Eleventh Lady hesitated for a long time, and finally sighed in her heart, and said softly to Princess Jiangdu: "Such an important matter has to be decided by the Marquis. I think I should discuss it with the Marquis..." She looked very embarrassed.

Princess Jiangdu could not help but get anxious: "Aunt, this is not the time to be virtuous. You know, such an opportunity is rare. If you miss this opportunity, you will never get it again." She added, "The Third Emperor's wife said that as long as Aunt agrees, we will go and tell the Third Emperor, and wait until the official document from the Military Selection Division of the Ministry of War is sent out. By then, even if Uncle knows, there will be nothing he can do!"

Eleventh Lady was really grateful.

She held Princess Jiangdu's hand and said, "Jin'er is so lucky to have you. But this matter is of great importance. Without the Marquis's approval, I dare not agree."

Princess Jiangdu's happiness faded away little by little, replaced by disappointment. She said reluctantly, "Jin'er has also helped us a lot. Aunt, don't worry about it." She stood up and said goodbye.

Eleventh Lady felt even worse and sent Princess Jiangdu out: "I understand the good intentions of Prince Yong and the princess. I will talk to the Marquis when he comes back from the palace."

Princess Jiangdu nodded unhappily and went back home.

Xu Lingyi came back at dusk.

When Eleventh Lady received the letter, she went out to meet him.

Under the big red lantern, his expression was solemn and cold.

Eleventh Lady bowed with her knees bent, and without saying a word, she welcomed Xu Lingyi back to the house, silently helped him change into his casual silk Taoist robe, and served him tea.

After Xu Lingyi entered the room, his eyes were fixed on Shiyi Niang, following her in and out, turning around. At this moment, she stopped, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a slightly bitter smile.

Eleventh Lady did not ask further questions, but asked him with a smile: "My Lord, have you eaten yet? Otherwise, I will cook you a bowl of mixed noodles?"

"Okay!" Xu Lingyi agreed immediately, as if relieved.

What happened? He actually looked like he was afraid she would ask...

Eleventh Lady was rolling the dough, her mind going around in circles.

Did the emperor suddenly decide to let him take charge of the army again? Even if that was the case, he didn't need to be afraid of her asking! He was the head of the family. Not to mention the matters in the court, even if the family wanted to buy someone's shop, he didn't need to discuss it with her... Could it be Jin Ge'er's matter... Apart from her son's matter, she couldn't think of anything else that would make Xu Lingyi embarrassed when facing her!

As soon as the thought came to her mind, she couldn't help but feel confused.

What will happen to Jing'er?

Didn’t he send a few people to secretly follow Jing’er?

How could this happen?

She thought about it, quickly sprinkled some chopped green onions on the noodles and brought them over.

Xu Lingyi sat cross-legged beside the kang table and ate two bowls of food before putting down his chopsticks.

Eleventh Lady personally helped him rinse his mouth and wash his hands.

The current situation is so chaotic, but she didn't ask a single question even though she knew he was back from the palace... For so many years, he didn't say anything, and she didn't ask either. She did whatever he asked her to do, never doubting him, and trusted him wholeheartedly...

Thinking of this, Xu Lingyi suddenly felt his eyes a little sore.

He pulled Eleventh Lady who was about to pour him tea.

"Moyan, the 400,000-man army not only mobilized all the troops in Shandong and Shanxi, but also some troops from Far East and Zhejiang under the Left Army Governor's Department, and Baoding and Wanquan under the Rear Army Governor's Office. Although the emperor prefers Ouyang Ming to lead the army, Ouyang Ming has never led troops to fight independently. The emperor is unsure, so he specially summoned me to the palace and asked me if Ouyang Ming can take on this important task!"

If his answer was just as the emperor intended, why would he need to explain it to her in such detail!

Eleventh Lady looked at him holding her hand tightly and asked solemnly, "Who did the Marquis recommend to the Emperor?"

Moyan is a very smart person!

Xu Lingyi lowered his eyelids: "Gong Dongning, the general of Guizhou!"

Eleventh Lady was shocked: "What does this have to do with Brother Jin?"

"According to the Ministry of War's yellow book, he is in the Pingyi Qianhu Suo of Pu'an Guard in Guizhou." Xu Lingyi's voice was low. "If Gong Dongning is awarded the title of Pingxi General, the Ministry of War will definitely let Gong Dongning lead the troops of Guizhou Dusi to the north after considering the pros and cons. Everyone knows that Jing'er is my son. If he stays in Guizhou at this time, he will be cowardly and afraid of trouble. He will evade responsibility in times of national crisis. His reputation will be ruined, and it will also affect his career. Think about it, who would be willing to give the burden to someone who dares not take responsibility when encountering problems!"

Hearing the persuasive tone in his words, Shiyi Niang took a deep breath, drove away the feeling from her mind, and said calmly: "Now that Xuantong has been breached and Datong is in danger, Guizhou is thousands of miles away from here. Even if the emperor listened to the Marquis's advice, it would be unlikely to transfer Gong Dongning to Beijing or transfer Guizhou troops to the north at this time. Moreover, Ouyang Ming is the minister left by the late emperor to assist the emperor, and he is deeply relied on by the emperor. The emperor cannot agree to the Marquis's recommendation under such circumstances. What is the Marquis worried about?" Before she finished speaking, she suddenly had an idea and said in a lost voice, "The emperor summoned the Marquis to the palace that day and asked the Marquis for advice. Could it be that he asked the Marquis to recommend a general for Pingxi at that time?"

Xu Lingyi said nothing and agreed.

So that's how it is!

He should have recommended Gong Dongning at that time, but he kept silent because he was worried about Jing Ge'er. When Xuantong Prefecture was breached, Fan Weigang's whereabouts were unknown, the Tartars marched to Datong, and the people of the two places were displaced... He thought he was also responsible, so he was restless and couldn't sleep day and night!

Eleventh Lady's eyes suddenly became moist.

Everyone has their own bottom line.

Just like her, she knew that if she agreed to the kindness of Prince Yong and Princess Jiangdu, Jing'er might be able to rise to a high position in the world, but when she thought about the future her son had gained by sacrificing the future of others, she couldn't accept it or even enjoy it as if nothing had happened.

The same is true for Xu Lingyi!

Using Gong Dongning might end the war quickly, or it might make things worse. But since it was unproven, he couldn't help but think positively, and the more he thought about it, the more he would regret it...

"Xu Lingyi!" Eleventh Lady couldn't help but call his name softly, squatting in front of him and looking up into his eyes, "Your Majesty, have you agreed to use Gong Dongning? The war is so tense, is it possible to let Gong Dongning go to the capital alone?"

"The emperor didn't agree." Xu Lingyi pulled her up and held her in his arms. "But I have a bad feeling. Since the Tartars have gathered the forces of more than a dozen tribes and dared to invade on a large scale, there is no way they only have this many people. Where did the others go? Could it be that the leader of another tribe led another group of troops to invade from Ganzhou? If so, once Ganzhou is lost, Datong will be attacked from all sides. If we win, the danger will be relieved, but if we lose, Yanjing will be in danger. The Ministry of War will have no choice but to transfer troops from Sichuan and Guizhou to encircle and suppress them..."

Eleventh Lady's face turned pale. "That is to say, according to the Marquis's prediction, eight or nine out of ten times it will turn out like this!"

Jing'er will have to follow him to the battlefield!

Xu Lingyi did not give a direct answer, but said: "Sichuan General Ding Zhi is stubborn and nepotistic. If he is appointed as the governor of the Right Army Governor's Office, he will probably let the troops of Guizhou Military Command charge in the front. Gong Dongning loves his soldiers like his own sons and will definitely confront him. They are in chaos before the battle even starts..." As he said this, he sighed slightly, "Although Minister Lu is good at flattery, he is also quite courageous when doing things. If this situation occurs, plus with my recommendation, he will definitely strive to let Gong Dongning be the governor of the Right Army Governor's Office to lead the Right Army..."

He looked straight ahead, his gaze seemed to penetrate the mountains and rivers and reach the hills and ravines in the northwest. Eleventh Lady was speechless for a moment.

If Gong Dongning wins, it's fine. If he loses, as the recommender, Xu Lingyi will be held jointly liable. In this case, Minister Lu will definitely do his best to facilitate this matter - if he recommends Ding Zhi and loses the battle, he will be held jointly liable. If Gong Dongning becomes the governor of the Right Army Governor's Office, he can be exempted from the responsibility of recommending and give Xu Lingyi face. Why not?

"Then, what should we do?" Eleventh Lady looked at Xu Lingyi for help.

"I hope I am just imagining things." Xu Lingyi smiled bitterly, his tone a little vague, "Maybe the Tartars don't have that many people."

He probably didn't even believe what he said, otherwise he wouldn't have spoken in such a tone.

The room fell silent again.

A servant said through the curtain, "My Lord, Steward Zhao wants to see you!"

Xu Lingyi hugged Shiyi Niang tightly and comforted her with a smile: "Let's not think about it here. Maybe Ouyang Ming is a rare talent like me. Back then, the commanders of the Five Military Commands looked at me the same way I look at Ouyang Ming today!"

Eleventh Lady couldn't laugh, but she still tried to speak softly, "It's so late, Manager Zhao may have something urgent to do. My Lord, please go quickly!"

Moyan is not the kind of person who believes everything she hears. She will not give up until she sees any progress.

For the first time, Xu Lingyi hated her rationality.

But at this time, he could only say softly, "I'll be back soon," and turned and left the inner room.

Eleventh Lady felt like she was being fried on fire.

Ouyang Ming has an army of 400,000 at his disposal, with a ratio of four to one. Even if it is a human wave battle, he can still defeat the Tartars... If Ouyang Ming can win a great victory, even if a group of Tartars really sneak into Ganzhou, it will be useless... At that time, Ouyang Ming only needs to transfer troops to the south... Naturally, Gong Dongning will not be needed, and Jing'er can continue to farm in Shiyang and open a mine in Pingyi!

Although she was thinking this in her heart, Xu Lingyi's analysis kept flashing through her mind, making her feel uneasy.

She knew that this was because she trusted Xu Lingyi's ability too much and believed what he said, but she couldn't let it go.

Facts are the only criterion for testing. Now we can only wait for the battle report from Datong!

Thinking of this, Eleventh Lady no longer cared about why Xu Lingyi came back late at night, let alone whether Xu Lingyi would be woken up. She tossed and turned, and only closed her eyes at dawn.

Xu Sizhun and Jiang brought Ting'er to greet them. Xu Sizhun asked Xu Lingyi for advice: "Rice in the city has risen to eight taels of silver per stone, and it looks like it will rise further. Don't we have two rice shops in the city? I want to close them. This way, we will have more rice at home, and if relatives or friends are in trouble, we can also provide some financial assistance to help everyone get through this difficult time first!"

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Sisters, I guess I can only update one post at a time before the article is finished!

After sorting out the files, I had to write application materials. I didn't expect that the application materials would be more troublesome than sorting out the files. Today I went to the Organization Department to check the tenure of the leaders of our unit over the years~~~~(_