In the twelfth lunar month, the ground is covered with thin snow, and blocks of ice are formed on the windows. The ice skates are like small transparent crystal pillars, hung in rows on the eaves.
Brother Xuan stood in the house and looked at the ice skate on the eaves and said, "I will be home in three days." I thought I would be home in early November, but it was delayed until the twelfth lunar month. This speed is really slow.
"If it's still snowing, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it to the capital in three days." The road was blocked by heavy snow, and the carriage would easily slip on the road.
"The sky is really not beautiful." If it were not for snow, a day and a half would be enough to get home.
Asan didn't think so: "It's best to return to the capital safely." When he returned to the capital, his task was completed. I don't know if I can stay with the third prince.
Speaking of which, A San also bored Brother Xuan very much at first. Good women are softhearted and are always deceived. Things are really so stupid that they are hopelessly stupid. They are not at all like the children of the emperor and the empress. But after the incident in Mianzhou, seeing him transform, Ah San felt very fulfilled.
At this time, Brother You was also talking about Brother Xuan: "Mother, why the third brother hasn't come back? I'm really anxious to death." He was worried about what happened to Brother Xuan.
"Brother Xuan rides in a carriage instead of riding a horse. It's not easy to drive in a cold weather. It's normal to be slow for a few days." After that, Yuxi looked at Brother You and said, "With this time, why don't you do more at the household department? Something?" Shen Chunting was talking about too few people, and two more people must be added to him.
You brother sat down on the chair and said, "Mother, it's not that everyone feels uncomfortable when they are idle like you." He didn't want to do those things. His wish was to eat all the delicious food and see the beautiful scenery all over the world. Unfortunately, with his father and mother staring, this wish is destined to be empty.
"When I was young, I thought about eating, drinking, and having fun, and I'm good for you." With six children, Brother Jiyou is the laziest.
Meilan said loudly outside: "Madam, the eldest princess brought the Young Master Longevity to see you." Zaozao came back yesterday.
Seeing Yuxi, Changsheng broke away Zaozao's hand and plunged into Yuxi's embrace.
Zaozao patted Changsheng's ass, and said angrily: "This stinky boy pretended not to know me when he saw me. Let him call him a mother, and never speak."
Yuxi took a look at Zaozao, who could blame Zaozao, not Zazao herself. The child hasn't seen anyone for half a year, and it's normal if he doesn't remember.
It's just that Yuxi didn't say this in front of Changsheng. Instead, he held Changsheng and asked with a smile: "Is Changsheng angry with your mother and deliberately pretends not to know her not to bark?"
Changsheng's big black eyes flickered: "Don't call, who told her to not let me and father." Hmph, he didn't say anything to see what she could do.
Jujube Qijie: "This stinky boy."
Yuxi glared at Zaozao, and then asked Changsheng with a smile: "Then how would Changsheng punish her? Spank her or not allow her to eat?"
Brother You Dale: "Changsheng, she doesn't care if you run out with your father to play outside, and let your grandmother spank her, OK?"
Jujube's face is green.
Seeing Changsheng hesitating, Brother You teased him again: "Then she is not allowed to eat, she is hungry for three days and three nights."
Changsheng is reluctant: "No, if you don't eat, your belly hurts. I don't want my mother's belly hurt."
Zaozao was very moved when he heard this, and he picked up Changsheng and said, "Changsheng, it's my mother, you shouldn't have left you to go to Tongcheng. Mother promises you that you will take the stepmother wherever you go when the war is over next year. To you?"
"Really?" After speaking, Changsheng stretched out his hand and said, "The hook."
After pulling the hook, Changsheng finally called his mother.
Brother You took Changsheng down to play, and Yuxi asked about the situation of Tongcheng: "How are the walls of Tongcheng built?"
"Very smoothly. The ones that were originally collapsed and destroyed have been repaired. In addition, they have been thickened." After speaking, Zaozao said with a smile: "Mother, the soldiers in Tongcheng are not only not repulsive to us, but also very welcome. "
"That's good."
Zaozao remembered these days in Tongcheng, and said with emotion: "Mother, the soldiers in Tongcheng are too bitter. Even if they eat poorly, most of them only have a shabby set of cold weather. There is no clothing, not even a stand-in. If you accidentally get wet, you can't go out, you can only lie in the bed." This is not just a mess, but the real situation.
Yuxi knew nothing less about the situation in Tongcheng than Zaozao: "I have transferred two batches of winter supplies to Tongcheng." There are cotton-padded clothes and cotton trousers, and down jackets and feather trousers. This time, they were all sent to Tongcheng first. In other places, it is delayed.
"Mother, it is far from enough. Many soldiers have not been allocated new cotton-padded clothes and trousers." Excluding the 50,000 horses newly transferred by the court, Tongcheng originally had 150,000 soldiers and horses. The 90,000 sets of winter clothes Yuxi transferred were only half of them. In order to get more warm clothes, the generals almost didn't fight. In the end, Tie Kui divided these things into each barracks. As for how the various barracks are distributed, that's a matter for the leading generals.
Yuxi smiled bitterly: "A clever woman can't cook without rice. The treasury now has no money, and I have tried my best." After years of war and chaos, the population is declining and the land is barren. Only by recuperating and restoring, can you recover your vitality as soon as possible. Therefore, the agricultural tax levied is very small, and exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes can be exempted. It is mainly relying on commercial taxes such as salt, iron and tea to barely maintain the expenditure of the court. But the court has fought for years, and the huge expenditure has made the national treasury unable to make ends meet. It is also Yuxi who has tried his best to fill in the loopholes, otherwise he will not be able to handle it early.
Hearing this, Zaozao said, "I wish I could find another room of gold and silver jewelry."
Yuxi smiled and said, "I hope too! If I can get so much more money, then I won't worry about the war next year." If I get another ten million dollars, then all problems will be solved. Her hair can also be less white.
After thinking about it, Zaozao said: "Mother, I heard that the Zhou Dynasty left a lot of treasures. I just don't know where they are hidden. If you can find them, then you don't have to worry about the money."
Yuxi had also heard of this rumor.
"Just listen, don't take it seriously." There are really treasures. If Yan Wushuang has dug them a long time ago, they can still get them in turn.
"Mother, I have to find a way to increase income and reduce expenditure." This year there is such a big hole, and where can I look for the gap where there is going to be a war next year. Therefore, we must continue to think of ways to solve this big problem.
"It's easier said than done." After that, Yuxi smiled and said, "I won't talk about these disappointing things today, just tell me some happy things."
Zaozao picked up some military anecdotes for Yuxi to listen to, and Yuxi was too happy to say it.
After having lunch in the palace, Zaozao returned home with Changsheng. Seeing that Wu Jinyu was not there, Zaozao asked, "Where is Mr. Ma?"
Zaozao frowned when he heard that it was called away by Fang's people, but said nothing.
It was not until the evening that Wu Jinyu came back. That face was quite ugly.
Zaozao said, "Don't be angry, it is me and Changsheng who are so angry." His mother-in-law used to be quite reasonable, and she didn't know why her temper was getting bigger and bigger, and she would get angry if she didn't follow her wishes. Yesterday afternoon, I went to Wu Mansion, but the eyes are not the nose but the nose.
Zaozao is not a young wife, and came back without having to sit hot when she saw it.
"It was my eldest brother who wrote back and said that there was a vacancy in Zhizhou in Changzhou, and hoped that his family could help him find this vacancy." Neither Wu Kuo nor Fang had this ability, so they hoped that Wu Jinyu would help.
Zaozao smiled with anger, and said ruthlessly: "I have seen a shameless person, I have never seen such a shameless person." If Wu Jinbao has a very good relationship with Wu Jinyu, she will definitely help. But Wu Jinbao wanted to take possession of their family's property before, but later even the Fang family complained. What's more shameless is that the husband and wife are at ease outside, but leave their two children at home. How many times Jin Yu wiped Wu Chengli's ass, but the couple didn't know. Now he still has the face to ask Jin Yu to seek a job for him.
Wu Jinyu was dissatisfied with the older brother Wu Jinbao, but he couldn't help but argued after hearing this: "He wants his parents to help in the operation."
Zaozao laughed: "Just let your in-laws and the others worry about it, don't worry about it." She wouldn't care about it anymore. This kind of uncle who is a brother when you are not used to you in daily life, don't worry about it.
Wu Jinyu smiled bitterly: "I just want to manage, and I don't have the ability." He just grows flowers and plants at home, and then takes the children, knowing nothing about the affairs of the court. It is not an exaggeration to say that he didn't know where the door of Liubuyamen opened.
"Jinyu, you have to remember one thing. You owe it to your parents and not Wu Jinyu. You have done your best to him." Brothers and sisters should support each other and help each other, not one party. Pay blindly.
Hearing this, Wu Jinyu hesitated and said: "Mother said let us go to Wu Mansion for the New Year, Lan Lan, do you think it is okay?" Every time he quarreled with Fang, he was very angry. When the anger is gone, my heart is softened again. However, he insisted on the matter of longevity.
Zaozao didn't refuse, and nodded and said, "Okay!" He just went to eat a meal without spending the night.
After a pause, Zaozao said again: "However, if there is something unpleasant this time, I won't go to Wufu again." Last year, the trouble was very unpleasant, but she managed to resist it.
Wu Jinyu nodded: "If it is the same as last year, we will not go to Wu's house in the future, and we will spend the New Year in our house." For Wu Jinyu, the princess's house is his home.
Hurry up on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, Brother Xuan finally returned to the capital.
When he walked to the gate of Chongtian, Xuan Ge'er felt particularly cordial: "I'm finally home." After leaving for a year, it feels like he has been away for many years.
The guard at the gate looked at the group of people and walked over and asked, "Who are you?"
After speaking, seeing Ge'er Xuan's face, his mind flashed. The guard knelt on the ground and said: "The little one has eyes and no beads, please forgive me, the third prince." This guard was transferred two months ago. But he hadn't seen Brother Xuan, but had seen Brother You many times.
Ge Xuan waved his hand and said, "Those who don't know are not guilty."