"I was actually tricked by him. I was originally thinking of recruiting 2,000 men to make up for the shortage."

"Don't think too much. Just be thankful that you have 500."

After hearing this, Ni Yang looked at Xing Zhao and the soldiers drinking and chatting, but he was no longer in the mood to watch the fun.

The wine in the glass was filled with homesickness. It was another day when he couldn't spend the New Year reunion at home. Even though he knew that his wife would not let herself or the children suffer, he was still worried in his heart.

It has been half a year since he left this time. In the past, he could know a rough date of his return, but now, even though he said it would be a year, who knows what tricks the emperor will have in store for him a year later? So after drinking the whole cup and putting down the wine bowl, Gu Shaoyu looked one year older and his eyes were even more determined than before.

Longing for each other and sorrow of separation.

The winter snow began to show signs of melting on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, and today Du Jingyi was going to bring her four children to the palace to attend a palace banquet, so she began careful preparations early in the morning.

Now that Gu Shaoyu and Old Madam Guo are not around, there is no one to protect her, so she must become strong to protect the children.

With this in mind, Du Jingyi did not dress herself up to look bright and youthful today. Instead, she deliberately chose a blue round-necked, double-breasted dress with embroidered basket patterns. She wore a jacket of the same color with rabbit fur on the outside, which was warm and generous.

However, when she put on this dress, she looked like a woman in her early thirties, much more dignified than before, Cherry said with a smile as she watched from the side.

"Madam, you have chosen a good dress. Now it looks noble but not too gorgeous, worthy of the style of a first-class duke's wife."

Du Jingyi sighed.

"If I have a choice, I would rather go out with my mother and elder sister to attend temple fairs, visit markets, etc. In the past, I was accompanied by either the general or Grandma Guo, which gave me more confidence. Today, I am the only one to support myself. You can tell I am a little nervous."

"Don't be afraid, Madam. Aren't the Countess, the Vice Minister's wife, the First Lady, and the Eighth Miss all going to be there? Besides, those ladies are on good terms with our General's Mansion. If they sit together and talk, they won't be nervous anymore."

This is the biggest problem that the Du family is just a business family, not a noble family.

All her glory today came mostly from her husband and the General's Mansion, so this kind of relationship made her feel that she was not that close or intimate with those ladies.

Except for the eldest sister-in-law and the eighth sister, the others greeted you with smiles today perhaps because you have the status here, but if your family loses power tomorrow, I am afraid you won’t even be able to enter the other party’s house, so Du Jingyi is very clear-headed.

"After the New Year, the Queen Mother will go south to the Jinling Palace. Lord Xing will also take over the position of Prime Minister directly after the New Year. The Earl's Mansion sent a message a few days ago, so just wait and see the palace banquet today. It will be exciting."

Cherry didn't understand all this, so she didn't say much. She helped Du Jingyi get dressed, comb her hair, put on makeup, and then waited for the four children to come over.

Tai'er and his four brothers are all boys, so there is no need for them to dress up. They just need to look energetic. So after they got ready, they came to pay their respects to Du Jingyi.

The palace banquet was scheduled for the evening, but the empress dowager sent an invitation to the general's residence early, saying that she wanted to see the children first, so Du Jingyi had to take the four brothers and Yu Sizheng straight to the imperial city.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the palace has its own rules.

The emperor brought the empress and the princes to worship their ancestors, so along the way, Du Jingyi and her mother and two of them did not see anyone else, but instead arrived at Shoukang Palace where Empress Dowager Guo was.

Eunuch Hu received the news that they were entering the palace, so he was waiting at the palace gate in advance. When he saw Du Jingyi and the others coming over, he smiled brightly and said.

"At the beginning of the new year, I pay my respects to Madam, to Mr. Gu, and to the three young masters."

"You are too polite, Eunuch Hu. Have you been waiting for a long time?"

"It won't be long before Mrs. Guo and the others arrive, waiting for you and the young masters."

"I am sorry for my slow pace and for keeping the Queen Mother waiting for so long. We will go to the palace to pay our respects now."

After saying that, Cherry beside Du Jingyi stepped forward and handed over a small purse, then whispered with a happy face.

"It's the New Year, and the General's Mansion is inviting you to tea. Please don't be disgusted."

Eunuch Hu was not the type to hit someone who smiled at him, so he tucked the gift into his sleeve and praised him.

"Miss Cherry is getting better every year. When you get married, please remember to send us a message. I will definitely congratulate you!"

Cherry had no plans to get married, so when she heard this she could only pretend to be shy and avoid the question.

Since coming to Shoukang Palace once three years ago, Du Jingyi began to observe mourning for his father-in-law, so the days when he entered the palace were very few, let alone coming to pay homage to the empress dowager. So although he was walking forward, he looked around and felt as if he had returned to the Changchun Palace.

Sure enough, this palace follows its owner, and after living in it for a long time, it naturally becomes like the owner.

Walking all the way to the main hall, Du Jingyi heard a familiar voice coming from inside. Without changing his expression, he waited in front of the door with the children.

"The wife of General Gu, the first-class official, has arrived. The General Gu has arrived. The three young masters have arrived!"

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

Eunuch Hu raised his head and a palace maid came out to open the curtain, then spoke.

"The Queen Mother has been waiting for a long time. Madam, please come in."

"Thank you very much."

When I entered the main hall of Shoukang Palace, I saw Empress Dowager Guo at a glance. Her appearance was still the same as before, but somehow I felt that she had aged a lot now.

Du Jingyi led the children forward and spoke respectfully.

"Your humble servant, Mrs. Du of the Gu family, greets the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager be at peace."

"Your subjects, Gu Yunzhan, Gu Siming, Gu Sicong, and Gu Siwen, greet the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager be at peace."

The Queen Mother sat high up on the phoenix chair, looking at them with loving eyes, then raised her hand and spoke.

"Stand up."

"Thank you, Queen Mother."

"Come closer, I've been seeing you guys for a while."

Tai Ge'er knew the rules, so he took his three younger brothers and walked forward two steps. His attitude was still respectful, and he did not overstep the line in the slightest.

Empress Dowager Guo glanced at Tai Ge'er and felt a little sour in her heart. His face was 80% similar to that of the deceased Marshal Gu, making her speechless for a moment.

Without the Queen Mother's word, no one would say anything. They were not Old Madam Guo, so in Shoukang Palace, the Queen Mother was respected!