The children had a good relationship with him and they clapped their hands happily when they heard this.

Afterwards, Madam Dou led Xing Zhao and Xia Meng to their respective courtyards, while the children continued to play in the garden.

As for Du Jingyi and Mrs. Du, they did not continue the conversation, but started to arrange today's dinner.

Normally, guests should be welcomed and entertained, but during a period of national mourning, one cannot act rashly, so Du Jingyi gave instructions.

"Let Danruo prepare a vegetarian feast. She's a good cook anyway, and the food won't taste special."

"That's a good idea."

"I learned this from my mother."

The mother and daughter smiled at each other, and then started talking about some family matters.

After settling down, Xia Meng walked around Mengyu Courtyard. It was indeed quiet. Although the courtyard was large, there were very few servants. There was only one maid who was responsible for sweeping and passing messages. She looked honest.

Xia Meng liked Du Jingyi's arrangement very much.

What she feared most was the scene of being served by groups of maids and old women in a large mansion. It was okay to watch, but it was still difficult for her to accept it.

The ear room was fully equipped with toiletries. What surprised her most was that she could wash herself with water without calling anyone. Therefore, she felt like she was staying in her favorite inn while traveling.

So he took out his small bag, put everything in place, and then turned on the water to take a bath to wash away his tiredness.

Although she was not seasick when she went up the boat, she still felt a little uncomfortable after not having been on the ground for more than ten days. Moreover, the fresh water on the boat was not enough for her to bathe frequently, so she must wash herself thoroughly.

There were a lot of perfumes in the cabinet. She smelled them, picked the one with the lightest sweetness and put it into the water. Soon, the comfortable feeling came over her, and while she was sitting in the bathtub, she couldn't help but think of the purpose of her trip north.

Since she came to the Daxing Dynasty, the farthest she had been was Shuzhou. Along the way, she had visited many cities and counties in the south, large and small, so this trip to the north was to see what these cities and counties in the north were like.

She was not sure whether she could return to her familiar hometown, but if she were asked to stay in Jinling City forever, she would find it a bit too much.

Traveling thousands of miles is more suitable for her.

So when he was waiting for the boat at the dock, he met Xing Zhao who was also heading north. So, he traveled with him, transferred to the Su family's big ship, and stayed in the extremely wealthy general's mansion. I have to say, he was really lucky.

The joy of meeting an old friend in a foreign land is Xia Meng's greatest feeling at the moment.

Compared to her new arrival, Xing Zhao from the next yard felt like a fish in water. This was actually the place he had lived in before. Nanny Dou was very attentive and even the arrangement of objects was exactly the same as before, so he was accustomed to living here.

However, unlike Xia Meng who went north for fun, he came for a reason.

The Xing family received the news sent back by Concubine Xing, and naturally knew that she was pregnant. However, the Xing family's roots were in Jinling City, and the people of the Xing family's eldest branch could not just leave, so they thought of his cousin.

Although it's not about asking him to help his cousin in the fights in the palace, but if he wants to do something outside, he always needs to have his own people.

Mrs. Xing didn't want her son to get involved in this mess, so she opposed it. However, in a family like the Xing family, her third branch was not the only one who could make the decision. Therefore, Xing Zhao came anyway.

He did not tell his brother and sister-in-law the purpose of his visit, but he felt that they would know it with their intelligence. Sure enough, he had not been sitting in the yard for long when Du Jingyi brought someone to deliver a list.

I asked as I entered the door.

"Cousin Zhao, are you used to it?"

"Don't worry, cousin. I'm used to living anywhere."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two sat down at the table and quickly got down to business.

"Cousin, did you go north because of Concubine Xing's pregnancy?"

Xing Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, then he understood and asked.

"So the imperial concubine's pregnancy is already known to everyone?"

"Well, the Empress sent a statue of Guanyin, and happened to see the Imperial Concubine retching. The Imperial Physician checked her pulse and said she was already three months pregnant, so everyone in Sui'an City knows about it now."

The Earl's Mansion really spared no effort. It only took a short time for the news to spread like this.

Xing Zhao smiled and replied.

"It seems that I came here at a coincidence. If the people in the Earl's Mansion knew that I was staying in the General's Mansion, I'm afraid they would be wary of you. Otherwise, I'd better move out."

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

"We are a family, so let's not talk about these things. You can just stay here. But cousin Zhao, there are some things I need to make clear to you in advance. We are naturally blood relatives to you, but not to Concubine Xing. So we can't give the Xing family what they want."

Then he handed over a list. Xing Zhao was puzzled, but after opening it, his face looked unhappy.

"These are the things that Concubine Xing had sent to the General's Mansion a few days ago. I have packed them all. You also know the current situation. It is inconvenient for the General to choose between the Xing Family and the Yan Family, so this gift..."

Xing Zhao had an expression that said, "I understand," and immediately said.

"Don't worry, cousin. I will send the things back to the Xing family's residence in Sui'an City right away. Tell others that it was the imperial concubine who knew I was going north, so she asked me to take some gifts back to honor the two elders. I won't cause any trouble for you."

Hearing Xing Zhao's words, Du Jingyi was also very emotional. When talking and doing things with smart people, you don't need to make it clear to them what you can and cannot do.

"Thank you, cousin Zhao."

"You are too polite, cousin. You and I are blood relatives, and I am also blood relatives to Concubine Xing. It is enough for my uncle and aunt to kidnap me, but don't think of kidnapping you through me and mother. You don't owe them anything, so don't worry about it."

His assurance was reliable and sincere, so Du Jingyi believed it.

"The general was very happy when he heard the news that you were going north. He has been very busy recently and rarely even goes home, so he will definitely not go to pick you up on his way. Don't worry about that."

Hearing this, Xing Zhao acted as if he was deeply moved, and then said jokingly.

"As expected, my cousin still loves me. It's a pity that I am a man, otherwise a good man like him would never be in the hands of my cousin's wife."

His words successfully aroused Du Jingyi's interest, so she raised her eyebrows and replied.

"Then you will probably be disappointed. If you are really a girl, I am afraid I will not let you enter the general's mansion today!" (End of this chapter)