After dinner, the chickens and ducks were fed, and it was time to take a break from the busy work. Baoning took Pei Yuan to the backyard vegetable garden to cool off.

The vegetable garden is not big, but there are many varieties in it. Two green onions are planted on the east side, and cabbage, leeks and small persimmons are planted next door. Further to the west, there is a cucumber stand that is Ah Huang's favorite.

The North Courtyard is facing the sun and is not as warm as the South Courtyard, but it is not cold either. The wind blows in and makes it cool and comfortable.

Baoning lowered her eyes and trimmed her nails.

Pei Yuan was lying on the recliner, holding the soft dog under his arm, twirling its beard, picking up one and rubbing it on its nose. Ah Huang sneezed while hiding, and was restrained by Pei Yuan, unable to escape. Dropped, growling in embarrassment.

"Stop it, give me your hand." Bao Ning nudged him with her elbow, and waited for her with her palm facing up, "I'll help you cut your hair too."

"Finally I've been waiting for you for a long time." Pei Yuan's left hand He placed his hand on hers and said, "Cut hard. Baldness is best. Long nails are the worst."

Baoning snipped twice with the big scissors, and smiled, "You said it yourself. Don't blame me if I get too rough.

Pei Yuan raised his eyebrows: "Am I that kind of person? A real man should be as honest as a nail." He

hooked Ah Huang's chin: "Little dog, don't you think so?"

Ah Huang didn't like this name. Turning its butt and ignoring him, Pei Yuan pulled its fur and curled his lips slightly.

Baoning smoothed his fingers and said, "You're speaking dialect again. I don't know where you learned it."

"In the barracks. When I was in the Northern Frontier Army, the soldiers came from all over the country and spoke even more confusing dialect than this. I At first, she was disdainful, but later she got used to it and felt comfortable being spoken to this way. Pei Yuan tilted his head and chatted with her, "Do you feel comfortable listening to this?"

Bao Ning was busy with her work and had no time to pay attention to him, so she echoed him. "Comfortable, comfortable."

Pei Yuan touched his nose and stopped boring himself. He turned his eyes to Baoning's vegetable garden. He had only been to the backyard a few times before. Before he knew it, the vegetable seedlings had grown quite tall. It was a lush green landscape, pleasing to the eye. But at the corner of the wall, there was a clump of unknown weeds that was unsightly.

Pei Yuan asked, "What is that? Why don't you shovel it?"

"It's a fruit. It's edible when it's ripe in autumn." Bao Ning glanced at it, replied in a low voice, and complained, "Your nails are so hard to cut. , you'll have to do it yourself in the future."

Pei Yuan automatically ignored the second half of the sentence: "What kind of fruit is it? Does it have a name?"

"It's called goji berries. When they're not ripe, they're small green. When you pick them, you slowly squeeze out the inside. The pulp can be made into a small whistle. It has no tone, but it sounds very loud when blown. When ripe, it is orange-yellow, like the color of a yellow persimmon. It is large in size and tastes sour and sweet. Baoning was thinking about his nails. "In the future, you should soak it in warm water to make it softer so it will be easier to handle."

She grabbed Pei Yuan's fingers with one hand and made a hard click.

"It hurts, it hurts!" Pei Yuan hissed and retracted his hand. After a careful check, he found no blood. He tilted his head to grab Bao Ning's earlobe. "You are so cruel. Are you killing your husband to prove your faith or something?"

Bao Ning's eyelashes were raised. She trembled, feeling a little guilty: "You said it yourself..."

"Are you being stubborn?" Pei Yuan threw her scissors to the ground, pulled her over and put her on his lap, pinching her cheek with two fingers. Bao Ning pouted her lips. Pei Yuan smiled with narrowed eyes and bit her lower lip gently, "Do you dare to do it again?"

...

When Qiu Mingshan came, he happened to see this scene.

The front yard was empty and there was no one. He shouted a few times. No one answered, and he was worried that something had happened to Pei Yuan, so he went to the backyard to look for him, and saw the couple playing.

Qiu Mingshan stood there awkwardly, and wanted to leave quietly, but he was discovered by Ah Huang. .

"Woof!"

Pei Yuan and Bao Ning turned their heads at the same time.

Bao Ning was shocked and embarrassed, and hurriedly got off Pei Yuan's legs, nervously smoothing the hem of her skirt, standing there at a loss.

Pei Yuan's face instantly sank, his eyes A hint of annoyance flashed across his face.

"I..." Qiu Mingshan opened his mouth, and the fingertips holding the scabbard tightened unnaturally, "I'll go out first and come back later."

"No need." Pei Yuan said coldly "Let's talk about it here."

"Okay." Qiu Mingshan hesitated for a moment, but Pei Yuan's kindness to him was rare, so he felt satisfied and walked to Pei Yuan's side. Give him a seat.

Pei Yuan introduced Bao Ning as "National Defense General Qiu Mingshan."

Bao Ning smiled and knelt down to bow.

"My wife, Ji Baoning."

When Pei Yuan introduced this sentence, Baoning clearly saw that Qiu Mingshan's eyes lit up, he rubbed his palms, and kept saying: "Good child, good child..."

He touched

He took out a jade pendant from his sleeve.

"If you don't mind..." Qiu Mingshan smiled and pushed the jade pendant to Baoning, "Just keep it."

The legendary general who protected the country was decisive in killing and had fought on the battlefield for more than 20 years. He had countless military exploits and had never been defeated in the battles against the Huns. He was a famous figure. Bao Ning originally thought that he should be serious, stern, and dignified, but she was surprised to find him so friendly.

However, she didn't know whether she should accept the jade pendant, so she looked at Pei Yuan. Pei Yuan had no expression on his face. , after seeing the pattern on the jade pendant, he frowned and made a decision for her: "What should Baoning do with the things passed on to your daughter-in-law? Thank you, General. We appreciate your kindness, but it is not necessary."

Her thoughts were exposed. Qiu Mingshan clenched his fist, hid the jade pendant in his palm, and smiled at Baoning: "Okay, next time, uncle will find a better gift for you next time."

His smile was a bit forced. Bao Ning sensed that the atmosphere was strange and didn't dare to stay any longer. She responded with a few words and then found an excuse to leave: "I'll go make tea."

Just after taking two steps, Pei Yuan suddenly grabbed her wrist and said, "General, "Are there any soldiers coming?" He asked, Baoning was puzzled.

Qiu Mingshan nodded: "A small group of people."

Pei Yuan looked more relaxed, turned sideways to face Baoning, and whispered: "Stay in the yard, don't go far away. Baoning

finally understood that he was afraid that what happened that day would happen again, so he was making sure she was safe. Her heart warmed, she smiled and said yes, then bowed and left.

Qiu Mingshan watched her walk away, put his wrist on his knee, and said softly: "She is a good girl..."

"Don't worry, General." Pei Yuan interrupted him, smiling on his face, with no emotion in his eyes, " General, what is the matter with you this time?"

He was still resisting him. Qiu Mingshan's eyes were a little wet. Ever since the incident was discovered, Pei Yuan had a fight with him, and then rode back to Beijing alone before dawn without even saying goodbye to him.

The last time they met was three days ago, when Pei Yuan asked him to help find someone.

If it were in the past, Pei Yuan would have accepted the jade pendant with a big smile. They were as close as father and son, but now even the smiling greeting has become a false appearance.

Qiu Mingshan gathered his emotions and mentioned the business of the day: "The tiger talisman of the Bashu Army is lost."

Pei Yuan sat up straight suddenly.

The Bashu Army was originally under the control of Pei Che, and the tiger talisman was also in Pei Che's hands. A year ago, there was a war in the south, and Pei Che took the tiger talisman to supervise the army. After the war, he returned to Beijing, and the tiger talisman remained in the army and was handed over to the deputy general Zhou Jiangcheng for safekeeping. Later, Pei Che made a mistake and was imprisoned, and then he disappeared. The Bashu army changed its general, and the one who replaced him was Zhou Jiangcheng. Logically, the tiger talisman should be in Zhou Jiangcheng's hands.

Why is it gone now?

Qiu Mingshan said, "The day the former crown prince returned to the capital, the tiger talisman was gone, but Zhou Jiangcheng didn't dare to report it, and he suppressed the matter himself. A few days ago, someone reported that Nanyue was going to invade again, and Zhou Jiangcheng couldn't keep it a secret, so he told me in a secret letter."

Pei Yuan gritted his teeth and said, "It's just garbage!"

"I thought about it on the way here. If there really is a thief who stole the tiger talisman, what is his purpose? The tiger talisman is divided into two parts, one half is in the hands of the commander-in-chief and the other half is in the hands of the emperor. Even if that person has this half of the tiger talisman, he cannot mobilize the army."

Pei Yuan said, "Unless there is unrest on the border and troops need to be sent to attack, the emperor will also give the other half."

Qiu Mingshan shook his head, "But this doesn't make sense. Even if he can mobilize the army, he can only meet the enemy. The Bashu Army was led by the former prince. Even if the thief really has the intention of usurping the throne and wants to lead the troops to counterattack the rebellion in the capital, those deputy generals will not let him do it first."

Pei Yuan narrowed his eyes, "But the tiger talisman is lost, Zhou Jiangcheng will definitely be held accountable, and those deputy generals who originally obeyed the former prince will also be held accountable. If nothing unexpected happens, the generals of the Bashu Army will be replaced."

"So the real purpose of the thieves is..."

The two said in unison: "To seize military power."

Pei Yuan asked: "Does Zhou Jiangcheng have anyone he suspects?"

"He's not sure." Qiu Mingshan sighed, "The night the former prince returned to Beijing, the army had a party and he got drunk. He doesn't remember who entered his tent and took the tiger talisman."

"Not good enough to do anything, but good enough to cause trouble!" Pei Yuan's eyes were blazing with anger, and Qiu Mingshan frowned, "But there is one person who is too suspicious, I guess."

Pei Yuan asked: "Who?"

"His concubine was named Lu Yun. I heard from Zhou Jiangcheng that Lu Yun died of an acute illness on the third day after the tiger talisman was lost. How could it be so strange? But Zhou Jiangcheng loved Lu Yun very much and guaranteed to me with his life that Lu Yun would not do such a thing to betray him. I am just guessing."

Pei Yuan grasped the key point in the words: "He returned to Beijing?"

Qiu Mingshan nodded: "He is in my house."

Before Pei Yuan opened his mouth, Qiu Mingshan said "Yuan'er, I know you don't like me and there is a gap between us, but Pei Xiao has already made a move, and I'm afraid that if you stay here, it will be bad for you. This is a desolate mountain, and there is not even a trace of smoke. If he really wants to attack, although you are strong in martial arts, two fists can't beat four hands, not to mention that you are already married."

Qiu Mingshan persuaded him, with hope in his heart: "Why not, just like before, you stay in my mansion for the time being?"