Chapter 716 A Dream of Youth 248
When Xie Ning saw the palace flower on her father's head not far away, she couldn't help but chuckle. She remembered that Xie Wangzhi didn't really like wearing flowers in his hair.
Xie Qi noticed the gaze and then met Xie Ning's eyes. The two siblings knew each other perfectly well, and Xie Qi immediately saw what Xie Ning was laughing about, so he couldn't hold back his laughter any longer.
She shrugged and chuckled to herself for a while, then turned her head and met her father's deep gaze.
It's over...
Xie Qi lowered his head silently, the silk flower on his head swaying with his movements.
It was getting late, and the banquet was almost over. Xie Ning winked at Xie Qi, and then made a blatant escape.
Xie Yun watched helplessly as the two siblings slipped away. After glancing around a few times, he plopped down and started chatting with the other ladies.
She should go back with her younger brother.
Because she didn't want to ride a horse; riding in a carriage was so much more comfortable.
Xie Ning and Xie Qi both arrived at the banquet on horseback, and naturally, they will return on horseback as well.
Like Xie Ning, many young women and young men from various families also slipped out.
Those riding horses were not only young men, but also young women from various families. Some wore flower crowns and gorgeous dresses, while others were even dressed as men, with their hair tied high at the back of their heads, looking spirited and dashing.
Xie Qi stared in disbelief at the sight of the dashing Xu Hongying dressed in men's clothing. "Ying... Sister Ying..."
Before the blush on his face had faded, Xu Hongying walked straight past him and rode up to Xie Ning. "Ah Ning, are you going to Linshui Pavilion?"
"Um!"
Xu Hongying glanced at Xie Qi with some hesitation, "We still have a gathering, Aqi, why don't you go home first?"
Xie Qi: ......
Yan Xi, who had just arrived, waved her hand and said, "Now that everyone is here, let's go."
Upon seeing this, the other ladies also mounted their horses. They had already arranged to meet at Linshui Pavilion after the palace banquet, a gathering organized by Princess Yanxi.
Xie Ning was also there, so naturally they didn't want to miss it.
Xie Qi could only watch helplessly as his fiancée and sister abandoned him.
Like Xie Qi, many young people were left behind, and they looked at the backs of their older sisters, younger sisters, aunts, cousins, etc. with great resentment.
They usually went home together after the banquet.
Someone broke the silence, saying, "Since they've all gone to the party, why don't we go and join them?"
I've had someone rent a courtyard at Shanglin Garden. Aqi, are you going?
"go!"
Elegantly dressed women galloped through the Imperial Street, drawing cheers from the crowds who had gathered to watch. Once outside the Imperial Street, the area was packed with people, so everyone had to slow their horses down.
As dusk settled, the evening breeze carried a faint fragrance of flowers, for people on the street wore flowers in their hair to celebrate the spring feast.
The waiters at Linshui Pavilion had already set up the shelves, and all sorts of meats and vegetables were marinated.
Xie Ning held the skewer and placed the slices of meat on the iron rack. Then Yan Xi next to her handed her another skewer of mutton. "I like mutton, have another one."
Xie Ning was grilling beef slices. When the slices sizzled and rolled up, she picked up a skewer and handed it to Yan Xi. "The beef is good too. They put in a lot of seasoning when they marinated it. It hasn't been dipped in sauce yet, but just the smell makes my mouth water."
Other women were also grilling meat around the grill, while some were ordering tea and others were burning incense, not only for the peace and quiet but also to ward off mosquitoes.
Under the heat of the charcoal fire, the aroma of the meat became even more intense.
"Then I'll give it a try."
Xie Ning had an excellent grasp of the heat; the roasted meat was very tender, with a crispy skin and a slightly charred aroma.
"Lord Xie's cooking is truly excellent." The speaker was another young woman who had received Xie Ning's roasted meat.
"I dare not accept such praise; it is merely the result of practice."
Yan Xi finished eating a skewer of beef slices before asking, "Did A-Ning often eat barbecue during the Western Expedition?"
"Not really. When the army went deep into enemy territory, our supply lines were cut off. At that time, we couldn't even get rice porridge, let alone meat. It's just that Snowball would go hunting, and I could occasionally have a treat. Naturally, my roasting skills improved."
Everyone was very interested when Xie Ning talked about the western expedition. They knew that Xie Ning had made great contributions in the battle to recapture Lingzhou. If it weren't for her, the hundreds of thousands of troops would have been flooded.
However, they did not know the specifics.
Xie Ning also picked out some less important things to talk about, which amazed the group of young women. They were all quite knowledgeable, and through Xie Ning's explanation, they gained a clearer understanding of the dangers and cruelty of war.
Some of the young women couldn't help but cover their faces and sob softly, "Can't we just not fight? The Great Zhou and the Western Regions have been at peace for so many years. Now that we're fighting, so many people are dying... The common people are all innocent."
Before Xie Ning could speak, Xu Hongying stood up. "If we don't fight this battle, or if we lose, then the price we pay for Great Zhou will be even greater. How does Lady Liu know that Great Zhou and Xili will be at peace?"
Since the founding of Xili, the two countries have been at war. Xili has been encroaching on the territory of Dazhou. How many defeats has Dazhou suffered?
It wasn't until the fourth year of the Jiaping era that a peace treaty was signed, and the Northwest was temporarily stabilized. However, the premise of the treaty was that the Great Zhou would not reclaim the land and people that they had annexed, and would also give the Western Zhou a gift of silk and silver every year. Every piece of that silk and silver was made with the blood and sweat of the people of the Great Zhou.
Even so, within a few years, Xili violated the treaty and repeatedly invaded the border, revealing his wolfish ambitions.
If the Great Zhou continues to back down step by step, what it will gain is not peace, but the other side's increasing pressure, which will eventually lead to the complete dismantling and swallowing of the Great Zhou.
Will we still be able to sit here and feast in peace then?
The war did bring endless suffering to the people of both countries, but as citizens of the Great Zhou, we can only hope that the Great Zhou will become stronger and stronger.
Because the nation is weak, not only will the Great Zhou be bullied, but we, as its citizens, will also suffer.
Yan Xi looked at the spirited Xu Hongying with bright eyes, then looked at Xie Ning, who nodded slightly. Yan Xi's smile widened.
Xie Ning handed over her handkerchief and said to the stunned girl and the other girls, "We live in the peaceful and harmonious center of the Great Zhou Dynasty, where there is no smoke of gunpowder, but the premise of such a peaceful scene is that the Great Zhou Dynasty is strong enough."
In a world in turmoil, only a powerful nation can provide peace to its people, and deter other nations from attacking.
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