"Madam, Madam, the general has entered the city!"
Upon hearing the servant's announcement, Song Xia stood up in delight: "Quickly open the gates to welcome you, Magpie. How is my makeup?"
"Good, everything is good. You look radiant today, Madam. The General will be relieved to see that."
"He's away fighting all year round, so we can't let him worry. If he comes back and sees that we're doing well at home, he'll feel more at ease when he's away."
"General, you've been on campaign for two years and only just returned victorious. Now you have to leave the capital again?" The servants all looked on with pity. Their general's household was nearly depleted, with only the general remaining as his sole heir. To put it bluntly, if the general were out there… sigh…
Song Xia looked worried: "The border is in a tense situation now, and there's nothing we can do about it. Besides Shao'er, the only people in the court who are capable of resisting foreign enemies are the non-royal princes, such as Prince Xun."
The servants stopped answering, because everyone in the capital knew that the Emperor was now wary of Prince Xun's military achievements and was unlikely to allow him to continue his campaigns. Otherwise, it was uncertain whether the throne would belong to the Min or the Si families in the future.
This title alone shows how much territory the meritorious prince had recovered for the court. It is said that the prince was born into poverty and was only fifteen years old when he first made his outstanding military achievements.
Back then, the power struggle among several factions in the imperial court led to the war becoming increasingly intense. To vent his anger, the emperor defied public opinion and appointed the outstanding Prince Si Hengnian as a junior general. Si Hengnian did not disappoint the emperor, fighting for more than ten years without ever suffering a defeat.
To counterbalance the other forces, Si Hengnian's official rank and military power were repeatedly increased until he could not be promoted any further and was granted the title of the only non-royal prince in the dynasty.
Previously, the Emperor thought that Si Hengnian, who came from a humble background, was easy to control, and that he could be controlled no matter how high his official rank was. However, now that the Prince Xun is twenty-five years old, he still refuses the Emperor's bestowal of a marriage. Only then did the Emperor feel threatened and, under the pretext of not wanting him to go to war again, ordered him to live a life of luxury in the capital.
Although he no longer goes to war, Si Hengnian's military power has not disappeared. The 200,000 troops on the border are still Si Hengnian's supporters, until Song Xia's son Feng Shao begins to show his military talent.
Furthermore, since the previous three generations of the Feng family had all died guarding the border, the officers at the border all had some connection with the Feng family. Therefore, only Feng Shao was not seriously ostracized when he went to lead the battle.
Feng Shao went to war at the age of eighteen and is now in his twenties. He has also been undefeated in the past two years, so people all over the world say that he is Si Hengnian's successor. His ability to win is also due to the guidance of the meritorious prince Si Hengnian.
The General's Mansion was extremely unhappy about these rumors, because only they knew that Feng Shao's campaign not only failed to gain Si Hengnian's support, but also encountered many obstacles. If it weren't for the three generations of loyal martyrs in their General's Mansion, they might not have even been able to win the first battle, let alone return to the capital in such a glorious manner today.
However, because of the previous military achievements of Prince Xun Si Hengnian, their General's Mansion could not defend themselves. After all, Prince Xun had a very high reputation among the people. Once their General's Mansion angered the public, even the Emperor would find it difficult to protect them.
Moreover, His Majesty doesn't value the General's Mansion entirely; he only brought it up to check Si Hengnian. If the General's Mansion fails to live up to expectations, His Majesty might take immediate action to appease the Prince's anger and gain public support.
Song Xia waited at the gate of the mansion for a long time but did not see anyone. Later, he learned that his son, Feng Shao, had gone to the palace to report.
She thought to herself, "This is for the best, so that the Emperor won't be too wary."
By the time Feng Shao returned to his residence after reporting on his duties, the moon was already high in the sky, but the general's mansion was still brightly lit.
Seeing her son covered in dust and looking exhausted, Song Xia couldn't help but feel heartbroken, and her eyes reddened: "It's good that you're back safe and sound, it's good that you're back safe and sound."
"Mother, your son is unfilial." Feng Shao knelt down immediately. "I'm sorry to have worried you."
"Get up quickly, what are you doing?" Song Xia choked up as she helped him up. "Seeing you safe and sound, I'm relieved."
“Mother, don’t cry. With you in the capital, I will crawl back even if I have to.”
"Don't say such unlucky things. Come inside and wash up properly. Your mother has made you something delicious."
“Yes.” Feng Shao nodded emphatically, then pulled someone over. “Mother, this is my good brother Zhou Qing. He is now my strategist. Because of his strategies, we won the last two battles very easily.”
Song Xia's gaze shifted to a young man with a fair complexion. The man was distinguished by his refined demeanor, a warm smile on his face, and a hint of excitement in his eyes. In fact, she had just noticed a burning gaze from him, but hadn't had a chance to greet him yet. Upon seeing him again, she felt a sense of familiarity.
This feeling made Song Xia slightly stunned. She had traveled through so many worlds and her judgment of people was always very accurate, but Zhou Qing in front of her had a kind of complexity that arose spontaneously from the bottom of her heart.
why is that?
She was almost certain that this person did not appear in her memories of her past life, so where did this feeling of familiarity come from?
This is the first time such an unpredictable change has occurred.
"Madam Song," Zhou Qing said respectfully, bowing like a junior. "I am an orphan and have been a bother to you these past few days."
Song Xia said politely, "Not at all. You are Shao'er's strategist, so you're family. You can stay as long as you like."
"Really?" Zhou Qing's eyes lit up with joy. "General Feng and I have always addressed each other as brothers, and you treat me like family. May I call you godmother?"
Not only Song Xia, but Feng Shao was also stunned. He had no idea that his sworn brother would be so familiar with him!
Although it was awkward, seeing his longing, pleading and pitiful expression, Song Xia still sighed softly: "Since we are going to recognize a godmother, we can't be so hasty. We will formally recognize each other tomorrow when the three rites are ready."
"Yes!" Zhou Qing answered crisply, her bright eyes filled with joy.
Song Xia smiled too. Although her initial feelings about the child were somewhat complicated, she knew she could judge a person well; this was a good child!
Feng Shao, on the other hand, felt uneasy. He felt that Zhou Qing had come back with him as if she was trying to steal his mother away.
Then he shook his head haphazardly. How could that be? Zhou Qing didn't know his mother before. He probably grew up without family, and since she treated him like a brother, he felt a sense of belonging when he saw his mother!
Because Song Xia was unaware of Zhou Qing's existence, she hadn't prepared a separate room. However, since she was going to recognize her adopted son tomorrow, preparing just one room wouldn't be enough; she needed to prepare a separate courtyard as well.
Their general's mansion was sparsely populated, and the adoption of a godson would make things a bit more lively in the future. Even the servants were overjoyed.
"Military Advisor Zhou is a man of great talent and bearing. This servant congratulates the old lady."
Song Xia smiled and said, "This is indeed a rare good thing for our General's Mansion. Let's give each servant an extra two months' salary and celebrate together."
The servants became even happier, and they kept repeating auspicious and lucky phrases.
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