The frontier between Dazhou and Liao traverses east and west, stretching for thousands of miles. The terrain of the northeastern states is flat, and the battle is conducive to the Liao army's iron cavalry. Therefore, in the past, the Liao army went south many times, and they all raided from the northeast area, and Emperor Xuande also arranged there. He was guarded by heavy troops and handed over to the well-known Zhenbei general Han Da to sit in town. There are many mountains and rivers in the northwest area, which are easy to defend and difficult to attack, so the court only arranged 80,000 troops and horses.
No one expected that this time, the Liao army would sneak attack from the northwest overnight, attacking Dazhou soldiers by surprise, and taking Lingzhou, the first fortress in the northwest, like a broken bamboo. When the battle report came to the capital, Emperor Xuande was furious and ordered to behead the defending generals of Lingzhou who had abandoned the city and fled, promoted the former lieutenant general as the main general, and ordered Guo Boyan, the Duke of Wei, to lead 100,000 forbidden troops to support him.
Guo Xiao was also among the banned troops dispatched.
One is the grandfather of the country, the other is the prince, and both father and son are going to the battlefield. Madam Tai was very worried, and brought Tingfang to Yuntang to wait early, so that she could see the children and grandchildren as soon as they returned to the manor. Lin Shi and Song Jianing naturally wanted to accompany him, and the couples from the second and third bedrooms also came.
At one watch, Guo Xiao returned first, wearing armor. After coming in and looking around the crowd, Guo Xiaosurong said to Mrs. Tai: "Grandmother, the army will leave tomorrow morning at Yin Shi, my father is staying in the barracks tonight, and he sent me back to let you know, asking you, your mother, uncles and aunts to rest early, don't worry about it. We are worried."
"Not coming back?" Mrs. Tai said in a daze, a little unacceptable. She still had a lot to tell her son.
"The military situation is urgent, and father can't escape." Guo Xiao said simply, then looked at Lin's: "Mother, please pack some clothes for father."
Lin Shi was flustered and hurried to the backyard after hearing the words.
Knowing that Mrs. Tai had something to say to Guo Xiao, everyone in the second and third rooms told Guo Xiao to leave first. For them, Guo Boyan had to lead a second soldier every two years, and he was invincible every time, so everyone was not worried.
As soon as they left, Lin Yuntang suddenly seemed deserted. Madam Tai was not very worried about her eldest son, but was afraid that her eldest grandson was young and reckless and would be injured on the battlefield, so she took Guo Xiao's hand and warned a lot. Guo Xiao listened carefully, nodded from time to time, and glanced at the two younger sisters on one side several times from the corner of his eye.
Tingfang was extremely nervous, her pretty face was pale, her thin eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and her eyes were all about her brother.
Song Jianing lowered her head slightly, unable to see exactly what she was looking like, but the fat girl's face was flushed, and Guo Xiao instinctively guessed that his stepsister didn't seem to be worried about him at all.
Song Jianing really wasn't worried, it wasn't that she didn't care about Guo Xiao's life or death at all, but she knew that Guo Xiao would be safe here. When she was first brought into the capital by Guo Xiao in her last life, Guo Xiao did not force her to give it to him, but the maid who arranged to serve her did not know whether she got his advice or actively wanted to help Guo Xiao, and said a lot of good things about Guo Xiao in her ear. He talked about various heroic deeds of Guo Xiao, among which he mentioned that Guo Xiao went on an expedition with his father at the age of 18, Guo Boyan fought head-on with the army, Guo Xiao led 2,000 troops to the rear of the Liao army, burned the opponent's food and grass, and made great contributions. .
But Song Jianing wasn't stupid enough to really show that it didn't matter to her. She tried very hard to pretend to be worried. She didn't know whether it was because her talent for deceiving people was too bad, or if Guo Xiao's eyes were too poisonous to be fooled. pass.
Mrs. Tai has said a lot, and she has been instructed in every detail, so that the granddaughters bid farewell to their elder brothers.
Tingfang was about to cry, looking up at her brother, full of words, not knowing where to start, tears in her eyes. My sister was afraid of this, but Guo Xiao smiled rarely, touched his sister's head and said, "Tingfang will be married in peace, come back, brother will carry you on the sedan chair."
Tingfang felt sour in her heart, and the big tears rolled down. She rushed over and hugged her brother, her head resting on Guo Xiao's chest and choked: "Brother, take care, remember to write to me when you have time, and father, please tell him. , said I miss him and told him to triumph early, grandmother, mother, my sister and I are all waiting."
Guo Xiao patted his sister's shoulder, his eyes a little more gentle: "Okay."
Tingfang cried for a while, stood up straight with red eyes, and turned to look at Song Jianing.
As soon as Song Jianing raised his head, he fell into Guo Xiao's deep black eyes, as sharp as an eagle, as if he could see through her heart. Song Jianing had prepared a few words of farewell, but when Guo Xiao stared at him like that, Song Jianing suddenly forgot about it. He couldn't make up the beautiful words temporarily, so he thought of something to say: "Brother, you, you have to be careful when you arrive on the battlefield, I heard that Liaoning People are especially vicious, you can fight if you can, but if you can't fight..."
Speaking of this, Song Jianing suddenly couldn't continue, why did it sound a little depressing
"There are no Liao soldiers that your eldest brother can't beat." Seeing that she was stuck, Guo Xiao said lightly.
With the ladder, Song Jianing immediately gave a flattering smile: "Well, eldest brother is the best." It's much easier to say goodbye to her that she hasn't experienced it before. Knowing that Guo Xiao is indeed very powerful, Song Jianing's flattery is very sincere, and the almond eyes reflect the light, bright and moist. Guo Xiao took a deep look, his chest finally felt comfortable.
It turned out that the stepsister did not care about him, but trusted him too much.
My sister touched her head, Guo Xiao also touched the top of Song Jianing's head, and said in the tone of her brother: "I'm not with my father, you have to listen to your grandmother and mother, spend more time with your grandmother when you have time, don't worry about going outside for the time being. When I come back, big brother will take you out."
Song Jianing was not used to his touch, so she nodded and moved to Tingfang's side.
Two quarters of an hour later, Guo Boyan and Guo Xiao's luggage were all packed, Tingfang supported the wife, Lin held Song Jianing, and the four sent Guo Xiao out of the house together. Guo Xiao got on his horse and finally glanced at the female family members at home, his eyes sank, and he set off without looking back. Mrs. Tai raised her heart, and Lin looked at the distant back of her stepson, but she was thinking of another person.
The night was filled with darkness, and Mrs. Lin first sent Mrs. Tai back to Changxinyuan, then watched her daughter and son fall asleep, and then returned to her room.
A lamp was left in the room, and Lin was lying on the bed, unable to sleep for a long time.
She is worried.
Swords and spears have no eyes. Although Guo Boyan is a victorious general in Da Zhou, who can guarantee that he will be able to win battles every time? In case this time... Lin's face turned pale, and he didn't dare to think about it any longer. She has lost a husband, and her relationship with Guo Boyan was bitter at first, and it was only after she gave birth to Mao’s son Lin Shi that Guo Boyan moved a little bit of true feelings towards her. The man guarding her, day after day, unknowingly moved Lin's heart.
But as soon as she tasted the sweetness, Guo Boyan was about to go to the battlefield.
Lin turned over, tears falling. The ex-husband was young, and died of a serious illness before entering the Beijing Spring Festival. Some people say that she was a husband. Lin didn't know if she could handle it, but now, Lin is very afraid, will she really be a husband? Woman, whoever marries her is not good
Lin was not afraid of being a widow again, she was only afraid that Guo Boyan would never come back, that her brother Mao would not know how to call Daddy...
Crying and crying, Mrs. Lin fell asleep. She slept for an unknown amount of time when she suddenly heard a movement. Mrs. Lin woke up with a start and heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming towards her. Lin shi suddenly turned her head, and through the thin gauze curtain, she saw a tall figure through the light she kept before going to bed.
Before he could speak, Lin's tears fell first.
Guo Boyan was stunned, watching the tears rolling down her fair face, he was first shocked, then ecstatic.
"Worry about me?" Guo Boyan sat down and stretched out his arms to hug him.
Lin Shi tightly hugged the man's broad back and said nothing.
Guo Boyan rubbed the top of her head, his eyes changed a few times. He slipped back in the middle of the night, mainly to see her before departure and tell her not to worry. At this moment, seeing her cry for him, Guo Boyan suddenly wanted an answer. A big hand passed through her thick black hair unconsciously, and Guo Boyan asked in a low voice, "I'm afraid that something will happen to me, and the two of you will have a hard time in the palace, or are you afraid that no one will hold you like this in the future?"
He always knew that she agreed to remarry for the sake of her daughter.
Lin was silent.
Guo Boyan raised her chin and insisted that she speak.
Her eyes were entangled, and Lin Shi's tearful eyes had already revealed the answer, but she still wiped her eyes and pretended to be calm: "I'll tell you when the grandfather of the country comes back."
Guo Boyan laughed and fell down on her, a gust of wind and rain.
The next day before dawn, the army set off.
~
In the state-owned war, both the court and the common people are concerned about the war in the northwest, especially at the feet of the emperor. Whether it is really worried about the overall situation or pretending to be perfunctory, the officials and the common people have to behave. Don't dare to make a big deal, the wedding banquet is quiet.
The two generations of the Duke of Wei's mansion were on the front line to fight against the Liao army. As early as the day after the army set off, Mrs. Tai explained it. Before the grandfather returned safely, the Duke's mansion closed the door to thank guests. The third master continues to work, and the female family members of the house are not allowed to go out unless necessary.
Tingfang and Lanfang were obedient, but Yunfang was trapped in the mansion and ran to Mrs. Tai to act like a spoiled child several times. As for Song Jianing, I am afraid she is the most calm person in the palace. After all, she was sleepy on Zhuangzi in her previous life for seven years. Song Jianing has long been used to living the law behind closed doors. She stayed by her mother's side and helped her. Take care of your brother.
The war started in March, during which the two armies had their own victories and defeats. It was not until September, when Guo Boyan killed 50,000 Liao troops with fewer victories, that the situation on the battlefield was completely reversed. Da Zhou chased after the victory, and the Liao army retreated after a series of defeats. Finally, three months later, they withdrew their troops and fled. When the news of the good news reached the capital, Emperor Xuande was very happy, and the emperor was happy. The gloomy clouds that had shrouded the capital for nearly a year only dissipated at once, and the people all celebrated the New Year happily.
Although the Liao army has retreated, the frontier military defense still needs to be rectified. On the festival of the Yuan Dynasty, Guo Boyan's family letter arrived, saying that their father and son will return to Beijing in April.
Mrs. Tai held the letter from her family, and she was overjoyed when she got the return date. Since the two of them were all right and they had made a contribution, Mrs. Tai finally spoke up and lifted the ban from the government. Mrs. Han from the Zhenbei General's House heard the news and went to the door to discuss the wedding date of the two children with the Guo family. Mrs. Tai had already turned over the almanac and set the big day in May.
Aunt Tan received the letter, and on the pretext of visiting her niece, she led her well-dressed daughter Tan Xiangyu over to the house as a guest.