When Wei Lan's stomach was more than four months old, it began to have a slight ups and downs, but it was still hard to see. The raised lines can only be seen when the clothes are removed. Xie Zichen likes to lie on it and listen to the sounds inside, always wondering if that child will do something.
Lin Xia and Wei Hua came back from the border, and every time Wei Lan said this, she laughed. She couldn't imagine that the all-powerful Xie Zichen in the court would look like this kind of fool when he came home.
At the end of the month, there was an urgent report from the border. Di Jie came suddenly and pressed all the way across the border, winning three cities in a row. Da Chu was caught off guard. Wei Xiong retreated to Lancheng and managed to stabilize the front. A private message was sent, asking Wei Lan to send a general over immediately. He was seriously injured and had to return to Beijing immediately, unable to hold on anymore.
On the day he received the secret letter, Xie Zichen was also very busy. When he returned to the room, he saw Wei Lan kneeling at the table, her eyes downcast, silent.
Xie Zichen had a hunch that something was wrong. Since she was pregnant, she rarely slept at this time, and it took her half a month to stabilize the fetus. If it wasn't something important, she wouldn't be waiting for him so late. He was so distressed that he hurried up and knelt down opposite her, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Ah Xiong has a letter." Wei Lan handed the letter to Xie Zichen, Xie Zichen frowned. He received Wei Xiong's letter in the morning. It is true that the situation is not very good, but it does not make Wei Lan so worried.
He opened the letter, and Wei Lan said calmly: "Ah Xiong is going back to Shengjing, we need to send a general over there. Although my elder brother Ahua is good at leading troops, he has no big picture in mind, so it is difficult to be the general. Others in the court People, even a group of quail nesting in the south, people who have never been on the battlefield. Wang Ning is guarding the southern front. If I expect that, when the news of Di Jie's attack on Dachu comes out in the near future, the Nanlang Kingdom in the south will Can't bear it anymore, Wang Ning can't come over."
Xie Zichen lowered his eyes and held the letter tightly. Wei Lan raised her hand and took a sip of tea. Since she was pregnant, she rarely drank tea, fearing that it would have a bad effect on the fetus.
"My spies in Dijie said that Rong Hua's health is getting worse and worse. His coming this time will not be so in vain. Now Qingzhou battlefield has gathered 500,000 troops, Youzhou 200,000, Ah Xiong He also said that he saw that there were still troops coming. Zichen," Wei Lan looked up at Xie Zichen, and said seriously: "Ronghua's battle is coming from all over the country. This time, either I will destroy the country, or I will destroy the country. He Di Jie exterminates the entire family, do you understand?"
"So..." Xie Zichen said in a low voice, "What do you want to say?"
"Zichen..." Wei Lan also found it difficult to speak, but she still closed her eyes and said slowly, "I want to go to Qingzhou."
Xie Zichen didn't speak. When Wei Lan said this, it meant that she had given up on the child.
It is impossible for her to take a child to the battlefield. She must adjust her body to an optimal state before going to the front line. There is no room for half-divisions on the front line.
Xie Zichen trembled slightly, Wei Lan moved over and hugged him: "Zichen, listen to me, we will have children..."
Xie Zichen didn't speak, he suppressed his voice, tears fell silently.
The tears fell on Wei Lan's neck, and it felt as if they were falling on her heart. It was scorching hot, and her whole heart ached. She held Xie Zichen's hand and said seriously: "It's my fault that you hit me, it's my fault, Zichen, don't cry, don't be sad, just hit me."
"Alan..."
Xie Zichen said hoarsely, "Why, can't you just be a mother?"
Wei Lan was slightly taken aback, and Xie Zichen raised his arms to hug her: "Why can't you just be a wife? Why do you always have so much in your heart? In your heart, where do I and the child rank?"
Wei Lan didn't speak, she understood Xie Zichen's grievance, so she could only pat him lightly, and said hoarsely: "I'm sorry...but Zichen, if the country will not be the country, how can you call it home?"
"I took the salary from the common people's taxes. I was born to enjoy such favorable conditions compared to those who wanted to pay the common people. This is not for nothing, which means that I have to bear more responsibilities. When the country is in crisis, People can run away, but we, whom they have spent their entire lives supporting, should take up this responsibility and move forward."
"But why is it you?!" Xie Zichen couldn't hold on any longer, and roared angrily: "There are so many noble children, why should it be you? If you don't go to the battlefield today, will this great Chu collapse?! "
"Zichen..." Wei Lan said bitterly, "If you want to have more freedom, you need to make more sacrifices."
"That shouldn't be a child!" Xie Zichen closed his eyes: "This is our business, you can't decide its fate. This child is not only yours, Alan, he is also mine."
"But other than this road, what can I do?"
Wei Lan closed her eyes: "Zichen, don't force me. There is no way to deal with this matter. Is there anyone else in the court? Could it be that Huan Heng can't succeed? Let Huan Heng take over Qingzhou and let my painstaking efforts for so many years go to waste ?! Even if I want to, can Huan Heng really do it?!
"Huanheng went to Qingzhou, do you want Youzhou? What if Huanheng fails to defend and die, what will happen to Dachu's country?! For this child, am I going to put a country in such danger?!"
"Xie Zichen," Wei Lan straightened up and knelt straight: "I am not only your wife, but also your mother, I am also the prime minister of this great Chu, the heir of Changxinhou's mansion. How can I be critical if the people support me?" Always put the people in danger because of your own selfishness? Unless you find me a suitable coach today... "
Wei Lan opened her eyes firmly, "Otherwise, I must go to Qingzhou."
Xie Zichen didn't speak. After a long time, he finally said, "I'll go."
"you… "
"You at least let me try! If I lose, how about you come again? If I lose," Xie Zichen looked at her seriously: "There is no need to keep this child, because I am incompetent and unable to protect him. But Wei Lan, what if I can win?"
Wei Lan didn't speak, but Xie Zichen's eyes were too persistent for her to answer.
He should be given a chance.
At least he should have tried.
But it would be too childish to try with the safety of a country and the lives of frontier soldiers.
She knew that Xie Zichen had stayed at the border in his previous life and fought many small battles, but this was the first time he had seen this battle involving hundreds of thousands of people.
Wei Lan couldn't make a decision, so Xie Zichen said, "Trust me once, okay?"
After a long time, Wei Lan finally breathed out, she looked up at him, and said directly: "You are a civil servant, how can you convince the public with your qualifications?"
Hearing this, Xie Zichen immediately said: "Send Wei Hua there and declare to the outside world that he is the commander in chief and I will be the supervisor."
Wei Lan didn't speak, she lowered her eyes, Xie Zichen frowned: "So, why are you hesitating?"
"My husband, my elder brother, are all on the battlefield," Wei Lan smiled wryly, "but I want to sit in Shengjing..."
"You're not sitting comfortably," Xie Zichen understood her knot. For Wei Lan, her brother and husband were fighting on the battlefield, but she was sitting in the room, which showed her incompetence.
Xie Zichen pulled her into his arms and sighed in a low voice: "Shengjing wants you to stabilize the situation. Those ghosts and monsters all rely on you to keep them under control. I am in front and I rely on you all."
Wei Lan didn't speak, she closed her eyes and listened to the heartbeat in the man's chest.
"Xie Zichen," she said slowly, "If you die on the battlefield, I, Wei Lan, will definitely crush Di Jie, kill his people, and sacrifice blood for you. And I will never have anyone else in my life."
Hearing this, Xie Zichen smiled.
"It's just right, it's just what I want." There was joy in his voice: "I was afraid at first, but you said that if I die, you will go with me. In this case," he raised his hand to stroke her hair, and said softly : "Who will help me take care of my child?"
Wei Lan didn't speak, she leaned on his shoulder and didn't make a sound.
The next day, Xie Zichen asked the emperor for an order to serve as the supervisor of the army, and Wei Hua, whose alias was Lin Hua, set off for the expedition.
And Wei Lan, who hadn't gone to court for a long time, finally came out again.
As soon as she stood in the court hall, everyone had different expressions. Wei Lan hadn't gone to court for more than a month. Everyone thought she was seriously ill, but who knew that she would appear again, still with that elegant appearance. After Xie Zichen asked for the order, she pretended to say: "This time, the mountains are high and the water is far away, and the Shangshu will make your journey safe and sound. The court will be managed by me, Wang Chengxiang and Wang Shangshu. Your Excellency Xie can feel at ease."
Xie Zichen returned a salute, and said calmly: "With all the ministers here, I have nothing to worry about."
Everyone was shocked by the fact that Xie Zichen went to Qingzhou. After the court, Xie Zichen's aides caught up one after another and said, "Why are you so confused? Qingzhou is a war-torn place at this time. How can you mix it so casually? Make contributions and make achievements." Of course it's important, but right now..."
"It's not the right time." Xie Zichen's face was flat, but he said to everyone: "A general is not a country, why is he a family? Everyone," he turned to look at Wei Lan who was talking to Wang Xi, his eyes were full of tenderness: " After I leave, please take good care of Prime Minister Wei for me. I promise you, if anything happens to me, Prime Minister Wei will fulfill it for me."
Everyone froze for a moment, then fell silent. In fact, when they discouraged Xie Zichen, the most important thing was that they were only worried about the agreement between themselves and Xie Zichen. Now that they had a reliance, they naturally wouldn't obstruct it too much. However, one of them still said: "My lord, only I can take care of my lover, and no one else can take care of my lover."
Xie Zichen looked up, it was his nephew.
He smiled, bitterness in his eyes.
"Yes, I should take care of it myself."
As he said that, Xie Zichen briefly explained to them a few more words, telling them to go back and wait, and then went to Xie's mansion.
After arriving at the Xie mansion, the Xie family was already waiting for him. Several elders of the Xie family were sitting in the lobby, and Xie Yulan was standing beside the elders. Xie Zichen walked in, took off the cloak and handed it to the attendants beside him, then saluted the clan elders, and sat on the head seat.
After sitting on the seat, the oldest Xie Fudao said: "The master is going to Qingzhou, why didn't you discuss this matter with us first? Qingzhou is a land of tigers and wolves. Now that the master is going, if something goes wrong, how will the Xie family deal with it?"
"This matter has just been decided. The decision was made in a hurry and I failed to inform you in time. I hope everyone will forgive me."
Xie Zichen nodded, looked at Xie Fudao and said sincerely: "Qingzhou is in an emergency now, the original coach of Qingzhou, Wei Xiong, was seriously injured, so he had to change generals temporarily, there is no one available in the court, Zichen went this time because of helplessness. "
"Helpless?" Xie Qing picked up the tea and said directly, "Where's Wei Lan?"
"That's right," Xie Jue said immediately, "Your servant, you have to decide how important it is to spoil a wife. At such a critical moment, if she can't be a military general, why should you be a civil servant?! She is a noble son of the Wei family, thank you Isn’t the head of the family noble?”
"Father..." Xie Zichen felt a little helpless, and sighed, "She is... not in good health."
"Not in good health, how bad is it?" Xie Jue sneered, "It's just greed for life and fear of death!"
"Father!" Xie Zichen yelled angrily, Xie Jue immediately shut up, Xie Qing looked at him quietly, waiting for his answer, Xie Zichen thought for a while, this time he left, Wei Lan must be out of helplessness , It's okay now, when her belly grows big, when she starts giving birth, there will always be someone to protect her and help her in the court.
After a long time, he finally said: "It doesn't matter, let's step back first."
Everyone froze for a moment, then saw all the maids and juniors go down. Immediately, only the elders of Xie Jue's family and above were left on the field, and everyone wanted to be good for Xie's family. Seeing this situation, Xie Fudao frowned: "Could it be that the minister has encountered a difficult situation?"
As soon as the words were finished, Xie Zichen knelt down, kowtowed to everyone and said, "I have something to ask, and I want to ask all of you grandpas, uncles, and fathers."
Everyone was stunned, Xie Fudao and Xie Qing looked at each other, and hurriedly said, "Say it."
"Zichen's wife... is pregnant."
Hearing this, everyone was shocked.
Everyone knows who Xie Zichen's wife is. Even if it is said to the outside world that she is the eldest lady of the Changxinhou Mansion, everyone knows who entered the mansion that day.
Wei Lan is pregnant
What a big joke!
So Xie Jue immediately said: "Your wife? When did you remarry? Why didn't you tell us?! Now that you have children, why are you going to Qingzhou?!"
"Alan is pregnant," Xie Zichen looked at Xie Qing, who had taught him and Wei Lan, Xie Qing was shocked, and heard Xie Zichen say: "Now I can't go to the battlefield, I can only go for her, after I leave I hope you grandpas and uncles don't embarrass her, and help her in the court..."
Hearing this, Xie Qing stood up suddenly: "What did you say?!"
He has taught Wei Lan before, so he naturally knows how talented and amazing this person is.
But she is pregnant? !
Can men have children too? !
No, men definitely can't have children, so...
Wei Lan is a girl? !
Everyone at the scene was stunned, and after a long time, Xie Fudao was the first to react: "She is a woman, how can she be an official in the court?!"
As he said that, he uttered angrily: "You did such a ridiculous thing, and you still protect her like this?! Zichen, are you out of your mind!"
"Grandpa," Xie Zichen looked up at him, his eyes clear: "Men and women, is it so important? A prime minister is my daughter-in-law of the Xie family, but no one else knows it. Do you still think that men and women are very important?"
Hearing this, everyone present was stunned.
A woman is the prime minister, and no one else has noticed, and this woman is the daughter-in-law of the Xie family!
The Xie family didn't contribute half a ounce of effort or resources to have a prime minister as an ally who was determined to be an ally. What kind of luck is this!
If Wei Lan was a man, she would have to worry that she would have trouble with Xie Zichen one day, that someone would alienate her, and that this man would betray Xie's family one day because of his ambition. But if it's a woman, or a woman who will give birth to Xie's descendants, it's completely different.
What kind of ambition and revenge can a woman have? No matter how talented he is, Xie Zichen is the master at home!
After thinking this through, everyone immediately had no objection to Wei Lan becoming the prime minister. Xie Zichen observed everyone's reactions and understood that they had contempt for Wei Lan, so he said: "She has a bad temper and is cruel. Don't provoke her casually. But when I was here, she was the biggest help of the Xie family. Now that she is pregnant, I hope you can take care of me. I will fight on her behalf. I am afraid that the nobles in Beijing will be dissatisfied. Please trouble everyone Elders help, don't let these words be too harsh. After a few months when she reveals her pregnancy, if I still haven't come back, please help me cover it up."
Everyone listened to Xie Zichen's words and nodded. Seeing that Xie Zichen was reassured, he said, "There is another important matter. I'm here to discuss with you. Xie's 100,000 troops, I want to transfer to Qingzhou."
Hearing this, everyone immediately frowned: "Is the situation so critical? My Xie family sent troops, what about the others?"
"Of course we have to do it." Xie Zichen couldn't just let himself contribute, so he immediately explained: "I'm going to find someone."
Xie Zichen discussed one or two, and then returned home.
When Xie Zichen came home, Wang Xi and Wei Lan had an appointment and were chatting over wine in a restaurant.
Wei Lan shied away from feeling unwell, so she asked for a glass of water, propped her chin and listened to everyone talking. Now that she doesn't show her figure, she can't be seen in looser clothes at all. Wang Xi is still a talkative person, calling out the young people from various families, and everyone chats about the situation.
"Now that Rong Hua has brought millions of soldiers over, don't know if he can resist it?"
"What are you afraid of?" A young man came over with a drink. This person was Wang Yuan. After Su Cheng fell, the three princes and their party also lost power. politics.
He came to Wang Xi with the wine, raised his glass and said, "Good brother, we have millions of men in Da Chu, so why be afraid?"
Hearing this, Wang Xi couldn't help laughing: "Third brother, you are probably drunk, and you are calling me brother."
"Now everyone is my brother!"
Wang Yuan stood up and raised his glass, laughing loudly: "Come on everyone, let me drink, drink!"
All the people present applauded, and they were drunk and singing. Wei Lan propped her chin in the corner, looked at the crowd with a smile, and drank a glass of white water.
After the group drank for a while, they became completely debauched. Wang Yuan was completely drunk, stumbled to Wei Lan, raised his glass and said, "Wei...Prime Minister Wei."
Wei Lan smiled, raised her glass and touched Wang Yuan lightly, and said softly, "Third Young Master."
"Prime Minister Wei," Wang Yuan raised his head, and asked amidst the din, "Did Rong Hua... really bring a million soldiers here?"
"More than a million."
"We..." Wang Yuan lowered his eyes, leaned against a pillar beside him, and said slowly, "Will we win?"
"My husband, my brother, and my best friend are all on the battlefield."
Wang Yuan was slightly taken aback, and after a while, he smiled slowly: "You know...why did I choose the Third Highness back then?"
Hearing this person whom no one mentioned for a long time, Wei Lan couldn't help being slightly taken aback. Wang Yuan turned his head and looked out the window. I will bring Da Chu back to the north."
"I believe it."
"So even though I know that he is narrow-minded, that he is suspicious and fickle, and that he is violent, but in my heart," he raised his hand, pointed to his heart, and said seriously, "he is still, it is me. The only monarch."
"Third Young Master," Wei Lan sighed, "You're drunk."
"I didn't," Wang Yuan closed his eyes, and said hoarsely, "It's been so many years, Wei Lan, I've never been so sober after he's been dead for so many years. If he had ascended the throne back then, I, Da Chu, should have The bloody man is here! How could he be so useless?!"
"Worthless?" Wei Lan couldn't help laughing: "My younger brother is not yet seventeen years old. He was the commander in chief on the battlefield and was seriously injured; my adopted brother Lin Hua just returned to Shengjing and is about to leave his wife and go to the battlefield; my husband Xie Zichen , as a generation of civil servants, I have to go to the battlefield. I, Da Chu, have never been afraid, so why are you so useless?!"
The relationship between Xie Zichen and her was known to everyone for a long time, but no one said anything when Wei Lan said so.
However, when he heard these words, Wang Yuan smiled. There was sarcasm and coldness in his smile, and he said directly: "But my Dachu is the only military general in the court now. According to legend, he took the head of Di Jie alone. Wei Shizi, who has a great reputation outside the Great Wall, is hiding in Shengjing, forcing a civil servant to go to the battlefield, isn't this useless?!"
Wang Yuan's last utterance was roared, and the audience fell silent as soon as he finished speaking. Everyone looked at Wei Lan, but Wei Lan didn't move.
Wang Xi frowned and shouted: "Third Brother, stand down!"
"Couldn't it be?!" Wang Yuan raised his voice, pointing at Wei Lan: "She was born as a military general, and now we are in trouble in the Great Chu Kingdom, knowing that I am a Great Chu military general, but she can watch a civil servant, or her lover His civil servants rushed thousands of miles to the battlefield indifferently, laughing and drinking with us here, such a man, how can he not be a wimp?!"
Wei Lan didn't speak, Wang Xi suddenly stood up, pointed at the door and said, "Get out!"
"Why do I want to get out?!" Wang Yuan turned around full of alcohol, and said with a sneer, "You should get out, it should be this idiot! Her younger brother is on the front line, her lover is on the front line, everyone who shouldn't be on the front line is on the front line, But she was the only one hiding in Shengjing, surviving on an ignoble basis, afraid of those millions of elite soldiers! Wang Xi, what are you yelling at, don’t you all think so?! You didn’t let anyone drag me out, didn’t you? Do you want me to say these words?!"
"Wei Lan," Wang Yuan suddenly turned around, pulled out his sword, pointed at her and said, "I'm here today to beg you. If you really want to be a good man of Dachu," he said, flipping the sword over Fengshang, kneeling in front of Wei Lan, tremblingly said: "Please go to Qingzhou!"
The audience was silent, Wei Lan looked at the sword held in front of her, then slowly raised her head and swept towards the crowd.
"Everyone... do you think the same way?"
No one spoke.
After a while, those young masters who were usually fooling around knelt down on one knee one by one.
"If a country benefits from life and death, how can it be avoided because of misfortunes and blessings?"
Wang Yuan spoke hoarsely, full of pleadings: "Tomorrow, we will follow Lord Xie to Qingzhou, but we all know that Lord Xie is no more than a civil servant. If anyone can save Dachu, he must be Prime Minister of Wei! Prime Minister!"
Wei Lan didn't speak, Wang Xi looked at the kneeling Mantang, closed his eyes, and didn't care anymore.
And Wei Lan looked at the sword that was shining coldly in front of her eyes, and said slowly: "Gou Li's country lives and dies, how can we avoid it because of misfortunes and blessings?"
As she said that, she got up slowly, and said gently: "But... Thanks to everyone's wrong love, Wei Lan is now in dilapidated health, and I am afraid that she will not be able to go to the battlefield. But I have you in Dachu, so why not worry about it!"
After speaking, she turned around and left slowly.
There was a sharp pain in her heart, and every word Wang Yuan slashed at her heart like a sword.
She Wei Lan has never been knocked down by anything, but this time, when all her cherished people are on the battlefield, but she can do nothing but wait, she feels so weak, so incompetent, as if A trapped beast was trapped in a cage, screaming desperately, full of despair.
She didn't take the carriage and walked back slowly.
She wanted to calm down her mood, and at the moment of saying goodbye, at least calmly, at least calmly, so that Xie Zichen could leave with peace of mind. So she packed up her mood and walked home all the way, but only halfway through, she saw the person waiting there.
He was dressed in black robes, wearing a white fox fur cloak, and holding a lantern, standing there quietly.
Wei Lan stopped in her tracks, and couldn't help being stunned. Xie Zichen smiled gently, and his voice drifted in the night wind, like spring flowers, like candlelight, bringing a warm atmosphere throughout the night.
"If you haven't come back yet, I'm afraid something will happen to you, so I'll come to pick you up."
He spoke, as always.
She didn't know what happened, the moment he spoke, she ran over suddenly, plunged into his arms, and hugged him tightly.
Her tears fell, and at the moment when he met this person, Xie Zichen was slightly taken aback, and then realized that she was crying, he couldn't help but panicked for a moment, and hurriedly said: "What's wrong? Who bullied you? Ah Lan, why are you crying?"
Wei Lan didn't speak, she was afraid that he would see her crying, so she buried her head in his chest and hugged him tightly.
"sorry… "
She said hoarsely: "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
I'm sorry, as a woman, as a wife, I can't protect you at the most critical time.
For the first time, she knew that there are some things that she is destined to be unable to overcome, and some roads are really too difficult to walk, and she doesn't know how to walk.
Xie Zichen hugged her tightly, and said gently, "Alan, it's me who should say I'm sorry."
"I limited you, I bound you. I forced you to face too much. I forced you to give birth to this child. I went to the battlefield. I know there will be a lot of gossip, but Ah Lan... "
He slowly said: "As a parent, there are naturally many obstacles. When I win the first game, the gossip will stop. At that time, no one can say anything."
"Xie Zichen..." Wei Lan shook her head, "I'm not afraid of gossip."
But what she was afraid of was that those rumors were all true.
She really is a coward, she really sits in the room while her most important people are fighting.
What kind of lamp would avenge him after he died, wouldn't it be the best to protect him on the battlefield, and if he died, at least step on her corpse first.
Seeing her expression, Xie Zichen understood what she was thinking. He held her hand and said softly, "Alan, let's go, let's go home."
"Wait next year, you will pick me up at the gate of the city and take me home."