Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Xiao Yan's return stirred Xiao Yuchan and Liu Chu in the west wing.

Mianmian was a light sleeper. Liu Chu gently comforted her restless daughter while lying in bed. Seeing her son was sound asleep, Xiao Yuchan put on her clothes and got off the kang. Just as she was about to open the door to the main room, she heard her brother's impatient words dismissing their mother.

Not having seen each other for over a month, he even ignored his own mother, clearly eager to go to his sister-in-law.

Xiao Yuchan pouted and released the door latch.

Since she was already up, she didn't want to go back to sleep immediately. Xiao Yuchan walked to the south room and whispered, "Elder Sister-in-Law, are you awake? Let's chat."

Liu Chu: "Mm, wait a moment."

Xiao Yuchan placed two small stools far from the door.

Liu Chu soon came out, and the sisters-in-law sat facing each other.

Xiao Yuchan chuckled, moved her stool closer to Liu Chu, and leaned in to ask, "Tell me, have Third Brother and Third Sister-in-Law embraced yet?"

Liu Chu: "... If you only want to talk about this, I'll go back to sleep."

Xiao Yuchan held onto her arm, preventing her from leaving. "Why so rushed? They can't hear us. Elder Sister-in-Law, I know you're close with Second Sister-in-Law and Third Sister-in-Law, but they both have husbands. In our family, only we two young widows can really talk about certain things. Just keep me company, okay?"

Liu Chu couldn't break free and tilted her head, indicating she didn't want to listen.

Xiao Yuchan: "Alright, let me share my thoughts first, so you don't feel embarrassed. Actually, I've long forgotten about Yao Ge Er's father, but sometimes I wish he were still alive to warm my bed at night. Over the past two years, many people have come to propose marriage for me, but I declined to maintain peace in the family. But sometimes, I do wish I could find a strong man to work the fields with me, hehe."

Liu Chu covered her ears.

Xiao Yuchan shook her arm. "Don't tell me you've never dreamed of Sun Dian. His physique and strength, even Mother has noticed him a few times."

Liu Chu: "It's too cold here; I'm going to sleep."

Seeing that her heartfelt words didn't earn any response from her sister-in-law, Xiao Yuchan also found it uninteresting and let go.

Liu Chu fled back to the south room.

Mother and daughter each had their own quilt. The head of the kang was the warmest, so Mianmian slept on one side, and Liu Chu on the other.

The quilt still retained some warmth. After lying down, Liu Chu closed her eyes, but a pair of fiery eyes appeared in her mind.

There seemed to be some movement from the west courtyard. Liu Chu pulled the quilt over her head.

---

At midnight, Xiao Yan finally stopped moving and held Lin Ningfang steadily.

"I discussed with Grandfather, and he agreed to switch my county management with Second Brother. Grandfather is worried I won't be able to compete with He Lianqing and refuses to agree."

"I can't move, so why don't you come live with me in Cheng County? The magistrate has arranged a three-courtyard residence for me in the city. When you come, I'll buy two maids to serve you, and you can manage the household without worrying about Mother. By the way, since you dislike socializing, all the prominent families in Cheng County have been killed by the rebel king, so ordinary people won't bother you."

"Grandfather wants me back by noon on the fifth day. You can take the carriage; if you hurry, you should make it in time."

Lin Ningfang closed her eyes and said, "I'm afraid."

Xiao Yan asked in confusion, "Afraid of what?"

Lin Ningfang: "When we get there, during the day you'll be at the military camp, and the house will be full of newly bought servants besides me and Ah Zhen. I'm afraid some of them might have ulterior motives. In peaceful times, servants fear their masters and the authorities, but in chaotic times, the authorities are too busy to care. If servants kill their masters and steal their wealth, they just need to run fast enough to avoid the arrest warrants posted in the original county."

Xiao Yan felt a chill in his heart and quickly said, "Second Sister-in-Law has bodyguards, and I'll arrange eight more for you. I'll have them guard the door during the day to ensure the servants don't cause trouble."

A tear slid down Lin Ningfang's cheek. "Soldiers and bandits scare me more than maids and servants."

Xiao Yan stiffened.

During wars, many soldiers desert. Afraid to return home, they often become bandits. Bandits, bored on the mountains, usually join the army. After winning battles, they follow the soldiers into the cities to drink and feast, even harming civilians.

If she were still the sheltered daughter of a high-ranking official, she probably wouldn't equate soldiers with bandits and might still see all soldiers as heroes defending the country. But she had experienced the brutal murder of her family by ruthless bandits and was then forcibly taken as a wife by him, a retired soldier.

Apart from the familiar men in her own courtyard, she might not dare to face any other men, especially those who were physically strong, alone.

Xiao Yan couldn't guarantee that the soldiers he chose wouldn't be tempted by her beauty and lose control.

With more people around, and the Acropolis Army loyal to his grandfather, she lived comfortably here.

In Cheng County, where the troops were new and the loyalty uncertain, he had to be wary of potential rebels. How could someone as intelligent and timid as her feel safe living in an unfamiliar residence?

"Forget it, stay here. It's better for both of us. I'll come back once a month, and that should be fine."

Lin Ningfang touched his muscular chest and said, "In Cheng County, you'll need to train the troops and take care of the county's welfare. If you can do both well, making the county strong and its people prosperous, Grandfather will surely be very pleased."

Xiao Yan held her hand. "What about you?"

Lin Ningfang looked up and met his gaze. "Then in my eyes, you won't just be a fierce soldier, but a true guardian of the city."

A fierce soldier couldn't make her willingly be his wife, but a guardian who could protect the people and the city, even without affection, would earn her respect and willingness to support him and raise children.

Xiao Yan's breathing grew heavy, and he pressed her back down onto the pillow.

---

On the fifth day, when Xiao Yan returned to Cheng County, Tong Sui and her group also arrived safely at the westernmost Yu County.

Xiao Ye greeted them confidently at the city gate.

At noon, after the officials left, only family members remained for lunch.

Tong Sui took out a set of clothes and a pair of shoes and said, "The shoes were made by Elder Sister-in-Law, and the clothes by Aunt. Fourth Younger Brother, try them on and see if they fit."

Xiao Ye joked, "Didn't Second Sister-in-law make something for me?"

The old man glared over.

Tong Sui was already familiar with Xiao Ye's temperament and smiled, "I've been busy lately too, even without time to make new clothes for your second brother. Is there anything Fourth Younger Brother is lacking?"

Xiao Ye shook his head and said to the old man, "People, especially in the city. Many of the mansions left by prominent families are empty, and I don't know how to allocate them."

If given away for free, everyone would want to grab them, and those who can't get them will complain. If sold, how many people have money to spare?

Wherever the rebel army passed, the households from middle peasants upwards were all drenched in blood. Just hearing about it was heartbreaking, let alone seeing those bloodstained empty houses, which made Xiao Ye feel even more distressed.

Tong Sui and others had seen this situation in Cheng County, Huai County, and Yun County. Xiao Mu said, "Unclaimed empty homes should be priced according to the current market rate in the city. Whether they are villagers or newcomers, if they can afford the price, they can settle here. In times of war, people are like grass, dying one after another. We can only wait for peace to slowly restore vitality."

Xiao Ye: "Yes, since I arrived, indeed, people from surrounding counties have been fleeing here, including some prominent families."

Xiao Mu: "Accept them when they come, register their household records, and keep a sharp eye out for spies."

Xiao Ye: "Understood."

The next day, Tong Sui and her group arrived at Ying County, the southernmost of the seven counties, managed by Qiao Changshun.

More new households came to Ying County, so many that the number of people moving around in Ying City almost matched that of Wei City.

The old man asked his grandson about the battle situation to the south.

Qiao Changshun: "Prince Dai has some skills. He captured the families of some Shuozhou soldiers and had them call out from outside the city, promising that those who surrender could reunite with their families and receive land and silver. Some Shuozhou soldiers have escaped at night, causing the morale of the Shuozhou army to waver. More laughably, the Shuozhou army even initiated a battle with Prince Dai but lost, and now they are all hunkered down in Shuozhou City."

Xiao Mu: "The court is corrupt, and the garrison soldiers often don't receive their pay. Their weapons are also worn out from years of disrepair. With capable leaders, they can still maintain some combat effectiveness. But with incompetent leaders who only care about wealth and power, the garrison soldiers are barely better than a mob of rebels."

Qiao Changshun: "It seems the Shuozhou army commander isn't up to the task. If Prince Dai really takes Shuozhou, will he come after us?"

Xiao Mu: "There are still many weak cities and small counties to the south. He will likely pick the softer targets first. Our seven counties are backed by the Da Tong border troops. Attacking us would mean coveting Da Tong. Unless they have enough confidence to challenge the Da Tong border troops, they won't easily target our seven counties."

Tong Sui thought of a term: "borrowing the tiger's might."

The Li brothers were bold enough to start a rebellion under the watchful eyes of the Da Tong border troops, but they were taken over by the Xiao family. The Xiao family always claims to protect the territory and ensure the safety of the people, openly aligning with the inactive Da Tong border troops, both supporting the court.

Do other rebel kings have the same audacity as the Li brothers?

Although the old man, this "fox commander," may not sound as formidable as the various rebel kings, he is currently the safest among the surrounding forces.

After leaving Ying County, the group was heading back to Wei City.

On the way, they frequently encountered refugees fleeing from the south. Some settled in Ying County due to various reasons, while others felt it wasn't safe enough and continued north to Huai County, Cheng County, or even further to Ding County and Wei County.

As news of King Xing's defeat spread, the reputation and benevolence of the Xiao family also began to spread. Wealthy families wanted to seek peace, and poor farmers wanted both peace and land.

The fields in Wei County and Ding County could no longer be distributed, but the other five counties still had plenty of vacant land, enough to accommodate these people, making up for the population that had been brutally killed earlier.

On the way home, the old man kept talking to Tong Sui and Xiao She about the livelihood issues.

Suddenly, someone called out, "It's snowing!"

Tong Sui instinctively looked up, and a small snowflake appeared before her eyes, slowly landing on her cheek, cool and refreshing.

At first, the snowflakes were sparse, but as dusk approached Wei City, they turned into heavy snow.

A fast horse galloped out of the city, the rider in black holding the reins with one hand and carrying something with the other.

Through the wind and snow, Xiao Zhen stopped in front of the group.

The old man asked, "Why did you come back?"

Xiao Zhen smiled, "I guessed Grandfather would arrive today, and I missed you."

He handed a dark cloak to the old man.

The old man casually tossed it to Xiao She and walked forward.

Xiao She reluctantly threw it to his second brother, "Just a bit of snow, who needs this thing."

Xiao Zhen took the cloak with one hand and handed a green cape to Tong Sui with the other.

Tong Sui smiled, lowering her eyes.