Chapter 516: Victory over the Sun (10)
"Okay, mother is a little tired and is still sleeping." Shengxia felt a little warm in her heart.
This family of three, whether it is Shen Ling as the husband, the old lady as the mother-in-law, or Shen Zhuo as the stepson, never forgets to care about her mother.
"A Shuo? Is this the name my father gave to my younger brother?"
"Yes, the twinkling Shuo." The old lady patted her grandson's swaddling clothes and replied with a smile.
Not long after the full moon of Shen Shuo, something unexpected happened at the border, and Shen Ling had to go on the expedition soon.
Shengxia went to Li Wan's yard, played with the sleepy Chen Shuo for a while, and then looked at Li Wan.
"Mother, where did you ask someone to take the book I forgot here last time?"
Li Wan asked the maid to get it.
"I flipped through two pages. It's a book of military stories. How come you're interested in these now?"
"The Duke's Mansion is a family of military commanders. It's natural that they would develop a certain interest in it through the influence of their surroundings." Shengxia took the book and asked, "Where was I last time? Did you put a bookmark for me, mother?"
"Do you need me to write it down for you?" Li Wan tapped her head in amusement.
"I remember now. It's hard to sustain an army without food and supplies at the border."
"Why is it difficult for the army to maintain its supply of food and fodder without reaching the border?" Shen Ling strode in and asked with a smile.
"It's a storybook about war." Sheng Xia handed the book to Chen Ling, "If you are interested, I will lend it to you first. After you finish reading it, send someone to send it back to me."
After Shen Ling took it, Sheng Xia walked out quickly, "Don't disturb father and mother."
I hope Shen Ling can pay attention to some food and grass issues, and I also hope he can be safe.
The Wuguo Mansion needs him as its pillar.
On the third day, Shen Ling went to the battle, and the whole family went to see him off. The old lady and Li Wan both looked reluctant to let him go.
"Ling'er, the barbarians are coming in force, be careful." The old lady patted Shen Ling's shoulder.
"Don't worry, mother. Let's go back." Shen Ling waved his arm and said, "Let's go!"
As Chen Shuo grew up day by day, Chen Zhuo still went to work every day and practiced martial arts every day in the summer.
It was Shen Zhuo's birthday again. He was twenty this year. Since Shen Ling was not around, he invited the highly respected old Grand Tutor to crown him.
After the banquet, Shengxia asked, "Brother, are you satisfied with the birthday gift I gave you this year?"
Chen Zhuo's gaze paused briefly on her smile, looking into her smiling eyes and nodded, "Well, you've reached the age of marriage on the winter solstice. What gift do you want?"
"Everything you send is good."
The next day, they went to the old lady's courtyard to pay their respects. The old lady took Chen Zhuo's hand and asked, "Brother Zhuo, you are twenty years old now. When will you discuss marriage?"
Shengxia couldn't help but look at him.
Chen Zhuo lowered his eyes and said, "My grandson is worried about his father, so I don't have the heart to do this for now. We'll discuss it after he comes back."
"Okay." Seeing that he was not interested, the old lady had no choice but to let go of the topic.
It's not good for this father and son to be too righteous.
The old lady pulled Shengxia over again and said, "Xiaoxia, the winter solstice is your coming-of-age ceremony. Grandmother will invite a lucky person to comb your hair for you."
"I want my grandmother to comb my hair. In my heart, my grandmother is the most blessed person."
"Okay, okay, as you say."
On the day of the winter solstice, the Duke's Mansion held a lively coming-of-age ceremony for Shengxia, which made all the noble ladies in the capital envious.
Chen Zhuo gave her a custom-made bow.
"Thank you, brother."
Chen Zhuo nodded, "I have asked the emperor to leave the capital and will go to the border the day after tomorrow. You will have to take care of my family from now on."
"Why... so sudden?" Shengxia was stunned.
"I received a letter from my father. He asked me to go." Chen Zhuo looked at her with a slightly warm gaze. "I will personally escort the food and supplies."
Shengxia looked at him and said, "I will take good care of the family."
"Yeah." Chen Zhuo rubbed her head and walked into the night.
Shengxia looked at his back and curled her lips. In this way, Shen Ling should not die, right?
The next day, Shengxia went to ask for a peace amulet again and gave it to Chen Zhuo, "Brother, come back safely with father."
"Okay, I'm not at home. If you get bullied, go back. If you have any problems, go find grandma." Chen Zhuo rubbed the amulet twice and stuffed it into the brocade bag on his waist.
Shengxia smiled and said, "No one dares to bully me now."
On the day of bidding farewell to Chen Zhuo, Shengxia felt lost as she looked at his back on horseback.
Chen Zhuo suddenly turned around and met her eyes.
Shengxia smiled at him and shouted, "Brother, come back safely!"
Shen Zhuo nodded at her and rode away.
Shengxia took the old lady's arm and said, "Grandma, mother, let's go back."
A month passed by as he practiced martial arts every day, amused Chen Shuo, and spent time with Li Wan and the old lady.
It was still cold in early spring, but the masters of the Wuguo Mansion were even colder.
Because Shen Ling died, the day before Shen Zhuo arrived with food and supplies, on New Year's Eve, and the news was only now passed back.
The old lady and Li Wan were so sad that they both fainted.
Shengxia's hands and feet were cold, and she woodenly ordered someone to call a doctor and send them back to the yard.
She coaxed the frightened and crying Shen Shuo back to his feet and asked the system: [System, haven't I changed? Why is it still...]
[The future is uncertain, host. The situation is ever-changing. The Second Prince's faction is determined to bring down the Duke of Wu's mansion. They can't have just one plan, and those counselors are no mediocre people.]
【Then why didn’t you remind me? 】
[The system has already stated that, aside from monitoring, it will not provide any other assistance to the host. The temporary system will only lead the host to the novice world to assess their abilities. After the assessment is complete and the host has completed the novice mission, the host will be assigned to the official system.]
Shengxia calmed down and realized that if she wanted to truly change something, she had to have power.
In May, news of victory reached the capital. Shen Zhuo returned with Shen Ling's coffin.
When Shengxia saw him, his face was cold and hard, and he had changed a lot from the person she remembered.
"Brother, you're back." Seeing him come in, Shengxia ran up to him.
Shen Zhuo nodded to her, then went to bow to the old lady and Li Wan, and finally picked up Shen Shuo.
Shen Shuo was not afraid of strangers and looked at him with his big round eyes.
Shen Zhuo patted his head and asked, "Do you know who I am?"
Shen Shuo nodded, "Brother~"
Shen Shuo, who is almost one year old, can already utter one or two words clearly. He is very smart.
"Yes." Chen Zhuo held him and looked at the coffin carried in by his subordinates, "Brother will take you to kowtow to father."
He had just brought Shen Ling's coffin to the court. The court officials were horrified, and the emperor had a sad face and looked at him with complicated eyes.
After burying Shen Ling's already decomposed body and offering his spirit tablet in the ancestral hall, the Duke of Wu's Mansion hung more white silk.
Chen Zhuo stood in front of Shen Ling's spirit tablet with his hands behind his back for a long time, and then began to go out early and come back late.
It was half a month later when Shengxia saw him again.
"Brother, how come you have time to look for me today?" Shengxia asked when she saw him step into her yard.
Chen Zhuo stared at her for a long time, patted her head, and said, "Come with me to the study."
Shengxia was confused by his gaze and followed him to the study.
"Sit down." The door of the study was wide open, and Chen Zhuo pointed to the seat opposite him.
Shengxia sat down as she was told.
Chen Zhuo took out a piece of rice paper and placed it on the desk, saying, "From today on, I will teach you how to weigh power, court situations, and the art of deploying troops."
"Brother, you..." Shengxia looked at him in surprise and doubt.
Chen Zhuo's expression remained unchanged, "What's wrong?"
"Why do you look like you're making arrangements for your funeral?"
"The stability of the border is just an illusion. I will have to go to war again. I hope you can protect the Duke's Mansion when I am away. The emperor is seriously ill and the capital is in turmoil. Xiaoxia, you are smart enough, but you don't understand the situation and your scheming is still naive." Chen Zhuo pushed the rice paper in front of her.
Shengxia stared at him, feeling that he had seen something.
Chen Zhuo lowered his eyes, circled the names on the paper with a brush, and began to tell her about their followers.
Shengxia could only concentrate and listen to him.
For two consecutive months, Shengxia followed Chen Zhuo, practicing martial arts in the morning and then studying with Chen Zhuo after practicing.
One day in the summer, when Shengxia stepped into the old lady's yard, he heard the sound of conversation inside.
"Brother Zhuo, let me arrange a marriage for you. I'm really worried."
Shengxia stopped and stood outside the house with her eyes lowered.
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