The next morning, Shiyi Niang and Xu Lingyi were having breakfast when Deng Hua hurried in: "My Lord, there's a letter from General Gong!"

Xu Lingyi took it quickly, took a look, and said bitterly, "The morning before yesterday, Duoyan's whereabouts were discovered near Yulin. He has ordered Ouyang Ming to lead 10,000 troops to Yulin, and Jing'er will accompany him as a co-governor. We don't need to go to Chen Ge Lao's place!"

The further west we go, the closer we are to the grassland and the farther we are from Datong. The greater the possibility that Duoyan will leave successfully. If we don't chase them down, we may not have any chance!

They wanted to stop Jing'er, but it was too late!

Eleventh Lady sighed deeply: "Man proposes, God disposes. I hope Brother Jin can understand his situation and cooperate with Ouyang Ming. With Ouyang Ming in front, everyone will pay less attention to him."

Compared to the emperor's high-profile protection of Ouyang Ming, Jing'er is much more low-key.

Xu Lingyi thought the same thing. He showed an admiring look and said, "After dinner, I'll go to Wang Li's place. Some things are more convenient for them to handle."

Eleventh Lady nodded and kept an eye on the news from Yulin.

On the second day of June, Ouyang Ming and his entourage caught up with Duoyan at Qinhe, not far from Yulin. Just when Ouyang Ming thought Duoyan was within his grasp, a group of more than 20,000 Tatar cavalrymen suddenly emerged...

Xu Lingyi's knuckles turned white as he held the letter paper. "Twenty thousand Tartars... In other words, the Tartars who fled from Datong didn't return to the grassland at all, but hid near Datong and waited for an opportunity to act?"

The person who came to inform Xu Lingyi was Hu San, a close follower of Gong Dongning. He was about 27 or 28 years old, very calm, and deeply trusted by Gong Dongning. Xu Lingyi's gaze made him a little breathless, and he nodded with difficulty, not daring to look at Xu Lingyi's expression.

"What's the situation now?" Xu Lingyi asked Hu San after a long time.

Hu San said carefully: "Lord Ouyang killed 8,000 enemies and was seriously injured. He is now unconscious." His voice was low but clear, "Lord Xu led 3,000 troops from Yulin Guard to chase him!" At this point, Gong Dongning's livid face suddenly appeared in Hu San's mind when he was leaving, and Gong Dongning's hoarse voice also sounded in his ears, "...Marquis Yongping was very kind to me and gave me his favorite youngest son. Not only did I not take good care of the child, I also lost the child. If I hadn't received the military order, I would have gone to Yanjing to personally apologize to the Marquis of Yongping. When you go, remember to kowtow to him on my behalf and tell him that I will apologize to him after I hand over the seal of the commander. Whether it's a beating or a scolding, it's all up to the Marquis to deal with, without any resentment." He shuddered and said hurriedly, "My Lord, my master has sent the most capable and skilled Lieutenant General Li with all the cavalry in the army to chase after them. I believe that in a few days, there will be good news..."

Before he could finish his words, Xu Lingyi slowly waved his hand at him: "Although we were ambushed by the Tartars, we were defeated in the end. Only by capturing Duoyan can we atone for our sins. Even if we chase him, he probably won't come back with you!"

Hu San looked up at Xu Lingyi in surprise.

Xu Lingyi had a blank expression on his face, but a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes.

Hu San thought of the anecdotes about Xu Lingyi's firmness and decisiveness that were circulated in the military camp, and he felt very uncomfortable. Although he knew that he was overstepping his authority, he still couldn't help but said, "My Lord, no, Lieutenant General is not only good at fighting, but also good at speaking. He will definitely be able to persuade Lord Xu to go back. Otherwise, our master would not have let Lieutenant General go. Our master also said that the general leading the army this time is Lord Ouyang, and Lord Xu is just an assistant governor. Even if he made a mistake, it was Lord Ouyang's fault. Lord Xu will stay with our master for a few years, and when there is movement in the northwest, he will go to compete with them and get this place back." If it were normal, Xu Lingyi would definitely not say anything to someone like Hu San. But today, not only did something that was almost certain change in the middle of the process, but when he returned later, how should he face the earnest eyes of Eleventh Lady... His mind relaxed for a moment.

"You don't know, Jing'er is a strong-willed child," he stammered, "as long as there is a glimmer of hope, he will not give up. Moreover, your master has sent Lieutenant General Li to lead all the cavalry in the army... He will not go back no matter what!"

Hu San Bu Tong fell silent.

Being with Gong Dongning, he had some understanding of Jing'er's personality.

"Okay, you've been working day and night and you've worked hard. Go down and have a rest!" Xu Lingyi waved his hand and ended the conversation.

Hu San bowed respectfully and retreated quietly.

Xu Lingyi sat on the big kang by the window in the study, staring blankly at the green duckweed in the glass vat on the windowsill. It was not until the sky gradually darkened that he took a long breath, put the letter in a box beside him, and got off the kang. After only two steps, he turned back, put the box containing the letter in the most inconspicuous small compartment in the lower right corner of the antique shelf, and went to the main room.

Different from the loneliness of the previous days, the main house was brightly lit today. Maids, daughters-in-law and old women walked briskly. The big red lanterns were shining, and everyone's eyes and brows were filled with joy.

Xu Lingyi was stunned.

She came out with a smile: "My Lord, please come in quickly! Madam has been waiting for you for a long time!"

Xu Lingyi's heart tightened.

Could it be that Eleventh Lady knew something?

The thought flashed through my mind, and I felt myself being paranoid again.

If Eleventh Lady knew about Jing'er's affairs, why would the house be filled with such a festive atmosphere!

While thinking, he nodded lightly at Han Xiao and strode into the inner room.

Eleventh Lady was leaning on the pillow on the kang by the window, speaking to Amber tenderly. When she heard the noise, she turned her head, her brows showing a hint of embarrassment: "The Marquis is back!"

Amber hurriedly stood up and saluted Xu Lingyi, and called Leng Xiang in to help Xu Lingyi change clothes.

Eleventh Lady lay on the bed without moving.

Xu Lingyi was stunned for a moment, then walked over and sat beside the bed: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No!" Eleventh Lady's face flushed, and her expression was a little unnatural. "I'm fine!" She added, "My Lord, go change your clothes quickly! I'll ask the maids to serve the meal."

Xu Lingyi caught a glimpse of Amber smiling.

"What's going on?" Xu Lingyi looked at Amber suspiciously.

Amber glanced at Shiyi Niang, half-knelt down with a smile and said, "Congratulations, my lord. Congratulations, my lord. Madam has just diagnosed a pregnancy!"

Happy pulse...

Xu Lingyi was stunned for a long while before he reacted: "Really, really!" His voice was a little panicked.

Jing'er is already a teenager, and he had given up hope a long time ago, but he never expected that he would get it... It felt like regaining something he had lost, and he felt even happier.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?" He couldn't help but touch her abdomen. "Is there anything special you want to eat?"

Xu Lingyi thought of her discomfort when Huai Jinge was a child, and there was some worry in his tone.

"No!" Eleventh Lady's face was very red. "If Amber hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have thought about it. I was busy worrying about Jing'er these days!" Thinking of this, her expression became serious. "Is there any news from Jing'er? According to the date, there should be a letter from Yulin."

"I haven't received any news yet! As soon as I have any, I'll tell you." Xu Lingyi tried his best to make his voice sound as soothing and calm as usual, "Are you really not feeling unwell anywhere?" He changed the subject, his hand gently stroking Shiyi Niang's abdomen, "Mom, do you know?" His voice was very gentle.

Amber looked at them, signaled to the servants in the room, and then filed out.

"Not yet!" Eleventh Lady lowered her eyelids, "I don't know how to explain this to mother... Zhuang Ge'er is running all over the place..."

Xu Lingyi smiled and hugged Shiyi Niang in his arms: "What's there to be embarrassed about? There are many uncles who are younger than their nephews. This shows that our family is prosperous!"

When she heard him say "Uncle is younger than my nephew", Shiyi Niang said, "Maybe it's a girl! Last time when I was pregnant with Jin Ge'er, I didn't feel comfortable for a single day, but I don't know how to get pregnant with this one!"

"Daughters are good!" Xu Lingyi didn't care. "A daughter is a mother's little cotton-padded jacket. Having a daughter is so sweet!"

"I think so too!" Eleventh Lady's tone was full of longing, "It must be that God thought Jin Ge'er was too naughty, so he compensated me with an obedient one!"

Xu Lingyi laughed heartily, feeling a chill in his heart.

In order to pursue Duoyan, Jing'er entered the grassland and his whereabouts are unknown... The child they have been waiting for for so many years, has not come early or late, but Shiyi Niang is pregnant at this time... Could it be that God really has pity on them and wants to compensate them?

As soon as the thought came to his mind, his heart ached like a knife. But he didn't dare to show it in front of Eleventh Lady, and even smiled and talked to her: "Be careful, if Jin Ge finds out, he will come to question us. He has never thought that he is naughty!"

Thinking of her son's frowning and angry look, Eleventh Lady laughed and said worriedly, "Tell me, if Jin Ge'er knew that he was going to have a brother or sister soon, would he feel a little disappointed?"

"Why would he feel sad?" Xu Lingyi asked puzzledly, "He has a younger brother or sister, and now has someone to support him. Why would he feel sad?"

Jing'er has always been doted on. If she had a younger brother or sister, her energy would definitely be dispersed and she would pay less attention to him... However, what Xu Lingyi said made sense. In this world, having many children means more blessings. Maybe Jing'er would be very happy if he knew about it!

"Should we write a letter to Jing'er?" Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "so that he won't be surprised when he returns home."

"Write it tomorrow!" Xu Lingyi remained calm. "Let's eat first, then go pay our respects to mother and burn some incense for our ancestors..."

Eleventh Lady nodded, but was thinking in her heart how to tell Jin Ge'er about this if he came back!

* * * * * *

Within a few days, everyone knew that Eleventh Lady was pregnant.

Mrs. Lin, Mrs. Huang San, and Mrs. Zhou all came to see her. Eleventh Lady had to entertain them with wine and food. The family was bustling with people coming and going, and it was very lively for a few days.

Eleventh Lady became suspicious.

Why didn't any of the people who came to see her ask about Jing'er?

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O(∩_∩)O~