"We can't take the four original routes back to Xirong. Song Heng will definitely send troops to pursue us..."
Baili Qingluan raised his eyes and glanced at Baili Xuanlang, "Has the General's Mansion strengthened its defenses in the past few days?"
Baili Xuanlang nodded. "When I came that day, I went into that woman's room and the storeroom. The clothes she used were all the things we gave to my eldest sister every year." Baili Xuanlang became more and more angry as he spoke. "That woman not only took my eldest sister's things, but she also has a very sensitive nose. She sensed someone had entered her room. That noon, she sat behind a screen not far from the dining table and used her sense of smell to check for us. Song Heng also dispatched 500 soldiers to strictly guard the general's mansion, and the number of palace soldiers at the Lake Pavilion was increased several times."
Baili Qingluan said, "She can use those clothes and accessories if she wants. I will definitely ask her to return them double the amount later. The General's Mansion is under strict defense right now. Song Heng is very careful. To prevent me from being rescued from here, I think he will not only send troops to pursue me, but also set up ambushes on these four roads. Let's go north to Baiyun Mountain and then cross the snow-capped mountains to return to Xirong."
"Eldest sister, this route is too dangerous. It will take half a year to return to Xirong. The weather is getting colder, and the journey will be extended. Your body won't be able to withstand it. I suggest avoiding these four routes and heading south. The weather in the south is relatively warmer than in the north in winter. We can enter Xirong at Longcheng, where the three realms of Nankun, Beiyi, and Xirong intersect."
Baili Qingluan thought for a moment and said, "Okay, let's go south to Longcheng as you wish. You can plan your route south in the next few days."
"Eldest sister, I will send someone to search at the bottom of the cliff. Maybe we can find some clues about my nephew."
"No, there must be an ambush by the Song family there. Back then, the Song family searched the bottom of the cliff for half a year, searching almost every house in the village within a radius of 100 kilometers, but found nothing. There are all kinds of snakes, rats, insects and ants at the bottom of the cliff. The child is likely to be..."
"Eldest sister!" Baili Xuanlang interrupted her, "Don't let your imagination run wild. Since we haven't found any trace of our nephew, he must have been rescued by a good person. This time, the Western Rong sent troops, firstly to let the Song family find the child, and secondly to expose the ugly faces of the Song family to the world!"
Baili Xuanlang’s true thoughts are even more cruel than this!
The Song family dared to treat his eldest sister like this. Not only would he not let the Song family have an easy time, but his father, the queen mother, his elder brothers and sisters would not let the Song family go either.
"Over the years, our Xirong soldiers..."
"Eldest sister, don't worry. The Song army lost the city that year. If the Xiao army hadn't joined, Beiyi would have lost more than five cities. Our Xirong soldiers have not slacked off in the past eight years. I often followed my eldest brother in and out of the military camp for training. He said that our Xirong soldiers have recuperated and their combat strength is far stronger than it was eight years ago."
"Beiyi has been plagued by internal conflict for the past few years. The Second Prince of Beiyi framed the First Prince of Beiyi, who was demoted to a commoner. It's also been discovered that the Second Prince is colluding with Nankun. The Xiao family has been recalled to the capital to lead troops to strengthen defenses in the southern border. It won't be easy for the Xiao family army to go to the western border to assist the Song family army this time..."
"I didn't expect it to be so lively outside." Baili Qingluan sighed. "Even so, we can't underestimate the enemy. After returning to Xirong this time, I will personally lead the troops to take the heads of Song Heng and Song Linxiao on the battlefield! Capture Song Linyuan alive and torture him slowly."
"Eldest sister, that woman can't be let go either!"
"That's natural. Well, it's getting late, you have to leave."
"Okay, I'll come back tomorrow night."
Baili Xuanlang returned to his study and began writing a letter home, handing it to Qi Feng: "Avoid the four routes to Xirong, go south to Longcheng, and enter Xirong from there. Be sure to deliver the letter home to my father, the emperor, and my mother, the queen."
Qi Feng said, "Going south to Longcheng is a long way around."
"Yes, master." Duan Yuzhuo agreed with a puzzled look on his face.
Baili Xuanlang patiently explained, "Didn't the General's Mansion check on us when they were getting food that day? It's impossible that old fox Song Heng gave up without checking on us. He might have set up ambushes along these four routes in advance..."
"Master, I understand. Daybreak is coming soon. I'll go clean it up right away..."
Seven days later.
Everything was normal at the Zhenbei General's Mansion, with no abnormalities.
After taking a nap, Song Linxiao went to Song Heng's study.
"Dad, I think we are too worried. The Baili family didn't send anyone to investigate secretly."
Song Heng said, "We can't be careless. We've already arranged for people to stake out the four routes leading to Xirong. Baili Qingluan's cold-weather supplies haven't been delivered yet. No matter how you look at it, it seems a little strange."
Song Linxiao said, "Then our people will stay there. If they don't deliver the food by winter, I don't think they will. Baili Qingluan still has a lot of things to keep warm, so we can handle this year."
Song Heng glanced at him and said, "How dare you say that? The things sent by the Baili family, the Yu family will send a few to the eldest house every year, so you naturally have no shortage of them."
Song Linxiao was suddenly speechless.
Seeing him like this, Song Heng was immediately annoyed. "Since the Baili family won't be sending any this year, your eldest wife should be paying for Baili Qingluan to get some extra warm clothes. We can't let Baili Qingluan catch a cold in the middle of the night like we did in previous years. It's a good thing we covered it up well. If people knew that our Song family used the Xirong royal family's belongings to freeze Baili Qingluan to death, how many lives would our Song family have to pay for it?"
"You don't let people have enough food and let them starve to death. We can't afford to compensate you." Song Linxiao muttered in a low voice.
"What did you say?"
"Oh, nothing. I said that this year our eldest family will give Baili Qingluan 1,000 taels to make high-quality and warm clothes."
Song Heng took a deep breath and said, "Okay, let your wife do it quickly."
At the same time, an urgent imperial edict was passing by the north gate of Huayang County without stopping, and was speeding towards Anyang County, which was 100 kilometers away from Huayang County.
In a large house with four courtyards on the outskirts of Anyang County, the maids and servants each have their own duties.
The front and back doors of the courtyard were guarded by officers with knives. The maids and servants did not dare to whisper to each other and could only communicate in low voices.
In the main courtyard, under the peach tree, a father and son were sitting opposite each other playing chess.
It looks like they are playing chess, but in fact the father and son are exchanging secret codes and communicating silently.
"Winter is coming soon. Yu'er is most afraid of the cold. Can she survive this winter?"
A trace of heartache flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes. He picked up the white piece and knocked the chessboard three times before placing it. "Dad, don't worry. Yu'er is smart. She will find a way to keep warm."
The middle-aged man was actually very worried. His Yu'er had never suffered any hardship, and she didn't need to worry about matters related to keeping warm. There were maids and old women to do these things, but now she had to worry about these things herself!
They were inexplicably imprisoned here instead of in a bitter and cold place of exile.
They couldn't figure out what the emperor was planning.
On the one hand, they did not believe that they were innocent, and on the other hand, they did not want the officials to exile them to a cold and bitter place. Instead, they came here. Not only were they not free to go out, they were still served by maids and servants like they were in the Duke's Mansion.
Why did he order Yu'er to marry a poor and disabled person?
Instead of being imprisoned here with them?
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