"General Xiao said that the terrain in the deep mountains is treacherous and not suitable for besieging the area. He can send a hundred of his private soldiers, all of whom are night scouts, but there are five hundred cavalrymen in the mountains, so that might not be enough."

Wang Zheng was a little afraid to look directly at the woman in front of him. Even though she had little to do with him, he still felt guilty.

After receiving Wei Ci's testimony that day, Cen Ang sent Miao Cuifang to the deep mountains to investigate and see if what he said was true or false.

It has been confirmed that Wei Ci was not lying.

"Then what are you telling me? Telling me won't conjure up a person for you," Cen Ang said, putting down his teacup.

"This is...this is a silver note sent by the Emperor."

Magistrate Wang took out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and said to Mother Cen...

"What does he mean?" Cen Ang asked without even looking up.

"His Majesty's intention is to forbid General Xiao from sending troops. With the year-end approaching, sending troops would unsettle the people's hearts. He also does not allow these Xiongnu to linger in the deep mountains."

"so?"

"So he gave me this money to recruit some gangsters to solve the problem..."

Cen Ang and Hua Luan were not really willing to speak. The person on the current dragon throne must have lost his mind. If you say he didn't care, then someone else paid for it. If you say he did care, then he didn't do anything.

You are the emperor! The Xiongnu have already been lording it over your territory and killing people. As the emperor, you not only fail to fight back, but even try to appease them. You are truly muddle-headed and incompetent!

"Then what do you mean by coming to me? Now that you've received the Emperor's decree, hurry up and spread the news!"

"How about I give you this money?"

"ah?"

Cen Ang said, "My right eyelid has been twitching since I woke up today. I should have known better than to come to the county government office. It's bound to be bad news!"

"Look, there are quite a few underworld figures in this building now, right? Cen Ang, you definitely know more underworld figures than I do. Here's the money, help me find some reliable ones?"

The woman with phoenix eyes used her hands to sift through the stack of silver notes. Although she disapproved of the Emperor's method of handling the matter, he was still quite generous.

A full 80,000 taels; it's estimated that half of the money in the private treasury this year is in this amount.

"I can help you, but General Xiao's men must operate alongside us."

Magistrate Wang nodded and said

"Okay, I'll send you a message when they arrive."

I'll have to trouble Leader Zhang when I get back. Cen Ang walked along the road, the hem of her black robe sometimes brushing against the snow. She looked at the people coming and going around her, and the shouts of the vendors. Since leaving the palace and coming to the border town, it seemed that she had truly seen all walks of life.

No longer confined to the world within the four walls of the city, no longer bound by those palace rules, it turns out that for those outside the imperial city gates, simply surviving is an all-out effort.

She had thought that if there was an opportunity, it would be good to avenge her master. Although she repeatedly told herself not to return to the capital before she left, Cen Ang was generally not obedient.

Now she thinks that if she could, it would be good to protect this ordinary yet fulfilling life. At least the laughter and the cries of children are right beside her, aren't they?

"Old Zhang, does your family have any kind of martial arts summons, the kind where your dad gives the order and masters from all the major sects in the martial arts world come running?"

"Sister, you've been reading too many storybooks, haven't you?" Zhang's mother was chopping meat in the backyard. She had just heard Huo Xiaolong say that she wanted to eat dumplings, and she was making them for her now.

"Hey, how do you guys usually hold martial arts tournaments and stuff like that?"

"That thing only happens once every five years, and then the next date is set on the spot. Everyone spreads the word. What's up? Why are you so interested in this today?"

"The Emperor forbade the deployment of troops and gave Wang Zheng a dozen silver notes. That's why he's come to me seeking help."

Cen Ang placed the silver notes on the table and weighed them down with a teapot to prevent them from being blown away by the wind.

"How much? What does he mean? Is he hiring someone to beat him up?"

Zhang's mother wiped her hands on her apron, then sat down next to Cen Ang and picked up the banknotes on the table to count them.

"so much?!"

"Can you hire someone?" Mrs. Cen asked.

"We can hire them! Just tell me how many you need, and I'll send a message to my brother right now! My family's resort can handle the whole thing."

Eighty thousand taels of silver is enough to sustain the entire Biluo Manor for three years, and possibly even more.

"This is a life-or-death matter," Cen Ang tried to dissuade him, "Why don't you issue a challenge or something? This money isn't so easy to earn, and you could lose your life if you're not careful."

"In this world, everyone's got their head on the line. I'll write to my brother right now; he should be here in a few days."

"Hey, how about we send a few more people, preferably with good agility? If we can't win, we can always run away."

"Don't worry, they're all top-notch. Why don't the girls in our building go and practice with them?"

Kung Fu requires not only rigorous training but also frequent real combat. Only through repeated life-or-death situations can one truly improve.

Hearing Zhang Bixia's suggestion, Cen's mother nodded and said...

"Then let Master Lou Wu come along too; it'll put our minds at ease."

"Okay, I'll go write the letter."

The cold wind has risen, and even breathing feels bone-chillingly cold, chilling you to the bone.

Beneath the peaceful and bustling facade, there are always some people who pave this road for them with their blood and flesh.

Weren't the Xiongnu the same? They left their homes and came here, just to pave a way for their descendants.

Life is long, so live it well...

"Mom, can't I really come along? Can't I just watch from the sidelines and not do anything?"

The girls in the building have been very busy these past few days. During the day, they're busy giving beauty treatments to the ladies, and after dinner, they're practicing their martial arts intensively.

Cen's mother said that in a few days they would be seeing real weapons, and the more they practiced, the safer they would be.

Cen Ang also customized a set of soft armor for each of them, which could be worn under their night clothes and would be sufficient to protect them from swords and knives.

If she had time, she would like to make armor for these girls; it would be safer that way.

"No! What would you do with someone so young? Besides, would you feel comfortable leaving your mother alone at home?"

This time, all the girls from Fengyue Tower, except for Cen's mother and Zhao Kai, went, as did the Huo family. Except for He Yi, the remaining men also went along.

"Mom~"

"Is it because your mother won't let you go either?"

"Um……"

The little girl's eyes lost their sparkle, and she gave a somewhat dejected "hmm."

She wanted to go and see what was happening; in these chaotic times, if any of her sisters were injured, she could help them immediately. But neither of her mothers would allow it, and if her mother wouldn't allow it, her father was even less likely to.

"Mom knows you're worried about your sisters, but that's really not a place for kids. You stay home and keep us company. When spring comes and it gets warmer, we'll take you for a trip in the mountains, okay?"

Huo Xiaolong nodded without speaking, and took out a porcelain bottle from his pocket, handing it to Cen's mother.

"Then Mom, why don't you share the medicine with my sisters?"

"What medicine?" Cen Ang asked.

"I asked Grandpa Gu to make some more ginseng pills."

"You child..."

Huo Xiaolong is so lovable. Who wouldn't want to pamper such a thoughtful young girl? She's like a little adult, always worrying about this and that.