On the Mid-Autumn Festival, a table was set up in the courtyard halfway up the mountain in Yanyunjing. There were rabbits hunted by Li Dazhuang and others while patrolling in the mountains, as well as "tributes" sent by Fan Du and some officials from Yongzhou.
There was a hot pot on the table. The mushroom soup in the pot tasted very fresh and fragrant. The venison was sliced very thinly, and various dishes were placed on the table.
A few days ago, Wan Jinlan ordered people to buy a lot of supplies from the town. The smell of barbecue was very strong on Yanyun Trail, but no drinking was allowed today.
The moon was high in the sky, and the coolness in the mountains was even stronger than outside. After eating and drinking a few glasses of wine with Anyang, Wan Jinlan went to soak in the hot springs.
Xiao Feng's reply arrived in her hands yesterday. He said the battle in Linrong was going smoothly and he would be back with his men in a few days. To prevent Anyang from overthinking, she also told her the contents of the letter.
Sitting in front of the dressing mirror, Chun Tao twisted her hair. After wringing it dry, she applied a layer of Western rose hair oil. Smelling the scent, Chun Tao said, "I think this smells better than the real sandalwood oil in the capital. The scent of things from the Western Regions is very unique."
This hair oil and the wine we drank earlier were both return gifts from Jia Mo. They were sent to Liangzhou by Xiao Mingzhen, and then sent here by his brother.
"Master, you haven't taken your evening pills yet. There's oil on my hands. I'll go wash them and then pour you some water to take your medicine." Chun Tao said as she went out.
Wan Jinlan was applying facial cream in front of the mirror. Steady and powerful footsteps came closer from afar. Wan Jinlan stopped moving his hands and turned around to see Xiao Feng, dressed in armor, stepping into the inner room.
When Xiao Feng entered, he saw her in a snow-white midriff-baring gown, her long, shiny black hair draped behind her, making her exposed skin look even more beautiful than snow. He already knew she was beautiful, and now his heart was throbbing even more than before.
Wan Jinlan stood up and walked in front. The surprise on his face froze when he stretched out his palm to block between the two of them.
"Husband?" She was puzzled.
Xiao Feng said: "I haven't bathed for a few days, I'm dirty."
He should clean up before coming in, but he really wanted to see her.
Wan Jinlan said, "I'll ask Chuntao to prepare some water for you."
Xiao Feng soaked in the bathroom for a long time, and after getting up, he shaved off the stubble that had grown on his beard.
When he came out, Wan Jinlan was already waiting with the cloth. Chuntao knew that the prince did not allow maids to serve him closely, so after preparing the things, she tactfully retreated to the outer room to wait for orders.
Wan Jinlan twisted Xiao Feng's hair, and then he held her on his lap. She pushed him away and said, "My pajamas are all wet."
Xiao Feng sniffed her neck deeply and kissed her behind the ear, "Don't you miss me?"
She actually heard a hint of grievance in his words. Her heart ached, and she put her arms around his neck and leaned her head forward.
After a struggle, her snow-white shoulders were exposed. Her slender snow-white neck was so fragile in his hands that it seemed as if it would break at any bend. He accidentally knocked the mirror on the dressing table down, making a crisp sound.
Chuntao didn't know what was going on inside. When she walked to the door and heard her master's strange voice, she looked out and her face turned red instantly. She quickly retreated.
Xiao Feng ignored her wet hair and carried her to the couch.
With a red face, she sat up, put on her pajamas, and then called Chuntao to bring in a basin of water.
When Chuntao brought in water, her face was even redder than hers, and she didn't even dare to look in their direction.
Both of them washed their hands. Wan Jinlan tried his best to ignore what had just happened and looked at his hair again. Well, it was half dry, so there was no need to wring it.
Wan Jinlan took out his coat and put it on him, and Xiao Feng sat down in front of the window.
She called Chuntao in and changed into a silk fur coat.
Xiao Feng hadn't had a good rest in the past few days. When he got on the bed again, he held her in his arms and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Prince Su and Xiao Feng agreed that whoever captured Kyoto first would become the leader and would properly settle all of the other's subordinates.
Xiao Feng agreed, but he never thought about losing, and he would never serve anyone as his master again.
The threat from the Northern Rong has been resolved, and the navy trained by Prince Su has also achieved some success. As the army approaches, the imperial navy has retreated to a place only fifty miles away from the capital on the Jing River.
Xiao Feng had previously controlled the imperial navy and was quite familiar with the various waterway checkpoints in Kyoto. Yanyun Pass was only three hundred miles away from Kyoto. After capturing the Yiyang ferry, he deployed an army of 150,000 to Kyoto in early September.
Inside the Purple Palace, the young emperor sat at his desk, bewildered. Looking at the gloomy Emperor Jian'an, who was coughing up blood, and the panicked ministers, he asked in a childish voice, "Grandpa Emperor, are the rebel kings about to attack us?"
Emperor Jian'an had a sinister look on his face, with bloodshot eyes. He threw the inkstone beside him and said, "Shut up!"
As he spoke, he started coughing.
There was fear in the little emperor's eyes. He wanted to cry but had to hold it back. His mother and grandmother were not there. In this palace, there was no one he could rely on.
"Go and get the people from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion to the city walls for me."
A month ago, the people from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion were secretly imprisoned in the Sky Prison because they were useful hostages, not only related to Liangzhou, but also to the southwest. Even if they were in the Sky Prison, they were not ordinary prisoners.
The old Duke had many old friends in the court, so his family could still have clean meals in prison.
On the palace road, Commander Zhang and Marquis Guanyang walked side by side.
"Commander Zhang, the old Duke has spent his entire life in the military. Do you really want to force him into battle? The Duke's Mansion has defended the southwest for the country and has made outstanding contributions. Is this the end it will lead to?"
Commander Zhang remained calm, "Generals like me are supposed to be loyal to the emperor."
Guan Yanghou shook his head and sighed, "Even as a military commander, I cannot bear to see the Duke's family end up like this. Instead of dying at the hands of the enemy, they died at the hands of their own people."
Commander Zhang was silent.
Military generals should be loyal to their country and loyal to the emperor. Returning alive from the battlefield after a lifetime of military service is the best outcome. Dying on the battlefield to protect their country and people is also a worthy death. But if they die at the hands of their own people, who is to blame for this miserable death?
Guan Yanghou patted Commander Zhang on the shoulder and said, "If you don't think about yourself, you should think about your family. It's rumored that the army of Prince Xiao Feng of Qi has developed a magical weapon. A single shot can shatter a mountaintop..."
As if in response to Guan Yanghou's words, a loud "bang" sound resounded in the night of Kyoto. The sound was like a dull thunder falling from the sky.
At the same time, flames shot up into the sky in the north of Kyoto City, and Prince Su's army began to attack the city. For a while, the shouts of killing shook the sky.
Emperor Jian'an sat in the Purple Palace with a sinister look on his face. The sounds in the night had already reached his ears, but the feeling of helplessness and frustration made him unable to utter a single word.
At this moment, it seemed that he could do nothing but wait for them to rush in and attack him.
His face became even more gray.
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