On a winter night in the northern frontier, the biting wind still howled, whipping up the snow and violently battering the windowpanes. Yet, inside the general's mansion, the warm pavilion was cozy and inviting. In a huge brass charcoal brazier, silver charcoal burned glowing red, radiating a gentle warmth.
Shen Zhao and An An sat around a charcoal brazier, with a low table in the middle, which was filled with various dried fruits and candied fruits and several cups of steaming milk tea.
Shen Zhao held the sleeping Xi'er in her arms, while An'an peeled fragrant roasted chestnuts for Yue Ge'er and Zhou Ge'er, and whispered legends about the frontier to Han Jie'er, who was listening to the story by her leg.
The brothers Lu Qi and Lu Xiao each occupied the other side. Lu Qi sat cross-legged on the carpet, clumsily trying to assemble a small carriage for Xuan Ge'er out of wood, his brows furrowed in worry. Xuan Ge'er sat opposite him, holding a cloth tiger in his hand, watching his father "fight" with a pile of wood with curiosity, occasionally letting out a "giggle."
Lu Xiao leaned back on a deck chair covered with a thick bearskin, holding a military book in his hand, but his gaze kept drifting to the gentle and quiet An An by the charcoal brazier, and the three adorable little ones beside her.
At this moment, Lu Xiao, the iron-blooded general, had a much softer, more stern look in the warm yellow light. He put down his book, picked up a chestnut that An'an had peeled, popped it into his mouth, and sighed contentedly, "It's still warmer at home."
Lu Qi didn't even look up, struggling with a stubborn wooden tenon, and replied in a muffled voice, "That's right! It's freezing cold outside! My son is so good, he knows how to play with his dad." He finally managed to push a wooden strip in, and Xuan Ge'er immediately clapped his little hands excitedly.
Looking at her husband's clumsy yet earnest manner, Shen Zhao couldn't help but laugh and say to An'an, "Sister-in-law, look at him! Making a toy for the child is more strenuous than going into battle!"
An'an smiled and fed the peeled chestnuts to Yue Ge'er, who was watching eagerly: "Qi-di is just being affectionate with his child. When our Xuan-ge'er grows up and knows that this carriage was made by his father, he'll probably treasure it a lot."
Before An'an could finish speaking, she saw Lu Xiao get up and take her place, peeling chestnuts for the three adorable little ones and bringing An'an milk tea so she could rest on the side.
Seeing how much her elder brother doted on her sister-in-law, Shen Zhao smiled and teased, "Brother is just being considerate. Oh... oh... he really doesn't want his sister-in-law to get tired at all."
After speaking, she glanced at Lu Qi, who was still struggling with the wood, and then, suppressing her laughter, she picked up Xuan Ge'er, who was next to Lu Qi, and took him away to eat chestnuts.
Lu Xiao looked at his younger brother Lu Qi with a smile, who hadn't yet reacted to the question. Lu Qi, who was usually a very smart person, didn't understand what Shen Zhao meant at this moment and kept nodding in agreement, "That's right...that's right."
As soon as Xuan-ge'er was taken away, Lu Qi's mind seemed to instantly come online. He ran to Shen Zhao's position, saying, "My fault, my fault, I didn't react in time," while taking the little baby Xi-jie'er from her arms and telling Shen Zhao to go to the couch next to her and have some milk tea with her sister-in-law.
The sound of wind and snow outside the window was blocked by the thick walls. Inside the room, there was only the crackling of charcoal fire, the even breathing of children, the gentle whispers of adults, and Lu Qi's occasional muttering as he struggled with the wood.
In the heart of the palace's maelstrom, A-Yuan and Xiao Chengkang, like the most patient hunters, quietly awaited the moment to close the net.
The day the new salt tax law is implemented will be the day when the true intentions are revealed!
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