The old princess accidentally dropped the teacup, and the maids squatted down to pick it up. However, because of their shaking hands, they dropped the broken porcelain pieces on the ground several times, making a harsh sound.

"Grandfather, please spare me, princess, please spare me." The maid didn't care about the porcelain pieces on the ground, and knelt down to apologize.

At this juncture, the princess didn't have the mind to pay attention to these. She waved her hands irritably, signaling the servants to pull the maid out. She said anxiously: "Mother, what should we do, the Tatars are here again."

The Tatars are here again.

This is almost a curse of the Zhao family. The Zhao family was separated from the main force of the Changxing Marquis' Mansion, and gave birth to a daughter alone. Even Chu Jinyao was replaced, all because of the Tatars.

And now, they are heading south again.

The old princess found that Zhao's face was really ugly, and couldn't help asking: "Madam Changxing, are you okay?"

Zhao's face was pale, and she nodded dazedly: "I'm fine."

However, although she said so, looking at her face, who could really take it seriously?

The old princess may have guessed the reason. She sighed and said: "Don't be afraid. Now it's different from the past. Since the news from the border can be delivered to us, I think we can still hold on. It's better than being caught off guard last time."

Zhao replied reluctantly: "Yes."

The princess quietly pulled the old princess' sleeve, and the old princess asked curiously: "What's wrong?"

"Mother, you can't say that." The princess reminded implicitly, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince... is in Datong."

Datong has always been the front line against the Tatars. Swords have no eyes. Didn't that battle cause countless casualties? This time, the hope of revival of the crown prince of Dayan, the successor of a country, and the officials of the whole court was stranded on the front line.

The old princess's complexion quickly turned bad. She and the princess looked at each other and were speechless.

"This..."

The female relatives sat for a while with worries. When the Tatars invaded the border, Chu Jinyao and Chu Jinmiao were just born. They did not understand the cruelty of that year, let alone the girls younger than Chu Jinyao. Therefore, the ladies sat together with worried brows, and the young girls really did not understand what the elders were worried about.

The county head Lin Baozhu said indifferently: "The Tatars are coming, can't we just fight them back?"

The princess smiled bitterly: "It's not that simple."

Chu Jinyao whispered: "The situation on the front line may not be that bad. Didn't you just say that the prince is still on the front line? With the prince here, the border should not be that fragile."

The princess glanced at Chu Jinyao and turned her head away with amusement. The old princess also shook her head and said: "You are young and don't know anything. The Tatar cavalry is extremely powerful. Even the elite in the army are like paper under the Tatar horses' hooves and are vulnerable. It is because the prince is in Datong that we are so worried." The princess

became more and more angry as she thought about it, and she couldn't help but slap She put down the table and said, "If the prince would listen to others and come to Taiyuan earlier, there wouldn't be so many problems. But the prince is stubborn and refuses to come. That's good, he's trapped at the front, and we can't prepare in advance."

Chu Jinyao opened her mouth in shock: "Prepare for what?"

The princess stroked the jade bracelet on her hand and said nothing, while Zhao turned around unhappily and shouted: "Jinyao, you have no right to interrupt when your elders are talking? Why don't you give the princess a gift and apologize?"

Now Chu Jinyao was really sure that what the princess had said just now was that if the prince had come to Taiyuan according to their idea, now he could have prepared to flee south with the prince.

However, the prince is still at the front line, and the Huailing Palace is afraid of being blamed in the future, so

they dare not run away first, which is the so-called "preparation in advance". Chu Jinyao was inexplicably angry. The soldiers in the front were still fighting bloody, but these pampered royal women were already thinking of escaping without fighting. Yes, fighting is someone else's business. They ran away first. If they lost the war, they would have saved their lives in advance. If they won the war, they would come back to be their princesses. Anyway, where can you enjoy flowers and birds, buy clothes and do nails?

Chu Jinyao lowered his head in anger. The Princess of the County had no time to deal with Chu Jinyao's rudeness, and continued to say worriedly: "Mother, what do you think we should do now?"

The old princess thought for a long time and said: "Wait a minute, let the subordinates be alert and not go out to cause trouble in the next few days. I think that although the prince is trapped at the border, there are so many people at the border, I believe the general will definitely arrange for the prince to break out. By then, it will not be too late for us to act."

The Princess of the County nodded: "Mother is right."

Datong is very close to the capital. After the prince breaks out, he will not return to the capital, either from the perspective of safety or reputation. How ugly it would be to return to the capital! Therefore, his greatest possibility is to retreat south to Taiyuan, and then go south with the crowd.

The county lord didn't think much of it at first, but after listening to her mother and grandmother's words, she was also a little scared. She pulled the sleeve of the princess and asked, "Mother, are we going to flee?"

The princess sighed, hugged Lin Baozhu and said, "Son, don't be afraid. Shouting and killing are men's things. No matter what happens, you are still the county lord."

Chu Jinyao almost started to sneer. As the county lord of the royal family, you are supported by the people. Do you remember the mission of the royal family? But Chu Jinyao's reason soon returned. What's the point of saying these things to these nobles who are used to being spoiled and confined to the deep palace all their lives. Integrity can only be used to restrain oneself, but not to demand others.

After being told this by the Princess, the girls of the Chu family were also a little panicked. The third girl and Chu Jinmiao whispered to each other: "When will the prince come? Should we escape with the prince?"

Mrs. Zhao raised her voice and shouted: "Shut up, don't say these sad words. There is still a war going on ahead, why are you saying these things?"

Obviously everyone knows all these, but they can't let others say them. The third girl was scolded and felt unlucky. She lowered her head and thought about the future in a panic.

At this point, no matter how many charming thoughts she had, they were gone. What prince? It's not as important as her own life.

After Mrs. Zhao's scolding, the women of the Chu family did not dare to speak openly, but they kept whispering and discussing this matter with the people around them. Even Linglong asked quietly: "Miss, what should we do with those things in the courtyard?"

What should we do? Chu Jinyao didn't have the heart to think about these things. She kept thinking, will the prince really come?

Although the prince's reputation outside is not very good, after all, he dared to shoot and kill his mother's maid in public. This was too fierce in the eyes of the female relatives who had to ask a doctor for a wound as big as an embroidery needle. But in Chu Jinyao's heart, she always felt that the prince was a very brave man. Even if he acted cruelly, it did not hide his masculine nature. But if he really fled without a fight, came to Taiyuan and took the women to run south... Chu Jinyao couldn't explain what she was thinking in her heart. She just felt that she would definitely look down on him.

Originally, they were happy to be guests, but unexpectedly, such news came out of nowhere. The women gathered at the old princess's place, and the more they thought about it, the more frightened they were. Finally, Zhao couldn't help but stand up and say goodbye: "Grandpa, princess, it's getting late, we have to go back."

The old princess tried to stop her immediately: "How can this be possible? Who knows what may happen outside? How can you travel with so many girls? Why don't you take the children and stay here first? After a few days, when the situation becomes clear, we can make plans together."

They said to make plans together, but in fact, they meant to escape together.

Zhao said: "How can this be possible? Our old lady is still in the mansion, and the marquis is also here. How can I live outside by myself? I just received news today. I think the Tatars are still far away from us. I should be fine if I go back during this time."

"This..." The old princess thought about it and found that it was indeed the case. The Marquis of Changxing was still in the mansion, so how could Zhao, the wife of the marquis, live somewhere else? The old princess could only say: "Well, you take the girls with you and be careful on the road. I will send a few guards to follow you, which will be more secure."

"How can this be possible? There are so many people in the palace, you should keep some to protect the princess and the county lord!" Zhao refused.

The old princess insisted, and even the princess of the county said: "Madam Changxing, you should accept them. Let them come back after you are safely sent to Taiyuan."

Zhao had no choice but to agree, and hurriedly bid farewell to the old princess and the princess of the county, and hurriedly boarded the carriage back home with her daughters. When entering the palace, there was a sedan chair and a grand ceremony, but when leaving, it was extremely grand. The entire Huailing Palace was shrouded in fear of the approaching powerful enemy.

After Zhao left with her people, the Princess of the County also hurriedly said goodbye and took the county master away. The old princess knew very well that the Princess of the County was going back to pack up her belongings. After all, she was the princess and she had the most property.

Lan Ze, the maid in the old princess' room, changed a cup of hot tea and asked worriedly: "Grandfather, what should we do?"

The old princess leaned her back slowly on the pillow and said leisurely: "Whatever happens, even if the Tatars really come, life must go on as usual. If there really comes such a day, you will go with the princess."

Lan Ze vaguely heard something wrong: "Grandfather, what you said..."

"I'm old." The old princess closed her eyes, as if recalling the scene when she was young. "I remember that the old prince hated the Tatars very much. He would go out to brandish swords and guns every morning, and often told me that he would drive the Tatars out of the northern desert completely and prevent them from invading our Great Yan again. It's a pity that he died early, and neither he nor I were lucky enough to see this day." "

But fortunately he died early. Otherwise, he would have been mad to death when he saw us being driven out of the palace like bereaved dogs and fleeing everywhere thirteen years ago." The old princess opened her eyes, and a little light flashed in her no longer clear eyes. "I'm old and can't run anymore. This time, I won't leave. I'll stay here and accompany him."

Lan Ze was terrified: "Old Ancestor..."

"Don't say anything, I've made up my mind." The old princess made this decision, as if she had put down a heavy burden, and she felt much lighter. "If there is chaos in the future, I'm afraid there won't be too many carriages, and opportunities should be left to young people. Then, you can go with the princess. I know that you have served me attentively over the years. As long as I ask this, the princess will not refuse."

Lan Ze knelt at the old princess's legs, sobbing.

The old princess thought of the scene just now and sighed: "The princess is used to respecting others, and even Baozhu has become arrogant. In my opinion, I'm afraid the princess is secretly happy to be able to act with the prince."

"How could this happen?"

The old princess shook her head and said nothing, "There is no parent who doesn't want their children to succeed. The princess has been smooth sailing since she was a noble, and she is often flattered after getting married. She is very proud. It is really pitiful for parents in the world. She wants to promote Baozhu to that position. In the final analysis, isn't it because she is afraid that Baozhu will be arrogant and be bullied after getting married? But that is the position of the Crown Princess after all. Empress Wenxiao has passed away, and the Crown Prince is not close to the Emperor. If this marriage is successful, If the prince doesn't agree, no matter how much others say, it won't work. We originally wanted the prince to come to Taiyuan to recuperate, so that he can stay in the palace and let Baozhu and the prince get along. But who could have guessed that the prince was unwilling to come?"

Lan Ze comforted her, "Don't worry, old ancestor, the county lady is lively and lovely, and the prince will be impressed when he sees her."

The young people like to hear these words, but she, as an old ancestor, cannot deceive herself. The old princess sighed: "It's a pity that the prince refused to withdraw from the border, so the matter of accompanying her to study has been delayed again and again. Originally, when the girls of the Chu family came here today, I wanted to bring up this matter, but the Tatars interrupted it. Baozhu's personality is really too arrogant, and she refuses to calm down and study. Now it's good that we elders are taking care of her. When I die, what will she do? Finding two obedient girls to come and accompany her to study is a small matter. The most important thing is to let her understand the warmth and coldness of human nature and cultivate her interpersonal skills."

"The county master is lucky. With you and the princess here, the county master doesn't need to learn these." A maid serving on the side, heard the words and hurriedly flattered.

The old princess snorted coldly: "I think the princess and the prince have been deceived by your sweet words! You servants are really harmful. In this world, even a princess has to look at other people's faces. She is a county lord, and a member of the royal family of a different surname. Why doesn't she need to learn how to behave in society? You guys just flattered the princess, but how dare you say such things in front of me?"

The maid who spoke quickly knelt down and kowtowed: "It's my fault. I deserve to die. Please forgive me, old ancestor!" The

old princess kept silent. Lan Ze quietly kicked the maid on the ground, motioning her to get out quickly. After everyone left, Lan Ze fanned himself and said, "Don't be angry, old ancestor. I don't know anything, but I still rely on you, right? With you watching over us, everyone in the palace can move forward with support."

The old princess sighed, "I'm old, how many more years can I bother them? But now, the princess is obsessed with the dream of becoming the crown princess, and she hardly listens to me. It's certainly a good thing for her to become the crown princess, but our family should also think about the possibility of this happening."

Lan Ze fanned himself and said, "No, it won't happen. The crown princess will never be able to succeed. Didn't the prince specially give makeup gifts to the eldest daughter of the Changxing Hou family? This shows that the prince is well aware of the power in Taiyuan. Our royal family already has a strong family background, and with the help of Marquis Changxing, even the prince would not be able to let go of such strong help. Now Xiao Qi also has a prince. It can be said that the prince has no maternal clan. In this case, the wife clan is particularly important. The prince sends gifts to the Changxing Marquis Mansion, but it is not guaranteed, which is also a test.

The old princess was very happy: "If you want to test, you are also testing the Changxing Marquis Mansion. How can you test our family through the Marquis Mansion? " "

"That's why you are wrong. What kind of family is our palace? What kind of family is Changxing Marquis's Palace? Since the prince is willing to win over the Chu family, how could he refuse the goodwill of the dignified Huailing Palace? Our county master is lovely and straightforward, and she has such a strong background as the palace. Only a fool would refuse her."

It was also a nice thing to say. What the little maid said just now made the old lady very angry, but what Lan Ze said made the old princess feel comfortable from the bottom of her heart. The old princess smiled and nodded, saying, "You are right. After the war is over, Baozhu's affairs need to be carefully considered. It seems that she can no longer be left alone with her studies and etiquette."

"You mean..."

"After the outside situation calms down, let the girls from the Chu family come to accompany Baozhu to study and learn calligraphy. She is too noisy and hardly behaves like a girl."

Lan Ze was moved when he heard this, and asked calmly, "Five girls came today. Old Ancestor, who do you think is the best?"

"I think their fifth daughter is pretty good." The old princess was tired of talking, and was helped by the maid to lie on the bed. Lan Ze took down the small kang table, knelt on the footstool, and fanned the old princess gently. The old princess said, "After Baozhu and the others left, Qiubo told me everything the girls said in the small flower hall. She is not humble in poverty and not moved by wealth. She is not like other girls who despise the poor and love the rich, and are ashamed to mention their poor relatives. This kind of character is very good. If we are looking for a playmate for Baozhu, family background is secondary, and a good character is the most important."

Lan Ze listened and said with interest, "I think the fifth girl of the Chu family is also very beautiful."

"Yes, this girl is very lucky. Although their Changxing Marquis Mansion is not as good as our palace, it is also a well-known family in Taiyuan. We are seeking to become the Crown Princess, so we have to find some help. If they are willing, it is not a bad idea to keep the fifth girl in our palace."

"Ah? Grandfather..."

The old princess stretched out her hand to stop Lan Ze from saying, "This is still a mystery. Don't tell anyone about it and ruin the girl's reputation. Otherwise, if this fails, we won't even be in-laws in the future. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. After they come, we will slowly consider each other. Whether it is to become cousins ​​with the second son's son or to be given to Yuan'er, there is no rush. There is plenty of time for these young people to choose for themselves."

The old princess was talking about the visit of the Changxing Marquis family today. In the other room, the Princess of the County was also talking about this matter.

"Baozhu, look, which of these girls from the Chu family do you like today?"

The county lord raised his head and thought for a while,

then asked, "Whoever I like, can I keep to play with me?" "What do you mean by playing with you? I want to study with you!" The princess corrected her daughter's words with great resentment, and then continued to ask, "From your voice, do you think you have a choice?"

"I think the person in purple today is good." The county lord finished speaking, and added, "She is the one who was taken away by mistake."

"Her." The princess said indifferently, "I remember she is the fifth child, and seems to be called Chu Jinyao. You actually like her?"

"Yes, isn't she good?"

"It's not that she's bad, it's just that..." The Princess of the County was hesitant to speak, and finally said with a hint of meaning, "She looks, too... eye-catching."

The county lord blinked, not understanding what the connection was. Seeing her daughter's expression, the Princess of the County sighed worriedly.

Mother and grandmother had completely different ideas. The Princess of the County was crazy about her daughter becoming the Crown Princess. She even thought that when the Tatars came in a few days, they would flee with the Crown Prince, and there might be a chance for Baozhu to be with the Crown Prince. Usually, etiquette was strict, and female relatives and outsiders almost never met, but at extraordinary times, they obviously couldn't care less. They were the palace, the most distinguished family in Shanxi, and they would definitely be closest to the Crown Prince on the road in the future. After a few times of this, a friend in need is a friend indeed, and the prince might even feel some pity for Baozhu.

If this goes well, then Baozhu will have a few beautiful companions around her, which is not a good thing, but a very bad thing!

The Princess is already a married woman, so it is almost natural for her to think about these things in the inner house, but Lin Baozhu is not married yet, so how can she think about these things like the ways of wives and concubines? The Princess reminded her several times, but in the end, it died on her lips. Forget it, my daughter is still young, why let her worry about these things? No matter what the difficulties are, can't she, as a mother, solve them for her daughter?

Therefore, the Princess is actually more fond of the fourth girl of the Chu family, Chu Jinmiao.

Chu Jinmiao is weak but talented. She coughs after walking a few steps. The Princess is relieved to have such a person accompany Baozhu to study. With a knowledgeable person like Chu Jinmiao urging her on, Baozhu will surely make progress. And looking at Chu Jinmiao's body, there is no need to worry that she will have any bad thoughts. Even if she becomes a dowry in the future, I am afraid that Chu Jinmiao is not a good childbearer. Even if she can give birth, she will not live long.

This is very good. A companion should act like a companion. How can he overshadow her daughter's charm? On the contrary, Chu Jinyao has almost stepped on all the Princess's taboos.

The Princess did not know that her thoughts and ideas were completely different from those of her mother-in-law.

The princess hugged Lin Baozhu, her eyes flashed, and she murmured in a low voice: "My mother's darling. Don't worry, you were born to enjoy happiness in this world. You don't have to worry about anything. Your mother will take care of it for you."

This is true for the princess, and the same is true for the dowry.

In the eyes of the princess, rather than choosing a reading companion, she is choosing a dowry who can assist her daughter in the future, take care of her daughter, and bear children for her daughter when necessary.

The princess has already decided on the name Chu Jinmiao. As for the other one, she still wanted to take a closer look.

On the same day, Mrs. Zhao hurried back to Taiyuan with her family and children. Fortunately, only the word of war had spread, there was no commotion among the people, and the road was relatively peaceful. When she was halfway there, she met someone from the Changxing Marquis Mansion who came out to meet them, and Ms. Zhao felt even more relieved.

As soon as she returned home, Zhao did not bother to greet Old Madam Chu, and hurried back to her room to clean up the small things. At this time, the news of the Tatar invasion had already reached the Changxing Marquis's Mansion. The whole mansion was in a mess, and no one cared about Zhao's impoliteness.

Chu Jinyao was sitting in Chaoyun Courtyard. Just after taking a sip of water, she saw Linglong tentatively asking, "Miss, should we clean up the yard?"

Chu Jinyao raised her head and saw Linglong's eager eyes. The maid of the outer palace of Bogujia, Dingxiang and others also stared at her without blinking.

Everyone thought that the prince would flee without a fight, and Taiyuan would be exposed to the enemy's iron hoof soon.

Chu Jinyao put down the teacup, looked at these people carefully and uprightly: "Do you really think that the prince will withdraw from the front line? Will the tragedy of thirteen years ago be repeated again?"

When Nanny Sun heard this, she laughed: "What else? Even the generals who eat royal food will not be willing to die in vain. He is the prince, the grandson of the emperor, and a member of the royal family. Can we expect him to risk his life and fight for us on the front line?"

Nanny Sun's words were not nice. How could she say that about the prince? Nanny Gong frowned secretly. Although she was disgusted, she did not refute: "Miss, you can't be complacent at a time like this. The earlier you pack up your bags, the more chances you will have when you escape in the future!"

When it comes to life, no one has the right to say anything. Chu Jinyao couldn't convince these maids, but she had an almost stubborn insistence in her heart: "He won't."

"What did you say, young lady?"

"He won't do that." Chu Jinyao also knew that she was ridiculous. She didn't even know the prince, but she dared to boast in front of everyone, "I believe His Royal Highness the Prince, he won't let the Tatars' horses cross the border."

Palace Mammy thought that she was old and used to seeing all kinds of things. She should have thought it was ridiculous to hear Chu Jinyao's childish words, but when she looked up and saw Chu Jinyao's eyes, she was speechless for a while.

Chu Jinyao's eyes were round and big, and her eyelashes were long and thick, looking very pleasing. But now, those beautiful eyes were clean of all playfulness and full of seriousness, and the light in the pupils was almost impossible to look at.

She said, the prince would not be like this.

The day after the battle report came, Xuande City was broken, and the Tatars, with curved swords in hand, shouted their victory on their horses.

On the third day, the prince personally led 3,000 elite guards out of the border to attack the north. After several days of tug-of-war, Xuande was finally recaptured with great difficulty.

Every time a city was lost, the people of Shanxi were in a state of panic. Chu Jinyao stayed in the house of Mrs. Chu all day long, and her family was fully armed, intending to abandon the house and flee south if something went wrong.

However, the news of the loss continued, and the news that the prince had recaptured the city gate also came in like snowflakes.

The 800-mile urgent military report that the chief minister of the cabinet urgently ordered the prince to withdraw from the border had piled up like a hill, but there was still news about the prince on the battlefield. The general of Datong rarely disobeyed the imperial order and refused to remove the prince's military power.

Finally, after a long tug of war, the front line finally received news of the Yan army's counterattack.

The prince hurriedly traveled thousands of miles, deep into the hinterland, and burned down the tent of a Tatar tribe.