that the situation was not good for a while, which instantly triggered a fierce fight among several princes. Everyone almost invested all their forces and entered a life-and-death situation. In the end, the four kings and the seven kings joined forces and severely damaged the six kings.

Yang Yanzong and his Su and Yang families were the ones who survived this devastating blow.

Now, it is said that the situation has eased a little because the old emperor is very strong. He did not die and is getting better.

Needless to say, the emperor was very wary of these young and powerful nephews, and the relationship between the emperor and the princes was also very delicate, which could be seen from the residences of the princes - the princes did not stay in Yangdu together, but in nearby cities such as Suiping and Quyuan.

Suiping, Quyuan and other cities are neither far nor close to Yangdu, forming a semi-arc to protect the city of Yangdu.

Currently, the headquarters of the Four Kings and the Sixth Kings are all in Suiping.

Leaving the disaster area from the military town and returning to Suiping is just a beginning, not an end.

Su Ci rode on a horse, moving forward side by side with Su Yan. The two sisters were impatient to ride in a car, so they started riding horses after they came out of the stone forest. Su Ci didn't know how to ride originally. Su Yan was pleasantly surprised that her sister finally got the hang of it. After patiently teaching her, Su Ci can now ride quite well.

She looked up and saw towering city walls in the distance. The gray-black city walls rose up from the ground and extended all the way to both sides. On the towering city walls, flags were waving and soldiers were patrolling. Although the city gate below was not crowded with people, there were still carriages, porters and civilians coming in and out, making it quite prosperous. The weather has become a little cold, but under the clear blue sky, the suburbs are still green.

The air is a bit dry and the wind is a bit strong, but this is the norm in the autumn and winter in the north. It seems like this place and the disaster area are two different worlds.

Ah, Suiping City is right ahead.

"Back again."

Su Yan looked around, exhaled, and said in a somewhat anxious tone: "I don't know what's going on?"

I went back immediately, not knowing what was ahead.

Su Ci recalled their home in Suiping, it was a medium-sized courtyard with two entrances. She planted many flowers in front of her house, some planted by her father and some by Lin Yichu. Roses are difficult to grow here, and she didn't know where he found the variety, but he grew and grew it that year. There were large patches of brilliant red. The romantic little girl was loved and spoiled by her whole family.

But I probably won't go back.

The two sisters looked at each other, shut up and stopped talking.

There was the clatter of horse hooves. When they were about a mile away from the city gate, a fast horse came out to meet them. When they were close, the other horse reined in and neighed loudly. Both sides jumped down to the ground. The Su Ci sisters also hurriedly followed the crowd.

Su Ci looked up and saw that the leader was a young man in his early twenties. He was wearing a light white brocade with cloud patterns. He looked simple, elegant and refreshing. He was not particularly handsome, but he had fine features. Su Ci recognized him. He was the adopted son of Yang Yanzong's aunt and the closest half-brother of the Sixth Prince Ji Yan, Ji Chen.

This man had been with Ji Yan since he was a child and was considered a capable brother and right-hand man. He went out of the city on behalf of Ji Yan to welcome Yang Yanzong.

Ji Chen never offended anyone and always greeted everyone with a smile. He exchanged a few words with Yang Yanzong and they got along quite well.

But it was just him. Apart from Ji Chen, the other people who came out to greet him behaved a little subtly. Some were polite and reserved, intending to wait and see what would happen, while others were just vaguely observing and scrutinizing him.

No one expected that Yang Yanzong would come back so soon after being demoted to the border.

And he did not return in disgrace. He made a lightning counterattack and killed Liang Shen and took control of 3,000 garrison troops. The noise was so loud that even the prince of Dalian was alarmed.

As soon as the two sides came into contact, the atmosphere changed silently.

Previously, when I was in the disaster area in Yizhou and dealt with Liang Shen, my life was hard but blissful. But this time when I came back, although Suiping was peaceful, there was an extra silent and invisible pressure and a subtle sense of tension.

Even Su Yan, who had been talkative all the way, became quiet.

The wind was strong outside the city, and Su Ci couldn't hear what was said in front of her. She only saw the men exchanging greetings for a while and then getting back on their horses.

Ji Chen patted Yang Yanzong on the shoulder and said, "Be careful, the prince is waiting, let's go back quickly!"

The group rode quickly into the city.

At the inner city gate, the Sixth Prince Ji Yan heard the sound of horse hooves and slowly walked down the tower. A group of more than ten riders just galloped to the foot of the city. Yang Yanzong turned over and dismounted. He brushed his sleeves and knelt on one knee with a "pop" sound: "This subordinate greets the prince!"

"The military station suffered from severe drought and had no food to evacuate. I have just returned. Fortunately, I have not disgraced the prince and the crown prince."

Without waiting for Yang Yanzong to kneel down, the prince Ji Yan leaned over to help him up, lowered his eyes to take a closer look, and said with a smile: "Very good, very good, it's good that you're back."

He asked a lot of questions and offered words of encouragement, and Yang Yanzong answered them one by one. Others beside him echoed him. No matter what they were thinking, there was nothing wrong with the faces of these people.

Finally, the prince said, "My aunt has been waiting for a long time since she heard that you are coming back today. Now that the court is a little calmer, there is no need to rush for other things. Go and greet my aunt and settle down first."

"I'll host a banquet tonight to welcome you."

The prince hooked his arm around Yang Yanzong's shoulder, and Yang Yanzong was completely flawless. The cousins ​​looked like they were in the past.

Not far away, at the window on the third floor of the restaurant, someone was looking at this side calmly.

A man in purple looked at it coldly for a moment, then slammed the table hard, causing the cups to jump violently. He said angrily, "What a Yang Yanzong! Did Liang Shen die in vain?!"

These are people from the Four Kings' camp. Yang Yanzong deliberately delayed his return so that everyone who should get the news would get it, and the Four Kings would certainly be no exception.

Especially since they are one of the parties involved.

Liang Shen held a high military rank. He was cautious and cunning, and had strong execution ability. He was extremely capable in both open and covert matters. He was a capable general under the Four Kings. Originally, they only planned to demote him to a military town temporarily and wait for the storm to calm down before trying to get him back. Who would have thought that once he left, there would be no coming back.

They also lost a key military town that was already in their hands. You can imagine how angry everyone present was.

Sitting in the main seat at the forefront of the window was a young man in a blue robe with a white background. He had clear brows and a deep gaze. His name was Ji Yuanhao. If Su Ci heard him here, she would definitely recognize him. This man was Ji Chengtan's brother.

The man narrowed his eyes and watched the harmonious scene of the brothers in the distance. Although the people around him were angry, he did not show any anger. He just smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry. Ji Yan sacrificed Yang Yanzong in order to save his biological mother and cousin and to save the support of Zhenbei Marquis Mansion."

"There is absolutely no possibility for things to go back to normal between these two. Just wait and see."

Having seen everything he needed to see, he immediately stood up, turned around and left.

The tone was understated, but very firm.

…

Su Ci didn't know about the above. As female relatives, the two sisters washed up briefly and followed Chen into the palace with Su Rong to meet Aunt Yan.

This Aunt Yan was Yang Yanzong’s biological aunt and the Crown Prince’s biological mother. In other words, the Crown Prince and Yang Yanzong are actually cousins.

The Yan sisters were originally from an official family. Later, their property was confiscated and all the male members of their family were executed, and all the female members of their family were imprisoned in the religious institutions. The Yan sisters were not at home when the incident happened and luckily escaped. Later, they were separated. The younger sister, Xiao Yan, who was Yang Yanzong's mother, married a small country gentleman. Later, the mother followed him to Suiping because of her son's status, and finally the sisters were able to recognize each other.

As for Dayan, also known as Aunt Yan, she was bought from a human trafficker by the steward of the palace to be a maid. Later, she was noticed by the prince and taken in as his wife. Later, when the princess had no children, she was chosen from among many concubines of humble origins. Her son was registered as the princess's legitimate son from birth, and this was the Crown Prince Ji Yan.

Although she was only a concubine, she was still considered an important relative by virtue of the prince's status.

When Su Ci and the others arrived, Yang Yanzong, the Yang brothers, Lin Yichu and Su Song also arrived. Su Di did not come because a man of his age was not suitable to enter the inner house.

The prince ordered Ji Chen to lead the way, but he himself did not come. After all, he was the legitimate son adopted by the princess. It was okay for him to visit Aunt Yan occasionally, but in this situation, he had to avoid suspicion.

Su Ci looked at her nose and her heart, watching the three feet ahead of her toes, and followed the large group in. She first went to the main courtyard to pay a visit to the princess. The princess met them and said a few words for the sake of the prince, and then let them do as they pleased.

After leaving the magnificent main courtyard and walking along the vermilion corridor, we soon arrived at an exquisite waterside loft. It looked ordinary in design, but the trimming of flowers and trees outside the house and the furnishings and decorations inside the house all looked very carefully crafted.

Su Ci muttered to herself that since Aunt Yan was not killed by the princess after giving birth to a son, it can be seen that she has some ability.

As she was thinking, the person in front had already gone in. She and Su Yan looked at each other, then followed Chen and went in.

Sitting at the top was a beautiful lady with her hair covered in pearls and jade. Her eyes and eyebrows looked a bit like Yang Yanzong. Without waiting for Ji Chen to greet her, she burst into tears and pulled Yang Yanzong up from his knees, crying, "Fortunately, your brothers are back safely, otherwise when we meet your mother, I won't know what to say!"

But when he thought of his sister and brother-in-law who were still in trouble, he became anxious again. After a lot of persuasion, he reluctantly stopped.

Yang Yanzong and others were outsiders and could not stay any longer. After crying and persuading for only a quarter of an hour, the maid came forward and reminded them in a low voice.

Yang Yanzong and the others stood up and said, "Aunt, let's go back first."

"Go ahead. Once you're settled, send me a message. If you need anything, send someone to tell me or the prince."

Yang Yanzong smiled and said, "Thank you, Auntie, for your concern."

When this person smiles, he doesn't look as if he is enjoying the spring breeze at all.

Su Ci complained in her heart. After Yang Yanzong and the others left, the hall suddenly became empty. After Aunt Yan washed her face and put on makeup again, she returned to the main seat and sat down. She said a few words to Chen, then lazily waved to the girls behind her: "You have suffered a lot. Come, come over and let me see you."

As soon as Yang Yanzong and others left, Aunt Yan's excitement disappeared and she became more dignified.

Su Yan curled her lips inwardly. She really disliked this teasing tone.

But the two sisters didn't say anything. They just smiled, bowed, and kept silent.

On the contrary, Su Rong smiled and greeted her actively, and then asked with concern: "Aunt seems to have lost some weight, but didn't you get enough rest?"

The fathers of the Su and Yang families were sworn brothers, so the girl from the Su family also called her aunt.

"These days, my heart has been so busy worrying about this and that, how can I rest well?"

It is of course more interesting to talk with someone praising her. Aunt Yan immediately waved to Su Rong to come over and talk. Before she could say a few words, Su Rong personally started to massage Aunt Yan's acupoints. After a while, Aunt Yan felt very good and said to Chen: "You are so lucky to have such a skillful daughter."

Chen smiled and said, "Yes, he is a skillful one."

At an angle where no one above could see, Su Yan secretly rolled her eyes.

Su Ci smiled secretly, this was normal, Aunt Yan was a concubine herself, this identity made her naturally have some subtle feelings towards Su Rong. In addition, Su Rong herself was knowledgeable and interesting, and the original owner didn't like Yang Yanzong in the first place, and had no good feelings for this Aunt Yan who loved to put herself above her and act like an elder, so she pretended to be dull when she came.

Coincidentally, Su Ci was not interested in flattering others, especially cannon fodder, so she just took over the original owner's position and continued to pretend to be dull. She and Su Yan were a pair of dull sisters.

When you think about it this way, it’s quite funny.

She smiled secretly in her heart and continued to appreciate the interior decorations and flower arrangements calmly. When she admired the third vase of weeping golden chrysanthemums by the west wall, she could finally go home.

Su Ci moved her numb feet, yeah!

…

The carriage rumbled away from the palace, and they did not return to their original home. Su Di picked them up and followed Yang Yanzong back to the barracks area of ​​Qingfeng Camp.

The houses where family members can live are on the outskirts. The houses are not big, but it is nice to live together. We can react immediately to any situation, it is much more stable and secure, and everything is convenient.

It was getting late. Except for Yang Yanzong, everyone ate together and then went back to their rooms to rest. Su Yan was afraid that her sister would not be able to sleep well in a strange place, so she pulled Su Ci to sleep in the same room.

The two sisters lay down on the bed and stretched. Su Yan complained: "I'm so tired today!"

She curled her lips and whispered, "Fortunately we don't have to see her every day."

Su Ci chuckled: "That's right."

The sisters looked at each other in tacit understanding, smiled mischievously, and rolled around on the bed twice. Su Ci hugged the quilt and groaned: "Ignore her, hey, I can finally sleep in the bed, we can talk about it tomorrow if there is anything."

It’s not easy, I can hear my bones cracking. Don’t say anything else, just sleep until tomorrow noon!

…

Su Cizhen slept until noon. When she opened her eyes, she heard Aunt Bai complaining about her living quarters outside. Soon she was held down by Su Rong.

But she slept very well and was in a good mood, so she just took it as an accompaniment. She leisurely finished the brunch her mother had left for her. The two sisters whispered to each other for a while and were about to clean up the house when Akang came over.

Yang Yanzong went to find her.

Su Ci raised her eyebrows. She probably knew why Yang Yanzong wanted her to do something, as he had mentioned it before, so she was not surprised. It was already quite cold outside. She changed into a white and light green jacket and skirt, and followed Akang around into the depths of the camp. Akang stopped in front of a door, and she looked around and went in with her hands behind her back.

Yang Yanzong stood in the courtyard.

It was late autumn and early winter, and the afternoon sun was shining brightly. Yang Yanzong, wearing a pale round-necked robe, black leather sleeves, and black satin boots, was standing in front of the screen wall. The towering stone screen wall blocked the sunlight, and half of his figure was exposed to the sunlight, while the other half was obscured by the shadow of the stone wall. The color of his robe was a dark light purple, and his posture and the bridge of his nose appeared more upright, deep, sharp and captivating.

Just like his people.

The prince and his cousins ​​had no choice but to give up on him in order to protect their cousins ​​on their biological mother's side.

As for my aunt, I probably don’t know.

Although there is no apparent feud, there is actually an undercurrent.

This is a man walking on the edge of a knife. He knows everything, but pretends to be calm and even tries to squeeze back.

However, Su Ci soon had no time to think about these things.

She blinked, put her hands behind her back and took two steps forward: "Young Master."

Yang Yanzong hummed.

He turned around, and Su Ci understood and followed him, stepping into the house.

This is a very spacious hall, with huge cabinets taking up an entire wall on each side. Several pharmacists wearing blue turbans are busy working here. This is the military medical camp.

The military medical camp must have a trustworthy officer under one's command. Yang Yanzong used to have a good military doctor under his command, but now he is gone. Su Ci just happened to have demonstrated her skills and talent, so he assigned this place to Su Ci.

Su Ci was still thinking about the random things that had just happened when she heard Yang Yanzong ask, "Is there anything else you need?"

Su Ci's eyes lit up and she came back to her senses instantly. It was like a pillow was given to me just when I was sleepy!

"Yes! I want to find some aged mustard greens stew."